Abstract: The invention provides a composite textile or material comprising a substrate of high strength fibers, and having a natural or synthetic diamond coating bonded thereto. Preferably, the textile is a high strength fabric including or made from aramide fibers, and the natural or synthetic coating is applied by a process such as plasma or flame spraying, chemical vapor deposition, sintering, or fast pulse laser deposition. The textile or fabric can preferably be used to make or reinforce protective clothing including vests, hats, helmets, jackets, pants, shoes or boots, coats, blankets, rugs, curtains, and the like. The textile or fabric may also include an iodine or iodine containing coating, to absorb radioactive radiation, and to kill airborne pathogens, including bacteria and viruses.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for removing airborne pathogens and toxic substances from a surface of an article or a volume of air, comprising: a main processing chamber having a door for ingress to and egress from the main processing chamber, at least two high voltage electrodes for generating a current. The electrode can form ozone, if desired, to destroy pathogens. Optionally, the electrodes can be in a sealed or unsealed glass tube, with or without mercury, to generate ultraviolet light for photochemical reaction with pathogens or other contaminants. The apparatus also includes a post processing chamber comprising at least one filter for removing or absorbing airborne particulates and pathogens, and includes low voltage electrodes to neutralize charges in air transmitted from the main processing chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for sanitizing a plurality of articles, which comprises a housing enclosing a sanitizing zone, the housing having a seal for preventing leakage of gas or fluid from the sanitizing zone; a pump for introducing an antimicrobial fluid into the sanitizing zone; and a pump for withdrawing the fluid from the sanitizing zone. The device also includes at least one high power microwave source and at least one ultraviolet irradiating source, or a microwave source that also generates ultraviolet radiation. Preferably, the gas is a halogen, such as chlorine, bromine, or iodine, or a gas or fluid containing chlorine or bromine ions, but it can be ozone or another gas which kills bacteria, microbes, viruses, and other pathogens. The fluid can also be sprayed droplets or vaporized sodium hypochlorite, or similar antiseptic agent.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for removing airborne pathogens and toxic substances from a surface of an article or a volume of air, comprising: a main processing chamber having a door for ingress to and egress from the main processing chamber, at least two high voltage electrodes for generating a current. The electrode can form ozone, if desired, to destroy pathogens. Optionally, the electrodes can be in a sealed or unsealed glass tube, with or without mercury, to generate ultraviolet light for photochemical reaction with pathogens or other contaminants. The apparatus also includes a post processing chamber comprising at least one filter for removing or absorbing airborne particulates and pathogens, and includes low voltage electrodes to neutralize charges in air transmitted from the main processing chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides a portable or hand-held vacuum cleaner that includes a filtration system or filtration module that can pick up particles and contaminants. It has a first passive stage (such as a HEPA filter) to collect dust particles, and contaminants over a predetermined size. The invention also includes an active stage filter(such as an ozone generator) which may include one or more chemical (or biological) agents effective to kill bacteria, viruses, and the like.

Abstract: The invention provides a composite textile or material comprising a substrate of high strength fibers, and having a natural or synthetic diamond coating bonded thereto. Preferably, the textile is a high strength fabric including or made from aramide fibers, and the natural or synthetic coating is applied by a process such as plasma or flame spraying, chemical vapor deposition, sintering, or fast pulse laser deposition. The textile or fabric can preferably be used to make or reinforce protective clothing including vests, hats, helmets, jackets, pants, shoes or boots, coats, blankets, rugs, curtains, and the like. The textile or fabric may also include an iodine or iodine containing coating, to absorb radioactive radiation, and to kill airborne pathogens, including bacteria and viruses.

Abstract: The invention provides a gas mask comprising a face piece including a transparent eye covering, and including a space to allow air to circulate around the nose and mouth of a wearer, and having an airtight seal to prevent contaminated air from entering the gas mask; a filtration apparatus containing an active stage and a passive stage, the passive stage for filtering out particles above a predetermined size, and including adsorbent media for removing toxic or harmful substances and fluids from the contaminated air, the active stage containing at least one agent to kill ambient bacteria and viruses; an intake vent permitting contaminated air to enter into the filtration system; at least one passageway connecting the filtration apparatus to the space around the nose and mouth of the wearer; and an exhalation port through which exhaled air may be expelled.

Abstract: An air purifier includes a housing having a purification chamber with an inlet to the housing for drawing in contaminated air and an outlet from the housing for releasing purified air. The air purifier also includes an inlet for introducing a fluid containing a source of antimicrobial ions into the purification chamber. The air purifier also includes at least one microwave radiation source and at least one ultraviolet radiation source which work in combination to increase the effectiveness of the antimicrobial ions. Also included are filters for removing airborne particulates and adsorbing antimicrobial ions from treated air.

Abstract: The invention provides a portable or hand-held vacuum cleaner that includes a filtration system or filtration module that can pick up particles and contaminants. It has a first passive stage (such as a HEPA filter) to collect dust particles, and contaminants over a predetermined size. The invention also includes an active stage filter(such as an ozone generator) which may include one or more chemical (or biological) agents effective to kill bacteria, viruses, and the like.

Abstract: The invention provides a gas mask comprising a face piece including a transparent eye covering, and including a space to allow air to circulate around the nose and mouth of a wearer, and having an airtight seal to prevent contaminated air from entering the gas mask; a filtration apparatus containing an active stage and a passive stage, the passive stage for filtering out particles above a predetermined size, and including adsorbent media for removing toxic or harmful substances and fluids from the contaminated air, the active stage containing at least one agent to kill ambient bacteria and viruses; an intake vent permitting contaminated air to enter into the filtration system; at least one passageway connecting the filtration apparatus to the space around the nose and mouth of the wearer; and an exhalation port through which exhaled air may be expelled.

Abstract: An intelligent video monitor system includes a video monitoring unit having a plurality of detectors arranged in an array for monitoring for an intrusion within a defined area. A plurality of video receiver units are dispersed with and arranged in an array along with the plurality of detectors for monitoring video within the defined area, each of the plurality of video receiver units arranged for monitoring a portion of the defined area. Processing and control circuitry processes outputs from the plurality of detectors and video receiver units and automatically selects at least one of the video receiver units based on the processed outputs and a wireless transmitter transmits the output from the automatically selected at least one video receiver unit. A wireless receiver unit receives the output signal transmitted by the transmitter. The receiver unit includes an antenna for receiving the signal output from the transmitter.

Abstract: A food article washer includes a container for containing food articles and a cleaning liquid used for cleaning the food articles. A basket is provided within the container for holding the food articles contained within the container. A vibration device imparts vibrations to the cleaning liquid contained within the container, without coming into physical contact with the food articles. The vibrations break driving the liquid into the food articles.

Abstract: A layer of zirconium can be used as an adhesion layer between a ceramic or polyimide substrate and subsequently applied metallic layers. Following the zirconium layer, copper can be deposited followed by a reaction barrier layer and a wettable surface layer such as gold. This type of structure can be used for pin bracing, chip joining, and/or wire connections.

Abstract: Acoustic transducers are attached to each of the drill bits which produce electrical output signals in response to the vibrations during the drilling operation. A plurality of output signal includes waveforms having an amplitude and frequency dependent upon the condition of the drill bit and the medium being drilled. The waveforms represent the acoustic signature produced by the drilling operation. A control unit simultaneously compares the acoustic signature of each of the output signals with a reference signal by comparing the waveforms to determine if an improper drill condition exits. When drilling through a multilayered workpiece such as a printed circuit board having layers of different types of materials, the acoustic transducers will produce an output signal having a sequence of waveforms representing the acoustic signatures of the sequence layers. The control unit counts the number of waveform occurrences for each particular type of layer and indicates when a predetermined level is reached.

Abstract: A laser drilling control system utilizing photoacoustic feedback is described. The control system provides an accurate monitoring of the laser drilling of a multilayered printed circuit board thereby allowing uniform drilling through layers of different optical and photoacoustic properties by both analyzing the photoacoustic feedback signals received, and adjusting optimally the laser parameters such as pulse duration, wavelength, energy, pulse repetition rate, and the number of pulses, for each successive layer. The system also provides an end point detection which prevents underdrilling overheating, and overdrilling of underlying layers and associated damages. According to another aspect of this invention, the control system can be used as a sensitive misregistration detector for aligning the laser beam to a selected drill site for subsequent drilling at the selected drill site.