A method and apparatus for efficient power amplification over a wide dynamic range and for a number of modulation formats includes a carrier amplifier (30) and a peaking amplifier (40). The carrier amplifier (30) operates with a bias generated by an envelope amplifier (80) which amplifies the envelope of an input signal as generated by an envelope detector (70). The peaking amplifier (40) operates with a fixed bias. The outputs of the carrier amplifier (30) and the peaking amplifier (40) are combined using an impedance transforming network (50). Envelope amplifier (80) can be turned on for high efficiency low power level operation, or it can be turned off for standard Doherty-type operation.

Methods of improving the display uniformity of a thin CRT display are disclosed. These methods can provide nearly perfect display uniformity for a thin CRT display despite the fact that the emission characteristics of those cathodes in the thin CRT display are intrinsically non-uniform due to the inevitable manufacture variations. In order to improve the display uniformity of a thin CRT display, the emission characteristics of all cathodes are measured, and calibration parameters for each cathode are obtained from the measured emission characteristics of the corresponding cathode. The calibration parameters of each cathode are stored in a calibration memory (70) as a complete look-up table or a partial look-up table. With a complete look-up table, when the CPU want to display a pixel with a desired luminosity, it will use the complete look-up table of the corresponding cathode to find the correct driving parameters. With a partial look-up table, when the CPU want to display a pixel with a desired luminosity, it will use the partial look-up table of the corresponding cathode in combination with additional calculation to find the correct driving parameters, and these calculations can be performed with the main CUP or a dedicated display processor (60).

An ultra-miniature personal flow cytometer (pFCM) for the measurement of laser-induced fluorescence. The pFCM is approximately the size of a fluorescent microscope and includes a miniature optical module onto which the flow cytometry components are coupled. The miniature optical module is closely integrated with a flow cell through which a sample cell stream flows. The advantage of the pFCM is its compact size and efficiency that is made possible due to the unique microchip demultiplexing waveguide utilized in the separation of fluorescent wavelengths. The microchip demultiplexing waveguide is wholly contained in a tiny microchip consisting of a wave channel layer, a buffer layer, a substrate layer, and a plurality of micrograting filters. Photodetectors may either be coupled to the microchip demultiplexing waveguide by individual fiber optic members or incorporated into the wave channel layer in a photodiode array. The pFCM has wide ranging applications, but in particular is very useful in the analysis of sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) because of its small size and simplicity in operating.

The disclosure relates to the securing of a reserve d.c. power device containing a battery of parallel-connected electrolytic capacitors. A reserve d.c. power device is provided with current limitation means series-connected at its input and current cut-off means that are series-connected with each capacitor and that open for a current intensity value higher than the value of intensity of the nominal current for charging the protected capacitor that is imposed by the distribution, between the capacitors, of the current with intensity limited by the means of limiting current delivered by the d.c. source each time that the system is started up. Precautions are thus taken against power supply losses due to the short-circuiting of a capacitor. At the same time, it is seen to it that the state of the capacitors of the power reserve device is constantly monitored.

An integrated circuit memory device includes a pair of bit lines, a memory cell array connected to the pair of bit lines, a pair of sensing bit lines and a switching unit that connects the pair of bit lines and the pair of sensing bit lines in response to an isolation control signal transmitted through an isolation control line. An equalizer equalizes the pair of bit lines in response to an equalization signal that is transmitted through an equalization control line. A sense amplifier senses and amplifies a voltage difference between the pair of sensing bit lines. A discharge circuit is connected between the isolation control line and a reference voltage such as ground, to discharge the isolation control line into the reference voltage in response to an inverted isolation control signal that is transmitted through a complementary line of the isolation control line. Preferably, the discharge circuit comprises a field effect transistor such as an NMOS transistor, the source and drain of which are connected between the isolation control line and the reference voltage and the gate of which is connected to the complementary line of the isolation control line.