Abstract: Sleeves and cases for protecting medical devices against contamination, and methods for cleaning and disinfecting medical devices are provided. The various embodiments enable a single medical device to be used by more than one patient successively while reducing the risk of disease transmission from patient to patient.

Abstract: A frame-based communications system with selectable retry strategy including a controller that programs a retry strategy field of a frame descriptor of a frame, where the retry value indicates a selected one of a normal retry count, an alternative retry count, and at least one “no retry” option. The system includes a transceiver that attempts retransmission of the frame up to as many times indicated by a selected retry count or until expiration of a frame transmit duration, or that does not attempt retransmission if the retry value indicates no retry. The no retry options may include treating the first attempt as successful or returning an unsuccessful attempt as a failure. The frame itself may be programmed with a request to not acknowledge a successfully received frame to recapture the time normally allocated to acknowledgement frames. The transceiver may include acknowledgement logic that is configured to suppress an acknowledgement frame.

Abstract: A method of synchronizing data transmission between a host computer system and a transmitter across an interface with variable delay or latency. The host computer system marks transition frames between successive transmission intervals and transfers the outgoing frames across the variable interface to the transmitter. The transmitter enqueues outgoing frames into one or more FIFO transmission queue(s) and processes the enqueued frames as appropriate for the communication protocol in use. Marked frames are detected as they reach the head of the appropriate transmit queue. In particular, while bypassing is not active, the transmitter transmits unmarked frames until the end of the current interval, or until there is insufficient time in the interval to transmit another frame or until a marked frame is detected. While bypassing is not active, the transmitter terminates transmission from the transmit queue when a marked frame is detected during each interval.

Abstract: A communications system including a scheduling entity and a transceiver coupled across a variable timing interface. The scheduling entity forwards frames for transmission and identifies selected frames as persistent. The transceiver includes a queue, a frame manager and a transmission scheduler. The frame manager receives and enqueues forwarded frames and the transmission scheduler dequeues and transmits frames from the queue and forwards persistent frames back to the frame manager. The transmission scheduler includes persistence logic that detects a persistent mark and asserts a persistent signal that is detected by the transmission scheduler. The scheduling entity identifies a persistent frame by setting a bit in a transmit control field of the frame descriptor. The scheduling entity sends a clear persistence command to the transceiver to clear a persistent mark of an identified frame. The transceiver may be configured for wireless communications.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the profile of a rail head includes a base, an actuating unit, a carriage and a sensing device. These components cooperate to laterally move the sensing device across the width of the rail as it is moved longitudinally along the length of the rail, so that a single sensing element may be used to measure the profile of the rail head.