Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing detection of optical signals indicating the presence of an analyte of interest in a blood sample are described. In one aspect, a blood culture test vial having a sensor is inoculated with the blood sample, light at an excitation frequency of the sensor is transmitted to the test vial, an intensity of a plurality of fluorescence signals emitted from the test vial is measured, and the plurality of measured fluorescence signals are normalized using by a reference signal that is not dependent on a measured intensity of a fluorescence signal emitted from the test vial. In another aspect, a measurement system measures fluorescence signals from one or more reference vials performing in extreme pH conditions. Fluorescence signals emitted from test vials inoculated with samples under test are measured and compared to the signals measured from the one or more reference vials to address or mitigate variability in hardware components of the measurement system.

Abstract: A flexible container incorporating flexible front and rear sheets with a perimeter seal in which at least one length or section of the perimeter seal can include a seal weld that has both a permanent seal section and a pressure absorbing seal section. The pressure absorbing seal section is configured to peel, fail, or split when the flexible container, filled with a solution or liquid, is dropped onto a hard surface to thereby absorb the impact of the drop. The flexible container can be provided with one or more dispensing and/or additive ports or without any port. The flexible container may include more than one compartments with a peelable seal separating two adjoining compartments of the flexible container.

Abstract: A flexible container incorporating flexible front and rear sheets with a perimeter seal in which at least one length or section of the perimeter seal can include a seal weld that has both a permanent seal section and a pressure absorbing seal section. The pressure absorbing seal section is configured to peel, fail, or split when the flexible container, filled with a solution or liquid, is dropped onto a hard surface to thereby absorb the impact of the drop. The flexible container can be provided with one or more dispensing and/or additive ports or without any port. The flexible container may include more than one compartments with a peelable seal separating two adjoining compartments of the flexible container.

Abstract: A flexible container is provided for the storage and administration of medical solutions. The container incorporates a transparent front sheet made from a planar layer of a polymer and an opposing rear sheet. The rear sheet is made from a planar laminate layer. The front and rear sheets are sealed together along a common peripheral edge to form a volume enclosure. The volume enclosure is constructed of materials having high oxygen and moisture barrier properties which allows the container thermoplastic to be stored for extended periods of time without degrading the contents. The volume enclosure is then inflated with a pressurized gas to permanently stretch the front and rear sheets outwardly and to thereby increase the volume capacity of the container. An alternative embodiment of the container incorporates multiple compartments, separated by peelable seals, for containing a diluent and a medicament.

Abstract: A flexible container is provided for the storage and administration of medical solutions. The container incorporates a transparent front sheet made from a planar layer of a polymer and an opposing rear sheet. The rear sheet is made from a planar laminate layer. The front and rear sheets are sealed together along a common peripheral edge to form a volume enclosure. The volume enclosure is constructed of materials having high oxygen and moisture barrier properties which allows the container thermoplastic to be stored for extended periods of time without degrading the contents. The volume enclosure is then inflated with a pressurized gas to permanently stretch the front and rear sheets outwardly and to thereby increase the volume capacity of the container. An alternative embodiment of the container incorporates multiple compartments, separated by peelable seals, for containing a diluent and a medicament.

Abstract: A flexible container is provided for the storage and administration of medical solutions. The container incorporates a transparent front sheet made from a planar layer of a polymer and an opposing rear sheet. The rear sheet is made from a planar laminate layer. The front and rear sheets are sealed together along a common peripheral edge to form a volume enclosure. The volume enclosure is constructed of materials having high oxygen and moisture barrier properties which allows the container thermoplastic to be stored for extended periods of time without degrading the contents. The volume enclosure is then inflated with a pressurized gas to permanently stretch the front and rear sheets outwardly and to thereby increase the volume capacity of the container. An alternative embodiment of the container incorporates multiple compartments, separated by peelable seals, for containing a diluent and a medicament.

Abstract: A flexible container is provided for the storage and administration of medical solutions. The container incorporates a transparent front sheet made from a planar layer of a polymer and an opposing rear sheet. The rear sheet is made from a planar laminate layer. The front and rear sheets are sealed together along a common peripheral edge to form a volume enclosure. The volume enclosure is constructed of materials having high oxygen and moisture barrier properties which allows the container thermoplastic to be stored for extended periods of time without degrading the contents. The volume enclosure is then inflated with a pressurized gas to permanently stretch the front and rear sheets outwardly and to thereby increase the volume capacity of the container. An alternative embodiment of the container incorporates multiple compartments, separated by peelable seals, for containing a diluent and a medicament.

Abstract: A flexible container is provided for the storage and administration of medical solutions. The container incorporates a transparent front sheet made from a planar layer of a polymer and an opposing rear sheet. The rear sheet is made from a planar laminate layer. The front and rear sheets are sealed together along a common peripheral edge to form a volume enclosure. The volume enclosure is constructed of materials having high oxygen and moisture barrier properties which allows the container thermoplastic to be stored for extended periods of time without degrading the contents. The volume enclosure is then inflated with a pressurized gas to permanently stretch the front and rear sheets outwardly and to thereby increase the volume capacity of the container. An alternative embodiment of the container incorporates multiple compartments, separated by peelable seals, for containing a diluent and a medicament.

Abstract: A flexible container is provided for the storage and administration of medical solutions. The container incorporates a transparent front sheet made from a planar layer of a polymer and an opposing rear sheet. The rear sheet is made from a planar laminate layer. The front and rear sheets are sealed together along a common peripheral edge to form a volume enclosure. The volume enclosure is constructed of materials having high oxygen and moisture barrier properties which allows the container thermoplastic to be stored for extended periods of time without degrading the contents. The volume enclosure is then inflated with a pressurized gas to permanently stretch the front and rear sheets outwardly and to thereby increase the volume capacity of the container. An alternative embodiment of the container incorporates multiple compartments, separated by peelable seals, for containing a diluent and a medicament.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions in the form of solutions, tablets and gels adapted for prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions. The compositions are suitable for use as an oral lavage, and comprises water, a peroxide (preferably hydrogen peroxide) in a premixed aqueous form in the preparation mixture, with between about 0.01% and about 0.4% of a bicarbonate (preferably sodium bicarbonate). To produce such a composition adapted for the prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions most preferably involves dissolving the peroxide and bicarbonate in an aqueous solution to produce a premixed preparation. In preferred embodiments, the aqueous solution has between about 0.01% and about 0.8% hydrogen or benzoyl peroxide and between about 0.01% and about 0.4% sodium bicarbonate. In more preferable embodiments of the present invention, the oral lavage (formulation) includes hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of about 0.4% and sodium bicarbonate at a concentration of about 0.2%.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions in the form of solutions, tablets and gels adapted for prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions. The compositions are suitable for use as an oral lavage, and comprises water, a peroxide (preferably hydrogen peroxide) in a premixed aqueous form in the preparation mixture, with between about 0.01% and about 0.4% of a bicarbonate (preferably sodium bicarbonate). To produce such a composition adapted for the prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions most preferably involves dissolving the peroxide and bicarbonate in an aqueous solution to produce a premixed preparation. Additionally, a method for prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions incident the use of chemotherapeutic agents is included in the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention involves a preparation adapted for prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions, The preparation comprises water, between about 0.1% and about 0.8% hydrogen peroxide and between about 0.1% and about 0.4% sodium bicarbonate. In more preferable embodiments of the present invention, the hydrogen peroxide is about 0.4% and the sodium bicarbonate is about 0.2%.Additionally, a method for prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions is included in the present invention. This method involves the step of initially providing a preparation preferably comprising water, between about 0.1% and about 0.8% hydrogen peroxide and between about 0.1% and about 0.4% sodium bicarbonate. Oral rinsing with said preparation, particularly multiple daily oral rinsing, enhances healing of oral lesions and impedes or prevents the development of oral lesions such as, for example, those frequently incident to cancer chemotherapy.SOL also appears to be dental plaque retardant.

Abstract: The present invention involves a preparation adapted for prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions. The preparation is suitable for use as an oral lavage, and comprises water, hydrogen peroxide in a premixed aqueous form in the preparation mixture, with between about 0.1% and about 0.4% sodium bicarbonate. To produce such a preparation adapted for the prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions most preferably involves dissolving hydrogen peroxide and sodium bicarbonate in an aqueous solution to produce a premixed preparation having between about 0.1% and about 0.8% hydrogen peroxide and between about 0.1% and about 0.4% sodium bicarbonate. In more preferable embodiments of the present invention, the oral lavage (formulation) includes hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of about 0.4% and sodium bicarbonate at a concentration of about 0.2%. Additionally, a method for prophylaxis and treatment of oral lesions incident the use of chemotherapeutic agents is included in the present invention.

Abstract: A thermal detector arrangement includes a number of channels, each including a collimator for collimating incident radiation to a respective optical filter. Each optical filter has a respective radiation passband characteristic with one having a passband spanning the passbands of all of the other optical filters. The radiation passed by each optical filter is passed to a thermal detector, which preferably is in the form of a thermally isolating membrane acting as a radiation absorbent cavity and supported by a semiconductor substrate. The output signals from the thermal detectors are multiplexed, amplified by an amplifier having voltage offset compensation and digitally processed to provide an indication of a fire to be sensed.

Abstract: For an excimer laser system utilizing in a laser chamber a lasing material and a mixture of a diluent rare gas and a heavy rare gas and halogen rare gas in given percentages, there is disclosed a method and apparatus for reducing the expenditure of the rare gases by continuously evacuating the laser mixture from the laser chamber removing from the evacuated laser mixture any gaseous impurities to provide a cleaned laser mixture and thereafter feeding the cleaned laser mixture back into the laser chamber. Along with the cleaned laser mixture there is fed in a supplemental halogen gas. The gaseous impurities along with the halogen are removed by passing the gas through an elongated tube having calcium particles therein with a void fraction for a given length of tube in the range 0.30 to 0.60. Some of the ratio is obtained by providing alternate layers of calcium particles and inert, refractory spacers, such as stainless steel wool.

Abstract: For an excimer laser system utilizing in a laser chamber a lasing material and a mixture of a diluent rare gas and a heavy rare gas and halogen rare gas in given percentages there is disclosed a method and apparatus for reducing the expenditure of the rare gases by continuously evacuating the laser mixture from the laser chamber removing from the evacuated laser mixture any foreign halogen compounds to provide a cleaned laser mixture and thereafter feeding the cleaned lasing mixture back into the laser chamber. Along with the cleaned laser mixture there is fed in a supplementing lasing material which is a mixture of the halogen gas, the diluent gas and the heavy rare gas. The percentage of the halogen gas in the supplemental material is substantially greater than the given percentage in the lasing chamber while the percentages of the diluent gas and the heavy rare gas are substantially the same as the percentage ratios of the given percentages.

Abstract: A new method and apparatus for storing and delivering the electrical energy used to drive high powered, gas discharge laser devices which require transverse electrical excitation utilizes high voltage commercial storage capacitors and the optimum electrical characteristics and cost advantages of planar electrical transmission lines.