Abstract: An automatic tissue sampling apparatus for use with a biopsy needle set includes a housing defining a cavity and a forward end opening for passage of an inner needle and outer cannula. Two carriers are slidably disposed within the cavity and are configured to support one of the inner needle and the outer cannula. Springs operably engage each carrier and have a cocked position to store potential energy and a firing position to releases the potential energy and drive the corresponding carrier toward the forward end of the housing. A single-handed cocking mechanism, operable to sequentially move the each driving mechanism to its respective cocked position, includes a manually operated cocking lever positioned outside the housing. A force transmission mechanism operably coupled between the cocking lever and the carriers is configured so that the force required to manually depress the cocking lever does not increase as the springs are compressed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for attaching or maintaining the position of a therapeutic or diagnostic device in a body lumen, such as the GI tract without necessarily requiring any penetrating attachments through any body walls. The system can include at least two elements: a proximal orientation element and a distal support element. The proximal orientation element can be configured to reside at least partially within the esophageal lumen and the distal support element can be configured to reside in the stomach, such as along the greater curve of the stomach. An intragastric support system can have a first configuration in which the long axis of the proximal orientation element is substantially parallel and/or substantially coaxial with the long axis of the distal support element, and a second configuration in which the long axis of the proximal orientation element is not substantially coaxial with the long axis of the distal support element.

Abstract: A method of generating an audio content index for use by a search engine includes determining a phoneme sequence based on recognized speech from an audio content time segment. The method also includes identifying k-phonemes which occur within the phoneme sequence. The identified k-phonemes are stored within a data structure such that the identified k-phonemes are capable of being compared with k-phonemes from a search query.

Abstract: A method of generating a set of search results. An audio content search results set including an individual audio content search result corresponding to a rich media time segment is generated. A visual content search results set including an individual visual content search result corresponding to the rich media time segment is also generated. A relevance of the rich media time segment is determined based at least in part on an individual search result count. The individual search result count is a sum of a number of individual audio content search results corresponding to the rich media time segment and a number of individual visual content search results corresponding to the rich media time segment. The rich media time segment is included in an ordered set of search results, wherein an order of the rich media time segment is based at least in part on the determined relevance.

Abstract: A method of recognizing speech includes extracting textual content from a visual content time segment associated with a rich media presentation. A textual content input comprising a word from the extracted textual content is created. The textual content input is provided to an automatic speech recognition algorithm such that there is an increased probability that the automatic speech recognition algorithm recognizes the word within an audio content time segment associated with the rich media presentation.

Abstract: A fenestration assembly which includes; an exterior panel section configured to receive and locate an exterior panel, an interior panel section configured to receive an interior panel, wherein the interior panel section includes at least one linkage system configured to connect to an interior panel to be received by the interior panel section, this linkage system being configured to cover at least a portion of a track formed within said interior panel section. The fenestration assembly may in other instances include an interior panel section where a portion of this interior panel section is associated with a cladding material and where a portion of the interior surface of an exterior panel received by the exterior panel section is covered by cladding material associated with the interior panel section.

Abstract: An end user or IT owner via the use of an application specifies which TPM is to be loaded or which TPM operation is to be invoked given the authenticated presentation of a biometric such as a fingerprint or a token such as a smart card. A secure table stored in the microcontroller made up of TPM hashes and their corresponding endorsement keys is indexed to these authentication records. The microcontroller compares a received biometric or smart card value to the stored values to determine which TPM emulator to load. This architecture uniquely stores individually secured algorithms, and applications that can be bound to the user and the system on which they are running.

Abstract: Systems for cleaning sludge from a large tank. The sludge from the interior of storage tanks is mobilized using a metered flow agent stream and then subjected to a mechanical comminution or high shear action, e.g. by grinding or chopping. This produces a pumpable slurry which is then recirculated back into the tank to further mobilize sludge.

Abstract: Methods and systems for operating a facility which stores large quantities of petroleum. When the large storage tanks need cleaning or sludge abatement, the sludge from the interior of storage tanks is mobilized using a metered flow agent stream, and then subjected to a mechanical comminution or high shear action, e.g. by grinding or chopping. This produces a pumpable slurry which is then recirculated back into the tank to further mobilize sludge. This cleaning technique results in a faster cleaning process. This also provides a process which is less exposed to uncertainties in the composition of the sludge, e.g. to how much rust or scale is present in the sludge. Since the duration of downtime for cleaning is shorter AND less uncertain, tank cleaning can be scheduled into smaller schedule gaps, resulting in less capital cost (for downtime) and lower maintenance budget overall (since developing leakage problems can be caught sooner).

Abstract: Systems and methods for cleaning sludge from a large tank. The sludge from the interior of storage tanks is mobilized using a metered flow agent stream and then subjected to a mechanical comminution or high shear action, e.g. by grinding or chopping. This produces a pumpable slurry which is then recirculated back into the tank to further mobilize sludge.

Abstract: An automatic tissue sampling apparatus for use with a biopsy needle set includes a housing defining a cavity and a forward end opening for passage of an inner needle and outer cannula. Two carriers are slidably disposed within the cavity and are configured to support one of the inner needle and the outer cannula. Springs operably engage each carrier and have a cocked position to store potential energy and a firing position to releases the potential energy and drive the corresponding carrier toward the forward end of the housing. A single-handed cocking mechanism, operable to sequentially move the each driving mechanism to its respective cocked position, includes a manually operated cocking lever positioned outside the housing. A force transmission mechanism operably coupled between the cocking lever and the carriers is configured so that the force required to manually depress the cocking lever does not increase as the springs are compressed.

Abstract: Driving task dispatching by an operating system in a multiprocessor computer system is accomplished with a virtual switching queue which accepts highest priority tasks from multiple switching queues which in turn are accessed by instruction processors seeking tasks. Overload, plucking and stealing of tasks may be used to effectively balance load within the computer system. Dynamic reconfiguration used where regular queues lose underlying instruction processors.

Abstract: Regardless of the switching queue organization, enhanced multiprocessor factor performance for software application group is accomplished via allocation of cache neighborhoods to software application groups that share memory space as identified by a user. Certain user requirements may be refused as unavailable to protect overall performance. Exclusivity and priority requirements of a user can also be honored by the operating system. Load balancing and dynamic reconfiguration features respect software application group dedications to the extent feasible.

Abstract: A roller comprising a substantially cylindrical body (2) and a handle (3) pivotably attached to the body, the body (2) comprising a chamber (8) for containing a liquid, an outlet (16) in fluid communication with the chamber (8) and pump means (11) for dispensing a liquid from the chamber (2) through the outlet. The handle (3) may be detached from the body (2) of the roller and may house a hose. The roller may be used for multiple functions including a spray, a lawn aerator and lawn edger.

Abstract: An apparatus for increasing the longevity of reed valves. Machines such as automotive air conditioning compressors operate with a centrally-located rotating shaft that requires lubricant seals. Assembly of such machines with access for installation of one or more shaft seals commonly dictates an annular cavity between the shaft outer diameter and the housing inner diameter. For reed valves radially deployed around the shaft, the result is an anchor point that, coupled with the commercial need for minimum overall machine diameter, restricts the allowable length of the valve reeds. A cylindrical insert that fits in the annular cavity provides for an anchor point close to the shaft, and a clamping device that anchors the reed to a retainer and its valve plate permits the use of longer reeds that offer enhanced life.

Abstract: A disposable tissue removal device comprises a “tube within a tube” cutting element mounted to a handpiece. The inner cannula of the cuffing element defines an inner lumen and terminates in an inwardly beveled, razor-sharp cutting edge. The inner cannula is driven by both a rotary motor and a reciprocating motor. At the end of its stroke, the inner cannula makes contact with the cutting board to completely sever the tissue. An aspiration vacuum is applied to the inner lumen to aspirate excised tissue through the inner cannula and into a collection trap that is removably mounted to the handpiece. The rotary and reciprocating motors are hydraulically powered through a foot pedal operated hydraulic circuit. The entire biopsy device is configured to be disposable. In one embodiment, the cutting element includes a cannula hub that can be connected to a fluid source, such as a valve-controlled saline bag.

Abstract: An oral care implement is provided having a handle and a head with a soft tissue cleanser and/or tooth cleaning elements. The tooth cleaning elements may be flexibly mounted in the head for movement from an initial position with respect to the head during use. The soft tissue cleanser may include a plurality of projections for cleaning the soft tissue. The soft tissue cleanser may include a face having hills and valleys upon which the projections are located. The handle may include a base with a gripping region and a projection protruding from the base in the gripping region. The handle may also have a grip surface with a plurality of spaced slot openings exposing portions of the base. The grip body may form opposite finger grips on the handle.

Abstract: An oral care implement is provided having a handle and a head with a soft tissue cleanser and/or tooth cleaning elements. The tooth cleaning elements may be attached to a flexible support on the head and be outwardly movable from the head. The cleaning elements may include a column-shaped bristle at the central portion of the flexible support, and may further include a row of first cleaning elements traversing a central region of the flexible support. The soft tissue cleanser may include a plurality of projections for cleaning the soft tissue and may have an elongate ridge projecting from the head in generally the same direction as the projections. The handle may include a base with a gripping region and a projection protruding from the base in the gripping region. The handle may also have a grip surface with a plurality of spaced slot openings exposing portions of the base.

Abstract: A disposable tissue removal device comprises a “tube within a tube” cutting element mounted to a handpiece. The inner cannula of the cutting element defines an inner lumen and terminates in an inwardly beveled, razor-sharp cutting edge. The inner cannula is driven by both a pneumatic rotary motor and a pneumatic reciprocating motor. At the end of its stroke, the inner cannula makes contact with the cutting board to completely sever the tissue. An aspiration vacuum is applied to the inner lumen to aspirate excised tissue through the inner cannula and into a collection trap removably mounted to the handpiece. The rotary and reciprocating motors are hydraulically or pneumatically powered through a foot pedal operated pneumatically circuit. In one embodiment, the cutting element includes a cannula hub that can be connected to a fluid source, such as a valve-controlled saline bag.

Abstract: An automatic tissue sampling apparatus for use with a biopsy needle set having an inner needle and an outer cannula is provided. The apparatus includes a housing defining an interior cavity and having a forward end defining an opening for passage of the inner needle and outer cannula. A pair of carriers are each slidably disposed within the interior cavity of the housing and have a portion configured to support one of the inner needle and the outer cannula. A spring is disposed within the interior cavity in operable engagement with each carrier. The springs have a cocked position in which the mechanism stores potential energy and a firing position in which the mechanism releases the potential energy to drive the corresponding carrier toward the forward end of the housing. A cocking mechanism is operable to sequentially move the first driving mechanism to its cocked position and the second driving mechanism to its cocked position.