Abstract: An improved surgical cassette for controlling intraocular pressure during ophthalmic surgery.

Abstract: A surgical cassette having an aspiration chamber or infusion chamber with a sensing portion and a storage portion. The sensing portion has a small transverse cross sectional area and facilitates accurate fluid level measurements. The storage portion has a larger transverse cross sectional area to facilitate fluid storage.

Abstract: An orthosis (10) for the lower leg of a wearer has a unitary body with a generally spiral shaped lower leg portion (14) and a foot plate portion (12). The orthosis is configured to allow simultaneous control of the knee and ankle-foot complex during locomotion.

Abstract: An ophthalmic injector system having an injection chamber, a dispensing lumen, an actuation chamber, a fluid reservoir, a source of repeating pulses of pressurized gas, and a computer.

Abstract: A microsurgical system capable of controlling aspiration and detecting an occlusion via monitoring a change in either suction flow rate or suction impedance.

Abstract: An improved method of controlling reflux in a microsurgical system involving monitoring reflux pressure over time to detect occlusion break.

Abstract: A microsurgical system capable of controlling aspiration via a vacuum control mode, a suction control mode, or a flow control mode.

Abstract: Training and translation using trees and/or subtrees as parts of the rules. A target language is word aligned with a source language, and at least one of the languages is parsed into trees. The trees are used for training, by aligning conversion steps, forming a manual set of information representing the conversion steps and then learning rules from that reduced set. The rules include subtrees as parts thereof, and are used for decoding, along with an n-gram language model and a syntax based language mode.

Abstract: An improved footswitch is disclosed. The footswitch may have an adjustable length treadle to accommodate different size feet. The footswitch may also have a treadle having a slidable plate that facilitates the actuation of a side switch.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for multi-mode spectral imaging. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises the steps of illuminating an object with a modified illumination profile, producing a reflected, transmitted or fluorescence image of the illuminated object, scanning the object, and re-imaging the reflected, transmitted or fluorescence light after modifying the light's optical state. The present invention preferably works in conjunction with other imaging systems to provide both high-spectral resolution images with lower temporal resolution and multiple image acquisition with high temporal resolution.

Abstract: A square skylight panel is vacuum-formed of light transmitting sheet plastic and has a lower peripheral flange which projects under roof shingles. The skylight panel covers a one-piece upper coupler member which is vacuum-formed of light transmitting sheet plastic and has an upper flange projecting under the skylight panel flange. A flexible and collapsible cylindrical tube has an upper end portion surrounding a lower wall portion of the upper coupler member and a lower end portion surrounding an upper wall portion of a similarly formed lower coupler member having a bottom flange received within a square frame attached to a ceiling and supporting a light diffusing ceiling panel. The skylight panel, upper and lower coupler members and ceiling panel define three dead air chambers providing for high thermal insulation, and the upper coupler member provides natural light into the attic between the roof and ceiling.

Abstract: An apparatus and automated method of selecting a number of products from a plurality of products comprising the steps of: providing an information source having a respective product information for each of said plurality of products, each product information comprising a plurality of attribute values each relating to a respective attribute of the product: processing each product information so as to calculate a reduction benefit value for each attribute included in the information source wherein the reduction benefit value is a measure of the reduction in the number of products available for selection which will, on average, result if a selection is made between the attribute values in the information source for that attribute: automatically selecting the attribute with the reduction benefit value which provides the largest reduction: grouping the products according to their respective attribute value for the said automatically selected attribute so as to form a plurality of product groups: presenting the pro

Abstract: A shape metal alloy tendon and method for forming shape metal alloy tendons is presented. The shape metal alloy tendon has a shape metal alloy wire with an axis and a first and second end. A first metal sleeve is swagedly affixed to the first end. A second metal sleeve is swagedly affixed to second end.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a vending machine includes a number of failure control devices that monitor and control the functioning of the various components in the vending machine to ensure uniform quality of food products to be sold to a customer. One specific embodiment includes plurality of oven failure control devices, a freezer failure control device and a power failure control device. When a microcontroller in the vending machine determines the occurrence of a failure, the microcontroller displays a failure message on a customer display and discontinues vending food until the failure is corrected, for example, by an operator. In another aspect of this invention, the vending machine includes a mechanism for operating a door of a refrigeration compartment of the vending machine. The mechanism includes a motor driven rotary link coupled to a roller that moves in a slot of the door.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a vending machine includes a number of failure control devices that monitor and control the functioning of the various components in the vending machine to ensure uniform quality of food products to be sold to a customer. One specific embodiment includes plurality of oven failure control devices, a freezer failure control device and a power failure control device. When a microcontroller in the vending machine determines the occurrence of a failure, the microcontroller displays a failure message on a customer display and discontinues vending food until the failure is corrected, for example, by an operator. In another aspect of this invention, the vending machine includes a mechanism for operating a door of a refrigeration compartment of the vending machine. The mechanism includes a motor driven rotary link coupled to a roller that moves in a slot of the door.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a refrigeration compartment, an oven compartment, structure for transferring a food product from the refrigeration compartment to the oven compartment, and structure for transferring the food product from the oven compartment to a user of the vending machine. The vending machine provides automated handling and cooking of packaged food products that enables a hot cooked food to be delivered to a customer in a cool package sleeve. The vending machine also includes a system for inventory control that enables vertical storage of packaged food products while minimizing crushing of packaged food products at the bottom of a stack. A magazine empty indicator automatically indicates when an inventory magazine is empty. An oven door latch mechanism eliminates the possibility that the oven can be operated while the oven door is open.

Abstract: A control system for optimizing print quality in an electrophotographic printer uses a fuzzy-logic technique with only solid-area and half-tone density as control inputs, and only scorotron voltage and ROS laser power as outputs. The measured errors in solid-area and half-tone density are assigned to respective fuzzy-logic error subsets. Joint memberships of the solid-area and half-tone density error subsets are then used to derive error subsets are then used to derive correction values for laser power and scorotron voltage.

Abstract: Clamps for attaching elongated objects, such as chairs, ski poles, fishing rods, and the like, to the vertical supports of a vehicle ladder. The inventive device includes a mounting assembly which receives the vertical support, with an elongated lower clamp arm extending orthogonally from the mounting assembly. An elongated upper clamp arm is pivotally coupled to the mounting assembly for latching engagement to the lower arm. The arms include elongated channels which facilitate a reception of the chair legs or other elongated objects therebetween.

Abstract: A food vending machine contains a motor-driven inventory carousel which rotates to position food items at a desired index position. A control unit, for example a computer, reduces the power delivered to the inventory carousel as the desired index position is approached. The mechanical drive for the inventory carousel includes a modified geneva mechanism, which also serves to reduce the acceleration forces on the inventory carousel as it rotates from position to position.

Abstract: An air dispensing apparatus for providing an oscillating mass of hot air to facilitate crisping and browning of a trayed foodstuff includes an oscillating shoe extending from an air introduction chamber having a blower and a volute duct exit and an insulating shaft rotatively connecting an inner end of the shoe to the volute duct exit. The shaft includes a square cross-section portion which transfers torque from a crank-driven oscillator link directly to a matching square cross-section bore or aperture in a side wall of the shoe inner end. A hitch pin at the opposite shaft end prevents axial shaft movement. The insulating shaft eliminates arcing between the volute and the shoe. The invention also includes an improved separator screen for grounding a perforated plate to the air introduction chamber and an overall housing to prevent arcing therebetween.