Abstract: A sewing device includes a material wrapped around a spool (the spool rotating around an axis), and a needle with a hole through which the material passes. A material feeding mechanism moves the needle and feeds the material in a feeding direction, thereby unraveling the material from the spool and stitching the material into a workpiece. A controller controls the material feeding mechanism to move the needle to a first rest position above a top surface of the workpiece. The first rest position is determined by the following formula: PR1=PW1+AT; wherein PR1 is the first rest position; PW1 is a first position of the top surface of the workpiece; and AT is an amount of material to be used in forming a second stitch in the workpiece after forming a first stitch in the workpiece.

Abstract: A sewing device includes a material wrapped around a spool (the spool rotating around an axis), and a needle with a hole through which the material passes. A material feeding mechanism moves the needle and feeds the material in a feeding direction, thereby unraveling the material from the spool and stitching the material into a workpiece. A controller controls the material feeding mechanism to move the needle to a first rest position above a top surface of the workpiece. The first rest position is determined by the following formula: PR1=PW1+AT; wherein PR1 is the first rest position; PW1 is a first position of the top surface of the workpiece; and AT is an amount of material to be used in forming a second stitch in the workpiece after forming a first stitch in the workpiece.

Abstract: An electronic control ignition (ECI) box for use with a trench roller or other construction-type equipment to control engine operation and the distribution of electrical power to various components, monitor machine failure faults and engine operating parameters, and archive hours of use. Faults, operating parameters and hours are displayed to an operator using a microprocessor-controlled display. The entire ECI is embedded in a suitable thermally-conductive epoxy encapsulent to form a unitary component that is both vibration-resistant and weatherproof.

Abstract: An electronic circuit provides automatic compensation with reduced errors of undesirable offsets in analog and digital signals, including offsets in the input signal and offsets due to tolerances in components comprising said electronic circuit. The electronic circuit includes a minimum-hold circuit or, depending on the polarity of the signal of interest, a maximum-hold circuit to continuously determine the at-rest, or reference level of the input signal. The accuracy of compensation is therefore not a function of the duty cycle or amplitude of the input signal of interest.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for flexibly controlling sorting decisions for a flow cytometer or similar instrument at a purity vs. yield ratio of sorted particles, particularly at high event rates. The system monitors distances between sequential objects to determine if they are in close enough proximity to be within a single resolution unit of the sorting device. The "friend" or "foe" status of neighboring events is considered by this system in dealing with detected "coincident" events. The system operates on information of the desirability to sort the object, i.e. droplet, based upon the properties of the individual object. A storage and retrieval method is provided for making the information available at the time a sort operation based on a sorting logic condition is performed. Accordingly, an easily reconfigurable mode of operation control is provided to allow customized sorting strategies, based on the needs of individual applications or experiments.

Abstract: A system for sorting particles is arranged such that the presence or absence of multiple parameters is determined for each particle in a flow of particles, and a logic condition is determined based on the multiple parameters. Thereafter, particles are outputted from the system when the logic condition is present. Accordingly, multiparameter high-speed measurements of a rare subpopulation of particles (e.g. biological cells) can be made amidst a larger population of particles with differing characteristics. When attached to a multiparameter flow cytometer/cell sorter and microcomputer, the system allows multiparameter analysis of cells at rates in excess of 100,000 cells/sec. This system can be an outboard module attached to a commercially available or home-built flow cytometer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for flexibly controlling sorting decisions for a flow cytometer or similar instrument at a purity vs. yield ratio of sorted particles, particularly at high event rates. The system monitors distances between sequential objects to determine if they are in close enough proximity to be within a single resolution unit of the sorting device. The "friend" or "foe" status of neighboring events is considered by this system in dealing with detected "coincident" events. The system operates on information of the desirability to sort the object, i.e. droplet, based upon the properties of the individual object. A storage and retrieval method is provided for making the information available at the time a sort operation based on a sorting logic condition is performed. Accordingly, an easily reconfigurable mode of operation control is provided to allow customized sorting strategies, based on the needs of individual applications or experiments.

Abstract: A high dynamic range laser diode modulation scheme employs two laser diodes connected so that their outputs are added in a single optical fiber. The first diode is modulated over its dynamic range. The second diode is also modulated over its dynamic range, and is attenuated with a filter to provide fine level adjustment to the coarse levels provided by the first diode.

Abstract: Multiple video boards of the general purpose type (e.g. EGA or VGA boards) and their associated monitors are operated by a single computer of the personal computer type, without modification of the computer hardware and while the video boards reside in their usual expansion slots which are provided by connectors on the mother board of the personal computer by a system which utilizes a flexible printed circuit board containing circuits which allows the processor (CPU) of the computer to present address and data signals which operate circuitry on the flexible boards to selectively enable or inhibit the communication of control signals (on the I/O and memory read and write control lines) to the video boards thereby enabling them to generate graphical images for their associated monitors.

Abstract: A system for sorting particles is arranged such that the presence or absence of multiple parameters is determined for each particle in a flow of particles, and a logic condition is determined based on the multiple parameters. Thereafter, particles are outputted from the system when the logic condition is present. Accordingly, multiparameter high-speed measurements of a rare subpopulation of particles (e.g. biological cells) can be made amidst a larger population of particles with differing characteristics. When attached to a multiparameter flow cytometer/cell sorter and microcomputer, the system allows multiparameter analysis of cells at rates in excess of 100,000 cells/sec. This system can be an outboard module attached to a commercially available or home-built flow cytometer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for flexibly controlling sorting decisions for a flow cytometer or similar instrument at a purity vs. yield ratio of sorted particles, particularly at high event rates. The system monitors distances between sequential objects to determine if they are in close enough proximity to be within a single resolution unit of the sorting device. The "friend" or "foe" status of neighboring events is considered by this system in dealing with detected "coincident" events. The system operates on information of the desirability to sort the object, i.e. droplet, based upon the properties of the individual object. A storage and retrieval method is provided for making the information available at the time a sort operation based on a sorting logic condition is performed. Accordingly, an easily reconfigurable mode of operation control is provided to allow customized sorting strategies, based on the needs of individual applications or experiments.