Abstract: In a pencil having a central lead, provided at its top end with an eraser mounted in a ferrule fixed on the body of the pencil, both the ferrule and the peripheral body surrounding the lead are made of thermoplastic materials that are compatible, and the bottom of the ferrule is fixed to the top end of the pencil by localized interpenetration of the thermoplastic materials in at least one ultrasonic weld zone. The material of the peripheral body of the pencil is preferably expanded so as to have a relative density of about 0.5 to 0.6, and the top end of the body includes a setback in which the density has been increased, locally. The ferrule includes a shoulder on the outside face of its bottom, the shoulder being annular in shape and forming an energy director for ultrasonic welding.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for sputtering particles from a target as a film on a substrate. The target and substrate are maintained in a main housing in a first vacuum. The target is biased with a first negative voltage to effect a target bias. A plasma is produced in a cathode box spaced from the target, with the plasma being injected between the target and substrate to effect sputtering by bombarding the target with positive ions and liberating target particles for condensing on the substrate to form the film. The cathode box includes a cathode biased at a second negative voltage to effect a cathode bias, and a sputtering gas is supplied adjacent to the cathode for producing the plasma. Plasma production in the cathode box is decoupled from sputtering at the target for increasing sputtering yield and rate. And, the target may be contoured for focussing the sputtered particles on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for detecting electrical brain response in a subject includes presenting stimuli to the subject, and detecting electrical brain responses therefrom. The responses are analyzed for uncovering event related brain potentials. In one embodiment, the stimuli are presented with a predetermined inter-stimulus interval, and the subject is informed of a predetermined time range within which blinking is permitted. In another embodiment, Probe stimuli relevant to a situation under investigation are presented, and include acronyms.

Abstract: A method of detecting information stored in the brain of a subject includes presenting to the subject in oddball series Probe, Target, and Irrelevant stimuli. The Probe stimuli are relevant to a situation under investigation; the Irrelevant stimuli are not; and the Target stimuli are identified to the subject as being noteworthy, and in response to which the subject is instructed to perform a task. The Target stimuli like the Probe stimuli are relevant to the situation under investigation. The method also includes detecting electrical brain responses for each of the stimuli; analyzing the responses for uncovering an event related brain potential; and comparing the Probe responses with the Target responses to determine whether the subject recognizes the Probes, and comparing the Probe responses with the Irrelevant responses to determine whether the subject does not recognize the Probes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for multifaceted electroencephalographic response analysis (MERA) is described. MERA involves presenting stimuli to a subject through at least one of the visual and auditory modalities, recording electrophysiological brain responses indicative of information processing in response to said stimuli, and analyzing multiple features of said brain responses. This technique is used both to detect concealed information in the brain and to communicate directly from a brain to a computer, and thus to command computers and also to command mechanical devices.

Abstract: According to the invention, the writing or coloring pencil is obtained by tri-extrusion of three thermoplastic materials forming the lead material, the expanded wood material and an intermediate protective layer, containing no expanding agent, which is compatible with the lead material and the wood material and has a melting point which is equal to or higher than the melting points of the lead material and the wood material. The three co-extruded materials all contain in particular the same basic component, such as for example a polystyrene-methacrylate copolymer. The protective layer can be of a different color from the other two layers. The writing or coloring pencil with protective casing between the lead and the expanded wood, all three being in thermoplastic material, is, in particular a pencil with soft or extra-soft lead.