Abstract: Methods and apparatus to communicate via a weld cable are disclosed. An example welding accessory includes a first port to receive input power via a first weld cable, a power converter to convert the input power to output power, a second port to output the input power via a second weld cable, and one or more output switches to selectively divert the input power from the power converter to the second port.

Abstract: A smartphone marine vessel location system utilizes global positioning to determine the location and trajectory of marine vessels. When two marine vessels have a trajectory that will bring the vessels within a warning zone a trajectory alert is activated and when the two vessels enter into a warning zone, a collision warning is activated. An App on the smartphones may produce a display showing the location of the marine vessels and may produce the alerts when required. The smartphone may also communicate with other navigational system on the marine vessel to produce a display and alerts, such as through Bluetooth. The location of marine vessels may be acquired through the App, through a crowd-sourcing application, and/or through a carrier sourced location.

Abstract: A bike includes a frame having a front fork rotatably engaged with a front wheel, a rear fork rotatably engaged with a rear wheel, a handlebar supported for steering the bike, and a drive module configured to drive the rear wheel of the bike when operated selectively with power. The frame includes a down tube extending downward and rearward from the front end of the bike and a drive module enclosure formed at a second end of the down tube and defining a drive module receptacle to receive the drive module. An alignment structure is positioned between the drive module and the inner surface of the drive module enclosure. The drive module is positioned within the drive module receptacle to form an engagement between the alignment structure and the drive module to support a first portion the drive module within the drive module receptacle.

Abstract: An optical fiber array module that can accommodate variations in diameters of the optical fibers in the fiber array within anticipated tolerance, to accurately and securely retain the optical fibers in grooves in the module without using any solder interface or epoxy interface between the optical fibers and the supporting components. The fiber array module of the present invention relies on elasto-plastic interfaces for mechanical deformation, as opposed to solder reflow or epoxy curing, to accommodate variations in diameters of the optical fibers in the fiber array as supported in grooves between a substrate and a cover.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a simulated clutch function for an electric vehicle. One system includes a clutch input mechanism, one or more sensors providing signals representing a position of the clutch input mechanism, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine, based on the signals from the one or more sensors, whether the clutch input mechanism has been released from an engaged state, and, in response to determining that the clutch input mechanism has been released from the engaged state, the controller is configured to (i) determine a clutch multiplier, (ii) determine a clutch delivery time, and (iii) adjust a power curve mapping the position of a throttle mechanism to a power output based on the clutch multiplier and control power to a motor based on a position of a throttle input mechanism and the adjusted power curve for the clutch delivery time.

Abstract: A system for sensing multiple local electric voltages from endocardial surface of a heart, includes: an elongate tubular member having a lumen, a proximal end and a distal end; a plurality of flexible splines; an anchor for securably affixing the proximal portions of the splines, where the anchor is securably affixed within the lumen of the elongate tubular member at the distal end of the elongate tubular member; and a metallic tip for securably affixing the distal portions of the splines.

Abstract: An intervertebral implant for implantation in an intervertebral space between vertebrae. The implant includes a body extending from an upper surface to a lower surface. The body has a front end, a rear end and a pair of spaced apart first and second side walls extending between the front and rear walls such that an interior chamber is defined within the front and rear ends and the first and second walls. The body defines an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter extending about the internal chamber. At least one of the side walls is defined by a solid support structure and an integral porous structure, the porous structure extending from the outer perimeter to the inner perimeter. The porous structure embeds or encapsulates at least a portion of the solid support structure.

Abstract: Distractor and retractor systems and methods of using the same. A pedicle-based distractor assembly may include a base supporting a distraction rack, a pair of moveable arms coupled to the distraction rack, a connector at the end of each arm, each connector having a through-opening, and a pair of distractor elements each configured to attach to a pedicle screw. Each distractor element may be positioned through the through-opening in the respective connector. The distractor elements are modular such that different types of distractor elements, such as headless posts, pre-assembled posts, or minimally invasive towers, are interchangeable with the connectors. The assembly may also include a retractor assembly with a medial retractor blade for retracting soft tissue.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. A method can involve injection/infusion of the ablative fluid over an extended time period of at least 10 seconds or with two injections at two different penetration depths to reduce or eliminate patient pain during ablation.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: Distractor and retractor systems and methods of using the same. A pedicle-based distractor assembly may include a base supporting a distraction rack, a pair of moveable arms coupled to the distraction rack, a connector at the end of each arm, each connector having a through-opening, and a pair of distractor elements each configured to attach to a pedicle screw. Each distractor element may be positioned through the through-opening in the respective connector. The distractor elements are modular such that different types of distractor elements, such as headless posts, pre-assembled posts, or minimally invasive towers, are interchangeable with the connectors. The assembly may also include a retractor assembly with a medial retractor blade for retracting soft tissue.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intervertebral implant for implantation in an intervertebral space between vertebrae. The implant includes a body, an articulating element, and a blocking member. The articulating element can articulate in-situ, thereby allowing articulation of the spinal implant into a desired position within the disc space.

Abstract: A system to determine a binocular alignment, comprises a first optical unit, including a first display, to display images for a first eye, actuatable along a longitudinal direction according to a simulated distance and an optical power of the first eye, and a first eye tracker assembly, to track a gaze direction of the first eye, adjustable in a horizontal lateral direction to accommodate a pupillary distance of the first eye; and a second optical unit, including a second display, to display images for a second eye, actuatable along the longitudinal direction according to a simulated distance and an optical power of the second eye, and a second eye tracker assembly, to track a gaze direction of the second eye, adjustable in the horizontal lateral direction to accommodate a pupillary distance of the second eye; and a computer, to determine the binocular alignment based on the gaze directions.

Abstract: A power supply component comprising a supply node to provide a supply voltage and a supply line to provide a source voltage. The supply line comprising a source node that has a source voltage, and the supply line includes a supply line switch coupled between the source node and the supply node, wherein the supply line switch couples the source voltage to the supply node when the supply line switch is closed. A current diversion component diverts leakage current away from one or both of the source node and the supply node when the supply line switch is open.

Abstract: An energy delivery system comprises a power supply configured to generate a pulsed output voltage and a pulsed output current, and an over-energy protection (OEP) circuit coupled to the power supply. The OEP circuit senses the output current of the power supply and generates a sensed current signal, generates a charge-delivered signal from the sensed current signal that is representative of the charge delivered by the power supply over a time interval, and generates a fault signal that disables the power supply if the charge-delivered signal exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: A contour prism progressive lens has a position dependent optical power and a position dependent horizontal prism, and a distance-vision reference point and a near-vision reference point. It is characterized by a coordinate system with its vertical axis running through the distance-vision reference point and has an optical power at the near-vision power reference point that exceeds the optical power at the distance-vision reference point by a value between 0.25 diopter and 1.0 diopter. The horizontal prism on the vertical axis at a vertical coordinate of the near-vision reference point differs from the horizontal prism at the distance-vision reference point by more than 0.2 prism diopter base-in; and the optical power along a horizontal crosscut of the contour prism progressive lens through the near-vision reference point has a broad maximum where the region where the optical power is at least 85% of its peak is at least 5 mm wide.

Abstract: A contour prism lens, having a position dependent optical power and a position dependent horizontal prism, and having a distance-vision reference point and a near-vision reference point, the contour prism lens being characterized by a coordinate system with its vertical axis running through the distance-vision reference point, wherein: the optical power at the near-vision reference point exceeds the optical power at the distance-vision reference point by less than 0.5 diopter; the horizontal prism on the vertical axis at a vertical coordinate of the near-vision reference point differs from the horizontal prism at the distance-vision reference point by more than 0.2 prism diopter base-in; and the optical power along a horizontal crosscut of the contour prism lens through the near-vision reference point has a power plateau, where the optical power remains within a 0.1 diopter wide range throughout a horizontal region at least 5 mm wide, comprising the near-vision reference point.