Abstract: A process for forming a magnetite coating on a ferrous metal surface and for chemical reagents used to implement the coating process. The process comprises the step of making the ferrous metal surface more reactive by contacting the surface with an activating reagent and then contacting the activated surface with an oxidizing reagent to form the coating at a relatively low temperature range. The surface is activated by contact with an acid solution to form a surface rich in reactive iron. The activated surface is then oxidized by contact with an aqueous reagent of alkali metal hydroxide, alkali metal nitrate, alkali metal nitrite, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing a patient status for respiratory insufficiency for use in automated patient care. A set of one or more physiological measures relating to patient information recorded on a substantially continuous basis or derived therefrom are received. The physiological measures set is stored into a patient care record for an individual patient into a database. One or more of the physiological measures in the physiological measures set are analyzed relative to one or more other physiological measures to determine a pathophysiology indicating an absence, an onset, a progression, a regression, and a status quo of respiratory insufficiency.

Abstract: An air filtration media pack is provided having a plurality of layers of single facer media. The layer of single facer media includes a fluted sheet, a facing sheet, and a plurality of flutes extending between the fluted sheet and the facing sheet and having a flute length extending from a first face of the filtration media pack to a second face of the filtration media pack. A first portion of the plurality of flutes are closed to unfiltered air flowing into the first portion of the plurality of flutes, and a second portion of the plurality of flutes are closed to unfiltered air from flowing out of the second portion of the plurality of flutes so that air passing into one of the first face and the second face of the media pack and out the other of the first face and the second face of the media pack passes through media to provide filtration of the air. The fluted sheet includes repeating internal peaks facing toward the facing sheet and repeating external peaks facing away from the facing sheet.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and apparatuses that reduce problems encountered during coating of a device, such as a medical device having a cylindrical shape. In an embodiment, the invention includes an apparatus including a bi-directional rotation member. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method with a bi-directional indexing movement. In an embodiment, the invention includes a coating solution supply member having a major axis oriented parallel to a gap between rollers on a coating apparatus. In an embodiment, the invention includes a device retaining member. In an embodiment, the invention includes an air nozzle or an air knife. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method including removing a static charge from a small diameter medical device.

Abstract: An external data processing device to interface with an ambulatory repeater and method thereof is presented. An external data processing device is interfaced in far field telemetric communication with an ambulatory repeater. The external data processing device receives sensitive information preencrypted prior to implant under a cryptographic key uniquely assigned to an implantable medical device over a secure connection from the ambulatory repeater. Physiological measures retrieved from the implantable medical device by the ambulatory repeater are received by the external data processing device over a non-secure connection.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods of using fatty acid alkyl ester solutions to refine feed stocks before converting the feed stocks into fatty acid fatty acid alkyl esters. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method for producing fatty acid alkyl esters. The method can include mixing a crude lipid feed stock with a refining solution to form a crude product mixture, the refining solution comprising greater than about 10 wt. % fatty acid alkyl esters. The method can include extracting the liquid phase from the crude product mixture to obtain a purified lipid feed stock. The method can also include reacting the purified lipid feed stock with an alcohol to form a product mixture comprising fatty acid alkyl esters. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of making a fatty acid alkyl ester composition.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and devices for treating and/or preventing atrial fibrillation. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of treating and/or preventing atrial fibrillation including applying an oscillating electrical stimulus to a tissue of a patient, the oscillating electrical stimulus sufficient to block transmission of electrical signals through the tissue. In an embodiment, the invention includes an implantable medical device including a stimulator configured to generate an oscillating electrical stimulus at a frequency and amplitude sufficient to block transmission of electrical signals through a tissue, a stimulation electrode in communication with the stimulator, the stimulation electrode configured to deliver the oscillating electrical stimulus to the tissue, and control circuitry in communication with the stimulator, the control circuitry configured to selectively deliver the oscillating electrical stimulus to treat and/or prevent atrial fibrillation.

Abstract: An assembly for forming a container for transport and handling of at least two marine seismic source arrays, wherein said arrays each include at least one series of units formed by at least two marine seismic sources, characterized in that it includes a basic structure including a floor and a ceiling connected by central posts extending in a substantially central plane with respect to said floor and said ceiling, and lateral posts intended to removably connect the lateral ends of said floor and the lateral ends of said ceiling.

Abstract: A method for improving the dimensional stability of PTFE membranes by the application of elevated temperature and elevated pressure to a PTFE membrane. The process reduces and/or eliminates the relaxation stress normally associated with PTFE membranes made using previously existing methods.

Abstract: A web can comprise a substantially continuous fiber mass and a separation means dispersed into the fiber. The web having a preferred thickness resulting from forming a polymer material and a particulate into a fine fiber layer can have a variety of end uses. A filtration media can include a structure comprising such a web of fine fiber and a substantial volume of particulate embodiment of the separation means. The resulting fine fiber structure provides an improved filtration medium having substantial depth, thickness, and a layered structure. The improved properties of the web results from inclusion of the separation or spacer particulate.

Abstract: A novel spray-on adhesive composition is made from a high melt index polymer and a rosin ester tackifier that interact to produce a composition that can form a low VOC, non-tacky, hot melt adhesive material that can be used in disposable article manufacture. The adhesive provides surprisingly high initial adhesion. Additionally, the adhesive is thermally stable at hot melt application conditions, low in cost, easily applied, and produces high quality disposable articles.

Abstract: A polymer alloy has been developed comprising a polysulfone and a vinyl lactam polymer. The resulting alloy has excellent thermal characteristics and even in the presence of substantial quantities in vinyl lactam polymers, has solvent resistance to both organic and aqueous solvent materials. The materials, when dissolved in solvents, can be spun from a variety of solvents into a variety of useful fiber materials. The resulting fine fiber, microfiber and nanofiber materials have excellent thermal and chemical resistance for a variety of fiber applications. The polymer alloys of the invention can be spun into nanofiber mats that can act as a filtration media and can also be combined into conventional substrate materials for fabrication into filter structures.

Abstract: This invention relates to an explosion pressure relief device with a wall and a framework fixing the wall. In the case of an explosion in a container to which an explosion pressure relief device is attached, such explosion pressure relief device serves to allow the pressure wave to escape at best greatly weakened.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for producing alkyl esters from lipid feed stocks, such as plant oils and/or animal fats, and systems including the same. In an embodiment, the invention includes a process for producing alkyl esters including mixing a lipid feed stock with an alcohol to form a reaction mixture; and contacting the reaction mixture with a catalyst under supercritical conditions for the alcohol, the catalyst comprising an unmodified metal oxide selected from the group consisting of alumina, titania, zirconia, and hafnia, and removing residual free fatty acids from the reaction mixture. Other embodiments are included herein.

Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods for making fertilizer compositions out of potassium phosphate brine solutions recovered from meat processing operations. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method for making a fertilizer composition including filtering a meat-processing waste solution, and measuring the concentration of a salt in the meat-processing waste solution. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method for disposing of a meat-processing brine solution including filtering the meat-processing brine solution, and measuring the concentration of a salt in the meat-processing brine solution.

Abstract: A method for coating a device, such as an industrially or medically applicable device, with a polymer layer is provided. The method includes contacting the device with a grafting initiator comprising at least one photoinitiator group, exposing the device to radiation, contacting the device with a polymerizable monomer, and again exposing the device to radiation.

Abstract: A system and method for providing synergistic alert condition processing in an automated patient management system is presented. An alert condition is classified along a continuum that includes adverse outcome potential versus medical intervention impact potential. The alert condition is managed by assigning a disposition based on relative placement of the alert condition along the continuum. An alert notification is communicated over a selectable mode of communications and is conditioned upon the assigned disposition being actionable.

Abstract: A system for diagnosing and monitoring congestive heart failure for automated remote patient care is presented. A database stores a plurality of monitoring sets relating to patient information recorded on a substantially continuous basis. A server retrieving and processing the monitoring sets includes a comparison module determining patient status changes by comparing at least one recorded measure from one of the monitoring sets to at least one other recorded measure from another of the monitoring sets with both recorded measures relating to a type of patient information, and an analysis module testing each patient status change for one of an absence, an onset, a progression, a regression, and a status quo of congestive heart failure against a predetermined indicator threshold corresponding to a type of patient information as the recorded measures. The indicator threshold corresponds to a quantifiable physiological measure of a pathophysiology indicative of congestive heart failure.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the invention includes a measurement system for measuring induced currents within an implantable medical device undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. The measurement system can include a resistor connected in series with a conductive loop and electronic circuitry configured to generate a signal representative of a voltage differential across the resistor. In some embodiments, the measurement system includes a fiber optic cable configured to transmit the signal away from the area subject to magnetic resonance imaging. In some embodiments, the measurement system includes a transmitter to wirelessly transmit the signal away from the area subject to magnetic resonance imaging. In an embodiment, the invention can include an implantable medical device including a measurement system for measuring induced currents. In an embodiment, the invention can include a method of measuring an induced current in an implantable medical device undergoing magnetic resonance imaging.