The Coca-cola Company

Geno LLC

Other

Thermedics Detection, Inc.

Cyterra Corporation

Stephen J MacDonald

David H Fine

David P Rounbehler

Freeman W Fraim

Eugene K Achter

Jonathan L Rolfe

David B Wheeler

George Jarvis

Helmut W Klotzsch

Alex Malaspina

Daniel B Dennison

Forrest Lee Bayer

Kenneth M Thrash, Jr

David R Rounbehler

Dirck vanBuren Myers

Clayton D Wood

Edward E Bromberg

Dirk Appel

George B Jarvis

Daniel A Dussault

William A Curby

W Fraim Freeman

Dirck Van Buren Myers

Peter Germano

Edwin Jahngen

David Wheeler

Inhalation of low levels of nitric oxide can rapidly and safely decrease pulmonary hypertension in mammals. Precise delivery of nitric oxide at therapeutic levels of 20 to 100 ppm and inhibition of reaction of nitric oxide with oxygen to form toxic impurities such as nitrogen dioxide can provide effective inhalation therapy for pulmonary hypertension.

Method and apparatus for nitric oxide generation

Nitric oxide delivery system

Controlled generation of nitric oxide

A gas chromatography system with suspended tubular separation column(s) in an enclosed convection oven where a gas medium is heated by at least two electrically powered heaters. A kit to modify gas chromatographic ovens for operation with at least two electrically powered heaters. The heaters are positioned to promote even heating along the length of the column(s) and shielding of the column(s) from radiant heat. The heaters can provide faster heating rates at elevated temperatures.

Gas chromatography oven heaters

A lower leg protection means for preventing injury to a person's lower leg. The lower leg protection means includes a pair of thin, laterally curved rigid members which are enclosed with foam material such as polyfoam and which are essentially made of carbon fiber graphite. Each of the thin, laterally curved rigid members is fastened about a particular region of a person's lower leg with fasteners which includes a three first strips of hook and loop fasteners, a pair of elongate elastic members, and a pair of second strips of hook and loop fasteners attached to the elongate elastic members. One of the thin, laterally curved, padded rigid members is adapted to fit about and protect a person's shin, and the other of the thin, laterally curved, padded rigid members is adapted to fit about and protect a person's Achilles tendon.

Lower leg protection means

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for sampling and determining the presence of certain substances, such as residues of contaminants in containers. The method includes steps of: injecting compressed air into said containers in order to displace at least a portion of the contents thereof; evacuating a sample of the container contents so displaced by applying suction thereto; and analyzing the sample evacuated to determine the presence or absence of the certain residues therein. The compressed air is injected through a nozzle into an opening in the containers to displace a portion of the container contents and form a sample cloud outside of the container. The sample cloud is then at least partially evacuated by suction and the sample is analyzed for the presence of contaminants such as nitrogen containing compounds or hydrocarbons. The sample cloud may be split into first and second portions. Contaminants in the first portion are detected by a chemiluminescence detector and the second portion by a pulsed fluorescence detector.

Method and system for sampling and determining the presence of compounds

A high speed gas chromatography system includes a heated isothermal region and a gas chromatography column located externally to the isothermal region. The system also includes a detector and a flow path between the column and the detector. At least a portion of the flow path is positioned in the isothermal region.

High speed gas chromatography

An inspection system for sampling and determining the presence of residues of contaminants within plastic materials to be recycled from used plastic materials such as plastic beverage bottles or plastic food containers includes a chemical sniffing apparatus, or alternatively an optical scanner, for detecting the contaminants as the plastic materials are rapidly moved along a conveyor past a series of stations. Recycled food or beverage bottles are fed through a shredder in-line with the conveyor and the shredded plastic material from the bottles is fed to a washer. The bottles and shredded material may be tested for contaminants at any location in an in-line process. In one exemplary system first the bottles are tested prior to entry into the shredder in order to remove bottles containing gross contaminants. Second the shredded material emerging from the shredder is immediately tested for contaminants at an elevated temperature caused by the shredding process and contaminated materials are separated or sorted out from the uncontaminated material. Third, the materials are again tested for contaminants as they emerge from the washer once again taking advantage of the elevated temperature of the materials which is conducive to the emission of vapors of the contaminants. Contaminated materials are again sorted from the uncontaminated supply of materials to be used for the fabrication of new plastic food or beverage bottles.

Method for sampling and determining the presence of contaminants in

Method and system for sampling and determining the presence of

A system and method are provided for minimizing the effects of background signals in masking signals indicating the presence of substances to be detected such as contaminants in materials moving rapidly along a conveyor. The contaminants detected may include nitrogen containing compounds and hydrocarbons. The system and method of the present invention minimizes the number of falsely positive indications of the presence of such substances due to background signals and changes in background signals. The substances detected are divided into first and second sample portions and the respective portions are heated. The first heated portion is reacted with ozone to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the first portion. The second portion heated is also reacted with ozone to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the second portion. The radiation of the respective first and second portions is selectively detected. The heating and detecting steps are performed in a manner so as to yield a higher level of detected radiation from one of the portions of the sample then the other for at least some of the selected compounds being detected. Electrical signals from the respective first and second portions are generated and compared in order to determine the presence or absence of selected compounds in the sample. Appropriate reject signals for a bottle sorting system are generated accordingly.

A system and method for minimizing the effects of background signals in masking signals indicating the presence of substances to be detected such as contaminants in materials moving rapidly along a conveyor. The contaminants detected may include nitrogen containing compounds and hydrocarbons. The system and method minimize, during detection of the presence or absence of such substances, the number of falsely positive indications of the presence of such substances due to background signals and changes in background signals. The substances detected are divided into first and second sample portions and the respective portions are heated. The first heated portion is mixed with ozone to cause a chemical action therewith in order to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the first portion. The second portion heated is also mixed with ozone to cause a chemical reaction therewith in order to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the second portion. The radiation of the respective first and second portions is selectively detected. The heating and detecting steps are performed in a manner so as to yield a higher level of detected radiation from one of the portions of the sample than the other for at least some of the selected compounds being detected. Electrical signals from the respective first and second portions are generated and compared in order to determine the presence or absence of selected compounds in the sample. Appropriate reject signals for a bottle sorting system are generated accordingly.

A method and apparatus for calibrating contraband vapor/particle detection devices is described. The invention includes a desorb site onto which may be deposited solutions containing known concentrations of one or more of the specific compounds to be detected. The desorb site, which may be rapidly heated to vaporize the particles contained in the solution deposited on its surface, is housed in a sealable chamber. The vapor and/or particles become entrained in an air stream forced across the surface of the desorb site, and the airstream is then delivered through a snout to the contraband vapor particle detector.

Apparatus and method for calibrating vapor/particle detection devices

Growing community of inventors

Salem, NH, United States of America

Stephen J MacDonald