1. A method of sustaining corneal cells, comprising the steps of:
providing a non-perfluorocarbon cell storage medium;
providing a pre-oxygenated liquid perfluorocarbon underlayer in contact with the storage medium;
submersing the corneal cells in the storage medium while not contacting the perfluorocarbon; and
storing the cells at a temperature between \u221210\xb0 C. to 25\xb0 C.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-perfluorocarbon storage medium forms a layer on top of the perfluorocarbon.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the storage medium is maintained at about 4\xb0 C.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the perfluorocarbon is selected from the group consisting of perfluorooctylbromide, bis(perfluoro-butyl)ethane, and perfluorooctane.
5. A method for extending the viability of corneal cells that have been removed from a subject, comprising the steps of:
providing a non-perfluorocarbon cell storage medium;
providing a pre-oxygenated liquid perfluorocarbon in contact with the storage medium;
submersing the corneal cells in the storage medium while preventing contact with the perfluorocarbon; and
storing the cells at a temperature between \u221210\xb0 C. to 25\xb0 C.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the temperature of the storage medium is maintained at about 4\xb0 C.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the perfluorocarbon is about 5% to about 30% of the combined volume of the perfluorocarbon and the storage media.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the perfluorocarbon is selected from the group consisting of perfluorodecalin, perfluorotripropylamine, perfluoro N-methyl-decahydroisoquinoline, perfluoromethylcyclohexylpiperidine and perfluorodimethylcyclonane.
9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the perfluorocarbon is selected from the group consisting of a perfluorodecalin, perfluorotripropylamine, perfluoro N-methyl-decahydroisoquinoline, perfluoromethylcyclohexylpiperidine and perfluorodimethylcyclonane.
10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the non-perfluorocarbon cell storage medium is corneal storage medium.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the corneal storage medium is selected from the group consisting of Optisol, K-Sol, Dexsol, H-Sol, McCarey-Kaufman medium, Corneal Storage Medium, Eagles Media M199, Minimal Essential Media and Phosphate Buffered Saline.
12. The method according to claim 5, wherein the non-perfluorocarbon cell storage medium is Optisol.
13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cells are sustained in the absence of substantially continuous oxygen bubbling.
14. The method according to claim 5 wherein the cells are maintained in the absence of substantially continuous oxygen bubbling.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cells are completely immersed within the layer of the storage medium.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cells are maintained at about 0\xb0 C. to about 4\xb0 C.
17. The method according to claim 5, wherein the cells are maintained at about 0\xb0 C. to about 4\xb0 C.
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. A machine for producing packets of cigarettes; each packet (2) comprising a group (3) of cigarettes (4) enclosed in packaging material (5, 6, 7); the machine (1) comprising a number of conveyors (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54), each having a respective number, greater than one, of members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) which are brought into contact with said groups (3) andor the packaging material (5, 6, 7), and cooperate with the members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of at least one adjacent conveyor (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54); in particular, said members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) comprising outlets (19) for the groups (3), pockets (18, 33, 45, 53, 56) for conveying the groups (3) andor packets (2), conveying heads (43, 49) for conveying the packaging material (6, 7), and folding devices (37, 40) for folding said packaging material (5); and the machine (1) being characterized in that the number of members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of each conveyor (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54) is equal to a multiple or to a common divisor of the number of members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of an adjacent conveyor (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54).
2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the number of members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of each conveyor (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54) equals a given whole number or a multiple or a submultiple of the whole number.
3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said given whole number equals twelve.
4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the numbers of members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of the conveyors (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54) of said machine (1) form part of a geometric progression of ratio two.
5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each member (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of each conveyor (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54) is identified by a respective identification mark with respect to the other members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of the same conveyor (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54).
6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said conveyors (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54) comprise a hopper (12) for conveying said cigarettes (4); packaging wheels (30, 31); supply wheels (41, 47) for supplying said packaging material (6, 7); folding wheels (35, 38) for folding the packaging material (5); a first pocket conveyor (13) for conveying said groups (3); and a second and a third pocket conveyor (54, 50) for conveying said packets (2).
7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, characterized by comprising a first and a second packaging wheel (30, 31) adjacent to each other; a first and a second folding wheel (35, 38) adjacent to the first packaging wheel (30); and a first and a second supply wheel (41, 47) adjacent to the first and the second packaging wheel (30, 31) respectively.
8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) comprise six outlets (19) for the groups (3) of cigarettes from the hopper (12); twelve first packaging pockets (33) of said first packaging wheel (30); twelve second packaging pockets (45) of the second packaging wheel (31); six first gripping heads (43) of the first supply wheel (41); six second gripping heads (49) of the second supply wheel (47); three first folding tools (37) of the first folding wheel (35); and three second folding tools (40) of the second folding wheel (38).
9. A machine as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the first pocket conveyor (13) comprises twenty-four first conveying pockets (18) for conveying said groups (3); said first conveying pockets (18) being arranged in four trains (17) of six pockets each; and each train (17) being movable independently of the other trains (17).
10. A machine as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that said second pocket conveyor (54) comprises six second conveying pockets (56) for conveying the packets (2); and the third pocket conveyor (50) comprises twenty-four third conveying pockets (53) for conveying said packets (2).
11. A machine as claimed in claim 5, characterized by comprising a control device (61) in turn comprising a control unit (62) connected to at least one of said conveyors (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54).
12. A machine as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that said control unit (62) comprises a control member (69) for extracting a given number of packets (2) from a given conveyor (50) for the purpose of inspecting said packets (2).
13. A machine as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that said control device (61) comprises optoelectronic means (63, 64, 65) for controlling the groups (3) and the packets (2); said optoelectronic means (63, 64, 65) being connected to said control unit (62), which emits error signals (El, E2) for rejecting the packets (2).
14. A machine as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said hopper (12) comprises an inlet (20) for the cigarettes; and an ordering device (23) located at said inlet (20) to position the ends of the cigarettes in the same plane.
15. A machine as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that said ordering device (23) comprises two facing parallel walls (24) movable back and forth in a given direction (D2) perpendicular to the walls (24).
16. A machine as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that said walls (24) are located a first distance (A2) apart; said first distance (A2) being greater than the length of the cigarettes.
17. A machine as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that said hopper comprises two fixed walls (21) parallel to said walls (24); said fixed walls (21) being located a second distance (A1) apart.
18. A method of controlling a machine, characterized by comprising the steps of extracting a given number of packets (2) from said machine (1); and determining, for each extracted packet (2), which members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) have been brought into contact with the group (3) and with the packaging material (5, 6, 7) used to produce each extracted packet (2).
19. A method as claimed in claim 18, characterized by extracting a number of packets (2) equal to the number of members (18, 19, 33, 45, 37, 40, 43, 49, 53, 56) of one of conveyors (12, 13, 30, 31, 35, 38, 41, 47, 50, 54) of said machine (1).
20. A method as claimed in claim 18, characterized by controlling said groups (3) and said packets (2) by means of optoelectronic means (63, 64, 65); and by rejecting any faulty packets (2) and any packets (2) containing faulty groups (3).