Abstract: Described herein are embodiments directed to a remotely controlled bronchoscope arrangement that uses an off-the-shelf hand-held bronchoscope to provide distance between a medical professional and a patient. The bronchoscope arrangement comprises an off-the-shelf hand-held bronchoscope that is remotely controlled by cables that mechanically drive the general movement of the bronchoscope. The bronchoscope generally comprises an insertion tube that extends from a handle, which is bent via an insertion tube articulating actuator and rotated by a rotatable insertion tube cogwheel. The rotatable insertion tube cogwheel is configured to rotate the insertion tube about an axis at least where the insertion tube connects to the handle. The rotatable insertion tube cogwheel positions an insertion tube tip angularly about the axis.

Abstract: Surgical tools and assemblies are employed for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A surgical tool assembly includes a handle assembly and a frame assembly. The handle assembly and frame assembly are designed and constructed to have an articulation input joint and a grounding joint between them. A pitch rotational degree of freedom and a yaw rotational degree of freedom are provided by way of the articulation input joint. The handle assembly is translationally constrained relative to the frame assembly by way of the grounding joint. Intermediate bodies and joints can be provided in certain surgical tool assemblies and architectures.

Abstract: Surgical tools and assemblies are employed for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A surgical tool assembly includes a handle assembly and a frame assembly. The handle assembly and frame assembly are designed and constructed to have an articulation input joint and a grounding joint between them. A pitch rotational degree of freedom and a yaw rotational degree of freedom are provided by way of the articulation input joint. The handle assembly is translationally constrained relative to the frame assembly by way of the grounding joint. Intermediate bodies and joints can be provided in certain surgical tool assemblies and architectures.

Abstract: A system for comminuting solid waste material including a shredding device disposed within the casing and comprising parallel first and second shredding stacks that include first and second parallel shafts rotatably mounted between an upper shredding device housing and a lower shredding device housing and a rotating screening drum disposed within the casing and mounted between an upper screening drum housing and a lower screening drum housing, the rotating screening drum configured to permit fluid to pass therethrough while capturing solids on an outer surface for delivery to shredding device, an upstream portion of the rotating screening drum disposed upstream of an upstream portion of the shredding device. The upper shredding device housing and the lower screening device housing are separate members from the upper screening drum housing and the lower screening drum housing to permit interchangeability of different sizes of these components to meet system needs.

Abstract: Surgical tools and assemblies are employed for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A surgical tool assembly includes a handle assembly and a frame assembly. The handle assembly and frame assembly are designed and constructed to have an articulation input joint and a grounding joint between them. A pitch rotational degree of freedom and a yaw rotational degree of freedom are provided by way of the articulation input joint. The handle assembly is translationally constrained relative to the frame assembly by way of the grounding joint. Intermediate bodies and joints can be provided in certain surgical tool assemblies and architectures.

Abstract: An example roll handle assembly includes a handle body, a roll body, a closure body, and a shuttle body. The roll body is coupled to the handle body and has a rotational degree of freedom about a roll axis relative to the handle body. The roll body is translationally constrained along the roll axis relative to the handle body. The closure body is coupled to the handle body and has one or more degrees of freedom of motion relative to the handle body. The shuttle body is coupled to the roll body and the closure body, and has a translational degree of freedom along the roll axis relative to the roll body. The shuttle body is rotationally constrained about the roll axis relative to the roll body, and has a rotational degree of freedom about the roll axis relative to the closure body.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for cleaning diesel particulate filters (DPFs) or similar items. Various combinations of features include: a multi-cell cleaning head; contemporaneous/simultaneous cleaning from both directions through the DPF (controlled so that no cell is simultaneously pressured from both ends); rotary or other movement of the heads across a static DPF, or a combination of movements of the DPF and the head(s); controlled positioning of the DPF with respect to the heads; gravity collection of removed ash/debris, separate from internal filtering of air within a cleaning cabinet; and others.

Abstract: Devices having a handle that provides unlimited roll to an end-effector at the distal end of the device. For example, described herein are medical devices that have an elongate tool frame, an end-effector, and a handle that includes: a first portion, a second portion that rolls relative to the first portion, a push rod within the first portion connected to a control input, and a shuttle body within the second portion that rotates with the second portion but is axially driven by the push rod when the user actuates the control input. The device may include a proximal wrist/forearm attachment allowing one or more degrees of freedom in pitch, yaw or roll about the user's arm. The handle may articulate relative to the tool frame, and this articulation may be transmitted to the end-effector. The end-effector may be a jaw assembly.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for attaching a minimal access tool to a user's body (e.g., wrist or forearm) so that movements of the user's forearm, wrist, hand and fingers can control movements at a distal end of the minimal access tool. In particular, described herein are forearm attachment devices (which may be used with or integrated into) a minimal access tool including a cuff configured to secure to the user's forearm and a coupling joint configured to connect the cuff to the frame so that the cuff may move relative to the frame with between 1 and 4 degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A configurable activity environment that enables training and gameplay. The environment comprises an activity area of barriers and obstacles in which user activities are conducted. A sensor system is dispersed in association with the activity area to sense user status (e.g., moving, stationary, etc.) and activity area information (e.g., number of users in the area, environmental conditions, barrier and obstacle layout and locations, etc.) as part of the user activities in the activity area. The user equipment can be assigned to each user active in the activity area and for performing the user activities in the activity area. Moreover, the user equipment can be for different purposes or functions, such as medic, shooter, and so on, when employed in a tactical game, police training, simply for game play, etc. The user equipment stores and provides user activity data and user status data of the user during the user activities in the activity area.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to providing error recovery in a storage system that utilizes data redundancy. An aspect of the invention includes monitoring plurality of storage devices of the storage system and determining that one of the plurality of storage devices has failed based on the monitoring. Another aspect of includes suspending data reads and writes to the failed storage device and determining that the failed storage device is recoverable. Based on determining that the failed storage device is recoverable, initiating a rebuilding recovery process of the failed storage device based on determining that the failed storage device is recoverable and restoring data reads and writes to the failed storage device upon completion of the rebuilding recovery process.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method of a storage adapter controlling a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) may be provided. The method may include examining performance curves of a storage adapter with a write cache, determining if an amount of data entering the write cache of the storage adapter has exceeded a threshold, and implementing a strategy based on the determining operation. The strategy may include one of coupling Read-XOR/Write operations and providing priority reordering of Read operations over the Read-XOR/Write operations in order to minimize host read response time if data entering the write cache is less than the threshold, and allowing all Read operations and Read-XOR/Write operations to be queued at the device using simple tags in order to achieve maximum throughput if data entering the write cache is greater than the threshold. Additional aspects are described.