Abstract: A concentric smoking filter in which the peripheral filter medium is a fibrous tow, such as fibrous cellulose acetate tow, and the core filter medium is a web material, such as paper, loaded with carbon particles, is provided. The filter improves the taste, particularly, of "ultra-light" cigarettes.

Abstract: A syringe having a stopper configured at least partly as a membrane surface. The stopper is prestressed opposite to the direction of insertion of a rotary piston so that it assumes a stable position at rest. After displacement by the rotary piston, the membrane surface reversibly returns to this stable position after it is depressurized.

Abstract: A respirator filter with a pot-shaped filter housing, with a flange at the edge of the filter housing, with a flow channel passing through the filter housing with a sealing surface, with a housing cover and with a filter element located in the filter housing is to be optimized in terms of simpler manufacture. To accomplish this task, with the housing cover located at a spaced location from and in parallel to the filter housing, a distance a between the sealing surface and the corresponding part of the housing cover, on the one hand, and a distance (b) between the flange and an outer edge of the housing cover, on the other hand, are dimensioned such that distance (a) is smaller than distance (b), so that when the housing cover is being placed on the filter housing, it comes into contact first with the sealing surface and then with the flange, while the housing cover warps.

Abstract: A self-registering piston for an pressure regulator that minimizes variability of the target regulated pressure. The pressure regulator valve includes a valve body having a valve seat interposed between an inlet port supplying unregulated pressure and an outlet port. A piston having a piston seat at a first end and a counter-force surface on the second end is positioned to translate axially from an engaged position when a piston seat is engaged with a valve seat and a disengaged position. A biasing mechanism is provided to bias the piston toward the disengaged position. The pressure regulator includes a passageway extending generally from proximate the piston seat to the counter-force surface to couple the counter-force surface with the regulated pressure.

Abstract: A liquid vitamin and medicine dispenser for infants and toddlers, comprising a flexible mask contoured to the shape of a mouth of an infant/toddler to provide support. A lock assembly is centrally mounted into the flexible mask. A nipple having a pinhole therein is secured into the lock assembly on an inner side of the flexible mask, so that the infant/toddler can suck on the nipple. A vial is mounted in a removable manner into the lock assembly on an outer side of the flexible mask. A liquid vitamin/medicine can be placed into the vial to flow into the nipple, allowing the infant/toddler to suck the liquid out of the nipple.

Abstract: A rod-like smoking product with a strand-like filler rod of comminuted smoking tobacco and which is enclosed by a mantle of reconstituted tobacco sheets. At least one of these tobacco sheets is essentially obtained from 75 to 100% by weight of tobacco-inherent constituents including tobacco extract obtained from leaf or cut tobacco blend and tobacco rib material, and tobacco cellulose obtained from cut tobacco blend or scrap and stalk or rib material where the ratio of leaf and scrap material to stalk and rib material is in the range of 1:1.1 to 1:5.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for establishing a collapsible infusion conduit in a blood vessel includes a catheter formed as a normally-flattened tube of flexible, collapsible plastic. When placed in a blood vessel, the catheter collapses to a flattened configuration for lying along the wall of the blood vessel to avoid obstruction to blood flow. During infusion, infusion fluid expands the catheter to a generally oval flow path. The catheter may be initially placed in the blood vessel by pre-loading the catheter over a guide wire and inserting the catheter and guide wire through an introducer sheath into the blood vessel. Infusion fluid is thereafter applied to the trailing end of the catheter to expand the catheter to facilitate withdrawal of the guide wire. Alternatively, the leading end of the catheter may initially be sealed, and placement into the blood vessel is achieved through an introducer sheath by inflating the catheter with pressurized fluid to temporarily render the catheter rigid and generally oval.

Abstract: Respirator 10 has a respirator body 11 that is configured to fit over the nose and mouth of a wearer. A thermochromic material 18 is positioned on the respirator body 11 such that the thermochromic material 18 makes thermal contact with the wearer's face when the respirator 10 is worn. The contact causes the thermochromic material 18 to change color to allow the wearer to determine if a proper fit has been established.

Abstract: For controlling a respirator for treatment of sleep apnea, a patient's oscillatory pressure amplitude, which corresponds to a patient's breathing resistance is continuously measured, and the individual breathing resistance value (base value) of a patient's pressure amplitude is determined, by oscilloresistometry (oscillatory resistance measuring=ORM). If deviations from this base value occur, the patient is supplied with respiratory gas under pressure and the gas supply is terminated or minimized as soon as the base value is again reached or almost reached.

Abstract: A cigarette rod manufacturing apparatus includes a shaping section for continuously forming a cigarette rod from a paper and cut tobacco, by using an endless fibrous garniture tape traveling in one direction. Two spray nozzles are located outside the shaping section which are used to spray a wetting liquid on the inner and outer surfaces of the garniture tape, individually.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a golf putter designed to improve accuracy of putting by providing an alignment means on the putting head of the putter by which the putting head can be aligned with a line running from a point near the hole through the golf ball to a point substantially behind the golf ball. The alignment means extends towards the back of the putting head, which allows the putting head to be aligned with the center of the ball and the point behind the ball. The point behind the golf ball is closer to the ball than the point near the hole, thus providing for a more accurate alignment between the putting head and the line. Further, the alignment means is of a sufficient length to accurately align the putting head to the line. The device of the present invention includes a grip, a shaft, a putting head, and an alignment means.

Abstract: A technique is described for liquefying, or gelifying, a hardened, cataractous lens nucleus and aspirating the same. Heat or heated solution is delivered to the lens nucleus in vivo so that the heat or heated solution is placed in contact with the hardened nucleus in order to heat and liquefy the same. The lens nucleus is irrigated simultaneously with a cooled solution to thereby limit to a very small area where the heat or heated solution is present in the eye. This allows the surgeon precise control over which intraocular anterior segment structures are exposed to the heat or heated solution. The liquefied lens nuclear material is then aspirated from the eye. The above allows the removal of a lens nucleus through a 1 to 2 mm corneal or limbal incision which is smaller than the smallest incision allowable with previously known small incision cataract techniques. The above benefits the patient as it allows small incision cataract removal to be done in a way that is non-traumatic to intraocular structures.

Abstract: Improved aerosol inhalation devices including a nebulizer and a rain-off chamber for returning droplets of liquid medication or diagnostics exhaled by the patient back to the nebulizer for reatomization.

Abstract: A collapsible device used in marking the batter's box on a playing surface of a baseball field. The device uses a first frame half and a second frame half. Each frame half has an elongated side with first and second ends. A first arm with an inwardly disposed end is pivotally connected to the first end of the elongated side and an outwardly disposable end that is movable between an extended position and a closed position located against the elongated side. A second arm with an inwardly disposed end is pivotally connected to the second end of the elongated side and an outwardly disposable end that is movable between an extended position and a closed position that is located against the elongated side. A first hinge pivotally connects the outwardly disposable end of the first arm of the first frame half to the outwardly disposable end of the first arm of the second frame half.

Abstract: In order to dilate nasal passages and to increase the ease with which respiration may be carried out through the nose, tape members are adhered to the wearer's face between a location adjacent the nose just below the medial infra orbital region and a location just inferior to the zygomatic ridge. The tape members maintain the nasal concha in a dilated state and markedly reduce the restriction to air flow.

Abstract: An apparatus for multiple channel perfused gastrointestinal manometry particularly useful for animals and small children which avoids errors in pressure measurement due to air bubbles, particularly micro- bubbles in the channels. Achieved by the use of a carbon dioxide flush of the apparatus to displace the air bubbles in the manifold and manometry lines. The carbon dioxide is subsequently dissolved in the subsequent flow of manometric infusate.

Abstract: A mask and snorkel assembly including a float having a circular center recess and a center through hole at the center of the center recess, a snorkel retained in the center recess of the float by a locating block thereof and having a top end turned down and mounted with a ball valve and a bottom end inserted through the center hole of the float, a mask for covering over the eyes and the nose and having an air tube at the top, and an air hose connected between the bottom end of the snorkel and the air tube of the mask, wherein the ball valve is forced upwards by water to close the air passage of the snorkel when the top end of the snorkel is pulled under water.

Abstract: A microphone signal attenuating breathing mask body having a gas port for inhalation of a gas to the wearer in a flow stream therethrough. A demand microphone is mounted to the mask and is coupled to an electromagnetic switch responsive to a predetermined magnetic field for switching from an actuation to an attenuation position to block transmission of sound from the microphone. An air vane is pivotally mounted on the mask body and is formed with an impingement pad positioned in the flow stream and mounts an activating magnet disposed adjacent the switch. The vane is normally disposed in a normal position such that the magnet is in an activating position and the electromagnetic switch is in the actuation position such that the microphone is active for transmission of audio signals.

Abstract: A golf club head having a body defining a heel, toe, top wall, sole defining a bottom wall, and a front wall defining an upwardly and rearwardly inclined front face, and comprising the body defining a forwardly extending main recess located rearwardly of the front wall; and the body also defining an undercut recess located directly rearwardly of the front wall and extending outwardly from the main recess toward one or more of the following:i) the top wallii) the bottom walliii) the toeiv) the heel;and structure on said front wall and located forwardly of the main recess for attenuating audible vibration created when a golf ball is struck by the front face.

Abstract: An improved filtration device suitable for reducing exhaled particles in an aerosol inhalation device. The filtration device includes a body portion having an interior chamber which communicates with an inlet and outlet opening through the chamber wall. Within the chamber is a substance recovery media designed to capture a portion of the exhaled particles from the patient and for assisting in returning a portion of the captured particles back to the patient, such as by a nebulizer. The filtration device further includes a filter layer located within the interior chamber for filtering out contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, in the gaseous medium prior to releasing the remaining portion of the gaseous medium into the environment. Aerosol inhalation devices containing such filters are also provided by this invention.