Abstract: An ankle-foot orthosis (A.F.O.) has an upper post for securing to a patient's leg, a shoe with an exterior surface on the heel, and a shoe-attachment device that attaches to the shoe and pivotably couples to the upper post member. A first shoe attachment device has a unshaped member that is angled inward to be substantially co-planar with the exterior angled surface of the shoe to engage it and that has attachment posts that pivotably connect to the upper post. It also has an edge that engages the shoe. A second shoe attachment device is a unshaped member having channel-and-hook connection on each end that is operable to receive and hold a fastener that extends through a channel in the heel of the shoe. It may also have a convex portion that mates with a trough on the shoe. Methods of manufacturing these types of systems are also presented.

Abstract: An ankle-foot orthosis (A.F.O.) has an upper post for securing to a patient's leg, a shoe with an exterior surface on the heel, and a shoe-attachment device that attaches to the shoe and pivotably couples to the upper post member. A first shoe attachment device has a u-shaped member that is angled inward to be substantially co-planar with the exterior angled surface of the shoe to engage it and that has attachment posts that pivotably connect to the upper post. It also has an edge that engages the shoe. A second shoe attachment device is a u-shaped member having channel-and-hook connection on each end that is operable to receive and hold a fastener that extends through a channel in the heel of the shoe. It may also have a convex portion that mates with a trough on the shoe. Methods of manufacturing these types of systems are also presented.

Abstract: A system for converting lighter hydrocarbons to heavier hydrocarbons has a synthesis gas subsystem for receiving air and light hydrocarbons and producing a synthesis gas; a synthesis subsystem for receiving synthesis gas from the synthesis gas subsystem and producing heavier hydrocarbons therefrom and an aqueous byproduct stream having contaminates; and a stripper subsystem for receiving the aqueous byproduct stream and removing contaminates therefrom, wherein the stripper subsystem includes a concentrator column for concentrating contaminates in an aqueous by product stream, and a stripper column for stripping contaminates from a concentrated aqueous byproduct stream.