Abstract: A stent mandrel fixture for supporting a stent during the application of a coating substance is provided. A method supporting a stent during the application of a coating substance is also provided.

Abstract: A multipoint polling system wherein a multipoint switch selectively connects a plurality of remote terminals to a central station in response to remote terminal addresses transmitted on a signaling path to the multipoint switch. Polling apparatus stores portions of a remote terminal address list provided by the central station and transmits individual ones of the stored remote terminal addresses on to the signaling path. The polling apparatus periodically requests different portions of the remote terminal address list and replaces the stored remote terminal address portion with the requested remote terminal address portion.The multipoint switch is advantageously comprised of a plurality of sections with each section of the switch responsive to a portion of the address list for establishing a signaling path between the central station and selected ones of the remote terminals defined by the address list portions.

Abstract: A clock output signal is aligned in phase to conicide with the phase of signals derived from a master clock. In the event that there is a malfunction of the master, standby control circuitry modifies the phase of the clock output signal incremental quantities until it is in phase with the phase of signals from a standby clock. The clock output signal is thereafter maintained aligned in phase to coincide with the phase of the signals derived from the standby clock.