1. An apparatus generating nitric oxide, the apparatus comprising:
a heat source;
a vessel containing the heat source;
a tablet, positioned within the vessel and in thermal communication with the heat source to receive heat therefrom; and
the tablet, consisting substantially of non-deliquescent reactants forming nitric oxide in response to heat from the heat source.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tablet further comprises an inert binder providing a substantially solid path of thermal conduction between granules of reactants.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tablet is further compressed to a hardness providing a thermal conductivity effective to heat the reactants substantially exclusively by thermal conduction.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat source is controlled to melt, yet avoid vaporizing, at least one of the reactants.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat source is controlled to melt at least one of the reactants, and to avoid vaporizing any of the reactants.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hardness of the tablet is selected to be greater than 5 kiloponds.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hardness of the tablet is selected to be greater than 9 kiloponds.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hardness of the tablet is selected to be from about 10 kiloponds to about 20 kiloponds.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reactants consist substantially of:
a non-deliquescent nitrite compound;
a nitrate compound; and
a single metal oxide.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reactants comprise:
a non-deliquescent nitrite compound;
a nitrate compound; and
a metal oxide.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inert binder comprises calcium silicate.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the non-deliquescent nitrite compound comprises sodium nitrite.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the nitrate compound comprises potassium nitrate and the metal oxide comprises chromic oxide.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reactants are agglomerated into granulated subdomains within the tablet.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tablet is formed to minimize friability thereof.
16. A stable nitric-oxide-producing tablet comprising:
substantially non-deliquescent reactants forming nitric oxide in response to applied heat, the reactants comprising:
a non-deliquescent nitrite compound;
a nitrate compound;
a metal oxide; and
an inert binder providing a substantially solid path of thermal conduction between the reactants.
17. The tablet of claim 16, wherein the inert binder comprises calcium silicate.
18. The tablet of claim 16, wherein the non-deliquescent nitrite compound comprises sodium nitrite.
19 The tablet of claim 16, wherein the nitrate compound comprises potassium nitrate and the metal oxide comprises chromic oxide.
20. A method of generating nitric oxide, the method comprising:
providing a solid tablet comprising non-deliquescent reactants;
heating the tablet to melt at least one of the reactants to promote reaction thereof, thereby generating nitric oxide;
mixing the nitric oxide with a diluent gas to provide a therapeutically safe concentration of nitric oxide.
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 integrated circuit comprising:
A. plural cores;
B. a tap domain associated with each core, each domain having a test data input, a test data output, a test clock input, a test mode select input, and auxiliary leads, and the test data output of one domain being connected to the test data input of another domain;
C. a test data input terminal connected to the test data input of a domain;
D. a test data output terminal connected to the test data output of a domain;
E. a test clock terminal connected to the test clock input of all of the tap domains;
F. a test mode select terminal connected to the test mode select input of all of the tap domains;
G. one auxiliary terminal connected to one auxiliary lead of all of the tap domains; and
G. another auxiliary terminal connected to another auxiliary lead of all of the tap domains.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which a domain includes auxiliary circuitry connected to the test data input, the test data output, and the auxiliary leads.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which a domain includes auxiliary circuitry connected to the test data input, the test data output, and an auxiliary lead through an input buffer and an output buffer.
4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which the test data inputs and the test data outputs of the domains are connected in series between the test data input terminal and the test data output terminal.
5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which each domain includes:
i. a serial instruction register having a serial data input connected to the test data input, a serial data output, an instruction register control bus output, and a control bus input;
ii. a serial data register having a serial data input connected to the test data input, a serial data output, and a control input connected to the instruction register control bus output;
iii. multiplexer circuitry coupling the serial data output of the instruction register and the serial data output of the data register to the test data output, and having a control input;
iv. TAP control circuitry having a clock input connected to the test clock input, a mode select input connected to the test mode select input, and a TAP control bus output connected to the control bus input of the instruction register and the control input of the multiplexer circuitry; and
v. auxiliary circuitry connected to the serial instruction register, the TAP control circuitry, the test data input, the test data output, and the auxiliary leads.