Abstract: An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient has a pair of paddles, a pair of gripping members, and at least one latch member. The paddles are movable between an open position and a closed position. The paddles and/or the gripping members are configured to attach to the native valve of the patient. When the paddles are in the closed position, the latch members latch the paddles in the closed position.

Abstract: An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient has a cap, and a paddle. The paddle has an inner paddle portion and an outer paddle portion. The inner paddle portion and the outer paddle portion are formed from a continuous strip of metal fabric. The outer paddle portion is connected to the cap. The cap is moveable away from the inner paddle portion to open the paddle.

Abstract: An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient includes a coaption element, a collar, a pair of paddles, a cap, and a shaft. The coaption element has a first end portion and a second end portion. The collar is connected to the first end portion of the coaption element. The pair of paddles each include an inner paddle portion and an outer paddle portion that are movable between an open position, a closed position, and a bailout position. The cap is connected to the pair of paddles. The shaft extends through the collar and the coaption element and is connected to the cap. Movement of the cap by the shaft causes the inner paddle portions and the outer paddle portions of the pair of paddles to move between the open position, the closed position, and the bailout position. When the paddles are in the bailout position, a bailout angle between each inner paddle portion and the shaft is greater than or equal to 120 degrees.

Abstract: An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient has a paddle frame, and inner and outer paddle portions formed from a strip of metal fabric. The paddle frame has a round three-dimensional shape. The strip of metal fabric is attached to a closed attachment portion of the paddle frame.

Abstract: An exemplary valve repair system for repairing a native valve of a patient during a non-open-heart procedure includes a delivery device and a valve repair device. The delivery device includes a catheter, an actuation shaft, and a coupler. The valve repair device is configured to be delivered through the catheter. The valve repair device is configured to attach to a native valve of a patient. The valve repair device includes a coaption element having a first end portion and a second end portion, a proximal collar attached to the first end portion of the coaption element, first and second paddles connected to the coaption element, and a distal collar connected to the first and second paddles. The coupler is releasably connected to the proximal collar. The actuation shaft extends through the coupler, the proximal collar, and the coaption element. The actuation shaft is releasably connected to the distal collar.

Abstract: An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient has a paddle frame, an inner paddle, and an outer paddle. The outer paddle is connected to the inner paddle. The inner and outer paddles are connected to the paddle frame at a connection between the inner paddle and the outer paddle. A portion of the inner paddle is moveable away from a portion of the outer paddle to open the inner and outer paddles.

Abstract: An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient includes a pair of paddles, a coaption element, and a covering. The coaption element has a first end portion and a second end portion. The coaption element is connected to the pair of paddles. The covering is disposed over the caption element. The covering prevents blood from flowing through the caption element.

Abstract: In an exemplary method of implanting a valve repair device on a mitral valve of a patient, first and second clasps of the valve repair device are closed to grasp the leaflets of the mitral valve. First and second paddles of the valve repair device are closed to bring the leaflets of the mitral valve into contact with a coaption element.

Abstract: An exemplary implantable prosthetic device has a coaption element and a pair of paddles. The coaption element has a first end portion and a second end portion. The pair of paddles is connected to the second end portion of the coaption element. The coaption element narrows as the copation element extends from the first end portion to the second end portion. The paddles are movable between an open position and a closed position. The paddles are configured to attach to the native valve of the patient.

Abstract: An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient includes a coaption element and a pair of paddles. The coaption element and/or the pair of paddles can be made from a fabric, such as a braided metal fabric. The pair of paddles are connected to the coaption element. The paddles are movable between an open position and a closed position. The valve repair device is configured to attach to the native valve of the patient.

Abstract: An exemplary implantable prosthetic device has a paddle frame, an inner paddle, and an outer paddle. The outer paddle is connected to the inner paddle. The inner and outer paddles are connected to the paddle frame at a connection between the inner paddle and the outer paddle. The paddle frame can be positioned inside the inner paddle, outside the outer paddle, or between the inner and outer paddles.

Abstract: An implantable prosthetic device can include a spacer member, a plurality of anchors, and a plurality of clasps. The spacer member can be configured to be disposed between native leaflets of a heart. The anchors can be coupled to the spacer member and configured to secure the native leaflets against the spacer member. The clasps can be coupled to a respective anchor and configured to secure the native leaflets to the anchors. The clasps can be independently movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration.

Abstract: Provided is a self-leveling mount for attaching a sighting scope, having a longitudinal optical axis, to a firearm, having a longitudinal barrel axis. The mount includes a body attachable to a firearm, a pair of scope attachment rings axially spaced apart relative to the body so that at least a portion of the body is situated between the attachment rings, and a vertically movable contact plate on the base between the rings. The plate presents an upper surface that is horizontally perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of a firearm barrel and scope held by the attachment rings. The contact plate makes adjustable alignment contact with a bottom surface of the scope held by the attachment rings to properly orient the scope relative to the firearm.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides embodiments of a method for improving coaptation of the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflets by applying a remodeling force to the posterior leaflet. In particular embodiments, a tension member is secured at a location on or proximate to the posterior leaflet. Tension can be applied to the tension member in a direction superiorly and anteriorly toward the interatrial septum. The tension member can be secured at a location proximate the septum to maintain the tension. The tension provides the remodeling force, pulling the posterior leaflet superiorly and anteriorly to improve coaptation with the anterior leaflet.

Abstract: A vehicle with a LIDAR system, the LIDAR system having an emitter, receivers and a controller. The emitter emitting a Fourier series sum signal with each frequency given a substantially randomized phase. The receivers include a first receiver receiving a portion of the signal proximate to the LIDAR system; and a second receiver receiving a portion of a reflected signal, the reflected signal being a portion of the series sum signal after being reflected off of an object. The controller is coupled to the emitter and the receivers. The controller being configured to de-convolve the portion of the reflected signal received by the second receiver with the portion of the series sum signal received by the first receiver, and to estimate a distance to the object dependent upon an identified time delay between the portion of the reflected signal and the portion of the series sum signal.

Abstract: Presented is an alternative method for sounding an unknown medium with active signals such as light or sound. Using specific design of both the emitted sounding signal and sampling periods, an effective multi-frequency LOCKIN imaging technique is demonstrated. In an example simulation of an atmospheric LIDAR system, the resolution and accuracy of the method is shown to be limited primarily by the quantity of data analyzed (rather than signal design or strength). This enables a sounding accuracy superior to that from expensive and often damaging pulse systems, yet with an order of magnitude less power required for the instrumentation.

Abstract: A mopping device includes a mopping portion, a fluid release device for releasing fluid to at least one of a surface to be mopped and the mopping portion, a handle configured to be gripped by a user to control the mopping portion, and a reservoir for storing fluid. The reservoir can include an expandable bladder. The reservoir also can be configured such that air need not be evacuated from the reservoir during tilling of the reservoir. The mopping device also can be part of a mopping system, in which a refill reservoir is provided to refill the reservoir of the mopping device.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a spectrometer, while orbiting the Earth, includes the steps of (a) determining a period of time in which the Moon is within a field of view (FOV) of the spectrometer and (b) stopping the FOV of the spectrometer during this period of time. During this period of time, multiple “free views” of the Moon are available, in which lunar IR intensities may be received by the spectrometer that are comparable to intensity levels obtained from an internal calibration test (ICT) on a satellite. The method measures the IR radiance from the Moon during this period of time. After filtering the lunar IR radiances by an integral function, the spectrometer is calibrated using the “free views” as a benchmark.

Abstract: Presented is a computational system for predicting the blood glucose level to which a diabetic patient is being forced based solely on continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data that then allows optimum and safe calculation of a stabilizing dose to be applied by an insulin pump. This invention hence operates as part of a closed loop insulin delivery system. Included are recursive filters for estimating forthcoming blood glucose levels in real-time. Designed to match typically observed human blood glucose rates of change due to food digestion and insulin injection, these filters are two and three term exponential functions respectively. Such filters are applied to low pass filtered CGM data before being iteratively matched to the raw CGM data in order to yield greater confidence in the recursive predictions. All filters also have infinite response curves with monotonically decreasing amplitudes over time.

Abstract: A program is implemented on a processor for executing the following steps: receiving images of a scene comprising successive frames from a camera, each frame including an array of pixels; filtering intensities of the array of pixels in a respective frame by using a Bessel Filter to compute a constant value for the respective frame; and summing a predetermined number of respective frames from the camera to determine rapid motion in the scene. The filter includes a Bessel filter, which is an n-pole recursive digital filter, where n is a positive integer.