Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatus for approximating targeted tissue by intertwining two or more sutures together. The sutures are attached to the targeted tissue and routed to a twister device. The twister device secures end portions of the sutures and twists them to intertwine the sutures. Controlling the number of twists provides control over the forces applied to the targeted tissue. In conjunction with visualization feedback, real-time adjustments can be made to achieved targeted results, such as elimination of mitral regurgitation when the disclosed methods and apparatus are applied to mitral valve repair.

Abstract: A respiratory mask includes a body having an interior space that defines a plenum between the body and a face of the user when the user is wearing the mask. The respiratory mask also includes a voice transmittal feature in and contiguous with the body that has a voice transmittal membrane that is configured to vibrate in response to sound waves generated by the user such that the voice transmittal membrane transmits the sound waves from the plenum of the body to an ambient environment of the user. The voice transmittal feature thus enhances the intelligibility of a user's speech so that others may more clearly understand what the user is saying. For example, this may increase safety and efficiency in emergency response situations in which the use of a respiratory mask is required.

Abstract: Described herein are devices and methods for mitral valve repair. The devices and methods implant a plurality of distal anchors at an annulus of the mitral valve (e.g., the posterior annulus) and tension artificial chordae to pull the portion of the annulus toward an opposite edge and inward into the ventricle. This can effectively reduce the size of the orifice and increase coaptation. The anchor points of the artificial chordae can be offset from the apex of the heart to achieve a targeted force vector on the annulus. In addition, some embodiments include distal anchors implanted in the posterior leaflet in addition to those at the posterior annulus. This allows differential tensioning to be applied to provide for greater flexibility in treating various configurations of mitral valves to improve coaptation.

Abstract: A control unit for a medical device wherein the control unit includes a pump, a conduit and control means for controlling the flow of fluid from the pump through the conduit; and wherein the conduit is a rigid internal passage located in the control unit.

Abstract: A hybrid packaging multi-chip semiconductor device comprises a lead frame unit, a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip, a first interconnecting structure and a second interconnecting structure, wherein the first semiconductor chip is attached on a first die paddle and the second semiconductor chip is flipped and attached on a third pin and a second die paddle, the first interconnecting structure electrically connecting a first electrode at a front surface of the first semiconductor chip and a third electrode at a back surface of the second semiconductor chip and a second electrode at the front surface of the first semiconductor chip is electrically connected by second interconnecting structure.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a handle, an actuator, a pusher device, and a puncture member. A distal anchor is disposed at a distal end portion of an artificial chorda, or suture, and is in a delivery configuration. The artificial chorda, or suture, is coupled to the actuator and extends through a lumen of the puncture member. The actuator can be actuated to move the puncture member distally a preset distance, and to move the pusher device distally such that at least a portion of the distal anchor is moved distal to the distal end of the puncture member and the distal anchor is moved from its delivery configuration to a deployed configuration.

Abstract: A blister piercing element for puncturing the lid of a blister containing a dose of medicament for inhalation by a user is disclosed. It comprises a body having a surface and an opening in the surface for the passage of air, or for the passage of medicament entrained in air, through the body. The body includes a pair of spaced cutting teeth upstanding from the surface in spaced side-by-side relation, each cutting tooth projecting in cantilevered form over said opening and each having a distal cutting edge at a free end remote from said surface. The distal cutting edge of each tooth is configured to initiate a slit in a blister lid when pressure is applied to a blister lid by the teeth and the teeth are spaced from each other so that separate slits cut by the distal cutting edge of each tooth propagate in a direction toward each other between the teeth as the teeth continue to penetrate a blister lid.

Abstract: A control unit for a medical device wherein the control unit comprises a pump, a conduit and control means for controlling the flow of fluid from the pump through the conduit; and wherein the conduit is a rigid internal passage located in the control unit.

Abstract: The audio outputs 29 of each of a plurality of telecommunications terminals in a packet switched system are synchronized by having each terminal transmit a stream of packets whose rate, and therefore duration is determined according to a clock generator 25, and is thus indicative of the rate at which the terminal is generating its audio output. The signals from each terminal are transmitted to a common server. For each terminal, the server uses a master dock to compare the duration of the packet stream with an expected duration, and calculates an offset value which is returned to the respective terminal. Each terminal stores the offset value it receives (20) and uses it to adjust the output of its clock generator 25 so that its operations can be synchronized to the server. This allows all the terminals' digital-to-analog conversion processes to be synchronized such that all their analog outputs are coordinated, allowing co-located acoustic outputs to be synchronous.

Abstract: A vehicle enclosure includes a flexible material and at least one movable joining mechanism. The flexible material is supported by a hatchback door of a vehicle when the hatchback door is in an open position. The flexible material defines a movable interface enabling passage into a volume of space defined by the hatchback door and the flexible material. The one or more movable joining mechanisms are configured to removably attach the flexible material to the hatchback door to define a vehicle cabana. The vehicle enclosure is constructed as at least a one-piece configuration. The flexible material may be constructed in at least two sections that are configured to include a vertical portion that extends from a position on the hatchback door of the vehicle when the hatchback door is in an open position and the vertical portion extends towards a surface upon which the vehicle is positioned.

Abstract: A dry powder inhaler with a blister folding device can include a housing to receive a single blister containing a dose of medicament for inhalation by a user, and a mouthpiece through which a dose of medicament is inhaled by a user and a blister opening device. The blister opening device can include a blister support element for supporting a blister containing a dose of medicament for inhalation by a user, and a blister folding element co-operable with the blister support element. The blister folding element and the blister support element can be movable relative to each other between a first position, for insertion of the blister into or onto the blister support element, and a second, burst, position in which the blister folding element has co-operated with the blister support element.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for performing a non-invasive procedure to repair a cardiac valve are described herein. In some embodiments, apparatus and methods are described herein for repairing a mitral valve using an edge-to-edge repair to secure the mitral valve leaflets. Implant securing devices are also described that can be used during a procedure to repair a mitral valve. In some embodiments, an implant securing device includes an outer member and an inner member movably disposed within the outer member. The inner member can be used to hold or secure a suture extending from an implant deployed on an atrial side of a leaflet of a mitral valve, and the outer member can be used to push or move a half hitch knot toward a ventricular side of the leaflet, which can be used to secure the implant in the desired position.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for performing a non-invasive procedure to repair a cardiac valve are described herein. In some embodiments, apparatus and methods are described herein for repairing a mitral valve using an edge-to-edge repair to secure the mitral valve leaflets. Implant securing devices are also described that can be used during a procedure to repair a mitral valve. In some embodiments, an implant securing device includes an outer member and an inner member movably disposed within the outer member. The inner member can be used to hold or secure a suture extending from an implant deployed on an atrial side of a leaflet of a mitral valve, and the outer member can be used to push or move a half hitch knot toward a ventricular side of the leaflet, which can be used to secure the implant in the desired position.

Abstract: A respiratory mask has a filter element that is optimally position relative to the inhale and exhale of a wearer's nose and mouth in relation to the size and shape of the filter allowing a direct pathway of the airflow between the wearer's nose and mouth to the filter. A non-permeable section, incorporated in the filter element, filtering structure, the sealing area or a combination thereof, is used to direct and channel the outer dispersed boundaries of the nasal and oral flow to the filter element. The optimally positioned filter coupled with channeling of the boundary flow through the filter element reduces residency time of exhaled breath in the mask.

Abstract: A method linear friction welds a rotor blade to a disk. The method includes: providing a linear friction welding machine having disk tooling at which a disk is mounted, and further having blade tooling at which a blade is mountable; mounting a dummy blade at blade tooling, dummy blade carrying one or more first measurement devices which interact with mounted disk to measure position of dummy blade relative to disk; adjusting position and orientation of blade tooling relative to mounted disk until first measurement devices indicate that dummy blade is in a suitable alignment with disk to start linear friction welding a blade to disk; releasing dummy blade from blade tooling and mounting a production blade thereat; and linear friction welding the production blade to the disk with the blade tooling starting at adjusted position and orientation.

Abstract: A method for promoting contraception by placing a contraceptive device within a uterus without blocking fallopian tubes may involve advancing a distal end of a delivery device through a cervix, advancing the contraceptive device comprising an elongate shape memory member out of the distal end of the delivery device and into the uterus, and limiting inferior migration of the contraceptive device within the uterus. Inferior migration may be limited by allowing the contraceptive device to assume a shape, when subjected to pressure that tends to cause a downward migration of the device within the uterus, in which an expandable middle portion of the device is expanded to contact the inner wall of the uterus and thus limit the downward migration of the device.

Abstract: A hybrid packaging multi-chip semiconductor device comprises a lead frame unit, a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip, a first interconnecting structure and a second interconnecting structure, wherein the first semiconductor chip is attached on a first die paddle and the second semiconductor chip is flipped and attached on a third pin and a second die paddle, the first interconnecting structure electrically connecting a first electrode at a front surface of the first semiconductor chip and a third electrode at a back surface of the second semiconductor chip and a second electrode at the front surface of the first semiconductor chip is electrically connected by second interconnecting structure.

Abstract: A method for promoting contraception by placing a contraceptive device within a uterus without blocking fallopian tubes may involve advancing a distal end of a delivery device through a cervix, advancing the contraceptive device comprising an elongate shape memory member out of the distal end of the delivery device and into the uterus, and limiting inferior migration of the contraceptive device within the uterus. Inferior migration may be limited by allowing the contraceptive device to assume a shape, when subjected to pressure that tends to cause a downward migration of the device within the uterus, in which an expandable middle portion of the device is expanded to contact the inner wall of the uterus and thus limit the downward migration of the device.

Abstract: A hybrid packaging multi-chip semiconductor device comprises a lead frame unit, a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip, a first interconnecting structure and a second interconnecting structure, wherein the first semiconductor chip is attached on a first die paddle and the second semiconductor chip is flipped and attached on a third pin and a second die paddle, the first interconnecting structure electrically connecting a first electrode at a front surface of the first semiconductor chip and a third electrode at a back surface of the second semiconductor chip and a second electrode at the front surface of the first semiconductor chip is electrically connected by second interconnecting structure.

Abstract: A high performance computer system for three dimensional proton computed tomography and method of imaging an object are disclosed. The system includes a proton computed tomography (pCT) detector assembly with an arrangement of fibers attached to silicon photo multipliers (SiPMs). An electronic circuit amplifies and digitizes signals received from the SiPMs and communicates the digitized data over a network for image reconstruction.