Abstract: A modular toilet is disclosed comprising a toilet shell and a hydraulic core. The hydraulic core module is a separate unit from the toilet shell module and may be non-symmetrical with the internal and external form of the shell. The core module comprises a toilet bowl connected to a siphon drain comprising a weir. The drain may be a vertical loop drain. The toilet shell and the hydraulic core may comprise mutual sealing surfaces. The drain may comprise openings for connection to a toilet ventilation system.

Abstract: An apparatus for automating a set of window blinds is described. The apparatus includes a motor and a microcontroller. The motor includes a window blind coupler that couples a window blind tilt rod to the motor. The microcontroller stores instructions that, when executed, instruct the microcontroller to dynamically actuate the window blind coupler via the motor. The instructions include obtaining a desired room temperature, calculating a first temperature gradient between the window-side of the window blinds and the room-side of the window blinds based on a window-side temperature and a room-side temperature, and calculating a second temperature gradient between the room-side temperature and the desired temperature. The instructions further include retrieving a tilted state related to the first temperature gradient, the desired room temperature, and a zero-value second temperature gradient, and activating the motor to turn the window blind coupler to tilt the window blinds to the tilted state.

Abstract: An apparatus for automating a set of window blinds is described. The apparatus includes a motor and a microcontroller. The motor includes a window blind coupler that couples a window blind tilt rod to the motor. The microcontroller stores instructions that, when executed, instruct the microcontroller to dynamically actuate the window blind coupler via the motor. The instructions include obtaining a desired room temperature, calculating a first temperature gradient between the window-side of the window blinds and the room-side of the window blinds based on a window-side temperature and a room-side temperature, and calculating a second temperature gradient between the room-side temperature and the desired temperature. The instructions further include retrieving a tilted state related to the first temperature gradient, the desired room temperature, and a zero-value second temperature gradient, and activating the motor to turn the window blind coupler to tilt the window blinds to the tilted state.

Abstract: A table is disclosed. The table comprises a table base and tabletop. The table base comprises a top surface with a replaceable adhesive layer attached. The tabletop comprises a first usable side and a second usable side, the first usable side and the second usable side being alternately attached to the replaceable adhesive layer once the adhesive is cut, removed, and replaced. The top surface further comprises a rounded edge that acts to guide the entry of an adhesive cutting wire. The replaceable adhesive layer comprises embedded wire guides that define a cutting zone substantially the width of the cutting wire through the adhesive. The embedded wire guides restrict the cutting wire to the cutting zone while the adhesive is being cut, thereby allowing the first usable side and the second usable side to be alternately attached to the adhesive layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for more efficiently enabling secure access to an enclosure is described herein. The apparatus may include a wireless transmitter in a selectably opaque container, a wireless transceiver, a GPS receiver, an NFC transmitter and/or receiver, one or more hardware processors, and hardware memory. The hardware memory stores instructions for receiving a current location of the apparatus and comparing that location to a delivery address of the enclosure. As the location is within a certain range of the delivery address the apparatus sends a request to a cloud-based server for a hash digest masking an acceptable input for an access control mechanism associated with the enclosure. The apparatus receives the hash digest and forwards it to the access control mechanism via the wireless transmitter. Computer executable code for handling such tasks, and a cloud-based server for generating the hash digest, are also described herein.

Abstract: A health monitoring toilet system collects urine in a toilet system which may resemble a traditional water toilet. The toilet system may include a urine capture basin for collecting urine as a user urinates as with a traditional toilet. The urine capture basin may include a urine entry aperture which is an orifice leading into a urine sample cell. A fiber optic spectrometer may analyze the urine in the urine sample cell to collect relevant health data. The system may include a controller which may store and analyze spectral data and compile longitudinal data over time. The system may be in connection with other such systems to compare the analysis of a user's urine with those of other users stored in other such health monitoring toilet systems.

Abstract: A urinalysis cassette and system that includes a toilet, into which a urinalysis cassette is inserted. The cassette is comprised of a roll of color-change-reagent strips. Each strip includes a plurality of strip sections wherein an absorbent material is imbued with color-change reagent, or onto which one or more color-change reagents are dispensed. The color-change-reagent strips are consecutive and contiguous on the roll. A cassette includes two spools arranged such that when the spools turn, the reagent strip moves from a first (source spool) to a second (waste spool). The section of the reagent strip that is between the two spools may be exposed to a urine specimen. The absorbent-material strips that have been exposed to both a urine specimen and a color-change reagent may undergo a chemical reaction. Selective-lighting illumination may be applied to absorbent-material strips that have undergone such chemical reactions to measure reflectivity of certain color wavelengths.

Abstract: An apparatus for more efficiently enabling secure access to an enclosure is described herein. The apparatus may include a wireless transmitter in a selectably opaque container, a wireless transceiver, a GPS receiver, an NFC transmitter and/or receiver, one or more hardware processors, and hardware memory. The hardware memory stores instructions for receiving a current location of the apparatus and comparing that location to a delivery address of the enclosure. As the location is within a certain range of the delivery address the apparatus sends a request to a cloud-based server for a hash digest masking an acceptable input for an access control mechanism associated with the enclosure. The apparatus receives the hash digest and forwards it to the access control mechanism via the wireless transmitter. Computer executable code for handling such tasks, and a cloud-based server for generating the hash digest, are also described herein.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method of detecting a drug marker in urine a urine sample using a toilet. The drug markers are fluorophores each of which emits a unique fluorescence spectra. Accordingly, the method does not detect the drug but rather, the drug marker. The drug marker may include quantum dots which may be functionalized by connecting the quantum dot to a biomolecule. The biomolecule may be cleavable by a peptidase, a protease, or a nuclease to release the drug. Alternatively, the composition may include a liposome carrier. A user who has consumed the drug composition urinates into the toilet and a urine sample is captured. The toilet includes a mechanism for fluid handling which diverts urine into a fluorescence spectrometer. The fluorescence spectrometer screens the urine for drug markers based on their unique fluorescent spectra.

Abstract: A smart flush toilet apparatus provides dynamic control of a toilet flush length and/or a toilet flush water volume based on data collected from toilet paper dispenser sensors and/or toilet bowl displacement sensors. A toilet paper dispenser may be used to report toilet paper usage to resupply toilet paper.

Abstract: A toilet comprising a rinsing seat, a rimless bowl, and a helical loop trapway is disclosed. An annular cavity for the purpose of storing and dispensing rinse water from the rinsing seat is disclosed. In one embodiment, the rinsing seat includes a pressurized line which can be pressurized by a compressible membrane compressed by a toilet user. Outlet nozzles arranged about the circumference of the rinsing seat and designed to dispense rinse water at the rimless bowl are disclosed. Rinsing seat supports, hinge assemblies, and seat sensors which offer additional functionality to the rinsing seat are also disclosed. A steep interior surface and hydrophobic material for the rimless bowl are also disclosed and claimed herein.

Abstract: A helical drain for a toilet is disclosed. The present invention relates to a novel toilet drain configuration. Specifically, the novel toilet drain configuration comprises a helical loop trapway. The drain of the present invention exits the toilet bowl and forms a substantially vertical tubular loop running generally parallel to the width of the bowl or stool, or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bowl or stool, before being connected to a sewer. The drain of the present invention functions like a P-trap syphon in removing the contents of the bowl. The diameter of the looped tubular portion of the drain may vary by approximately 20 percent or less in the direction of the sewer connection. Sensors may be placed on the drain to monitor drain contents, fluid levels, and drain performance. The drain may be fitted with valves to control the flow of fluids and gases through the drain.

Abstract: A modular toilet is disclosed comprising a toilet shell and a hydraulic core. The hydraulic core module is a separate unit from the toilet shell module and may be non-symmetrical with the internal and external form of the shell. The core module comprises a toilet bowl connected to a siphon drain comprising a weir. The drain may be a vertical loop drain. The toilet shell and the hydraulic core may comprise mutual sealing surfaces. The drain may comprise openings for connection to a toilet ventilation system.

Abstract: A noise-cancelling wall is described that includes a height, a width, a depth, and first and second portions. The first portion has a first characteristic acoustic wavelength and a first thickness along the depth, and the second portion has a second characteristic acoustic wavelength and a second thickness along the depth. A relationship between the first and second portions is such that twice a difference between a ratio of the first characteristic acoustic wavelength to the first thickness, and a ratio of the second characteristic acoustic wavelength to the second thickness ranges from 0.25 above an odd integer to 0.25 below the odd integer. The first portion causes an acoustic phase shift of sound waves passing through the first portion relative to sound waves passing through the second portion, and the phase shift results in destructive acoustic interference between sound waves traveling through the wall.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving a procurement request for an item; determining whether the item is in a contracted catalog; processing the procurement request per a first set of procurement rules if the item is in the contract catalog; and processing the procurement request per a second set of procurement rules if the item is not in the contract catalog. The second set of procurement rules include procurement rules that are in the first set of procurement rules. In some embodiments, the method further comprises tracking the procurement requests for items not in the contract catalog. In some embodiments, the method further comprises analyzing the tracked procurement requests; and adding a tracked item to the contracted catalog based on the tracked procurement requests meeting a first set of criteria.

Abstract: A drill bit having a bit body intermediate a shank and a working face having at least one cutting insert. A bore is formed in the working face co-axial within an axis of rotation of the drill bit. A jack element is retained within the bore by a retaining element that intrudes a diameter of the bore.

Abstract: A drill bit has an axis of rotation and a working face with a plurality of blades extending outwardly from a bit body. The blades form, in part, an inverted conical region, and a plurality of cutters with a cutting surface is arrayed along the blades. A jack element is coaxial with the axis of rotation and extends within the inverted conical region within a range defined by the cutting surface of at least one cutter.

Abstract: A rigid composite structure has a bore formed in a metallic material and a super hard interior segment or segments disposed within the bore. Each segment may be lined adjacent to one another and held under compression within the bore. The segments may be made of super hard materials such as natural diamond, synthetic diamond, polycrystalline diamond, single crystalline diamond, cubic boron nitrate or other superhard composite materials which exhibit low thermal expansion rates and are generally chemically inert. The resultant rigid composite structure may possess higher tolerances to high pressures and high temperatures.

Abstract: An insert comprises a sintered polycrystalline diamond body bonded to a cemented metal carbide substrate. The diamond body comprises a substantially conical shape with conical side wall terminating at an apex. The diamond body comprises a first region with a metallic catalyst dispersed through interstices between the diamond grains and a second region proximate the apex with the characteristic of higher thermal stability than the first region.

Abstract: A rigid composite structure has a first bore formed in a metallic material and a second bore formed by a super hard interior segment or segments disposed within the first bore. Each segment may be lined adjacent to one another and held under compression within the first bore. The segments may be made of super hard materials such as natural diamond, synthetic diamond, polycrystalline diamond, single crystalline diamond, cubic boron nitrate or other superhard composite materials which exhibit low thermal expansion rates and are generally chemically inert. The resultant rigid composite structure may possess higher tolerances to high pressures and high temperatures within the second bore.