997results about How to "Easy steering" patented technology

Endoscopic steering apparatus is provided, including an endoscope (80) having distal (82) and proximal (98) ends thereof. In a preferred embodiment, at least one proximal cylinder (92) is disposed in a vicinity of the proximal end of the endoscope, and at least one proximal piston (94) is slidably coupled to the at least one proximal cylinder. This piston is typically manually driven. A first distal cylinder (88) is disposed at the distal end of the endoscope, and a first distal piston (90) is slidably coupled to the first distal cylinder. A second distal cylinder (88) is disposed at the distal end of the endoscope, and a second distal piston (90) is slidably coupled to the second distal cylinder. A first tube (86) is coupled to the first distal cylinder and to the at least one proximal cylinder, and a second tube (86) is coupled to the second distal cylinder and to the at least one proximal cylinder. A linkage (96) is disposed at the distal end of the endoscope and coupled to the first distal piston and to the second distal piston, such that displacement of at least one of the distal pistons causes displacement of the linkage and steering of the distal end of the endoscope.

A variety of steerable needles, lancets, trocars, stylets, cannulas and systems are provided for examining, diagnosing, treating, or removing tissue from a patient. The steerable needles, trocars, stylets, cannulas and systems also provide a platform for delivery of target materials, such as therapeutics, biologics, polymers, glues, etc., to a target site. An embodiment of the invention includes a steerable device for use in accessing target site in a patient comprising: a steerable member adapted to penetrate tissue; and a steering mechanism adapted to be operated by a user to apply a bending force to bend the steerable member to access the target site.

The present invention pertains generally to the field of cryo balloon therapy and the use of cryo balloon therapy catheters to generate cold-induced lesions. The present invention includes a cryo balloon therapy apparatus, comprising a catheter having a proximal and a distal end, a cooling member disposed at the distal end of the catheter, a pull cord coupled to the cooling member, and a sheath that couples the pull cord and the catheter. A method for causing cold-induced necrosis is also disclosed.

A magnetically navigable atherectomy device includes a cutting head, a flexible drive shaft having a proximal and a distal end, with the cutting device on the distal end, and a magnet associated with the cutting head, the magnet of sufficient size to allow the cutting head to be oriented by an externally applied magnetic field. The magnet may be a portion of the cutting head made from a magnetically permeable or permanent magnetic material, a portion of the drive shaft made from a magnetically permeable or permanent magnetic material; a separate magnet between the cutting head and the drive shaft, a portion a magnet on a sheath covering the drive shaft. Alternatively a guide wire can provided with a magnetic material on its distal end. Through the application of a magnetic field and / or a magnetic gradient, the artherectomy device can be guided to the location of the atheromatous material in the body. Once at the site of atheromatous material, through the application of a magnetic field or magnetic gradient, the device can be manipulated into proximity to the atheromatous material to remove the material.

A guide catheter and medical lead are provided wherein the lead may be used as a pull wire to steer the guide catheter. The guide catheter is provided with a flexible distal segment and the lead is provided with a distal engaging member, which may also serve as an electrode. The distal engaging member interacts with the distal catheter end such that traction applied to the proximal lead end causes flexion of the distal segment of the catheter to advance the flexible distal segment between a non-flexed position and a flexed position, allowing the catheter to be steered around obstacles.

An aneurysm buttressing arrangement for covering an aneurysm opening in an intracranial aneurysm, for temporary placement thereadjacent, to prevent escape of embolitic agents from that aneurysm. The arrangement comprises an elongated delivery wire having a proximal end and a tracking distal end wire, a scaffold of expandable wires arranged proximal to and in spaced adjacent relationship to the distal end of the delivery wire, wherein the scaffold of wires has a tapered proximal end and a tapered distalmost end, the scaffold being expandable upon deployment from a delivery catheter, and collapsible for withdrawal into a delivery catheter, the tracking distal end wire extending distally from the scaffold about one-half to about ten centimeters.

An endless track assembly that mounts to a wheeled vehicle. The assembly provides 1) a track suspension having fixed or adjustable, independently biased sets of idler wheels to vary the track contour without affecting track tension, 2) an eccentric bearing housing at a drive sprocket controls track tension, 3) a contoured peripheral edge at the drive sprocket prevents ice and mud buildup, 4) rubber-coated, plastic idler wheels facilitate track movement, 5) a multi-vehicle compatible adapter mounting plate accommodates a variety of vehicles, 6) a rotation limited torsion coupler and / or rotation limiting coupler arms prevent track contact with the vehicle, 7) a locking steering arm coupler prevents loss of steering control, and 8) shaped track lugs and channels clear and direct debris away from the track suspension and drive assembly. The improved suspension particularly supports sets of idler wheels in pivotal relation to the track support frame and resiliently biases a pre-tensioned rocker arm that links adjacent suspension arms mounted to the adjoining idler wheels. Suspension arm movement induces expansion and contraction of tension springs coupled to the rocker arms to augments shape changes at the track contact surface to optimize traction and steering control.

Powered patient support apparatuses—such as beds, cots, stretchers, or the like—include a plurality of user controls that allow a caregiver to control the steering and / or driving of one or more powered wheels from multiple different locations around the patient support apparatus (e.g. head end, foot end, and / or the sides). The control is carried out by force sensors that detect both an orientation of the applied forces and a magnitude of the applied forces. Translational and / or rotational movement is effectuated, depending upon the magnitude and direction of the forces, as well as the physical location of the applied force relative to a reference point on the support apparatus, such as the center. One or more object sensors may also be included in the support apparatus to assist in steering and / or navigating.

A variety of steerable needles, lancets, trocars, stylets, cannulas and systems are provided for examining, diagnosing, treating, or removing tissue from a patient. The steerable needles, trocars, stylets, cannulas and systems also provide a platform for delivery of target materials, such as therapeutics, biologics, polymers, glues, etc., to a target site. An embodiment of the invention includes a steerable device for use in accessing target site in a patient comprising: a steerable member adapted to penetrate tissue; and a steering mechanism adapted to be operated by a user to apply a bending force to bend the steerable member to access the target site.

Compound steering assemblies, usable in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications, enable a physician to swiftly and accurately steer the distal section of the catheter in multiple planes or complex curves to position and maintain ablation and / or mapping electrodes in intimate contact with an interior body surface.

Steerable catheters are provided including an elongated flexible member having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen extending therebetween (i.e., between the proximal end and the distal end). A plurality of electrical cables is bundled together and positioned within the lumen of the flexible member. The cross-section of the bundle of electrical cables is substantially ovular or rectangular so as to be bendable in two approximately opposite directions. Methods of steering such a catheter within a body include advancing the catheter within a body while a first force is applied to the bundle of electrical cables to cause the distal end of the elongate flexible member to form a bend. The catheter is farther advanced within the body while a second, opposite force is applied to the bundle of electrical cables to remove the bend in the distal end.

A medical device introduction system and method can include a medical introducer, a separate imaging device, and / or a separate working channel device, each of which may be movable independent of the other. The medical introducer can include a handle and an elongate introducer tube extending from the handle and having a plurality of lumens, and may be inserted into an interior body region of a patient. The separate imaging device may be inserted through the handle and positioned in one of lumens. The separate working channel device can include an elongate working channel tube and a position controller. The working channel tube can include at least one lumen defining a working channel. The position controller can be configured to control positioning of the working channel tube. The working channel device may be removably connected to the handle and positioned in another lumen. Associated with the medical device may be a slider and a rail that stabilizes a medical device and prevents it from turning allowing medical personnel that previously had to hold the medical device to be free to be able to perform other tasks. The medical device may also possess a bent working channel device that provides easier access to orifices or other body parts that are in an orientation that is not straight (i.e., in an orientation that does not require a bend in the working channel device). The medical device may also have sheaths associated with it that causes a bend in the working channel device that also allows easier access to orifices or other body parts that are not straight

An integrated catheter system for performing angiography on a human patient, the integrated catheter system consisting of an angiographic catheter onto which a thin-walled sheath is co-axially mounted. The angiographic catheter having an essentially straight and elongated proximal section in the form of a cylindrical shaft that is surrounded for less than one-half of its length by the thin-walled sheath that has an outer diameter that is less than 0.25 mm greater than the outside diameter of the angiography catheter. The strength to prevent buckling of the thin-walled sheath being provided by the shaft of the angiographic catheter. The integrated catheter system also being ideal for the placement of stents using small diameter stent delivery systems such as the stent-on-a-wire system.

The present invention performs “flow control” based on the remaining encryption capacity of an encrypted outbound network interface link of a network routing device, such as a router or switch. As the encrypted link begins to run low on encryption key material, this invention begins to discard datagrams queued for transit across that link, in order to signal distant host computers that they should slow down the rate at which they are sending datagrams. The invention, which is particularly useful in cryptographically protected networks that run the TCP / IP protocol stack, allows fine-grained flow control of individual traffic classes because it can determine, for example, how various classes of data traffic (e.g., voice, video, TCP) should be ordered and transmitted through a network. Thus, the invention can be used to implement sophisticated flow control rules so as to give preferential treatment to certain people, departments or computers.

A catheter assembly (10) including at least one introducer (12) defining passage (18) receiving elongate tubular member (20) having proximal end, distal end and lumen extending between. Elongate shape imparting element (32) received in lumen and imparting predetermined shape (26) to distal end of tubular member (20) when distal end of tubular member is extended beyond distal end of introducer (12). Distal end of shape imparting element (32) extends from lumen of tubular member (20) and is anchored proximally of distal end of introducer (12).

A technique for steering a directional antenna such as may be used with User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. Optimum angle settings for the directional antenna are determined as different values for an uplink and downlink; that is for simple reception and simple transmission. Thus, rather than determine compromised directions that are picked in an attempt to optimize transmission and reception with the same directional setting, directional settings may be optimized independently. The invention is of particular use in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) system where transmit and receive functions can be operating independently at different times. In further aspects, an optimum direction is determined by estimating an interference signal power which is detected from signals emanating from adjacent base stations (access points) and determining a directional setting that minimizes interference to adjacent cells based upon such measurements. A further level of sophistication in antenna angle setting, is to monitor the loading of adjacent cell sites base stations and turning interference and determine the settings accordingly to minimize interference to such heavily loaded neighbors. Further aspects of the invention adapts to acquisition modes that accommodate the directional setting in active use of the system.

In an outboard drive or an inboard-outboard drive, power generated by a single engine is transmitted in left and right directions from a main drive shaft, thereby finally causing left and right propellers to be rotated, the left and right propellers being arranged about the main drive shaft so as to be spaced apart from the main drive shaft at approximately equal distances from the main drive shaft and facing a travel direction of a marine vessel, the outboard drive or inboard-outboard drive being provided with left and right shift cam assemblies for causing rotation situations of the propellers to be controlled dependently from each other, the rotation situations including normal rotation, reverse rotation and non-rotation situations of the propellers.

The invention discloses a traversal control system and method of a driverless automobile based on a hybrid theory. The system comprises a sensing module, a path planning module, a hybrid controller module, a steering executing module and a display module. The sensing module is used for acquiring the vehicle travelling environment and the vehicle operating state; the path planning module is used for planning a path based on the absolute position of a vehicle in a map and the position of the vehicle relative to peripheral obstacles and a lane line; the hybrid controller module comprises a local controller unit and a switching monitoring controller unit; the local controller unit designs a controller meeting a target for working conditions of lane-keeping, lane conversion and emergent collision avoidance; the switching monitoring controller unit driven by different discrete events drives effective mode switching, so that the switching stability is guaranteed; the steering executing module drives a steering motor according to a signal of the hybrid controller so as to realize automatic steering of the driverless automobile; and the display module is used for displaying sensing information, path planning information and control mode information.

A sleeve steering and reinforcing device (10) includes a first, elongate, helical element (12) having spaced turns (14). At least one further, elongate, helical element (16) is co-axially arranged with the first helical element (12). The at least one further helical element (16) has a plurality of spaced turns (18) wound in an opposite direction to the turns (14) of the first helical element (12) such that the turns (14, 18) of the elements (12, 16) coincide at predetermined zones (20, 22), the zones (20, 22) being arranged along lines extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elements.

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a body including a rear compartment, a forward compartment and an intermediate compartment arranged between the rear and forward compartments. An elongate rotatable brush arrangement is positioned within and extends across the forward compartment. An electric motor is positioned in the rear compartment, and drive means extends between the rotatable brush arrangement and the electric motor.

A steerable tube for endoscopic applications includes a first, a second and a third part. The first part includes a first movable portion and the third part includes a second movable portion. The steerable tube includes longitudinal elements that are constructed and arranged such that a change in orientation of the first movable portion of the first part with respect to the second part results in a change in orientation of the second movable portion of the third part with respect to the second part. The longitudinal elements are constructed and arranged such that they are twisted and / or that they are twistable. An endoscopic instrument and an endoscope including the steerable tube, and an assembly including an endoscopic instrument and the endoscope are also described.

The invention provides a self-balancing bicycle based on a disc grating. The bicycle comprises a bicycle body, a gyroscope dip angle measuring assembly, a disc grating steering assembly and a central control assembly. The gyroscope dip angle measuring assembly, the disc grating steering assembly and the central control assembly are fixed on the bicycle body. The gyroscope dip angle measuring assembly obtains the inclination angle of the center of the bicycle body in the front-back direction through a gyroscope group to further obtain advancing and retreating signals. The disc grating steering assembly detects the included angle between the feet of a user and the advancing direction through a left disc grating sensor and a right disc grating sensor to further obtain a steering signal. The bicycle has the advantages of being simple and compact in structure, low in daily maintenance difficulty, high in steering control accuracy, high in interestingness, convenient to operate, quick and natural.

Methods and apparatus for acquiring marine seismic data are described. One method comprises selecting tow depth of one or more marine seismic streamers based at least in part on lack of or presence of currents at different depths, and allowing the current to contribute to steering the streamers to desired lateral positions at the selected tow depth. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

The present invention discloses a sit-stand two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle. The sit-stand two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle comprises a vehicle main body; the vehicle main body comprises a pedestal, a pedal assembly, a driving wheel assembly, a steering assembly, a vehicle faucet, a seat assembly and a motion control assembly; the pedal assembly, the driving wheel assembly, the seat assembly and the motion control assembly are all installed on the pedestal; the pedal assembly comprises a pedal and photoelectric sensors installed at the bottom of the pedal; the vehicle faucet is installed on the steering assembly; a right electric speed regulation handle assembly comprises a right handle and a hall sensor; the steering assembly is fixedly installed on the pedestal via a steering assembly support; the driving wheel assembly comprises two driving devices which are symmetrically arranged left and right; each driving device comprises a servo motor, a decelerator and a wheel; and the motion control assembly is used for receiving speed regulation information of the right electric speed regulation handle assembly and receiving steering information of the steering assembly.

A steering control system for ski boat with an inboard motor and a single, non-steerable propeller. The control system augments the traditional aft rudder with a forward rudder (located immediately in front of the propeller), and controls one or both rudders to improve steering when backing and in low forward speed conditions. The control system may control only the forward rudder, while the pre-existing controls operate the aft rudder, or optionally controls both rudders. The rudder angle control algorithm calculates proportional rudder angles based on helm and throttle settings, or optimal rudder angles based on more sensed conditions including the operator's helm and throttle controls, the ski boat's direction and speed, propeller RPM and thrust direction, and each rudder's angle. An electronic controller sends control signals to the rudders to achieve the optimal rudder angles.

The present invention relates to a track assembly adapted to be retrofitted to an all-terrain vehicle having a driving output. The track assembly comprises an endless track belt extending over at least a pair of longitudinally spaced-apart inner wheels and a driving arrangement adapted to be drivingly connected to the driving output of the all-terrain vehicle for transmitting power to the endless track belt. The driving arrangement comprises at least one driving wheel mounted outside of a loop defined by the endless track belt and in driving engagement therewith. It also relates to a steering mechanism for an all-terrain vehicle having a pair of front track assemblies, each having at least one driving wheel.

Apparatus for spraying a material on a surface comprises at least one elongate member having a distal end and a proximal end, at least one spray nozzle mounted at the distal end of the elongate member for spraying the material in a spray pattern, the spray nozzle being connected to a spray material input at the proximal end of the elongate member, a camera mounted at the distal end of the elongate member and connected to a camera output at the proximal end of the elongate member, the camera being arranged to capture images of the spray pattern, and a control mechanism arranged to control the operation of the spray nozzle from the proximal end of the elongate member.

A dolly for transporting products thereon, the dolly comprising a top with a product support surface and an opposing underside, a plurality of casters provided on the underside, two of the casters being swivel casters configured to rotate relative to the product support surface; biasing means configured to bias a wheel of each swivel caster towards a first equilibrium position. A plurality of reinforcing ribs provided on the underside; wherein at least one of the reinforcing ribs is a curved reinforcing rib, and; the at least one curved reinforcing rib extends from a first caster mounting area to a second caster mounting area. Further including, a dolly carrier pallet comprising a pallet provided with a dolly receiving layer, wherein the dolly receiving layer is provided with generally rectangular wheel receiving recesses for receiving swivel casters and is provided with generally rectangular wheel receiving recesses for receiving fixed casters.