Abstract: An apparatus for ambulatory intravenous delivery of substances to a recipient comprising a container and delivery means for pressurized delivery of the substance. The container communicates with a source of pressurized gas to provide the pressurizing force and is uniquely attachable to the recipient so as to provide portability to the system. The flow rate is controlled by feedback electronics connected to a flow rate meter and a throttle valve. The flow rate meter has a heating resistor in the flow path of the substance and a thermistor to detect a temperature rise in the substance downstream from the resistor. A constriction in the flow tube is disposed between the resistor and thermistor to cause a flat wavefront of temperature increase. The throttle valve is a pin disposed partially within a tube to form an annular gap. The flow rate is adjusted by changing the distance the pin extends into the tube and thereby change the length of the annular gap.

Abstract: An intravenous delivery system for automatically controlling rate of flow of fluid to a recipient. Desired rate of flow is compared with actual rate of flow to produce error signals which are utilized to cause actual rate of flow to equal the desired rate of flow. The present invention may be used with a conventional gravity drip type IV feed or with an ambulatory system which is independent of gravity. A new quantizer for providing fluid flow independent of gravity is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical system such as an astronomical telescope must be carefully alid to assure that its optical axis is normal to its mounting or support surface. Alignment is achieved by forming circumferentially-spaced diffuse reflectors on the face of the vidicon and by illuminating only these individual reflectors plus a small surface area in their immediate vicinity. Light from the reflectors passes through the optics to a liquid pool for reflection back to the vidicon face plate. If the alignment is true, the reflected images form at fixed locations. In this regard, the locations of the vidicon reflectors are so arranged that the images fall on unilluminated surface areas. Scanning then detects both the reflectors (dark on bright) and the images (bright on dark). Deviations from the fixed image locations represent misalignments which can be corrected.