Abstract: A powered surgical apparatus can be used with a source of irrigation fluid and a source of suction. The powered surgical apparatus can include a cutting blade assembly and a handle. The handle can include an upper portion defining a distal section connectable to the cutting blade assembly and a lower portion extending downwardly from the upper portion. The handle can be connectable to the source of irrigation fluid and the source of suction. The system can also include a manually actuable input device that provides at least one signal relevant to at least one operation of the system, and a controller that receives the at least one input signal and provides an output signal to perform the at least one operation of the system.

Abstract: A vacuum packaged product and method for reducing tensile strength loss associated with sterilization of polyolefin-based products by gamma radiation, and reducing odors commonly produced by such sterilization.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system, method and computer program for energy use management and reduction. The invention enables managing and reducing energy usage by monitoring energy usage of users and rewarding users for reducing energy usage. It includes monitoring energy consumption for users. Any reduction in energy consumption is commoditized. The commoditized energy can be sold on a market. Some or all of the revenues realized from the sale may be distributed to the users as encouragement to further reduce energy usage.

Abstract: A fluid measurement system utilizes one or more digital probes that communicate over a digital bus to a fluid gauging computer. The digital probes incorporate a capacitance to digital circuit that converts probe capacitance to a digital value. The digital value is communicated to the fuel gauging computer via a data bus.

Abstract: Provisioning of target related information into an IP Multi-media Subsystem (IMS) communications network, to provide lawful intercept, utilizes an interface between a lawful intercept server (LIS) and one or more of the Home Subscriber Servers (HSSs) of the network. The LIS provisions an HSS with target information for LI, with respect to a subset of the overall list of LI targets, that is to say with respect to those of targets homed on the respective HSS. The HSS provisions the target list for its subset down to Call Session Control Function elements (CSCFs) logically attached to that HSS, to enable each CSCF to intercept signaling messages relating to communication for identified target user equipment (UE) devices. The intercepted signaling enables the LIS to identify a location of a target UE device in an access network and instruct a network control point to intercept content of communications for that UE device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for identifying wireless transmitters. In one embodiment, a method for identifying a transmitter in a wireless computing network includes extracting one or more radio frequency signal characteristics from a communication from the transmitter and generating a fingerprint of the transmitter in accordance at least one of the extracted radio frequency signal characteristics.

Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and at least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.

Abstract: An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules; and (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel. The ion transport membrane system may be utilized in a gas separation device to recover oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas or as an oxidation reactor to oxidize compounds in a feed gas stream by oxygen permeated through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material of the membrane modules.

Abstract: A subscriber device receives a message from a network device external to the subscriber device, where the network device implements a first metering engine that meters usage of a network service by a subscriber using the subscriber device and where the message includes the subscriber's usage data. The subscriber device includes a second usage metering engine that receives the subscriber's usage data from the usage synchronization unit, and performs real-time metering of the subscriber's usage of the network service, based on the subscriber's usage data received from the network device and independently of the first metering engine of the network device, to generate real-time usage metering data. The second usage metering engine further outputs the real-time usage metering data to a display at the subscriber device.

Abstract: An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules; and (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel. The ion transport membrane system may be utilized in a gas separation device to recover oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas or as an oxidation reactor to oxidize compounds in a feed gas stream by oxygen permeated through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material of the membrane modules.

Abstract: A nanoporous filter comprises a porous support having an essentially flat surface on which is deposited a nanoporous layer having a substantially regular pore structure and uniform pore size within the range from 1 to 50 nm.

Abstract: The presently claimed invention relates generally to steganographic encoding. One claim recites a method including: obtaining data representing a first graphic; utilizing a multi-purpose computer processor configured for steganographically data hiding to hide a signal in the data representing the first graphic; obtaining a copy of the first graphic including a steganographically hidden signal therein; storing the copy of the first graphic in electronic memory or integrated circuitry. A steganographically hidden signal in the data representing the first graphic and the steganographically hidden signal in the copy of the first graphic are related. Of course, other combinations are provided as well.

Abstract: A method and a system provide integrated lawful intercept, for IMS over an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), for both packet data and session initiation protocol (SIP)-based applications. The system includes a device that receives a lawful intercept request from a law enforcement agency, and determines whether a packet data lawful intercept or a SIP-based applications (SBA) lawful intercept is requested by the lawful intercept request. The device also provisions, when a packet data lawful intercept is requested by the lawful intercept request, a policy control and charging rules function (PCRF) and a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW) for the packet data lawful intercept. The device further provisions, when a SBA lawful intercept is requested, a proxy call session control function (P-CSCF), a serving-CSCF (S-CSCF), and a session border controller (SBC) for the SBA lawful intercept.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating a substrate to improve the alcohol repellency of the substrate while minimizing the effect on the hydrostatic head value of the substrate that includes contacting a substrate with a treatment solution that includes an ionic fluoropolymer, a monovalent salt, and essentially no antistatic agent or less than 0.05 weight percent by weight of an antistatic agent.

Abstract: A system for providing a reliable and redundant enterprise management solution includes an appliance disposed at a healthcare facility and a pair device disposed at a remote facility. The appliance includes first processing circuitry, a first virtualization manager and a first synchronizer. The first processing circuitry is configured to enable execution of a plurality of applications. The first virtualization manager is configured to virtualize at least storage components and an execution environment for at least some of the applications. The pair device includes second processing circuitry, a second virtualization manager and a second synchronizer. The second processing circuitry provides redundancy for the first processing circuitry. The second virtualization manager is configured to provide redundancy with respect to the virtualized storage components and execution environment.

Abstract: A surgical instrument comprises a hollow tube (18) having a cutting window (16) at the distal end portion. An inner tube (15) is disposed within the tube (18) and is mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis. A cutting tool (17) is located at the distal end of the tube (15), and is positioned adjacent to the cutting window (16). An outer tube (14) is provided over the tube (18). A motor (5) is provided for rotating the inner tube (15), and saline is fed to the cutting window (16) via a passageway (25) between the tubes (15) and (18). The inner tube (15) has a central lumen (24) through which tissue cut by the cutting tool (17) is removed under the action of a source of suction (12). The outer surface of the tube 18 is covered with an electrically insulating layer (22) and coagulating RF signals are supplied between the tube (18) and the outer tube (14) so as to coagulate tissue at the cutting window (16).

Abstract: A device searches for a primary access network, and acquires the primary access network. The device also requests a service provided by a network connected to the primary access network, and attaches to the primary access network only when the service is requested by the device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating a nonwoven fabric to improve alcohol repellency that includes contacting a nonwoven fabric with an aqueous treatment solution that includes a non-ionic fluoropolymer and essentially no antistatic agent or less than 0.05 weight percent by weight of an antistatic agent. The present invention also provides a nonwoven fabric with improved alcohol repellency.

Abstract: A fluid measurement system utilizes one or more digital probes that communicate over a digital bus to a fluid gauging computer. The digital probes incorporate a capacitance to digital circuit that converts probe capacitance to a digital value. The digital value is communicated to the fuel gauging computer via a data bus.

Abstract: A powered surgical apparatus can be used with a source of irrigation fluid and a source of suction. The powered surgical apparatus can include a cutting blade assembly and a handle. The handle can include an upper portion defining a distal section connectable to the cutting blade assembly and a lower portion extending downwardly from the upper portion. The handle can be connectable to the source of irrigation fluid and the source of suction. The system can also include a manually actuable input device that provides at least one signal relevant to at least one operation of the system, and a controller that receives the at least one input signal and provides an output signal to perform the at least one operation of the system.