Author: claimsbot

1. An auditory ossicle prosthesis designed for replacing or bridging at least one element in the human auditory ossicle chain with a sound transmitting prosthesis body which at one end has a first coupling element designed as a head plate for mechanical connection of the prosthesis to the tympanic membrane and which at the other end has a second coupling element either designed for mechanical connection of the prosthesis to a second element of the human auditory ossicle chain, in particular to the stapes footplate, or for being inserted directly into the inner ear, whereby a stabiliser element is provided which is designed for fixation of the auditory ossicle prosthesis in its implanted state on a level with the plane of the tympanic membrane and for stabilising the position of the implanted auditory ossicle prosthesis in the middle ear, whereby the stabiliser element is adapted for permanent and stable securing at a section of the prosthesis body adjacent to the first coupling element and comprises a fixation part for anchoring the stabiliser element at one or more places of the ear canal wall
characterised in that
the stabiliser element is Y-shaped, whereby the fixation part comprises two hooked anchoring elements adapted for securing the fixation part in artificially drilled holes in the ear canal wall starting from a common bifurcation point at the body of the stabiliser element and branching towards their hooked free ends at an angle with respect to each other.
2. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the first coupling element is designed as a clip-like, umbrella-like or U-shaped part for mechanically coupling the prosthesis to a first element of the human auditory ossicle chain, in particular to the manubrium.
3. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the second coupling element is designed for mechanical connection of the prosthesis to the stapes head or as a piston for being inserted directly into the inner ear.
4. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the stabiliser element is adapted for permanent and stable securing at the first coupling element.
5. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the stabiliser element is completely or partly made of titanium.
6. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the stabiliser element is completely or partly made of a material with memory effect, in particular of Nitinol.
7. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the prosthesis is assembled from different modular components.
8. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the stabiliser element comprises at least one predetermined breaking point or a portion of a material thickness less than the material thickness of the prosthesis body.
9. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the stabiliser element comprises a clipping element for securing the stabiliser element at the first coupling element or at a section of the prosthesis body adjacent to the first coupling element.
10. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the stabiliser element comprises an elongated part functionally replacing the natural malleus handle.
11. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 10, characterised in that the elongated part is shaped as a piston.
12. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 10, characterised in that the auditory ossicle prosthesis comprises a receiving section designed for supporting the stabiliser element in the implanted state of the auditory ossicle prosthesis.
13. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 12, characterised in that the receiving section comprises a hook shaped portion provided at the first coupling element.
14. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the fixation part comprises more hooked anchoring elements adapted for securing the fixation part in artificially drilled holes in the ear canal wall.
15. Auditory ossicle prosthesis according to claim 1, characterised in that the hooked anchoring elements comprise reinforced free end portions.

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 spinning cold plasma apparatus, comprising:
a vortex tube having a vortex reaction chamber, an inner wall, and a generated plasma, wherein the vortex tube having a cold gas outlet formed at a first end of the vortex tube and a hot gas outlet formed at a second end of the vortex tube, and the vortex tube having at least one gas inlet opening formed in the vortex tube for directing pressurized gas tangentially to the inner wall into the vortex reaction chamber;
a valve positioned at least partially within the cold gas outlet to regulate the flow of cold plasma from the vortex reaction chamber; and
an ionizing device for transmitting electromagnetic energy into the vortex reaction chamber to ionize pressurized gas therein, wherein the ionizing device is a source selected from the group consisting of a RF source, and a microwave source capable of forming plasma in the central region of the reaction chamber of said vortex tube.
2. The spinning cold plasma apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF source comprises a tunable inductive coupler adapted to focus electromagnetic energy on a longitudinal central column region of the vortex reaction chamber.
3. The spinning cold plasma apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vortex tube comprises a plurality of gas inlet openings.
4. The spinning cold plasma apparatus of claim 3, comprising at least one source of pressurized gas in fluid communication with the plurality of gas inlet passages.
5. The spinning cold plasma apparatus of claim 1, comprising a collar extending from the cold gas outlet.
6. The spinning cold plasma apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vortex tube comprises a reverse-flow vortex tube.
7. A method of producing a spinning cold plasma, comprising:
directing a pressurized gas into a vortex chamber of a vortex tube to induce a rotational flow of higher-density pressurized gas along an inner wall of the chamber and a lower-density pressurized gas at the longitudinal center column of the reaction chamber of the vortex tube;
ionizing the lower-density pressurized gas;
generating spinning cold plasma in the central region of the reaction chamber of said vortex tube.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:
transmitting electromagnetic energy into the chamber.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:
focusing the electromagnetic energy on the longitudinal center column of lower-density pressurized gas.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic energy is transmitted from an RF source.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic energy is transmitted from a microwave source.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the pressurized gas is selected from the group consisting of Argon, natural air, CO2, NF3, CF4, SF6, a Nitrogen-based gas, and mixtures thereof.
13. A method of disinfecting a surface, comprising applying the spinning cold plasma produced by the method of claim 7 to the surface of interest.
14. A method of increasing the wettability of a substrate, comprising
(a) directing a pressurized gas into a vortex chamber to induce a rotational flow of higher-density pressurized gas along an inner wall of the chamber and a lower-density pressurized gas at the longitudinal center of the reaction chamber of:
(b) transmitting electromagnetic energy into the chamber;
(c) focusing the electromagnetic energy on the longitudinal center reaction column of lower-density pressurized gas, wherein the electromagnetic energy is transmitted from an RF source or a microwave source or a combination thereof;
(d) ionizing the lower-density pressurized gas to produce the spinning cold plasma at the center region of the reaction chamber of the vortex tube; and
(e) applying the spinning cold plasma to the substrate.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein only a single ionizing device is employed to generate the plasma.
16. The method of claim 7, wherein only a single ionizing device is employed to generate the plasma.

1. A plastic structural article comprising:
an elongated tubular plastic shell having opposed end sections, a middle section therebetween and an interior cavity; and
a foam core comprising steam expandable polymer beads which when expanded substantially fill the interior cavity, wherein the middle section of the plastic shell has a foam core having a lower density than the foam core in the opposed end sections.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the foam core and the end sections have a density ranging from 2 to 6 lbs. per cubic foot and the density of the foam core in the middle section has a density which is at least 1 lb. per cubic foot lower than the density of the adjacent end sections.
3. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is either a railroad tie or a bumper.
4. The article of claim 3, wherein the plastic shell has at least one inlet for introducing expandable polymer beads into the hollow interior cavity of the shell and a series of heating ports extending through the shell wall spaced along the elongated length of the shell for introducing at least partially vaporized heating media for expanding the expandable polymer beads.
5. The article of claim 1, wherein the middle section has a smaller cross-sectional area than the adjacent end sections.
6. The article of claim 5, wherein the end sections of the tie when oriented in a generally horizontal installed position have a generally flat top surface, a bottom surface which defines a plane spaced from and generally parallel to the top surface and have opposed side walls forming a generally trapezoidal shape.
7. The article of claim 6, wherein the bottom surface of the end sections has a transverse width which is greater than the corresponding width of the top surface.
8. The article of claim 7, wherein the side walls are generally straight.
9. The article of claim 7, wherein the side walls are generally concave.
10. A method of manufacturing a plastic structural article comprising:
blow-molding a plastic preform in a mold cavity in the shape of an elongated member to form an elongated tubular plastic shell having opposed end sections, a middle section therebetween and a hollow interior cavity;
forming at least one fill port and a plurality of heating ports in the wall of the plastic shell;
filling the shell interior cavity with expandable polymer beads;
injecting a hot, at least partially vaporized heating medium, into the heating ports to expand the expandable polymer beads so as to substantially fill the interior cavity of the shell;
constraining the plastic shell to limit expansion caused by the heated, expanding polymer beads until the assembly is cooled sufficiently to limit further expansion; and
releasing the plastic structural article from the mold cavity.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of blow-molding further comprises extruding a thermoplastic tubular preform closing a hollow mold having an interior cavity the shape of a railroad tie about the extruded preform and blowing a pressurized gas into the hollow interior cavity of a preform causing the preform to expand to conformally fit the mold interior cavity.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of forming at least one fill port in the wall of the shell occurs while the shell is in the mold cavity.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of filling the shell interior with expandable polymer beads, the step of injecting a heating media and the step of constraining the shell all occur while the shell is in the mold cavity.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least three fill ports are formed in the shell with at least one fill port corresponding to each of the opposed ends and middle section wherein the step of filling the shell with the expandable polymer beads further comprising filling the middle section with lower density polymer beads that are filled into the end sections of the shell with the resulting core has a lower density in the middle section than the end sections.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of blow-molding forms an elongated tubular shell having larger cross-sectional end sections than a middle section therebetween.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of injecting a heating medium further comprises injecting hot steam into the heating ports.
17. A railroad tie, comprising:
an elongated plastic shell including opposed closed end sections and a middle section therebetween defining a cavity, the plastic shell including a pair of spaced apart embossments, one of which is situated on a first surface of each end section;
a pair of spaced apart metal mounting plates, one of which is situated in each of the embossments; and
a foam core of expanded polyolefin beads substantially filling the cavity, wherein the metal mounting plates are secured with ringed-shank fasteners.
18. The railroad tie of claim 17, wherein the railroad tie further includes a concave retention structure formed on a second surface of the elongated shell opposed to and spaced apart from the first surface.
19. The railroad tie of claim 17, wherein elongated shell comprises a wedge shape in longitudinal side elevation view.
20. The railroad tie of claim 17, further comprising a mounting surface for attachment of an electrified rail member connected to the railroad tie.
21. The railroad tie of claim 17, further comprising a sensor situated on or within the railroad tie.
22. The railroad tie of claim 17, wherein the polyolefin beads comprise homopolymer polyolefin beads.

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 quadrupole mass spectrometer including; an ion source for ionizing a sample; a quadrupole mass filter composed of four rod electrodes; a quadrupole driver for producing a composite voltage composed of a direct-current voltage and a radio-frequency voltage corresponding to the mass-to-charge ratio of an ion to be allowed to pass through the quadrupole mass filter, and for applying the composite voltage to the quadrupole mass filter; and a detector for detecting an ion that has passed through the quadrupole mass filter, the quadrupole driver comprising:
a) a memory for storing voltage-setting data corresponding to the mass-to-charge ratio, for storing a gain, a common offset and a mass-related offset as control parameters for varying the direct-current voltage corresponding to the mass-to-charge ratio during a mass-scan operation, where the gain determines the ratio of the direct-current voltage to the amplitude of the radio-frequency voltage, the common offset determines a different offset voltage according to a scan speed, independently of the mass-to-charge ratio, and the mass-related offset specifies a different offset voltage for each of a plurality of mass-to-charge ratios within a mass-scan range; and
b) a direct-current voltage generator for generating a direct-current voltage to be applied to the quadrupole mass filter by adding at least three voltages during a mass-scan operation, the three voltages including: a voltage generated by retrieving from the memory the voltage-setting data according to a change in the mass-to-charge ratio, performing a digital-to-analogue conversion of the voltage-setting data, and multiplying the resultant analogue signal by a gain retrieved from the memory; a voltage generated by a digital-to-analogue conversion of the common offset obtained from the memory according to a scan speed at that point in time; and a voltage generated by a digital-to-analogue conversion of the mass-related offset obtained from the memory according to the change in the mass-to-charge ratio.
2. The quadrupole mass spectrometer according to claim 1, further comprising a regulator for supplying the ion source with a sample containing a known kind of component, for selecting each of a plurality of mass-to-charge ratios of the ions to be allowed to pass through the quadrupole mass filter, for monitoring the detection signal produced by the detector while varying the mass-related offset given to the direct-current voltage generator with the mass-to-charge ratio fixed at the selected value, and for determining a value of the mass-related offset for each of the mass-to-charge ratios so that a mass-resolving power will be substantially a same at any of the mass-to-charge ratios.