Abstract: A passive safety needle device is disclosed having a housing, a needle hub, a needle cannula, a retractable sheath, a spring to bias the retractable sheath in a distal direction to cover the distal end of the needle cannula, a radial protrusion to cause the spring to move from the proximal spring position to the distal spring position, and a catch to secure the distal end of the spring to the distal end of the housing. The spring may bias the retractable sheath in a distal direction to cover the distal end of the needle cannula. The radial protrusion causes the spring to move from a proximal spring position to the distal spring position towards the catch located at the distal end of the housing.

Abstract: Syringe plunger rods comprising an elongate body formed from a composition comprising one or more of virgin material, a sterilization-stable recycled resin and a biobased compositions are described. Plunger rods comprising a plurality of ribs, some of which may have a plurality of openings, are also described. The plunger rods requiring less material while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to function properly.

Abstract: A toy figure assembly is disclosed. The toy figure assembly includes a toy figure and a toy surfboard that can be used with the toy figure. In one embodiment, the toy figure can be coupled to the toy surfboard in an upright or surfing orientation that simulates the toy figure surfing on the toy surfboard. In one embodiment, the toy figure can be coupled to the toy surfboard in a lying orientation that simulates the toy figure paddling on the toy surfboard. In one embodiment, a handle is coupleable to the toy figure to allow a user to move the toy figure into different poses.

Abstract: A method for changing the timing of gear changes of an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle including repetitively updating a current value of a count whose value is a measure of driving behavior, performing an evaluation of driving behavior and updating the current value by a value determined from the evaluation, determining shift schedules that define the occurrence of a gear change to be produced by the transmission, and using the updated current value to establish from among the shift schedules a shift schedule that defines a gear change to be produced by the transmission.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method for correcting an error associated with phasic synchrony of sequence data generated from a population of template molecules is described that comprises the steps of detecting signals generated in response to nucleotide species introduced during a sequencing reaction; generating an observed value for the signal detected from each of the nucleotide species; defining positive incorporation values and negative incorporation values from the observed values using a carry forward value and an incomplete extension value; and revising the carry forward value and the incomplete extension value using a noise value that is derived from observed values associated with the negative incorporation values.

Abstract: A container for holding a dipping condiment or sauce and allowing a user to wipe a food item to remove excess condiment or sauce. The container has a base and a side wall having one portion higher than an opposing portion, the wall including at least one ridge, groove or other fluid retention device. The wall also includes a pair of opposing inwardly curved gripping surfaces for facilitating gripping by a user's fingers, the gripping surfaces including ribs or grooves. The container may also include a lid which snap fits onto the lip of the container.

Abstract: A needle guard is disclosed. The needle guard includes a binding plate defining a multi-slot aperture adapted to receive a needle cannula therethrough. The needle guard also includes a biasing member for biasing the needle cannula within the multi-slot aperture, and a sensing arm connected to the binding plate. The sensing arm is adapted to contact a portion of the needle cannula, and is positionable for restricting movement of the needle cannula. The multi-slot aperture may include a first region having a first dimension, a second region having a second dimension, and optionally, a third region having a third dimension with the third dimension being smaller than the second dimension and the second dimension being smaller than the first dimension.

Abstract: A stopper includes a main body portion defining an open rearward end configured to receive the plunger rod, an engagement portion provided along an inner circumference of the main body portion configured to engage at least a top portion of the plunger rod, a closed front end forming a flexible roof, and a first perimetrical skirt extending around an outer circumference of the main body portion toward the closed front end of the main body portion. When fluid pressure is increased inside the syringe barrel during an injection, the flexible roof expands in a radial direction toward an inner wall of the syringe barrel, the first perimetrical skirt is forced against the inner wall of the syringe barrel, and an engagement between the plunger rod and the engagement portion forces the main body portion to expand in the radial direction toward the inner wall of the syringe barrel.

Abstract: A container for holding a dipping condiment or sauce and allowing a user to wipe a food item to remove excess condiment or sauce. The container has a base and a side wall having one portion higher than an opposing portion, the wall including at least one ridge, groove or other fluid retention device. The wall also includes a pair of opposing inwardly curved gripping surfaces for facilitating gripping by a user's fingers, the gripping surfaces including ribs or grooves. The container may also include a lid which snap fits onto the lip of the container.

Abstract: The present invention relates to control, monitoring, and automation. The present invention more specifically relates to pattern-based intelligent control, monitoring and automation. The invention performs pattern-based monitoring. It collects signal data from one or more signals. The signal data define signal data streams. It then transforms each of the signal data streams into trends. It also discovers patterns based on the trends within each signal data stream and/or across the signal data streams. The patterns are optionally used for diagnostics and root cause analysis, online plant monitoring and operation control, plant optimization, and other environments where a causal link or correlation may exist between related inputs, states and/or outputs.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method for optimizing sequencing performance is described that comprises the steps of calculating a nucleotide species specific degradation rate of an apyrase enzyme for a plurality of nucleotide species; determining a concentration for each of the nucleotide species using the nucleotide species specific degradation rate; iteratively providing the concentration of each of the nucleotide species in a reaction environment comprising a polymerase enzyme and a species of template nucleic acid molecule, wherein one or more molecules of the nucleotide species are incorporated into a nascent molecule in a sequencing reaction and the apyrase enzyme is introduced to the reaction environment to degrade unincorporated nucleotide species molecules; and detecting a signal in response to the incorporation of the nucleotide species.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method for correcting an error associated with phasic synchrony of sequence data generated from a population of template molecules is described that comprises the steps of detecting signals generated in response to nucleotide species introduced during a sequencing reaction; generating an observed value for the signal detected from each of the nucleotide species; defining positive incorporation values and negative incorporation values from the observed values using a carry forward value and an incomplete extension value; revising the carry forward value and the incomplete extension value using a noise value that is derived from observed values associated with the negative incorporation values; re-defining the positive incorporation values and the negative incorporation values using the revised carry forward value and the revised incomplete extension value; and repeating the steps of revising and re-defining until convergence of the positive incorporation values and the negative incorporation

Abstract: In its broad aspect, the invention provides a method for analyzing relationships among patterns within a data set having a set of samples and associated attribute values defining each attribute of each said sample. The method comprises receiving at an input at least two patterns; defining a data cluster within the data set for each of said at least two patterns, each defined data cluster having samples with attribute values associated with a corresponding pattern of said at least two patterns; grouping at least some of the samples of each defined data cluster with one another to generate a resultant data cluster; and calculating a variation between the attribute values of a first set of samples and the attribute values of a second set of samples within said resultant data cluster, the attribute values of the first set of samples and the second set of samples corresponding to the same attribute.

Abstract: A wireless toy phone system that may be used with toy figures, such as dolls. The system may include doll sized phones and child sized phones. The child sized phone may have a display screen and input buttons. A child can compose a message with a phone keypad on the child's phone and send the message to another child sized phone, which will display the message. The phone may also receive messages from other child sized phones. The child may also be able to send a message to a doll sized phone associated with a doll or other figure, and the doll sized phone may respond with lights or sounds or both. The child sized phone may then compose a response that is displayed on the child sized phone simulating a return message from the doll.

Abstract: In its broad aspect, the invention provides a method for analyzing relationships among patterns within a data set having a set of samples and associated attribute values defining each attribute of each said sample. The method comprises receiving at an input at least two patterns; defining a data cluster within the data set for each of said at least two patterns, each defined data cluster having samples with attribute values associated with a corresponding pattern of said at least two patterns; grouping at least some of the samples of each defined data cluster with one another to generate a resultant data cluster; and calculating a variation between the attribute values of a first set of samples and the attribute values of a second set of samples within said resultant data cluster, the attribute values of the first set of samples and the second set of samples corresponding to the same attribute.

Abstract: A method for changing the timing of gear changes of an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle including repetitively updating a current value of a count whose value is a measure of driving behavior, performing an evaluation of driving behavior and updating the current value by a value determined from the evaluation, determining shift schedules that define the occurrence of a gear change to be produced by the transmission, and using the updated current value to establish from among the shift schedules a shift schedule that defines a gear change to be produced by the transmission.

Abstract: A hub assembly, such as for long needles, is disclosed. The hub assembly includes a needle hub having a proximal end and a distal end, having a cannula extending therethrough and protruding from the distal end, with the needle hub having a first engagement portion. The hub assembly also includes a stylet handle having a stylet extending therefrom. The stylet is adapted to be received within a portion of the cannula, with the stylet handle having a second engagement portion. Engagement of the first engagement portion of the needle hub and the second engagement portion of the stylet handle forms a positive lock in which at least a portion of one of the first and second engagement portions is held within the other of the first and second engagement portions in an unbiased state.