Abstract: An apnoea monitor for preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The exhaled breath of the infant is collected in a hood. A source of infrared energy emits infrared energy into the hood. So long as the infant is breathing, the carbon dioxide in its breath absorbs a portion of the infrared energy in the hood. Should the infant stop breathing, an infrared detector responds to the resulting increase in infrared energy to activate an alarm so as to enable the attendant personnel to take appropriate life saving action.

Abstract: A swimming pool alarm in the form of an inexpensive compact unit which floats on the water in a swimming pool and which may be anchored to the side of the pool. The unit includes a hollow tubular probe which extends down below the surface of the water in the pool. The probe has an open bottom and a top closed by a flexible metal diaphragm. A piezoelectric ceramic member is attached to the upper surface of the diaphragm, and it serves to detect movements of the diaphragm in response to pressure changes in the air trapped in the upper portion of the probe. An electric circuit is connected to the piezoelectric ceramic member to activate and latch an electric alarm when the air pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold indicating, for example, that wave action in the pool has exceeded a predetermined level due to the fact that someone has fallen into the pool.

Abstract: A cold cathode gas-ion laser is described having a stabilizing electrode positioned adjacent the cathode to increase the discharge field strength adjacent the cathode to increase the life span and reliability of the laser during high performance operating conditions.