9005results about How to "Easy to adapt" patented technology

A system for endoscopic suturing is provided having an endoscope, such as a gastroscope, with a distal end locatable in the body of a patient and a flexible shaft extending to the distal end, a flexible accessory tube coupled to the endoscope to be movable relative to the endoscope's shaft, and a tip coupled to the shaft of the endoscope having an opening through which one end of the accessory tube is received. A tissue suturing instrument is provided having a partially flexible shaft locatable through the accessory tube, and a tissue engaging end coupled to the shaft. The tissue engaging end has a vacuum sleeve enabling suction to be selectably applied at the tissue engaging end to capture tissue through an opening in the vacuum sleeve. Two needles are provided which extend through the shaft of the suturing instrument. Each needle is separately actuated into a gap in the instrument's tip, through tissue suctioned into the opening of the vacuum sleeve and into a ferrule at each end of a loop of suture. The system further includes a suture securing instrument having a partially flexible shaft locatable through the accessory tube, and a distal end coupled to the shaft. After removal of the suturing instrument from the accessory tube, a loop of suture extends through the tissue and the accessory tube, the suture securing instrument receives the free ends of the loop of suture at its distal end through a sleeve member, and the suture securing instrument is then inserted through the accessory tube to the location of the suture in the tissue. The suture securing instrument crimps the sleeve member and cuts the free ends of the suture to secure the suture closed. The suturing instrument and suture securing instrument are passed through the accessory tube without removal of the endoscope from the patient. The endoscope provides viewing by an operator of the engaging end of the suturing instrument for selecting placement of the suture through tissue, and of the distal end of the suture securing instrument to secure the suture closed.

According to the present invention, a catheter having at least one multi-purpose lumen formed through the catheter terminates proximal a relatively complex-shaped distal portion thereof. In one form of this embodiment, the relatively complex-shaped distal portion comprises a looped portion having diagnostic- and / or ablation-type electrodes coupled thereto and an elongated diameter-adjusting member coupled proximal the distal end of the looped portion. The multi-purpose lumen may be used to alternately accommodate a variety of dedicated materials; such as, (i) a guide wire for initial deployment or later repositioning of the catheter, (ii) a volume or flow of a contrast media and the like, (iii) a deployable hollow needle or tube and the like used to biopsy adjacent tissue or dispense a therapeutic agent into a volume of tissue, and (iv) a cooling fluid, such as saline solution and the like dispensed at least during therapeutic tissue ablation procedures.

A high integrity liposome comprising at least one stabile lipid and at least one peptide-like therapeutic agent associated with said liposome, adapted for parenteral administration to an animal, including a human, and method according to manufacture and use. Immunizing dosage forms comprising a liposome and an immunogen, wherein said liposome and immunogen are present in an immunization dose. Additionally, a dosage form, including such form particularly adapted to producing an immune response, comprising a salt according to an organic acid derivative of a sterol and an immunogen wherein said organic acid derivative of a sterol and immunogen are present in an immunization dose, and method according to use is disclosed. Further, a dosage form, including such form particularly adapted to producing an immune response, comprising dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) / cholesterol liposomes, optionally in an aluminum hydroxide gel, and an immunogen wherein said DMPC / cholesterol and immunogen are present in an immunization dose, and method according to use.

A dynamic stabilization system includes a stabilization element, such as a spinal rod, a plurality of bone anchors, such as bone bolts, and a like plurality of connectors for connecting the bolts to the spinal rod. At least some of the connectors include a flexible element between the bone anchor and the rod and an adjustment element for adjusting the flexibility of the flexible element, to thereby adjust the dynamic flexibility between the rod and the bone anchor. In one embodiment, the flexible element is a flexible bearing element of a rod end bearing.

A loading tool for withdrawing, crimping, and loading a stent-mounted valve into a delivery catheter, and for pushing the stent-mounted valve from the delivery catheter into a native heart valve orifice. The loading tool comprises at least one connector adapted for being removably connected to the stent of the stent-mounted valve. A crimping tool having a generally converging shape is adapted for use with the loading tool. Following connection of the loading tool to the stent-mounted valve, the loading tool operates to allow the stent-mounted valve to be drawn through the crimping tool, and loaded, in a crimped state, into a delivery catheter. Also disclosed is a kit of the of the various components for effecting the delivery of the stent-mounted valve and a method for withdrawing, crimping, and loading a stent-mounted valve from a storage container into a delivery catheter for the performance of a transcatheter valve implantation procedure.

The invention relates to a game set which comprises communicating elements, in the form of pieces, figurines, cards or dice, each having a radio-frequency tag provided with an individual identification code. A game board comprises a digital processing circuit which is connected to a plurality of antennas, arranged such as to form a sensor matrix, for detecting the presence, type and position of the communicating elements. Radio-frequency readers are respectively connected to m corresponding input / output terminals of the digital processing circuit. Each radio-frequency reader is connected to an associated group of antennas, preferably by means of a corresponding multiplexer. The game board may consist of a removable assembly of basic boards, each comprising a basic digital processing circuit which is connected to the antennas of the corresponding basic board.

Implementations of the present invention efficiently establish secure connections between a client and server, at least in part by authenticating the client and server early on in the connection setup phases. A client initiating a connection with a server identifies the secure communication protocols enabled at the client, and identifies these protocols in a connection request it sends to the server. The server processes the message and responds with a communication protocol it deems appropriate for the connection. The client and server then exchange appropriate authentication information, and then establish a connection session that implements the chosen communication protocol, and encrypts messages using the negotiated communication protocol. Additional implementations relate to reestablishing dropped connections behind virtual Internet Protocol addresses, without necessarily having to recommit much connection resource overhead.

This invention provides assistance to a user in accessing network attached information sources. In one aspect, the invention is a method for intelligently routing a user query to information sources relevant to that query, extracting relevant data fields from received responses, and intelligently presenting the extracted data in order of estimated relevance. The system of this invention implements one or more steps of the method in a centralized or distributed manner on one or more network attached computers. Further, this invention provides a novel language and implementation that facilitates easily written and maintained descriptions of information source query and response formats.

A method utilizing localized amorphization and recrystallization of stacked template layers is provided for making a planar substrate having semiconductor layers of different crystallographic orientations. Also provided are hybrid-orientation semiconductor substrate structures built with the methods of the invention, as well as such structures integrated with various CMOS circuits comprising at least two semiconductor devices disposed on different surface orientations for enhanced device performance.

The invention provides mechanisms useful for adjusting the positioning of an attached device, such as a display or input device. In one embodiment, the mechanism is a front end height adjustment mechanism comprising a track apparatus, a display mounting bracket, a sliding bracket, and a motion regulating device. In another embodiment, the mechanism comprises a device support arm, such as a monitor arm. The invention further provides a method for adjusting the positioning of a display or input device, such as a flat screen monitor, wherein the method comprises providing a mechanism of the invention, attaching the mechanism to a support, attaching a display or input device to the mechanism, and positionally adjusting the display or input device.

A composite membrane and method for making the same, comprising a porous support and a polyamide surface. The subject membrane provides improved flux and / or rejection rates. The subject membrane is further capable of operating at lower operating pressures. The subject method includes reacting a polyfunctional amine with a polyfunctional acyl halide to form a polyamide. The method includes the step of contacting a complexing agent with the polyfunctional acyl halide prior substantial reaction between the polyfunctional acyl halide and a polyfunctional amine. The subject process is easily adapted to commercial scale manufacturing processes and is particularly suited for making nanofiltration and reverse osmosis composite membranes.

Methods of applying adaptive social computing systems are disclosed. The social computing systems include capabilities to generate adaptive recommendations and representations of social networks derived, at least in part, from inferences of the preferences and interests of system users based on a plurality of usage behaviors, spanning a plurality of usage behavior categories. The behavioral categories include system navigation behaviors, content referencing behaviors, collaborative behaviors, and the monitoring of physical location and changes in location. Privacy control functions and compensatory functions related to insincere usage behaviors can be applied. Adaptive recommendation delivery can take the form of visual-based or audio-based formats.

A device for detecting cells and / or molecules on an electrode surface is disclosed. The device detects cells and / or molecules through measurement of impedence changes resulting from the cells and / or molecules. A disclosed embodiment of the device includes a substrate having two opposing ends along a longitudinal axis. A plurality of electrode arrays are positioned on the substrate. Each electrode array includes at least two electrodes, and each electrode is separated from at least one adjacent electrode in the electrode array by an expanse of non-conductive material. The electrode has a width at its widest point of more than about 1.5 and less than about 10 times the width of the expanse of non-conductive material. The device also includes electrically conductive traces extending substantially longitudinally to one of the two opposing ends of the substrate without intersecting another trace. Each trace is in electrical communication with at least one of the electrode arrays.

A polyaxial bone screw includes a head member and a shank member. The shank has a capture end and an opposite threaded end for threaded insertion into a vertebra. The head has a U-shaped cradle for receiving a spinal fixation rod and a central bore for receiving the capture end of the shank. An expandible retainer ring with a radial split is snapped onto the capture end of the shank to retain it within the head. The retainer ring has a spherical outer surface which forms a ball joint with a spherical socket cavity within the head to enable the head to be angled relative to the shank. A threaded closure plug is tightened within the cradle to clamp the rod into engagement with a knurled dome on the capture end of the shank to secure the rod relative to the vertebra.

Self-anchoring slings and deployment mechanisms for use therewith in selectively positioning a sling into position within the body. According to a preferred embodiment, the sling comprises an elongate sling portion having opposed ends. Formed upon each respective opposed end is an anchor member operative to be percutaneously advanced through soft tissue at a selected target site in a first direction but resist movement in an opposed direction. Such anchor members are operative to extend in opposed directions to thus enable a sling to be securely affixed into position and resist sag or otherwise lose its ability to support a given structure.

A computer-implemented method for displaying soft keyboards at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display is disclosed. An application with a plurality of objects is displayed on the touch screen display. A first gesture by a user on a first object in the plurality of objects is detected. In response to the first gesture, a first soft keyboard is displayed that contains a plurality of keys including primarily letter keys and including a key for selecting a second soft keyboard different from the first soft keyboard. A second gesture by the user on a second object in the plurality of objects is detected, the second object being other than the key for selecting the second soft keyboard. In response to the second gesture, the second soft keyboard is displayed, which contains a plurality of keys including number keys and including a key for selecting the first soft keyboard.