Abstract: A device for the automatic injection of doses of a drug is described. The device has a slide and cam means, a syringe unit with a piston, and guide means. The axial movement of the slide initiated by a user by depressing its front end against an injection site, causes an angular displacement of the cam means that, in cooperation with the guide means, controls movement of the syringe piston and therefore administration of a drug dose.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating and operating dry powder inhalers that include dose disks and airway channel disks with sealant layers, the airway channel disks forming radially-extending discrete, typically dose-specific, airway channels serially forming a portion of the inhalation pathway to deliver dry powder to a user using the inhalers.

Abstract: Dry powder inhalers include radially-extending discrete, typically dose-specific, airway channels serially forming a portion of the inhalation pathway to deliver dry powder to a user using the inhalers.

Abstract: Dry powder inhalers with rotatable piercing mechanisms facilitate the use of dose container assemblies having dose containers arranged in concentric rows. A piercing mechanism is operably associated with the dose container assembly and is configured to pierce sealants that seal a dose container. The piercing mechanism is rotatable such that it can serially alternate between the two rows of dose containers. The piercing mechanism includes a rotatable drum, an elongate piercing member, and a biasing member operably associated with the piercing member. The rotatable drum has an open end, an opposite closed end, and a cylindrical wall that extends from the closed end and terminates at the open end. The closed end includes an aperture formed therein in a location adjacent to the wall. The elongate piercing member is extended and retracted through the aperture to pierce the sealants of a dose container.

Abstract: Dry powder inhalers include radially-extending discrete, typically dose-specific, airway channels serially forming a portion of the inhalation pathway to deliver dry powder to a user using the inhalers.

Abstract: A method for improving a sensitivity of a metal detector by reducing an unwanted magnetic field generated by at least one electrically conductive element of the metal detector, the metal detector transmitting a transmit magnetic field into a soil and a possible target within the soil which in response generate a response magnetic field, the method including the step of: redirecting at least a portion of the response magnetic field from entering the at least one electrically conductive element, wherein otherwise the at least one electrically conductive element within an influence of the response magnetic field generates the unwanted magnetic field due to a change in an intensity of the response magnetic field entering the at least one electrically conductive element, the redirecting adapted to reduce or eliminate the unwanted magnetic field generated by the at least one electrically conductive element thereby improving the sensitivity of the metal detector.

Abstract: A dry powder inhaler includes a dose container assembly having a dose container disk with opposing upper and lower surfaces, a first row of circumferentially spaced apart dose containers at a first radius and a second row of circumferentially spaced apart dose containers at a second radius. The dose containers have dry powder therein and are sealed via a first flexible sealant over apertures in the upper surface and a second flexible sealant over apertures in the lower surface. A piercing mechanism includes two reciprocating piercers that serially alternate between the two rows of dose containers in the dose container disk. A rotatable ramp disk includes first and second sets of circumferentially spaced-apart ramp elements in staggered, concentric relationship that are configured to move the first and second piercing members between retracted and extended positions.

Abstract: The fluid management system according to the invention is adapted to automatically supply fluid for injection into a patient. The fluid management system comprises a fluid management device, a fluid transfer system and a fluid injector. The fluid management device serves to store and administrate multi dose containers. The fluid transfer system connects the outlet of the containers stored within the fluid management device to the injector and the injector withdraws the fluid via fluid transfer system from the containers and injects the fluid to an administration device at the patient.

Abstract: A metal detector includes means for reducing the induction of eddy currents in conductive elements of a sensor head. The aim of this invention is to remove the effect of small pieces of conductive material, located within or close to the sensor head, being seen as sought targets as the sensor head is moved over magnetic matrix. The means is to surround the conductive material with material with high magnetic permeability and low losses in a time-varying magnetic field, say low-loss ferrite. This will prevent the reflected field from illuminating the conductive material so eddy currents are not generated.

Abstract: Dry powder inhalers are described with an inhaler body defining an enclosed cavity space and at least one of (a) an endless strip having opposing primary surfaces, the strip comprising a plurality of spaced apart blisters or dose containers holding dry powder medicament. The inhaler also has an inhalation exit flow path in the inhaler body in communication with at least one blister or at least one dose container held by the strip in a dispensing position and a piercer configured to release dry powder medicament from the blister or dose container in the dispensing position.

Abstract: Dry powder inhalers with rotatable piercing mechanisms facilitate the use of dose container assemblies having dose containers arranged in concentric rows. A piercing mechanism is operably associated with the dose container assembly and is configured to pierce sealants that seal a dose container. The piercing mechanism is rotatable such that it can serially alternate between the two rows of dose containers. The piercing mechanism includes a rotatable drum, an elongate piercing member, and a biasing member operably associated with the piercing member. The rotatable drum has an open end, an opposite closed end, and a cylindrical wall that extends from the closed end and terminates at the open end. The closed end includes an aperture formed therein in a location adjacent to the wall. The elongate piercing member is extended and retracted through the aperture to pierce the sealants of a dose container.

Abstract: A magnetic separator for a mineral feed comprising, a rotatable drum having an attraction surface, an inlet for receiving a stream of the mineral feed and directing it past the rotating drum, means for generating a magnetic field to attract magnetic components in the feed to the attraction surface, a first zone for take off of non-magnetic components of the mineral feed, and a second zone for take off of the magnetic components, wherein the magnetic field generating means are adapted to subject the magnetic components to at least one reversal of polarity of the magnetic field as the drum rotates.

Abstract: A metal detector adapted to generate a transmit search signal and to receive a receive search signal, and to analyse such received search signal, wherein the detector is adapted to allow a selection of operating parameters for each of these functions, said selection being effected by the storage as data in a memory of such selection, characterised in that the detector is adapted to allow such stored data to be modified in accordance with data in an external store, further characterised in that there is a digital data communication transmission program, adapted to effect a transmission of some or all of the stored data through a data transmission means to enable a further metal detector to receive and store for use in such further detector the said data.

Abstract: A centrifuge (1) for continuously separating a fluid stream into fractions of different density comprising: conduit means (17) for radially directing flow of the fluid stream, drive means (19, 22) for rotating the conduit means about an axis (19) whereby to subject the fluid stream to centrifugal force causing it to travel from a location in the conduit means nearer to the axis to a position further away from the axis, and a plurality of conduit outlets (35, 36, 37) from the conduit means arranged at different radial distances from the axis for taking off fractions of different density from the fluid stream.

Abstract: The invention provides a working fluid for an electrophoretic image display device including a dispersion of a species of finely divided particles of an opaque dielectric material suspended in a suspension medium, each of the said particles which are transportable within the suspension medium under the influence of an electric field, has a chemical compound adsorbed on the surface thereof, the chemical compound is such that the molecules thereof exert an attractive force towards each other in the absence of the electric field.