Abstract: A system is disclosed to prevent the build up of pressure within a patient circuit when an oxygen flush is activated in a ventilator powered anesthesia system. In the event the user activates the oxygen flush at a time that the ventilator is in the inhalation cycle providing a breath to the patient, a valve is automatically opened to vent the patient circuit to the atmosphere, thereby preventing that additional oxygen flow to the patient circuit from resulting in an undesirable pressure build up that could affect the lungs of the patient.

Abstract: A wet oxidation apparatus includes a device for raising the pressure of liquid oxygen; an evaporator for evaporating the liquid oxygen; a device for supplying nitrogen including a compressor for compressing atmospheric air and for supplying the compressed air to a first mixer, a storage container for storing liquid nitrogen; a device for raising the pressure of liquid nitrogen; a second evaporator for evaporating the liquid nitrogen; the first mixer located for mixing the evaporated oxygen and nitrogen; a second mixer for mixing the resultant gas with waste water to be treated, and a reactor for receiving the mix of gas and water.

Abstract: An improved system for the control of PEEP in a medical ventilator system having a ventilator and a bellows contained within a bellows canister. A pop-off valve that normally vents excess pressure within the bellows to atmosphere is modified such that its exhaust is vented to a predetermined pressure above atmospheric pressure, such as the PEEP pressure. In the preferred embodiment, that predetermined pressure is the pressure within the ventilator drive gas conduit that transmits the gas from the ventilator to drive the bellows and the exhaust from the pop-off is effectively isolated from that drive gas conduit to avoid contaminating the gas within that drive gas conduit.

Abstract: An anaesthetic vaporizer for supplying an anaesthetic to a patient and having an inlet for receiving carrier gas and an outlet for delivering carrier gas laden with the anaesthetic to the patient. The vaporizer includes a pump having an expandable body, preferably of a metal, and which expands to draw in the liquid anaesthetic from a reservoir through a valving mechanism and which collapses to meter a precise amount of that liquid anaesthetic into a chamber where it is vaporized for introduction into the carrier gas as it passes between the inlet and the outlet.

Abstract: A method is provided for treating sewage by introducing carbon dioxide and oxygen therein so that the carbon dioxide reduces the pH of the sewage to about pH5.0 or below and reduces the activity of bacteria therein such that the oxygen can oxygenate the sewage rather than be consumed by the bacteria. Generation of malodorous compounds is significantly reduced or prevented until the carbon dioxide is sufficiently dispersed so that the pH rises above about 5.0.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for changing or maintaining the shape of a food product during freezing using a roller assembly containing at least two rollers forming a sinusoidal pathway in which the food product is submerged in a liquid cryogen as the shape-forming operation is completed.

Abstract: A tilt mechanism for use with an infant care apparatus such as an incubator to place and retain the infant care apparatus in a desired tilt angle. The tilt mechanism includes two sets of crossed links, each set forming an X between the links. One end of each link is rotatable affixed to a fixed base and the other end rotatably affixed to the infant care apparatus. A locking device is used that allows the infant apparatus to be manually moved by means of the crossed link sets to the desired angle and then locked into that position. With this mechanism, the entire infant apparatus is tilted rather than only some internal bed or infant platform.

Abstract: This invention pertains to methods for preparing 5-aroyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrrolo-[1,2-a]pyrrole-1-carboxylic acids represented by formula (I): ##STR1## In a first embodiment, the method comprises the sequential steps of cyclizing, via a free radical ring closure reaction, and hydrolyzing a compound represented by formula (IV): ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 is lower alkyl.

Abstract: A container (2) for a liquid anaesthetic agent for supplying the agent to an anaesthetic vaporiser comprises a reservoir for the liquid agent, a valve (6) which, when closed, prevents the flow of the liquid agent from the reservoir, a tubular outlet (10) through which the liquid can leave the reservoir when the valve is open. An O-ring (20) at the free end of the conduit provides a sealing surface for forming a seal with a corresponding sealing surface provided at an inlet to a vaporiser to which the anaesthetic agent is to be supplied. A flange (22) engages a guide on the vaporiser, to retain the container in contact with the vaporiser.

Abstract: A heated humidifier for an infant incubator wherein the water in the water reservoir is heated by an active heater located above the surface of the water and a heat exchanger that transfers heat from the active heater and which extends downwardly to a point beneath the water surface to heat the water. In the preferred embodiment, the heat exchanger is an extruded member in the shape of an I-beam to transfer the heat from an electric heater above the surface of the water to heat the volume of water in the reservoir to create water vapor.

Abstract: Method for heat treating a metal in which argon gas is selectively injected into the cooling zone of a heat treating apparatus when the temperature therein is above the level at which significant nitriding will occur.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for performing a metallurgical process in which a carbonaceous material is converted to a reducing gas and a metal is melted in a main reactor, particulate coal is partially oxidized in a secondary reactor to form a particulate char and a calorific gas under conditions which minimize the formation of carbon monoxide, and at least part of the char and some of the calorific gas are introduced into the main reactor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing a vaporized fuel stream from a liquid fuel in which an inert gas is injected into a pressurized storage container containing the liquid fuel to provide a vaporized fuel stream having a substantially constant pressure, flow rate and composition.

Abstract: A system for allowing a user to disable an apnea alarm in an anesthesia system when the anesthesia ventilator is in the mechanical ventilation mode. The system takes advantage of the redundancy of both a CO2 monitor and a volume monitor triggering the apnea alarm based upon a predetermined fault condition. The inventive system allows the user to disable the apnea alarm based upon a signal from the volume monitor to alleviate the problem of spurious alarm signals from the volume monitor. The attempt to disable the volume monitor fault signal to the apnea alarm is prevented, however, without a system check by a CPU to insure that the CO2 monitor is, in fact, fully operational and capable of sending its fault signal to the apnea alarm to trigger that alarm. The system continuously checks the CO2 monitor and immediately restores the viability of the volume monitor as a trigger for the apnea alarm at any time the CO2 monitor becomes disabled and is unable to trigger the apnea alarm itself.

Abstract: A process for removal of iron from reduced titanium ores involves hydrometallurgical treatment with an aqueous solution through which an oxidising gas including oxygen and/or ozone is passed to oxidise metallised iron present within said reduced titanium ore.

Abstract: An anesthetic vaporizer is disclosed having an inlet for receiving carrier gas and an outlet for delivering carrier gas with an anesthetic agent to a patient. The vaporizer has a passage that extends between the inlet and the outlet, a vaporizing chamber and a passageway extending from the vaporizing chamber to the outlet. A means such as a differential pressure transducer monitors the differences in pressure between the carrier gas in the passage and the anesthetic agent in the passageway to control the flow of the anesthetic agent through the passageway.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for the heat treating of a part suspected of containing a lubricant in which the part is preheated to a temperature at which the lubricant vaporizes, the vaporized lubricant is converted to at least one gaseous by-product, the concentration of at least one of the by-products is then measured and heat treating of the part is conducted when the concentration of the measured by-product or total C--H bonds thereof reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A portable chilling unit for chilling either the whole or a selected portion of the interior of a container comprises a plurality of eutectic elements adapted for pre-chilling by exposure to liquid cryogen, a height adjustable inlet and an outlet towards the base of the unit. An insulating blanket is attachable to the inlet such that, in operation, the blanket may be placed over the cargo to be chilled and only atmosphere from under the blanket is drawn through the unit for chilling.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for replacing a carboxylic acid group with a fluorine .[.group.]. in a halogenated aliphatic carboxylic acid compound having the formula, R-COOH, to prepare a fluorinated product having the formula, R-F, wherein R is a halogenated aliphatic group including straight- and branched-chain aliphatic groups selected from the group consisting of halogenated aliphatic and .Iadd.halogenated .Iaddend.alkoxy-substituted .[.halogenated.]. aliphatic groups, wherein the method comprises the step of (a) reacting the halogenated aliphatic carboxylic acid compound with bromine trifluoride, and (b) recovering the fluorinated product.