7369results about How to "Avoid separation" patented technology

An improved electrosurgical instrument is disclosed and claims which includes a reusable electrode shaft, a disposable tip and a novel, insulated coupling for removably connecting the disposable tip to the electrode shaft. The present invention provides several advantages and features. The coupling provides ease in connecting the disposable tip to the reusable electrode shaft in an operating room environment. Once the tip is connected to the shaft, the coupling ensures a rigid and secure connection between the tip and the shaft, such that the coupled tip / shaft assembly feels to the surgeon like a single, unitary instrument. In addition, the coupling ensures a good electrical connection between the tip and the shaft, prevents the tip from inadvertently or accidentally becoming separated from the reusable electrode shaft, and maintains the position of the tip relative to the shaft by preventing the tip from rotating relative to the holder. The coupling also includes an insulating sheath that eliminates any conduction paths between the patient and the electrosurgical instrument other than the surgical tip.

Methods and apparatus are provided for obtaining a secure mechanical connection and a pressure-tight seal in the overlapping area of two telescoping tubular bodies. The two bodies, including the overlapping area, are radially expanded to increase the inside diameter of the bodies. The expansion forces an annular seal in the overlapping area into a pressure-sealing engagement between the bodies. A string of pipe assembled from joints secured to each other by telescoping, threadedly engaged expanded pin and box connections may be radially expanded into a surrounding well bore to provide a cased well having an internal diameter greater than the original internal diameter of the pipe string. The seal in the connection comprises an annular elastomeric seal ring and an annular Teflon spacer ring carried in a specially dimensioned groove formed in either the box or the pin, or both members of the connection. Radial expansion of the connection causes axial contraction of the groove, which acts with the spacer ring to expand the seal ring radially to seal the annular space created between the expanded pin and box.

A method for performing spinal fixation and instrumentation. A first incision may be made through the skin and a passageway may be created to the spine. A screw may be inserted through the passageway and into a vertebrae. The screw may have a head portion including a channel. An insertion guide may be operable connected to the screw. The insertion guide may have first and second longitudinal slots. Additional screws may each be inserted through separate incisions or through the first incision. Insertion guides may be operably connected to a head portion of each screw. A sleeve may be positioned into one insertion guide in a first position to guide a rod through at least one other insertion guide. The sleeve may be rotated to a second position to allow the rod to move down the slots of the insertion guide(s) and into the head portion of the screw.

This relates to a device for treating lung disease, and more particularly, relates to a device for exchanging energy with airway tissue such as that found in the airways of human lungs. The exchange of energy with this airway tissue in the airways reduces the ability of the airways to constrict and / or reduces the resistance within the airway to the flow of air through the airway.

Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system including tongue and grooves provided with protrusions and cavities which are displaceable in relation to each other and configured such that the protrusions can obtain a vertically unlocked position where they match the cavities and a vertically locked position where the protrusions overlap each other.

A display device includes a pixel portion in which a pixel is arranged in a matrix, the pixel including an inverted staggered thin film transistor having a combination of at least two kinds of oxide semiconductor layers with different amounts of oxygen and having a channel protective layer over a semiconductor layer to be a channel formation region overlapping a gate electrode layer and a pixel electrode layer electrically connected to the inverted staggered thin film transistor. In the periphery of the pixel portion in this display device, a pad portion including a conductive layer made of the same material as the pixel electrode layer is provided. In addition, the conductive layer is electrically connected to a common electrode layer formed on a counter substrate.

A mask system for treating sleep disordered breathing, comprising headgear, a shell / cushion including a channel adjacent a front aperture, a frame, an elbow including at least one undercut on a proximal end, a retaining ring including a rear flange adapted to be retainably insertable in the channel of the shell / cushion, and a front flange adapted to retainably engage with the at least one undercut of the elbow.

Disclosed herein are heart pumps that include a catheter assembly and that can be applied percutaneously. Some embodiments include a locking device that prevents components of the catheter assembly from being separated when in use. The catheter assembly can include an expandable tip. In some embodiments, the catheter assembly includes a housing having a wall structure, a portion of which can have a bulbuous shape or can be deformable. In other embodiments, the housing can be configured to reduce fluttering or deflection of the housing and / or to maintain a gap between the housing and an impeller blade disposed therein.

The present invention provides a high-performance glucose sensor having excellent storage stability and an improved response characteristic. This sensor comprises: an electrically insulating base plate; an electrode system including at least a working electrode and a counter electrode formed on the base plate; and a reaction layer containing at least pyrrolo-quinoline quinone dependent glucose dehydrogenase, formed in contact with or in the vicinity of the electrode system, and the reaction layer contains at least one kind of additive selected from the group consisting of gluconic acid and salts thereof.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing subterranean well productivity by enhancing fracture conductivity. A method of increasing the conductivity of a fracture in a portion of a subterranean formation comprising providing a slurry comprising a fracturing fluid, a degradable material, and proppant particulates coated with a tackifying agent; allowing the degradable material to become at least temporarily attached to the tackifying agent coated onto the proppant particulates so as to avoid substantial segregation of the degradable material from the proppant particulates within the slurry; introducing the slurry to the fracture and allowing the proppant particulates and degradable material to form a substantially uniform particulate pack; and, allowing the degradable material to degrade and produce a particulate pack having voids therein.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing subterranean well productivity by enhancing fracture conductivity. A method of increasing the conductivity of a fracture in a portion of a subterranean formation comprising providing a slurry comprising a fracturing fluid, a degradable material, and proppant particulates coated with a tackifying agent; allowing the degradable material to become at least temporarily attached to the tackifying agent coated onto the proppant particulates so as to avoid substantial segregation of the degradable material from the proppant particulates within the slurry; introducing the slurry to the fracture and allowing the proppant particulates and degradable material to form a substantially uniform particulate pack; and, allowing the degradable material to degrade and produce a particulate pack having voids therein.

A method of making a lead frame and a partially patterned lead frame package with near-chip scale packaging lead-count, wherein the method lends itself to better automation of the manufacturing line and improved quality and reliability of the packages produced therefrom. A major portion of the manufacturing process steps is performed with a partially patterned strip of metal formed into a web-like lead frame on one side so that the web-like lead frame is also rigid mechanically and robust thermally to perform without distortion or deformation during the chip-attach and wire bond processes, both at the chip level and the package level. The bottom side of the metal lead frame is patterned to isolate the chip-pad and the wire bond contacts only after the front side, including the chip and wires, is hermetically sealed with an encapsulant. The resultant package being electrically isolated enables strip testing and reliable singulation.

A curved sliding-type portable communication apparatus and a sliding device thereof are provided. The sliding-type portable communication apparatus includes a main body which includes a plurality of first keys on its top surface and a slider which includes a display device on its top surface, is given a closing force within a predetermined distance from the longitudinal direction of the main body while facing the main body, moves in a curved fashion with an opening force beyond the predetermined distance, provides easy initial movement through the curved movement, and opens and closes the top surface of the main body. Thus, it is easy to open and close the sliding-type portable communication apparatus using the thumb while gripping the sliding-type portable communication apparatus by the hand.

An external infusion device for infusion of a fluid into a body from a reservoir includes a drive system, a housing, electronic control circuitry and at least one vent port. The drive system is operatively coupled with a reservoir to infuse a fluid into a body. The housing is adapted for use on an exterior of the body, and is sized to contain at least a portion of a reservoir. In addition, the drive mechanism is at least partially contained within the housing, and operatively couples with the at least a portion of a reservoir within the housing. Also, the housing is sized to be carried by a user without significant restriction on mobility. The electronic control circuitry is coupled to the drive system to control infusion of the fluid into the body. Moreover, the housing has at least one vent port that permits the passage of air into and out of the housing and inhibits the passage of liquids into the housing through the at least one vent port.

An endoscopic surgical cutting stapler with a chain articulation is provided, in which a joint is implemented by a chain articulation, teeth are provided at two ends of a chain plate of the chain articulation, and teeth of adjacent chain plates in the same row are engaged. Through mesh transmission of engaged teeth of the adjacent chain plates in the same row, an angle of a most proximal chain plate of the chain articulation is gradually multiplied at several stages and transmitted to an end effector. The end effector can rotate for 90° with small drive motion of the operating mechanism, thereby achieving precise placement of the chain articulation after rotation. The end effector can be precisely aligned with a part to be cut and stapled, and a radius of curvature of the chain articulation can be significantly increased.

The invention relates to a method of producing reclosable absorbent garments, in particular absorbent pants, and to the absorbent garments obtainable by said method. Starting from a continuous web (1) of absorbent articles attached side-by-side and with a line of weakening (6) arranged between adjacent articles, a first strip (8) comprising releasably attachable material is applied across the line (6) at one edge (25) of the web. A second strip of flexible material is also applied across the line (6) at the other edge (26) of the web. The web is then folded longitudinally to form a series of closed, joined adjacent articles. The adjacent articles are then partially separated at said line (6) but without rupturing said strips (8, 13), so as to provide a free zone (15) between said strips (8, 13) and the adjacent separated edges of each article. The strips (8, 13) are then joined together across the free zone (15) to form a plurality of joined garments. The strips (8, 13) may then be severed so as to form individual garments (27) of the reclosable type, or may remain unsevered and be foreseen with a line of weakening for later separation. Due to the particular method and product features of the invention, an in-line process for making closed, reclosable absorbent garments is achieved.

A spinal stabilization system includes bone fastener assemblies to be coupled to vertebrae. Each bone fastener assembly includes a bone fastener and a collar. The bone fastener has a head portion having at least a first cross-sectional shape in a first plane, and a second cross-sectional shape in a second plane. The collar has a circular opening in the bottom, with a relief extending from the circular opening. The second cross-sectional shape of the bone fastener is keyed to the opening to permit insertion of the bone fastener into the collar assembly from the bottom. After insertion, the bone fastener is rotated to prohibit removal of the bone fastener from the collar. The collar can then be rotated and / or angulated relative to the bone fastener. An elongated member can be positioned in the collar and a closure member is then used to secure the elongated member to the collar.

Disclosed is a spine fixation apparatus, more particularly, a pedicle screw implanted into a spine and an operating device for the pedicle screw capable of easily inserting a rod to a head section of the pedicle screw in order to securely fix the spine. The pedicle screw has a head section including a recess part defined by first and second sidewalls, a screw section, and a support unit formed at an upper portion of the recess part of the head section while connecting the first sidewall to the second sidewall. The operating device has a screw coupling rod having an elongated pipe shape, a body having a first side coupled to the screw coupling rod, a rotating member having a first end coupled to a second side of the body in such a manner that a second end of the rotating member rotates about the first end thereof, and a rod receiver coupled to the second end of the rotating member. Due to the support unit, the rod is prevented from being easily separated from the pedicle screw, thereby facilitating minimum incision surgery. The operating device for the pedicle screw allows an operator to easily perform minimum incision surgery while making several incisions for the pedicle screws and the rod in the back of the patient and keeping the size of incisions quite a small.

An artificial disc having a pair of opposing baseplates, for seating against opposing vertebral bone surfaces, separated by a ball and socket joint that includes a ball compression locked to a post extending from one of the baseplates. The ball is captured within a curvate socket formed in a peak of a convex structure attached to the other of the baseplates. The socket is formed by opposing curvate surfaces, one on the convex structure and one on the other of the baseplates. While the ball angulates freely in the socket, the rotation of the ball in the socket has a limited range due to interference between a protrusion on the convex structure that extends into the socket and a curvate recess on the ball. The ball and socket joint therefore permits the baseplates to rotate relative to one another through a limited range and also angulate relative to one another.

Medical connector comprising a tubular body with an inlet fitting and an outlet fitting of the female luer-lock type connected to the body in a rotary and axially translatable way between a retracted position and an advanced position. One-directional detent assemblies enable rotation of the outlet fitting in one direction in the retracted position and in the opposite direction in the advanced position.

The present invention includes an osmotic pump that includes a means for venting an osmotic composition included in the pump before the internal pressure of the pump has the opportunity to build to such an extent that the pump is structurally compromised, such as when one or more components of the pump are physically separated. The means for venting osmotic material included in an osmotic pump according to the present invention includes a vent that allows the material included in the osmotic composition of the pump to dissipate into an environment of operation at a rate that results in dissipation of the pressure created within the osmotic pump and a reduced potential for subject discomfort or irritation.

A reservoir, made from a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), for containing a fluid for infusion into a body of a patient includes a proximal end adapted to connect to an infusion set, a distal end, a cylindrical wall longitudinally extending from the proximal end to the distal end, and a piston adapted to be slidably mounted within the reservoir at the distal end. The COC may be Topas® and the reservoir may be used to contain insulin. The piston forms a fluid tight seal and may be connected to a linear actuation member. Additionally, the piston may be formed from an elastomeric material including rubber, silicone, bromobutyl, natural synthetic isoprene, nitrile, and / or ethylene propylene diene monomers. The piston may also be made from a COC such as Topas®.

A needle fixture of a probe card and a needle fixing method in semiconductor inspection equipment include a needle fixture of a probe card in semiconductor inspection equipment including a printed circuit board; a needle fixture installed in the printed circuit board; a resin unit affixing a probe needle to the needle fixture using an adhesive; and a separation preventer for preventing separation of the resin unit from the needle fixture, wherein the separation preventer includes: a plurality of notches formed along a bottom surface of the needle fixture; and the adhesive filling the plurality of notches.

A display device includes a pixel portion in which a pixel electrode layer is arranged in a matrix, and an inverted staggered thin film transistor having a combination of at least two kinds of oxide semiconductor layers with different amounts of oxygen is provided corresponding to the pixel electrode layer. In the periphery of the pixel portion in this display device, a pad portion is provided to be electrically connected to a common electrode layer formed on a counter substrate through a conductive layer made of the same material as the pixel electrode layer. One objection of our invention to prevent a defect due to separation of a thin film in various kinds of display devices is realized, by providing a structure suitable for a pad portion provided in a display panel.

Medical connector comprising a tubular body with an inlet fitting and an outlet fitting of the female luer-lock type connected to the body in a rotary and axially translatable way between a retracted position and an advanced position. One-directional detent assemblies enable rotation of the outlet fitting in one direction in the retracted position and in the opposite direction in the advanced position.