33629results about How to "Good flexibility" patented technology

Methods and devices are provided for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures. In one embodiment, a surgical device is provided that includes an elongate shaft having an end effector at a distal end thereof. The end effector can be configured to be movable between a first configuration in which the end effector is longitudinally aligned with or linear relative to the shaft and a second configuration in which the end effector is articulated at an angle beyond 45 degrees relative to the shaft. With the end effector in the first configuration or in the second configuration, the device can be configured to allow selective actuation of the end effector.

A replacement valve for implantation centrally within the orifice of a malfunctioning native heart valve. The valve is designed for minimally invasive entry through an intercostal opening in the chest of a patient and an opening in the apex of the human heart. The replacement valve includes either a separate anchor (11, 87, 111) or a combined anchor (67) that folds around the malfunctioning native valve leaflets, sandwiching them in a manner so as to securely anchor the replacement valve in a precise, desired location.

A device for delivering fluid to a person including a reservoir for containing a fluid to be delivered to the person, a fluid transport device for dispensing fluid from said reservoir to the person, said fluid transport device including a proximal end in fluid communication with said reservoir and a distal end having a penetrating member for piercing the skin of the person to facilitate the delivery of fluid to the person through the fluid transport device, a housing containing said reservoir and said fluid transport device, said housing including an exit port for receiving said distal end of said fluid transport device upon injection of said distal end into said person and means for securing a first wall of said housing to the skin of the person, a injection activation device including a driving mechanism contacting said fluid transport device for driving said penetrating member from a first position within said housing, through said exit port to a second position, external to said housing and into the skin of said person, and an electrically driven actuator for activating said driving mechanism.

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.

The present invention provides systems and methods for the repair, removal, and/or replacement of heart valves. The methods comprise introducing a delivery system into the heart, wherein a prosthesis is disposed on the delivery member attached to the delivery system, advancing the prosthesis to the target site, and disengaging the prosthesis from the delivery member at the target site for implantation. The present invention also provides implant systems for delivering a prosthesis to a target site in or near the heart. In one embodiment of the present invention, the implant system comprises a delivery system, an access system, and a prosthesis.

Stimulation of one or more neurons of the sympathetic nervous system, including the splenic nerve, to attenuate an immune response, including an inflammatory immune response, is discussed. Devices and systems to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to attenuate an immune response are also discussed. Devices discussed include pulse generators and drug pumps. Systems are described as optionally having one or more sensors and operator instructions. In specific examples, stimulation of the splenic nerve of pigs with a pulse generator is shown to be safe and effective in attenuating a lipopolysaccharide-induced immune response.

An interactive training system capable of generating continuous feedback for physical therapy and training applications based on capturing and analyzing the movement of a user on an interactive surface. The training system captures sophisticated input such as the entire areas in contact with the interactive surface, center of gravity, pressure distribution, velocity, acceleration, direction, orientation etc. The training system also captures and/or calculates and/or estimates the position of a body part while in the air, not touching the interactive surface, and also while sensor input is unavailable. The training system can also provide alerts for predefined events such as a fall or the beginning of a fall.

A physiological sensor device for attachment to a mammalian subject including first and second regions of sensors attachable to a subject in use, which first and second regions of sensors are separated by a flexible web adapted to enable variable separation of the first and second sensor regions from one another in use. The physiological sensor device is manufactured by forming a strip of electrically conductive material on a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate and cutting a slot through both the flexible substrate and conductive strip to define a pair of adjacent edges of conductive material separated by a non-conductive gap thereby also to define adjacent electrode sensors each having one of the pair of adjacent edges formed in the strip of conductive material. The physiological sensor device is attached to the subject for measurement of numerous physiological parameters for a period of time, such as 24 hours, and is then thrown away.

A computerized method for representing a data record comprising: querying a data source to obtain data selected from the group consisting of a data element in a record, and metadata concerning the record; presenting in a display a record handle for manipulation of the record; presenting in the display a data item wherein the data item is a list of data items or a reference to another record; and, optionally, presenting on the display the metadata above the data item. In some embodiments, the method includes the step of retrieving one or more heterogeneous records from a plurality of databases for display and manipulation. The invention is also a grid control programmed to implement a disclosed method and is a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a disclosed method. The invention links the grid control of the invention with automatic query generation using hierarchical data schema trees. Both the trees and the grid records represent relational foreign keys as extra reference columns. In the grid control, these reference columns are additional embedded record handles.

A secure music distribution system securely distributes digital products such as music, video, and/or computer software along with related media over a public telecommunications network, such as the Internet, employing a client-server architecture. The digital products are stored and controlled by a content manager computer system and are sold by separate merchant computer systems. The secure music distribution system includes a music distribution center which operates with any number of client systems and with any number of merchant systems. The music distribution center includes a content manager and at least one delivery server. The content manager maintains a media information database, a master media file system, and a transaction database. In addition, the music distribution center interfaces with a media licensing center, which in turn communicates with one or more distributed rights agent servers and the merchant servers. The merchant server executes in a merchant computer system, which also includes an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) server. The merchant servers interface with various payment processing systems. The client systems include a media player and a Web browser. Additional delivery servers and media licensing centers operate independently and externally to the music distribution center and interface with the music distribution center.

A multiple mode data communication system and method provides the flexibility to schedule wireless unit transmissions and/or allow the wireless unit to transmit autonomously. In certain embodiments, the wireless units can transmit autonomously and/or use scheduling depending on the data rate, the length of the data packet or the type of data. For example, the wireless units can transmit autonomously at lower data rates and use scheduling at higher data rates. Thus, the multiple mode system enables wireless unit transmissions to be scheduled and/or be transmit autonomously, and wireless units can simultaneously operate in different scheduling and/or autonomous modes. Depending on the embodiment, the system can provide even greater flexibility in operation by permitting wireless units to be scheduled by a single base station, scheduled by a multiplicity of base stations simultaneously or otherwise, via coordination between base stations, scheduled by a multiplicity of base stations in an uncoordinated and asynchronous manner, allowed to transmit autonomously, and/or allowed to transmit autonomously under base station supervision (i.e. rate control/adjustment by the base station). Additionally, a forward and/or reverse link control channel structure is provided which can be used to implement the multiple mode data communication system and/or support various features enabling increased throughput over a shared data channel in a wireless communications system.

A mobile robot system for performing a plurality of separate operations, and including at least one autonomous wheeled mobile robot having at least one wheel-driving motor, an on-board computer, a system for navigation, orientation, and maneuvering in an environment with moving obstacles, a sensor system, a wireless communication system operative to receive and send signals, and a plurality of dockable operation modules and operative to be selectively coupled to the autonomous mobile robot to form an operation unit, wherein the autonomous wheeled mobile robot autonomously docks to the dockable operation modules.

The invention concerns a method for treating a target volume with a particle beam, in particular a proton beam, which consists in generating said particle beam using an accelerator and in producing from said beam a narrow spot directed towards the target volume, characterized in that said spot sweeping speed and the particle beam intensity are simultaneously varied.

Methods and systems that provide enhanced personal video recorder (“PVR”) and interactive television program guide (“IPG”) functionality are provided. An interactive television application (“application”) may be implemented to provide such functionality. The application may be used to display a list of PVR recordings, to schedule recordings to a PVR, to configure recordings, to view a list of scheduled recordings, to configure recording settings, or to select delete priority settings for recordings. The application may integrate pay-per-view and PVR functionality. The application may send user notifications for changes that are to be made to the recording content of a PVR. Live programming may be buffered by the application using a straight buffers that are created for each new program. Parallel buffers for concurrent programs may be implemented using multiple tuners. Straight buffers may be used in managing or controlling the flow of programming. Television content may be automatically paused when a user is engaged in using the application. Multiple IPGs for different users of a PVR may be implemented. Other PVR related features are also provided.