Abstract: A method of manufacturing a non-contacting position sensor is disclosed. A sensor manufactured with the disclosed geometry, will typically obtain position resolutions of 1 part in 8*N*2M, when a M bit A/D converter is used to measure induced potentials. The sensor is comprised of a coupling plate and a transceiver plate which may be fabricated using commercially available printed circuit board technologies. Circuitry for energizing the transceiver plate and implementing the position computation algorithm can be easily implemented on the transceiver plate. Thus, a complete sensor can be implemented in the two parts. Said sensor will be insensitive to variations in the gap between elements, small particles and non-conductive surface coatings. The invention can be applied to sense linear or angular motion.

Abstract: Apparatus for the inspection of cargo containers for nuclear materials comprising one or more arrays of modules comprising grounded, closed conductive tubes filled with an ionizing gas mixture such as, but not limited to, Argon:CO2. A wire is suspended along each tube axis and electrically connected at both ends of the tube. A positive, dc high voltage is supplied to one end of the wire and an amplifier is attached to the other end through a capacitance to decouple the amplifier from the high voltage. X-rays, gamma rays or neutrons produced by nuclear material and passing through the tube ionize the gas. The electrons from the gas ionization process are accelerated toward the wire surface due to the wire's electrical potential. The acceleration of the electrons near the wire's surface is sufficient to ionize more gas and produce an amplification of electrons/ions that create a surge of current large enough to be detectable by the amplifier.

Abstract: A method and system of testing tubular member for contaminates. A testing prod may be used to collect particles from within the tubular member. A testing agent may be used to indicate whether the tubular member is contaminated as a function of the collected particles.

Abstract: A method and system to represent surface temperatures. The method and system represent a surface temperature experienced by a medical device during a washing cycle in a medical washing machine. A temperature strip is positioned proximate a surface of the medical device to represent the surface temperature experienced by the medical device during the washing cycle in the medical washing machine.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a low cost, high resolution, contactless, absolute rotational position sensor is disclosed. A coupling disc and a transceiver disc are the only required elements. The coupling disc can be manufactured as a simple two sided printed circuit board. A common 4 layer printed circuit board can act as the transceiver element and the circuit board for implementing the signal processing and output driver. The coupling disc capacitively couples drive signals originating on the transceiver disc to receiving tracks on the transceiver disc. Full 360 degree position decoding can be achieved. Potentials measured on the receiver nodes are processed to obtain an absolute position and a syndrome. The syndrome is a numerical result that can be used to predict the integrity of the position data. The maximum resolution of the sensor is 4N*(A/D resolution), where N is the larger of M and N above.

Abstract: To facilitate the reversion of a communication to tandem operation (200), a first transcoder (20), having previously changed back to tandem operation (206), inverts bits (208) of a double-encoded frame format that correspond to synchronisation bits in a non-tandem, single-encoded frame format to generate errors, in relation to the synchronisation bits, at a second transcoder (34). Upon detection (210) of a predetermined number of errors in the synchronisation bits during a predetermined time, the second transcoder (34) reverts to tandem operation, as shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a sterilization tray assembly for sterilizing medical instruments. The sterilization tray preferably includes a base tray and a cover. Also, a secondary tray may be mounted within the base tray. These components ideally include ventilation apertures to allow steam or vapor to pass through the sterilization tray assembly to effect sterilization of medical instruments stored therein. The components of the sterilization tray assembly preferably are made of a mineral filled polypropylene and most preferably is a homopolymer which is filled with calcium carbonate, 40% by weight. This material exhibits good heat deflection characteristics at high temperature while being relative inert to absorption of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 vapor.