Picker Technologies LLC

Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc.

Preactive Technologies Inc.

Vincent E Bryan

Alex E Kunzler

Randy N Allard

Daniel Reed Baker

Vincent Bryan, Iii

Randy Allard

Jeffrey A Cleveringa

Randal P Ching

Pete Kunzler

Marc Bommarito

Carlos Eduardo Gil

Randall N Allard

Robert Conta

Anthony V Finazzo

John Ohrt

Joseph A Penaranda

Polly Allard

Gene Barrow

Anthony Finazzo

Vincent E Iii Bryan

A brain injury reduction system provides a protective measure to reduce severity of brain injury caused by collision or blast. A sensing device of the system detects an impending or occurring event (e.g., collision or blast) in an environment surrounding the individual and sends information about the event to a controller of the system. The sensing device can be stationary or moves with the individual. Based on the information, the controller determines whether the event will likely cause brain injury to the individual. If so, the controller sends an instruction to an actuation device of the system to activate the protective measure. The actuation device uses transcutaneous electrodes to electrically simulate glottis closure and contraction of the abdominal musculature to induce a Valsalva-like maneuver. The Valsalva-like maneuver can increases the stiffness of the brain tissues in the intracranial compartment, and thus reduces the susceptibility of the brain tissues to deformation.

Reducing brain injury by limiting brain motion during sudden deceleration or acceleration of the head

A brain injury reduction system provides a protective measure that temporarily or decreases venous drainage out of the intracranial compartment during or immediately before and during a sudden change in acceleration of an individual's head. Specifically, a wearable helmet or other wearable structure of the brain injury reduction system detects an impending collision and determines whether a protective measure is needed. If so, one or more actuation devices provides the protective measure to reduce venous drainage through one or both of the internal jugular veins or paravertebral venous plexus. A first actuation device stimulates a gag reflex or valsalva-like maneuver to reduce venous drainage through the paravertebral venous plexus. A second actuation device can physically compress the internal jugular veins. Thus, the brain injury reduction system minimizes the detrimental impact that may occur due to the sudden change in acceleration of the individual's head.

A device for transporting articles is disclosed. In the illustrated and described embodiment of the invention, the articles are fruit such as apples, and the articles can be transported from a picking location on a fruit tree to a collection bin or other site. The device includes a tube member adapted to receive and transport the articles, and a plurality of deformable baffles at spaced-apart locations within the tube. Each baffle defines an aperture which permits the article to engage and deform the baffle and aperture so as to create at least a partial momentary seal to encourage article movement through the aperture and down the tube. The article is urged through the tube by a pressure differential created across the article. In the described and illustrated embodiment of the invention, this pressure differential is a pneumatic pressure differential. The tube and the baffle apertures can have non-circular cross-sectional shapes.

Transport system for fruit and like objects

A downloader conveyor is described and claimed. The downloader conveyor comprises an endless belt to which a plurality of cups is pivotally attached. The cups are adapted to receive apples or like relatively delicate objects. As the cups containing the apples descend into the bin, the cups rotate so as to permit the apples or other objects to roll out of or exit from the cups and to retard the cup acceleration. Each apple engages a skirt, which breaks the fall of the exiting apple. A distal end of the skirt can be arranged to scrape over the bin floor or scrape over the top of apples or other objects already placed in the bin, so as to again break the fall of the apple so that the apple is placed in the bin without substantial freefall.

Downloader conveyor for apples and like objects

The invention relates to a spinal disc endoprosthesis. The endoprosthesis has a resilient body formed of one or more materials which may vary in stiffness from a relatively stiff exterior annular gasket portion to a relatively supple central nucleus portion. Concaval-convex elements at least partly surround that nucleus portion so as to retain the nucleus portion and gasket between adjacent vertebral bodies in a patient's spine. Assemblies of endoprosthetic discs, endoprosthetic vertebral bodies, and endoprosthetic longitudinal ligaments may be constructed. To implant this endoprosthesis assembly, information is obtained regarding the size, shape, and nature of a patient's damaged spine. Thereafter, one or more prosthetic vertebral bodies and disc units are constructed in conformity with that information. Finally, the completed and conformed vertebral body and disc assembly is implanted in the patient's spine.

Human spinal disc prosthesis

A method for implanting an articulating intervertebral disc prosthesis into an intervertebral disc space comprises surgically accessing the intervertebral disc space through an opening on a first lateral side of the intervertebral disc space and inserting a first half of the articulating intervertebral disc prosthesis through the opening and into the intervertebral disc space. The method further comprises inserting a second half of the articulating intervertebral disc prosthesis through the opening on the first lateral side of the intervertebral disc space and positioning the first half of the articulating intervertebral disc prosthesis on a second lateral side of the intervertebral disc space. The method also comprises positioning the second half of the articulating intervertebral disc prosthesis on the first lateral side of the intervertebral disc space.

Posterior articular disc and method for implantation

Human spinal disc prothesis with hinges

A mobile system for improving the picking and preliminary processing of apples, citrus, stone fruit and the like is disclosed and claimed. The system comprises a mobile chassis upon which can be mounted picking stations, pneumatic tube transport subsystems, receiving and conveying subsystems, object scanning subsystems, cull diverter subsystems, labeling subsystems, and subsystems for relatively gently placing the objects in a predetermined location in a receiving bin. The system can also include a subsystem for gently placing diverted objects in a receiving bin.

Mobile system for improving the picking and preliminary processing of apples, citrus, stone fruit and like objects

A pneumatic tube transport system for grossly irregular shaped objects is disclosed. The system comprises a pneumatic tube and a series of one or more flexible, sealable bags adapted to contain the objects to be transported. The bags may be fenestrated, but, if desired, the bags can be designed and manufactured so that when they are filled and sealed, they can assume a generally inflated shape. The bags can be made out of a thin material such as that found in a grocery store produce section or check out area. A bag providing apparatus can be supplied either to the individual picker in the field or to the region near the entry to the pneumatic tube. If desired, an inflating device and a bag sealing device can be provided. After placement of the object(s) into the bag these devices can inflate and the seal the bag and then allow for its quick release and deposition at the entry end of the pneumatic tube. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the tube can be provided with a series of baffles to encourage rapid yet gentle travel of the bag and the enclosed fruit or other objects down the pneumatic tube.

System for transporting grossly asymmetrical objects such as a cluster of grapes or other fruit through a pneumatic tube

A device for transporting articles is disclosed. In the illustrated and described embodiment of the invention, the articles are fruit such as apples, and the articles can be transported from a picking location on a fruit tree to a collection bin or other site. The device includes a tube member adapted to receive and transport the articles, and a plurality of deformable baffles at spaced-apart locations within the tube. Each baffle defines an aperture which permits the article to engage and deform the baffle and aperture so as to move through the aperture and down the tube. The article is urged through the tube by a pressure differential created across the article. In the described and illustrated embodiment of the invention, this pressure differential is a pneumatic pressure differential.

Growing community of inventors

Quincy, WA, United States of America

Vincent E Bryan