Abstract: A refuse receptacle 10 comprising a plurality of wall panels 11, 12 joined to each other about a plurality of hinged joint arrangements 13. The refuse receptacle 10 comprises a first configuration being a generally planar storage configuration, and a second configuration, wherein the wall panels 11 are positionable relative to each other to form a receptacle having a refuse accepting space 14 defined by said plurality of wall panels 11. Advantageously, the refuse receptacle 10 can be quickly deployed for use from the first configuration to the second configuration, and returned to the first configuration for storage when use is complete.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for providing the state of a disease in a subject comprising the steps of determining at least two parameters indicative of the state of a disease in the subject at a first time point; combining the determined parameters to provide a signature indicative of the disease state at the first time point; repeating the previous steps to provide at least one further signature at a later time point; and combining the provided signatures in the previous step to provide a progression marker indicative of the disease state in the subject. The invention furthermore relates to a pharmaceutical composition for use in treating a disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Also provided is a mobile device carrying out the methods of the invention.

Abstract: Syringe drivers and injector devices are provided. The driver includes a housing including a port communicating with a gas chamber therein and connectable to an external air source, and a cavity that receives a syringe containing an agent. A drive piston within the housing includes a first end disposed adjacent the gas chamber and a second end including a plunger connectable to the syringe. A damping mechanism is provided within that housing that is coupled to the drive piston that includes a damper piston within a damping fluid chamber such that, when the drive piston is advanced by gas delivered into the gas chamber from the external source to deliver the agent from the syringe, damping fluid within the damping fluid chamber flows through an orifice or valve from a first region to the second region, thereby limiting movement of the drive piston.

Abstract: The invention resides in an elongate member securing device comprising a body having a base connecting a first side wall to a second side wall, and a first leading member and a second leading member. The base, first side wall and second side wall define a first opening and an opposing second opening, wherein the first side wall comprises a first extension adjacent the first opening, wherein the second side wall comprises a second extension adjacent the second opening, wherein the first leading member is connected to the first extension and the first leading member extends substantially perpendicular to the first wall, and the second leading member is connected to the second extension and the second leading member extends substantially perpendicular to the second wall. The present invention provides a simple solution to securing elongate members.

Abstract: A computer-vision system or engine that (a) generates from a pixel stream a digital representation of a person and (b) determines attributes or characteristics of the person from that digital representation and (c) based on those attributes or characteristics, outputs data to a cloud-based analytics system that enables that analytics system to identify and also to authenticate the person. The attributes or characteristics of the person include their pose, and the system or engine analyses that pose to extract a facial image from a video stream that is the best facial image for use by the cloud-based analytics system to identify and authenticate the person. The computer-vision system or engine outputs the facial image to the cloud-based analytics system, but does not output the full-frame real-time video to the cloud-based analytics system.

Abstract: Injector devices and methods for using them to deliver medicament into a patient's body, e.g., sub-retinally within an eye, are provided. The injector includes a cartridge including a piston slidably disposed within an interior for delivering medicament within the interior through an outlet, and a driver including a plunger coupled to the piston, a source of pressurized fluid, and an actuator member for opening a flow path at least partially between the source and the plunger to advance the plunger and piston to deliver medicament from the interior. One or more sensors are operatively coupled to the plunger to measure displacement of the plunger, a processor is coupled to the sensor(s) for analyzing sensor signals to measure volume of medicament delivered from the interior, and an output device, e.g., one or more LEDs or speakers, provide outputs related to the volume of medicament delivered.

Abstract: A method for analysing performance of a media recording system in a telecommunications network comprising the steps of selecting an extension within a telecommunications network, the extension capable of exchanging communication media, designating a time period within which communication records for the extension should be analysed, receiving communications data for the network extension, the communications data comprising data associated with communications involving the extension with the time period, receiving media data for the network extension, the media data comprising data associated with recorded media content of communications involving the extension within the time period, comparing the communications data with the media data to determine the performance of the communications recording system.

Abstract: Methods and devices for exchanging therapeutic agents, such as cells, from one liquid medium to another liquid medium are provided. Aspects of embodiments of the methods include transferring a therapeutic agent from a first medium, such as a freezing, storage or shipping buffer, into a second medium, such as a sterile physiologically compatible buffer. In certain aspects, the transfer of the therapeutic agent from a first medium to a second medium involves the use of acoustic-focusing, or acoustophoresis. Embodiments of the subject methods may facilitate the transfer of a therapeutic agent from a storage medium to an infusion medium, and in certain embodiments include administering the therapeutic agent contained in the infusion medium to the subject. Also provided by the present disclosure are devices for practicing the subject methods.

Abstract: The invention provides a dynamically swept tunable laser system and method for measuring sensor characteristics obtained from an array of optical sensors comprising means for dividing the total wavelength sweep of the laser into different regions in any particular order where each region contains single or multiple contiguous sweep segments and where each sweep segment is referenced by a start and a stop reference and can have different lengths compared to the other sweep segments. The sensor characteristics are determined from each region swept by the tunable laser. The invention provides for the tunable laser to be adapted to operate in a quasi-continuous mode to select segments in any order. The relative sweep rates of regions can be changed such that some regions can be swept more times than other regions.

Abstract: A method for analysing performance of a media recording system in a telecommunications network comprising the steps of selecting an extension within a telecommunications network, the extension capable of exchanging communication media, designating a time period within which communication records for the extension should be analysed, receiving communications data for the network extension, the communications data comprising data associated with communications involving the extension with the time period, receiving media data for the network extension, the media data comprising data associated with recorded media content of communications involving the extension within the time period, comparing the communications data with the media data to determine the performance of the communications recording system.

Abstract: Methods and devices for exchanging therapeutic agents, such as cells, from one liquid medium to another liquid medium are provided. Aspects of embodiments of the methods include transferring a therapeutic agent from a first medium, such as a freezing, storage or shipping buffer, into a second medium, such as a sterile physiologically compatible buffer. In certain aspects, the transfer of the therapeutic agent from a first medium to a second medium involves the use of acoustic-focusing, or acoustophoresis. Embodiments of the subject methods may facilitate the transfer of a therapeutic agent from a storage medium to an infusion medium, and in certain embodiments include administering the therapeutic agent contained in the infusion medium to the subject. Also provided by the present disclosure are devices for practicing the subject methods.

Abstract: Methods and devices for exchanging therapeutic agents, such as cells, from one liquid medium to another liquid medium are provided. Aspects of embodiments of the methods include transferring a therapeutic agent from a first medium, such as a freezing, storage or shipping buffer, into a second medium, such as a sterile physiologically compatible buffer. In certain aspects, the transfer of the therapeutic agent from a first medium to a second medium involves the use of acoustic-focusing, or acoustophoresis. Embodiments of the subject methods may facilitate the transfer of a therapeutic agent from a storage medium to an infusion medium, and in certain embodiments include administering the therapeutic agent contained in the infusion medium to the subject. Also provided by the present disclosure are devices for practicing the subject methods.

Abstract: Methods and devices for exchanging therapeutic agents, such as cells, from one liquid medium to another liquid medium are provided. Aspects of embodiments of the methods include transferring a therapeutic agent from a first medium, such as a freezing, storage or shipping buffer, into a second medium, such as a sterile physiologically compatible buffer. In certain aspects, the transfer of the therapeutic agent from a first medium to a second medium involves the use of acoustic-focusing, or acoustophoresis. Embodiments of the subject methods may facilitate the transfer of a therapeutic agent from a storage medium to an infusion medium, and in certain embodiments include administering the therapeutic agent contained in the infusion medium to the subject. Also provided by the present disclosure are devices for practicing the subject methods.

Abstract: Methods and devices for exchanging therapeutic agents, such as cells, from one liquid medium to another liquid medium are provided. Aspects of embodiments of the methods include transferring a therapeutic agent from a first medium, such as a freezing, storage or shipping buffer, into a second medium, such as a sterile physiologically compatible buffer. In certain aspects, the transfer of the therapeutic agent from a first medium to a second medium involves the use of acoustic-focusing, or acoustophoresis. Embodiments of the subject methods may facilitate the transfer of a therapeutic agent from a storage medium to an infusion medium, and in certain embodiments include administering the therapeutic agent contained in the infusion medium to the subject. Also provided by the present disclosure are devices for practicing the subject methods.

Abstract: The invention provides a dynamically swept tunable laser system and method for measuring sensor characteristics obtained from an array of optical sensors comprising means for dividing the total wavelength sweep of the laser into different regions in any particular order where each region contains single or multiple contiguous sweep segments and where each sweep segment is referenced by a start and a stop reference and can have different lengths compared to the other sweep segments. The sensor characteristics are determined from each region swept by the tunable laser. The invention provides for the tunable laser to be adapted to operate in a quasi-continuous mode to select segments in any order. The relative sweep rates of regions can be changed such that some regions can be swept more times than other regions.

Abstract: The invention provides a control layer for an Optical Burst Switch (OBS) system, said system comprising at least one stage configured with a closed optical burst switch addressing scheme and one or more ports for sending or receiving data packets. The control layer comprises a control addressing scheme independent of the closed optical addressing scheme and means to provide interconnectivity for each port with every other port. In one embodiment there is provided a closed optical burst switch ring network. The control layer encapsulates or maps the optical data at a port into an independent packet format and passes the independent packet format into a queuing system for transmission by the optical burst switch ring network to a destination port.

Abstract: Methods and devices for exchanging therapeutic agents, such as cells, from one liquid medium to another liquid medium are provided. Aspects of embodiments of the methods include transferring a therapeutic agent from a first medium, such as a freezing, storage or shipping buffer, into a second medium, such as a sterile physiologically compatible buffer. In certain aspects, the transfer of the therapeutic agent from a first medium to a second medium involves the use of acoustic-focusing, or acoustophoresis. Embodiments of the subject methods may facilitate the transfer of a therapeutic agent from a storage medium to an infusion medium, and in certain embodiments include administering the therapeutic agent contained in the infusion medium to the subject. Also provided by the present disclosure are devices for practicing the subject methods.

Abstract: The invention provides a control layer for an Optical Burst Switch (OBS) system, said system comprising at least one stage configured with a closed optical burst switch addressing scheme and one or more ports for sending or receiving data packets. The control layer comprises a control addressing scheme independent of the closed optical addressing scheme and means to provide interconnectivity for each port with every other port. In one embodiment there is provided a closed optical burst switch ring network. The control layer encapsulates or maps the optical data at a port into an independent packet format and passes the independent packet format into a queuing system for transmission by the optical burst switch ring network to a destination port.

Abstract: A distributed packet switch to control data packet flows in a network is described. The distributed packet switch includes a means for operating over an asynchronous burst optical closed fiber medium. The distributed packet switch also includes at least one control system provided at a node to control data packet flow characteristics, such that the switch is configured to operate dependent on at least one efficiency parameter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuse assembly for rapid interruption of a prospective fault current. The fuse assembly includes a plurality of splitter plates. A plurality of foil elements extend between a pair of terminals and are physically supported by the splitter plates. A pair of parallel busbars are in series with the foil elements and generate a magnetic field that is substantially perpendicular to the current flowing in the foil elements. In the presence of a prospective fault current, the foil elements will melt and at arcing inception an electromagnetic force developed as a result of interaction between the magnetic field and the arc current will push the molten foil elements into the splitter plates. This increases the arc length and hence the arc voltage. At least the foil elements and the splitter plates are preferably located in flowing liquid dielectric such as MIDEL 7131, for example.