Abstract: A vacuum system for applying vacuum to the body cavity of a patient where a flow switch is provided that is located upstream of a vacuum regulator that can be adjusted to establish the level of vacuum desired to be applied to the patient. The flow switch provides an easy device for the caregiver to activate to fully and positively occlude the vacuum line to the patient. In one embodiment, the flow switch is constructed integral with a regulator having an rotatable actuator having a knob that is rotated to adjust the level of vacuum to the patient such the a caregiver can simply push the actuator knob inwardly to occlude the flow in the patient line and thereafter rotate the actuator knob to establish the desired level of vacuum to the patient.

Abstract: A self propelled scooter that has a pair of wheels that ride on the ground and a frame having a footboard mounted between the wheels. The rear wheel has a shiftable axle, that is, the axle that rotatably affixes the rear wheel to the frame can be moved between a location that is at the center of the rear wheel where the user can readily coast the scooter and a location offset with respect to the center of the wheel where that offset location allows the user to employ a pumping action and use the weight of the user on the footboard to propel the scooter forwardly. A mechanism operable by the user allows the user to selectively move the rear axle between the two locations so that the user can pump the scooter to gain speed when the axle is in the offset location and then shift the axle back to the center location to dissipate that speed by allowing the scooter to coast.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for forming thin films by the application of a film forming liquid to a substrate at rest or rotating a speed up to 500 rpm and then rotating the film forming liquid on the substrate at a speed and for a time sufficient to form the thin film. Such films can be used for analysis by spectrophotometric methods. Apparatus for forming such thin films is also disclosed.

Abstract: An infant warming apparatus that functions both as an infant incubator as well as an infant warmer. The apparatus has a heater that moves vertically with respect to an infant support during the change in function between an infant incubator and an infant warmer. The heater also has a door or doors that are open when the heater is at or nearing the upper position so that the heater can direct energy toward the infant to warm the infant when acting as an infant warmer and close at or shortly after the heater commences movement to the lower position. When closed, the doors isolate the heater to prevent the inadvertent touching of the heater by the infant or attending personnel and prevents the further radiating of infrared energy toward the infant.

Abstract: An infant apparatus having a base, a vertically movable hood and a plurality of walls that form an infant compartment. The apparatus has lateral side walls and a front end door that can be individually opened. There is an interlocking engagement between the upper periphery of the lateral walls and hood by a plurality of pins on the hood that engage brackets located at the top of the front and rear end walls. A latching arrangement allows all three doors to be opened. The side lateral doors are latched by a movable latch member that enters an opening in brackets affixed to the front and rear end walls. The front end wall can be moved vertically upwardly to disengage its latching arrangement to enable it to pivot downwardly. An alignment mechanism is also provided to insure that the movable latch members correctly align with the openings in the brackets.

Abstract: A incubator door having a double walled construction where two parallel walls, an inner and an outer wall are spaced apart to form a passageway therebetween. The inner wall is easily removable from the door for cleaning of the interior of the walls by means of a hinge affixed to the outer wall that holds both of the walls together and which has sockets formed therein. The inner wall has tabs at its bottom that fit into the sockets to hold the bottom of the inner door pivotally to the hinge. There is a slot formed in each of the sockets of a sufficient size to allow the thickness of the inner wall to pass through the slot to be removed from the hinge. The other transverse dimension of the tab is larger and does not pass through the slot. Thus, by pivoting the inner wall so that it aligns with the slot, the inner wall can be readily removed from the outer wall. The upper portion of the inner wall is also held from pivoting by a resilient latch that holds the inner wall in position to the outer wall.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus is provided that includes an infant support for underlying the infant. A drawer is provided beneath the infant support and which has a center position where it is generally aligned with the infant support and which is movable bidirectionally from that center position so that it can be moved in either direction. Thus, the caregiver can sit at either lateral side of the infant care apparatus and be positioned close to that apparatus and have room for the knees by pushing the drawer out of the way. In addition, the base is configured to have generally C-shaped base members having ends that extent outwardly to provide stability for the apparatus but allow a chair to be positioned next to the infant care apparatus without hitting or being obstructed by the base.

Abstract: A heater control system for use with a radiant heater of an infant warmer. The system utilizes a patient skin temperature and a set temperature inputted by a user and initially subtracts the patient temperature from the set point temperature to arrive at a differential signal identified as the Patient Temperature Gradient (PTG). That PTG is the used to directly control the power to the radiant heater by modifying the power to the heater depending upon the sign and the magnitude of the PTG. Thus, the method of the present invention is not a proportional control system but seeks and finds its own level of power that is not governed by any specific temperature difference and will adjust the heater power where the resulting heater power adjustment may be different for a variety of conditions.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus such as an incubator or infant warmer having a mattress for supporting the infant on an infant platform that can, at times, by fully rotated 360 degrees to obtain full access to the infant. In the incubator, a translation platform can be slid into and out of the infant compartment and the mattress tray is pivoted to that translation platform so as to rotate at a pivot point that connects the mattress tray to the translation platform. Accordingly, when all of the doors of the infant incubator are in the closed position, the mattress tray is constrained from rotational movement but that mattress tray can be rotated a full 360 degrees whenever both doors are open or when the translation platform has been moved to a position at least partially exterior of the infant compartment. In all, the apparatus provides easy and convenient access to the infant for carrying out procedures on the infant while it is still supported by the infant care apparatus.

Abstract: A safety system that is used with an infant care apparatus comprising an infant platform with a planar surface for supporting the infant and a canopy that is vertically movable over the planar surface. A powered lifting mechanism operated by an electric motor causes the canopy to be selectively moved upwardly or downwardly by the user to enclose or open the space surrounding the infant. The safety system provides a continuous monitor of the torque of the motor and, when the torque exceeds a predetermined amount, the system disables the motor so that it terminates any further movement of the canopy. Thus, if the canopy encounters an obstacle in its travel upwardly or downwardly, the motor torque will increase as the motor tries to overcome that obstacle and the system will immediately disable the motor and terminate any further movement of the canopy to prevent damage to the obstacle or to the powered lifting mechanism.

Abstract: An incubator for use in caring for an infant having an infant platform underlying the infant and a plurality of sides extending upwardly from the infant platform and having a cover to form therein an infant compartment surrounding the infant in a controlled environment. A convective heating system is located in a heating and air moving compartment located beneath the infant and which serves to force heated air into the infant compartment to heat the infant and to withdraw return air from the infant compartment for re-circulation. The heated air is forced into the infant compartment through openings formed in the infant platform along both of the longitudinal sides of the generally rectangular infant compartment and then through double walls to emerge generally at the top of the infant compartment. The return air leaves the infant compartment through opening formed in the infant platform along both of the ends of the infant platform.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus is provided that includes a support for underlying the infant within the apparatus for providing care to that infant. The infant care apparatus includes a base, a generally rectangular infant platform supported on said base and has walls that extend upwardly from the base and covered with a hood to form an infant compartment for containing an infant in a controlled atmosphere. The hood is specially configured so as to have a lower edge that interfits over the walls in forming that infant compartment and has side panels that extend upwardly and inwardly from the sides of the hood and front and rear panels. The panels form an upper top surface that is also a flat, planar surface that preferably tapers outward toward the front panel and also is inclined downward at a slight angle toward the front panel.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed comprising a light weight maze game that can be used indoors or outdoors and which has light weight vertical poles and horizontal poles that interconnect together to make up the frame of the maze apparatus. The panels are made of a light weight fabric and are readily attached and detached from the horizontal poles such the panels hang downwardly from the horizontal poles to establish the various isolated pathways through the maze. By the construction, the maze apparatus can be set up easily and quickly by a user and the vertical height of the panels can be selected by the user for differing heights of the children.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus is provided that includes a support for underlying the infant within the apparatus for providing care to that infant. The apparatus has an alarm system that triggers upon the occurrence of some event indicating that a particular parameter or condition of the apparatus or infant is outside the prescribed limits or other fault condition. The alarm system thus provides a signal indicative of that alarm condition to activate a means of warning the caregiver of the existence of the alarm condition. A sound producing device and/or light producing device receives the signal produced by the audible sound or light producing device to alert the caregiver of the alarm condition. The sound producing device and the light producing device are positioned on the apparatus such that there is a sound barrier and light barrier, respectively, between the particular device and the infant so that the infant is protected from being startled, and thus stressed, by the alarm audible sound or light activation.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus is provided that includes a specially designed grommet in order to facilitate the introduction of wires and/or tubes through a wall in the infant care apparatus so that wires and/or tubes can be passed through the wall for use with the infant positioned within the infant apparatus and contained with the wall or walls. The grommet is located in one of the walls surrounding the infant and includes a slit formed in a flexible material and where the slit is oriented vertically. The flexible material has a plurality of spaced apart thickened ridges that create barriers to the ease of movement of the wires or tubes along the slit. The thickened ridges preferably are formed in pairs and extend outwardly bidirectionally from the slit and may be tapered inwardly in the direction toward the slit. Thus, a wire or tube may be slid vertically along the slit and located at a desired area between any of the thickened ridges and not interfere with other wires or tubes.

Abstract: A method is provided for affixing a wristlet to the side of an incubator. The side is a double walled side having an inner wall and an outer wall with a space between those walls. Both the outer and inner walls have handhole openings that are in alignment when the inner and outer walls are affixed together to allow a person to insert an arm through the openings. A flexible handhole is affixed within the opening in the outer wall and extending inwardly toward the incubator interior through the inner wall. That handhole has an annular flange that extends outwardly and a wristlet having an outer peripheral portion having an elastic member is affixed to the handhole by encircling the annular flange. The inner wall is removably affixed with respect to the outer wall and when affixed to the outer wall, the inner wall sandwiches the outer periphery of the wristlet between that inner wall and the annular flange.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the initial start up of a radiant heater used in an infant care apparatus. The system and method provides power to the radiant heater in excess of the 100% rated power of the heater for an initial period of time to cause a more rapid heating of the heater. The system utilizes an initial set power for the heater to determine the period of time that the heater is provided the excess power and discontinues that excess power after the determined period of time so tha the control of the heater is returned to a normal heating algorithm to thereafter provide the control of power to the heater. By use of the excess power upon initial start-up of the radiant heater, the heater more rapidly provides heat to an infant being cared for in the infant care apparatus.

Abstract: A protective window assembly and its use with a focusing assembly lens in a laser beam generating apparatus, the protective window assembly contains a window with apertures for protecting the focusing lens against damaging and cooling the focusing lens.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for forming thin films by the application of a film forming liquid to a substrate at rest or rotating a speed up to 500 rpm and then rotating the film forming liquid on the substrate at a speed and for a time sufficient to form the thin film. Such films can be used for analysis by spectrophotometric methods. Apparatus for forming such thin films is also disclosed.