2835results about How to "Reduce risk of damage" patented technology

The invention comprises a totally implantable hearing prosthesis for hearing impaired persons. An inertial vibrational element is hermetically sealed and implanted in bone between the lateral and superior semicircular canals without breaching the integrity of the canals. The vibrational element is adapted to vibrate the walls of the canals and the fluids contained therein, thereby vibrating contiguous fluids within the cochlea thus stimulating hair cells and creating a hearing percept. The invention can also be adapted to be a tinnitus masking system, and / or used in combination with a coehlear implant hearing system.

The invention relates to a surgical data carrier for the identification of a medical implant, in particular, a surgical plate for the fixing of bones or bone fragments, wherein the data carrier has a carrier element and a connecting device which comprises a receptacle for the insertion of at least part of the implant. In order to make such a surgical data carrier available which has an improved handling capability, it is suggested in accordance with the invention that the data carrier have an actuating device which can be actuated by a user and with which the connecting device can be transferred from a connecting position, in which the implant is held in the receptacle, into a release position, in which the data carrier can be detached from the implant. The invention relates, in addition, to a surgical implantation system.

A coil arrangement supplies energy or control signals to, or provides information from, a medical device implanted in a human or animal patient. The coil arrangement includes an external coil that is larger than an implanted coil so as to reduce the risk of damage to circuitry in an energy transmitter attached to the external coil that results from a low impedance at the external coil when a switch in an over-voltage protection circuit is opened to protect circuitry in a medical device attached to the implanted coil from being damaged by a too high voltage induced across the implanted coil.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a method of occluding blood in a blood vessel during the imaging of a portion of the blood vessel. The method includes the steps of selecting an inflatable element such that diameter of the inflated inflatable element is greater than the diameter of the blood vessel being imaged, introducing the inflatable element into the blood vessel and underinflating the inflatable element such that the vessel wall is not substantially deformed by the inflatable element, the inflatable element substantially occluding the blood vessel to reduce imaging distortion resulting from vessel fluids.

A UAV capture system is disclosed. In the illustrative embodiment, the UAV capture system is coupled to the deck of a sea-faring vessel. The UAV capture system includes a single arresting line that is supported by a stanchion. In the illustrative embodiment, the stanchion is disposed on a rotatable boom.

An instrument for shaping a mouth part of a drilled tunnel provided in a bone. The instrument includes a shaft having a longitudinal axis and a first and a second end. The first end of the shaft is provided with a projection, which includes a blade for shaping the mouth part of the drilled tunnel when the instrument is turned around the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The instrument is asymmetric at an intersecting surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and intersecting with the blade, the instrument thus shaping the surfaces surrounding the first end only substantially within an area corresponding with a turning angle of such a turning movement.

The invention relates to the technical field of petroleum equipment, in particular to an efficient mixing system for well cementing operation. The efficient mixing system comprises a measuring tank, aclear water manifold assembly, a cement grey feeding manifold assembly, high-energy mixers, a mud mixing tank and a mud manifold assembly. The mud mixing tank is at least connected with two high-energy mixers, and an inlet of the mud mixing tank is connected with diffusion boxes which are connected with the high-energy mixers. Discharged materials of the high-energy mixers are guided into the mudmixing tank through the diffusion boxes, and the at least one diffusion box is connected with a density control system. The multiple sets of mixers are integrated, and the large-discharge-capacity and efficient mixing effect can be achieved with existing operation conditions.

Embolic protection and plaque removal apparatus and methods are provided wherein an aspiration device aspirates, filters and reperfuses blood using a closed fluid circuit having a bi-directional working lumen. The plaque removal device includes a plurality of self-expanding cutting elements that form cage that self-centers within the blood vessel to reduce the risk of trauma to the vessel lining.

A database structure of a sort defined by an access and query language that defines tables of variables having labels and field characteristics, such as ANSI structured query language (SQL), is modified by determining the structural differences between an existing schema and a new schema, independent of database contents. The differences are processed to generate commands that are then applied to evolve an existing database from the old schema or structure to the new one. This avoids the need to dump and restructure the contents of the old database for reload into an empty new database that has been prepared to meet the new schema.

An adjustable hanger device includes an adjustable mounting bracket that may be sized for mounting the hanger to support members of various dimensions. The hanger device has a composite structure including both metallic and polymeric components. The mounting bracket is formed of primarily metallic components to provide adequate hang strength, and a thin profile for use in so-called over-the-door hanger devices supported on the top edge of a door below the lintel or frame member when the door is in the closed position.

Locating and / or marking equipment, such as a locate transmitter or locate receiver, a marking device, or a combined locate and marking device, may be communicatively coupled to and / or equipped with a mobile / portable device (e.g., a mobile phone, personal digital assistant or other portable computing device) that provides processing, electronic storage, electronic display, user interface, communication facilities and / or other functionality (e.g., GPS-enabled functionality) for the equipment. A mobile / portable device may be mechanically and / or electronically coupled to the equipment, and may be programmed so as to log and generate electronic records of various information germane to a locate and / or marking operation (e.g., locate information, marking information, and / or landmark information). Such records may be formatted in various manners, processed and / or analyzed on the mobile / portable device, and / or transmitted to another device (e.g., a remote computer / server) for storage, processing and / or analysis. The mobile / portable device also may provide redundant, shared and / or backup functionality for the equipment to enhance robustness.

A super resolution optofluidic microscope device comprises a body defining a fluid channel having a longitudinal axis and includes a surface layer proximal the fluid channel. The surface layer has a two-dimensional light detector array configured to receive light passing through the fluid channel and sample a sequence of subpixel shifted projection frames as an object moves through the fluid channel. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device further comprises a processor in electronic communication with the two-dimensional light detector array. The processor is configured to generate a high resolution image of the object using a super resolution algorithm, and based on the sequence of subpixel shifted projection frames and a motion vector of the object.

The invention relates to electronic devices, in particular consumer electronic devices, including an electrophoactive display, as well as to electronic document reading devices, sometimes called e-readers, such as electronic books. We describe an electronic device including an electroactive display and a light to illuminate said display, wherein said display has a viewing surface, and wherein said light is configured to illuminate said display from in front and to one side of an edge of said viewing surface, across said viewing surface and through a front-most surface of said display.

The invention provides devices that can be used to deliver a therapeutic agent to a treatment site within the vessel of a patient at increased pressure, while limiting the contact with and pressure placed on the vessel walls. Devices according to the invention include an expandable structure arranged around and on a tube having a lumen. The expandable structure may include a sealing ring that makes contact with the interior surface of a vessel to prevent or decrease fluid flow during delivery of a therapeutic agent. This allows delivery of a therapeutic agent with decreased risk of injury to the treatment site. The invention also provides for large lumen diameters, preventing shearing stress on therapeutic agents such as cell slurries.

A surgical tool for gripping the implant includes an elongate body having a first end surface for bearing on the prosthetic implant. Lugs or hooked ends of the tool are capable of attaching the tool to the implant.

A UAV capture system is disclosed. In the illustrative embodiment, the UAV capture system is coupled to the deck of a sea-faring vessel. The UAV capture system includes a single arresting line that is supported by a stanchion. In the illustrative embodiment, the stanchion is disposed on a rotatable boom.

A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a support structure constructed to support a patterning structure. The patterning structure is adapted to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. The apparatus also includes a substrate holder that is constructed to hold a substrate, a projection system that is constructed and arranged to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a downstream radical source that is connected to a gas supply and is configured to provide a beam of radicals onto a surface to be cleaned.

An insulating glass (IG) window unit, and / or a method of making the same is / are provided. The IG window unit includes two spaced apart substrates that are separated from one another by at least one seal and / or spacer. One of the substrates supports both a solar management coating for blocking significant amounts of infrared (IR) radiation and a coating for blocking amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The segment for a tower of a wind energy turbine comprises a tubular section having a longitudinal axis and inner and outer sides, and at least one group of supporting elements arranged at the inner side of the tubular section. The segment further comprises at least one platform supportable by the supporting elements of the at least one group of supporting elements.

Device for implementing a cutting balloon intervention by means of a “cutting balloon” catheter, at the distal end of which is disposed an inflatable balloon with axially running blades mounted thereon, and which has IVUS monitoring, whereby the cutting balloon catheter is combined with an IVUS catheter to form an integrated module.

A hydraulically powered tractor includes an elongated body, two gripper assemblies, at least one pair of aft and forward propulsion cylinders and pistons, and a valve system. The valve system comprises an inlet control valve, a two-position propulsion control valve, a two-position gripper control valve, two cycle valves, and two pressure reduction valves. The inlet control valve spool includes a hydraulically controlled deactivation cam that locks the valve in a closed position, rendering the tractor non-operational. The propulsion control valve is piloted on both ends by fluid pressure in the gripper assemblies. The propulsion control valve controls the distribution of operating fluid to and from the propulsion cylinders, such that one cylinder performs a power stroke while the other cylinder performs a reset stroke. Each end of the gripper control valve is piloted by a source of high-pressure fluid selectively admitted by one of the cycle valves. The gripper control valve controls the distribution of operating fluid to and from the gripper assemblies. The cycle valves are spring-biased and piloted by fluid pressure in the propulsion cylinders, so that the gripper control valve shifts only after the cylinders complete their strokes. The pressure reduction valves limit the pressure within the gripper assemblies. These valves are spring-biased and piloted by the pressure of fluid flowing into the gripper assemblies. Some or all of the valves include centering grooves on the landings of the spools, which reduce leakage and produce more efficient operation. The propulsion control and gripper control valves include spring-assisted detents to prevent inadvertent shifting.

A pulse generator discharge circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes one or more discharge stages, each discharge stage including a plurality of control input terminals. The circuit also includes first and second discharge terminals, and a plurality of serially connected switches electrically connected between the first and second discharge terminals, where a conductive state of each of the switches is controlled by a control signal. The circuit also includes a plurality of inductive elements configured to generate the control signals for the serially connected switches, where each inductive element is configured to generate a control signal for one of the serially connected switches in response to one or more input signals at one or more of the control input terminals, and where each of the serially connected switches is configured to receive a control signal from a respective one of the inductive elements.

A method of preparing a component (60) to be joined to another component (55). The method comprises growing an array of projections (56, 57) on a bond region of the component (55) in a series of layers, each layer being grown by directing energy and / or material from a head to selected parts of the bond region. The joint may be used to join a pair of structural components, for instance in an aerospace application. For instance the joint may be used to join a reinforcing plate, floating rib foot, or stringer to a panel such as a wing or fuselage cover. Alternatively the joint may be used to join adjacent layers in a laminate structure.