Abstract: Radiopaque polymers have a main chain and a plurality of amide groups which have bound to the amide nitrogen atom thereof an organohalide group that is pendant to the polymer main chain, the organo halide group including one or more iodine and/or bromine atoms thereon. The polymer may be a modified polyamide polymer, copolymer or block copolymer or a modified poly(meth)acrylamide or (meth)acrylamide copolymer or block copolymer. The polymers may be employed in medical devices and are useful for instance to track the movement of a catheter through the body or the inflation of a balloon at a site. The polymers may be made by coupling reactions performed on preexisting amide polymers.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, implantable or insertable medical devices are provided, which contain one or more composite regions. These composite regions, in turn, contain (a) a polymeric component comprising a vinyl aromatic polymer and (b) a ceramic component comprising a metal or semi-metal oxide.

Abstract: Spindle speed probes and spindles including such speed probes. The speed probe is arranged to sense the speed of rotation of a shaft making use of a magneto resistive sensor. The magneto resistive sensor is arranged in a stack with a circuit board substrate, an electronics module and a permanent magnet. An additional magnet may be provided to provide additional drag to help prevent undesirable windmilling.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to an implantable medical device for delivering a therapeutic agent to the body tissue of a patient, and a method for making such a medical device. In particular, the invention pertains to an implantable medical device, such as an intravascular stent, having a coating comprising an inorganic or ceramic oxide, such as titanium oxide, and a therapeutic agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing blood component products. In one embodiment, a plurality of a predetermined type of blood component is harvested from a source of whole blood. At least two on-line yield determination techniques are utilized to determine the yield for the harvested blood components. One is a predetermined yield prediction technique and the second is a predetermined yield monitoring technique, each of which are individually calibrated in relation to a predetermined off-line yield determination technique. The predetermined yield prediction and monitoring techniques each provide the yield for the harvested blood components and each is then utilized to provide a determined yield. Consequently, when the harvested blood components are packaged the determined yield my be associated therewith, thereby providing a blood component product.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to hybrid polymers, methods of making such hybrid polymers, and medical devices that include the hybrid polymers. Such hybrid polymers are suitable for forming biomaterials in a predetermined shape for use in medical devices and medical device components. The hybrid polymers of the present disclosure are formed through a reactive extrusion process prior to being formed into the predetermined shape of the medical device or medical device component.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for fast satellite antenna acquisition via signal identification. The method and apparatus operate by positioning a satellite antenna using signal identification in order to reduce false satellite signal locks and missed detections and speed the acquisition of the correct satellite.

Abstract: Implantable or insertable medical devices are described, which include one or more polymeric regions and one or more therapeutic agents. The polymeric regions, which regulate the release of one or more therapeutic agent from the medical device, contain copolymer molecules, each of which includes one or more soft segments and one or more uniform hard segments (e.g., polyamide segments that do not vary in length from molecule to molecule, among others).

Abstract: Polymeric hybrid precursors, mixtures of polymeric hybrid precursors and polymers, and polymer composite matrices prepared from the mixture of the polymeric hybrid precursors and the polymer. The mixture of the polymeric hybrid precursors and the polymer can undergo a process to form the polymer composite matrix having a cross-linked network of a silasesquioxane based polymer formed from the polymeric hybrid precursors that interpenetrates the polymer. The polymeric hybrid precursors include chemical linkage moieties that are capable of forming non-covalent bonds with portions of the polymer. The polymer composite matrices are useful as biomaterials in medical devices.

Abstract: Nanoparticle precursor structures, nanoparticle structures, and composite materials that include the nanoparticle structures in a polymer to form a composite material. The nanoparticle structures have chemical linkage moieties capable of forming non-covalent bonds with portions of a polymer for the composite material. Such composite materials are useful as biomaterials in medical devices.

Abstract: Reinforced copolymers formed from a functionalized copolymer that undergoes a reactive extrusion process with an inorganic component to form the reinforced copolymer. The functionalized copolymer in the form of a block and/or graft copolymer includes hard segments and soft segments, where the soft segments are covalently bonded with a coupling agent either before or after copolymerization with the hard segments. The reinforced copolymer of the present disclosure can be suitable for use as a biomaterial and/or in medical devices.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compounds from which nanofibers can be produced, the resulting nanofibers produced from the compounds, and nanofiber reinforced polymers prepared using the nanofibers and a polymer. The compounds used in forming the nanofibers include chemical linkage moieties that are capable of forming non-covalent bonds with portions of the polymer so as to form the nanofiber reinforced polymers. The nanofiber reinforced polymers are useful as biomaterials in medical devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle mountable satellite antenna as defined in the claims which is operable while the vehicle is in motion. The satellite antenna of the present invention can be installed on top of (or embedded into) the roof of a vehicle. The antenna is capable of providing high gain and a narrow antenna beam for aiming at a satellite direction and enabling broadband communication to vehicle. The present invention provides a vehicle mounted satellite antenna which has low axial ratio, high efficiency and has low grating lobes gain. The vehicle mounted satellite antenna of the present invention provides two simultaneous polarization states.

Abstract: The present invention relates to use of a smart antenna for a RF reader on a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system to significantly increase the operating range of the RFID system. The smart antenna can be an adaptive antenna array. The smart antenna comprises a plurality of antenna elements and, by combining the signals from multiple antenna elements, significantly increases the received signal-to-noise ratio. In a noise limited environment, combining the signals to maximize the received signal-to-noise ratio can be based on the maximal ratio combining (MRC) principle. To achieve the best signal quality, the received signal from each antenna can be phase-shifted such that the resultant signals from all antennas are in phase. In addition, the signal from each antenna can be scaled in amplitude based on the square root of its received signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for determining whether a responder is who he or she claims to be, by evaluating responses to a series of questions drawn from various data providers, e.g. real estate data about the responder's house; family members from other publicly available sources; etc. The invention also comprises a novel empirically-derived scoring component that is used to evaluate the likelihood that correct/incorrect responses to the multiple choice questions is fraud, i.e. an impersonator.

Abstract: Particulate materials useful as fillers, reinforcing agents, radioopacifiers, or impact modifiers. The particulate material has an average particle size range of about 10,000 nm or less and comprises an organic-inorganic hybrid material that has a ceramic material network having organic polymer segments distributed throughout the ceramic network. The ceramic network may be prepared by a sol-gel technique. The particulate material may be compounded in thermoplastic polymer compositions useful in a variety of applications such as preparation of medical device components.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, internal medical devices are provided which include one or more extruded regions, each of which may be formed from one or more extruded portions, which extruded portions may, in turn, contain one or more polyelectrolyte species. The one or more extruded regions may be, for example, at least partially freestanding or at least partially disposed over a substrate. The one or more extruded regions may be formed, for example, using various processes.

Abstract: A shaped medical device article prepared from a polymer melt composition comprising a polymer ester, a transesterification catalyst, and a tri- or tetraalkoxy silane, by forming and solidifying said composition, and after solidification, subjecting the composition to reaction conditions to effect hydrolysis at least some alkoxysilyl groups remaining in the composition to form silanol groups and to effect condensation of said silanol groups to form a ceramic network.

Abstract: A medical device having at least one composite region thereon formed of composite material comprising a polymer and a fluorinated sol-gel derived ceramic. The composite material is useful as a coating material for imparting a low coefficient of friction to a substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides one or more powered wireless transceivers and/or one or more passive wireless transceivers networked to one another, a method for making same and the method of using these devices for locating, tracking and identifying each other, the products in which they are implemented and/or the person, animal or thing holding, maintaining or transporting the device with possible interaction among the devices. Specifically, the invention concerns keeping groups of devices within a certain range of one another, even as they may move around.