Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, medical devices are provided which comprise a metallic region and a coating on all or part of the metallic region that comprises a multivalent acid.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect, the invention relates to medical devices which comprise at least one reservoir, a therapeutic-agent-containing region disposed within the reservoir and an electrode comprising a conductive polymer. The devices of the invention are configured such that a rate of release of the therapeutic agent from the reservoir changes upon a change in the oxidation state of the conductive polymer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device mountable to a substrate includes a semiconductor die and an electrically conductive lead frame having first and second end portions and a first attachment surface and a second attachment surface. The die electrically contacts the first end portion of the lead frame on the first attachment surface. An externally exposed housing encloses the semiconductor die and the first end portion of the lead frame, said housing including a metallic plate facing the second attachment surface of the lead frame.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, injectable bulking compositions are provided which contain the following: (a) fibers that are configured to prevent migration to locations in the body remote from the injection site, for example, because they have a minimum length that is sufficiently large to prevent migration of the fibers and/or because they have surface features that stimulate host tissue response to lock the fibers in position and (b) a carrier in an amount effective to render the composition injectable.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, medical articles are provided, which are at least partially biodegradable. The medical articles comprise (a) biodegradable polymers that produce acidic molecules upon degradation; and (b) acid neutralizing cationic species.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating tissue of a mammalian body. In one embodiment, a spring mechanism is carried by first and second tubular members and actuatable for moving a needle from a first position disposed within the distal extremity of the first tubular member to a second position extending distally of the first tubular member. In another embodiment, a nozzle is coupled to the distal extremity of an elongate tubular member for delivering a material into tissue of the mammalian body. In a further embodiment, a flexible elongate member provided with a recess is introduced into a cavity of the body to capture tissue in the recess and electrical energy is applied to such tissue in the recess so as to change the compliance of the tissue.

Abstract: Provided are arrangements for delivering customized application or update notifications corresponding to a software application so that a user may be informed of the value of the application or update. In addition, the notifications may be rendered by a configurable notification mechanism so that the behavior of the notification, i.e., when and how often it is displayed, to what users and in what conditions, and the like, is also configurable. In this way, users become more invested in the application or update, are more likely to install the same, and become more aware of what changes to expect following installation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tool holder for adapting a tool to be measured in a measuring arrangement. Such tool holder can, for example, include a spindle or an adapter of a tool presetter to be inserted in such spindle. Furthermore, this invention refers to a measuring arrangement for measuring of tools as well as a method for calibration of such measuring arrangement to a zero-point of the tool.

Abstract: A communication end device of a two-way communication system is shown. The device includes an audio signal capture device for capturing local audio to be transmitted to another end device, an audio signal rendering device for playing remote audio received from the other end device, and buffers for buffering the captured and rendered audio signals. The device also includes an audio echo canceller operating to predict echo from the rendered audio signal at a calculated relative offset in the captured audio signal based on an adaptive filter, and subtract the predicted echo from the signal transmitted to the other end device The calculated relative offset that is used by the audio echo canceller for a current signal sample is adjusted if a difference between it and an adjusted relative offset of a preceding sample exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, injectable polymeric particles are provided that contain a copolymer that contains a hydroxy-acid-based repeat unit selected from a mono(hydroxy acid) unit and a poly(hydroxy acid) unit, an alkyl-ether-based repeat unit selected from a mono(alkyl ether) unit and a poly(alkyl ether) unit, and an acid-based repeat unit selected from a unit comprising multiple carboxylic acid groups and a derivative thereof. Other aspects of the invention pertain to methods of making such particles. Still other aspects of the invention pertain to injectable compositions that comprise such particles and to methods of treatment that employ such injectable compositions.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides medical devices which contain one or more polymeric regions that are at least partially biodisintegrable in bodily fluid. These devices may be implanted or inserted into a subject for treatment of various diseases, disorders and conditions.

Abstract: A set of declarative language instructions (“DEIs”) defines three hierarchically-related data structures (“DSs”) to provide a naming taxonomy for use with a user interface (“UT”) framework. A first DS stores references to user-selectable objects (“USOs”) that are presentable via a UI of a software application. The USOs provide access to other USOs or to resources. A second DS stores references to actions to be taken upon user selection of particular USOs. A third DS stores information for indirectly accessing resources or USO configuration data during runtime of the software application. Another set of DEIs defines sets of computer-executable instructions (“CEIs”) corresponding to actions referred to via the second DS, which are triggered for execution upon user selection of particular USOs. Information from the third DS associated with a selected USO is passed to a particular set of CEIs. Runtime indirection and decoupling of content/functionality from UI components is achieved.

Abstract: A device for loading a guide wire into the open end of a tubular instrument, such as a catheter. The device can be a block of material having a groove in its surface. The ends of the guide wire and the tubular instrument are placed into the groove and moved toward each other. When the ends meet, the groove guides the guide wire into the open end of the tubular instrument. The groove, or at least a portion of the groove, can have a cross-sectional contour that closely matches the outside radius of the tubular instrument. The groove can have a substantially vertical wall and a substantially non-vertical wall. A variety of attachment mechanisms may be provided for attaching the device to a towel draping a patient.

Abstract: A method of playing back content based on digital rights management (DRM) between a portable storage and a device and a portable storage for the same are provided. The method of playing back content using a portable storage includes requesting the portable storage to transmit a right to play back content protected through digital rights management (DRM), receiving the right to play back the content protected through DRM from the portable storage, and informing the portable storage of completion of the playback when a playback of the content protected through DRM using the right is completed.

Abstract: Described herein are implantable medical devices comprising a biocompatible polymer comprising a triggerable bioadhesive property that allows the device to adhere to body tissue. The triggerable bioadhesive property of the polymer can be triggered or activated by exposure to a stimulus. Also, the present invention pertains to methods of making an implantable medical device comprising a biocompatible polymer comprising a triggerable bioadhesive property that allows the device to adhere to body tissue.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus that provides software products for installation on a user terminal is provided. The method begins by receiving over a communications network a user selection that includes a choice of a plurality of user-selected software products to be downloaded. In response to receipt of the user selection, an installation guide is assembled that includes installation instructions associated with each of the user-selected software products. A single user command is received over the communications network that includes a request to begin downloading the user-selected software products. In response to the request, the user-selected software products and the installation instructions are sequentially downloaded over the communications network to the user terminal.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel implantable or insertable medical devices that provide controlled release of a therapeutic agent. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a therapeutic-agent-releasing medical device is provided, which comprises: (a) an implantable or insertable medical device; (b) a release layer disposed over at least a portion of the implantable or insertable medical device; and (c) a therapeutic agent. The release layer comprises a maleic anhydride polymer selected from (i) a maleic anhydride copolymer and (ii) a maleic anhydride graft polymer. The release layer regulates the rate of release of the therapeutic agent from the medical device upon implantation or insertion of the device into a patient. The present invention is also directed to methods of forming the above implantable or insertable medical devices, methods of administering a therapeutic agent to a patient using such devices, and methods of modulating the release of therapeutic agent from such devices.

Abstract: A device for loading a guide wire into the open end of a tubular instrument such as a catheter. The device can be a block of material having a groove in its surface. The ends of the guide wire and the tubular instrument are placed into the groove and moved toward each other. When the ends meet, the groove guides the guide wire into the open end of the tubular instrument. The groove, or at least a portion of the groove, can have a cross-sectional contour that closely matches the outside radius of the tubular instrument. The groove can have one portion with a shallower depth than the other portion, with the guide wire run in the shallower portion and the tubular instrument in the deeper portion. The guide wire and the tubular instrument can be angled above the device, with just their ends moving along the groove.

Abstract: In accordance with various aspects of the invention, implantable and insertable medical devices are provided, which contain (a) a substrate and (b) a polymeric layer disposed on the substrate that comprises a fluorinated polymer to which is grafted an unsaturated monomer having at least one carbon double bond and at least one polar functional group.

Abstract: Classes of web graph algorithms are extended to run directly on virtual node-type compressed web graphs where a reduction in runtime of the extended algorithms is realized which is approximately proportional to the compression ratio applied to the original (i.e., uncompressed) graph. In the virtual node compression technique, a succinct representation of a web graph is constructed by replacing dense subgraphs by sparse ones so that the resulting compressed graph has significantly fewer edges and a relatively small number of additional nodes.