Abstract: An intravascular implant delivery system carries an implant by retaining an engagement member engaging the implant in a position proximal of an aperture at a distal end of the delivery system. The engagement member is retained proximal to the aperture by a cord that obstructs the movement of the engagement member through the aperture. The engagement member is free to rotate and move within an area defined by the delivery system, allowing the implant to react to forces imparted to the implant by the movement of the delivery system and implant through a delivery catheter. Once the implant is in a desired implant position, the cord is moved away from an aperture and the engagement member is allowed to move away from the delivery system.

Abstract: A drill bit with a bit body having a central bore in communication with a plurality of nozzles for directing drilling fluid; a plurality of cutters defining a cutting face of the bit; and a passageway extending from the central bore toward the cutting face, such that excessive wear of the cutting face opens the passageway to allow the drilling fluid to flow therethrough, thereby reducing a surface pressure of the drilling fluid and indicating excessive wear of the bit. The passageway may extend to adjacent, or within one half inch or three inches of, the cutting face, such that excessive wear opens the passageway to the cutting face. In some cases, the passageway may actually extend through the cutting face with a plug inserted into the passageway at the cutting face to prevent the drilling fluid from exiting the passageway absent wear of the bit.

Abstract: A small tabletop stationary five-degree of freedom device such as a “robot” is used to define the treatment region by tracing the region under direct visualization and then to precisely deliver the treatment plan created by an automatic planning system by positioning a single low energy radiation source, or a plurality of low energy sources connected to each other in a predetermined parallel or similar geometry, each source equipped with blocking and attenuation mechanisms, at a plurality of positions in a planar fashion across or through a selected treatment field, thereby delivering a plurality of parallel overlapping beams indexed on a millimeter or submillimeter grid such that a concentration of dose is achieved at a variable depth in tissue relative to the dose where the radiation first enters the tissue and can be used to treat regions on or below the surface of tissue, in a cavity and underlying region created following a surgical resection, on or below the surface of an internal cavity, hollow viscus,

Abstract: A composition including a polycrystalline metal nitride having a number of grains is provided. These grains have a columnar structure with one or more properties such as, an average grain size, a tilt angle, an impurity content, a porosity, a density, and an atomic fraction of the metal in the metal nitride.

Abstract: A television appliance comprising: a television receiver for receiving television signals and outputting the television signal of a selected channel to a screen; a network interface for accessing a packet-based network; a memory storing a communication client application; and processing apparatus arranged to execute the communication client application. The client application is configured to maintain a list of contacts and allow a user of the media appliance to establish communication events with the contacts via the network interface and packet-based network.

Abstract: A system comprising: a first user device and at least a second user device for a same user, at least one of the first and second user devices being a household media appliance, and each being installed with a respective instance of a communication client application for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network. Each instance is associated with a same user identifier identifying said same user, a first of said instances is associated with a first sub-identifier, and a second of said instances is associated with a second sub-identifier. The instances are configured so as, during an ongoing call conducted over a first network connection established based on said user identifier and the first sub-identifier, after the call has been answered, to establish a second network connection based on said user identifier and the second sub-identifier and to switch the call to the second network connection.

Abstract: A system, components thereof, and methods are described for time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A microwave or high-frequency RF energy source is used to ionize a reagent vapor to form reagent ions. The reagent ions enter a chamber and interact with a fluid sample to form product ions. The reagent ions and product ions are directed to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer module for detection and determination of a mass value for the ions. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer module can include an optical system and an ion beam adjuster for focusing, interrupting, or altering a flow of reagent and product ions according to a specified pattern. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer module can include signal processing techniques to collect and analyze an acquired signal, for example, using statistical signal processing, such as maximum likelihood signal processing.

Abstract: A system and methods are described for generating reagent ions and product ions for use in a quadruple mass spectrometry system. A microwave or high-frequency RF energy source ionizes particles of a reagent vapor to form reagent ions. The reagent ions enter a chamber, such as a drift chamber, to interact with a fluid sample. An electric field directs the reagent ions and facilitates an interaction with the fluid sample to form product ions. The reagent ions and product ions then exit the chamber under the influence of an electric field for detection by a quadruple mass spectrometer module. The system includes various control modules for setting values of system parameters and analysis modules for detection of mass values for ion species during spectrometry and faults within the system.

Abstract: A composition including a polycrystalline metal nitride having a number of grains is provided. These grains have a columnar structure with one or more properties such as, an average grain size, a tilt angle, an impurity content, a porosity, a density, and an atomic fraction of the metal in the metal nitride. An apparatus for preparing a metal nitride is provided. The apparatus may include a housing having an interior surface that defines a chamber and an energy source to supply energy to the chamber. A first inlet may be provided to flow a nitrogen-containing gas into the chamber. Raw materials may be introduced into the chamber through a raw material inlet. A second inlet may be provided to flow in a halide-containing gas in the chamber. The apparatus may further include a controller, which communicates with the various components of the apparatus such as, sensors, valves, and energy source, and may optimize and control the reaction.

Abstract: A method of making a metal nitride is provided. The method may include introducing a metal in a chamber. A nitrogen-containing material may be flowed into the chamber. Further, a hydrogen halide may be introduced. The nitrogen-containing material may react with the metal in the chamber to form the metal nitride.

Abstract: Methods for restoring blood flow in occluded blood vessels using an apparatus having a self expandable distal segment that is pre-formed to assume a superimposed structure in an unconstrained condition but can be made to take on a volume-reduced form making it possible to introduce it with a microcatheter and a push wire arranged at the proximal end, with the distal segment in its superimposed structure assuming the form of a longitudinally open tube and having a mesh structure of interconnected strings or filaments or struts. In a preferred embodiment, the distal segment has a tapering structure at its proximal end where the strings or filaments or struts converge at a connection point.

Abstract: A crystalline composition is provided that includes gallium and nitrogen. The crystalline composition may have an amount of oxygen present in a concentration of less than about 3×1018 per cubic centimeter, and may be free of two-dimensional planar boundary defects in a determined volume of the crystalline composition. The volume may have at least one dimension that is about 2.75 millimeters or greater, and the volume may have a one-dimensional linear defect dislocation density of less than about 10,000 per square centimeter.

Abstract: A crystal comprising gallium nitride is disclosed. The crystal has at least one grain having at least one dimension greater than 2.75 mm, a dislocation density less than about 104 cm?2, and is substantially free of tilt boundaries.

Abstract: There are provided simplified methods for etching diamond, as compared to conventional methods. More particularly, the methods disclosed herein involve contacting at least a portion of the diamond with a metal or metal oxide so that redox etching of the contacted portion of the diamond occurs. Also provided are diamonds polished using the present method, as well as optical windows, heat sinks, cutting tools and electrical components incorporating diamonds polished/etched via the disclosed method.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for forming a diamond film, are provided. An example of an apparatus for forming a diamond film includes an electrodeless microwave plasma reactor having a microwave plasma chamber configured to contain a substrate and to contain a reactant gas excited by microwaves to generate a microwave plasma discharge. Gas injection ports extend through an outer wall of the plasma chamber at a location upstream of the plasma discharge and above the substrate. Gas jet injection nozzles interface with the gas injection ports and are configured to form a directed gas stream of reactant gas having sufficient kinetic energy to disturb a boundary layer above an operational surface of the substrate to establish a convective transfer of the film material to the operational surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing materials in supercritical fluids is disclosed. The apparatus includes a capsule configured to contain a supercritical fluid, a high strength enclosure disposed about the capsule and a sensor configured to sense pressure difference between an interior and an exterior of the capsule. The apparatus also includes a pressure control device configured to adjust pressure difference of the capsule in response to the pressure difference sensed by the sensor. The apparatus further includes at least one dividing structure disposed within the capsule that divides the capsule into a seed growing chamber and a nutrient chamber.

Abstract: A heater that may include an outer housing and an inner tube is provided. The inner tube is in a coaxial relation to and within the outer housing. An inward facing surface of the inner tube defines a volume sufficient to receive a reaction capsule, and the outward facing surface is radially spaced from an inward facing surface of the outer housing sufficient to define a gap. A filler material is disposed within the gap. The filler material responds to pressure such that the filler volume is reduced by less than 5 volume percent at greater than 500 MPa pressure and at greater than 500° C. temperature. One or more heating elements are disposed in the gap. The heating elements are in thermal communication with the inner tube.

Abstract: Two or more data sets, arranged in mutually inconsistent formats, are stored in a computer. Software is applied to each data set to discover and generate a topology for a respective Bayesian Belief Network for each of the data sets. The resulting individual constituent Bayesian Belief Networks are combined to produce a combined Bayesian Belief Network. The combined Bayesian Belief Network represents a virtual data set that does not exist but which stands in for a combination of the original data sets. The combined Bayesian Belief Network is a convenient representation that may be analyzed to investigate causality relationships among all of the variables in the constituent data sets.

Abstract: A method for underwriting an insurance policy includes sending an electronic query from an insurance company to a central vehicle operator rating agency. The method further includes receiving at the insurance company an electronic response to the query from the central vehicle operator rating agency. The response includes data maintained by the central vehicle operator rating agency with respect to a vehicle operator. The data reflects a vehicle operating record of the vehicle operator. The vehicle operating record is a collation of data concerning vehicle operation activities of the vehicle operator over a period of at least two years. The method further includes routing the received data to an underwriter in the insurance company. The underwriter determines whether to issue or renew or adjust an insurance policy that covers the vehicle operator or an employer of the vehicle operator.

Abstract: An intravascular implant delivery system carries an implant by retaining an engagement member engaging the implant in a position proximal of an aperture at a distal end of the delivery system. The engagement member is retained proximal to the aperture by a cord that obstructs the movement of the engagement member through the aperture. The engagement member is free to rotate and move within an area defined by the delivery system, allowing the implant to react to forces imparted to the implant by the movement of the delivery system and implant through a delivery catheter. Once the implant is in a desired implant position, the cord is moved away from an aperture and the engagement member is allowed to move away from the delivery system.