Abstract: An applicator instrument for dispensing surgical fasteners includes a housing, an elongated shaft, surgical fasteners disposed in the elongated shaft, a firing system for dispensing the surgical fasteners, a firing rod disposed within the elongated shaft and movable within a first plane, and an advancer disposed within the elongated shaft and moveable within a second plane. An actuator is coupled with the advancer for moving the advancer back and forth between retracted and extended positions. A staging assembly at the distal end of the elongated shaft aligns a leading surgical fastener with the first plane. The staging assembly includes a biasing device that is configured to be deflected away from the first plane by the advancer when the advancer is in the extended position and the staging assembly is configured to spring back into alignment with the first plane when the advancer returns back to the retracted position.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to using cascading algorithms to automatically identify items placed in a tote or other receptacle utilized by users in material handling facilities as the users move around the facilities. A tote may store a database or “gallery” of item representations for all of the items that are stored in the facility that a user may place in their totes. The tote may use multiple algorithms in a cascading manner to analyze the gallery of item representations in order to iteratively narrow the search space of item representations in the gallery to determine which of the items was placed in the tote by a user. Upon identifying the item placed in the tote, the tote may add an item identifier for the item to a virtual listing of item identifiers representing items previously placed in the tote.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to validate the configuration of an information storage and retrieval system. The method provides a source information storage and retrieval system, a target information storage and retrieval system, and a master controller capable of communicating with the source information storage and retrieval system and with the target information storage and retrieval system. The method sequentially determines if each of the physical objects and logical objects disposed in the source information storage and retrieval system is also found in the target information storage and retrieval system.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to configure information storage and retrieval systems. A configuration loader receives configuration commands from a configuration loader user interface. Upon receipt of configuration commands, the configuration loader transfers storage controller configurations from information storage and retrieval system configuration sources to target information storage and retrieval systems. Threading technology is used to apply a thread manager for managing threads to accomplish the configuration transfers. Multiple physical and/or logical configurations may be transferred simultaneously using the threading technology.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to configure information storage and retrieval systems. A configuration loader receives configuration commands from a configuration loader user interface. The configuration loader comprises a configuration loader module and at least one database. Upon receipt of configuration commands, the configuration loader module generates a list of tasks necessary to configure the target information storage and retrieval system to be equivalent to the information storage and retrieval system configuration source. The configuration loader module stores the list of tasks in the database and the configuration loader module configures the target information storage and retrieval system by executing the list of tasks. If the configuration process is interrupted before the target configuration is complete, the system automatically recovers and continues to execute the list of tasks necessary to configure the target.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to validate the configuration of an information storage and retrieval system. The method provides a source information storage and retrieval system, a target information storage and retrieval system, and a master controller capable of communicating with the source information storage and retrieval system and with the target information storage and retrieval system. The method sequentially determines if each of the physical objects and logical objects disposed in the source information storage and retrieval system is also found in the target information storage and retrieval system.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture for managing configuration information for information storage and retrieval systems. A configuration loader user interface permits a user to send and receive command with respect to a configuration loader. The configuration loader obtains the configuration of the information storage and retrieval system configuration source and stores the configuration in the database. The configuration loader monitors the information storage and retrieval system configuration source to detect a change in the configuration. Upon detecting a change in the configuration of the configuration source, the configuration loader stores the change in the configuration in a cache portion of the database. The configuration loader retrieves the configuration of the information storage and retrieval system configuration source from the database and the cache portion when needed.