Abstract: A new method for improving the accuracy of blood tests for the presence of lupus anticoagulants and for blood factor deficiencies is disclosed. Brown recluse spiders are collected, their venon glands removed by microdissection and the active toxin extracted. The toxin is mixed with normal donor plasma in concentrations of about 3.5 .mu.l/ml of toxin to plasma. The treated plasma successfully mimics human plasma having lupus anticoagulants. By using the treated plasma in blood tests and assays as a standardized control to which the results from tests on questioned blood plasma samples may be compared, the equipment and procedures for those tests may be calibrated and test results made more sensitive and reliable.

Abstract: The arm splint of an orthosis is attached to the forearm of a cervical 6 - cervical 7 motor lesion quadraplegic. The arm splint includes a thumb flange for holding the thumb of the patient, and a pivoting finger trough for holding the first and middle fingers of the patient. A Bowden cable is connected to the pivoting finger trough and is operated by a motor to cause the pivoting finger trough to pivot to close towards the thumb flange to provide finger prehension so that the patient can grasp objects. The motor is controlled by control circuitry that is operated by the patient touching a touch sensitive contact that is typically mounted on the arm rest of a wheelchair. The control means and the motor are powered by a twelve-volt car battery carried on the wheelchair. The control means also includes a time delay so that the patient can operate the control means by touching the touch sensitive contact and then move the arm and hand to a position ready for grasping.