Abstract: A programmable logic device has many regions of programmable logic, together with relatively general-purpose, programmable, interconnection resources that can be used to make interconnections between virtually any of the logic regions. In addition, various types of more local interconnection resources are associated with each logic region for facilitating the making of interconnections between adjacent or nearby logic regions without the need to use the general-purpose interconnection resources for those interconnections. The local interconnection resources support flexible clustering of logic regions via relatively direct and therefore high-speed interconnections, preferably in both horizontal and vertical directions in the typically two-dimensional array of logic regions. The logic region clustering options provided by the local interconnection resources are preferably boundary-less or substantially boundary-less within the array of logic regions.

Abstract: Methods for forming a single-side-readable DVD having graphical information viewable from the DVD's frontside disc are provided. A first, frontside disc having a first and a second surface, with the second surface comprising program information and coated with a semi-reflective coating, is bonded to a second, backside disc having a third and a fourth surface. A first portion of the fourth surface comprises spillover program information and a second portion of the fourth surface comprises graphical information. The fourth surface is coated with a reflective coating. During DVD formation, the frontside and backside discs are adhesively bonded back to back so that the second surface of the frontside disc faces the fourth surface of the backside disc. Because the frontside disc comprises a semi-reflective coating, the graphical information on the second portion of the fourth surface of the backside disc is viewable through the frontside disc.

Abstract: A macrocell with product term allocation and adjacent product term stealing is disclosed. Programmable configuration switches provide product term allocation by directing input product terms to an OR gate or to the secondary inputs to a register. Adjacent product term stealing is accomplished by providing the output of the OR gate of each macrocell as an input to the OR gate of an adjacent macrocell. By using the output of the OR gate of the first macrocell, the adjacent macrocell steals the product terms and the OR gate of the first macrocell for use in its own OR gate. An arbitrarily wide OR function can be implemented by daisy chaining the OR gates of adjacent macrocells. Because programmable configuration switches can direct individual input product terms to the register logic instead of the OR gate, the register logic can be used even when an adjacent macrocell steals the OR gate.

Abstract: A body tissue graft for use in a patient includes a frame structure made of a first elastic material, a covering of a second elastic material on the frame structure, the covering substantially filling openings in the frame structure, and a connector connected to the frame structure. Projections are secured to the connector structure. The projections facilitate attachment of the tubular graft in a patient by securing the graft to the body tissue with which the graft is employed. The connector selectively circumferentially expands and the projections selectively circumferentially expand. This may be done using an inflatable balloon to circumferentially expand the projections. A restraining member may be provided to restrain the projections in a cone shape so that an end of the graft may be used to open an aperture through a side wall of existing body organ tubing and a portion of the projections may enter the aperture.

Abstract: Instrumentation for facilitating cutting an opening in a side wall of a body conduit in a patient. A tubular structure defines a lumen and has a sharpened distal end portion configured to cut a section of the body conduit to create the opening. A tissue holding structure is provided which is axially movable within the lumen of the tubular structure. The tissue holding structure includes a piercing portion to permit passage of the tissue holding structure through the body conduit from an entrance side to an exit side thereof. The tissue holding structure also includes a retention member to secure the section of the body conduit to the tissue holding structure during movement of the tissue holding structure to approximate the entrance side of the body conduit with the sharpened distal portion of the tubular structure to enable the sharpened distal structure to cut the body conduit. A connector is also provided for attaching a new length of tubing to the body conduit at the opening made by the cutting.

Abstract: Driver circuitry for programmable logic devices may include a module comprising a driver and associated hardware-programmable input and/or output routing connections. Instances of the generalized driver module may be included anywhere on the programmable logic device that driver circuitry having characteristics within the capabilities of the generalized module is needed. The circuitry of each instance of the module is hardware-customized to match the driver characteristics required for that instance. Driver circuits may be distributed throughout the interconnection conductor resources of the programmable logic device in such a way as to optimize re-buffering of signals propagating through those resources.

Abstract: Apparatus for permanent placement across an ostium of a left atrial appendage in a patient, which includes a filtering membrane configured to extend across the ostium of the left atrial appendage. The filtering membrane has a permeable structure which allows blood to flow through but substantially inhibits thrombus from passing therethrough. The apparatus also includes a support structure attached to the filtering membrane which retains the filtering membrane in position across the ostium of the left atrial appendage by permanently engaging a portion of the interior wall of the left atrial appendage. The support structure may be radially expandable from a first configuration to a second configuration which engages the ostium or the interior wall of the left atrial appendage. The filtering membrane may define an opening therethrough that is configured to expand from a first size which inhibits the passage of thrombus therethrough to a second size which allows an interventional device, e.g.

Abstract: Methods for making an anastomotic connection between a first conduit and a second conduit in a patient. The first conduit and a second conduit of the patient are placed relatively adjacent to each other at the operative site to make a side-to-side anastomosis connection. A region is created where the first conduit and the second conduit contact each other. An adhesive is placed in the region between the two conduits. An aperture is then created in the region with a cutting instrument. A ring of sutures or other fasteners may be used in place of or in addition to the adhesive. An end-to-side anastomosis may be used instead of a side-to-side anastomosis.

Abstract: Enhanced passgate structures for use in low-voltage systems are presented in which the influence of Vt on the range of signals passed by single-transistor passgates is reduced. In one arrangement, the VGATE−Vt limit for signals propagated through NMOS passgates is raised by applying a higher VGATE; in another arrangement, the Vt is lowered. The use of CMOS passgates in applications where single-transistor passgates have traditionally been used is also presented.

Abstract: A medical graft connector or plug is made, for example, by cutting end portions of a tube of highly elastic material axially at numerous locations spaced circumferentially around the tube to produce a plurality of fingers which extend axially from each end of an uncut medial portion of the tube. The fingers are deflected radially outwardly from the medial portion and set in that condition. For a graft connector, the medial portion is coaxially connected to an end portion of a tubular graft. The connector is then installed through an aperture in the side wall of a patient's tubular body conduit, for example, by using a delivery tube in which the fingers are elastically deflected back to approximately their initial positions. When the delivery conduit is withdrawn from the connector, the fingers spring out to engage the inner and outer surfaces of the body conduit wall.

Abstract: A membrane applied to the ostium of an atrial appendage is disclosed. The membrane prevents blood clots in the atrial appendage from escaping therefrom and entering the blood stream which can result in a blocked blood vessel, leading to strokes and heart attacks. The membrane may be permeable or impermeable with respect to blood flow. The membrane is configured to extend over the ostium of the left atrial appendage. The membrane has an outer periphery with a dimension larger than a corresponding dimension of the ostium. Securement means is provided to secure the outer periphery of the membrane in direct engagement with the atrial wall surrounding the ostium. The securement means may located between the membrane and the atrial wall, or the securement means may extend distally from the membrane through the ostium.

Abstract: Apparatus for permanent placement across an ostium of a left atrial appendage in a patient, which includes a filtering membrane configured to extend across the ostium of the left atrial appendage. The filtering membrane has a permeable structure which allows blood to flow through but substantially inhibits thrombus from passing therethrough. The apparatus also includes a support structure comprising a plurality of fingers which are radially outwardly expandable with respect to a longitudinal axis to permanently engage the interior wall of the left atrial appendage, wherein the filtering membrane is attached to the support structure extending across the ostium of the left atrial appendage.

Abstract: A programmable logic device (“PLD”) includes high speed serial interface (“HSSI”) circuitry that can support several high speed serial (“HSS”) standards. Examples of the standards that can be supported are XAUI, InfiniBand, 1G Ethernet, FibreChannel, and Serial RapidIO. The HSSI circuitry may be partly programmable to support these various standards. In some cases control may come from the associated PLD core circuitry. Also in some cases some of the interface functions may be performed in the PLD core circuitry.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for replacing an old wire threaded through a flyer winder with a new wire are provided. A first end of the old wire is connected to a first end of the new wire. The wires may be connected by twining, clamping, welding or the like. A second end of the old wire that extends from one of the winder's flyers is then connected to a collection device, and the old wire is collected until the new wire has been threaded through the flyer winder along the same path traveled by the old wire. The collection device may be an armature or similar structure having recesses for collecting the old wire during wire change-over or replacement. Preferably the collection device is configured so that conventional coil lead connection operations may be used to expedite wire change-over or replacement.

Abstract: A programmable logic integrated circuit device has at least one function-specific circuit block (e.g., a parallel multiplier, a parallel barrel shifter, a parallel arithmetic logic unit, etc.) in addition to the usual multiple regions of programmable logic and the usual programmable interconnection circuit resources. To reduce the impact of use of the function-specific block (“FSB”) on the general purpose interconnection resources of the device, inputs and/or outputs of the FSB may be coupled relatively directly to a subset of the logic regions. In addition to conserving general purpose interconnect, resources of the logic regions to which the FSB are connected can be used by the FSB to reduce the amount of circuitry that must be dedicated to the FSB.

Abstract: A medical graft connector for connecting an end of a tubular graft conduit to a side wall of a patient's existing tubular body conduit via an aperture in the side wall thereof has a first plurality of fingers configured to engage an interior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A second plurality of fingers is configured to engage an exterior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A third plurality of fingers is received in an interior lumen of the graft conduit, and a fourth plurality of fingers is configured to pierce the graft conduit. The connector is radially deformable between a first size and a second size.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for making an anastomotic connection between a first conduit and a second conduit. A connector structure having a first end portion and a second end portion is positioned about a balloon catheter, which when pressurized, expands to a significant extent at the distal end thereof. The balloon enlarges the connector structure when positioned at the distal end portion of the balloon to create the anastomosis, and at the same time reduces the axial length of the connector, thereby compressing the first conduit to the second conduit, creating a hemodynamic seal and a firm attachment of the two conduits. After enlargement, the connector structure remains in place and adds structure to the anastomosis. During introduction, the second end portion of the connector is covered by a nosecone assembly to prevent trauma to the second conduit while the apparatus is being introduced.

Abstract: A workstation is provided for concurrently processing dynamo-electric machine core subassemblies that are at different stages of a dynamo-electric machine core manufacturing process. The workstation is configured to include a sequence of step processing units. Different units receive and process subassemblies that are at different stages of manufacture. A movable transferor substantially simultaneously advances a group of subassemblies forward through the sequence of units. The workstation can be integrated with conventional assembly line transport systems. These transport systems may be used to deliver input subassemblies to the workstation and to carry away output subassemblies. Subassemblies may be loaded into the workstation at the same time as finished subassemblies are unloaded from the workstation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for recording on DVD-like recording media in which audio content is stored in a high-capacity multi-channel (e.g., six-channel) format are provided. Various channels may use various resolutions. A two-channel audio output may be derived from the multi-channel audio data stream during playback. To facilitate an accurate derivation, the mixing coefficients to be used in generating the derivation can be supplied along with the six-channel audio data.

Abstract: An improved interconnection switch using NMOS passgates is presented which allows the gate voltage of the NMOS passgate to be bootstrapped to a higher voltage than the initial voltage applied thereon so as to allow a higher logic HIGH signal to be passed. The stimulus for this bootstrapping is the transition of the logic signal at the input terminal of the NMOS passgate, which obviates the need for a separate external stimulus. Because the bootstrapping occurs as a result of the dynamic coupling between the gate terminal and the channel of the NMOS passgate, the voltage across the gate oxide does not exceed the magnitude of the logic HIGH signal, thereby rendering the use of thick-oxide devices unnecessary.