Abstract: A surgical suturing system is disclosed. The surgical suturing system comprises a shaft comprising a shaft diameter, a firing drive, and an end effector extending distally from the shaft. The end effector comprises a needle track and a needle comprising suturing material attached thereto, wherein the needle is configured to be guided by the needle track and actuated by the firing drive through a firing stroke, and wherein the needle is movable along a needle path comprising a maximum capture width which is greater than the shaft diameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods for information retrieval are provided that permit users and/or processing entities to access and define synthetic data, synthetic objects, and/or synthetic groupings of data in one or more collections of information. In one embodiment, data access on an information retrieval system can occur through an interpretation layer which interprets any synthetic data against data physically stored in the collection. Synthetic data can define virtual data objects, virtual data elements, virtual data attributes, virtual data groupings, and/or data entities that can be interpreted against data that may be stored physically in the collection of information. The system and methods for information retrieval can return results from the one or more collections of information based not only on the data stored, but also on the virtual data generated from interpretation of the stored data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for information retrieval are provided that permit users and/or processing entities to access and define synthetic data, synthetic objects, and/or synthetic groupings of data in one or more collections of information. In one embodiment, data access on an information retrieval system can occur through an interpretation layer which interprets any synthetic data against data physically stored in the collection. Synthetic data can define virtual data objects, virtual data elements, virtual data attributes, virtual data groupings, and/or data entities that can be interpreted against data that may be stored physically in the collection of information. The system and methods for information retrieval can return results from the one or more collections of information based not only on the data stored, but also on the virtual data generated from interpretation of the stored data.

Abstract: A plastics button assembly comprises an outer body component, an inner body component trapped substantially non-retrievably within a recess in the rear of the outer body component, and a cloth cover substantially covering the front of said outer body component, the edges of which are trapped securely between the engaging surfaces of said outer and inner body components. A shank extends from within the recess of the outer component and the inner component is engaged about and supported by the shank. The inner component is a specially shaped annular plastic washer having a flat inner face and a contoured outer face. An annulus of reduced thickness extends about a central aperture, and this annulus is surrounded by an annulus of maximum thickness which tapers towards the periphery of the washer. This allows the plastics button to be assembled in a conventional two piece die set as used for metal shell buttons.