Abstract: Ocular refraction is determined from wavefront aberration data, and an optimum customized correction is designed. The eye's wave aberration is measured by using a detector such as a Shack-Hartmann detector. From the aberration, an image metric is calculated, and the second-order aberrations which optimize that metric are determined. From that optimization, the refractive correction required for the eye is determined. The image metric is one of several metrics indicating the quality of the image on the retinal plane or a proxy for such a metric. The required refractive correction can be used to form a lens or to control eye surgery. If it is possible to detect more aberrations than can be corrected, those aberrations are corrected which most affect vision, or for which the eye's error tolerance is lowest.

Abstract: A cart for the changeout of modules such as a laser chamber module. In one example, the cart includes at least two platforms that are movable with respect to a frame of the cart and that are coupled together such that an upward force for a vertical movement with respect to the frame of one platform provides a vertical movement with respect to the frame of a second platform at an elevated position. The platforms are coupled to each other with chains, wire, or linkage structures. With some carts, the platforms are removable from the rest of the frame. Also with some carts, an upper platform is collapsible on a lower platform. Some carts include two wheel bases that are foldable with respect to one another so as to allow the cart to traverse a surface obstacle by folding one wheel base down over the surface obstacle and transferring a load to that wheel base from another wheel base located on the opposite side of the surface obstacle.

Abstract: A system for producing variable amplitude pneumatic pulses, such as may be used to prevent flow separation on airfoil and diffuser surfaces to control stalling, utilizes a source of pressurized air which is regulated and fed to parallel outlet lines. Each outlet line has a control valve therein attached to a controller for activation of the valves. The first parallel line leads to an actuator which supplies the pulsed air to a desired surface. The second parallel line leads to the atmosphere. By cycling the valves at about ninety degrees out of phase, pneumatic pulses of large amplitude are obtained with a simple device capable of being transported on the aircraft.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for improving vision and the resolution of retinal images is described in which a point source produced on the retina of a living eye by a laser beam is reflected from the retina and received at a lenslet array of a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor such that each of the lenslets in the lenslet array forms an aerial image of the retinal point source on a CCD camera located adjacent to the lenslet array. The output signal from the CCD camera is acquired by a computer which processes the signal and produces a correction signal which may be used to control a compensating optical or wavefront compensation device such as a deformable mirror. It may also be used to fabricate a contact lens or intraocular lens, or to guide a surgical procedure to correct the aberrations of the eye. Any of these methods could correct aberrations beyond defocus and astigmatism, allowing improved vision and improved imaging of the inside of the eye.

Abstract: A pipe insulation and fire retardant composition and method for coating the inside and/or outside surfaces of a thin flexible metal, fiberglass or plastic jacket, and measured in fractions of an inch, for pipes and pipe fixtures carrying hot fluids, to markedly reduce the loss of heat.

Abstract: A method for improving the visual performance of a person involves correcting higher-order monochromatic aberrations in combination with the correction of chromatic aberration. Such correction results in a visual benefit greater than that realized by correcting only the higher-order monochromatic aberrations or the chromatic aberration alone. The higher-order monochromatic aberrations are corrected by introducing appropriate phase profiles to compensate for the wavefront aberrations of the eye. This compensation can be provided by contact lenses, IOLs, inlays and onlays having appropriate surface shapes or by corneal shaping achieved through refractive surgery or other techniques. Chromatic aberration can be corrected by spectral filtering or artificial apodization. An apodization filter is described that provides a non-uniform amplitude transmission across the pupil of the eye.

Abstract: A process of and system for distributing, filtering, storing, recovering, and disposing of bulk edible oil or other fluid. The filtering system having a filter box assembly, superstructure and fluid transfer unit functions to filter the edible oil or other fluid, transfer the fresh (new) oil or other fluid for use in commercial vats and transfer spent (old) oil or other fluid to an outdoor supply and disposal storage tank. Two three-way valves coupled to two manual three-way valve switch handles operate to control the fluid transfer unit to intake fresh or old fluid and to dispense of the fresh or old fluid. A mobile transport truck couples to the outdoor supply and disposal storage tank for filling the supply and disposal storage tank with fresh (new) oil or other fluid and retrieves the spent (old) oil or other fluid.

Abstract: A uniaxially heat-shrinkable, biaxially oriented, multilayer film having a polypropylene containing core layer and at least one high density polyethylene containing skin layer adjacent the core layer. The core layer contains isotactic polypropylene and a modifier which reduces the crystallization or crystallinity of the polypropylene by increasing chain imperfections or reducing isotacticity of the polypropylene resin. Examples of materials which are useful as modifiers include atactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polypropylene, ethylene-propylene-butene-1 terpolymer, polybutene-1, and linear low density polyethylene.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved system and method in which a pen-sized and shaped device detects, recognizes and stores handwriting as it is written by the device. The invention employs both an active feedback network and a character recognition methodology of partitioning detected input into character components. The active feedback network continually monitors device output to determine the sufficiency of the data input. If the data input is insufficient, the device modifies its detection methodology to obtain data the device readily recognizes. Data recognition is performed in multiple asynchronous processes. Elements of individual characters are sampled by the detector. Character elements are processed and recognized on this elemental level. Recognized character elements are stored for subsequent assembly and recognition on a character level. Thus, preferably two recognition sub-processes take place, one on a character element level and another on a character level.

Abstract: This invention relates to barrier methods for preserving sensitive biological materials as a porous foam, subsequently crushing the foam to form a powder, and optionally formulating mixtures of preserved powdered biological materials. The invention also encompasses an apparatus for integrating the methods of foam formation and subsequent crushing of the preserved biological materials using barrier technology.

Abstract: A wavefront aberration of an eye is determined, e.g., in real time. The eye is illuminated, and the light reflected from the retina is converted into spots with a device such as a Hartmann-Shack detector. The displacement of each spot from where it would be in the absence of aberration allows calculation of the aberration. Each spot is located by an iterative technique in which a corresponding centroid is located in a box drawn on the image data, a smaller box is defined around the centroid, the centroid is located in the smaller box, and so on. The wavefront aberration is calculated from the centroid locations by using a matrix in which unusable data can be eliminated simply by eliminating rows of the matrix. Aberrations for different pupil sizes are handled in data taken for a single pupil size by renormalization.

Abstract: An improved workspace management system for dividing a space into separate work areas comprises a rigid structural framework formed of rigid rectangular frames rigidly joined together at the edges thereof to form at least one work area. Each of the frames has outer faces on opposite sides thereof and openings on the opposite sides of the frames and a plurality of interchangeable tiles, with each of the tiles having a connector cooperating with the openings on the frames for removably mounting the tiles to the frames for ease of placement on and removal from the frames. The tiles are mounted to the outer faces of the frames to substantially cover both sides of the frames from a bottom portion thereof to a top thereof in juxtaposed parallel relationship.

Abstract: Wavefront aberrations in an eye are detected by illuminating the retina, receiving the light reflected by the retina and using a Hartmann-Shack detector or the like to detect the aberrations. The illuminating light is applied to the eye off of the optical axis of the eye. Light reflected from the cornea and light reflected from the retina travel in different directions. The former can be blocked with a stop, while the latter is passed to the detector.

Abstract: A wavefront aberration of an eye is determined, e.g., in real time. The eye is illuminated, and the light reflected from the retina is converted into spots with a device such as a Hartmann-Shack detector. The displacement of each spot from where it would be in the absence of aberration allows calculation of the aberration. Each spot is located by an iterative technique in which a corresponding centroid is located in a box drawn on the image data, a smaller box is defined around the centroid, the centroid is located in the smaller box, and so on. The wavefront aberration is calculated from the centroid locations by using a matrix in which unusable data can be eliminated simply by eliminating rows of the matrix. Aberrations for different pupil sizes are handled in data taken for a single pupil size by renormalization.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for improving vision and the resolution of retinal images is described in which a point source produced on the retina of a living eye by a laser beam is reflected from the retina and received at a lenslet array of a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor such that each of the lenslets in the lenslet array forms an aerial image of the retinal point source on a CCD camera located adjacent to the lenslet array. The output signal from the CCD camera is acquired by a computer which processes the signal and produces a correction signal which may be used to control a compensating optical or wavefront compensation device such as a deformable mirror. It may also be used to fabricate a contact lens or intraocular lens, or to guide a surgical procedure to correct the aberrations of the eye. Any of these methods could correct aberrations beyond defocus and astigmatism, allowing improved vision and improved imaging of the inside of the eye.

Abstract: A drawer operating system for controlling a drawer having a sliding direction, the drawer defined by a front end and a rear end and partitioned by walls into a plurality of bins consecutive with one another along the sliding direction for holding various dispensable items, the drawer housed in a cabinet and arranged to move between a closed position and graduated, progressively open positions to allow access to one or more bins and the contents stored therein, the system including a linear encoder for monitoring the position and direction of movement of the drawer, including the length of opening the drawer on its preceding excursion, and for producing a plurality of electronic signals specific to the position and movement of the drawer, a drawer stop device arranged between the drawer and the cabinet, a controller for receipt of the electronic signals, and an electric solenoid, including a spring-loaded plunger slidingly mounted therein, for activation by the controller, after the beginning of the drawer-ope

Abstract: A dry powder medicine inhaler has an impeller non-concentrically disposed in a mixing chamber. A motor spins the impeller at high speed. A plunger introduces a dose of powdered medicine into the chamber so that all powder particles are available for intermixing disaggregation and comminution. An aperture receives a first stream of air and passes it towards the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user. A wall has at least one aperture for diverting a portion of a main air stream into the aerosolizing chamber to mix with the particles to form a fine, low-density, low velocity, dry mist of powdered medicine for inhalation by the user.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for improving vision and the resolution of retinal images is described in which a point source produced on the retina of a living eye by a laser beam is reflected from the retina and received at a lenslet array of a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor such that each of the lenslets in the lenslet array forms an aerial image of the retinal point source on a CCD camera located adjacent to the lenslet array. The output signal from the CCD camera is acquired by a computer which processes the signal and produces a correction signal which may be used to control a compensating optical or wavefront compensation device such as a deformable mirror. It may also be used to fabricate a contact lens or intraocular lens, or to guide a surgical procedure to correct the aberrations of the eye. Any of these methods could correct aberrations beyond defocus and astigmatism, allowing improved vision and improved imaging of the inside of the eye.

Abstract: A device for generating a spray of mist or fine droplets includes a spinning rotor within a mist chamber. The rotor has inner walls which taper conically outwardly from the open bottom of the rotor to a hole near the top of the rotor. Liquid is pumped by a finger actuated pump from a cartridge module into a bowl surrounding the bottom end of the rotor. A spray is created as the liquid is formed into droplets as it passes through the hole in the rotor under centrifugal force. A directional light source is used for aiming the spray.

Abstract: A process of and system for distributing, filtering, storing, recovering, and disposing of bulk edible oil or other fluid. The filtering system having a filter box assembly, superstructure and fluid transfer unit functions to filter the edible oil or other fluid, transfer the fresh (new) oil or other fluid for use in commercial vats and transfer spent (old) oil or other fluid to an outdoor supply and disposal storage tank. Two three-way valves coupled to two manual three-way valve switch handles operate to control the fluid transfer unit to intake fresh or old fluid and to dispense of the fresh or old fluid. A mobile transport truck couples to the outdoor supply and disposal storage tank for filling the supply and disposal storage tank with fresh (new) oil or other fluid and retrieves the spent (old) oil or other fluid.