3433 results about "Long axis" patented technology

A mitral heart valve annuloplasty ring having a posterior bow that conforms to an abnormal posterior aspect of the mitral annulus. The ring may be generally oval having a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the posterior bow may be centered along the minor axis or offset in a posterior section. The ring may be substantially planar, or may include upward bows on either side of the posterior bow. The ring may include a ring body surrounded by a suture-permeable fabric sheath, and the ring body may be formed of a plurality of concentric ring elements. The ring is semi-rigid and the posterior bow is stiff enough to withstand deformation once implanted and subjected to normal physiologic stresses. The ring elements may be bands of semi-rigid material. A method of repairing an abnormal mitral heart valve annulus having a depressed posterior aspect includes providing a ring with a posterior bow and implanting the ring to support the annulus without unduly stressing the attachment sutures.

Electrochromic compounds capable of reversibly attenuating the transmittance of the near infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum are provided. These compounds exhibit an energy difference between the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) energy and the highest doubly occupied molecular orbital (HDOMO) energy (ESOMO-EHDOMO) of less than about 3.6 eV. In addition, these compounds have a transition moment of the configuration made up of the HDOMO and SOMO that is "long axis polarized".

A medical device and methods of use thereof are provided for supporting a structure (e.g., bone). A screw assembly is provided that is comprised of a base, an arm, and an interconnection means for coupling the base to the arm. The interconnection means allows the arm to be positionable in a first position that is parallel to a long axis of the base and positionable in a second position that is perpendicular to the long axis of the base. The base is configured for attachment to a structure and the arm configured for attachment to a support structure. A support structure is provided that includes one or more receivers having locking means, which can be configured as an open-ended saddle for attachment to a medical device (e.g., a screw assembly). The support structure is configured to receive one or more medical devices and lock the medical devices to the support structure after installation in a patient.

Featured are a method and apparatus for fixing adjacent vertebrate of a spine that avoids the need and associated problems with prior cage or straight rod and screw systems. Methods and apparatus of the invention utilize a new implant member, which preferably is arcuate. Preferred methods of the invention for stabilizing adjacent vertebrae of the spine, include steps of providing a positioning apparatus including two guide sleeves, each guide sleeve having a long axis and locating the two guide sleeves with respect to the adjacent vertebrae such that a vertex formed by the long axis of each guide sleeve is located in the intervertebral space for the adjacent vertebrae. The method further includes forming an aperture in each of the adjacent vertebrae using the guide sleeves and inserting an implant into the apertures formed in each of the adjacent vertebrae so that the implant extends between the adjacent vertebrae and through the intervertebral space. In an alternative method a cutting fixture including a pivot arm is secured to the adjacent vertebrae and a cutting device is secured to the pivot arm. The pivot arm and cutting device are configured and arranged so that rotation of the pivot arm about a particularly located pivot point allows the cutting device to form the aperture in each of the adjacent vertebrae. Another alternative method for fixing adjacent vertebrate of a spine includes the step of forming a common channel in and between the adjacent vertebrae and inserting a biscuit implant in the common so as to bridge between the adjacent vertebrae.

An implantable prosthesis and device and method for loading and delivering the implantable prosthesis to a trocar cannula. The implantable prosthesis includes a body portion sufficient to extend across and occlude a defect opening and a semi-rigid ring for supporting the body portion. The implantable prosthesis may be provided with a sufficient hoop strength to prevent the body portion from collapsing into the defect opening. A loading and delivery tool includes a main body with a lumen sized to collapse the implantable prosthesis. An elongated shaft is rotatable to wind the implant into a slender configuration and axially moveable to advance the rolled-up implant into the trocar cannula. A cartridge extends from the main body and holds the implant in a normal expanded configuration.

A surgical fastener system for acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations, includes a first fastener having an elongate body, and an inner pair of openings centered on the long axis of the body. A closed loop stitch passes through the openings, and the length of the stitch corresponds to the depth of a passage defined between the top of a first hole bored through a patient's clavicle, and the bottom of a second hole bored through the coracoid in axial alignment with the first hole. A second fastener has an elongate body arranged to slide under a portion of the loop stitch that protrudes from the top of the hole in the clavicle, after the first fastener is set beneath the coracoid and the stitch is pulled upward through the passage. In an alternate embodiment, the second fastener also has an inner pair of openings for passing and engaging the loop stitch.

In a polarization maintaining multi-core optical fiber according to the present invention, structural birefringence is generated since an elliptic core is applied. In addition, each core is arranged so that a direction of a line connecting between centers of the nearest cores and a long axis direction of a field distribution in each core may be different from each other, and thereby, overlap of field distributions between the nearest cores is reduced. As a result, a crosstalk among cores is reduced.

A cutting saw blade for use with an oscillatory power tool used in surgical bone cutting procedures including a blade having a distal end provided with teeth whose tips are located on a tangent line perpendicular to the long axis of the blade. The teeth are configured substantially as right triangles with their hypotenuses facing either towards the center of the blade or away from the center of the blade. A central tooth can be optionally provided. The surgical saw blade may have a distal end having at least one pair of teeth configured to be adjacent to each other and each of the pair of teeth is configured as a right triangle each having a hypotenuse which is oriented at least one of towards and away from the centrally positioned long axis.

An embolectomy device includes a catheter and an elongated shaft positioned in and moveable within the catheter. The shaft has proximal and distal end portions, and a retrieval portion between the proximal and distal end portions. The retrieval portion has a plurality of legs having proximal and distal end portions. Portions of the legs are movable laterally outward from a long axis of the elongated shaft when the retrieval portion is at least partially moved out of the catheter. A retrieval net can be fixed to portions of the legs for engaging a clot or other occlusion within a body canal. An expander can be provided for moving portions of an occlusion toward canal walls to open a lumen. A method for removing clots and other occlusions from body canals is also disclosed.

A nasal dilator capable of introducing separating stresses in nasal outer wall tissues has a truss of a single body with a resilient member secured therein and a pair of spaced-apart end surfaces which, when forced toward one another from initial positions to substantially reduce direct spacing therebetween by a spacing reducing force external to said truss, results in restoring forces in the truss tending to return to the original direct spacing between the end surfaces. A resilient member, which is symmetrical with respect to a centerline of the truss that is perpendicular to the long axis of the truss, has a spring rate which continuously diminishes from the centerline to the end surfaces. An adhesive on the end surfaces adhesively engages exposed surfaces of nasal outer wall tissues sufficiently to keep the truss attached to the nasal wall surfaces while subjecting them to the restoring forces.

Described herein are atherectomy catheters, systems and methods that include a distal tip region that may be moved laterally so that its long axis is parallel with the long axis of the main catheter body axis. Displacing the distal tip region laterally out of the main catheter body axis exposes an annular blade and opens a passageway for cut tissue to enter a storage region within the catheter. The annular blade may be internally coupled to a drive shaft that rotates the blade, and thus the exposed blade edge may have the same crossing profile (OD) as the rest of the distal end region of the catheter. Also described herein are gear-driven atherectomy devices that may use a cable drive shaft to actuate the annular blade. Both push-to-cut and pull-to-cut variations are described, as are methods for cutting tissue and systems including these atherectomy catheters.

The present invention provides methods for uniform growth of nanostructures such as nanotubes (e.g., carbon nanotubes) on the surface of a substrate, wherein the long axes of the nanostructures may be substantially aligned. The nanostructures may be further processed for use in various applications, such as composite materials. For example, a set of aligned nanostructures may be formed and transferred, either in bulk or to another surface, to another material to enhance the properties of the material. In some cases, the nanostructures may enhance the mechanical properties of a material, for example, providing mechanical reinforcement at an interface between two materials or plies. In some cases, the nanostructures may enhance thermal and / or electronic properties of a material. The present invention also provides systems and methods for growth of nanostructures, including batch processes and continuous processes.

A cutting saw blade for use with an oscillatory power tool used in surgical bone cutting procedures including a blade having a distal end provided with teeth whose tips are located on a tangent line perpendicular to the long axis of the blade. The teeth are configured substantially as right triangles with their hypotenuses facing either towards the center of the blade or away from the center of the blade. A central tooth can be optionally provided.

A surgical instrument comprises a handle assembly including an actuator mounted for manipulation through an actuation stroke. An elongate shaft extends distally from the handle assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. A reciprocating member extends at least partially through the elongate shaft, and is mounted for longitudinal motion through the elongate shaft in response to manipulation of the actuator through the actuation stroke. A drive mechanism includes a first rotating component coupled to the actuator about a first circumference to induce rotational motion in the first rotating component. A second rotating component is coupled to the first rotating component such that rotational motion in the first rotating component induces rotational motion in the second rotating component. The second rotating component is coupled to the reciprocating member about a second circumference such that rotational motion of the second rotating component induces longitudinal motion in the reciprocating member. The second circumference is greater than the first circumference.

A surgical fastener system for acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations, includes a first fastener having an elongate body, and an inner pair of openings centered on the long axis of the body. A closed loop stitch passes through the openings, and the length of the stitch corresponds to the depth of a passage defined between the top of a first hole bored through a patient's clavicle, and the bottom of a second hole bored through the coracoid in axial alignment with the first hole. A second fastener has an elongate body arranged to slide under a portion of the loop stitch that protrudes from the top of the hole in the clavicle, after the first fastener is set beneath the coracoid and the stitch is pulled upward through the passage. In an alternate embodiment, the second fastener also has an inner pair of openings for passing and engaging the loop stitch.

A cannula has a body with a proximal end and a distal end and a tip on the distal end. The tip has an outer wall defining a lumen opening at the end of the tip and extending to the proximal end of the cannula. The tip further comprises one or more ribs extending into the lumen to support the outer wall from kinking when the cannula is flexed. The outer wall has a inner surface defining the lumen and a plurality of non-circular apertures formed in the tip extending into the lumen. The apertures having a major axis and a minor axis. The major axis aligned in relation to a circumference of the outer wall to prevent puckering or buckling when the tip is bent. This alignment is also designed to support the outer wall from kinking when the tip is bent.

Techniques for improved semiconductor device performance are provided. In one aspect, a semiconductor device is provided. The device comprises at least one free magnetic layer, and a magnetic amplifier interacting with the free magnetic layer comprising two or more magnetic layers with at least one nonmagnetic layer therebetween. The nonmagnetic layer may be configured to provide parallel exchange coupling J of the magnetic layers in a range of 0<J<4⁢π⁢ ⁢t2⁢MS2⁢nyb,the magnetic layers having a long axis and a short axis, wherein t is a thickness of each magnetic layer, Ms is magnetization, ny is a demagnetizing factor defined along the short axis of the magnetic layers and b is a diameter along a short axis of the magnetic layers. A method for switching a semiconductor device having at least one free magnetic layer is also provided.

An implantable hearing aid transducer is provided that allows providing movement for stimulation purposes in at least first and second directions. This allows for moving an auditory component in a direction that may be substantially aligned with a natural direction of movement for the auditory component. In one arrangement, a middle ear transducer having an elongated vibratory member that extends into a patient's tympanic cavity is operative to move a tip of the vibratory member in at least first and second directions. A first direction may be along a long axis of the vibratory member while a second direction may be in a direction that is at least partially transverse to the long axis of the vibratory member. Further, the transducer may be positionable to provide alignment of the vibratory member such that the transverse direction of movement is substantially aligned with a direction of natural movement of a middle ear component (e.g. ossicles bone) to be stimulated.

Surgical instruments, guides, and methods for closure of fascia and other tissue sites are disclosed. A suture passer guide comprises an elongate body with first and second passages for guiding a suture passer. The long axes of the elongate body, the first passage, and the second passage, preferably lie in three separate parallel planes. A suture passer comprises a housing having a needle tip portion and a first suture grasping surface. An elongate body is located at least partially within the housing and is configured to slide within the housing. The elongate body has a second suture grasping surface at the distal end. The first and second suture grasping surfaces preferably are spaced from the needle tip portion.

A display device includes a display panel having first, second, and third areas; at least three sound generating actuators including first, second, and third actuators each spaced apart from the other two in a long axis direction of the display panel, wherein the first, second, and third actuators each contact the display panel at the first, second, and third areas, respectively, to generate sound by vibrating the display panel; and a support structure at a rear side of the display panel configured to support the at least three sound generating actuators.

A carrier for a sweep-type fingerprint sensor and a method of operation are disclosed. The carrier has a recess for receiving and mounting the fingerprint sensor and one or more tactile elements for assisting the user in positioning a finger, and in correctly moving the finger across the sensor being read. In one embodiment the tactile element consists of an oval ridge, or a portion thereof, defining a major axis which is lies in the sweep direction. The tip of the finger is initially positioned in the arcuate portion of the oval ridge and is moved across the sensor, generally along the axis of the oval. The side walls of the ridge assist the user in correctly moving the finger across the sensor.