132results about How to "Sufficiently flexible" patented technology

A device for correcting and stabilizing a curvature of a spinal column by anterior fusion including at least two brace holders (1-5), each adapted to be arranged against an associated vertebral body (7-11) in the spinal column. The device also includes a securing means (6, 6') for securing the respective brace holders (1-5) on said vertebral body (7-11), and at least one elongate brace (12), which is adapted to extend through and between said brace holders (1-5) along the extent of the spinal column and be locked thereto. The brace (12) is plate-shaped, and the brace holder (1-5) is designed to support the brace (12) in such a manner that a first flat side of the brace (12) faces the abutment surface of the brace holder (1-5) on said vertebral body (7-11), whereby the brace (12) is deformable in only one geometric plane during mounting in the brace holder (1-5) and during correction. In a method for contacting and stabilizing the curvature, the brace (12) is arranged to extend through the brace holders (1-5), such that the brace (12) is deformed to substantially follow the curvature. The brace is locked in at least one first brace holder (1), whereupon the spinal column, vertebra by vertebra, is corrected while the brace (12) is gradually clamped and locked in the brace holders (1-5).

An intraluminal device implantable in a blood vessel having an aneurysm therein in the vicinity of a perforating vessel and / or of a bifurcation leading to a branch vessel. The intraluminal device includes a mesh-like tube of bio-compatible material having an expanded condition in which the tube diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the blood vessel in which it is to be implanted, and the tube length is sufficient to straddle the aneurysm and to be anchored to the blood vessel on the opposite sides of the aneurysm. The mesh-like tube also has a contracted condition wherein it is sufficiently flexible so as to be easily manipulatable through the blood vessel to straddle the aneurysm. In its expanded condition, the mesh-like tube has a porosity index of 55%-80% such as to reduce the flow of blood through its wall to the aneurysm sufficiently to decrease the possibility of rupture of the aneurysm but not to unduly reduce the blood flow to a perforating or branch vessel to the degree likely to cause significant damage to tissues supplied with blood by such perforating or branch vessel.

An intraocular lens (IOL) inserter and method of use ensure that an artificial intraocular lens is controllably ejected from a cartridge and into a patient's eye by using successive, predefined detent positions. One embodiment has a distal pivotal portion that can be pivoted to a desired angle as a mover advances the IOL into the eye. A detent controls the motion of the mover. In one embodiment, the detent includes a longitudinally extending component with a plurality of stair steps, so that a face of each stair step engages the housing at each different predefined detent position. Other embodiments include at least one orifice in the housing, so that when the orifice is aligned with a pin or protrusion, it engages the orifice to define a detent step. Another embodiment includes a spring-loaded collar that biases a pin into a predefined detent step.

A prefilled syringe and syringe assembly having a syringe and a tip cap are produced from materials that do not interfere with the substance contained in the syringe and enable long term storage. The tip cap is made from a blend of a cyclic olefin polymer or copolymer and a thermoplastic elastomer. The thermoplastic elastomer is blended with the cyclic olefin copolymer in an amount so that the normally stiff and hard cyclic olefin copolymer is flexible and resilient to effectively seal and couple to the tip of a prefilled syringe.

An identification band is formed from a soft flexible woven fabric, such as polyester or nylon. The identification band includes a front surface and a back surface. Patient specific indicia can be imprinted on selected areas of the front surface. The identification band initially is part of a laminated sheet that can be processed through a printing apparatus.

A tubular medical fluid flow set comprises a pressure sensing chamber connected in flow-through relation to fluid flow tubing of the set. The pressure sensing chamber defines a movable, flexible, impermeable diaphragm dividing the chamber into two separate compartments. The fluid flow tubing communicates with one of the compartments and is isolated from the other of the compartments. A port is carried on the chamber, the port having a seal therein, and communicating with the other of the compartments. Thus, the other of the compartments is hermetically sealed until the port is opened for connection with a pressure measuring device, to keep the flexible diaphragm in a desired, initial position prior to opening of the seal.

A tubular medical fluid flow set comprises a pressure sensing chamber connected in flow-through relation to fluid flow tubing of the set. The pressure sensing chamber defines a movable, flexible, impermeable diaphragm dividing the chamber into two separate compartments. The fluid flow tubing communicates with one of the compartments and is isolated from the other of the compartments. A port is carried on the chamber, the port having a seal therein, and communicating with the other of the compartments. Thus, the other of the compartments is hermetically sealed until the port is opened for connection with a pressure measuring device, to keep the flexible diaphragm in a desired, initial position prior to opening of the seal.

An MRI antenna array including a housing and a substrate, antenna elements and circuitry encapsulated by the housing. The housing, antenna elements, and substrate are flexible to allow the housing to distort in three dimensions to closely conform to contours of a patient. The antenna elements are mounted to the substrate in a manner that permits each element to maintain a desired resonance when the housing is distorted in three dimensions. The circuitry is electrically coupled with the antenna elements to maintain tuning and isolation of the elements when the housing is distorted in three dimensions. The housing, antenna elements, and substrate may be elastic to allow the housing to be worn by a plurality of different sized patients so that the housing is in close contact with the patient and conforms to contours of the patient.

A carbon dioxide storage system includes a container and a conduit attached to the container for introducing or removing a carbon dioxide-containing composition from the container. A carbon dioxide storage material is positioned within the container. The carbon dioxide-storage material includes a metal-organic framework, which has a sufficient surface area to store at least 10 carbon dioxide molecules per formula unit of the metal-organic framework at a temperature of about 25° C.

A heat sink apparatus for electronic components provides a heat sink and a deformable, convex foil construction affixed to the heat sink around a periphery of the foil construction and adapted to extend away from the heat sink to enable deformation of the convex foil construction as a result of contact with a top surface of an electronic component mounted opposite the foil construction.

A process comprising identifying assets in a raw architectural CAD drawing, applying compliance and preferred criteria for creating detailed engineering specifications corresponding to said assets and producing detailed engineering CAD drawings and reports. Preferably, one or more preferred databases of criteria augment the criteria needed for compliance with local codes, said preferred databases including architecturally specific criteria and a client's professional, individual and preferred criteria. Repeated use results in ever more complete databases of preferred criteria for enabling a process requiring little or no additional intervention for processing subsequent CAD drawings. Apparatus embodying the process preferably include a computer and an interactive network system and having at least one client terminal for interacting with a client, downloading the client's raw CAD files and uploading detailed output CAD drawings to the client.

A lid for forming an airtight seal to a bowl or dish plate to elongate the life of product therein comprises an impermeable membrane having an outer perimeter larger than the rim of the container and an enforcement ring for enabling the formation of an airtight seal between the membrane and rim of the container under vacuum. The membrane is sufficiently soft to cause it to fill the lower sections or imperfections on the rim, thus enabling the lid to form an airtight seal to almost all household containers. The membrane may be adapted to have sufficient low tensile stress, thereby preventing the vacuum in the container from imploding or collapsing the container even if it has a thin or weak wall. The enforcement ring has vertical and horizontal rings connected to the membrane perimeter to prevent the membrane deformation at both vertical and horizontal directions. The lid may further comprise an air evacuation passageway having an air collection chamber for extracting air from the container and a valve for allowing air to flow out of the container but preventing air from entering. In use, the lid may be sealed to a container by simply pushing the membrane into the container and releasing the membrane to generate a vacuum to affix the membrane to the container, or may be sealed to a container by connecting a vacuum generator to the evacuation passageway to evacuate the container.

A heating pad for use with animals, or pet heating pad. The pet heating pad provides a pad with a cushioned exterior and a flexible but resilient interior that prevents overheating by maintaining or returning the pet heating pad to a flat profile. The pet heating pad heating system includes a heating element with temperature limitation controls for safe operation surrounded by layers of material selected for temperature control properties. The result is a pet heating pad that substantially reduces or eliminates the problems normally associated with heating pads such as hotspots, overheating, bunching, and folding while providing a pet with a physically and thermally comfortable surface upon which to rest.

A clot extraction catheter comprises a tubular mesh, a tapered tip fixed to the tubular mesh distal end, a rim attached to the tubular mesh proximal end, control wires, a guidewire channel, an inner sheath, and an outer sheath advancable over the guidewire channel and inner sheath. To extract a clot, the catheter is advanced through the clot over a guidewire. The inner sheath is retracted relative to the control wires and the tubular mesh, allowing the rim and the tubular mesh to expand. The tubular mesh is retracted to capture the clot, constrained proximally by the distal portion of the inner sheath, and retracted with the inner sheath into the outer sheath. The control wires may be manipulated to control the angle of the rim relative to the longitudinal axis of the sheaths, facilitating clot capture and retraction of the tubular mesh into the sheaths thereafter.

An accessory device for fastener-driving tools such as nail and staple guns is provided. The device serves as a positioning guide for the tool and is designed to provide sufficient spacing and orientation between the fastener-driving tool and the target construction material. The device can be integrated into the body of the fastener-driving tool, manufactured as an attachment or manufactured as a separate tool. It prevents impact marring at the visible surface of the construction material by redirecting the force of the blow to a non-visible surface on the assembled construction material. Furthermore it increases speed and ease of movement for the user by serving as a guide for stability and ease of alignment. The device changes the impact point between the driving tool and the construction material, broadens the area of impact and protects the top edge of a tongue and groove construction material from impact damage.< / PTEXT>

Combination case for providing a versatile protective case for a handheld device, such as a PDA. The combination case has a rigid inner shell that attaches to an outer shell with a mounting plate. The handheld device is inserted into the rigid inner shell, which is then attached to the rear panel of the outer shell. The rigid inner shell is a three-sided shell that holds the handheld device and allows free access to the LCD display and operational components on the device when the outer shell is open. A soft inner shell may be used instead of the rigid inner shell. This soft inner shell attaches to the outer shell with the mounting plate and provides a water-resistant enclosure for the device.

A cooling apparatus and method are provided which include an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and system coolant inlet and outlet plenums mounted to an electronics rack door along an edge of the door remote from the edge hingedly mounted to the rack. The plenums are in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and respectively include an inlet and outlet. Coolant supply and return hoses are disposed above the electronics rack and couple the inlet plenum to a coolant supply header and the outlet plenum to a coolant return header. The hoses are sufficiently long and flexible to open or close the door. A stress relief structure is attached to the top of the door and clamps the supply and return hoses in fixed relation to relieve stress on connect couplings at the ends of the hoses to the plenum inlet and outlet during opening or closing of the door.

A system for providing information to traffic ways, such as roadways, runways and walkways. The system includes one or more lamp modules arranged into a message array, which may be embedded into the traffic way so as to provide enhanced viewing by a traveller, driver or the like. The message array may be controlled by signals generated by a central processing unit. Sensors, which may be remote from and / or positioned within the lamp modules sense various environmental conditions. The sensed conditions may be used by the central processing unit to generate predetermined signals in response to the sensed condition.

The invention relates to an epoxy resin composition containing (a) an epoxy resin and (b) a phenolic hydroxy group-containing polyamide resin having the structure represented by Formula (1), a method of curing the composition, a varnish, prepreg, or sheet using the composition, and an epoxy resin composition having the polyamide resin represented by Formula (1) as the active component. Cured products of the epoxy resin composition according to the present invention have a sufficient high flexibility when formed into a thin film, have a flame resistance even though the cured compositions do not contain a halogen flame retardant, an antimony compound, or the like and are superior in heat resistance and adhesiveness, and thus are extremely useful in a wide range of applications, for example, as molded materials, cast materials, laminate materials, paints, adhesives, resists, and the like. (wherein, 1 and m are averages, satisfying the formula: m / (1+m) =0.01; and 1+m is a positive number of 2 to 200. Ar1 represents a bivalent aromatic group; Ar2 represents a phenolic hydroxyl group-containing bivalent aromatic group; and Ar3 represents: -ph(R1)n- or -ph(R2)n-X-ph(R3)n-, wherein, -ph(R1)n-, -ph(R2)n- and -ph(R3)n- represent respectively R1-substituted, R2-substituted and R3-substituted phenylene groups, or an unsubstituted phenylene group; n is an integer of 0 to 3; R1, R2 and R3 each independently represent a C1 to C3 alkyl group or a C1 to C3 alkoxy group; and X represents O, S, CO, SO2 or a single bond)

Customized, form-fitting athletic articles with a heat moldable material that a wearer may heat to soften after purchase to conform the heat moldable material so the contours of the wearer's body may provide many advantages for consumers, such as increased comfort, performance, or safety. The heat moldable material may be incorporated into the upper of an athletic shoe. The heat moldable material may be sufficiently flexible so as not to impede the necessary movements of a wearer or the athletic shoe while performing activities, such as running, walking, jumping, etc. The heat moldable material may be reusable in that it may be reheated and remolded multiple times so that the article may be re-customized or re-fitted as needed. The article may also include a temperature sensitive indicator that indicates when the heat moldable material has been softened.

The present invention relates to a polyamide-based multilayer structure comprising in succession: an upper layer made of a transparent polyamide coming from the condensation: either of a lactam or of an α,Ω-amino acid having at least 9 carbon atoms or of a diamine and of a diacid, at least one having at least 9 carbon atoms; a lower layer capable of adhering to the substrate and optionally, an intermediate tie layer (also called a central layer) between the upper layer and the lower layer, each of the layers exhibiting thermomechanical behaviour (strength as a function of temperature) sufficiently similar to allow the structure to be easily formed under the effect of the temperature. The invention also relates to the objects consisting of these substrates covered with these structures, the lower layer being placed against the substrate.

A seal assembly used in combination with a trocar assembly and disposed and structured to establish sealing engagement with the exterior surface of medical instrument introduced into the trocar assembly so as to maintain adequate insufflation pressure within a body cavity accessed by the trocar assembly. The seal assembly includes a seal member unconnected to and freely moveable, at least laterally, within a seal chamber of the trocar assembly. The seal member and the seal chamber are cooperatively dimensioned to maintain one or more outer peripheral surfaces of the seal member in surrounding, sealing relation to one or both of the inlet and outlet ports of the seal chamber thereby eliminating or reducing the escape of insuflation gas through the trocar assembly when an instrument is present therein.

A flexible circuit and a method of fabricating the flexible circuit is provided wherein adhesive is flowed into the interstices of a fabric. The adhesive is then cured to a “B” stage and a conductive foil is bonded to the adhesive on one or both sides of the fabric. Thereafter, the adhesive may be fully cured. A conductive pattern may then be etched into the conductive foil via print and etch techniques. The conductive pattern may be protected with a cover layer. For example, the cover layer may be a base layer with adhesive flowed in its pores and fully cured. The adhesive may be effectively formulated to withstand stresses between the adhesive and the conductive pattern such that bending and flexing the flexible circuit or subjecting the flexible circuit to thermal stresses does not delaminate the bond between the adhesive and the conductive pattern. The adhesive resists delamination from the fabric because the adhesive has been flowed into the fabric's interstices and cured.

A stent-graft having an exo-skeleton attached to a tubular graft, the tubular graft having a peripheral wall defining a lumen therein extending between first and second ends. One or more support elements, defining the exo-skeleton, are attached to the tubular graft, each support element extending generally peripherally around the tubular graft, each support element including generally axial segments and generally peripheral segments. A plurality of first fasteners attach the plurality of support elements to the wall of the tubular graft, at least one generally axial segment being slidably engaged by each first fastener. A plurality of second fasteners also attach the plurality of support elements to the wall of the tubular graft, each second fastener substantially anchoring a generally peripheral segment of the respective support element to the wall of the tubular graft. The stent-graft also includes first and second stents on the first and second ends for substantially anchoring the respective ends within a body passage.

An endoscopic sheath having a biomimetic retractor for retracting organs and tissues in the body. The inflatable retractor comprises an inflatable balloon configured to retract specific organs and tissues at the site of the endoscopic procedure, with attached inflation and deflation means. In one embodiment, the inflatable retractor is attached to an outer tube or cannula. A second, inner cannula is placed within the outer cannula and attached thereto by a plurality of substantially elastic strands. The strands center the inner cannula while allowing it to be manipulated in any direction.