Abstract: A system for delivering an implant device to a vascular site in a patient a delivery pusher apparatus, an implant device detachably connected to the delivery pusher apparatus by a tether having a distal end connected to a proximal end of the implant device, wherein the tether is substantially non-tensioned when connecting the implant device to the delivery pusher, and an electrical heating element configured coaxially around at least a portion of the tether, wherein heat generated by the heating element severs the tether at a point near the proximal end of the implant device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the lay-up of a composite laminate article, the article produced by this process, and the apparatus used to produce the composite laminate article. The composite laminate article may be, for example, an airfoil, particularly useful as a fan blade in a large high bypass ratio turbofan engine, wherein the blade is generally regarded as large and having a high degree of twist. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a process for laying up a composite laminate article comprising a) reading a data set to enable the projection of an image of a ply section onto a work surface, the image indicating a ply section target point; b) laying up a ply section of composite laminating material within the image, wherein the ply section first contacts the work surface at the target point; and c) repeating steps (a)-(b) until the composite laminate article is complete.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the lay-up of a composite laminate article, the article produced by this process, and the apparatus used to produce the composite laminate article. The composite laminate article may be, for example, an airfoil, particularly useful as a fan blade in a large high bypass ratio turbofan engine, wherein the blade is generally regarded as large and having a high degree of twist. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a process for laying up a composite laminate article comprising a) reading a data set to enable the projection of an image of a ply section onto a work surface, the image indicating a ply section target point; b) laying up a ply section of composite laminating material within the image, wherein the ply section first contacts the work surface at the target point; and c) repeating steps (a)-(b) until the composite laminate article is complete.

Abstract: A method of removing metallic compositions, such as abradable rub coatings, environmental coatings, bond coats and braze alloys, from the surface of a cobalt-base substrate, such as turbine shrouds and vanes of gas turbine engines. The method is particularly suited for the removal of nickel-base braze alloys and aluminum-containing coatings, the latter of which includes abradable MCrAlY coatings and environmentally-protective diffusion aluminide coatings. The process generally entails contacting such metallic compositions with an aqueous solution containing hydrochloric acid and nitric acid and at a solution temperature of about 130.degree. F. to about 180.degree. F. The solution completely removes nickel-base alloys and aluminum-containing compositions from a cobalt-base substrate without removal or damage to the underlying substrate.