Abstract: A catheter device for use in the photodynamic treatment of a body cavity or hollow organ of the body, such as the bladder, the device being used in the photodynamic treatment of abnormalities, disorders or diseases of the internal surfaces of said body cavity or hollow organ.

Abstract: This invention relates to a bow sight and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an automatic bow sight which is releasably securable to a bow. The bow finder includes a range finder, a range finder aiming mechanism for use in assisting to aim the range finder at a target, a display arrangement including a plurality of fight sources that can be switched on independently and/or in combination, and a processor configured to receive information from the range finder, and to send an actuation signal to the display arrangement in order for at least some of the light sources to be selectively switched on.

Abstract: A method of identifying portions of a model of a surface of a patient which can be used to identify to position of a patient is provided. A pre-existing model of the surface of a patient is utilised to generate simulated images of the projection of patterns of light onto the surface of the patient. The simulated images are then processed to generate a further model of the surface. Any differences between the model generated by processing the simulated images and the original model surface identifies portions of the surface which cannot be reliably modelled and hence portions of a surface which should not be used to monitor the positioning of a patient. The invention has particular application for identifying the reliability and accuracy of generated models of the surface of a patient used for monitoring and positioning a patient undergoing radiotherapy.

Abstract: The invention provides a dosing system for an inhalation device, comprising a filling chamber (10); a reservoir chamber (31) which supplies liquid (3) to an aerosol generator (301); and a plunger (20) which includes an overflow chamber (25) and which is pivotable about a hinge (50). The filling chamber has an inner wall (12) which is higher on the side adjacent to the hinge than on the opposite side. When the filling chamber is filled with liquid and the plunger is pivoted into the filling chamber, part of the liquid is displaced over the lower side (17) of the inner wall into the reservoir chamber and some or all of the remaining liquid is displaced into the overflow chamber. The invention also provides an inhalation device comprising the dosing system and a method for dosing liquid to the inhalation device.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a membrane surface immersed in a liquid medium with a fluid flow, including the steps of providing a randomly generated intermittent or pulsed fluid flow along the membrane surface to dislodge fouling materials therefrom. A membrane module is also disclosed comprising a plurality of porous membranes (6) or a set of membrane modules (5) and a device (11) for providing a generally randomly generated, pulsed fluid flow such that, in use, said fluid flow moves past the surfaces of said membranes (6) to dislodge fouling materials therefrom.

Abstract: A pneumatic depth sensor system for remotely reporting on a depth of a body of fluid is provided. The system comprises a regulated source of compressed gas, a first pressure sensor upstream from a normally-closed electronic solenoid valve, a second pressure sensor downstream from the electronic solenoid valve and a bubbler outlet downstream from the second pressure sensor, the bubbler outlet for locating at a bottom of the body of fluid, the depth sensor system under control of a microprocessor, the microprocessor in electronic communication with the first and second pressure sensors and the normally-closed electronic solenoid valve, and configured to instruct the normally-closed electronic solenoid valve to be in a fully open position or a fully closed position and to rapidly change position in response to a pressure reading from the second pressure sensor.

Abstract: Compositions, systems and methods are provided for conferring disease resistance to plant pathogens that use proteases to target plant substrate proteins inside plant cells. Briefly, the compositions, systems and methods are based upon plant substrate proteins that are targeted by pathogen-specific proteases and that activate nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeat (NB-LRR) disease resistance proteins when cleaved by the protease. These substrate proteins are modified such that the endogenous protease recognition sequence is replaced by a protease recognition sequence specific to a different pathogen protease (i.e., a heterologous protease recognition sequence). The modified plant substrate protein therefore can be used in connection with its corresponding NB-LRR protein to activate resistance in response to cleavage by the heterologous pathogen-specific protease. When activated by the plant pathogen-specific protease, the pair initiates host defense responses thereto, including programmed cell death.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a membrane surface immersed in a liquid medium with a fluid flow, including the steps of providing a randomly generated intermittent or pulsed fluid flow along the membrane surface to dislodge fouling materials therefrom. A membrane module is also disclosed comprising a plurality of porous membranes (6) or a set of membrane modules (5) and a device (11) for providing a generally randomly generated, pulsed fluid flow such that, in use, said fluid flow moves past the surfaces of said membranes (6) to dislodge fouling materials therefrom.

Abstract: A superhard construction comprises a substrate comprising a peripheral surface, an interface surface and a longitudinal axis and a super hard material layer formed over the substrate and having an exposed outer surface forming a working surface, a peripheral surface extending therefrom and an interface surface. One of the interface surface of the substrate or the interface surface of the super hard material layer comprises one or more projections arranged to project from the interface surface, the height of the one or more projections being between around 0.2 mm to around 1.0 mm measured from the lowest point on the interface surface from which the one or more projections extend.

Abstract: A modular acetabular cup assembly for use with multiple bearing liners is disclosed. The acetabular cup assembly includes a shell having a tapered inner wall and two circumferential grooves. The shell may be used with polyethylene, ceramic, metal, and other types of liners.

Abstract: Systems and methods for treating unwashed fruit with fruit bloom that provide a first ultraviolet (UV) energy with one or more flashes using a first set of one or more flash lamps to a first surface of each of a plurality of blueberries and provide a second UV energy with one or more flashes using a second set of one or more flash lamps to a second surface of each of the plurality of blueberries. The system determines a fruit bloom level associated with the plurality of blueberries after provision of the first and second UV energies and determines an adjustment to a parameter of at least one of the first and second UV energies based on the fruit bloom level. The system provides UV energy with the adjusted parameter to a subsequent set of blueberries to remove microorganisms from the blueberries while retaining fruit bloom.

Abstract: A patient monitoring system for monitoring a patient undergoing radiotherapy comprising a projector operable to project a pattern of light onto a patient undergoing radiation treatment, a patient restraint operable to restrain the patient relative to a treatment apparatus, an image detector operable to obtain images of the patient, and a model generation module operable to process images of the patient obtained by the image detector to generate a model of the surface of a portion of the patient, wherein at least a portion of the patient restraint is colored and the model generation module is inhibited from generating a model of the colored portion of the patient restraint.

Abstract: A method and data storage system receives a confidence vector for a non-binary symbol value read from a memory cell of a non-volatile memory device, where the confidence vector includes a first plurality of confidence values and transforms the first plurality of confidence values into a first plurality of likelihood values using a forward tensor-product transform. A respective binary message passing decoding operation is performed with each of the first plurality of likelihood values to generate a second plurality of likelihood values, and the second plurality of likelihood values are transformed into a second plurality of confidence values of the confidence vector using a reverse tensor-product transform.

Abstract: Compositions, systems and methods are provided for conferring disease resistance to plant pathogens that use proteases to target plant substrate proteins inside plant cells. Briefly, the compositions, systems and methods are based upon plant substrate proteins that are targeted by pathogen-specific proteases and that activate nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeat (NB-LRR) disease resistance proteins when cleaved by the protease. These substrate proteins are modified such that the endogenous protease recognition sequence is replaced by a protease recognition sequence specific to a different pathogen protease (i.e., a heterologous protease recognition sequence). The modified plant substrate protein therefore can be used in connection with its corresponding NB-LRR protein to activate resistance in response to cleavage by the heterologous pathogen-specific protease. When activated by the plant pathogen-specific protease, the pair initiates host defense responses thereto, including programmed cell death.

Abstract: A modular acetabular cup assembly for use with multiple bearing liners is disclosed. The acetabular cup assembly includes a shell having a tapered inner wall and two circumferential grooves. The shell may be used with polyethylene, ceramic, metal, and other types of liners.

Abstract: The invention is an improved process and system for producing a shaped snack chip. A shaping oven, which uses a chain edge conveyor having transverse slats with at least one spring affixed to the slats, is used to convert dough pieces into shaped pre-forms, which can optionally be further dehydrated to form shaped snack chips.

Abstract: Cutting elements for earth-boring tools include one or more recesses and/or one or more protrusions in a cutting face of a volume of superabrasive material. The superabrasive material may be disposed on a substrate. The cutting face may be non-planar. The recesses and/or protrusions may include one or more linear segments. The recesses and/or protrusions may comprise discrete features that are laterally isolated from one another. The recesses and/or protrusions may have a helical configuration. The volume of superabrasive material may comprise a plurality of thin layers, at least two of which may differ in at least one characteristic. Methods of forming cutting elements include the formation of such recesses and/or protrusions in and/or on a cutting face of a volume of superabrasive material. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements, and methods of forming earth-boring tools include attaching such a cutting element to a tool body.