Abstract: A method monitors the concentration of an oxidative gas or vapor during a sterilization process in a sterilization chamber. A sensor formed of a chemical reactive with the oxidative gas or vapor coupled to a temperature probe is positioned inside of an enclosure containing an item to be sterilized. The enclosure is defined by a barrier impermeable to contaminating microorganisms and having at least a portion thereof which is permeable to the oxidative gas or vapor. The sensor is electrically connected through the barrier to contacts located exterior of the enclosure and connected to a control system thereby.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the concentration of an oxidative gas or vapor includes a first thermocouple junction and a chemical substance coupled to the first thermocouple junction. The chemical substance is reactive with the oxidative gas or vapor to produce heat. The apparatus further includes a second thermocouple junction coupled in series to the first thermocouple junction. A net voltage is generated across the first and second thermocouple junctions upon exposure of the chemical substance to the oxidative gas or vapor. The net voltage corresponds to the concentration of the oxidative gas or vapor.

Abstract: A method monitors a concentration of an oxidative gas or vapor in a diffusion-restricted region in fluid communication with a sterilization chamber during a sterilization process. The method includes providing a concentration monitor responsive to the oxidative gas or vapor by generating a parameter corresponding to the concentration of the oxidative gas or vapor. The concentration monitor includes a temperature sensing device coupled to a chemical substance reactive with the oxidative gas or vapor to produce heat. The method further includes placing at least a portion of the concentration monitor comprising the chemical substance within the diffusion-restricted region. The method further includes introducing the oxidative gas or vapor into the sterilization chamber. The method further includes monitoring the parameter generated by the concentration monitor during the sterilization process.

Abstract: A temperature compensated opto-electronic circuit structure including a emitter connected to one input of a comparator to provide a reference signal. A detector signal is applied to another input terminal of a comparator, and the output of the comparator is determined by a difference between the reference signal and the detector signal. As the temperature of the opto-electronic circuit increases and decreases, the reference signal is automatically adjusted due to the temperature-related forward voltage changes of the emitter.

Abstract: A method for producing opto-electronic devices, such as opto-mechanical mouse devices, which includes adjusting a detector signal after a detector and emitter are connected to the remaining circuitry associated with the opto-electronic device. The method also includes a rough adjustment step wherein a the detector signal is adjusted to a predetermined output voltage, and a fine adjustment step wherein an encoder is rotated between the emitter and the detector, and the circuit is adjusted such that the duty cycle of a comparator is within a desired range.

Abstract: A keyboard having a plurality of selectively operable matrix element key switches, each having an actuated and an unactuated state. The state of each switch is sequentially determined by applying one of two input signals to the input of each switch. The output of the switch is integrated and compared to a predetermined value to determine whether the switch is to be recognized as actuated or not actuated. If during a particular sequence the integrated output exceeds the predetermined value (so that the switch is recognized as actuated), the second input signal is applied to the switch during the next sequence. Because the second input signal has different parameters from the first input signal, whether by a greater number of pulses or greater amplitude pulses, then if the key switch is still depressed, the integrated signal produced by the second input signal exceeds the predetermined value by a greater amount than during the prior sequence.

Abstract: An enclosure for an electrical data input apparatus which is formed of a top section and a bottom section to form a case. The case has a top section which provides operational access to the electrical data input apparatus, such as a graphics tablet input device, with additional accesses for switching functions, amenable both to right-hand and left-hand use by an operator. The switching function accesses are distinguished one from another by different access hole shapes in order that appropriate switching functions may be effected via those switching function accesses without the necessity of looking away from the computer display and thereby breaking the attention of the operator.

Abstract: An N-Key Rollover Type Keyboard sequentially scans the keys so as to transmit information correctly as to each key which is depressed without transmitting a garbled code which could result from simultaneous depression of two keys without the sequential scanning. The coded information from the keyboard is applied to a differential amplifier along with the noise signal from the keyboard so that only the coded signal is amplified, thus reducing the noise level quite markedly. The coded signal is fed to a shift register which is cycled once for each scanning of the keyboard so that a current scan can be compared with a past scan in a comparator or an AND gate with the result that there will be an output only for the first scan that detects a depressed key, i.e., the depression of the key will not cause continued signal transmission, but will cause such transmission once only. A strobe is generated only on the first scan.

Abstract: A transducer for indicating changes of an applied physical force including a first electrically propertied means connected within an electrical circuit to create an electrical potential across the first means, a second electrically propertied means adapted to be placed in contact with the first means in a manner so as to reflect a linear relationship between the area of contact between the two means and the force applied to the second means. A preferred embodiment utilizes an elastomeric actuator to apply the force to the second means.

Abstract: A keyboard having a plurality of selectively operable matrix elements, each having an actuated and an unactuated state. The state of each matrix element is sequentially scanned and sensed and temporarily stored in a memory. A level detector is coupled to the matrix elements and to the memory means for comparison of the sensed state to a threshold level and for producing an output representative of each comparison. Feedback circuitry is coupled to the memory means for transmitting a feedback signal representative of the previous scan state of each matrix element. The level detector responds to the feedback signal to vary the relative levels of each of the sensed states and its respective threshold level in response to the previous scan state of the matrix element currently scanned.