43results about How to "Minimal intrusion" patented technology

A disc implant is provided which maintains intervertebral spacing and stability within the spine. In an embodiment, a disc implant may include three or more components. Components of the implant may imitate certain physiological movements associated with a healthy spine. In certain embodiments, the components of the implant may limit physiological movements to within certain ranges, imitating normal spinal movements.

An implant for osteosynthesis used in the stabilization of fractured bone of the mandible. The plate consists of apertures through which the plate is secured to bone using surgical screws. The apertures are connected by (a) two lateral bar sections running approximately parallel to the long axis of the mandible and (b) two cross bar sections intersecting each other near the centroid of the plate and at acute angles to the lateral bar sections. The plate design can be modified to accommodate patient anatomy depending on the type of bone it is designed to stabilize. Design and size parameters of the fixation plate can be customized to each individual patient using a customization software application to determine the least invasive fixation plate that will provide adequate functioning in stabilizing the bone fracture to a degree that will allow safe bone healing. The invention includes a method of design of osteosynthesis plates using shape optimization for different types and locations of fractures.

A specialized graphical user interface for use with interactive large-format display systems provides for intuitive operation and flexible content presentation. Designed primarily for use in unattended public spaces, the interface facilitates navigation through complex multi-level content in a consistent, intuitive manner.

This invention relates generally to a system and method to provide mobile subscription service management for medium and large corporations, allowing continuing backend total cost optimization. It determines a minutes pool collectively shared by a group of users, with an equitable cost allocation scheme which assures individual cost saving relative to the least cost stand-alone plan. The system provides real-time active mobile devices usage alert management, expense monitoring, report generation, individual internal cost center based billing and hierarchical data access through a web-based portal. The system is built on a Uniform Database, pulling information from Monthly Statements, Call Detail Records (CDRs), invoices, plan features and data usage summaries across diverse vendor platforms. The system covers all mobile communication devices, including but not limited to all smart phones (Blackberries, Androids, Windows and i-Phones herein), encompassing various protocols (CDMA, GSM or dual mode) and transmission media (WiFi and cellular network).

A specialized graphical user interface for use with interactive large-format display systems provides for intuitive operation and flexible content presentation. Designed primarily for use in unattended public spaces, the interface facilitates navigation through complex multi-level content in a consistent, intuitive manner.

An actuator operated microvalve and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The microvalve comprises a SiC housing which includes a first lower portion and a second upper portion. The lower portion of the SiC housing includes a passageway therethrough, a microvalve seat, and a moveable SiC diaphragm. The SiC diaphragm includes a centrally located boss and radially extending corrugations which may be sinusoidally shaped. The boss of the SiC diaphragm moves and modulates in a range of positions between a closed position wherein the boss interengages said microvalve seat prohibiting communication of fluid through the passageway and a fully open position when the boss is spaced apart from the seat at its maximum permitting communication of fluid through said passageway. The actuator includes a SiC top plate affixed to the boss of the diaphragm and a first electrode and the second upper portion of the SiC housing further includes a second electrode.

A latching system for an automotive vehicle having a convertible roof is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, front and/or rear convertible roof sections are rigid, hard-top roofs. A further aspect of the present invention system provides a latch which secures a generally rigid tonneau cover.

A mounting system for attaching a transducer to a surface such as the transom of a boat hull is disclosed. The system consists of a mounting block, fasteners, and an item that the installer wishes to attach (such as a transducer or plate). The block is formed of corrosion-resistant material. The block has an adhesive layer that bonds the block to the surface; no fasteners are required to mount the block to the surface. The block has at least one T-shaped slot that retains corrosion-resistant fasteners, which anchor the transducer to the block when the fasteners are tightened. The adhesive layer is protected by a removable layer that is peeled away just prior to pressing the block on the transom surface.

An upwardly acting sectional door (24), including a plurality of panels (40), body portions (50) of the panels constructed of a flexible polymeric material and having a front surface (55), a cladding (80) covering the front surface of the body portions and having hooks (83, 84) at the upper and lower edges thereof, a hinge member (51) at an edge of the body portion operatively engaging the hooks of adjacent of the panels to provide relative pivotal motion between adjacent panels. Another embodiment is an upwardly acting sectional pan door (224) including, a plurality of panels (240), facers (250) of the panels defining a front surface of the door and having cooperatively engaging couplers (270) at the upper and lower edges thereof; stiles (280) at the ends of the facers receiving and attached to the facers, and hinge assemblies (290) located at the end stiles to provide relative pivotal motion between the stiles and the couplers of adjacent panels.

A system for low-latency detection of known audio-video content in multiple audio-video streams, received over a transport multiplex wherein multiple advertisements of different durations are being transmitted over a network. The system includes an ingest module, repositories of content assets, repositories of advertisement assets, a playout server, and network streams. A Watermarking and Fingerprinting (WMFP) module receives multiple advertisements A having audio-video streams, from a Master AV Database, placing an audio watermark on the incoming streams and extracting a high-confidence fingerprint (signature) from each of the watermarked assets A′. Communicating fingerprint signatures and replacement rules to one or more receivers over the Internet. One or more receivers at different locations actively replace detected advertisements having AV content, using a signature detector, with local content assets. The system provides a high confidence match without the disadvantage of an extended and expensive extraction time or false matches.

A protocol indiscriminate edge device and method for supporting multiple diverse enterprise needs is disclosed. Supported enterprise services may include e.g., traditional PBXs, IP-PBXs, SIP phones, H.323 terminals, etc. In addition, one or more carrier inputs such as TDM, metro-Ethernet, cable, DSL, wireless, etc. may be accepted with the edge device and method. In one aspect, the device comprises one or more input modules, one or more output modules, and a processor. The processor includes a protocol aggregator and bridge operable to translate, manage and direct a plurality of concurrent data streams to multiple customers. In addition, the processor may optionally include a real time database to dynamically configure input and/or output data streams in real time and on-the-fly. The edge device is advantageous in that it allows carriers to support multiple diverse customers through a common access point.

A modulator for an optical transceiver is disclosed. The modulator has two quarter-wave stack mirrors composed of alternating dielectric layers with an optically absorbing layer sandwiched in between to form the vertical resonant cavity. The optically absorbing layer is made of semiconductor nanocrystals embedded in a dialectic material. The device is configured to operate near the saturation point of the absorption layer. By adjusting the biasing voltage across the absorption layer, the saturation threshold of the semiconductor nanocrystals is altered, resulting in the overall reflectivity of the resonant cavity to vary. The modulator is configured to be fabricated as the extension of the backend process of Si CMOS.

Shower curtains and shower curtain liners routinely get sucked into the occupant of a showering space due to the “shower-curtain effect,” which is the phenomenon in which a shower curtain or shower curtain liner gets drawn inward with a running shower. The present invention counteracts the shower curtain effect. In certain an embodiments of the invention, an outside unit and inside unit incorporate attachment mechanisms to draw both units into each other while trapping the shower curtain between both units. Attached to the outside unit of certain embodiments of the invention is a connector that also attaches a bottom unit. The bottom unit of certain embodiments of the present invention incorporates weight sufficient to utilize gravity to pull the attached shower curtain downward. The bottom unit places pressure on the external side of a bathtub to additionally force the entire apparatus and shower curtain outward.

The present invention provides a door opening assist device comprising a compression spring and piston retainably housed in a bind ended longitudinal bore formed in an externally threaded cylindrical housing. The spring and piston are held in cooperative engagement between a retaining nut and the blind end. The piston has a single protuberance extending normally from it's surface that resides in and travels about a spiral groove formed in the housing. The spiral groove has a series of detents, one of which can be selected to trap the protuberance and stop the spinning piston as it travels along the housing bore.

The door opening assist device is installed in a door frame of an automobile to push the door open a distance determined by the detent selected. Upon closing the door, the door abuts and retracts the piston into the housing compressing the spring. Upon unlatching the door, the piston extends under spring bias in such a direction and with sufficient force to push the door to an open position a predetermined distance. The door opening assist device provides various mounting options through the use of a jam nut and a mounting plate.

A beam signage and communication system for a display or storage structure, which includes a bracket shaped to the display or storage structure that may have attachment zones. The attachment zones may be angled to allow for improved visibility. The beam signage and communication system may further include at least two positioning channels that may be spaced apart and are parallel to one another. The two positioning channel may be mounted to the bracket at the angled attachment zones. The beam signage and communication system may also include a changeable communication means supported between the two positioning channels only by the weight of the changeable communication means thereby allowing the changeable communication means to be viewed at an angle.

In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes a telescopic linkage coupled to a wheel of a vehicle. The system also includes a sensor that detects a small overlap frontal collision of the vehicle. The system further includes a controller coupled to the sensor and to the telescopic linkage. The controller actuates the telescopic linkage in response to receiving an indication from the sensor that a small overlap frontal collision of the vehicle is detected. When actuated by the controller, the telescopic linkage rotates the wheel.

The tool (10) includes first and second pipe securing heads (12, 30), each having downward facing C-shaped frames (14, 16) and pipe securing clamps (16, 36) secured within the frames (14, 16) for selectively and detachably securing the pipe securing heads (12, 20) to sections of pipes (18, 36). A pivot rod (48) is pivotally secured between necks (20, 38) of the heads (12, 30), and handles (54, 56) are secured to the necks (20, 38). The handles (54, 56) and pivot rod (48) are configured so that, after securing the clamps (16, 36) within the frames (14, 16) to adjacent first and second pipes (18, 36), movement of the handles (54, 56) toward or away from each other causes the pipe securing heads (12, 30) to move the pipes (18, 36) to be joined together or separated.

A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.

A dust management system for an agricultural harvester includes a perforated tube extending transversely through a feeder housing of the harvester. The perforated tube has exhaust plenums at opposite ends directing any flow towards the ground over which an agricultural harvester operates. A longitudinal drive shaft mounts axial flow fans within the exhaust plenums and a drive shaft is driven through a pulley system so that rotation of the drive shaft induces flow through the perforated tube and out of the exhaust plenum.