Pepsico, Inc.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Other

Trimble Navigation Limited

Healthetech, Inc.

Andrzej Skoskiewicz

Patrick J Finlay

Kenneth Alan Ritsher

James Matthew Collins

Diana Nguyen-Thien-Nhon

Adrian Benton James

Robert Stobie

Ralph Kafesjian

Robert Ian Lister

Banny Banerjee

Aaron Ernesto Sklar

Scott E Stropkay

Clifford T Jue

James R Mault

John Brassil

Rickson Sun

Kurt R Zimmerman

Joseph H Boggs

Elisha Tal

Stacey Chang

Said K Farha

Roshi Givechi

Kenneth R Waeber

Robert C Meyer

Patrick Gilmore

Masayoshi Matsuoka

Mark R Goldstein

David John Law

Gary Shigeru Natsume

Eric M Luther

Axel Unger

Roby Stancel

Adriana Colombo

Eileen Bravmann

Ben Tarbell

Reggie D Fortson

Edwin Pearce

Neil Grimmer

Jeanne Ragan

Justin Hedtke

David Gilmore

An improved holder and method for implanting a tissue-type prosthetic mitral heart valve that prevents suture looping and ma y also constrict the commissure posts of the valve. An upstanding or shaft member axially positioned on the holder causes the lengths of attachment sutures to extend axially beyond the commissure post tips to create a tent and prevent looping of any of an array of pre-implanted sutures around the tips during deployment of the valve. The shaft member may be axially movable such that it can be initially retracted and then actuated just prior to valve deployment. The shaft member may have notches on its distal tip for capturing the attachment sutures, which are crossed over along the valve axis to ensure engagement by the notches. The attachment sutures may be strands or filaments, or may be wider bands of flexible biocompatible material. If bands are used, they desirably cover the commissure post tips to further help prevent suture looping thereover. The flexible lengths of material extend directly between commissures of the valve, or may extending radially inward from each commissure to a central upstanding member.

Heart valve holder and method for resisting suture looping

An improved holder and method for implanting a tissue-type prosthetic mitral heart valve that prevents suture looping and may also constrict the commissure posts of the valve. An upstanding or shaft member axially positioned on the holder causes the lengths of attachment sutures to extend axially beyond the commissure post tips to create a tent and prevent looping of any of an array of pre-implanted sutures around the tips during deployment of the valve. The shaft member may be axially movable such that it can be initially retracted and then actuated just prior to valve deployment. The shaft member may have notches on its distal tip for capturing the attachment sutures, which are crossed over along the valve axis to ensure engagement by the notches. The attachment sutures may be strands or filaments, or may be wider bands of flexible biocompatible material. If bands are used, they desirably cover the commissure post tips to further help prevent suture looping thereover. The flexible lengths of material extend directly between commissures of the valve, or may extending radially inward from each commissure to a central upstanding member.

A fountain-style carbonated soft drink dispenser includes a housing adapted to attach to a beverage container, an actuator for selectively opening a fluid conduit, and one or more long tubes that vary a pressure drop across the dispensing assembly and convey fluid. The resistance through the tube(s) is decreased as the pressure within the container decreases so as to maintain a substantially constant flow rate throughout dispensing.

Dispensing mechanism using long tubes to vary pressure drop

Vehicles, such as vehicles in an open-pit mine, are visually tracked. The location of a vehicle is determined using radio frequency signals, such as pseudolite transmissions of ranging signals. The camera is steered based on the location. For example, multiple cameras are directed automatically on a vehicle based on the vehicle position. Images from a plurality of perspectives are provided to resolve or prevent a problem. The directing may include zooming for better viewing of vehicles at different distances from the camera. The directing may be incorporated into a vehicle management system, such as a dispatch system. For example, a user selects a vehicle from a list of managed vehicles or a displayed map, and the cameras are steered to view the selected vehicle based on the position of the vehicle.

Camera aiming using an electronic positioning system for the target

A dispenser assembly that can be used as a dispenser on a container includes a dispenser body having a flow passage, and a porous flow control member positioned in the flow passage such that the liquid must pass through at least a portion of the porous flow control member before being dispensed. The porous flow control member is operable to vary a resistance to flow of the liquid through the dispenser assembly during dispensing. A valve is provided and is movable between an open position that allows the liquid to be dispensed and a closed position that prevents the liquid from being dispensed. A discharge spout directs the flow of liquid discharged from the container. A dip tube is attached to the dispenser body and extends inside the container to supply the liquid to be discharged to the dispenser body. An attachment portion is provided to attach the dispenser assembly to the container.

Dispenser assembly having a porous flow control member

The bottle closure comprises a generally cylindrical inner member adapted to be threadedly engaged on the outside of the neck of a bottle. The inner member has a central passage communicating with the neck of the bottle. An outer member is rotatably mounted on and around the inner member. The inner member includes a valve seat defining a fluid passage between the bottle and the outer member and being located within the neck of the bottle. The outer member includes a valve closure element adapted to close the fluid passage in a first annular position of the outer member on the inner member thereby to form a seal with the valve seat. The outer member, when moved to a second annular position relative to the inner member, opens the fluid passage, thereby to allow fluid in a bottle to flow through the closure.

Bottle closure

The invention relates to an adjustable keyboard to be used, for example, at a computer terminal. The preferred embodiment is in the form of a keyboard having a number of keys, the keyboard being formed in at least two segments which are mutually movable relative to one another using a hinge or joint. Each of the segments of the keyboard has mounted thereon some of the keys. The relatively movable nature of the keyboard aims at reducing stress and discomfort to the user by eliminating contortion to the user's wrists. More particularly, discomfort to the user caused by pronation of the wrists and/or ulnar deviation of the wrists is reduced. The hinge or joint may be in the form of a ball and socket-type joint with a locking mechanism, which preferably includes a pivoted handle, in the form of a lever, used for locking and unlocking the hinge or joint.

Adjustable keyboard with adjusting and locking mechanism, and method of its use

A diet and activity-monitoring device includes a timer which outputs a time-indicative signal. A body activity monitor monitors the body activity of a subject and outputs a signal indicative of the body activity. A consumption notation control is provided which the subject may operate to indicate when they consume food. An activity calculator receives the body activity signal and determines a body activity level for the subject. A consumption calculator communicates with the consumption notation control and receives the time-indicative signal. The consumption calculator determines and stores the times when the consumption location control is operated.

Diet and activity-monitoring device

A beverage container is disclosed which includes a stackable cup and a stackable cover which have cooperating thread forms for selectively securing the cover to the cup in a substantially liquid-tight relationship. The cover has a beverage dispensing opening and a cap which is selectively operable to open and close the opening to prevent beverage in the container from being poured out of the opening and to selectively allow beverage to be poured or drunk from the opening.

Hybrid beverage container

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Andrzej Skoskiewicz