Abstract: An aiming guide system configured for connection to a bone plate including an aiming arm and a connection assembly. The aiming arm has a rigid body extending from a proximal end to a distal end with a plurality of aiming holes defined through the rigid body between the proximal end and the distal end thereof. The distal end defines an attachment slot through the body. The connection assembly is configured to engage an attachment screw hole of the bone plate and the attachment slot such that the aiming arm is fixed in position relative to the bone plate with each of the aiming holes aligned with a respective hole along the bone plate.

Abstract: An acoustic volume sensing device is disclosed. The device includes a housing comprising a reference volume chamber and a variable volume chamber, the reference volume chamber and the variable volume chamber connected by a resonant port, a first MEMS microphone located in acoustic relation to the variable volume chamber, a second MEMS microphone located in acoustic relation to the reference volume chamber, a MEMS speaker located in acoustic relation to the reference volume chamber, and a circuit board in electric connection with the first and second MEMS microphones and the MEMS speaker.

Abstract: A wearable infusion pump assembly includes a reservoir for receiving an infusible fluid, and an external infusion set configured to deliver the infusible fluid to a user. A fluid delivery system is configured to deliver the infusible fluid from the reservoir to the external infusion set. The fluid delivery system includes a volume sensor assembly, and a pump assembly for extracting a quantity of infusible fluid from the reservoir and providing the quantity of infusible fluid to the volume sensor assembly. The volume sensor assembly is configured to determine the volume of at least a portion of the quantity of fluid. The fluid delivery system further includes at least one optical sensor assembly configured to sense the movement of the pump assembly, a first valve assembly configured to selectively isolate the pump assembly from the reservoir, and a second valve assembly configured to selectively isolate the volume sensor assembly from the external infusion set.

Abstract: An optical stack for sensing a presence of an analyte is provided. The optical stack includes a sensor material. The sensor material includes a first optical response including a first optical property having a second value in response to an excitation signal including the first optical property having a first value different from the second value. The first optical response includes a second optical property sensitive to the presence of the analyte. The optical stack includes a first optical film disposed proximate the sensor material and includes a third optical property having respective third and fourth values in response to the respective first and second values of the first optical property. The third value is different from the fourth value by at least a factor of 2.

Abstract: The instant innovation presents a real-time environmental-sensing platform and system and method for water level monitoring, reporting and human warning. The platform, system, and method monitors rising water levels throughout a given geographical area and provides real-time and trending data on flooding and flooding risks. The instant innovation utilizes an environmental sensing platform comprised of a plurality of sensor nodes that may be geographically dispersed for both collecting environmental data on a regular or variable-frequency schedule, and transmitting the environmental data.

Abstract: A system is disclosed. The system includes a fill adapter device including a heat exchanger which includes a heating element and a fluid pathway, the fluid pathway fluidly connected to a filling needle input, whereby fluid enters the heat exchanger through the filling needle input and flows through the fluid pathway and whereby the fluid is heated by the heating element. The system also includes a reservoir including a plunger and a plunger rod and a filling needle configured to be removably attached to the reservoir, wherein the fill adapter is configured to be attached to a vial of fluid and wherein fluid from the vial flows through the fluid pathway and is heated and loaded into the reservoir through the filling needle.

Abstract: A hot melt adhesive comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polybutene, polyisobutene, linear low density polyethylene, polypropylene random copolymer, polypropylene, olefin block copolymer, polyolefins, styrene block copolymers, and ethyl vinyl acetate polymers; a tackifying resin; and at least one precisely end-capped polystyrene (PECPS). The use of the styrene-based oligomers and polymers with the precisely controlled end-groups in hot melt adhesive formulations to improve compatibility with polymers and block copolymers frequently used in such adhesives.

Abstract: A low-profile mezzanine connector. The connector is simple to manufacture and can be reliably formed even with a stack height of 4 mm or less yet has high signal integrity. The connector has a field of identically shaped contacts that are functionally differentiated through features of the housing, including lossy material in patches with narrower projections electrically coupled to contacts designated as ground contacts. The mating portions of the contacts are adjacent a wall of the housing, which is tapered to increase the effective dielectric constant in the vicinity of the signal contacts. Each contact may have a hole in it to engage an insertion tool to enable repeatable and stable insertion of the contacts into a housing. The footprint for mounting the connector to a PCB may include signal vias offset from the mounting pads for signal contacts.

Abstract: The methods for sample preparation disclosed herein utilize an air phase to reduce aqueous phase associated with magnetic particles bound to nucleic acids to decrease carryover of one or more contaminants, such as, cell debris, chaotropic agents, non-specifically attached molecules, and the like. This air-transfer step is improved by using a combination of a first population of magnetic particles and a second population of magnetic particles, where the first population of magnetic particles is capable of associating with nucleic acids, and the magnetic particles in the second population are at least two-times larger in size than the size of the magnetic particles in the first population. As discussed herein, the use of this second population of magnetic particles improves the transfer of the first population of magnetic particles by reducing loss of the first magnetic particles during the transfer. The sample preparation methods may be semi-automated or completely automated.

Abstract: A syringe pump includes a lead screw, a cam, and a grasper. The grasper assembly has first and second graspers arms each having a first end and a second end. The second ends of the first and second grasper arms are configured to engage with the lead screw. The first ends of the first and second grasper arms are configured to engage with the cam such that actuation of the cam toward the grasper assembly causes the second ends of the first and second grasper arms to pivotally approach each other. The second ends of the first and second grasper arms each includes threads to engage the lead screw when the second ends of the first and second grasper arms approach each other. The plunger head coupled to said grasper assembly and operative to drive a plunger of a syringe into a barrel of said syringe.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include a system for transporting a liquid from a chamber into one or more collection containers. The system may be semi-automatic or fully automatic. The system may be embodied in a sample preparation device, such as a cylindrical cartridge. The system includes a plunger chamber that creates negative pressure to fill the one or more collection containers. The plunger chamber is armed using a pivotable locking arm and a trigger coupled to the arm. Methods of using the system for transporting a liquid from a chamber into one or more collection containers is also provided.

Abstract: The invention is a system and method for reinforcing an existing wall structure to support hanging a load from a wall. By employing a solidifiable fire-retardant composition adapted to solidify inside a hollow wall structure, a structural support may be formed to provide a suitable support structure for hanging a medium to heavy load in lieu of an unavailable stud. In exemplary embodiments, a method may include the steps of (a) forming an aperture on a wall panel, the aperture providing access through a front surface of the wall panel to a cavity behind a back surface of the wall panel; (b) applying, inside the cavity, a solidifiable fire-retardant composition adapted to solidify inside the cavity through the aperture; (c) allowing the fire-retardant composition to solidify inside the cavity; and (d) anchoring one or more wall fasteners to the wall panel and to the solidified fire-retardant composition inside the cavity.

Abstract: A recording device and methods of operation are provided. The recording device includes a panoramic camera system, a plurality of microphones, an antenna, and a processor communicatively coupled to the panoramic camera system and the plurality of microphones. The processors configured to perform one or more operations including recording simultaneous video from the panoramic camera system. The operations further include recording audio from the plurality of microphones with instantaneous transcription and translation of recorded audio. The operations further include automatically upload video, audio, and transcription to a cloud based medium.

Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.

Abstract: A mobile phone may include a housing. The housing may include a first housing component including a cladding portion formed from a first metal and defining a first portion of a side exterior surface of the mobile phone, and a core portion coupled to the cladding portion, the core portion defining a portion of an interior surface of the mobile phone and formed from a second metal different from the first metal, a second housing component defining a second portion of the side exterior surface of the mobile phone, and a joint structure coupled to the first housing component and the second housing component and defining a third portion of the side exterior surface of the mobile phone between the first portion of the side exterior surface and the second portion of the side exterior surface. The cladding portion may be bonded directly to the core portion.

Abstract: A mobile phone may include an enclosure including a front cover assembly defining a front exterior surface of the enclosure, a rear cover assembly defining a rear exterior surface of the enclosure, and a housing subassembly positioned between the front cover assembly and the rear cover assembly. The housing subassembly may include a first housing component defining a first side exterior surface of the enclosure, a second housing component defining a second side exterior surface of the enclosure opposite the first side exterior surface of the enclosure, and a lower chassis section extending between the first housing component and the second housing component. The mobile phone may further include a camera array coupled to the lower chassis section and positioned in an interior cavity defined between the lower chassis section and the front cover assembly.

Abstract: A direct mate orthogonal connector for a high density of high speed signals. The connector may include right angle leadframe assemblies with signal conductive elements and ground shields held by a leadframe housing. High frequency performance may be achieved with members on the leadframe that transfer force between a connector housing, holding the leadframe assemblies, and a portion of the leadframe housing holding the signal conductive elements and the shields near their mounting ends. Core members may be inserted into the housing and mating ends of the conductive elements of ground shields may be adjacent the core members, enabling electrical and mechanical performance of the mating interface to be defined by the core members. The core members may incorporate insulative and lossy features that may be complex to form as part of the connector housing but may be readily formed as part of a separate core member.

Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.

Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at frequencies at or above 112 GHz, with high density. Such connectors may be formed with fine features molded into portions of the connector housing to support closely spaced signal conductors. The signal conducts may nonetheless be accurately positioned, which leads to uniform impedance and other electrical characteristics that enable high frequency operation through the use of skeletal members that restrain bowing and twisting of housing components that position, directly or indirectly, the signal conductors. The skeletal members may be simply incorporated into the housing components by stamping a metal skeleton from a metal sheet in conjunction with one or more carrier strips. The housing component may be overmolded around the skeleton and then severed from the carrier strips.

Abstract: A method for evaluating a building signature operational model (BSOM) associated with a building signature intelligent electronic device (BSIED) includes processing building signature operational data (BSOD) on a cloud-connected central processing unit to identify the BSIED from which the BSOD was received, and to determine if a current BSOM associated with the BSIED, and used by the BSIED to generate the BSOD, needs to be updated. In response to determining that the current BSOM needs to be updated, a new BSOM is selected for the BSIED from a BSOM library based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics associated with the BSIED. The new BSOM is transmitted to the BSIED for installation on the BSIED.