Abstract: A method of measuring an analyte concentration in body fluid. The method includes the use of an analyte measuring device that has an analyte sensing element with a sharpened distal end and further has an indicating electrode covered by an absorbent layer. Also, an electric power, data processing and display device is adapted to mate to and activate the analyte sensing element by applying electric power to it and adapted to receive the raw analyte measurement and to compute and display a refined analyte measurement from the raw analyte measurement. The analyte sensing element is introduced into the animal body, thereby placing the absorbent layer into contact with the body fluid. The absorbent layer becomes saturated with body fluid and the analyte sensing element is removed from the body and is activated to form a raw analyte measurement. Which is used to form and display a refined analyte measurement.

Abstract: A rapid response, single use analyte sensor, adapted to measure an analyte concentration in body fluid. The sensor includes a lancet and a body fluid trapping structure, adapted to trap body fluid on the skin. An electrochemical analyte measurement system measures the analyte concentration in the body fluid that is trapped on the surface of the skin, by the body fluid trapping structure. In one preferred embodiment, the body fluid trapping structure defines an interior volume of only 30 nanoliters of body fluid.

Abstract: A method of measuring an analyte concentration in body fluid in an animal body having skin and subcutaneous soft tissue that includes body fluid. The method comprises, introducing a portion of an analyte-measuring device into the subcutaneous soft tissue. The analyte-measuring device includes an analyte sensing element, having a sharpened distal end to facilitate introduction into the animal body. Additionally the sensing element has an indicating electrode that is adapted to be activated by electric power and to form a raw analyte measurement, when it is activated and in contact with the body fluid, in less than two minutes. The sensing device further has a reference electrode and an electric power and display device that is adapted to mate to the analyte-sensing element. The power and display device activates the analyte-sensing element by applying electric power to it.

Abstract: A method for transmitting messages between two processes includes creating a communications channel between a first channel adapter coupled to a client process and a second channel adapter coupled to a remote process. The method further includes reading a request message at the first channel adapter, segmenting the request message into a series of packets, assigning a sequence number to each packet, and transmitting the packets in order to the second channel adapter through the communications channel. The method further includes receiving the packets at the second channel adapter and sending at least one acknowledgement message to the first channel adapter in response to the received packets.

Abstract: A fluid operated control valve for controlling fluid flow of a system which includes a first and a second fluid channels therein, the control valve includes: a hollow casing with closed first and second ends; a piston member slidably disposed within the casing and defining thereby within the casing a first chamber adjacent to the first end of the casing and a second chamber adjacent to the second end of the casing; a first magnet disposed adjacent the first chamber of the casing for attracting the piston member to a first terminal position; a second magnet disposed adjacent the second chamber of the casing for attracting the piston member to a second terminal position.

Abstract: An insertion device that includes an insertable portion adapted to be inserted into and retained in an animal body and an ex vivo portion that is adapted to be worn while the insertable portion remains inserted. The device further includes a trocar that is adapted to insert the insertable portion into the animal body. In addition, a cavity in the ex vivo portion is adapted to accept and retain the trocar after the insertable portion is inserted and a force application device is adapted to withdraw the trocar from the animal body and place it in the cavity.

Abstract: An insertable analyte needle sensor, comprising a set of fine wires positioned together and a dielectric material covering a substantial portion of the fine wires but defining an opening filled with at least one partially permeable membrane. The wires may be treated with a gas plasma to facilitate membrane adherence. One membrane layer may comprise sulphonated polyethersulphone coated with silane.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an automobile security system. A GPS Receiver is used to measure the location of an automobile, and after the user has left the car, to measure the location of the user. The location of the car when it is parked is recorded in the GPS Receiver System. When the user is more than a pre-determined distance from the car, as determined by a GPS location measurement that is compared with the stored GPS location, the security system is activated and the car is locked. Subsequently, when the user comes within a second pre-determined distance of the car, the security system is deactivated, and the car is unlocked. Advantageously, both the locking and unlocking is accomplished without forcing the user to perform any manual act. Advantageously, the user can get directions from the GPS Receiver to help locate the car.

Abstract: In a switched configuration in which data links can be bundled to increase data throughput, the links in a bundle are ordered. A data sender sequentially transmits cells in the data packet over links in the bundle. For example, a first cell is transmitted over a first ordered link in the bundle. The next cell is transmitted over the next link in the bundle order and operation continues in a “round robin” fashion. The data receiver is informed in advance of the order of links in the bundle and expects cells to be distributed over the links in that order. The data sender transmits a bundle sequence number with each data cell. As each new data cell is transmitted, the bundle sequence number is incremented. The receiver uses the bundle sequence number to validate cell order, to detect lost cells, and to resynchronize cell order with the sender in the case of cell errors.

Abstract: An insertable analyte needle sensor, comprising a set of fine wires positioned together and a dielectric material covering a substantial portion of the fine wires but defining an opening filled with at least one partially permeable membrane. The wires may be treated with a gas plasma to facilitate membrane adherence. One membrane layer may comprise sulphonated polyethersulphone coated with silane.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrochemical sensor system for measuring analyte concentrations in a fluid sample. The invention is particularly useful for measuring analytes such as glucose in a patient. An implantable glucose sensor includes a disc-shaped sensor body containing multiple anodes on opposing sides of the sensor body. Electrodes including an anode and a cathode are connected to a transmitter which transmits radio signals to an external receiver and computer where data is processed to yield glucose concentration figures. An enzyme layer coating the anodes specifically reacts with glucose to increase signals generated by the anodes in response to the presence of glucose. In an alternate embodiment, some of the anodes are coated with the enzyme to generate a first signal, and other anodes that are not coated generate a second signal for comparison with the first signal to eliminate effects of interfering substances on the accuracy of the glucose measurement.

Abstract: A method downsamples characters in a document by font substitution when the characters in the document are identified with sufficient reliability. Otherwise, the characters are downsampled by decimation. The method also allows downsampling by applying characters to a two-dimensional nonlinear filter and decimating.

Abstract: A composition for deodorizing and refreshing surfaces such as carpets, upholstery, furniture etc. The composition disclosed is a highly friable foam that rapidly evaporates upon contact with the surface to be refreshed. Therefore, the composition does not require removal by vacuuming after application to the surface. A method for using the composition to deodorize and refresh a surface is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrochemical sensor system for measuring analyte concentrations in a fluid sample. The invention is particularly useful for measuring analytes such as glucose in a patient. An implantable glucose sensor includes a disc-shaped sensor body containing multiple anodes on opposing sides of the sensor body. Electrodes including an anode and a cathode are connected to a transmitter which transmits radio signals to an external receiver and computer where data is processed to yield glucose concentration figures. An enzyme layer coating the anodes specifically reacts with glucose to increase signals generated by the anodes in response to the presence of glucose. In an alternate embodiment, some of the anodes are coated with the enzyme to generate a first signal, and other anodes that are not coated generate a second signal for comparison with the first signal to eliminate effects of interfering substances on the accuracy of the glucose measurement.

Abstract: An information retrieval method wherein users may submit a query via a graphical bitmapping technique. The user provides an information retrieval system with a bitmap of a printed, written, or graphical query by either scanning the query with a graphical scanner, or employing a standard facsimile transmission machine. The information retrieval system then performs an optical image/character recognition process upon the received bitmap to determine the content of the query, information is then retried based upon the recognized characters and images. In a particular method of the invention, the user is provided with a bitmap of the retrieved information.

Abstract: Interactive Methods and apparatus for studying similarities of values in very large data sets. The methods and apparatus employ a dotplot in an interactive graphical user interface to make the relationship between the similarities and the data set visible. A variety of filtering, weighting, and compression techniques make it possible to employ the dot plot with sequences of more than 10,000 tokens and to interactively magnify the dot plot, change weighting and display quantization, and view the underlying data. Also disclosed is a technique which is employed in the apparatus for identifying long sequences of similar tokens. The apparatus is used in the study of large bodies of text and code.

Abstract: A glossary construction tool for generating and maintaining a translation glossary, consisting of a number of terms and their translations. The glossary construction tool includes a terminology list development tool for generating a terminology list in the source language and a glossary development tool for automatically obtaining candidate translations for the terms in the terminology list. The terminology list development tool will construct the terminology list in the source language by analyzing the source text document to be translated and automatically extracting a list of candidate terms, comprised of multiple word noun phrases and single words not appearing on a standard or predefined stop list of "noise" words.

Abstract: A toilet cleaning block that releases a halogen containing sanitizing agent in a controlled, substantially constant rate for about 2 to about 4 months of constant contact with water and is then completely dissolved in the water comprises an admixture of about 50% to about 80% by weight of a halogen containing sanitizing agent, about 20% to about 40% by weight of a bulking agent such as aluminum hydroxide, about 0% to about 20% by weight sodium bicarbonate, and about 1 to about 20% by weight of a sacrificial dissolution rate regulating agent such as sodium chloride.

Abstract: A method identifies and models the distortion in a document using a two-dimensional nonlinear filter. The two-dimensional nonlinear filter is then used to improve the performance of optical character recognition systems in recognizing characters in documents that have been degraded, as for example by repeated photocopy reproductions or by fax transmission.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrochemical sensor system for measuring analyte concentrations in a sample fluid. The invention is particularly useful for measuring analytes such as glucose in a patient. An implantable glucose sensor includes a disc-shaped body containing multiple anodes on opposing sides of the body. Electrodes are connected to a transmitter which transmits radio signals to an external receiver and computer where data is processed to yield relative glucose concentration figures.