Author: claimsbot

1. A differential control valve comprising:
a housing having an interior surface defining an internal chamber with a central axis;
a first valve seat disposed along the interior surface of the housing circumscribed about the central axis;
a second valve seat disposed along the interior surface disposed and circumscribed about the first valve seat;
a seal member defining a sealed position engaged with the first valve seat and the second valve seat under a sealing pressure of a gas in the internal chamber, the seal member further defining an open position with the distal surface axially spaced from the first and second valve seats upon release of the sealing pressure of the gas from the internal chamber, the seal member being substantially aligned with the central axis of the housing in each of the sealed and open positions;
a first port proximate the first valve seat in communication with the internal chamber, and a second port in communication with the internal chamber, the second port being isolated from the first port when the seal member is in the sealed position and in fluid communication with the first port when the seal member is in the open position;
at least one spring member disposed in the internal chamber of the housing and engaged with the seal member to bias and support the seal member in the open position upon release of the sealing pressure of the gas from the internal chamber; and
a plunger member to locate the seal member from the open position to a seated position against the first and second valve seats, the plunger being spaced from the seal member upon the seal member being placed in the sealed position.
2. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one spring member has a first length in the sealed position and a second length in the open position, the second length being greater than the first length.
3. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one spring member has a first length in the sealed position and a second length in the open position, the second length being less than the first length.
4. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one spring member is at least one of:
(a) tapered;
(b) defines a total spring force ranging from about 8 to about 17 pounds-force (Lbs.-f); and
(c) includes a plurality of coil springs.
5. The control valve of claim 1, further comprising a third port between the first and second valve seats, wherein when the seal member is in the sealed position, the seal member and the first and second valve seats define an annular void with the third port being in communication with the annular void.
6. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the seal member comprises a plurality of axially extending projections engaged with the at least one spring member to locate a portion of the at least one spring member along a surface of the seal member.
7. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the seal member comprises a cylindrical member, having a first side opposed to the first and second valve seats and a second side opposite the first side;
wherein the seal member includes a first plate and second plate, the second plate includes an element to center the seal member along the central axis; and
wherein the element of the second plate comprises a projection, the projection extending axially along the central axis to cooperate with the valve housing.
8. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the seal member includes a first plate and a second plate, the seal member comprises a cylindrical member, having a first side opposed to the first and second valve seats and a second side opposed to the first side;
wherein the second plate includes an element to center the seal member along the flow axis; and
wherein the plunger member is engaged with the housing so as to have a portion disposed in the internal chamber, the second plate including a receptacle for receiving the portion of the plunger to locate the seal member in the seated position.
9. The control valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one spring member is located between the first and second valve seats.
10. The control valve of claim 9, wherein the at least one spring member comprises a coil spring having a first end engaged with the interior surface about the first valve seat and a second end engaged with a surface of the seal member that is opposed to the first valve seat, the coil spring tapering narrowly from the second end to the first end.
11. The control valve of claim 9, wherein the at least one spring member comprises at least one coil spring having a first end engaged with a portion of the interior surface of the valve that includes the first valve seat, the coil spring having a second end engaged with a portion of the seal member that faces the first valve seat.
12. The control valve of claim 11, wherein the at least one coil spring comprises a plurality of coil springs.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An articulable elbow spacer comprising:
a humeral component including
a proximal end having a rod for insertion into a humeral canal;
a distal end including a first joint member, the first joint member including antibiotic cement and one or more tunnels;

an ulnar component including
a proximal end including a second joint member, the second joint member including antibiotic cement and including one or more tunnels, and configured to receive the first joint member; and
a distal end having a rod for insertion into an ulnar canal;

a tie for linking the humeral component to the ulnar component, the tie configured for insertion into the one or more tunnels of the first joint member and the one or more tunnels of the second joint member.
2. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the first joint member includes a groove and the second joint member includes a ridge configured to be received by the groove.
3. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 2 wherein the first joint member includes a first medial trochlea shaped portion fused to a second medial trochlea shaped portion, the first medial trochlea shaped portion and the second medial trochlea shaped portion defining the groove, wherein the first medial trochlea shaped portion is a reflection of the second medial trochlea shaped portion.
4. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 2 wherein the groove is a substantially V-shaped groove.
5. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 2 wherein the groove includes an inner surface having a first inner surface wall and a second inner surface wall opposing the first inner surface wall, wherein the first inner surface wall has a convex shape and the second inner surface wall has a convex shape.
6. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the ulnar component includes a coronoid process and an olecranon process for limiting a range of articulation of the articulable elbow spacer.
7. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 6 wherein the coronoid process protrudes further from the ulnar component in an anterior direction than the olecranon process.
8. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the tie has a circular shape and the one or more tunnels of the distal end of the joint member and the one or more tunnels of the proximal end of the second joint member form a circular tunnel pattern configured to receive the tie.
9. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the humeral component and the ulnar component form a ginglymus hinge.
10. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the first joint member includes a tapered portion tapering along a direction from the distal end of the humeral component to the proximal end of the humeral component.
11. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the second joint member includes a tapered portion tapering along a direction from the proximal end of the ulnar component to the distal end of the ulnar component.
12. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein a thinnest portion of the humeral component has a thickness in a range of 1 mm to 3 mm.
13. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 12 wherein the thinnest portion of the humeral component has a thickness of 2 mm.
14. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the rod for insertion into the humeral canal has a diameter of 316 of an inch.
15. The articulable elbow spacer of claim 1 wherein the rod for insertion into the ulnar canal has a diameter of \u215b of an inch.

1. A lens assembly comprising a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens and a sixth lens, all of which are arranged in sequence from an object side to an image side along an optical axis, wherein:
the first lens is a biconvex lens with positive refractive power;
the second lens is a convex-concave lens with negative refractive power and comprises a convex surface facing the object side and a concave surface facing the image side;
the third lens is with positive refractive power and comprises a convex surface facing the image side;
the fourth lens is a concave-convex lens with negative refractive power and comprises a concave surface facing the object side and a convex surface facing the image side;
the fifth lens is a concave-convex lens with negative refractive power and comprises a concave surface facing the object side and a convex surface facing the image side; and
the sixth lens is a convex-concave lens with positive refractive power and comprises a convex surface facing the object side and a concave surface facing the image side.
2. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens assembly satisfies:
0.8104\u2266fTTL\u22660.8201,

wherein f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly and TTL is a distance from an object side surface of the first lens to an image plane along the optical axis.
3. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fourth lens and the sixth lens satisfy:
0.1375\u2266|(R141\u2212R142)(R141+R142)|+|(R161\u2212R162)(R161+R162)|\u22660.1694,

wherein R41 is a radius of curvature of the object side surface of the fourth lens, R42 is a radius of curvature of the image side surface of the fourth lens, R61 is a radius of curvature of the object side surface of the sixth lens and R62 is a radius of curvature of the image side surface of the sixth lens.
4. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens satisfy:
\u22120.4290\u2266f123f456\u2266\u22120.4127,

wherein f123 is an effective focal length of the combination of the first lens, the second lens and the third lens and f456 is an effective focal length of the combination of the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens.
5. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fourth lens satisfies:
\u221214.8795\u2266f4f\u2266\u221211.913,

wherein f4 is an effective focal length of the fourth lens and f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly.
6. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fifth lens satisfies:
\u22122.7543\u2266f5f\u2266\u22122.2539,

wherein f5 is an effective focal length of the fifth lens and f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly.
7. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sixth lens satisfies:
9.0882\u2266f6f\u226663.4223,

wherein f6 is an effective focal length of the sixth lens and f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly.
8. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lens further comprising two surfaces, at least one of which is an aspheric surface or both of which are aspheric surfaces.
9. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the convex surface of the second lens is an aspheric surface, or the concave surface of the second lens is an aspheric surface, or both of the convex surface and the concave surface of the second lens are aspheric surfaces.
10. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third lens further comprising a surface and the surface is an aspheric surface, or the convex surface of the third lens is an aspheric surface, or both of the surface and the convex surface of the third lens are aspheric surfaces.
11. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concave surface of the fourth lens is an aspheric surface, or the convex surface of the fourth lens is an aspheric surface, or both of the concave surface and the convex surface of the fourth lens are aspheric surfaces.
12. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concave surface of the fifth lens is an aspheric surface, or the convex surface of the fifth lens is an aspheric surface, or both of the concave surface and the convex surface of the fifth lens are aspheric surfaces.
13. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the convex surface of the sixth lens is an aspheric surface, or the concave surface of the sixth lens is an aspheric surface, or both of the convex surface and the concave surface of the sixth lens are aspheric surfaces.
14. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens are made of plastic material.
15. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a stop disposed between the object side and the first lens.
16. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens assembly satisfies:
0.1375\u2266|(R141\u2212R142)(R141+R142)|+|(R161\u2212R162)(R161+R162)|\u22660.1694

and \u22120.4290f123, f456\u2266\u22120.4127 wherein R41 is a radius of curvature of the object side surface of the fourth lens, R42 is a radius of curvature of the image side surface of the fourth lens, R61 is a radius of curvature of the object side surface of the sixth lens, R62 is a radius of curvature of the image side surface of the sixth lens, f123 is an effective focal length of the combination of the first lens, the second lens and the third lens and f456 is an effective focal length of the combination of the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens.
17. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens assembly satisfies:
\u22120.4290\u2266f123f456\u2266\u22120.4127 and \u221214.8795\u2266f4f\u2266\u221211.913

wherein f123 is an effective focal length of the combination of the first lens, the second lens and the third lens, f456 is an effective focal length of the combination of the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens, f4 is an effective focal length of the fourth lens and f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly.
18. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens assembly satisfies:
\u221214.8795\u2266f4f\u2266\u221211.913 and \u22122.7543\u2266f5f\u2266\u22122.2539 wherein

f4 is an effective focal length of the fourth lens, f5 is an effective focal length of the fifth lens and f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly.
19. The lens assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens assembly satisfies:
\u22122.7543\u2266f5f\u2266\u22122.2539 and 9.0882\u2266f6f\u226663.4223 wherein f5

is an effective focal length of the fifth lens, f6 is an effective focal length of the sixth lens and f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly.
20. A lens assembly comprising a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens and a sixth lens, all of which are arranged in sequence from an object side to an image side along an optical axis, wherein:
the first lens is with positive refractive power;
the second lens is with negative refractive power;
the third lens is with positive refractive power;
the fourth lens is with negative refractive power;
the fifth lens is with negative refractive power;
the sixth lens is with positive refractive power; and
the lens assembly satisfies the following conditions:
0.8104\u2266fTTL\u22660.8201,
\u22120.4290\u2266f123f456\u2266\u22120.4127,
\u221214.8795\u2266f4f\u2266\u221211.913,
\u22122.7543\u2266f5f\u2266\u22122.2539 and
9.0882\u2266f6f\u226663.4223,
wherein f is an effective focal length of the lens assembly, TTL is a distance from an object side surface of the first lens to an image plane along the optical axis, f123 is an effective focal length of the combination of the first lens, the second lens and the third lens, f456 is an effective focal length of the combination of the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens, f4 is an effective focal length of the fourth lens, f5 is an effective focal length of the fifth lens and f6 is an effective focal length of the sixth lens.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A catheter system for introduction into a vessel of a living being to treat occlusive material, said system comprising:
(a) a catheter having a proximal region, a distal region and a housing extending therebetween, said housing comprising an aspiration catheter jacket and defining a lumen, the housing further including a segment comprising at least one aspiration port near the distal region, the aspiration port being in fluid communication with the lumen,
(b) a holding arrangement for holding a guidewire adjacent to the catheter at two spaced-apart points such that the segment is located between the two spaced-apart points, and wherein the segment may move in a laterally curved path towards said guidewire and away from said guidewire such that the catheter jacket within the segment becomes separated from the guidewire by a separation distance, and
(c) an aspiration pump comprising a source of rotary power at said proximal region and a helical wire located in said lumen and extending from said distal region of said catheter to said proximal region and attached to said source of rotary power; wherein at least a portion of said catheter at the distal region is sufficiently flexible or deflectable as to allow the segment to deflect away from said guidewire such that the catheter jacket within the segment is separated from the guidewire by the separation distance when said source of rotary power is energized and rotates said helical wire in said lumen.
2. The catheter system of claim 1, further comprising an infusate pump.
3. The catheter system of claim 2, wherein said infusate pump comprises a rotary helical infusate pump.
4. The catheter system of claim 2, wherein said aspiration pump comprises a rotor within said aspiration catheter jacket, said rotor comprising a hollow core lumen and a helical wire, said hollow core lumen being arranged to allow delivery of an infusate fluid from said infusate pump to a vessel, duct or other hollow organ structure.
5. The catheter system of claim 4, wherein said aspiration pump further comprises a clearance between said rotor and said surrounding aspiration catheter jacket, said clearance being arranged to allow free rotation of said rotor within said surrounding aspiration catheter jacket while flexed, said free rotation being of sufficiently high speed to overcome leakage due to said clearance.
6. The catheter system of claim 4, further comprising at least one outlet port, said at least one outlet port being arranged to allow how of said infusate fluid therethrough to the vessel, duct and other hollow organ structure.
7. The catheter system of claim 6, wherein said at least one outlet port directs the flow of said infusate fluid in at least one direction selected from the group consisting of radially, distally, and proximally.
8. The catheter system of claim 3, wherein said rotary aspiration pump and said rotary helical infusate pump are both driven by said source of rotary power.
9. The catheter system of claim 3, wherein said aspiration pump and said rotary helical infusate pump are both driven at the same rotary speed.
10. The catheter system of claim 6, wherein said aspiration pump operates to create an aspiration flow rate, and said infusate pump operates to create an infusate flow rate, said aspiration flow rate being equal to or greater than that of the infusate flow rate.
11. The catheter system of claim 10, further comprising a safety mechanism comprising a fluid flow restrictor component and a pressure detection means comprising a diaphragm and pressure switch.
12. The catheter system of claim 11, wherein said pressure switch in a first state actuates the operation of a low pressure mode characterized by a lower rate of rotation of said rotor, and in a second state actuates the operation of a high pressure mode characterized by a higher rate of rotation than when said pressure switch is in a first state.
13. The catheter system of claim 6, further comprising a guidewire following means.
14. The catheter system of claim 13, further comprising a flexible atraumatic tip, a recessed channel, and a guidewire opening.
15. The catheter system of claim 14, wherein the flexible atraumatic tip comprises a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of nitinol, silicone, latex, and polytetrafluorethylene.
16. The catheter system of claim 14, wherein the flexible atraumatic tip further comprises a lubricious coating layer.
17. The catheter system of claim 1, further comprising means for fragmenting and aspirating said occlusive material to the distal portion of said flexible catheter.
18. The catheter system of claim 1, further comprising a driveshaft connected between said source of rotary power and said helical wire.
19. The catheter system of claim 1, further comprising a translational movement limiting means for limiting lateral movement of the aspiration catheter jacket relative to the guidewire.
20. The catheter system of claim 19, wherein said translational movement limiting means comprises at least one tether attached to said guidewire and to said catheter at said distal region.
21. The catheter system of claim 1, wherein said segment further comprises a can portion comprising said aspiration port.
22. The catheter system of claim 21, wherein said segment comprises an angularly displaced portion.
23. The catheter system of claim 1, wherein said helical wire is pre-bent, unbalanced, or otherwise arranged to provide an increase in the separation distance.
24. A system for clearing an accumulation of occlusive material from a vessel, duct or lumen in a living being, said system comprising:
a flexible catheter comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and structure therebetween comprising an aspiration pump comprising a helical wire, a jacket for housing said helical wire, an inlet port at or near said distal end in fluid communication with said jacket, and an outlet port at or near said proximal end, and wherein the jacket includes a segment defining a plurality of aspiration ports near the distal end;
a source of rotary power for rotating said helical wire,
a holding arrangement that secures a guidewire to a distal end of said flexible catheter, wherein the holding arrangement holds the guidewire adjacent to the flexible catheter at two spaced-apart points on either side of the segment such that the segment may move laterally relative to the guidewire; and
wherein the segment of said flexible catheter may move in a laterally curved path towards said guidewire and away from said guidewire when said source of rotary power is activated such that the segment of the flexible catheter is a farther distance from said guidewire when said source of rotary power is activated as compared to when said source of rotary power is not activated.
25. A catheter system for introduction into a vessel of a living being to treat occlusive material, said system comprising:
a catheter having a proximal region, a distal region and a housing extending therebetween, the catheter further having a segment at the distal region that includes at least one aspiration port;
a holding arrangement for holding a guidewire adjacent to the catheter at two spaced-apart points such that the segment of the distal region of the catheter that is positioned between the two spaced-apart points may move in a laterally curved path towards said guidewire and away from said guidewire such that the segment of the distal region of the catheter between the two spaced-apart points becomes separated from the guidewire by a separation distance, and
an aspiration pump;
wherein at least a portion of said catheter at the distal region is sufficiently flexible or deflectable as to allow the segment to deflect away from said guidewire by the separation distance when said aspiration pump is actuated.