Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and methods for assessing the surface of a target cardiac tissue and for delivering a tissue anchor to cardiac tissue at a preselected depth within the myocardium in a beating heart procedure. In one variation, an anchor delivery device comprises an elongate body, a tissue anchor disposed within a first longitudinal lumen of the elongate body, and a tissue depth indicator slidable within a second longitudinal lumen of the elongate body. The tissue depth indicator has a first configuration that indicates the boundary of the surface of the target tissue and a second configuration that indicates when the distal tip of the elongate body has been advanced to a preselected depth into the target tissue. In some variations, a tissue depth indicator may also be configured to resist or limit the penetration of the delivery device into tissue after a preselected depth has been reached.

Abstract: Apparatus for performing group computing in a safety-critical operating environment (SCOE) includes a primary computing device, wherein the primary computing device includes a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor. The memory contains instructions configuring the processor to receive task data, determine a group computing need by comparing the task data against a preset group computing criterion, determine a hardware allocation as a function of the group computing need, create a virtual environment using a secondary computing device communicatively connected to the primary computing device, as a function of the hardware allocation, allocate at least a portion of the task data to the at least a secondary computing device, as a function of the group computing need, wherein the at least a portion of the task data is executed by the secondary computing device, and receive from the at least a secondary computing device a processing result.

Abstract: An apparatus for virtual integration environments, the apparatus including computing device configured to receive a software package for deployment, determine one or more recipients of the software package, select one or more operating environments as a function of the software package and the one or more recipients, wherein each operating environment of the one or more operating environments is a virtual representation of a system associated with each recipient of the one or more recipients, execute the software package within the one or more operating environments, generate performance data for each operating environment of the one or more operating environments, compare each performance data of the one or more performance data to one or more performance thresholds and graphically display at least the one or more performance data through a graphical user interface.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing a safety-critical operating environment, comprising a host circuit having a processor and a memory containing instructions configuring the processor to operate a first partition within a virtual environment, by instantiating a hypervisor, generating a virtualization layer supervised by the hypervisor, and operating the first partition in the virtual environment using the virtualization layer, receive a configuration request containing a configuration request from the first partition, create a second partition within the virtual environment based on the configuration request by allocating processor time and a memory space for the second partition using the hypervisor based on the a partition policy, integrate a software module into the virtual environment by instantiating, within the second partition, a software image into a container having a non-preemptable container runtime, and verify a compliance of the integrated software module at the first partition.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and methods for assessing the surface of a target cardiac tissue and for delivering a tissue anchor to cardiac tissue at a preselected depth within the myocardium in a beating heart procedure. In one variation, an anchor delivery device comprises an elongate body, a tissue anchor disposed within a first longitudinal lumen of the elongate body, and a tissue depth indicator slidable within a second longitudinal lumen of the elongate body. The tissue depth indicator has a first configuration that indicates the boundary of the surface of the target tissue and a second configuration that indicates when the distal tip of the elongate body has been advanced to a preselected depth into the target tissue. In some variations, a tissue depth indicator may also be configured to resist or limit the penetration of the delivery device into tissue after a preselected depth has been reached.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for disinfecting probes. A probe may be positioned using a probe positioning system that locates the probe in the proper location for disinfecting. The probe may be subjected to a cleaner and/or rinsing liquid to remove foreign materials (e.g., bioburden, soil, and other like material) from the probe before disinfecting. After rinsing, a disinfectant is applied to the probe via one or more nozzles. The disinfectant is applied to the probe for a specified amount of time to disinfect the surface of the probe, and afterwards the probe is rinsed thoroughly to remove the disinfectant from the probe. The rinsing liquid and the disinfectant liquid are held in separate fluid circuits, yet heated to their respective ideal temperatures using the same heater assembly, the heater assembly having heating element shared by both fluid circuits.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for imaging using microwave or terahertz radiation are described. The apparatus comprises: a cell comprising a vapour of atoms; one or more laser beams propagating through said cell, said one or more laser beams defining a sensing region in said cell; an imaging beam for illuminating an object receiving area for receiving an object to be imaged, said imaging beam comprising microwave or terahertz radiation; an imaging system for focusing the imaging beam to form, in use, an image of said object at said sensing region in said cell; wherein respective frequencies of said one or more laser beams and said imaging beam are such that at least some of said atoms, when subjected to radiation of both said one or more laser beams and said imaging beam, are excited to a final excited state which decays to a lower energy state by emission of optical fluorescence.

Abstract: A circuit, e.g., a CMOS sensor, with individually addressable transfer transistors and individually addressable reset transistors is described. Through the individually addressable transistors, pixels within different regions of interest, of the same or different size and/or the same or different exposure times, can be efficiently processed. Different regions of interest may be exposed concurrently and read out independently.

Abstract: A switchable grill grate assembly for a cooking or barbecue grill includes a main frame configured to rest on top of a cooking grill. The main frame provides an open support framework for a horizontal slide track which extends from one end of the support framework to the other. Separate grill grate sections engage with the slide track in a manner that allows one grill grate section to be constrained to sliding back and forth on the slide track and the other grill grate section to be lifted upwardly off of the slide track and rotated up and over the other grill grate section as the first grill grate section slides underneath the second grill grate section.

Abstract: An electrifiable projectile for an insect zapper gun is capable of killing a target insect at a distance from the user. The projectile includes a pattern of electric wires forming a front-facing conductive contact structure having a breadth sufficient to allow the projectile to intercept an insect when propelled in a forward trajectory toward an insect. When the projectile's pattern of electric wires comes into contact with the target insect, an electric charge on the projectile is transmitted to the insect rendering the insect deceased.

Abstract: A high availability aircraft network architecture incorporating smart points of presence (SPoP) is disclosed. In embodiments, the network architecture divides the aircraft into districts, or physical subdivisions. Each district includes one or more mission systems (MS) smart network access point (SNAP) devices for connecting MS components and devices located within its district to the MS network. Similarly, each district includes one or more air vehicle systems (AVS) SNAP devices for connecting AVS components and devices within the district to the AVS network. The AVS network may remain in a star or hub-and-spoke topology, while the MS network may be configured in a ring or mesh topology. Selected MS and AVS SNAP devices may be connected to each other via guarded network bridges to securely interconnect the MS and AVS networks.

Abstract: An insect zapper gun is capable of killing a target insect at a distance from the user. The zapper gun incudes an electrifiable projectile fired from a handheld base. When the projectile comes into contact with the target insect, an electric charge on the projectile is transmitted to the insect rendering the insect deceased.

Abstract: A smart network access point (SNAP) device is disclosed. In embodiments, the SNAP device includes trunk ports for accepting a network trunk cable (e.g., fiber optic trunk) and thereby connecting the SNAP device to an aircraft-based network of SNAP devices. The SNAP device includes switch ports for incorporating physical connections to mission systems (MS) or air vehicle systems (AVS) components and devices, providing a local smart point of presence (SPoP) throughout a physical subdivision (e.g., network district) of an aircraft. The SNAP device is configured for monitoring data exchanges between local MS/AVS components and the aircraft network. The SNAP device includes a cybersecurity module for connecting to local security components (e.g., data guards and multiple levels of security (MLS) encryption/decryption) or for providing built-in data guard and encryption/decryption services. The SNAP device includes power control components for managing power distribution to the connected local network components.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for imaging using microwave or terahertz radiation are described. The apparatus (10) comprises: a cell (12) comprising a vapour of atoms; one or more laser beams (14) propagating through said cell (12), said one or more laser beams (14) defining a sensing region (15) in said cell (12); an imaging beam (16) for illuminating an object receiving area for receiving an object (18) to be imaged, said imaging beam (16) comprising microwave or terahertz radiation; an imaging system (20, 22) for focussing the imaging beam (16) to form, in use, an image of said object (18) at said sensing region (15) in said cell (12); wherein respective frequencies of said one or more laser beams (14) and said imaging beam (16) are such that at least some of said atoms, when subjected to radiation of both said one or more laser beams (14) and said imaging beam (16), are excited to a final excited state which decays to a lower energy state by emission of optical fluorescence (24).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and methods for assessing the surface of a target cardiac tissue and for delivering a tissue anchor to cardiac tissue at a preselected depth within the myocardium in a beating heart procedure. In one variation, an anchor delivery device comprises an elongate body, a tissue anchor disposed within a first longitudinal lumen of the elongate body, and a tissue depth indicator slidable within a second longitudinal lumen of the elongate body. The tissue depth indicator has a first configuration that indicates the boundary of the surface of the target tissue and a second configuration that indicates when the distal tip of the elongate body has been advanced to a preselected depth into the target tissue. In some variations, a tissue depth indicator may also be configured to resist or limit the penetration of the delivery device into tissue after a preselected depth has been reached.

Abstract: A high availability aircraft network architecture incorporating smart points of presence (SPoP) is disclosed. In embodiments, the network architecture divides the aircraft into districts, or physical subdivisions. Each district includes one or more mission systems (MS) smart network access point (SNAP) devices for connecting MS components and devices located within its district to the MS network. Similarly, each district includes one or more air vehicle systems (AVS) SNAP devices for connecting AVS components and devices within the district to the AVS network. The AVS network may remain in a star or hub-and-spoke topology, while the MS network may be configured in a ring or mesh topology. Selected MS and AVS SNAP devices may be connected to each other via guarded network bridges to securely interconnect the MS and AVS networks.

Abstract: A smart network access point (SNAP) device is disclosed. In embodiments, the SNAP device includes trunk ports for accepting a network trunk cable (e.g., fiber optic trunk) and thereby connecting the SNAP device to an aircraft-based network of SNAP devices. The SNAP device includes switch ports for incorporating physical connections to mission systems (MS) or air vehicle systems (AVS) components and devices, providing a local smart point of presence (SPoP) throughout a physical subdivision (e.g., network district) of an aircraft. The SNAP device is configured for monitoring data exchanges between local MS/AVS components and the aircraft network. The SNAP device includes a cybersecurity module for connecting to local security components (e.g., data guards and multiple levels of security (MLS) encryption/decryption) or for providing built-in data guard and encryption/decryption services. The SNAP device includes power control components for managing power distribution to the connected local network components.

Abstract: Provided are loudspeaker systems. Embodiments include a first speaker to provide a direct radiating output from the front of the loudspeaker system and a second speaker to drive a ported side chamber of the loudspeaker system, wherein the first and second speakers share a ported common chamber, and wherein at least one port of the ported common chamber exits the front of the loudspeaker system. In one embodiment, the common chamber includes at least one port that is substantially aligned with the front of the loudspeaker system. In another embodiment, each speaker is coupled to a separate amplifier and signal processing unit.

Abstract: An analytics and device management platform includes a computer processor and instructions executing on the computer processor and causing the platform to obtain metrics from at least one endpoint. Each of the metrics is a quantification of a phenomenon detected in at least one of audio and video data obtained from an endpoint facilitating communication between meeting attendees. The instructions further cause the platform to generate indicators based on the metrics. Each of the indicators is a numeric descriptor derived from at least one of the metrics, and each of the indicators is of potential relevance to a user of the platform to inform a decision by the user. The instructions also cause the platform to determine at least one insight based on the indicators. The at least one insight is an indicator determined to be of relevance to the user to inform the decision.

Abstract: A circuit, e.g., a CMOS sensor, with individually addressable transfer transistors and individually addressable reset transistors is described. Through the individually addressable transistors, pixels within different regions of interest, of the same or different size and/or the same or different exposure times, can be efficiently processed. Different regions of interest may be exposed concurrently and read out independently.