933results about How to "Effective expansion" patented technology

Methods and devices for use in tissue approximation and fixation are described herein. The present invention provides, in part, methods and devices for acquiring tissue folds in a circumferential configuration within a hollow body organ, e.g., a stomach, positioning the tissue folds for affixing within a fixation zone of the stomach, preferably to create a pouch or partition below the esophagus, and fastening the tissue folds such that a tissue ring, or stomas, forms excluding the pouch from the greater stomach cavity. The present invention further provides for a liner or bypass conduit which is affixed at a proximal end either to the tissue ring or through some other fastening mechanism. The distal end of the conduit is left either unanchored or anchored within the intestinal tract. This bypass conduit also includes a fluid bypass conduit which allows the stomach and a portion of the intestinal tract to communicate.

A method of relaying data between mobile stations in a cellular communications system is provided. The system comprises a number of mobile stations and base stations. Each base station makes synchronization transmissions within its area of covers, which define a broadcast control channel for the transmission of broadcast data from the base station to mobile stations within the area of coverage. The synchronization transmissions are received at mobile stations within the area of coverage, which extracts data defining the broadcast control channel, and at least one calling channel on which mobile stations can transmit probe data to one another. The probe data is used by the mobile stations to obtain connectivity information relating to the availability of other mobile stations. The synchronization transmissions also contain data which is used to define at least one traffic channel which is used by the mobile stations to relay message data between themselves. Effectively, the method of the invention provides a hybrid system which combines conventional cellular technology with opportunistic relaying technology.

The present invention relates to an orthodontic retainer to be fitted to an orthodontically treated dentition in order to fix the teeth in their orthodontic treatment state. In particular, the present invention relates to an orthodontic retainer that achieves, for example, improvement of strength of the retainer, improvement of wearing comfort and esthetics, reduction in cost, and improvement of a function as the retainer.

A large-scale, capacitor-based electrical energy storage and distribution system capable of effectuating load-leveling during periods of peak demand on a utility, and of effectuating a cost savings associated with the purchase of electrical energy. A capacitor or multitude of capacitors may be charged with electrical energy produced by the utility, such as during periods of low demand or low cost, and discharged during periods of high electrical energy consumption or high electrical energy cost. One or more capacitors may be located at a consumer's residence or business. Alternatively, a farm of capacitors may be provided at or near a utility, or at or near a location experiencing high demand. In another embodiment, one or more capacitors may be located in or on a vehicle, such as an automobile, a truck, or a train of a light rail system.

Various methods and devices are provided for delivering an infusion liquid using an electrokinetic infusion pump. The electrokinetic infusion pump can generally include an infusion housing having an infusion reservoir. The infusion reservoir has an infusion outlet and is capable of containing an infusion liquid. A plunger is movably coupled to the infusion housing and is adapted to be manually displaced relative to the infusion housing to load the infusion reservoir with infusion liquid. A movable partition can be disposed within the infusion housing and has a first surface in communication with an electrokinetic solution and a second surface, isolated from the first surface, in communication with the infusion reservoir. The electrokinetic infusion pump can further include an electrokinetic engine integrated within the plunger and adapted to selectively deliver electric potential across an electrokinetic porous media to cause the electrokinetic solution within the electrokinetic engine to displace the movable partition to effect delivery of at least a portion of the infusion liquid through the infusion outlet.

Techniques for extending the capabilities of computing environments and / or systems are disclosed. A scalable and dynamic external computing resource can be used in order to effectively extend the internal computing capabilities of a computing environment or system. The scalable and dynamic external computing resource can provide computing resources that far exceed the internal computing resources, and provide the services as needed, and in a dynamic manner at execution time. As a result, a computing device may function with relatively limited and / or reduced computing resources (e.g., processing power, memory) but have the ability to effectively provide as much computing services as may be needed, and provide the services when needed, on demand, and dynamically during the execution time.

A bypass conduit assembly is placed in a hollow body organ to route food and liquids past the hollow body organ. A flexible tubular member extends from a narrowed section through the hollow body organ and into either the pylorus or intestines. The tubular member is connected to tissue by fasteners such as clips, staples or stents.

A continuous strip is electrochemically processed in an electrolytic processing bath using either a thin flexible or resilient dielectric wiping blade or an open web, plastic mesh to wipe bubbles of gas from the surface, sever dendritic material, if such is present, and to remove a surface layer of partially depleted electrolytic solution in the form of a barrier or depletion layer including a heat zone, replacing with fresh cooler solution and to stabilize strip portions extending between support rolls. The resilient dielectric wiper blade is preferably used with perforated anodes which allow fresh electrolytic solution to flow into the space between the anodes and the strip surface after being expelled by passage of the strip past the wiping blade. It may also be used with electrode baskets in electroplating, however. The open web, plastic mesh wiper is particularly effective as a separator to provide the best spacing between the strip and the electrodes to prevent arcing and also prevents any filter cloth used over the electrodes in electroplating from catching upon the strip. The resilient wiper blade and open web, plastic mesh are preferably used in combination, but may also be used separately in electroplating, anodizing or electrolytic cleaning.

A system for originating connectivity fault management (CFM) frames on non-CFM aware switches is disclosed. In the disclosed system, an OAM (Operations Administration and Management) proxy networking device connected to a core Ethernet network operates with one or more CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) devices to which it is communicably connected to support CFM out to the CPE devices without requiring that the CPE devices themselves implement CFM functionality. The OAM proxy networking device generates Connectivity Check (CC) frames, Loopback reply frames, and Linktrace reply frames for MEPs (Maintenance End Points) or MIPs (Maintenance Intermediate Points) contained in communication ports on the CPEs. These CFM frames generated by the OAM proxy networking device are then sent within messages from the OAM proxy networking device to the appropriate CPE. When the CPE device receives a message from the OAM proxy networking device containing one of these CFM frames, it checks the operability of a communication port indicated by the message. If the port is operable, the CPE device extracts the CFM frame from the message and originates it through the OAM proxy networking device into the core Ethernet network. The OAM proxy networking device further operates to process Connectivity Check frames received from the core Ethernet network and addressed to the CPE devices by maintaining an MEP connectivity database. As a result, these received Connectivity Check frames are dropped without forwarding to the CPE devices.

An implantable tissue reinforcement device useful for treating or preventing the formation of parastomal hernias forming about a surgically created stoma. The tissue reinforcement device can comprise a synthetic or mammalian-derived sheet-like graft member, such as a resorbable material that promotes tissue ingrowth, wherein a sizing pattern is included that comprises linear indicia radiating outward from a stomal aperture. The linear indicia facilitate creation of a resized stomal opening in the graft member sufficiently large to allow passage of the resected bowel portion. A series of cuts made along the indicia create a plurality of flaps about the resized opening that are configured to abut the bowel portion and enhance reinforcement the stomal region after implantation. In one embodiment, the linear indicia comprises a series of weakened (e.g., perforated) lines that facilitate the cutting of the material by a scalpel, scissors, etc. The clinician resizes the stomal opening to a known diameter using reference indicia, such as diameter indicia and circular guide indicia. The sizing pattern can be imprinted on or etched into the material of the graft member, or it can be at least partially located on a separate template that is either laid over the graft member, preattached as a cuttable overlay, or used as a reference guide.

Structures and methods herein insert one or more parallel “recessive nulling” driver impedances across a controller area network (CAN) bus starting at the time of a dominant-to-recessive data bit transition and extending for a selected recessive nulling time period. Doing so increases a rate of decay of a CAN bus dominant-to-recessive differential signal waveform, permits a shortened recessive bit time period, and allows for increased CAN bus bandwidth. Various modes of operation are applicable to various CAN bus node topologies. Recessive nulling may be applied to only the beginning portion of a recessive bit following a dominant bit (“LRN mode”) or to the entire recessive bit time (“HRN mode”). And, some embodiments may apply LRN operations to some recessive CAN frame bits and HRN operations to others.

Methods and devices are provided for accessing a surgical site. In one embodiment, an access device is provided having a housing and a cannula extending distally therefrom. The cannula and the housing can define a working channel extending longitudinally therethrough. The cannula can be movable between an insertion configuration and a deployed configuration. The access device can also include an obturator insertable through the working channel. In one embodiment, the obturator can be configured to selectively mate with the cannula such that rotation of the obturator is effective to cause corresponding rotation of the cannula. In another embodiment, the obturator can be configured to move the cannula from the insertion configuration to the deployed configuration when the obturator is fully disposed within the cannula.

A method to produce on a commercial scale, high aspect ratio cellulose nanofilaments (CNF) from natural lignocellulosic fibers comprises a multi-pass high consistency refining (HCR) of chemical or mechanical fibers using combinations of refining intensity and specific energy. The CNF produced represents a mixture of fine filaments with widths in the submicron and lengths from tens of micrometers to few millimeters. The product has a population of free filaments and filaments bound to the fiber core from which they were produced. The proportion of free and bound filaments is governed in large part by total specific energy applied to the pulp in the refiner, and differs from other cellulose fibrillar materials by their higher aspect ratio and the preserved degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose, and are excellent additives for the reinforcement of paper, tissue, paperboard and the like. They display exceptional strengthening power for never-dried paper webs.

A wiring board for mounting semiconductor device, includes at least a dielectric film 1; wirings formed in the dielectric film 1; a plurality of electrode pads provided at front and back surfaces of the dielectric film with their surfaces exposed and at least portions of lateral sides of them buried into the dielectric film; vias connecting the wirings and the electrode pads. At least one via connecting each other the wirings formed in the dielectric film includes second material different from first material forming the vias connecting the wirings and the electrode pads. The wiring board for mounting semiconductor device, is effective for an increase in terminals and finer pitch of terminal intervals due to an improvement in integration, performance or multi-function of semiconductor devices, can mount semiconductor devices especially on both sides of the board at a high density and high accuracy, and furthermore, is excellent in reliability as well.

The invention generally related to the field of mobile multimedia middle-ware, computer networking, distributed processing systems, data bases, hand-held computers and wireless communication. A method for conveniently managing user profile information in an unified instant messaging system (7) is proposed. This method operates on a data base structure, which accommodates in a flexible way subscribers' information. More specifically, this method takes into account the mutable characteristics of the environment where subscribers' devices (9) are operating: subscribers can in fact freely modify their personal user profiles (1) as situations change and / or as they move to different geographical locations.

A laser processing system for micromachining a workpiece includes a laser source to generate laser pulses for processing a feature in a workpiece, a galvanometer-driven (galvo) subsystem to impart a first relative movement of a laser beam spot position along a processing trajectory with respect to the surface of the workpiece, and an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) subsystem to effectively widen a laser beam spot along a direction perpendicular to the processing trajectory. The AOD subsystem may include a combination of AODs and electro-optic deflectors. The AOD subsystem may vary an intensity profile of laser pulses as a function of deflection position along a dither direction to selectively shape the feature in the dither direction. The shaping may be used to intersect features on the workpiece. The AOD subsystem may also provide rastering, galvo error position correction, power modulation, and / or through-the-lens viewing of and alignment to the workpiece.

A speculum for the electropharmacological treatment of vaginal diseases has a pair of elongated blades interconnected such that an opening adapted for observation and passage of instruments is defined between the blades. There is at least one electrode connected to one of the blades on an inner face of the blade. The electrode has a proximal insulated portion and a distal uninsulated portion. To treat vaginal diseases, the speculum is placed in a vagina so that the electrode is located proximate to the vaginal disease, and a drug solution is injected into the vagina. An electric current is then applied to the electrode, which causes the migration of the drug solution toward the vaginal disease.

A scalable, programmable software based application run on a programmed general-purpose digital computer is used for interconnecting a plurality of heterogeneous network nodes. The application has the ability to convert between any two signaling protocols used, such as those used over a telecommunications network, by converting an originating protocol to a universal non-protocol specific representation, and then converting the universal non-protocol specific representation to a receiving protocol. A call context is used to store information elements created from the originating protocol so that a universal call model applies inter-working rules. The universal call model is also in communication with state machines associated with both the originating and the terminating sides in order to supply the appropriate response signals anticipated by the originating and terminating sides received when each is in communication with its own protocol. As such, the universal call model allows both the originating and terminating sides of a call to operate independently of each other by virtue of the fact that each side deal through the universal call model and not directly with the side for which the protocol message is being converted. Therefore, any protocol is easily converted to any other protocol by first translating the protocol message to the universal protocol non-specific format.

An internal combustion engine is disclosed having opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons. All the pistons may be connected to a common central crankshaft. The inboard pistons of each cylinder may be connected to a common joint on the crankshaft with pushrods and the outboard pistons may be connected to a common joint on the crankshaft with pullrods. Each opposed cylinder may include an integrated scavenge pump for providing positive intake pressure. The engine configuration also allows for asymmetrical timing of the intake and exhaust ports through angular positioning of the journals on the crankshaft.

Methods and apparatus for applying focused pressure to a target vessel to dilate the target vessel for hemodialysis.

A method and articles are described which provide a child with an interactive mixture of information content, activities, games, physical objects such as toys, and interconnection and communication with other like minded children and supportive adults, all of which are directed to instilling in the child an appreciation for wildlife and interest in the conservation of wildlife. A unique feature of the present invention is that it causes the child to focus on a specific wild animal, one which is symbolically "adopted" by the child and which the child comes to know on a very personal basis. This invention therefore allows the development of a bond between the wild animal and child as the child learns about and follows the day-to-day activities, life and well-being of the animal, which in turn leads to the child's development of knowledge and appreciation of wildlife generally.

Methods and devices are provided for accessing a surgical site. In one embodiment, an access device is provided having a housing and a cannula extending distally therefrom. The cannula and the housing can define a working channel extending longitudinally therethrough. The cannula can be movable between an insertion configuration and a deployed configuration. The access device can also include an obturator insertable through the working channel. In one embodiment, the obturator can be configured to selectively mate with the cannula such that rotation of the obturator is effective to cause corresponding rotation of the cannula. In another embodiment, the obturator can be configured to move the cannula from the insertion configuration to the deployed configuration when the obturator is fully disposed within the cannula.

A vacuum cleaner having a housing with a dust container having an inlet for dust laden air, a filter unit comprising a flexible filter body, a motor fan unit for generating a flow of air through the inlet and through the filter unit, and a dust removing means configured to agitate the flexible filter body in response to a force applied to the dust removing means.

A capacitor is described. The capacitor includes a case chamber. An electrode stack assembly is disposed within the case chamber. The electrode stack assembly includes a layer. The layer includes an anode subassembly. The anode subassembly comprises at least one anode layer that has an anode edge disposed at a first distance from an interior wall of the case chamber. The layer also includes a capacitor layer. The capacitor layer includes a cathode edge disposed at a second distance from the wall interior. The second distance is greater than the first distance.

An automatic washer comprises a remote sump fluidly connected to a drain pump and a recirculation pump, and a separator comprising an array of regularly-spaced fins oriented upstream of the recirculation pump for intercepting foreign objects in wash liquid. The remote sump also comprises a wash liquid heater. The separator is automatically purged when the drain pump is operated.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an upper body support characterized by a dorsal member, having a lower portion which extends substantially rearwardly of a wearer, and at least one flexibly resilient element operatively interconnected with the lower portion of the dorsal member so that when the wearer bends at the waist, the dorsal member operates on the or each flexible resilient element in such a manner that the weight of the upper body of the wearer is borne at least partly therethrough.

A display rack assembly for the display of product packages, with provisions for pushing packages toward the front of the display as individual packages are removed. The assembly includes a support base for supporting the packages and slidably mounting a spring-urged pusher. The pusher has front and back panels, with the back panel being joined along its upper edge to the back of the front panel, and the respective bottom edges being spaced apart in the front to back direction. A generally flat, front extension panel is removably attached to the front pusher panel to extend its dimensions upwardly or laterally, or both. This enables a standardized display rack to be easily adapted for tall and / or wide packages, as well as packages of smaller sizes. Interchangeable extension panels also can be provided with product advertising, specific to the product being displayed, which can be replaced or interchanged when a new product is displayed.

A shared resource access control system having a gating storage responsive to a plurality of controls with each of the controls derived from an instruction context identifying the shared resource, the gating storage including a plurality of sets of access method functions with each set of access method functions including a first access method function and a second access method function with the gating storage producing a particular one access method function from a particular one set responsive to the controls; and a controller, coupled to the gating storage, for controlling access to the shared resource using the particular one access method function.