Abstract: The method for low temperature microencapsulation of phase change materials or other components includes the following steps: (a) preparing a phase change emulsion including droplets of at least one active phase-change material in water with a surfactant; (b) adding a monomer of at least one encapsulating agent; (c) introducing the phase change emulsion into a UV reactor while stirring the emulsion; and (d) initiating the photo polymerization of monomers using at least one UV lamp inside the UV reactor for photo polymerization until the phase change material is encapsulated within a polymeric shell to form microcapsules. The microcapsules obtained by this process may have a diameter between about 0.5 to about 2 ?m. Other sizes can also be obtained by changing stirring speed of the emulsion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing inhalable material includes the steps of indicating to a patient that a breath should be taken, detecting the start of inhalation, causing inhalable material to be supplied to the air passages of the patient during a preselected part of the period of inhalation, then after a predetermined inhalation period substantially preventing further inhalation, indicating to the patient that exhalation should begin, detecting the start of exhalation, and after a predetermined exhalation period again indicating that a breath should be taken. The dispenser includes a supply of inhalable material, a mouthpiece, and a control device for selectively controlling the flow between the supply and the mouthpiece, as well as between the supply and the atmosphere. The device also includes a signalling means for indicating to the user when to inhale and subsequently when to exhale.

Abstract: A triangle waveform having substantially linearly sloped, gradually increasing and decreasing edges and having a frequency nf is generated from an n-phase sine wave signal, each phase having a fundamental frequency f. A segment of any of the n-phases of the sine wave is detected when that segment is within a predetermined angular amount from a reference crossing level, such as the zero crossing of the sine wave signal. Successive ones of the detected segments are selected to synthesize the triangle waveform. In the preferred use of this invention, the triangle waveform is compared to a reference signal, such as the sine wave signal from which the triangle waveform is generated, this reference signal having a controllable frequency and amplitude. Pulse transitions are generated at the intersection of the triangle waveform and each of the respective phases of the reference signal.