Abstract: A thermal ballot printer is disclosed for producing double-sided thermal full-face printed voting ballots, comprising: a first thermal print head disposed on a first side of a print path, the print path being configured to receive an end of a roll-fed thermal print medium; a second thermal print head disposed on a second side of a print path; and a cutter disposed on the first side of the print path and configured to cut printed sheets.

Abstract: A medical catheter including a composite laminated shaft having a segment that is mechanically deformed to have reduced stiffness.

Abstract: A medical catheter including a composite laminated shaft having a longitudinal segment that is mechanically deformed to have reduced and varying stiffness. A method of making the catheter is also disclosed.

Abstract: Catheters for aspiration of thrombotic, atherosclerotic or other particulate embolic debris from a blood vessel. An elongate flexible aspiration tube has an aspiration lumen defined by a reinforced tube wall. A guidewire tube is secured alongside the aspiration tube extending proximally from a distal end thereof to define either over-the-wire or single operator catheter configurations. The portion of the aspiration tube alongside the guidewire tube has an oval transverse cross section with a minor axis extending transversely through the guidewire tube. The oval cross section of the aspiration tube improves the catheter's efficient use of cross sectional space by making the overall catheter transverse cross section nearly equal in orthogonal dimensions. Methods of making aspiration catheters are also disclosed, including permanently deforming the portion of the aspiration tube into an oval transverse cross section.

Abstract: A medical catheter including a composite laminated shaft having a segment that is mechanically deformed to have reduced stiffness.

Abstract: A medical catheter including a composite laminated shaft having a longitudinal segment that is mechanically deformed to have reduced and varying stiffness. A method of making the catheter is also disclosed.

Abstract: Catheters for aspiration of thrombotic, atherosclerotic or other particulate embolic debris from a blood vessel. An elongate flexible aspiration tube has an aspiration lumen defined by a reinforced tube wall. A guidewire tube is secured alongside the aspiration tube extending proximally from a distal end thereof to define either over-the-wire or single operator catheter configurations. The portion of the aspiration tube alongside the guidewire tube has an oval transverse cross section with a minor axis extending transversely through the guidewire tube. The oval cross section of the aspiration tube improves the catheter's efficient use of cross sectional space by making the overall catheter transverse cross section nearly equal in orthogonal dimensions. Methods of making aspiration catheters are also disclosed, including permanently deforming the portion of the aspiration tube into an oval transverse cross section.

Abstract: A catheter having one or more radially expanded portions that comprise a guidewire lumen. The guidewire lumen and the main lumen of the catheter are not separate and share the same fluid space. The catheter maintains a large, circular lumen for aspiration or delivery. The catheter is made by lacing a guidewire lumen mandrel through openings made in the catheter shaft and then forcing the shaft to expand radially to create a guidewire lumen.

Abstract: Disclosed are novel tocopherol ester compounds having the formula wherein X is a chain of 2 or 3 carbon atoms, e.g., ethylene and trimethylene, joining the 2 carbonyl groups to which they are bonded; and R1 is a group having the formula —Y—R4 wherein Y is a selenium, tellurium or sulfur atom and R4 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl radical. The tocopherol ester compounds of formula (I) exhibit antiproliferative and growth inhibitory effects on breast cancer cell lines.

Abstract: A processing system (210) subdivides (302) a voice message into a plurality of portions, and estimates (304) a plurality of preferred pitch periods corresponding to the plurality of portions. The processing system calculates (314) a plurality of segment sizes corresponding to the plurality of preferred pitch periods, and compresses (316) each of the plurality of portions by utilizing a corresponding one of the plurality of segment sizes in a speech compression algorithm, thereby generating a compressed message. The processing system determines (326) from the plurality of segment sizes a preferred segment size for decompressing the compressed message; and sends (328) the preferred segment size, along with the compressed message, to a receiver (122) for use in decompressing the compressed message in a speech decompression algorithm.