A method and device for monitoring or treating patient glucose levels. The device includes a glucose sensor for measuring a glucose level of a... Show moreA method and device for monitoring or treating patient glucose levels. The device includes a glucose sensor for measuring a glucose level of a patient, a physiological status monitoring system for measuring at least one physical or metabolic variable of the patient, and an automatic controller in communication with the glucose sensor and the physiological status monitoring system. The controller includes a prediction module for automatically predicting a future glucose level using data measured by the glucose sensor and the physiological sensor. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
The disclosure describes a technique for uniform heating of relatively large blocks of hydrocarbonaceous formations in situ using radio... Show moreThe disclosure describes a technique for uniform heating of relatively large blocks of hydrocarbonaceous formations in situ using radio frequency (RF) electrical energy that is substantially confined to the volume to be heated and effects dielectric heating of the formations. An important aspect of the disclosure relates to the fact that certain hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, for example raw unheated oil shale, exhibit dielectric absorption characteristics in the radio frequency range. In accordance with the system of the invention, a plurality of conductors are inserted in the formations and bound a particular volume of the formations. The phrase "bounding a particular volume" is intended to mean that the volume is enclosed on at least two sides thereof. Electrical excitation is provided for establishing alternating electric fields in the volume. The frequency of the excitation is selected as a function of the dimensions of the volume so as to establish a substantially non-radiating electric field which is substantially confined in the volume. In this manner, volumetric dielectric heating of the formations will occur to effect approximately uniform controlled heating of the volume. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
An intranet mediator for obtaining direct answers to natural language questions allowing users to search both a data warehouse of integrated... Show moreAn intranet mediator for obtaining direct answers to natural language questions allowing users to search both a data warehouse of integrated/structured data sources and unstructured data sources. The intranet mediator allows the user to obtain an answer to a natural language question without having to surf the data sources in which the answer might be contained, or without being limited to one specific factual item return. The intranet mediator operates on the supposition that most answers to business queries are contained within structured data sources which have been integrated into the data warehouse thereby having common schema and known contents. Preselection of the most relevant data source(s) is thus possible before query output. Search of unstructured data is also performed for additional context surrounding either the question or the answer. A direct answer is given in response to the question. If desired, the intranet mediator may also display a list of data sources where additional relevant information may be found. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A video tape cartridge of endless loop configuration capable of tape speeds suitable for longitudinal scan television recording while... Show moreA video tape cartridge of endless loop configuration capable of tape speeds suitable for longitudinal scan television recording while providing one hour or more of continuous playing time on one-quarter inch width tape. In an illustrative embodiment tape guides within the cartridge are shiftable from a loading position to an operating position without a substantial change in the length of the tape path to accommodate scanning of the tape at a tensioned loop closely adjacent the capstan. In operating condition, the tape is engaged with the capstan at one side thereof so that the capstan pulls tape along an incoming tape path from the inner side of the coil, the tape passing about the tensioned loop past the transducer head and again engaging the capstan for supply of the tape to the outer side of the coil along an outgoing tape path, with a tape drag applying a substantial drag force to the tape at the incoming tape path between the reel and the capstan. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A method and apparatus for prefetching data from memory for a multicore data processor. A prefetcher issues a plurality of requests to... Show moreA method and apparatus for prefetching data from memory for a multicore data processor. A prefetcher issues a plurality of requests to prefetch data from a memory device to a memory cache. Consecutive cache misses are recorded in response to at least two of the pluarlity requests. A time between the cache misses is determined and a timing of a further request to prefetch data from the memory device to the memory cache is altered as a function of the determined time between the two cache misses. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method and apparatus for eliciting a physiologically significant cough reflex, such as in a quadriplegic patient. The apparatus preferably... Show moreA method and apparatus for eliciting a physiologically significant cough reflex, such as in a quadriplegic patient. The apparatus preferably has at least one pair of electrodes which are positioned about or near the abdominal muscles. The user generates an input signal. The input signal and a stimulus pulse signal are computed into an output signal. Prior to the delivery of the output signal, alerting signals are delivered to the user to alert the user of an upcoming cough and the onset of pulse electrical voltage to allow the user to engage appropriate volitional activity to optimally engage and complete the cough. The output signal is transformed into a pulse electrical voltage which is delivered across each pair of electrodes. Such pulse electrical voltage activates the lower motor neurons and thereby contracts the abdominal muscles to elicit a physiologically significant cough reflex. The pulse electrical voltage can be delivered at an optimum time, which can be calculated as a function of a physical and temporal status of the cough and a volitional activity by the user, in order to achieve a maximum air flow rate of the cough. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A video playback amplifier with frequency compensation, employing a transistor amplifier having a relatively low input impedance, for example,... Show moreA video playback amplifier with frequency compensation, employing a transistor amplifier having a relatively low input impedance, for example, wherein the input transistor of said amplifier is in common-base configuration, and an inductive transducer having a relatively low impedance operatively connected to said amplifier with the impedance of the transducer differing from that of the amplifier input by an amount and in such direction that the inductive reactance of the transducer and the low input resistance of the amplifier produce a current into the amplifier which is substantially constant over at least the midvideo frequency range. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A process for recycling rubber, elastomers, and thermoset materials in which the material to be recycled is pulverized in a manner which... Show moreA process for recycling rubber, elastomers, and thermoset materials in which the material to be recycled is pulverized in a manner which maintains the chemical composition of the material, producing a powder. The powder is introduced into a mold which is heated to a temperature of at least about 200.degree. C. and a compression force of at least about 10 tons is applied to the powder for a period of at least one hour, resulting in formation of a single piece of the rubber, elastomeric, or thermoset material, with no change in chemical structure. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
