All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A vapor-liquid separator comprising:
an introduction path allowing passage of a vapor-liquid two-phase fluid in a swirling state, said introduction path having an outlet via which the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid flows out of said introduction path;
a delivery port provided in opposition to said outlet of said introduction path at a predetermined axial distance from said outlet and allowing passage of vapor phase separated from the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid;
an outer tube surrounding said outlet of said introduction path while providing a predetermined separation between said outer tube and said outlet, said outer tube separating the vapor phase and liquid phase from each other; and
a discharge tube provided on said outer tube and adapted to discharge from said outer tube the liquid phase separated from the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid.
2. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said introduction path in the vicinity of said outlet broadens toward an outlet end of said introduction path.
3. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein said delivery port is formed on a delivery tube, and said outer tube surrounds said delivery port while providing a predetermined separation between said outer tube and said delivery port.
4. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 3, wherein an opening area of said delivery port formed on said delivery tube is smaller than an opening area of said outlet of said introduction path.
5. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 3, wherein said outlet of said introduction path and said delivery port formed on said delivery tube are located axially inside said outer tube by respectively predetermined axial distances as measured from corresponding axial end faces of said outer tube, and said discharge tube is located in the vicinity of the axial end face of said outer tube on a side toward said introduction path.
6. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein said delivery port is formed on said outer tube.
7. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein a narrow plate twisted at a predetermined pitch is disposed within said introduction path in order to generate a swirling flow of the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid.
8. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 7, wherein a portion of said introduction path in the vicinity of said outlet broadens toward an outlet end of said introduction path.
9. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 7, wherein said delivery port is formed on a delivery tube, and said outer tube surrounds said delivery port while providing a predetermined separation between said outer tube and said delivery port.
10. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 9, wherein an opening area of said delivery port formed on said delivery tube is smaller than an opening area of said outlet of said introduction path.
11. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 9, wherein said outlet of said introduction path and said delivery port formed on said delivery tube are located axially inside said outer tube by respectively predetermined axial distances as measured from corresponding axial end faces of said outer tube, and said discharge tube is located in the vicinity of the axial end face of said outer tube on a side toward said introduction path.
12. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 7, wherein said delivery port is formed on said outer tube.
13. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein said introduction path is connected to a delivery tube of a swirl vapor-liquid separator, which delivery tube allows passage of the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid in a swirling state.
14. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 7, wherein said introduction path is connected to a delivery tube of a swirl vapor-liquid separator, which delivery tube allows passage of the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid in a swirling state.
15. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein said introduction path is formed in a delivery tube of a swirl vapor-liquid separator, which delivery tube allows passage of the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid in a swirling state.
16. A vapor-liquid separator according to claim 7, wherein said introduction path is formed in a delivery tube of a swirl vapor-liquid separator, which delivery tube allows passage of the vapor-liquid two-phase fluid in a swirling state.

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 patient moving apparatus for use with an ambulance, comprising:
a patient cradle having a flexible seat configured to wrap about a portion of a patient and one or more lifting straps secured to the flexible seat, the patient cradle separate from an ambulance chair of the ambulance;
a loading ramp configured to span a distance between ground level and a level of a floor of a rear of the ambulance, the loading ramp configured to accommodate wheels of the ambulance chair;
a winch with a retractable winch cable, the winch secured within the rear of the ambulance, the winch cable having an attachment mechanism configured to removably attach to an attachment point located on a rearward side of the ambulance chair and, when not attached to the attachment point located on a rearward side of the ambulance chair, to the one or more lifting straps, the winch having sufficient strength to, when the winch cable is attached to the attachment point on the ambulance chair, draw the ambulance chair and the patient disposed therein up the loading ramp and into the rear of the ambulance, and when the winch cable is attached to the one or more lifting straps, lift the patient and patient cradle for transfer to an ambulance stretcher; and
an articulating arm having a pulley to support the winch cable, the articulating arm separate from the winch and secured within the rear of the ambulance at a location between the winch and a rear door of the ambulance, the articulating arm capable of rotation through an arc while maintaining the pulley at a level higher than the ambulance chair, and the articulating arm configured to rotate sufficiently such that the patient and the patient cradle may be lifted from the ambulance chair by the supported winch cable, rotated to be disposed over the ambulance stretcher, and lowered upon the ambulance stretcher by the supported winch cable, upon operation of the winch.
2. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1 wherein the loading ramp comprises:
a first track;
a second track parallel to the first track; and
one or more crossbars that couple the first track and the second track, the one or more crossbars including sliding members that, when slid, adjust separation between the first track and the second track, from a separation that accommodates wheels of the ambulance chair to a separation that accommodates wheels of the ambulance stretcher.
3. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a double-roller mechanism coupled to the winch, the double-roller mechanism having first and second laterally-mounted rollers, the first and second rollers spaced sufficiently from one another for the winch cable to pass between the first and second rollers, but to otherwise restrict substantial lateral movement of the winch cable as the winch cable is fed toward a spool of the winch.
4. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a first cable guide having a pulley to accommodate the winch cable, the first cable guide disposed on a ceiling of the rear of the ambulance.
5. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a second cable guide having a pulley to accommodate the winch cable, the second cable guide disposed on the floor of the rear of the ambulance.
6. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the winch is a remote-controlled, electrically powered winch.
7. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the winch is mounted to a front wall of the rear of the ambulance.
8. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the articulating arm is secured to the ceiling of the rear of the ambulance.
9. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the articulating arm further comprises:
a housing configured to house the pulley;
a rotating member coupled at one end to a pivot and at another end to the housing, the rotating member configured to rotate between multiple positions thereby moving the pulley, including a first position suitable for lifting the patient and the patient cradle from the ambulance chair, and a second position suitable for lowering the patient and the patient cradle upon the ambulance stretcher.
10. The patient moving apparatus of claim 1 wherein the attachment mechanism is a carabineer.

1. A high pass filter, comprising:
a capacitor connected between an input port and an output port;
a first transistor having a first terminal connected to a first voltage source and a second terminal connected to the output port;
a second transistor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the first transistor and a second terminal connected to ground; and
a second voltage source coupled to a third terminal of the first transistor and the second transistor such that the first and the second transistors are operated as a large-resistance resistor, the second voltage source comprising:
a third transistor having a first terminal connected to the first voltage source, a second terminal connected to the third terminal of the first and the second transistor, and a third terminal connected to the second terminal thereof; and
a four transistor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the first transistor, a second terminal connected to ground, and a third terminal connected to the first terminal thereof.
2. The high-pass filter of claim 1, wherein the first transistor is an n-type transistor.
3. The high-pass filter of claim 1, wherein the second transistor is a p-type transistor.
4. The high-pass filter of claim 1, wherein the first and the second transistors are operated in a saturation mode.
5. A high-pass filter, comprising:
a capacitor connected between an input port and an output port;
a first transistor having a first terminal connected to a first voltage source and a second terminal connected to the output port;
a second transistor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the first transistor and a second terminal connected to ground; and
a second voltage source coupled to a third terminal of the first transistor and the second transistor such that the first and the second transistors are operated as a large-resistance resistor, the second voltage source comprising:
a third transistor having a first terminal connected to the first voltage source, a second terminal, and a third terminal;
a fourth transistor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the first transistor, a second terminal connected to ground, and a third terminal; and
an amplifier having a first input terminal connected to the second terminal of the first transistor, a second input terminal connected to a bias voltage source, and an output terminal connected to the third terminal of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth transistor.
6. The high-pass filter of claim 5, wherein the first transistor is an n-type transistor.
7. The high-pass filter of claim 5, wherein the second transistor is a p-type transistor.
8. The high-pass filter of claim 5, wherein the first and the second transistors are operated in a saturation mode.

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 laser system, comprising:
a source for producing input energy in response to an input drive signal;
a laser medium for receiving the input energy and converting the input energy to a circulating beam;
first and second mirrors disposed on opposing sides of the laser medium, the circulating beam reflecting between the first and second mirrors, the first mirror being an output mirror for releasing a pulsed laser beam;
a displacer disposed between the first and second mirrors and in a path of the circulating beam, the displacer splitting the circulating beam into an e-polarized wave and an o-polarized wave;
a Pockels cell disposed between the displacer and the second mirror, the Pockels cell being energized to change the polarization state of the polarized waves and deenergized to allow transmission of the waves without a polarization change; and
a control system coupled to the Pockels cell to switch between a first state allowing the release of the pulsed laser beam and a second state dispersing the circulating beam via the displacer preventing the release of the pulsed laser beam.
2. The laser system of claim 1, wherein the source includes a laser diode array.
3. The laser system of claim 1, further comprising a quarter waveplate disposed between the Pockels cell and the second mirror, wherein the first state is activated by energizing the Pockels cell and the second state is activated by deenergizing the Pockels cell.
4. The laser system of claim 1, wherein the first state is activated by deenergizing the Pockels cell and the second state is activated by energizing the Pockels cell.
5. The laser system of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is a coating on an end surface of the laser medium.
6. The laser system of claim 5, wherein the displacer is composed of a birefringent material from the group of yttrium vanadate, calcite, or rutile.
7. The laser system of claim 1, wherein the laser medium is a rod.
8. The laser system of claim 1 further comprising an aperture disposed between the displacer and the laser medium to block the circulating beam from the displacer.
9. The laser system of claim 1, further including an input device coupled to the control system, the input device for receiving commands from an operator to control the frequency of switching between the first and second state.
10. A method of generating a pulsed laser beam from a laser system including a source that produces input energy and a laser medium that receives the input energy, the laser medium converting the input energy to a circulating beam that reflects between first and second reflective surfaces, the method comprising:
displacing the circulating beam into an e-polarized wave and an o-polarized wave;
reflecting the e-polarized wave and o-polarized wave on the second reflective surface toward the first reflective surface; and
switching between (i) an off condition to disperse the reflected e-wave and o-wave; and (ii) an on condition to combine the reflected e-wave and o-wave into the circulating beam that passes through the laser medium and creates the pulsed laser beam.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the source includes a laser diode array.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the displacing the circulating beam is performed via a birefringement beam displacer.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising positioning a quarter waveplate and a Pockels cell between the displacer and the second reflective surface, wherein the on condition is activated by energizing the Pockels cell and the off condition is activated by deenergizing the Pockels cell.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning a Pockels cell between the displacer and the second reflective surface wherein the on state is activated by deenergizing a Pockels cell and the off state is activated by energizing the Pockels cell.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the laser medium is a rod.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising positioning an aperture between the displacer and the laser medium to block the circulating beam from the displacer.
17. A laser system, comprising:
a source for producing input energy;
a laser medium for receiving the input energy and converting the input energy to a circulating beam;
first and second reflective surfaces for reflecting the circulating beam therebetween, at least one of the reflective surfaces releasing a pulsed laser beam having an energy level;
a displacer disposed between the first and second reflective surface to split the circulating beam into an e-polarized wave and an o-polarized wave reflected by the second reflective surface;
a Pockels cell disposed between the displacer and second reflective surface, the Pockels cell being made of material that has an optical property that is alterable in response to a voltage input; and
a control system coupled to the Pockels cell to control the frequency of an on condition wherein the reflected e-polarized wave and the o-polarized wave are combined into the circulating beam and an off condition wherein the e-polarized wave and o-polarized beam are dispersed.
18. The laser system of claim 17, further comprising a quarter waveplate disposed between the Pockels cell and the second reflective surface, wherein the on condition is activated by energizing the Pockels cell and the off condition is activated by deenergizing the Pockels cell.
19. The laser system of claim 17, wherein the on condition is activated by deenergizing the Pockels cell and the off condition is activated by energizing the Pockels cell.
20. The laser system of claim 19, wherein the reflective surfaces are located on mirrors positioned away from the laser medium.
21. The laser system of claim 19 further comprising an aperture disposed between the displacer and the laser medium to block the circulating beam from the displacer.