Abstract: A blower includes a housing including an inlet and an outlet, a bearing-housing structure provided to the housing and adapted to rotatably support a rotor, a motor provided to the bearing-housing structure and adapted to drive the rotor, and an impeller provided to the rotor. The bearing-housing structure includes a bearing shaft having a bearing surface that rotatably supports the rotor. The bearing shaft provides only a single bearing of the non-ball bearing type for the rotor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-invasive transdermal apparatus for measuring complex impedance of body tissue. The apparatus comprises: at least two electrodes coupled, in use, to the surface of the skin; a signal source to deliver an electrical potential to the electrodes; a monitor to detect changes in the signal passing through body tissue between the electrodes; and a processor operatively coupled to the signal source and monitor and configured to: use the signal source to apply a potential to the electrodes to reduce the electrical impedance of the stratum corneum; and use the monitor to measure complex transdermal impedance AC signals corresponding to ? and ? dispersion spectra.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing information on at least one muscle in a patient, which apparatus comprises: (i) signal providing means for providing measurement-enabling signals for the muscle; (ii) first contact electrodes for enabling the measurement-enabling signals from the signal providing means to be received by the patient; (iii) measurement means for measuring a parameter of the muscle, the parameter being such that it is affected by the measurement-enabling signals, and the parameter being such that it relates to at least one electrical property that is indicative of changes in tissue impedance caused by movement of the muscle; and (iv) a garment which is for being worn over the muscle in the patient and which comprises an array of separate electrically conducting areas. The apparatus optionally includes neuromuscular stimulator means for providing neuromuscular stimulation signals for the muscle.

Abstract: A controller is provided for a functional electrical stimulator for attachment to a leg comprising, a connector for a foot switch for sensing foot rise or foot strike, a circuit for responding to said foot switch for generating stimulation pulses and a connector for first and second electrodes for attachment to the leg for supplying stimulation pulses from said circuit The circuit includes a voltage divider of which the foot switch when connected comprises one element, a second element being provided by a digital potentiometer forming part of the controller. A micro controller is configured to make adaptive adjustment of the resistance of said digital potentiometer to take account of the resistance characteristics of the foot switch to provide an output or reference voltage permitting an open/closed state of the switch to be monitored.

Abstract: An adaptable graphical user interface is provided. The interface may include a setup region to display a group of available solvers to a user and to display parameters for at least one of the group of solvers to the user. The interface may include an options region to display a first group of active options to a user without requiring a user input for the first group of active options, where the first group of active options is determined based on a selected one of the group of solvers. The options region may further display a second group of active options to the user when another one of the solvers is selected by the user, where the second group of active options differs from the first group of active options.

Abstract: Apparatus (2) for providing information on at least one muscle (4) in a patient (6), which apparatus (2) comprises: (i) signal providing means (8) for providing measurement-enabling signals for the muscle (4); (ii) first contact electrodes (10) for enabling the measurement-enabling signals from the signal providing means to be received by the patient (6); (iii) measurement means (12) for measuring a parameter of the muscle (4), the parameter being such that it is affected by the measurement-enabling signals, and the parameter being such that it relates to at least one electrical property that is indicative of changes in tissue impedance caused by movement of the muscle (4); and (iv) a garment (14) which is for being worn over the muscle (4) in the patient (6) and which comprises an array (16) of separate electrically conducting areas (18), and the apparatus (2) being such that the first contact electrodes (10) are able to be positioned on the garment (14) at a predetermined precise position for obtaining the

Abstract: A controller is provided for a functional electrical stimulator for attachment to a leg comprising, a connector for a foot switch for sensing foot rise or foot strike, a circuit for responding to said foot switch for generating stimulation pulses and a connector for first and second electrodes for attachment to the leg for supplying stimulation pulses from said circuit The circuit includes a voltage divider of which the foot switch when connected comprises one element, a second element being provided by a digital potentiometer forming part of the controller. A micro controller is configured to make adaptive adjustment of the resistance of said digital potentiometer to take account of the resistance characteristics of the foot switch to provide an output or reference voltage permitting an open/closed state of the switch to be monitored.

Abstract: An adaptable graphical user interface is provided. The interface may include a setup region to display a group of available solvers to a user and to display parameters for at least one of the group of solvers to the user. The interface may include an options region to display a first group of active options to a user without requiring a user input for the first group of active options, where the first group of active options is determined based on a selected one of the group of solvers. The options region may further display a second group of active options to the user when another one of the solvers is selected by the user, where the second group of active options differs from the first group of active options.

Abstract: A method and graphical user interface (GUI) are provided. The method includes generating a file of executable code in a dynamically typed programming language that regenerates computations and results of a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI includes a data GUI for importing data, viewing data, generating data and generating exclusion sets for data, a fitting GUI for fitting models to data, a plotting GUI for controlling the plotting of data and fitted models, and a display window for previewing a plot.

Abstract: A method is provided of resurfacing a substrate with a natural stone the substrate having a top surface and an edge, the method including placing a plurality of templating strips on the top surface to form a template defining an outside dimension, cutting out a top piece for resurfacing the top surface based on the outside dimension of the template, cutting out an edge band for resurfacing the edge of the substrate, bonding the edge band and the top piece together to form a replacement top and adhesively joining the replacement top to the substrate. A plurality of templating jigs may be used for forming a template. Pieces of natural stone may have respective bevel cuts made in their respective edges for adjoining with other pieces to form a replacement top of natural stone. Inside edges may be reinforced with a fiberglass cloth coated with a polyester resin.

Abstract: A method and graphical user interface (GUI) are provided. The method includes generating a file of executable code in a dynamically typed programming language that regenerates computations and results of a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI includes a data GUI for importing data, viewing data, generating data and generating exclusion sets for data, a fitting GUI for fitting models to data, a plotting GUI for controlling the plotting of data and fitted models, and a display window for previewing a plot.

Abstract: A method is provided of resurfacing a substrate with a natural stone the substrate having a top surface and an edge, the method including placing a plurality of templating strips on the top surface to form a template defining an outside dimension, cutting out a top piece for resurfacing the top surface based on the outside dimension of the template, cutting out an edge band for resurfacing the edge of the substrate, bonding the edge band and the top piece together to form a replacement top and adhesively joining the replacement top to the substrate. A plurality of templating jigs may be used for forming a template. Pieces of natural stone may have respective bevel cuts made in their respective edges for adjoining with other pieces to form a replacement top of natural stone. Inside edges may be reinforced with a fiberglass cloth coated with a polyester resin.

Abstract: A photo-controlled luminescence sensor system comprising a photo-controlled acoustic wave device, an oscillator device for driving said photo-controlled acoustic wave device at a predetermined frequency, said photo-controlled acoustic wave device including a photo-conductor medium which changes its electrical conductivity in response to incident radiation (light) to vary the predetermined frequency of said photo-controlled acoustic wave device, and a frequency detection device for determining a change in said predetermined frequency caused by the radiation induced change in the conductivity of the photo-conductor medium.

Abstract: An all-optical switch includes a microsphere optical resonator coated with a conjugated polymer. A signal light beam propagating along a first SPARROW waveguide defining a throughput channel is evanescently coupled into the resonant whispering gallery modes (WGM) of the microsphere, and out of the microsphere onto a second SPARROW waveguide defining a drop channel. A secondary switching light beam is used to heat the microsphere resonator, thereby shifting its resonant frequency so that it no longer overlaps with the signal beam frequency. Light coupling into the microsphere and onto the drop channel is thus eliminated, and the signal beam is switched from the drop channel to the throughput channel. The time constant for the WGM resonant frequency shifting was about 165 ms, indicating thermo-optic switching capabilities at speeds on the order of 100 microseconds for high-Q modes. Multiple frequencies or channels can be routed using a switch configuration with multiple microspheres and drop channels.

Abstract: A method is provided of resurfacing a substrate with a natural stone the substrate having a top surface and an edge, the method including placing a plurality of templating strips on the top surface to form a template defining an outside dimension, cutting out a top piece for resurfacing the top surface based on the outside dimension of the template, cutting out an edge band for resurfacing the edge of the substrate, bonding the edge band and the top piece together to form a replacement top and adhesively joining the replacement top to the substrate. A plurality of templating jigs may be used for forming a template. Pieces of natural stone may have respective bevel cuts made in their respective edges for adjoining with other pieces to form a replacement top of natural stone. Inside edges may be reinforced with a fiberglass cloth coated with a polyester resin.

Abstract: An all-optical switch includes a microsphere optical resonator coated with a conjugated polymer. A signal light beam propagating along a first SPARROW waveguide defining a throughput channel is evanescently coupled into the resonant whispering gallery modes (WGM) of the microsphere, and out of the microsphere onto a second SPARROW waveguide defining a drop channel. A secondary switching light beam is used to heat the microsphere resonator, thereby shifting its resonant frequency so that it no longer overlaps with the signal beam frequency. Light coupling into the microsphere and onto the drop channel is thus eliminated, and the signal beam is switched from the drop channel to the throughput channel. The time constant for the WGM resonant frequency shifting was about 165 ms, indicating thermo-optic switching capabilities at speeds on the order of 100 microseconds for high-Q modes. Multiple frequencies or channels can be routed using a switch configuration with multiple microspheres and drop channels.

Abstract: Multi-arm star polymers are derived from silicon containing dendrimers and have arms containing the moiety where each R′ can be the same or different and is an alkyl group containing 1-6 carbon atoms such as methyl and ethyl or an aryl group such as phenyl; R″ is alkylene radical —(CH2)a— in which a has a value of 2 or 3; and R′″ is the —(CH2)bCH3 group in which b has a value of 1-50. These compositions can be used for dissolving metals and other electrophiles.

Abstract: A radiation detecting device comprising a radiation sensing element, and a layer of luminescent material to expand the range of wavelengths over which the sensing element can efficiently detect radiation. The luminescent material being selected to absorb radiation at selected wavelengths, causing the luminescent material to luminesce, and the luminescent radiation being detected by the sensing element. Radiation sensing elements include photodiodes (singly and in arrays), CCD arrays, IR detectors and photomultiplier tubes. Luminescent materials include polymers, oligomers, copolymers and porphyrines, Luminescent layers include thin films, thicker layers, and liquid polymers.