Abstract: Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems used to deliver a prosthetic heart valve to a deficient valve. In one embodiment, for instance, a support structure and an expandable prosthetic valve are advanced through the aortic arch of a patient using a delivery system. The support structure is delivered to a position on or adjacent to the surface of the outflow side of the aortic valve (the support structure defining a support-structure interior). The expandable prosthetic valve is delivered into the aortic valve and into the support-structure interior. The expandable prosthetic heart valve is expanded while the expandable prosthetic heart valve is in the support-structure interior and while the support structure is at the position on or adjacent to the surface of the outflow side of the aortic valve, thereby causing one or more native leaflets of the aortic valve to be frictionally secured between the support structure and the expanded prosthetic heart valve.

Abstract: A processing system may include a plasma chamber operable to generate a plasma, and an extraction assembly, arranged along a side of the plasma chamber. The extraction assembly may include an extraction plate including an extraction aperture, the extraction plate having a non-planar shape, and generating an extracted ion beam at a high angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of a substrate, when the plane of the substrate is arranged parallel to the side of the plasma chamber.

Abstract: The optimized primitive filler is used in a computer system, such as a computer system that displays graphic images. A first step of the method it is determined if a primitive is totally outside a predetermined screen region or at least partially within the predetermined screen region. The primitive is then discarded if the primitive is totally outside the screen region. If the primitive is not totally outside the screen region, at least a portion of the primitive is identified that lies within the screen region. Then only those pixels in the portion of the primitive that is inside the screen region are filled. These steps are executed for each primitive of a plurality of primitives that forms a scene of which the screen region is the portion that the computer system displays. No pixels are filled in primitives which are totally outside the screen region, and no pixels are filled in portions of primitives that are outside the screen region.

Abstract: A system for traversing and rendering a graphic primitive, comprising a setup engine that outputs representative values of a graphic primitive; and a raster engine that receives the representative values of the graphic primitive and forms therefrom representative pixels, the raster engine having at least a scan module that scans only pixels within the graphic primitive and assigns data values to each of the pixels and a look-ahead module that identifies pixels that are inside of the primitive.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing portions of primitives that are being rendered is presented. Primitives that are received are divided into portions that correspond to pixel blocks of the frame. The frame includes a plurality of pixel blocks where each of the pixel blocks includes a plurality of pixels that are included in the frame. Thus, the pixel blocks divide the frame into a number of smaller blocks. A representative Z value for each portion of the primitive is determined, and the representative Z value for the portion of the primitive is compared with a representative buffered Z, which may be the representative buffer Z value for the pixel block to which the portion corresponds. If the representative Z value for the portion compares favorably with the representative buffered Z value such that the portion is determined to lie completely behind the information currently stored for that pixel block, the portion is discarded.