Abstract: An instrument is provided for rotatably driving a screw or drill bit into bone in surgery, comprising a gear housing at a distal end of a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft has a proximal end adapted for connection to a rotational power source, wherein the gear housing comprises at least one pair of bevel gears that direct the rotational force from the drive shaft in an approximately 115°-145° angle from the drive shaft to rotatably drive a screw or drill bit into bone during a surgical procedure. The device would advance or retract a drill or driver at a fixed angle in a manner that is user-friendly and ergonomic. The device addresses concerns with modern instrumentation that is cumbersome to use and does not allow the user generated forces to be efficiently applied to the intended trajectories.

Abstract: An apparatus to jointly measure oxygen utilization and tissue strain includes an imaging system and a computer processor operatively coupled to the imaging system. The computer processor is configured to control the imaging system to perform a pulse sequence on tissue of a subject. The computer processor also acquires oxygen utilization data and strain data responsive to the pulse sequence. The computer processor further determines an amount of strain on the tissue of the subject based at least in part on the strain data and an amount of oxygen utilization of the tissue of the subject based at least in part on the oxygen utilization data.

Abstract: A navigational device or jig is provided for accurately guiding the drilling of holes for screws or guidewires for spinal surgery. The jig has a three-point attachment to a vertebra with a jaw that contacts the pars interarticularis and a clip that contacts or attaches to the spinous process. A drill guide support arm moveable laterally with three axes of rotation is provided. The drill guide is a channel that directs a drill bit to a desired location and trajectory. The holes created with the drill bit in a vertebra are used for the insertion of screws or guidewires for any of various procedures requiring screws implanted in a vertebra. In particular, the inventive jig is useful for the precise placement and control of drilled holes for cortical bone trajectory screw placement.

Abstract: A screw implant is provided for the distraction, fusion, or compression of two adjacent bone structures or two adjacent bone fragments. The implant is a fully threaded screw with a headless proximal end having a drive engagement feature and a blunt distal end for insertion into bone or related tissue. The implant has roughened and porous surfaces throughout and is fully coated with hydroxyapatite and/or tri-calcium phosphate to allow for bone in-growth. The implant may have uniform low pitch cortical threads, or variable pitch threads, with low pitch cortical threads on one end and larger pitch cancellous threads on the other end. The implant may be used for the distraction of spinal vertebrae. The implants may have a cannulation channel and fenestrations.

Abstract: A navigational device or jig is provided for accurately guiding the drilling of holes for screws or guidewires for spinal surgery. The jig has a three-point attachment to a vertebra with a jaw that contacts the pars interarticularis and a clip that contacts or attaches to the spinous process. A drill guide support arm moveable laterally with three axes of rotation is provided. The drill guide is a channel that directs a drill bit to a desired location and trajectory. The holes created with the drill bit in a vertebra are used for the insertion of screws or guidewires for any of various procedures requiring screws implanted in a vertebra. In particular, the inventive jig is useful for the precise placement and control of drilled holes for cortical bone trajectory screw placement.

Abstract: An instrument is provided for rotatably driving a screw or drill bit into bone in surgery, comprising a gear housing at a distal end of a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft has a proximal end adapted for connection to a rotational power source, wherein the gear housing comprises at least one pair of bevel gears that direct the rotational force from the drive shaft in an approximately 115°-145° angle from the drive shaft to rotatably drive a screw or drill bit into bone during a surgical procedure. The device would advance or retract a drill or driver at a fixed angle in a manner that is user-friendly and ergonomic. The device addresses concerns with modern instrumentation that is cumbersome to use and does not allow the user generated forces to be efficiently applied to the intended trajectories.

Abstract: A bone screw implant is provided for immobilizing the articular surfaces of two bone segments by securing, fusing, or compression the two segments. The implant may be fabricated from a porous biocompatible metal and have a cylindrical shape and fully or partially threaded and may have variable pitch threads and a variable diameter of the shaft. The implant may include a blunt tip or a fluted self-drilling tip and a headless screwdriver socket. Large pitch cancellous threads may be in the leading-end portion of the cylinder shaft, and smaller pitch cortical threads may be at the trailing edge portion of the shaft. The implant may be fenestrated, it may have a roughened surface, and it may be coated with an osteoconductive material. The implant may be cannulated. In a specific embodiment, the implant is used for immobilizing the articular surfaces of a sacroiliac joint. The implant may be coated with hydroxyapatite or tricalcium phosphate at thickness of 100 nm to 100 ?m thick.

Abstract: An apparatus to jointly measure oxygen utilization and tissue strain includes an imaging system and a computer processor operatively coupled to the imaging system. The computer processor is configured to control the imaging system to perform a pulse sequence on tissue of a subject. The computer processor also acquires oxygen utilization data and strain data responsive to the pulse sequence. The computer processor further determines an amount of strain on the tissue of the subject based at least in part on the strain data and an amount of oxygen utilization of the tissue of the subject based at least in part on the oxygen utilization data.

Abstract: Embodiments of a Global Risk Administration (GRA) method and system include a GRA tool that assists an institution with various decision making processes by enabling the institution to customize the GRA tool to generate decisions based on information input by the institution or a customer of the institution. In an embodiment, the institution is a financial institution (FI), and customizing the GRA tool involves an FI user assigning attribution rules using, wherein attribution rules comprise characteristics of applicants for financial accounts. The user further creates one or more decision classes using the UI, wherein one or more attribution rules place an applicant in a decision class; and the user creates business rules, wherein a business rule determines a manner in which the GRA module interprets data from the third party data sources.

Abstract: Embodiments of a Global Risk Administration (GRA) method and system include a GRA tool that assists an institution with various decision making processes by enabling the institution to customize the GRA tool to generate decisions based on information input by the institution or a customer of the institution. The GRA tool further accesses third party data sources for the purpose of verifying information and gathering additional information to be used in generating decisions. The data sources are selectable by the institution as an aspect of the customization in an embodiment. In an embodiment, the institution is a financial institution (FI), and customizing the GRA tool involves an FI user assigning attribution rules using, wherein attribution rules comprise characteristics of applicants for financial accounts.

Abstract: Embodiments include a system, or platform, and method allowing financial institutions (FIs) to have access to an account opening platform that is capable of completing every aspect of the account opening approval process for the FI, and that is also capable of interfacing with their respective core systems (regardless of type or protocol) for receiving account opening requests from customers. Account opening requests may encounter permanent or temporary errors. When temporary errors are encountered, the account opening request is placed in a queue and automatically retried until the error is resolved. The account opening platform performs real-time integration with a variety of core systems such that approved new accounts are immediately “boarded” to the FI's core. In an embodiment, the platform is a plug-and-play” architecture such that adding the ability to communicate with new or different cores requires minimal effort.

Abstract: Embodiments as described herein include methods and a system for multi-channel and cross-channel account opening. An applicant may start an account opening process in one channel and move to one or more other channels without any application data being lost. A financial management system (FMS) provides a single account opening platform for multiple financial institutions (FIs) such that an application to open an account is handled by the FMS platform using shared resources among channels, and applying rules specified by each FI.

Abstract: An arrangement capable of being assembled with either an existing installed electrical equipment enclosure having an access door or during the fabrication and assembly of such an electrical equipment enclosure that increases the arc-resistant capabilities and characteristics of the electrical equipment enclosure. The arc-resistant capabilities of the electrical equipment enclosure are increased via the provision of shielding facilities disposed in the vicinity of the access opening of the enclosure to substantially limit the heat generated by internal arcing within the enclosure from reaching the access door to the enclosure.