Abstract: A composition of matter including a fuel comprising one or more of isotopes of hydrogen or isotopes of lithium. The general binding reactions comprise electron-catalyzed chemical, molecular, or transmutation binding reactions. The composition also includes one or more reactants having an energy-releasing binding energy with the fuel. The fuel is associated with the general binding reactions with the one or more reactants. The composition additionally includes a reservoir capable of releasing one or more of molecular fuel or mono-atomic fuel when the reservoir is heated. The reservoir comprises one or more of the fuel or precursors to the fuel, such as a chemical form of fuel in the reservoir material. The composition further includes a fuel-cracking material capable of converting a fraction of the molecular fuel into mono-atomic fuel. The composition additionally includes a reaction crystallite on or in which general binding reactions are capable of being stimulated to occur.

Abstract: In a system for measuring blood pressure and the like based on a sensed quantity representing the sum of pressure applied by a pressure cuff and a fluctuating component representative of the pulsatile pressure within the blood vessel method and apparatus for indicating blood pressure only if that pressure determined in a first preferred manner correlates substantially with a pressure determined in a secondary, different manner. More specifically, the sensed quantity is analyzed in a manner preferred for determining diastolic pressure and a manner preferred for determining systolic pressure, and the diastolic and systolic pressures or pressure ranges established by analyzing the sensed quantity in a secondary manner or manners. Examples of preferred and secondary techniques for diastolic and systolic pressure determinations are discussed.

Abstract: In systolic pressure determining apparatus utilizing a pressure cuff and means for measuring a fluctuating quantity proportional to the sum of the cuff pressure and the fluctuating component proportioned to the pulsatile blood pressure, and including means for determining the maximum value of the fluctuating component as cuff pressure is varied, the improvement comprising means for converting the quantity into a representation of a time derivative of the fluctuating component means for obtaining the time integral of the time derivative over an interval of predetermined limits between initiation of systolic rise and systolic peak in each blood pressure pulse, and means extending the time integral, as a measure of pulse pressure amplitude, to the maximum value determining means. Specifically, certain crossings of a reference value by the time derivative are recognized as being the initiation of systolic rise and the systolic peak respectively, and the integration occurs over this interval.

Abstract: Improved method and apparatus for identifying and quantizing a substantially periodic, steeply rising wavefront of a signal in the possible presence of low amplitude interference. A time derivative of at least the steep wavefront is obtained. The derivative is then integrated over a predetermined interval in each of successive repetitions of the steep wavefront, the interval being that during which the derivative exceeds a reference level. A threshold value is established, preferably dynamically, to verify or validate that when the derivative exceeds the reference level it indeed represents the steeply rising wavefront. The integrated derivative is recognized as the quantized value of the steeply rising wavefront only if such verification occurs. The invention is suited to oscillometric determination of systolic pressure in a patient, where measurement of signal amplitude is preferably achieved by integrating the time derivative of the systolic rise wavefront.