Abstract: The invention relates to a method for degradation of plastic materials into terephthalic acid (TPA) and/or ethylene glycol and/or other monomers that form the plastic materials.

Abstract: An ossicular prosthesis is adjustable in length and temporarily and resiliently adjustable in angular orientation. The prosthesis includes a head for contacting a tympanic membrane, and a resilient sleeve is mounted within the head. An elongate shaft extends through the sleeve, and includes a distal end adapted to engage a footplate or stapes. The sleeve forms a resilient joint that allows the shaft to undergo an angular motion relative to the sleeve when subject to a non-axial force, and then subsequently return to its original position after the force is removed. The sleeve may also be longitudinally displaceable within the head of the prosthesis such that the shaft can undergo a damped linear motion. Also as a result of the arrangement of the sleeve, the prosthesis is adjustable to a very short length.

Abstract: An ossicular prosthesis is adjustable in length and temporarily and resiliently adjustable in angular orientation. The prosthesis includes a head for contacting a tympanic membrane, and a resilient sleeve is mounted within the head. An elongate shaft extends through the sleeve, and includes a distal end adapted to engage a footplate or stapes. The sleeve forms a resilient joint that allows the shaft to undergo an angular motion relative to the sleeve when subject to a non-axial force, and then subsequently return to its original position after the force is removed. The sleeve may also be longitudinally displaceable within the head of the prosthesis such that the shaft can undergo a damped linear motion. Also as a result of the arrangement of the sleeve, the prosthesis is adjustable to a very short length.

Abstract: A punctum plug includes a proximal head, a shaft, and a distal body, and an axial bore. The head is defined by a flexible circular flange with a convex upper portion and a concave lower portion. The body defines a frustoconically tapered distal tip and a two wings that extend in an arc and taper in thickness. The wings can extend further radially than the flange of the head. A recessed groove is defined around the shaft extending between the wings and a wall structure connecting the winged portions of the body. The above structure permits one plug or fewer plugs to accommodate a broad patient population.

Abstract: A punctum dilating and plug inserting system includes an inserter and a protective cover defining a dilator. The inserter includes a longitudinal body, and a handle. The handle has a rounded stationary member and a trigger rotatably connected to the handle by a living hinge. A mounting wire extends through the body and is connected to the trigger. When the trigger is activated, the wire is retracted and a plug mounted on a distal end of the wire is released. A packaging is provided for receiving, protecting, and handling at least a portion of the entire inserter until ready for use. An end of the packaging includes a dilator dip for dilating the punctum in advance of receiving the punctum plug.

Abstract: A punctum dilating and plug inserting system includes an inserter and a protective cover defining a dilator. The inserter includes a longitudinal body, and a handle. The handle has a rounded stationary member and a trigger rotatably connected to the handle by a living hinge. A mounting wire extends through the body and is connected to the trigger. When the trigger is activated, the wire is retracted and a plug mounted on a distal end of the wire is released. A packaging is provided for receiving, protecting, and handling at least a portion of the entire inserter until ready for use. An end of the packaging includes a dilator dip for dilating the punctum in advance of receiving the punctum plug.

Abstract: A system is provided for stabilized total ossicular replacement in a middle ear having an intact stapes with a capitulum and a footplate. The system includes an ossicular replacement prosthesis including with elongate shaft and a head coupled to the shaft, and a stabilizer that couples the prosthesis to the stapes. The stabilizer has a first portion with a first opening and a second portion with a second opening, said first opening sized to stably engage the shaft of the prosthesis, and said second opening sized to stably engage the capitulum. When the shaft and capitulum are engaged they are retained in an side-by side configuration. The stabilizer may be constructed of an elastic polymer, an elastic metal alloy, a plastic material or a shape memory material.

Abstract: A system is provided for stabilized total ossicular replacement in a middle ear having an intact stapes with a capitulum and a footplate. The system includes an ossicular replacement prosthesis including with elongate shaft and a head coupled to the shaft, and a stabilizer that couples the prosthesis to the stapes. The stabilizer has a first portion with a first opening and a second portion with a second opening, said first opening sized to stably engage the shaft of the prosthesis, and said second opening sized to stably engage the capitulum. When the shaft and capitulum are engaged they are retained in an side-by side configuration. The stabilizer may be constructed of an elastic polymer, an elastic metal alloy, a plastic material or a shape memory material.

Abstract: A middle ear prosthesis comprises a body of deformable material capable of retaining different shapes. The body comprises a slotted wall defining a cavity for receiving a bone of the middle ear. The wall is deformable proximate slots in the wall between an open position for receiving the bone and a closed position wherein the body is reshaped to grasp the bone.

Abstract: A middle ear prosthesis comprises a body of deformable material capable of retaining different shapes. The body comprises a slotted wall defining a cavity for receiving a bone of the middle ear. The wall is deformable proximate slots in the wall between an open position for receiving the bone and a closed position wherein the body is reshaped to grasp the bone.

Abstract: A middle ear prosthesis comprises a body of deformable material capable of retaining different shapes. The body comprises a slotted wall defining a cavity for receiving a bone of the middle ear. The wall is deformable proximate slots in the wall between an open position for receiving the bone and a closed position wherein the body is reshaped to grasp the bone.

Abstract: A router for interconnecting external devices comprising: 1) a switch fabric; and 2) R routing nodes coupled to the switch fabric. Each of the R routing nodes exchanges data packets with the external devices via network interface ports and with other routing nodes via the switch fabric. A first routing node comprises: i) an inbound network processor for receiving incoming data packets from a network interface port; ii) an outbound network processor for transmitting data packets to the network interface port; and iii) a shared memory accessible by the inbound and outbound network processors for storing a current trie tree search table and a current vector table used to index into the trie tree search table. A control plane processor generates an updated vector table to replace the current vector table and notifies the inbound and outbound network processors that the updated vector table is available.

Abstract: A router for interconnecting external devices. The router comprises a switch fabric and a plurality of routing nodes coupled to the switch fabric. Each routing node comprises packet processing circuitry for transmitting data packets to, and receiving data packets from, the external devices and for transmitting data packets to, and receiving data packets from, other routing nodes via the switch fabric and control data processing circuitry capable of performing control and management functions. The control data processing circuitry comprises a first network processor for performing control and management functions associated with the router and a second network processor for performing control and management functions associated with the router. The control and management functions are dynamically allocated between the first network processor and the second network processor.

Abstract: A router for interconnecting external devices coupled to the router. The router comprises: 1) a switch fabric; and 2) a plurality of routing nodes coupled to the switch fabric, wherein each of the plurality of routing nodes comprises packet processing circuitry for transmitting data packets to, and receiving data packets from, the external devices and for transmitting data packets to, and receiving data packets from, other ones of the plurality of routing nodes via the switch fabric. The packet processing circuitry comprises: i) a first network processor comprising a first plurality of microengines, each of the first plurality of microengines capable of performing security and classification functions associated with the data packets; and ii) a second network processor comprising a second plurality of microengines, each of the second plurality of microengines capable of performing security and classification functions associated with the data packets.

Abstract: A router comprising a switch fabric and routing nodes coupled to the switch fabric. Each routing node comprises a trie tree search table for storing routing information associated with received variable length subnet masks. The trie tree search table comprises a plurality of stages that are searched by N-bit address symbols derived from the received variable length subnet masks. Each routing node also comprises a control processor for generating the stages associated with the trie tree search table. The control processor generates for each entry in a first one of the plurality of stages: 1) an end flag indicating whether each entry is a leaf or a branch; 2) a subnet flag indicating whether a subnet mask ends at each entry; and 3) a masked flag indicating whether a subnet mask ending at each entry ends on a boundary of an N-bit address symbol associated with entry.

Abstract: A router for interconnecting external devices coupled to the router. The router comprises a switch fabric and a plurality of routing nodes coupled to the switch fabric. Each routing node comprises packet processing circuitry for transmitting data packets to, and receiving data packets from, the external devices and transmitting data packets to, and receiving data packets from, other routing nodes via the switch fabric. The packet processing circuitry comprises a first network processor comprising: i) N microengines for forwarding the data packets, each of the microengines capable of executing a plurality of threads that perform forwarding table lookup operations; and ii) workload distribution circuitry for distributing data packets to the N microengines for forwarding.

Abstract: A routing table search circuit comprising a forwarding table containing forwarding table entries, each forwarding table entry comprising a destination address, and a content addressable memory (CAM) comprising a CAM lookup table, the CAM receiving a search key and outputting a CAM search result corresponding to the search key from the CAM lookup table. The search key comprises at least: i) a packet type field associated with the first received address and ii) an address field containing a most significant bits portion of the first received address. The routing table search circuit also comprises M pipelined memory stages for storing a trie table that translates the first received address into the first destination address. The M pipelined memory stages are searched using the CAM search result and a remaining bits portion of the first received address. Each of the M pipelined memory stages outputs a stage search result.

Abstract: A routing table search circuit for determining a first destination address for a first received data packet. The routing table search circuit comprises: i) a forwarding table containing destination addresses; and ii) a trie tree search table for translating an address portion of the first received data packet into a destination pointer for accessing the first destination address in the forwarding table. A first stage of the trie tree search table is searched using a received address pointer from a previous stage of the trie tree search table and a first m-bit symbol of the address portion. The routing table search circuit also comprises at least one consecutive symbols table and a control circuit for determining that a second consecutive m-bit symbol is the same as the first m-bit symbol. The control circuit then determines a total number of consecutive identical m-bit symbols beginning with the first m-bit symbol.

Abstract: A router for interconnecting external devices coupled to the router. The router comprises a switch fabric and a plurality of routing nodes coupled to the switch fabric. Each of the routing nodes exchanges data packets with the external devices via network interface ports and with other routing nodes via the switch fabric. A first routing node comprises an inbound network processor capable of receiving incoming data packets from a network interface port; an outbound network processor capable of transmitting data packets to the network interface port; and a shared memory for storing forwarding table information used by the inbound and outbound network processors. The shared memory comprises an inbound upper bank capable of storing forwarding table information accessed by the inbound network processor and an inbound lower bank capable of storing forwarding table information accessed by the inbound network processor.

Abstract: A router for interconnecting external devices coupled to the router. The router comprises a switch fabric and routing nodes coupled to the switch fabric. Each routing node exchanges data packets with the external devices and with other routing nodes via the switch fabric. A routing node determines packet lengths of data packets received in the routing node and sums packet lengths of data packets associated with particular routes. The routing node comprises a memory for storing route counters, wherein the route counters store counts of data packets for particular routes and store packet length sum values of data packets for particular routes. The routing node calculates a first bandwidth value from a first data packet count and a first packet length sum value stored in the route counters.