Abstract: A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions is disclosed. Various embodiments of the present invention include a cartridge body that movably supports first and second staple drivers. The staple drivers each support a staple thereon and serve to drive the staples into forming contact with the anvil upon actuation by the actuator. The various embodiments of the present invention enable the final formed heights of the staples to be varied so as to apply various clamping forces and pressures to soft tissue captured within the staples. In at least one embodiment, the staples can include crowns formed thereon which can be utilized to adjust or control the clamping force and/or pressure applied by the staples.

Abstract: A device includes a secure execution context that is segregated from an operating system of the device. A security application executing in the operating system interfaces with the secure execution context to obtain verified data. The secure execution context may verify that operating system files are free of malware, obtain sensor readings that may be cryptographically signed, verify functioning of a baseband processor, and verify other aspects of the function and security of the device. The verified data may be used for various purposes such as verifying location of the device, training a machine learning model, and the like.

Abstract: A method for facet joint stabilization or fusion includes inserting an implant into a facet joint of a patient and introducing a bone cement into the facet joint. The implant includes a body that is sized and configured to be entirely contained in the facet joint. The bone cement may be introduced through a first channel of the body of the implant. A portion of the bone cement may flow back into the implant through a second channel in the body of the implant.

Abstract: There is provided a utility junction box including a first housing portion with three sidewalls, a top sidewall, a rear access opening with a removable access cover, and an open bottom opening into an interior volume for receiving at least one line from a first location, and a second housing portion forming a weather guard extending cantilever style from the top sidewall and the three sidewalls including a sloping front face, a front wall, and a lower sidewall formed with a plurality of openings facing downwards, wherein each opening formed in the lower sidewall of the weather guard is configured to allow at least one utility line to pass from within the interior volume of the housing through the opening and direct the utility line through the opening formed in the lower sidewall of the weather guard to a second location exterior to the utility junction box.

Abstract: A device for locating an object. The device includes a housing including a first hole. The device also includes a sensor carried by the housing and comprising two or more electrodes that are positioned next to each other to form a substantially circular configuration. The sensor includes a second hole formed in the center of the circular configuration, and the second hole is axially aligned with the first hole.

Abstract: Die handling systems and methods of use for preparing or processing dies from multiple types of pre-expanded wafer materials. The die handling systems are configured in a modular fashion, allowing for concurrent processes to expand the wafers, process the wafers, extract the dies, and inspect the extracted dies without forcing one of the processes of the system to remain idle. Embodiments of the wafer handler module include a mechanism, such as an expander capable of stretching or expanding wafers having one or more different sizes to a pre-expanded state without interrupting the die handler. The pre-expanded wafers are stored as a proprietary cartridge and delivered to the die handler, where a pick head of the die handler removes each die of the pre-expanded wafer and delivers the extracted dies to subsequent machinery, such as a pick and place machine, for further processing.

Abstract: An automatic opening and closing device for a container comprises a closure flap within the container and a pivot arm with a weighted portion. When the container is in a first position, the centre of mass of the weighted portion is offset horizontally and vertically from the pivot point of the pivot arm and acts to bias the closure flap to close an opening in the container. When the container is rotated in a first direction to a second position, the weighted portion causes the pivot arm and closure flap to rotate relative to the container in a second direction opposite to the first direction, to bias the closure flap away from the opening. In the first position, the weighted portion is offset vertically by a greater distance than it is offset horizontally. A locking mechanism may also be provided, which is operable to the user to keep the container closed even when tilted.

Abstract: A method of preparation of an article having a sliding surface and comprising graphitic particles, comprises the steps of: i) impregnating open porosity in a porous body with a resin comprising graphitic particles; and ii) hardening said resin.

Abstract: A system for analyzing a fluid includes or uses a movable flow cell assembly being disposed in an analysis location on a wall of an analysis instrument and being configured to be retained by a locking assembly on a first surface of the wall. The system includes a probe head assembly located on an opposed second surface of the wall, the probe head assembly to direct an X-ray source to analyze the fluid in a static state in the movable flow cell assembly or in a flow mode through the movable flow cell assembly. The movable flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly are in electro-magnetic communication for elemental analysis of the fluid using the X-ray source when the movable flow cell assembly is retained by the locking assembly on the first surface of the wall.

Abstract: The present invention is a sensor device comprising: a housing; a processing unit assembly disposed within the housing, wherein the processing unit comprising a high frequency oscillator, a first voltage meter, a low frequency oscillator, a second voltage meter; a probe having a predetermined shape and profile attached to the processing unit and extending from the housing a predetermined distance; and a first sensing unit integrated into the probe and in electrical communication with the high frequency oscillator and the first voltage meter; a second sensing unit integrated into the probe relative to the first sensing unit and in electrical communication with the low frequency oscillator and the second voltage meter.

Abstract: A vehicular thermal management system is provided that includes an internal combustion engine, a heat recoverer, an engine oil heat exchanger, a drivetrain oil heat exchanger, a coolant pump, and a coolant circuit that fluidly connects the preceding components. The drivetrain oil heat exchanger and the engine oil heat exchanger are arranged in series within the coolant circuit.

Abstract: A device for locating an object. The device includes a housing including a first hole. The device also includes a sensor carried by the housing and comprising two or more electrodes that are positioned next to each other to form a substantially circular configuration. The sensor includes a second hole formed in the center of the circular configuration, and the second hole is axially aligned with the first hole.

Abstract: Collision detection useful in motion planning for robotics advantageously employs data structure representations of robots, persistent obstacles and transient obstacles in an environment in which a robot will operate. Data structures may take the form of hierarchical data structures ((e.g., octrees, sets of volumes or boxes (e.g. a tree of axis-aligned bounding boxes (AABBs), a tree of oriented (not axis-aligned) bounding boxes, or a tree of spheres)) or non-hierarchical data structures (e.g., Euclidean Distance Fields) Such can result in computational efficiency, reduce memory requirements, and lower power consumption. The collision detection can take the form as a standalone function, providing a Boolean result that can be employed in executing any of a variety of different motion planning algorithms.

Abstract: A drape configured to cover a handheld imager for use in a medical procedure, the drape including a frame that is removably mountable to a front portion of an enclosure of the imager; and at least one light transmissive component mounted to the frame and recessed with respect to a front of the frame such that the at least one light transmissive component is positioned in front of at least one enclosure window of the imager when the frame is mounted to the front portion of the imager.

Abstract: A method of displaying fluorescence intensity in an image includes displaying a target reticle covering a region of the image; calculating a normalized fluorescence intensity within the target reticle; and displaying the normalized fluorescence intensity in a display region associated the target.

Abstract: An automatic opening and closing device for a container comprises a closure flap within the container and a pivot arm with a weighted portion. When the container is in a first position, the centre of mass of the weighted portion is offset horizontally and vertically from the pivot point of the pivot arm and acts to bias the closure flap to close an opening in the container. When the container is rotated in a first direction to a second position, the weighted portion causes the pivot arm and closure flap to rotate relative to the container in a second direction opposite to the first direction, to bias the closure flap away from the opening. In the first position, the weighted portion is offset vertically by a greater distance than it is offset horizontally. A locking mechanism may also be provided, which is operable to the user to keep the container closed even when tilted.