Abstract: The blood pump according to the present invention comprises a casing having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, and an impeller for circulating blood by rotating inside the casing, wherein both the casing's and the impeller's surfaces in contact with blood are formed of a biocompatible metal, and onto the surfaces in contact with blood a coating film of a hemocompatible material comprising a phospholipid polymer is formed. According to the present invention, the blood pump effectively suppresses the development of thrombi without activating blood coagulation factors such as thrombocites (blood platelets) in the blood, thanks to a coating film of a hemocompatible material made of a phospholipid polymer being formed onto the surfaces in contact with blood of the casing and the impeller composing the main part of the blood pump.

Abstract: A protector effectively suppresses infections. The protector protects a tube entry part, where a tube passes through the skin of a living body, from infections, and includes a sticking part that is stuck onto the skin of the living body in a periphery of the tube entry part, and a covering that covers the tube entry part, forms an internal space that surrounds the tube entry part, and has a passage through which the tube passes. The covering is provided with an opening that can be freely opened and closed with a cap or the like.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump prevents a fluid from stagnating and so stops decreases in pump efficiency. An open impeller-type centrifugal pump includes pump vanes 12 that are connected via a vane boss 10 to an end part of a rotational shaft 8, a casing 14 that is connected to an end part of the pump base part 6 and forms a fluid chamber R surrounding the pump vanes 12, and an intake 16 and an outtake 18 that are formed in the casing 14. The pump vanes 12 are composed of pump vanes 12a to 12c that are integrally formed with current plates 20a to 20c. The current plates 20a to 20c cause some of the fluid that enters via the intake 16 to flow downwards along the axial direction of the rotational shaft 8. The fluid that flows along the current plates causes a centrifugal flow from an inner periphery to an outer periphery in a gap between a pump base part and the lower surfaces of the pump vanes.

Abstract: An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.

Abstract: A protective arrangement for an electrical device energized from an alternating current power supply which de-energizes the electrical device when undesirable conditions, develop within the electrical device. The protective arrangement, when provided for an electrical device having protection for undesirable leakage currents in the power cord supplying to electrical device, utilizes the same circuit interrupting device to de-energize the electrical device upon the occurrence of an undesirable condition, other than a leakage current, within the device, or upon the occurrence of an undesirable leakage current in the power cord supplying the electrical device.

Abstract: An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.

Abstract: A leakage current protection device, such as a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), is provided that can be used in single phase or polyphase systems, with a range of input voltages from 70 to 264 volts AC, frequencies of 50 or 60 hertz, and ground fault trip currents of 6 to 30 milliamperes. A leading power factor circuit is connected to the secondary winding of the GFCI differential transformer to permit the magnetic circuit to respond to pulsating DC signals. Provision is made for continuing to provide GFCI protection in the event of an open neutral lead, with a timing circuit to prevent current flow to the ground lead until current flow in the neutral lead is completely discontinued. Various types of circuit interrupting devices, such as a circuit breaker or a power converter, may be selectively utilized.

Abstract: An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.

Abstract: An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.

Abstract: An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.

Abstract: An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.

Abstract: An electrical system, such as a system for providing power to an appliance or a building, includes arcing current protection, either in connection with or separate from a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). In one embodiment a sensing lead is located between a power line and a neutral line conveying power to the load, but is not connected to the load. The sensing lead is preferably larger than the power line and neutral line. Also, an integrity checking device may be connected from the sensing lead to the power line to determine continuity of the sensing lead, but current flow through the integrity checking device is limited to a very small magnitude. When an arcing current above a predetermined magnitude occurs in the sensing lead, an SCR is triggered to open the circuit. The sensing lead in such an embodiment may be the ground line of a three line system.

Abstract: A portable drive system for an artificial heart can be provided that includes a blood pump 1 having a blood seal for sealing a rotation shaft 13, a system drive section 45 including a purge solution circulator 20 for supplying by circulating purge solution to the blood seal 18, a pump controller 30 for driving the blood pump 1, a power supply means 33 for supplying electric power thereto, a display 40 for displaying operating states thereof, a communication interface 50 for transmitting information to the outside, and a controller means 100 for controlling these components, a portable transport section 60 for bearing the system drive section 45, and a connecting section 70 for connecting the blood pump 1 and the system drive section 45. The portable artificial-heart drive system has high safety and high reliability, is small-sized, lightweight and easy to use, and can expand the range of life.

Abstract: A hologram recording plate, which has a plastic layer (a rosin derivative) that undergoes frost deformation by being acted upon by a solvent vapor, is set in a developing box supplied with a solvent vapor (cyclohexane) from a solvent vapor reservoir. The solvent vapor is exhausted from the developing box by a suction device. This is followed by subjecting the hologram recording plate to a high voltage from a high-voltage power supply and irradiating the plate with laser light, which represents a hologram to be formed, by opening a light shutter. This makes it possible to reduce the size of and to automate the hologram producing apparatus. The developing box and optical elements inclusive of a light source are secured to respective ones of individual carriers, and the carriers are provided so as to be free to be moved along an optical system aligning rail and fixed to the rail.

Abstract: An apparatus for circulating a purge solution in an artificial organ has an ultrafiltration filter or reverse osmosis filter in a purge solution circulation route to inhibit passage of substances having molecular weights of 340,000 or more. A portion of the purge solution circulated by a purge solution circulation pump is passed through this filter to remove proteins that have mixed in the purge solution. The purge solution free from the proteins is supplied and circulated through the artificial organ. Proteins that have externally mixed in the purge solution can be prevented from coagulating and depositing on a seal mechanism and the like of the artificial organ.

Abstract: In a method of selectively growing a crystal of a compound semiconductor layer which is composed of gallium and arsenic, a selective growth is selectively carried out on a substrate by using a combination of metallic gallium and a reactive gas, such as trisdimethylminoarsine, which includes a metallic compound of arsenic specified by at least one amine. The combination may includes organometallic gallium, such as trimethylgallium, triethylgallium instead of the metallic gallium. Such a combination serves to selectively deposit the compound semiconductor layer only on an exposed portion uncovered with a mask. Any other compound semiconductor layer may be selectively deposited on the exposed portion. The exposed portion may be composed of GaAs, AlGaAs, or InGaAs.

Abstract: On a surface of a p-type GaAs (111)B substrate 11, a mesa groove is formed along a [211]A direction. TDMAAs as a group V material and TMGa as a group III material are supplied at 8.times.10.sup.-3 Pa and 8.times.10.sup.-4 Pa, respectively, to grow n-type GaAs 13 dominantly on a side surface of a mesa 12. Subsequently, the group V material is changed to metal As. As.sub.4 and MAGa are supplied at 5.times.10.sup.-3 Pa and 8.times.10.sup.-4 Pa, respectively, to grow p-type GaAs 14 only on a side surface of the GaAs 13. Then, the group V material is again changed to TDMAAs. TDMAAs and TMGa are supplied both at 8.times.10.sup.-4 Pa to grow p-type GaAs 15.

Abstract: An exercise machine is used interactively with a video monitor and an audio loudspeaker to create a physical sensation through a 3-D environment. A recumbent exercise bicycle with an attached monitor is suspended from an outer supporting frame by utilizing a four-bar linkage. A rolling action is created by pulling individually the crank and lever of the four-bar linkage; turning action, by moving the crack and lever laterally. A pitching action is created by pushing or pulling on a handlebar mounted on the outer frame. The rate of motion through the scene is achieved by pedaling. These features provide a total full-body workout interactively with computer games.

Abstract: An artificial internal organ, such as an artificial heart, comprising a pump unit through which blood circulates and a drive shaft for driving the pump unit, the drive shaft having a shaft sealing system thereon. The shaft sealing system is supplied with a sealing solution from a sealing solution chamber and a sealing solution bag. The sealing solution is formed mainly of a physiological saline, which is loaded with a protease or several kinds of aminopeptides. When blood gets into the shaft sealing system, it is prevented from coagulating by these admixtures. Although blood in the shaft sealing system of this type coagulates in a unique mechanism different from a conventional one, the protease and the aminopeptides never lose their effects even in such a unique situation.

Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorbing device fastened inside either blade of a bicycle front fork to absorb shocks, the device including a damping liquid chamber and a damping liquid cell respectively molded from rubber or elastic material and connected together through a partition plate having liquid passages for the passing of a damping liquid between the damping liquid chamber and the damping liquid cell to let shocks transmitted from the bicycle front fork be absorbed. Shock absorbing rubber blocks or springs may be mounted on two opposite ends of the hydraulic shock absorbing device when it is installed in the bicycle front fork.