Abstract: The present invention features a system and methods for notifying passengers of an approaching vehicle. Utilizing such a system and methods, passengers can remain in a safe, controlled environment, avoiding harsh environmental conditions and excessive waiting times, instead arriving at their pick-up point closer and prior to a vehicle's arrival. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bus notification system (100a) wherein passengers are able to know the location and estimated arrival time of the bus several minutes before its arrival at a specified location along the bus route. The present invention also features a system and methods for locating an in-transit vehicle and for providing real-time mapping and monitoring of such in-transit vehicles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and methods for notifying passengers of an approaching vehicle. Utilizing this invention, passengers can remain in a safe, controlled environment, avoiding harsh environmental conditions and excessive waiting times, instead arriving at their pick-up point just prior to a vehicle's arrival. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bus notification system wherein passengers are able know the precise location and arrival time of the transporting vehicle several minutes before its arrival at a specified location along the vehicle route.

Abstract: An implantable cardioverting/defibrillating pacemaker and method for treating arrhythmias of a patient's heart are disclosed. Bradycardia support pacing is initially provided at a normal standby rate, in the absence of a tachycardia. Upon detection and confirmation of a tachycardia, antitachycardia therapy in the form of antitachycardia pacing pulse therapy and/or cardioversion or defibrillation therapy is delivered to the heart. Thereafter, upon reversion of the tachycardia, bradycardia support pacing is again delivered to the heart but at a greater rate than the earlier normal standby rate and only for a predetermined time period. At the end of such time period, the bradycardia support pacing rate is returned to the normal standby rate, either directly or in decremental steps.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for delivering electrical therapy to the heart are disclosed. The apparatus detects and confirms the arrhythmia. However, during confirmation, if the arrhythmia is present but not too severe, it is allowed to continue in the hope that it will spontaneously revert. The arrhythmia is reconfirmed later and, if it is still present, electrical therapy is delivered to the heart. Thus, for mild arrhythmias, electrical shock therapy is withheld for a specified time period in the hope that the arrhythmia will revert spontaneously. More severe arrhythmias which are not hemodynamically sustaining are immediately electrically shocked in an effort to revert the heart back to normal sinus rhythm.

Abstract: A carrier having at least one kinetics and fluorescence enhancing support and a dry substance selected from the group consisting of fluorogenic substrates, B methylumbelliferone, 7-amino-4-methyl coumarin, B-napthylamine, fluoroscein, and resorufin deposited on the support demonstrates substantial enhancement of hydrolysis kinetics and fluorescence over pure liquid systems. When the device has a plurality of supports and the supports have different fluorogenic substrates an enzyme rate-of-reaction profile representative of a microorganism in the suspension can be determined and used to identify the organism. The device can also be used to characterize enzymes expressed by other biological specimens.

Abstract: Improved nucleic acid probes capable of specifically hybridizing to rRNA of Salmonella and not to rRNA of non-Salmonella are described along with methods utilizing such probes for the detection of Salmonella in food and other samples.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating tachycardias are disclosed which utilize tachycardia cycle lengths in connection with selecting the type of antitachycardia pacing to be used in such treatment. A range of tachycardia cycle lengths is selected for which antitachycardia pacing treatment is indicated. This range is divided into a plurality of sub-ranges of tachycardia cycle lengths, and corresponding storage locations are established for each of the tachycardia cycle length sub-ranges. Antitachycardia pacing parameters which have been successful in reverting previous tachycardias are stored in their corresponding storage locations, and subsequent tachycardias are treated using antitachycardia pacing parameters selected from storage locations that correspond to, or are closest to correspondence with, the storage locations corresponding to the tachycardias to be treated.

Abstract: A skate made up of a specially constructed frame and a removably mounted blade of particular construction. The frame is die-cast and has front and rear sole plates, respective front and rear pedestals extending from said sole plates, and a tube-shaped section mounted on the pedestals and provided with a blade-receiving groove presenting side faces and a base face extending therebetween. Each pedestal has a slot extending inward from the groove to receive a tang from the blade. The blade is removably mounted firmly in the groove and has an elongated body provided with an inner face seating on the base face of the groove and rear and intermediate tangs engaging in the pedestal slots and a front tang. The blade has a margin remote from the frame provided with a sharpenable ice-engaging edge. Retaining means acts between the frame and blade to retain the blade firmly in the frame in a way that it can be removed and remounted or replaced by another blade.