158results about How to "Maintain separation" patented technology

The present invention encompasses tools and a tool-holding retractor assembly. The retractor assembly spreads an incision and holds the incision open. At least one extension device, having a tool holder on one end, attaches to the assembly. The holder includes a selectively locking multi-axis adjustable mounting element adapted to grip a tool shaft. The mounting element acts as a universal mounting providing rotational and sliding movement of the tool shaft. The extension device adjusts to position the tool holder peripherally of the surgical field. Once the retractor is placed, the extension device provides full access to regions below the incision. The extension device allows the surgeon to chose the insertion point and insertion angle of the tool shaft.

A method and apparatus for generating plasma in a fluid. The fluid (3) is placed in a bath (2) having a pair of spaced electrodes (4, 6) forming a cathode and an anode. A stream of bubbles is introduced or generated within the fluid adjacent to the cathode. A potential difference is applied across the cathode and anode such that a glow discharge is formed in the bubble region and a plasma of ionized gas molecules is formed within the bubbles. The plasma may then be used in electrolysis, gas production, effluent treatment or sterilization, mineral extraction, production of nanoparticles or material enhancement. The method can be carried out at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. The electrodes may carry means to trap the bubbles in close proximity. Partitions may be present between the electrodes.

A joint spacer therapeutically maintains separation of bones of a joint. A carriage is slideably retained within the frame and has at least one ramped surface. An actuator screw is threadably engaged with the frame, and rotatably connected to the carriage, to cause the carriage to slideably move within the frame when the actuator screw is rotated. First and second endplates engage the bones of the joint, and each has at least one ramped surface that is mateable with the ramped surface of the carriage, whereby when the carriage is slideably moved by rotation of the actuator screw, the endplates ramped surface slides against the carriage ramped surface to cause the endplates to move along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame, to increase the height of the spacer. Piercing elements are connected to the carriage to pierce bone of the joint when the carriage is moved.

The present invention relates to a collision prevention device and method for a vehicle in motion on the ground.

The collision prevention device 1 notably comprises:

• • means for localizing obstacles 100, 101, 102, 103, 5, 6, 7;
  • means for acquiring obstacle localization data 2, 4;
  • means for localizing 10 the equipped vehicle;
  • a collision prevention computer 3:
    • combining the obstacle localization data coming from the acquisition means 2, 4;
    • taking into account a description of a configuration of the equipped vehicle and also the localization of the equipped vehicle;
    • detecting proximity conflicts between the equipped vehicle and the localized obstacles;
    • generating alerts in the case of proximity of the equipped vehicle and a localized obstacle;
    • generating at least one solution for resolving each conflict detected;
  • presentation means 12, presenting warnings to a driver of the equipped vehicle.

This device can notably be installed on board an aircraft in order to warn of potential collisions between the aircraft and an object or another vehicle when the aircraft is on the ground.

A stable shock absorbing prosthetic foot that transfers energy between heel strike and toe-off. A toe plate is separated from one or more other plates by a bumper assembly located at each of the toe end and heel end of the foot. Certain embodiments of the shock absorbing foot of the present invention are designed for use with a prosthetic ankle. A torsion adapter may also be used to attach a prosthetic foot of the present invention to the remainder of a prosthesis.

A hydro-pneumatic tensioner includes a barrel having an inner bore and a pressurized fluid contained within to form at least part of a primary accumulator having a preset volume of gas at a preselected pressure. A piston having a piston rod extending from an aperture in the barrel is slidably carried in the bore of the barrel and is in communication with the pressurized fluid and positioned to increase the fluid pressure when the piston strokes in the direction of the pressurized fluid. A secondary accumulator also has a preset volume of gas at a preselected pressure. A fluid separator maintains functional separation of the fluid volumes of the primary and secondary accumulators when the primary accumulator pressure is less than a preselected secondary accumulator pressure. The fluid separator allows functional combining of the fluid volumes of the primary and secondary accumulators when the primary accumulator pressure equals or is greater than the preselected secondary accumulator pressure.

A method, system, and apparatus for informing a plurality of operating systems, each assigned to a separate partition within a logically partitioned data processing system, of which functions, provided by a hypervisor for creating and enforcing separation of the logical partitions, are available for use by the operating systems is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the hypervisor includes a plurality of function sets. Each function set includes a list of functions that may be called by any one of the operating systems to perform tasks for the operating systems while maintaining separation between each of the logical partitions. The hypervisor informs each of the plurality of operating systems of an enabled function set. Functions identified within the enabled function set are enabled for use by each of the plurality of operating systems and functions not identified within the enabled function set are disabled for use by each of the plurality of operating systems.

A vacuum-assist artificial limb assembly (10) is provided having a socket (22) for receiving a residual limb (20). The assembly (10) includes an on-board vacuum pump and control assembly (18) with a selectively operable vacuum pump (72) controlled by a microprocessor (44). The microprocessor (44) is also connected with an on-off switch (48), pressure adjust buttons (68), a pressure read-out (66), and an alarm (70). In use, a pressure transducer (74) in communication with the interior of socket (22) and coupled with microprocessor (44) monitors negative pressure conditions within the socket, and the microprocessor (44) operates pump (72) in response to transducer pressure signals. In this manner, the vacuum-assist operation of assembly (10) is essentially automatic.

The present invention relates to a fuel cell apparatus which includes arrays of positive air electrodes and negative fuel electrodes with via interconnections disposed on an electrolyte sheet; optional electrode designs include symmetric electrodes comprising a conductive silver alloy metal phase and a thermally stabilizing ceramic phase, the latter providing low interface resistance and matching thermal properties.

A transmission line circuit is described which includes a conductive plane, a plurality of signal traces, and an intermediate layer between the conductive plane and the signal traces. The intermediate layer maintains a substantially constant separation between the conductive plane and the signal traces. At least a portion of the intermediate layer comprises air. The signal traces and the conductive plane form transmission lines.

An adjunct processor controls an inter-fabric service link (IFSL) coupled to at least two independent SAN switching networks. The inter-fabric service link is coupled between multiple switching fabrics to allow the attached switching fabrics to be logically managed as a single entity while still being physically independent of each other. The IFSL does not transmit nor receive data being transmitted from a storage device to a host; rather, only management data is transmitted along the IFSL. The IFSL includes an inter-fabric adjunct processor, and a plurality of connections to the attached switching fabrics on which the IFSL communicates with IFSL agents operating on various switching elements within the attached switching fabrics. IFSL agents generate management data corresponding to the particular switching element on which the agent operates. This management data is intermittently transmitted to the IFSL for processing. Upon receipt of this management data, the IFSL updates a fabric map containing the corresponding switching element according to the received management data. As a result, the IFSL has a current snapshot of the status and functionability of each of the switching elements within the attached switching fabrics. Additionally, the IFSL may respond to the received management data by transmitting operation requests to a switching element.

A visual architecture software language is described comprising reusable components and programmable channels. The reusable components define discrete software modules in any language. The programmable channels define data flow and control flow between components. A visual representation of functional computer software is generated in a visual environment by integrating the components and channels. A compiling means converts the visual representation into executable code in the form of executable instructions and data tables. The visual architecture software language may also include an integration server that executes the executable code. A system incorporating the language and a method of programming with the language is also disclosed.

Exemplary embodiments are directed to pool cleaners, generally including a canister body, a filtering medium assembly and a cyclone block. The canister body includes an inner chamber within inner walls of the canister body. The filtering medium assembly can be disposed within the inner chamber of the canister body. The cyclone block can be disposed within the inner chamber of the canister body and can be at least partially surrounded by the filtering medium assembly. The cyclone block includes a plurality of individual cyclone containers. A first cyclonic flow can be generated between the inner walls of the canister body and the filtering medium assembly. A second cyclonic flow can be generated within each of the plurality of cyclone containers.

A system for cooling a fiber amplifier includes a fiber amplifier assembly, which, in turn, includes a longitudinally-extending fiber amplifier, a jacket and a retaining structure. The jacket surrounds the fiber amplifier and extends at least partially longitudinally therealong. In this regard, the jacket surrounds the fiber amplifier such that the fiber amplifier assembly defines a passage between the jacket and the fiber amplifier for the circulation of coolant therethrough. To facilitate the circulation of coolant, the retaining structure is disposed within the passage defined by the fiber amplifier assembly for at least partially maintaining a spacing between the fiber amplifier and jacket. The retaining structure and coolant can both comprise an emulsion of phase change material.

An electrochemical device includes a first electrode in electrical communication with a first current collector, a second electrode in electrical communication with a second current collector and a crosslinked solid polymer in contact with the first and second electrodes. At least one of the first and second electrodes includes a network of electrically connected particles comprising an electroactive material, and the particles of one electrode exert a repelling force on the other electrode when the first and second electrodes are combined with an uncrosslinked precursor to the solid polymer.

Main rotor blades of the dual, counter-rotating, rigid coaxial rotor system exhibit a unique unconventional combination of positive and negative twist gradients in which the rotor system rotor Figure of Merit (hover efficiency) is improved by providing a dissimilar twist distribution between the lower rotor blade and the upper rotor blades. This improvement is specifically a result of reduced profile drag of the lower rotor system, achieved by driving the effective operating condition of the lower rotor blades to be similar to the upper rotor blade such that the tip drag losses of the lower main rotor have been reduced considerably using a mathematically vigorous approach. While minimal induced power consumption resulted due to the dissimilar lower main rotor twist, a significant profile power benefit is realized, resulting in the improved hover efficiency with essentially no reduction in rotor forward flight performance.

Vacuum-assist artificial limb assemblies (10, 94) are provided having a socket (22, 104) for receiving a residual limb (20). The assemblies (10, 94) include a vacuum pump and control assembly (18, 100, 102) with a selectively operable vacuum pump (72, 116) controlled by a microprocessor (44, 102). The microprocessor (44, 102) is also connected with an on-off switch (48, 146), pressure adjust buttons (68, 148), a pressure read-out (66, 150), and an optional alarm (70). In use, a pressure transducer (74) in communication with the interior of socket (22, 104) and coupled with microprocessor (44, 102) monitors negative pressure conditions within the socket (22, 104), and the microprocessor (44, 102) operates pump (72, 116) in response to transducer pressure signals. In this manner, the vacuum-assist operation of assemblies (10, 104) is essentially automatic. In one embodiment, a vacuumization assembly (100) including an air induction component (114) and a mated vacuum pump component (116) are located within a housing (108) forming a part of socket (104), and a separate controller (102) is coupled with vacuum component (116) for control thereof.

A joint spacer therapeutically maintains separation of bones of a joint. A carriage is slideably retained within the frame and has at least one ramped surface. An actuator screw is threadably engaged with the frame, and rotatably connected to the carriage, to cause the carriage to slideably move within the frame when the actuator screw is rotated. First and second endplates engage the bones of the joint, and each has at least one ramped surface that is mateable with the ramped surface of the carriage, whereby when the carriage is slideably moved by rotation of the actuator screw, the endplates ramped surface slides against the carriage ramped surface to cause the endplates to move along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame, to increase the height of the spacer. Piercing elements are connected to the carriage to pierce bone of the joint when the carriage is moved.