Abstract: A wound therapy combination comprising a suction head and a surgical drape. The suction head comprises a planar flange portion and a tubular connector piece on a first face that communicates with an aperture extending to a second face. The second face is formed with projections that define flow channels for facilitating flow of liquids to the aperture.

Abstract: Flashlights having selectively controllable brightness levels, a preferred embodiment of which comprises in combination: a battery; a light emitter assembly; a switch in circuit with the battery and the light emitter assembly, the switch having a first OFF position and a second OFF position, the first ON position coupling the battery to the light emitter assembly for producing a first light output, and a second ON position coupling the battery to the light emitter assembly for producing a second light output; and a switch actuator adapted to be coupled to the switch alternatively in its first OFF position and its second OFF position, the switch actuator when coupled in its first OFF position is translatable by a first distance placing the switch in its first ON position and translatable by a second distance placing the switch in its second ON position, the switch actuator when coupled in its second OFF position is translatable by a third distance placing the switch in its first ON position.

Abstract: A biosensor detection system for detecting a particular substance has at least two biosensor devices. Each biosensor device includes a piezoelectric material, an input transducer mounted on the piezoelectric material to receive an input radio frequency signal and propagate a corresponding acoustic wave within the piezoelectric material and an output transducer mounted on the piezoelectric material to receive the acoustic wave and transmit a corresponding output radio frequency signal. A biolayer is mounted on the piezoelectric material to receive a substance to be tested and cause a corresponding change in the acoustic wave. An oscillator circuit is connected to the input transducer and to the output transducer, the oscillator circuit including an amplifier and providing an output signal indicative of a change in the acoustic wave.

Abstract: A sealed capacitive sensor includes a substrate having a diaphragm forming a first plate of a capacitor; a second fixed plate of the capacitor spaced from the diaphragm and defining a predetermined dielectric gap and a sealing medium connecting together the substrate and fixed plate in an integrated structure and hermetically sealing the gap.

Abstract: A spaced, bumped component structure including a first plate, a second plate spaced from the first plate by a first gap, a plurality of solder bumps interconnecting the plates and defining the first gap; at least one of the plates having an anomalous section including one of a raised platform and recess for defining a second gap having a different size from the first gap.

Abstract: Protocols and architecture for secure virtual private networks. Intraenterprise data communications are supported in a secure manner over the Internet or other public network space with the implementation of secure virtual private networks. Members of a virtual private network group exchange data that may be compressed, encrypted and authenticated, if the exchange is between members of the group.

Abstract: A DAC architecture is provided which is monotonic in operation despite any mismatches in the components. The architecture is a segmented architecture and hence it is area efficient. This is achieved by effecting a generation of analog voltages by driving current sources to resistors in response to digital input. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a resistor string coupled between output and vref-, and set of current sources. The current sources are switched to nodes between resistors to generate voltages at the output.

Abstract: A phase detection apparatus is described for use in a phase lock loop (PLL). The apparatus has a first input for a reference signal, a second input for a loop feedback signal and an output for the phase difference signal. Two D-type flips flops are provided, the first being clocked with the reference signal and the second with the loop feedback signal. The output of the second flip-flop is delayed relative to the first flip-flop, thereby effecting minimal overlap, when using the phase detection apparatus in a fractional- N phase lock loop, of the interpolator activity with that of the charge pump.

Abstract: A system for stimulating the healing of tissue comprises a porous pad positioned within a wound cavity, and an airtight dressing secured over the pad, so as to provide an airtight seal to the wound cavity. A proximal end of a conduit is connectable to the dressing. A distal end of the conduit is connectable to a negative pressure source, which may be an electric pump housed within a portable housing, or wall suction. A canister is positioned along the conduit to retain exudates suctioned from the wound site during the application of negative pressure. A first hydrophobic filter is positioned at an opening of the canister to detect a canister full condition. A second hydrophobic filter is positioned between the first filter and the negative pressure source to prevent contamination of the non-disposable portion of the system by exudates being drawn from the wound. An odor filter is positioned between the between the first and second hydrophobic filters to aid in the reduction of malodorous vapors.

Abstract: Acoustic wave devices coated with a biolayer are described for the detection target bio-molecules. The acoustic wave device is connected in an oscillator circuit, and the frequency shift ?f resulting from a biomolecular event is recorded. Further described are the use of Rayleigh wave surface acoustic wave devices for vapor phase detection as well as quartz crystal microbalance devices for liquid phase measurements. A biofilm on the surface of the acoustic wave device comprises of a layer of antibodies raised against a specific target molecule or antigen. Signatures for detection events are presented in the form of frequency shifts ?f(t).

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave sensor or identification device has a piezoelectric material, and an interdigitated transducer (IDT) input/output mounted on the piezoelectric material for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and propagating a corresponding surface acoustic wave along a surface of the piezoelectric material. An IDT finger electrode array is mounted on the piezoelectric material and is operable to communicate with the IDT input/output for transmission of a modified RF signal from the device. The IDT finger electrode array has at least one finger electrode segment whose propagating characteristics are controlled to control the nature of the modified RF signal. A biolayer is mounted on the piezoelectric material and is associated with the finger electrode segment, and a fluidic chamber is associated with the biolayer.

Abstract: A chassis for an electronics assembly comprises: (i) a frame (1); and (ii) a panel (31) located on a face of the frame, the panel comprising a plurality of cooling fans (22) and a holder (30) for the fans. The panel allows removal of individual fans from the panel and replacement of any fans while the panel is located on the frame, and the frame allows removal of the panel therefrom and replacement of the panel. The chassis thus allows replacement of any fans without the assembly being shut down, and also reduces downtime of the assembly if all the fans need replacing, for example for maintenance.

Abstract: An indirect variable frequency synthesiser for synthesising selectable frequencies from a reference frequency including a multi-divisor programmable frequency divider located in a feedback loop of the frequency synthesiser for dividing the feedback frequency in the feedback loop, the divider being responsive to a varying control signal applied thereto representative of a rational number of selectable value for selecting the divisor thereof for fractional division of the feedback frequency. A variable modulus interpolator converts a fractional part of the rational number of selectable value to a varying digital code representative of the fractional part of the rational number.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor including a housing having a hermetically sealed cavity, a plate in the cavity, a diaphragm forming a part of the cavity and spaced from the plate, a conductive layer on the first diaphragm, and a second conductive layer on the plate, the first and second conductive layers being the electrodes of a capacitor whose capacitance varies with the position of the diaphragm relative to the plate.

Abstract: An enclosure is described for containing a patient whose core temperature is to be cooled below normal body temperature, e.g. to reduce brain damage in patients suffering cardiac arrest. The enclosure comprises a base panel and one or more side panels attached to the base panel, the side panels being foldable over the patient to create an enclosure. Air conduits are provided on one or more panels with outlets positioned to direct cold air onto areas of the patient from which heat loss is particularly rapid.

Abstract: A class of codes and associated methods and devices are provided. Advantageously, such codes when used as constituent codes in composite codes intended for iterative decoding, as compared to the standard practice of using convolutional codes, may allow better error-correcting performance to be achieved, especially at low error rates and high code rates, for a given decoder complexity. State sequencing in these codes is driven not by source data alone, as is the case with convolutional codes, but rather by a sequence that includes both the source data and so-called “inserted” data elements, the inserted data elements having a linear dependence on the state sequencing state. In decoding, state transition intervals involving one or more inserted data elements are handled in a special way.

Abstract: A digital frequency measurement system including first and second digital differentiators responsive to first and second digital quadrature signals representative of first and second quadrature modulated input signals that represent binary data having a center frequency equal to a predetermined IF frequency for generating first and second differentiated signals, first and second processing circuits responsive to the first and second digital quadrature signals representative of the modulated input signals and the first and second differentiated signals for multiplying the first differentiated signal by the second quadrature digital representation of the input signals and multiplying the second differentiated signal by the first quadrature digital representation of the input signals to provide first and second multiplied signals, a combining circuit responsive to the first and second multiplied signals for generating a density signal having a pulse density proportional to the frequency of the input signals, a d

Abstract: A unified policy management system for an organization including a central policy server and remotely situated policy enforcers. A central database and policy enforcer databases storing policy settings are configured as LDAP databases adhering to a hierarchical object oriented structure. Such structure allows the policy settings to be defined in an intuitive and extensible fashion. Changes in the policy settings made at the central policy server are automatically transferred to the policy enforcers for updating their respective databases. Each policy enforcer collects and transmits health and status information in a predefined log format and transmits it to the policy server for efficient monitoring by the policy server. For further efficiencies, the policy enforcement functionalities of the policy enforcers are effectively partitioned so as to be readily implemented in hardware.

Abstract: An adhesive composition includes a polymer adhesive material and a thickener. The adhesive composition has a stringing length of 9 cm or less and a phase lag of 45 degrees or less or a sag distance of 5 mm or less. The adhesive can be formed by combining a vinyl acetate polymer, an alkali swellable thickener, an alkali material, and water.

Abstract: A flashlight having a lamp, a power storage element, a switch, and an electronic controller. The controller has a switch input connected to the switch and operates in response to the input to deliver power from the power storage element to the lamp. The controller may be directly connected to each of the lamp, source, and switch. The switch may include several separate contact elements operating sequentially in response to movement of a switch actuator. The controller may provide different illumination levels and functions in response to different pressures and durations of actuation. The flashlight may include a dimmer level control to establish an intermediate “dimmed” output level, and operate to provide the selected dimmed output when the switch is depressed by an intermediate amount, and to provide a greater maximum output level in response to full actuation of the switch.