Abstract: Adverse effects of pain in a premature infant, especially a very or extremely premature infant may be ameliorated by exposing the infant to stimuli comprising one or more of vertical oscillating motion simulating breathing, skin contact with an interface that mimics human skin and exposure to sounds and/or vibrations that simulate heartbeats. A device including a movable platform provides such stimuli within a neonatal intensive care incubator. The device provides simulated maternal breathing through vertical movement at a rate and speed similar to that experienced by an infant lying upon its mother's chest. It further provides simulated maternal skin interface feel as well as heartbeat sound. These simulated sensory parameters appear to have an innate calming effect upon a preterm infant that reduces the duration and severity of the infant's response to a pain event. The same stimulations may reduce occurrence of below-baseline fluctuations of brain blood oxygen content.

Abstract: Adverse effects of pain in a premature infant, especially a very or extremely premature infant may be ameliorated by exposing the infant to stimuli comprising one or more of vertical oscillating motion simulating breathing, skin contact with an interface that mimics human skin and exposure to sounds and/or vibrations that simulate heartbeats. A device including a movable platform provides such stimuli within a neonatal intensive care incubator. The device provides simulated maternal breathing through vertical movement at a rate and speed similar to that experienced by an infant lying upon its mother's chest. It further provides simulated maternal skin interface feel as well as heartbeat sound. These simulated sensory parameters appear to have an innate calming effect upon a preterm infant that reduces the duration and severity of the infant's response to a pain event. The same stimulations may reduce occurrence of below-baseline fluctuations of brain blood oxygen content.

Abstract: Adverse effects of pain in a premature infant, especially a very or extremely premature infant may be ameliorated by exposing the infant to stimuli comprising one or more of vertical oscillating motion simulating breathing, skin contact with an interface that mimics human skin and exposure to sounds and/or vibrations that simulate heartbeats. A device including a movable platform provides such stimuli within a neonatal intensive care incubator. The device provides simulated maternal breathing through vertical movement at a rate and speed similar to that experienced by an infant lying upon its mother's chest. It further provides simulated maternal skin interface feel as well as heartbeat sound. These simulated sensory parameters appear to have an innate calming effect upon a preterm infant that reduces the duration and severity of the infant's response to a pain event. The same stimulations may reduce occurrence of below-baseline fluctuations of brain blood oxygen content.

Abstract: Passive recovery of liquid water from the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte membrane through the design of layers on the cathode side of an MEA and through the design of the PEM, may be used to supply water to support chemical or electrochemical reactions, either internal or external to the fuel cell, to support the humidification or hydration of the anode reactants, or to support the hydration of the polymer electrolyte membrane over its major surface or some combination thereof. Such passive recovery of liquid water can simplify fuel cell power generators through the reduction or elimination of cathode liquid water recovery devices.

Abstract: Passive recovery of liquid water from the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte membrane through the design of layers on the cathode side of an MEA and through the design of the PEM, may be used to supply water to support chemical or electrochemical reactions, either internal or external to the fuel cell, to support the humidification or hydration of the anode reactants, or to support the hydration of the polymer electrolyte membrane over its major surface or some combination thereof. Such passive recovery of liquid water can simplify fuel cell power generators through the reduction or elimination of cathode liquid water recovery devices.

Abstract: In the present fuel cell systems, fuel cell stacks operate on a fuel stream having a pressure that is below the pressure of the surrounding environment, for example below atmospheric pressure. In the event of a leak, the fuel stream will not escape to the surrounding atmosphere, but rather gases from the surrounding environment will leak into the fuel stream. The fuel stream generally cannot exit the fuel cell stack during normal operation. The fuel cell stack may be periodically purged by increasing the pressure of the fuel stream above the pressure of the surrounding environment and by permitting exit through the fuel stream outlet. A monitoring device can be employed to determine when to purge the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: An electrochemical fuel cell stack with improved reactant manifolding and sealing includes a pair of separator plates interposed between adjacent membrane electrode assemblies. Passageways fluidly interconnecting the anodes to a fuel manifold and interconnecting the cathodes to an oxidant manifold are formed between adjoining non-active surfaces of the pairs of separator plates. The passageways extend through one or more ports penetrating the thickness of one of the plates thereby fluidly connecting the manifold to the opposite active surface of that plate, and the contacted electrode. The non-active surfaces of adjoining separator plates in a fuel cell stack cooperate to provide passageways for directing both reactants from respective stack fuel and oxidant supply manifolds to the appropriate electrodes. The fuel and oxidant reactant streams passageways are fluidly isolated from each other, although they both traverse adjoining non-active surfaces of the same pair of plates.

Abstract: In the present fuel cell systems, fuel cell stacks operate on a fuel stream having a pressure that is below the pressure of the surrounding environment, for example below atmospheric pressure. In the event of a leak, the fuel stream will not escape to the surrounding atmosphere, but rather gases from the surrounding environment will leak into the fuel stream. The fuel stream generally cannot exit the fuel cell stack during normal operation. The fuel cell stack may be periodically purged by increasing the pressure of the fuel stream above the pressure of the surrounding environment and by permitting exit through the fuel stream outlet. A monitoring device can be employed to determine when to purge the fuel cell stack.