Abstract: Bone anchor assemblies are disclosed herein that can provide for improved fixation as compared with traditional bone anchor assemblies. An exemplary assembly can include a bracket or wing that extends down from the receiver member and accommodates one or more auxiliary bone anchors that augment the fixation of the assembly's primary bone anchor. Another exemplary assembly can include a plate that is seated between the receiver member and the rod and accommodates one or more auxiliary bone anchors that augment the fixation of the assembly's primary bone anchor. Another exemplary assembly can include a hook that extends out from the receiver member to hook onto an anatomical structure or another implant to augment the fixation of the assembly's primary bone anchor. Surgical methods using the bone anchor assemblies described herein are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for determining a sideslip vector for a vehicle that may have a direction that is different from that of a heading vector for the vehicle. The sideslip vector in a current vehicle state and sideslip vectors in predicted vehicles states may be used to determine paths for a vehicle through an environment and trajectories for controlling the vehicle through the environment. The sideslip vector may be based on a vehicle position that is the center point of the wheelbase of the vehicle and may include lateral velocity, facilitating the control of four-wheel steered vehicle while maintaining the ability to control two-wheel steered vehicles.

Abstract: Injection monitoring circuitry is provided for coupling to part of an injection device having a syringe and a plunger rod. The injection monitoring circuitry has an input to receive force measurement data from a force sensor, the force measurement data includes a plurality of timestamped force measurements of force applied by a user to the injection device when an injection is administered to an injection site. Processing circuitry is provided to determine from the force measurement data when an end of injection has been reached, the end of injection corresponding to the plunger rod having reached an end position in a distal portion of the barrel of the syringe during administration of the injection by the user. Machine readable instructions and an injection monitoring method are also provided.

Abstract: A fondant feeding method and device for beekeeping. The method and apparatus comprising a raised platform having at least one through hole. The raised platform is placed atop the uppermost box in a standard hive body and fondant is placed above the through hole. Optional mesh within the through hole prevents the fondant from sagging. The platform and fondant are surrounded by an enclosing structure and topped with an inner and outer cover such that the device and food are housed within the hive body and protected from the elements. Bees may cluster freely beneath the chamber created by the raised platform to feed and generate heat. The platform shields the cluster from dripping condensation while simultaneously promoting a fondant consistency that is ideal for feeding.

Abstract: An airbed system, connectable to an air mattress chamber of an air mattress, includes: a pressure sensor, configured to obtain pressure measurements corresponding to the air mattress chamber; and a control unit, configured to operate a pump and valves of the airbed system to inflate and deflate the air mattress chamber, and to determine first and second constants corresponding to inflation of the air mattress chamber and third and fourth constants corresponding to deflation of the air mattress chamber.

Abstract: A portable vaporizer includes a housing having two portion configured to mate together to secure a vaporizer cartridge within the housing. The portable vaporizer includes a vapor port through which a user can inhale to receive a vapor from the cartridge. A one way valve associated with the vapor port prevents the escape of vapor when a user is not actively inhaling vapor. An air inlet control can be selectively disposed over air inlets to restrict air flow into the vaporizer and limit odors from escaping the portable vaporizer when not in use.

Abstract: A method for current sensor fault detection in a battery system comprises receiving a sequence of battery voltage samples from a voltage sensor configured to measure a battery voltage of a battery and a sequence of battery current samples from a current sensor configured to measure a battery current of the battery; determining a change in the battery voltage samples over a predetermined number of samples and a change in the battery current samples over the predetermined number of samples; checking whether a ratio of the change in the battery voltage samples and the change in the battery current samples is within an expected range for one of (i) a resistance of the battery and (ii) a conductance of the battery; and detecting a fault in the current sensor based on whether the ratio is within the expected range.

Abstract: A motor unit system with a navigational light is described. The motor unit system includes a housing with a circular cross-section and mounting holes on one end of the housing, and a brushless direct current motor comprising a shaft and a winding. The shaft may extend from inside the housing to outside of the housing through a hole at the one end of the housing or at another opposite end of the housing. The winding may be contained within the housing, and a light source may also be contained within the housing. An opening in the housing is adapted to allow light from the light source to exit the housing.

Abstract: A motor unit system is described. The motor unit system may include a housing with a circular cross-section and a brushless direct current motor with a shaft and a winding, the shaft extending from inside the housing to outside of the housing. A motor controller may also be contained within the housing, along with a first connector and a second connector. The first connector may include a first pair of contacts electrically coupled to the motor controller at a power supply input. The second connector may be adapted to operate independently from the first connector, and may include a second pair of contacts electrically coupled to the motor controller at a control input.

Abstract: A motor unit system is described. The motor unit system may include a housing with a brushless direct current motor and a motor controller contained within the same housing, where the motor controller comprises a printed circuit board, and an integrated circuit mounted on a component side of the printed circuit board, and a base plate at one end of the housing. The integrated circuit may be interposed between the base plate and the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A motor unit system is described that includes a housing, a brushless direct current motor comprising a shaft and a winding, the shaft extending from inside the housing to outside of the housing through a hole at the one end of the housing or another end of the housing, the other end of the housing being opposite the one end of the housing, the winding being contained within the housing, a motor controller contained within the housing, and a motor sensor contained within the housing. The motor sensor may include a current sensor, a temperature sensor, or both.

Abstract: Injection monitoring circuitry is provided for coupling to part of an injection device having a syringe and a plunger rod. The injection monitoring circuitry has an input to receive force measurement data from a force sensor, the force measurement data includes a plurality of timestamped force measurements of force applied by a user to the injection device when an injection is administered to an injection site. Processing circuitry is provided to determine from the force measurement data when an end of injection has been reached, the end of injection corresponding to the plunger rod having reached an end position in a distal portion of the barrel of the syringe during administration of the injection by the user. Machine readable instructions and an injection monitoring method are also provided.

Abstract: A portable vaporizer includes a housing that has a spring-loaded cartridge chamber configured to accept a removable vaporizer cartridge. The portable vaporizer includes a lid configured to secure the cartridge in the cartridge chamber. The lid includes a seal and a vapor port through which a user can receive a vapor from the cartridge. The seal includes a vapor aperture configured to align with a mouth of the cartridge when the lid is closed and forms a closed fluidic path from the vapor port to the cartridge through the vapor aperture in the seal. The portable vaporizer includes a sensor configured to detect when a user inhales through the vapor port. The portable vaporizer controls an electrical current that is delivered to the cartridge to vaporize contents of the cartridge when the sensor detects that the user is inhaling through the vapor port.

Abstract: A battery system and paired sample correlation method for current sensor fault detection in the battery system is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a sequence of battery voltage samples from a voltage sensor configured to measure a battery voltage of a battery and a sequence of battery current samples from a current sensor configured to measure a battery current of the battery; determining a change in the battery voltage samples over a predetermined number of samples and a change in the battery current samples over the predetermined number of samples; checking whether a ratio of the change in the battery voltage samples and the change in the battery current samples is within an expected range for one of (i) a resistance of the battery and (ii) a conductance of the battery; and detecting a fault in the current sensor based on whether the ratio is within the expected range.

Abstract: An airbed system, connectable to an air mattress chamber of an air mattress, includes: a pressure sensor, configured to obtain pressure measurements corresponding to the air mattress chamber; and a control unit, configured to operate a pump and valves of the airbed system to inflate and deflate the air mattress chamber, and to determine first and second constants corresponding to inflation of the air mattress chamber and third and fourth constants corresponding to deflation of the air mattress chamber.

Abstract: An airbed system, connectable to an air mattress chamber of an air mattress, includes: a pressure sensor, configured to obtain pressure measurements corresponding to the air mattress chamber; and a control unit, configured to operate a pump and valves of the airbed system to inflate and deflate the air mattress chamber, and to determine first and second constants corresponding to inflation of the air mattress chamber and third and fourth constants corresponding to deflation of the air mattress chamber.

Abstract: A golf tee dispenser is configured to provide a single tee for retrieval when the golf tee dispenser is agitated. A golf tee dispenser has a deflector to deflect a plurality of tees away from a tee-opening to increase the effectiveness of the tees being extended through the tee opening upon agitation. A golf tee dispenser also has a resilient retainer that is configured to retain a tee by a tee-head until the tee is pulled from the tee dispenser. A resilient retainer is configured to deform or deflect to allow the tee head to pass through the resilient retainer and then return substantially to a pre deformed state. A golf tee dispenser is configured to hold a plurality of tees in a container and a cap is configured to attach to a container opening.

Abstract: An airbed system includes: an air mattress comprising one or more air chambers; an adjustable base comprising one or more articulation points; and a pump connected to the one or more air chambers of the air mattress; and a control system, wherein the control system is configured to: control the adjustable base to perform an articulation operation; and while the articulation operation is ongoing, control the pump to inflate or deflate the one or more air chambers of the air mattress based on the articulation operation being performed.

Abstract: Efficient systems and methods for inflating, deflating, or simultaneously inflating and deflating air mattress chambers using various pump and pump housing configurations are provided. Examples of the various pump and pump housing configurations include: boundary-layer pumps having single disk array or multiple disk array layouts, different disk geometries, different pressure recovery chamber geometries, adjustable components for switching between filling and powered dumping operations, and reversible and non-reversible motors; and pump housings having one or more dump channels for manifold-driven powered dumping, multiple sides or stages for pressure and/or flow compounding, various manifold chamber configurations for robust connectivity with air mattresses having multiple chambers, and various valve configurations for flexible control over filling, powered dumping, and simultaneous filling and powered dumping operations.

Abstract: An airbed system is provided. The airbed system includes: an air mattress having at least one air mattress chamber; a boundary-layer pump connected to the at least one air mattress, configured to fill the at least one air mattress with gas; and a control unit, configured to receive user input corresponding to increasing or decreasing the pressure in the at least one air mattress chamber and to control the boundary-layer pump based on the received user input. The boundary-layer pump includes: a pressure recovery chamber housing including a pressure recovery chamber, a pump inlet, and a pump outlet; a plurality of disks within the pressure recovery chamber; and a motor attached to the plurality of disks, configured to rotate the plurality of disks so as to expel gas passing through the pump inlet radially outwards along the disks and out through the pump outlet.