Abstract: A motor suitable for use in a medical imaging environment has (a) a cylindrical outer gear having a bore with a centerline and an internal surface with circumferentially distributed and radially directed teeth, (b) a means for mounting this outer gear such that it is constrained to move in rotational motion about its centerline, (c) a cylindrical planetary gear having a bore and an external surface having circumferentially distributed and radially directed teeth, (d) a means located within the planetary gear bore for applying a fluid pressure driven force to cause it to move in translational-circular motion about the outer gear's centerline, and (e) wherein the teeth of these gears are configured so as to cooperate such that the translational-circular motion of the planetary gear causes the rotational movement of the outer gear.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus that makes possible the replacement of ankle tissue between the bottom of the tibia and the adjoining top of the talus bone comprises: (a) a base having primary and secondary anchoring holes that extend through the base and through which anchoring pins may be extended for anchoring withh the tibia, anchoring holes having adjoining and cooperating, threaded, set screw holes and set screws that cooperate to assist in fixing the position of the base relative to the anchoring pins and the tibia, (b) a surgical blade positioning shelf, the front surface of the shelf configured to approximate the curvature observable in the top portion of the talus and the rear surface of the shelf having attached to it a shaft which may slide in and out from an opening in the front surface of the base, and (c) indicia attached to the shaft which allows one to record the position of the front surface of the surgical blade positioning shelf relative to the base.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for treating plate-like workpieces with a designated chemical solution, including printed circuit boards, includes: (1) a tray for holding the chemical solution, with the tray having an open top which is configured to receive a horizontally-oriented workpiece, with the tray having a top edge with a portion of the edge forming a dam over which the solution may flow and an opening in its lower portion where the solution can enter the tray, (2) a reservoir tank situated below the tray, (3) a feed line connecting the reservoir tank and tray opening, (4) a drain that returns the solution that overflows the tray top edge to the reservoir tank, and (5) a pump that circulates the solution from the tank to the tray and over the horizontally situated workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and method of searching, exploring or otherwise navigating the contents of a collection of networked documents or pages. In a preferred embodiment, this system provides a user with a multimedia display format which intuitively indicates, without the user opening a document or web page, the characteristics of the document or web pages. Additionally, this system permits a user to move between such documents without extensively entering explicit search terms. With this system, the contents of Internet web pages may be evaluated by incrementally adjusting through a multimedia display of a continuum of IP addresses or a continuum of related web pages, which are identified as having keywords that match any of a collection of keywords generated from an initially-inputted keyword. This system further comprises a dial or rotary control that allows the user to select, in a continuous fashion, among such displayed, Internet web pages.

Abstract: The present invention introduces improved protective garments, especially in the form of safer infant bibs.

Abstract: An improved spray head that is more effective and efficient at providing a wider range of desired spray distributions includes the following elements: (a) a plurality of fluidic oscillators, each oscillator having a fluidic circuit embedded in its top surface, with this circuit forming a path in which a fluid may flow through the oscillator, wherein these oscillators are stacked one on top of the other, with the sides of the oscillators being configured so that they stack such that the flow of fluid from adjoining oscillators in the stack have an angle of divergence between the centerlines of the planes defined by the flows from the outlets of the adjoining oscillators that is in the range of 2–5 degrees, (b) a plurality of cover plates, with each cover plate being proximate the top surface of one of the fluidic oscillators and attached to the oscillator so as to provide a seal against the flow of fluid from the oscillator's fluidic circuit, (c) a carrier assembly having a front and a rear surface and a cavit

Abstract: An improved hydraulic dredging apparatus for removing a sediment layer from an underlying substrate lying below a water surface includes a receptacle having an open-front portion through which is sediment is collected, means for attaching the dredging apparatus to the submersible end of a boom that extends from a surface vehicle, a hydraulic pump for pumping a sediment and water slurry to the water's surface.

Abstract: A motor suitable for use in a medical imaging environment has (a) a centrally located means for actuating a radial wave, (b) a deformable flexspline having an inner surface and a toothed outer surface with a first specified number of teeth, and (c) a circular spline having a toothed inner surface with a second specified number of teeth which is different than the first specified number of teeth in the flexspline, wherein the actuation means is operable so that the action of its radial wave causes at least one of the flexspline teeth to engage at a point the toothed side of the circular spline in such a manner that an engagement point passes as a wave around the inner perimeter of the circular spine, with the movement of this engagement point causing the flexspline to rotate around its central axis.

Abstract: The ankle joint prosthesis adapted to involve the patient's distal tibia and talus has, according to the present invention, tibial, talar and mobile or semi-constrained bearing components that are laterally to medially implanted in the patient. The tibial component's top surface has convex curvature in its anterior to posterior plane and is configured so as to approximate and match with the curvature of a prepared portion of the distal tibia; its bottom surface being approximately flat. The talar component's top surface has saddle-shaped, convex curvature in its anterior to posterior plane, it's bottom surface has concave curvature and is configured so as to approximate and match with the curvature of a prepared portion of the talus. The mobile or semi-constrained bearing components have embodiments that comprise a wide variety of geometric shapes. A method for implanting such a prosthesis is also disclosed.

Abstract: A fluidic insert that receives fluid under pressure from a fluid inlet tube and generates a specified spatial distribution of the fluid exiting the insert includes: (1) a body member having top, bottom, front and rear outer surfaces, (2) top and bottom fluidic circuits located, respectively, at least partially within the member's top and bottom surfaces, wherein each of these circuits has at least one power nozzle, an interaction chamber, and an outlet whose exit lies within the member front surface, (3) the bottom fluidic circuit having a portion of its surface area located upstream of the power nozzle and adapted so that it can mate with a fluid inlet tube that supplies fluid to the insert, and (4) an inter-circuit flow passage that allows fluid to flow from the bottom fluid circuit to the top fluid circuit, the bottom end of this passage located such that it is downstream of the point where the inlet tube mates with the bottom circuit and upstream of the bottom circuit's power nozzle, with the top end of t

Abstract: An improved retractable tape measure has, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the features of a standard measure, including a housing with front and rear sides, a boundary edge and a tape opening, a retractable measuring tape positioned within this housing, with the tape having a free end that extends through the housing's opening, plus the improvements yielded by: (a) configuring the housing sides to be tear-drop shaped with a tip end, and (b) locating the tape opening in a portion of the boundary edge proximate the tape's tip end.

Abstract: An operator-directed system for suppressing fire within a remote, outdoor, industrial installation has: (a) a means for capturing at a prescribed frequency video images of the remote area, (b) a means of transmitting these images to the operator's location which is some distance from the remote location, (c) a means, adapted to utilize these transmitted images, for detecting fire within the remote area, (d) a means located at the remote location for discharging a fire suppressant over the area, and (e) a means, located at the operator's location and utilizing the transmitted images, for allowing the operator to control the flow and direction of the discharging of the fire suppressant in the remote area.

Abstract: A check valve for use in a section of a liquid flow line to control the intermittent flow of a liquid through the line, wherein the section of the line that is configured to received the valve has inlet and outlet ends with an opening through which liquid respectively enters or exits the section, includes a compression spring having upstream and downstream ends, wherein the spring is configured so as to allow the downstream end to press against the section outlet end. This check valve further includes a piston having bottom, top and outer side surfaces, with this piston having a cavity that extends from its top surface and is configured to allow the spring to sit and operated freely within the cavity with the spring's upstream end resting on the bottom surface of the cavity.

Abstract: Formed Laser Sources (FLS) using pulsed laser light for generation of ultrasonic stress waves are combined with air-coupled detection of ultrasound to provide for the hybrid non-contact, dynamic and remote ultrasonic testing of structural materials, especially railroad tracks. Using this hybrid technique, multimode and controlled frequency and wavefront surface acoustic waves, plate waves, guided waves, and bulk waves are generated to propagate on and within the rail tracks. The non-contact, remote nature of this methodology enables high-speed, fill access inspections of rail tracks. The flexibility and remote nature of this methodology makes possible the detection of critical cracks that are not easy, or impossible to detect, with current inspection techniques available to the railroad industry.

Abstract: An improved utility cart is presented which can be configured in various ways so as to allow it to be: used for hauling game or fishing supplies, used as a seat-backed chair, or conveniently backpacked over rough terrain.

Abstract: A seat massager for massaging a person's back has, according to the present invention, a pair of inflatable, massage bladders configured so as to be received in close proximity to a person's back and oriented so that these bladders share an overlaid portion with each other, a pump that supplies fluid to the bladders, a fluidic having an inlet and two exhaust ports, a conduit that connects each of the fluidic exhaust ports to one of the pair of bladders, wherein the fluidic is configured so as to yield alternating flow from the exhaust ports that cyclically inflates and deflates each of the bladders so as to provide a massaging sensation to the back. This massager may also include an inflatable support bladder positioned beneath the massage bladders, another pump that supplies fluid to this support bladder, and a carrier plate on which the pumps are mounted, this plate being configured so as to aid in attaching the seat massager to the frame of a seat into which the seat massager is to be installed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for scoring the quality of sleep experienced by a subject wearing the apparatus for a specified period. This sleep monitoring apparatus includes a motion sensor that quantifies the temporal variation in the subject's motion, an analog to digital converter to sample the sensor data, a microprocessor with embedded programmable memory to store control and processing firmware, a memory device for data storage, a display means, and a switch for staring and resetting the device. The firmware for this apparatus: (i) directs the microprocessor to sample sensor output at a prescribed time interval and to temporarily store this data in the memory device, (ii) directs the microprocessor to analyze the temporarily stored data to compute a sleep score based on the magnitude of movements recorded during the monitoring period, and (iii) controls the operation of the display means.

Abstract: A method for predicting the trajectory of an aircraft is disclosed. It yields the arrival/departure times for a plurality of aircraft with respect to a specified system resource and is based upon specified data and other operational factors pertaining to the aircraft and system resource. This process comprises the steps of: (a) collecting and storing the specified data and operational factors, (b) processing, at an initial instant, the specified data that is applicable at that instant to the aircraft so as to predict an initial trajectory encompassing arrival/departure times for each aircraft, (c) upgrading these initial trajectory predictions for effects of: (1) environmental factors (weather, turbulence), (2) actions of the Air traffic Control system (e.g., stacking incoming aircraft when runway demand is greater than availability), and (3) secondary assets (e.g.

Abstract: A remote, non-contact system for detecting a defect in a railroad wheel as the wheel is stationary or moving along a railroad track includes; (1) a pulsed, laser light source for generating an ultrasonic wave in the wheel, the ultrasonic wave having a direct portion and reflected and transmitted portions if the direct portion encounters a defect in the wheel, (2) an optical component in the path of the light from the light source for forming the light into a specified illumination pattern so that the generated ultrasonic wave has a specified wavefront, (3) an air-coupled transducer or a group of transducers for sensing the acoustic signal emanating from the wheel that results from the ultrasonic wave traveling through the wheel, and (4) a signal processor, responsive to the sensed acoustic signal, capable of distinguishing whether the sensed signal has a component that indicates the existence of a reflected portion in the ultrasonic wave, wherein the presence of such a component in the acoustic signal indicat

Abstract: A method is presented for extending the lives of existing slate, fibrous cement and clay tile roofs. The method involves injecting an especially formulated, polymer material into the spaces and voids of adjoining tiles. The injection process uses pumping equipment with a custom-designed gasket at the spray gun's point of application to aid in directing the grout into the spaces and voids.