867 results about "Fail-safe" patented technology

The present disclosure describes a device and methods for safely and accurately placing screws into bones with a powered driving device. By employing multiple layers of fail-safe features and image-guidance systems, the powered driving device provides safe, accurate, and efficient screw placement. That is, the powered driving device may continuously monitor a screw advancement and placement and may automatically shutdown when improper placement is detected. Monitoring placement may be conducted by a microcurrent-monitoring system, by an image-guidance system, or by any other appropriate sensory system. Additionally, upon detecting that screw insertion is complete, the powered driving device may be automatically shutdown. As screw placement is continuously simulated by image-guidance in real time, multiple redundant verification steps are eliminated, providing highly accurate screw placement while decreasing clinician error, device contamination, and surgical time, the decreased surgical time associated with decreased patient-recovery time and associated medical costs.

A method for controlling speed of a vehicle based upon control messages received through a communications device within the vehicle includes monitoring communication of control messages to a propulsion controller wherein control messages includes a speed profile including a current speed command representing instantaneous desired speed of the vehicle and future speed commands representing a predetermined controlled vehicle stop through a speed profile period, detecting anomalous communications of the control messages, and controlling the speed of the vehicle during anomalous communications using the future speed commands.

Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.

Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.

Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.

An entertainment system comprising a base unit with a transceiver for interacting, at times, with a control unit via a communications link, and a control unit for controlling the base unit, the control unit being dockable with the base unit to establish direct electrical connection between them, and including a transceiver for interacting with the control unit via said link when undocked. The control unit is a separate aspect of the invention or system. The base unit may contain a tuner, preferably with bandless tuning capability, and may be designed to receive into a universal docking arrangement a digitally controllable auxiliary audio source such as a portable MP3 player or other device. The base unit may further provide alarm clock functionality with numerous features including a “fail-safe” volume control system and fail-safe alarm time setting capability.

Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cholesteric liquid crystalline material which may be usable in an electro-active element for providing fail safe operation, polarization insensitivity, low electrical power consumption requirements, and a small number of electrical connections. The cholesteric liquid crystalline material may be usable in an electro-active element for providing a diffractive efficiency or focusing efficiency above 90% in an activated state of the electro-active element and a diffractive efficiency or focusing efficiency below 10% in a deactivated state of the electro-active element.

The present invention contributes to advancements in the art of inventory management and distribution by providing a system and method for processing, distributing, and tracking reusable inventory items. Reusable articles, such as surgical garments and accessories, are adapted with radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tags having unique identification numbers. A “reader” is used to retrieve stored information from the tags without requiring direct contact or clear line-of-sight. The reusable articles are processed and distributed using an inventory management system wherein lifecycle data is obtained for each reusable article. The reusable articles are distributed to the end users from central processing facilities, used, returned, cleaned, inspected, folded, sterilized, and returned to inventory for re-distribution. Periodic quality control inspections are conducted in response to predetermined usage parameters. The use of RFID tags and a corresponding computer network allows for the acquisition of data corresponding to each reusable article within a distribution system having multiple remote distribution and processing facilities. The acquired data is transmitted to a central computer processing system via a secured wide area computer network for use and analysis. Data processing computer servers at each remote distribution and processing facility electronically linked to a central data processing server provide a fail-safe network for acquired data.