Abstract: A container for a relatively brittle product, such as a haemostatic bandage, including a body and a lid for closing the container to hermetically seal the product therein. A sealing rim of the lid includes a layer of elastomeric material which sealingly engages with a sealing rim of the container body to provide a first, static, seal and a second, dynamic, seal. The elastomeric sealing material extends into the interior of the container beneath the lid to provide an elastomeric formation operative to engage an upper surface of the product within the container so as to apply a resilient bias thereto to hold a lower face of the product against the base of the container. The elastomeric formation thereby acts to inhibit substantial movement of the product within the container.

Abstract: For an electrical circuit (10), having a load (20) such as an illuminated display that includes at least one semiconductor junction device (22) supplied with operating current at a voltage sufficient to bias the semiconductor junction device into conduction and control means (30) to provide or inhibit supply of power to said load, there is provided a protection arrangement (40) comprising means (50) for sensing characteristics of the load when it is off-line, that is, when the operating current is not flowing. The sensing means is coupled to the load where and when supplied with operating power and operable in the absence of such supply sense a voltage level across the load. Threshold comparison means (54) compares the sensed voltage level with at least one stored value representative of a threshold of a load characteristic delimiting consistency with semiconductor and non-semiconductor behaviour.

Abstract: This invention relates to an implement 1 for applying a volume of liquid to a treatment surface. The implement includes a support means 3 onto which is mounted a receptacle 2, the receptacle defining a reservoir space 4 which receives the liquid. The receptacle includes a wall 6 having a working surface that is used to spread the liquid over the treatment surface. The wall 6 is resiliently deformable so in use the working surface maintains contact with the treatment surface when spreading the liquid. The implement has a specific application in applying a transdermal lotion to the axilla area of the user. The invention also relates to a system for transdermal administration of a physiological active agent from a liquid composition and a method of conducting the same.

Abstract: This invention relates to a regulator 6 for regulating flow of a liquid from a dispenser 1 that dispenses the liquid from a container 3 containing the liquid 4. The regulator has an inlet 9 to receive the dispensed liquid and an exit 16 through which the liquid is delivered to the user. The inlet 9 receives the liquid receives the liquid at a first speed and delivers it to the user at a second speed which is substantially less than the first speed. The invention also encompasses a dispenser for dispensing the liquid including such a regulator.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an ammonium removal system can comprise: a solids removal tank; a multivalent cation remover disposed downstream of the solids removal tank and capable of removing a multivalent cation from a stream to form a treated stream; a base source capable of sufficiently increasing a pH of the treated stream to convert greater than or equal to about 50 wt % of ammonium in the stream to ammonia; an ammonia removal tank capable of separating the ammonia from the treated stream; and an ammonia recovery device.

Abstract: A water spreader arrangement for use in an evaporative air cooler in which the spreader includes an inlet leading to generally vertical projections disposed over several levels. The projections are adapted to divide a single stream of water entering the inlet into many outlet streams, all of which have a predetermined ratio of flow rates. The outlet streams can be fed to an evaporative pad of an evaporative cooler. In a preferred form, the outlet streams have substantially the same flow rate. Preferably, a cooler incorporating this water spreader arrangement would include several spreaders around the upper periphery of the evaporative pads.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method of treating a medical device. The method includes providing the medical device. The medical device has an opening defined by two contacting surfaces in a polyalkylsiloxane based portion of the medical device. The method further includes irradiating the medical device free of externally applied lubricant to sterilize the medical device.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a sterilized medical device including a non-polymerized blend including a silicone matrix material and a radiation resistant component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an ammonium removal method can comprise: removing a multivalent cation from a stream comprising ammonium to form a treated stream; converting the ammonium in the stream to ammonia by increasing the pH of the stream; and separating the ammonia from the treated stream to form a separated stream and gaseous ammonia. In another embodiment, an ammonium removal method can comprise: a multivalent cation from a stream comprising ammonium to form a treated stream comprising a total of less than or equal to about 50 ppm by weight of multivalent cations; increasing the pH of the stream to a conversion pH; converting the ammonium to ammonia; and separating the ammonia from the treated stream to form a separated stream and gaseous ammonia.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a polymeric material formed of a composition including polyalkylsiloxane and a radiation resistant component. The radiation resistant component is included in an amount of about 0.1 wt % to about 20 wt % based on the weight of the polyalkylsiloxane.

Abstract: A container for a relatively brittle product, such as a haemostatic bandage, including a body and a lid for closing the container to hermetically seal the product therein. A sealing rim of the lid includes a layer of elastomeric material which sealingly engages with a sealing rim of the container body to provide a first, static, seal and a second, dynamic, seal. The elastomeric sealing material extends into the interior of the container beneath the lid to provide an elastomeric formation operative to engage an upper surface of the product within the container so as to apply a resilient bias thereto to hold a lower face of the product against the base of the container. The elastomeric formation thereby acts to inhibit substantial movement of the product within the container.

Abstract: Hand-held dispensing devices for dispensing and applying a substance to the skin of a host are described. The devices include a hollow body, a capsule mounted within the hollow body for containing the substance, a nozzle mounted within the hollow body communicating with the substance in the capsule, an actuator to cause metered quantities of the substance to be dispensed from the capsule through the nozzle, a shroud defining an exit space for receiving the substance emerging from the nozzle, and a cap detachably mounted on the shroud to selectively open and close the nozzle and thereby control escape of the substance from the capsule.

Abstract: The invention is a method for detecting failures in an analyzer for conducting clinical assays. Potential errors that can result in assay failures in an analyzer are identified, as are their potential sources. The probability that an error source so identified will result in a clinically significant error is also determined. Available potential detection measures corresponding to the source of potential errors are identified with a combination of such measures selected and implemented based on their probability of detecting such errors within an acceptable limit with a concomitant low probability of the false detection of an assay failure. Each of the measures selected are functionally independent of others chosen to address the source of the error and are not subject to the same inherent means of failed detection. Applications of the method in a clinical analyzer are also presented.

Abstract: A football kicking holder for holding an American or Canadian style football in an upright or angled position for kicking, comprised of three legs having respective first and second end portions. The first and second legs first end portions are secured together to form an inverted “V” in a substantially vertical plane with the first and second legs second end portions partially engaging the ground. The third leg first end portion is secured to the first and second legs first end portions such that the third leg is presented horizontally when the third leg second end portion engages the tip of the football.

Abstract: A water spreader arrangement for use in an evaporative air cooler in which the spreader includes an inlet leading to generally vertical projections disposed over several levels. The projections are adapted to divide a single stream of water entering the inlet into many outlet streams, all of which have a predetermined ratio of flow rates. The outlet streams can be fed to an evaporative pad of an evaporative cooler. In a preferred form, the outlet streams have substantially the same flow rate. Preferably, a cooler incorporating this water spreader arrangement would include several spreaders around the upper periphery of the evaporative pads.

Abstract: Hand-held dispensing devices for dispensing and applying a substance to the skin of a host are described. The devices include a hollow body, a capsule mounted within the hollow body for containing the substance, a nozzle mounted within the hollow body communicating with the substance in the capsule, an actuator to cause metered quantities of the substance to be dispensed from the capsule through the nozzle, a shroud defining an exit space for receiving the substance emerging from the nozzle, and a cap detachably mounted on the shroud to selectively open and close the nozzle and thereby control escape of the substance from the capsule.

Abstract: In a fault-tolerant system employing software fault-tolerance techniques, the identifiers used for control blocks or objects referenced on an interface between two co-operating partner software processes either require resynchronization after fail over of one or both of the partners or impose unwanted performance impacts on normal operation of the system. Replicated handles enhance the techniques currently used in such systems to avoid both the need for resynchronization and other potential performance impacts of the prior art.

Abstract: A water spreader arrangement for use in an evaporative air cooler in which the spreader includes an inlet (28) leading to generally vertical projections (38) disposed over several levels. The projections (34, 37, 38) are adapted to divide a single steam of water entering the inlet (28) into many outlet streams, all of which have a predetermined ratio of flow rates. The outlet streams can be fed to an evaporative pad of an evaporative cooler. In a preferred form, the outlet streams have substantially the same flow rate. Preferably, a cooler incorporating this water spreader arrangement would include several spreaders around the upper periphery of tho evaporative pads.