Abstract:
A collimator taking the form of a prolate spheroid (40) comprising radiation attenuating material and featuring a twisted slit comprising radiation transmissive material. The twisted slit featuring first (43) and second (44) apertures arranged such that for each entrance point in one of the apertures there is a direct pathway through the major axis ‘B’ of the prolate spheroid (40), at a pre-determined angle, to a point in the other aperture, such that a compound aperture is formed. For each compound aperture the length of the direct pathway through the prolate spheroid (40) is constant. Rotation of the collimator about the major axis ‘B’, relative to a stationary point at the first aperture (43), steers in angle the compound aperture through the collimator from said stationary point. Such an arrangement allows radiation from a source positioned at said point to be collimated into a beam, the resultant beam being scanned in angle, and the resultant collimation effect being constant across the angular range of the scan.
Abstract:
A body-wearable antenna system is described that comprises at least two antenna elements (2, 4) arranged to be mountable in a substantially equi-spaced distributed array around a user's body. Each antenna element is a directional type antenna and the antenna system is configurable such that when worn the antenna elements operate in phase to deliver a combined, higher gain, omnidirectional performance radiating away from the user's body, compared to one or more conventional body-worn omnidirectional antennas. The antenna system can operate in transmit and receive. Each antenna element may be a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) housed in a protective radome (3, 5). Each PIFA may feature at least one slot cut into the radiating top plate or at least one parasitic radiator, or a combination of both, to allow operation within distinct frequency bands and with predetermined impedance bandwidth.
Abstract:
A roller door system (100) particularly for opening and closing a doorway (120) defined in the wall of a lightweight structure (110) such as a marquee, hangar, field hospital, emergency shelter and the like. The door system comprises a rollable door (150) secured, in use, along one edge of the doorway (152); a roller (140) for rolling and unrolling the rollable door about the roller; an opening mechanism and a closing mechanism for controlling the deployment of the rollable door by translating the roller across the doorway; and reusable sealing means (135, 136, 155, 156) for sealing between the lateral margins of the rollable door and the doorway; characterised in that the rollable door comprises a plurality of collapsible hoses (165, 166) connected to a pressurised fluid power system (160, 161, 163) such that in use a positive pressure applied to the fluid power system causes the rollable door to unroll from the roller and controls the deployment of the rollable door.
Abstract:
The present application is concerned with a system for assessing injury risk or damage to an object in response to a blunt impact, and especially skull fracture risk beneath a helmet in response to a blunt impact. The application is also concerned with the use of a force sensor for evaluating the response of materials for use in a helmet shell to a blunt impact.
Abstract:
The invention provides a process of making a continuous freeform thermoplastic dielectric film (25) that is evenly loaded with dispersed nanoparticles comprising the steps of; feeding thermoplastic granules (21) into an extruder (23), injecting a secondary feed (27) comprising a suspension of nanoparticles in a liquid carrier to create a nanocomposite, and extruding said composite onto cooled rollers (26) at a preset rate thereby enabling the crystalline structure of the nanocomposite film (25) to be controlled wherein the secondary feed (27) is mixed continuously by an ultrasonicator (29) whilst being injected into the extruder (23). By selecting the size of the nano particles based on their de Broglie wavelength in the crystalline polymer the dielectric can be produced in bulk to make high capacitance high energy density storage capacitors
Abstract:
A bistable nematic liquid crystal device cell is provided with a surface alignment grating on at least one cell wall and a surface treatment on the other wall. Such treatment may be a homeotropic alignment or a planar alignment with or without an alignment direction, and zero or a non zero pretilt. The surface profile on the monograting is asymmetric with its groove height to width selected to give approximately equal energy within the nematic material in its two allowed alignment arrangements. The monograting may be formed by a photolithographic process or by embossing of a plastics material. The cell is switched by dc pulses coupling to a flexoelectric coefficient in the material, or by use of a two frequency addressing scheme and a suitable two frequency material. Polarisers either side of the cell distinguish between the two switched states. The cell walls may be rigid or flexible, and are coated with electrode structures, e.g. in row and column format giving an x,y matrix of addressable pixels on the cell.
Abstract:
An Acousto Optic Modulator Device has an Acousto Optic Modulator (AOM) 4 and an actuator controlled angle adjusting mirror, and means to pass light from an input port through the AOM to the adjustable angle mirror and back through the AOM to an output port. The effect of controlling the acoustic frequency in the AOM and the angle of the mirror is to selectively perform fine adjustments to the frequency of inlet laser light, permitting controlled or sudden changes.
Abstract:
The present invention is concerned with kits, methods and apparatus for analysing a biological sample from a subject to predict and/or monitor the development of infection and/or organ dysfunction and/or sepsis utilising groups of nucleic acid markers to predict the development of infection and/or organ dysfunction and/or sepsis.
Abstract:
A method and tracker for determining the location of an object, such as a parcel or luggage. The tracker periodically transmits a wireless access point beacon comprising SSID (network name) and a MAC address, in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard, has a power storage device, and an energy harvesting module. A server monitors data from 3rd party mobile devices regarding the locations of wifi beacons, and the user is informed of the relevant location if the beacon of the tracker is uploaded to the server. When the tracker is moved and/or it comes into range of one of the wireless portable devices, the user is informed of its location. This enables indefinite tracking especially in urban areas, worldwide.
Abstract:
The invention relates to protein biomarkers representing protein biomarker signatures to assess a patient who may develop sepsis, or who may have developed sepsis. The invention relates in particular to methods for assessment or monitoring with respect to diagnosis, prediction or progression of sepsis in a patient, as well as the responsiveness to, or selection of suitable agents for, the treatment of sepsis. The invention also relates to the use of protein biomarkers representing protein biomarker signatures for sepsis, and associated kits and system.