Abstract:
An attachable RFID tag is described having a containment head portion (1) containing a passive RFID transponder (8) and an attachment portion comprising an elongate projection therefrom, which projection is discontinuously threaded, with a screw-threaded portion (5) and an unthreaded portion (6) of longitudinal extent greater than the thickness of the item to be tagged. A tagging system and a method of tagging and of operating a tagging system are also described.
Abstract:
A building material for use as a hard core substitute, and a method of laying a floor and a laid floor incorporating the same are described. The building material makes use of granulated or particulate polymeric material, in particular polyurethane waste, contained and enclosed within a closed envelope of sheet material so as to form a closed bag.
Abstract:
A screw driver (10) is described suitable for turning a screw (24) having a threaded shank (26) and a head (28) defining an engagement formation which can be engaged by the screw driver for turning the screw. The screw driver includes a holding formation (16) defining a socket formation in which the head of the screw can be removably held; a screw bit (20) projecting into the socket formation for engaging the engagement formation (30) of the head of the screw; and a handle formation (22) connected to the screw bit. A screw driving tool (12) with such a screw driver at either end is also described.
Abstract:
A composition for nasal or buccal application comprising a distribution of multilayer microparticles in an inactive base, at least one ingredient having activity on the mucosa of the nose/ throat, being adsorbed within the layers of the microparticles so as to be progressively released over time in use; a method for the preparation of the composition for the controlled delivery of an active ingredient over time in situ at the mucous membranes of the nose or throat of a human, non-human mammal or other animal comprises the steps of: microencapsulating at least one ingredient having activity on the mucosa of the nose/ throat within or on the layer surfaces of a multilayer microparticle; distributing the ingredient within a suitable base material serving as a means to deliver the microspheres to the active site for example suspending in a liquid base or distributing in a soluble solid base; a method of delivering an active ingredient to the nose or throat of a human, non-human mammal or other animal subject for controlled release over time in situ at the mucous membranes of the subject comprises the steps of administering the composition to the subject in such manner that the microparticles are directed towards a desired site on the mucus membrane of the subject; the use of the composition or active microparticle in progressive delivery of an active ingredient; or a novel active microparticle.
Abstract:
A method of automatically focusing a microscope having a light source, an objective lens or lens system, a means to direct incident light through the objective lens or lens system to be reflected by the object, an aperture to limit the spatial extent of the incident light and serve as an illumination pupil, a means to direct at least some of the reflected light to an imaging system, and an imaging system to image the reflected light so directed is described. In accordance with the invention a beam of light is directed from a light source through an objective of the microscope system to an object whereby light is reflected from the surface thereof; reflected light is collected and directed to an imaging system, wherein the incident beam of light is limited in spatial extent by imaging an aperture to form an illumination pupil, the centroid of illumination of the illumination pupil is aligned with the incident optical axis of the instrument, and reflected light is projected to the imaging system comprising at least one pair of images from eccentric sections of an imaging pupil displaced from the optical axis in opposite directions, and wherein the separation of the images thereby produced is determined to provide an indication of the object distance. A focusing system implementing the method and a microscope fitted with such a system are also described.
Abstract:
A rocking device is described with a centrally-located reciprocating drive means (16) and at least one pair of rocking members (7) laterally extending outwardly from the drive means (16) and having a support means (20) for receiving a lower part of a carriage, perambulator, buggy, cot or the like located generally at a distal end, the drive means (16) and rocking members (7) being operatively associated such that in use the drive means (16) imparts at least a reciprocating motion to the rocking members (7), and thus to a baby carriage thereon. A method for rocking a baby in such a carriage is also described.
Abstract:
An instrument for determination of the dc safe area of operation of a semiconductor device-under-test comprises a means to apply an adjustable bias at the input of a device-under-test, wherein the means comprises a dc biaser to apply a dc bias at a bias point within the safe operating limit, and a variable biaser subsequently to apply a variable bias comprising fast, superimposed rectangular bipolar pulses, and wherein the instrument further comprises means to measure the current response thereto so as to permit extrapolation of a detailed I-V response in the vicinity of the safe operating limit. A method of determination of the dc safe area of operation of a semiconductor device-under-test is also described.
Abstract:
A heart rate monitor apparatus and method are described. The apparatus consists of multiple recording electrodes each incorporated into a contact surface for application to an external body surface of a human or animal subject and a data acquisition and processing system to process the data by way at least of the steps of producing a frequency and/ or signal intensity based data characterisation and inferring and outputting therefrom a result representative of the heart beat rate of the subject. In particular the data processing method involves deriving the result by identifying a peak in the frequency and/ or by signal intensity based data characterisation for example by producing a power density spectrum, identifying the peak power frequency and, outputting the result as a result representative of the heart beat rate of the subject.
Abstract:
An apparatus and a method for the shaping by cutting of a sheet material of paper or other like material are described. These employ a cutting tool providing an advancing cutting blade and a cutting guide having a generally planar surface provided with at least one linear groove therein. The cutting blade and groove are cooperably profiled such that in use the cutting blade engages with an edge of the said groove to cut the paper through a scissoring action, for example in that the scissoring action is achieved by engagement between a side surface of a relatively blunt cutting blade and an edge of the guide groove.
Abstract:
Method for detecting response to damage or disease in a plant or crop comprising detecting Active Oxygen Species (AOS), in a quantitative assay; diagnostic reagent comprising an extract of damaged or diseased plant or crop tissue, or active component thereof, or synthetic equivalent or derivative thereof; use of the method or reagent in detecting response to damage or disease in a plant or crop selected from potato (seed, processor or consumer), apple, lychee, peer, apricot, peach, orange (juice), banana, leaf or stem browning in cut flowers, lettuce, pomegranate, grape, mushroom, logan fruit, loquat fruit, blueberry, carambola, dog rose, rambutan, coconut, avocado, plantain, pineapple, walnut, artichoke, sugarbeet and onion; apparatus and kit therefor; and associated methods for modifying and selecting varieties, growth or environmental conditions of a plant or crop; and use therein of a computer programmed with data relating to susceptibility of a plurality of plants and crops to damage or disease.