Abstract: A device for promoting sedimentation within microfluidic channels which uses gravity to separate particles from fluid. Particles such as blood cells or beads are separated from a carrier fluid using gravity combined with various devices such as membranes and sonic energy in different embodiments.

Abstract: A steering gear for a motor vehicle includes a housing, a rack bar, a pinion, a support yoke, a spring, a split roller, and a plurality of bearings. The rack bar is slidably supported within the housing for transverse displacement therein along an axis. The rack bar has teeth on a first side. The pinion has teeth drivingly engaging the teeth of the rack bar. The pinion is rotatably supported within the housing. Rotation of the pinion transversely displaces the rack bar along the axis. The support yoke is slidably disposed in the housing for movement toward a side of the rack bar substantially opposite the teeth of the rack bar. The support yoke has an opening which is open toward the rack bar, with the opening defining two opposed bearing surfaces. The spring is disposed between the housing and the support yoke, and biases the support yoke toward the rack bar. The split roller includes a first split roller section and a second split roller section.

Abstract: An exhaust manifold catalytic reactor and muffler for an automotive internal combustion engine includes at least one exhaust branch for conducting exhaust gases from the cylinder head exhaust ports of an engine to a hollow, generally cylindrical primary catalyst substrate for treating the exhaust gases flowing from the engine. The substrate has inner and outer surfaces which are generally cylindrical and which define an inner cavity. A housing connected to the exhaust branch places the exhaust gases in contact with the substrate and includes a generally cylindrical container having an outer wall and a transition section conducting the exhaust gases from the branch to the outer surface of the substrate such that the initial flow of the gases from the branch to the outer surface of the substrate such that the initial flow of the gases from the substrate is generally tangential.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of or the inhibition of retinopathy of prematurity and to a method for treating or for inhibiting retinopathy of prematurity. The apparatus provided in accordance with the present invention includes a component or system for providing substantially only red light. Thus, light is provided having a wave band of approximately 612 nm or more. Furthermore, at least the patient's head is received in a device that limits the light which reaches the patient's eyes to the aforementioned red light. Thus, the patient is allowed to see substantially only red light.

Abstract: The display has a video signal receiver and a store with a capacity to hold one picture of the video signal. Row-output devices enable the video information for respective rows of pixels to be taken out from picture store, and each has a bit extractor to separate out one bit of the information for each pixel of the respective row. The resultant signal is passed to pixel drivers which operates on a lattice formed of ferroelectric liquid crystal pixel-elements, which are time-multiplex addressed according to a predetermined sequence, each row being addressed a plurality of times for each picture. In the addressing groups of the rows are set simultaneously, each group consisting of a plurality of rows spaced apart in the addressing sequence such that the rows in a group form a series with adjacent rows having a temporal separation in the addressing sequence exhibiting a geometric progression with the common ratio N being an integer corresponding to 2 or more.

Abstract: A method of operating a display comprising a lattice of pixel elements, includes the step of time-multiplex addressing collections of pixel elements. This addressing step includes using a first shift register means to designate operation of a second shift register means to select a function to be performed. If the second shift register means is in bypass mode, then the first shift register means is effective as a mask to specify which of the stages in the second register means should be bypassed, and allows non-sequential group addressing of the pixel elements. Such an arrangement of first and second shift register means is suitable for use in controlling the addressing of collections or rows of pixel elements; the function to be selected by the second shift register means is the strobing of the collections or rows.

Abstract: A drive circuit comprises a first waveform generator and a second waveform generator. Each waveform generator is capable of generating at least two voltage states and the instantaneous voltage of the first waveform is never less than that of the second waveform by more than a defined amount. The circuit further comprises a plurality of means to produce respectively a plurality of output waveforms by selectively switching to either the first waveform or the second waveform and a gate array to control the selective switching. The arrangement is such that each of the plurality of means to produce respectively a plurality of output waveforms is capable of producing an output waveform having at least four voltage states. The drive circuit produces a plurality of outputs suitable for driving a matrix-addressed display.

Abstract: A display device has a lattice of pixel elements each selectably settable. A method of operating the display device comprises the steps of receiving a signal representing a picture for display during a display period and illuminating the lattice to produce, during a first interval within the display period, a first light output from the lattice having a first predetermined color characteristic and to produce at least one additional light output from the lattice. Each said additional light output has a different predetermined color characteristic and a respective interval within the display period separate from the first interval. The method further comprises the step of time-multiplex addressing blocks of pixel elements a plurality of address times during each interval.

Abstract: A method is provided for addressing a matrix-array type liquid crystal cell with a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer having a plurality of pixels defined by areas of overlap between members of a first set of electrodes on one side of the liquid crystal layer and members of a second set of electrodes on the other side of the liquid crystal layer, each of the pixels having a first and a second optically distinguishable state and a response time for switching between the two states which depends on the potential difference across the liquid crystal layer. The method includes the step of applying a switching pixel waveform to a selected pixel to switch it between the two states. The switching pixel waveform is charge-balanced and comprises a first pulse having a sufficient pulse width and pulse height magnitude to switch the selected pixel and a second pulse contributing to charge-balancing.