Abstract: A technique for correcting a bone deformity, such as a bunion, may be performed using an instrument. The technique may include preparing an end of a first metatarsal and preparing an end of a medial cuneiform opposing the end of the first metatarsal. The technique may also include moving the first metatarsal relative to the medial cuneiform. The technique can involve inserting the instrument between a first metatarsal and a second metatarsal.

Abstract: A wind turbine is provided. The turbine includes a support having an axis of rotation, a generator, a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on the support about the axis of rotation, the blades being moveable between a retracted position generally parallel with the axis of rotation and a fully deployed position generally perpendicular with the axis of rotation, the blades being connected to the generator such that rotation of the blades in a direction induced by wind causes the generator to produce electricity, and the provision of electricity to the generator rotates the blades, and a controller connected to the generator and configured to deliver a flow of current to the generator that is sufficient to move the blades from the retracted position toward the fully deployed position and insufficient to move the blades all the way to the fully deployed position.

Abstract: A cabinet system includes a first vertical end support and a second vertical end support. The first vertical end support and the second vertical end support are each formed from a plurality of metal tubes. The cabinet system also includes a plurality of horizontal stringers that extend between the first vertical end support and the second vertical end support. One or more of the horizontal stringers is configured to support a countertop. The cabinet system further includes a plurality of lateral stringers that extend between the first vertical end support and the second vertical end support. At least one of the lateral stringers is a toe kick.

Abstract: A controlled-impedance cable assembly for removably attaching a controlled-impedance cable to a surface of a device. Signal contacts are attached to signal conductors of cables and ground members are coupled to shields of the cables. Ends of the signal conductors and of elongated appendages extending from the ground members are positioned to make a pressure contact to pads and ground lands on the surface. Pressure to make those contacts may come from deflection of the ends of the signal conductors and elongated ground appendages or from a spring. The signal contacts and elongated appendages may be positioned to provide an impedance matching an impedance with the cables.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for auto echo cancellation utilizing an occluded voice sensor. The technology as disclosed and claimed herein and the various implementations and embodiments improves Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) system performance by increasing cancellation quality and speech SNR by the replacement of the lower frequency portion of the microphone signal with the signal of an Occluded Voice Sensor (OVS) signal and never including the spectral band in the transmission. This frequency band replacement excludes the reinjection of that band from the speaker.

Abstract: A system and method for improving the performance of a hands-free voice user interface system while minimizing the computational complexity without sacrificing performance. Specifically, when estimating the location of the talker for the purpose of steering a directional beam in the direction of the active talker. A hands-free voice user interface system requires a clean signal to be streamed to the cloud for recognition. One way to improve the speech signal is to estimate where the talker is and steer a beam in the direction of the active talker. To locate the talker to a localized position, a direction of arrival estimator (DOA) algorithm is used. DoA generally requires noise and echo free signal for optimal estimation, but it is computationally expensive to run audio pre-processing such as an acoustic echo cancellation for each microphone in microphone array.

Abstract: In some examples, a method for preparing one or more bones involves inserting a spacer into a space defined between a first bone and a second bone, such as a joint space between a first metatarsal and medial cuneiform. A bone preparation guide can be aligned with opposed ends of the first bone and the second bone using the spacer as an alignment reference. For example, the bone preparation guide may include an opening such that the guide can be installed across the joint space with the spacer received in the opening. A clinician may use the bone preparation guide to guide a tissue removing instrument to cut or otherwise prepare the ends of the first bone portion and second bone portion.

Abstract: A back support device for supporting a lower back of a user may include an elastic strap, a first clasping element attached to a first end of the elastic strap, a second clasping element slidably disposed over the elastic strap and configured to releasably engage the first clasping element to form a continuous loop, and a buckle element secured to a second end of the elastic strap. The buckle element is slidably disposed on a medial portion of the elastic strap for adjusting a perimeter length of the continuous loop. The continuous loop is movable between a first position in which the continuous loop has a first perimeter length and a second position in which the continuous loop has a second perimeter length via elastic elongation. The first perimeter length is less than the second perimeter length.

Abstract: A network authentication system can be configured for sampling a plurality of signal samples from a device on a network, providing the plurality of signal samples to a first machine-learned model that is configured to determine a device fingerprint based at least in part on the plurality of signal samples, and providing the device fingerprint to a second machine-learned model that is configured to classify the device based at least in part on the device fingerprint.

Abstract: A technique for correcting a bone deformity, such as a bunion, may be performed using an instrument that defines a spacer body connected to a fulcrum. The spacer body portion of the instrument can be inserted into a joint space between opposed bone ends. The fulcrum body can be inserted between adjacent metatarsals. An angle set between the spacer body and fulcrum body can help properly position both features within different joint spaces for ensuring that subsequent steps of the surgical procedure are properly performed and instrumentation is appropriately aligned.

Abstract: A method of preparing a metatarsophalangeal joint for fusion may involve surgically accessing the metatarsophalangeal joint and separating the metatarsal from the opposed proximal phalanx at the joint. The technique may involve preparing an end of the metatarsal and preparing an end of the opposed proximal phalanx for fusion. With or without the aid of a bone positioner, the metatarsal may be moved in one or more planes, such as the frontal and transverse planes. The proximal phalanx may also be moved in one or more planes, for example relative to the moved metatarsal. Subsequently, a bone fixation device can be applied across or through the metatarsophalangeal joint separating the metatarsal from the opposed proximal phalanx.

Abstract: Generating an audio processing design includes placing representations of audio processing modules using a user interface. The method includes causing the display of the representations of the audio processing modules in the user interface, receiving user input to place a representation of a start thread module in the audio processing design between a representation of an upstream audio module and representations of downstream audio modules, the representation of the start thread module having data associated therewith that defines a buffer up factor and a thread identifier, receiving user input to specify the buffer up factor and thread identifier associated with the representation of the start thread module, and applying the specified thread identifier and a sample block size that is derived from the specified buffer up factor, downstream from the representation of the thread start module.

Abstract: A compressor-distractor device may be used during a surgical procedure, such as a surgical procedure to correct a bunion deformity. In some examples, the compressor-distractor includes first and second engagement arms having first and second pin-receiving holes, respectively. The first and second pin-receiving holes may be angled relative to each other. The compressor-distractor may also include an actuator operatively coupled to the first and second engagement arms. In some example uses, a clinician may pin a first surgical device to a patient's bones use a pair of parallel pins. After removing the surgical device over the parallel pins, the clinician may thread the parallel pins through the angled first and second pin-receiving holes of the compressor-distractor, causing the bones to move relative to each other. Thereafter, the clinician may actuate the actuator on the compressor-distractor to move the bones towards and/or away from each other.

Abstract: A movement assistance device for a spa cover having at least two spa cover portions each spa cover portion having opposing lateral peripheral edges, hinge and end peripheral edges and wherein the spa cover portions are movable one relative to the other from a first coplanar orientation to a second, stacked orientation, and a biasing pneumatic cylinder which cooperates with and extends between a first bracket secured to one lateral peripheral edge of one spa cover portion and a hinge bracket secured to the same lateral peripheral edge of the same spa cover portion adjacent the hinge peripheral edge and the hinge bracket is further secured to an aligned lateral peripheral edge of a second spa cover portion and adjacent to the hinge peripheral edge thereof, and wherein the pneumatic cylinder assists and controls the movement one spa cover portion relative to the other spa cover portion.

Abstract: A bone positioning guide may be used as part of a bunion correction procedure. The bone positioning guide can include a bone engagement member configured to be positioned on a medial side of a first metatarsal of a foot and a tip separated from the bone engagement member by a distance effective to position the tip on a lateral side of a second metatarsal and in an intermetatarsal space between the second metatarsal and a third metatarsal. The bone positioning guide can also include a mechanism operable to reduce the distance between the bone engagement member and the tip, thereby causing the first metatarsal to move in at least a transverse plane to reduce an intermetatarsal angle between the first metatarsal and the second metatarsal.

Abstract: Methods for temporarily fixing an orientation of a bone or bones. Methods of correcting a bunion deformity. Bone positioning devices. Methods of using a bone positioning device. Bone preparation guides. Methods of using a bone preparation guide.

Abstract: A compressor-distractor device may be used during a surgical procedure, such as a surgical procedure to correct a bunion deformity. In some examples, the compressor-distractor includes first and second engagement arms having first and second pin-receiving holes, respectively. The first and second pin-receiving holes may be angled relative to each other. The compressor-distractor may also include an actuator operatively coupled to the first and second engagement arms. In some example uses, a clinician may pin a first surgical device to a patient's bones use a pair of parallel pins. After removing the surgical device over the parallel pins, the clinician may thread the parallel pins through the angled first and second pin-receiving holes of the compressor-distractor, causing the bones to move relative to each other. Thereafter, the clinician may actuate the actuator on the compressor-distractor to move the bones towards and/or away from each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fashion product recommendation method for generating first recommended product information and second recommended product information, on which the preference of a user regarding a specific fashion product is reflected, the fashion product recommendation method comprising the steps of: generating, for each product category, attribute categories including at least one piece of attribute information that is a factor characteristically considered when the user selects a fashion product; performing a tournament regarding fashion items including at least one of the attribute categories and assigning a weight to the attribute information to generate the first recommended product information; and additionally assigning a weight to the attribute information according to a filtering result of the user to generate the second recommended product information.

Abstract: A battery powered blow dryer having a novel battery cooling feature to simultaneously cool the batteries and improve hair dryer performance.

Abstract: A driving pin can be used for installing a bone plate on a bone. In some examples, the driving pin has a driving pin body extending from a proximal end to a distal end. The driving pin body may define at least three regions of different cross-sectional thickness, including a bone penetrating region adjacent the distal end, a driving region adjacent the proximal end, and a bone plate orienting region between the bone penetrating region and the driving region. In general, the bone penetrating region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the bone plate orienting region and the bone plate orienting region has a smaller cross-sectional thickness than the driving region. The bone plate orienting region may be sized to conform to the size of a fixation hole extending through bone plate.