Beckman Instruments, Inc.

Other

Hemotec, Inc.

Unirad Corporation

Leland B Smith

Robert A McIntyre

Jacqueline J Jackson

Raymond M Pawlak

Phillip J Loeb

An extendable strut device supports a reed woodwind musical instrument, such as an oboe, clarinet, English horn or straight saxophone, to substantially relieve the weight on the musician's thumb and hand, thereby avoiding muscle fatigue and strain and repetitive motion injuries, without limiting the position, flexibility or maneuverability of the instrument and without inducing other unnatural or restrictive posture or feel requirements in the instrument. The strut device comprises an attachment component having a connection mechanism adapted to connect pivotally to the thumbrest without interfering with the conventional placement and position of the musician's thumb on the thumbrest, and an elongated monopod component having an upper end connected to the attachment component and having a lower opposite end adapted to contact the seating facility upon which the musician is seated while playing the instrument. A method of supporting the instrument using the strut device is also described in which the length of the monopod component is adjusted.

Extendable monopod strut device for musical instrument

A ring adapter assembly is releasably attachable to a thumbrest of a woodwind musical instrument, such as an oboe, clarinet, English horn or straight saxophone, to provide an attachment ring in those instances when the thumbrest of the instrument does not include a permanent attachment ring. The ring adapter assembly allows a support device to be attached to the musical instrument to relieve the weight on the thumb and hand of a musician playing the instrument. One embodiment of the ring adapter assembly is used with fixed position thumbrests and is adapted to be seated on a top surface of the thumbrest so that an attachment ring within the assembly faces away from the musical instrument. A top portion of the assembly may be moved up and down by an adjustment screw and includes a spring wire which extends around the thumbrest to connect the assembly to the thumbrest. Upward adjustment of the top portion increases the tension on the wire and the downforce applied to the assembly to maintain the assembly seated on the thumbrest. Another embodiment of the ring adapter assembly fixes an attachment ring to an adjustable thumbrest. The position of the ring adapter assembly on the thumbrest is adjustable to compensate for adjustments of the thumbrest in relation to the musical instrument. An attachment component for a monopod strut device is also disclosed. The attachment component is releasably attachable to the ring adapter assembly to support the musical instrument.

Thumbrest ring adapter for musical instrument

Coagulation related activities are detected in a fluid sample in a plunger sensor cartridge. The cartridge includes a test cell with a reagent chamber and a reaction chamber and a plunger assembly. A reagent drive subassembly forces the contents of the reagent chamber into the reaction chamber. The plunger assembly is raised and released by a plunger lifting subassembly to allow it to descend through the sample of liquid in the bottom of the reaction chamber. A dispenser subassembly automatically meters precise quantities of fluid into the test cells. The plunger lifting subassembly and the reagent drive subassembly are mechanically separate and are controlled separately. Stepper motors are used to provide precise control over the degree, rate and sensitivity of movement of the plunger lifting subassembly, the reagent drive subassembly and the dispensing subassembly.

High sensitivity coagulation detection apparatus

A gas flow cartridge includes a tube-like member which defines a reaction chamber in which a pool of liquid is subjected to an analytical test. A coating of debubbling agent is applied to an area of the tube-like member above the reaction chamber. The debubbling agent collapses bubbles of noncoagulated fluid but allows bubbles of coagulated fluid to continue an upward movement above the area where the coating is applied. Coagulation is detected by sensing the coagulated bubbles moving upward in the tube-like member. A quantity of activator agent is initially confined with the reaction chamber, preferably within a structure defined by a segment of paper-like material formed into an activator retaining form. The paper-like material unrolls or unfolds during the analytical test.

Gas flow cartridge with improved coagulation detection and expanded

A multi-channel instrumentation system is provided wherein signals from selected electrode pairs are sequentially connected to the isolated input of a common signal amplifying path. The electrode pair selecting means is included in a portable head box which may be placed adjacent to the patient to be tested. Included in the head box are facilities for testing the impedance of any selected one of the patient electrodes and providing a visual indication of the magnitude of such impedance. The head box also includes facilities for selecting a group of patient electrodes which are connected together and used as an average or reference potential for one input of the common signal path. Facilities are also provided for calibrating the common signal path by applying a d.c. calibration signal to the input thereof by means isolated from system ground. An improved circuit arrangement is provided for limiting the current which can be drawn from the patient ground electrode to a small value to provide for the safety of the patient in the event of malfunctioning of the electrode selecting means. Facilities are provided in the common signal path for removing the d.c. components of the electrode pair signal voltages, and for selectively varying the gain of the common signal path on an individual channel basis.

Electroencephalograph

An electronic circuit is used to interrupt the video signal going to a T.V. monitor about 500 times per scan line. Each interruption causes a black spot in the display. The black lines between scan lines on the T.V. screen cooperate with the black spots in each scan line to form electronically a black matrix background for the T.V. picture. The black matrix enhances the picture quality making a sharper, clearer picture.

Electronic black matrix circuitry

A multi-channel instrumentation system is provided wherein signals from selected electrode pairs are sequentially connected to the isolated input of a common signal amplifying path. The electrode pair selecting means is included in a portable head box which may be placed adjacent to the patient to be tested. Included in the head box are facilities for testing the impedance of any selected one of the patient electrodes and providing a visual indication of the magnitude of such impedance. The head box also includes facilities for selecting a group of patient electrodes which are connected together and used as an average or reference potential for one input of the common signal path. Facilities are also provided for calibrating the common signal path by applying a d.c. calibration signal to the input thereof by means isolated from sytem ground. An improved circuit arrangement is provided for limiting the current which can be drawn from the patient ground electrode to a small value to provide for the safety of the patient in the event of malfunctioning of the electrode selecting means. Facilities are provided in the common signal path for removing the d.c. components of the electrode pair signal voltages, and for selectively varying the gain of the common signal path on an individual channel basis.

An amplifier capable of operation in four modes singly or in combinations is disclosed. The modes are: DC amplification mode, AC amplification mode, suppressed baseline mode, and offset correction mode. In the DC amplification mode, the amplifier operates as a conventional DC amplifier. In the suppressed baseline mode, the outputs of the input and output amplifiers are connected back to their input stages through a long time constant integrator resulting in the suppression of any DC output voltage. In the AC amplification mode an RC decoupling network is inserted in the inputs to the input amplifier means to pass AC signals and reject DC components. In the offset correction mode, the inputs of the input and isolator amplifier means are shorted to create zero differential at the summing junctions thereof. Any offset voltage present at the output of the input amplifier means or output amplifier means is suppressed by means of integrated feedback to the input stage of the input and output amplifier means. The offset correction mode is entered periodically and at the end of the offset correction mode, all connections revert back to their normal condition. The offset correction voltage attained is applied until the next offset correction period at which time new correction values are determined. Additionally, means for accomplishing the above functions are disclosed employing solid state switching, photon coupled isolation, and a floating power supply.

Solid state amplifier

A bioelectrical impedance measuring system that measures and indicates the impedance of a biological subject, such as one or more human extremities. The system measures and indicates a basal impedance value of the measured subject, and also indicates short temporal variations in the basal value. In the system an excitation signal, derived from an electrical signal source, is coupled to the subject by excitation electrodes and a resulting subject output signal is sensed by receiver electrodes. The subject output signal is electronically subtracted from a reference signal derived from the signal source, and the resulting signal is used to drive a display unit. The system includes a null detector connected to the display unit input, and an automatic gain control unit responsive thereto, connected in the subject output signal path to automatically maintain the system in a nulled condition. With the output of the system adjusted to a null condition the value indicated is proportional to the basal impedance of the subject. The automatic gain control unit includes a lock function generator to hold the variable gain at an instantaneous null establishing a basal value for a desired measurement episode. Consequently, any variations in the nulled signal are indicative of variations in the impedance of the subject. A range indicator is associated with the gain control unit to verify that the subject output signal is within the dynamic range of the gain control unit.

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Englewood, CO, United States of America

Leland B Smith