5845results about How to "Reduce fatigue" patented technology

A carriage assembly for controlling a steering wire steering mechanism within a flexible shaft, for use in gastrointestinal tract surgery, comprises a plurality of selectably engageable motors, including two drive motors for selectably rotating drive shafts of a surgical attachment, two steering motors mechanically communicating with corresponding pulleys around which are coiled directional steering wires communicating with a flexible shaft to enable the selective direction of the flexible shaft within a spatial plane, wherein within the assembly housing the steering motors travel on a steering motor carriage and the pulleys travel on a pulley carriage which is biased by a spring means away from the interior wall of the housing, which biases the steering wires toward a taut state. The bias can be overcome by a carriage motor mechanically communicating with the pulley carriage to cause the flexible shaft to go limp. Also disclosed are a series of surgical attachments which may be coupled to and utilized in conjunction with the carriage assembly.

A surgical manipulator (10) can manipulate a medical tool (12) with one or more degrees of freedom. In preferred embodiments, the manipulator (10) is a parallel mechanism including a plurality of arms (21, 22) pivotally supporting a medical tool (12), with the orientation of the medical tool (12) being adjusted by varying the position of joints (23, 24) mounted on the arms (21, 22). The motions of the joints (23, 24) can be controlled such that the tool (12) is pivoted about a virtual pivot point located within the body wall of a patient (30). The manipulator (10) can enhance the dexterity of an operator and enable the operator to perform medical procedures more easily than by hand.

A surgical operating apparatus comprises an insertion portion which has a distal end and a proximal end and which has a long axis and which is inserted into a body, a treatment portion which is disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion and which has a plurality of selectable surgical functions, an operation portion disposed at the proximal end of the insertion portion, a plurality of switches which are provided in the operation portion and which select the surgical functions, and a bulging portion which is disposed between the switches and which divides the switches and which doubles as a finger receiving portion.

Non-volatile memory devices and arrays are described that facilitate the use of band-gap engineered gate stacks with asymmetric tunnel barriers in reverse and normal mode floating node memory cells in NOR or NAND memory architectures that allow for direct tunnel programming and erase, while maintaining high charge blocking barriers and deep carrier trapping sites for good charge retention. The low voltage direct tunneling program and erase capability reduces damage to the gate stack and the crystal lattice from high energy carriers, reducing write fatigue and enhancing device lifespan. The low voltage direct tunnel program and erase capability also enables size reduction through low voltage design and further device feature scaling. Memory cells of the present invention also allow multiple bit storage. These characteristics allow memory device embodiments of the present invention to operate within the definition of a universal memory, capable of replacing both DRAM and ROM in a system.

A manipulator for use in medical procedures can manipulate a medical tool with one or more degrees of freedom with respect to a patient. The manipulator is particularly useful for positioning a medical tool with respect to a patient disposed inside an imaging device such as a computer tomography machine.

An electrosurgical system is provided that includes an electrosurgical generator; and an electrosurgical pencil selectively connectable to the electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical pencil includes an elongated housing; at least one electrocautery end effector removably supportable within the housing and extending distally from the housing, the electrocautery end effector being connected to the electrosurgical generator; and at least one voltage divider network supported on the housing. The at least one voltage divider network is electrically connected to the electrosurgical generator and controls at least one of the intensity of electrosurgical energy being delivered to the electrosurgical pencil and the mode of electrosurgical energy being delivered to the electrosurgical pencil. The voltage divider network generates a plurality of characteristic voltages which are measurable by the electrosurgical generator and which electrosurgical generator in turn transmits a corresponding waveform duty cycle at a particular intensity to the electrocautery end effector of the electrosurgical pencil.

A three-dimensional pointing method is disclosed. In the three-dimensional pointing method of the present invention, a desired point in a three-dimensional space represented on a display apparatus is pointed at based on two-dimensional coordinates of a position that is pointed at by a pen tip of an input pen on a predetermined detection plane, and, based on pen pressure that is pressure applied to the pen tip of the input pen, time for continuing to point or operation of an operation means provided in the input pen. In addition, in the three-dimensional pointing method of the present invention, a depth direction coordinate of a three-dimensional pointer to be displayed in the three-dimensional space is changed according to the pen pressure of the input pen, the time for continuing to point or the operation of the operation means provided in the input pen, and the three-dimensional pointer is displayed.

An image processing apparatus includes an image input unit that inputs a two-dimensional image signal, a depth information output unit that inputs or generates depth information of image areas constituting the two-dimensional image signal, an image conversion unit that receives the image signal and the depth information from the image input unit and the depth information output unit, and generates and outputs a left eye image and a right eye image for realizing binocular stereoscopic vision, and an image output unit that outputs the left and right eye images. The image conversion unit extracts a spatial feature value of the input image signal, and performs an image conversion process including an emphasis process applying the feature value and the depth information with respect to the input image signal, thereby generating at least one of the left eye image and the right eye image.

An electrosurgical pencil is provided which includes an elongated housing, an electrocautery blade supported within the housing and extending distally from the housing. The electrocautery blade is connected to a source of electrosurgical energy. The pencil also includes at least one activation switch supported on the housing which is configured and adapted to complete a control loop extending from the source of electrosurgical energy. At least one voltage divider network is also supported on the housing and is electrically connected to the source of electrosurgical energy.

A portable data input or computer system includes an input / output device such as a keyboard and a display, another data input device such as an optical bar code scanner, and a data processor module. To scan bar code type indicia, the operator points the scanner at the bar code and triggers the scanner to read the indicia. All the system components are distributed on an operator's body and together form a personal area system (PAS). Components may include a scanner or imager, a wrist unit, a headpiece including an eyepiece display, speaker and a microphone. Components within a particular PAS communicate with each other over a personal area network (PAN). Individual PASs may be combined into a network of PASs called a PAS cluster. PASs in a particular PAS cluster can communicate with each other over another wireless communication channel. Individual PAS can gain access to a Local Area Network (LAN) and / or a Wide Area Network (WAN) via an access point. Individual PASs can use devices, such as servers and PCs situated either on the LAN or the WAN to retrieve and exchange information. Individual PAS components can provide automatic speech and image recognition. PAS components may also act a telephone, a pager, or any other communication device having access to a LAN or a WAN. Transmission of digitized voice and / or video data can be achieved over an Internet link.

Non-volatile memory devices and arrays are described that utilize dual gate (or back-side gate) non-volatile memory cells with band engineered gate-stacks that are placed above or below the channel region in front-side or back-side charge trapping gate-stack configurations in NAND memory array architectures. The band-gap engineered gate-stacks with asymmetric or direct tunnel barriers of the floating node memory cells of embodiments of the present invention allow for low voltage tunneling programming and efficient erase with electrons and holes, while maintaining high charge blocking barriers and deep carrier trapping sites for good charge retention. The memory cell architecture also allows for improved high density memory devices or arrays with the utilization of reduced feature word lines and vertical select gates.

A cutting saw blade for use with an oscillatory power tool used in surgical bone cutting procedures including a blade having a distal end provided with teeth whose tips are located on a tangent line perpendicular to the long axis of the blade. The teeth are configured substantially as right triangles with their hypotenuses facing either towards the center of the blade or away from the center of the blade. A central tooth can be optionally provided. The surgical saw blade may have a distal end having at least one pair of teeth configured to be adjacent to each other and each of the pair of teeth is configured as a right triangle each having a hypotenuse which is oriented at least one of towards and away from the centrally positioned long axis.

A medical manipulator includes an operation command unit having motors and a working unit detachably mounted on the operation command unit. The operation command unit includes a grip handle for being gripped by a human hand, and a trigger lever movable toward and away from the grip handle. The trigger lever comprises a pulling member which can be pulled toward the grip handle by a finger held against the pulling member, and a pushing member which can be pushed away from the grip handle by the finger held against the pushing member, the pushing member being disposed in facing relation to the pulling member. The pushing member has a hemispherical cavity defined in a surface thereof which faces the pulling member.

A share display in a multimedia collaboration system includes a desktop region and a non-overlapping task bar region. A collaboration program is configured to allow the desktop region to be shared with remote multimedia collaboration devices from the purposes of collaboration, but allows control functionality that the sharer does not which to share to reside in the task bar region. The task bar region is then prevented form being shared with the remote multimedia collaboration device.

An electrosurgical system is provided that includes an electrosurgical generator; and an electrosurgical pencil selectively connectable to the electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical pencil includes an elongated housing; at least one electrocautery end effector removably supportable within the housing and extending distally from the housing, the electrocautery end effector being connected to the electrosurgical generator; and at least one voltage divider network supported on the housing. The at least one voltage divider network is electrically connected to the electrosurgical generator and controls at least one of the intensity of electrosurgical energy being delivered to the electrosurgical pencil and the mode of electrosurgical energy being delivered to the electrosurgical pencil. The voltage divider network generates a plurality of characteristic voltages which are measurable by the electrosurgical generator and which electrosurgical generator in turn transmits a corresponding waveform duty cycle at a particular intensity to the electrocautery end effector of the electrosurgical pencil.

An adaptive energy absorption system for a vehicle seat is disclosed, utilizing an adaptive energy absorber or variable profile energy absorber (VPEA) for mitigating occupant injury due to extreme vehicle movement (e.g., during a vehicle shock event), and / or for mitigating vibration experienced by an occupant of the vehicle seat during normal vehicle operating conditions. Various configurations of dual-goal energy absorption apparatuses using both VPEA and fixed load energy absorbers (FLEAs) that enable both shock mitigation and vibration isolation are disclosed. A semi-active control absorption system, comprising a VPEA and FPEA configured to work in series, is also disclosed.

Non-volatile memory devices and arrays are described that facilitate the use of band-gap engineered gate stacks with asymmetric tunnel barriers in floating gate memory cells in NOR or NAND memory architectures that allow for direct tunneling programming and erase with electrons and holes, while maintaining high charge blocking barriers and deep carrier trapping sites for good charge retention. The direct tunneling program and erase capability reduces damage to the gate stack and the crystal lattice from high energy carriers, reducing write fatigue and leakage issues and enhancing device lifespan. Memory cells of the present invention also allow multiple bit storage in a single memory cell, and allow for programming and erase with reduced voltages. A positive voltage erase process via hole tunneling is also provided.

Non-volatile memory devices and arrays are described that facilitate the use of band-gap engineered gate stacks with asymmetric tunnel barriers in floating gate memory cells in NOR or NAND memory architectures that allow for direct tunneling programming and erase with electrons and holes, while maintaining high charge blocking barriers and deep carrier trapping sites for good charge retention. The direct tunneling program and erase capability reduces damage to the gate stack and the crystal lattice from high energy carriers, reducing write fatigue and leakage issues and enhancing device lifespan. Memory cells of the present invention also allow multiple bit storage in a single memory cell, and allow for programming and erase with reduced voltages. A positive voltage erase process via hole tunneling is also provided.

A head mounted display (HMD) including a display screen attached to a housing and aligned to be in a line of sight of a first eye of a user, an optics module disposed in the housing, for generating an image and projecting a beam of the image on the display screen, and a non-display screen attached to the housing and aligned to be in a line of sight of a second eye of the user, wherein the image displayed on the display screen is displayed at a virtual display distance different than a distance at which an image of the non-display screen is perceived.

A low friction top coat over a multilayer metal / ceramic bondcoat provides a conductive substrate, such as a rotary tool, with wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The top coat further provides low friction and anti-stickiness as well as high compressive stress. The high compressive stress provided by the top coat protects against degradation of the tool due to abrasion and torsional and cyclic fatigue. Substrate temperature is strictly controlled during the coating process to preserve the bulk properties of the substrate and the coating. The described coating process is particularly useful when applied to shape memory alloys.

A soccer shoe includes an upper and a cleat assembly coupled to the upper. The cleat assembly further includes a medial support bar located on the medial side and a lateral support bar located on the lateral side. A portion of the cleat assembly located near a midfoot section of the medial support bar is stiffer than a portion of the cleat assembly located near a midfoot section of the lateral support bar. The medial support bar extends approximately from a region corresponding to the rear of the calcaneous of a properly fitted wearer to approximately the head of the first metatarsal of the wearer. The lateral support bar extends approximately from a region corresponding to the rear of the calcaneous of the wearer to approximately the head of the fifth metatarsal of the wearer. The cleat assembly is bonded to a cushioning midsole formed from heated and compressed ethylene vinyl acetate foam. The upper lacks a full-length lasting board and is bonded directly to the cushioning midsole. A lining covers a padded collar and extends inside a foot-receiving region of the shoe, with a portion of the foot-receiving region around a wearer's heel being substantially free of discontinuities.

The disclosed methods and devices incorporate a novel expandable bubble portion which provides superior fidelity to a listener while minimizing listener fatigue. The expandable bubble portion may be expanded through the transmission of low frequency audio signals or the pumping of a gas to the expandable bubble portion. In addition, embodiments of the acoustic device may be adapted to consistently and comfortably fit to any ear, providing for a variable, impedance matching acoustic seal to both the tympanic membrane and the audio transducer, respectively, while isolating the sound-vibration chamber within the driven bubble. This reduces the effect of gross audio transducer vibration excursions on the tympanic membrane and transmits the audio content in a manner which allows the ear to utilize its full inherent capabilities.

A soccer shoe includes an upper and a cleat assembly coupled to the upper. The cleat assembly further includes a medial support bar located on the medial side and a lateral support bar located on the lateral side. A portion of the cleat assembly located near a midfoot section of the medial support bar is stiffer than a portion of the cleat assembly located near a midfoot section of the lateral support bar. The medial support bar extends approximately from a region corresponding to the rear of the calcaneous of a properly fitted wearer to approximately the head of the first metatarsal of the wearer. The lateral support bar extends approximately from a region corresponding to the rear of the calcaneous of the wearer to approximately the head of the fifth metatarsal of the wearer. The cleat assembly is bonded to a cushioning midsole formed from heated and compressed ethylene vinyl acetate foam. The upper lacks a full-length lasting board and is bonded directly to the cushioning midsole. A lining covers a padded collar and extends inside a foot-receiving region of the shoe, with a portion of the foot-receiving region around a wearer's heel being substantially free of discontinuities.

A stereoscopic image display includes a depth map extracting unit for extracting a region of interest (ROI) and a depth map from a 3D input image, an average depth for calculating unit calculating an average depth of the ROI, a depth map adjusting unit, which converts the average depth of the ROI into a screen depth value of a display panel, shifts depth values of the 3D input image in a shift direction of the average depth by a shifted amount of the average depth of the ROI, and adjusts a depth map of the 3D input image, a left / right eye image producing unit for producing left eye image data and right eye image data based on the adjusted depth map, and a display panel driver for displaying the left eye image data and the right eye image data on the display panel.