Staple cartridge

A surgical stapling instrument and, in addition, a staple cartridge comprising a cutting member positioned therein. The staple cartridge can comprise alignment features configured to align the cutting member of the staple cartridge with a distal end of a drive bar when the staple cartridge is assembled to the surgical stapling instrument.

Surgical instrument and loading unit for use therewith

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a handle assembly having a movable handle; an endoscopic portion extending distally from the handle and defining a longitudinal axis; a pair of jaw members; and a drive assembly. The jaw members are disposed adjacent a distal end of the endoscopic portion and extend generally distally therefrom. Each jaw member is longitudinally curved with respect to the longitudinal axis. At least one jaw member is movable with respect to the other between open and approximated positions. A first jaw member includes a channel having a longitudinally-extending slot therein. The drive assembly is advanced distally through at least a portion of the length of the jaw members in response to at least a partial actuation of the movable handle. A lower portion of the drive assembly is configured and dimensioned to travel at least partially within the longitudinally-extending slot of the channel.

Surgical stapling apparatus with curved cartridge and anvil assemblies

A surgical instrument is designed for clamping, cutting, and/or joining tissue. This surgical instrument includes a handle portion, an elongate portion extending distally from the handle portion, first and second jaw members disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, a shaft movable upon actuation of the handle portion, and a knife bar operatively coupled to the shaft. At least one of the jaw members is movable with respect to the other between an open position and an approximated position for engaging body tissue therebetween. The knife bar has a curved profile and moves along at least one of the jaw members upon movement of the shaft.

Multi-services application gateway and system employing the same

An intelligent gateway device provided at a premises (home or business) for providing and managing application services associated with use and support of a plurality of digital endpoint devices associated with the premises. The device implements includes a communications and processing infrastructure integrated with a peer and presence messaging based communications protocol for enabling communications between the device and an external support network and between the device and connected digital endpoint devices. A services framework at the gateway device implements the communications and processing infrastructure for enabling service management, service configuration and authentication of user of services at the intelligent gateway. The framework providing a storage and execution environment for supporting and executing received service logic modules relating to use, management and support of the digital endpoint devices. Thus, the gateway devices provides a network-based services point of presence for a plurality of digital endpoint devices at the premises.

MITRAL VALVE REPLACEMENT WITH ATRIAL ANCHORING

A prosthetic mitral valve assembly and method of inserting the same is disclosed. In certain disclosed embodiments, the prosthetic mitral valve assembly includes a stent and valve combination. The stent is designed so that the anchoring portion is positioned above the annulus of the mitral valve and in the left atrium. The stent is radially expandable so that it can expand into position against the walls of the left atrium and accommodate a wide range of anatomies. Contact between the stent and the native tissue in the left atrium reduces paravalvular leakage and prevents migration of the stent once in place.

CLIP PACKAGE, MULTIPLE CLIP APPLICATOR SYSTEM, AND PREVENTION DEVICE FOR PREVENTING MISMATCH

A multiple clip applicator system for tissue clamping of hemostasis includes clip devices of a train and a flexible sheath. To load the flexible sheath with clip devices, a coupling device is used. A shaft head is positioned on an operating wire in the flexible sheath. A receiving opening is formed in the coupling device, for receiving insertion of the shaft head, for mating by press-fit with the fastening clip device. The shaft head is a selected one of plural shaft heads which are different in a shape according to the plural multiple clip assemblies. The receiving opening is a selected one of plural receiving openings having a shape according to corresponding shapes of the plural shaft heads, and adapted to preventing a second shaft head from entry in a first receiving opening and preventing a first shaft head from entry in a second receiving opening.

Ear sensor

An ear sensor provides a sensor body having a base, legs extending from the base and an optical housing disposed at ends of the legs opposite the base. An optical assembly is disposed in the housing. The sensor body is flexed so as to position the housing over a concha site. The sensor body is unflexed so as to attach the housing to the concha site and position the optical assembly to illuminate the concha site. The optical assembly is configured to transmit optical radiation into concha site tissue and receive the optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood flow within the tissue.

Safety features for portable electronic device

A portable device includes a safety feature that prevents some forms of use when the device is moving. The device may detect its speed or movement, compare that to a threshold, and provide a response or blocking function upon exceeding that threshold. The device may be a cell phone configured to disable transmission and reception of voice/text, conceal its display screen, and disable incorporated features and functions, if the cell phone is moving faster than walking speed or the movement is uncharacteristic of walking. The blocking function may be partially overridden based on a safety policy, which can be managed and customized. The introduction of hands-free devices may serve to override a blocking function and enable other functions.

System and methods for processing analyte sensor data

Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.

Methods and apparatus for assessing physiological conditions

Monitoring apparatus and methods are provided for assessing a physiological condition of a subject. At least two types of physiological information are detected from a subject via a portable monitoring device associated with the subject, and an assessment of a physiological condition of the subject is made using the at least two types of physiological information, wherein each type of physiological information is individually insufficient to make the physiological condition assessment. Environmental information from a vicinity of a subject also may be detected, and an assessment of a physiological condition of the subject may be made using the environmental information in combination with the physiological information. Exemplary physiological information may include subject heart rate, subject activity level, subject tympanic membrane temperature, and subject breathing rate. Exemplary environmental information may include humidity level information in the vicinity of the subject. An exemplary physiological condition assessment may be subject hydration level.