Abstract: An ankle block for a leg prosthesis comprising an insert having a body with an upper mounting surface and a bottom interface surface opposite from the upper mounting surface. The insert body defines a central coaxial hole therethrough. An over mold is formed about an exterior of the body and extends upwardly therefrom defining a central cavity above the insert and above the upper mounting surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing bandwidth in a network is described. In one embodiment, the method determines whether a request being transferred from a socket layer to a protocol layer in the operating system is subject to one or more bandwidth limits, and limits data to be transmitted to network protocols to only a portion of the data specified by the request if at least one bandwidth limit exists.

Abstract: An ankle block for a leg prosthesis comprising an insert having a body with an upper mounting surface and a bottom interface surface opposite from the upper mounting surface. The insert body defines a central coaxial hole therethrough. An over mold is formed about an exterior of the body and extends upwardly therefrom defining a central cavity above the insert and above the upper mounting surface.

Abstract: The invention is a cable assembly in which the ripcord is bonded or woven to the cable assembly's armor tape. This arrangement helps to prevent the ripcords from moving from their initial position, therefore allowing better dissection of a cable sheath and/or jacket. The cable assembly includes a cable core (e.g., soft buffer tubes surrounding optical fibers), a tape surrounding the cable core, at least one ripcord attached to the tape, and a cable jacket surrounding the tape. In a second embodiment of the present invention, a cable assembly includes a cable core having a predetermined axial length, a cable jacket for housing the cable core along the predetermined axial length of the cable core, and a ripcord disposed between the cable core and the cable jacket along the predetermined axial length, in a manner that the ripcord is contained within the predetermined axial length, but the ripcord has a length substantially longer that the predetermined axial length.

Abstract: An ankle block for a leg prosthesis comprising an insert having a body with an upper mounting surface and a bottom interface surface opposite from the upper mounting surface. The insert body defines a central coaxial hole therethrough. An over mold is formed about an exterior of the body and extends upwardly therefrom defining a central cavity above the insert and above the upper mounting surface.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot gasket for sealing between a foot shell covering a foot portion of an endoskeletal prosthetic leg and a leg portion thereof comprises a peripheral body having an upper surface and further defining a central opening therethrough. A lip extends from a bottom of the body and in combination with the body defines a groove therearound for receiving a top portion of the foot shell. A seal is affixed to an upper surface of the body for sealing engagement with the leg portion of the prosthetic leg.

Abstract: A system for reducing or eliminating cross talk resulting from co-channel interference in TDMA communication systems is disclosed. In general, the system may include one or more enhanced mobile stations sending, to an enhanced base station, base station identifying information in a training period that was previously used by mobile units to send pseudotraining information. The base station identifying information may include, but is not limited to, global cell site identification or any portion thereof or local cell site identification or any portion thereof. Upon receipt of information including the appropriate base station identifying information, the enhanced base station may perform enhanced synchronization and reception and correction functions.

Abstract: The present invention introduces a concept of “smart” ribbons, which use functionally tensioned optical fibers during the manufacture of fiber optic ribbons to create fiber ribbons with controlled geometrical configuration, optimized strain distribution and reduced attenuation. The ribbons may have flat or bowed cross section and be straight along the length or curved in its plane, or twisted unidirectionally, or periodically. These shapes and residual stress-strain state are induced and controlled by using tension functions instead of traditional constant-value tension per fiber during the ribbon manufacture. Further, the present invention reduces signal loss and/or attenuation in ribbon fibers caused by an increase in the strain variation from tensile strain to compressive strain along the length of the individual fibers when ribbons are manufactured, stacked, stranded around a strength member or twisted and bent during cable installation.

Abstract: A communication device employs a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving information in a time slot. When transmitting, the communication device generates user information symbols and positions the symbols in a first portion of the time slot. The first portion of the time slot occupies less time than the time slot. The communication device then transmits the user information symbols during the first portion of the time slot only. When receiving, a communication device decodes and then encodes a received time slot, presuming the received time slot is not a truncated time slot. The communication device determines an error metric for the encoded time slot and, based on the error metric, determines whether the encoded time slot is a truncated time slot. When the encoded time slot is a truncated time slot, the communication device processes the user information symbols in the received time slot.

Abstract: The invention is a cable assembly in which the ripcord is bonded or woven to the cable assembly's armor tape. This arrangement helps to prevent the ripcords from moving from their initial position, therefore allowing better dissection of a cable sheath and/or jacket. The cable assembly includes a cable core (e.g., soft buffer tubes surrounding optical fibers), a tape surrounding the cable core, at least one ripcord attached to the tape, and a cable jacket surrounding the tape. In a second embodiment of the present invention, a cable assembly includes a cable core having a predetermined axial length, a cable jacket for housing the cable core along the predetermined axial length of the cable core, and a ripcord disposed between the cable core and the cable jacket along the predetermined axial length, in a manner that the ripcord is contained within the predetermined axial length, but the ripcord has a length substantially longer that the predetermined axial length.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot gasket for sealing between a foot shell covering a foot portion of an endoskeletal prosthetic leg and a leg portion thereof comprises a peripheral body having an upper surface and further defining a central opening therethrough. A lip extends from a bottom of the body and in combination with the body defines a groove therearound for receiving a top portion of the foot shell. A seal is affixed to an upper surface of the body for sealing engagement with the leg portion of the prosthetic leg.

Abstract: An ankle block for a leg prosthesis comprising an insert having a body with an upper mounting surface and a bottom interface surface opposite from the upper mounting surface. The insert body defines a central coaxial hole therethrough. An over mold is formed about an exterior of the body and extends upwardly therefrom defining a central cavity above the insert and above the upper mounting surface.

Abstract: A communication device (101) includes multiple antennas (201-203), multiple receivers (222-224), and a processor (225). The communication device receives a first radio frequency (RF) signal via a first antenna (201) of the multiple antennas and a second RF signal via a second antenna (202) of the multiple antennas. The communication device determines a signal metric for the first RF signal and a signal metric for the second RF signal, compares the determined signal metrics to produce a signal metric comparison, and generates an error signal based on the signal metric comparison. The error signal may be remotely monitored for prompt corrective action.

Abstract: The present invention is footwear for use by an able-bodied person to test and appreciate the functions of a prosthetic foot. The footwear includes an upper for attachment to a user's foot and a mounting plate attached to the inside sole of the footwear. An adapter is mounted to the mounting plate for receipt of the foot prosthesis. The adapter allows for adjustment of the prosthesis with respect to the footwear.

Abstract: A method is provided of adding an encryption element to the QAM modulation/demodulation process. This is achieved by first forming a sequence of transmit QAM constellation symbols on the basis of the information signal to be modulated/demodulated, which signal is comprised by a corresponding sequence of transmit information values. Each QAM transmit constellation symbol is based on a fixed transmit constellation in a complex plane and is characterized by a real part and an imaginary part, each part including a sign, the sign consisting of plus or minus. On the basis of a fixed algorithm, during signal modulation, one or more of the transmit constellation symbols are altered by, for example, conjugating the sign value of either the real or imaginary parts thereof to form a disguised or encrypted set of symbols.

Abstract: This invention provides a linear stapling instrument for use in surgical procedures including, inter alia, a staple housing. The housing includes a plurality of staple openings and a plurality of staples disposed in the staple openings. The housing further includes a plurality of staple drivers. The staple drivers have an upper surface bearing on a staple and a lower camming surface. The staple drivers are slidably mounted in the housing for movement from an initial lower position to an upper position. They also are arranged such that their lower camming surfaces are disposed in one or more spaced rows. The housing also includes a sled slidably mounted in the housing for movement from an unfired position to a fired position. The sled has at least one camming surface. The camming surface is disposed on the sled such that movement of the sled from its unfired to its fired position causes the camming surface to contact in sequence the lower camming surface of the staple drivers in at least one the row.

Abstract: This invention provides an articulated surgical instrument for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures including, in general, a handle, an elongated shaft, and a tip. The shaft is coupled to the handle, and the tip is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the shaft for articulation about an articulation axis. The tip includes two opposed jaws. The jaws are pivotally coupled at a pivot axis for movement between an open position and a closed position, and at least one of the jaws has a camming portion proximal to the pivot axis of the jaws. The instrument further includes a camming driver disposed in the shaft for reciprocating movement between a proximal position and a distal position. The camming driver has a camming portion. The drive camming portion contacts the jaw camming portion at a cam point. Preferably, the jaw camming portion is a hemispherically-shaped projection and the driver camming portion is a ramp.

Abstract: This invention provides articulated surgical instruments for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures including, in general, a handle, an elongated shaft, and an articulated tip. A gap extends longitudinally between the shaft and the tip. The instruments further include a flexible compression drive member, preferably a flexible cable, which is slidably disposed in the shaft and extends through the gap. The flexible drive member bends through the gap in a plane of articulation when the tip is articulated. A flexible support is attached at one end to the shaft and at another end to the tip. At least one of those connections is a slidable connection. The support extends through the articulation joint adjacent to the flexible drive member in the plane of articulation such that the support bends through the gap in the plane of articulation and the flexible drive member bends against the support when the tip is articulated in one direction from its aligned position.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for measuring circumferential surface dimensions of workpieces. A circular table is mounted with its upper surface in a horizontal plane for both rotational and reciprocal vertical movement. A plurality of through slots in the table extend radially with respect to its central axis of rotation. A like plurality of gripper fingers having both vertical and angularly disposed edges are affixed to a common cable for radial movement with respect to the table axis. When the table is in its upper position the fingers are positioned below corresponding ones of the slots, and when in the lower position portions of the fingers extend through the slots. As the fingers are moved toward the workpiece it is engaged by and rides up the angularly disposed edges until it abuts the vertical edges of the fingers. While the workpiece is supported above the table surface, one or more wheels rotatable about vertical axes are moved to engage the surface to be measured.

Abstract: An energy dissipating receptacle is shown which includes a body having an internal cavity and an aperture for receiving a high velocity stream of fluid. A stream dissipator is located within the internal cavity in alignment with the high velocity stream to dissipate the energy associated with this stream at an area of contact. A motor is provided for rotating the stream dissipator contact surface to increase the area of contact with the high velocity stream and increase the useful life of the stream dissipator.