Abstract: The heating device includes a conductive layer which is positioned on an electrically insulative substrate. Preferably, the conductive layer is screen printed onto the substrate. The substrate is designed to limit elongation of the conductive layer, thereby improving the durability of the conductor and enabling the heating device to be used in flexible applications, such as automobile seats. The substrate can include at least one aperture passing therethough to further improve flexibility, fatigue resistance, and breathability of the heater. The conductive layer is configured to include a buss structure with a first buss ground inwardly adjacent from the periphery of the heating device and a first buss with serpentine paths extending from one edge of the heating device to another edge. The buss structure further includes a second buss with L-shaped portions positioned between the serpentine paths and the first buss ground. The second buss ground is located in a central location between the serpentine paths.

Abstract: The heating device includes a conductive layer which is positioned on an electrically insulative substrate. Preferably, the conductive layer is screen printed onto the substrate. The substrate is designed to limit elongation of the conductive layer, thereby improving the durability of the conductor and enabling the heating device to be used in flexible applications, such as automobile seats. The substrate can include at least one aperture passing therethough to further improve flexibility, fatigue resistance, and breathability of the heater. The conductive layer is configured to include a buss structure with a first buss ground inwardly adjacent from the periphery of the heating device and a first buss with serpentine paths extending from one edge of the heating device to another edge. The buss structure further includes a second buss with L-shaped portions positioned between the serpentine paths and the first buss ground. The second buss ground is located in a central location between the serpentine paths.

Abstract: A rotary thrust bearing assembly wherein, in lieu of a conventional bearing race and ball bearing assembly, a first embodiment of the bearing assembly of the present invention comprises a pair of bearing housings which are fabricated from dissimilar plastic materials such that the bearing housings are adapted to undergo limited pivotal or rotational movement with respect to each other along rotary planar surfaces. In accordance with a second embodiment of the bearing assembly of the present invention, the pair of plastic bearing housings are fabricated from similar plastic materials while an insert, fabricated from a plastic material dissimilar from the plastic material comprising the pair of plastic bearing housings, is interposed between the pair of plastic bearing housings. In this manner, the pair of plastic bearing housings are rotatable with respect to each other along two parallel rotary planar surfaces.

Abstract: An injection molded work surface for use in conjunction with a portable clothes washer includes a decorative laminate top surface and an underlying injection molded substrate. The substrate is provided with a connecting structure facilitating convenient attachment to the upper surface of the clothes washer.

Abstract: A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device detects transthoracic impedance, extracts ventilation or other information, and adjusts a delivery rate of the CRM therapy accordingly. A four-phase sequence of alternating direction current pulse stimuli is periodically delivered to a patient's thorax. A transthoracic impedance signal is extracted using a weighted demodulation. Signal processing extracts ventilation information and removes cardiac stroke information using an adaptive lowpass filter. The adaptive filter cutoff frequency is based on the patient's heart rate; a higher cutoff frequency is provided for higher heart rates. Peak/valley detection indicates tidal volume, which is integrated to extract minute ventilation (MV). Short and long term averages are formed and compared to establish a MV indicated rate. Rate adjustment ignores MV information when a noise-measurement exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: The heating device includes a conductive layer which is positioned on an electrically insulative substrate. Preferably, the conductive layer is screen printed onto the substrate. The substrate is designed to limit elongation of the conductive layer, thereby improving the durability of the conductor and enabling the heating device to be used in flexible applications, such as automobile seats. The substrate can include at least one aperture passing therethough to further improve flexibility, fatigue resistance, and breathability of the heater. The conductive layer is configured to include a buss structure with a first buss ground inwardly adjacent from the periphery of the heating device and a first buss with serpentine paths extending from one edge of the heating device to another edge. The buss structure further includes a second buss with L-shaped portions positioned between the serpentine paths and the first buss ground. The second buss ground is located in a central location between the serpentine paths.

Abstract: A dry preunit (10), includes a plurality of cells (110, 112, 114) in a true bipolar configuration, which are stacked and bonded together, to impart to the device an integral and unitary construction. Each cell (114) includes two electrically conductive electrodes (111A, 111B) that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The cell (114) also includes two identical dielectric gaskets (121, 123) that are interposed, in registration with each other, between the electrodes (111A, 11B), for separating and electrically insulating these electrodes. When the electrodes (111A, 111B), and the gaskets (121, 123) are bonded together, at least one fill gap (130) is formed for each cell. Each cell (114) also includes a porous and conductive coating layer (119, 120) that is formed on one surface of each electrode. The coating layer (119) includes a set of closely spaced-apart peripheral microprotrusions (125), and a set of distally spaced-apart central microprotrusions (127).

Abstract: A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device detects transthoracic impedance, extracts ventilation or other information, and adjusts a delivery rate of the CRM therapy accordingly. A four-phase sequence of alternating direction current pulse stimuli is periodically delivered to a patient's thorax. A transthoracic impedance signal is extracted using a weighted demodulation. Signal processing extracts ventilation information and removes cardiac stroke information using an adaptive lowpass filter. The adaptive filter cutoff frequency is based on the patient's heart rate; a higher cutoff frequency is provided for higher heart rates. Peak/valley detection indicates tidal volume, which is integrated to extract minute ventilation (MV). Short and long term averages are formed and compared to establish a MV indicated rate. Rate adjustment ignores MV information when a noise-measurement exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing congestive heart failure therapy status. An electronic device, preferably a cardiac rhythm management device, capable of measuring transthoracic impedance and for sensing a level of physical activity is implanted in a patient. The transthoracic impedance signal is processed to obtain an estimate of the subject's minute ventilation, respiratory rate, tidal volume, inspiratory rate and expiratory rate. From accelerometer measured activity, an estimate is obtained of oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production and work rate.

Abstract: The invention relates to an insert injection molded work surface for use in conjunction with a portable clothes washer. The work surface includes a decorative laminate top surface and an underlying injection molded substrate. The substrate is provided with a connecting structure facilitating convenient attachment to the upper surface of the clothes washer.

Abstract: A process for preparing a PET flake mixture for use in connection with the fabrication of high-performance plastic strapping comprises the steps of initially collecting post-consumer and non-post-consumer PET materials having an initially wide range of relatively low intrinsic viscosity (IV) values with a relatively low average intrinsic viscosity (IV) value, and processing the same through solid state polymerization (SSP) so as to obtain a wide range of relatively high intrinsic viscosity (IV) values with a relatively high average intrinsic viscosity (IV) value. The initially collected materials are chopped into flakes and chunks, and the chunks are flattened so as to render the remaining mixture comprised substantially entirely of flake materials or segments. This is advantageous because the flake segments, as opposed to the chunk segments, are able to be substantially increased in intrinsic viscosity (IV) values and within a relatively short period of time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing congestive heart failure therapy status. An electronic device, preferably a cardiac rhythm management device, capable of measuring transthoracic impedance and for sensing a level of physical activity is implanted in a patient. The transthoracic impedance signal is processed to obtain an estimate of the subject's minute ventilation, respiratory rate and tidal volume. From accelerometer measured activity, an estimate is obtained of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production. Ratios of tidal volume to respiratory rate, tidal volume to inspiratory time, minute ventilation to carbon dioxide production and oxygen uptake to heart rate are meaningftil status indicators for assessing the efficacy of particular therapy regimens to CHF patients.

Abstract: A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device detects transthoracic impedance, extracts ventilation or other information, and adjusts a delivery rate of the CRM therapy accordingly. A four-phase sequence of alternating direction current pulse stimuli is periodically delivered to a patient's thorax. A transthoracic impedance signal is extracted using a weighted demodulation. Signal processing extracts ventilation information and removes cardiac stroke information using an adaptive lowpass filter. The adaptive filter cutoff frequency is based on the patient's heart rate; a higher cutoff frequency is provided for higher heart rates. Peak/valley detection indicates tidal volume, which is integrated to extract minute ventilation (MV). Short and long term averages are formed and compared to establish a MV indicated rate. Rate adjustment ignores MV information when a noise-measurement exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device detects transthoracic impedance, extracts ventilation or other information, and adjusts a delivery rate of the CRM therapy accordingly. A four-phase sequence of alternating direction current pulse stimuli is periodically delivered to a patient's thorax. A transthoracic impedance signal is extracted using a weighted demodulation. Signal processing extracts ventilation information and removes cardiac stroke information using an adaptive lowpass filter. The adaptive filter cutoff frequency is based on the patient's heart rate; a higher cutoff frequency is provided for higher heart rates. Peak/valley detection indicates tidal volume, which is integrated to extract minute ventilation (MV). Short and long term averages are formed and compared to establish a MV indicated rate. Rate adjustment ignores MV information when a noise-measurement exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method to produce an electrical storage device having useful characteristics such as higher charge density, small volume, long-term reliable charge/discharge cycles, low leakage current, and the like. The dry preunit has useful properties in that it can be stored for long periods prior to contact with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte. When the electrode surfaces are contacted with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte, the novel capacitors produced are useful as a portable power supply in applications such as in defibrillator, electrical vehicles, radiotelephones etc.

Abstract: The present invention describes a process of making strap using both post consumer and non-post consumer PET of wide distribution intrinsic viscosity (IV) through direct solid state polymerization in a flaked state to produce PET with increased, heterogenous IV suitable for high performance strap extrusion. The process increases the IV of post-consumer resins, consisting principally of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), by chopping the post-consumer plastic into flakes and chunks, rolling the flakes and chunks, preheating the flakes, and further heating the flakes and chunks in an atmosphere of hot nitrogen gas, thereby increasing the intrinsic viscosity. PET polymers having increased viscosities according to the present invention provide a polymer useful in manufacturing high performance strap.

Abstract: A dry preunit (10), includes a plurality of cells (110, 112, 114) in a true bipolar configuration, which are stacked and bonded together, to impart to the device an integral and unitary construction. Each cell (114) includes two electrically conductive electrodes (111A, 111B) that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The cell (114) also includes two identical dielectric gaskets (121, 123) that are interposed, in registration with each other, between the electrodes (111A, 111B), for separating and electrically insulating these electrodes. When the electrodes (111A, 111B), and the gaskets (121, 123) are bonded together, at least one fill gap (130) is formed for each cell. Each cell (114) also includes a porous and conductive coating layer (119, 120) that is formed on one surface of each electrode. The coating layer (119) includes a set of closely spaced-apart peripheral microprotrusions (125), and a set of distally spaced-apart central microprotrusions (127).

Abstract: An implantable defibrillator/cardioverter which generates a biphasic waveform having a duration of at least 15-80 msec and a small "tilt" between the leading edge and trailing edge voltages of each phase. In one embodiment, two capacitors are connected in parallel to create an effectively large capacitance to generate a slowly decaying waveform. In another embodiment, a high capacitance bipolar capacitor is used, which capacitance is at least 200 microFarads.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for preparation of non-crosslinked linear monofunctional and telechelic difunctional unsaturated polymers wherein the functional groups are reactive terminal groups other than vinyl groups. The average functionality number of the monofunctional unsaturated polymers is at least 0.7, as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The average functionality number of the telechelic difunctional polymers is at least 1.7, as determined by NMR. Monofunctional olefins and difunctional olefins are reacted with cyclic olefins or unsaturated polymers to prepare difunctional polymers. The process is substantially free of side reactions comprising double bond migration and cyclization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method to produce an electrical storage device having useful characteristics such as higher charge density, small volume, long-term reliable charge/discharge cycles, low leakage current, and the like. The dry preunit has useful properties in that it can be stored for long periods prior to contact with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte. When the electrode surfaces are contacted with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte, the novel capacitors produced are useful as a portable power supply in applications such as in defibrillator, electrical vehicles, radiotelephones etc.