Abstract: The molecular concentration of a constituent such as oxygen of an anesthetic agent in a gas is measured by contacting the gas with the surface of a solid body, momentarily heating the surface so that the constituent reacts at the surface to alter a property of the surface such as reflectivity, and determining the degree or rate of alteration occasioned by the heating step. The momentary heating operation may be performed by light from a laser focused on to a small localized region. The body surface can include a thin film of a material such as a metal reactive with the gas constituent of interest at elevated temperatures. The preferred methods provide extraordinarily rapid response, and also form a permanent record of each measurement. Where the gas is at substantially constant pressure, the measured molecular concentration can be interpreted as an indication of the proportion of the constituent in the gas.

Abstract: A method for providing insulated holes in a conductive substrate by first punching oversized holes in the substrate, then filling the holes with an insulator and then forming an aperture of a desired diameter, less than the diameter of the hole originally punched in the substrate, through the insulator to leave an annular sleeve of insulative material within each hole.

Abstract: A method is described for batch-fabricating flat printed circuit boards and subsequently forming the circuit boards to a particular desired shape. In particular, a conductive substrate is coated with an insulating coating and conductors are fabricated thereon, with integrated circuit and chip resistor/capacitor parts being mounted to the fabricated conductor patterns. After part-mounting, the circuit board is bent to the desired shape.

Abstract: Metals and metalloids may be deposited in the form of conducting lines, spots and the like by preparing a solution or dispersion of a reducible metal or metalloid compound in an oxidizable organic matrix such as a polyamic acid or polyimide, coating the substrate with said solution or dispersion, and contacting the coated substrate with a beam of localized radiation absorbable by said coated substrate, typically a laser beam.

Abstract: A low-cost thermocouple utilizes a substrate of a first conductor, upon a surface of which is deposited on insulative layer, supporting a screen-printed conductive ink pattern. A second conductor is electrolessly plated upon the conductive ink pattern and onto at least a portion of the first conductor, through an aperture in the insulation layer therebetween. Thermocouple action occurs along the length of the plated conductor contact with the substrate conductor.