Abstract: Apparatus and methods for winding flexible material include a rotatable plate assembly rotatably driven by a first rotary shaft, the assembly supporting second and third rotary shafts with corresponding first and second mandrel parts mounted thereon. The first and second mandrel parts each form at least part of a winding spool. The second and third rotary shafts have rotational axes that are parallel to one another and parallel to, but laterally offset from, the rotational axis of the first rotary shaft. The rotation of the plate assembly is coordinated with counter rotation of the first and second mandrel parts. In embodiments, such coordinated rotation occurs during transition operations performed between winding operations that employ the first and second mandrel parts in an ordered sequence one after the other. The flexible material can be cable, wire, tubing, hose, rope, or other filamentary material. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: A packaged wound coil assembly includes a coil of wire, a payout tube, two flat panels on either side of the coil of wire, and a retainer to secure the flat panels relative to the coil assembly. The package assembly uses significantly less materials than prior packages and as assembled can assume less overall space than prior packages for similar wire coils.

Abstract: A method of imaging a vessel with a catheter includes positioning an imaging tip in a reinforced terminal section of an outer sheath of the catheter, inserting the catheter into a vessel, and performing near infrared spectroscopy of the vessel by retracting the imaging tip to a retracted position proximally spaced from the reinforced terminal section of the outer sheath, transmitting near infrared light from the imaging tip to the vessel wall via the outer sheath, and collecting near infrared light from the vessel wall at the imaging tip via the outer sheath. Transmitting and collecting may be performed after retracting the cable and while the imaging tip is rotated and translated proximally from the retracted position along the outer sheath. Ultrasound energy may be transmitted to the vessel from a transducer on the imaging tip and received from the vessel at the transducer.

Abstract: An intravascular imaging system includes a catheter with an elongate outer sheath and a torque cable axially translatable and rotatable in the elongate outer sheath, a pullback and rotation unit for axially translating and rotating the torque cable, a sensor configured to provide an output indicative of an axial force exerted by the torque cable on a rotor in the pullback and rotation unit, and a controller configured to cause the pullback and rotation unit to operate in a remedial mode if the output exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An intravascular imaging system includes a catheter with an elongate outer sheath and a torque cable axially translatable and rotatable in the elongate outer sheath, a pullback and rotation unit for axially translating and rotating the torque cable, a sensor configured to provide an output indicative of an axial force exerted by the torque cable on a rotor in the pullback and rotation unit, and a controller configured to cause the pullback and rotation unit to operate in a remedial mode if the output exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for connecting a cannula to a container under reduced pressure, in particular a blood culture flask, including an inflow opening for connecting to the cannula or to a connection tube connected to the cannula, an outflow opening for connecting to a hollow pin for piercing a closure of the container, and a tight fluidic connection of the inflow opening to the outflow opening. According to the invention, a reservoir which is separated from the fluidic connection and contains a specified gas quantity is connected to the fluidic connection with the interposition of a valve which is preferably open towards the fluidic connection.

Abstract: A method of imaging a vessel with a catheter includes positioning an imaging tip in a reinforced terminal section of an outer sheath of the catheter, inserting the catheter into a vessel, and performing near infrared spectroscopy of the vessel by retracting the imaging tip to a retracted position proximally spaced from the reinforced terminal section of the outer sheath, transmitting near infrared light from the imaging tip to the vessel wall via the outer sheath, and collecting near infrared light from the vessel wall at the imaging tip via the outer sheath. Transmitting and collecting may be performed after retracting the cable and while the imaging tip is rotated and translated proximally from the retracted position along the outer sheath. Ultrasound energy may be transmitted to the vessel from a transducer on the imaging tip and received from the vessel at the transducer.

Abstract: An intraluminal imaging catheter comprises an outer sheath of material that is efficiently transmissive of near infrared light, a guidewire lumen section extending distally from a distal end of the outer sheath, a terminal length section of the outer sheath extending proximally from the guidewire lumen section, a cable longitudinally and rotatably disposed lengthwise within the outer sheath and having an imaging tip located at its distal end including optical components for transmitting and receiving near infrared light, wherein the cable is longitudinally extendable to position the imaging tip at the terminal length section of the outer sheath, and reinforcement means for structurally reinforcing the terminal length section of the outer sheath against transverse bending or kinking.

Abstract: A method of imaging a vessel with a catheter includes positioning an imaging tip in a reinforced terminal section of an outer sheath of the catheter, inserting the catheter into a vessel, and performing near infrared spectroscopy of the vessel by retracting the imaging tip to a retracted position proximally spaced from the reinforced terminal section of the outer sheath, transmitting near infrared light from the imaging tip to the vessel wall via the outer sheath, and collecting near infrared light from the vessel wall at the imaging tip via the outer sheath. Transmitting and collecting may be performed after retracting the cable and while the imaging tip is rotated and translated proximally from the retracted position along the outer sheath. Ultrasound energy may be transmitted to the vessel from a transducer on the imaging tip and received from the vessel at the transducer.

Abstract: An intraluminal imaging catheter comprises an outer sheath of material that is efficiently transmissive of near infrared light, a guidewire lumen section extending distally from a distal end of the outer sheath, a terminal length section of the outer sheath extending proximally from the guidewire lumen section, a cable longitudinally and rotatably disposed lengthwise within the outer sheath and having an imaging tip located at its distal end including optical components for transmitting and receiving near infrared light, wherein the cable is longitudinally extendable to position the imaging tip at the terminal length section of the outer sheath, and reinforcement means for structurally reinforcing the terminal length section of the outer sheath against transverse bending or kinking.

Abstract: In some examples, with respect to intent and context-aware dialogue based virtual assistance, an intent of an inquiry may be determined using an intent classification model. A determination may be made as to whether the determined intent matches a pre-specified intent of a plurality of pre-specified intents. Based on a determination that the determined intent does not match the pre-specified intent, a question related to the inquiry may be generated. Another intent of the inquiry may be determined by analyzing a response to the question using the intent classification model. A determination may be made as to whether the determined other intent matches another pre-specified intent of the plurality of pre-specified intents. Based on a determination that the determined other intent does not match the other pre-specified intent, a deep learning model may be utilized to predict a response to the inquiry.

Abstract: Providing information technology support can include receiving an information technology question posed by a user, associating a tag with the question based on a topic of the question, determining a plurality of people having a skill associated with the question based on the tag, determining a subset of the plurality of people having the skill that also have a relationship with the user exceeding a relationship threshold, and providing the question to each of the subset of the plurality of people.

Abstract: An intravascular imaging system includes a catheter with an elongate outer sheath and a torque cable axially translatable and rotatable in the elongate outer sheath, a pullback and rotation unit for axially translating and rotating the torque cable, a sensor configured to provide an output indicative of an axial force exerted by the torque cable on a rotor in the pullback and rotation unit, and a controller configured to cause the pullback and rotation unit to operate in a remedial mode if the output exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method of imaging a vessel with a catheter includes positioning an imaging tip in a reinforced terminal section of an outer sheath of the catheter, inserting the catheter into a vessel, and performing near infrared spectroscopy of the vessel by retracting the imaging tip to a retracted position proximally spaced from the reinforced terminal section of the outer sheath, transmitting near infrared light from the imaging tip to the vessel wall via the outer sheath, and collecting near infrared light from the vessel wall at the imaging tip via the outer sheath. Transmitting and collecting may be performed after retracting the cable and while the imaging tip is rotated and translated proximally from the retracted position along the outer sheath. Ultrasound energy may be transmitted to the vessel from a transducer on the imaging tip and received from the vessel at the transducer.

Abstract: An intraluminal imaging catheter comprises an outer sheath of material that is efficiently transmissive of near infrared light, a guidewire lumen section extending distally from a distal end of the outer sheath, a terminal length section of the outer sheath extending proximally from the guidewire lumen section, a cable longitudinally and rotatably disposed lengthwise within the outer sheath and having an imaging tip located at its distal end including optical components for transmitting and receiving near infrared light, wherein the cable is longitudinally extendable to position the imaging tip at the terminal length section of the outer sheath, and reinforcement means for structurally reinforcing the terminal length section of the outer sheath against transverse bending or kinking.

Abstract: A technique for adaptively disrupting UAVs detects a target UAV using a camera, monitors the target UAV's communications using a directional antenna aligned with the camera, and attempts to communicate with the target UAV to request that it land, fly away, or return to launch. With the camera trained on the UAV, the directional antenna detects down-link signals from the UAV, which the UAV may employ to communicate with a ground-based controller. Control circuitry analyzes the down-link signals and generates a disrupting signal based thereon. The disrupting signal shares characteristics with the down-link signal, such as its protocol, bit rate, and/or packet length. The directional antenna transmits the disrupting signal back toward the UAV to affect the UAV's flight.

Abstract: A technique for adaptively disrupting UAVs detects a target UAV using a camera, monitors the target UAV's communications using a directional antenna aligned with the camera, and attempts to communicate with the target UAV to request that it land, fly away, or return to launch. With the camera trained on the UAV, the directional antenna detects down-link signals from the UAV, which the UAV may employ to communicate with a ground-based controller. Control circuitry analyzes the down-link signals and generates a disrupting signal based thereon. The disrupting signal shares characteristics with the down-link signal, such as its protocol, bit rate, and/or packet length. The directional antenna transmits the disrupting signal back toward the UAV to affect the UAV's flight.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an extendible and retractable hand hold device for use on golf carts and other transportation vehicles by children and smaller adults to add increased stability and safety. The extendable and retractable hand hold device is securely mounted to the roof of a typical golf cart. The hand hold device has a graspable handle on one end, a length-adjustable shaft and a hinge on the other end. The hinged end is further connected to a mounting plate for securing the device to the roof of the cart. The device is rotatable downward from a stored position where it is flat along the underside of the roof, to an in-use position where it is extending downwardly from the roof to a position that is reachable by any size golf cart user or occupant.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to protective padding for golf carts, and more specifically, the invention relates to a protective padded sleeve that comprises a sleeve, a fastener and padding, which is placed over and around the hard plastic hip restraint of a golf cart to prevent a rider from being injured. When a rider sits on the bench-style seat of a golf cart, the rider's hip and leg are in contact with this hip restraint. The invention operates by both absorbing the shock with padding placed between a rider and the hard plastic hip restraint of a golf cart, as well as, completely enclosing the hip restraint to prevent obstacles from protruding through the large opening in the hip restraint and causing injury to the rider. This invention further incorporates an auxiliary power source for wireless devices, a wireless speaker and accessory holders.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an extendible and retractable hand hold device for use on golf carts and other transportation vehicles by children and smaller adults to add increased stability and safety. The extendable and retractable hand hold device is securely mounted to the roof of a typical golf cart. The hand hold device has a graspable handle on one end, a length-adjustable shaft and a hinge on the other end. The hinged end is further connected to a mounting plate for securing the device to the roof of the cart. The device is rotatable downward from a stored position where it is flat along the underside of the roof, to an in-use position where it is extending downwardly from the roof to a position that is reachable by any size golf cart user or occupant.