Ortho Diagnostics, Inc.

I.l. Med., Inc.

Allegro Supercare Centers, Inc.

Igino Lombardo

Donald E Barry

Peter J Natale

W Peter Hansen

Richard L Walus

Richard A Dussault

Alan Coombes

Richard M Thomas

Stanley P Mickewicz

Richard A Slater

A child/dependent care system provides a way for parents (or other responsible individuals) to remotely observe and communicate with their children (or dependents or other charges) at a care center. The system includes a video link between the care center, or 'activity area,' and one or more remote areas disposed remotely from the care center. Each video link includes a video camera and monitor, permitting the parent to see his or her charge at the care center, and vice versa. The system can also include a telephone link between the sites, permitting voice communication between the parent and the charge. Still further, the system can provide a paging link, whereby an adult supervisor at the center can page the parent and alert him or her to contact the center e.g., via phone. A lock-out can also be provided to insure that only authorized parents can view charges at the care center.

Child care communication and surveillance system

A medical laser system for scanning a beam of laser light including an oscillating mirror that repeatedly scans a laser beam in a cyclical pattern, such as a circle or an ellipse, or in a zig-zag pattern within a defined boundary. The oscillating mirror can be included in a myringotomy instrument. Also, the oscillating mirror can be included in a joystick-controlled medical laser system, or in any other system where a cyclically scanned laser beam is useful.

Cyclically scanned medical laser

A microscope attachment assembly is provided for pivotably mounting a surgical laser to a microscope. A micromanipulator housing is adapted to swing away to an off-axis position to facilitate exchanging the objective lens of the microscope. The spot size of the laser is controlled by shifting the position of a field lens included in a field lens assembly which is shifted along the laser beam by a stepper motor. By toggling a cut/coagulate switch, the field lens is moved between a presetable cut-mode position and a presetable coagulate-mode position.

Laser head and microscope attachment assembly with swivel capability

A compact laser includes an inner quartz tube defining a central bore coaxially disposed within an outer quartz tube sealed with respective end cap assemblies. Each end cap assembly is bonded to a respective end of the outer quartz tube and includes an electrode which at least partially surrounds or is proximate to a corresponding end of the inner quartz tube. Each end cap assembly also supports a mirror element and includes means for adjusting the angular orientation of the mirror elements to bring them into mutually parallel optical relationship. An opening is provided at at least one end of the inner tube proximate to the corresponding electrode which serves to provide a path of lower resistance to direct the region of gas discharge away from the mirror element so that the resulting sputtering is substantially restricted to a region that does not contain the mirror element. The end cap assemblies are fabricated of one or more materials which are thermally compatible and bondable with quartz. The invention provides means for safeguarding the mirror elements against sputtering of material from the electrodes; means for providing a very compact and stable laser which does not employ an external resonator; and compact means for adjusting the laser mirrors.

Gas laser

Instrument panel for a laser control console

A microscope attachment assembly for mounting a portable surgical laser directly to a surgical microscope to permit the laser to be rotated with respect to the optical axis of the microscope to various physical positions so that if the position of laser obstructs visual or physical axis to the surgical site it may be quickly and conveniently moved with a minimum risk of misalignment.

Latex material disposed in a solvent is injected into a sheath fluid into which the solvent is soluble, but the latex is not. The solvent being jetted from a vibrating nozzle forms droplets within the flowing sheath, which is then delivered onto an inclined hydrophobic surface reposing at a low angle to the jet. As the droplet containing stream strikes and flows down the surface, its velocity is taken up as the phase separation process for forming microparticles begins.

Methods for promoting the formation of microparticles

A core/sheath vibrating system is utilized to produce core droplets within the sheath, which in turn form into microparticles through phase separation. The flow momentum is first arrested by means of an inclined surface, and the combination is thence deposited, in a continuous, helical channel extending from one end to the other of the inside of a hollow, rotating drum. Rotation of the drum moves the forming microspheres through the channel. At the exit end of the drum, the sheath fluid which carries suspended microspheres, may be filtered, and the microspheres collected and utilized.

Reaction apparatus for the formation of microspheres or microcapsules

Apparatus for promoting the formation of microparticles

A novel method is disclosed for detecting and controlling the flow rate of a perturbed, droplet-forming stream in an electrostatic particle sorting apparatus. Detection apparatus is located at two points along the stream, at a first particle sensing point for sensing the presence of particles within a core portion of the stream, and at a second downstream point, preferably the stream breakpoint, for sensing light scatter and extinction characteristics which are proportional to the surface characteristics of the sheath portion of the stream. Changes in phase shift, pulse width, duty cycle, pulse area, or breakpoint location are detected by analyzing these sheath surface-related characteristics. An error signal is produced in response to such changes which drives an electromechanical fluid flow regulator to increase or decrease the fluid flow rate in a direction which tends to minimize the error signal. The flow rate is thus maintained at a reference flow rate setting.

Method for detecting and controlling flow rates of the droplet forming

A novel method and apparatus for automatically setting the time delay for relatively charging droplets in an electrostatic particle sorting system is disclosed. By utilizing a movable sheath sensing means for sensing the light scatter and extinction of this stream, the flow rate and distance to breakpoint are automatically measured and used to calculate and set the timing delay circuitry. This insures that droplet charging at the breakpoint will occur synchronously to produce selective relative charging of those droplets containing particles to be sorted.

Automatic relative droplet charging time delay system for an

A novel method for positioning the point of droplet formation in the jetting fluid of an electrostatic sorting device is disclosed. The formation of the uniform droplets is carried out via the application of vibrational energy inparted by a transducer to a jetting laminar flow stream. Previously sensed particles contained within the core portion of the laminar stream are subsequently sorted from the stream as part of a subsequently formed droplet. The disclosed method uses the dependency of the droplet formation point on the amplitude of the wave form applied to the transducer and the modulation of this amplitude to control the droplet formation point distance. The position of the droplet formation point is detected via the use of a light source and photodetector focused on the jetting stream at the position at which the droplet formation point is to be located, and a method for automatically maintaining the breakpoint at that position is described.

Method and apparatus for positioning the point of droplet formation in

In order to initiate the charging of droplets at a specific point in time with respect to the formation of those droplets in an electrostatic flow sorting system, the charge phase of the system of the present invention is continuously and automatically adjusted by droplet break point monitoring. The charge phase is therefore flow rate and fluid velocity independent. The break point is monitored by a light source which is focused onto the jet stream at the droplet formation break point, or close to it, and the modulation of light caused by the scatter induced by the sheath stream portion as it passes the focused beam of light is detected via the use of a suitable electro-optical detector. From the output of the electro-optical detector, after appropriate signal conditioning, an electrical wave form is obtained which shape depends upon the shape of the fluid column passing the focus beam. Using this conditioned detector output, the charge pulse phase is automatically controlled to occur at a set point in time with respect to a transition point on the waveform thus obtained. Additionally, in order to compensate for large flow rate variations, the focused beam detector can be automatically repositioned to track with the breakpoint. The correct phase of the charge pulse will accordingly continue to be derived from the breakpoint electrical waveform. Alternatively, by monitoring the jet stream at points above or below the breakpoint, the phase adjustment is possible, however, somewhat fluid velocity dependent.

Method for automatically setting the correct phase of the charge pulses

A method for the measurement of fluid velocity and fluid flow rate is described which may be applied to a system in which fluid is caused to exit through an orifice to form a free jet. Optical as well as fluidic properties of the jetting fluids are used to determine the mean velocity of the jet between its point of exit from the orifice and at least a preselected detection point. From the mean velocity determination, the fluid flow rate may also be determined. A marker signal perturbation is applied to the jetting fluid at the orifice, and is detected downstream at a stream sensing point which is located a preselected distance from that orifice.

Method for measuring the velocity of a perturbed jetting fluid in an

A novel method and system are disclosed for detecting the breakpoint of a perturbed flow stream. The scattering and extinction of light caused by a perturbed stream at a preselected flow stream sensing point therealong is measured to produce a real time waveform proportional thereto. The real time waveform is differentiated to produce a differentiated waveform, which is then selectively monitored to distinguish a waveform exhibiting substantially three (positive and negative) peaks per cycle, whereby such detection indicates that at least a portion of the breakpoint region of said flow stream corresponds with said flow stream sensing point. In order to align the stream sensing point with respect to a preselected point within the breakpoint region of the flow stream, the breakpoint region of the stream is caused to move with respect to the stream sensing point until the breakpoint pulse width of one of the peaks corresponds with a preselected pulse width reference.

Growing community of inventors

Sharon, MA, United States of America

Igino Lombardo