Abstract: A laparoscopic disk assembly, which includes an interwoven gasket seal, either flat or conical, comprised of four gasket sections, forms a seal without anything inserted or in the presence of a laparoscopic instrument or surgeon's hand, approximating an opening of a single through hole of a lip seal providing the same sealing as a lip seal. By breaking the seal through hole into multiple pieces, the direction and amount of strain applied to any section is less than the strain applied by the simple change in diameter. The layers form contact zones with the inserted probe or hand. The sum of the array of contact zones provides contact around the full diameter of the inserted tool or hand. Additionally, the hoop stress of the seal is reduced, thereby reducing the drag force on the instrument or the hand and wrist of the doctor.

Abstract: A roller conveyor includes a drive member whose path and the end of the overlying portions of the rollers sortation conveyor is configured to avoid substantial contact between certain rollers and the drive member. The roller conveyor is depicted in an embodiment as an accumulation conveyor with skewed roller sections.

Abstract: A set (10), including a first component (12) having one or more stub portions (16) extending from the first component (12), the one or more stub portions (16) being formed with at least one set of radially extending teeth (22) separated circumferentially by troughs (24), and a second component (14) having a socket portion shaped to receive one of the stub portions (16), wherein peripherally spaced formations (30) are provided on an interior surface of the socket portion. The stub portion (16) is able to be received within the socket of the second component (14) by aligning the teeth (22) of the stub portion (16) between the formations (30) of the socket, and wherein the stub portion and socket are thereafter connected by relatively rotating the first (12) or second components (14) such that the teeth (22) of the stub portion engage the formations (30) of the socket to couple the first and second components together.

Abstract: A rotating shaft drive system is configured to propel a load along a conveying path of an overhead conveyor system. A stationary frame extends along the conveying path and supports the rotating shaft drive system. A movable carriage is suspended from the stationary frame and engages with a rotating shaft of the shaft drive system to propel the carriage and the load. The rotating shaft comprises a plurality of shaft segments supported pillow blocks at each end of the rotating shaft segments, and the pillow blocks create a gap between adjacent shaft segments. The movable carriage has at least one canted driven roller configured to engage with adjacent rotating shaft segments and to create a helical loci of tractional engagement that provides sufficient drive force to propel the carriage and the load along the conveying path. The drive system is further configured to provide continuous propulsion as the canted driven roller moves across the gap between adjacent shaft segments.

Abstract: An inorganic pigment comprising tin; a divalent metal; niobium; and an oxysulfide, an oxyselenide, or oxysulfo-selenide.

Abstract: Active computer system defense techniques can include sending disruptive communications to attackers, where the disruptive communications include random data elements which could potentially interfere with the operation of an attacking system. Such computer system defense techniques can also be augmented to automatically optimize the disruptive communications sent to the attackers.

Abstract: A media blast nozzle for cleaning a surface with compressed air and ejected particles of a sublimating blast media comprises a media size changer to change a size of the blast media particles. The media blast nozzle has an entrance and an exit and a throat therebetween. A converging passageway extends from the entrance to the throat, and a diverging passageway extends from the throat to the exit. The media size changer is operably located in the diverging passageway and has one or more media size changing members to fragment moving blast media particles by impact therewith. The blast media particles are provided to the media blast nozzle in an initial consistent size, and when a moving blast media particle impacts with one or more media size changing members, two or more fragments of reduced size are created from the initial blast media particle for ejection from the nozzle device. The media size changer can be adjusted by an operator to eject whole particles or fragments of particles.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for creating a reusable control from various applications or portions of applications. Using a pre-existing application or one specifically developed for the control, a developer programmatically declares which functionalities of the original application are to be included in the new control. This control building logic becomes a part of the application code. On execution of the application with the added control building logic, the native code that will re-create the control functionality is automatically generated. The control developer may now extend the generated code using simple Object Oriented Programming (OOP) inheritance to add properties and parameters that will control its behavior. The resulting control may then be referenced by other developers when creating a new software application.

Abstract: A haptic device comprising a base member (4), an end-effector (6), a parallel kinematics structure arranged between the base plate and the end-effector and providing at least three degrees of freedom including at least three translational degrees of freedom in relation to the end-effector, and at least one passive gravity compensation means being adapted to exert forces and/or torques on the parallel kinematics structure for at least partial compensation of gravity related forces and/or torques acting in at least one of the three translational degrees of freedom.

Abstract: Reinforced stabilizing strip (10) intended for use in reinforced earth structures, comprising a longitudinal part (12), said longitudinal part (12) comprising along at least part of its length, at least one cord (14) arranged approximately longitudinally and encased in the bulk of said longitudinal part.

Abstract: A biopsy device comprises a body, a needle, a cutter, and a shuttle valve slider. The needle has a first lumen and a second lumen. The cutter translates relative to the needle. The shuttle valve slider translates in response to translation of the cutter. The shuttle valve slider vents the second lumen when the shuttle valve slider is in a first longitudinal position and substantially seals the second lumen relative to atmospheric air when the shuttle valve slider is in a second longitudinal position. A degree of lost motion is provided between the cutter and the shuttle valve slider, such that the cutter moves the shuttle valve slider only when the cutter moves through a first part of the cutter's range of motion; and such that the cutter does not move the shuttle valve slider when the cutter moves through a second part of the cutter's range of motion.

Abstract: A method of biopsy device operation comprises rotating a first rotating member at a first rotational speed to rotate a cutter. A second rotating member is rotated at a second rotational speed to translate the cutter. The first and second members are rotated simultaneously and in the same direction. The first rotating member rotates with the cutter, while the second rotating member rotates about the first rotating member. The difference between the first and second rotational speeds, as well as threaded engagement between the first and second rotating members, provides the translation of the cutter. A method of biopsy device operation also comprises moving a shuttle valve slider to selectively vent or seal the second lumen of a needle. The shuttle valve slider is responsive to translation of the cutter, though some degree of lost motion is provided between the shuttle valve slider and the cutter.

Abstract: A process for measuring speed or vibration characteristics using a LIDAR device allows the separation of a useful contribution and an interfering contribution in a backscattered signal. To this purpose, a phase characteristic of an optical wave emitted in the direction of a target volume is modulated. The interfering contribution, which originates from a source at a distance from the target volume, appears with variable shifts of said phase characteristic in a heterodyne detection signal. An accumulation then isolates the useful contribution, from which a result is obtained for the speed or vibration measurement. The process can be implemented with a frequency modulation or phase modulation of the optical wave.

Abstract: Disclosed is a porous adhesive for corrugated cardboard, including sticky starch and porous zeolite, in which microscopic holes to be joined with the microscopic holes in zeolite are formed in starch, thereby maintaining the freshness of food products stored in a corrugated cardboard box and efficiently eliminating remaining agricultural chemical components. Also, a method of manufacturing corrugated cardboard using the porous adhesive is provided. The porous adhesive for corrugated cardboard is obtained by blending a mixture, including 68.5˜79.5 wt % corn starch, 20˜30 wt % zeolite powder having the same particle size to that of the corn starch, and 0.5˜2 wt % microorganism-containing yellow soil, caustic soda and a hardener, with water. The zeolite powder and the corn starch have a particle size of 300˜350 meshes. The microorganisms contained in yellow soil are selected from the group consisting of Bacillus sp., Acinetobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A material sampling device comprises an auger, a first motor, and a rotatable tube assembly. The auger is configured to extract material from a container. The first motor is configured to rotate the auger. The rotatable tube assembly comprises an outer tube and a second motor. The outer tube is configured to allow the auger to rotate within the outer tube. The outer tube comprises an upper portion configured to remain stationary, and a lower portion configured to rotate. The second motor is configured to rotate the lower portion of the outer tube. In a second embodiment, a material sampling device comprises an auger, and a rotatable tube assembly. The rotatable tube assembly comprises an outer tube comprising an upper portion configured to remain stationary and a lower portion configured to rotate. The auger and the lower portion of the outer tube are configured to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.

Abstract: The invention includes liquid formulations of botulinum toxin that are stable to storage in liquid form at standard refrigerator temperatures for at least 1-2 years and to storage at higher temperatures for at least 6 months. The invention also includes methods of treatment using such formulations for various therapeutic and cosmetic purposes.