Abstract: An implantable activity-based cardiac pacemaker has a variable rate stimulus generator housed together with an accelermeter and associated circuitry within a case. The accelerometer is isolated from the case to detect forces of acceleration on the case while avoiding response to pressure on the case, and to generate an electrical signal representative of the magnitude of the accelerational forces. The accelerometer is integrated into hybrid electronic circuitry, such as a semiconductor chip, together with an electrical circuit which processes the signal generated by the accelerometer to vary the rate of the stimulus generator according to the magnitude of the signal.

Abstract: An implantable variable rate pacemaker adaptive to patient exercise detects movements of the patient, and discriminates between detected movements indicative of physical exercise by the patient and detected movements indicative of non-exercise. The pacemaker responds to the detected movements indicative of physical exercise by incrementally adjusting the pacing rate according to the level of the physical exercise. The detection of movement is performed by an accelerometer in the form of a mechanoelectrical transducer which converts mechanical movements to an electrical signal having a designated parameter representative of the intensity of the mechanical movements. The accelerometer is housed within and isolated from the pulse generator case of the pacemaker and is implemented as part of a semiconductor device.

Abstract: An activity-based variable rate pacemaker senses motion in a preselected low frequency range to detect physical activity of the patient and produce an electrical signal having amplitude maxima and minima representative of the speed and intensity of the physical activity. The electrical signal is selectively limited to appreciable amplitude values for detected physical activity which is related to true physical exercise by the patient, in contrast to detected physical activity which is related to internal and external disturbances on the patient. The amplitude maxima and minima of the selectively limited signal are detected in successive equal intervals of time, the results obtained for consecutive blocks of time each containing the same number of successive equal intervals of time are compared to determine whether the physical exercise is more vigorous or less vigorous than that determined for a predetermined number of immediately preceding blocks, and the pacing rate is adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: An implantable variable rate pacemaker adaptive to patient exercise includes a motion sensor for detecting physical activity of the patient and producing an electrical signal having an amplitude vlaue representative of the intensity of the physical activity. The electrical signal is selectively limited to appreciable amplitude values for detected physical activity which is related to true physical exercise by the patient, in contrast to activity related to internal and external disturbances on the patient. The pacemaker compares the amplitude values of the selectively limited electrical signal to successively higher programmed threshold values representative of successively greater workloads of physical exercise to adjust the pacing rate to a higher rate as each of the threshold values is exceeded.

Abstract: An implantable activity-based variable rate pacemaker includes an accelerometer for detecting movements of the patient, and discriminates between those of the detected movements indicative of physical exercise by the patient and those of the detected movements indicative of non-exercise. The pacemaker is responsive to detected movements indicative of physical exercise to select a pacing rate according to the level of the physical exercise. Separately, a parameter of the patient which varies in proportion to physical exercise but differs from direct detection of patient movement is sensed to generate an output representing the present state of physical exercise of the patient.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding fluidized particulate material at a uniform preselected flow rate includes a reservoir for receiving the material from a supply inlet, a device for maintaining material in the reservoir in a state of flux, a chain type carrier for continuously removing and transporting uniform quantities of the fluidized material at variable speed from the reservoir along a predetermined path configured to prevent premature discharge of the uniform quantities, and a control system to detect the quantities of material being transported along the predetermined path to regulate the speed of the carrier according to the desired preselected flow rate, such that the fluid particulate material is discharged at the desired flow rate at the end of the predetermined path.

Abstract: A technique for interconnecting line processing units (LPUs) of a packet switch and/or data concentrator system in which, instead of using a standard bus system, each LPU has a number of duplex point to point serial links that are connected in either a random or structured manner to provide a network of routes between the LPUs. Information is then transferred between source and destination LPUs as short packets. When the system is expanded by adding more LPUs, the network of serial point to point links expands to provide more routes and, hence, greater bandwidth to handle the increased information flow. Failure of a link in the network is not catastrophic as there are a number of different routes to any LPU and the system only degrades systematically in the event of link failures.

Abstract: Burst switching apparatus for a hybrid switching and transmission system adapted to carry multimedia traffic components including voice and data in multi-slotted frames, in which components of the traffic to be transmitted from the sources thereof are assigned to respective selected slots in each frame to assure transmission of information generated by each active source within a predetermined bandwidth, and the bandwidth is reallocated as necessary to provide additional slots within each frame to the active sources on a frame-by-frame basis to accommodate the respective bandwidths required for the information generated by those sources from among the total available bandwidth of the system.

Abstract: A packet switch receives data and processes it for assembly into packages. A bus allows communication between each of the data processing units of the switch and one or more storage units for storing the data packets. Arbitration for deciding which of the processing units will be granted access to the bus is performed by a system which selectively and alterably designates any of at least two different levels of priority of access to the bus for each of the processing units, and the relative percentages of time of access for the different priorty levels. The system assures greater access to the bus by those of the processing units having the higher level of priority. If communication is provided by two buses, the requests for access are alternated between them.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for making a solid alcohol fuel which comprises: (1) forming an aqueous slurry of an alcohol with a cellulosic derivative having a hydration inhibiting coating and (2) then adding an effective amount sufficient to increase the pH level above 8, of a caustic material so as to affect hydration and solidification. The preferred alcohols are ethanol and methanol, however alcohols having from one carbon to ten carbon atoms may be used. The caustic material is preferably sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The cellulosic derivative is typically a cellulose ether such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. The hydration inhibiting coating on the cellulosic derivative is an acid coating or a glyoxylated surface. The composition further contains a smoke suppressant such as aluminium oxide trihydrate.

Abstract: A data communications system has a layered communication architecture including network services protocols including a link layer and higher level protocols, and has IBM or IBM-compatible synchronous data link control (SDLC) devices including a host computer and a plurality of end user devices desiring to communicate across an X.25 packet-switching network (PSN) of the communications system. A packet assembler/disassembler (PAD) support X.25 communication across the PSN between the SDLC-utilizing host computer and the SDLC-utilizing end user device. In one embodiment, separate high level data link control (HDLC) PADs are provided at each end of the PSN operationally associated with the host computer and the plurality of end user devices, respectively.

Abstract: A cosmetic container is provided with an annular lip within the container neck by a method which involves providing a closure for the container which has moulded integrally therewith a lip-forming member. When the closure is fitted to the container, the member forms an interference fit with the inner wall of the container and is retained when the closure is removed. An applicator wand on the closure extends through the annular member and the member acts as a wiper for the wand.

Abstract: An implantable variable rate pacemaker adaptive to patient exercise detects movements of the patient, and discriminates between detected movements indicative of true physical exercise by the patient and detected movements which are not true physical exercise. An activity sensor converts mechanical movements of the patient to an electrical signal representative thereof. Only a portion of the electrical signal in a frequency range below 4 Hz is processed by the pacemaker's electrical circuitry, to discriminate against signal components arising from other than physical exercise of the patient. As a result of this signal processing, a predetermined variable signal component is recovered, other than frequency of amplitude crossings relative to a threshold value, to produce an output signal representative of true physical body exercise.

Abstract: Disclosed as the present invention is household furniture, particularly furniture which is very easily assembled and disassembled. The present invention is specifically directed to furniture which is scaled in size and in assembly complexity for children. A particular embodiment is disclosed in which the furniture package is provided with full child-size parts and with a smaller sized set of paper or cardboard parts matching the child-size parts, thus enabling the child to visualize the completed furniture pieces as well as the assembly process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing reinforced leather portfolio having wide opening top and concealed name tag, the wide opening top of the portfolio is provided by a novel subassembly of sides and bottom in which the top of the side portions of the subassembly is from 10 to 25% wider, preferably 20% wider than the bottom which provides much easier access to removing the contents of the center section of the portfolio. The two top-widened sides and the bottom of the subassembly comprise stitched together sheets of leather which are sewed to the envelope side panels of the portfolio and these sides and bottom panels are reinforced in an entirely new location at the center by a separate strap of continuous length going from the top of one side around the bottom and up the other side and which is stitched to provide a central load carrying strap secured to the sides and bottom which prevents tearing away from the envelope panels to which they are stitched.

Abstract: An implantable lead assembly to electrically stimulate the heart from a stimulus generator has an electrode head with a surface portion conducive to electrical stimulation, the head having a contour concentric with the axis except along a portion indented toward the axis to form a recess in the head. A conductive lead fastened to the head electrically connects the stimulation-conducive surface portion to the stimulus generator. A rigid hook is secured in fixed relation to the head with the curved portion of the hook lying at all times substantially within the recess and the tip of the hook normally unrestrained to project at all times at least slightly from the recess to engage heart tissue when the head is rotated about the axis by twisting the lead in the direction in which the tip is pointed.