Abstract: Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described.

Abstract: Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described.

Abstract: Steerable medical devices and methods of use. In some embodiments, the steerable medical devices can be steered bi-directionally. In some embodiments the steerable medical devices include a first flexible tubular member and a second flexible tubular member secured together at a location distal to a steerable portion of the steerable medical device.

Abstract: Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described.

Abstract: Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a knotless suture anchor for implanting in bone including an outer tubular member having a distal end, a proximal end, an outer wall, and an at least one aperture through the outer wall; an inner member being rotatably disposed within the outer tubular member, the inner member having an at least one aperture for receiving at least one suture thread; a pointed tip configured to facilitate impaction of the anchor into the bone; and at least one suture thread guide positioned on the outer tubular member, wherein the at least one suture thread is positioned through the at least one suture thread guide, the at least one aperture of the outer tubular member, and the at least one aperture of the inner member.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a knotless suture anchor for implanting in bone including an outer tubular member having a distal end, a proximal end, an outer wall, and an at least one aperture through the outer wall; an inner member being rotatably disposed within the outer tubular member, the inner member having an at least one aperture for receiving at least one suture thread; a pointed tip configured to facilitate impaction of the anchor into the bone; and at least one suture thread guide positioned on the outer tubular member, wherein the at least one suture thread is positioned through the at least one suture thread guide, the at least one aperture of the outer tubular member, and the at least one aperture of the inner member.

Abstract: An electronic device may have wireless circuitry with antennas. An antenna resonating element arm for an antenna may be formed from peripheral conductive structures running along the edges of a device housing. The peripheral conductive structures may form housing sidewalls. A slot may be machined into a metal housing that separates the housing sidewalls from a planar rear housing portion that forms a ground for an antenna. The slot may be filled with plastic filler. A parasitic antenna resonating element arm that supports an antenna resonance at high band frequencies may be embedded within the plastic filler. The parasitic antenna resonating element may be formed from a portion of the planar rear housing portion.

Abstract: Electronic devices having input structures that are operative to translate a relatively small travel of an input surface to a larger travel elsewhere. For example, force exerted on an input surface of an input body may cause a corresponding input body to move a first distance. An arm, lever mechanism, or the like may have an end or other portion that moves a second distance in response to the input body's motion. The second distance may be greater than the first; in some embodiments, the second distance may be an order of magnitude or more than the first distance. The travel may close or open a switch in response to the force exerted on the input surface.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method is provided to determine a motion of pixels in local regions of a scene, classify the motion into a speed category, and make decisions on how to render blocks of pixels. In one implementation the motion in a tile is classified into at least three different speed regimes. If the pixels in a tile are in a quasi-static speed regime, a determination is made whether or not to reuse a fraction of pixels from the previous frame. If the pixels are determined to be in a high speed regime, a decision is made whether or not a sampling rate may be reduced.

Abstract: A consumer electronic product includes a switchable inductor array coupled to the RF antenna, the switchable inductor array comprising inductive elements and a switch circuit coupled to the inductor array to select at least one of the inductive elements and couple the selected inductive element with the RF antenna. The product can further include an assembly having a mesh that is strengthened by a stiffener. A multi-layer adhesive have a conductive layer that can be used to shield the RF antenna and adhesive layers that can provide adhesion between the stiffener and the housing of the product. The assembly can be covered by a cowling that is made of metal to provide further shielding. To reduce potential coupling between the RF antenna and the cowling, the cowling can have a portion that is formed of plastic to distance its metal portion from the antenna.

Abstract: Steerable medical devices and methods of use. In some embodiments, the steerable medical devices include a steerable portion with a stiffness that varies along the length of the steerable portion.

Abstract: Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include cellular telephone antennas, wireless local area network antennas, antenna structures for receiving satellite navigation system signals, and other antennas. An antenna may have an antenna resonating element such as an inverted-F antenna resonating element. The inverted-F antenna resonating element may have an inverted-F antenna resonating element arm formed from metal traces on a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may be soldered to an antenna grounding clip. A screw may attach the clip, a speaker tab, a connector bracket, and other metal structures to a metal device housing that serves as ground for the antenna. The screw may be isolated from the antenna grounding clip and the other metal structures by an insulating structure such as an insulating gasket.

Abstract: Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method is provided to determine a motion of pixels in local regions of a scene, classify the motion into a speed category, and make decisions on how to render blocks of pixels. In one implementation the motion in a tile is classified into at least three different speed regimes. If the pixels in a tile are in a quasi-static speed regime, a determination is made whether or not to reuse a fraction of pixels from the previous frame. If the pixels are determined to be in a high speed regime, a decision is made whether or not a sampling rate may be reduced.

Abstract: An electronic device may have wireless circuitry with antennas. An antenna resonating element arm for an antenna may be formed from peripheral conductive structures running along the edges of a device housing. The peripheral conductive structures may form housing sidewalls. A slot may be machined into a metal housing that separates the housing sidewalls from a planar rear housing portion that forms a ground for an antenna. The slot may be filled with plastic filler. A parasitic antenna resonating element arm that supports an antenna resonance at high band frequencies may be embedded within the plastic filler. The parasitic antenna resonating element may be formed from a portion of the planar rear housing portion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a knotless suture anchor for implanting in bone including an outer tubular member having a distal end, a proximal end, an outer wall, and an at least one aperture through the outer wall; an inner member being rotatably disposed within the outer tubular member, the inner member having an at least one aperture for receiving at least one suture thread; a pointed tip configured to facilitate impaction of the anchor into the bone; and at least one suture thread guide positioned on the outer tubular member, wherein the at least one suture thread is positioned through the at least one suture thread guide, the at least one aperture of the outer tubular member, and the at least one aperture of the inner member.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method is provided to determine a motion of pixels in local regions of a scene, classify the motion into a speed category, and make decisions on how to render blocks of pixels. In one implementation the motion in a tile is classified into at least three different speed regimes. If the pixels in a tile are in a quasi-static speed regime, a determination is made whether or not to reuse a fraction of pixels from the previous frame. If the pixels are determined to be in a high speed regime, a decision is made whether or not a sampling rate may be reduced.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include cellular telephone antennas, wireless local area network antennas, antenna structures for receiving satellite navigation system signals, and other antennas. An antenna may have an antenna resonating element such as an inverted-F antenna resonating element. The inverted-F antenna resonating element may have an inverted-F antenna resonating element arm formed from metal traces on a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may be soldered to an antenna grounding clip. A screw may attach the clip, a speaker tab, a connector bracket, and other metal structures to a metal device housing that serves as ground for the antenna. The screw may be isolated from the antenna grounding clip and the other metal structures by an insulating structure such as an insulating gasket.