127results about How to "Minimal friction" patented technology

An applicator instrument for dispensing surgical fasteners includes a housing, a firing system disposed in the housing, an actuator coupled with the housing for actuating the firing system, an elongated shaft extending from the housing, the elongated shaft having an outer diameter, and a cap secured to the distal end of the elongated shaft, whereby the cap has a lower distal edge that extends laterally beyond the outer diameter of the elongated shaft. The lower distal edge of the cap has a length that is greater than the outer diameter of the elongated shaft. The cap has a distal end face that slopes upwardly and proximally from the lower distal edge, and the cap has a surgical fastener delivery window formed in the distal end face for dispensing surgical fasteners. The delivery window has a lower end that is spaced from the lower distal edge.

A combination tissue apposition and suture capturing device (100) for performing endoscopic procedures typically in the gastro-esophageal tract. The device (100) is particularly adapted for forming multiple plications used in a gastroplasty procedure devised to cure or ameliorate gastro-esophageal reflux disease. The device includes a tissue sewing capsule (102) attached to the distal end of an endoscope having a needle (120) that is deposited in a capsule (102) distal tip cavity following the suturing of a tissue fold and retrieved to enable the suturing of a subsequent tissue fold without the need for multiple intubations. A suture clip delivery device (200) is also disclosed that is adapted to fit within the capsule (102) to enable suture (118) capture without the need for multiple intubations. The combination device eliminates the need for an overtube and maximizes the speed efficiency of the gastroplasty procedure. A method for using the combination device is also disclosed.

A single-, two- or three-axis opto-electronic encoder, or error-inputting device, with an optical scale which is overall cylindrical, spherical or volumetric, as opposed to extant planar, circular optical scales; mostly parallel rays of light enter from the cylindrical or spherical surface of the scale, travel, with or without being modulated in intensity due to rotation / rotations of, or distortion / distortions in, the scale, along elliptical and / or circular sectional planes of the scale and exit to fall upon an obstructing opto-electronic sensor or a plurality of such sensors. A photo-transmissive spherical float on a photo-opaque liquid sealed inside a spherical optical scale, moving vertically under the influence of an external force, upwardly displacing the photo-opaque liquid to block the light that enters the spherical optical scale from reaching any of the opto-electronic sensors, produces a distinct electronic condition for auxiliary use in addition to or conjunction with encoder or error-inputting device output or outputs.

The invention concerns a surface traversing apparatus that includes a frame, a seal having a seal perimeter that is mounted to the frame, and a drive configured to move the apparatus relative to the surface. The seal perimeter is adapted substantially for rolling contact with the surface to be traversed. The device is capable of suction adhering and moving along horizontal, vertical, inverted surfaces and the like, and overcoming obstacles or surface irregularities while maintaining suction adhesion to the surface. The device can be propelled along the surface with a locomoting rolling seal assembly, which provides both a seal to affect the vacuum adhesion and the locomotion to drive the device across the surface.

Apparatus (2) for wrapping a load (18) placed on a turntable (4) having a mast assembly (8), a carriage assembly (12) adapted for vertical slideable movement along said mast assembly (8) and dispensing means (13) for dispensing tape material (80). The tape material (80) is transferred from the dispensing means (13) in response to rotation of the turntable (4) such that the tape material (80) wraps around the load (18) in a predefined pattern. The carriage assembly (12) and turntable (4) are configured for automated movement in response to a computer program stored in memory means (306) to enable wrapping of the load (18) with the tape material (80) in the predefined pattern. The carriage assembly (12) is positioned along the mast assembly (8) under control of the computer program in accordance with a rotational position of the load (18) to locate the tape material (80) at locations on the load (18). A pretensioning apparatus is also disclosed for pretensioning the tape material (80). Also disclosed is apparatus including adjusting the rate at which tape material (80) is payed out depending on a portion of the load (18) to be wrapped by the tape material (80). Also disclosed is tension adjustment apparatus (100) for varying the tension applied to the tape material (80).

A mud pump is provided that includes a pump shaft having substantially circular eccentric lobes. Each lobe is rotatably mounted in a connecting rod that, in turn, moves a slide in a horizontal and linearly manner. A piston rod is operatively couples a pump module to one or both sides of each slide frame and a pump module. As the pump shaft turns, each lobe causes the slide to move side to side. As the slide moves side to side, each piston rod operates a pump module whose outputs can be coupled to a common manifold.

A self-locking bolt assembly (1) includes a split bolt (2) and a screw set pin (3). The bolt includes a threaded shank (4), an axial bore (6) extending through the shank, the bore (6) including a threaded bore section (6A), a tapered end section (6C), and a bore midsection (6B) between the threaded bore section and the tapered end section. The screw set pin(3) includes a screw section (10B) having threads for engaging the threaded bore section (6A) and a pin shaft (10) having a tapered end section (10A) for engaging the tapered end section (6C) of the bore (6), the pin shaft (10) having a proximal end attached to the screw section (10B). The pin shaft (10) is sufficiently long to ensure that the screw set pin (3) further into the bore (6) without galling threads of the screw section (10B). The tapered end section (10A) of the pin shaft has a taper angle (α) that is less than a taper angle (β) of the tapered end section (6C) of the bore (6) to allow a narrowed end portion of the tapered end section (10A) of the pin shaft (10) to engage a narrowed end portion of the tapered end section (6C) of the bore (6).

It comprises a carriage (4) displaceable forwards and backwards by means of a spindle (3) actuated by a motor (2), the carriage (4) containing clutch pins (12) so that in the forward displacement the engagement takes place with a clutch disc (22) integral with which is an eccentric, whose rotation will cause the actuation of the lock in which the unit is fitted. In its displacements the carriage (4) is guided in rods (8) provided in the corresponding cover (5) of a rotor (1) in which the motor (2) and carriage (4) assembly is housed. The clutch pins (12) are connected to pushing springs (13) for pushing them towards the emergency position and therefore that of engagement when those pins (12) are facing the holes (23) of the disc (22).

A suture anchor includes a threaded anchor body having a first central bore in communication with a second central bore. The suture anchor includes an internal eyelet formed of a loop disposed at least partially inside the first central bore. The ends extending from the loop are tied together to form at least one knot which is housed in the second central bore provided at the distal end of the anchor body. The knot increases the pullout strength of the suture even in soft bone, provides increased suture fixation, and eliminates the anchor “pull back.”

A combination tissue apposition and suture capturing device (100) for performing endoscopic procedures typically in the gastro-esophageal tract. The device (100) is particularly adapted for forming multiple plications used in a gastroplasty procedure devised to cure or ameliorate gastro-esophageal reflux disease. The device include a tissue sewing capsule (102) attached to the distal end of an endoscope having a needle (120) that is deposited in a capsule (102) distal tip cavity following the suturing of a tissue fold and retrieved to enable the suturing of a subsequent tissue fold without the need for multiple intubations. A suture clip delivery device (200) is also disclosed that is adapted to fit within the capsule to enable suture capture without the need for multiple intubations. The combination device eliminates the need for an overtube and maximizes the speed efficiency of the gastroplasty procedure. A method for using the combination device is also disclosed.

Bone fragments resulting from a Colles' fracture of the distal radius bone are set in position by an external fixator that includes mounting structures attachable to the radius at a site proximal to the fracture and to a metacarpal, joined by a connector whose length is capable of both gross adjustment and precision adjustment, each mounting structure providing degrees of freedom independently of the connector length, the mounting structure at the radius end providing independent degrees of freedom for rotation around a proximal-distal axis and for rotation about an axis transverse to an axis parallel to the proximal-distal axis.

Deflecting device for an offset frontal collision for motor vehicles, the front end of which motor vehicles has a left and a right longitudinal member (2, 3), and the deflecting device being arranged in front of a front wheel (6) and protecting the front wheel in the event of a collision. In order to reliably bring about an engagement embracing the front wheel (6) with minimal structural expenditure, the deflecting device is composed of a jib (12), which is fastened to the front end of the vehicle, and a shield (13) which is moveable on said jib (12) outward transversely with respect to the direction of travel, with the jib (12) extending in front of the wheel (6) substantially transversely with respect to the direction of travel and having a guide (14) for the shield (13) and a force source (15) for moving the shield (13).

An improved multiple chambered maternity mattress (10) is specially configured to include a bellows (24) for providing fine-grained adjustability of size and firmness of its centrally disposed womb well region (AWW). The bellows (24) consisting of a plurality of accordion-like sections which are interconnected to form a single expandable air chamber that is inflatable under the control of the user while actually in use via a remote control unit (16). The womb well is formed as a cylindrical cavity or opening (26) which extends for the full height of the mattress (10) such that the bellows (24) may change its effective height thereby establishing the physical size of the womb well for optimum user comfort and benefit. Low friction materials and / or coatings on the cylindrical cavity walls (28) assure minimal friction of the contacting surfaces and bellows tips assuring an infinitely fine height / size / firmness adjustment.

A coupler system which changes the relationship of two or more rotating shade tubes is disclosed. The invention enables the installer to compensate for the height of the hembar by rotating the tube forward or backward any desired number of degrees. The coupler includes a cam which is adjusted by opposing set screws. The cam may be rotated by about 15 degrees in each direction. Adjusting the cam adjusts the second tube without adjusting the first tube (e.g., the drive or motor end tube). The adjustment device is configured to rotate the cam which, in turn, rotates the second tube to align a second hem bar hanging from the second tube with a first hem bar hanging from the first tube. The adjustments may be accomplished with minimal or no removal or adjustment of the other shades, and with minimal friction on the aligned shade.

A catheter shaft for a catheter includes a centrally-located guidewire lumen. A body portion of the catheter shaft includes arc-shaped nodes that define a guidewire track within the guidewire lumen. The nodes include a crown region that includes a single contact point for the guidewire and may be formed of a material having a lower coefficient of friction. At least one node has an inflation lumen extending therethrough. The catheter shaft has a cut in it extending radially from the guidewire lumen to an exterior surface of the catheter shaft. The balloon catheter has a guide member that opens the cut and tracks the guidewire in and out of the catheter shaft along a length of the catheter shaft which is cut.

It comprises a carriage (4) displaceable forwards and backwards by means of a spindle (3) actuated by a motor (2), the carriage (4) containing clutch pins (12) so that in the forward displacement the engagement takes place with a clutch disc (22) integral with which is an eccentric, whose rotation will cause the actuation of the lock in which the unit is fitted. In its displacements the carriage (4) is guided in rods (8) provided in the corresponding cover (5) of a rotor (1) in which the motor (2) and carriage (4) assembly is housed. The clutch pins (12) are connected to pushing springs (13) for pushing them towards the emergency position and therefore that of engagement when those pins (12) are facing the holes (23) of the disc (22).

A unison ring assembly for an axial compressor casing is provided. The unison ring assembly includes a unison ring and at least three unison ring supports being radial inwardly and equally spaced arranged along a circumference of the unison ring, wherein each unison ring support has a unison ring bracket attached to the unison ring. Further, the unison ring assembly includes a slide bearing to be sliding along a slide face of an outer surface of the compressor casing and a resilient member being arranged between and coupled to the slide bearing and the unison ring bracket such that the unison ring is rotatable around the compressor casing by sliding the slide bearing along the slide face and to be centered free of clearance about the compressor casing. The resilient member is adapted to accommodate radial displacement of the compressor casing.