53results about How to "Force can be applied" patented technology

A system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed rapidly, accurately, simply, and intuitively is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons, in addition biopsy needles, endoscopy probes, and similar devices. The magnetic tip allows the position and orientation of the tip to be determined without the use of x-rays by analyzing a magnetic field. The magnetic tip further allows the tool tip to be pulled, pushed, turned, and forcefully held in the desired position by applying an appropriate magnetic field external to the patient's body. A Virtual Tip serves as an operator control. Movement of the operator control produces corresponding movement of the magnetic tip inside the patient's body. Additionally, the control provides tactile feedback to the operator's hand in the appropriate axis or axes if the magnetic tip encounters an obstacle. The output of the control combined with the magnetic tip position and orientation feedback allows a servo system to control the external magnetic field by pulse width modulating the positioning electromagnet. Data concerning the dynamic position of a moving body part such as a beating heart offsets the servo systems response in such a way that the magnetic tip, and hence the secondary tool is caused to move in unison with the moving body part. The tip position and orientation information and the dynamic body part position information are also utilized to provide a display that allows three dimensional viewing of the magnetic tip position and orientation relative to the body part.

A Catheter Guidance Control and Imaging (CGCI) system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons. The magnetic tip performs two functions. First, it allows the position and orientation of the tip to be determined by using a radar system such as, for example, a radar range finder or radar imaging system. Incorporating the radar system allows the CGCI apparatus to detect accurately the position, orientation and rotation of the surgical tool embedded in a patient during surgery. In one embodiment, the image generated by the radar is displayed with the operating room imagery equipment such as, for example, X-ray, Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, MRI, CAT-Scan, PET-Scan, etc. In one embodiment, the image is synchronized with the aid of fiduciary markers located by a 6-Degrees of Freedom (6-DOF) sensor. The CGCI apparatus combined with the radar and the 6-DOF sensor allows the tool tip to be pulled, pushed, turned, and forcefully held in the desired position by applying an appropriate magnetic field external to the patient's body. A virtual representation of the magnetic tip serves as an operator control. This control possesses a one-to-one positional relationship with the magnetic tip inside the patient's body. Additionally, this control provides tactile feedback to the operator's hands in the appropriate axis or axes if the magnetic tip encounters an obstacle. The output of this control combined with the magnetic tip position and orientation feedback allows a servo system to control the external magnetic field.

A system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed rapidly, accurately, simply, and intuitively is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons, in addition biopsy needles, endoscopy probes, and similar devices. The magnetic tip allows the position and orientation of the tip to be determined without the use of x-rays by analyzing a magnetic field. The magnetic tip further allows the tool tip to be pulled, pushed, turned, and forcefully held in the desired position by applying an appropriate magnetic field external to the patient's body. A Virtual Tip serves as an operator control. Movement of the operator control produces corresponding movement of the magnetic tip inside the patient's body. Additionally, the control provides tactile feedback to the operator's hand in the appropriate axis or axes if the magnetic tip encounters an obstacle. The output of the control combined with the magnetic tip position and orientation feedback allows a servo system to control the external magnetic field by pulse width modulating the positioning electromagnet. Data concerning the dynamic position of a moving body part such as a beating heart offsets the servo systems response in such a way that the magnetic tip, and hence the secondary tool is caused to move in unison with the moving body part. The tip position and orientation information and the dynamic body part position information are also utilized to provide a display that allows three dimensional viewing of the magnetic tip position and orientation relative to the body part.

A system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed rapidly, accurately, simply, and intuitively is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons, in addition biopsy needles, endoscopy probes, and similar devices. The magnetic tip allows the position and orientation of the tip to be determined without the use of x-rays by analyzing a magnetic field. The magnetic tip further allows the tool tip to be pulled, pushed, turned, and forcefully held in the desired position by applying an appropriate magnetic field external to the patient's body. A Virtual Tip serves as an operator control. Movement of the operator control produces corresponding movement of the magnetic tip inside the patient's body. Additionally, the control provides tactile feedback to the operator's hand in the appropriate axis or axes if the magnetic tip encounters an obstacle. The output of the control combined with the magnetic tip position and orientation feedback allows a servo system to control the external magnetic field by pulse width modulating the positioning electromagnet. Data concerning the dynamic position of a moving body part such as a beating heart offsets the servo systems response in such a way that the magnetic tip, and hence the secondary tool is caused to move in unison with the moving body part. The tip position and orientation information and the dynamic body part position information are also utilized to provide a display that allows three dimensional viewing of the magnetic tip position and orientation relative to the body part.

Apparatus and methods are provided for forming a working space on the interior wall of a blood vessel, such as the aorta. The working space is isolated from blood flow and permits creation of an anastomotic hole and subsequent suturing of the hole to form an end-to-side anastomosis, even while the heart is beating. The apparatus comprises tools including inflatable barriers, such as cup-shaped balloons, which engage the inner wall of the blood vessel with minimum trauma and maximum sealing. In a first embodiment, the inflatable barrier is introduced through a penetration at the site of the anastomotic attachment. In a second embodiment, the inflatable barrier is introduced through a second penetration axially spaced-apart from the site of the anastomotic attachment.

A grill brush assembly comprising an elongated handle portion, a head portion integral the head portion and extending from a forward end thereof constructed of rigid material such as but not limited to wood or molded polymeric material. The invention includes a plurality of bristles extending downward from the lower surface of the head portion, and a grill scraper fixedly attached to the forward edge of the head portion by suitable attachment means. The scraper of the present invention has an upper edge for scraping the uppermost surface of a series of grates, and an opposing pair of hook-like extension portions extending from opposite sides of the scraper. Each extension portion forms a pair of scraping faces for simultaneously engaging an uppermost surface of a single grill grate and the lowermost surface of an adjacent single grate. With a simple twist of the wrist an extension portion wraps around adjacent grill grates to easily and thoroughly clean all surfaces of the grates, top, bottom, and sides, with minimal strokes and without having to reposition the grill grate assembly.

A gingival retraction material is prepared using fibrillated fibers to improve viscosity and combining taste-modifying agent, color agent, and kaolin filler to form a paste-like structure having the viscosity ranging from 31.0×10⁶ cP to 71.0×10⁶ cP. The gingival material is injectable into the patient's gingival sulcus to provide a physical active force that widens the patient's gingival sulcus by means of the material viscosity and also to control gingival tissue fluid and hemostasis so as to keep the gingival sulcus dry for further mold impressions.

A phase shifter adjusts the phase between two segments of an RF feed line that are fed with the phase shifter. Specifically, the phase shifter adjusts the phase between two signals in RF feed line segments by changing the electrical path lengths that RF energy travels down in each respective RF feed line. The phase shifter includes a coupling arm, a key, a spring, and a support architecture that fastens the phase shifter to a substantially planar surface. The support architecture is rotated manually or with a machine such as a motor. The coupling arm can include a coupling ring, a wiper element, a support trace, and a dielectric spacer. The phase shifting system is a relatively compact structure having a predetermined value of capacitance maintained between a coupling ring disposed on the coupling arm and a coupling ring disposed on a planar surface.

A vibration dampening device for use on compound archery bows. A device may be associated with one or more bow limb, with each device disposing a vibration damping bumper in position to shorten the vibrating length of the bow string at brace, compared to the vibrating length of a bow string of a comparable bow lacking the device(s). Certain embodiments couple bowstring vibration at brace with one or more cable. Preferred embodiments include a limb anchor adapted to distribute string-induced loading onto a bow limb at both sides of a string cam.

A therapeutic table construction which isolates a first portion of the patient's body to a fixed table portion and a second portion of the patient's body to a moveable table portion, and applies a distraction force to the moveable portion of the patient's body while positioning the portion of the patient's spine that is to be treated at an angle so as to isolate the portion of the patient's spine which receives the distraction force.

A radiant heat tube (5) comprises a tube body having a center section (6) and at least one recirculating section (7, 8) arranged next to the center section, said recirculating section forming a loop (9, 10) with said center section. A pivot joint bearing (23) is arranged on one end (12) of the radiant heat tube, while a sliding bearing (15) is arranged on the other end (11) of the radiant heat tube, said sliding bearing (15) being arranged opposite said pivot joint bearing (23). A burner (14) is disposed to heat the radiant heat tube (5).

Ligature device for orthodontic brackets, consisting of an elastic body with a central portion (5) and two lateral rings (6) positioned on two mesodistal sides of the central portion (5), on opposite sides with respect to the latter, the rings being intended to be stretched to be coupled with the wings (2) of an orthodontic bracket so that the central portion (5) results above the same bracket wings (2), characterized in that the lateral rings (6) form at least a curve (65) corresponding to a mesodistal side of the orthodontic bracket at the height of the wings (2), the vertex of the at least one curve (65) being turned toward the orthodontic bracket, that is to say toward the central portion (5) of the ligature device, the length (a) of each of the rings (6) exceeding the length (c) of the central portion (5) both when the rings (6) are stretched and un-stretched, so that the value of the ratio (a)/(c) is less than one in both the stretched and un-stretched configurations.

A floating dock system contains a polymeric foam core, a structural collar, attachment means connected to the structural collar and a protective coating adhering to and completely covering the polymer foam core and structural collar and is free of decking or plates that are independent of the structural collar between the top surface of the polymeric foam core and the protective coating.

The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for guiding a rod-like ceramic molding, continuously extruded from a mold and extending from the mold while not yet cut, to a cutter for cutting the rod-like ceramic molding into ceramic blocks, each having a predetermined length. The conveying apparatus has pads, each having a placement surface for placing the rod-like ceramic molding while being in contact with the outer circumference of the rod-like ceramic molding, and the placement surface of the pad has an axial length shorter than a half of an axial length of the ceramic block to be cut by the cutter.

A tool for pulling a dent out of a sheet metal surface has a support post with a foot shaped to rest against a portion of the sheet metal surface adjacent the dent. The tool includes a hinged lever arm which is pivotally connected to this support post at a lever arm pivot point which is elevated above the foot and adjacent sheet metal region. The tool also includes a pulling rod for coupling, through a fastener or connecting means, to the dented portion of the surface which is to be drawn-out, the pulling rod being connected to the hinged lever arm through a pivoting joint. The pivoting joint of the pulling rod and the lever arm pivoting point are positionable through actuation of the lever arm able to lie in a common plane which is substantially parallel to the sheet metal surface into which the dent is to be drawn into alignment. The pulling rod is adjustable in its engagement with the lever arm to permit the lever arm to swing through a limited angular range. Coupling between the pulling rod and lever arm is either discrete or continuous. Fasting means connecting the tool to the sheet metal include a self-tapping, self-drilling screw or a bolt provided with a magnetic washer or magnetic head.

A high pressure tube compression fitting/flared fitting for use in combination with a thick-walled tube and a connection body wherein a sleeve is in engagement with a thick-walled tube. The sleeve is generally cylindrically shaped with the exterior thereof coated and then etched. The sleeve includes a sharp annular biting portion engaging the thick walled tube. The sleeve further includes an inner annular symmetric concavity which engages the thick-walled tube upon deformation thereof. The thick-walled tube includes a flared end portion. A gland about the thick-walled tube engages the sleeve forcing it into engagement with the frusto-conical portion of the connection body coupling the tube, tube fitting and connection body together. The flared end of the thick-walled tube interengages and seals the frusto-conical portion of the connection body. A process for making the device includes the step of placing the thick-walled tube into engagement with the frusto-conical portion of a die to flare the end portion of the thick-walled tube.

A lightweight, adjustable wrench comprising of a moveable jaw with a reach that is shortened or lengthened with a strap or a cable. The loose end of the strap or cable is secured to the wrench's shank by a cam lock, or similar locking device. Since the strap or cable is the means for the wrench's jaws adjustment, a quicker and easier fit to the pipe or object to be gripped can be obtained. The wrench is more convenient to adjust, since the means for adjustment are located near the handle of the wrench as opposed to the shank end of present designs. The strap or cable adjustment also allows the wrench's shank and handle to be designed hollow and a larger diameter to reduce weight. The wrench can be made in any proportion for any sized application.

A tool-holding arm includes a plurality of links and a tool coupling that removably secures a tool to the tool-holding arm. A first fluid spring provides a gravity-counteracting force to the tool-holding arm. A locking mechanism selectively locks the first fluid spring. An adjustment mechanism selectively adjusts an amount of the gravity-counteracting force provided by the first fluid spring.