2812results about How to "Overcomes shortcoming" patented technology

The present invention relates to a method for determining a utilization level (UL; ULtot) indicating a degree of utilization of a re-usable cutting accessory (4) for endoscopic surgery, such as an arthroscopic shaver blade, removably connectable to a handpiece (2) comprising a motor (21) driving the cutting accessory (4) during surgical procedures. The method provides a reliable measure of the utilization level of the cutting accessory (4) by determining the utilization level (UL) of the cutting accessory (4) through calculation of at least one utilization factor (UF1, UF2) that is calculated based on a torque (40) measured when said cutting accessory (4) is driven by said motor (21).

Aspects describe herein facilitate specification of a desired data format for bar code data to be presented by an indicia reading apparatus. Bar code data decoded from an image of a bar code is obtained and displayed. A user input field is provided and based on input by the user to the user input field, the user input field is populated with a representation of the desired data format for the bar code data. Based on the representation of the desired data format populated in the user input field, configuration settings are determined for configuring the indicia reading apparatus to present bar code data in the desired data format.

An exhaust port assembly comprising a conduit carries a flow of gas. A vent assembly having a fixed exhaust area is provided on the conduit for venting a flow of exhaust gas from within the conduit to ambient atmosphere. The vent assembly is configured so as to minimize noise associated with the flow of exhaust gas passing to atmosphere, diffuse the flow of exhaust gas passing to ambient atmosphere over a relatively large area, and minimize the area occupied by the venting assembly on the conduit.

Integrated circuits and fabrication methods are provided. The integrated circuit includes: a varying gate structure disposed over a substrate structure, the varying gate structure including a first gate stack in a first region of the substrate structure, and a second gate stack in a second region of the substrate structure; a first field-effect transistor in the first region, the first field-effect transistor including the first gate stack and having a first threshold voltage; and a second field-effect transistor in the second region, the second field-effect transistor including the second gate stack and having a second threshold voltage, where the first threshold voltage is different from the second threshold voltage. The methods include providing the varying gate structure, the providing including: sizing layer(s) of the varying gate structure with different thickness(es) in different region(s).

A seal and a mask having a seal adapted for confronting engagement with a surface of a user to form an interface therewith. The seal includes a first portion defined by a gel substance and a second portion associated with the first portion. The second portion includes a selectively formable substance adapted to be molded from a first pattern into a second pattern and to retain the second pattern responsive to being so molded. The seal and mask having the seal is tailored to patient by causing the formable portion of the seal to be placed in a malleable state, applying the seal to the patient while the formable portion is in the malleable state, and causing the formable portion to be placed in a fixed state to retain a shape generally conforming to the portion of the patient underlying the seal.

A method of performing a money transfer transaction through a financial services institution includes receiving information regarding the transaction on a first computer of the financial services institution from a first electronic device using the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol suite (TCP / IP). The method may also include establishing a T1 connection between the first computer and the first electronic device. A system for performing a money transfer transaction using TCP / IP is also disclosed.

A patient interface of the present invention includes a faceplate including a plurality of headgear attachment elements, a seal member operatively coupled to the faceplate; and an adjustment mechanism coupling the seal member to the faceplate. The adjustment mechanism controls the position of the seal member relative to the faceplate such that the seal member is moveable from a first position to a second position and is maintained in the second position during use of the patient interface after being moved to the second position.

The present invention is directed at an air ventilation system for use with semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Specifically, the ventilation system of the present invention adjusts vents or outlets located on an enclosure used for semiconductor manufacturing between a restricted state and an open state. When the vents and / or outlets are in an open state, a high flow rate through the enclosure is able to properly scavenge toxic and volatile gasses to safely remove them. When the vents and / or outlets are in a restricted state, the flow rate of gases therethrough is substantially or fully restricted. Upon the sensing of a condition (or the lack thereof) or the manual operation of an operator, the vents and / or outlets are selectively adjusted between the restricted and open states.

A patient interface that reliably and comfortably seals a user's face by providing an oral-nasal mask that includes an integrated nasal interface. The patient interface includes a seal member having an oral cushion portion configured to surround the user's mouth and a nasal interface portion that provides an interface with the user's nose. The seal member, including the oral cushion portion and the nasal interface portion, is a unitary member. Finally, the nasal interface portion remains below the bridge of the nose.

A patient interface assembly that includes a patient interface device, a headgear, and coupling member joining the interface device to a headgear assembly. In one embodiment, a spring biases the patient interface device against the patient's face when in use. In a further embodiment, the patient interface device is a nasal cushion that includes a formable support mounted to the nasal cushion for providing support and adjustment of the nasal cushion to improve fit and comfort. The headgear assembly in one embodiment is a semi-rigid, minimal contact harness assembly and includes an adjustment assembly that allows for a simultaneous adjustment of multiple straps. An adjustment assembly on the headgear provide a gross adjustment of the position of the interface relative to the patient and a biasing force to urge the patient interface device against the patient's face. In a further embodiment, a pair of rigid connecting members coupling the patient interface device to the headgear.

A patient-centric system and method for accessing personal health records of a patient, stored in relational databases and containing comprehensive records of multiple patients with each patient's records incorporating many different data categories and functions including manual or automated data exchange, consolidation, storage, routing and transmission, consistent with consent directives assigned to authorized users and computer systems of authorized users by the patient or designated representative thereof. The consent directives define privileges of access in each of said data categories and functions within the patients records. The patients records are stored in relational databases hosted by Web servers on a computer network through which the authorized users interact under the control of programming logic consistent with the consent directives assigned by the patient or designated representative thereof.

Personalized agent services are provided in a personal messaging device, such as a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant, through services of a speech recognizer that converts speech into text and a text-to-speech synthesizer that converts text to speech. Both recognizer and synthesizer may be server-based or locally deployed within the device. The user dictates an e-mail message which is converted to text and stored. The stored text is sent back to the user as text or as synthesized speech, to allow the user to edit the message and correct transcription errors before sending as e-mail. The system includes a summarization module that prepares short summaries of incoming e-mail and voice mail. The user may access these summaries, and retrieve and organize email and voice mail using speech commands.

A medical device, such as pressure support system, and a method of communicating with such a device using an information storage device. The information storage device, in one embodiment, is adapted to be provided in a slot in the medical device so that information for controlling the operating of the pressure support device can be read from the information storage device, information regarding the usage and / or operation of the pressure support device can be written to the information storage device, or both operations can be performed.

A multi-function robotic device may have utility in various applications. In accordance with one aspect, a multi-function robotic device may be selectively configurable to perform a desired function in accordance with the capabilities of a selectively removable functional cartridge operably coupled with a robot body. Localization and mapping techniques may employ partial maps associated with portions of an operating environment, data compression, or both.

An apparatus and method for establishing closed dielectrophoretic potential cages and precise displacement thereof comprising a first array of selectively addressable electrodes, lying on a substantially planar substrate and facing toward a second array comprising one electrode. The arrays define the upper and lower bounds of a micro-chamber where particles are placed in liquid suspension. By applying in-phase and counter-phase periodic signals to electrodes, one or more independent potential cages are established which cause particles to be attracted to or repelled from cages according to signal frequency and the dielectric characteristics of the particles and suspending medium. By properly applying voltage signal patterns into arrays, cages may trap one or more particles, thus permitting them to levitate steadily and / or move. In the preferred embodiment, where one array is integrated on a semiconductor substrate, displacement of particles can be monitored by embedded sensors.

An interspinous spacer system includes a core having a shape configured to fit in an interspinous space between adjacent spinous processes. A plurality of extending forks extends from the core and has shaped configured to extend along vertical sides of the spinous processes. A first fork of the plurality of forks is moveable relative to the core from a non-use position to an in-use position. The first fork is located on a first side of the core in the in-use position and has a first inner side defining an opening for receiving a first spinous process of the spinous processes. The first fork is substantially non-flexible. A second fork is located on the first side of the core and has a second inner side defining an opening for receiving the first spinous process of the spinous processes. The second fork is immovable relative to the core. The first fork avoids protruding from the core such that the first fork bounds the opening in the non-use position to allow the core to be inserted into the interspinous space.

To avoid a fixed assignment of wide-area mobile communication units to components of a container surveillance system for increase of reusability, there is provided a mobile communication device for surveillance of at least one transported unit being carried by a tansporting unit, comprising a short range data communication unit (30) adapted to a short range wireless data exchange with at least one tag attached to the transported unit; a long range data communication unit (32) adapted to a long range wireless data exchange to a transport surveillance system; wherein communication unit the mobile communication unit is fixed to operating equipment of the transported unit or to the transporting unit during surveillance of the transported unit and is detachable from the transported unit or the transporting unit when the transported unit must not be surveyed.

A ventilator supplies a plurality of volumes of fluid to a patient during a like plurality of inhalations by the patient. Each volume of fluid is supplied at an inspiratory positive airway pressure during a corresponding inhalation by the patient. A volume of fluid received by the patient is determined for each of the plurality of inhalations by the patient and an average volume of fluid received by the patient during each of the plurality of inhalations is determined. The average volume of fluid received by the patient during each inhalation is compared to a predetermined target volume and the inspiratory positive airway pressure each volume of fluid is supplied to the patient is adjusted as a function of the comparison.

A system for monitoring traffic on a network first discovers the network so as to map the various devices and links in the network. Statistics are then gathered from various points in the network relating to quality of service, and especially loads on the network devices. Synthetic calls are generated at selected points of the network while monitoring the network. This data is then stored and displayed in a manner that is easy for the operator to analyze, with more detailed displays being available through the use of a mouse or keystrokes.

An apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed to provide a virtual touchpad for a touch device. A placement module places a virtual touchpad at a dynamic location within a touch sensitive area of a touch device. A touch input module positions a pointer on a screen of the touch device in response to a touch input on the virtual touchpad.

A gaming device wherein a player's skill at an action or event determines or appears to determine the player's success or failure. In reality, a database of information stores a number of successful results, and the game selects an award for each successful result. The action or event involves skill in real life, which requires the player to estimate the time an action will require and / or requires the player to aim at an object or estimate the direction necessary to successfully produce a result. The game can employ software adapted to determine if a player's aim or timing is successful. The game can alternatively randomly determine the player's success. The game displays the player's attempt or action on the screen depicting success or failure and awards gaming device credits or multipliers for successful results.

An integrated hybrid system is provided. The hybrid system includes compute components of different types and architectures that are integrated and managed by a single point of control to provide federation and the presentation of the compute components as a single logical computing platform.

Techniques for varying stimulus parameters used in neural stimulation to improve therapy efficacy, minimize energy consumption, minimize undesired side effects, and minimize loss of therapeutic effectiveness due to physiologic tolerance to stimulation. Neural stimulation is provided having a stimulation amplitude, a stimulation frequency, a stimulation pulse duration, an electrode-firing pattern, and a set of electrode-firing-polarity conditions. At least one of the stimulation parameters is pseudo-randomly varied. A second stimulation parameter is changed based upon having pseudo-randomly varied the first stimulation parameter and based upon a predetermined relationship specifying how changes in the first parameter affect desirable values for the second parameter.

Systems and methods for using a three dimensional fabrication device, like a 3D Printer, for novel automation and additive manufacturing techniques in manufacturing medical devices such as orthotics, customized for a particular person. The systems and methods may use a plurality of work surfaces on the three dimensional fabrication device. The systems and methods may use a plurality of materials or a plurality of fabrication tools and processes to manufacture the customized product.

A pretreatment liquid for ink-jet recording by applying the pretreatment liquid to a predetermined portion of a recording medium to form a pretreatment layer on the pretreatment portion in advance of dispensing at least one ink onto the pretreatment layer by an inkjet method, the pretreatment liquid includes fine particles and a solvent. Specifically, a contact angle between a surface of the pretreatment layer and the at least one ink is between about 12 degrees and about 25 degrees.

Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating air-cooling of an electronics system employing a vapor-compression heat exchange system, and front and back covers. An evaporator housing of the heat exchange system is mounted to a system housing of the electronics system and extends at least partially between air inlet and outlet sides of the system housing. The evaporator housing includes air inlet and outlet openings, and an evaporator. The front cover is mounted to the system or evaporator housing adjacent to the air inlet side or air outlet opening, and the back cover is mounted to the system or evaporator housing adjacent to the air outlet side or air inlet opening. Together, the system housing, back cover, evaporator housing and front cover define a closed loop airflow path passing through the system housing and evaporator housing, with the vapor-compression heat exchange system cooling air circulating therethrough.

An integrated hybrid system is provided. The hybrid system includes compute components of different types and architectures that are integrated and managed by a single point of control to provide federation and the presentation of the compute components as a single logical computing platform.

A method and apparatus for monitoring a patient's respiratory status during the delivery of gases, such as supplemental oxygen. In one embodiment, a conduit carries a continuous flow of gas to an airway of a patient over a plurality of respiratory cycles and a gas flow characteristic of the gas in the conduit is monitored using a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, or both. The gas flow characteristic is used to determine a respiratory variable for the patient.