1811results about How to "Increase engagement" patented technology

A selectively coupleable and remotely actuateable surgical attachment for use with an electromechanical driver device for use in expanding occluded vessels and lumens. The attachment includes an axial rod which is coupleable to the electromechanical driver device, and which is selectively rotateable in accordance with the action of the electromechanical driver device. The rod is also threaded in opposing orientations at either end thereof. A pair of nuts are mounted to the rod, and specifically on the opposing threads. The rod and nuts are disposed within an axial track which permits the rod to turn, but constrains the rotational motion of the nuts, thereby permitting the nuts to move axially along the threadings of the rod when the rod turns. Attached to the nuts are a series of jointed spokes which are coupled to a flexible tubular shroud which surrounds the entire assembly. The jointed spokes are radially extended and retracted in accordance with the motion of the nuts in an umbrella-like fashion in accordance with the actuation of the electromechanical driver device. The radial expansion of the flexible tubular shroud provides the necessary force to expand an occluded vessel or lumen.

Polymeric shell appliances are provided in which the polymeric shell appliances are configured to provide one or more activation forces to facilitate tooth movement. In many embodiments, the appliances comprise interproximal engagement structures to provide activation forces to interproximal tooth surfaces. In many embodiments, the activation forces are arranged to provide a plurality of forces, including a force in a direction opposite to an intended direction of tooth movement. The polymeric shell appliances may comprise one or more tooth receiving cavities, in which each of the plurality of tooth receiving cavities is shaped and arranged to provide a counter moment of each of the plurality of teeth.

Methods and apparatus for passing attachment apparatus (e.g., connector devices, staples, etc.) or connector material (e.g., suture thread, wire, cord, filament, monofilament, etc.) into or through the wall of a luminal anatomical structure (e.g., a blood vessel or other anatomical conduit) for the purpose of; i) closing the lumen of the anatomical structure, ii) forming an anastomotic junction between separate anatomical structures (or between approximated segments of the same anatomical structure), and/or iii) attaching an article (e.g., an endoluminal, extraluminal or transluminal graft) or other apparatus to the wall of the anatomical structure.

The present invention provides a method of manufacture and design such that very small detail features can be produced within the groove profile on an iron or wedge. The advantage in being able to do this is that spin will be enhanced for a variety of shot types and conditions when striking a golf ball with cover composed of a urethane-based material.

A spinal implant apparatus that is an expandable spacer including features to minimize or eliminate spacer cant or offset during and after completing the expansion process. The spacer includes a top component, a base component in engagement with the top component, and an expansion mechanism arranged to change the top component's position with respect to the base component. The mechanism for causing expansion may be a screw, a cam, a wedge or other form of distracting device. In one embodiment, the expandable spacer includes a base component with a set of towers and a top component with a set of corresponding silos, where the towers and silos are configured to minimize or eliminate tilt of the top component as it extends upwardly from the base component. In another embodiment, the spacer may include a stepped arrangement around the perimeter of the top component and the base component for engagement during height expansion with minimal canting or slippage. In another embodiment, the spacer may include texturing modification at the opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the spacer to prevent tilting, slipping, or canting. Additionally, a portion of one or more exterior surfaces of the spacer may be textured, sawtoothed, dovetailed or the like to increase frictional intervertebral contact. The spacer may contain one or more passageways of selectable shape/dimension for bone growth through the spacer.

An expandable implant is disclosed having an adjustable height for insertion between two adjacent bony structures or joint surfaces, for example between two adjacent spinal vertebrae. The implant includes at least one gear associated with at least one threaded shaft. Rotation of the gear engages the threaded shaft to expand the implant. The implant can be inserted in a collapsed configuration and expanded in situ. The invention also provides methods for using the implant to facilitate arthrodesis or fusion of adjacent joint surfaces or spinal vertebrae.

Both ends of the lead arrangement project outward from side surfaces of a package to form outer lead regions. Each of the outer lead regions includes a pair of outer lead projections and lead terminal smaller projections that are located between the outer lead projections. The outer lead projections and lead terminal smaller projections project outward. Adjustment is made to the projection amount of end surfaces of the lead smaller projections lying in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the lead arrangement, whereby the end surfaces projecting less than end surfaces of the outer lead projections. Thus, cut surfaces of lead connection portions with edged corners are not exposed. This arrangement prevents that the cut surfaces damage other devices.

A robot for providing customer service within a facility includes a locomotion platform, an upper sensor for detecting objects within an upper field of view of the robot, a lower sensor for detecting objects within a lower field of view of the robot, a display and a robot computer in communication with the locomotion platform, the upper sensor and the lower sensor. The robot computer is configured to detect the presence of a customer within the facility based on information received from at least one of the upper sensor and lower sensor, and the robot computer is further configured to access one or more databases storing information associated with products available to customers within the facility and to provide customer service to the customer based on the accessed information.

Locking mechanisms and methods of fixation, such as the fixation of a fixation device like a bone screw and of a rod to the spine. The locking mechanism includes a body, a rod seat and a set screw. The rod seat is configured to separate into two pieces when the rod exerts force on the top portion of the washer and the set screw limits movement of the washer toward the bottom of the locking mechanism.

A method is provided for trading virtual goods. A game environment is provided in which a first player can acquire or develop a virtual good. This virtual good has a starting value. At least one rating of the virtual good is received from a second player via the game environment. The starting value is automatically increased or decreased as a function of the at least one rating of the virtual good. The virtual good is then made available for purchase at the new value. A system for trading virtual goods is also provided.

A system and method for recommending on-line articles and documents to users is disclosed. The method provides an article widget user interface and a full-screen widget user interfaces to allow a user to rate articles, to preview articles, to filter articles based on category, article length, or other characteristics. A recommender system is configured to provide a continually refreshing list of recommended articles to the user via the user interfaces. The system comprises a module configured to monitor the user's explicit and implicit interactions with the user interfaces, and provides a refreshed list of recommended articles accordingly. The recommender system may be configured to use a package of approaches including rule-based, content-based or collaborative filtering approaches including Slope, Co-Visitation, Mwinnow and Clustering/Co-clustering.

A multi-piece clamp for installation on a standing seam is disclosed. One component of the clamp is a clamp body with a clamp body slot formed therein. This slot may be mounted on a standing seam without having to slide the clamp body onto an end of the seam. Another component of the clamp is an insert(s) that may be disposed within the clamp body slot between a clamp body slot wall and the standing seam. One or more seam fasteners may be directed through the clamp body and a clamp body slot wall to secure each of the inserts within the clamp body slot by a compression of the same, and further to secure the clamp to the standing seam.

The various implementations of the present invention are provided as a computer-based system for enhanced communications and event management that focuses on customization of the event attendee experience. Each event attendee is provided with the tools necessary to effectively and efficiently create an event experience that most closely matches their goals and objectives. For example, a variety of dynamic event activity maps provide event attendees with the ability to quickly and easily identify and locate the most interesting and pertinent seminars, classes, speakers, vendors, exhibitors, etc. Additionally, event attendees can update and control their event schedule, customize communications that are sent and received, set up meetings with other event attendees, and receive updates about event activities and schedules. Vendors, exhibitors, and event organizers are provided with a series of tools, including “gamification” tools, that will allow them engage event attendees in event activities to increase attendee participation.