Abstract: A method of controlling the functioning of a portable medicament dispenser, said method comprising: (a) providing a memory for storing one or more parameters relating to the functioning of said dispenser; (b) storing authentication data for authenticating data for controlling a function of said dispenser, (c) receiving control data for said dispenser; (d) performing authentication of the control data using said stored authentication data; (e) in dependence on a result of the authentication, activating one or more parameters in said memory to control functioning of said dispenser in accordance with said control data.

Abstract: A method of patient treatment management using a data processing system comprising storage means for holding patient records which hold treatment data and electronic depensing devices for use in dispensing medicaments to patients;-said method comprising: (a) inputing medical prescription data for said patient; (b) selecting an electronic dispensing device to be used in a course of treatment specified by said prescription; (c) retrieving a unique identity for said device; (d) retrieving a patient record for the patient; and (e) recording said unique identity to link the device with the patient record.

Abstract: A method of operating a combustion apparatus such as an internal combustion engine is described, in which the apparatus includes at least one combustion chamber with an inlet port for primary combustion air, an apparatus to introduce into the combustion chamber primary fuel for combustion with the primary air, an exhaust port for combustion products, and an exhaust system for exhausting the combustion products to atmosphere, the method including introducing into the exhaust system secondary air, mechanically acting upon the secondary air and products of combustion in the exhaust system in the presence of a catalyst, to produce a reformed fuel, introducing the reformed fuel into the combustion chamber for combustion with primary fuel and primary air.

Abstract: A method of operating a medicament dispenser for use with a container for holding medicament to be used in the treatment of a patient, said dispenser comprising means for reading first data from said medicament container. A data communication link is used for remotely transmitting second data, derived from said first data, to a node in a communications network via said data communications link.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing medicament comprising a housing having a support; a container, locatable within said housing, having an outlet member, wherein said container is movable relative to the housing to enable dispensing therefrom and said outlet member is connectable with said support to prevent relative movement therebetween; and a detector for tracking the relative proximity of the container to the housing, said detector comprising an inductive displacement transducer including one or more inductive elements, wherein said container is comprised of, or has attached thereto a component comprised of, a material capable of disturbing the magnetic field creatable by the flow of electric current in said one or more inductive elements, and related uses and methods.

Abstract: A housing for a mechanical or electrical device for use with an aerosol canister for containing chemical comprising a sleeve for receipt of the aerosol canister; a collar affixable around the neck of the canister; and a joint between the sleeve and the collar to secure the housing to the canister.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tetrahydroquinazoline-2,4-diones derivatives of the formula (I): 1

Abstract: Multi-service telecommunication switches which include enhanced component redundancy and which also allow multiple chassis connections to a switching fabric enhance the likelihood that packets transmitted to and from the switch will not be lost due do a particular component failure and also enable chassis stacking in a rack system. Such a multi-service telecommunication switch includes redundant physical layer adapter cards, redundant service cards, redundant timing modules, and redundant switching fabrics. Further, the multi-service telecommunication switch, includes an enhanced data flow distribution (load-balancing) architecture which enables multiple chassis connections to the switching fabrics.

Abstract: There is provided a medicament dispenser comprising a body (44), a medicament container and transport means to transport a metered amount of medicament from a rest position to a delivery position wherein the transport means comprises a transport coupling (72). The coupling (72) is reversibly deformable in response to the application of non-mechanical energy thereto. The non-mechanical energy may comprise heat energy, electrical current energy, electrical field energy or magnetic field energy.

Abstract: There is provided a housing for a dispenser suitable for dispensing medicament, particularly for use in the treatment of respiratory disorders. The housing comprises a body; said body including a support for receipt of said aerosol container; a first outlet port connectable to a first pressure recorder for recording change of pressure on firing of said aerosol container; and a second outlet port connectable to a second pressure recorder for recording air pressure within the body; wherein said first outlet port and said second outlet port are separate such that the change of pressure on firing and the air pressure within the body are individually recordable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tetrahydroquinazoline-2,4-diones derivatives of the formula (I): pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein A is (CH2)n where n is equal to 0, 1 or 2; U is CH2, NH, or NR3, R1 and R2 are selected independently from H, (C1-C6)alkyl, Cl, F, CN, nitro, CF3, —NHC(O)R6 and —OR7, or R1 and R2, together with the atoms to which they are attached, form a carbocyclic or heterocyclic five- or six-membered ring, R3 is selected from the group consisting of H, (C1-C6)malkyl, C(═O)—(C1-C6)alkyl, where m=1 or 2; R4 and R5 are selected from H, (C1-C6)alkyl, Cl, F, —CF3, —CN, —NHC(═O)R6, —OR7, a 5-to 7-membered aryl or heteroaryl ring, where m, R6 and R7 are as defined above; and R6 and R7 are selected independently from H, (C1-C6)alkyl or a 5- to 7-membered aryl or heteroaryl ring; V is CH, CR3, or N; W is CH2, C(O), or S(O)2; X is C or N; and Y is CH, CR1,CR2, or N.

Abstract: There is provided a medicament dispenser comprising a body, a medicament container and reset means for resetting a mechanical mechanism after actuation thereof, wherein the reset means comprises a reset coupling. The coupling is reversibly deformable in response to the application of non-mechanical energy thereto. The non-mechanical energy may comprise heat energy, electrical current energy, electrical field energy or magnetic field energy.

Abstract: A packet-based switching device includes a plurality of physical layer interfaces, such as SONET/SDH layer 1 interfaces, and one or more higher-layer processors, such as SONET/SDH layer 2 or 3 processors. One or more digital cross-connects are interposed between the physical layer interfaces and the higher-layer processors. Each digital cross-connect routes communications traffic between the physical layer interfaces and the higher-layer processors. A packet switch core, such as an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch core, routes traffic among higher-layer processors.

Abstract: There is provided a medicament dispenser comprising a medicament container having a dispensing mechanism, a container seat for receipt of the container; an anchor station; and a coupling between said container seat and said anchor station capable on deformation of moving the container seat relative to the anchor station to actuate the dispensing mechanism. The coupling is reversibly deformable in response to the application of non-mechanical energy thereto, The non-mechanical energy may comprise heat energy, electrical cur-rent energy, electrical field energy or magnetic field energy.

Abstract: A method of operating a combustion apparatus such as an internal combustion engine (10) is described, in which the apparatus (10) includes at least one combustion chamber (11) with an inlet port (15) for primary combustion air, means (19) to introduce into the combustion chamber (11) primary fuel for combustion with the primary air, an exhaust port (16) for combustion products, and an exhaust system (24) for exhausting the combustion products to atmosphere, the method including introducing into the exhaust system (24) secondary air, mechanically acting upon the secondary air and products of combustion in the exhaust system (24) in the presence of a catalyst, to produce a reformed fuel, introducing the reformed fuel into the combustion chamber (11) for combustion with primary fuel and primary air.

Abstract: The present invention is a methodology for controlled switchover of unicast and multicast data flows in packet based switching system. In some cases it is advantageous to purposefully support switchover of flows from one path to the other without causing loss of data. This is termed a “controlled” or “hitless” switchover. For example, it may be required to upgrade or replace a card and it is desirous to do this without taking an “Errored Second” hit at the system level. In accordance with the present invention switchover methodology, given that an ingress arbiter device is transmitting to both cores simultaneously, it is required that the flows to both switching cores be synchronized at an aggregator level and that an egress arbiter be given time to cease receiving packets from one Core then switch over to the other Core, and continue receiving packets.

Abstract: The present invention is a methodology for providing fault detection and service restoration for a multiservice switch on a per flow basis. An ingress source transmits the same data over each of the redundant cores. An egress receiver selects on a per flow basis which core to utilize. Bi-directional flows are not necessarily grouped together. That is, for a duplex path, one direction of transmission can proceed through a first core and the other direction can proceed through the other core if required. The basic approach to fault detection is to assume that the two cores are not in lock step, but that the shelves are continually monitoring link flows for control path data as well as user data. The path monitoring is done largely in dedicated hardware and the status is passed up to a local processor within a service shelf in order that recovery can proceed quickly.

Abstract: A data communications switch and method of operation are presently disclosed enabling flexible, selectable provision of a common timing signal for synchronized external communication through physical layer interfaces with other network devices, synchronized internal communications within the switch, and for uninterrupted synchronization of such communications. Synchronization of external communications is enabled by programmable selection from among plural potential timing references at redundant timing modules (TMs). An active TM provides a primary external synchronization clock; a standby TM provides a redundant timing function. Both TMs access the same references. A state signal indicates which synchronization clock is active. External interfaces derive timing from this distributed clock. Synchronized internal timing is provided by an internal clock and phase-locked loop (PLL) on each TM. The clock/PLL timing signal output is routed to other switch elements, enabling synchronized internal data transfer.

Abstract: A telecommunications system is required by a system operator to have a high availability, especially in so far as central processing is concerned, as failure of this can render a significant portion of the system inoperative. A telecommunications system has connected to an interface at least two remotely attached computing platforms, each computing platform being arranged to receive, process and provide a response to each functional request from the interface, the system responding to the first response received from the computing platforms. The computing platforms may provide high availability, while themselves being low availability devices.

Abstract: Using a known Intelligent Network Architecture a service invocation message is addressed via a Sorter to an appropriate Server. After interrogating the caller when necessary, the Server may re-address the message directly to another Server within the same organization or consortium, which may in turn repeat the process. Thereby a Service Provider representing a large business organization or consortium offers a single umbrella service and is able to introduce new services or sources of information, and to cease, re-configure or resituate the existing services with no effect whatever upon public network or message network equipment.