Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for diagnostic, experimental and other laboratory procedures and methods associated therewith. In particular, the invention provides a sample container for a fluid sample comprising a support, a receptacle which, together with the support, defines a sample space, and heater means affixed to said support in thermal contact with, but electrically insulated from, the sample space. The containers are particularyl suitable for use in PCR procedures.

Abstract: A clamshell packaging container for storing and handling multiple compact discs. The container has a base and a cover, the base being configured to hold a plurality of concentrically stacked compact discs while providing free access for a handling spindle to be inserted through aligned the central apertures of the discs when the container is open.

Abstract: A unidummy intravascular radiotherapy source ribbon assembly is utilized to properly align radioactive seeds in a radioactive intravascular radiotherapy source ribbon assembly to control the dose rate profile such that only the proper tissue is irradiated. The source ribbon assembly includes a core comprising one or more sections having a first radiopacity and one or more sections having a second radiopacity.

Abstract: A unidummy intravascular radiotherapy source ribbon assembly is utilized to properly align radioactive seeds in a radioactive intravascular radiotherapy source ribbon assembly to control the dose rate profile such that only the proper tissue is irradiated. The source ribbon assembly includes a core comprising one or more sections having a first radiopacity and one or more sections having a second radiopacity.

Abstract: A system for optimising the cycling conditions used to control a polymerase chain reaction assigns membership values for denaturation, annealing and extension events in order to determine the relative contribution of each event during the reaction, and using genetic algorithms to determine the optimum times required to complete each event.

Abstract: A blood pump intended to be carried by a freely moving patient uses perpendicular magnetic and electrical fields to propel blood. A rod mounted coaxially inside a tube has electrodes in blood contact for establishing a radial electric field, and an inductor having windings parallel to the axis of the tube is used to establish a circumferential magnetic field. To avoid the evolution of gas at the electrode surfaces the magnetic and electric fields are periodically reversed, and the electrodes are made to have very high surface areas. The blood pump is powered by batteries or fuel cells (or a combination of both) to provide long service between recharging and to reduce the weight carried by the patient.

Abstract: A low attenuation radioactive seed utilizing a core having a fluted or non-circular cross section is utilized for increasing the dose rate, decreasing the dwell times and improving the clinical outcomes by increasing the dose consistency throughout the treatment zone. The fluted or non-circular cross section core would increase the surface area for the deposition of the radioactive substance thereby increasing the therapeutic efficacy of the seed. In addition, the fluted or non-circular cross section may be designed in a manner to reduce photon emission attenuation by reducing the distance an inwardly directed photon would have to travel to traverse the core.

Abstract: Content and advertising information is delivered electronically over a network such as the Internet in a manner enabling users to store one or more of the advertisements in one or more searchable repositories in a computer system for future retrieval. Users may store one or more advertisements without leaving the current page of information being displayed. Only the user may elect to store an advertisement. When a retrieval query from a user is received, the stored advertisements for that user are returned to the user via a web browser or similar software. Each user may maintain one or more lists of their stored advertisements and may append additional information to each stored advertisement or organize them by topic if desired. Users may also elect to transmit one or more stored advertisements to one or more recipients via email or similar electronic means.

Abstract: An ergonomic pointing device can include a grip portion configured for handheld use, a finger-stick coupled to the grip portion, operative to control a cursor pointer, and a first button disposed on the grip portion operative to receive a user selection. The pointing device can include a finger-stick with a thimble-shaped housing. The finger-stick can include a first member axially intersecting a rotable sphere, the first member coupled at one end symmetrically to an inverted U-shaped clevis member and at another end to the grip, and wherein the U-shaped clevis can rotate about an axis intersection the end points of the U-shaped clevis. The finger-stick can include a vertical member, a pivot, and a horizontal member coupled at an inner point to the pivot, and including controls at the ends of the horizontal member.

Abstract: An electronic throttle control system including a throttle valve for adjusting the amount of air drawn into the engine is disclosed. A throttle valve is controlled by a throttle position feedback controller which suspends an integration element when position error absolute value is greater than a threshold, or when the position rate absolute value is greater than another threshold. The integration element includes an integration increment such that generation of the integration increment begins by a determination made of the position error between the throttle position and the position command. Once a determination of the sign of position error is made, a gain is applied to the position error. Also, a gain is applied to the sign of position error. The integration element of the throttle position feedback controller then operates with the position error and the sign of position error. The throttle valve then reacts in response to the throttle position feedback controller.

Abstract: A blood pump intended to be carried by a freely moving patient uses perpendicular magnetic and electrical fields to propel blood. A rod mounted coaxially inside a tube has electrodes in blood contact for establishing a radial electric field, and an inductor having windings parallel to the axis of the tube is used to establish a circumferential magnetic field. To avoid the evolution of gas at the electrode surfaces the magnetic and electric fields are periodically reversed, and the electrodes are made to have very high surface areas. The blood pump is powered by batteries or fuel cells (or a combination of both) to provide long service between recharging and to reduce the weight carried by the patient.

Abstract: A removable sole for a walking cast, a walking cast having the removable sole, and a method of making the walking cast and the removable sole. A bandage is permanently bonded to a walking cast, and a sole body is removably attached to the bandage. The bandage has a top surface bonded to the bottom and side surfaces of the cast, and a bottom surface with a strip of hook and loop fastener material. When the cast is plaster, the bandage is preferably adhered to the cast while the plaster is still wet. When a fiberglass cast is used, an adhesive is applied to the top surface of the bandage to bond the bandage to the cast. The sole body has a concave top surface with a complimentary strip of hook and loop fastener material that mates with the hook and loop fastener material on the bandage. The loop fastener material on the bandage also protects the cast and the surface being walked on, when the sole body is removed.

Abstract: A computer-based method and system describes molecules in a most fundamental and compact way using a set of attributes of the molecule derived from data representing the atomic structure and atomic charge of the molecule. The attributes include the shape of the molecule as defined by the moment of inertia of the molecule, the charge distribution of the molecule as defined by a novel representation of molecular quadrupole, and/or attributes that represent the relationship of the shape to the charge distribution of the molecule. A set of these physical attributes are represented by a set of descriptors. The set of descriptors may be used for molecular matching and activity prediction, as well as in 3D-QSAR analysis.

Abstract: A method estimating a property or parameter of a nucleic acid material, which property or parameter is one to which the electrical conductivity of the nucleic acid material is related, comprises measuring the electrical conductivity of the nucleic acid material, and estimating from the measurement the property or parameter of the material by reference to a predetermined relationship between electrical conductivity and said property or parameter. This is based on the discovery that there are certain important properties of nucleic acids, the quantitative determination of which is frequently desirable, which can be assessed by measurement of the conductivity of a solution of the nucleic acid or acids. Changes in such properties may be reflected in corresponding changes of electrical conductivity. The concentration of nucleic acid in solution and the molecular weight of a species of nucleic acid are examples of important property which may be determined.