Abstract: A sensor for sensing in a gas stream a vapor of a liquid. The sensor includes a micropore and a wet temperature sensor. The micropore has an evaporation end and has a lumen to conduct liquid from a supply of the liquid for evaporation at the evaporation end. The wet temperature sensor has a heat sensitive part in contact with the liquid in the micropore. The heat sensitive part circumscribes the micropore and forms part of the lumen. Heat loss due to evaporation of the liquid when the wet temperature sensor wet with the liquid is placed in the gas stream will result in the temperature sensed by the wet temperature sensor being lower than the non-evaporative temperature of the gas stream. This lowering in temperature can be measured to determine the concentration of the vapor in the gas stream. An example of such a sensor has a thermocouple junction having micropores passing through the thermocouple junction.

Abstract: A multi-shaft apparatus for incising a substrate of soft resilient material such as a body tissue. The incising apparatus includes two or more incision shafts each having a distal edge. The shafts are not affixed to each other and are allowed to slide against each other to drive the distal edges alternately against the substrate to incise the substrate. In the case of incising a body tissue, such alternate motion would result in less pain to the patient than a puncture resulting from a sharp jab by a sharp shaft of similar size to the shafts.

Abstract: A multi-shaft apparatus for incising a substrate of soft resilient material such as a body tissue. The incising apparatus includes two or more incision shafts each having a distal edge. The shafts are not affixed to each other and are allowed to slide against each other to drive the distal edges alternately against the substrate to incise the substrate. In the case of incising a body tissue, such alternate motion would result in less pain to the patient than a puncture resulting from a sharp jab by a sharp shaft of similar size to the shafts.

Abstract: A multi-shaft apparatus for incising a substrate of soft resilient material such as a body tissue. The incising apparatus includes two or more incision shafts each having a distal edge. The shafts are not affixed to each other and are allowed to slide against each other to drive the distal edges alternately against the substrate to incise the substrate. In the case of incising a body tissue, such alternate motion would result in less pain to the patient than a puncture resulting from a sharp jab by a sharp shaft of similar size to the shafts.

Abstract: A device for sampling blood from the skin of a patient by puncture. The device includes one or more lancets for lancing the skin and a fluid-conducting plate unit for transporting blood from the lancing wound. The plate unit has one or more channels for conducting fluid to one or more target locations. Preferably there is a first channel for conducting away a first portion of fluid that contains more of a fluid that is emitted initially (initial fluid) from the puncture wound and a second channel for conducting a second portion of fluid that contains less of the initial fluid from the puncture wound. Blood is drawn into the channels by capillary force. The device can be used to lance the skin and obtain a representative sample of blood with relatively simple procedures.

Abstract: A cartridge for sampling and analyzing blood from the skin of a patient. The cartridge has a cartridge case, a lancet, and associated with the cartridge case an analytical region for analyzing the property of blood. The lancet has a tip for lancing the skin and is housed in the cartridge case. The lancet is operatively connected to the cartridge case such that the lancet can be pushed to extend its tip outside the cartridge case for lancing the skin to yield blood. The blood from the lancing wound is transferred to the analytical region and be analyzed.

Abstract: A cassette containing cartridges for sampling blood from a patient. The cassette includes a container for storing a plurality of cartridges and at least one cartridge in the container. The cartridge includes a cartridge case and a lancet. The lancet has a tip and is housed in the cartridge case. The lancet can be driven to extend the tip outside the cartridge case for lancing the skin of the patient to yield blood. The container has a compartment that contains at least one cartridge. A cartridge from the compartment can be loaded onto a glucometer that drives the lancet in the cartridge to lance the skin of a patient.

Abstract: A blood sampling apparatus for sampling blood from the skin of a patient for analysis. The apparatus includes a cartridge and a housing with a driver. The cartridge has a cartridge case, lancet, and a compartment associated with the cartridge case for receiving blood. The lancet is housed in the cartridge case and operatively connected thereto such that it is drivable to extend outside the cartridge case through a lancing opening for lancing the skin to yield blood. The housing has a driver for urging the lancet to extend outside the cartridge case. During lancing, the cartridge is preferably detachably held in the housing such that the cartridge can be disassociated from the driver after sampling blood.

Abstract: A blood sampling device for penetrating skin to obtain a blood sample is disclosed. The blood sampling device has a blade structure that can be extended from a housing to pierce the skin and then retracted. The blade structure has at least two blades each including a cutting edge. The blades abut one another to form a rigid joint from which the blades extend. The blades each have a distal portion in which the distance from the rigid joint to the cutting edge decreases towards and terminates at a sharp point at a distal end. Each blade generally forms an angle less than 180 degrees with at least one neighboring blade. This structure decreases the tendency of the blade structure to flex as the distal end of the blade structure penetrates the skin to yield blood.

Abstract: A microfluidic structure assembly having a microchannel formed by bonding two plates together is disclosed. The microfluidic structure assembly includes a first plate and a second plate. At least one of these plates has one or more microgrooves. Microdepressions and microprojections are also present in the plates and they connect such that the microprojections of one plate fit into the microdepressions of the other plate. As a result, the two plates are proximate to each other to form an assembly in which the microgrooves to form microchannels. These microdepressions and microprojections securely lock the microchannels into desired positions. Preferably the plates are made by molding to form the microdepressions, microgrooves, and microchannels.

Abstract: A blood analysis apparatus for obtaining blood for analysis from the skin of a patient with a controlled degree of lancing. The apparatus including a cartridge and a driver. The cartridge includes a cartridge case and a lancet. The lancet has a tip and is housed in the cartridge case. The lancet can be driven to extend the tip outside the cartridge case through an opening for lancing the skin of the patient to yield blood. The driver drives the lancet to move the tip distally to lance the skin. The driver is triggerable by the skin which is to be lanced exerting a force exceeding a preset amount against the triggering mechanism of the apparatus, to drive the lancet toward the skin.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe for coupling acoustic signals between the probe and a medium is provided. The ultrasonic probe has a piezoelectric element having a plurality of piezoelectric layers each having a different acoustic impedance. The piezoelectric layers are stacked in progressive order of acoustic impedance such that the layer with the acoustic impedance nearest to that of the medium is proximate the medium. At least one of said piezoelectric layers is made of piezoelectric composite material. The ultrasonic probe further has an electrode means for electrically coupling the piezoelectric layers to a voltage source for applying an oscillation voltage potential to each piezoelectric layer. The probe further has a control means for controlling the polarization of at least one of the piezoelectric layers.

Abstract: A Z-axis backing layer for an acoustic transducer is provided, which comprises a matrix of electrical conductors disposed in parallel and potted within an electrically insulating acoustic backing material. The acoustic transducers are disposed on a first end of the backing layer, with each individual transducer element connecting electrically to a respective one of the conductors. At the other end of the backing layer, the conductors connect electrically to a corresponding circuit element. The backing layer is fabricated from a plurality of leadframes each having an outer frame member and a plurality of conductors extending in parallel across the leadframes terminating at the frame members at opposite ends thereof. The plurality of leadframes are stacked such that respective conductors of adjacent ones of the leadframes are disposed in parallel with a space provided between the respective conductors equivalent to a width of one of the leadframes.

Abstract: A microconnection device and a method of forming such a device include providing an array of electrically interconnected conductors within through holes of an insulative flexible film. Preferably, each conductor has a microbump. Since the conductors are interconnected, the microbumps define a cluster for contact with a single contact, such as an input/output pad of a semiconductor device. In the preferred embodiment, the flexible film includes a cavity at the central region of the cluster, thereby enhancing the flexibility of the film. By applying a load force within the central region of the cluster, the flexible film is caused to bend in a manner to achieve load compliance and a lateral scrub for removing contaminants, oxides and the like at the interface of the microbumps and the contact. A top bump that is misaligned with the microbumps may be formed to ensure proper localization of the load force within the central region. Preferably, the flexible film includes an array of microconnection devices.

Abstract: This invention relates to new agents designated LL-F28249.alpha., LL-F28249.beta., LL-F28249.gamma., LL-F28249.delta., LLF28249.epsilon., LL-F28249.zeta., LL-F28249.eta., LL-F28249.theta., LL-F28249.iota., LL-F28249.kappa., LL-F28249.lambda., LL-F28249.mu., LL-F28249.nu., and LL-F28249.omega., to their production by fermentation, to methods for their recovery and concentration from crude solutions, to processes for their purification and to pharmaceutically and pharmacologically-acceptable salts thereof. The present invention includes within its scope the biologically pure culture which produces there agents, derived from a newly-discovered and previously uncultured microorganism, Streptomyces cyaneogriseus subsp. noncyanogenus, NRRL 15773.

Abstract: A catheter apparatus for obtaining an image of internal surface characteristics of a vascular vessel is provided. The catheter apparatus comprises an tubular element adapted for insertion into the vascular vessel, a non-rotating acoustic waveguide disposed within the tubular element and coupled to a source of an ultrasonic signal located external to the vascular vessel, and an acoustically driven turbine. The turbine is responsive to the ultrasonic signal for directing the ultrasonic signal in a rotating pattern from a distal end of the acoustic waveguide through the tubular element at an angle relative to an axis of the vascular vessel. The ultrasonic signal includes a low frequency ultrasonic signal and a high frequency ultrasonic signal. The low frequency ultrasonic signal drives the acoustically driven turbine to direct the high frequency ultrasonic signal in the rotating pattern.

Abstract: A catheter apparatus for obtaining an image of interior surface characteristics of a vascular vessel is provided. The catheter apparatus comprises an outer tubular element adapted for insertion into the vascular vessel, a rotatable inner tubular element disposed within the outer tubular element, and a non-rotating acoustic waveguide disposed within the inner tubular element and coupled to a source of an ultrasonic signal located external to the vascular vessel. The inner tubular element is rotated about an axis of the vascular vessel by use of an external driving member, such as a motor. The inner tubular element is provided with an acoustic reflecting or refracting element that directs the ultrasonic signal from a distal end of the acoustic waveguide through the outer tubular element at an angle relative to the axis of the vascular vessel.

Abstract: Piezoelectric elements in a transducer array are individually excited and used to sense the back-scattered signal from fluid flowing within an interrogation volume. The array is preferably a 2-D phased array with a pitch no greater than one-half the acoustic wavelength of the interrogation signal. By activating the transducer elements as a pattern of concentric rings as viewed from a point of interrogation, and by suitable phasing and range-gating of an interrogation signal, a substantially spherical interrogation volume (SIV) is created. The return signal from the SIV provides an isotropic indication of the speed of flow of the fluid. The focussing distance along an interrogation axis can be changed by changing either the size of the aperture created by the pattern of activated elements or their relative phasing. The interrogation direction can be angled off-axis by activating the transducer elements in a pattern of concentric ellipses.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method for intravascular ultrasonic imaging includes an array of beacons that are fixed to direct ultrasonic energy toward an imaging transducer, with individual beacons being identifiable in order to determine the angular position of the imaging transducer. Based upon the data related to beacon identification, operation of the imaging device is adaptively adjusted in order to compensate for variations in angular velocity of the transducer. Adaptive compensation may be performed by adjusting the pulse repetition rate of transmitted ultrasonic energy, by adjusting the scan conversion algorithm or mapping reflected ultrasonic energy, or by varying control of the drive structure for rotating the transducer. The beacons are preferably piezoelectrically active, but passive beacons may also be used. Position identification may be performed by techniques including amplitude sensing, phase sensing, pulse length sensing, and frequency sensing.

Abstract: A transducer device and method include affixing a preamplifier or other suitable circuit to a thin piezoelectric membrane. The membrane fully supports the circuit at an inactive region of the membrane. The membrane has at least one piezoelectrically active region that is connected to the circuit by a signal line. Preferably, the signal line is fabricated onto the membrane using integrated circuit fabrication techniques. In the preferred embodiment, the piezoelectrically active region has a diameter of less than one hundred microns and the membrane has a thickness of less than ten microns. A potting compound provides structural support of the membrane and insulates the on-membrane circuit.