Abstract: The instrument is to be adapted to an ophthalmic slit-lamp (2,6) and includes holders for fluorescence excitation and barrier filters (3,5) to the light path and a detector system made of a linear array of photodiodes (8) with respective circuitry for reading and control. The light is focused in a chosen zone of the eye (13) inducing fluorescence by using specific wavelength. The fluorescence is measured by the detector (8) coupled to one of the eyepieces (12) of the slit-lamp (26) or to a beam-splitter (7) placed before the eyepieces (12). There is a system for digitalization of the signal from the detector (8) which is connected to an IBM compatible computer (11) where the data is stored and analyzed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 5, 1997
Date of Patent:
January 11, 2000
Inventors:
Jose Guilherme Fernandes Da Cunha Vaz, Jose Paulo Pires Domingues, Carlos Manuel Bolota Alexandre Correia
Abstract: A computer keyboard light comprises, in a first embodiment, at least one small upright lamp unit mounted to a flat plate that is secured to the underside of the computer keyboard or PC monitor. The lamp arms are telescopeable and are rotatable by rachet connections to allow for adjustment of the lights. The arms could also be formed of an internal structure that allows them to be twisted or adjusted into different shapes and positions. In another embodiment, the computer keyboard light further comprises a small lamp unit mounted to a small rectangular plate that is adhered to the side of the PC monitor in order to illuminate either the keyboard, the monitor screen or a copy holder.
Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved rechargeable battery device, particularly an improvement over the structure of the positive and negative terminals of a rechargeable battery, and of some parts of a charging device therefor. By adding a convex ring round the conventional terrace-shaped positive terminal of a rechargeable battery, which ring, formed integrally with said positive terminal, is for an elastic contactor from a charger to contact; and by forming an insulated central concave in the negative terminal to replace the conventional planar negative terminal, it is possible to avoid explosions caused by charging a non-rechargeable battery. Moreover, due to the above-said improvement, mixed use of rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries is also made possible.
Abstract: A halogen torchiere lamp comprises a grid-like guard arranged across the lampshade opening for preventing flammable material from making contact with the hot glass shield of the bulb or the bulb itself. A temperature sensor is installed within the lampshade near the bulb to sense the rise in ambient temperature within the lampshade should its opening be covered by any material. The sensor comprises a thermostat that de-energizes the bulb when the sensed ambient temperature reaches a predetermined value. The sensor may also comprise a thermistor that operates the dimmer switch of the lamp to dim the bulb when the sensed ambient temperature reaches a predetermined value. The sensor may further comprise a photocell-powered thermistor that varies the bias of a transistor, which in turn causes the bulb to dim, thereby lowering the ambient temperature within the lampshade.
Abstract: A method and system for selectively targeting advertisements and programming to different demographically and specially targeted television audiences by relating carrier subscriber data to other proprietary marketing databases by creating, compiling and updating a National Directory of cable and other carrier system subscriber names and address information derived from actual cable system and telephone company billing records; providing proprietary software to participating carrier systems to allow them to modify the subscriber records in a uniform fashion at the carrier system level using unique electronic address designations, by encoding the subscriber information into encoded binary streams using proprietary binary conversion rules and binary signatures assigned to the carrier systems, and changing the conversion rules, signatures and their carrier designations for security on a monthly basis when the National Directory is updated; licensing the Directory to qualified data processing companies or their cl