Abstract: An end panel 312 for a patient-support apparatus 310 includes a main portion 316 and one or more movable portions 330, 332. The movable portions 330, 332 are movable to provide a barrier 318 in a gap between a siderail 360 of the patient-support apparatus 310 and the main portion 316 of the end panel 312.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method of optimizing the selection of shops to repair railcars. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and a method whereby a customer needing to have a railcar repaired may enter information into an input. Further, the input may be processed via a processor and a database may be utilized to determine the optimal shop that can be used to repair the railcar. Moreover, the present invention may allow the shops to be notified that a railcar is being sent to the shops. Further the present invention may determine whether the shops may handle the repair of the railcar. The system and the method may be utilized to reduce the repair cycle time for a railcar so that a railcar may be repaired quickly, inexpensively, and efficiently.

Abstract: Methods are provided that include a method of creating a stable slurry of coated particulates wherein the slurry is capable of being stored for at least 2 hours before use comprising the steps of: providing resin coated particulates wherein the resin comprises a resin that does not completely cure unless it is at least one of exposed to a temperature above about 175° F. or exposed to an external catalyst; and, substantially suspending the resin coated particulates in a servicing fluid to create a stable resin coated particulate slurry. Methods are provided that include a method of creating a stable slurry of coated particulates wherein the slurry is capable of being stored for at least 2 hours before use comprising the steps of: providing tackifier coated particulates; and, substantially suspending the tackifier coated particulates in a servicing fluid to create a tackifier coated particulate slurry.

Abstract: A closure device for use following various surgical procedures to close access openings through the tissue wall while permitting post operative flow through the tissue conduit includes a housing having proximal and distal ends, and defining a longitudinal axis. First and second tissue everting members are mounted adjacent the distal end of the housing and first and second jaw members are mounted adjacent the first and second tissue engaging members. The first and second jaw members are adapted for relative movement between an open position to facilitate positioning about the tissue portions in the everted condition and a closed position to at least partially draw the tissue portions together to an at least partial approximated condition. Electrodes are associated with the first and second jaw members and arranged to contact the respective tissue portions.

Abstract: A packet forwarding method for optimizing packet traffic flow across communications networks and simplifying network management. The invention provides look-up-free and packet-layer-protocol transparent forwarding of multi-protocol packet traffic among Layer-N (N=2 or upper in the ISO OSI model) nodes. The invention enables flexible and efficient packet multicast and anycast capabilities along with real-time dynamic load balancing and fast packet-level traffic protection rerouting. Applications include fast and efficient packet traffic forwarding across administrative domains of Internet, such as an ISP's backbone or an enterprise virtual private network, as well as passing packet traffic over a neutral Internet exchange facility between different administrative domains.

Abstract: A method of initiating fluid circulation in a well bore through a casing inner diameter and an annulus outside the casing, the method having the following steps: inducing an increase in the annulus fluid pressure; flowing cement composition into the annulus at the top of the well bore; maintaining a difference in pressure between the fluid pressure of the casing inner diameter and the fluid pressure of the annulus until enough cement composition has entered the annulus to drive fluid circulation by the added cement composition weight.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a patient on a hospital bed includes load cells and a controller for detecting patient movement on, exit from, and impending exit from the hospital bed, including movement across or outside a virtual boundary or region located on the bed. The controller is configured to detect changes in the distribution of patient weight among the load cells. The controller is also configured to accommodate the installation or removal of medical equipment or other tare weights on the bed, head incline adjustment, and bed frame deformation or other changes in the system causing redistribution of weight among the load cells, while minimizing false alarms. A caregiver may select between various patient monitoring modes and remotely monitor patient movement relative to a reference load cell distribution, impending patient exit from the bed and patient exit from the bed.

Abstract: The systems and methods of the present invention provide for efficiently configuring computing systems based upon the aspects of the computing system that are present for an operating session of a specific computing system by updating the configuration attributes in a base configuration file with configuration attributes contained in aspect configuration files that are associated with the specific computing system aspects, such as the specific computing element, the specific user of the computing element, the specific location of the computing element, and/or any other aspect of the computing system to generate a session configuration file for the operating session. Thus, a session configuration file may be created for any combination of aspects of the computing system associated with configuration files to properly set up the specific computing system, including any peripheral devices, for the particular operating session such that the computing element does not have to be separately configured.

Abstract: A method that exploits the intrinsic selectivity of steady-state free precession (SSFP) to perform spectral suppression is disclosed. Such a method avoids the need to incorporate additional spectrally selective pulse sequence elements. The scheme is based on breaking the FISP imaging sequence into short trains having, for example, 8–64 RF pulses. At the moment of echo formation (i.e., TE=TR/2) after the last full RF pulse of the train, water signal is z-stored. Residual transverse magnetization, which include isochromats phase-opposed to the on-resonance water, is gradient crushed and RF spoiled. The stored magnetization is subsequently re-excited with little disturbance to the on-resonance steady-state water signal. The additional time required to perform the steady-state interruption is typically as little as a single TR, minimally affecting the efficiency of the imaging process.

Abstract: An open electrosurgical forceps for sealing tissue includes a pair of first and second shaft members each having a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof. The jaw members are movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to a subsequent position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. Each of the jaw members includes an electrically conductive sealing plate for communicating electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween. At least one of the jaw members includes a knife channel defined along a length thereof which is dimensioned to reciprocate a cutting mechanism therealong for cutting tissue disposed between jaw members. An actuator having a rack and pinion system advances the cutting mechanism from a first position wherein the cutting mechanism is disposed proximal to tissue held between the jaw members to at least one subsequent position wherein the cutting mechanism is disposed distal to tissue held between the jaw members.

Abstract: A structure (26) for supporting an array (22) of solar panels (24) in a solar energy collection system (20) includes a support assembly (42) formed from a rigid subassembly (44). The subassembly (44) includes an elongated truss (68), a base (46) coupled to the truss (68) for attachment to a footing (48), and posts (50) extending from a top edge of the truss (68). The structure (26) further includes torsion tubes (34), each of which is pivotally retained by one of the posts (50) to form parallel rows (32) of torsion tubes (34). A number of rigid subassemblies (44) can be interconnected to further increase the number of rows (32) of the system (20). The solar panels (24) are attached to the torsion tubes (34) to form the array (22), and a drive mechanism (38) pivots the torsion tubes (34) via a single elongated actuator and multiple torque arms (90).

Abstract: A method for joining components of thermostatic systems and thermal relays for low-voltage circuit breakers, the components being constituted by at least one bimetallic element constituted by a lamina with a first face and a second face and at least one connection element that has a substantially flat end part with a third face and a fourth face, its particularity consisting of the fact that it comprises the steps that consist in:—overlapping and coupling the end part of the first face of the bimetallic element with respect to the third face of the end part of the connection element;—subjecting the end part of the second face of the bimetallic element to the welding action of laser means to provide a weld between the bimetallic element and the connection element.

Abstract: A fluid loss device including a flapper and seat assembly that provide a seal on a lower flapper surface when the flapper is closed and resists pressure in either direction. The flapper and seat assembly is spring biased to contact a flapper support above the flapper to resist deformation of the flapper due to a pressure differential from below the flapper. The flapper and seat assembly may be moved by tubing pressure to release an opening prop that opens the flapper. The valve seat may include an elastomeric seal element to improve the fluid flow restriction. The flapper and seat assembly is also biased upward by a pressure differential from below to above the flapper, to thereby increase the flapper to valve seat pressure as the fluid pressure differential increases.

Abstract: A computer-implemented transmission scheme is provided to control client-server interchanges within a distributed communications network, such as a real time opinion research system. Interchanges include transmitting media streams between one or more clients to a server over a computer network, including the global Internet. A polling management unit sets and manages the transmission mode that includes event-driven and periodic interchanges. Periodic interchanges can be simultaneously or staggeredly transmitted to a sampling pool of active clients. A transmission mode unit implements the transmission scheme set by the polling management unit. A parameter selector establishes the transmission interval and transmission period which are used to trigger each communication interchange. A client assignor creates one or more sampling classes from the sampling pool by applying a sampling quotient that is generated by the parameter selector. A schedule editor produces a transmission schedule for the active clients.

Abstract: The present disclosure addressed apparatus and methods for forming an annular isolator in a borehole after installation of production tubing. Annular seal means are carried in or on production tubing as it is run into a borehole. In conjunction with expansion of the tubing, the seal is deployed to form an annular isolator. An inflatable element carried on the tubing may be inflated with a fluid carried in the tubing and forced into the inflatable element during expansion of the tubing. Reactive chemicals may be carried in the tubing and injected into the annulus to react with each other and ambient fluids to increase in volume and harden into an annular seal. An elastomeric sleeve, ring or band carried on the tubing may be expanded into contact with a borehole wall and may have its radial dimension increased in conjunction with tubing expansion to form an annular isolator.

Abstract: An interactive program guide (IPG) may include a program grid section and a multimedia section. The program grid section typically contains program information organized in a grid with a time axis and a channel axis. The multimedia section may include video for advertisement, previews, and other purposes. Such an IPG may be rendered and encoded at a server and distributed to client terminals in the form of compressed bit streams. For certain IPGs, the program grid section may comprise alternating stripes of background with different shades (lighter/darker) or different colors. Typically, the alternating background stripes may be used to visually separate text information into timeslots or channels. Blank areas of the background may be “skip” encoded to “save” a portion of the bit rate. Meanwhile, the quantizer stepsize for encoding that section may be lowered so as to utilize the saved bits to improve the viewing quality of the program grid section.

Abstract: A system and method for verifying the performance and health of wire systems and end devices, including instruments and processes. A computer runs software that collects data from sampled sensors, stores the data, screens the data for outliers, analyzes the data, performs in situ testing, and generates results of the analysis and testing. The system and method verifies not only the steady state performance of instruments, but also the dynamic performance of instruments and the transient behavior of the processes. In one embodiment, the system performs testing of the wiring system connecting the end devices located at the process. In another embodiment, the system also performs analysis of the amplitude probability density and a power spectral density determined from the sensor, or end device, data. In still another embodiment, the system performs a time domain reflectometry (TDR) analysis for a wiring system connecting an end device.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of a gaming device generally comprising a gaming apparatus configured to allow a player to place a wager and play a game and a bonus display configured to indicate a bonus prize to be awarded to the player. One embodiment of the gaming device comprises at least one game reel having a plurality of game symbols. At least one symbol on the game reel may indicate a game outcome. The gaming device also generally comprises at least one bonus reel having a plurality of bonus symbols which may include one or more of the following: bonus position symbol(s), bonus cycle symbol(s), bonus multiplication symbol(s), and bonus addition symbol(s). The bonus symbols(s) displayed by the bonus reel changes the bonus display in a predetermined relationship.

Abstract: A collections prioritization method and system for use in a financial services business is disclosed. The system is configured to generate a collection priority value from information stored on the system and queue the accounts for collection action based on the priority value and user entered filtering criteria. In one embodiment, the system is further configured to generate a report on the efficiency of collection by a collector.