All The Claims

1. A fluid analyzer comprising:
a pre-concentrator having a plurality of parallel channels, the channels having an adsorbing film length of less then 1.0 cm;
a concentrator connected to the pre-concentrator;
a first separator connected to the concentrator; and
a controller connected to the pre-concentrator, the concentrator, and the first separator, the controller configured to activate and de-activate the pre-concentrator, concentrator, and first separator independently.
2. The fluid analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of heater elements in the pre-concentrator channels.
3. The fluid analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a first pump connected to the pre-concentrator.
4. The fluid analyzer of claim 3, further comprising a second pump connected to the second separator.
5. The fluid analyzer of claim 4, wherein the controller is connected to the first and second pumps, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first and second pumps simultaneously or separately.
6. The fluid analyzer of claim 4, further comprising at least one detector disposed between an input of the pre-concentrator and the second pump.
7. A fluid analyzer comprising:
a pre-concentrator having a plurality of parallel channels;
a concentrator connected to the pre-concentrator;
a first separator connected to the concentrator;
a first plurality of heater elements in the channels of the pre-concentrator; and
a controller connected to the heater elements, the controller configured to energize the heater elements in a time phased sequence such that each of the plurality of heater elements becomes heated and desorbs selected constituents into a sample fluid stream at about a time when an upstream concentration pulse, produced by one or more upstream heater elements, reaches the heater element, providing a concentrated heat pulse.
8. The fluid analyzer of claim 7, further comprising a second plurality of heater elements situated in the concentrator.
9. The fluid analyzer of claim 7, further comprising a second separator connected to the first separator.
10. The fluid analyzer of claim 7, wherein the controller is connected to the second plurality of heater elements, wherein the controller is configured to energize the first and second pluralities of heater elements to provide a concentrated heat pulse.
11. The fluid analyzer of claim 7, further comprising at least one detector disposed between an input of the pre-concentrator and the second pump.

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 gaming machine comprising:
a display for displaying a game outcome in a base game mode; and
a controller for controlling a first transition route along which a game mode is directly shifted to a free game mode in accordance with the game outcome and a second transition route along which once via a transit game mode, the game mode is shifted to the free game mode in accordance with the game outcome,
the controller being programmed to control a game so as to make a probability with which along the second transition route, the game mode is shifted from the transit game mode to the free game mode higher than a probability with which along the first transition route, the game mode is shifted from the base game mode to the free game mode.
2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein
the controller is further programmed to execute processes described below:
a process in which when the game mode is shifted to the transit game mode along the second transition route, image information indicating that the game mode is the transit game mode is displayed on the display;
a process in which after the game mode has been shifted to the transit game mode along the second transition route, a drawing table used in the base game mode to draw for shifting to the free game mode is changed to a high probability drawing table, the high probability drawing table having a higher probability with which the game mode is shifted to the free game mode than a probability of the drawing table with which the game mode is shifted to the free game mode; and
a process in which a predetermined number of games in the transit game mode executed by using the high probability drawing table is managed, and when the predetermined number of games have been played, the game mode is shifted to the base game mode.
3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein
a probability with which the game mode is shifted from the base game mode to the free game mode along the first transition route is set to be low, as compared with a probability with which the game mode is shifted from the base game mode to the transit game mode along the second transition route; and
the controller is further programmed to execute processes described below:
a process which is conducted such that with the base game mode as a starting point, a probability with which the game mode is shifted to the free game mode along the second transition route is high as a whole, as compared with a probability with which the game mode is shifted to the free game mode along the first transition route.
4. A gaming machine comprising:
a display for displaying an outcome of a unit game by rearranging a plurality of symbols; and
a controller for executing a unit game in a base game mode played on the condition of placing a bet and a unit game in a free game mode which does not require any bet to be placed,
the controller being programmed to execute processes described below:
a process (4-1) which is a transit game mode shifting process in which in the base game mode, upon the occurrence of a trigger which is generated when a first specific symbol is selected by conducting a symbol drawing process in which symbols to be rearranged are selected by a drawing, a game mode is shifted to a transit game mode; and
a process (4-2) which is a free game mode shifting process in which in the transit game mode, upon the occurrence of a trigger which is generated when a second specific symbol is selected by conducting the symbol drawing process, the game mode is shifted from the transit game mode to the free game mode.
5. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein
the controller executes a process (5-1) which is a free game mode shifting process in which in the base game mode, upon the occurrence of a trigger which is generated when the second specific symbol is selected by conducting the symbol drawing process, the game mode is shifted to the free game mode.
6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein
a probability with which the game mode is shifted via the transit game mode to the free game mode by conducting the (4-1) process and the (4-2) process is higher than a probability with which the game mode is shifted to the free game mode by conducting the (5-1) free game mode shifting process.
7. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein
in each of the base game mode and the transit game mode, conducted is a game in which after scrolling along scroll lines symbol arrays which a plurality of kinds of symbols constitute, by rearranging a plurality of symbols, an outcome of a unit game is displayed, and
a number of the second specific symbols included in the symbol arrays used in the transit game mode is larger than a number of the second specific symbols included in the symbol arrays used in the base game mode.
8. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein
when upon rearranging the plurality of symbols in the transit game mode, a number of the scroll lines having the second specific symbol is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, the game mode is shifted to the free game mode.
9. The gaming machine according to claim 8, wherein
in the transit game mode, conducted is a game in which a unit game which does not require any bet to be placed can be played at up to a predetermined maximum number of times, and
in a unit game played last among the unit games, the second specific symbols are rearranged on the scroll lines whose number is obtained by subtracting one or more from the predetermined number.

1. A toothbrush comprising a piezochromic polymer effective to emit an optical signal indicative of brushing force, wherein the piezochromic polymer is an electrocylic ring-opening mechanophore.
2. The toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising:
(a) a handle;
(b) a head;
(c) bristles positioned on the head; and
(d) a neck joining the handle to the head,
wherein at least one of the handle, the head, the bristles and the neck comprises the piezochromic polymer.
3. The toothbrush of any preceding claim 1, wherein the piezochromic polymer is contained in a cavity within the toothbrush, and at least a portion of the toothbrush overlying the cavity is transparent or translucent such that the piezochromic polymer is visible.
4. The toothbrush of claim 3, wherein the portion of the toothbrush overlying the cavity is a window located on a back side of the toothbrush, such that the piezochromic polymer is visible when teeth of a user are being brushed in front of a mirror.
5. The toothbrush of any preceding claim 1, wherein the piezochromic polymer comprises spiropyran.
6. The toothbrush of claim 5, wherein the electrocylic ring-opening mechanophore comprises poly(methyl acrylate) or poly(methyl methacrylate).
7. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the optical signal is at least one color change indicative of at least one of excessive brushing force, acceptable brushing force and inadequate brushing force.
8. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the toothbrush is free of a power supply and electrical circuitry.
9. The toothbrush of claim 2, further comprising an elongated bladder adapted to transmit force from the head to the piezochromic polymer, wherein the piezochromic polymer is located in or on the neck.
10. The toothbrush of claim 2, further comprising a lever inside the head and neck, wherein the lever is adapted to transmit force from the head to the piezochromic polymer, wherein the piezochromic polymer is located in or on the neck.
11. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein at least some of the bristles comprise the piezochromic polymer.
12. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein at least a bristle-contacting surface of the head comprises the piezochromic polymer, and the bristles are sufficiently transparent or translucent such that a color of the bristle-contacting surface of the head is visible.
13. A toothbrush comprising a proximity dye based polymer effective to emit an optical signal indicative of brushing force.
14. The toothbrush of claim 13, further comprising:
(a) a handle;
(b) a head;
(c) bristles positioned on the head; and
(d) a neck joining the handle to the head,
wherein at least one of the handle, the head, the bristles and the neck comprises the proximity dye based polymer.
15. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein at least some of the bristles comprise the proximity dye based polymer.
16. The toothbrush of claim 13, wherein the proximity dye based polymer is contained in a cavity within the toothbrush, and at least a portion of the toothbrush overlying the cavity is transparent or translucent such that the proximity dye based polymer is visible.
17. The toothbrush of claim 16, wherein the portion of the toothbrush overlying the cavity is a window located on a back side of the toothbrush, such that the proximity dye based polymer is visible when teeth of a user are being brushed in front of a mirror.
18. The toothbrush of claim 13, wherein the optical signal is at least one color change indicative of at least one of excessive brushing force, acceptable brushing force and inadequate brushing force.
19. The toothbrush of claim 13, wherein the toothbrush is free of a power supply and electrical circuitry.

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. Apparatus for heating and pressurizing a fluid-filled bag, comprising:
a flexible, tubular sleeve configured to receive a fluid-filled bag having an outer wall;
the flexible, tubular sleeve including substantially co-extensive inner and outer sealed jackets, both configured to wrap entirely around the outer wall of the fluid-filled bag;
the inner sealed jacket being filled with a sodium acetate solution and including an activator button operative to initiate an exothermic reaction within the solution, causing the inner jacket to become heated;
a substance or device for inflating the outer sealed jacket, thereby applying pressure and heat to the entire outer wall of the fluid-filled bag through the heated inner jacket.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substance or device for inflating the outer sealed jacket includes:
a container including acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate in communication with the outer sealed jacket; and
a manually operable device for mixing the acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate to inflate the outer sealed jacket with carbon dioxide.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substance or device for inflating the outer sealed jacket includes a manually operated air pump in communication with the outer sealed jacket.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substance or device for inflating the outer sealed jacket includes a coupling for connecting the outer sealed jacket to a source of pressurization.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer sealed jackets are substantially coextensive and peripherally bonded to one another.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer sealed jackets share a common wall.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner jacket includes heat-sealed regions to maintain a desired thickness.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further including one or more hanging tabs.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer jackets are constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other thermoplastic rubber sheets.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a set of hook-and-loop fasteners for maintaining the jackets in a wrapped position around the fluid-filled bag.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:
a first side edge with an elongate slot;
a second, opposing side edge with a flap extending therefrom, the flap terminating in a first elongate strip of hoop-and-loop fastener material; and
a second elongate strip of hoop-and-loop fastener material disposed on the outer surface of the outer jacket, enabling the flap to be inserted through the slot and folded back over so that the first and second elongate strips of hoop-and-loop fastener material connect and maintain the jackets in wrapped position around the fluid-filled bag.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:
a first side edge with a bent metal wire forming an elongate slot;
a second, opposing side edge with a flap extending therefrom, the flap terminating in a first elongate strip of hoop-and-loop fastener material; and
a second elongate strip of hoop-and-loop fastener material disposed on the outer surface of the outer jacket, enabling the flap to be inserted through the slot and folded back over so that the first and second elongate strips of hoop-and-loop fastener material connect and maintain the jackets in wrapped position around the fluid-filled bag.