Abstract: A reciprocating ball sports trainer for improving an individual's ability to properly strike a ball. A ball is affixed to the top of flexible supports, allowing the ball to move in an arc once it is struck. A timing light is provided for illuminating a lens to indicate the proper time for the user to strike the ball. Various sensors are included for determining whether the ball was correctly struck. A number of parameters relating to the manner in which the ball was struck are sensed and recorded.

Abstract: Dispenser that dispenses a substance onto a substrate, such as a tooth treatment compound onto teeth, includes a vial including a cavity containing the substance and a projecting portion extending outward from the base. An applicator tip is engaged with the conduit and includes an internal passage communicating with the cavity, and an applicator portion situated forward of the conduit and that includes a plurality of spaced-apart projections at a distal application surface, preferably crenellated fingers. A cap is removably attachable to the vial and when attached, the applicator portion of the applicator tip is accommodated in a cavity of the cap and a sealing stopper extends into the internal passage to thereby seal it. When the cap is removed from the vial and the base is squeezed, the substance is urged out of the cavity through the passage of the applicator tip and onto the projections.

Abstract: A flexible tubular vial is plugged at one end. The plug is pulled out to open the one end and define a gap between the open end of the vial and the plug. A sleeve bounds the gap. The sleeve has a rib as does the vial (or an intermediate component) that block each other so as to limit relative movement of the plug between a retracted relative position that plugs the open end and a cleared relative position that clears the open end. By squeezing the vial, contents of the vial are urged out through interstices in the plug. The contents may be a teeth whitening composition gel that urges out through interstices in the plug to a brush-like applicator to be applied to teeth or may be a topical medicine to be applied to skin.

Abstract: A tee includes a ball receiving recess shaped like the outer surface of the tip of a football so that the bottom portion of that tip may be supported within the recess. The recess is discontinuous consisting of two laterally opposed recess portions with a rearwardly facing opening and forward ribs. The opening permits the kicker to see the entirety of the football down to the tip. Textured surfaces are provided that extend forward to a downwardly depending shoulder. The textured surfaces are devised so that a football can be supported horizontally on the textured surfaces for squib kicks. The facing terminations of the recess portions are sized and configured to allow a football to be leaned against the tee engaging those terminations to allow the ball to be supported with its tip on a ground surface for onside kicks.

Abstract: A squeezable hermetically sealed vessel contains a whitening compound and an elongated applicator tip extending outwardly from the vessel. A cap closed and seals the applicator tip and the vessel, but may be removed under manual force. Once the cap is removed, the walls of the vessel may be squeezed together to urges the contents of the vessel to flow through a fluid passage through the elongated applicator tip to reach an accommodating surface. The accommodating surface may either be impregnated with a different material that reacts with the contents of the vessel upon contact or covers a chamber that in turn contains such a different material.

Abstract: An abrading device including an advanced burr and appliqué for a burr and a new process for making cutting tools for fine material removal applications such as in bone and tissue surgeries. An appliqué sheet is first engineered by CAD with an abrading surface having cutting facets. The appliqué is attached to a surface of a tool blank and then metallurgically bonded and coated by the BRAZOL® or Co—P process. The tool blank has a proximal shank attachable to a driver and a distal surface to which the appliqué is affixed. Since each facet is attached to surrounding facets and then strongly bonded to the tool, the facets do not dislodge when used to abrade a surface of an object. The BRAZOL® or Co—P coating imparts excellent wear resistance and lubricity to the cutting facets. This results in excellent operational and material removal characteristics. This approach to making surgical and fine industrial tools offers engineered flexibility in design rather than process dependent designs.

Abstract: Embodiments of an eye protector are made of a molded plastic part connected with a metal part. The plastic part consists of a generally C-shaped configuration with an elongated portion overlying the eyebrows and arcuate fingers designed to overlie the wearer's cheekbones. The metallic part includes an arcuate portion staggered significantly forwardly with respect to the plastic part. The horizontal stagger virtually precludes a ball from impacting on both the plastic part and the metallic part simultaneously, and the thin profile of the metallic part causes deflection of a ball rather than rebound. Embodiments also include a downwardly depending inverted V-shaped portion that protects the wearer's face below the eyes.

Abstract: A method for effecting an oral treatment of teeth and/or gums using an intra-oral device that has a mouthpiece in which is embedded a flexible circuit board and arrays of spaced apart lamps. The mouthpiece has a curvature. The lamps may be light emitting diodes that generate electromagnetic radiation, preferably in the white and blue light spectrum and the infrared and ultraviolet light spectrum. The arrays are positioned to expose the facial and lingual sides of the teeth and/or gums for effecting the treatment when the mouthpiece is positioned to fit upper and lower rows of teeth within accommodating recesses. The flexible circuit board is flexed to exhibit a curvature that follows a curvature of the mouthpiece. Treatments include whitening teeth, desensitizing teeth, and treating gums to prevent periodontal disease.

Abstract: A modular ramp system contemplates two molded plastic ramps placed back-to-back with one another so that in a direction of travel, one would travel up one ramp and then immediately down the other. The ramps are interconnected by a spine including connectors interfacing with connectors provided on the facing surfaces of the ramps. In the preferred embodiment, the connectors consist of dovetail recesses and dovetail projections. The ramps also have connection structure on their lateral sides, so that other ramps may be assembled to the two back-to-back ramps to make a ramp that is incrementally wider. The ramp may consist of a plurality of ramp sections assembled together to create a ramp. A table is designed to be used with ramps and other components and includes openings to facilitate installation of a grind rail or a support rail. The table surface includes peripheral coping integrally formed with the table during manufacture.

Abstract: A cleaning device superior in dust collecting capacity allows material selection from a wide range of fibers and a base material sheet forming the same and can be produced in a short processing time while preventing thermal deterioration and hardening of the material. A process for producing it is also disclosed. A cleaning device 1 is obtained by providing a large number of filaments 30 aligned in fiber direction with a linear bundling portion 40 connecting the fibers to each other by heat-sealing, forming a filament bundling body 31 previously bundled by the bundling portion 40, and bonding the filament bundling body 31 to a base material sheet 6 by an adhesive. A bristle-like-member-less portion 14 of a brush sheet 9 with a plurality of bristle-like members 8 is integrally bonded to a fiber bundle 7 and the base material sheet 6 by an adhesive.

Abstract: There is described in a disposable syringe comprising: a syringe body, substantially comprising a hollow cylinder (1) with a plunger (2) -inserted therein, the plunger being hollow and closed at the end portion which is external to the cylinder, and a first plug (3) inserted in the plunger (2) end portion which is internal to the cylinder; -a needle body (4), substantially comprising a needle (5) having a pre-loaded spring (6) around the head (5?) and a second plug (7) around the head of the needle, said spring determining the permanent introduction of said needle (5, 5?) within said plunger (2) after use.

Abstract: A method of selecting a stent for implantation in the circulatory system of a human being includes the steps of determining a threshold level of platelet hyper-coaguability (PHC). One marker of PHC is platelet-fibrin mediated clot strength (MA) of blood. MA above a threshold demonstrates a risk of restenosis that is relatively high. In practicing the method, a sample of blood is obtained from a patient who requires implantation of a stent, the blood sample is tested for its platelet-fibrin mediated clot strength, the clot strength of the blood sample is compared with the threshold level; if the blood sample has a clot strength below the threshold level, selecting a bare metal stent, and if the blood sample has a clot strength at or above the threshold level, selecting a drug-eluting stent. The method includes, in a preferred embodiment, use of a viscoelastic monitor to perform the testing step. Other markers of PHC may also be employed such as measurement of thrombin generation and/or platelet reactivity.