Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for percutaneously suturing tissue. An elongated deployment member having a guide member coaxially disposed over a shaft member may be used to carry a needle deployment member. The needle deployment member may be carried at a distal end of the elongated deployment member and include a plurality of needles releasably secured to the needle deployment member, wherein each needle is routed coaxially within the distal end of the needle deployment member. The needle deployment member may further include a needle pusher driven by a link coaxially disposed within the shaft member, wherein the needle pusher is configured to advance each needle through the distal end of the needle deployment member and coaxially over the proximal end of the needle deployment member to position the plurality of needles at a piercing angle in a proximal direction.

Abstract: A system may utilize sound localization techniques, such as time-difference-of-arrival techniques, to estimate an audio-based sound source position from which a sound originates. An optical image or depth map of an area containing the sound source location may then captured and analyzed to detect an object that is known or expected to have produced the sound. The position of the object may also be determined based on the analysis of the optical image or depth map. The position of the sound source may then be determined based at least in part on the position of the detected object or on a combination of the audio-based sound source position and the determined position of the object.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for percutaneously suturing tissue. An elongated deployment member having a guide member coaxially disposed over a shaft member may be used to carry a needle deployment member. The needle deployment member may be carried at a distal end of the elongated deployment member and include a plurality of needles releasably secured to the needle deployment member, wherein each needle is routed coaxially within the distal end of the needle deployment member. The needle deployment member may further include a needle pusher driven by a link coaxially disposed within the shaft member, wherein the needle pusher is configured to advance each needle through the distal end of the needle deployment member and coaxially over the proximal end of the needle deployment member to position the plurality of needles at a piercing angle in a proximal direction.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods provide direction finding of an acoustic signal source with respect to a voice-controlled device. The direction can be found without using elevation data, instead determining the horizontal location based on power values of the received signal. A large number of candidate vectors having values for azimuth, elevation, and power may be generated by a steered response power algorithm. The large number of vectors is reduced to a small number of reference azimuths spanning an azimuth range by associating the vectors with the closest reference azimuth and then calculating an average and/or maximum power of the associated vectors at each reference azimuth. The reference azimuth with the highest average (or maximum) power may be set as the direction of the signal source. Alternatively, each reference azimuth having an average (or maximum) power exceeding a threshold may be considered a direction of one of multiple sources.

Abstract: A battery connector includes an insulated housing and conductive terminals. The insulated housing includes slots. The conductive terminals are disposed in the slots, respectively. Each conductive terminal includes an elastic connecting portion, a contacting portion, and a fixing portion. The elastic connecting portion includes elastic arms and connecting portions. Each elastic arm is obliquely extending leftwards and rightwards, separated from each other, and arranged sequentially. The connecting portions are formed at two sides of the elastic arms, where each elastic arm forms a rectangular structure by being enclosed from one end to the other end. The contacting portion extends beyond one side of the corresponding slot. The contacting portion includes a bent contacting portion extending from a front side of the elastic connecting portion and bent backwards. The fixing portion extends from a back side of the elastic connecting portion and extends beyond the other side of the corresponding slot.

Abstract: The present invention provides a negative pressure generator comprising a vacuum pump having an intake end and an exhaust end, a soundproofing module having a compartment for accommodating the vacuum pump, the soundproofing module being configured to insulate noise and vibration generated when the vacuum pump is in operation, and a silencing tube module comprising a flexible intake tube having one open end communicating with the intake end of the vacuum pump and a flexible exhaust tube having one open end communicating with the exhaust end of the vacuum pump, the silencing tube module being configured to reduce noise generated at the intake end and/or the exhaust end of the vacuum pump when the vacuum pump is in operation. The negative pressure generator can provide a vacuum source to an oral interface device to favorably create a negative pressure environment in a user's oral cavity so that the patency of the user's upper airway is maintained.

Abstract: Provided is a business model based on multi-level application widgets and a system thereof, including: embedding, by a server, intended application widgets in an Internet platform equipped with a software application programming interface; providing a business protocol between an end user and the server, thus giving the end user authority to embed data sets in the application widgets and to conduct display, operation, sales, and real-time interaction within the same window; determining, by the end users, whether at least an application widget or a data set is to be embedded in each of the data sets again, so as to finalize the multi-level application widgets. Accordingly, the end user enhances promotion and thereby expands business on the Internet platform at the server.

Abstract: An oral negative-pressure therapy system includes a container and absorbent insert for the container. The container includes a baffle inside an interior of the container. A fluid passageway extends along the baffle for delivering fluid (e.g., a mixture of air and saliva) into the container. The absorbent insert for absorbing liquid (e.g., saliva) in the container may is over the baffle. At least one of the baffle and the absorbent insert is configured to maintain a fluid flow path between the baffle and the absorbent insert to maintain fluid communication between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet of the container. The absorbent insert and/or the container may be designed and constructed to burst air bubbles in the aspirated liquid. In one or more embodiments, the absorbent insert is replaceable so that a spent absorbent insert can be replaced with a new, fresh absorbent insert.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for characterizing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients in the treatment of OSA, and devices thereof. The methods comprise measuring polysomnography of said patients; analyzing polysomnography, and determining a characteristic of the polysomnography and selections of suitable treatments based on the patterns.

Abstract: A battery connector includes an insulation housing and conductive terminals. The insulation housing has slots, and the conductive terminals are held in the slots. Each conductive terminal includes an elastic connecting portion, a contact portion, and a fastening portion. The elastic connecting portion includes elastic arms parallel and substantially aligned along a transversal direction and connecting portions formed at two ends of each of the elastic arms. The contact portion includes a bendable contact portion extended forwardly from the elastic connecting portion and then folded and extended backwardly and an active contact arm formed at an end portion of the bendable contact portion. The fastening portion includes a bent portion extended backwardly from the elastic connecting portion and then folded and extended forwardly and a passive contact arm formed at an end portion of a bent portion and aligned with the active contact arm.

Abstract: This invention provides an adhesive strip with non-adhesive band for preventing or reducing opening of a user's mouth.

Abstract: A headphone structure for adjusting audio frequencies is provided, which comprises a front housing, a rear housing, a sound-producing unit in the front housing and an elastic ear-contacting body sleeving the front housing. The front housing has at least one slot or recess, and the elastic ear-contacting body sleeves the front housing to form at least one gap. The headphone structure for adjusting audio frequencies of the present invention has better results for the adjustment of bass frequencies. In addition, the headphone structure of the present invention is not complicated and is easy to manufacture. The headphone structure of the present invention can be applied to various types of headphone, such as in-ear headphones and circumaural headphones.

Abstract: A data encryption method is implemented by a data encryption system including a processing unit and a plurality of operating units which are electrically connected to the processing unit. Each operating unit includes an encryption element and a memory element storing a plurality of encryption programs. Each encryption program has a different combination of encryption algorithm and encryption mode. The data encryption method includes steps of: selecting one of the encryption programs randomly by each encryption element; receiving, by each encryption element, one of a plurality of keys randomly generated; inputting an unencrypted data; dividing the unencrypted data into a plurality of unencrypted data blocks by the processing unit; and encrypting the unencrypted data blocks according to the selected encryption programs and received keys by the encryption elements, respectively, to generate an encrypted data. A data encryption system is also disclosed.

Abstract: A battery connector includes an insulation housing and conductive terminals. The insulation housing has slots, and the conductive terminals are held in the slots. Each conductive terminal includes an elastic connecting portion, a contact portion, and a fastening portion. The elastic connecting portion includes elastic arms parallel and substantially aligned along a transversal direction and connecting portions formed at two ends of each of the elastic arms. The contact portion includes a bendable contact portion extended forwardly from the elastic connecting portion and then folded and extended backwardly and an active contact arm formed at an end portion of the bendable contact portion. The fastening portion includes a bent portion extended backwardly from the elastic connecting portion and then folded and extended forwardly and a passive contact arm formed at an end portion of a bent portion and aligned with the active contact arm.

Abstract: A battery connector includes an insulated housing and conductive terminals. The insulated housing includes slots. The conductive terminals are disposed in the slots, respectively. Each conductive terminal includes an elastic connecting portion, a contacting portion, and a fixing portion. The elastic connecting portion includes elastic arms and connecting portions. Each elastic arm is obliquely extending leftwards and rightwards, separated from each other, and arranged sequentially. The connecting portions are formed at two sides of the elastic arms, where each elastic arm forms a rectangular structure by being enclosed from one end to the other end. The contacting portion extends beyond one side of the corresponding slot. The contacting portion includes a bent contacting portion extending from a front side of the elastic connecting portion and bent backwards. The fixing portion extends from a back side of the elastic connecting portion and extends beyond the other side of the corresponding slot.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a negative-pressure oral apparatus capable of relieving discomfort of soft tissues in the oral cavity and improving fixation of the oral apparatus to prevent the oral apparatus from falling off due to mouth opening. The oral apparatus is compact and elastic so that it fits various shapes and sizes of the oral cavity and is easy to be put on and taken off to provide convenience and safety to the user. In another embodiment, a method for maintaining a negative oral pressure and collecting liquid by coupling the oral apparatus to a liquid collecting apparatus capable of effectively providing the oral cavity with a negative pressure to expel liquid in the oral apparatus and deliver the liquid to an absorbing element in the liquid collecting apparatus so as to prevent liquid leakage or contamination.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for performing efficient dereverberation of speech signals captured with single- and multi-channel sensors in networked audio systems. Such features could be used in applications requiring automatic recognition of speech captured with sensors. Dereverberation is performed in the sub-band domain, and hence provides improved dereverberation performance in terms of signal quality, algorithmic delay, computational efficiency, and speed of convergence.

Abstract: This invention provides an oral apparatus and method capable of alleviating or curing snore and obstructive sleep apnea by applying a negative pressure through a mini oral interface to the oral cavity. The mini oral interface creates a secure connection between the interface and mouth or teeth and prevents the interface from falling off. The oral interface also provides fixation between upper and lower lips (or tooth) and prevents opening of patient's mouth during sleeping. The negative pressure pulls the tongue toward upper palate and also pulls the soft palate forward as well. By moving the tongue and the soft palate in a forward direction, the patency of the upper airway near the pharynx is maintained to prevent sleep-disordered breathing. The negative pressure will pull the lips inward to close the mouth ad prevent air from entering the oral cavity from atmosphere.