Abstract: A shipping plug for a transmission port includes a ring having an inner wall defining a cavity and an outer wall having an annular sealing rib that is engageable with the port. A membrane spans an inner circumference of the inner wall to seal the cavity. The plug is pierceable and has a first condition where the membrane is intact and a second condition where the membrane is torn.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method of preoperatively determining the optimized external shape of a prosthetic femoral hip stem for use in partial cementing hip replacement procedures and of a reamer for reaming a cavity in the femur of a patient for implanting the prosthetic femoral hip stem, comprising: a) setting an initial external shape of the prosthetic femoral hip stem based on the reconstructed femur anatomy of a patient, b) generating an associated initial reamer by negatively offsetting the initial external shape of the prosthetic femoral hip stem by an uniform offset value ?, c) calculating contact stresses at the interface of the prosthetic femoral hip stem and the patient's femur when reamed by the initial reamer and d) optimizing the offset value ?, so that the contact stresses are within a predetermined acceptable range.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method of preoperatively determining the optimized external shape of a prosthetic femoral hip stem for use in partial cementing hip replacement procedures and of a reamer for reaming a cavity in the femur of a patient for implanting the prosthetic femoral hip stem, comprising: a) setting an initial external shape of the prosthetic femoral hip stem based on the reconstructed femur anatomy of a patient, b) generating an associated initial reamer by negatively offsetting the initial external shape of the prosthetic femoral hip stem by an uniform offset value ?, c) calculating contact stresses at the interface of the prosthetic femoral hip stem and the patient's femur when reamed by the initial reamer and d) optimizing the offset value ?, so that the contact stresses are within a predetermined acceptable range.

Abstract: A tooth extracting tool including an elongated handle and a pair of tooth engaging members extending out of one end of the handle and a pneumatic or hydraulic piston for tightly gripping the tooth to be extracted between the pair of tooth engaging members. The tool also includes a mechanism for subjecting the grasped tooth to linear oscillation at an opposite end of the handle and for limiting the back and forth linear movement of the tooth to between about plus or minus 5 mm.

Abstract: A disposable dental handpiece, including a first handle portion; a second handle portion; a vibration dampening portion, the vibration dampening portion located interposed between the first handle portion and the second handle portion. In another embodiment, a multi-layer disposable dental handpiece, including a first layer of material having an outer surface defining a first outer surface portion of the multi-layer disposable dental handpiece; a second layer of material having an outer surface defining a second outer surface portion of the multi-layer disposable dental handpiece; a layer of vibration dampening material located interposed between the first and second layer of material defining a third outer surface portion of the multi-layer disposable dental handpiece. In yet another embodiment, methods for making a disposable dental handpiece are described.

Abstract: A tooth extracting tool including an elongated handle and a pair of tooth engaging members extending out of one end of the handle and a pneumatic or hydraulic piston for tightly gripping the tooth to be extracted between the pair of tooth engaging members. The tool also includes a mechanism for subjecting the grasped tooth to linear oscillation at an opposite end of the handle and for limiting the back and forth linear movement of the tooth to between about plus or minus 5 mm.