Abstract: The invention features an exhalation assist device for adjusting the airway resistance in an exhalation circuit of a medical ventilator. The device includes a set of pressure, airflow and airway sensors, a controlling processor, a user interface, and a ventilatory unit in communication with a medical ventilator. Data relating to pressure within the ventilatory unit and data relating to exhalation airflow, exhalation circuit pressure and exhalation circuit resistance are provided to the controlling processor by the sensors. The controlling processor compares measured and calculated values for airway pressure, airflow, airway resistance and applied negative pressure with desired values that have been entered by a clinician. Based on these calculations, the controlling processor transmits a signal that will change the applied negative pressure applied to the exhalation circuit by the ventilatory unit.

Abstract: A conduit sleeve structure for use with fiber optic cables, coaxial cables and the like includes a pair of adjacent strip-shaped layers of flexible material that are joined along their longitudinal edges to define a channel through which the cable can extend longitudinally through the innerduct structure between the layers. The adjacent layers have differing widths between their longitudinal edges, whereby the wider layer bulges away from the narrower layer to impart an open configuration to the channel. It has been found that the conduit sleeve structure may be manufactured more efficiently and inexpensively if multiple sheets and pull cords are stacked and arranged in such a way that multiple conduit sleeve structures may be manufactured simultaneously in a parallel arrangement. The method of manufacturing the conduit sleeve structures includes feeding several stacked sheets through a folding machine or mechanism, a stitching machine, and then a slitting machine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hawser guidance system, adaptable to a quick release mooring hook assembly, which is provided with a hook and a vertical arm supporting a rope carrier that can orient itself aligned with the direction of an incoming hawser or mooring cable, and, optionally, with a righting bar located in front of the hook for righting the eye, in such a way as to guide the eye of the hawser or mooring cable to the hook and to engage the hook of a quick release mooring hook assembly.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting memory leaks in an object-oriented environment during real-time trace processing is provided. During the profiling of a program executing in a data processing system, a profiler processes events caused by the execution of the program, and the profiler maintains a profile data structure containing execution-related metrics for the program. The execution-related metrics may include object allocation and deallocation metrics that are associated with object processing initiated on behalf of an executing method. An object allocator allocates objects during the execution of the program and modifies object allocation metrics in the profile data structure. An object deallocator, such as a garbage collector, deallocates objects during the execution of the program and modifies object deallocation metrics in the profile data structure. The object allocation metrics and the object deallocation metrics may be compared to identify memory leaks.

Abstract: A patient ventilator system for automatically weaning a patient from a ventilator.

Abstract: A patient ventilator system for automatically weaning a patient from a ventilator.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for operating an object-oriented environment within a computer system. The execution of the object-oriented environment is initiated. A first memory location is allocated in a memory area within the object-oriented environment for storing an object. A second memory location is allocated in the memory area with the allocation of the first memory location for storing a persistence indicator. The persistence indicator indicates a point during the execution of the object-oriented environment at which the allocation of the first memory location occurred. A total number of bytes of the memory area which had been allocated during the execution of the object-oriented environment when the allocation of the first memory location occurred is stored as the persistence indicator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for instrumenting garbage collection in a data processing system is provided. During garbage collection, a pass is made through the object heap and a plurality of heap data is retrieved and written to a trace file. The data may include the type of object, the size of the object on the heap, the class of the object, if appropriate, and a plurality of pointers, including live set pointers, and one or more tags representing attributes that may be associated with the particular object. The instrumentation may controlled to occur at a preselected phase of the garbage collection process. Additionally, a user may dynamically initiate a garbage collection instrumentation if the user determines that an event has occurred during the operation of the data processing system about which the user wishes further data.

Abstract: A medical retrieval device is used to retrieve and/or fragment stones (and/or other objects) from the body of a patient. The device has a retrieval basket with a releasable tip. The tip release is designed to release in a controlled pre-determined manner and under a predetermined force before any other component of the device fails due to a force exerted on the basket.

Abstract: A single, integrated device in which a body fluid (e.g., blood) of a human or animal can be both collected and analyzed easily and without risk of contamination is disclosed. The collection portion and analysis portion of the device are permanently joined to permit movement of small quantities of body fluid under controlled conditions, to minimize any waste of the body fluid, to ensure that no contamination reaches the main body fluid volume, and to create a permanent physical record of the results of the analysis in association with the fluid sample itself: A wide variety of different body fluid components which may be indicative of various diseases, dysfunctions and abnormalities of the human or animal or the body fluid itself can be tested for.

Abstract: The invention features an exhalation assist device for adjusting the airway resistance in an exhalation circuit of a medical ventilator. The device includes a set of pressure, airflow and airway sensors, a controlling processor, a user interface, and a ventilatory unit in communication with a medical ventilator. Data relating to pressure within the ventilatory unit and data relating to exhalation airflow, exhalation circuit pressure and exhalation circuit resistance are provided to the controlling processor by the sensors. The controlling processor compares measured and calculated values for airway pressure, airflow, airway resistance and applied negative pressure with desired values that have been entered by a clinician. Based on these calculations, the controlling processor transmits a signal that will change the applied negative pressure applied to the exhalation circuit by the ventilatory unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transporting a liquid on the body of a person and discharging the liquid. The apparatus consists of a liquid container that is dimensioned so that a top portion thereof may be inserted between the buttocks of a user. The liquid container is connected to a hose, which is of sufficient length to pass between a user's legs. The hose is capped, so as to prevent accidental discharge of the contained liquid. In the preferred embodiment, the temperature of the contained liquid may be maintained by lining the base of the liquid container with an insulation material and, where necessary, positioning a heat packet within an opening in the insulation material.

Abstract: A patient ventilator system for automatically weaning a patient from a ventilator.

Abstract: The invention features an exhalation assist device for adjusting the airway resistance in an exhalation circuit of a medical ventilator. The device includes a set of pressure, airflow and airway sensors, a controlling processor, a user interface, and a ventilatory unit in communication with a medical ventilator. Data relating to pressure within the ventilatory unit and data relating to exhalation airflow, exhalation circuit pressure and exhalation circuit resistance are provided to the controlling processor by the sensors. The controlling processor compares measured and calculated values for airway pressure, airflow, airway resistance and applied negative pressure with desired values that have been entered by a clinician. Based on these calculations, the controlling processor transmits a signal that will change the applied negative pressure applied to the exhalation circuit by the ventilatory unit.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting and correcting error conditions on sequential devices in a private loop direct access fiber channel network respectively include the steps and instructions for determining the state of an exchange using an initiator and initiating an appropriate sequence level recovery using the initiator. The invention further includes determining whether a target response is overdue using a timer in conjunction with internal driver state information for indicating that packet information may have been lost. The invention further requests exchange and sequence state information from the target for determining the need for corrective action and takes the needed corrective action, such as resending sequence information, requesting that the target resend sequence information, or providing early indication to the ULP that an error has occurred.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining a unique reserve command relationship between an initiator and a target device in a Fibre Channel network across network address changes after a break in communication. The present invention maintains triplet tables containing data triplets, comprised of the network address, the port name, and the node name, for each initiator and each target device. Following a break in network communication that results in the network address of an initiator and/or a target device changing, the method of the present invention updates the recorded network addresses for the initiators and the target devices, maintains any previously-existing unique reserve command relationships and continues with I/O transmission. Although the network address of an initiator may change, the node name and port name of the initiator will remain the same.

Abstract: Disclosed are kaolin compositions of at least one hydrous kaolin characterized by a particle size distribution where 98% of the particles are less than about 2.mu., 90% are less than about 0.5.mu. and the median particle size is less than about 0.3.mu.. Also disclosed is a process which involves the steps (i) preparing an aqueous slurry of at least one hydrous kaolin; (ii) separating the particles from said slurry so that the particle size distribution is such that 98% of the particles are less than about 2.mu., 90% are less than about 0.5.mu. and a median particle size is less than about 0.3.mu.; and (iii) drying said separated particles. Pigment pastes and electrodeposition paints containing said compositions as well as cationic electrodeposition of said paint on a substrate and the article of manufacture prepared thereby are disclosed.

Abstract: A subsystem and method permits multiple protocols, to run simultaneously over a single adapter with minimal overhead.First interface structures are defined having similar component properties of a buffer address, buffer length, and cross-memory descriptor. The first structures are chainable, whereby data may be gathered from or scattered to multiple discontiguous data buffers for a single operation. A common structure completed by protocol heads has a pointer to the chain of first interface structures. For each control element, multiple buffer descriptors are provided to describe the various user buffers. The chain of multiple buffer structures contains pointers to the first structures employed to map buffers and obtain DMA addresses for an adapter. A layered architecture is provided for while allowing flexibility of utilizing current interfaces. Multiple protocols running over a single adapter driver are effected wherein the same protocol head code may run over a different adapter supporting the interface.

Abstract: Disclosed are Power Encoder means for imprinting MICR characters on checks, with optical check-sensing means disposed along a check-transport path, including optical skew-sensor means.

Abstract: Disclosed are Power Encoder means for imprinting MICR characters on checks, with optical check-sensing means disposed along a check-transport path, including optical skew-sensor means and a transport control arrangement for advancing checks past processing stations according to one or several "velocity-profiles", depending upon the type and/or condition of the check.