Abstract: A heart stabilizer includes a shaft and two articulating arms coupled to a distal end of the shaft. At the end of each arm is a rotatable foot adapted to be angled relative to the heart wall contour and apply pressure against the wall of the heart to effectively eliminate motion of the heart wall between the feet. The stabilizer is adapted to be collapsible (foldable) to be inserted through the port device and locked longitudinally relative thereto. The stabilizer is also adapted to be deployed into an open configuration and then manipulated by actuation of a proximal control and actuation handle into a selected orientation.

Abstract: An endoscopic needle device includes an inner fluid conduit, an outer sheath extending over the length of the conduit, a longitudinally stiff wire extending through the conduit, and a needle fixedly attached to the distal end of the conduit. The distal end of the wire is coupled to one or both of the needle and the distal end of the conduit. The needle includes a proximal opening such that the hollow of the needle is in fluid communication with a lumen of conduit. A proximal handle includes a stationary member and a movable member longitudinally movable relative to the stationary member. The proximal end of the outer sheath is coupled to the stationary member, and the stationary member includes structure to mount the handle to a port of an endoscope. The movable member includes a passageway, and the proximal end of the conduit is coupled to the distal end of the movable member, and a port is provided at the proximal end of the movable member.

Abstract: A refrigerated soda vending machine includes sensors for monitoring various parameters such as temperature within its refrigerated chamber and for monitoring occupancy in the chamber vicinity. Sensor data is used to determine when to switch between normal and power-conservation modes of operation. In either mode, a cooling system is regulated so that a compressor goes on when an upper internal temperature threshold is reached and off when a lower internal temperature threshold is reached. In normal mode, fans circulate air to maintain a relatively uniform temperature throughout the chamber. During power-conservation mode, the fans are mostly off when the compressor is off. In the absence of circulation, the temperature within the refrigerated chamber stratifies so that a lower cool zone and an upper warm zone can be differentiated. Soda cans are held in vertical stacks so that the lowest cans are located in the cool zone.

Abstract: An intragastric balloon device includes a flexible bladder, a relatively rigid reservoir coupled to the bladder and adapted to hold a bladder inflation fluid, and an inflation/deflation system adapted to move or permit movement of the fluid from the reservoir and into the bladder. The intragastric balloon device is sized such that it may be positioned, in its entirety, into the stomach cavity. Various systems may be used to move or permit movement of the fluid. A control system is provided to automatically activate the inflation/deflation system. The automatic activation may be activated by a combination of one or more of a timer, the temperature of the stomach, the pressure in the stomach, the mechanical stress in the stomach, or another sensed condition, at which the control system is programmed or otherwise configured to activate.

Abstract: A cassette for an object counting and dispensing system includes a base and a stepped side wall which together define a central open reservoir portion and at least one peripheral covered tray portion having an exit. Each cassette is adapted to feed and guide a range of sizes and shapes of tablets toward the exit. Only a few standard sizes of cassettes are needed to accommodate all discrete objects, e.g., tablets and capsules.

Abstract: Methods for retiming and realigning SONET signals include demultiplexing STS-1 signals from an STS-3 signal, buffering each of the three signals in a FIFO, determining the FIFO depth over time, determining a pointer leak rate based in part on FIFO depth and also based on the rate of received pointer movements. For a 28-byte deep FIFO, if the depth of a FIFO is 12-16 bytes, no pointer leaking is performed. If the depth is 0-4 bytes, an immediate positive leak is performed. If the depth is 24-28, an immediate negative leak is performed. If the depth is 5-11 bytes a calculated positive leak is performed. If the depth is 17-23 bytes, a calculated negative leak is performed. The calculated leak rates are based on the net number of pointer movements (magnitude of positive and negative movements summed) received every 32 seconds (256,000 frames).

Abstract: A directional speaker system includes an enclosure having an inner surface, an outer surface, an open end, and a closed end, a speaker driver directed toward the open end and mounted near the closed end of the enclosure, an in-line phase plug mounted in front of the speaker driver for manipulating the wavefront of sound waves produced by the speaker driver, and a preferably frustoconical shaped wave guide provided between the speaker driver and the open end of the speaker enclosure. A preferably annular space is provided between the enclosure and the wave guide and a plurality of openings are provided between the enclosure at the open end of the enclosure. Out-of-phase sound waves produced by the speaker driver travel into the space and exit the speaker system through the openings.

Abstract: An apparatus for wrapping fireworks shells is provided and includes a base provided with preferably three support rollers configured to support a spherical firework shell thereon; stepper motors coupled to two of the rollers, a computer coupled to the stepper motors to control the movement of the stepper motors and thereby control the angular rotation of the shell on the rollers, and a dispenser assembly which dispenses continuous-feed tape for wrapping the shell and applies and presses the tape to the shell as the shell is rotated on the rollers. The computer instructs the stepper motors to systematically, at times, rotate the rollers at relatively different speeds, such that a shell on the rollers is subjected to angular rotation and-the tape is evenly applied to all portions of the shell such that the tape forms a very even casing of the firework shell.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for delivering a medical instrument over the exterior of an endoscope while the endoscope is installed in the patient's body allow the use of instruments which are too large to fit through the lumena of an endoscope. Furthermore, the invention allows the elimination of working lumena in an endoscope thereby minimizing the likelihood of contamination.

Abstract: An object counting and dispensing system includes a vibration system, a mounting assembly for coupling a cassette to the vibration system, a chute configured to receive discrete objects from the cassette, and an object sensing system which senses and counts objects fed from the cassette. Each cassette includes a base and a stepped side wall which together define a central open reservoir portion and a peripheral covered tray portion. Cassettes are mounted to the mounting assembly in manner which permits rapid and secure coupling and decoupling. A preferred coupling and decoupling system includes an electromagnet. Each cassette is able to feed and guide a range of sizes and shapes of tablets toward the exit. Only a few standard sizes of cassettes are needed to accommodate all discrete objects, e.g., tablets and capsules, for which the counter is adapted. A universal hopper can be attached to the mounting assembly.

Abstract: A mandrel for use in a diamond deposition process has surfaces with different diamond adhesion properties. According to one embodiment, a mandrel is provided and has first and second surfaces on which a diamond film is deposited, with the second surface forming a perimeter around the first surface. The first surface of the mandrel has a first diamond bonding strength which is less than a second diamond bonding strength of the second surface. In an embodiment for forming a cup-shaped diamond film, the mandrel is a titanium nitride (TiN) coated molybdenum (Mo) substrate having a stepped solid cylindrical shape with a central mesa having a side wall or flank. The side wall is etched near the top surface of the mesa to expose a molybdenum band and to form a second surface which bounds the TiN first surface.