All The Claims

1. A helmet comprising:
a head portion;
a jaw shield connected to the head portion and adapted to extend below a chin of a wearer;
an eye shield movably connected to the head portion; and
a breathing mask positioned behind the jaw shield, the breathing mask comprising a mask body adapted to fit snugly around a wearer’s nose and mouth and at least one breathing channel permitting ambient air to reach an inner portion of the mask body and permitting humid air expelled from the wearer’s nose and mouth to be expelled substantially outside the head portion thereby discouraging the humid air from fogging the eye shield.
2. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the eye shield is pivotally connected to the head portion, the eye shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion.
3. The helmet of claim 2, wherein the jaw shield is movably connected to the head portion, the jaw shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion, the jaw shield being adapted to extend below the chin of the wearer when in the closed position.
4. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the jaw shield is movably connected to the head portion, the jaw shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion, the jaw shield being adapted to extend below the chin of the wearer when in the closed position.
5. The helmet of claim 4, wherein the jaw shield is pivotally connected to the head portion.
6. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube, and wherein the at least one breathing tube is flexible.
7. The helmet of claim 2, wherein the eye shield resists pivotal motion relative to the jaw shield.
8. The helmet of claim 1, further comprising a tinted shield that is movable relative to the eye shield between a first position and a second position.
9. The helmet of claim 8, wherein the tinted shield is at least partially housed between an external surface of the eye shield and the head portion when in the first position, and the tinted shield is adapted to be in front of the eyes of the wearer when in the second position.
10. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the tinted shield includes a lever protruding from a narrow slot in the eye shield, the lever adapted to maneuver the tinted shield between the first and second positions.
11. The helmet of claim 3, wherein the jaw shield and eye shield are adapted to fully cover the wearer’s face when the jaw shield and eye shield are in the closed position.
12. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the breathing mask is connected to the head portion separately from the jaw shield and eye shield.
13. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the breathing mask further comprises a binding member adapted to removably connect and secure the breathing mask to the head portion.
14. The helmet of claim 13, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube and the at least one breathing tube is connected to the binding member such that the at least one breathing tube is maintained in a predetermined position in relation to the head portion.
15. The helmet of claim 1, wherein at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube, wherein the helmet further comprises at least one passage between an inner chamber of the helmet and the ambient air outside the helmet, and wherein an external end of the at least one breathing tube is adapted to connect to the at least one passage to permit air to communicate therebetween.
16. The helmet of claim 15, wherein the at least one passage is disposed on the jaw shield, wherein the jaw shield is pivotally connected to the head portion, the jaw shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion, and wherein the connection between the at least one breathing tube and the at least one passage is formed when the jaw shield is in the closed position.
17. The helmet of claim 13, wherein the breathing mask further comprises at least one strap connecting the binding member to the breathing mask, wherein the at least one strap is adapted to adjust the position of the breathing mask relative to the head portion and a face of the wearer.
18. The helmet of claim 17, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube, wherein the at least one breathing tube is elongatable and flexible, and wherein the at least one strap is adapted to adjust the length of the at least one breathing tube.
19. The helmet of claim 15, wherein the helmet defines a front and a rear, the rear being opposite to the eye shield, and wherein an external end of the at least one passage is rearwardly facing.
20. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube.
21. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the eye shield is connected to the head portion indirectly via a connection to the jaw shield.
22. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the jaw shield is connected to the head portion indirectly via a connection to the eye shield.

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 device for sterilizing a sample chamber in an automated live cell microscope, the microscope having a sample holding frame contained in a housing of the microscope and fastening, operating, and control elements for immobilizing and introducing movement into the sample holding frame, the device comprising a UVC sterilizing unit that emits an ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 280 nm to 100 nm, the unit being arranged to travel through the sample chamber.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the UVC sterilizing unit is integrated into the live cell microscope.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the UVC sterilizing unit is a swappable element, the housing of the live cell microscope being provided with a swapping region for selectively accommodating the sample holding frame or the UVC sterilizing unit such that the sample holding frame or the UVC sterilizing unit are alternatively arranged on an XY table located inside the housing, can be introduced into the swapping region traveling through the sample chamber, and can be detached from the XY table in the swapping region.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the XY table has structure for alternatively receiving the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the structure is a clamped connection.
6. The device of claim 3, wherein the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit each include openings in which a cam lever respectively mounted on the XY table can engage from a horizontal clamping position into a vertical release position.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein for purposes of detecting the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit, the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit are provided with contacts detectable by a programmable microcontroller.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein a 1-wire EPROM is used as the microcontroller.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the UVC sterilizing unit is equipped with low-pressure gas discharge tubes.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein for purposes of supplying the ignition and operating voltage required for the low-pressure gas discharge tubes, the UVC sterilizing unit is provided with contacts.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the contacts are spring contacts, two spring contacts being used for detecting the sample holding frame and UVC sterilizing unit and two contacts being used for supplying voltage to the gas discharge tubes, and wherein an inverter circuit is provided to produce required ignition and operating voltages to the gas discharge tubes.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing of the UVC sterilizing unit has a plurality of cut-outs and a plurality of dividing pieces, the cut-outs being kept relatively large and the dividing pieces being kept relatively small.
13. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for changing a speed of the movement of the UVC sterilizing unit in the travel region of the sample chamber.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein actuation of the means for changing the speed of the movement of the UVC sterilizing unit can be adjusted in an automated (programmed) fashion or can be preset by the user.

What is claimed is:

1. An oxidizing system comprising:
ascorbic acid
at least one metal ion and
an oxidizing agent capable of generating an oxidizing potential of from 100 to 500 millivolts, wherein said system has a pH ranging from 2 to 10.
2. An oxidizing system according to claim 1, wherein said oxidizing agent is an alkali metal salt; an ammonium salt; a phosphate salt of perborate, percarbonate, persulfate or peroxide; or a mixture thereof.
3. An oxidizing system according to claim 2, wherein said oxidizing agent is sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, potassium perborate, or urea peroxide.
4. An oxidizing system according to claim 3, wherein said oxidizing agent is sodium perborate.
5. An oxidizing system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one metal ion is selected from copper ions, iron ions, manganese ions, magnesium ions, and mixtures thereof.
6. An oxidizing system according to claim 5, wherein said at least one metal ion is Cu2, Fe3, Mn2, or Mg2.
7. An oxidizing system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one metal ion is Cu2.
8. An oxidizing system according to claim 1, wherein the source of said at least one metal ion is a complex of metal ions and at least one agent capable of complexation with metal ions.
9. An oxidizing system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one agent is a sugar, a peptide, an amino acid, or a protein.
10. An oxidizing system according to claim 9, wherein said sugar is glucose, sucrose, lactose, or maltose.
11. An oxidizing system according to claim 10, wherein said complex is a metallo-sugar complex selected from copper (II) gluconate, ferric (III) gluconate, manganese (II) gluconate, and magnesium (II) gluconate.
12. An oxidizing system according to claim 11, wherein said metallo-sugar complex is copper (II) gluconate.
13. An oxidizing system according to claim 4, wherein said ascorbic acid and said sodium perborate are present in a ratio ranging from about 1:2 to about 1:10 molmol.
14. An oxidizing system according to claim 13, wherein said ascorbic acid and said sodium perborate are present in a ratio of about 1:4 molmol.
15. An oxidizing system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one metal ion is present in an amount of from 3 to 30 ppm.
16. An oxidizing system according to claim 15, wherein said at least one metal ion is present in an amount of 15-20 ppm.
17. An oxidizing system according to claim 1, wherein the pH of said oxidizing system ranges from 5 to 10.
18. An oxidizing system according to claim 17, wherein the pH of said oxidizing system ranges from 7.5 to 10.
19. An oxidizing system according to claim 1, wherein said oxidizing potential is at least 150 millivolts.
20. A method for the oxidation dyeing of hair without bleaching, said method comprising:
applying to said hair a dye composition;
developing color at acidic, neutral or alkaline pH using an oxidizing system comprising ascorbic acid, at least one metal ion, and an oxidizing agent capable of generating an oxidizing potential of from 100 to 500 millivolts at a pH ranging from 2 to 10, wherein said oxidizing system is added to the dye composition at the time of use either:
(i) separately from the dye composition at the same time that said dyeing composition is applied to said hair or
(ii) sequentially with the dye composition.
21. A method for quenching a permanent waving composition that has been applied to human hair, said method comprising:
applying to said hair an aqueous permanent waving composition that reduces the keratin disulfide bonds of said hair;
subsequently applying to said hair an oxidizing system comprising ascorbic acid, at least one metal ion, and an oxidizing agent capable of generating an oxidizing potential of from 100 to 500 millivolts at a pH ranging from 2 to 10, wherein said oxidizing system re-oxidizes the keratin disulfide bonds and thus permanently reconfigures the hair.
22. A multi-compartment device, or multi-compartment permanent wave kit, comprising a first compartment containing a permanent wave composition and a second compartment containing an oxidizing system as defined in claim 1.
23. A multi-compartment device, or multi-compartment dyeing kit, comprising a first compartment containing a dye composition and a second compartment containing an oxidizing system as defined in claim 1.

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 method of manufacturing a lithium electrochemical cell containing less than 1500 ppm by weight of sodium, the method comprising
(a) cleaning a case with a solution that does not contain sodium,
(b) providing a cathode, an anode, a separator, and an electrolyte comprising propylene carbonate, dimethoxyethane, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide, these components having sufficiently low quantities of sodium that, when combined with the case, can provide a lithium electrochemical cell containing less than 1500 ppm by weight of sodium, and
(c) assembling the cathode, the anode, the separator, and the electrolyte from step (b) into the case from step (a) to provide a lithium electrochemical cell containing less than 1500 ppm by weight of sodium.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cathode includes electrolytic manganese dioxide that has been washed or neutralized after deposition with an agent that does not include sodium.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cathode includes electrolytic manganese dioxide that has been washed or neutralized after deposition with lithium hydroxide.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell contains less than 1200 ppm by weight of sodium.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell contains less than 1000 ppm by weight of sodium.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell contains less than 800 ppm by weight of sodium.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell contains less than 600 ppm by weight of sodium.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises:
40-80% by weight of the dimethoxyethane,
20-60% by weight of the propylene carbonate, and
between 0.4 M and 1.2 M of the lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate and the lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide combined.
9. A method of manufacturing a lithium electrochemical cell containing less than 1500 ppm by weight of sodium, the method comprising
(a) cleaning a case with a solution that does not contain sodium,
(b) providing a cathode, an anode, a separator, and an electrolyte comprising ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethoxyethane, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide, these components having sufficiently low quantities of sodium that, when combined with the case, can provide a lithium electrochemical cell containing less than 1500 ppm by weight of sodium, and
(c) assembling the cathode, the anode, the separator, and the electrolyte from step (b) into the case from step (a) to provide a lithium electrochemical cell containing less than 1500 ppm by weight of sodium.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cathode includes electrolytic manganese dioxide that has been washed or neutralized after deposition with an agent that does not include sodium.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the cathode includes electrolytic manganese dioxide that has been washed or neutralized after deposition with lithium hydroxide.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the cell contains less than 1200 ppm by weight of sodium.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein the cell contains less than 1000 ppm by weight of sodium.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein the cell contains less than 800 ppm by weight of sodium.
15. The cell of claim 9, wherein the cell contains less than 600 ppm by weight of sodium.
16. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrolyte comprises:
less than 30% by weight of ethylene carbonate,
40-85% by weight of dimethoxyethane, and
between 0.4 M and 1.2 M of the lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate and the lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide combined.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electrolyte comprises:
10-20% by weight of ethylene carbonate;
50-70% by weight of dimethoxyethane.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the electrolyte comprises:
5-15% by weight of ethylene carbonate;
70-80% by weight of dimethoxyethane; and
10-20% by weight of propylene carbonate.