Abstract: The present invention provides novel medical devices for use in surgical procedures and methods for manufacturing novel medical devices. In some embodiments, the novel medical devices can include surgical needles that are capable of being repeatedly passed through tissue using minimal force. More particularly, the surgical needles can be manufactured with one or more coatings that provide the surgical needles with both durability and lubricity for ease of repeated and successive passes through tissue. Novel methods for manufacturing the surgical needles and for providing and applying coatings to the surgical needles are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved medical devices for use in surgical procedures and methods for manufacturing improved medical devices. In some embodiments, the improved medical devices can include improved surgical needles that are capable of being repeatedly passed through tissue using minimal force. More particularly, the improved surgical needles can be manufactured with two or more different coatings that provide the surgical needles with both durability and lubricity for ease of repeated and successive passes through tissue. Improved methods for manufacturing the surgical needles and for providing and applying coatings to the surgical needles are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing admission control and bandwidth allocation from a centralized network location in a communications system which supports various IP based services are described. Admission control is performed based on user interaction with a Web interface hosted by a centralized control. Users may subscribe/unsubscribe to premium (e.g., high bandwidth) services. Admission control to the premium services is controlled by the centralized control. The control interfaces with a gateway (edge) router which implements service decisions. The centralized control maintains a database of the users, links in the network, network elements, and estimates of allocated/free bandwidth on the links. In some embodiments, traffic, not under centralized control, e.g., from business switches and/or legacy gateway routers may be injected onto the network links. Load estimation methods are used to account for bandwidth consumed on the links by this injected traffic.

Abstract: An over-center self adjusting cap chuck adapted for operative attachment to a high-speed capping machine includes a housing having an outer peripheral surface defining an inner annular periphery with an interior face. A plurality of independent engagement jaws are aligned along an annular area of, or within a pocket area of, the interior face. Each engagement jaw has a fastener to connect the engagement jaw to the housing and establish a pivot point to support a limited axial rotational movement thereof to a first open axial position and a second closed axial position for receiving and gripping a work piece respectively. Either a singular bias spring or a pair of bias springs pre-dispose the engagement jaws to the first open axial position.

Abstract: An information storage device includes a cradle which can removably receive a cartridge that contains a rotatable hard disk. A read/write head is supported for movement adjacent the disk by a pivotal actuator arm. The cradle controls alignment of the head with the disk using feedback servo tracking. Servo parameters needed by the cradle to perform this tracking may be stored in a special wide track which is on the disk, and which may be a read-only track. Alternatively, the track may store updated firmware that can be loaded into the cradle. One approach to reading this special wide track is to effect servo tracking using default servo parameters. A different approach is to bias the actuator arm against a mechanical stop.

Abstract: An information storage device (10, 510, 610, 710) includes a cradle (12, 512, 612, 712) which can removably receive a cartridge (11, 411, 511, 611, 711). The cartridge contains a rotatably supported disk (91, 326-327), and a pivotal actuator arm (101) which supports a read/write head (107, 331-334) for movement adjacent the disk. A coil (117) on the arm interacts with an external magnetic field to effect pivotal movement of the arm. The cartridge may contain a spin motor (92) for effecting rotation of a disk. A preamplifier (111) and an electrostatic discharge buffer (112) are provided for the head. A read-only memory (186) contains characteristic information about the cartridge, and an hour meter (191) contains information about the cumulative amount of time that the cartridge has been used. A connector (71) is provided to electrically couple external circuitry to electrical components within the cartridge.

Abstract: An information storage device (10, 510, 610, 710) includes a cradle (12, 512, 612, 712) which can removably receive a cartridge (11, 411, 511, 611, 711). The cartridge has a sealed housing (59) which contains a rotatably supported disk (91, 326-327), and a pivotal actuator arm (101) that supports a magnetic head (107, 331-334) for movement adjacent the disk. When the cartridge is removed from the cradle, the head is moved to a parked position with respect to the disk, in which a magnetically permeable part (116) on the actuator arm is in close proximity to a magnetic arrangement (141) disposed within the housing. The magnetic arrangement exerts a strong magnetic force that resists movement of the arm and head away from the parked position. The cradle has a shunt (142) which, when the cartridge is removably inserted, interacts with the magnetic field through a wall of the sealed housing, in a manner which reduces the effective magnetic force that tends to retain the arm and head in the parked position.

Abstract: In a magnetic or optical disk drive the integrity of data written on a disk is verified by writing data to a portion of the disk, and immediately reading the data from the disk after it has been written. If there is error in reading the data and/or the data read from the disk is substantially different from the data written to the disk an error condition is generated. The error condition may be reporting the error to the host which decides whether to rewrite the data or immediately rewriting the data without further instructions from the host.

Abstract: A novel respiratory gas analyzer employs optical fibers to facilitate in-stream, multiple component infrared analysis. In one embodiment, the analyzer (10) includes an infrared source (12), entrance optics (14), a sample chamber (20), exit optics (24) and a detector assembly (28). One or both of the entrance optics (14) and exit optics (24) includes infrared optical fibers. In this manner, the source (12) and or detector assembly (28) can be located away from the patient (22) as may be desired. In addition, the fiber optic implementation reduces system complexity and optical alignment concerns.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for brazing a metal object to a ceramic surface defining a recess for receiving the metal object where the space between the metal object and the ceramic surface defining the recess inhibits the establishment of the oxygen depleted environment necessary to establish a reliable braze joint. The present invention includes the use of a material having a high affinity for oxygen that is positioned adjacent to the space between the metal object and the ceramic surface defining the recess and serves to pull or draw oxygen from the space to establish the oxygen depleted environment required to produce a reliable braze joint.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for use in determining the components of an inputted gas mixture. The apparatus includes a single piece body or framework preferably made of a high insulating material, such as ceramic. The body includes a number of cut-outs for receiving or incorporating hardware used in generating ions, controlling their movement, and directing them to an ion collector plate. One of the cut-outs formed in the insulating body receives an ion source assembly. Another of the cutouts is a passageway with metallized material coated along the walls thereof for use in generating an electric field. A third cut-out receives and is associated with a magnet assembly used in directing ion movement towards the collector plate. The single body and cut-out construction reduces the number of individual parts, improves the assembly of such parts and reduces adjustment time associated with such parts.