1341 results about "Time of use" patented technology

A combination medical device comprising a circular stapler instrument and one or more portions of preformed buttress material adapted to be stably positioned upon the staple cartridge and / or anvil components of the stapler prior or at the time of use. Positioned buttress material(s) are delivered to a tissue site where the circular stapler is actuated to connect previously severed tissue portions. The buttress material is retained and provides an improved seal between the joined tissue sections. The buttress material is made up of two regions, one of which serves primarily to secure the buttress material to the stapler prior to actuation, and one of which serves primarily to form the improved seal. The former region is severed and discarded upon activation of the circular stapler to form an anastomoses. Methods of use and preparation of the buttress material are also described.

A combination medical device comprising a circular stapler instrument (4) and one or more portions of preformed buttress material (16) adapted to be stably positioned upon the staple cartridge (12) and / or anvil (14) components of the stapler (4) prior or at the time of use. Positioned buttress material(s) (16) are delivered to a tissue site where the circular stapler (4) is actuated to connect previously severed tissue portions. An embodiment of the invention allows tissue portions to be joined without the use of sutures. The buttress material (16) is made up of two regions, one of which serves primarily to secure the buttress material (16) to the stapler (4) prior to acuation, and one of which serves primarily to form the improved seal. The former region is severed and discarded upon activation of the circular stapler (4) to form anastomoses, while the remaining material secures and seals the newly connected tissue. Methods of use and preparation of the buttress material (16) are also described.

A dispensing device for granule bone graft of varying and / or irregular shape is characterized by a body defining a handle / hopper portion, a dispensing portion, and a feed system. The subject device permits reloading or refilling of bone graft at the time of use of the device. The bone graft dispensing device also accepts vials of bone graft. The vials are loaded onto and releasably retained by the dispensing device. In both forms, the feed system allows a controlled and / or variable rate of flow of bone graft during dispensing. The subject device may be made disposable as well as re-usable. The subject device is also modular in design allowing easy assembly / disassembly. The is subject bone graft dispenser is particularly suited for the dispensing of dry, particulate and / or granule bone graft. Particularly, the bone graft dispensing device is especially suited for the dispensing of particulate or granule bone graft having particulates or granules of various and / or irregular size, shape and combinations thereof.

A surgical instrument includes a use measurement unit. The use measurement unit acquires a use time or an operation amount of the surgical instrument in response to the use or operation of the surgical instrument. The use measurement unit acquires motion of a gripper or a joint provided in the surgical instrument as the use time or the operation amount.

A method, and related composition and apparatus for repairing a tissue site. The method involves the use of a curable polyurethane biomaterial composition having a plurality of parts adapted to be mixed at the time of use in order to provide a flowable composition and to initiate cure. The flowable composition can be delivered using minimally invasive means to a tissue site and there fully cured provide a permanent and biocompatible prosthesis for repair of the tissue site. Further provided are a mold apparatus, e.g., in the form of a balloon or tubular cavity, for receiving a biomaterial composition, and a method for delivering and filling the mold apparatus with a curable composition in situ to provide a prosthesis for tissue repair.

A fluid delivery device having a self-contained stored energy membrane for defining in conjunction with a base a fluid reservoir and for expelling fluids from the reservoir. The device includes novel reservoir filling syringe and filling adapter for conveniently filling the fluid reservoir of the device. Additionally, the device includes a unique crushable or collapsible needle cover which surrounds and protects the infusion cannula until time of use and then readily deforms as the device is connected to the patient so as to permit the needle to cleanly penetrate the patient's skin. The needle cover maintains the cannula in a substantially aseptic condition and enables self-administration by patients, such as young patients or needle adverse patients, which does not require their consciously inserting a needle into the skin.

A control engine (12) downloaded by a server (1) to a student computer (2) instantiates panel objects (16) and multiple media objects (15) linked to each panel object (16). At any one time multiple media objects (15) operate simultaneously and in synchronism to generate multiple display and sound outputs for comprehensive learning output and student interaction. The media objects (15) operate autonomously, without even knowing their places in their respective hierarchies, thus allowing dynamic updates from the server (either server-driven or student-driven). Synchronization is achieved by the panel object activating the multiple relevant media objects for a panel and the media objects using time value attributes to control activation and termination times. The media objects access (84 )a stacking mechanism (82) in real time to determine a linked panel or media object to implement an operation in response to an event such as progression to a next panel. In addition to distributing objects in real time, the stacking mechanism (82) also dynamically modifies some objects by scripting or method invocation.

A plug-type optical connector 10 is provided with a ferrule 22 and an aligning sleeve member 24. The aligning sleeve member 24 receives a portion of the ferrule 22 including an abutting end face 48 inside a bore 58 to prevent staining and damage and uses a movable shutter 54 to prevent light emitted through the ferrule 22 from leaking to the outside. The socket type optical connector 14 is provided with a ferrule 92 and a holding section 94. The optical connector 14 is not provided with an aligning sleeve member and further can hold a coated optical fiber by a holding section 94 behind the ferrule 92 by a radius of curvature of at least a prescribed minimum radius of curvature. Optical loss in the coated optical fiber can be reduced while effectively reducing the external dimensions in the direction of extension of the ferrule 92 at the time of use. An optical fiber connecting device that includes a combination of a pair of optical connectors is also provided to be suitably applied to an optical transmission line laid indoors.

The present invention provides a multitude of embodiments for landscape water conservation with automated water budgeting or seasonal adjustment. Water budget automation may be implemented within an irrigation controller, by means of an add-on or a plug-in to the controller, or broadcast from a central location. The environmental data used for automated water budgeting may be historical including ambient temperature, wind, solar radiation, relative humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, or evapotranspiration, or combinations thereof, or with a combination of current sensor data. The automated water budgeting may be accomplished with a percentage accumulation method which adjusts watering intervals and schedules, or on a daily percentage basis. In addition, government based restricted watering schedules may be combined within all the above embodiments to provide additional flexibility for water conservation.

An intra-subject position detection system includes a subject insertable device introduced into a subject, moving through the subject; and including a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetostatic field. The system also includes a position detecting device arranged outside the subject and obtaining position information of the subject insertable device inside the subject. The position detecting device also includes a magnetic field detector that is arranged on the subject at a time of use and detects a strength of the magnetostatic field output from the magnetic field generator; a reference sensor that derives a position of the magnetic field detector relative to a reference position on the subject; and a position deriving unit that derives a position of the subject insertable device inside the subject based on the magnetic field strength and the position of the magnetic field detector.

A plug-type optical connector 10 is provided with a ferrule 22 and an aligning sleeve member 24. The aligning sleeve member 24 receives a portion of the ferrule 22 including an abutting end face 48 inside a bore 58 to prevent staining and damage and uses a movable shutter 54 to prevent light emitted through the ferrule 22 from leaking to the outside. The socket type optical connector 14 is provided with a ferrule 92 and a holding section 94. The optical connector 14 is not provided with an aligning sleeve member and further can hold a coated optical fiber by a holding section 94 behind the ferrule 92 by a radius of curvature of at least a prescribed minimum radius of curvature. Optical loss in the coated optical fiber can be reduced while effectively reducing the external dimensions in the direction of extension of the ferrule 92 at the time of use. An optical fiber connecting device that includes a combination of a pair of optical connectors is also provided to be suitably applied to an optical transmission line laid indoors.

The invention relates to systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for generating an image of a data store at a past time by using a map (e.g., a time map) of the locations of data stored in the data store at the specified past time. The map allows the data storage system to quickly determine the locations of data stored in a data store at a past time, without searching the entire index of records concerning the locations of the past data.

A system and method are disclosed for detecting intrusions in a host system on a network. The intrusion detection system comprises an analysis engine configured to use continuations and apply forward- and backward-chaining using rules. Also provided are sensors, which communicate with the analysis engine using a meta-protocol in which the data packet comprises a 4-tuple. A configuration discovery mechanism locates host system files and communicates the locations to the analysis engine. A file processing mechanism matches contents of a deleted file to a directory or filename, and a directory processing mechanism extracts deallocated directory entries from a directory, creating a partial ordering of the entries. A signature checking mechanism computes the signature of a file and compares it to previously computed signatures. A buffer overflow attack detector compares access times of commands and their associated files. The intrusion detection system further includes a mechanism for checking timestamps to identify and analyze forward and backward time steps in a log file.

There is provided a color change composition that remains stable in a single phase and that contains an indicator that produces an observable color change after a period of time to show that sufficient cleaning has been done or to indicate the thoroughness of the cleaning. This use indicating color change is useful for, for example, in soap for teaching children to wash their hands for a sufficient period of time. This composition may be added to many different base materials to indicate time of use or as a way to introduce enjoyment to the activity.

An improvement in performance and a reduction of power consumption in a cache memory can both be effectively realized by increasing or decreasing the number of operated ways in accordance with access patterns. A hit determination unit determines the hit way when a cache access hit occurs. A way number increase / decrease determination unit manages, for each of the ways that are in operation, the order from the way for which the time of use is most recent to the way for which the time of use is oldest. The way number increase / decrease determination unit then finds the rank of the hit ways that have been obtained in the hit determination unit and counts the number of hits for each rank in the order. The way number increase / decrease determination unit further determines increase or decrease of the number of operated ways based on the access pattern that is indicated by the relation of the number of hits to each rank in the order. A way number control unit then selects operation or halt of operation for each way in accordance with the determination to increase or decrease the number of operated ways.

A device and method for accurate delivery of a liquid is described. The device comprises a flow channel through which the liquid flows. During manufacture or at some other point prior to the delivery of the liquid, the flow channel is characterized in terms of one or more properties of flow of a liquid through the channel. This characterization is stored in such a way that the flow channel characterization is available to the liquid delivery device at time of use. At time of use, the liquid delivery system reads the stored flow channel characterization and uses the stored flow channel characterization for safe and accurate delivery of the liquid.

An intravaginal drug delivery device comprising at least one active agent dispersed in a polymer matrix, wherein the concentration of active agent at the outer surface of the device at the time of use is not substantially higher than the concentration of the active agent in the remainder of the device, a method of treatment therewith and a process for its preparation.

There is provided herein a system and method of acquiring, processing, and imaging transient Controlled Source ElectroMagnetic (t-CSEM) data in ways that are similar to those used for seismic data. In particular, the instant invention exploits the time-distance characteristics of t-CSEM data to permit the design and execution of t-CSEM surveys for optimal subsequent processing and imaging. The instant invention illustrates how to correct t-CSEM data traces for attenuation and dispersion, so that their characteristics are more like those of seismic data and can be processed using algorithms familiar to the seismic processor. The resulting t-CSEM images, particularly if combined with corresponding seismic images, may be used to infer the location of hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Apparatus and method for preloading an intraocular lens (30, 30′) in a component of an injector device (10) and for reducing the force used to eject the intraocular lens (30, 30′) therefrom are disclosed. The intraocular lens (30, 30′) is positioned in a shuttle (16, 16′) which is positioned inside a distal section (14, 14′) of the device (10). The shuttle (16, 16′), IOL (30, 30′), and distal section (14, 14′) are positioned and sealed in a vial (11) of solution that comprises a surfactant. At the time of use, a user opens the vial (11) and attaches a proximal section (12) having a plunger (20) to the distal section (14, 14′) located in the vial (11). The proximal section (12) is then lifted away from the vial (11) together with the distal section (14, 14′), and the shuttle (16, 16′) and IOL (30, 30′) located in the distal section (14, 14′). The plunger (20) is advanced to express the IOL (30, 30′) from the distal tip (14c, 14c′) of the distal section (14, 14′).

The present invention provides numerous methods, systems and apparatus that use a novel form of water budgeting technology for water conservation without the use of complex ET (Evapotranspiration) data or methods. Embodiments include incorporating the technology directly into irrigation controllers, into modules added on to existing controllers, or into central units that broadcast a water budget that can alter the schedules of one, many, or selected groups of remotely located controllers or modules. The various methods of the present invention offer the choice of adjusting the station run times, accumulating the water budgets, altering the watering intervals, and / or combining the present water budgeting technology with local watering communities' restricted watering schedules. The result offers residential, commercial, and municipal users a wide range of practical choices for effective water conservation in landscape irrigation with temperature based water budgeting.

Apparatus and method for preloading an intraocular lens in a component of an injector device. The intraocular lens is positioned in a shuttle which is positioned inside a distal section of the device. The shuttle, IOL and distal section are positioned and sealed in a vial of storage solution. At the time of use, the surgeon opens the vial and attaches a proximal section having a plunger to the distal section located in the vial. The proximal section is then lifted away from the vial together with the distal section, and the shuttle and IOL located in the distal section. The plunger is advanced to express the IOL from the distal tip of the distal section.

An Energy and Cost Savings Calculation System is provided that automates the determination of energy and cost savings due to energy conservation measures. The system provides Multi-Variant, Non-Linear (MVNL) load forecasting techniques, energy and cost savings calculations, and Weather Ranking. The load forecasting technique may accept numerous external parameters as input. The technique may use multiple Baselines. It may also use multiple Basic Reference Periods to reduce the load forecasting error. The load forecasting technique may utilize external parameters that are updated on a daily basis, such as dry bulb temperature, dew point temperature, solar condition, and interval meter data. The technique may use Baseline Extensions to perform forecasts and Reference Period Modifications to enhance accuracy. The system may calculate energy and cost savings using Complex Rates and time-of-use (TOU) energy data. The system may rank a plurality of sources providing weather data to identify the most accurate weather data.

Certain embodiments involve data from places such as healthcare facilities to make predictions about actual expected procedure durations as well as other parameters such as the probability of a patient being late or being a no-show. Before scheduling a patient, the system will use these parameters to run a simulation that can then suggest time slots that maximize target service levels (for example, “patients should not wait longer than 15 minutes in 95% of the cases”) and maximize facility efficiency (minimize the unutilized time between appointments).

A dispensing cap for storing one or more ingredients in the cap body until the time of use. The stored ingredients in the cap are dispensed manually into a primary container for mixing. The dispensing cap includes a push-pull, flow-through drinking spout with a fluid valve for opening and closing the fluid flow from the primary container. The dispensing cap body includes several elements all of which are formed in a single molded cap body. The storage chamber of the dispensing cap includes a foil seal that can be partially opened by an activating member manually connected to the drinking spout for dispensing the ingredients into the primary container. The cap body is threadably attached to a primary container threaded neck.

A method and apparatus for authenticating gaming machine software is disclosed. In one embodiment the method and apparatus is used to authenticate the contents of a removable media. Use of a removable media provides means to store large amounts of software on a single media to install software, perform software updates, diagnose gaming machines, authenticate software, or configure gaming machines. An authentication file may contain a listing of each file on the removable media and an associated hash value calculated with a hash function. The hash values are calculated and stored in an authentication file and encryption of the one or more hash values may occur. A hash value re-calculation is performed on each file at a later time to determine the hash value at the time of use. The re-calculated hash values are compared to the decrypted hash values stored in the authentication file.

An apparatus and method for draining fluid from a patient. A drainage line is connected to a vacuum bottle. The vacuum is transferred into the drainage line by piercing a seal over the bottle mouth. The indicator in the form of a collapsible bulb or other deformable element confirms the presence of the vacuum at the time of use.

A diagnosis support method capable of promoting upload of a large amount of case image data. This method includes the steps of: transmitting case image data and case region information from a provider to a server in order to register case images; recording the case image data and so on; transmitting the case region information from a requester to the server in order to refer to a case image; retrieving the case image data; transmitting list information of the case images; displaying the list of the case images; identifying a selected case image; retrieving the case image data and incrementing a number of times of use; transmitting the retrieved case image data; displaying the case image; and transferring the amount of money in accordance with the number of times of use of the respective case image data to the account of the provider.

Provided is a method and apparatus for managing the power of a portable computer system, in which a convenient user interface is provided. The method includes calculating a range of a desired time-of-use based on power consumption of the portable computer system and a remaining battery capacity at a minimum power level of the portable computer system, providing the calculated range of the desired time-of-use and a desired time input box that allows a user to input the desired time-of-use, inputting the desired time-of-use through the desired time input box, and resetting the power level of the portable computer system according to the input desired time-of-use.