Support structures and methods of using the same

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for forming an anastomosis between adjacent intestinal sections of tissue is provided. The apparatus includes an anastomosis device having an anvil and a tubular body portion, wherein the anvil is selectively attachable to the tubular body portion by a shaft; and a support structure for deposition between the intestinal sections of tissue. The support structure includes a body defining an aperture therein for receiving the shaft. The body has an outer terminal edge. The support structure includes at least one layer of expandable material disposed at the outer terminal edge of the body.

SURGICAL STAPLES HAVING COMPRESSIBLE OR CRUSHABLE MEMBERS FOR SECURING TISSUE THEREIN AND STAPLING INSTRUMENTS FOR DEPLOYING THE SAME

A staple having a crown, a deformable leg extending from the crown, and a spring extending from the crown configured to compress tissue between the spring and the deformable member. Owing to the flexibility of the spring, the staple can accommodate a wide range of tissue thicknesses while still compressing the tissue captured therein. As a result, a single staple design can be used in a wide variety of surgical procedures thereby reducing the amount of staple designs that must be provided to the surgeon. In at least one embodiment, the staple includes a crushable member. This crushable member can include a plastically deformable first portion and an elastically deformable second portion. The present invention can also include, in various embodiments, a crown, a first deformable member extending from the crown, and means for compressing the tissue against the first deformable member.

Low profile cutting assembly with a return spring

A forceps that includes a housing, a cutting assembly, and an actuator. The housing has a shaft attached thereto that extends therefrom and is configured to support a pair of jaw members at a distal end thereof. The jaw members are movable to grasp tissue therebetween. The cutting assembly includes a spring element that has proximal and distal ends. The proximal end of the spring element is fixed to a boss disposed within the housing and the distal end of the spring element includes a cutting edge. The spring element is coiled at a proximal end thereof to create a spring bias against the boss. The actuator is operably coupled to the spring element and is configured to selectively advance the cutting edge of the spring element into the jaw members against the spring bias to sever tissue disposed therebetween.

Methods and materials for making and using transgenic dicamba-degrading organisms

The invention provides isolated and at least partially-purified dicamba-degrading enzymes, isolated DNA molecules coding for dicamba-degrading enzymes, DNA constructs coding for dicamba-degrading enzymes, transgenic host cells comprising DNA coding for dicamba-degrading enzymes, and transgenic plants and plant parts comprising one or more cells comprising DNA coding for dicamba-degrading enzymes. Expression of the dicamba-degrading enzymes results in the production of dicamba-degrading organisms, including dicamba-tolerant plants. The invention further provides a method of controlling weeds in a field containing the transgenic dicamba-tolerant plants of the invention and a method of decontaminating a material containing dicamba comprising applying an effective amount of a transgenic microorganism or dicamba-degrading enzyme(s) of the invention to the material. Finally, the invention provides a method of selecting transformed plants and plant cells based on dicamba tolerance and a method of selecting or screening transformed host cells, intact organisms and parts of organisms based on the fluorescence of 3,6-dichlorosalicylic acid produced as a result of dicamba degradation.

Electric wheeled apparatus

An electric wheeled apparatus comprises a main body, at least one wheel supported by the main body in a rotatable manner; an electric motor configured to apply torque to the at least one wheel, a battery interface configured to removably receive at least one battery pack which is originally designed as a power source of an electric power tool, and an electric circuit unit configured to electrically connect the at least one battery pack attached to the battery interface with the electric motor.

SELF-CONTAINED PORTABLE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE WITH LOCK-ON ELECTRIC POWER PACK

A self-contained portable electrical appliance (10) includes: an electrical unit (12); an electric power pack (14); the unit (12) including a handgrip (28) which extends in a handgrip direction Y-Y, the handgrip (28) removably connecting the unit (12) and the pack (14) in a coupled position, the handgrip (28) and the pack (14) including a first locking element (36) and a second locking element which are designed to lock together in the coupled position, the first locking element (36) being able to move between a rest position and an unlocked position. The first locking element (36) is able to move in terms of rotation between its locked and released position about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the handgrip direction Y-Y.

COMMAND AND CONTROL UTILIZING ANCILLARY INFORMATION IN A MOBILE VOICE-TO-SPEECH APPLICATION

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for controlling a mobile communication facility utilizing ancillary information comprising accepting speech presented by a user using a resident capture facility on the mobile communication facility while the user engages an interface that enables a command mode for the mobile communications facility; processing the speech using a resident speech recognition facility to recognize command elements and content elements; transmitting at least a portion of the speech through a wireless communication facility to a remote speech recognition facility; transmitting information from the mobile communication facility to the remote speech recognition facility, wherein the information includes information about a command recognizable by the resident speech recognition facility and at least one of language, location, display type, model, identifier, network provider, and phone number associated with the mobile communication facility; generating speech-to-text results utilizing the remote speech recognition facility based at least in part on the speech and on the information related to the mobile communication facility; and transmitting the text results for use on the mobile communications facility.

Systems and methods for complex event processing of vehicle information and image information relating to a vehicle

A vehicle-based complex event processing (CEP) engine executes on a hardware computer processor in a vehicle. The CEP engine receives a first input stream onto which vehicle information related to the vehicle is published, and applies at least one query to the first input stream. The CEP engine then assesses, based on application of the query/queries, if a vehicle-related event has occurred and, if so, the CEP engine publishes an indication of occurrence of the vehicle-related event on at least one output stream of the CEP engine. In one example, the CEP engine may receive a second input stream onto which image information is published, wherein the image information is based at least in part on data provided by at least one on-board vehicle camera.

Replaceable upper chamber parts of plasma processing apparatus

An upper chamber section of a plasma reaction chamber includes a ceramic window with blind bores in an upper surface for receipt of a thermal couple and a resistance temperature detector, a top chamber interface which comprises an upper surface which vacuum seals against the bottom of the window and a gas injection system comprising 8 side injectors mounted in the sidewall of the top chamber interface and a gas delivery system comprising tubing which provides symmetric gas flow to the 8 injectors from a single gas feed connection.

METHOD FOR TREATING SURFACES, LAMP FOR SAID METHOD, AND IRRADIATION SYSTEM HAVING SAID LAMP

The invention relates to a method for treating, particularly cleaning, modifying, and/or activating surfaces, using UV/VUV irradiation of a UV/VUV lamp and additional gas discharge. A dielectric barrier discharge lamp (1) is preferably used as the UV/VUV lamp, comprising a planar window segment (7) for emitting the UV/VUV radiation. The lamp (1) extends into a process chamber (17). The additional gas discharge is generated in the region of the outer side of the window segment (7) of the lamp (1). The substrate to be treated is disposed within the process chamber (17), near the window segment (7).