Abstract: A surgical clip applier is provided that includes first and second jaws on a distal end of an elongate shaft, a clip advancing assembly extending through the shaft and configured to advance a distal-most clip from a plurality of clips in the shaft into the first and second jaws. The jaws have opposed inward facing surfaces, and each inward facing surface has a clip track defined therein for receiving and guiding legs of a clip into the first and second jaws. The clip track of at least one of the jaws has at least one deflectable clip retention member disposed therein and configured to apply a biasing force to a leg of a clip disposed within the jaws to thereby retain the clip within the jaws and maintain alignment of the clip with respect to the jaws. The clip track of at least one of the jaws may also have at least one recess or protrusion designed to be complementary to and mate with a protrusion or recess in a clip.

Abstract: Handling electronic coupons includes accessing information indicating association of an electronic coupon with an account of a user that identifies multiple retail entities associated with the user. Information indicating association of electronic coupons with the user's account may be transmitted to respective computer systems associated with the multiple retail entities. The computer systems may associate electronic coupons with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupons at a retail store upon presentation of a user identifier. When the user redeems an electronic coupon, cancellation information for the electronic coupon may be transmitted to the computer systems of other retail entities associated with the user. Receipt of the cancellation information may cause the respective computer systems to cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon such that the user is prevented from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the corresponding retail entity.

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 surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and a shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween. The surgical clip applier can include a variety of features to facilitate use of the device, including features to prevent misalignment of the jaws and clip therebetween, features to protect the jaws, and features to ensure proper closure of the jaws and clip therebetween.

Abstract: A pass through wall power plug is equipped with multiple transceivers for remote communication. The power plug may be equipped with transceivers operative in different modes or protocols. The power plug may function as a bridge between radio devices. It may function as a centralized access point for receiving and/or storing information from and transmitting information multiple connected electronic devices. The power plug may be equipped with a night light, power meter, relay switch, voltage meter, beacon, proximity sensor or other electronic components. The power plug may be made rotatable around its prongs, and may be configured to be stackable within a standard column of electrical outlets.

Abstract: Various devices are provided for allowing multiple surgical instruments to be inserted through a single surgical access device at variable angles of insertion, allowing for ease of manipulation within a patient's body while maintaining insufflation. Safety shields and release mechanisms are also provided for use with various surgical access devices.

Abstract: A system for analyzing a fluid includes an integrated fluid-electric cabinet having a fluid compartment and an electronic compartment. The fluid compartment and an electronic compartment are separated from one another by a partition wall. The partition wall includes opposed first and second surfaces. A flow cell assembly is disposed in the fluid compartment and is configured to be mounted on the first surface side of the partition wall. A probe head assembly is disposed in the electronic compartment and is mounted on the opposed second surface side of the partitioned wall. Both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly are configured to be in electro-magnetic communication with one another for elemental analysis of the fluid such that the probe head assembly utilizes an X-ray source to analyze the fluid in a static mode or in flow mode through the flow cell assembly.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a stud sensor configured to locate a stud. The stud sensor includes a housing and a sensor carried by the housing. The sensor includes two or more electrodes. The two or more electrodes are configured to form a substantially circular configuration. The stud sensor further comprises one or more processors carried by the housing. The one or more processors are communicatively coupled with the sensor. The one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to calculate a stud location by measuring a change in capacitance from a fixed capacitance of a wall structure as the stud sensor is moved along a surface of the wall structure; and generate one or more signals to report a result relating to a location of a stud.

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: Speech recognition may be improved by generating and using a topic specific language model. A topic specific language model may be created by performing an initial pass on an audio signal using a generic or basis language model. A speech recognition device may then determine topics relating to the audio signal based on the words identified in the initial pass and retrieve a corpus of text relating to those topics. Using the retrieved corpus of text, the speech recognition device may create a topic specific language model. In one example, the speech recognition device may adapt or otherwise modify the generic language model based on the retrieved corpus of text.

Abstract: A blast containment system for trash cans includes a liquid-impervious flexible bag having a sealed bottom positioned at a base of a trash can, and an unsealed top positioned and retained at a top periphery of the trash can. A ring-shaped boot is positioned at the sealed bottom of the flexible bag. A rigid container has a closed bottom press-fit into a central opening of the boot. The rigid container extends from its closed bottom to an open top adapted to be approximately aligned with the top periphery of the trash can. An annular volume is defined between the rigid container the flexible bag. The rigid container has side walls that include ballistic materials. A liquid fills the annular volume.

Abstract: An electric submersible pump (ESP) dual gas and sand separator is described. An ESP system includes a dual gas and sand separator having a fluid flow pathway including an upward turn and a downward turn, the upward turn separating solids from a fluid flowing through the pathway and the downward turn separating gas from the fluid, the dual separator including a sand sump below the fluid flow pathway. The separator includes tubing that extends below the ESP assembly, at least a portion of the tubing including two concentric pipes. A dual gas and sand separating method includes causing pumped fluid to turn from upwards to downwards and then upwards again in a tortious pathway below the ESP assembly before the fluid travels into a centrifugal pump intake, and collecting solids that separate out of the multiphase fluid in a solid sump coupled below the tortious pathway.

Abstract: An imaging device may include a first illumination port to output first light having a first illumination distribution at a target to illuminate the target, a second illumination port to output second light having a second illumination distribution at the target to illuminate the target, the second illumination distribution being substantially similar to the first illumination distribution at the target, the second illumination port being spaced apart from the first illumination port, the first and second illumination distributions being simultaneously provided to the target and overlapping at the target. The illumination from the first and second ports may be matched to a same aspect ratio and field of view coverage as the imaging field of view.

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 surgical staple including at least two deformable members which can be bent upon contacting an anvil of a surgical stapler. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the deformable members can include a non-circular cross-section which can dictate the direction and manner in which the deformable members are bent. In at least one embodiment, the non-circular cross-section can include a flat portion which can cause the deformable members to bend in the direction of the flat portion. In various embodiments, the at least two deformable members can be connected by a dissolvable or bioabsorbable crown. In at least one various embodiment, the crown can dissolve and can, depending on the cross-sectional geometry of the deformable members, reduce the force or pressure applied to soft tissue captured within the staple by the bent deformable member.

Abstract: A utensil holder comprising a main body having a void therein, the main body comprising an outer surface, an upper base, and a lower base, at least one magnet positioned within the void, each of the at least one magnet imparting a magnetic field radially outward, the magnetic field of sufficient strength to removably secure at least one utensil against the outer surface of the main body, and support material within the void of the main body, the support material configured to removably secure the at least one utensil within the void.

Abstract: Copper based alloys exhibiting a white/silver hue. The alloys contain copper, nickel, zinc, manganese, tin, sulfur, and antimony.

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: A hidden object sensor which detects objects behind a surface. The hidden object sensor includes a housing. A capacitive sensor is carried by the housing. The capacitive sensor includes two or more electrodes. The hidden object sensor also includes an inductive sensor disposed in the housing. The inductive sensor surrounds the capacitive sensor in a radial direction such that there is a gap between the inductive sensor and the capacitive sensor.

Abstract: A vapor hydrated packaged catheter assembly and method of manufacturing and distributing same includes a gas impermeable package housing a catheter within a catheter-receiving cavity. The catheter assembly has a hydrophilic coating applied to at least a portion of the outer surface of a catheter tube or shaft which may be surrounded by a sleeve to provide a no-touch, sure grip feature. The catheter assembly is disposed within the catheter receiving cavity of the package together with a limited amount of a vapor donating liquid provided as a source of vapor to activate the hydrophilic coating. The amount of vapor donating liquid is less than the amount that would otherwise be sufficient to cause a spill hazard. It may be loose liquid as a desired percentage of the volume of a tube-receiving portion of the catheter receiving cavity of the package, or it may be contained in a liquid sequestering element.