Abstract: Described herein are improved thermoplastic composites, which demonstrate excellent physical properties, such as yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, toughness, elongation, and, optionally, superior tunable biodegradability when compared to known thermoplastics. The composite comprises minimally a thermoplastic polymer, at least one phenolic compound, and, optionally, a filler.

Abstract: Methods and systems for administering directed fluidics during a medical procedure for removing an object are disclosed. A method includes inserting first and second medical instruments into a treatment site, providing irrigation and aspiration of the treatment site through the first and second medical instruments, determining a characteristic of one of the irrigation and the aspiration, and selecting a characteristic of the other of the irrigation and aspiration based on the determined characteristic.

Abstract: A composite bicycle saddle includes a saddle body that is a sandwich structure composed of an upper outer layer, a lower outer layer and an intermediate layer with the upper outer layer and the lower outer layer to be of the same material and the intermediate layer of another material, a track arranged below the saddle body, and a front binding element and two rear binding elements being having an outer end portion provided with a cylindrical joint portion. The cylindrical joint portions of the front and rear binding elements are inserted into respective mounting through holes of the track and respective through holes of the saddle body and fused and integrated with the upper outer layer and lower outer layer or the intermediate layer of the saddle body.

Abstract: A composite bicycle saddle includes a saddle body that is a sandwich structure composed of an upper outer layer, a lower outer layer and an intermediate layer with the upper outer layer and the lower outer layer to be of the same material and the intermediate layer of another material, a track arranged below the saddle body, and a front binding element and two rear binding elements being having an outer end portion provided with a cylindrical joint portion. The cylindrical joint portions of the front and rear binding elements are inserted into respective mounting through holes of the track and respective through holes of the saddle body and fused and integrated with the upper outer layer and lower outer layer or the intermediate layer of the saddle body.

Abstract: A bicycle disc wheel includes two discs respectively formed of two composite material layers with a foam material bonded between the two composite material layers, a wheel frame arranged between the two discs in a concentric manner; and a spoke frame composed of a plurality of I-shaped ribs and sandwiched between the two discs. Each I-shaped rib is composed of a foam material and a composite material cladded on the foam material. Each I-shaped rib has a relatively wider opposite upper and lower sides and a relatively narrower middle section when it is viewed from the cross section, and the relatively wider opposite upper and lower sides of each I-shaped rib are respectively attached to the respective inner side of the two discs.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for mapping and/or navigation of an interior region of a body with a robotically-enabled medical instrument. The instrument may include a position sensor that provides positional information as the instrument navigates within the interior region. Visual indicia derived from the positional information may be superimposed on a reference image of the interior region. The visual indicia may characterize historical positions of the instrument. The instrument may include an imaging device. Images of the interior region captured with the imaging device can be linked to the position within the interior region where the images were captured.

Abstract: A composite ball bat includes a bat body made of a multilayer fiber composite material and including a hollow barrel, a handle and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, and a core material mounted in the hollow barrel of the bat body. The core material includes a rod member longitudinally set in parallel to the axial direction of the bat body, a plurality of rings attached onto the rod member and arranged along the axial direction of the rod member at equal intervals, and a plurality of elastic bands wrapped around the outer periphery of the rings within the inner peripheral surface of the hollow barrel in a one-to-one manner. In this way, the composite bat of the invention can use the core material to increase the structural strength, improve the hitting effect.

Abstract: A composite ball bat includes a bat body made of a multilayer fiber composite material and including a hollow barrel, a handle and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle and having an outer diameter reducing gradually from the barrel toward the handle, and a tube member coaxially mounted in the hollow barrel of the bat body and having a hardness higher than that of the hollow barrel of the bat body. In this way, the composite ball bat of the present invention can use the tube member to improve the hitting effect while reducing the weight.

Abstract: A composite ball bat includes a bat body made of a multilayer fiber composite material and including a hollow barrel, a handle and a tapered section joining the hollow barrel to the handle and having an outer diameter reducing gradually from the hollow barrel toward the handle, and a plurality of rings arranged in the hollow barrel of the bat body and spaced along the axis of the bat body with the outer circumferences thereof fixed on the inner circumference of the hollow barrel of the bat body. In this way, the composite ball bat of the invention can use these rings to improve the hitting effect while reducing weight.

Abstract: Methods and systems for administering directed fluidics during a medical procedure for removing an object are disclosed. A method includes inserting first and second medical instruments into a treatment site, providing irrigation and aspiration of the treatment site through the first and second medical instruments, determining a characteristic of one of the irrigation and the aspiration, and selecting a characteristic of the other of the irrigation and aspiration based on the determined characteristic.

Abstract: A bicycle disc wheel includes two discs respectively formed of two composite material layers with a foam material bonded between the two composite material layers, a wheel frame arranged between the two discs in a concentric manner; and a spoke frame composed of a plurality of I-shaped ribs and sandwiched between the two discs. Each I-shaped rib is composed of a foam material and a composite material cladded on the foam material. Each I-shaped rib has a relatively wider opposite upper and lower sides and a relatively narrower middle section when it is viewed from the cross section, and the relatively wider opposite upper and lower sides of each I-shaped rib are respectively attached to the respective inner side of the two discs.

Abstract: A robotic surgical system with an input device has two operational modes by which both steerable and non-steerable elongate instruments can be effectively controlled, such as steerable catheters which can move in at least three orthogonal axes and non-steerable guidewires which can move via axial insertion/retraction or axial rotation. The robotic surgical system may include mapping schemes and haptic feedback to enhance the functionality, operation and ease of use of the input device when controlling non-steerable elongate instruments such as guidewires.

Abstract: A robotic surgical system with an input device has two operational modes by which both steerable and non-steerable elongate instruments can be effectively controlled, such as steerable catheters which can move in at least three orthogonal axes and non-steerable guidewires which can move via axial insertion/retraction or axial rotation. The robotic surgical system may include mapping schemes and haptic feedback to enhance the functionality, operation and ease of use of the input device when controlling non-steerable elongate instruments such as guidewires.

Abstract: Methods and systems for administering directed fluidics during a medical procedure for removing an object are disclosed. A method includes inserting first and second medical instruments into a treatment site, providing irrigation and aspiration of the treatment site through the first and second medical instruments, determining a characteristic of one of the irrigation and the aspiration, and selecting a characteristic of the other of the irrigation and aspiration based on the determined characteristic.

Abstract: A bat of the invention includes a handle portion, a connecting portion, and a hitting portion. The handle portion and the connecting portion are both made of fiber composite material. The connecting portion has a small radius end connected with the handle portion, and a large radius end having a first slope section. The hitting portion has a fiber composite material layer and a metal layer. The fiber composite material layer has an end wall, and a peripheral wall connected with the end wall and having a second slope section. Two ends of the metal layer respectively have third and fourth slope sections which are respectively connected with the first slope section of the connecting portion and the second slope section of the fiber composite material layer. As a result, the bat of the invention is reduced in weight and effectively improved in batting effect.

Abstract: The invention discloses a shock-absorption goalkeeper ice-hockey stick and a shock test method thereof. The shock-absorption goalkeeper ice-hockey stick comprises a stick handle and a baffle plate. A first wood block is tightly inserted into one end of the stick handle. A second wood block is tightly inserted into the other end of the stick handle. An outer surface of the first wood block and second wood block are coated with first silicone. An end, away from the stick handle, of the first wood block is fixedly inserted into the baffle plate. So the sense of shock of the stick handle is greatly reduced, and thus, an impact to the wrists and elbows of players is greatly reduced in the goalkeeping and puck blocking process, and the shock-absorption goalkeeper ice-hockey stick can be used more safely and comfortably.

Abstract: A carbon fiber casing of a goalkeeper PU foam hockey stick and a production process thereof are disclosed. The carbon fiber casing of the goalkeeper PU foam hockey stick comprises a reinforcing carbon fiber casing, a wood or fiber stick and PU foam. A reinforcing part is arranged on the PU foam. The reinforcing carbon fiber casing is forcibly disposed around the corresponding reinforcing part of the PU foam. The PU foam is laminated onto the wood or fiber stick together with the reinforcing carbon fiber casing. The reinforcing carbon fiber casing is formed by heating fibers and epoxy resin in a mold, so that the strength of the whole goalkeeper PU foam hockey stick is improved.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for mapping and/or navigation of an interior region of a body with a robotically-enabled medical instrument. The instrument may include a position sensor that provides positional information as the instrument navigates within the interior region. Visual indicia derived from the positional information may be superimposed on a reference image of the interior region. The visual indicia may characterize historical positions of the instrument. The instrument may include an imaging device. Images of the interior region captured with the imaging device can be linked to the position within the interior region where the images were captured.

Abstract: Methods and systems for administering directed fluidics during a medical procedure for removing an object are disclosed. A method includes inserting first and second medical instruments into a treatment site, providing irrigation and aspiration of the treatment site through the first and second medical instruments, determining a characteristic of one of the irrigation and the aspiration, and selecting a characteristic of the other of the irrigation and aspiration based on the determined characteristic.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for tracking an elongate instrument or other medical instrument in an image.