1. A method of reacting a substance with a surfactant-based biofilm, in an environment outside a human body comprising
(a) providing a reactive structure located in an environment outside a human body comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm that is known to react with a substance in a predetermined manner when the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to the substance, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm; and
(b) exposing the surfactant-based biofilm to the substance in an environment outside a human body to produce the reaction with the substance in the predetermined manner.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to a fluid containing the substance in an environment outside a human body to produce the reaction.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a predetermined thickness when not exposed to the substance in an environment outside a human body and changes thickness in a predetermined manner when exposed to the substance in an environment outside a human body.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the substance in an environment outside a human body.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to saltwater to produce the reaction, which comprises adhesion of NaCl molecules to the surfactant-based biofilm.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm includes salmon sperm DNA.
7. A sensor comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm thereon, the sensor located in an environment outside a human body, the surfactant-based biofilm characterized by its ability to react in a predetermined manner when exposed to a known substance in an environment outside a human body, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm.
8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a predetermined thickness when not exposed to the known substance in an environment outside a human body and changes thickness in a predetermined manner when exposed to the known substance in an environment outside a human body.
9. The sensor of claim 8, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is further characterized in that it will return substantially to its original predetermined thickness when exposure to the known substance in an environment outside a human body is discontinued.
10. The sensor of claim 8, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the known substance in an environment outside a human body.
11. A device for extracting salt from saltwater, comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm thereon, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm that is characterized by its ability to react with saltwater to produce a reaction that causes a substantial portion of the NaCl molecules in the saltwater to adhere to the surfactant-based biofilm.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm includes salmon sperm DNA.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 300 Angstroms.
14. The device of claim 11, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 300 Angstroms.
15. A method of reacting a substance with a surfactant-based biofilm, comprising
(a) providing a reactive structure comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm that is known to react with a substance in a predetermined manner when the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to the substance, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm; and
(b) exposing the surfactant-based biofilm to the substance to produce the reaction with the substance in the predetermined manner;
wherein, the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to a fluid containing the substance to produce the reaction, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the substance, and wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to a substance in the fluid that includes any or all of the following genres of material to produce the reaction: a hydrocarbon that is harmful to a human lung, a hydrocarbon fuel, a biological andor chemical warfare agent, a hydrocarbon-based solvent, an airborne metal that includes any or all of tungsten, arsenic and cobalt, a radioactive material, a gas containing nitric oxide, carbon dioxide or methane, a virus, engine oil vapors.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the radioactive material includes 99m Tc DTPA; the hydrocarbon solvent includes any or all of ethanol, methanol, and acetone; the hydrocarbon fuel includes any or all of jet fuel, S-8 synthetic jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, kerosene; the biological andor chemical warfare agent comprises any or all of ricin, sarin, anthrax, phosgene gas and mustard gas; and the virus includes Hong Kong 868.
17. The method of claim 6, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 300 Angstroms when not exposed to the saltwater.
18. A sensor comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm thereon, the surfactant-based biofilm layer characterized by its ability to react in a predetermined manner when exposed to a known substance, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a predetermined thickness when not exposed to the known substance and changes thickness in a predetermined manner when exposed to the known substance, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is further characterized in that it will return substantially to its original predetermined thickness when exposure to the known substance is discontinued, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the known substance, and
wherein the surfactant-based biofilm in about a 200 Angstrom thickness has sensitivity such that it will change thickness in the predetermined manner when exposed to a substance that includes any or all of the following genres of material: a hydrocarbon that is harmful to a human lung, a hydrocarbon fuel, a biological andor chemical warfare agent, a hydrocarbon-based solvent, an airborne metal that includes any or all of tungsten, arsenic and cobalt, a radioactive material, a gas containing nitric oxide, carbon dioxide or methane, a virus, engine oil vapors.
19. The sensor of claim 18, wherein the radioactive material includes 99m Tc DTPA; the hydrocarbon solvent includes any or all of ethanol, methanol, and acetone; the hydrocarbon fuel includes any or all of jet fuel, S-8 synthetic jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, kerosene; the biological andor chemical warfare agent comprises any or all of ricin, sarin, anthrax, phosgene gas and mustard gas; and the virus includes Hong Kong 868.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A compressor, comprising:
a compressor pump;
an input shaft for driving said compressor pump and having a fluid supply passage;
a thrust washer having an opening fluidically coupled to the fluid supply passage; and
a bearing member coupled to the input shaft, wherein the thrust washer is disposed between the bearing member and the input shaft, the bearing member having at least one inlet fluidically coupled to the thrust washer opening,
wherein the bearing member has at least one vent disposed between the thrust washer and said at least one inlet.
2. The compressor of claim 1, wherein said at least one vent is disposed adjacent to the thrust washer.
3. The compressor of claim 1, wherein the bearing member has a plurality of vents.
4. The compressor of claim 1, wherein the bearing member has a plurality of inlets.
5. The compressor of claim 1, wherein the vent is vertically aligned with one of said at least one inlets.
6. A vented apparatus for an fluid pump having an input shaft, comprising:
a thrust washer having an opening fluidically coupled to the fluid supply passage; and
a bearing member that can accommodate the input shaft, wherein the thrust washer is disposed in the bearing member, the bearing member having at least one inlet fluidically coupled to the thrust washer opening,
wherein the bearing member has at least one vent disposed between the thrust washer and said at least one inlet.
7. The vented apparatus of claim 6, wherein said at least one vent is disposed adjacent to the thrust washer.
8. The vented apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bearing member has a plurality of vents.
9. The vented apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bearing member has a plurality of inlets.
10. The vented apparatus of claim 6, wherein the vent is vertically aligned with one of said at least one inlets.
11. A scroll compressor, comprising:
a first scroll including a base and scroll wrap extending from said base;
a second scroll including a base and a scroll wrap extending from said base, said scroll wraps of said first and second scrolls interfitting to define a plurality of compression chambers;
an input shaft coupled to the second scroll and having a fluid supply passage;
a thrust washer having an opening fluidically coupled to the fluid supply passage;
a bearing member coupled to the input shaft, wherein the thrust washer is disposed between the bearing member and the input shaft, the bearing member having a plurality of inlets fluidically coupled to the thrust washer opening, wherein the bearing member has at least one vent disposed between the thrust washer and at least one of said plurality of inlets; and
a fluid supply area fluidically coupled to said plurality of inlets.
12. The scroll compressor of claim 11, wherein said at least one vent is disposed adjacent to the thrust washer.
13. The scroll compressor of claim 11, wherein the bearing member has a plurality of vents.
14. The scroll compressor of claim 11, wherein the vent is vertically aligned with one of said plurality of inlets.