Abstract: A percutaneous tissue removal apparatus having a flexible drill shaft, a cutting tip mounted on the shaft a power source for transmitting motion to the shaft to move the cutting tip against tissue and a suction source for removing tissue fragments along the shaft to a location outside the tissue mass while cutting. The apparatus may include a container for collecting one or more selected components of the harvested tissue fragments for implantation of the fragments preferably into the body of the patient from whom they were removed. Where the tissue to be cut is bone, a cutting tip is preferably made of a polymeric material which is softer than the cortical portion of the bone, although the cutting tip may be made of a ceramic or a composite material. A second flexible shaft may be provided either within or about the flexible drill shaft.

Abstract: An anchor has a pointed end portion may be utilized to form an opening in a bone in a patient's body. The anchor is moved into the opening formed in the bone in the patient's body with a suture connected to the anchor. The suture may then be utilized to retain body tissue in a desired position relative to the bone. The body tissue may be either hard or soft body tissue. If desired the anchor may be utilized in conjunction with layers of soft body tissue. When a suture is used it may be secured by connecting a retainer with the suture. Alternatively, sections of the suture may be interconnected. It is believed that it may be preferred to secure the suture in place after at least a predetermined tension has been established in the suture and/or a predetermined force has been transmitted to the body tissue. The suture may be secured in place by exposing a retainer to ultrasonic vibratory energy or by applying the ultrasonic vibratory energy directly to sections of the suture.

Abstract: A suture and a suture retainer are positioned relative to body tissue. Ultrasonic vibratory energy is utilized to heat the suture retainer and effect a bonding of portions of the suture retainer to each other and/or to the suture. Portions of the body tissue may be pressed into linear apposition with each other and held in place by cooperation between the suture and the suture retainer. The suture retainer may include one or more passages through which the suture extends. The suture retainer may include sections which have surface areas which are bonded together. If desired, the suture may be wrapped around one of the sections of the suture retainer. The suture retainer may be formed with a recess in which the suture is received. If desired, the suture retainer may be omitted and the sections of the suture bonded to each other.

Abstract: A neuronal phase-locked loop (NPLL) that can decode temporally-encoded information and convert it to a rate code is based on an algorithm similar to that of the electronic PLL, but is a stochastic device, implemented by neural networks (real or simulated). The simplest embodiment of the NPLL includes a phase detector (that is, a neuronal-plausible version of an ideal coincidence detector) and a controllable local oscillator that are connected in a negative feedback loop. The phase detector compares the firing times of the local oscillator and the input and provides an output whose firing rate is monotonically related to the time difference. The output rate is fed back to the local oscillator and forces it to phase-lock to the input. Every temporal interval at the input is associated with a specific pair of output rate and time difference values; the higher the output rate the further the local oscillator is driven from its intrinsic frequency.

Abstract: The relationship between first and second portions of a bone in a patient's body is changed by moving a wedge member into a slot formed in the bone. Force is applied against hard cortical bone by the wedge member. This force pivots the first portion of the bone relative to the second portion of the bone about an axis extending through bone interconnecting the first and second portions of the bone. As the wedge member moves into the bone, a side surface of the wedge member is moved into alignment with an outer side surface of the bone. The wedge member is fixedly connected with the bone. The wedge member is rigid so that the bone can immediately be load bearing. One or more openings may be provided in the wedge member to enable bone to grow through the wedge member. The wedge member may contain a material which promotes growth of bone through the wedge member.

Abstract: A cuff member for a sphygmomanometer that has a manually rotatable spindle mounted in a housing. One end of an inflatable cuff is attached to and wound spirally on the spindle. The spiral-wound portion of the cuff in use remaining at least partially inflatable but provides the effect of a constriction at a position along its length dependent on the extent of the spiral wound portion. The inflatable cuff extends through an opening in the housing. An end unit is attached to the other end of the inflatable cuff. A releasable fastening member fastens the end unit to the housing. A desired effective length of cuff is withdrawn from the housing via the opening to extend in a loop around the upper arm of a patient. A ratchet cooperates with the spindle to allow withdrawal of the cuff from the housing when the spindle is manually rotated in one direction and to restrain withdrawal of the cuff from the housing for rotation of the spindle in the opposite direction.

Abstract: An improved strap has a base end portion, a second end portion and a main portion which is disposed between the base and the second end portions of the strap. A first side of the strap has a layer formed of foam. A second side of the strap has a layer formed of fabric. The second side of a base end portion of the strap has a layer formed of foam. The layer formed of foam on the first side of the strap is placed in engagement with skin on a body of a patient. The base end portion of the strap is retained against movement relative to the body of the patient by wrapping the strap around a portion of the body of the patient and positioning a portion of the layer formed of foam and disposed on the first side of the strap in engagement with foam disposed on the second side of the base end portion of the strap. A second end portion of the strap is connected with the fabric layer on the second side of the strap at a location between the end portions of the strap.

Abstract: A suture anchor is formed of a material which absorbs body liquid when exposed to body liquid. The anchor may be at least partially formed of a material having a strong affinity for body liquids. This enables the anchor to absorb body liquid and expand upon being inserted into a patient's body. At least one embodiment of the suture anchor has portions formed of a relatively hard material which does not absorb body liquids and is pressed against body tissue by the material which absorbs body liquid to mechanically interlock the suture anchor and the body tissue. The anchor may be at least partially formed of a cellular material. The cells expand to absorb body liquid. At least one embodiment of the anchor has a pointed leading end portion to form an opening in an imperforate surface on body tissue. The configuration of the anchor may be changed by tensioning the suture while the anchor is disposed in body tissue.

Abstract: An improved method is provided to secure a suture relative to body tissue. A suture retainer is moved along first and second sections of a suture toward the body tissue. When a predetermined minimum force is being transmitted between the suture retainer and the body tissue, the first and second sections of the suture are gripped with the suture retainer by plastically deforming material of the suture retainer. The material of the suture retainer cold flows under the influence of force applied against the surface areas on the suture retainer. One or more bends are formed in each of the sections of the suture to increase the holding action between the suture retainer and the sections of the suture. The bends may be formed by wrapping a turn of the suture around a portion of the suture retainer. During movement of the suture retainer toward the body tissue, the bends are moved along the first and second sections of the suture.

Abstract: This invention relates to an air bag system for accommodation behind a vehicle covering. The air bag system contains an air bag, which advances in a main inflating direction when the air bag system is triggered, and a gas generator for supplying the air bag with pressure gas during triggering of the air bag system. The gas generator and the air bag are connected by a gas distributing duct which extends at least partially at an angle with respect to the main inflating direction of the air bag. In this case, the gas distributing duct is formed of air bag material. Furthermore, the invention relates to a manufacturing process and a triggering process for such an air bag system as well as to a motor vehicle having such an air bag system, of which at least the air bag is arranged on a sliding roof frame part.

Abstract: A needle holder for use in a seed handling assembly that is made as a box-like open-sided metal frame having a bottom, a top and opposed side frame members with a pair of steel shielding plates enclosing the sides of the frame. The top frame member defines at least one row of holes for receiving elongated needles containing radioactive seeds. Feet are attached to opposite sides of the frame to enable the needle holder to be free standing. Lifting elements are attached to the frame to enable the needle holder to be picked up and moved while needles are held in the needle holder and for a person lifting and moving the needle holder to be shielded from radioactive seeds in a needle.

Abstract: Apparatus for sampling a liquid, said apparatus comprising: i) a sampling device capable of automatically taking a known volume of liquid from a source; ii) fixing means connected to said sampling device and removably attachable to a solid phase extraction (SPE) unit, the fixing means being arranged such that liquid taken from a sample by the sampling device is passed directly through the solid phase extraction unit; iii) a reading device able to read labels on an SPE unit attached to said fixing means; iv) a controller arranged to log codes based upon a signal from the reading device, and thereafter issue instructions to an operator and/or operate the sampling device to take an appropriate volume of liquid in response to a signal from said reading device. Methods of sampling using the apparatus are also claimed. These are useful in, for example analysis methods.

Abstract: A process and apparatus that enable continual self-adaptation of dynamic transmission devices (saSTDs), allow “smart” filtering of information for transmission from one element to another within a network of interacting elements, such as a “neural network”. An adaptation algorithm (MapSA) incorporated in STDs allows multiple parameters of STDs (which determine its filtering properties) to continuously adapt simultaneously and interdependently. In this manner, complex correlations can be established between the parameters in all STDs within a network of interacting elements. The process according to the invention therefore establishes unique patterns of connection parameters within the network which in turn dictates a novel sequence of information processing steps by the network.

Abstract: A safety system and method for school buses in which sensors are associated with each seat to sense if a person is occupying the seat and if the seat belt is buckled. A display, within the vision of the bus driver, shows the condition of each seat. Sensors determine the head count of students on the bus. An alarm signals a mismatch between the head count and seats occupied. A telecommunications link and a global positioning system provides bus location to a remote station. Additional sensors detect shook, heat, smoke, CO, water and tire pressure.

Abstract: A tool and/or the combination of a spring-biased reel type measuring tape and the tool which serves the purpose of measuring and marking a cut on a board. The tool consists of a bracket attached to the spring-biased reel type measuring tape. An apron is pivotally mounted to the bracket for pivoting to a vertical downward position to serve as a bearing surface against a board to be cut. An elongated measuring bar is pivotally mounted to the bracket for pivoting horizontally from a closed position adjacent the measuring tape to an open position angularly displaced away from the measuring tape to serve as a guide for a marking line on the board to be cut. A carriage is slidably mounted in the on the measuring bar for carrying a marking implement suitable for making a marking line on the board to be cut.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring a system in which a fluid flows and which is characterized by a change in the system with time in space. A preselected place in the system is monitored to collect data at two or more time points correlated to a system event. The data is indicative of a system parameter that varies with time as a function of at least two variables related to system wash-in and wash-out behavior. A calibration map is made on a calculated basis with each pixel or voxel representative of a color hue indicative of wash-out behavior and a color intensity indicative of wash-in behavior. When a satisfactory map is obtained, the collected data is processed on the basis of the map to obtain an image of the preselected place with each spatial unit thereof correlated with a color hue and a color intensity. Software and a data processing system are provided to develop the calibration map. The calibration map and image of the preselected place are also novel implementations.