What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for generating an RF signal modulated in accordance with a modulation scheme, the apparatus comprising:
a switch mode converter having a power input, a power output and a control input;
a regulator having a power input, a power output and a control input, the power input of the regulator being coupled to the power output of the switch-mode converter; and
a magnitude driver responsive to a modulation signal for producing a first control signal coupled to the control input of the switch mode converter and a second control signal coupled to the control input of the regulator.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an RF power amplifier having a non-linear operational mode, a power output of the regulator supplying a operating voltage of the RF power amplifier.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the modulation signal is a magnitude control signal.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the modulation scheme is amplitude modulation.
5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means responsive to a phase control signal for generating a carrier signal having a phase modulation characteristic, the carrier signal being applied to the RF power amplifier.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a modulation encoder responsive to a data signal for generating the magnitude control signal and the phase control signal.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the modulation encoder operates in a polar coordinate system.
8. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:
a plurality of amplifier modules, each amplifier module comprising:
a switch mode converter having a power input, a power output and a control input;
a regulator having a power input, a power output and a control input, the power input of the regulator being coupled to the power output of the switch-mode converter;
a magnitude driver responsive to a modulation signal for producing a first control signal coupled to the control input of the switch mode converter and a second control signal coupled to the control input of the regulator; and
an RF power amplifier having a non-linear operational mode, a power output of the regulator supplying a operating voltage of the RF power amplifier;
an RF signal applied in common to all of the RF power amplifiers; and
a magnitude driver responsive to an overall magnitude signal for generating one or more magnitude drive signals, a magnitude drive signal being applied to each of the RF power amplifiers.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a separate respective magnitude drive signals are generated for each of the RF power amplifiers.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a single magnitude drive signal is applied in common to all of the RF power amplifiers.
11. A method of generating a modulated RF signal, comprising:
generating first and second control signals in response to a modulation signal;
in response to the first control signal, performing switch-mode conversion of a supply voltage to an intermediate voltage, the intermediate voltage exceeding a desired voltage; and
in response to the second control signal, regulating the intermediate voltage to produce the desired voltage.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying the desired voltage as an operating voltage to an RF amplifier, and applying an RF input signal to the RF amplifier.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the RF input signal is phase modulated.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising;
encoding data in polar coordinates to produce a magnitude signal and a phase signal; and
generating the RF input signal in accordance with the phase signal;
wherein said modulation signal is derived from said magnitude signal.
15. A method of generating a high-power RF signal, comprising:
coupling in parallel multiple RF amplifiers and adding output signals of the multiple RF amplifiers to produce a resultant high-power RF output signal;
applying an RF input signal in common to all of the RF amplifiers; and
in response to an overall magnitude signal, generating one or more magnitude drive signals, a magnitude drive signal being applied to each of the RF power amplifiers.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein a sum of magnitude drive signals applied to the RF power amplifiers substantially equals the overall magnitude signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A retractable scalpel device comprising:
(a) a cover housing with top and bottom edges and right and left sides along a length of the cover housing, the cover housing formed in substantially the shape of a surgical scalpel handle and defining a longitudinal sliding bore, the sliding bore having a blade opening defined in the cover housing at a forward end, a closed end at a rear end of the cover housing, and a slot extending through at least part of the left side of the cover housing;
(b) a sliding piece comprising a forward section, on which is fixed a scalpel blade, a mid section, and a U-shaped legs section, where the mid section has a lateral extension through the slot and beyond the left side of the cover housing to form an actuator substantially wider than the slot adapted to permit a user to move the sliding piece in forward and rearward motion in the slot and within the sliding bore;
(c) the legs section comprising a sliding section with lateral dimensions substantially wider and thicker than the mid section and adapted to slidingly support the sliding piece in the sliding bore;
(d) the legs section further comprising two flexible legs extending rearward from the sliding section, where a rearward part of the legs are urged apart from one another and have a releasable latching element urged against either a top or bottom surface of the sliding bore;
(e) spring means for urging the sliding piece rearward so that in a rearward rest position the blade is covered by the cover housing and in a forward latched position the blade has passed though the blade opening and is exposed for surgical procedures; and
(f) two releasable latch openings defined along opposite edges of the length of the cover housing and adapted to engage the releasable latching elements when a user moves the actuator in a forward direction to the forward latched position.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the two releasable latch openings are located at about halfway along the length of the cover housing.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the releasable latching means are adapted to prevent rearward travel of the sliding piece from the forward latched position if only one of the releasable latching elements are depressed so that it passes below an innermost edge of its releasable latch opening.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the releasable latching means are adapted so that both releasable latching elements must be depressed so they pass below an innermost edge of a releasable latch opening to which the releasable latching element is engaged before spring means or actuator motion permits rearward travel of the sliding piece from the forward latched position.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein a permanent latch is adapted to permanently latch the sliding piece in one position along the length of the sliding bore.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the permanent latch is adapted to latch the sliding piece into one position rearward of the rest position.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the permanent latch comprises permanent latch extensions at each of the two legs and permanent latch receivers.
8. 1. A retractable scalpel device comprising:
(a) a cover housing with top and bottom edges and right and left sides along a length of the cover housing and defining a longitudinal sliding bore, the sliding bore having a blade opening defined in the cover housing at a forward end, and a slot extending through at least part of the left side of the cover housing;
(b) a sliding piece comprising a forward section, on which is fixed a scalpel blade and a slider legs section, where the slider legs section has a lateral extension through the slot and beyond the left side of the cover housing to form an actuator adapted to permit a user to move the sliding piece in forward and rearward motion in the slot and within the sliding bore;
(c) the slider legs section comprising a sliding section with lateral dimensions adapted to slidingly support the sliding piece in the sliding bore;
(d) the slider legs section further comprising two flexible legs extending rearward from the sliding section, where a rearward part of the legs are urged apart from one another and have a stepped extension urged against either a top or bottom surface of the sliding bore; and
(e) two releasable latch openings defined along opposite edges of the length of the cover housing and adapted to engage the stepped extension when a user moves the actuator in a forward direction to the forward latched position.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the two releasable latch openings are located at about halfway along the length of the cover housing.
10. The device of claim 8 wherein stepped extensions are adapted to prevent rearward travel of the sliding piece from the forward latched position if only one of the releasable latching elements are depressed so that it passes below an innermost edge of its releasable latch opening.
11. The device of claim 8 wherein the stepped extensions are adapted so that both stepped extensions must be depressed so they pass below an innermost edge of a releasable latch opening to which the stepped extension is engaged before actuator motion permits rearward travel of the sliding piece from the forward latched position.
12. The device of claim 8 wherein a permanent latch is adapted to permanently latch the sliding piece in one position along the length of the sliding bore.
13. The device of claim 12 wherein the permanent latch is adapted to latch the sliding piece into one position rearward of the rest position.
14. The device of claim 13 wherein the permanent latch comprises permanent latch extensions at each of the two legs and permanent latch receivers.
15. The device of claim 8 wherein spring means urge the sliding piece rearward so that in a rearward rest position the blade is covered by the cover housing and in a forward latched position the blade has passed though the blade opening and is exposed for surgical procedures.