Abstract: Systems and methods are described for managing articles. The systems and methods described herein may comprise an example method for manufacturing an article. The systems and methods provides an end-to-end manufacturing value chain as a closed system and feedback loop.

Abstract: Presented herein are magnet arrangements for use with encapsulated implantable components. An implantable component comprises an implant body and a plurality of wire loops forming an internal coil that are encapsulated in a biocompatible overmolding. The implantable component also comprises a bone fixture positioned proximate to the plurality of wire loops and an implantable magnet attached to the bone fixture.

Abstract: This disclosure describes single-use test cartridges, cell analyzer apparatus, and methods for automatically performing microscopic cell analysis tasks, such as counting and analyzing blood cells in biological samples. A small measured quantity of a biological sample, such as whole blood, is placed in a mixing bowl on the disposable test cartridge after being inserted into the cell analyzer. The analyzer also deposits a known amount of diluent/stain in the mixing bowl and mixes it with the blood. The analyzer takes a measured amount of the mixture and dispenses in a sample cup on the cartridge in fluid communication with an imaging chamber. The geometry of the imaging chamber is chosen to maintain the uniformity of the mixture, and to prevent cells from crowding or clumping as it is transferred into the imaging chamber by the analyzer. Images of all of the cellular components within the imaging chamber are counted and analyzed to obtain a complete blood count.

Abstract: An apparatus, including a sterilely sealed package, and an electrode assembly sterilely sealed in the package, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable testing for an open circuit between two electrodes of the electrode assembly with the electrode assembly sterilely sealed in the package.

Abstract: A device, including a housing of a medical device configured to be implanted in a human recipient, the housing having at least one opening on one side of the housing, and a linear feedthrough assembly, wherein the linear feedthrough assembly closes the opening, the housing has a length, a width, and a height, wherein the height is the smallest dimension, and the opening is located in at least about the center of at least one of the length or the width, and the opening faces a direction normal to a plane established by the length and the width.

Abstract: An apparatus, including an implantable housing, implantable electronics hermetically sealed within at least a portion of the implantable housing and an implantable inductance coil, wherein an outer diameter of the inductance coil is less than 17.

Abstract: An electric hearing prosthesis, wherein the electric hearing prosthesis includes an implantable portion configured to electrically stimulate a cochlea to evoke a hearing percept, and an external portion configured to be in wired communication with the implantable portion, wherein the electronic components of the implantable portion are all passive electronic components.

Abstract: An external portion of an auditory prosthesis includes an external magnet that interacts with an implantable magnet to hold the external portion against the skin. Magnetic force generated by the stray field of these magnets can disturb the operation of a vibrating element of the auditory prosthesis. The technologies described herein utilize additional magnets disposed within portions of the auditory prosthesis to redirect the magnetic flux, which allows the vibrating element to be disposed more closely to the magnets, reducing the overall height profile of the prosthesis.

Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one vibration-generating actuator having a coupler configured to be in mechanical communication with a fixture, at least one mass spaced from the coupler, and at least one non-planar piezoelectric element in mechanical communication with the coupler and the at least one mass. The at least one non-planar piezoelectric element is configured to oscillate the at least one mass relative to the coupler in response to received electric voltage signals. The fixture and the at least one actuator can be configured to be implanted on or within a recipient's body, and the fixture can be configured to transmit the vibrations to the recipient's body such that the vibrations evoke a hearing precept by the recipient.

Abstract: An external portion of an auditory prosthesis includes an external magnet that interacts with an implantable magnet to hold the external portion against the skin. Magnetic force generated by the stray field of these magnets can disturb the operation of a vibrating element of the auditory prosthesis. The technologies described herein utilize additional magnets disposed within portions of the auditory prosthesis to redirect the magnetic flux, which allows the vibrating element to be disposed more closely to the magnets, reducing the overall height profile of the prosthesis.

Abstract: A device for filling a hydraulic circuit of an electro-hydrostatic system provided with a discharge valve and a filling valve includes a vacuum generator designed to be connected to the discharge valve via a first shut-off valve in order to eliminate the air or gases present in the circuit, and a source for supplying pressurised hydraulic fluid, which source is designed to be connected to the filling valve via a second shut-off valve and to the discharge valve and the first shut-off valve via a third shut-off valve in order to fill the hydraulic fluid circuit.

Abstract: This disclosure describes single-use test cartridges, cell analyzer apparatus, and methods for automatically performing microscopic cell analysis tasks, such as counting blood cells in biological samples. A small unmeasured quantity of a biological sample such as whole blood is placed in the disposable test cartridge which is then inserted into the cell analyzer. The analyzer isolates a precise volume of the biological sample, mixes it with self-contained reagents and transfers the entire volume to an imaging chamber. The geometry of the imaging chamber is chosen to maintain the uniformity of the mixture, and to prevent cells from crowding or clumping, when it is transferred into the imaging chamber. Images of essentially all of the cellular components within the imaging chamber are analyzed to obtain counts per unit volume.

Abstract: Technologies disclosed herein can be used to provide power and data to an implantable device implanted in a recipient, such as when the recipient is not wearing an external device. An example system includes a pillow or other headrest configured as a power and data source for an implanted medical device. Disclosed technologies can be configured to continuously provide power and data to an implantable medical devices over a period of time, such as substantially the entire period of time where the recipient is resting their head on the pillow.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for managing articles. The systems and methods described herein may comprise an example method for manufacturing an article. The systems and methods provides an end-to-end manufacturing value chain as a closed system and feedback loop.

Abstract: Disclosed in one aspect is a method for performing a complete blood count (CBC) on a sample of whole blood by metering a predetermined amount of the whole blood and mixing it with a predetermined amount of diluent and stain and transferring a portion thereof to an imaging chamber of fixed dimensions and utilizing an automated microscope with digital camera and cell counting and recognition software to count every white blood cell and red blood corpuscle and platelet in the sample diluent/stain mixture to determine the number of red cells, white cells, and platelets per unit volume, and analyzing the white cells with cell recognition software to classify them.

Abstract: A method of teaching a robot including providing a pin at a location within a work station, and the robot in an area adjacent to the station. The robot having an arm and an end effector that pivots. The end effector has a through-beam sensor including a light emitter and a light receiver to sense when an object is present therebetween. The robot is moved to perform sensing operations in which the sensor senses the pin, such operations are performed while a position and/or an orientation of the end effector are varied to gather sensed position and orientation data. The sensing operations are performed such that the pin is located at different distances between the emitter and the receiver as the robot moves the sensor across the pin. Calculations are performed on the data to determine the location of the pin with respect to a coordinate system of the robot.

Abstract: An apparatus, including a sterilely sealed package, and an electrode assembly sterilely sealed in the package, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable testing for an open circuit between two electrodes of the electrode assembly with the electrode assembly sterilely sealed in the package.

Abstract: An external portion of an auditory prosthesis includes an external magnet that interacts with an implantable magnet to hold the external portion against the skin. Magnetic force generated by the stray field of these magnets can disturb the operation of a vibrating element of the auditory prosthesis. The technologies described herein utilize additional magnets disposed within portions of the auditory prosthesis to redirect the magnetic flux, which allows the vibrating element to be disposed more closely to the magnets, reducing the overall height profile of the prosthesis.

Abstract: Technologies disclosed herein can be used to provide power and data to an implantable device implanted in a recipient, such as when the recipient is not wearing an external device. An example system includes a pillow or other headrest configured as a power and data source for an implanted medical device. Disclosed technologies can be configured to continuously provide power and data to an implantable medical devices over a period of time, such as substantially the entire period of time where the recipient is resting their head on the pillow.

Abstract: An implantable medical device, including a magnet and a body encompassing the magnet, wherein the implantable medical device includes structural components in the body configured to move away from one another upon initial rotation of the magnet relative to the body when the magnet is subjected to an externally generated magnetic field, thereby limiting rotation of the magnet beyond the initial rotation.