Abstract: A surgical instrument assembly is provided that can be equipped in a handheld surgical tool or instrument or other medical device, as well as potentially in non-medical devices, among other possible applications. In various implementations, the surgical instrument assembly has combinations of a frame body, an input body, an indexing body, a tensioning body, and a cover body. The indexing body is moveable to a multitude of indexed positions. The indexed positions constitute a use count of the surgical instrument assembly, and a final indexed position is a final use count of the surgical instrument assembly. The tensioning body is moveable to impart a first tension and a second tension to one or more transmission cables. The cover body is moveable to render a flush port inaccessible and accessible.

Abstract: A retention assembly is provided that can be equipped in a handheld surgical tool or instrument or other medical device, as well as potentially in non-medical devices, among other possible applications. In the application of the handheld surgical instrument, the retention assembly furnishes partial or more constraint between bodies such as a handle body and a frame body, which in turn serves to partially or more constrain an end effector of the handheld surgical instrument. Such constraint at the end effector, whether partial or full, can be useful in certain scenarios amid a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedure such as during initial insertion of the end effector through a surgical trocar at a patient's body.

Abstract: A slider cartridge for an out-the-front knife and method of assembly is provided. The out-the-front knife includes a knife handle and a knife blade that is selectively deployable out of a front of the knife handle to move from a stowed position within the handle to a deployed position out of the handle. The slider cartridge includes a slider plate, a pair of opposing catches, and at least one biasing element. The pair of opposing catches are configured to be retained on opposing ends of the slider plate under a bias of the at least one biasing element in a self-retained assembly that is manipulable in space apart from the knife handle and the knife blade. The pair of catches further include opposing tabs that protrude outwardly from a center of the catch to assist in securing each respective catch to an opposing end of the slider plate.

Abstract: A knife includes a handle and a blade that is rotatably coupled to the handle. A locking assembly is provided and includes a lock pin, an omega spring, and a transfer bar coupled between the lock pin and the omega spring for biasing the lock pin into a locking position to lock the knife closed or open. The locking assembly may further include a supplemental omega spring on an opposing side of the knife to further assist in biasing the lock pin into the locking position. A torsion bar is also provided within the handle to provide assisted opening functionality. The transfer bar extends at least partially through the handle to locate the omega spring in the handle offset from the torsion bar. The locking assembly assists with holding the blade in the open and closed positions, while the torsion bar aids in assisted opening and closing of the blade.

Abstract: A radioactive thermogel suspension, including a thermogel and a plurality of insoluble radioactive isotope phosphate particles, such as yttrium phosphate, suspended in the thermogel. The thermogel is PLGA-g-PEG. The thermogel contains less than 65 ppm stannous octanoate. The plurality of radioactive yttrium phosphate particles are between 0.03.Math.m and 10.Math.m in diameter. The plurality of radioactive yttrium phosphate particles are generally spherical. The YPO.sub.4 particle concentration is in the range of 3 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml.

Abstract: Techniques are described for deploying a virtualized computing environment configured in a user-specific configuration, the virtualized network function comprising a plurality of virtual machines. A solution definition file (SDF) identifies a configuration for the deployment. The SDF replaces each secret needed for the deployment with an identifier for the secret. A schema defines a format for each identifier for each secret included in the SDF and a format of the secrets. The secrets and corresponding identifiers are stored in a secure storage. The identifiers are sent to the deployed virtual machines, the identifiers being usable by the virtual machines to obtain the secrets from the secure storage.

Abstract: An electrical energy connection assembly is provided that can be equipped in a handheld electrosurgical tool or other medical device, as well as non-medical devices, among many other possible applications. An electrical energy conduction and delivery facilitated via the electrical energy connection is uninterrupted amid rotational movements about a rotational degree of freedom between a pair of bodies or assemblies. Drawbacks encountered in past electrosurgical tool applications such as torque buildup, inhibited instrument maneuverability, visual or physical obstruction, and/or unplanned disconnections, are altogether avoided with use of the electrical energy connection assembly.

Abstract: A radioactive thermogel suspension, including a thermogel and a plurality of insoluble radioactive isotope phosphate particles, such as yttrium phosphate, suspended in the thermogel. The thermogel is PLGA-g-PEG. The thermogel contains less than 65 ppm stannous octanoate. The plurality of radioactive yttrium phosphate particles are between 0.03 ?m and 10 ?m in diameter. The plurality of radioactive yttrium phosphate particles are generally spherical. The YPO4 particle concentration is in the range of 3 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml.

Abstract: Implants and methods for stabilizing bone fractures are provided. In one embodiment, the implants are spheres. In another embodiment, the implants are rods. The rods can be used to stabilize peripheral portions of a bone fracture. The rods can be shaped and configured to correspond to the shape of a region of bone against which the rod will be deployed. The rods can be provided with surface features for engaging adjacent rods and/or adjacent regions of bone to further stabilize the rods. The spheres can be inserted to fill a remaining volume of the fracture cavity. The implants can be made from orthobiologic materials.

Abstract: Surgical tools and assemblies are employed for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A surgical tool assembly includes a handle assembly and a frame assembly. The handle assembly and frame assembly are designed and constructed to have an articulation input joint and a grounding joint between them. A pitch rotational degree of freedom and a yaw rotational degree of freedom are provided by way of the articulation input joint. The handle assembly is translationally constrained relative to the frame assembly by way of the grounding joint. Intermediate bodies and joints can be provided in certain surgical tool assemblies and architectures.

Abstract: A chiller for maintaining medical materials at a temperature below ambient room temperature preferably includes a casing, and a thermoelectric cooler having a hot side and a cold side that is coupled to and supported by the casing. A fluid mover moves fluid into thermal contact with a hot side to remove heat therefrom. First and second vial receivers are in thermal contact with the cold side of the cooler for receiving first and second medical materials containing vials. A stirrer is provided for stirring the medical material in the first vial and/or the second vial.

Abstract: An adjustable spinal stabilization system for maintaining preselected spacing and movement between adjacent vertebrae in a spinal column and for providing overall stability thereto. The system includes at least one interlaminar member positioned in the spaces intermediate a first vertebra and the vertebrae positioned immediately above or immediately below and adjacent to the first vertebra. The interlaminar member is operatively connected to an adjustable support structure and cooperates therewith to maintain the preselected spacing between adjacent vertebrae and to provide overall stability to the spinal column.

Abstract: The system described herein provides a method for deploying, managing, scaling, configuring, upgrading, and modifying large complicated systems that are made-up of many different network resources. These network resources may be virtual machines or containers. The system constructs a hierarchical SNS by building up layers from the inside of an outer SNS. The system conducts health checks at each layer to ensure the system is properly functioning and the deployment is healthy. Lastly, third party vendors input logic in each layer to identify a desired state for the system. Once the desired state is identified, each layer can determine the necessary actions to upgrade from the current state to the desired state. This system simplifies, adds efficiency, and increases security when deploying, scaling, configuring, upgrading, or modifying the system.

Abstract: Surgical tools and assemblies are employed for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A surgical tool assembly includes a handle assembly and a frame assembly. The handle assembly and frame assembly are designed and constructed to have an articulation input joint and a grounding joint between them. A pitch rotational degree of freedom and a yaw rotational degree of freedom are provided by way of the articulation input joint. The handle assembly is translationally constrained relative to the frame assembly by way of the grounding joint. Intermediate bodies and joints can be provided in certain surgical tool assemblies and architectures.

Abstract: An adjustable spinal stabilization system for maintaining preselected spacing and movement between adjacent vertebrae in a spinal column and for providing overall stability thereto. The system includes at least one interlaminar member positioned in the spaces intermediate a first vertebra and the vertebrae positioned immediately above or immediately below and adjacent to the first vertebra. The interlaminar member is operatively connected to an adjustable support structure and cooperates therewith to maintain the preselected spacing between adjacent vertebrae and to provide overall stability to the spinal column.

Abstract: A method of producing levoglucosenone from particulate cellulosic material. The method comprises forming a premix of particulate cellulosic material, water, acid and a polar organic solvent. The solvent has a higher boiling point than levoglucosenone. The pre-mix is fed into a pyrolysis reactor, such as a fluidised bed reactor, in which the pre-mix is fluidised by a fluidising gas. The reactor is maintained at a temperature within the range 250° C. to 450° C., and gaseous products and char are withdrawn from the pyrolysis reactor. Levoglucosenone and the polar organic solvent are condensed from the gaseous products, produced by the reactor.

Abstract: Techniques are described for generating a virtualized network function (VNF) descriptor (VNFD) indicative of resources for managing VNF components (VNFCs) across a plurality of virtualized infrastructure managers (VIMs) implemented in a virtualized computing environment configured in a user-specific configuration. A VNFD generator receives a solution description file (SDF) encoding user input pertaining to the user-specific configuration, and a VNFC descriptor encoding VNFC specific information. The SDF and VNFC descriptor are validated and translated to generate an abstracted VNFD that is independent of renderers implemented at the virtualized computing environment. The abstracted VNFD is translated to a VNFD that is specific to the renderers and VIM and VNFD-specific information at the virtualized computing environment.

Abstract: A radioactive thermogel suspension, including a thermogel and a plurality of insoluble radioactive isotope phosphate particles, such as yttrium phosphate, suspended in the thermogel. The thermogel is PLGA-g-PEG. The thermogel contains less than 65 ppm stannous octanoate. The plurality of radioactive yttrium phosphate particles are between 0.03 µm and 10 µm in diameter. The plurality of radioactive yttrium phosphate particles are generally spherical. The YPO4 particle concentration is in the range of 3 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml.

Abstract: A ballistic vest includes a carrier and at least two ballistic panels supported in the carrier, including a front ballistic panel and a back ballistic panel. The carrier is made from at least two layers of material including an outer layer and an inner layer that are joined to each other at the top and bottom of the vest and that are substantially open at the sides. The carrier has portions defining a left armhole and a right armhole. The two carrier layers define between them a panel space in the carrier. An upper part of the panel space is located above the bottom of the left and right armholes and a lower part of the panel space is located below the bottom of the left and right armholes. The front panel has an upper section that is positioned in the upper part of the panel space, the carrier substantially constraining lateral movement of the front panel upper section within the panel space.

Abstract: Techniques are described for generating a virtualized network function (VNF) descriptor (VNFD) indicative of resources for managing VNF components (VNFCs) across a plurality of virtualized infrastructure managers (VIMs) implemented in a virtualized computing environment configured in a user-specific configuration. A VNFD generator receives a solution description file (SDF) encoding user input pertaining to the user-specific configuration, and a VNFC descriptor encoding VNFC specific information. The SDF and VNFC descriptor are validated and translated to generate an abstracted VNFD that is independent of renderers implemented at the virtualized computing environment. The abstracted VNFD is translated to a VNFD that is specific to the renderers and VIM and VNFD-specific information at the virtualized computing environment.