731results about How to "Wear minimization" patented technology

A spinal pedicle rod comprising an internally reinforced polymeric core that is at least partially encased within at least one polymeric coating.A dynamic stabilization device for bones in which flexible rods are combined with a pair of dynamic anchoring devices comprising i) a shank for anchoring into a bone or a vertebra, ii) a head connected to the shank, iii) a receiving part for the head and iv) a mobile element acting on the head.

A dynamic spacer is provided for measuring flexion-extension gap during total knee arthroplasty. The dynamic spacer is an improved surgical instrumentation system that it easy to use, simple in construction, and accurately measures flexion-extension gaps under repeatable soft tissue tension. The dynamic spacer generally comprises a first planar member having a lower tissue engaging surface, a second planar member having an upper tissue engaging surface. A tensioner is disposed between the first planar member and the second planar member for applying a tensile force acting upon the first and second planar members. The tensioner is fixedly attached to the first and second planar members, such that the first planar member is held substantially parallel to the second planar member in the absence of compressive load. The dynamic spacer allows for accurately measuring flexion-extension gaps and angular deviation in flexion indicating the appropriateness of femoral rotation.

The present invention provides a system for improving diastolic function of the heart comprising elastic elements and attachment elements, wherein said elastic elements and said attachment elements are configured such that they are capable of being interconnected to form a chain formed of an alternating series of said elastic elements and said attachment elements, and wherein said attachment elements are adapted to be anchored in the wall of the heart and with option for drug delivery to the wall of the heart. The invention further provides devices, methods and kits, for mounting the ventricular function assisting device of the invention.

An endless track assembly that mounts to a wheeled vehicle. The assembly provides 1) a track suspension having fixed or adjustable, independently biased sets of idler wheels to vary the track contour without affecting track tension, 2) an eccentric bearing housing at a drive sprocket controls track tension, 3) a contoured peripheral edge at the drive sprocket prevents ice and mud buildup, 4) rubber-coated, plastic idler wheels facilitate track movement, 5) a multi-vehicle compatible adapter mounting plate accommodates a variety of vehicles, 6) a rotation limited torsion coupler and / or rotation limiting coupler arms prevent track contact with the vehicle, 7) a locking steering arm coupler prevents loss of steering control, and 8) shaped track lugs and channels clear and direct debris away from the track suspension and drive assembly. The improved suspension particularly supports sets of idler wheels in pivotal relation to the track support frame and resiliently biases a pre-tensioned rocker arm that links adjacent suspension arms mounted to the adjoining idler wheels. Suspension arm movement induces expansion and contraction of tension springs coupled to the rocker arms to augments shape changes at the track contact surface to optimize traction and steering control.

A percutaneously implantable orthopedic device is a shape-changing joint prosthesis with a generally arcuate or generally rectilinear configuration which is delivered through a delivery device in a substantially straightened or slightly curved configuration into a joint in a patient. The generally arcuate configuration may include an open ring or spiral shape. The generally rectilinear configuration may include a polygon or zig-zag shape. The delivery and retrieval device can be a syringe, hypodermic needle or cannula. The orthopedic device is moveable into its generally arcuate or generally rectilinear configuration in the joint by manipulation or a shape memory set. The orthopedic device acts as a soft compliant bearing surface or cushion that minimizes the bone-on-bone wear from articulation and loading.

A fabric treatment composition that includes a hydrophobic agent with a melting point or glass transition temperature below 100° C. and optionally, a fluoropolymer, that imparts fabric protection benefits, including improved stain and soil resistance, oil repellency, water repellency, softness, wrinkle and damage resistance, and better handfeel to treated fabrics. Compositions may further include a zeta potential modifier in an amount sufficient to adjust the zeta potential of the composition to be positive and greater, than zero millivolts. The composition can be used as a pretreatment prior to drying or ironing, through soaking or direct spray application, or used prior to or during the drying cycle of an automatic drying machine or clothing refresher machine, or used prior to or in conjunction with an ironing device. The fabric treatment is complete when the fabric treated by contact with the protective composition is then cured by drying and / or heating. The invention further includes a kit providing a means for convenient dispensing of the protective composition to effect treatment and curing of fabric articles.

In order to improve surgical scissors with two scissor blades mounted for pivotal movement relative to each other about a pivot axis and having one cutting edge each, the scissor blades having proximally of the pivot axis one sliding surface area each, the sliding surface areas sliding along each other and the scissor blades contacting each other distally of the pivot axis at a moving point of contact of the cutting edges sliding along each other when the scissors are opened and closed, and at least one of the cutting edges being provided with a hard material coating, so that their service life is further increased, it is proposed that at least one of the two sliding surface areas have a first hard material coating-free surface. A method for the manufacture of surgical scissors is also proposed.

A motorcycle accessory quick-release attachment assembly is provided which consists of two or more motorcycle accessories adapted to be releasably attached to the same set of mounting studs without the use of tools. In a preferred embodiment, each motorcycle accessory includes one or more front hooks for mounting on the front mounting studs, one or more rear hooks for mounting on the rear mounting studs, and one or more latches rotatably connected to the rear hooks for securing and releasing the rear hooks to and from the rear mounting studs. Significantly, the configuration of the latches allows the accessories to be releasably attached to the same set of mounting studs. Each of the latches may be configured to receive a padlock to lock the rear hooks to the rear mounting studs. As such, the accessories can be optionally locked to the motorcycle to guard against theft.

A bioimplant is configured with at least two load-bearing surfaces each having a plurality of protrusions oriented at an angle with respect to one another to resist translation in all directions when opposing load bearing surfaces are under normally applied compressive loads.

A method of detecting a movement of a timepiece setting stem arranged to be moved axially along and / or rotated about its longitudinal axis. The method includes a light source illuminating a portion of the setting stem; a light detector receiving a reflected or diffracted light pattern from the setting stem; a processor forming a first pixel pattern representative of the reflected light pattern at a first time instant; the processor forming a second pixel pattern representative of the reflected light pattern at a second, later time instant; and determining that the setting stem has been moved, if the second pixel pattern is different or shifted with respect to the first pixel pattern.

A fabric treatment composition that includes at least one zeta potential modifier and a hydrophobic agent with a melting point or glass transition temperature below 100° C. that imparts fabric protection benefits, including improved stain and soil resistance, oil repellency, water repellency, softness, wrinkle and damage resistance, and better handfeel to treated fabrics. Particularly preferred compositions include at least one zeta potential modifier in an amount sufficient to adjust the zeta potential of the composition to be positive and greater than zero millivolts. Particularly preferred compositions also include a fluoropolymer. The composition can be used as a pretreatment prior to washing, through soaking or direct spray application, or added to the treatment liquor, that is either the wash or rinse cycle of an automatic washing machine, or used prior to or during the drying cycle of an automatic drying machine or refresher machine, or used prior to or in conjunction with an ironing device. The fabric treatment is complete when the fabric is cured by drying and / or heating.

An electro-hydraulic control system is provided for a transmission, which is preferably a countershaft transmission, that has a three-position dog clutch actuator valve to control the position of a three-position dog clutch. At least one of the positions of the dog clutch actuator valve is established by pressurized fluid directed to the dog clutch actuator valve by two logic valves, both of which are controlled to direct pressurized fluid elsewhere in the hydraulic control system, as well.

The invention provides a catalyst for thermal decomposition of an organic substance having the form of spherical granule having a particle diameter of 0.1 to 1.2 mm, a pore volume of 0.1 to 0.3 mL / g, a tap density of 1.05 to 1.4 g / mL, and a wear rate of 2% by weight or less, the catalyst being obtained by mixing and granulating a pulverized product of an inorganic oxide exemplified by titanium oxide with at least one sol selected from a titania sol, a silica sol, an alumina sol, and a zirconia sol to make spherical granules, calcining the spherical granules at a temperature from 400 to 850° C., and sieving the calcined granules.

A method and system are provided for adapting a vehicle control strategy of an on-road vehicle following a reoccurring fixed route to a predetermined destination, which fixed route extends through at least one geographical zone associated with at least one environmental restriction. When it is determined that the vehicle is approaching the geographical zone, historical data collected from previous passages of one or several vehicles through the zone is accessed, and the vehicle control strategy inside the geographical zone is adapted based on the historical data and the environmental restriction.

There is provided a method and a system for identifying or verifying the fiber arrangement and / or the cable type of multi-fiber array cables (such as MPO cables) which employs an OTDR acquisition device at the near end of the MPO cable, a loopback device at the far end and an array of signatures detectable by the OTDR, either at the far or the near end. The loopback device allows performing bidirectional OTDR measurements with a single OTDR acquisition device (without moving it from one end to the other) and the signature array provides fiber arrangement / cable type identification or verification.

A fabric treatment composition that includes at least one zeta potential modifier and a hydrophobic agent with a melting point or glass transition temperature below 100° C. that imparts fabric protection benefits, including improved stain and soil resistance, oil repellency, water repellency, softness, wrinkle and damage resistance, and better handfeel to treated fabrics. Treatment compositions can be used as a pretreatment prior to washing, through soaking, or added to the treatment liquor, that is either the wash or rinse cycle of an automatic washing machine, to first provide and then maintain and restore the beneficial fabric protection benefits imparted to the fabrics during a first treatment operation. The fabric treatment is complete when the fabric is cured by drying and / or heating. Following use of a first treatment composition, protective benefits are maintained and restored by means of a second treatment operation employing a second treatment composition with lower active levels of the protective agents to provide for economical and continual maintenance of the imparted fabric protection benefits through a delivered second fabric treatment benefit with each subsequent treatment operation employing the fabric treatment compositions.

The invention is directed to a inflatable shoe tree that is easy to inflate and that is highly suitable for use both at home and for travel. A version of the present invention provides an inflatable shoe tree comprising: a unitary body having, (a) an interior gas tight chamber, (b) a toe portion, (c) a heel portion, (d) a central portion between the toe portion and the heel portion, (e) a bottom portion, (f) a top portion, and (g) an inflation portion that allows for a volume of gas to enter and exit the gas tight chamber. The body is capable of being in an inflated position and a deflated position, and when in an inflated position it forms a preformed three-dimensional structure substantially in the shape of a human foot, and when the shoe tree is in a fully deflated position, it is substantially flat in shape. The inflatable shoe tree may also include a fragrance, a deodorant, or a combination thereof.

An artificial joint for implantation in humans and animals, the joint comprising a joint body arranged between two base elements which are adapted to be connected to adjoining bone parts. The two base elements comprise horizontal and vertical retaining members respectively, that hold the joint body between them. The joint body comprises curved surfaces arranged to

The present invention is directed to an integrated system and a method for utilizing the system to detect and remove blood-borne factors of interest, such as pathogens and / or toxins and / or cytokines, from blood or serum (blood) by contacting the blood with a solid, essentially nonporous substrate which has been surface treated with molecules or chemical groups (the adsorbent media or media) having a binding affinity for the pathogens and / or toxins to be removed (the adsorbents). The invention can be used to remove virulence factors, e.g. toxins, that are released from various pathogens. In one aspect, the invention is for the treatment of sepsis and infection, such as infections associated with battle field trauma.

A variable stator vane assembly for use in a compressor section of a turbine engine having a plurality of movable metallic stator vanes and a method for making a variable stator vane assembly. The variable stator vane assembly includes a metallic stator casing supporting the vanes and a bushing system positioned between the stator vanes and the stator casings. The bushing system includes a bushing fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, ceramic or combinations thereof. The variable stator vane further including a titanium nitride wear coating disposed on a surface of the vanes in contact with the bushing system.

A waste gas treatment system having a burner part and a combustion chamber provided at a downstream side of the burner part. Combustion flames are formed from the burner part toward the combustion chamber, and a waste gas is introduced into the combustion flames, thereby oxidatively decomposing the waste gas. The combustion chamber is formed from an inner wall made of a fiber-reinforced ceramic material. Therefore, the wear of the inner wall due to heat and corrosion is minimized, and thermal stress cracking is also reduced. Consequently, the lifetime of the system increases, and the cost of equipment and the availability factor can be improved. In addition, because the inner wall exhibits no catalytic effect, the formation of thermal NOx is suppressed, and it is possible to achieve environmental preservation and to simplify the treatment equipment.

A method is provided for providing a coaching message to a driver of a vehicle for encouraging a desired driving behavior of the vehicle, the coaching message provided by a coaching arrangement included with the vehicle, the method including determining a driving context for the vehicle, determining a coaching level for the driving context, and selecting the coaching messages to be provided to the driver using a multimodal user interface of the coaching arrangement based on a correlation of the determined coaching level and the determined driving context.

A coupling assembly includes a female fitting assembly comprising a tube body having a nut that is axially and rotatably movable relative to the tube body, and a generally U-shape spring fixedly connected to the nut. The spring has a pair of laterally spaced arms that straddle the tube body when the nut is inserted over the tube body and spring arm end portions that are engageable with serrations on opposite sides of the tube body. The spring arm end portions are shaped to provide more resistance to turning of the nut in the loosening / back-off direction when the nut is fully torqued on a male fitting assembly than during tightening of the nut on the male fitting assembly.

An oscillatory drive comprising a rotating drive shaft is disclosed. The oscillatory drive is driven by an eccentric element that is coupled via a pivot element to a tool drive shaft arranged at an angle to the drive shaft for oscillatingly driving the tool drive shaft pivoting back and forth about its longitudinal axis. The eccentric element comprises a spherical outer ring which is guided within an at least partially cylindrical inner surface of the pivot element. By spring biasing the free end of the pivot element at both outer sides against the housing, efficiency is improved and vibrations are reduced.

A support deck for a treadmill is disposed under an upper stretch of an endless tread belt to support the tread belt and a user thereon. The support deck includes a plurality of indentations on a top surface thereof. Lubricant or lubricating oil is received in the indentations for lubrication between the support deck and the tread belt, thereby reducing friction between the support deck and the tread belt. Thus, the wear of the tread belt decreases, and the life of the tread belt increases. Moreover, the support deck may further include a plurality of ridges on the top surface thereof to offer foot reflexology.