Abstract:
A system includes components that allow the user to select how to perform disc diagnosis with the components of the system. The system components include a FAD catheter, a guidewire and stylet, in which both the guidewire and stylet are compatible with the catheter. The user may select to insert the catheter into the disc with a stylet included in the system. The user may also select to insert the catheter into the disc with the guidewire included in the system, for example after the guidewire has been placed with a rigid needle.
Abstract:
A catheter with a balloon anchor may be sized to fit through an inner needle and introduced into the patient through the needle. The inner needle may comprise an atraumatic needle with a side port and/or a blunt tip. The catheter may include a radiopaque coil disposed over the distal portion of the catheter body to assist with catheter placement when viewed with fluoroscopy and/or x-ray. The distal portion of the catheter can be very flexible. A balloon inflation tube may terminate proximal to a proximal end of the expandable balloon anchor such that the distal portion of catheter can be flexible. This termination of the inflation tube may also position the inflation tube away from the annulus and nerve roots, so as to avoid irritation of the annulus and rubbing of the nerve roots that may potentially obscure FAD test results.
Abstract:
A backplane for an electro-optic display comprises a plurality of pixel electrodes, and an adhesive layer disposed adjacent the backplane, the adhesive layer comprising a plurality of pixel regions disposed adjacent the pixel electrodes of the backplane, and at least one inter-pixel region disposed between two pixels of the backplane, the at least one inter-pixel region having at least one of a lower dielectric constant and a higher volume resistivity than the pixel regions of the adhesive layer.
Abstract:
A computer implemented method of providing time-zone capability to existing personal information management (PIM) software that lacks time-zone capability, the method comprising: executing the existing PIM software; executing a time-zone application in parallel with the existing PIM software, wherein the time-zone application determines that there has been a change in time zone; and changes times of appointments stored in the PIM software to reflect the new time zone.
Abstract:
An infusion pump including an optical imaging and an RFID reading module connected thereto through a host interface. The optical imaging and RFID module comprises a system microcontroller that interconnects an optical image capture subsystem and an RFID subsystem preferably routed through a single interface to the infusion pump. This infusion pump controls operation of the optical imaging and RFID module through commands provided through the interface and, as a result, capable of obtaining data encoded on barcodes and RFID tags. The infusion pump, through the optical imaging and RFID module, may thus automatically retrieve patient data, pharmacological information, dosage amounts, etc. from barcodes or RFID tags applied to the patient, intravenous medication, and even medical staff.
Abstract:
A materials structure is presented which is based on the insertion of preformed nanocrystals of arbitrary shape on or into a non-crystalline, non-hydrocarbon barrier layer. Embodiments of the structure include a variety of barrier layers and contacts, which can be layered. When the structure is used as a detector or a solar cell, transport of charged carriers created in the nanocrystals during the absorption process occurs through quantum mechanical tunneling, thermionic emission or diffusion to electronic contacts. One embodiment of such a structure is a photovoltaic device, where a built-in bias is established using different contact materials and barrier layers. The structure can also be used as a modulator or emitter. The invention may consist of many structures stacked and sharing adjacent contact regions, where individual layers are tuned to absorb, emit or modulate light at a specific frequency or groups of frequencies.
Abstract:
A method and system for linking documents with multiple topics to related documents employs two distinct processes: a fabrication process to pre-establish candidate target document links within a case law or other document for discrete topics, for example, points of law and landmark cases, that represent related documents that are relevant to one or more headnotes within the case law document; and an on-line process to analyze the search request, the candidate links, and available landmark cases during a retrieval of a document to dynamically select the candidate target document links that are relevant to the point of law of interest to a searcher who retrieved the case law document via a search request.