Abstract: A method for determining the location of a fecal insult, includes: detecting the concentration of at least one gas indicative of feces at a plurality of locations in a defined space; and determining whether said concentration of said gas exceeds a predetermined first threshold value. The method includes: detecting the concentration of hydrogen gas at each of said locations; detecting the concentration of at least one further gas component being indicative of feces in said space; and determining that a fecal insult has occurred in a location where said detected concentration of hydrogen gas exceeds said first threshold value, provided that the detected concentration of said further gas component also exceeds a predetermined second threshold value in said location.

Abstract: A solute concentration measurement device is disclosed. The device may comprise a filter membrane, an exchange chamber, a sensing chamber, a separator, and a sensor. The device may be configured to be placed in fluid communication with a sample solution containing a solute and a solvent. The filter membrane may provide selective fluid communication between the solution and the exchange chamber. The separator may separate the exchange chamber from the sensing chamber and cause a change in a condition of the sensing chamber corresponding to a change of a condition of the exchange chamber. The sensor may sense the condition pertaining to the sensing chamber and calculate the concentration of the sample solution corresponding to this change.

Abstract: A particulate filter particularly suited for analytical gravimetric weighing applications is disclosed. The particulate filter includes a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) media supported by a ring and yields stable microgram and submicrogram weighing results. The support ring may be PTFE, metal foil, or another non-hygroscopic polymer such that the mass of the filter does not vary with changes in atmospheric moisture. The filter simplifies the discharge of electrostatic charge buildup such that when a conductive filter media is combined with a conductive ring device, the discharge may be accomplished by placing the filter on a grounded weighing pan or other surface. The particulate filter can simplify filter identification by including identification symbols imprinted on each side of the filter media.

Abstract: Apparatus and techniques for extracting information carried in higher eigenmodes or harmonics of an oscillating cantilever or other oscillating sensors in atomic force microscopy and related MEMs work are described. Similar apparatus and techniques for extracting information using contact resonance with multiple excitation signals are also described.

Abstract: An air filter leak inspection method is provided. First, an aerosol to be filtered containing particles is passed through an air filter having a first edge and a second edge. Next, a leakage inspection unit is provided. The leakage inspection unit includes n probes, wherein n indicates a positive integer. Afterward, a moving procedure is set to make the probes traverse between the first edge and the second edge, thereby scanning the whole portions of the air filter. When the probes move to the second edge, the probes move along the extending direction of the second edge with a designed distance, wherein the designed distance is less than the length of each probe. Besides, the number of times that the probes traversing between the first and the second edge is determined according to the amount of the probe, the length of each probe and the height of the air filter.

Abstract: A method and tube for separating a sample. The tube is configured to separate agglomerated or clumped material or other sample components having over a particular size from other smaller size portions of the sample. For example, blood clots may be separated from serum of a blood sample. The tube includes a chamber with a closed bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom, and a sample inlet branch coupled to the chamber. A slit is positioned between the chamber and the sample inlet branch so that after a sample is placed into the sample inlet branch, a portion of the sample having a size smaller than the slit (e.g., liquid material) passes through the slit and into the chamber, and material in the sample having a size larger than the slit remains in the sample inlet branch.

Abstract: A system for locking a laser with a resonant optical cavity includes a laser that emits a laser beam, a resonant optical cavity having at least two cavity mirrors, one of which is a cavity coupling mirror, mode matching optics configured to couple the laser beam to the cavity via the cavity coupling mirror, means for applying a periodic dither or modulation waveform signal to the optical frequency of the incident laser beam or to the laser itself to thereby induce modulation of the intracavity optical power, and means for enabling a portion of the light emerging from the cavity coupling mirror to enter a cavity of the laser while maintaining an optical phase that results in periodic optical feedback locking whereby a mean optical frequency of the laser matches a resonance peak of the cavity.

Abstract: Method for dewatering, pressure testing, hydrotreating, suppressing methane hydrate formation and suppressing solution freezing point in pipeline operations have been disclosed, where the solution used in the operations includes an effective amount of a metal formate salt. The metal formate salt solutions have a low viscosity, have a high density, have a low metals corrosivity, are non-volatile, have a low solubility in hydrocarbons, are readily biodegradable, have a low toxicity, are non-hazardous, have a low environmental impact, have a freezing point depression property forming water/formate eutectic point mixtures, and have a water-structuring and water activity modification property.

Abstract: An assembly for transient and continuous testing of an open portion of a well bore arranged in a lower part of a drill string includes at least two packers fixed outside of the drill string, which are expandable for isolating a reservoir interval. The assembly includes a down-hole pump, sample chamber, sensors, closing valve, sensors and telemetry for measuring and realtime transmission of flow rate, pressure and temperature of fluid flow from the reservoir interval, from the down-hole pump, in the drill string and in an annulus above the packers, a mud driven turbine or electric cable, and a circulation unit. The circulation unit, independent of the circulation rate for mud to the annulus, can feed formation fluid from the reservoir interval into the annulus, so that at any time a well can be kept in over balance and the mud can solve the formation fluid from the reservoir interval.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved post-column fluorimetric determination-boric acid complex anion exchange method which allows analysis of mannose-6-phosphate. The disclosed method is a method for separation analysis of reducing sugars using column chromatography, comprising loading a sample onto an anion exchange column, washing the column by allowing to flow a sufficient volume of a first mobile phase consisting of an aqueous solution of a predetermined concentration of boric acid containing a predetermined concentration of a water-soluble inorganic salt through the column, supplying a second mobile phase with an elevated concentration of the salt to elute the reducing sugars, adding to the eluate a basic amino acid, heating, and continuously measuring and recording the intensity of fluorescent light emitted under irradiation with excitation light.

Abstract: An exemplary gas sensing system includes a gas sensing unit, a detecting unit, and a processing unit. The gas sensing unit includes a quartz crystal substrate, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, a first activating layer, and a sensor medium layer having adsorption ability and desorption ability to chemical gas. The detecting unit is electrically connected with the first electrode and the second electrode, and is configured for detecting a frequency change of the gas sensing unit before and after adsorbing the chemical gas. The processing unit is electrically connected with the detecting unit, and is configured for obtaining a mass change of the gas sensing unit according to the frequency change.

Abstract: Analyte sensors for determining the concentration of an analyte in a sample. The sensors have a sample chamber having an inlet with a projection extending from an edge of the sensor for facilitating flow of sample into the sample chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the resonant frequencies of a vibrating microelectromechanical (MEMS) device. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method for adjusting the resonant frequencies of a vibrating mass including the steps of patterning a surface of a device layer of the vibrating mass with a mask, etching the vibrating mass to define a structure of the vibrating mass, determining a first set of resonant frequencies of the vibrating mass, determining a mass removal amount of the vibrating mass and a mass removal location of the vibrating mass to obtain a second set of resonant frequencies of the vibrating mass, removing the mask at the mass removal location, and etching the vibrating mass to remove the mass removal amount of the vibrating mass at the mass removal location of the vibrating mass.

Abstract: An improved method of breath sampling, particularly adapted for use in connection with motor vehicle alcohol breath monitoring devices, comprises the sending of a drive signal to a piston pump to draw a breath sample into a sensing chamber, the pump being connected to the sensing chamber. The operational status of the pump is monitored by monitoring the condition of a switch associated with the pump which is adapted to change state when the pump piston is withdrawn into its pump housing as a proper reaction of the pump to its drive signal and return to its original state when the pump piston is no longer withdrawn. The state condition of the of the switch is used to confirm proper pump operation in drawing the breath sample into the chamber; if proper pump operation is confirmed, the breath sample can be accepted for further processing and analysis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the resonant frequencies of a vibrating microelectromechanical (MEMS) device. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method for adjusting the resonant frequencies of a vibrating mass including the steps of patterning a surface of a device layer of the vibrating mass with a mask, etching the vibrating mass to define a structure of the vibrating mass, determining a first set of resonant frequencies of the vibrating mass, determining a mass removal amount of the vibrating mass and a mass removal location of the vibrating mass to obtain a second set of resonant frequencies of the vibrating mass, removing the mask at the mass removal location, and etching the vibrating mass to remove the mass removal amount of the vibrating mass at the mass removal location of the vibrating mass.

Abstract: Method for dewatering, pressure testing, hydrotreating, suppressing methane hydrate formation and suppressing solution freezing point in pipeline operations have been disclosed, where the solution used in the operations includes an effective amount of a metal formate salt. The metal formate salt solutions have a low viscosity, have a high density, have a low metals corrosivity, are non-volatile, have a low solubility in hydrocarbons, are readily biodegradable, have a low toxicity, are non-hazardous, have a low environmental impact, have a freezing point depression property forming water/formate eutectic point mixtures, and have a water-structuring and water activity modification property.

Abstract: A test ramp is disclosed comprising a plurality of planar surfaces, wherein each planar surface comprises at least one impediment. Each impediment is offset along a planar axis from the other impediments, and each impediment is operable to contact part of a respective actuator arm of a disk drive in order to excite a microactuator coupled to the actuator arm.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus determine the rheological properties of medium samples. The normal forces arising in a measuring gap perpendicular to the measuring surfaces are recorded with a recording unit and the height of the measuring gap is adjusted with a positioning unit and with positioning elements actuated by the positioning unit. During the measuring procedure the initial height of the measuring gap is kept constant, by the values of the normal forces arising being linked with a calibrating function, and in that, upon detection of normal forces arising, values derived from the calibrating function are drawn upon as control signals, with which at least one sliding actuator acting on at least one of the two measuring elements is driven, which by position adjustment or height adjustment of the respective measuring element performs an immediate resetting of a height of the measuring gap, changed by the normal forces exerted by the medium sample to be examined, to the initial spacing set originally.

Abstract: A gas concentration detection device includes: a first sensor having a resistance layer exposed to a gas, and an electrode covered by the resistance layer, the first sensor producing an output according to a gas component ratio on the electrode surface; and a second sensor having a pump cell that pumps oxygen into a gas chamber that contains part of the gas or discharges oxygen out of the gas chamber, and a sensor cell that produces an output according to a gas component ratio in the gas within the gas chamber, the second sensor producing an output based on the pump cell current when the pump cell is operated such that the output of the sensor cell is a predetermined value; and a hydrogen concentration detection unit that detects a hydrogen concentration in the gas based on an output difference between the first sensor output and the second sensor output.

Abstract: The present invention includes a heat sealable capsule adapted for use in analysis devices such as GCs, and methods for using the capsules to perform analysis in such devices. The capsules include a tube having an end that is heat-sealed to contain a sample that is to be analyzed at an injection temperature. The tube includes a heat sealable medium having a heat seal that closes the end, the tube having an inner and outer surface, both of the surfaces being substantially chemically inert with respect to the sample. The tube is substantially free of any material that outgases at the injection temperature. The tube is openable without breaking into pieces, and remains intact at the injection temperature. The capsule can include a programmable tag that stores information related to the sample contained therein.