Abstract: A four-port coaxial cable ground block is provided with four angularly spaced connection ports disposed for providing sufficient access for convenient connection and tightening of four coaxial cables thereby eliminating the need for use of a plurality of ground blocks in four cable applications. Opposing left and right side ground connections are provided for connection of ground wires thereby providing a common ground point for electrical grounding of a satellite dish all four connected coaxial cables thereby eliminating problems associated with multiple ground wire connections. The four-port ground block provides an improved multi-port ground block for use in connecting and grounding coaxial cable systems, particularly coaxial cables used in connection with DBS satellite dish systems.

Abstract: Controllable catheter (10) having an elongated shaft (13) which is subdivided into multiple shaft segments, at least two of which are designed as tilt segments (12) and are each connected to at least one adjustment device, so that they can be tilted about a desired tilt angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft (13), wherein each of the at least one adjustment device is individually controllable and allows individual tilting of a corresponding tilt segment about a desired tilt angle.

Abstract: A heart stimulator is adapted to adapt an atrioventricular delay interval or an interventricular delay interval or both during night time by adding a delay interval to a respective daytime interval, and the device statistics for day and night are calculated, stored, and can be displayed separately.

Abstract: A Future Check Financing Method is disclosed. The method enables purchasers and others to present future-dated checks (or other payment vehicles) at the point of sale for purchases. The potential recipient of the future-dated payment vehicles and/or a check guarantee entity is able to make a lending decision based solely on the presenter's check writing history. The recipient of future-dated checks under the method will receive full payment (typically minus service charges) nearly immediately after completing the transaction with the presenter, rather than when all future-dated payment vehicles become payable. The check writing history may include negative check writing history for the presenter, but also may include positive check writing history for the presenter.

Abstract: A terminal part for an electrode line for connection to an implantable heart stimulator, the terminal part having multiple annular, electrically conductive contacts of equal external diameter having insulation sections of the same external diameter situated between them in the longitudinal direction, of which the electrically conductive contacts are each electrically connected to an electrically conductive terminal line, the terminal part being formed by multiple insulating adapters and by electrical contacts held thereby having terminal lines fastened thereon, which are plugged together and connected using a thermoplastic injection molding compound after being plugged together, the terminal part otherwise being implemented in such a way that it is to be connected as an independent unit to a remaining electrode line.

Abstract: An implantable medical electrode device, in particular a cardiovascular cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator electrode device, comprises an elongate, tubular electrode body (2), a fixing zone (4) in front of the distal end (3) of the electrode body (2), in which the externally closed peripheral envelope (8) of the electrode body (2) is reversibly expandable into a body lumen (27) for detachable fixing of the electrode device (1), and an expansion apparatus, situated in the fixing zone (4), for controlling the expansion and contraction in the fixing zone (4).

Abstract: The invention relates, among other things, to an electrode for a lithium battery with an electrode element of a material consisting of or comprising: 2-10 parts by weight of a conductivity additive containing carbon, based on an anisotropic expanded graphite; 0-5 parts by weight of a plate-shaped, spherical or potato-shaped graphite; 1-8 parts by weight of a binding agent; and 77-97 parts by weight of an active material selected from the group metal, transition metal oxide and metal phosphate, said active material being capable of intercalating lithium ions in a crystal lattice.

Abstract: A device for stimulating a living being having proximal end having an electrical connection to an implantable medical device; having an oblong medial section having a first external diameter, which has at least one first dielectric outer envelope, at least one electrical conductor, at least one electrical stimulation and/or measurement means on the distal end; having distal section having a second outer diameter, which has at least one second dielectric outer envelope and at least one electrical conductor; having distal end having at least one electrical stimulation and/or measurement means; and having a lumen running in the longitudinal direction at least through the proximal end and the medial section. The first external diameter is isodiametric to the second external diameter, the first dielectric outer envelope has the same material properties as the second dielectric outer envelope, and the medial section has a lesser flexibility than the distal section.

Abstract: A Future Check Financing Method is disclosed. The method enables purchasers and others to present future-dated checks (or other payment vehicles) at the point of sale for purchases. The potential recipient of the future-dated payment vehicles and/or a check guarantee entity is able to make a lending decision based solely on the presenter's check writing history. The recipient of future-dated checks under the method will receive full payment (typically minus service charges) nearly immediately after completing the transaction with the presenter, rather than when all future-dated payment vehicles become payable. The check writing history may include negative check writing history for the presenter, but also may include positive check writing history for the presenter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an implantable battery-operated electrostimulation device (10), particularly for stimulating a heart, having a telemetry unit (11) for wireless data transmission between the electrostimulation device (10) and an external device (21), a control unit (15), which is connected to the telemetry unit (11) and is implemented to trigger a telemetric data transmission, a battery (13) for the power supply of the electrical components of the implant, such as the telemetry unit and the control unit, and a self-test unit, which is implemented to register the functional state of the electrostimulation device and independently detect acute or imminent malfunctions, the self-test unit (17) being connected to the control unit and the control unit being implemented to trigger a data transmission using data on the functional state of the electrostimulation device if an acute or imminent malfunction is detected.

Abstract: In a method of and a system for determining inaccuracy information (600) in positioning a data model (1) of virtual information in an augmented reality system, the data model (1) is projected to the image plane of a display device (4) for mixing with visual impressions of a real environment. The inaccuracy information is calculated from parameters (10-0 to 50-2, 40, 50, 60) in a mapping computing process by means of which the data model (1) is projected to the image plane of the display device (4). It is thus possible to indicate relative precise inaccuracy information in positioning the data model in an augmented reality system.

Abstract: Robotic harvesting of agricultural crops. Robot moves through a field first to “map” the field to determine plant locations, number and size of fruit on plants and approximate positions of fruit on each plant. Once the map of the fruit is complete, the robot can plan and implement an efficient picking plan for itself or another robot. A scout robot or harvest robot determines a picking plan in advance of picking a tree. This may be done if the map is finished hours, days or weeks before a robot is scheduled to harvest, or if the picking plan algorithm selected requires significant computational time and cannot be implemented in “real time” by the harvesting robot as it is picking the field. The system harvests according to the selected picking plan. The picking plan may be generated in the scout robot, harvest robot or on a server.

Abstract: A method and device for producing a battery electrode (5) by: pouring a powder mixture quantity (6a) into a cavity (2), laying an electrically conductive diverter (4) on powder mixture (6a), pouring a further quantity (6b) of same powder mixture (6) into same cavity (2), and compressing the two powder mixture quantities (6a, 6b). The device has a filling cavity (2) for powder mixture (6), at least one compression means (1) for compressing powder mixture (6), and support (7) and fixing means (8) for positioning and fixing an electrically conductive diverter (4). The diverter (4) is situated so that partial quantities (6a, 6b) of powder mixture (6) are located above and below diverter (4). The support means (7) and fixing means (8) are situated in such a way that a ratio of the partial quantities (6a, 6b) of powder mixture (6) above and below the diverter (4) remains essentially maintained.

Abstract: The invention relates to heart stimulators and implantable atrial pacemakers which utilize a rhythm based atrial capture threshold test wherein in a ventricle based DDI mode a predetermined number of ventricle started atrial and ventricular escape intervals are triggered with an overdrive rate about 20% higher than an intrinsic heart rate. The number of atrial sense events during atrial capture threshold test is counted. Too high of a number of atrial sense events indicates loss of capture due to too small of a pulse strength of the atrial stimulation pulses.

Abstract: An active fixation cardiac electrode lead having a fixation helix movably placed in a housing at the electrode lead's distal end so as to be extended out of the housing's distal end and retraced into an inner space enclosed by the housing. The housing has a wall and a protrusion formed in the wall that protrudes into the inner space into interspaces between windings of the fixation helix. The protrusion causes an axial movement of the helix when the helix is rotated around its longitudinal axis. The protrusion is an integral part of the housing's wall which is bent or embossed to form the protrusion.

Abstract: A depolarization waveform classifier based on the Modified lifting line wavelet Transform is described. Overcomes problems in existing rate-based event classifiers. A task for pacemaker/defibrillators is the accurate identification of rhythm categories so correct electrotherapy can be administered. Because some rhythms cause rapid dangerous drop in cardiac output, it's desirable to categorize depolarization waveforms on a beat-to-beat basis to accomplish rhythm classification as rapidly as possible. Although rate based methods of event categorization have served well in implanted devices, these methods suffer in sensitivity and specificity when atrial/ventricular rates are similar. Human experts differentiate rhythms by morphological features of strip chart electrocardiograms. The wavelet transform approximates human expert analysis function because it correlates distinct morphological features at multiple scales.

Abstract: An electrode lead for implantation into a small heart vessel, especially into a coronary sinus, is provided with an elongated outer insulating lead body (1), having a proximal end (2), a distal end (3) and at least one electrode pole (4) at the distal end (3). At least one electrical conductor unit (6, 6?) leads to said electrode pole (4), each of said electrical conductor units (6, 6?) having a conductor core (7) and a separate insulating sheath (8) surrounding said conductor core (7). A lumen (9) is provided in said insulating lead body (1), being defined by a tubular envelope (10), to accommodate a guide wire means (11). The at least one electrical conductor unit (6, 6?) and the envelope (10) of the lumen (9) are each slidable relative to each other along their longitudinal direction (L) and fixed relative to each other at least in the vicinity of the distal end (3) of the lead body (1).