Abstract: A photodetection system that analyzes a luminous flux (15) received on a line (10). The photodetection system includes an opaque mask (4) provided with at least one aperture (6), placed in the vicinity of the line, driver (7) designed to rotate the mask, detector (8, 9) of an angular position of reference of the mask, a field lens (12) concentrating the luminous flux (16) crossing the line onto a photodetector (1), and a processing unit (3) connected to the photodetector, for analyzing the luminous flux to yield values for several points on the line.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for controlling the carrier gas flow through a gas chromatographic apparatus with capillary column subjected to variations in temperature, through control of feeding pressure achieved following computerized processing of the equation of the carrier flow rate as a function of inlet pressure, column temperature and system structural parameters, including preliminary determination of the system parameters through detection of pressure, temperature and flow rate values in stabilized conditions of carrier passage through apparatus and calculation of a constant representing said parameters on the basis of values detected and in application of the aforesaid equation; storage of aforesaid constant; utilization of constant in the mentioned equation for controlling carrier flow rate through calculation and control of its feeding pressure during utilization of the gas chromatographic apparatus.

Abstract: An N.times.N wavelength router (1) includes n m.times.m couplers (10, 15, 20, 25), N being equal to n.times.m, and the N inputs (11, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 26, 27) of the couplers being the inputs (E1-E8) of the N.times.N router. The N.times.N router also includes m n.times.n routers (30, 40) capable of switching an optical signal having a wavelength, from any one of its n inputs (31-34, 41-44) to any one of its n outputs (35-38, 45-48), according to the wavelength of the signal. The inputs of the n.times.n routers are connected to the outputs of the m.times.m couplers, and the outputs of the n.times.n routers are the outputs (S1-S8) of the N.times.N routers. The transmission spectra of the n.times.n routers have the form of a series of peaks, each of the series being different one from another.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multiplexer-demultiplexer for optical wavelengths comprising:endpoints of input-output lines (22.sub.1, 22.sub.2, . . . ,22.sub.n),an endpoint of a transmission line (23),a diffraction network with a diffraction plane and,an optical system ensuring the optical conjugation between the input-output lines (22.sub.1, 22.sub.2, . . . ,22.sub.n) and the endpoint of the transmission line (23),The endpoints of the input-output lines (22.sub.1, 22.sub.2, . . . ,22.sub.n) are aligned along a straight line parallel to the diffraction plane and the endpoint of the transmission line (23) is offset transversally with respect to said straight line.

Abstract: A grating drive apparatus for use in a multiple-grating spectrometer is provided. The spectrometer has an entrance slit, an exit port, an optical path between the entrance slit and the exit port, and a plurality of diffraction gratings. Each of the gratings is rotatable about a respective preferred axis for selecting a wavelength during spectrometer operation. The grating drive apparatus includes a turret having a plurality of gratings mounted on it, a mechanical stop assembly, and a drive assembly. The drive assembly causes the turret to engage the stop assembly to rotate the turret and select a grating. The drive assembly also rotates the selected grating to select an operational wavelength.

Abstract: An instrument for boring dental radicular canals in which the conicity of the active part of the tapered stem of the instrument is not constant but the angle of its opening is greater at its rear portion, positioned beyond the diameter D.sub.9, than the angle of opening of its front portion positioned between its end and the diameter D.sub.9 so that a dental canal bored with the instrument has a bell-mouthed shape.

Abstract: The length of the active part of each drill of the set is inversely proportional to the diameter of the cutting edge of each drill, that prevents the drills of the set being too much engaged in the coronary canal, since the depth of the working depends with precision from the used drill.

Abstract: A photoionization detector for a gaschromatographic apparatus includes an ionization chamber provided with a polarizing electrode and a collector electrode. The electrodes are mounted on and heated by a base portion of the detector. A lamp with a window spaced from the chamber and mounted on the base portion through supporting means having low thermal conductivity is provided. A gas curtain of a gas that is transparent to the said lamp radiation is provided at least between the window and the ionization chamber and comprises a first portion of substantially still gas acting as thermal insulant and a second portion of flowing gas also acting as sweep gas for the lamp window.

Abstract: A luminous flux measuring device has a gain slaving circuit (10, 9), that receives an electrical output signal (m) produced by a photoreceiver (1) and includes a gain control circuit (9) and a comparator (10). The gain slaving circuit is connected to an A/D converter and a computer to record and evaluate the signal (m) and has a slave memory containing characteristic values (a,b) of a continuous function (f). The gain slaving circuit produces a slave signal (HT) according to the flux received (.PHI.) by the photoreceiver which signal is sent to the gain control circuit so that G=f(m).

Abstract: The central part of the instruments of the boring set, prior to the portion having the cutting edges, has a section of a polygonal shape. The lateral faces of the central part are either convex, for the instruments of small diameter, plane for the instruments of middle diameter and concave for the instruments of largest diameter, in such a way that the curve of the bending moments of the instruments of the set is substantially rectilinear. Thus the variation of the bending moments of the instruments is linear, while, in previously known sets of instruments, the curve is exponential. Hence, the flexibility of the instruments of the set is satisfactory for the entire set of instruments, while; in the known conventional sets, if previously flexibility of the small instruments of the set is satisfactory, the instruments of largest diameter will be too rigid, and vice versa.

Abstract: Superparamagnetic particles are separated from a suspension thereof in a first fluid and re-suspended in the same or another fluid in a container by subjecting them to a first application of a magnetic field to draw the particles to a surface or zone of the container and subsequently re-suspending the particles in the fluid within the container by a second application of a magnetic field. Apparatus is disclosed including a container (1), electromagnets (2,3) for producing the first and second applications of magnetic fields, reagent receptacles (7), and a wash flask (8). A particle counting device may also provided and such apparatus may be used to count cells.

Abstract: A set of instruments for boring of radicular dental canals, in which the diameter D1 of each instrument, measured at the root of the pointed end portion thereof, varies according to a geometrical progression as well as the diameter D2 of each instrument measured at the root of the cutting edges. Hence, the variation is more pronounced for the diameters D2, larger than the diameters D1, than it is for the diameters D1. The conicity of the stem of the instruments increases in this manner from one instrument to another, so as to permit a the dentist to form the radicular canals with a specially funnelled shape which is best suited for some obturations, especially those to be treated with gutta-percha.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and a device for the ellipsometric measurement of physical parameters representative of a sample.The measured values I.sub.om, I.sub.sm and I.sub.cm are calculated (51, 52) from the signal (50) which represents the measured intensity I(t).In a first step (55, 57), initial theoretical values I.sub.st /I.sub.ot and I.sub.ct /I.sub.ot are produced from initial estimations (56) of the physical parameters. In a second step (58, 59) subsequent estimations (59) of physical parameters are determined from which subsequent theoretical values I.sub.st /I.sub.ot and I.sub.ct /I.sub.ot are deduced (55, 57). The second step is reiterated to an Nth estimation (59) of the physical parameters, so as to minimise the difference between the theoretical values and those measured.The physical parameters are evaluated (54) in the course of the Nth estimation.

Abstract: A set of instruments for boring dental radicular canals in which the conicity of the rear part of the set positioned beyond the diameter D.sub.9 of the instruments, increases more for the first instruments of the set than for the last ones. The conicity of the front part of the instruments does not increase much for the first instruments of the set, but does increase for the last ones. Hence, while using successively the instruments of a set, the dentist bores first the coronary portion of the tooth, then its medium portion and then its apical portion. The end part of the instruments, between the point thereof and their diameter D.sub.3, situated at 3 mm from the point, is provided with one or several grooves for elimination of the dental scraps, but which have no cutting edges so that this part of the instruments functions only for their guidance.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for determining the nitrogen content of a sample involving (a) combusting the sample in a combustion reactor in the presence of oxygen, which oxygen is introduced into the combustion reactor in pulse form; (b) reducing the resulting combustion gases by flowing them in a flow of helium or other noble carrier gas through a Cu-containing reduction reactor; (c) performing the steps of (i) making anhydrous in a water trap the reduced gases, (ii) flowing the reduced gases through a gas-chromatographic column in order to carry out a gas-chromatographic separation of N.sub.2 from CH.sub.4 possibly present within the reduced gases, and (iii) removing CO.sub.2 from the reduced gases using a CO.sub.2 trap, with the proviso that step (i) immediately precedes step (ii); and (d) analyzing the resulting gases by detecting thermal conductivity.

Abstract: A device for automatically feeding samples to an elemental analysis combustion apparatus. The device has a housing for the sample and is rotatable from an external sample receiving position to a sample feeding position. The housing is insulated from the atmosphere and is connected to the combustion apparatus. The moving body is a truncated cone which is rotatable about its axis within a seat.

Abstract: A circuit interconnecting device for industrial applications comprising a card-edge connector arranged on a mainboard and associable, by means of a connector located on a card for interconnection, with external control devices; the card for interconnection also exhibiting output connectors as well as a circuit section for interfacing with the external control devices.

Abstract: The determination of the halogen content in a substance is carried out by oxidative combustion of the sample under a continuous flow of gas, in the presence of oxygen, the gases coming out of the combustion reactor being then carried by gas flow to analysis equipment.

Abstract: Particles in a fluid are counted by passing the fluid through an optical cell and an image of said particles is projected onto an array of charge coupled devices such that the area of the image of each particle at the said array is approximately the same as the area of at least a single charge coupled device, and signals from the individual charge coupled devices are processed to provide information concerning at least the number of said particles passing through the optical cell. A particle counter disclosed comprising an optical cell (1) through which is passed a fluid containing particles to be counted, means (2) for illuminating the particles in the optical cell and optical means (3) for providing an image of the particles on an array of charge coupled devices (5) such that the area of the image of each particle at the said array is approximately the same as the area of at least a single charge coupled device. The particles may fluoresce and a transmittance filter (4) may be provided.

Abstract: An anlytical equipment and method for the selective detection of individual oxygenated compounds in complex organic mixtures, in particular fuels, comprising, downstream an equipment of chromatographic separation, a cracking reactor, a catalytic hydrogenation microreactor and a FID detector. The cracking reactor is provided with a catalyst under the form of metal elements, made of palladium, inserted inside the capillary tube though which flows the gas under test. Thanks to the present equipment, the analytical process, based on the specific response of oxygenates to the method of flame ionization detection (O-FID), foresees that the cracking reaction takes place at temperatures below 1000 degrees C. and, consequently allows to keep the cracking reactor at stand-by temperatures below 700 degrees C.