Abstract: An electronic device capable of graphical data analysis is provided. The device includes a processor capable of manipulating numerical data and a graphical data. An input is provided for issuing instructions to the processor to manipulate the numerical data and graphical data. The device includes a memory device, a software program, and an output. The memory device is for storing graphical data and numerical data. The software program is stored in the memory device and is operable for dynamically linking the numerical data and graphical data, such that when the numerical data is updated the software automatically updates the linked graphical data, and vice versa. The output is operable for displaying graphical data and numerical data.

Abstract: A device operable to maintain a document comprising a processor, a first problem space including a first variable having a first value, and a second problem space including a second variable having a second value, the first and second variables and the first and second values stored such that when the first variable is: the same as the second variable and the first value is different that the second value, the second value is maintained when the processor modifies the first value.

Abstract: Method of printing individual header cards with a limited amount of information, such as a barcode, employing continuous movement of each of the header cards through a gap defined between a backup roll and a thermal printing head, each header card partially wrapping the backup roll only in the immediate vicinity of the printer head.

Abstract: A fiber tail assembly is provided that includes an outer sleeve, which can be attached and hermetically sealed to the housing of an optical device, and a sealing ferrule, which may be inserted into and hermetically sealed to the outer sleeve. An optical fiber may be inserted through an axial bore in the sealing ferrule and hermetically sealed thereto, such as with a glass seal. The hermetic seal between the sealing ferrule and the fiber avoids high or transversely asymmetric stress that may change the birefringence of the fiber. The optical fiber may be inserted through a cap ferrule or a stress relief tube, which may be attached to the fiber and to the outer sleeve, protecting the fiber tail assembly from axial stress that may damage the fiber or the hermetic seals. Methods for forming the same are provided.

Abstract: A method and optical tap is provided for forming a monitor signal that is a measure of optical power in a guided mode output of an optical modulator. The method and optical tap may monitor the guided mode power without tapping the guided mode light, even when optical power of the radiation modes is non-complementary to that of the output mode. Light from the radiation modes of the optical modulator is coupled into the wall of a capillary through a front face. Separate portions of the radiation mode light are reflected into photodetectors, which form photocurrents that are incoherently added to form the monitor signal.

Abstract: The capacity of an optical transmission system can in principle be increased by interleaving two bits streams with orthogonal polarisation states. This requires, in the interleaved bit stream, the bits of one component bit stream to be timed to occur close to midway between the bits of the other component bit stream. Achieving this by adjustment of relative optical path lengths upstream of the interleaver requires control of those lengths to ±200 microns for ±1 ps bit interleaving accuracy. Such precision is awkward to achieve using fusion splicing. Instead, the necessary precision of interleaving accuracy is achieved by trimming a length of birefringent fiber inserted downstream of the interleaving, this fiber oriented to have its principal polarisation planes (principal axes) aligned with the polarisation states of the two bit streams. Employing birefringent fiber with a beat length of 2.

Abstract: A method and optical tap is provided for forming a monitor signal that is a measure of optical power in a guided mode output of an optical modulator. The method and optical tap may monitor the guided mode power without tapping the guided mode light, even when optical power of the radiation modes is non-complementary to that of the output mode. Light from the radiation modes of the optical modulator is coupled into the wall of a capillary through a front face. Separate portions of the radiation mode light are reflected into photodetectors, which form photocurrents that are incoherently added to form the monitor signal.

Abstract: Method of printing individual header cards with a limited amount of information, such as a barcode, employing continuous movement of each of the header cards through a gap defined between a backup roll and a thermal printing head, each header card partially wrapping the backup roll only in the immediate vicinity of the printer head.

Abstract: A fiber tail assembly is provided that includes an outer sleeve, which can be attached and hermetically sealed to the housing of an optical device, and a sealing ferrule, which may be inserted into and hermetically sealed to the outer sleeve. An optical fiber may be inserted through an axial bore in the sealing ferrule and hermetically sealed thereto, such as with a glass seal. The hermetic seal between the sealing ferrule and the fiber avoids high or transversely asymmetric stress that may change the birefringence of the fiber. The optical fiber may be inserted through a cap ferrule or a stress relief tube, which may be attached to the fiber and to the outer sleeve, protecting the fiber tail assembly from axial stress that may damage the fiber or the hermetic seals. Methods for forming the same are provided.

Abstract: A design of expanded-beam type wavelength multiplexer or channel drop and insert filter using oblique light incidence upon a concatenation of substrate mounted dielectric filters involves mounting the beam-expanding graded-index lenses in pre-aligned V-grooves, and only later securing fibers to those lenses. This approach simplifies component alignment problems by reducing the number of degrees of freedom and, by virtue of the fact that the mechanical design allows implementation using minimal amounts of adhesive, provides long-term stability of optical performance.

Abstract: A cervical collar to assist medical personnel in making diagnoses of neck or thoracic injuries while the patient wears the collar includes a major stiff portion of material that has anterolateral aspects of zones I, II and III of a patient's underlying neck that are transparent to visible light, upper and lower edges, sufficient flexibility to lie largely flat when not worn on a patient, an anterior portion including lateral extensions, an anterior window to permit access to the trachea for tracheotomy and a stiff chin support. A posterior portion extends from one of the lateral extensions and has vents to permit air to move from within the collar as worn to exterior thereof and an end with a patch of hook and loop fastener material. The other lateral extension has a posteriorly-extending leaf of hook and loop fastener material, so that the collar can be wrapped around the neck of the patient for installation and secured in position by engagement of the leaf of hook and loop material with the patch.

Abstract: An optical fiber hermetic feed-through for polarization maintaining fibre has, contained within a hollow metallic plug, a ceramic ferrule that is a concentricity providing sliding fit around the fiber and serves to hold the fiber centered in an aperture in the end wall of the plug. The fiber is secured with adhesive in the bore of the ferrule which is similarly secured within the plug. An hermetic seal between plug and fiber is provided by a soft solder fillet whose short length and circular symmetry minimises the stress applied to the fibre by the freezing of the solder and thereby minimises the degradation of the polarisation maintaining properties of the fibre.

Abstract: The end of an optical fibre is held in alignment with an injection laser by securing the fibre to an elongate support member whose end nearer the injection laser is then laser beam welded to a pair of slide members that have previously been secured by laser beam welding to leave a precisely dimensioned small gap between the support and slide members. The smallness of the gap minimises displacement of the fibre during the welding process. The end of the support member remote from the injection laser is secured by laser beam welding to a plastically deformable saddle.