Abstract: A bone member fastener for closing a craniotomy includes a cap and a base interconnected by a narrow cylindrical collar. The cap has an externally threaded stud that screws into an internally threaded bore of the collar, thereby allowing the cap and base to be brought into clamping engagement against the internal and external faces of a bone plate and surrounding bone. In a particularly disclosed embodiment, the base of the fastener is placed below a craniotomy hole with the collar projecting into the hole, and the stud of the cap is screwed into the bore of the base from above the hole to clamp a bone flap against the surrounding cranium. This device provides a method of quickly and securely replacing a bone cover into a craniotomy. The distance between the cap and base can be selected by how far the threaded stud of the cap is advanced into the internally threaded collar. The fastener is therefore adaptable for use in several regions of the skull having various thicknesses.

Abstract: Refrigerant is recovered using a single pump unit, regardless of the refrigerant's phase. This is achieved by sensing the phase of the refrigerant and changing the pump's operation accordingly. The refrigerant phase can be sensed by a temperature-responsive element, such as a thermistor, or by other phase-sensing technology. In a preferred embodiment, the pump unit is a vane pump whose rotational speed is changed in response to the refrigerant's phase. If liquid refrigerant is sensed, the pump operates at a lower speed. If gas refrigerant is sensed, the pump operates at a higher speed. The two speeds are chosen so that the pump will draw an EPA-specified vacuum on the refrigerant present. In other vane-pump embodiments, the pump's operation is changed by changing the pump's mechanical configuration, rather than its rotational speed.

Abstract: A pump assembly includes a pump head that is coupled to a permanent magnet rotor. The rotor is enclosed in a cavity defined by a fluid-tight cup that has an open first end and a closed second end. This cavity is in fluid connection with the pump head through its open first end. Outside the cup enclosure are disposed a plurality of electrical stator windings. A housing encloses all of the foregoing elements, and may also enclose a circuit board that includes circuitry for driving the stator windings. The pump assembly thereby provided is compact, efficient, and reliable.