Abstract: A hemostatic composition of matter includes a coherent blend of collagen fibrils combined with starch particles as a fluffy mass with hemostatic properties better than collagen fibrils alone or starch particles alone, the composition exhibiting a level of coherence wherein the composition can be lifted, without crushing fibrils, without loss of more than 5% of 10% of a total weight of starch particles from the composition. Sheets with less than 10% by weight of additional binder are also disclosed.

Abstract: A hand-held endoscopic multi-tool includes a dextrous hollow tube, a cap, a main body, a tool body, an endoscope and a tool. The dextrous hollow tube has a generally rigid portion at the proximal end and a bendable portion at the distal end. The cap is operably attached to the distal end of the dextrous hollow tube and the main body to the proximal end. The tool body is moveably connected to the main body and moveable in a linear direction relative to the main body and co-axial to the tube. The endoscope is housed within the tube and operably attached to the cap. The tool is housed within the tube and constrained by the cap such that the tool is operably coupled to the movement of the tube and the tool is operably attached to the tool body whereby movement of the tool body moves the tool.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for playing an orientation-based tabletop game in which one or more game components have functions that vary depending on the orientation of the game component on the game board as compared to the physical location of player positions around the game board. As pieces rotate during the course of play, functional indicators on the game pieces alter the rules or functions of the game piece in the game with respect to each player, depending upon the orientation of the game piece in relation to each player.

Abstract: Technical solutions for mapping long nucleic acid sequence reads to a target sequence are provided. A directed graph, representing all or some of a genome and comprising one or more nonlinear topological components, is obtained for an organism having a heterozygous genome. Each nonlinear topological component has an initiating node and a terminal node connected by at least a first branch and a second branch. One of these branches corresponds to the target sequence. The directed graph uses a plurality of sequence reads from a biological sample of the organism. The sequence reads are overlapped by an unrestricted overhang amount, provided there is a minimum consensus region between each two sequence reads. A query sequence, encompassing at least the initiating node or the terminal node of a first nonlinear topological component, is obtained. The directed graph is used to form a mapping of the query sequence to the directed graph.

Abstract: A surgical tool for compact articulating during surgical procedures includes a pitch cable, at least one yaw cable, a first link, a second link, at least one end-effector link, and at least one tensioning mechanism. The first link has a pitch joint end with a pitch joint pin and at least one yaw cable guide channel. The second link has a yaw joint end with a yaw joint pin. The second link is rotatably connected to the pitch joint pin. The at least one end-effector link is rotatably connected to said yaw joint pin. The yaw cables are coupled to the end-effector links such that the yaw cables can actuate the end-effector links about the yaw joint pin. The yaw cable guide channel is configured such that the yaw cables travel through a smooth trajectory to the end-effector links. The tensioning mechanism is configured to maintain a constant length.

Abstract: A method and associated imaging system for classifying at least one concept type in a video segment is disclosed. The method associates an object concept type in the video segment with a spatio-temporal segment of the video segment. The method then associates a plurality of action concept types with the spatio-temporal segment, where each action concept type of the plurality of action concept types is associated with a subset of the spatio-temporal segment associated with the object concept type. The method then classifies the action concept types and the object concept types associated with the video segment using a conditional Markov random field (CRF) model where the CRF model is structured with the plurality of action concept types being independent and indirectly linked via a global concept type assigned to the video segment, and the object concept type is linked to the global concept type.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for playing an orientation-based tabletop game in which one or more game components have functions that vary depending on the orientation of the game component on the game board as compared to the physical location of player positions around the game board. As pieces rotate during the course of play, functional indicators on the game pieces alter the rules or functions of the game piece in the game with respect to each player, depending upon the orientation of the game piece in relation to each player.

Abstract: A light emitting diode system allows for high current end user LED matrix applications while mitigating internal damage to control circuitry that may be caused by excess current flow. In one example, multiple switches operate in parallel across an LED. When an overvoltage condition is detected in a first switch, a logic circuit determines those switches programed to operate in parallel and causes them to conduct current. This reduces the amount of current flowing through any one switch and mitigates harm to the device. The parallel configuration of switches may be driven by a single pulse width modulated current. This allows the drive current to be divided between parallel transistors, limiting the damaging effects that can be caused by high currents flowing through the transistors.

Abstract: A light emitting diode system allows for high current end user LED matrix applications while mitigating internal damage to control circuitry that may be caused by excess current flow. In one example, multiple switches operate in parallel across an LED. When an overvoltage condition is detected in a first switch, a logic circuit determines those switches programmed to operate in parallel and causes them to conduct current. This reduces the amount of current flowing through any one switch and mitigates harm to the device. The parallel configuration of switches may be driven by a single pulse width modulated current. This allows the drive current to be divided between parallel transistors, limiting the damaging effects that can be caused by high currents flowing through the transistors.

Abstract: A system and method for linking a hash code to a portion of an image. A plurality of lattice points is selected in a multidimensional lattice to form a smallest enclosing region about a feature vector representing the portion of the image and a lattice point is determined from the selected plurality of lattice points according to a distribution criteria. The determined lattice point is common to the smallest enclosing region and a region of the lattice adjacent to the smallest enclosing region located within a query radius distance of the feature vector. When the feature vector is located within the query radius of a query vector the feature vector is considered a match. The method assigns the feature vector to the determined lattice point and stores a link between a hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image.

Abstract: An image processing system for identifying content within image data. The image processing system comprises a processor that is arranged to: arrange image data in a Markov random field (MRF); and calculate state upper bound values of pairs of variables in the image data that are associated with an edge. The calculation of the state upper bound values is performed by the processor assigning the maximum state values of all of the states of a first variable of the pair of variables to the states of a second variable of the pair of variables, identifying the first and second variables from the pair of variables based on a number of states within each of the first and second variables, and determining a single state solution for identifying content in the image data based on the calculation of the state upper bound values.

Abstract: An endoscopic instrument for use with a trocar, said endoscopic instrument comprising an elongate shaft body having a proximal end and a distal end; an end effector assembly at said distal end operable by manipulation of actuator mechanism at said proximal end; a substrate core having a first surface and a second surface; at least one sensing element on said first surface, said at least one sensing element located adjacent to said distal end; an electronics module for receiving sensed signals from said at least one sensing element, said electronics module located adjacent to said proximal end; a first conductive layer residing on said first surface, said first conductive layer having first solder mask coated thereon; a second conductive layer residing on said second surface, second conductive layer having a second solder mask coated thereon, and wherein said second conductive layer coupled to said at least one sensing element relays said sensed signals from said at least one sensing element to said electronic

Abstract: A surgical robot for use in association with a tool kit includes at least one rotary motion assembly; and a penetration module operably connected to one of the rotary motion assembly. The penetration module includes an adapter having a nut portion, a removable front adapter portion connectable to the nut portion and a removable front closure portion connectable to the removable front adapter portion and the tool kit is attachable to the adapter.

Abstract: A modular reconfigurable surgical robot for use in association with a surgical tool is disclosed. The surgical robot includes a linear module for linear movement; a turret module for rotational movement, and elbow roll module for rotational movement, and a wrist tilt module for rotational movement. The turret module has a turret rotational axis. The elbow roll module for rotational has an elbow roll rotational axis at an angle to the turret rotational axis. The wrist tilt module has a wrist tilt rotational axis at an angle to the turret rotational axis and the elbow roll rotational axis. The linear module, turret module, elbow roll module and wrist tilt module are operably connectable together to form the surgical robot and one of the modules is operably connectable to the surgical tool. The surgical robot may include an arch device unit attachable to one of the other modules.

Abstract: A light emitting diode system allows for high current end user LED matrix applications while mitigating internal damage to control circuitry that may be caused by excess current flow. In one example, multiple switches operate in parallel across an LED. When an overvoltage condition is detected in a first switch, a logic circuit determines those switches programmed to operate in parallel and causes them to conduct current. This reduces the amount of current flowing through any one switch and mitigates harm to the device. The parallel configuration of switches may be driven by a single pulse width modulated current. This allows the drive current to be divided between parallel transistors, limiting the damaging effects that can be caused by high currents flowing through the transistors.

Abstract: A method for managing a processor, the processor comprising a common supply rail and processor cores being connected to the common supply rail, wherein each processor core comprises a core unit, wherein the method comprises detecting idle state exits indicated by the core units; and delaying a command execution of at least one of the core units indicating an idle state exit when the number of idle state exits exceeds a predetermined threshold idle state exit number may reduce voltage droops due to several processor cores leaving the idle state at the same time.

Abstract: A computer-implementable method of analyzing tissues of a retina. A polarization-sensitive (PS-OCT) image data set of the retina is received from a polarization-sensitive device, each element in the polarization-sensitive image data set being associated with an intensity value ({I1, . . . , IL}) and a polarization direction ({P1, . . . , PL}). A likelihood score is determined for each element of the polarization-sensitive image data set based on the intensity value of the element and a degree of divergence (?*TP or D2) of the polarization direction associated with the element from a reference polarization direction (?*) associated with the polarization sensitive image data set, wherein the likelihood score indicates whether said element is drawn from a directionally polarized distribution or a depolarizing distribution, Elements of the polarization-sensitive image data set are classified using the determined likelihood scores to analyze tissues of the retina.

Abstract: A method and associated imaging system for classifying at least one concept type in a video segment is disclosed. The method associates an object concept type in the video segment with a spatio-temporal segment of the video segment. The method then associates a plurality of action concept types with the spatio-temporal segment, where each action concept type of the plurality of action concept types is associated with a subset of the spatio-temporal segment associated with the object concept type. The method then classifies the action concept types and the object concept types associated with the video segment using a conditional Markov random field (CRF) model where the CRF model is structured with the plurality of action concept types being independent and indirectly linked via a global concept type assigned to the video segment, and the object concept type is linked to the global concept type.

Abstract: A method of generating hash codes from a query vector. An ordering of dimensions is determined for a lattice hole in an A* lattice, the lattice hole being located nearest to the query vector and the ordering of dimensions represents a mapping applied to transform a canonical hole of the A* lattice to the lattice hole. An initial hash code is determined for a first point in the A* lattice, based on the query vector, using a plurality of predetermined constants. A subsequent hash code is generated for a second point in the A* lattice, from the initial hash code by modifying the initial hash code by a multiple of a constant. The constant is selected from the plurality of predetermined constants using the determined ordering of dimensions.

Abstract: An image processing system for identifying content within image data. The image processing system comprises a processor that is arranged to: arrange image data in a Markov random field (MRF); and calculate state upper bound values of pairs of variables in the image data that are associated with an edge. The calculation of the state upper bound values is performed by the processor assigning the maximum state values of all of the states of a first variable of the pair of variables to the states of a second variable of the pair of variables, identifying the first and second variables from the pair of variables based on a number of states within each of the first and second variables, and determining a single state solution for identifying content in the image data based on the calculation of the state upper bound values.