Abstract: A surgical retractor assembly that utilizes a tubular shaft and a connection nub. A pivot joint connects one end of the tubular shaft to the connection nub. The pivot joint enables the connection nub to move relative the tubular shaft along a path that is coplanar to the axis of the tubular shaft. Together, the tubular shaft and the connection nub create an elongated element that can be introduced into a small incision. A retractor blade is provided. A bearing joint extends from the retractor blade. The retractor blade and bearing joint are introduced into a surgical site independent of the elongated element. Within the surgical site, the connection nub interconnects with the bearing joint, therein joining the retractor blade to the tubular shaft and a handle.

Abstract: A defibrillation system that utilizes a unique defibrillator paddle assembly. The defibrillator paddle assembly has a handle and a paddle head. The paddle head contains the conductive surface that is used to contact the muscle tissue of the heart during a defibrillation attempt. The paddle head is connected to the handle by a flexible connection. The flexible connection enables the relative orientation between the handle and the paddle head to be selectively adjusted. Accordingly, a physician can selectively change the orientation of the paddle head in relation to the handle in order to more effectively utilize the paddle assembly during a specific circumstance. The flexible connection between the handle and the paddle head can be adjusted either by manual bending or by utilizing adjustment controls that are present on the handle of the paddle assembly.

Abstract: A surgical retractor assembly that utilizes a tubular shaft and a connection nub. A pivot joint connects one end of the tubular shaft to the connection nub. The pivot joint enables the connection nub to move relative the tubular shaft along a path that is coplanar to the axis of the tubular shaft. Together, the tubular shaft and the connection nub create an elongated element that can be introduced into a small incision. A retractor blade is provided. A bearing joint extends from the retractor blade. The retractor blade and bearing joint are introduced into a surgical site independent of the elongated element. Within the surgical site, the connection nub interconnects with the bearing joint, therein joining the retractor blade to the tubular shaft and a handle.

Abstract: A method of determining or predicting a value P.sub.x of a property (e.g. octane number) of a material X or a property of a product of a process from the material or yield of the process for example a blending, separation, or chemical (e.g. polymerization) process, which method comprises measuring the absorption D.sub.ix of the material at more than one wavelength in the region 600-2600 nm, comparing the the signals indicative of the absorptions or a derivative thereof with signals indicative of absorptions D.sub.im or derivatives thereof at the same wavelength for a number of standards S in a bank for which the property or yield P is known, and choosing from the bank at least one standard S.sub.m with property P.sub.m the standard having the smallest average value of the absolute difference at each wavelength i between the signal for the material and the signal for the standard S.sub.m to obtain P.sub.x, with averaging of the properties or yields P.sub.m when more than one standard S.sub.m is chosen.

Abstract: A method of determining or predicting a value P.sub.x of a property of a feed X to a steam cracking process or yield of said process, which method comprises measuring the absorption D.sub.ix of said material at more than one wavelength in the region 600-2600 nm, comparing signals indicative of said adsorptions or a mathematical function thereof with signals indicative of absorptions D.sub.im or mathematical function thereof at the same wavelength for a number of standards S in a bank for which the said property or yield P is known, and choosing from the bank at least one standard S.sub.m with property P.sub.m said standard having the smallest average value of the absolute difference at each wavelength i between the signal for the material and the signal for the standard S.sub.m to obtain P.sub.x, with averaging of said properties or yields P.sub.m when more than one standard S.sub.m is chosen. If desired the method can be used as such to control the steam cracking process by comparison of P.sub.

Abstract: An apparatus for on-line measuring physical property data of hydrocarbon products such as octane number, cetane number, density, vapour pressure and the like or gasoline/alcohol ratio, comprising means for providing (N)IR radiation in a predetermined spectral range; means for transmitting light at selected wavelengths in the (N)IR spectral region; means for delivering light from said transmitting means to a hydrocarbon product line; means for allowing an optical path length in the hydrocarbon product line; means for detecting the light transmitted through the said optical path; means for providing the obtained signal to be input to processing equipment for spectral analysis and correlating the spectral data to the physical property data of hydrocarbon products such as octane number, cetane number, density, vapour pressure and the like or gasoline/alcohol ratio.

Abstract: A method of determining or predicting a value P.sub.x of a property of a material X, which is a feed to a process or a property of a product of a process from said material or yield of said process, which method comprises measuring the absorption D.sub.i x of said material at more than one wavelength in the region 600-2600 nm, comparing the said absorptions or a derivative thereof with absorptions D.sub.i m or derivatives thereof at the same wavelength for a number of standards S in a bank for which the said property or yield P is known, and choosing from the bank at least one standard S.sub.m with property P.sub.m said standard having the smallest average value of the absolute difference at each wavelength i between the absorption D.sub.i x (or derivative thereof) for the material and the absorption D.sub.i m (or derivative thereof) for the standards S.sub.m to obtain P.sub.x, with averaging of said properties or yields P.sub.m when more than one standard S.sub.

Abstract: A method of determining or predicting a value P.sub.x of a property of a material X, which is a feed to a process or a property of a product of a process from said material or yield of said process, which method comprises measuring the absorption D.sub.i x of said material at more than one wavelength in the region 600-2600 nm, comparing the said absorptions or a derivative thereof with absorptions D.sub.i m or derivatives thereof at the same wavelength for a number of standards S in a bank for which said property or yield P is known, and choosing from the bank at least one standard S.sub.m with property P.sub.m said standard having the smallest average value of the absolute difference at each wavelength i between the absorption D.sub.i x (or derivative thereof) for the material and the absorption D.sub.i m (or derivative thereof) for the standard S.sub.m to obtain P.sub.x, with averaging of said properties or yields P.sub.m when more than one standard S.sub.

Abstract: A method of determining or predicting a value P.sub.x of a property (e.g. octane number) of a material X or a property of a product of a process from said material or yield of said process, which method comprises measuring the absorption D.sub.ix of said material at more than one wavelength in the region 600-2600 nm, comparing the said absorptions or a derivative thereof with absorptions D.sub.im or the derivatives thereof at the same wavelength for a number of standards S in a bank for which the said property or yield P is known, and choosing from the bank at least one standard S.sub.m with property P.sub.m said standard having the smallest average value of the absolute difference at each wavelength i between the absorption D.sub.i x (or derivative thereof) for the material and the absorption D.sub.i m (or derivative thereof) for the standard S.sub.m to obtain the P.sub.x, with averaging of said properties or yields P.sub.m when more than one standard S.sub.m is chosen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a continuous process for the polymerization of an alpha-olefin having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, which is carried out in a gas phase polymerization reactor by bringing a gaseous reaction mixture, containing the alpha-olefin to be polymerized, into contact with a catalyst system of the Ziegler-Natta type consisting of a solid catalyst comprising at least one compound of a transition metal belonging to groups IV, V or VI of the Periodic Table, of the elements, and of a cocatalyst comprising at least one organometallic compound of a metal belonging to groups II or III of the Periodic Table in which the polymerization reactor is fed with alpha-olefin at a constant rate.

Abstract: The octane number of a product is directly determined from its near infrared (NIR) absorption spectrum in the wave number spectral range of from 6667 to 3840 centimeter .sup.-1. A number (n) of frequencies is selected within this range, and the (n) absorbance values are correlated with the octane number by using a multivariate regression analysis.

Abstract: The properties of a liquid hydrocarbon blend are determined from the NIR (Near Infra Red) spectrum of the components of the blend. This is accomplished by: (a) determining with an IR spectrometer, the absorbance of the components of the blend at a certain number of frequencies in the spectral range 16667 to 3840 cm.sup.-1 starting from a defined base line, (b) determining for each component and each property, a spectral mixture index (SMI) by applying a correlation between the SMI and the absorbance values, and then (c) calculating the property (J) to be determined by applying a linear expression, J=f.sub.a SMI.sub.a.sup.J +f.sub.s SMI.sub.b.sup.J +f.sub.c SMI.sub.c.sup.J + . . . f.sub.o SMI.sub.o.sup.J where SMI.sup.J.sub.(a, b, c . . . ) is the Spectral Mixture Index for property J for each component (a, b, c . . . ) and f.sub.(a, b, c . . . ) is the fraction by volume of that component in the final blend.

Abstract: The properties and yield of a product from a hydrocarbon conversion or separation process may be determined from the NIR (Near Infrared) spectrum of the feedstock. This is accomplished by: (a) determining with an IR spectrometer the absorbance of the feedstock at a certain number of frequencies in the spectral range 16667 to 3840 cm.sup.-1 starting from a defined base line, and then (b) determining the property or yield by applying a correlation between the property or yield and the absorbance values. The correlation is determined experimentally by multivariate regression and is dependent upon the type of spectrometer employed, the property or yield to be determined, and the frequencies used.

Abstract: A process for polymerizing olefins in a gas-phase fluidized-bed reactor comprising a reactor body (1), optionally surmounted by a disengagement chamber (2), in which fine particles entrained by the gas mixture leaving the top of the reactor are separated from the gas and recycled to the upper portion of the reactor body. Polymer is withdrawn from the reactor body (1) via at least two polymer outlets, at least one of which (15) is in the lower portion of the reactor body (1) and at least one of which (16) is in the upper portion of the reactor body at a position below the top of the fluidized bed. The invention includes apparatus for polymerizing olefins and the use of the apparatus.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a polymer having at least one property P with a desired value D, the process being controlled by periodically sampling the polymer produced, or being produced by the process, determining the value of the property P by applying a correlation relationship with n results R.sub.i of n absorbance measurements obtained by analyzing the sample with an infrared spectrometer at n wavelengths in the near infrared region and then using the difference between the determined value of the property P and the desired value D to control the process parameters using a process computer.

Abstract: Apparatus for the cracking of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam for the production of olefins and diolefins which includes a thermal radiation enclosure enclosing at least one cracking tube having an inlet to which the hydrocarbons and steam are supplied and having an outlet for the cracking products. The internal diameter of the tube diminishes continuously or discontinuously from the inlet to the outlet and the ratio between the internal diameters of the tube at the inlet and the outlet is between 1.2 and 3. The ratio of the length of the tube within the enclosure to the mean internal diameter of the tube is between 200 and 600. Heat is supplied to the tube by burners within the enclosure so that the thermal power applied along the length of the tube increases in the direction from the inlet to the outlet and so that the ratio between the thermal power applied to the half of the tube extending from the inlet to the thermal power applied to the remaining half of the tube is between 40/60 and 15/85.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of olefins by the cracking of hydrocarbons consisting in passing a mixture of hydrocarbons and steam flowing in a cracking tube disposed inside a radiation zone of a furnace. The process is characterized in that an increase of the cracking temperature of the mixture between the inlet and the outlet of the radiation zone is associated to a non-homogeneous distribution of the thermal power of the furnace, greater at the beginning of the cracking tube than at the end, and to a reaction volume which is greater in the second half of the length tube than in the first one. The present invention relates also to a cracking furnace in which between the inlet and the outlet of the radiation zone the diameter of the cracking tube increases and the thermal power of the burners used to heat the cracking tube decreases.

Abstract: A process for detecting anomalies in a fluidized bed, e.g. the incidence of agglomeration in gas-fluidized bed polymerization, comprises sensing and converting into electrical signals the pressure at one level, or the pressure difference between two or more levels in the reactor, processing these signals by computer to produce a pressure spectrum and comparing with a reference spectrum obtained in the absence of anomalies. The device comprises one or more pressure sensors 11,12,13, which measure the pressure at various levels in the reactor 1, and a computer 27.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of olefins and diolefins by the cracking of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam, consisting in passing a mixture of hydrocarbons and steam flowing in a cracking tube disposed inside a radiation zone of a furnace. The process is characterized in that the mean dwell time of the mixture of flowing in the cracking tube between the inlet and the outlet of the radiation zone is from 300 to 1800 milliseconds, and the reaction volume is greater in the first half of the tube length than in the second one. The present invention relates also to a cracking furnace in which the ratio between the length and the mean diameter of the cracking tube is from 200 to 600, and the tube diameter decreases from the inlet to the outlet of the radiation zone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of olefins by the cracking of hydrocarbons consisting in passing a mixture of hydrocarbons and steam flowing in a cracking tube disposed inside a radiation zone of a furnace. The process is characterized in that an increase of the cracking temperature of the mixture between the inlet and the outlet of the radiation zone is associated to a non-homogeneous distribution of the thermal power of the furnace, greater at the beginning of the cracking tube than at the end, and to a reaction volume which is greater in the second half of the length tube than in the first one.The present invention relates also to a cracking furnace in which between the inlet and the outlet of the radiation zone the diameter of the cracking tube increases and the thermal power of the heating means decreases.