54results about How to "Varying stiffness" patented technology

Articulating mechanisms, link systems, and components thereof, useful for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, the remote manipulation of instruments such as surgical or diagnostic instruments or tools, are provided. The link systems include links wherein torque can be transferred between at least two adjacent links while allowing for pivoting motion between the links. Mechanisms for preventing undesired lateral movement of links relative to one another are also provided.

Articulating mechanisms, link systems, and components thereof, useful for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, the remote manipulation of instruments such as surgical or diagnostic instruments or tools, are provided. The link systems include links wherein torque can be transferred between at least two adjacent links while allowing for pivoting motion between the links. Mechanisms for preventing undesired lateral movement of links relative to one another are also provided.

A prosthetic foot comprises a foot member, a rocker member connected in cantilever fashion to the foot member, and an ankle module movably connected to the rocker member about an axis, wherein an anterior section of the rocker member is configured to roll-up onto the foot member an amount corresponding to the load applied on the foot, and wherein the foot member is configured to facilitate the initial roll-up of the rocker member.

A catheter pump is provided that includes a rotatable impeller and an elongate cannula. The elongate cannula has a mesh that has a plurality of circumferential members disposed about the impeller. The elongate cannula has a plurality of axial connector extending between a proximal side of a distal circumferential member and a distal side of a proximal circumferential member. The circumferential members are radially self-expandable. The cannula is configured to minimize fracture within at least in the distal zone of the mesh as the elongated cannula moves into a sheathing device.

A cochlear implant electrode assembly device (10) comprising an elongate electrode carrier member (11), a first stiffening element (15a), and a second stiffening element (15b). The carrier member (11) is made of a resiliently flexible first material and has a plurality of electrodes (12) mounted thereon. The carrier member (11) has a first configuration selected to allow it to be inserted into an implantee's cochlea (30), a second configuration wherein it is curved in shape to match a surface of the cochlea (30), and at least one intermediate configuration between the first and second configurations. Both the first and second stiffening elements (15a, 15b) are made of a material relatively stiffer than said the material and in combination bias the elongate member into the first configuration. If either the first stiffening element (15a) or the second stiffening element (15b) are removed, the elongate member (11) adopts the at least one intermediate configuration.

A surgical instrument having a distally located surgical or diagnostic tool, a plurality of links proximal of the surgical or diagnostic tool, with at least two or more adjacent links being moveable relative to one another; and a joint assembly proximal of the plurality of links, with the joint assembly connected to a manually moveable handle extending proximally of the joint assembly. The links are operably connected to the joint assembly by cables such that manual movement of the handle causes a corresponding movement of the two or more adjacent links.

The present invention relates to a dilator. The dilator includes a shaft, a lumen and a hub. The shaft has at least two stiffness sections with the stiffness sections becoming less rigid as they approach a distal end of the shaft. The varying stiffness sections allow the dilator to track along the guidewire through torturous vasculature so as the dilator is advanced and the stiffness is changed, the stiffer sheath can advance smoothly through a blood vessel. The dilator may also taper at the distal tip to stretch the initial skin puncture hole larger to accommodate the dilator shaft and ease the sheath tip insertion through to the vasculature. Or the shaft may taper from where it extends beyond the sheath distal tip to the distal end so that it can reach further distal in the vasculature. The dilator may also include an atraumatic tip for easier advancement of the dilator. The dilator distal end may also include one or more radiopaque markers and a shaped distal end.

A cochlear implant electrode assembly (10) comprising an elongate electrode carrier member (11), a bioresorbable stiffening element (15) and an outer layer (16) surrounding the stiffening element (15). The carrier member (11) is made of a resiliently flexible first material and has a plurality of electrodes (12) mounted thereon and has a first configuration selected to allow it to be inserted into an implantee's cochlea, and at least a second configuration wherein it is curved to match a surface of the cochlea. The bioresorbable stiffening element (15) has a configuration selected for biassing the elongate member (11) into the first configuratin and is made of a second material relatively stiffer than the first material and which dissolves or softens on exposure to cochlear fluids to permit the elongate member (11) to at least approach or adopt the second configuration. The outer layer (16) surrounding the stiffening element (15) is made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow the elongate member (11) to at least approach or adopt the second configuration. The outer layer (16) has a first rate of cochlear fluid ingress therethrough and has at least one fluid ingress means (21) formed therein. The rate of cochlear fluid ingress through the fluid ingress means (21) is greater than the first rate of cochlear fluid ingress through the outer layer (16).

A frame and suspension for a vehicle provides automatic lean and alignment. The lean is determined by force sensors, the speed and / or the angle of turn and is provided by actuators in the suspension in accordance with a predetermined protocol in an electronic control unit (ECU). The protocol also provides shock absorption by rapidly tracking a contour of a surface on which the vehicle rides. The suspension is provided by a plurality of arm assemblies each including a lower arm, an upper control arm, and an actuator motively connected to the lower arm and to the upper control arm. The arm assemblies are pivotally connected to the frame on a common axis. The arm assemblies generally form parallelograms and are actuated in concert to remain generally parallel to each other through a range of angles to adjust the lean of the vehicle. The arm assemblies are also actuated independently of each other to accommodate variations in the contour. In one aspect, an actuator controlled by an ECU can be replaced by a mechanical actuator that can be activated manually such as by a driver's own leaning weight.

Sensor and guide wire assembly (1; 21) for intravascular measurement of physical variables inside a living body and comprises a proximal end portion (2; 22) and a sensor element (9; 29), which is located in a distal portion of the sensor and guide wire assembly (1; 21), and is characterized in that a proximal tube (3; 23) is provided, which extends from said proximal portion (2; 22) to a proximal end of a hollow stranded wire (4; 24), which extends to the distal end portion wherein the sensor element (9; 29) is located.

A frame and suspension for a vehicle provides automatic lean and alignment. The lean is determined by force sensors, the speed and / or the angle of turn and is provided by actuators in the suspension in accordance with a predetermined protocol in an electronic control unit (ECU). The protocol also provides shock absorption by rapidly tracking a contour of a surface on which the vehicle rides. The suspension is provided by a plurality of arm assemblies each including a lower arm, an upper control arm, and an actuator motively connected to the lower arm and to the upper control arm. The arm assemblies are pivotally connected to the frame on a common axis. The arm assemblies generally form parallelograms and are actuated in concert to remain generally parallel to each other through a range of angles to adjust the lean of the vehicle. The arm assemblies are also actuated independently of each other to accommodate variations in the contour. In one aspect, an actuator controlled by an ECU can be replaced by a mechanical actuator that can be activated manually such as by a driver's own leaning weight.

Sensor and guide wire assembly (1; 21) for intravascular measurement of physical variables inside a living body and comprises a proximal end portion (2; 22) and a sensor element (9; 29), which is located in a distal portion of the sensor and guide wire assembly (1; 21), and is characterized in that a proximal tube (3; 23) is provided, which extends from said proximal portion (2; 22) to a proximal end of a hollow stranded wire (4; 24), which extends to the distal end portion wherein the sensor element (9; 29) is located.

A cochlear implant electrode assembly (10) comprising an elongate electrode carrier member (11), a bioresorbable stiffening element (15) and an outer layer (16) surrounding the stiffening element (15). The carrier member (11) is made of a resiliently flexible first material and has a plurality of electrodes (12) mounted thereon and has a first configuration selected to allow it to be inserted into an implantee's cochlea, and at least a second configuration wherein it is curved to match a surface of the cochlea. The bioresorbable stiffening element (15) has a configuration selected for biasing the elongate member (11) into the first configuration and is made of a second material relatively stiffer than the first material and which dissolves or softens on exposure to cochlear fluids to permit the elongate member (11) to at least approach or adopt the second configuration. The outer layer (16) surrounding the stiffening element (15) is made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow the elongate member (11) to at least approach or adopt the second configuration. The outer layer (16) has a first rate of cochlear fluid ingress therethrough and has at least one fluid ingress means (21) formed therein. The rate of cochlear fluid ingress through the fluid ingress means (21) is greater than the first rate of cochlear fluid ingress through the outer layer (16).

A method is provided for supporting rotatable devices, particularly a medical scanner having an inner ring and an outer ring. According to the invention, the inner ring and outer ring are guided without contact in the axial and / or radial direction by the magnetic field of electromagnets, and the distance between them is monitored and controlled by means of distance sensors. For a bearing implementing said method according to the invention, the outer ring is made in multiple parts and has a U-shaped cross section that is open to the inside in the assembled state, into which the inner ring (1, 10, 11) extends, and electromagnets and distance sensors are disposed in the axially and radially opposite areas of the inner ring or outer ring.

A vehicle cab is pivoted to the chassis at the front and supported at the rear by a cab suspension unit that includes a laminate of interleaved elastomer and rigid plate layers. The laminate flexes in reaction to forces that act in the planes of the layers and is relatively resistant to forces that act normal to the layers such that it elastically absorbs shocks and vibrations from road irregularities and pitch and roll maneuvers and more stiffly resists acceleration and deceleration forces between the cab and the chassis.

A system for magnetorheological finishing of a substrate. A spherical wheel meant for carrying a magnetorheological finishing fluid houses a variable-field permanent magnet system having north and south iron pole pieces separated by primary and secondary gaps with a cylindrical cavity bored through the center. A cylindrical permanent magnet magnetized normal to the cylinder axis is rotatably disposed in the cavity. An actuator allows rotation of the permanent magnet to any angle, which rotation changes the distribution of flux in the magnetic circuit through the pole pieces. Thus, one can control field intensity in the gaps by positioning the permanent magnet at whatever angle provides the required field strength. Because the field also passes above the pole pieces, defining a fringing field outside the wheel surface, the variable field extends through a layer of MR fluid on the wheel, thus varying the stiffness of the MR fluid as may be desired for finishing control.

A method is provided for supporting rotatable devices, particularly a medical scanner having an inner ring and an outer ring. According to the invention, the inner ring and outer ring are guided without contact in the axial and / or radial direction by the magnetic field of electromagnets, and the distance between them is monitored and controlled by means of distance sensors. For a bearing implementing said method according to the invention, the outer ring is made in multiple parts and has a U-shaped cross section that is open to the inside in the assembled state, into which the inner ring (1, 10, 11) extends, and electromagnets and distance sensors are disposed in the axially and radially opposite areas of the inner ring or outer ring.

An apparatus for determining and / or monitoring at least one physical or chemical, process variable of medium having at least one oscillatable unit, which produces, and / or receives, mechanical oscillations. Included is at least one tuning unit, whose stiffness is changeable and which is embodied in such a manner and connected in such a manner with the oscillatable unit, or is a part of the oscillatable unit in such a manner, that at least the resonance frequency of the oscillatable unit is changeable via the tuning unit. A corresponding method is also noted.

An annular air flow passage, particularly for a turbine engine, comprising two radially internal and external annular walls. A measuring element is elongated in a direction between the internal and external annular walls, and a first of the internal or external ends of the element is fixed rigidly to a first of the internal or external walls. The element includes at least one tubular cavity extending along the element and supplied with pressurized fluid.