Abstract: Interbody spinal implants comprise internal sidewalls having a roughened surface topography. The internal sidewalls may be those that surround a substantially hollow implant center, including the sidewalls of a vertical aperture and sidewalls of a transverse aperture. The roughened surface topography comprises macro, micro, and nano features that comprise an amplitude, a peak to valley height, and spacing.

Abstract: An interbody spinal implant including a body and an integration plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, opposing anterior and posterior portions, and a substantially hollow center in communication with a vertical aperture. The body is recessed in a way that portions of the integration plate protrude above the top and/or bottom surface of the body to enhance the resistance of the implant to expulsion from the intervertebral space.

Abstract: An interbody spinal implant including a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, opposing anterior and posterior portions, a substantially hollow center, and single vertical aperture, as well as an integration plate having a roughened surface topography on its top surface.

Abstract: An interbody spinal implant including a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, opposing anterior and posterior portions, and a substantially hollow center in communication with a vertical aperture, which are filled with a bone graft material. The dimensions, shape, and position of the vertical aperture facilitate contact between the bone graft material and vertebral endplate bone to support and enhance bone growth.

Abstract: A method of using an interbody spinal implant by implanting the spinal implant into a patient in need of the spinal implant. The method includes accessing the disc space of the patient and locating the center of the disc space. The disc space is incised by making a window in the annulus of the disc space for insertion of the spinal implant. The endplates are cleaned of all cartilage and the disc structure, which is encapsulated by the annulus, is removed while avoiding damage to the endplate structure of the vertebrae. Optionally a size-specific rasp is selected and the disc space is cleared of all soft tissue and cartilage. Optionally the disc space is distracted by sequentially expanding it with distractors of progressively increasing heights. A spinal implant having a pre-determined size sufficient to balance frictional fit and elongation of the annulus is selected and seated in the disc space.

Abstract: An interbody spinal implant including a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, opposing anterior and posterior portions, a substantially hollow center, a single vertical aperture, and a roughened surface topography on at least the top surface. The posterior portion has a generally rounded nose profile, and has a shorter height than the anterior portion such that the spinal implant comprises a lordotic angle for aligning the spine of a patient. The junctions of the top and bottom surfaces and the anterior portion comprise a sharp edge to resist expulsion of the spinal implant upon implantation.

Abstract: An electric propulsion machine includes an ion thruster having an annular discharge chamber housing an anode having a large surface area. The ion thruster includes flat annular ion optics with a small span to gap ratio. Optionally, a second electric propulsion thruster may be disposed in a cylindrical space disposed within an interior of the annulus.

Abstract: A method for estimating a slowness of an earth formation, the method including: transmitting acoustic energy into the earth formation using an acoustic source; receiving the acoustic energy with an array of acoustic receivers, each acoustic receiver being configured to provide acoustic waveform data related to the received acoustic energy; transforming the acoustic waveform data into a frequency domain to provide frequency domain data; calculating a slowness-frequency coherence function using the frequency domain data; selecting slowness dispersion data from peaks of the slowness-frequency coherence function; fitting a curve to the slowness dispersion data; and estimating the slowness from the curve.

Abstract: A spacer is provided for attachment to a pair of intersecting reinforcement wires to space them from a form. The spacer has a base member having a generally planar shape and two opposite sides, one of the sides having two continuous grooves that extend completely across the base member and that intersect one another for receiving therein a pair of intersecting reinforcement wires, and the other of the sides having a projection that projects outwardly therefrom a preselected distance to space the intersecting reinforcement wires a specified distance from a form. A cover member covers the one side of the base member. The cover member has fastening portions that coact with complementary fastening portions on the base member to fasten the cover member to the base member with the intersecting reinforcement wires sandwiched therebetween to thereby attach the spacer to the intersecting reinforcement wires.

Abstract: An apparatus for distracting a disc space having an annulus. The apparatus includes a spinal implant having a pre-determined size sufficient to balance frictional fit in the disc space and elongation of the annulus. The implant has a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, and opposing anterior and posterior portions defining a substantially hollow center and a single vertical aperture. At least one of the opposing anterior and posterior portions presents a substantially flat impact face including an opening with an instrument retention feature. The apparatus also includes a rasp, a plurality of distractors, and an instrument able to engage and manipulate the spinal implant, the rasp, and the plurality of distractors. The size-specific rasp is adapted to clear the disc space of all soft tissue and cartilage. The plurality of distractors have progressively increasing heights adapted to distract the disc space before use of the spinal implant.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses measuring a property of a material. The apparatus may include a transducer comprising a first electrical conductor, a second electrical conductor, and a piezoelectric component configured to receive the two conductors. The piezoelectric component may include a cavity dimensioned to improve the strength of or reduce stress on an interconnection between piezoelectric component and at least one of the conductors. The method may include using one or more transducers measuring a property of a material. In some embodiments, the material may be an earth formation.

Abstract: An air-ride beam-type axle/suspension system for a heavy-duty vehicle with a gross axle weight rating of greater than 23,000 lbs./axle includes a pair of transversely spaced beams. Each one of the beams includes inboard and outboard sidewalls. A large diameter axle extends between and is rigidly connected to the beams via a pair of axle-to-beam connections. Each one of the axle-to-beam connections includes a sleeve having an increased thickness rigidly connected to the axle and the beam. Each sleeve is formed with at least a front and a rear window located between the beam sidewalls. The inboard and/or outboard edges of the sleeve windows are spaced relatively far from the beam sidewalls. The sleeve windows are asymmetrically angled with respect to the horizontal centerline of the axle at design ride height. The axle/suspension system reduces weight while maintaining desired stiffness and durability of the axle/suspension system.

Abstract: An implant that has a predefined ratio of load bearing surface area to the overall size of the implant body and specifically to the surface area of a centrally located opening of a vertical aperture which connects to a center void area or passage defined by the implant body shape. This invention discloses a critical ratio or balance between loading of contained graft material through the hollow center or central passage of the implant and the implant's frictional load bearing or contact area with e.g., adjacent vertebral bones. Application of this invention to a spinal implant provides an improved integration and integration rate of the graft material or the fusion of the adjacent vertebral bone structures. The ratio between implant load bearing surface area and implant central opening area maximizes implant internal volume and allows a large passage disposed medial laterally to allow for radiographic verification of fusion growth.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for estimating a parameter of interest of an earth formation. The method may include using an acoustic sensor azimuthally positioned relative to a monopole acoustic source to reduce at least one high-order mode due to the monopole acoustic source. The monopole acoustic source may include one or more acoustic elements. The method may include generating a monopole acoustic pulse. The apparatus may include at least one acoustic source element and at least one acoustic sensor disposed on a housing configured for conveyance in a borehole. The at least one acoustic sensor may be azimuthally positioned relative to the at least one acoustic source to reduce at least one high-order mode.

Abstract: A radial shear velocity profile of an earth formation is obtained by using dipole and/or cross-dipole measurements. The non-uniqueness in the inversion is addressed by using a constraint based on the fact that high-frequency dipole shear waves are mostly sensitive to the near-borehole shear velocity.

Abstract: A media game that employs a method for randomly shuffling through a large set of video and/or audio clips stored on readable media using a media player, such as a DVD player, is disclosed. In addition to the readable media, the game also includes a game board, moveable play pieces, trivia question cards, random name cards, a numbered die, and a challenge die. The game board can be converted from long play to short play by lifting the endmost sections of the game board and placing them next to each other on top of intermediate sections of the game board. A path circumnavigates the game board and appears to be continuous in both long and short play modes. The begin and end regions reside at least partially on the endmost sections and appear as unbroken shapes when configured for both long and short play.

Abstract: An optical fiber feedthrough assembly includes a glass plug disposed in a recess of a feedthrough housing. The glass plug may define a large-diameter, cane-based, waveguide sealed within the recess in the housing and providing optical communication through the housing. Sealing occurs with respect to the housing at or around the glass plug of an optical waveguide element passing through the housing by braze sealing to the glass plug and/or embedding the glass plug in a polymer bonded with the plug to form a molded body that is sealed in the housing by, for example, compression mounting of the molded body or providing a sealing element around the molded body.

Abstract: An interbody spinal implant, such as a solid-body or composite implant. The implant has at least one integration surface with a roughened surface topography including a repeating pattern, without sharp teeth that risk damage to bone structures, adapted to grip bone through friction generated when the implant is placed between two vertebral endplates and to inhibit migration of the implant. The repeating pattern is formed of at least three at least partially overlapping repeating patterns. The repeating patterns may radiate at a fixed distance from at least one point and may include recesses having a slope of thirty degrees or less relative to the integration surface. Also disclosed are processes of fabricating the integration surfaces.

Abstract: A composite interbody spinal implant including a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, and opposing anterior and posterior portions; a first integration plate affixed to the top surface of the body; and an optional second integration plate affixed to the bottom surface of the body. At least a portion of the first integration plate, optional second integration plate, or both has a roughened surface topography including macro features, micro features, and nano features, without sharp teeth that risk damage to bone structures, adapted to grip bone through friction, inhibit migration of the implant, and promote bone growth. Also disclosed are processes of fabricating a roughened surface topography, which may include separate and sequential macro processing, micro processing, and nano processing steps.

Abstract: An interbody spinal implant including a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, opposing anterior and posterior portions, and optionally a substantially hollow center. The implant includes at least one transverse aperture on one or more of the posterior portion, the anterior portion, and at least one of the opposing lateral sides, and if the substantially hollow center is present, one or more of the transverse apertures may be in communication with the hollow center. The transverse aperture may comprise a notch.