Tissue thickness compensator for a surgical stapler

A fastener cartridge can comprise a support portion, a tissue thickness compensator positioned relative to the support portion, and a plurality of fasteners positioned within the support portion and/or the tissue thickness compensator which can be utilized to fasten tissue. In use, the fastener cartridge can be positioned in a first jaw of a surgical fastening device, wherein a second jaw, or anvil, can be positioned opposite the first jaw. To deploy the fasteners, a staple-deploying member is advanced through the fastener cartridge to move the fasteners toward the anvil. As the fasteners are deployed, the fasteners can capture at least a portion of the tissue thickness compensator therein along with at least a portion of the tissue being fastened.

Surgical cutting instrument that analyzes tissue thickness

A surgical instrument with a tissue-clamping end effector, where actuation of the instrument is locked out when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within a specified thickness range. The end effector may comprise a tissue thickness module that senses the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector. The surgical instrument also comprises a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness module. The control circuit prevents actuation of a working portion of the end effector when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within the specified thickness range.

Catheter with improved irrigated tip electrode having two-piece construction, and method of manufacturing therefor

A catheter has a two-piece tip electrode with a shell and a support structure that are secured to each other by multiple redundant mechanisms in order to reduce the risk of tip detachment during a procedure. The tip electrode includes at least two different welds attaching the shell to the support structure to provide a dual failure mode. One weld includes a seam weld and another weld includes a penetration weld.

Blood pressure monitor with valve-chamber assembly

A blood pressure measurement system is provided that includes an inflatable cuff, a valve assembly and chamber assembly. The chamber assembly can house a gas canister for providing gas to the inflatable cuff. The valve assembly can include a valve having a high pressure cavity, a low pressure cavity, and a channel providing a gas pathway between the high pressure cavity and the low pressure cavity. The valve assembly can further include a channel cover and spring in the high pressure cavity. The spring can exert a force on the channel cover to create a seal between the high pressure cavity and the channel. The valve assembly can further include a rod extending through the channel and exerting a force on the channel cover to create a gas pathway between the high pressure cavity and the channel.

Dissection tip and introducer for surgical instrument

The present disclosure describes a surgical fastener applying apparatus that includes an elongate body portion having proximal and distal ends, an end effector including a first movably coupled to a second jaw that is positioned at the distal end of the elongate body portion, and an introducer member. The introducer member has proximal and distal portions, and is configured and dimensioned for releasable connection with the end effector. The introducer member is at least partially formed from a flexible material, and is configured and dimensioned to separate target tissue from collateral tissue prior to positioning of the target tissue between the first and second jaws of the end effector.

Methods and systems for identifying errors in a speech recognition system

Methods are disclosed for identifying possible errors made by a speech recognition system without using a transcript of words input to the system. A method for model adaptation for a speech recognition system includes determining an error rate, corresponding to either recognition of instances of a word or recognition of instances of various words, without using a transcript of words input to the system. The method may further include adjusting an adaptation, of the model for the word or various models for the various words, based on the error rate. Apparatus are disclosed for identifying possible errors made by a speech recognition system without using a transcript of words input to the system. An apparatus for model adaptation for a speech recognition system includes a processor adapted to estimate an error rate, corresponding to either recognition of instances of a word or recognition of instances of various words, without using a transcript of words input to the system. The apparatus may further include a controller adapted to adjust an adaptation of the model for the word or various models for the various words, based on the error rate.

Method of programming the default cable interface software in an indicia reading device

An indicia reading apparatus includes an interconnect cable and an indicia reading device. The indicia reading device is configured so that, if the indicia reader device is not configured to any interconnect cable and detects an indicia which does not contain one of a plurality of specified sequences of data elements that the indicia reading device will recognize and use to configure itself to operate with the interconnect cable, the indicia reading device will indicate to the user of the indicia reading device that the indicia reading device needs to be configured to operate with the interconnect cable.

Service desk data transfer interface

A system and method for managing data transfer operations includes at least one data server including data stored in a plurality of data fields, at least one transaction server operatively coupled to the at least one data server and configured to provide at least one customizable business rule and a customer relationship application, an information server operatively coupled to the at least one transaction server, and at least one workstation operatively coupled to the information server. The least one workstation includes local memory accessible to the customer relationship application and configured to provide web communication and presentation services to a user of the at least one workstation that are deployed on the information server. The at least one customizable business rule specifies a mapping between the plurality of data fields and the local memory, the mapping having been provided by the user interacting with the web communication and presentation services.

Feedback for optic positioning in display devices

A method of detecting eye location for a head-mounted display system includes directing positioning light to an eye of a user and detecting the positioning light reflected from the eye of the user. The method further includes determining a distance between the eye and a near-eye optic of the head-mounted display system based on attributes of the detected positioning light, and providing feedback for adjusting the distance between the eye and the near-eye optic.

Method and system of classification in a natural language user interface

A method and system are provided for processing natural language user queries for commanding a user interface to perform functions. Individual user queries are classified in accordance with the types of functions and a plurality of user queries may be related to define a particular command. To assist with classification, a query type for each user query is determined where the query type is one of a functional query requesting a particular new command to perform a particular type of function, an entity query relating to an entity associated with the particular new command having the particular type of function and a clarification query responding to a clarification question posed to clarify a prior user query having the particular type of function. Functional queries may be processed using a plurality of natural language processing techniques and scores from each technique combined to determine which type of function is commanded.