Abstract: A home health care kit in the form of a modularized computer docking station for allowing a user to provide self-monitoring test results that are transferred to a standard desktop or laptop computer for eventual automatic communication over the Internet to the user's physician. In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a plurality of interconnected test modules, each configured to provide everything needed to permit a user to conduct a health-related measurement. One such measurement may be that of blood pressure and pulse rate. Another may be actual blood sugar. Still another may be hemoglobin A1C or hemoglobin and another may be cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Each module has an electronics portion and a storage portion. Each such module also has a male connector on one side and a female connector on an opposing side so that the various modules may be interconnected, one to the next in sequence.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus for aerosol measurement having a high concentration of particles the apparatus comprising a diluter for diluting the concentration of particles in a sample aerosol stream to form a diluted aerosol stream, and a sensor for detecting the particles in the diluted aerosol stream by vapor condensation, droplet growth and optical detection. Such apparatus may be housed in a common housing along with the electronics for operating the apparatus and components such as pumps and filters that may be necessary. The diluter includes an input for an aerosol stream having an initial particle concentration, and a dilution stream. The aerosol stream and the dilution stream flow through a restriction which is sized such that turbulent flow is created so that the dilution stream and the aerosol stream are mixed to produce a diluted aerosol stream.

Abstract: A sphygmomanometer cuff assembly, air pump, pressure sensor and release valve are contained in an otherwise conventional computer mouse controller. Various alternative embodiments are illustrated and discussed herein. In one such embodiment the sphygmomanometer cuff is nominally positioned within the mouse structure and is extended outside the mouse housing during the measurement. In another embodiment, the cuff is always external of the mouse structure and is easily connected to the mouse at special ports during the measurement. In yet another embodiment, the cuff is always internal of the mouse structure and is readily accessible through an aperture in the housing surface of the mouse to permit the measurement to take place. Preferably, in each of these alternative embodiments a hinged or slidable door or panel protects the cuff or cuff ports between measurements.

Abstract: Methods of producing nanoporous particles by spray pyrolysis of a precursor composition including a reactive precursor salt and a nonreactive matrix salt are provided, wherein the matrix salt is used as a templating medium. Nanoporous aluminum oxide particles produced by the methods are also provided.

Abstract: A bundle handling device is provided that includes a frame, a body, a scoop, a ramp and a controller. The body is mounted to the frame and includes a first opening through which bundles are loaded and a second opening through which bundles are discharged. The scoop and the ramp are mounted to the body. The scoop covers a substantial portion of the second opening, while the ramp covers the remaining portion. The controller is coupled to a plurality of actuators and a plurality of sensors, and controls the rotation of the body, the opening and closing of the scoop and the opening and closing of the ramp, in order to discharge a metered portion of bundles through the second opening.

Abstract: An application suite installation framework comprises an application suite installer program, an installation configuration file, and the program files and other contents that comprise the software applications. The installation configuration file contains an entry for each software application which is available for installation. The application suite installer program contains the logic to read the installation configuration file to determine the installation options to display, and displays the installation options to a user. For each of the software applications in the list that is selected by the user, the application suite installer program installs the software application using the information, including an application installer, specified in the entry corresponding to that software application in the installation configuration file.

Abstract: An apparatus for vaporizing a liquid for subsequent thin film deposition on a substrate. The apparatus comprises a housing with an inlet and an outlet and a liquid reservoir. A mechanism controls the liquid level in the reservoir to a substantially constant level. A gas flow passageway extends along side a porous metal wall with interstitial spaces for containing liquid from the reservoir and with a package for a carrier gas to flow along side the porous metal wall, forming a gas/vapor mixture suitable for thin film deposition.

Abstract: An application suite installation framework comprises an application suite installer program, an installation configuration file, and the program files that comprise the software applications. The framework allows a user to specify the software applications that are to be installed on the user's computer system, and, based on the user's input, creates the installation configuration file. The installation configuration file contains an entry for each software application which was specified by the user. The application suite installer program reads the installation configuration file to determine the installation options (i.e., the software applications) to display, and displays to the user a list of the software applications that may be installed.

Abstract: A sphygmomanometer cuff assembly, air pump, pressure sensor and release valve are contained in an otherwise conventional computer mouse controller. Three alternative embodiments are illustrated and discussed herein. In one such embodiment the sphygmomanometer cuff is nominally positioned within the mouse structure and is extended outside the mouse housing during the measurement. In another embodiment, the cuff is always external of the mouse structure and is easily connected to the mouse at special ports during the measurement. In yet another embodiment, the cuff is always internal of the mouse structure and is readily accessible through an aperture in the housing surface of the mouse to permit the measurement to take place. Preferably, in each of these alternative embodiments a hinged or slidable door or panel protects the cuff or cuff ports between measurements.

Abstract: A system identifies or screens one or more biological materials. The system includes at least one bioreactor adapted to provide biological samples and an automated sample handler comprising at least one bi-directional pump to transport biological samples, reagents and fluids, at least one reaction chamber with at least two regions separated by a semi-permeable membrane and fitted with a thermoelectric module for cooling and heating the chamber. At least one multi-positional valve directs transport of the biological samples, reagents and fluids into and out of the reaction chamber and a micro-processor to control operations of the sample handler. A detector is used to identify the biological material in the samples and a sample repository collects the identified biological samples.

Abstract: The present invention involves injecting a liquid and gas into a vapor holding chamber held at a sufficiently high temperature to insure all the liquid injected is vaporized and held in the chamber as a vapor. The gas/vapor mixture is then delivered to the deposition chamber in which the deposition substrate is held.

Abstract: A sphygmomanometer cuff assembly, air pump, pressure sensor and release valve are contained in an otherwise conventional computer mouse controller. Three alternative embodiments are illustrated and discussed herein. In one such embodiment the sphygmomanometer cuff is nominally positioned within the mouse structure and is extended outside the mouse housing during the measurement. In another embodiment, the cuff is always external of the mouse structure and is easily connected to the mouse at special ports during the measurement. In yet another embodiment, the cuff is always internal of the mouse structure and is readily accessible through an aperture in the housing surface of the mouse to permit the measurement to take place. Preferably, in each of these alternative embodiments a hinged or slidable door or panel protects the cuff or cuff ports between measurements.

Abstract: A method for establishing a calibrating standard for wafer inspection includes depositing solid ionized particles of a known size range with an aerosol onto a wafer. The method also includes depositing particles onto a wafer in a deposition chamber by using an aerosol stream and the solid particles suspended in a gas; ionizing the aerosol stream with a negative or positive charge polarity or both by passing the aerosol stream through a non-radioactive ionizer to produce charged particles and supplying such aerosol stream to the deposition chamber. An apparatus for producing charged particles includes an atomizer and a non-radioactive ionizer in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus may also include an electrospray droplet generator for producing an aerosol with dry-solid particles and an ionizer that ionizes the molecules of the gas.

Abstract: Preferred embodiments pertain to anti-toppling devices and methods related thereto.

Abstract: A personal mask testing system (PMTS) is of a size of a human hand. The PMTS has several energy efficient features that permit running the PMTS from a battery source within the housing. The PMTS also includes a replaceable vapor source.

Abstract: A vaporization system for thin film formation and for introducing vapors into a deposition chamber for depositing films onto a semi-conductor surface has a vaporization chamber that is selectively provided with at least two different, separate, precursor liquids carried in a gas stream that may be a single carrier gas, or a selected one of a plurality of carrier gasses. When the liquids being introduced are likely to be subject to thermal decomposition from contact with high temperature surfaces, an atomizer is used at the inlet of the vaporization chamber to provide an aerosol to the vaporization chamber from one or more individual sources of liquid combined with one or more individual carrier gasses for simultaneous or sequential introduction into the vaporization chamber. The vaporization chamber may be designed to insure complete vaporization by incorporating a recirculating gas flow through heated passageways before the vaporized gas/vapor mixture exits the vaporization chamber.

Abstract: A compact electrostatic precipitator is designed specifically for use in connection with eliminating particles from crankcase emissions of a Diesel engine. Such emissions may carry solid soot particles as well as suspended oil droplets. The electrostatic precipitator has an electrode housing in which a high voltage electrode is mounted, and the emissions from the crankcase of a Diesel engine are passed across the electrode to an outlet. A high voltage power supply is mounted in a separate housing, and the output of the high voltage power supply is connected to the electrode only when the electrode housing and the power supply housing are properly mated, to thereby disable the high voltage connection to the electrode when the power supply housing is removed.

Abstract: A cascade impactor apparatus has a series of vertically stacked impactor housing sections. Each of the impactor housing sections has an upper portion that supports a motor for driving an impactor plate that is positioned below a nozzle through which flow passes. Each housing section also has an outlet passageway leading to a lower impactor chamber for the next in a series of impactor chambers, except the last outlet passageway is coming through a filter to exhaust. The impactor chambers are defined by a skirt that seals on the neck of the next downstream housing section. The impactor plates are each driven by a separate motor, and held onto a hub on the motor output shaft with a magnetic coupling so the plates can be removed when the housings are separated.