1996results about How to "Maintain integrity" patented technology

An apparatus for supplying surgical buttress material to a surgical stapler is provided. The apparatus has a pivotable area for attaching surgical buttress material. The apparatus may also have an adhesive and a release liner disposed over the buttress material.

An apparatus for supplying surgical buttress material to a surgical stapler is provided. The apparatus has a pivotable area for attaching surgical buttress material. The apparatus may also have an adhesive and a release liner disposed over the buttress material.

A data and power transfer system comprising a first system unit which includes a first communication element operable to transfer communication signals and a first connector element operable to transfer electrical power; and a second system unit which includes a second communication element operable to transfer communication signals and a second connector element operable to transfer electrical power, wherein the first communication element and second communication element are operable to transfer data between one another and the first connector element and second connector element are operable to transfer electrical power whilst electrically insulated from one another.

In one of the many embodiments, a method for processing a substrate is disclosed which includes generating a first fluid meniscus and a second fluid meniscus at least partially surrounding the first fluid meniscus wherein the first fluid meniscus and the second fluid meniscus are generated on a surface of the substrate.

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.

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 medical device includes a balloon catheter having an expandable member, e.g., an inflatable balloon, at its distal end and a stent or other endoprosthesis. The stent is, for example, an apertured tubular member formed of a polymer and is assembled about the balloon. The stent has an initial diameter for delivery into the body and can be expanded to a larger diameter by inflating the balloon.

The present invention relates to novel electroactive energy storing polyacetylene-co-polysulfur (PAS) materials of general formula (C2Sx)n wherein x is greater than 1 to about 100, and n is equal to or greater than 2. This invention also relates to novel rechargeable electrochemical cells containing positive electrode materials comprised of said polyacetylene-co-polysulfur materials with improved storage capacity and cycle life at ambient and sub-ambient temperatures.

The present invention expands a spinal canal by drilling a cylindrical passage in each pedicle of a vertebra, making a circumferential pedicle cut (osteotomy) through each pedicle from within the passage, separating each pedicle cut by inserting an implant into the passage which distracts the pedicle cut to expand the spinal canal, and securing each pedicle cut, allowing the vertebra to heal with the spinal canal expanded. The implant includes an outer sleeve, an inner bolt, and expandable flanges. The outer sleeve includes an upper portion and a lower portion, with the expandable flanges connected to the lower portion and housed within the upper portion. Rotation of the inner bolt causes the upper and lower portions of the outer sleeve to separate, causing the pedicle cut to widen and the expandable flanges to radially extend into and stabilize the widened pedicle cut to effectuate expansion of the spinal canal.

A filter element is provided for use with a tissue cutting device. The tissue cutting device includes a tissue collection trap in which the filter element is mounted. The filter element includes a body formed of a mesh material. The mesh material is constructed to allow for fluids to pass through a portion of the filter element while tissue samples excised by the cutting device are retained therein.

An apparatus for supplying surgical buttress material to a surgical stapler is provided. The apparatus has a pivotable area for attaching surgical buttress material. The apparatus may also have an adhesive and a release liner disposed over the buttress material.

The present invention is directed to improving bonding between orthopedic devices, particularly vertebral devices, and bone. The present invention provides various methods and devices employing mechanical and bio-fixation modalities for such attachment. As provided herein, the initial mechanical attachment of a device to bone is sufficiently stable to ensure that the implanted device is relatively immobile (or alternatively microscopic motion is promoted), facilitating bone and soft tissue in-growth and the eventual bio-fixation of the device.

A wound dressing system includes a fluid permeable support member for positioning within a wound and adapted to generally conform to a topography of a wound, a plurality of beads supported by the support member, an outer member for positioning over the wound to substantially enclose the beads and a conduit for supplying reduced pressure to the wound. The support member is adapted to permit exudates from the wound to pass therethrough. The beads are characterized by having sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain respective shapes thereof to thereby facilitate passage of the exudates through spaces or passages defined between adjacent beads. The beads may comprise glass, an acrylic or a polymeric material. The support member may comprise a polymeric or fabric material. The support member may be an enclosure member or pouch which houses the beads. Multiple pouches are also envisioned.

The invention relates to a surgical system and, more particularly, to a surgical system and method for verifying calibration of a surgical device. The surgical system or method can be configured to perform the steps of: identifying an interface on an anatomy of a patient, determining a position of a checkpoint of the interface in a coordinate frame of reference, contacting the interface with a portion of a surgical tool of the surgical device, determining a position of the portion of the surgical tool in the coordinate frame of reference, and determining whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has an expected correspondence to the position of the checkpoint. The interface may comprise a painted portion of a bone of the patient, a divot made in the bone, or a mechanical interface that includes a portion configured to be affixed to the bone and an interface portion that is configured to be contacted by the portion of the surgical tool.

A method for currency management and tracking utilizing a unique standardized cassette for the transportation of note bundles and loading of note bundles into currency processing apparatus, the cassette having an accompanying smart card on which data regarding the individual note history of each note contained therein and distributed therefrom is recorded. The invention further provides for the uploading of data stored on cassette smart cards to a central data bank, thus allowing for the management and statistical modeling of the currency pool.

One or more methods and systems of effectively transmitting voice and voice band data from one node to another are presented. In one embodiment, the system comprises an NTP time server generating absolute times to computing devices such as residential voice over internet protocol (VoIP) gateways. The NTP time server generates absolute times in response to NTP time requests made by one or more computing devices such as residential VoIP gateways. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining an adequate rate for requesting absolute times from an NTP server, making periodic requests to the NTP server, obtaining the absolute times from the NTP server, and generating an adjustment parameter for use by a computing device such as a residential VoIP gateway.

A system for modifying the functionality of intelligent electronic devices installed and operating in the field is disclosed. Each of the intelligent electronic devices operates with a software configuration to monitor electrical energy. A copy of the software configurations may be maintained in a database. Changes to the operation of one or more of the intelligent electronic devices may be made as a function of modifications to the database.

A fixture (30) adapted to permit the heated exchange of a liner (14) from an operating vertical furnace (10). The fixture is adapted to secure to the base of the liner (14) to both unlock and lower the heated liner, such as a silicon carbide liner, at an controlled rate. The fixture is also adapted to elevate a new liner into the operating vertical furnace at a controlled rate to control the rate of heating of the liner as it is inserted into the operating vertical furnace. The fixture includes an inner ring (34), a low-friction Teflon® ring (36), and an outer ring (38) permitting the rotation of the inner ring within the outer ring. Advantageously, the low friction ring comprises a flanged portion and a vertical portion allowing rotation of the inner ring within the outer ring even when elevated at extreme temperatures exceeding 500° C.

A utility is provided for managing exchanges of information within a context involving multiple users, for example, multi-user network collaboration. The invention enables automatic enforcement of a policy regarding sensitive information. The policy may be negotiated among the users and expressed as multiple rule sets that govern access to a use of sensitive information. The utility also logs activities involving sensitive information to ensure compliance with the policy. These logs can be audited by a third party or automatically processed for audit compliance by the utility. In this manner, an environment of trust is created which encourages fruitful collaboration.

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 filter element is provided for use with a tissue cutting device. The tissue cutting device includes a tissue collection trap in which the filter element is mounted. The filter element includes a body formed of a mesh material. The mesh material is constructed to allow for fluids to pass through a portion of the filter element while tissue samples excised by the cutting device are retained therein.

A novel device for remote information download and transfer for downloading a secure, permanent record of criminal activity and / or accident evidence relating to a vehicle for evidentiary purposes which may be directly transferred to an information center and / or the authorities through a transmission link which is preferably a satellite up / link-down / link or saved directly onto the downloading device. The remote downloading device may be activated automatically or upon a trigger signal and comprises an interface, an information capturing storage device, a video monitor display and preferably a transceiver. The interface communicates with an information storage device, downloads the information saved therein and transmits it to the capture storage device, transceiver or both. The information may be displayed on the visual display monitor or transmitted via the transceiver to an off site location.

Systems and methods for downhole communication and measurement utilizing an improved metallic tubular having an elongated body with tubular walls and a central bore adapted to receive a run-in tool. The tubular including slotted stations to provide through-tubular signal transmission and / or reception. Hydraulic isolation between the interior and exterior of the tubular is provided by pressure barrier means at the slotted stations. Sensors and / or sources are mounted on the run-in tool, which is adapted for transmission through a drill string to engage within the tubular in alignment with the slotted stations. A run-in tool configuration includes a modulator for real-time wireless communication with the surface and / or remote downhole tools. A tubular and run-in tool configuration also includes inductive couplers for wireless signal data transfer. A method for measuring a formation characteristic utilizing a run-in tool adapted with an interchangeable end segment for multi-mode downhole transport. Methods for sealing an opening on the surface of a tubular having an elongated body with tubular walls and a central bore.

A knotless suture lock and bone anchor wherein a suture, looped through a tissue, is threaded through a plurality of body holes in the anchor to cinch the suture and tissue to the anchor without tying a suture knot on the tissue, and wherein the anchor is adapted for embedding in a bone. The tissue is secured to the anchor by suturing the tissue without a suture knot, fastening the standing leg portion of the suture on a suture leg-anchoring structure, and threading the working leg portion of the suture through the body holes. Pulling on the working leg portion of the suture tightens the suture on the body structure and cinches the loop without a suture knot on the tissue. The bone-embedding structure comprises a plurality of barbs adapted to resist pullout of the anchor from the bone.

A knotless suture lock and bone anchor wherein a suture, looped through a tissue, is threaded through a plurality of body holes in the anchor to cinch the suture and tissue to the anchor without tying a suture knot on the tissue, and wherein the anchor is adapted for embedding in a bone. The tissue is secured to the anchor by suturing the tissue without a suture knot, fastening the standing leg portion of the suture on a suture leg-anchoring structure, and threading the working leg portion of the suture through the body holes. Pulling on the working leg portion of the suture tightens the suture on the body structure and cinches the loop without a suture knot on the tissue. The bone-embedding structure comprises a plurality of barbs adapted to resist pullout of the anchor from the bone.

A navigation arm system for supporting a navigation device of a navigation system, capable of coupling with a navigation display cart, the navigation arm system involving: an arm assembly configured to position the navigation device, the arm assembly including a first arm linkage having a tension adjustment feature and releasably connectable to the navigation device; a second arm linkage capable of connecting the arm assembly to the navigation display cart; and at least one joint coupling at least the first and second arm linkages; and a locking mechanism configured to maintain a disposition of the arm assembly in relation to the navigation display cart in a locked stored position and a unlocked deployed position, the locking mechanism configured to lockably couple the arm assembly in relation to the navigation display cart, the locking mechanism including a plurality of locking modes, whereby structural stability is providable