What is claimed is:
1. An Internet-enabled subscription teaching service system, comprising:
an Internet-connected lecture server executing a software suite;
one or more teacher-author stations coupled to the Internet-connected lecture server, having input and display apparatus, and including lecture-authoring software; and
one or more Internet-capable lecture client stations having lecture-participation software;
wherein teacher-authors using the teacher-author stations prepare lectures through the lecture-authoring software, the lecture server stores prepared lectures and provides lectures on a pre-determined schedule to lecture clients at the lecture client stations, and the lecture clients follow the provided lectures at the lecture client stations through the lecture-participation software.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the teacher-author stations are Internet-capable and wherein the lecture-authoring software cooperates with browser software to enable the teacher-authors to search for and browse candidate WEB pages, to enhance and store selected ones of such pages found, to arrange stored product in an order of desired presentation, and to upload a finished lecture to the lecture server for storage and eventual provision of the lecture to the lecture client stations according to the pre-determined schedule.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein enhancement comprises one or more of masking content, text annotation, attaching audio or video files, or adding graphic elements to the selected page.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the lecture-authoring software further enables the teacher-author to author new pages, and to arrange the new pages in order with the selected WEB pages in creating a lecture.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein the lecture authoring software is implemented on the teacher-author station as a browser plug-in.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the Internet-connected lecture server stores prepared lectures and parameters for replaying lectures on the Internet, and accesses and replays stored lectures to pre-determined groups of lecture clients according to the stored parameters.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the lecture server further negotiates with lecture clients for participation in lectures, manages assignment of lecture clients with lectures, and alerts clients as to times for individual ones of the stored lectures.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the lectures provided by the lecture server to clients require client interaction with the lectures, and the lecture clients interact through the lecture participation software.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein lectures require participation by the teacher-author of the lecture, and while a lecture is played, lecture clients are directed to WEB pages in real time, and while viewing pages to which they are directed interact with the teacher author through the lecture-participation and the lecture-server software.
10. A method for on-line teaching, comprising the steps of:
(a) composing a lecture on-line by a teacher-author at a teacher-author station by browsing WEB pages, altering copies of pages found, and saving altered pages in a particular order as a lecture;
(b) uploading the completed lecture to lecture server; and
(c) playing the lecture on the Internet at an agreed-to time to a plurality of lecture clients at Internet-connected client workstations.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein, in step (a) altering copies of WEB pages comprises one or more of masking content, text annotation, attaching audio or video files, or adding graphic elements to the selected page.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein, in step (a), the teacher-author creates new pages, and arranges the new pages in order with the selected WEB pages in creating a lecture.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the teacher author uses lecture-authoring software implemented on the teacher-author station.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the lecture-authoring software is implemented as a WEB browser plug-in.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the Internet-connected lecture server organizes groups of lecture clients prior to playing a lecture to the organized clients on the Internet.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein the lecture clients have lecture interaction software executing on the client workstations, and in step (c) the clients interact with lectures through the client-interaction software.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein lectures require participation by the teacher-author of the lecture, and while a lecture is played, lecture clients are directed to WEB pages in real time, and while viewing pages to which they are directed interact with the teacher author through the lecture-participation and the lecture-server software.
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 disposable apparatus for use in blood testing and being adapted for simultaneous dilution of a blood sample (S) into at least two different dilution ratios, said apparatus including a housing (21) having integrated therein means (41) for receiving a blood sample (S), a plurality of receptacles (28-33) for diluent and diluted sample, and a plurality of channels (34-39),
characterized by
depressions in at least one surface (27) of the housing, said depressions at least partly defining the receptacles (28-33) and the channels;
diaphragm means (40) sealing the receptacles and the channels relative to said at least one surface (27).
2. The disposable apparatus according to claim 1,
characterized in that said diaphragm means entirely covers said at least one surface.
3. The disposable apparatus according to claim 1,
characterized by valve means (45, 54) within said housing (21) controllable for directing diluent and diluted sample between selected receptacles.
4. The disposable apparatus according to claim 3,
characterized in that the valve means include a valve slide (54) slidably guided in an aperture (45) in the housing.
5. The disposable apparatus according to claim 1,
characterized in that portions of said diaphragm means (40) sealing the receptacles are flexible in response to a pressure variation applied thereon.
6. The disposable apparatus according to claim 1,
characterized by a blood sample receiving channel (41) in the housing communicating with two of the depressions forming channels (34, 37).
7. The disposable apparatus according to claim 1,
characterized in that the housing (21) is translucent and has integrated therein a light path (64) for performing photometric measurement on material contained in at lest one of the receptacles (33).
8. An instrument for controlling the apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by pressure actuating means (92) adapted to apply a pressure on at least one portion of the diaphragm means sealing a selected receptacle (33).
9. A method for controlling an apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a pressure is applied on at least one portion of the diaphragm means sealing a selected receptacle.