Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the installation of VIV suppression during the S-Lay installation of a subsea pipeline. A locking member will be interposed between a pipe and a fairing rotatably mounted on the pipe, sufficient to bias the fairing against rotating. Upon marine application, the locking member will degrade, thereby releasing the fairing.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for environments subject to vortex induced vibration. The system includes a shroud having a number of perforations, with the shroud encircling the flowing-fluid element less than 100%. The system further includes a separation member for attaching the shroud to the flowing-fluid element.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for suppressing vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of aquatic elements of underwater structures. The system includes use of a sleeve positioned around at least a portion of an aquatic element and at least one strake positioned along at least a portion of the length of the aquatic member. The apparatus further comprises copper to suppress the growth of aquatic organisms.

Abstract: A low cost safety lancet device for creating a skin incision. The lancet contains a unitarily formed plastic body, thereby making the lancet device easy to manufacture at a low cost. The lancet device includes a blade beam having a cutting blade disposed at one end for generating an incision in a patient's skin. The blade beam is pivotally coupled within the device, engages a beam keeper arm in a first position and disengages the beam keeper arm in a second position. Upon activation of the device, the blade beam member resiliently deflects in a first direction as the beam keeper arm moves from the first position to the second position thereby causing a buildup of a biasing force in the beam member. When the blade beam disengages the beam keeper arm in the second position, the biasing force built up in the beam member causes the beam member to pivot, thereby accelerating the cutting blade through an aperture in the lancet device to incise the user's skin.

Abstract: A cuvette based testing device for use in testing or otherwise analyzing a fluid sample. A cuvette is provided that defines at least one conduit, wherein the fluid sample is introduced into the various conduits. Reagents are disposed within the conduits that are intended to be mixed with the fluid sample. The fluid sample is drawn into the conduits by the force of a pneumatic pump. As the fluid sample contacts the various reagents, the reagents mix with the sample. Mixing is further conducted by moving the fluid sample back and forth across an obstruction in the conduit. The obstruction causes turbulent flow in the fluid sample, thereby mixing the sample with any reagent also present. The conduit is preferably transparent. The fluid sample is brought to a point in the cuvette where it is disposed below a detector. The detector is used to measure a characteristic of the fluid sample such as optical density, nephelometry, fluorescence, chemical luminescence, photoemittions or the like.

Abstract: A low cost safety lancet device for creating a skin incision. The lancet contains a unitarily formed plastic body, thereby making the lancet device easy to manufacture at a low cost. The lancet device includes a housing having an internal hollow and a blade beam pivotally disposed within the hollow of the housing for generating an incision in a patient's skin. Upon the activation of the device, the blade beam pivots through a predetermined path which causes a blade associated with the blade beam to travel out of an aperture in the housing to incise the patient's skin. The device further includes a trigger for propelling the blade through the path and a cam projection disposed within the housing which cooperates with the trigger to accelerate the trigger through the hollow of the housing thereby causing the blade to accelerate through the aperture of the housing.

Abstract: A method to reduce vortex-induced vibrations in subsea risers is provided wherein a flexible fairing is provided surrounding the riser. The flexible fairing will reduce displacements caused by vortex induced vibrations regardless of the direction of the current and will be tolerant of marine life growth.

Abstract: A non-rotatable fairing for suppression of vortex-induced vibration of a marine tubular is provided, the tubular having a circular cross section and a centerline that is normal to the circular cross section, the fairing comprising:shaped sides that extend essentially tangentially from the outer surface of the tubular toward a point that is about a distance equal to the outside diameter of the tubular or less from the centerline of the tubular; anda means to fix the fairing to the tubular so that the fairing cannot rotate around the tubular, wherein the maximum length of the cross section of the combined fairing and tubular is between about 1.25 and about 1.5 times the outside diameter of the tubular.