Abstract: An impact resistant bumper device that is elongated along a longitudinal axis and mountable on a mounting member, the device having a cross-section having an open undersurface configuration comprising: a first layer of a first polymer material; a second layer of a second polymer material; a third layer of a third polymer material; wherein the first polymer material has been melted at least once prior to the extrusion cycle, the second polymer material is first melted during the extrusion cycle and the third polymer material is first melted during the extrusion cycle.

Abstract: A multimedia stream system includes a transmitter and a multimedia data stream receiver. The transmitter at receives raw multimedia data and generates uniform error correction data and a standard multimedia data stream. The multimedia data stream receiver receives the standard multimedia data stream containing encoded multimedia data and the uniform error correction data for error correction of encoded multimedia data.

Abstract: A femoral implant for fitting to a resected femur comprises a section having a frustoconical external form, a stem part extending away from the section to a distal end of the implant, and a femoral head extending directly away from the section to the proximal end of the implant. The implant could have the femoral head integral with the section, or as a separate component secured thereto, with the stem being a separate one piece component incorporating the section.

Abstract: An alignment device comprises a guide having a tangible guide component, said guide being configured for arranging the guide component at an angle with respect to a reference element; and a positioning means; the positioning means and the guide component being operable to cooperate to position an item at the angle set by the guide component. The alignment device is particularly useful in surgical procedures for the alignment of surgical tools and implants.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for extracting energy from a fluid flow. The device has an air compression chamber and an array of valves, operable to open and close to regulate flow of the fluid through associated valve apertures. The valves are operable to close progressively as the fluid flow is incident thereon, thereby focusing flow of the liquid towards the air compression chamber and compressing air therein. The valves also open on a return flow of liquid from the compression chamber.

Abstract: The disclosed functionality enables non-sessions users of an activity session to be provided awareness of the session. The non-sessions users are made aware of the session and can then choose to join (or not join) the session in an ad hoc manner based on the exposed session information. This functionality encourages serendipitous group interactions (or participations) that might not otherwise occur, does not require that all relevant and/or interested people be identified, and removes the overhead of explicitly inviting everyone who might be interested in the activity and managing responses received from each of the users. Rather than requiring an explicit invitation to join as in conventional applications systems, users can implicitly invite friends to join an activity.

Abstract: An impact resistant bumper device that is elongated along a longitudinal axis and mountable on a mounting member, the device having a cross-section having an open undersurface configuration comprising: a first layer of a first polymer material having a first hardness or durometer; a second layer of a second polymer material having a second hardness or durometer; wherein the first layer is formed into an inner core body having an outer surface and an open undersurface; wherein the second layer is formed into a layer bonded to the outer surface of the first layer; a third layer of a third polymer material formed into an elongated strip bonded to the undersurface of the first layer; and wherein the hardness or durometer of the first polymer is selected to be readily manually bendable and compressible.

Abstract: A method and system that detects if a carbonator has cycled in a beverage system and deactivates a circulator pump that circulates carbonated water in the beverage system based on if the carbonator has cycled.

Abstract: A device (10) for arranging a plurality of individuals into a desired order. The device includes a floor plan (14) having a plurality of separately identifiable markings (16) thereon indicating an intended location for each individual on the floor plan (14).

Abstract: The invention provides a device for extracting energy from a fluid flow. The device has an air compression chamber and an array of valves, operable to open and close to regulate flow of the fluid through associated valve apertures. The valves are operable to close progressively as the fluid flow is incident thereon, thereby focusing flow of the liquid towards the air compression chamber and compressing air therein. The valves also open on a return flow of liquid from the compression chamber.

Abstract: An inner chamber in a housing surrounding a first end of a drive shaft upon which the turbine blades are mounted, a gear ring within the inner chamber fixedly attached to the first end of the drive shaft, the gear ring having a plurality of spaced, ferrite extensions, two magnetic pickup sensors mounted within the inner chamber of the housing in near proximity to the spaced extensions providing indicia of rotating speed as the gear ring revolves with the drive shaft while the magnetic pickup devices remain stationary within the housing, and providing further that during operation, the electronic probe housing automatically sends electric signals to an electronic governor which causes the RPM of the steam turbine to increase, decrease or remain constant.

Abstract: In a transmitter, a standard stream of encoded multi-media data and uniform error correction data is transmitted through a first channel. The uniform error correction data provides substantially the same error correction for all portions of the encoded multimedia data. Simultaneously, additional unequal error correction data is generated for critical portions of the standard stream and not for other portions of the standard stream, and the additional error correct data is transmitted through a second channel. In a receiver, the additional error correct data is used to error correct just the critical portions of the standard stream, and then the uniform error correction data is used to error correct all the portions of the encoded multimedia data of the standard stream.

Abstract: A component, e.g. a prosthetic ball and socket joint like an acetabular cup of a prosthetic joint, having a male or female location feature in a surface thereof for mutual interfit with a fixing member of a fixing assembly for securing the fixing member to the surface of the component and optionally for securing the component to a second component by means of a fixing screw.

Abstract: A component, e.g. a prosthetic ball and socket joint like an acetabular cup (11) of a prosthetic joint, having a male or female location feature (15) in a surface thereof for mutual interfit with a fixing member (12) of a fixing assembly for securing the fixing member to the surface of the component and optionally for securing the component to a second component by means of a fixing screw (13).

Abstract: This invention addresses the need for dealing with complex planning calculations based on data warehouse or Planning Data Repository (PDR) data where some aggregated data or forecast data might be changed without directly manipulating the underlying data, and where there may be several relationships linking the data. The system is able to deal with complex relationships along more than one axis or dimension. A number of iterations are typically used involving both back-solving and ‘forward-solving’. The subset of cells that needs to be recalculated is identified before steps of back-solving and/or forward-solving using parent/child tables. The scanning of these tables looking for potential dependencies is much simpler and faster than to looking at the actual formulae or functions relating the cells.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for control of DC-DC converters, especially in valley current mode. The DC-DC converter is operable so that a low side supply switch may be turned off, before the high side supply switch is turned on. During the period when both switches are off the current loop control remains active and the change in inductor (L) current is emulated. One embodiment uses a current sensor for lossless current sensing and emulates the change in inductor current by holding the value of the output of the current sensor (ISNS) at the time that the low side switch turns off and adding an emulated ramp signal (VISLP) until the inductor current reaches zero. Embodiment employing a pulse-skip mode of operation based on a minimum conduction time are also disclosed. The invention enables a seamless transition from Continuous Conduction Mode the Discontinuous Conduction Mode and Pulse Skipping and provide converters that are efficient at low current loads.

Abstract: A total knee prosthesis comprises a femoral component and a patellar component. The femoral component has a patellar flange into which is built a twist or roller coaster configuration. The patellar component has an off-set dome with respective lateral and medial facets. The configuration of the patellar flange resists forces from a medial to a lateral direction, whilst the lateral and medial facets of the patellar component are respectively shaped to allow area contact and line contact respectively with the femoral component. Also disclosed is a device for intra-operative checking of patellar tracking to allow correct insertion of the femoral and patellar components.

Abstract: A femoral implant for fitting to a resected femur comprises a section having a frustoconical external form, a stem part extending away from the section to a distal end of the implant, and a femoral head extending directly away from the section to the proximal end of the implant. The implant could have the femoral head integral with the section, or as a separate component secured thereto, with the stem being a separate one piece component incorporating the section.

Abstract: A femoral implant for fitting to a resected femur comprises a section having a frustoconical external form, a stem part extending away from the section to a distal end of the implant, and a femoral head extending directly away from the section to the proximal end of the implant. The implant could have the femoral head integral with the section, or as a separate component secured thereto, with the stem being a separate one piece component incorporating the section.

Abstract: An implant stem (1, 2) for implantation in a femur, comprising: a base portion (3) disposed at the proximal end (4) of the stem and a stem portion (5) extending to the distal end (6) of the stem, wherein the base portion (3) has an engagement means (7) for engaging, in use, with the resected end of the femur. An implant comprising such a stem (1, 2) and a head. A method for implanting such implants in a femur.