Abstract: An apparatus configured to provide portioned instances of a compressible material includes a channel assembly, a gas source, a cutting assembly, and a discharge assembly. The channel assembly holds a bulk instance of the material extending through upper and lower channels of a continuous channel. The gas source supplies gas to compress the bulk instance. The cutting assembly moves in relation to the channel assembly to isolate the upper and lower channels, severing upper and lower material portions of the bulk instance. The discharge assembly directs gas to impinge on a lower face of the cutting assembly to discharge the lower material portion as a portioned instance. The channel assembly may be moveable, where operation of the gas source, cutting assembly, and/or discharge assembly are based on moving the channel assembly between various positions. The gas supply may be controlled based on a determined property of the portioned instance.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards a lift system for extracting a fluid from a well. The system may include a production tube and at least one bladder located inside a pump barrel which is connected to the production tube. The bladder may include a top connector configured to receive a concentric tubing. The lift system may further include a compression system connected to the concentric tubing. The compression system may be configured to provide a compressed gas through the concentric tubing to the at least one bladder.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a laser illumination system are disclosed. In some examples, a system includes one or more lasers and a beam combiner configured to direct a combined light beam along a path. The system can include a polychroic optical assembly that receives the combined light beam and to output a first beam of the first light of the first wavelength and a second beam of the second light of the second wavelength. The second beam can be offset from the first beam. The polychroic optical assembly can be a prism assembly. The system can include one or more optical elements configured alter a distribution of light of the first beam to output a first output line at a sample plane, and to alter a distribution of light of the second beam to output a second output line at the sample plane.

Abstract: A method of evaluating soft tissue of a human joint which includes two or more bones and ligaments, wherein the ligaments are under anatomical tension to connect the bones together, creating a load-bearing articulating joint, the method includes: inserting into the joint a tensioner-balancer that includes a means of controlling a distraction force; providing an electronic receiving device; moving the joint through at least a portion of its range of motion; while moving the joint, controlling the distraction force, and collecting displacement and distraction load data of the bones; processing the collected data to produce a digital geometric model of the joint, wherein the model includes: ligament displacement data along a range of flexion angles and ligament load data along a range of flexion angles; and storing the digital geometric model for further use.

Abstract: A healthcare management system and method provide efficient and secure access to private information. A portable physical device, referred to herein as a Personal Digital Key or “PDK”, stores one or more profiles in memory. The biometric profile is acquired in a secure trusted process and is uniquely associated with an individual that is authorized to use and is associated with the PDK. The PDK can wirelessly transmit the identification information including a unique PDK identification number and the biometric profile over a secure wireless channel for use in an authentication process. The PDK is configured to wirelessly communicate with a reader. A provider interface coupled to the reader, and the reader is further configured to receive profile information from the PDK. The healthcare management system also includes an auto login server configured to communicate with the provider interface to allow access to information in a patient database.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are provided for rare scenario handling in autonomous vehicles. In some aspects, an AV management system can determine a target likelihood value range for identifying relevant rare scenarios. In some cases, the AV management system may use the target likelihood value range to generate new relevant rare scenarios that have a likelihood value that falls within the target likelihood value range. In some examples, the AV management system may initiate simulations of the generated relevant rare scenarios and capture synthetic AV scene data, which can be used to train machine learning models used in AVs. As a result, the performance of the AVs may be improved when faced with rare scenarios.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, devices and methods for quantifying unique features of an object such as an artistic work to identify and authenticate the object and specific characteristics thereof using multi-spectral diagnostic characterization techniques and analytical algorithms. In some aspects, a method for creating an identification for an object includes acquiring image data of an object in two or more electromagnetic spectrums along a coordinated array of sample regions of the object; analyzing the acquired image data to produce a quantitative data set including specific characteristics of the object associated with the two or more electromagnetic spectrums for each sample region; generating a digital identification associated with a unique data fingerprint, based on the specific characteristics, in which the digital identification solely corresponds to the object; and storing the generated digital identification.

Abstract: A monitoring system incorporates, and a method and a computer program product provide image projection of content of subjective interest to a person, responsive to a detected mood of the person. A controller of the monitoring system receives image stream(s) from a camera system, including a first image stream encompassing a face of a person. The controller compares facial expressions within the first image stream with facial expression trigger(s) in a visual object library. In response to determining that the first image stream includes facial expression trigger(s) among the visual object library, the controller determines one or more objects in the visual object library having an associated interest value, in a preference tracking data structure, above a threshold soothing value corresponding to the person. The controller triggers an image projector to present the object(s) within the field of view of the person to respond to the facial expression trigger.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, a composition for treating a cell population comprises a medicant. The medicant moiety can be an illudofulvene analog. In an embodiment of the invention, a composition for treating a cell population comprises an Affinity Medicant Conjugate (AMC). The affinity moiety can be an antibody, an antibody fragment, a receptor protein, a peptidic growth factor, an anti-angiogenic protein, a specific binding peptide, protease cleavable peptide, a glycopeptide, a peptide, a peptidic toxin, a protein toxin and an oligonucleotide. The affinity moiety can be covalently bound to the medicant via a linker.

Abstract: A system can include a backend system and a sensor kit configured to monitor an industrial setting. The sensor kit can include an edge device and a plurality of sensors that capture sensor data and transmit the sensor data via a self-configuring sensor kit network. At least one sensor can capture sensor measurements and output instances of sensor data, generate and output reporting packets, and transmit the reporting packets to the edge device via the self-configuring sensor kit network in accordance with a first communication protocol. The edge device receives reporting packets from the plurality of sensors via the self-configuring sensor kit network and transmits sensor kit packets to the backend system via a public network. The backend system can include a processing system and a storage system, where the processing system performs backend operations on the sensor data and the storage systems stores the sensor data.

Abstract: Reusable filters for personal protective equipment (PPE) may prevent shortages of PPE and save fabrication time, resources, and money. Disclosed is a method and system for fabrication of nanofiber filter media for PPE. The method includes positioning a substrate to receive nanofibers thereon, providing a voltage gradient in a region of the substrate, and electrospinning nanofibers onto the substrate. The methods and associated systems allow autoclaving of the filter medium at temperatures of up to 300 degrees for sanitizing the filter medium. Additionally, the methods and associated system allow for the inclusion of an anti-pathogen agent in the nanofiber filter media.

Abstract: An example orthopedic implant includes a bridge, a plurality of torsion regions coupled to the bridge, and a plurality of legs coupled to and extending from the plurality of torsion regions. The plurality of legs are configured to transition between a first position and a second position, and in the second position, the plurality of legs are angularly displaced relative to the first position. In addition, the legs are biased toward the first position by elastic torsional stresses in the plurality of torsion regions when the legs are in the second position.

Abstract: A source-camera assembly with an isolated light path for a reference pixel is described. The assembly may include a projector, a camera assembly, a reference waveguide, and an overmold. The projector may include a source array configured to emit light and a lens assembly configured to direct the light into a local area. The camera assembly may include a sensor and a reference pixel. The sensor may be configured to detect the emitted light reflected from an object within the local area. The reference waveguide is configured to guide a portion of the light emitted by the projector from the source array to the reference pixel. The light detected by the sensor and the light detected by the reference pixel may be used to determine depth information for the object. The overmold is opaque to the emitted light and covers portions of the projector, the camera assembly, and the reference waveguide.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for optimizing a distributed database includes receiving, at an aggregator, one or more query logs comprising past queries received by the distributed database. The method includes generating, by the aggregator, a query prediction model based on the one or more query logs. The method includes predicting, by the aggregator, a future query using the query prediction model. The predicted future query is predicted to be received by an edge device. The method includes causing, by the aggregator, data for responding to the predicted future query to be transmitted to the edge device.

Abstract: A sectionable tissue sample support structure including a gel compound formed into a self supporting geometric shape for retention and orientation of at least one tissue sample during a histopathology process including processing, embedding and microtome slicing of the tissue sample. A method of orienting, processing, embedding and microtome slicing a tissue sample using a gel compound preformed into a self supporting geometric shape. A combination including the sectionable tissue sample support structure and a package containing the sectionable tissue sample support structure.

Abstract: An example connector assembly includes a guide shielding cage with a cage body and an upper heat sink bracket. The cage body includes upper window. A lower wall of the upper heat sink bracket is formed with a window corresponding to the upper window. The connector assembly also includes an upper heat sink module including a heat dissipating member. The heat dissipating member is capable of moving between a releasing position which is higher and an acting position which is lower relative to the upper insertion space. The cage body further includes fixing pieces positioned at two sides of the top wall and extend upwardly. The lower wall of the upper heat sink bracket engages with the fixing pieces of the cage body, and the upper heat sink bracket further comprises a latching piece which extends from the lower wall and latches into the top wall of the cage body.

Abstract: A device for marking a corneal surface of an eye includes a planar base having a central opening, a marking side, and a non-marking side, a linear marker extending across the central opening, and an outer circumference of the planar base having a wall extending vertically away from the non-marking side.