6546 results about "Wrap around" patented technology

Methods and devices for maintaining a space-occupying device in a fixed relationship relative to a patient's stomach by manipulation of the stomach. In one variation, two or more regions of the stomach wall are brought into appromixation with one another and secured together in a manner that secures a space-occupying device within the stomach of the patient. In another variation, two or more regions of the stomach wall are wrapped around a space-occupying device to maintain the position of the space-occupying device relative to the stomach wall. In another variation, a system having a space-occupying member and a locking member capable holding the space-occupying member against the inner wall of the stomach are provided. In a further variation, a pouch is created within the stomach that receives and retains a space-occupying device.

A reflective element assembly for a variable reflectance vehicular mirror includes a front substrate having a transparent conductive coating disposed on a second surface, and a rear substrate having a third surface conductive coating disposed on its third surface and preferably, a fourth surface conductive coating disposed on its fourth surface. At least a portion of the third surface conductive coating may wrap around an edge portion of the rear substrate and at least a portion of the fourth surface conductive coating may wrap around at least a second portion of the perimeter edge so as to establish electrical continuity between the fourth surface conductive coating on the fourth surface and the third surface conductive coating on the third surface. The rear substrate may have a smaller dimension than the front substrate so as to provide an overhang region, preferably at the wraparound region.

A consumer electronic product includes at least a transparent housing and a flexible display assembly enclosed within the transparent housing. In the described embodiment, the flexible display assembly is configured to present visual content at any portion of the transparent housing.

A composite filtration medium web of fibers containing a controlled dispersion of a mixture of sub-micron and greater than sub-micron diameter polymeric fibers is described. The filtration medium is made by a two dimensional array of cells, each of which produces a single high velocity two-phase solids-gas jet of discontinuous fibers entrained in air. The cells are arranged so that the individual jets are induced to collide in flight with neighboring jets in their region of fiber formation, to cause the individual nascent fibers of adjacent jets to deform and become entangled with and partially wrap around each other at high velocity and in a localized fine scale manner before they have had an opportunity to cool to a relatively rigid state. The cells are individually adjusted to control the mean diameters, lengths and trajectories of the fibers they produce. Certain cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of fibers having diameters less than one micron diameter, and which are relatively shorter in length and certain other cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of structure-forming reinforcing fibers having diameters greater than one micron diameter which are relatively longer in length. By employing appropriate close positioning and orientation of the cells in the array, the sub-micron fibers are caused to promptly entangle with and partially wrap around the larger reinforcing fibers. The larger fibers thereby trap and immobilize the sub-micron diameter fibers in the region of formation, to minimize the tendency of sub-micron diameter fibers to clump, agglomerate, or rope together in flight. Also, the larger fibers in flight are made to form a protective curtain to prevent the sub-micron fibers from being carried off by stray air currents.

Screen (10) for a user interface of a television schedule system and process consists of an array (24) of irregular cells (26), which vary in length, corresponding to different television program lengths of one half hour to one-and-one half hours or more. The array is arranged as three columns (28) of one-half hour in duration, and twelve rows (30) of program listings. Some of the program listings overlap two or more of the columns (28) because of their length. Because of the widely varying length of the cells (26), if a conventional cursor used to select a cell location were to simply step from one cell to another, the result would be abrupt changes in the screen (10) as the cursor moved from a cell (26) of several hours length to an adjacent cell in the same row. An effective way of taming the motion is to assume that behind every array (24) is an underlying array of regular cells. By restricting cursor movements to the regular cells, abrupt screen changes will be avoided. With the cursor (32), the entire cell (26) is 3-D highlighted, using a conventional offset shadow (34). The offset shadow (34) is a black bar that underlines the entire cell and wraps around the right edge of the cell. To tag the underlying position-which defines where the cursor (32) is and thus, where it will move next-portions (36) of the black bar outside the current underlying position are segmented, while the current position is painted solid.

Intra-gastric fastening devices are disclosed herein. Expandable devices that are inserted into the stomach of the patient are maintained within by anchoring or otherwise fixing the expandable devices to the stomach walls. Such expandable devices, like inflatable balloons, have tethering regions for attachment to the one or more fasteners which can be configured to extend at least partially through one or several folds of the patient's stomach wall. The fasteners are thus affixed to the stomach walls by deploying the fasteners and manipulating the tissue walls entirely from the inside of the organ. Such fasteners can be formed in a variety of configurations, e.g., helical, elongate, ring, clamp, and they can be configured to be non-piercing. Alternatively, sutures can be used to wrap around or through a tissue fold for tethering the expandable devices. Non-piercing biased clamps can also be used to tether the device within the stomach.

Methods and apparatus for storing data records associated with an extreme value are disclosed. Signal data is stored in a first buffer of a set of buffers. If a local extreme value for the first buffer exceeds a global extreme value, signal data is stored in a second buffer of the set of buffers. This process is repeated, wrapping around and overwriting buffers until the signal data in a current buffer does not have a local extreme value that exceeds the global extreme value. When this happens, signal data may be stored in a subsequent buffer and if a local extreme value of the subsequent buffer does not exceed the global extreme value, further signal data may be stored in the subsequent buffer in a circular manner until either an instantaneous extreme value exceeds the global extreme value or the recording period ends. In an embodiment, the extreme value may be a peak value.

A wearable article is configured for providing payment information to a point of sale terminal during a transaction. The wearable article, in some embodiments, includes a band configured for wrapping around a body part of the customer and for carrying an electronic device. In some embodiments, the band has an attachment system for removably securing the band to the body part of the customer. The electronic device includes an energy storage element, a memory device, a communication device and a processing device. The processing device is configured for receiving a communication from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information for completion of the transaction. The processing device reads account information from the memory device and communicates payment information to the point of sale terminal. In some embodiments, the wearable article receives power from a field generated by the point of sale terminal.

A multiple-gate semiconductor structure is disclosed which includes a substrate, a fin formed of a semi-conducting material that has a top surface and two sidewall surfaces. The fin is subjected to a strain of at least 0.01% and is positioned vertically on the substrate; source and drain regions formed in the semi-conducting material of the fin; a gate dielectric layer overlying the fin; and a gate electrode wrapping around the fin on the top surface and the two sidewall surfaces of the fin overlying the gate dielectric layer. A method for forming the multiple-gate semiconductor structure is further disclosed.

A composite filtration medium web of fibers containing a controlled dispersion of a mixture of sub-micron and greater than sub-micron diameter polymeric fibers is described. The filtration medium is made by a two dimensional array of cells, each of which produces a single high velocity two-phase solids-gas jet of discontinuous fibers entrained in air. The cells are arranged so that the individual jets are induced to collide in flight with neighboring jets in their region of fiber formation, to cause the individual nascent fibers of adjacent jets to deform and become entangled with and partially wrap around each other at high velocity and in a localized fine scale manner before they have had an opportunity to cool to a relatively rigid state. The cells are individually adjusted to control the mean diameters, lengths and trajectories of the fibers they produce. Certain cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of fibers having diameters less than one micron diameter, and which are relatively shorter in length and certain other cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of structure-forming reinforcing fibers having diameters greater than one micron diameter which are relatively longer in length. By employing appropriate close positioning and orientation of the cells in the array, the sub-micron fibers are caused to promptly entangle with and partially wrap around the larger reinforcing fibers. The larger fibers thereby trap and immobilize the sub-micron diameter fibers in the region of formation, to minimize the tendency of sub-micron diameter fibers to clump, agglomerate, or rope together in flight. Also, the larger fibers in flight are made to form a protective curtain to prevent the sub-micron fibers from being carried off by stray air currents.

A passive girdle is wrapped around a heart muscle which has dilatation of a ventricle to conform to the size and shape of the heart and to constrain the dilatation during diastole. The girdle is formed of a material and structure that does not expand away from the heart but may, over an extended period of time be decreased in size as dilatation decreases.

An alignment guide for aligning instrumentation along a proximal femur includes a neck portion configured to wrap around a portion of the neck of the femur, a head underside portion configured to abut a disto-lateral portion of the femoral head and a medial head portion configured to overlie a medial portion of the head. Portions of the guide can have an inner surface generally a negative of the femoral bone of a specific patient that the guide overlies; such surfaces can be formed using data obtained from the specific patient. The neck portion can be configured to rotationally stabilize the guide by abutting and generating a first gripping force on the neck. The femoral head portions can be configured to grip the head portion of the femur and can support a bore guide that is configured to guide an instrument to the femur in a specified location and along a given axis.

A graft construct formed of a plurality of single tendon strands or soft tissue grafts placed together so that at least a portion of one of the single tendon strands is wrapped around a portion of another of the single provided with at least two suturing, for example. The graft construct is provided with at least two regions, one region formed of at least a plurality of tendon strands tied together, and the other region formed of loose segments of the plurality of tendon strands.

Methods and devices for maintaining a space-occupying device in a fixed relationship relative to a patient's stomach by manipulation of the stomach. In one variation, two or more regions of the stomach wall are brought into approximation with one another and secured together in a manner that secures a space-occupying device within the stomach of the patient. In another variation, two or more regions of the stomach wall are wrapped around a space-occupying device to maintain the position of the space-occupying device relative to the stomach wall. In another variation, a system having a space-occupying member and a locking member capable holding the space-occupying member against the inner wall of the stomach are provided. In a further variation, a pouch is created within the stomach that receives and retains a space-occupying device.

A nonplanar semiconductor device and its method of fabrication is described. The nonplanar semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a top surface opposite a bottom surface formed above an insulating substrate wherein the semiconductor body has a pair laterally opposite sidewalls. A gate dielectric is formed on the top surface of the semiconductor body on the laterally opposite sidewalls of the semiconductor body and on at least a portion of the bottom surface of semiconductor body. A gate electrode is formed on the gate dielectric, on the top surface of the semiconductor body and adjacent to the gate dielectric on the laterally opposite sidewalls of semiconductor body and beneath the gate dielectric on the bottom surface of the semiconductor body. A pair source / drain regions are formed in the semiconductor body on opposite sides of the gate electrode.

Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor memory cell includes a fin structure extending from a substrate, the fin structure including a floating substrate region having a first conductivity type configured to store data as volatile memory; first and second regions interfacing with the floating substrate region, each of the first and second regions having a second conductivity type; first and second floating gates or trapping layers positioned adjacent opposite sides of the floating substrate region; a first insulating layer positioned between the floating substrate region and the floating gates or trapping layers, the floating gates or trapping layers being configured to receive transfer of data stored by the volatile memory and store the data as nonvolatile memory in the floating gates or trapping layers upon interruption of power to the memory cell; a control gate wrapped around the floating gates or trapping layers and the floating substrate region; and a second insulating layer positioned between the floating gates or trapping layers and the control gate; the substrate including an isolation layer that isolates the floating substrate region from a portion of the substrate below the isolation layer.

Methods and apparatus are provided for selective surgical removal of tissue, e.g., for enlargement of diseased spinal structures, such as impinged lateral recesses and pathologically narrowed neural foramen. In one variation, tissue may be ablated, resected, removed, or otherwise remodeled by standard small endoscopic tools delivered into the epidural space through an epidural needle. Once the sharp tip of the needle is in the epidural space, it is converted to a blunt tipped instrument for further safe advancement. A specially designed epidural catheter that is used to cover the previously sharp needle tip may also contain a fiberoptic cable. Further embodiments of the current invention include a double barreled epidural needle or other means for placement of a working channel for the placement of tools within the epidural space, beside the epidural instrument. The current invention includes specific tools that enable safe tissue modification in the epidural space, including a barrier that separates the area where tissue modification will take place from adjacent vulnerable neural and vascular structures. In one variation, a tissue abrasion device is provided including a thin belt or ribbon with an abrasive cutting surface. The device may be placed through the neural foramina of the spine and around the anterior border of a facet joint. Once properly positioned, a medical practitioner may enlarge the lateral recess and neural foramina via frictional abrasion, i.e., by sliding the abrasive surface of the ribbon across impinging tissues. A nerve stimulator optionally may be provided to reduce a risk of inadvertent neural abrasion. Additionally, safe epidural placement of the working barrier and epidural tissue modification tools may be further improved with the use of electrical nerve stimulation capabilities within the invention that, when combined with neural stimulation monitors, provide neural localization capabilities to the surgeon. The device optionally may be placed within a protective sheath that exposes the abrasive surface of the ribbon only in the area where tissue removal is desired. Furthermore, an endoscope may be incorporated into the device in order to monitor safe tissue removal. Finally, tissue remodeling within the epidural space may be ensured through the placement of compression dressings against remodeled tissue surfaces, or through the placement of tissue retention straps, belts or cables that are wrapped around and pull under tension aspects of the impinging soft tissue and bone in the posterior spinal canal.

A moving magnet actuator for providing haptic feedback. The actuator includes a grounded core member, a coil is wrapped around a central projection of the core member, and a magnet head positioned so as to provide a gap between the core member and the magnet head. The magnet head is moved in a degree of freedom based on an electromagnetic force caused by a current flowed through the coil. An elastic material, such as foam, is positioned in the gap between the magnet head and the core member, where the elastic material is compressed and sheared when the magnet head moves and substantially prevents movement of the magnet head past a range limit that is based on the compressibility and shear factor of the material. Flexible members can also be provided between the magnet head and the ground member, where the flexible members flex to allow the magnet head to move, provide a centering spring force to the magnet head, and limit the motion of the magnet head.

Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor memory cell includes a fin structure extending from a substrate, the fin structure including a floating substrate region having a first conductivity type configured to store data as volatile memory; first and second regions interfacing with the floating substrate region, each of the first and second regions having a second conductivity type; first and second floating gates or trapping layers positioned adjacent opposite sides of the floating substrate region; a first insulating layer positioned between the floating substrate region and the floating gates or trapping layers, the floating gates or trapping layers being configured to receive transfer of data stored by the volatile memory and store the data as nonvolatile memory in the floating gates or trapping layers upon interruption of power to the memory cell; a control gate wrapped around the floating gates or trapping layers and the floating substrate region; and a second insulating layer positioned between the floating gates or trapping layers and the control gate; the substrate including an isolation layer that isolates the floating substrate region from a portion of the substrate below the isolation layer.

A solar-powered lighting system includes a flexible, wrap-around, preferably self-stick panel of photovoltaic laminate applied to the outside surface of a light pole. An LED light fixture is connected preferably at or near the top of the pole and has the same or similar diameter as the pole. The LED light fixture has multiple columns and rows of LEDs and an interior axial space for air flow to cool the LEDs. The pole preferably also has vents and axial passage(s) for creating a natural updraft through at least a portion of the pole and the light fixture, for cooling of the photovoltaic panel interior surface, the LEDs, and / or other equipment inside the fixture or pole, and batteries that may be provided inside the pole or pole base. A purely or mainly decorative additional fixture, which emulates conventional outdoor light fixtures, may be provided on the lighting system, wherein the decorative additional fixture includes no, or only a minimal, light source. The lighting system has a sleek profile with few or no protrusions from the sides of the pole and from the LED light fixture, except for the optional decorative fixture that provides a conventional street light appearance even though the main light source is the LED fixture.

An IC card includes a plated or protective module including a printed circuit having a plurality of conductive areas, delimited by a network of insulating channels, for covering an integrated circuit chip, a plastic support with a recess intended to host the plated module and the integrated circuit chip, with at least some of the conductive areas connected to corresponding contact points on the integrated circuit chip. A plurality of extended areas are linked to a corresponding conductive areas by one or more bridges. A couple of advanced extended areas form a rounded border of the plated module. Advanced extended areas are linked to conductive areas not connected to contact points. Advanced extended areas wrap around the extended areas and form the opposite rounded sides of the plated module.

A graft construct formed of a plurality of single tendon strands or soft tissue grafts placed together so that at least a portion of one of the single tendon strands is wrapped around a portion of another of the single tendon strands by employing suturing, for example. The graft construct is provided with at least two regions, one region formed of at least a plurality of tendon strands tied together, and the other region formed of loose segments of the plurality of tendon strands.

Methods and apparatus are provided for selective surgical removal of tissue, e.g., for enlargement of diseased spinal structures, such as impinged lateral recesses and pathologically narrowed neural foramen. In one variation, tissue may be ablated, resected, removed, or otherwise remodeled by standard small endoscopic tools delivered into the epidural space through an epidural needle. Once the sharp tip of the needle is in the epidural space, it is converted to a blunt tipped instrument for further safe advancement. A specially designed epidural catheter that is used to cover the previously sharp needle tip may also contain a fiberoptic cable. Further embodiments of the current invention include a double barreled epidural needle or other means for placement of a working channel for the placement of tools within the epidural space, beside the epidural instrument. The current invention includes specific tools that enable safe tissue modification in the epidural space, including a barrier that separates the area where tissue modification will take place from adjacent vulnerable neural and vascular structures. In one variation, a tissue removal device is provided including a thin belt or ribbon with an abrasive cutting surface. The device may be placed through the neural foramina of the spine and around the anterior border of a facet joint. Once properly positioned, a medical practitioner may enlarge the lateral recess and neural foramina via frictional abrasion, i.e., by sliding the tissue removal surface of the ribbon across impinging tissues. A nerve stimulator optionally may be provided to reduce a risk of inadvertent neural abrasion. Additionally, safe epidural placement of the working barrier and epidural tissue modification tools may be further improved with the use of electrical nerve stimulation capabilities within the invention that, when combined with neural stimulation monitors, provide neural localization capabilities to the surgeon. The device optionally may be placed within a protective sheath that exposes the abrasive surface of the ribbon only in the area where tissue removal is desired. Furthermore, an endoscope may be incorporated into the device in order to monitor safe tissue removal. Finally, tissue remodeling within the epidural space may be ensured through the placement of compression dressings against remodeled tissue surfaces, or through the placement of tissue retention straps, belts or cables that are wrapped around and pull under tension aspects of the impinging soft tissue and bone in the posterior spinal canal.

The present invention provides a device and assembly for electrically and / or chemically stimulating individual ganglion and a plurality of ganglia of the nervous system, and particularly to ganglia of the sympathetic nerve chain. A device is provided that generally wraps around an individual ganglion and conforms to the shape of the ganglion without exerting excessive pressure on the ganglion to damage the ganglion. An assembly is also provided that includes an axially elongated shaft that can be positioned adjacent to the sympathetic nerve chain and that can receive a plurality of ganglion stimulators that can slidably engage with the outer surface of the shaft. As additional ganglia are desired to be stimulated, each of the plurality of ganglion stimulators can be added to the shaft to engage the outer surface of the shaft and can be positioned adjacent to the ganglia desired to be stimulated.

A splint apparatus includes an immobilization member which is substantially rigid; and an apparatus mounting structure including a flexible sheet and a immobilization member retaining structure removably retaining the immobilization member and body area engaging means. The immobilization member preferably is an immobilization panel. The body area engaging structure preferably includes at least one arm portion extending from the flexible sheet and having an arm portion free end for wrapping around a part of a human body, and having a arm portion fastening structure for removably securing the at least one arm portion remote end after the at least one arm portion is wrapped around a part of a human body. A method of using the splint apparatus to splint a part of a human body is also provided.

The present invention relates to a dust and dirt collecting unit for a vacuum cleaner capable of simultaneously performing a primary cyclonic dust collection and a secondary filter dust collection. According to the present invention, there is provided a dust and dirt collecting unit for a vacuum cleaner, which is mounted to one side of a main body of the vacuum cleaner to filter sucked air containing foreign substances. The dust and dirt collecting unit of the present invention comprises a dust casing which has an inlet formed in a direction tangential thereto for introducing the air containing the foreign substances thereinto and of which a top portion is open; a cover which is used to open and close the top portion of the dust casing and is provided at the center thereof with an outlet for discharging air from which the foreign substances have been filtered out; a filter assembly which is installed at a bottom surface of the cover corresponding to the outlet and includes a cylindrical filter of which the interior communicates with the outlet; a protective cylindrical body which is formed to wrap around an outer periphery of the filter assembly and installed below the cover so that the interior thereof can communicate with the exterior thereof through a plurality of vent holes formed at a lower portion thereof; and a separating plate which is coupled with the bottom of the filter assembly and extends radially to be spaced apart from an inner circumferential surface of the dust casing by a predetermined gap.

Methods and devices for measuring the size of a body lumen and a method for ablating tissue that uses the measurement to normalize delivery of ablational energy from an expandable operative element to a luminal target of varying circumference are provided. The method includes inserting into the lumen an expandable operative element having circuitry with resistivity or inductance that varies according to the circumference of the operative element, varying the expansion of the operative element with an expansion medium, measuring the resistivity of the circuitry, and relating the resistivity or inductance to a value for the circumference of the operative element. In some embodiments the sizing circuit includes a conductive elastomer wrapped around the operative element. Other embodiments of the method apply to operative elements that include an overlapping energy delivery element support in which the overlap varies inversely with respect to the state of expansion, and which is configured with sizing electrodes that sense the amount of the overlap.

An iron golf club head having a thin (less than 0.12 inches) first section that has an expanded unsupported front face region. The first section including a central portion forming part of a leading edge and wrapping around a sole section of the club, to create an increase the coefficient of restitution of the club head to greater than 0.8. The club head utilizes a rear insert that in addition to providing support for the front face, also allows for the fine tuning of swing weights with no change in geometry or size of the club head. This is accomplished this by the utilization of weight adjustment inserts that impregnate tungsten loaded plastic into sheets of carbon graphite and epoxy. The percentage of tungsten creating a weight range without any size change in the sheets.

An electronic circuit for sensing an output of a sensor having at least one electrode pair and circuitry for obtaining and processing the sensor output. The electrode pair may be laid out such that one electrode is wrapped around the other electrode in a U-shaped fashion. The electronic circuitry may include, among other things, a line interface for interfacing with input / output lines, a rectifier in parallel with the line interface, a counter connected to the line interface and a data converter connected to the counter and the electrode pair. The data converter may be a current-to-frequency converter. In addition, the rectifier may derive power for the electronic circuit from communication pulses received on the input / output lines.

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a semiconductor layer is patterned to form a source region, a channel region, and a drain region in the semiconductor layer. The channel region extends between the source region and the drain region. Corners of the channel region are rounded by annealing the channel region to form a nano-rod structure. Part of the nano-rod structure is then used as a gate channel. Preferably, a gate dielectric and a gate electrode both wrap around the nano-rod structure, with the gate dielectric being between the nano-rod structure and the gate electrode, to form a transistor device.