186results about How to "More responsive" patented technology

End effectors with redundant closing mechanisms, and related tools and methods are disclosed. The disclosed end effectors may be particularly beneficial when used for minimally invasive surgery. An example surgical tool comprises an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a tool body disposed at the distal end of the shaft, a jaw movable relative to the tool body between a clamped configuration and an open configuration, a first actuation mechanism coupled with the jaw and operable to vary the position of the jaw relative to the tool body between the clamped configuration and the open configuration, and a second actuation mechanism coupled with the jaw. The second actuation mechanism has a first configuration where the jaw is held in the clamped configuration and a second configuration where the position of the jaw relative to the tool body is unconstrained by the second actuation mechanism.

Stimulation of one or more neurons of the sympathetic nervous system, including the splenic nerve, to attenuate an immune response, including an inflammatory immune response, is discussed. Devices and systems to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to attenuate an immune response are also discussed. Devices discussed include pulse generators and drug pumps. Systems are described as optionally having one or more sensors and operator instructions. In specific examples, stimulation of the splenic nerve of pigs with a pulse generator is shown to be safe and effective in attenuating a lipopolysaccharide-induced immune response.

Stimulation of one or more neurons of the sympathetic nervous system, including the splenic nerve, to attenuate an immune response, including an inflammatory immune response, is discussed. Devices and systems to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to attenuate an immune response are also discussed. Devices discussed include pulse generators and drug pumps. Systems are described as optionally having one or more sensors and operator instructions. In specific examples, stimulation of the splenic nerve of pigs with a pulse generator is shown to be safe and effective in attenuating a lipopolysaccharide-induced immune response.

Personalization of an interface with a network is facilitated through an application of a User Profile to Web page generation, information location, information retrieval, information presentation, and on-line commerce. Additionally, the User Profile may be continuously generated, maintained, and updated.

An intelligent lighting system employs energy efficient outdoor lighting and intelligent sensor technology in cooperation with video analytics processing. The lighting system selectively illuminates outdoor spaces and identifies and evaluates events in a scene monitored by a video camera, thereby to facilitate proactive and appropriate security responses to those events. Selective use of advanced lighting fixtures may significantly reduce costs of lighting areas that are monitored by security systems such as streets, public parks, and parking lots, while simultaneously improving security, safety, and traffic control. Energy savings alone, for a properly designed system, are estimated at 50%-90% of current usage. When combined with remote monitoring, such systems may prevent accidents and criminal activity.

Display units which can be arranged to form a single arrayed display system, thereby allowing the display of much larger images than can be shown on a single display. Each display unit can include an image display, a communication mechanism, such as a network interface card or wireless interface card, and an image display module, such as a video card and an image processor. Each display module can be configured to selectively process and display portions of large digital images.

Pharmaceutical compositions and methods for using are provided for restoring β-cell mass and function in a mammal in need thereof. The pharmaceutical compositions have a biological response modifier and a β-cell growth factor in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant or vehicle.

An apparatus and method for providing adapted web page content to a client are described. Here, a variety of pre-generated versions of the same web content are stored in a server in advance of the receipt of client requests therefore. Each version is adapted to be displayed on a device with particular display characteristics. Then, when a client request for the content is received, the client display characteristics are determined, and the appropriate version for the client display characteristics selected from the stored versions. The selected version is then sent to the client. In a preferred embodiment, if there is no matching version to the client display characteristics, then a matching version is dynamically generated on the fly.

Techniques for managing vehicular emergencies are disclosed. For example, a method of managing a vehicular emergency includes the steps of collecting biometric data regarding at least one occupant of a vehicle, collecting data regarding at least one operational characteristic of the vehicle, and detecting vehicular emergencies through analysis of at least a portion of the biometric data and the operational characteristic data. This method may also include communicating at least one message relating to the data, wherein the content of the message is determined by the processing device based at least in part on the data and / or controlling a function of the vehicle in response to the data. The method may also include collecting data regarding at least one operational characteristic of at least one proximate vehicle.

A rotary valve (1) particularly suitable for use in a turbocharger for an internal-combustion engine, the rotary valve provided between a turbocharger inlet port (10) and at least first and second scroll passages (13, 14), the rotary valve rotatable between (a) a position at which at least one scroll passage is blocked and a bypass outlet is blocked, (b) a position at which no scroll passage is blocked and the bypass outlet is blocked, and (c) a position at which no scroll passage is blocked and the bypass outlet is not blocked. The control valve is rotatable about a central axis, includes a disk-shaped base (2) and a control surface (4) provided upon said base, the control surface preferably being generally wedge shaped, and the disk optionally having an aperture (7) for communication with the bypass outlet. The rotary valve is preferably mounted on both sides via a shaft (112a, 112b) extending through the axis of rotation.

Improvements have been made for collecting, focusing, and directing of ions and / or charged particles generated at atmospheric or near atmospheric pressure sources, such as but not limited to, electrospray; atmospheric pressure discharge ionization, chemical ionization, photoionization, and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization; and inductively coupled plasma ionization. A multiple-aperture laminated structure is place at the interface of two pressure regions. Electric fields geometries and strengths across the laminated structure and diameters of the apertures; all of which act to optimize the transfer of the ions from the higher pressure region into the lower pressure region while reducing the gas-load on the lower pressure region. Embodiments of this invention are methods and devices for improving sensitivity of mass spectrometry when coupled to atmospheric, near atmospheric, or higher pressure ionization sources by reducing the gas-load on the vacuum system.

A method and apparatus for providing ventilatory assistance to a spontaneously breathing patient An error signal (56) is computed that is the difference between a function of respiratory airflow (54) over a period of time and a target value (52). Using a servo loop, air is delivered to the patient at a pressure that is a function of the error signal, the phase of the current breathing cycle, and a loop gain that varies depending on the magnitude of the error signal. The loop gain increases with the magnitude of the error signal, and the gain is greater for error signals below a ventilation target than for error signals above the ventilation target value. The target value (52) is an alveolar ventilation that takes into account the patient's physiologic dead space.

A method for referencing a polyphase stepper motor by monitoring the current step response in at least one driven phase is presented. The coil current step response is compared to past step responses in order to determine when an increase in or maximum load is present. A combination of step to step variance, step response variance from mean current magnitude, and average current magnitude variance, as well as other measures can be combined to create an algorithm output. The output is compared to a pre-determined threshold and if the value is greater than the threshold, the motor is commanded to halt its position, which remains magnetically synchronous. This position is then used as a reference point to zero, or to home the motor.

Pharmaceutical compositions and methods for using are provided for restoring β-cell mass and function in a mammal in need thereof. The pharmaceutical compositions have a biological response modifier and a β-cell growth factor in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant or vehicle.

An activity board assembly (1) including; a board (2) having an upper surface (3) for supporting a user (46), a base portion (4) and a resilient support member (5) having an upper and a lower distal end, said upper end being connected to an underside of the board and the lower distal end being connected to the base portion (4), characterised in that the board (2) is rotatable with respect to the base portion (4) about; a first axis in a plane substantially orthogonal with the upper surface (3) of the board and / or the base portion (4); a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis and substantially parallel to the upper surface (3) of the board and / or the base portion (4); a third axis orthogonal to both the first and second axis; the connection between the resilient support member (5) and the base portion (4) being configured to prevent linear movement with respect to each other.

A system renders oblique slices through volumetric data accessed via a network using a client-server architecture. The system includes a server for processing and storing volumetric data comprising axial slices obtained from a diagnostic scanning system, a client for processing user requests related to specific views of the volumetric data, and a network protocol for connecting the client with the server over the network and obtaining data from the server for use by the client. A processing stage at the client specifies an oblique slice and communicates particulars of the oblique slice to the server, thereupon obtaining axial slice data from the server specifically for portions of the axial slices that are needed to render the oblique slice. Memory at the client stores the axial slice data, and a rendering stage at the client renders the oblique slice from the axial slice data in the memory.

A storage system comprises a primary storage device having a primary storage area, a first secondary storage device having a first secondary storage area, and a second secondary storage device having a second secondary storage area. Responsive to host request from a host computer, the primary storage device writes requested host data to the primary storage area. Furthermore the primary storage device sends a first and second copy request to the first and second secondary storage devices, respectively, to store copy data in the first and second secondary storage areas, the first and second copy request containing the copy data which is a copy of the host data. Here the second secondary storage area is identified by a virtual identifier used to identify the second secondary storage area as the virtual storage area within the primary storage device.

Apparatuses, compositions and methods for removing cells which interfere with regenerative processes. The apparatuses, compositions and methods selectively kill partially functional and / or non-functional cells versus functional cells while protecting functional proliferative cells to the extent that, upon removal of the killed cells by disintegration or scavenging, functional cells replace the partially- or non-functional cells.

A method and composition for improving one or more indicators of bowel health or metabolic health in a mammalian animal. This comprises the delivering to the gastrointestinal tract of the animal an effective amount of an altered wheat starch in the form of or derived from the grain of a wheat plant. The proportion of amylose in the starch of the grain is at least 30%.

Techniques described herein relate to allowing users to employ voice-based human-to-computer dialog to program automated assistants with customized routines, or “dialog routines,” that can later be invoked to accomplish task(s). In various implementations, a first free form natural language input—that identifies a command to be mapped to a task and slot(s) required to be filled with values to fulfill the task—may be received from a user. A dialog routine may be stored that includes a mapping between the command and the task, and which accepts, as input, value(s) to fill the slot(s). Subsequent free form natural language input may be received from the user to (i) invoke the dialog routine based on the mapping, and / or (ii) to identify value(s) to fill the slot(s). Data indicative of at least the value(s) may be transmitted to a remote computing device for fulfillment of the task.

Skate boot apparatuses, a skate, and a method are provided. A base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer's foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism is provided. An integral upper support is provided, the integral upper support extending upwardly from the base to a point above an ankle of the wearer, the integral support having a varying rigidity decreasing from a high rigidity near the base to a low rigidity near the point above the ankle of the wearer.

A method for storing streaming media data packets in a cache includes receiving a first streaming media data packet from a streaming media server, the first streaming media data packet comprising first header data and first payload data, pre-determining a first payload checksum in response to at least a portion of the first payload data, storing at least a portion of the first header data and the first payload checksum as first packet meta data in a first data object in the cache memory, and storing the first payload data in the first data object in the cache memory, wherein the first data object is directly addressable in the cache memory via an associated object handle.

A ground-or roof-top-based repeater in an OFDM system uses multiple transmission antennas to retransmit satellite signals. By using multiple transmission antennas, multiple identical OFDM signals are transmitted. Dithering is performed by, using a phase of Rayleigh process generator, introducing a slight variable-frequency phase offset to all but one of the multiple identical transmitted OFDM signals, and thus the effective overall channel is more dynamic and provides spatial diversity to minimize long periods of fading in fading subchannels of the OFDM signals when the receiver is in a slow moving or stationary situation. To overcome the additional cancellation problem that can occur when two or more of the transmitting antennas are in a line-of-site position with the receiver and approximately the same distance from the receiver, a delay is deliberately introduced to make the delayed signal(s) appear to be reflected signals. This delay will not negatively impact the OFDM receiver performance as long as the delay is within the guard interval used in the OFDM process.

A method and composition for improving one or more indicators of bowel health or metabolic health in a mammalian animal. This comprises the delivering to the gastrointestinal tract of the animal an effective amount of an altered wheat starch in the form of or derived from the grain of a wheat plant. The proportion of amylose in the starch of the grain is at least 30% and / or the grain comprises a reduced level of SBEIIa enzyme activity and / or protein relative to wild-type grain.

An animal simulator having electroactive polymer assemblies and a control system connected to the assemblies is disclosed. An animal simulator is constructed and arranged to mimic selected anatomy. It includes a substrate; an electroactive polymer assembly, within the substrate, the electroactive polymer assembly being comprised of at least one electroactive polymer and at least one electrode. A circuit is in operative communication with the electrode such that the electroactive polymer assembly deflects upon receipt of a signal through the circuit. The deflection simulates anatomy. The animal simulator further comprising a sensor, within the simulator, with the sensor being in operative communication with the circuit.

A method and composition for improving one or more indicators of bowel health or metabolic health in a mammalian animal. This comprises the delivering to the gastrointestinal tract of the animal an effective amount of an altered wheat starch in the form of or derived from the grain of a wheat plant. The proportion of amylose in the starch of the grain is at least 30%.

Disclosed is a process by which merchants are able to provide discount offers, such as coupons, incentives, or tokens to consumers. Discount offers are arranged on a web site (or delivered other wise by RF) by category and users are able to pick and choose the offers in which in which they are interested for storage in a personal coupon folder. Merchants are able to bid for placement within each category and are also able to slot their offers in specific users' personal folders. Discount offers are wirelessly delivered from the users' personal folders to a wireless receiving device, where they can be transferred to a display device for direct scanning at the point-of-sale. The display device according to this invention has the capability to communicate directly with the receiving device and to display the coupon UPCs via a scannable media.

A method is provided for controlling a power network that includes a plurality of power generation facilities connected to an electricity grid and a plurality of power storage facilities connected to the power generation facilities. The method includes monitoring a production capacity of the power generation facilities, monitoring a storage capacity of the power storage facilities and determining an optimal facility control plan on the basis of the storage capacity and the production capacity. The method further includes operating the power network, according to the facility control plan, to feed power from the power generation facilities into the electricity grid and / or to transfer power from the power generation facilities to the power storage facilities and / or to consume power from the power storage facilities.