Abstract: Lubricating gel compositions manufactured from water-soluble polymers and distilled water can prevent not only pregnancy but also sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including AIDS due to their roles as physical blocking walls and spermicides. Colloidal silver, which has germicidal effects in a wide range, can be added to these compositions. These lubricating gel compositions, which are harmless and non-irritating to the male urethra, can be called “Urethral Condoms” because they act like condoms when injected into male urethras, and are easily eliminated from urethras by urination. They can also be called “Liquid Female Condoms” because they act like female condoms when injected into vaginas, and are easily eliminated from vaginas by vaginal irrigators and the vaginal scrubbing sponge of this invention.

Abstract: An improved miniature fuel cell comprising fluidic plates having fluidic channel walls and a separator formed from high-temperature polymers. The fluid plates are heated at temperatures sufficient to convert the plates to conductive carbon structures. In one embodiment, the fluidic channel walls and separator are formed separately and bonded together with binder material that converts to conductive carbon during the heat treatment process and acts as a physical and electrical binder. The conductive carbon fluidic plates are assembled with a membrane, electrodes, catalyst support and gas diffusion layers, and gas inlets and outlets to form a fuel cell structure. The fuel cell structure is preferably sealed with an epoxy. The membrane is preferably formed from a hygroscopic material and is sized larger than the fluidic plates such that a portion of the membrane remains exposed to the environment exterior to the assembled fuel cell.

Abstract: A method of controlling login requirements of a plurality of peripheral device applications includes defining one of the peripheral device applications as a master application, with all other peripheral device applications being slave applications, enabling the master application to obtain login information from an operator, and enabling at least one of the slave applications to seek login information from the master application and, if the login information is not available for the slave application, enabling the slave application to obtain login information under the control of the master application by executing a slave login process.

Abstract: A dielectrophoretic separation device includes a chamber including an inlet and an outlet disposed between the inlet and the outlet. A plurality of three dimensional electrodes are disposed in within the chamber. The electrodes may take the form of a wire or semi-cylindrical conductors disposed on a substrate. At least some of the electrodes include smooth surfaces so as to create an electric field (in response to an applied alternating current) that has a low strength in a region disposed away from the electrodes and an electric field having a high fields strength in a region between adjacent electrodes. Particulate matter or other species experiencing a positive DEP force may be separated and collected in the gaps or regions formed between adjacent electrodes.

Abstract: A personal print mailbox software application for printing or peripheral device, such as a photocopier, is disclosed. Documents received on the printing device have associated information sent with them identifying the user logged in on the workstation that sent them. Documents from various users are collected in a common storage area or mailbox on the printing device. When a user visits the printing device to select documents of his or hers to print the user logs in to the photocopier. The application verifies the log in against the same user identity/security system, such as Windows Active Directory, that was used to log the users into their workstations. The application then presents the user with a list of his or her documents only, from which he or she may select documents, for example, to print.

Abstract: C-MEMS architecture having carbon structures with high surface areas due to high aspect ratios and nanoscale surface enhancements, and improved systems and methods for producing such structures are provided. Specifically, high aspect ratio carbon structures are microfabricated by pyrolyzing a patterned carbon precursor polymer. Pyrolysing the polymer preferably comprises a multi-step process in an atmosphere of inert and forming gas at high temperatures that trail the glass transition temperature (Tg) for the polymer. The surface area of the carbon microstructures is increases by nanotexturing the surface through oxygen plasma exposure, and by integrating nanoscale structures with the carbon microstructures by exposing the carbon microstructures and a catalyst to hydrocarbon gas. In a preferred embodiment, the carbon microstructures are the source of carbon gas.

Abstract: C-MEMS architecture having high aspect ratio carbon structures and improved systems and methods for producing high aspect ratio C-MEMS structures are provided. Specifically, high aspect ratio carbon structures are microfabricated by pyrolyzing a patterned carbon precursor polymer. Pyrolysing the polymer preferably comprises a multi-step process in an atmosphere of inert and forming gas at high temperatures that trail the glass transit temperature (Tg) for the polymer. Multi-layer C-MEMS carbon structures are formed from multiple layers of negative photoresist, wherein a first layer forms carbon interconnects and the second and successive layers form high aspect ratio carbon structures. High-conductivity interconnect traces to connect C-MEMS carbon structures are formed by depositing a metal layer on a substrate, patterning a polymer precursor on top of the metal layer and pyrolyzing the polymer to create the final structure.