Abstract:
A minimally invasive surgical assembly broadly includes an outer hollow needle which has an outer diameter of 3.0 mm or smaller, and a coaxial surgical instrument having a shaft which extends through the outer hollow needle. The coaxial surgical instrument includes end effectors at the end of the shaft which are biased to an open position such that when the end effectors of the surgical instrument extend out of the needle they open, and they are closed by relative movement of the needle over them. The assembly preferably includes a first fixing element which is used to fix the relative location of the surgical instrument and the needle. The assembly also preferably includes a second fixing element which moves relative to the needle and is located on the outside thereof and which is used to fix the relative location of the needle to the patient.
Abstract:
A minimally invasive surgical assembly broadly includes an outer hollow needle which has an outer diameter of 3.0 mm or smaller, and a coaxial surgical instrument having a shaft which extends through the outer hollow needle. The coaxial surgical instrument includes end effectors at the end of the shaft which are biased to an open position such that when the end effectors of the surgical instrument extend out of the needle they open, and they are closed by relative movement of the needle over them. The assembly preferably includes a first fixing element which is used to fix the relative location of the surgical instrument and the needle. The assembly also preferably includes a second fixing element which moves relative to the needle and is located on the outside thereof and which is used to fix the relative location of the needle to the patient.
Abstract:
A backbone for use in an endoscope can include a plurality of links of which adjacent pairs are interconnected with each other. Each of the plurality of links can include an inner link segment and an outer link segment. One of the inner link segment and the outer link segment can include a pivot member and a socket. The other of the inner link segment and the outer link segment can include a locking member and a recess. The pivot member of a first link of the plurality of links can be received into the socket of a second link of the plurality of links. The locking member of the first link can be received into the recess of the second link.
Abstract:
The present invention enables the formation of droplets due to capillary stream break-up and minimizes variation in droplet formation time by applying a transverse disturbance to initiate instability on the capillary stream's surface. In one embodiment, a side-shaker apparatus comprises a reservoir adapted to hold molten metal, an orifice plate having an orifice in fluid communication with the reservoir, and a transverse disturbance generating member coupled to the orifice plate. The molten metal in the reservoir is ejected from the orifice to form a capillary stream. Due to capillary stream break-up, droplets pinch off from the capillary stream to form a droplet stream. The transverse disturbance generating member vibrates the orifice plate laterally (i.e., side to side) to apply a transverse disturbance to the capillary stream.
Abstract:
Manufacturers encounter limitations in forming low resistance ohmic electrical contact to semiconductor material P-type Gallium Nitride (p-GaN), commonly used in photonic applications, such that the contact is highly transparent to the light emission of the device. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can address this problem due to their combined metallic and semiconducting characteristics in conjunction with the fact that a fabric of CNTs has high optical transparency. The physical structure of the contact scheme is broken down into three components, a) the GaN, b) an interface material and c) the metallic conductor. The role of the interface material is to make suitable contact to both the GaN and the metal so that the GaN, in turn, will make good electrical contact to the metallic conductor that interfaces the device to external circuitry. A method of fabricating contact to GaN using CNTs and metal while maintaining protection of the GaN surface is provided.
Abstract:
The present invention enables the formation of droplets due to capillary stream break-up and minimizes variation in droplet formation time by applying a transverse disturbance to initiate instability on the capillary stream's surface. In one embodiment, a side-shaker apparatus comprises a reservoir adapted to hold molten metal, an orifice plate having an orifice in fluid communication with the reservoir, and a transverse disturbance generating member coupled to the orifice plate. The molten metal in the reservoir is ejected from the orifice to form a capillary stream. Due to capillary stream break-up, droplets pinch off from the capillary stream to form a droplet stream. The transverse disturbance generating member vibrates the orifice plate laterally (i.e., side to side) to apply a transverse disturbance to the capillary stream.