Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are operable to track usage of a surgical instrument and modify the performance of the surgical instrument based on the prior usage of the surgical instrument. Some surgical instruments are designed to have a limited service life beginning at their first use, or a limit to their overall usage in order to ensure safe use of the sensitive instruments. However, a lack of ability to track usage characteristics when the instrument is separated from an external power supply allows for user abuse and avoidance of such safety mechanisms. Adding a battery or capacitor to the instrument may allow for an ability to track usage when the instrument is separated from an external power supply. Implementing special user prompts, device use ratios, and device use half-life upon powering down of an instrument may additionally be used to prevent circumvention of safety features.

Abstract: A sand casting core (102) for use in the manufacture of cast metal cylinder blocks includes a camshaft gallery-forming portion (108) and an interconnected oil gallery-forming portion (110) which is joined to the camshaft gallery-forming portion (108) via a plurality of transverse feeder passage-forming portions (112) extending therebetween for forming corresponding cast-in camshaft gallery (104) and interconnecting oil gallery (106) passages within a cast cylinder block (26).