Abstract: A catheter having an elongated shaft which has a multilayered distal tip with a first layer formed of a polyimide first material and a second layer formed of a polymeric second material. In one embodiment the multilayered distal tip is a separate member, distal to the distal end of a proximal portion of the shaft. In another embodiment, the shaft has an outer tubular member, and a multilayered inner tubular member with a distal end which forms the multilayered distal tip of the shaft. In a presently preferred embodiment, the polyimide material is a thermoset polyimide. In one embodiment, the polymeric second material is a polyamide material.

Abstract: An intraluminal catheter device having an expandable member formed of a matrix of fiber elements with a therapeutic agent incorporated therein. The therapeutic agent can be coated on the fiber elements in a co-axial configuration. The fiber elements may also have a second coating including a protective substance surrounding the therapeutic agent. The matrix of fiber elements can be formed by electrospinning. A process of delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site includes providing an intraluminal catheter device having an expandable member formed of a matrix of fiber elements, the expandable member having a therapeutic agent dispersed therein, and advancing the catheter device at a desired treatment site. Once at the desired treatment site, fluid is introduced into the inflation lumen to expand the expandable member from a first profile to a second profile, and the therapeutic agent is delivered to the desired treatment site.

Abstract: File system disaster recovery techniques provide automated monitoring, failure detection and multi-step failover from a primary designated target to one of a designated group of secondary designated targets. Secondary designated targets may be prioritized so that failover occurs in a prescribed sequence. Replication of information between the primary designated target and the secondary designated targets allows failover in a manner that maximizes continuity of operation. In addition, user-specified actions may be initiated on failure detection and/or on failover operations and/or on failback operations.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for which a network device with two or more ports determines which of its functions should be performed on which of its ports. A method is disclosed for monitoring the traffic on each port for characteristic traffic that indicates the function that said network device should perform on said port, optionally transmitting new traffic or altering or tagging existing traffic to elicit it, and mapping said network device's operations to its ports accordingly. Also disclosed is a system and method for auto inhibition and auto configuration.

Abstract: A hydration management system includes a console for mounting on an IV pole. A urine collection bag and a hydration fluid bag hang from the console. Urine in the urine collection bag is weighed. An infusion pump is configured to pump hydration fluid from the infusion bag. A controller is responsive to the weight of the urine collection bag and controls the infusion pump to hydrate the patient based on the patient's urine output. An infusion set includes an infusion bag connector, an IV needle connector, and tubing, placed in the infusion pump, extending between the infusion bag connector and the IV needle connector. A urine collection set typically includes the urine collection bag, a catheter connector, and tubing extending between the urine collection bag connector and the catheter connector.

Abstract: A compact cryocooler includes a gas compression piston (304) supported for reciprocal linear translation along a first longitudinal axis (308) and a gas displacing piston (362) supported for reciprocal linear translation along a second longitudinal axis (366). The first longitudinal axis (308) and second longitudinal axis (366) are substantially orthogonal. A rotary motor (302) rotates a rotor (324) and associated motor shaft (320) about a motor rotation axis (328) disposed substantially parallel with the second longitudinal axis (366). Motor shaft (320) first and second mounting features (336, 340) traverse first and second eccentric paths around the motor rotation axis. A first drive coupling couples the first mounting feature (336) with the gas compression piston (304) and delivers a reciprocal linear translation along the first longitudinal axis (308) thereto.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for mechanically aligning a process device and a rack which comprises mechanical engagement of positioning elements on the process device and positioning elements on the consumable.

Abstract: A wireless receiver detects signals received at two or more antennas, with each antenna coupled to an input receive chain. A switch is employed to couple selected input receive chains to one or more corresponding output receive chains during listening, coarse-detection, and fine-adjustment modes. At least one channel selection filter (CSF) is employed in each output receive chain, and the receiver employs sub-ranging. During idle mode, one antenna's input receive chain is connected to two or more CSFs to detect the packet. When the packet is detected, during a coarse-adjustment mode, the CSFs are reconfigured to couple each antenna's input receive chain to a corresponding output receive chain using low-gain signals. During fine-adjustment mode, the various gains are adjusted to be either high- or low-gain to maintain signals within the dynamic range of the corresponding CSFs.

Abstract: Disclosed is a stent that allows rapid coverage of the stent's luminal surface with endothelial cells while eluting enough anti-restenosis drug from the stent's abluminal surface to eliminate restenosis. A delay in the release of the anti-restenosis drug from the abluminal surface of the stent struts is created by a drug-free biodegradable polymer that covers that abluminal surface of the stent The anti-restenosis drug being only on the abluminal surface of the stent and the release of that drug being delayed by the outer polymer covering of that abluminal surface allows endothelial cells to have unconstrained mitosis so that they quickly cover the stent's luminal surface. It is further conceived to cover the luminal surface of the stent with an anti-thrombogenic coating such as carbon to further encourage endothelial cell coverage while deterring the deposition of platelets.

Abstract: These various embodiments serve to facilitate interlaced amplitude pulsing using a hard-tube type pulse generator having at least one energy-storage unit each comprising at least one energy-storing capacitor. Generally speaking, this comprises controlling an amount of energy withdrawn from the energy-storage unit and provided to an output load to form productive electric pulses by controlling at least one of: (1) energy replenishment; and (2) non-productive energy withdrawal of the energy-storage unit, to thereby achieve a series of productive interlaced amplitude electric pulses.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a thermode tip including applying an energy pulse to the thermode tip. The energy pulse involves raising the temperature of the thermode tip higher than the working temperature of the thermode tip. A method for cleaning a thermode tip may include periodically performing a predetermined number of soldering cycles at a working temperature; and applying an energy pulse to the thermode tip.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-product programs for increasing accuracy in cone-beam computed tomography.

Abstract: A capless multiaxial screw fixation assembly, including: a screw having a threaded portion and a screw head portion positioned at one end thereof; and, a retainer having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a bore for receiving the screw threaded portion so that the screw head portion is seated therein. At least one of the screw and the retainer is configured such that the retainer is able to pivot about the screw head portion in a non-symmetrical manner.

Abstract: Determining a class of an object is disclosed. A pointer of the object is obtained. One or more bits that are not implemented as address bits are extracted from the pointer. The one or more bits are interpreted as an identifier of the class of the object. The class of the object is determined to correspond to the identifier.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for processing and/or forwarding packets are described. An ingress switch can use a QoS mapping mechanism to map a first set of Quality of Service (QoS) bits in a packet received from a customer to a second set of QoS bits for use in a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) packet which encapsulates the packet. The first set of QoS bits can be different from the second set of QoS bits. The TRILL packet can be processed and/or forwarded in the network based on the second set of QoS bits. At the egress switch, the TRILL packet can be decapsulated and the original packet with the original QoS bits (or QoS bits that are different from the original QoS bits) can be forwarded to the customer's network. In this manner, some embodiments of the present invention can preserve the QoS bits across a TRILL network.

Abstract: An object is weighed using a portable electronic device. Placement of an object on a touch panel of the portable electronic device provides measurement of the weight of the object. In the measurement, the portable electronic device sends information to the touch panel to request a user to input a unit price of the object. The portable electronic device then detects a weight of the object placed on the touch panel. The portable electronic device calculates a total price of the object by multiplication of the input unit price and the detected weight of the object. The total price of the object can be then output.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods to realize the potential benefit of portable storage devices by taking advantage of standard PCs including an optical disk drive capable of reading an optical disk, such as a CD or a DVD, cost effective optical disks, and the Internet. In a preferred embodiment, an individual patient provides personal data to a healthcare service center. The healthcare service center then creates a portable optical disk for the patient to carry, if he/she so desires. The personal data that is written onto the portable optical disk is stored on a database management server database and is readable and updateable by the individual patient using his/her PC with an optical disk drive and connected to the Internet. The individual patient can choose to update his/her personal data on the portable optical disk and can receive a new portable optical disk that includes the update.

Abstract: A communications system may include data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols. Further, at least one of the data storage devices may operate using multiple operating protocols. The system may also include mobile wireless communications devices for accessing the at least one data storage device, and each may use at least one of the plurality of operating protocols. Moreover, the system may further include a protocol interface device. The protocol interface device may include a front-end proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols. The protocol interface may also include a protocol engine module for communicating with the data storage devices using respective operating protocols. The protocol engine module may also select a desired operating protocol for communicating with the at least one data storage device from the multiple operating protocols.