1. A dental floss formed as a yarn, including a plurality of multifilament strands braided with each other in a multi-looped manner so that collectively forming a volumetric knit structure; while being stretched along a straight line, said yarn has a longitudinal axis, wherein said yarn comprises:
a plurality of quasi-flat sections sequentially disposed and twisted in relation to each other along the longitudinal axis, wherein each said quasi-flat section is characterized with a plurality of quasi-flat cross-sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein each said quasi-flat cross-section has a cross-sectional peripheral contour capable of being approximated to a rectangle-like figure having a width and a height, wherein the height is predeterminedly greater than the width, each said quasi-flat cross-section has a transversal axis parallel to the height, and, for any two adjacent quasi-flat sections, the corresponding transversal axes are disposed at a predetermined angle ALPHA in relation to each other, wherein each said quasi-flat cross-section encompasses a first number of strand pieces; and
a plurality of knobs formed between and connecting each two adjacent said quasi-flat sections, wherein each said knob is characterized with a knob cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and encompassing a second number of strand pieces; and
wherein the second number of strand pieces is greater than the first number of strand pieces.
2. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said angle ALPHA is substantially equal to 90 degrees.
3. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said strands are made of one of the following materials: PTFE, or woolly nylon, or a combination of PTFE and regular nylon, or silk, or polyester, or PTFE combined with soft metallic threads.
4. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said floss is made in any of the following forms: un-waxed, waxed, or impregnated with predetermined therapeutic agents.
5. The dental floss according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined therapeutic agents include components selected from the group consisting of: ions of fluorine, sodium laurite, sodium perborate, alantoin, myrrh extract, charcoal, and xylitol.
6. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said floss is flavored with any of the following: mint, orange, lemon, cherry, strawberry, or vanilla.
7. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said floss is produced in a variety of predetermined colors.
8. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said floss is made as an endless loop.
9. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said floss is manufactured by means of a predeterminedly adapted conventional overlock machine.
10. The dental floss according to claim 1, wherein said floss is wound up on a spool, said spool is placed in a casing that has an aperture for pulling said floss out of said casing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An optical detonator comprising a secondary explosive disposed in a cavity, an optical fiber having one end connected to a source of laser radiation, and said source of laser radiation being a laser diode, and a focusing optical interface situated between the other end of the optical fiber and the secondary explosive and adapted to transmit the laser radiation to the secondary explosive, wherein a layer of pyrotechnics is disposed in the cavity between the secondary explosive and the focusing optical interface, said pyrotechnics containing a metal in micronized powder form having a grain size smaller than 10 \u03bcm.
2. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the layer of pyrotechnics lies in the range of one-fourth to one-tenth the thickness of the secondary explosive.
3. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein the pressure to which the pyrotechnics is compacted is substantially equal to the pressure to which the secondary explosive is compacted.
4. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein the composition of the pyrotechnics is stoichiometric to within 15%.
5. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein the pyrotechnics is selected from the group consisting of thermites comprising aluminum and iron oxide, powders essentially comprising zirconium and potassium perchlorate, powders essentially comprising zirconium and barium chromate, powders essentially comprising titanium and potassium perchlorate, and powders essentially comprising titanium hydride and potassium perchlorate.
6. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein the pyrotechnics has a reducing metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, a titanium hydrides, aluminum and magnesium.
7. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein the pyrotechnics has an inorganic oxidizer which is at least one of potassium perchlorate, ammonium perchlorate, barium chromate, ammonium bichromate, ammonium nitrate, and iron oxides.
8. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein a transition to detonation conditions is triggered by deflagration of the secondary explosive.
9. An optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein a transition to detonation conditions is triggered by a shock wave created by an impact of a projectile disk propelled into the cavity by deflagration of the secondary explosive.
10. The optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein said focusing optical interface is adapted to generate a laser spot having a diameter of 50 \u03bcm to 100 \u03bcm.
11. The optical detonator according to claim 1, wherein said pyrotechnics comprises pyrotechnic compounds containing a reducing metal absorbing the infrared radiation of the laser beam.