Surgical stapling apparatus

A surgical stapling apparatus, including a frame, an endoscopic portion, a clamp handle, a firing handle, a tool assembly and a drive beam is disclosed. The endoscopic portion extends distally from the frame. The clamp handle is disposed on the frame and in mechanical cooperation with a drive member. The firing handle is disposed on the frame and in mechanical cooperation with at least one firing rod. The tool assembly includes an anvil, a cartridge assembly and a camming surface and is supported adjacent a distal end of the endoscopic portion. Actuation of the clamp handle moves the drive beam into engagement with the camming surface. Actuation of the firing handle moves the firing rod through an opening in the drive beam to eject surgical fasteners from the cartridge assembly.

Low oxygen in vivo analyte sensor

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous and subcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.

Visual voicemail management

A voicemail message management system and method are provided. A list of voicemail messages is displayed on a screen such as a cellular telephone screen. Indicators specify whether messages are new, urgent, saved, not yet heard, and the like. Other attributes can also be displayed, including for example indications as to source of a message, message duration, date/time, caller, urgent or private, and the like. These indicators provide guidance to the user for selecting which messages he or she would like to hear at a given time. The user can listen to messages, delete them, move them, categorize them, and perform other operations in any order the user chooses.

Valve prosthesis systems and methods

Valve prostheses are disclosed that are adapted for secure and aligned placement relative to a heart annulus. The valve prostheses may be placed in a non-invasive manner, e.g., via trans-catheter techniques, and may be positioned/repositioned until proper alignment and positioning is achieved. The valve prosthesis may include a resilient ring, a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring, and a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the flexible ring, each of the positioning elements defining a first tissue engaging region and a second tissue engaging region spaced from the first tissue engaging region. The positioning elements are adapted to substantially completely invert by rotating relative to the resilient ring between a first position in which each of the first and second tissue engaging regions is inwardly directed for facilitating positioning of the valve prosthesis within a delivery catheter, and a second position in which each of the first and second tissue engaging regions is outwardly directed for engaging tissue. The valve prosthesis may also include a valve skirt mounted with respect to the resilient ring.

Pro-Angiogenic Polymer Scaffolds

A pro-angiogenic porous polymer scaffold is disclosed. The polymer has at least 20 mol-% monomeric subunits containing acidic functional groups, and has a porosity of at least 40%. The pores in the scaffold are interconnected. A method of making such a scaffold using a novel adaptation to the traditional solvent casting/particulate leaching technique is also disclosed. The scaffold may be used for tissue regeneration.

Fully automated control system for type 1 diabetes

An augmented, adaptive algorithm utilizing model predictive control (MPC) is developed for closed-loop glucose control in type 1 diabetes. A linear empirical input-output subject model is used with an MPC algorithm to regulate blood glucose online, where the subject model is recursively adapted, and the control signal for delivery of insulin and a counter-regulatory agent such as glucagon is based solely on online glucose concentration measurements. The MPC signal is synthesized by optimizing an augmented objective function that minimizes local insulin accumulation in the subcutaneous depot and control signal aggressiveness, while simultaneously regulating glucose concentration to a preset reference set point. The mathematical formulation governing the subcutaneous accumulation of administered insulin is derived based on nominal temporal values pertaining to the pharmacokinetics (timecourse of activity) of insulin in human, in terms of its absorption rate, peak absorption time, and overall time of action.

Systems and Methods For Placement of Valve Prosthesis System

Valve prosthesis systems and methods/systems for placement of such valve prostheses are provided that facilitate efficient, reliable and minimally invasive delivery modalities. The placement systems and methods permit remote manipulation and positioning of the valve prosthesis such that desirable placement relative to anatomical structures, e.g., the heart annulus, may be achieved. The valve prosthesis includes a resilient ring, a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring, and a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the flexible ring. The delivery system includes a first elongate element that terminates at the valve prosthesis and is manipulable by an operator to remotely rotate the positioning elements relative to the flexible ring. A second elongate element terminates at the valve prosthesis and is manipulable by an operator to remotely advance the valve prosthesis downward into an anatomical annulus. The second elongate element may be manipulated to remotely advance the valve prosthesis into the anatomical annulus to assume a position for supporting post-implantation function of the valve prosthesis in situ. The first elongate element may be further manipulated to remotely rotate the positioning element relative to the flexible ring to cause the positioning element to engage tissue associated with the anatomical annulus and to thereby maintain the post-implantation position of the valve prosthesis in situ. Methods for valve prosthesis deployment are also provided.

ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of the present invention includes: an ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit for receiving an echo signal; dynamic blood flow detection unit for calculating a predetermined detection value based on dynamic blood flow in a test subject based on the echo signal; a luminance value conversion unit for converting the predetermined detection value into a luminance value; a luminance value replacement unit retaining luminance value conversion information; and a comparison unit for comparing a first luminance value in one frame with a second luminance value in the frame immediately preceding the one frame, out of the luminance values outputted from the luminance value conversion unit, wherein the comparison unit is adapted to output either the first luminance value or a third luminance value which is not larger than the absolute value of the second luminance value, based on the comparison result and the luminance value replacement information.

High temperature ALD inlet manifold

A system and method for distributing one or more gases to an atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor. An integrated inlet manifold block mounted over a showerhead assembly includes high temperature (up to 200° C.) rated valves mounted directly thereto, and short, easily purged reactant lines. Integral passageways and metal seals avoid o-rings and attendant dead zones along flow paths. The manifold includes an internal inert gas channel for purging reactant lines within the block inlet manifold

FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR HAVING AN INTERLAYER DIELECTRIC MATERIAL HAVING INCREASED INTRINSIC STRESS

By providing a highly stressed interlayer dielectric material, the performance of at least one type of transistor may be increased due to an enhanced strain-inducing mechanism. For instance, by providing a highly compressive silicon dioxide of approximately 400 Mega Pascal and more as an interlayer dielectric material, the drive current of the P-channel transistors may be increased by 2% and more while not unduly affecting the performance of the N-channel transistors.