Abstract: The invention provides a process for the manufacture of a toner which comprises the steps of: a) providing a latex dispersion containing primary resin particles and surfactant; b) providing a colorant dispersion containing primary colorant particles and surfactant; c) optionally providing a wax dispersion containing primary wax particles and surfactant; d) providing at least one carboxy functional compound of Formula (1), which may be in acid, salt and/or complex form: wherein R is a carbocyclic or heterocyclic radical which may be optionally substituted and Z1 is a bond or linker group and wherein the amount of carboxy functional compound of Formula (1) provided is greater than 3% by weight, the amount of carboxy functional compound being calculated according to the following equation: amount ? ? of ? ? carboxy ? ? functional ? ? ? compound ? ? ( % ? ? weight ) = 100 × weight ? ? ? of ? ? carboxy ? ? functional ? ? compound ( weight

Abstract: A fluid transmission that employs a fluid to transmit a force, comprising a conduit for the fluid made from heat shrink polymer tubing, wherein at least a portion of the heat shrink polymer tubing is shrunken, whereby the force can be transmitted by the fluid from a first or proximal end of the conduit to a second or distal end of the conduit. Also, an actuator and methods for manufacturing the transmission and actuator.

Abstract: A fibre bundle confocal microscope or endoscope (200), comprising a light source (142) for providing a beam of light (160), a coherent fibre bundle of optical fibres (152), a scanner (202) for receiving the beam and scanning the beam over a proximal end of the bundle (162), so that the beam is launched into a plurality of the fibres sequentially, a plurality of the fibres thereby acting sequentially as an at least one delivery fibre (204), a spatial filter (172), and a photodetector (174) operatively associated with the spatial filter to receive return light from one or more of the fibres. The return light from the delivery fibre is excluded from the photodetector by the spatial filter.

Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image comprising toner particles which include a binder resin, a wax and a colorant, wherein the wax has a melting point of between 50 and 150° C., the wax exists in the toner particles in domains of 2 ?m or less mean particle size and (a) the mean circularity of the toner particles as measured by a Flow Particle Image Analyser is at least 0.90; and (b) the shape factor, SF1, of the toner particles is at most 165. A process for the manufacture of said toner which comprises the following steps: providing a latex dispersion; providing a wax dispersion; providing a colorant dispersion; mixing the latex dispersion, wax dispersion and colorant dispersion; and causing the mixture to flocculate.

Abstract: A lug nut engaging retention for plastic wheel trim includes a plurality of tubular sockets which project axially from the inner face of the wheel trim. Each socket comprises three concentric arcuate lug nut engaging panels. Two of the panels include lips that snap over a peripheral flange of a lug nut, while the third panel is fixed relative to the wheel trim and serves as a centering guide. A circumscribing ring engages the periphery of the panels adjacent their apical ends to reinforce the radially inwardly directed bias of the lipped panels. Three legs are positioned about the socket center at a radius greater than that of the panels. Each leg includes a pair of axially spaced abutments which engage the ring to limit axial movement of the ring relative to the panels.

Abstract: The invention provides a light scanning device for scanning light from a light source, the light scanning device having: a pivotably mounted mirror for receiving light from the light source; a counterbalance; and a drive for oscillatorily pivoting the mirror and the counterbalance simultaneously in opposite directions to reduce uncoupled forces.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing and navigating document content using a condensed representation of a document to provide both a global overview of the distribution of key search terms as well as their immediate context. The invention supports rapid skimming of documents and document collections and enables efficient information finding, in some cases entirely eliminating the need to scroll within a document as with a conventional browser tool. The invention is of particular utility with personal digital assistants, which generally have small displays and limited storage capacity and communication bandwidth in comparison to personal computers. Documents may include conventional text and image files, web pages, audio files, and video files. The invention may also apply to collections of documents.

Abstract: An electrically operated tuning fork apparatus includes a tuning fork having a base and a pair of tines. The tines have tips remote from the base, and are formed of or include material in which a magnetic field can be induced. The tuning fork apparatus also includes an electrical coil configured to receive at least a portion of both tines of the tuning fork. At least one of the tines can be vibrated relative to the other of the tines by passing a varying current through the coil to induce mutually repulsive magnetic fields in the tines.

Abstract: The invention provides a scanning microscope comprising: optical fiber for transmitting a light beam to an exit end of the optical fiber proximate light focusing optics, the light focusing optics focusing the light emerging from the exit end to illuminate a point observation field on or within an object to be examined; and a scanner mounted in an optical head casing with the light focusing optics, to cause the illuminated point observation filed to scan over a two-dimensional cross-section of the object such that an image of the object emanated light over the cross-section is constructible.

Abstract: A process is provided for producing a polymeric layer having a desired image thereon or a three dimensional article comprising a number of such layers in which a layer of a liquid photocurable composition which comprises photo colourable particles is cured by light and selected areas thereof are irradiated with light of a different dose, thereby forming the desired image which composition comprises particles dispersed in it which are micro-capsules containing a photosensitive colour changing composition within a barrier layer which is substantially impermeable to the components of the colour changing composition or are solid particles comprising an immobilised photosensitive colour changing composition. The process permits the use of the same initiating mechanism to cure the resin and to change the colour of the particles.

Abstract: A process is provided for producing a polymeric layer having a desired image thereon or a three dimensional article comprising a number of such layers in which a layer of a liquid photocurable composition which comprises photo colorable particles is cured by light and selected areas thereof are irradiated with light of a different dose, thereby forming the desired image which composition comprises particles dispersed in it which are micro-capsules containing a photosensitive color changing composition within a barrier layer which is substantially impermeable to the components of the color changing composition or are solid particles comprising an immobilized photosensitive color changing composition. The process permits the use of the same initiating mechanism to cure the resin and to change the color of the particles.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing and navigating document content using a condensed representation of a document to provide both a global overview of the distribution of key search terms as well as their immediate context. The invention supports rapid skimming of documents and document collections and enables efficient information finding, in some cases entirely eliminating the need to scroll within a document as with a conventional browser tool. The invention is of particular utility with personal digital assistants, which generally have small displays and limited storage capacity and communication bandwidth in comparison to personal computers. Documents may include conventional text and image files, web pages, audio files, and video files. The invention may also apply to collections of documents.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for image sharpening in confocal microscopy or endoscopy observation, the method comprising: collecting true confocal return light from an observational field of an object; focussing the true confocal return light into a core of a fiber wave-guide; collecting near confocal return light from a volume partially overlapping the observational field; focussing the near confocal return light so as to be transmitted principally in a cladding of the fiber wave-guide; separately detecting the true confocal return light and the near confocal return light to produce a true confocal output signal and a near confocal output signal; and adjusting the true confocal output signal on the basis of the near confocal output signal to substantially eliminate from the true confocal output signal a component due to the near confocal output signal; whereby the effective volume of the observational field is reduced and the resolution is effectively increased.

Abstract: The invention provides a scanning microscope comprising: optical transmission means for transmitting a light beam to an exit end of the optical transmission means proximate light focusing means, the light focusing means focusing the light emerging from the exit end to illuminate a point observation field on or within an object to be examined; and a scanner mounted in an optical head casing with the light focusing means, to cause the illuminated point observation field to scan over a two-dimensional cross-section of the object such that an image of the object emanated light over the cross section is constructible; wherein the scanner comprises a forwardly extending vibratable member and a counterbalance coupled thereto, the point observational field is forward of the vibratable member, the vibratable member is coupled to the exit end of the optical transmission means to provide the fast scan, the counterbalance balances reactive forces associated with vibration of the vibratable member and the exit end of the

Abstract: There is described a process for producing a particulate composition comprising the steps of: (a) forming a first dispersion comprising first particles stabilised in a first fluid by a first species in an initial state, the first species changeable between the initial state and a further state, where the initial state provides (directly or indirectly) more stability to the particles within the dispersion than the further state; (b) optionally the step of forming a second dispersion comprising second particles stabilised in a second fluid, miscible with the first fluid, by a second species in the, or another, initial state, the second species also changeable between the, or another ,initial state and the, or another, further state, where said initial state provides (directly or indirectly) more stability to the particles within the dispersion than said further state; (c) after the optional step of mixing the first and second dispersions together if the second dispersion was formed in step b), changing the s

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for image sharpening in a confocal microscopy or endoscopy observation, the method comprising: collecting true confocal return light emanating from an observational field of an object; focussing the true confocal return light into a core of a fiber wave-guide; collecting near confocal return light from a volume partially overlapping the observational field and thereby defining an overlap volume; focussing the near confocal return light into the fiber wave-guide so as to be transmitted principally in a cladding of the fiber wave-guide; separately detecting the true confocal return light and the near confocal return light to produce a true confocal output signal and a near confocal output signal; and adjusting the true confocal output signal on the basis of the near confocal output signal to substantially eliminate from the true confocal output signal a component due to the near confocal output signal; whereby the effective volume of the observational field

Abstract: Process for forming a selectively colored polymeric layer, or a three-dimensional article made of polymeric layers, wherein a photocurable, photocolorable composition is irradiated with a low dose of light to cure and a different, preferably higher, dose of light to color. The process is particularly useful for preparing selectively colored ornamental and industrial articles and models of plant and animal parts, especially medical models.

Abstract: A confocal imaging system using optical fibers is provided which has a flexible near confocal optical transmission means having a light collection end adjacent to a light collection of the confocal optical transmission means and adapted to transmit only near confocal light emerging from points in the object located within a range of distances above and below the focal plane, in such a manner that a selected portion of the near confocal light emerging from greater than any selected distance within the range is substantially separable from the remainder. The system also has variable selection means to exclude from detection the selected portion.

Abstract: A confocal microscope including a light source; an optical fiber bundle defining a plurality of optical channels for receiving light from the light source and for transmitting the light to an object and for allowing light to return from the object through the optical fiber bundle; a switch for selectively switching selected fibers in the optical fiber bundle so as to allow light to selectively be transmitted and returned through individual optical channels until an image of the object is produced; and a detector for receiving returned light from the optical fiber bundle to enable the image of the object to be produced.