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: The present invention relates to new fatty acid analogues and to their use in cancer therapy, including antimetastatic therapy.

Abstract: A composition for a low lead ingot containing primarily copper and including tin, zinc, sulfur, phosphorus, nickel. The composition may contain carbon. The low lead ingot, when solidified, includes sulfur or sulfur containing compounds such as sulfides distributed through the ingot. The presence and a substantially uniform distribution of these sulfur compounds imparts improved machinability and better mechanical properties.

Abstract: A protective catheter tip has a generally tubular body portion defining an interior cavity. The proximal end of a urinary catheter is at least partially received within the protective tip, with the protective tip being retained on the urinary catheter without the need for a sleeve connecting the protective tip and the catheter. The protective tip may include a projection received within a draining hole or eye at the proximal end of the catheter to retain the protective tip on the catheter. The protective tip may instead include one or more projections that apply a frictional force to an outer surface of the catheter to retain the protective tip on the catheter. The protective tip may instead be retained on the catheter by a tether extending between the protective tip and a distal end of the catheter. The protective tip may also include two separate or separable pieces.

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.

Abstract: An electronic cigarette system having an outer cartridge assembly, an inner housing configured to hold a liquid, a mouthpiece configured as a unitary single piece being part of said inner housing, a heater, a power source, and an actuator operatively associated with said power source, said heater configured to vaporize liquid in said inner housing and deliver said vapor through the mouthpiece.

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 screen track assembly for mounting and tensioning a retractable screen across an opening, the assembly having a generally U-shaped outer track member having an opening; an inner track member received within the outer track member, the inner track member adapted to receive a retractable screen, the inner track member being movable relative to the outer track member; biasing members to present a biasing force to extend the inner track member toward the opening of the outer track member; and adjustable mechanical fasteners to fix the position of the inner track member relative to the outer track member such that the screen may be tightened or loosened as required for proper functionality.

Abstract: A surgical stapling instrument (1) comprises a staple fastening assembly (4) in the distal region of said instrument, the staple fastening assembly (4) including a cartridge device (8) which comprises at least one closed row (17, 18) of staples and defines a wavy distal end surface (14), and an anvil (9) which defines a wavy proximal staple forming surface (20) substantially matching the distal end surface (14) and which is adapted to cooperate with the cartridge device (8) for forming the ends of the staples exiting from the cartridge device (8), wherein the distal end surface (14) and the staple forming surface (20) have a globally wavy shape including two opposite peaks (21) and two opposite valleys (22) angularly spaced at about 90° from the adjacent peaks (21) and in that said two-peaks-two-valleys wavy shape is formed by a stepped configuration of said surfaces (14, 20).

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.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention include a retainer, a lid, and a sensor, where the sensor is configured to detect information about the retainer, the lid, or the contents in the retainer. The sensor also may be configured to communicate with an internal or external computer system, thereby facilitating showing the detected information as a representation via a display element. In certain embodiments, the system may include an action element such as an open/close lid opening assembly configured to permit automatically or manually opening or closing a drink aperture or another type of dispensing aperture.

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: An electronic cigarette with inlet air constructed and arranged to contact a delivery substance and minimize airflow over electronic components.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for cutting and fastening tissue. In one embodiment, a surgical device can be used to at least partially transect a stomach by not cutting and/or not fastening a portion of tissue engaged in an end effector located at the device's distal end. A portion of the stomach can be engaged by the end effector, and the end effector can be actuated to cut and/or to apply one or more fasteners to tissue engaged in a distal portion of the end effector but not to cut and/or apply fasteners to tissue engaged in a proximal portion of the end effector. In a similar way, the surgical device can be used in any surgical procedure in which it is desired to cut and/or fasten a distal portion of tissue engaged by the end effector but not a proximal portion of tissue engaged by the end effector.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and data structures may operate to combine block management data with a portion of data, to generate error correction data for the combined portion, and to store the data, the block management data, the error correction data for the combined portion, and error correction data for the data in a memory. Additional embodiments may operate to generate or store error correction data for each of a plurality of sectors of a page except for a particular sector in the page and combine block management data with the particular sector to generate a modified sector. Additional embodiments may operate to generate or store error correction data for the modified sector and combine the plurality of sectors, the error correction data for each of the plurality of sectors other than the particular page, and the block management data and the error correction data for the modified sector.

Abstract: A catheter product package and method of forming same in which the package comprises a sheet material wrapped about the catheter product to form a package for the catheter product. The catheter product extends generally longitudinally within the package, and the sheet material extends from a point beyond the proximal end to a point beyond the distal end of the catheter product. The sheet material of the package is wrapped about the catheter product in a mariner defining confronting proximal end edges, confronting distal end edges, and confronting side edges. The confronting proximal end edges, distal end edges and side edges of the sheet material are joined by a seal after the sheet material is wrapped about the catheter product to define a sealed cavity. The sheet material has a tear strip affixed to it which causes the sheet material to tear along the tear strip to thereby cause the package to open along an intended opening line.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatus, methods, and systems including method comprising searching for a group address among a plurality of group addresses in a mapping table, and if a match is found, performing a memory operation on a first plurality of memory blocks indicated by the mapping table, and if a match is not found, performing a memory operation on a second plurality of memory blocks, the second plurality of memory blocks having the group address.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus may operate to receive allocation requests from a processor configured to manage memory comprising a non-volatile memory device configurable as a plurality of blocks comprising a plurality of sectors, assign partial page blocks from the plurality of blocks for memory storage, fill some of the sectors by storing data bits associated with the allocation request in the at least one of the plurality of sectors, determine that the sectors are full, assigning a full page block from the plurality of blocks, and transfer the data bits associated with the allocation request from the partial page blocks to the full page block. Other apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A protective catheter tip has a generally tubular body portion defining an interior cavity. The proximal end of a urinary catheter is at least partially received within the protective tip, with the protective tip being retained on the urinary catheter without the need for a sleeve connecting the protective tip and the catheter. The protective tip may include a projection received within a draining hole or eye at the proximal end of the catheter to retain the protective tip on the catheter. The protective tip may instead include one or more projections that apply a frictional force to an outer surface of the catheter to retain the protective tip on the catheter. The protective tip may instead be retained on the catheter by a tether extending between the protective tip and a distal end of the catheter. The protective tip may also include two separate or separable pieces.