57results about How to "Enhance ability" patented technology

A reduced area imaging device is provided which utilizes selected charge integration periods. Various configurations of the imaging device are provided which locate the elements of the imagine device at desired locations. Regardless of the particular arrangement or configuration of the imaging device, selected charge integration periods are incorporated. The imaging device can be defined as a CMOS-CID device wherein a user may select an appropriate integration period in order to enhance the viewed image to a desired level of brightness. Particularly in fluorescence guided endoscopy and fluorescence assisted surgery, the ability to vary and select particular charge integration periods improves these processes.

An accommodating intraocular lens is provided having optical parameters that are altered in-situ, wherein an optic portion of the lens includes a lens piston that alters the shape of a lens element of the lens to alter the optical power of the lens, responsive to forces applied to a haptic portion to the lens by contraction of the ciliary muscles. Forces applied to the haptic portion are concentrated by the lens piston to provide a greater dynamic range, and may be further augmented by the use of haptic pistons disposed in the haptic portion of the lens.

An endoscopic accessory medical device is provided. The device can include a handle, a flexible shaft, and an end effector. The handle can include an actuator for operating the end effector through a wire or cable pulling member that extends through the flexible shaft. The handle and actuator can be operable with a single hand, such that the operation of the end effector can be accomplished with the same hand that is used to hold the handle and advance the end effector through an endoscope. The handle can include an actuation mechanism that is decoupled from operation of the end effector when the actuator is in a first open position, which becomes operatively coupled to the end effector when the actuator is moved to a second position, such as by squeezing the actuator, and which operates the end effector when the actuator is moved further to a third position.

An improved data exploration system and method that can be used to analyze and to explore complex data sets involving multiple data dimensions and multi-variable data presentations. The data exploration system generates visual representations of complex data sets in map, table, and tree view formats. In each of these view formats, both the appearance and the arrangement of the symbols representing the data sets are based on the data itself to facilitate the comprehension of patterns and information relationships within the data sets. Further, the data can be viewed at different levels of density to perform detailed analysis of the data, and to detect the presence of overall trends within the data. Moreover, the data exploration system performs a suite of calculation operations to cast the data in different forms, and to facilitate the acquisition, integration, and analysis of the data.

A system and method are disclosed that includes storing, on one or more processor readable media that are operatively coupled to one or more processors, at least one database. The database(s) includes electronic color information representing a plurality of colors, and electronic item information representing a plurality of items. Each of the plurality of items respectively contain at least one of the plurality of colors. The database(s) also store electronic user information representing a plurality of users. First electronic color information is received from a first user computing device associated with a first user. The first electronic color information represents a first color. A search request is received from the first user computing device for one or more items that contain a color that is at least associated with the first color. At least one of the plurality of items that respectively contains the color that is at least associated with the first color is determined, and the at least one of the plurality of items and the first color are displayed.

A self-retaining suture comprises a filament. The filament has retainers on the surface such that the filament can engage and retain tissue without knots. The filament comprises one or more materials at least one of which is a shape-memory polymer or shape-memory alloy. The shape-memory material is used to cause the shape of the retainers and or the filament to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration in response to a transition stimulus. The transition stimulus may be applied before, during, or after deployment of the suture in tissue. In particular, the shape-memory material may be used to enhance the formation, elevation and/or deployment of the retainers. Methods for manufacturing the filament and retainers are also described.

Provided are static and free-floating breakwater apparatuses that utilize a rocking panel (or beach) to dissipate wave energy. At the same time, such rocking motion can in certain embodiments be used to generate electrical power. Generally speaking, the breakwater apparatuses use a buoyant element, such as an open-bottomed hollow chamber and/or a ballast tank to resist the wave's force.

Methods and devices are provided for reducing the concentration of low molecular weight compounds in a biological composition containing cells while substantially maintaining a desired biological activity of the biological composition. The device comprises highly porous adsorbent particles, and the adsorbent particles are immobilized by an inert matrix. The matrix containing the particles is contained in a housing, and the particles range in diameter from about 100 μm to about 1500 μm. The device can be used to adsorb and remove a pathogen-inactivating compounds from a biological composition such as a blood product.

The invention relates to synthesis of germanium sulphide glasses and optical devices formed therefrom. In a chemical vapour deposition process, germanium tetrachloride is reacted with hydrogen sulphide at temperatures in the range 450-700° C. to form germanium sulphide. Lower temperatures within this range of 450-550° C. directly produce a glass, whereas higher temperatures within the range of 600-700° C. produce a crystalline powder which can then be reduced to a glass by subsequent melting and annealing. The reaction is preferably carried out at atmospheric pressure or slightly higher. Thin films and bulk glasses suitable for optical waveguides can be formed directly in one processing step as can powders and microspheres. The materials synthesised are of a high purity with low oxide impurities and only trace levels of transition metal ions.

A powered brush is provided comprising a plurality of automated bristles that are driven in order to facilitate application of shave cream to a user's face while raising hairs off the face and stimulating, exfoliating, lubricating and moisturizing the skin. The powered brush comprises a handle having a top end, a bottom end and a longitudinal axis therebetween. A brush head comprises a plurality of bristles projecting away from the top end in a longitudinal direction is attached to a brush cup which is disposed at the top end of the handle and is movable relative thereto. An internal mechanism couples a motor drive shaft to the brush cup. The internal mechanism translates rotational movement of the motor drive shaft to reciprocating motion of the brush cup causing the brush cup and corresponding brush head attached thereto to oscillate linearly in the longitudinal direction.

To make an oriented plastics material geogrid 10 in which oriented strands 6, 9 form triangular meshes with a junction 11 at each corner and six of the strands 6, 9 meet at each junction 11, a plastics material sheet starting material 1 has holes 2 in an array of hexagons 3, opposite holes 2 of each hexagon being aligned in the machine direction, and the starting material 1 is stretched first in the machine direction and secondly in the transverse direction. In the eventual geogrid 10, the centre portions of the hexagons in the starting material 1 form the junctions 11. The centres of the junctions 11 are slightly biaxially oriented, but at the edges of the junctions 11, the orientation of the edge of substantially each strand 6 or 9 runs around the edge of the respective junction 11 and into the edge of the next strand 6 or 9. During the second stretch, restraint can be applied in the first stretch direction and discontinued before the material is allowed to relax in the second stretch direction. If desired, the procedure can be terminated after the first stretch, to produce a uniaxially-oriented geogrid. By using a starting material 21 which has through holes 22 and weakened zones 23, it is possible to form the geogrid of the invention from a starting material 21 having a rectangular array of through holes 22.

An apparatus for dynamic diversity signal reception based upon receiver-side link quality assessments includes two or more antennae. At least one switch is connected to the two or more antennae. A dynamic diversity controller is connected to the at least one switch. The dynamic diversity controller includes a link quality assessor to assess link quality and generate a link characterization value. A diversity configuration selector, responsive to the link characterization value, selectively activates the at least one switch to implement a dynamic diversity configuration. The link quality assessor includes a signal strength analyzer, a modem detector, and/or a MAC layer analyzer to assess the received signal and generate the link characterization value.

Disclosed is an organic encapsulant composition that, when applied to formed-on-foil ceramic capacitors and embedded inside printed wiring boards, allows the capacitor to resist printed wiring board chemicals and survive accelerated life testing conducted under high humidity, elevated temperature and applied DC bias.

A computerized method for mixing inks to facilitate high fidelity color reproduction for printing includes the steps of using a theoretical printer model to establish relationship between the colorant space and the color space using the small number of measurements; building a simplified colorant space wherein each color in the color space corresponds to only one colorant point; sampling the color space for accurate calibration; performing interpolation and correction for any non-calibrated points based on the theoretical and experimental results; and building a color reproduction table that accepts image data as input and output colorant combinations for use by the printer to achieve high fidelity color printing.

A method and system including a head mounted display for displaying information to a user when performing a medical procedure is described. A user wearing the head mounted display device can view objects, while simultaneously receiving and displaying feedback information on a procedure being performed. Text and graphical information is presented in a position on the head mounted display so that the object or a part of an object out of the line of sight appears in the same location and with the same shape, size and orientation as if the object or part of an object were visible to the user.

A quadriceps control device comprises an elongated, elastic member having a first end affixed at an anterior position above the knee and a second end affixed at an anterior position below the knee of the user. The quadriceps control device may be utilized with a prosthetic or orthotic leg assembly. The quadriceps control device mimics to some degree the quadriceps muscle group in human anatomy, to thereby enhance the ability of a user of a prosthetic or orthotic leg assembly to control knee extension and flexion.

Embodiments are provided for managing notification of residents of a controlled-environment facility of pending messages awaiting retrieval by such residents. In one embodiment, a messaging system is provided in which a party external to the controlled-environment facility may record a message intended for a resident of the controlled-environment facility. A notification controller receives notification of the pending message for the resident and determines an appropriate communication device to use for notifying the resident of the pending message. In certain embodiments, a wireless location tracking system, such as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, is employed to determine a communication device that is in the vicinity of the resident, wherein the notification controller directs notification of the pending message to the determined communication device.

A hose connector assembly configured to repair or connect hoses, such as hydraulic hoses including a crimping sleeve, a hose insert and a first and second clamping nut. The hose insert is positioned within the crimping sleeve. The first clamping nut extends about the crimping sleeve on one side with the second clamping nut extending about the crimping sleeve on the other side. Whereupon, the tightening of the first clamping nut directs the crimping sleeve toward the hose insert to clamp a hose therebetween, and the tightening of the second clamping nut directs the crimping sleeve toward the hose insert to clamp a hose therebetween. The hose insert having a bore extending therethrough so as to place the hose portions in sealed fluid engagement through the bore.

A device is described in which a visual image can be enhanced to better recognize different objects that appear in a picture. Means are provided for an operator to manipulate a visual image by adjusting darkness levels within each primary color to embellish the recognition of distinct objects which may appear in the visual rendering. The device may be implemented as a ground-based system where the operator can adjust the algorithm to manipulate the darkness levels of a certain number, N, of pixels. A second implementation can be achieved in a helmet mounted display or glasses donned by an operator.

A nano-based device includes a support structure providing a support surface, a second structure providing a second surface angled with respect to the support surface, and at least one nano-emitter provided on the second surface.

A finger wipe that can fit onto a human finger is provided. The finger wipe can be used as a substitute for cotton balls, swabs, and/or gauzes, or as an oral cleaning device. The finger wipe includes at least one reservoir that contains a composition. The composition may be a liquid or a solid. For example, in one embodiment, the composition may comprise a cleaning solution, a pharmaceutical, or a skin-conditioning agent. The reservoir is constructed such that the reservoir can be ruptured. For instance, in one embodiment, the reservoir may be ruptured by squeezing two fingers together. In this manner, the composition is released when desired for use in conjunction with the finger wipe.