17904results about How to "Speed up the flow" patented technology

An electrosurgical working end and method for obtaining a tissue sample for biopsy purposes, for example, from a patient's lung or a liver. The working end provides curved jaw members that are positioned on opposing sides of the targeted anatomic structure. The working end carries a slidable extension member that is laterally flexible with inner surfaced that slide over the jaw members to clamp tissue therebetween. As the extension member advances, the jaws compress the tissue just ahead of the advancing extension member to allow the laterally-outward portion of the extension member to ramp over the tissue while a cutting element contemporaneously cuts the tissue. By this means, the transected tissue margin is captured under high compression. The working end carries a bi-polar electrode arrangement that engages the just-transected medial tissue layers as well as surface layers to provides Rf current flow for tissue welding purposes that is described as a medial-to-surface bi-polar approach.

An implant for forming an intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus prosthesis includes a conformable material adapted to fill cavities within the disc and to at least partially polymerize in-situ to form a shaped, resiliently deformable prosthesis.

The present invention comprises electrosurgical apparatus and methods for maintaining patency in body passages subject to occlusion by invasive tissue growth. The apparatus includes an electrode support disposed at a shaft distal end having at least one active electrode arranged thereon, and at least one return electrode proximal to the at least one active electrode. In one embodiment, a plurality of active electrodes each comprising a curved wire loop portion are sealed within a distal portion of the electrode support. The apparatus and methods of the present invention may be used to open and maintain patency in virtually any hollow body passage which may be subject to occlusion by invasive cellular growth or invasive solid tumor growth. Suitable hollow body passages include ducts, orifices, lumens, and the like, with exemplary body passages including the coronary arteries. The present invention is particularly useful for reducing or eliminating the effects of restenosis in coronary arteries by selectively removing tissue in-growth in or around stents anchored therein.

An embodiment of a method of the invention provides a method for welding tissue comprising providing a tissue welding device having first and second tissue engaging surfaces with at least one surface including an electrode surface that defines a plurality of surface portions having different resistances to electrical current flow therethrough. A target tissue volume is engaged with the tissue engaging surfaces. Rf energy is delivered to the target volume to create a substantially even temperature distribution across at least a portion of the target tissue volume to substantially uniformly weld at least a portion of the target tissue volume.

The invention provides a semiconductor device capable of suppressing a short channel effect and fluctuation in a threshold. The semiconductor device includes: a plurality of first transistors formed in a first region in a semiconductor layer in a multilayer substrate having, on a semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer and the semiconductor layer in order from the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of second transistors formed in a second region in the semiconductor layer; a first impurity layer formed in a region opposed to the first region in the semiconductor substrate; a second impurity layer formed in a region opposed to the second region in the semiconductor substrate; and a first isolation part that isolates the first and second regions from each other and electrically isolates the first and second impurity layers from each other to a degree that at least current flowing between the first and second impurity layers is interrupted.

A method of the preparation and utilization of polymerized alpha-hydroxycarboxylic-acid-coated proppants for gravel pack and removal of filter cake that was deposited by reservoir drilling fluid. In a preferred example, polyglycolic-acid-coated sand is used to replace conventional gravel pack sand typically used for gravel packing. Under downhole conditions, the acidic by-product generated from the hydration of polyglycolic-acid-coated sand can break down acid-soluble and/or acid-breakable components embedded in the filter cake. This reaction enhances the filter cake removal and the flow of hydrocarbon from the producing formation. The polyglycolic-acid-coated sand may be produced by polymerizing a glycolic acid with a natural or synthetic proppant like 20-40 mesh commercial sand, at temperatures of about 210° F. or higher.

Methods, apparatuses and systems allowing for dynamic bandwidth management schemes responsive to the state of a plurality of access links in redundant network topologies. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a bandwidth management device that periodically queries routing systems associated with access links, conceptually grouped into a virtual access link, to monitor that load of the access links and, depending on the detected load, adjust the configuration of the bandwidth management device to avoid overloading one or more of the access links. Embodiments of the present invention increases network efficiency and help network traffic to flow more smoothly with higher throughput. In one embodiment, the dynamic link control functionality is invoked when any given access link reaches a threshold capacity level. Assuming that network traffic will scale in the same ratio as presently observed, the present invention calculates the maximum traffic that can be let through so that no network interface or access link is overloaded.

An expandable venous valve having a support structure that configured to enlarge the area adjacent to the valve structure such that the flow patterns of retrograde flow are modified in a way that facilitates the flushing of the pockets at the base of the valve area to prevent stagnation of bodily fluid, which in the venous system, can lead to thrombus formation. The enlarged pocket areas can be created by forming an artificial sinus adjacent the valve structure in an unsupported section of vessel wall between two support frame section or the support frame can comprise an expanded-diameter intermediate or proximal section that forms an artificial sinus adjacent the valve structure. In another group of embodiments, the attachment pathway between opposing leaflets and the support frame and/or vessel wall comprises a proximal portion that places the leaflets in extended contact with one another and a distal portion forms a large angle with respect to the adjacent walls such that a large pocket is created at the base of the leaflets. In one embodiment, the attachment pathway extends distally along a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal attachment struts to create an extended leaflet contact area, then angles circumferentially and distally from the former along distal attachment struts to define the bottom edge of the leaflets.

A suction bell assembly, and an elastomeric liner therefor, are disclosed in which the bell includes a rigid outer shell (10,310) of generally Y-shaped axial cross section with a conical top portion (101) and a cylindrical body portion (106). A thin, flexible, elastic liner (11) is disposed within the shell and has a conical and preferably corrugated upper portion (111) disposed within the conical top portion of the shell and a peripheral lip (114) for sealingly engaging a rim (19) extending about the shell's top portion. The liner also includes an elongated tubular portion 112 spaced normally inwardly from the shell's inner surface, the tubular portion including a resilient annular flange (119) that sealingly engages a shoulder at the lower end of the shell to maintain the liner in an axially stretched and tensioned state. one-way valve means (13,43) is formed integrally with the liner and is disposed at the lower end of the tubular portion below the flange (119). The valve means (13,43) includes a calotte-shaped closure portion (131) having at least one slit (28,438,439) to permit the passage of milk downwardly through the lower end of the liner. In preferred embodiments, each slit (28,438,439) has offset but communicating inner and outer portions (28a,28b,438a,438b, 439a,439b). Means are also disclosed for allowing swivel action of the shell (310) in relation to a connector (32) for detachably connecting the suction bell to a milk-collecting bottle.

Disclosed is a method for sharply reducing diurnal breathing loss emissions from automotive evaporative emissions control systems by providing multiple layers, or stages, of adsorbents. On the fuel source-side of an emissions control system canister, high working capacity carbons are preferred in a first canister (adsorb) region. In subsequent canister region(s) on the vent-side, the preferred adsorbent should exhibit a flat or flattened adsorption isotherm on a volumetric basis and relatively lower capacity for high concentration vapors as compared with the fuel source-side adsorbent. Multiple approaches are described for attaining the preferred properties for the vent-side canister region. One approach is to use a filler and/or voidages as a volumetric diluent for flattening an adsorption isotherm. Another approach is to employ an adsorbent with the desired adsorption isotherm properties and to process it into an appropriate shape or form without necessarily requiring any special provision for dilution. The improved combination of high working capacity carbons on the fuel source-side and preferred lower working capacity adsorbent on the vent-side provides substantially lower diurnal breathing emissions without a significant loss in working capacity or increase in flow restriction compared with known adsorbents used in canister configurations for automotive emissions control systems.

A new dry powder inhaler is developed as a pulmonary medicine delivery device for dispersing precise tiny dosages (10 μg-50 mg) of pure carrier-free ultra-fine powdered medicament (<5 μm aerodynamics particle size) into a patient's lung. The powder is drawn from the blister cell and dispersed through an outlet tube assisted by two air streams. The first air stream goes through a the blister cell from its upstream side, to significantly fluidize the medicament in the dose to flow upward. The second one extracts the fluidized powder from downstream of the blister cell for further deagglomeration and dispersion of the medicament powder by shear force. The rotating multi-dose blister can hold up to 60 doses, which are pre-metered with pure ultra-fine powdered medicament. So that it has higher drug loading capability in small volumes, compared to most current dry powder inhalers, which usually use some excipient. The inhaler efficiently disperse the aerosolized medicament in the air stream to the deep interior of patient's lung. The fine particle fraction (<4.7 μm) is reported to reach as high as 80% using this inhaler.