Abstract: Combustion burner panels, submerged combustion melters including one or more of the panels, and methods of making the same are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the burner panel includes a panel body having first and second major surfaces, at least one oxidant through-passage extending from the first to the second major surface, and at least one fuel through-passage extending from the first to the second major surface. Oxidant and fuel delivery conduits are positioned in the respective passages. The oxidant and fuel delivery conduits include proximal and distal ends, at least some of the distal ends positioned away from the first major surface of the panel body. In other embodiments the burner panels include a frame enclosing a porous material having through passages for fuel and oxidant. The burner panels may enable delaying combustion in a submerged combustion melter, and therefore promote burner life and melter campaign length.

Abstract: Combustion burner panels, submerged combustion melters including one or more of the panels, and methods of making the same are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the burner panel includes a panel body having first and second major surfaces, at least one oxidant through-passage extending from the first to the second major surface, and at least one fuel through-passage extending from the first to the second major surface. Oxidant and fuel delivery conduits are positioned in the respective passages. The oxidant and fuel delivery conduits include proximal and distal ends, at least some of the distal ends positioned away from the first major surface of the panel body. In other embodiments the burner panels include a frame enclosing a porous material having through passages for fuel and oxidant. The burner panels may enable delaying combustion in a submerged combustion melter, and therefore promote burner life and melter campaign length.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for stitching are described. One embodiment includes a sewing head including a needle; an arm assembly that is disposed relative to the sewing head so as to allow a garment to be placed between the sewing head and the arm assembly; and a non-planer needle plate coupled to the arm assembly that includes an aperture that is disposed so as to allow the needle to project through the aperture after the needle has moved through the garment.

Abstract: The invention provides a sewing cuff assembly for mounting to the body of a heart valve prosthesis. The sewing cuff assembly comprises a resiliently deformed spring for exerting a force directed toward the orifice structure. When a torque is applied to the valve, the force results in a rotation-resisting torque sufficient to resist rotation during normal operation of the valve after implantation but low enough to permit assisted rotation, as during surgery.

Abstract: An electrosurgical apparatus for cutting tissue and for ablating occlusions includes a pulse generator for selectively generating a train of pulses of electrical energy for application to a wire having an attached electrode, the generator having a variable output impedance, the wire and the electrode being at least part of a load impedance. The apparatus senses the load impedance relative to the output impedance and adjusts the output impedance to match the load impedance. The generator produces pulses of variable energy, measures the relative electrical energy produced by an arc in response to a pulse, compares the relative electrical energy to a predetermined value to determine an energy difference, and adjusts the energy of a subsequent pulse to reduce the energy difference for the subsequent pulse toward zero.

Abstract: A body implantable lead for the delivery of stimulation energy to a desired body site including a drug dispenser carried by the lead which retains a drug to be dispensed while allowing the dispensing of that drug at least adjacent the desired body stimulation site. The lead is provided with an electrode having a bore open to a drug storage chamber which contains an absorbent plug. The drug is loaded into the absorbent plug, prior to use, by soaking the electrode in a solution containing the drug.

Abstract: Batteries (50) containing oxidized, discharged metal electrodes such as an iron-air battery are charged by removing and storing electrolyte in a reservoir (98), pumping fluid reductant such as formalin (aqueous formaldehyde) from a storage tank (106) into the battery in contact with the surfaces of the electrodes. After sufficient iron hydroxide has been reduced to iron, the spent reductant is drained, the electrodes rinsed with water from rinse tank (102) and then the electrolyte in the reservoir (106) is returned to the battery. The battery can be slowly electrically charged when in overnight storage but can be quickly charged in about 10 minutes by the chemical procedure of the invention.