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Processes and systems for offering and granting digital rights that govern distribution and usage of content, services and resources. The processes and systems provide a basis for flexible business models and negotiation transactions between content providers and users. The concept of meta-rights, which permit digital rights to be derived, permits upstream parties in a content distribution chain to dictate rights granted and received by downstream parties. Therefore, each transaction can be considered as a two party transaction between a rights supplier and a rights consumer.
1. A method for transferring usage rights adapted to be associated with items within a digital rights management system, said method comprising:
generating, by a supplier, at least one first offer including usage rights and meta-rights for the items, said usage rights defining a manner of use for the items, said meta-rights specifying rights to derive usage rights or other meta-rights for the items;
presenting, by the supplier, said offer to a first consumer in said system,
wherein the offer expresses what rights the consumer can acquire for the items;
receiving, by the supplier, a selection from the first consumer indicating desired usage rights and meta-rights; and
generating, by the supplier, a first license granting to the first consumer the usage rights and meta-rights for the items,
wherein the first license grants the usage rights and meta-rights that are selected by the first consumer during the receiving step.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. The method of
receiving a request generated by a second consumer for a license including at least one of usage rights and meta-rights for the items;
generating, by a second supplier, a second offer including rights derived from said meta-rights included in the first license, wherein the second supplier is the first consumer; and
generating, by the second supplier, a second license including rights derived from said meta-rights included in the second offer.
5. The method of
6. The method of
providing said first license as a customized draft license to the first consumer;
accepting a confirmation of said customized draft license from the first consumer; and
authenticating said draft license to create an authenticated license.
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
10. The method of
collecting usage rights and meta-rights available to be offered;
determining if the supplier has a right to offer the available usage rights and meta-rights;
terminating the generating of a set of offers, if a right to offer other usage and meta rights does not exist;
composing an offer based on available rights if the supplier has the right to offer other usage and meta rights; and
authenticating said offer.
11. The method of
determining if a consumer has requested an offer including specific usage rights and meta-rights;
applying the specific usage rights and meta-rights to the offer as a filter; and
determining if an offer template corresponds to the filtered offer and if so applying said offer template as an offer.
12. The method of
determining if the suppler has the right to grant the rights;
terminating the step of customizing a draft license, if the supplier does not have the right to grant the rights;
analyzing one or more choices received from the consumer;
determining if the choices are acceptable; and
creating a draft license based on the choices if the choices are acceptable.
13. The method of
presenting the draft license to the consumer;
re-negotiating a license if the first license is not approved by the consumer; and
authenticating the draft license if the first consumer approves the draft license.
14. The method of
15. A system for transferring usage rights adapted to be associated with an item, to be licensed in multi-tier channels of distribution with downstream rights and conditions assigned at least at one level, said system comprising:
a supplier component, comprising:
a supplier user interface module;
an offer generator module for generating an offer including at least usage rights and meta-rights for the item, the usage rights defining a manner of use for the item, the meta-rights specifying rights to derive usage rights or other meta-rights for the item;
a rights composer module for composing a draft license;
a repository for supplier's rights;
a supplier management database; and
a consumer component comprising:
a consumer user interface module;
an offer-consideration module configured to analyze the offers generated by the supplier component and select offers based on the analysis;
a repository for consumer's rights;
a consumer management database; and
a communication link coupling said supplier component and said consumer component,
wherein the rights composer module is configured to compose a license granting the usage rights and meta-rights that are selected by the offer-consideration module of the consumer component.
16. A system as recited in
17. A system as recited in
18. The system of
means for determining if the consumer can accept an offer;
means for applying selection logic to the offer;
means for specifying contingencies; and
means for authenticating choices and providing the choices to said supplier component.
19. The system of
means for parsing the offer and selecting preferred usage rights and meta-rights in the offer;
means for filtering offers based on supplier preferences;
means for applying consumer preferences; and
means for selecting options based on the output of said means for parsing, said means for filtering, and said means for applying consumer preferences.
20. The method of
21. The method of
22. The method of
23. The method of
24. The system of
25. The method of
26. The method of
27. The system of
28. The system of
29. A method for transferring usage rights adapted to be associated with an item within a digital rights management system, the method being performed by a consumer device within the system, the method comprising:
receiving, by the consumer device, from a supplier device within the system at least one offer including usage rights and meta-rights for the item,
wherein the usage rights define a manner of use for the item, and the meta-rights specify rights to derive usage rights or other meta-rights for the item, and
the offer expresses what rights the consumer device can acquire for the item;
selecting, by the consumer device, desired usage rights and meta-rights from the received offer,
wherein the selected rights express what rights the consumer device desires to acquire for the item; and
receiving, by the consumer device, a license from the supplier device,
wherein the received license grants the usage rights and meta-rights that are selected and provided by the consumer device.
30. The method of
31. The method of
This application claims benefit from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/296,113, filed in Jun. 7, 2001 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims benefit from U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 60/331,625 filed in Nov. 20, 2001, the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims benefit from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/331,624 filed on Nov. 20, 2001, the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference. This application is also a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/867,745 filed on May 31, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,754,642 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to a method and system for digital rights management and, more particularly, to a method and system for automatically offering and granting rights over a communications network or other channels.
The digital age has greatly increased concerns about ownership, access, and control of copyrighted information, restricted services and valuable resources. Rapid evolution and wide deployment has occurred for computers, and other electronic devices such as cellular phones, pagers, PDAs, and e-book readers, and these devices are interconnected through communication links including the Internet, intranets and other networks. These interconnected devices are especially conducive to publication of content, offering of services and availability of resources electronically.
One of the most important issues impeding the widespread distribution of digital works (i.e. documents or other content in forms readable by computers), via electronic means, and the Internet in particular, is the current lack of ability to enforce the intellectual property rights of content owners during the distribution and use of digital works. Efforts to resolve this problem have been termed "Intellectual Property Rights Management" ("IPRM"), "Digital Property Rights Management" ("DPRM"), "Intellectual Property Management" ("IPM"), "Rights Management" ("RM"), and "Electronic Copyright Management" ("ECM"), collectively referred to as "Digital Rights Management (DRM)" herein. There are a number of issues to be considered in effecting a DRM System. For example, authentication, authorization, accounting, payment and financial clearing, rights specification, rights verification, rights enforcement, and document protection issues should be addressed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,235, 5,634,012, 5,715,403, 5,638,443, and 5,629,980, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose DRM systems addressing these issues.
Two basic DRM schemes have been employed, secure containers and trusted systems. A "secure container" (or simply an encrypted document) offers a way to keep document contents encrypted until a set of authorization conditions are met and some copyright terms are honored (e.g., payment for use). After the various conditions and terms are verified with the document provider, the document is released to the user in clear form. Commercial products such as Cryptolopes™ and Digiboxes™ fall into this category. Clearly, the secure container approach provides a solution to protecting the document during delivery over insecure channels, but does not provide any mechanism to prevent legitimate users from obtaining the clear document and then using and redistributing it in violation of content owners' intellectual property.
In the "trusted system" approach, the entire system is responsible for preventing unauthorized use and distribution of the document. Building a trusted system usually entails introducing new hardware such as a secure processor, secure storage and secure rendering devices. This also requires that all software applications that run on trusted systems be certified to be trusted. While building tamper-proof trusted systems is a real challenge to existing technologies, current market trends suggest that open and untrusted systems, such as PC's and workstations using browsers to access the Web, will be the dominant systems used to access digital works. In this sense, existing computing environments such as PC's and workstations equipped with popular operating systems (e.g., Windows™, Linux™, and UNIX) and rendering applications, such as browsers, are not trusted systems and cannot be made trusted without significantly altering their architectures. Of course, alteration of the architecture defeats a primary purpose of the Web, i.e. flexibility and compatibility.
Some DRM systems allow content owners to specify usage rights and conditions, and associate them with content. These usage rights control how the recipient thereof can use the content. Usually after a content distributor or consumer has completed selecting and ordering specific content, the content is delivered either electronically from some content repository or via a conventional distribution channel to the recipient, such as tangible media sent via a common carrier. Corresponding DRM systems used by the recipient, for example the distributor or consumer, will then interpret the rights and conditions associated with the content, and use them to control how the content is distributed and/or used. Examples of usage rights include view, print and extract the content, and distribute, repackage and loan content. Associated conditions may include any term upon which the rights may be contingent such as payment, identification, time period, or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,012, discloses a system for controlling the distribution of digital documents. Each rendering device has a repository associated therewith. A predetermined set of usage transaction steps define a protocol used by the repositories for enforcing usage rights associated with a document. Usage rights persist with the document content. The usage rights can permit various manners of use such as, viewing only, use once, distribution, and the like. Usage rights can be contingent on payment or other conditions.
However, there are limitations associated with the above-mentioned paradigms wherein only usage rights and conditions associated with content are specified by content owners or other grantors of rights. Once purchased by an end user, a consumer, or a distributor, of content along with its associated usage rights and conditions has no means to be legally passed on to a next recipient in a distribution chain. Further the associated usage rights have no provision for specifying rights to derive other rights, i.e. rights to modify, transfer, offer, grant, obtain, transfer, delegate, track, surrender, exchange, transport, exercise, revoke, or the like. Common content distribution models often include a multi-tier distribution and usage chain. Known DRM systems do not facilitate the ability to prescribe rights and conditions for all participants along a content distribution and usage chain. Therefore, it is difficult for a content owner to commercially exploit content unless the owner has a relationship with each party in the distribution chain.
A first aspect of the invention is a method for transferring usage rights adapted to be associated with items. The method comprises generating, by a supplier, at least one first offer containing usage rights and meta-rights for the item, said usage rights defining a manner of use for the items, said meta-rights specifying rights to derive usage rights or other meta-rights, presenting said offer to a first consumer, receiving a selection from the first consumer indicating desired usage rights and meta-rights, and generating a first license granting the desired usage rights and meta-rights to the first consumer.
A second aspect of the invention is a system for transferring usage rights adapted to be associated with an item to be licensed in multi-tier channels of distribution with downstream rights and conditions assigned at least one level. The system comprises a supplier component, comprising a supplier user interface module, an offer generator module for generating an offer containing at least usage rights and of meta-rights, a rights composer module for composing a draft license, and a repository for supplier's rights, a supplier management database. The system further comprises a consumer component comprising a consumer user interface module, an offer-consideration module configured to analyze the offers generated by the supplier component and select offers based on the analysis, and a repository for consumer's rights, a consumer management database.
A third aspect of the invention is a method for generating a license to digital content to be used within a system for at least one of managing use and distribution of the digital content. The method comprises presenting a consumer with an offer including meta-rights, receiving a selection by the consumer of at least one meta-right in the offer, generating a license based on the selection, wherein the license permits the consumer to exercise the at least one meta-right and permits the consumer to offer at least one derived right derived from the at least one meta-right and generate a license including the at least one derived right.
Exemplary embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, with reference to the attached drawing in which:
Prior to providing detailed description of the apparatus and method for offering and granting rights, a description of a DRM system that can be utilized to specify and enforce usage rights and meta-rights for specific content, services, or other items is first described below.
Rights label 40 is associated with content 42 and specifies usage rights and meta-rights that are available to a recipient, i.e. a consumer of rights, when corresponding conditions are satisfied. License Server 50 manages the encryption keys and issues licenses 52 for protected content 42. Licenses 52 embody the actual granting of rights, including usage rights and meta-rights, to an end user. For example, rights offer 40 may permit a user to view content for a fee of five dollars and print content for a fee of ten dollars, or it may permit a user to offer rights to another user, for example, by utilizing the concept of meta-rights described below. License 52 can be issued for the view right when the five dollar fee has been paid. Client component 60 interprets and enforces the rights, including usage rights and meta-rights, that have been specified in the license. Rights label 40 and license 52 are described in detail below.
As shown in
Clear (unprotected) content can be prepared with document preparation application 72 installed on computer 70 associated with a content publisher, a content distributor, a content service provider, or any other party. Preparation of content consists of specifying the usage rights, meta-rights, and conditions under which content 42 can be used and distributed, associating rights label 40 with content 42 and protecting content 42 with some crypto algorithm. A rights language such as XrML™ can be used to specify the rights and conditions. However, the usage rights and meta-rights can be specified in any manner. Also, the rights can be in the form of a predefined specification or template that is merely associated with the content. Accordingly, the process of specifying rights refers to any process for associating rights with content. Rights label 40 associated with content 42 and the encryption key used to encrypt the content can be transmitted to license server 50.
Rights can specify transfer rights, such as distribution rights, and can permit granting of rights to others or the derivation of rights. Such rights are referred to as "meta-rights". Meta-rights are the rights that one has to manipulate, modify, or otherwise derive other meta-rights or usage rights. Meta-rights can be thought of as usage rights to usage rights. Meta-rights can include rights to offer, grant, obtain, transfer, delegate, track, surrender, exchange, and revoke usage rights to/from others. Meta-rights can include the rights to modify any of the conditions associated with other rights. For example, a meta-right may be the right to extend or reduce the scope of a particular right. A meta-right may also be the right to extend or reduce the validation period of a right.
Often, conditions must be satisfied in order to exercise the manner of use in a specified right. For, example a condition may be the payment of a fee, submission of personal data, or any other requirement desired before permitting exercise of a manner of use. Conditions can also be "access conditions" for example, access conditions can apply to a particular group of users, say students in a university, or members of a book club. In other words, the condition is that the user is a particular person or member of a particular group. Rights and conditions can exist as separate entities or can be combined.
State variables track potentially dynamic states conditions. State variables are variables having values that represent status of an item, usage rights, license or other dynamic conditions. State variables can be tracked, by clearinghouse 90 license or server 30 another device, based on identification mechanisms in license 52. Further, the value of state variables can be used in a condition. For example, a usage right can be the right to print content 42 three times. Each time the usage right is exercised, the value of the state variable "number of prints" is incremented. In this example, when the value of the state variable is three, the condition is not longer satisfied and content 42 cannot be printed. Another example of a state variable is time. A condition of license 52 may require that content 42 is printed within thirty days. A state variable can be used to track the expiration of thirty days. Further, the state of a right can be tracked as a collection of state variables. The collection of the change is the state of a usage right represents the usage history of that right.
A typical workflow for DRM system 10 is described below. A recipient, such as a user, operating within client environment 30 is activated for receiving content by activation server 20. This results in a public-private key pair (and some user/machine specific information) being downloaded to client environment 30 in the form of client software component 60 in a known manner. This activation process can be accomplished at any time prior to the issuing of a license.
When a user wishes to use protected content 42, the user makes a request for the content 42. For example, a user might browse a Web site running on Web server 80 associated with a grantor of rights such as a content distributor, using a browser installed in client environment 30, and attempt to download protected content 42. During this process, the user may go through a series of steps possibly including a fee transaction (as in the sale of content) or other transactions (such as collection of information). When the appropriate conditions and other prerequisites, such as the collection of a fee and verification that the user has been activated, are satisfied, Web server 80 contacts license server 50 through a secure communications channel, such as a channel using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). License server 50 then generates license 52 for the content and Web server 80 causes both protected content 42 and license 52 to be downloaded. License 52 can be downloaded from license server 50 or an associated device. Content 42 can be downloaded from computer 70 associated with a publisher, distributor, or other party.
Client component 60 in client environment 30 will then proceed to interpret license 52 and allow use of content 42 based on the rights and conditions specified in license 52. The interpretation and enforcement of usage rights are well known generally. The steps above may take place sequentially or approximately simultaneously or in various order.
DRM system 10 addresses security aspects of protecting content 42. In particular, DRM system 10 may authenticate license 52 that has been issued by license server 50. One way to accomplish such authentication is for application 60 to determine if the licenses can be trusted. In other words, application 60 has the capability to verify and validate the cryptographic signature of digital signature 52 c, or other identifying characteristic of the license. During the activation step described above, both client environment 30 and license server 50 receive a set of keys in a tamper-resistant software "package" that also includes other components, such as the necessary components for activated client environment 30 to verify signature 52 of license 52 in a known manner. Of course, the example above is merely one way to effect a DRM system. For example, the license and content can be distributed from different entities. Also, rights offer 40 can be associated with content by a party other than the party preparing the content. Also, clearinghouse 90 can be used to process payment transactions and verify payment prior to issuing a license.
For any set of rights, there are two kinds of entities involved, the "supplier" and the "consumer". The function of the supplier is to offer, and possibly grant, the rights, and the function of the consumer is to select, and possibly exercise the rights. Both the supplier and consumer may actually represent two or more entities. In general, multiple entities may collectively make an offer and grant rights to multiple entities. The supplier and consumer represent any two entities in the content value chain that have a direct relationship with each other regarding the granting of rights. At the beginning of the value chain, the supplier and consumer may be author and publisher. Going down along the value chain, the supplier and consumer may be a publisher and another publisher (for content aggregation), a publisher and distributor (for content distribution), a distributor and another distributor (for multi-tier content distribution), a distributor and a retailer (for content retailing), a retailer and a consumer (for content consumption), and a consumer and another consumer (for content supper-distribution or personal lending).
An "offer of rights" or "rights offer" expresses how a consumer (e.g. a content distributor or user) can acquire a particular instance of content together with its associated usage rights and/or meta-rights. An offer may or may not contain financial terms. An offer is an expression of mere willingness to commerce negotiation and also an expression of willingness to grant on terms stated. An offer may be expressed in the form of a rights label. A "consideration of rights" is a process as part of the rights granting in which the rights consumer has examined the rights being offered and possibly bargained them and associated terms and conditions. A "choice of rights" is a selection of rights and their associated terms and conditions from a rights offer. It indicates the intent of the consumer to accept these rights and the corresponding terms and conditions. For example, selection can comprise selecting one option 44 from label 40. "Customization of rights" is a process as part of the rights granting in which the rights supplier assembles rights and terms and conditions based on a choice of the rights consumer. The output of this process can be a draft license to be accepted by the rights consumer. A "license of rights" is an expression of rights and possibly conditions accepted and agreed upon by the rights supplier and consumer. It is the output of the rights offering and granting process. A license is a grant to exercise the rights that govern the usage (possibly including further distribution) of content or other items.
As described above, a rights label, such as rights label 40, may contain a number of options 44 allowing the consumer to make a selection and conduct negotiation (if permitted), while license 52 contains rights the consumer has selected and accepted. Note that the accepted rights may include a right to present offers to others or make selections of offers.
An example of a distribution chain model is illustrated in
The model of
In general, all the rights relationships shown in
An architecture of the preferred embodiment for rights offering and granting is shown in
Supplier component 402 contains user interface module 404, communication interface module 420 identity module 406 repository 412 for supplier's rights (e.g., in the form of issued licenses) and database 414 for management related information. User interface 404 accomplishes presentation to the user of the component functions and acceptance of user interactions in a known manner. Communication interface 422 provides the proper formatting and protocols for messages between supplier component 402 and consumer component 438. Identity module 406 ensures that the identity of supplier component 402 can be authenticated by consumer component 438 and may contain authentication information like a password, cryptographic keys or biometric information of the user of supplier component 402. Rights repository 412 stores rights granted to the user of supplier component 402 and may include functions for indexing, searching and updating the rights stored within. Management database 414 is used to archive information generated during the rights offering and granting processes. Such information includes information related to initial offers, consumer choices, possible counter-offers, agreements and final licenses.
Consumer component 438 includes user interface module 428, communication interface module 424, identity module 426, repository 434 for consumer's rights (e.g., in the form of issued licenses), and database 436 for management related information. User interface 424 deals handles presentation to the user of the component and acceptance of user interactions. Communication interface 422 provides the proper formatting and protocols for rights offering and granting messages between supplier component 402 and consumer component 438. Identity module 426 ensures that the identity of the consumer component 438 can be authenticated by supplier component 402 and may contain authentication information like a password, cryptographic keys or biometric information of the user. Rights repository 434 stores rights granted to the user of consumer component 438 and may include functions for indexing, searching and updating the rights stored within. Management database 436 is used to archive information generated during the rights offering and granting process. The information includes that related to offers 44, consumer choices, possible counter-offers, agreements and licenses 52. Note that database 436 can store information that is the same as or different from database 414 because the parties may interact with other parties and thus have different archived information.
Supplier component 402 also includes offer generator module 408 for generating offers, rights composer module 410 for composing licenses, offer templates module 418 for providing templates for generating offers based on previous transactions and common formality of offers, and consumer profiles module 416 for customizing and granting rights based on past consumer characteristics and relationships.
Consumer component 438 also includes offer analyzer module 430 for understanding rights and their terms and conditions presented within offers, a choice maker module 432 for selecting favorable options specified in offers, a supplier preference module 438 for describing any preferred suppliers based on past and existing supplier characteristics and relationships, and choice patterns module 440 for providing patterns and interests in selection options in offers. For example, the choice pattern module 440 may include a list of preferred suppliers or a list of lowest prices for the item of interest to the consumer. Offer analyzer module 430 and choice maker module 432, respectively, may be combined into one module.
The process of offering and granting rights within architecture 400 is based on protocols followed by supplier component 402 and consumer component 438. These protocols generally consist of an offer and acceptance of that offer. Specifically, the protocols include an offering of rights by one party to another and acceptance of that offer by the person to whom it is made. An offer, once made, may be styled so that it may revoked before acceptance or the offeror could styled it so that it cannot be revoked at all or only under certain circumstances definable by the offeror. An offer can also expire in various way, for example if a deadline for acceptance passes. If there is no specified deadline, then the offer could expire in a predetermined reasonable time, depending on the subject matter of the offer. For periodically available content such as magazines, journals, and even newspapers, a reasonable time could be accord to the period of the content publication, for example. For dynamically generated or provided content such as streaming content, a reasonable time could be any time before the availability of the content. The rights supplier can dictate other terms of the acceptance, to which the rights consumer is bound. For example, the offer may require acceptance in sending back in a certain form via an email or through a certain web page interface.
Consumer component 438 then accepts the draft license if it corresponds to the choice made and is otherwise acceptable (516). Upon acceptance, supplier component 402 generates license 52 and transmits license 52 to consumer component (518). Keep in mind that grant 52 b of license 52 can include usage rights and/or meta-rights. Therefore license 52 can permit the user of consumer component 438 to grant rights to others in a similar fashion. However, the derivable rights are controlled by upstream parties through the use of meta-rights. Additionally, the protocol can include steps where supplier component 402 requests to make payment through a credit card of the user of consumer component 438, and the user component 402 provides the information and authorizes the charge. Both supplier component 402 and consumer component 438 can generate status reports on success or failure of the process. Further, parties can authenticate each other during the process and maintain authentication through the process.
Consumer component 438 then considers the offer and its options, and responds to supplier component 402 with a choice of one of the offer options (524). Supplier component 402 customizes rights according to the response, and grant the rights to the consumer in the form of a draft license (526). Consumer component 438 then accepts the draft license (528) and supplier component 402 issues license 52 granting rights to consumer component 438 (530). Once again the rights can include meta-rights.
For example, the consumer might be offered standard rights included in the template, such as printing right, archiving right, etc. of the content. If an offer template is available and needed, the offer template is then applied in steps 616. In steps 618, human intervention may be provided to further make adjustments to the offer template or to any of the rights that are available for offering thus far in the process. Next, restrictions can be applied, through conditions and/or state variables. For example, a time restriction may be place on certain rights in step 620. Finally, a digital signature or other authentication is provided with the collection of rights to be offered in step 622 and an authenticated offer, in the form of rights label 40 is made in step 624 and presented to consumer component 438 in step 624.
Next, the process determines if consumer information is available in step 810. For example, consumer profiles may be stored in database 414 (
After a license is created, if consumer acceptance is necessary (step 820), it is presented to the consumer for review in step 822. If the consumer does not agree with the terms in the license in step 824, re-negotiation is then initiated in step 816, which re-starts the rights customization process 800 again in step 802. In step 820, if a review by the consumer is not required, then the license is authenticated in step 826 to create a completed license 52 in step 828 which is to be issued and associated with content 42.
Overall, as can be seen in the description of
Also, when the supplier analyzes the request, the analysis may be done automatically, or with human intervention. When the consumer considers the offer, the choice or acceptance may be done automatically, or with human intervention. Either the offer or a license, or both, may be generated based on the dynamic information, the consumer's information, and the consumer's request, such as described above.
The dynamic information may include many kinds of information including information related to pricing, status of the network, the traffic of a web site at each moment of time, discounts given, coupons given, the habits of the consumer, how many times the content has been used, for how long the content was used, where it was used, or the like. The dynamic information can be tracked as state variables and the values of the state variables can be checked and updated as necessary.
Dynamic information is information capable of being (although, it need not actually be) changed or created by or by reference to a non-static element. For example, the dynamic information can be obtained based on a formula, database, curve, predetermined table, percentage of a value, a function, reference to other data, such as the prime rate of interest or the change in a stock market index, and/or by a human intervention of the user or distributor, and/or consumer's input.
The consumer's information may include information such as the age of the consumer, the credit history of the consumer, the credit limit of the consumer, income of the consumer, what kind of rights or licenses obtained, the password of the consumer, the key assigned to the consumer, club membership for access or discount, the class of the consumer based on a predetermined criteria, or any other data, identification characteristics and information. The supplier's information may include some or all of the subjects of information as the consumer's information, and may also include, for example, available options or variations, suppliers, shipping information, and other information.
The system and processes disclosed in this invention support multi-tier and super distributions of content. The following is a use case that shows how this can be modeled and supported. It illustrates the process of offering and granting rights by showing the process of transforming offered rights to a rights supplier (the content distributor in this case) to granted rights to a rights consumer (the end user in this case). It specifically shows how an offer is generated from an existing license, how this offer is considered with a choice, and how a final license is issued. Meta-rights provide a mechanism for permitting the transfer of rights from one party to the next party in a content distribution chain.
Suppose that a content provider P of some content C wants to specify that a distributor D may sell, to any end user within the region of the United States (US), the "play" right at a flat rate of $1 and the "print" right at a cost of $4 per copy (both are paid by D to P). The provider also allows the content distributor to add its own conditions to the "play" and "print" rights it issues to end users.
A license from the content provider to the distributor may resemble the following using the XrML™ rights language.
The distributor may make an offer to the end user based on the rights it has as expressed in the license above. Note that usage rights and conditions of each option are set forth as XML™ elements between <grant> tags. In the following offer, note that the distributor adds a fee condition for getting the "play" right, charging the end user $2 ($1 more than it pays to the provider), and another fee condition for the "print" right, charging the end user $6 per print copy ($1 more than it pays to the provider). The distributor also limits the offer to an acceptance time period (up to Dec. 31, 2002). Meta rights granted to the distributor permit the distributor to modify the grant in the license, as described above, and make the offer.
When the offer is presented to an end user, the end user may choose to get only the right to "play" for the flat fee of $2 and responds to the distributor with a choice set forth as an XML™ element between <choice> tags as follows.
Note that the request can also be rejected. Note also that a response can also be constructed as a counter offer for rights not originally offered by the distributor. When the distributor receives the choice from the end user, it then issues a license to the user as shown below.
Note that in all the XML documents above, the issuers may choose to digitally sign the documents using some digital signature algorithms. The recipients of these documents have options to verify the validity of these documents by checking the validity of the attached digital signatures. Access to the various documents, and elements thereof, can be controlled using known techniques.
In some situations offering and granting result in a license with a fresh state for content usage. As one starts to exercise the rights, derived rights, obtained as a result of meta-rights, may inherit and/or share the state variable values associated with the rights. For example, when one is granted with the right to print 5 times and make 4 copies of some document, all new copies may have the same set of rights but share the state (or remaining rights) with the original. After the original has been printed 2 times and a new copy was then made, the copy and original can all together print 3 times and make 2 more new copies.
The preferred embodiment can utilize various devices, such as a personal computers, servers, workstations, PDA's, thin clients and the like. For example, the client environment can be a handheld device such as a mobile phone or a PDA. Various channels for communication can be used. Further, the various functions can be integrated in one device. For example, the license server function can be accomplished by software within the client environment. Further, the function of the license server or other modules for making offers, selecting rights and granting licenses can be accomplished in the same device. The disclosed functional modules are segregated by function for clarity. However, the various functions can be combined or segregated as hardware and/or software modules in any manner. The various functions can be useful separately or in combination.
The various elements and portions thereof can be stored on the same device or on different devices. For example, a license can be stored together with, or separate from, content. Further, the various elements of a license can be stored on separate devices. For example the values of state variables can be stored in a state variable repository of a system that tracks the current value of state variables. Various links, references, specifications, and the like can be used to associate the elements.
The invention has been described through a preferred embodiment and examples. However, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as define by the appended claims and legal equivalents.
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text:
Hillsborough District, North Carolina Superior Court Minutes 1768-1791
by Weynette Parks Haun
Book I: 1768-1791 173 pp. (includes Orange County) $27.50
Book II: 1792-1789-1798 $30.00
North Carolina residents and libraries add 7 % sales tax.
Postage: 1st book add $2.00, each additional book add $.50.
Mrs. Haun has a four page brochure of all her publications which include many NC counties. For a brochure, please send SASE to:
North Carolina Research at Home
Attn: Weynette Parks Haun
243 Argonne Drive
Durham, NC 27704-1423.
You may also order the listed books from the same address.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
An arthroscopic probe with a distally orientated concave curve which constrains tissue is disclosed. It is particularly adapted to cutting ligaments and tendons. Also disclosed is a thermal energy delivery apparatus that includes (a) a probe with a distal end and a proximal end, (b) a first electrode positioned at the distal end of the probe and (c) a cabling coupled to the proximal end of the probe.
1. A thermal energy delivery apparatus, comprising:
a probe including a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end including a distally orientated concave curve that is located between a pair of lateral edges and configured to constrain tissue; and
a first electrode positioned at the distal end of the probe, the first electrode configured to deliver sufficient thermal energy to cut ligaments or tendons.
2. The thermal energy delivery apparatus of
3. The thermal energy delivery apparatus of
4. The thermal energy delivery apparatus of
5. An RF probe, comprising:
a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including a distally orientated concave curve located between a pair of lateral edges and an electrode, wherein the concave curve helps constrain tissue for cutting.
6. The RF probe of
7. The RF probe of
8. The RF probe of
This application is a continuation of Application Ser. No. 09/022,612, filed Feb. 12, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,999, which application claims priority to Provisional Application Serial No. 60/037,782, filed Feb. 12, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of Use
The present invention is in the field of medical devices which deliver radio-frequency energy to cut tissue. More specifically, the invention is in the field of cutting probes for arthroscopic surgery.
2. Background
Arthroscopic surgery is becoming increasingly popular, because it generally does less damage than open procedures, produces less scarring in and around joints, and results in faster healing and return of the patient to full productivity.
Nevertheless, arthroscopic surgery has its limitations. The surgeon must operate through a narrow tube, which is awkward. Only one probe can be used at a time. Often the viewing camera is positioned at an angle different from the surgeon's normal gaze. This contrasts with "open surgery" where the surgeon has relative ease of viewing the surgical site and can freely move both hands, even utilizing the hands of colleagues.
In view of such difficulties of arthroscopic surgery, it is understandable that laser, microwave and radio-frequency (RF) probes which simultaneously cut and coagulate are preferred. However, current probes are poorly adapted to certain activities, such as cutting narrow tendons or ligaments. Current probes have convex, pointed and/or flat tips. U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,311, issued May 3, 1994 to Eggers and Shaw, is exemplary in that it discloses a laser probe with a pointed tip and convex, side. With current probes, the surgeon has little control when pressing against a tough ligament. Now as the surgeon cuts through one portion of the ligament, the probe slips out of position. The surgeon must reapproximate the probe and cut again, an inefficient process. And, unless the surgeon is able to stop pressure at exactly the right time, the probe may slip and cut an adjacent structure. Because the surgeon must repeatedly reapproximate and cut the ligament, the surgeon has difficulty in cleanly ablating the ligament or tendon. Thus, there are certain procedures that surgeons still prefer to perform in the "open." Unfortunately, this often results in bigger scars, longer convalescence, and more irritation of an already irritated joint.
What is needed is a probe that can simultaneously direct the tendon to the energy source (e.g., RF) and apply RF to cleanly and smoothly ablate the tendon or ligament. The advantage is that some procedures that have been considered too awkward or difficult to perform by arthroscopy can now be performed more effectively by arthroscopy.
A thermal energy delivery apparatus is disclosed which has a probe means including a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end has a concave tip. A first electrode means is also positioned at the distal end of the probe means, so that the first electrode means is configured to deliver sufficient thermal energy to cut ligaments or tendons. The thermal energy delivery apparatus also includes a cabling means coupled to the proximal end of the probe means. The cabling means can be either permanently or impermanently coupled to the probe means.
In another embodiment, there is an RF probe comprising a distal tip, wherein the distal tip has a concave curve and an electrode, whereby the concave curve on the distal tip helps constrain tissue for cutting. In another embodiment, the RF probe has a concave curve with a sharp edge. In yet another embodiment, the RF probe has a concave curve separated from the lateral edges of the RF probe.
Another embodiment of this invention is a method of cutting a ligament or tendon by (a) providing an RF probe with a distal tip with a concave curve; (b) approximating the RF probe to the ligament or tendon to be cut; and (c) applying RF energy through the curve, thereby cutting the ligament, tendon, or other tissue.
In another embodiment of the invention a controller for controlling the delivery of energy and liquid to a surgical instrument with a temperature sensor is disclosed. The energy is supplied by an energy source and the liquid is supplied by a pump. The controller includes a temperature and a flow regulator. The temperature regulator is coupled to the energy source and coupled to the pump. The temperature regulator is responsive to a first temperature indication from the temperature sensor to determine that the first temperature indication exceeds a setpoint and to reduce an energy level from the energy source. The flow regulator is coupled to the pump and coupled to the temperature regulator. The flow regulator includes responsiveness to the first temperature indication to increase a flow of the liquid from the pump.
FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the internal structures of the glenohumeral joint.
FIG. 2 is a medial side view of the knee joint.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the concave cutting tip of the RF probe.
FIGS. 4-11 show different monopolar and bipolar arrangements of the electrodes on the concave cutting tip.
FIG. 12 shows an overview of an RF probe.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a feedback system useful to control the temperature of electrodes of the present invention.
FIG. 14 illustrates a circuit useful to implement the feedback system of FIG. 13.
FIG. 15 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a probe with cutting tip.
The present invention arose out of an observation that, during an arthroscopy procedure, the surgeon could not access and cut cleanly the coracoacromial (CA) ligament shown in FIG. 1. This procedure is done in conjunction with a subacromial decompression, which makes a painful shoulder easier to move. If the cutting probe slips, the joint capsule could be damaged and even punctured, which would exacerbate an already painful joint. Thus, a concave rounded tip was designed which would center and position ligaments and could even be used to lift the ligament away from adjacent structures and avoid harm thereto.
This new style of tip has the advantage of being able to mechanically "gather" or constrain ligaments, tendons and other tissue into its center. This reduces the natural tendency of current cutting probes to slide off ligaments and tendons. This helps save time in that the surgeon is not repeatedly trying to center or approximate the probe tip on the target tissue.
FIG. 1 shows a lateral (side) view of a glenhumeral joint 100 and in particular the Coracoacromial ligament 102, the Superior glenohumeral ligament 104, the middle glenohumeral ligament 106, the Subscapularis Tendon 108 (joined to capsule), the Inferior Glenoheumeral ligament 110, the Glenoid "cup" with cartilage 112, the Joint Capsule 114, and the Bursa 116. The Joint Capsule 114 is comprised of 3GH ligaments and surrounding capsule. The Bursa 116 lubricates and acts like a shock absorber, and is usually removed when an SA decompression is performed. The area 118 is the area at which impingement usually occurs.
FIG. 2 shows a medial (side) view of a glenohumeral joint 200, and in particular the Medial Collateral Ligament 202, the patella 204, the Medial Lateral Retinaculum 206, an incision line 208 for lateral release and the Patellar Ligament 210.
While CA surgery was the inspiration for this invention, use of this concave probe is not limited to a particular ligament or tendon, or even to those tissues. The concave cutting probe is adapted to cut all types of tendons and ligaments more effectively than blunt or rounded tip probes. As another example whose anatomy is shown in FIG. 2, the lateral retinaculum sometimes must be severed in some types of patellar dislocation or malignment, when the patella is not properly tracking in the trochlear notch. Severing the lateral retinaculum is called lateral retinacular release. With this concave-tip probe, the surgeon is able to position the ligament and sever it cleanly.
Turning now to the probe itself, FIG. 3 shows a concave edge 308 on a distal tip 304 of an RF probe head 300. This concave edge is designed to constrain tissue, tendons and ligaments. The concave curve has lateral edges 306 which are rounded, so that the probe does not "snag" on unwanted tissue as the surgeon maneuvers the probe into position. The cylindrical portion 302 of the distal tip 304 fits inside probe sheath 410, as shown in FIG. 4. The distal tip may have a variety of configurations, as shown in FIGS. 3-10. FIG. 4 shows probe 400 having a concave edge with less prominently rounded lateral edges. FIGS. 4-6 show a distal tip which is angled with respect to the sheath 410. This embodiment offers the advantage of helping the surgeon get around comers.
FIG. 5A shows an angled probe 500 consisting of a cylindrical portion 502 with a distal tip 504 having a concave edge 508 and lateral edges 506. FIG. 5B shows a side view of angled probe 500.
FIG. 6 shows an angled probe 600 with a specialized surface (not heated) which imparts a third function to the probe, namely scraping tissue. Probe 600 is comprised of a cylindrical portion 602, and a distal tip 604 which has a concave edge 608 and lateral edges 606. The surface of the flat portion of distal tip 604 contains rasps 616 which can be used for scraping tissue.
For cutting tissue, the distal tip has a first electrode and a second electrode located on lateral edges 606. The first and second electrodes can be operated in bipolar or monopolar mode. Bipolar is preferred and examples of "Taser" type electrodes are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
FIG. 7 shows a distal tip 700 having a three-pole, bipolar arrangement where, in addition to two side positive electrodes 702 and 706, there is a central negative electrode 704. FIG. 8 shows a distal tip 800 wherein two electrodes 802 and 806 are positioned in two small sites on the lateral edges of the concave curve. In this particular embodiment, electrode 802 is positive and electrode 806 is negative
FIGS. 9-11 show exemplary monopolar arrangements. In FIG. 9, a single monopolar positive electrode 902 occupies a wide portion of the concave curve of distal tip 900. A return path 904 is provided and is attached to the patient's body to complete the circuit. In FIG. 10, there is one small active electrode 1006 located centrally on distal tip 1000. In FIG. 11 there are two active electrodes 1102 and 1106 in lateral positions on distal tip 1100. Suffice it to say that quite a variation in electrode design is contemplated for this concave curve.
To maintain the appropriate temperature for cutting tissue, the distal tip of the probe may also be equipped with a thermocouple, but such a thermocouple is optional in the concave-tipped probe.
FIG. 12 illustrates the RF probe of a larger RF apparatus shown schematically in FIG. 13, which is a block diagram of a temperature/impedance feedback system useful with apparatus 1200.
FIG. 12A is an illustration of a cannula utilized in one embodiment of the invention. Cannula 1202 consists of a guide 1224 with an opening 1226 at its distal end. Cannula 1202 is attached at its proximal end to introducer 1222. As illustrated in FIG. 12B, surgical instrument 1200 consists of a handle 1212 to which is attached a power cord 1210, a probe 1214 and a probe tip 1216. Cannula 1202 is inserted into the surgical site on the patient. Surgical instrument 1200 is then inserted into cannula 1202 so that the tip 1216 protrudes from the opening 1226 in cannula 1202.
FIG. 13 is an electrical block diagram of an embodiment of the current invention in which both RF power and saline solution are applied to a surgical site, under unified control of controller 1300. The RF power is applied to the site for cutting, cauterizing, ablating and sculpting of tissue. The saline solution is applied to the site for irrigation and in order to create a cavity in the area in which surgery is to be performed. In this embodiment it is advantageous to regulate RF delivery through both temperature and impedance monitoring. It is advantageous to monitor saline solution flow to maintain clarity at the site. There is also the opportunity for synergy between RF and saline delivery to the surgical site to provide, for example, a greater level of control of temperatures at the site.
The controller 1300 shown in FIG. 13 includes RF generator 1310, temperature profile 1320, temperature regulator 1322, temperature monitor 1324, surgical instrument 1326, impedance monitor 1328, impedance regulator 1330, pump 1340, flow regulator 1350 and flow monitor 1352.
The RF generator is capable of delivering monopolar or bipolar power to surgical instrument 1326. The surgical instrument contains a probe and tip which are positioned at the surgical site 1342. The impedance monitor 1328 obtains impedance measurements by, for example, measuring current and voltage and performing a RMS calculation. The measurements of the impedance monitor are delivered to impedance regulator 1330. The impedance regulator performs several functions. Generally the impedance regulator keeps the impedance levels within acceptable limits by controlling the power supplied by the RF generator 1310. In an embodiment of the current invention the impedance regulator can control the flow regulator 1350 to deliver more or less saline solution to the surgical site.
The temperature monitor 1324 can include one or more types of temperature sensors, e.g. thermocouples, thermistors, resistive temperature device (RTD), infrared detectors, etc. . The temperature sensor is positioned at the tip of the surgical instrument to provide temperature monitoring of the tip. The output of the temperature monitor is delivered to the temperature regulator 1322. The temperature regulator 1322 also accepts input from a temperature profile table 1320. The temperature profiles contained in this table may include time and temperature points which need to be achieved during surgery. The temperature regulator may control both the RF generator 1310 and the flow regulator 1350. When, for example, temperatures have increased beyond an acceptable limit, power supplied by the RF generator to the surgical instrument may be reduced. Alternately, the temperature regulator may cause the flow regulator 1350 to increase saline solution flow, thereby decreasing temperature at the surgical site. Conversely, the temperature regulator can interface with either the RF generator or the flow regulator when measured temperatures do not match the required temperatures called for in the temperature profile 1320. When this condition occurs, the temperature regulator can cause the RF generator to increase power supply to the surgical instrument. Alternately, the temperature regulator can cause the flow regulator to decrease saline solution flow to the surgical site, thereby allowing a fixed amount of RF energy to cause an increase in temperature at the surgical site. In another embodiment of the invention a flow monitor 1352 can be positioned at the surgical site. The flow monitor can monitor the volume of saline solution flow, the actual dimension of the cavity, the pressure created by the saline solution within the cavity or the optical clarity of the saline solution within the cavity. Any one of these and other monitored parameters can be utilized independently to regulate the flow of saline solution to the site by providing these measurements to the flow regulator. The flow regulator may be programmed to accommodate regulatory signals from both the temperature and impedance regulators, as well as from the flow monitor and can be programmed to perform in whatever manner is desired by the user. The flow regulator interfaces with the pump 1340 to control the volume of saline solution delivered to the surgical site 1342.
An exemplary interaction of these various components is shown by way of the following example. Initially the temperature regulator and/or impedance regulator and the flow regulator deliver pre-programmed amounts of power and saline solution to the surgical site 1342. Each system operates independently. The flow regulator, for example, operates the pump to maintain saline solution flow within the desired parameters, i.e. clarity, pressure, flow rate, etc. The temperature regulator delivers pre-programmed time-based temperature profile to the surgical instrument 1326 from the RF generator 1310. When impedance levels fall below a lower threshold indicating that the instrument has been removed from the site, the RF generator is caused to terminate power supply to the surgical instrument. Alternately, when impedance levels exceed an upper threshold indicating that tissue is accumulating on the tip of the surgical instrument, thereby increasing resistance to current flow, pulses of RF power are delivered to the surgical instrument to cause the tissue to ablate from the tip, thereby decreasing the impedance of the tip. Alternately, the impedance regulator can at the upper threshold of impedance signal the surgeon audibly, visibly or in any other manner that the instrument itself needs to be cleaned before proceeding further with the surgery. If during the operation the flow regulator receives from either the temperature or impedance regulator a signal indicating that temperatures and/or impedance are exceeding acceptable levels, then flow can be increased to reduce temperature and/or clean the tip. Alternately, if the flow regulator receives signals indicating that temperature and/or impedance are too low, then the flow regulator can reduce saline solution flow to allow greater heating at the surgical site 1342. When the control signals from the temperature regulator 1322 and/or the impedance regulator 1330 cease, the flow regulator 1350 returns to normal operation.
FIG. 14 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention to that discussed above in connection with FIG. 13. In this embodiment fluid flow and RF generation are regulated either by temperature regulator or impedance. There is no independent flow monitor such as the one shown and discussed above in connection with the embodiment in FIG. 13. RF generator 1434 is coupled to first and second electrodes 1422 and 1424 to apply a biologically safe voltage to surgical site 1480. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14 the surgical instrument 1410 is represented as a bipolar ablation device. The circuitry shown herein is equally applicable to monopolar surgical instruments as well. First and second electrodes 1422 and 1424 of the bipolar device are connected to a primary side of transformer windings 1458A and 1460A. The common primary windings 1458A and 1460A are magnetically coupled with a transformer core to secondary windings 1458B and 1460B. The transformer windings 1458A-B are part of transformer t1. The transformer windings 1460A-B are part of transformer t2. The primary windings of the first transformer t1 couple the output voltage of surgical instrument 1410 to the secondary windings 1458B. The primary windings 1460A of the second transformer t2 couple the output current of surgical instrument 1410 to the secondary windings 1460B. Measuring circuits connected to the secondary windings 1458B and 1460B determine the root mean square (RMS) values or magnitudes of the current end voltage. These values, represented as voltages, are inputted to dividing circuit 1408 to mathematically calculate, by dividing the RMS voltage value by the RMS current value the impedance of the surgical site 1480.
The output voltage 1462 of the divider circuit 1408 is coupled to a pole of single pole double throw (SPDT) switch 1470. The other pole 1464 of the switch is connected to the output of thermal coupler amplifier 1424. The inputs of thermal couple amplifier 1424 are connected to the temperature sensor 1446 which measures temperatures at the surgical site 1480. Switch 1470 serves therefore to couple either the impedance circuitry or the temperature monitoring circuitry to the positive (+) input of comparator 1412. Voltage reference 1414 supplies a voltage across a variable resistor Rv, thus allowing one to manually adjust the voltage presented to the negative input of comparator 1412. This voltage represents a maximum impedance value beyond which power will not be applied to electrode 1422. In an embodiment in which the switch 1470 is connected to the divider circuit 1408, impedance values greater than the maximum cutoff impedance determined by resistor 1414 result in comparator 1412 reducing the power supplied by RF generator 1434 to the surgical site. Alternately, the comparator can deliver a signal to pump 1422 causing it to increase the fluid flow from coolant source 1420 through nozzle 1426 positioned at the surgical site 1480. This will reduce temperatures at the site. Alternately, when switch 1470 connects pole 1464 to the positive input of comparator 1412 temperature rather than impedance can be utilized to control either the RF generator 1434 or the pump 1422. Comparator 1412 can be of any commercially available type that is able to control the amplitude and pulse width modulation of RF generator 1434. The temperature as discussed above within the surgical site 1480 can be controlled based on tissue impedance when switch 1470 connects pole 1462 to the comparator 1412. Alternately, control can be based on tissue temperature as represented when the switch 1470 connects pole 1464 to the comparator 1412. In an embodiment switch 1470 is activated to allow impedance node 1462 to enter the positive (+) input terminal of comparator 1412. This signal along with the reference voltage applied to the negative (−) input terminal actuates comparator 1412 to produce an output signal. If the selected tissue ablation site is heated to a biologically damaging temperature, the tissue impedance will exceed a selected impedance value seen at the negative (−) input terminal, thereby reducing power to the RF generator 1434 and/or increasing flow from pump 1422. The output signal of comparator 1412 may be utilized to sound an alarm or give a visual indication of an over temperature condition or, as discussed above, to reduce power and/or disable the RF generator.
Energy source 1434 is shown as providing RF energy, but is not limited to RF and can include microwave, ultrasonic, coherent and incoherent light thermal transfer and resistance heating.
FIGS. 15A-B show an enlarged view of one embodiment of the tip 1510 of an electrosurgical instrument wherein two opposing arcuate segments 1504A and 1504B are compressed to form a probe tip 1216A at the distal end of probe 1214A. In such an embodiment, swagging is used to compress the tip of the probe. Swagging forms a chisel 1514 that can be used in the surgical instrument of FIGS. 12 and 13 for RF ablation of tissue. Grinding applications can be added to the tip to provide for mechanical tissue ablation in addition to energy ablation. The core 1502 of probe 1214A can be either hollow or solid. This particular embodiment is illustrated as having an annular probe. Probe 1214A is coated in an insulating material which terminates prior to the tip 1510, leaving chisel 1514 exposed.
The surgical chisel illustrated in FIGS. 15A-B provides various improvements over the prior art in allowing for precise hemostatic cutting and ablation of soft tissue in one convenient instrument. The malleable probe tips can be configured as straight, angled or curved, for example, which provides for optimal access to specific anatomy and pathology. Unique tip designs improve tactile feedback for optimal control and access, and provide for improved tissue visualization with greatly reduced bubbling or charring.
Lateral retinacular release as mentioned above can be accomplished with the use of the concave-tipped RF probe as shown in FIG. 3. First, the knee joint is distended with a clear fluid, usually saline. Initial distention can be done using a large syringe full of saline which is injected into the joint space. Distention forces the bones of the joint apart creating room to introduce instrumentation without damaging the cartilage.
Once the instrumentation has been inserted into the joint space, the irrigation tubing and cannulas are positioned and hooked up to provide continual fluid exchange during the procedure. The most common systems are gravity flow or the use of an arthroscopic irrigation pump. Just hanging bags of irrigation fluid on an IV pole raises them 3-4 feet above the operative site. This elevation difference is enough to create pressure to distend and irrigate the joint. The fluid enters the joint through the scope sheath and exits through a cannula placed in the superior lateral portal, or the reverse, through the cannula and out through the scope sheath. The setup is a matter of physician preference. The key to the proper function of either system is that the inflow volume must be larger than the outflow volume. This restriction in the outflow is what creates the back flow that distends the joint.
With an arthroscopic irrigation pump, the bags do not need to be raised on an IV pole. The factors controlling distention of the joint are controlled automatically by the pump. The pump monitors the fluid pressure in the joint space using a pressure sensing cannula and automatically increases or decreases fluid flow as needed to provide optimum viewing. As with the gravity flow system, fluid enters the joint cavity through the scope sheath or the cannula in the superior lateral portal.
Such an arthroscopic procedure requires the creation of two to five portals (entry ways) into the joint capsule. To create a portal, the surgeon usually begins by making a small stab wound with a scalpel (e.g., No. 11 blade) at the site of the portal. Next, the wound is enlarged and extended with a trocar encased in a sleeve (cannula) through muscle tissue to the synovial membrane. The trocar is removed, leaving the cannula in place. Then, the surgeon uses a blunt obturator (to avoid damage to menisci and articular cartilage) to puncture through the synovium into the joint cavity. The obturator is removed and the cannula left in place. The cannula can be used to insert an arthroscope or for the inflow and outflow of water. If the surgeon elects to insert instruments percutaneously, the sleeve is removed.
For lateral retinacular release, the surgeon frequently uses three portals, one for the arthroscope, one for the instrument and one for the drain. Additional portals may be created for the surgeon to access other areas of the knee (i.e., to tighten the medial retinaculum) during the procedure. Frequently, a superolateral (above and to the side of the patella) approach is used for the irrigation cannula. For the arthroscope and concave probe, anteromedial and anterolateral approaches often are chosen, because they are relatively safe (minimal potential tissue damage) and most surgeons have more experience with them. Once the arthroscope is viewed, the surgeon may use the concave-tipped probe (without power) to advance to the site of the lateral retinaculum. Having located the lateral retinaculum, the surgeon actuates the RF probe and cuts entirely through the ligament.
The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
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Recipe by JOSIE
"I've been making this recipe for a long time and I usually don't make it the same way twice. I like to use cabbage, shredded carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and green onions, but use any combination of vegetables you like. Add as much garlic oil as you need to prevent the noodles from sticking together."
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1/2 cup
vegetable oil
10 cloves
garlic, finely chopped
1 (12 ounce) package
uncooked linguine pasta
salt to taste
1/2 cup
chopped broccoli
1/2 cup
chopped cabbage
1/2 cup
shredded carrots
1/2 cup
chopped cauliflower
2 tablespoons
diced green onions
1 pound
chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons
soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup
chopped cilantro
lime wedges
Hello All. I submitted this recipe and wanted to make a comment about the vegetables. I suggested the boiling method because the veggies will cook much faster, but in fact, I prefer to stir-fry my veggies as opposed to boiling. Please do which ever you prefer and feel free to add or take away ingredients at your leisure, this recipe is very forgiving. Also, use as much or as little garlic oil as you desire to toss your noodles in. I will sometimes add some salt and soy sauce to toss my noodles in along with the oil to add some extra flavor. If your not a cilantro lover, I recommend tossing in some extra chopped green onions. Happy Cooking.
This was ok. I think I expected a milder taste from the cilantro but it ended up being quite strong. Maybe I added too much.
189 Ratings
What a nice surprise this dish is. On the surface it really doesn't look like anything too special, but it's flavorful and delicious. No one flavor overpowers the other. Tossing the noodles with the garlic oil is a must! I doubled the veggie amounts,used olive oil instead of the veg oil, omitted the cilantro and squeezed a little lime juice over the dish when it was done. Fantastic! I would also recommend using a good quality soy sauce (like Kikkoman) instead of the thick cheap salty stuff. Thank you, this is definitely a keeper.
Fabulous! Became member just to rate this recipe. All 3 kids had 3rds. I doubled veggies and just threw them in with the boiling noodles during the last 30 seconds of cooking time. This is a new family favorite. Thanks JOSIE!
Very good. I lightly browned the garlic in olive oil -- a little more than 1/4 Cup and then removed it from the heat. I did use the pasta water as it was still hot to quickly cook my chopped veggies. I used a pasta spoon to get the linguine out of the pot and then threw my chopped veggies in the water. I served it on a large meat platter, and it was beautiful. I topped it with freshly grated parmesean cheese. I used the soy sauce and the lime juice but no cilantro. Great recipe that makes a lot of food and looks great!
This dish turned out very well and I was happy with it. It had good, if subtle, flavors. I followed the recipe almost to the "T" except that I used a little less oil (and Olive instead of vegetable oil). In the future I would not heat the oil as long before I added the garlic. The problem I had is once they turned "golden brown" I removed the pan from the heat as specified - but the oil was still hot enough that the garlic continued to cook, going into the very dark brown range. Other than that, everything went very well and I would make this again.
This was a fantastic recipe however, I did not use as much oil. I added frozen stir-fry vegetables that saved a bit of time too. I also used the juice of a fresh lemon as I didn't have any limes and this added a fantastic fresh taste! I would certainly make this recipe again...even the kids loved it!
This was a lot tastier than I had expected and the sauce was really nice. The lime gave it a nice kick and I enjoyed the linguine. The cabbage added something a little different to my usual stir-fry mixes so I will be trying this again, and I can see how versatile it will be depending on what vegetables I have on hand.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Linguine with Chicken and Sauteed Vegetables
Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 480
** Calories from Fat: 195
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What's cooking in Ellington? This creamy, satisfying linguine.
Tender chicken served over pasta with a sumptuous, creamy sauce.
See how to make a quick and creamy chicken pasta that's a twist on shrimp scampi.


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Two-and-a-half weeks prior to the start of the Mexico City meeting, we opened an online Question Box, where community members could very simply ask questions of ICANN's staff and Board without having to be physically present at the various public forum and speaking into a microphone.
This approach means for more effective remote participation plus increased participation from attendees who prefer not to address a room directly – something that I have consistently heard is an issue at ICANN meetings. In total , 96 questions were asked and answered – which was no small amount of work.
We're going to repeat the whole approach for Sydney but with two main changes. For one, I'm going to put a limit on the number of questions that people can ask. The idea of the question box is that it is an online version of the public forum i.e. you don't have to physically stand up at the microphone.
However, it is very rare that anyone gets to ask more than two questions during a public forum, and so I think it makes sense to apply the same logic to the online version. Looking at the use of the question box this time around, all but 4 of the 36 commenters asked two questions or less.
There were also a small number of people that felt the 30-word limit on the question was a little too restrictive. And so we'll increase it to 50 words, which should give plenty of room to comment and question.
Anyway, posted below, as well as on the Mexico City website and the main ICANN website are the responses to the 96 questions. Enjoy. And feel free to comment on the process or any of the questions below.
Kieren McCarthy
General manager of public participation, ICANN
{ 5 comments }


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From Our Editors
During the 90-minute techniques class, you and another person will have the rare opportunity to observe a chef in its natural environment as the culinary wizard offers a demonstration on a given subject. Each class concludes with a small tasting at the end, offering a response to the puddles of mouthwater that will have gathered on the floor by that time. Upcoming mini-skills class topics include summer-baking techniques on May 23, offering a solution for cooks long crushed by the quandaries of cobblers, crumbles, and crisps; canning on June 20, to help preserve summertime treats from the advances of time and army ants; and tomatoes on July 25, with tips on sauces, chutneys, preserves, and recipes using the apple's cooler cousin. Groupon users can also apply this deal toward two spots in one of Old Town Cooking School's wine-styles classes ($50) and pay the $24 difference out of pocket.


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Why Is The Philadelphia Orchestra Playing Mozart Without A Conductor?
By Susan Lewis
Listeners may not think about the visuals in an orchestra concert, but body language is an important way in which musicians communicate with one another. From his chair, Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim leads Mozart's Serenade in G Major: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik the way it would have been done in Mozart's time, without a conductor, on January 10th, 11th, and 12th in concerts at the Kimmel Center.
Kim talks with WRTI's Susan Lewis about body motion and playing without a conductor. Concert information here.
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Corrections: Aug. 8-14, 2011
San Antonio Express-News : August 8, 2011 : Updated: August 14, 2011 8:20pm
mySanAntonio.com posts corrections from the San Antonio Express-News and mySA.com every weekday.
• Because of reporters' errors, a story in Sunday's Express-News and on mySA.com about a Houston prayer rally misidentified the organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Also, protester Brandy Deason was incorrectly identified. Read the story
• Because of an editor's error, a story in Friday's Express-News and on mySA.com mischaracterized the status of the black bear. The American black bear is endangered in Mexico and threatened in Texas. Read the story
• Cary Clack's column in today's Express-News and on mySA.com misspelled the name of Dr. Robert DeLemos. Read the story


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Neil Peart of the band Rush has a new update on neilpeart.net called "Backstage Byways" where he chronicles the preparation for the #r40live tour, as well as his journey by motorcycle during the tour's first leg.
Now That's Camping!
Check out these canvas tents! Who said you have to rough it.
Visit Lotus Belle for more details. http://lotusbelle.com
Thinking About Nepal
Our thoughts are with Nepal.
Drive The Globe supports Team Rubicon & their mission.
On April 25th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. With over 4,000 deaths confirmed, it's the largest to hit the country since 1934. The capital city of Kathmandu was hit especially hard, with the hospitals overrun and nearly 90 percent of the homes near the epicenter destroyed. In response, we're deploying a recon team with a larger team forming for a potential follow-on effort.
Help us help the people of Nepal. Your support will provide immediate aid to those affected.
Thanks for being on the team!
Muddy Chef Challenge
Recommended Land Rover Event:
We are excited to announce the 2015 dates and location of the Muddy Chef Challenge. July 30 – Aug 2, 2015. For the first time the Challenge will return to the same location – Lime Rock Park, in Lakeville, CT. New sponsors, new event challenges and diabolical cooking challenge events! REGISTER HERE
In 2008, a large group of like minded Land Rover owners got together in Stowe, Vermont for the first Muddy Chef Challenge. A three day event that combines off-roading and a vehicle based gourmet cooking challenge (think Top Gear meets Top Chef).
In 2014 the event was moved to Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT. The new location offered a perfect combination of space – the event has grown significantly, beautiful scenery (the northwest corner of Connecticut is breathtaking), access to sporting events (sporting clay shooting and fly fishing at Orvis, etc.) and challenging off-road driving – all while surrounded by Lime Rock Park's 53 year history of automotive culture. In short – if you like off-road driving, cooking, expedition style camping, motor sports, shooting, vintage cars, fine cigars, craft spirits, and Land Rover – this is the perfect place to be.


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World-wide Service & Parts Network
Wiggins lift trucks are designed with quick and easy servicing in mind. The attention to simplicity and accessibility of items like mast bearings that require periodic lubrication and replacement are evidence of our commitment to using only the most serviceable and well known components. This assures dependability and parts availability. Wiggins is dedicated to making service availability the finest in the industry. Click here to find the service center near you.
We also have a full-service parts department that is committed to keeping your trucks well maintained. Our knowledgeable and responsive sales force is dedicated to making your experience quick and effortless. Our highest priority is to get you the parts you need when you need them. Call us at (805) 485-7821.


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This Company has debt issues, but I like there duo of oil drilling ships and dry bulkers. A company like this should do good when there is sustained economic growth. I would look to get in under 4.50This is my fav dry bulkerBelow is my mining stock blog http://www.stockhouse.com/Blogs/ViewBlog.aspx?b=2986Good luck all
The Fed policy statement is below (bold face added), not much change
from September as the intermediate term outlook remains unclear and
dependent on incoming growth and inflation data."Economic
growth has slowed over the course of the year, partly reflecting a
cooling of the housing market. Going forward, the economy seems likely
to expand at a moderate pace.Readings on core...
Upgrades & DowngradesComcast "buy" target price raisedAnalysts
at Deutsche Bank Securities maintain their "buy" rating on Comcast
Corporation (CMCSA). The target price has been raised from $40 to $47.In
a research note published yesterday, the analysts mention that the
company is likely to report its 3Q06 phone and data net additions above
the consensus. The analysts expect...
Nike (NKE)Nike
has surpassed its industry as well as the consumer discretionary sector
in terms of ROIC. NKE has sustained a 19% or greater return for each of
the past four years, which is very good.I see a
significant opportunity for Nike to penetrate the women's footwear and
sports apparel markets, as brand sales to this gender represent about
20% of total Nike brand sales.Another...
Express Scripts reported accelerating earnings growth while
generic penetration jumped 200 basis points. This was completely
ignored as the coming changes to the AWP (A national average of list prices charged by wholesalers to pharmacies.) benchmark dominated investors thinking. I think the fears may be a bit too exaggerated."Concerns
regarding pricing continue to weigh on the PBMs following...
Before I go on I'd like to make something clear- I do not consider myself a Fashion Guru or anything of that sort.
One of the only reasons I'm writing this is some of readers go to
universities; Columbia, Dartmouth, Boston, Iowa, UMass, York etc (those
unis I know since I've been in touch with some of them) &
internship and/or full-time recruiting season is almost upon us for
So this morning I'm going through my Gmail & I see a PR about a
stock picking super computer. My first thought was, "great! just what
the world needed, another 'me-too' stock picking model," upon further
research it seems a little interesting. The 'G' in Gstock made me even
wonder, "what?! Google trying to propel it's finance section with
quantitative models?" turns out it's not Google...
As you know- My approach is a bottom-up view with a top-down macro perspective.
It would be prudent to remain in large-cap stocks, as they have been
outperforming. I believe the Materials, Capital Goods, and
Transportation groups should be avoided in this stage of the business
cycle, possibly even shorted.The market is preparing
itself for an economic slowdown. This is evident by...


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Last obstacle editing our template
We bought a flash template and editing it with Adobe Flash. Some how we have actually muttered our way threw it;) But now we have hit a wall. Under any of the galleries there is a arrow that suppose to link to another set of pics. Check it out www.imagesfromlight.com Then click a gallery. Well all it does is loop the same gallery. We want it to go to another set of pics. I don't care to have the same format I just want different pics. Plz Plz help! I know its something we are not seeing. Also plz explane like step by step
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The Civil Engineering Department offers a Bachelor of Science degree (BSCE). The Civil Engineering curriculum vertically integrates oral and written communication, contemporary issues, successful teamwork, significant design experience, and the skills needed to engage in life-long learning into general education and engineering courses. The program emphasizes four core tracks in Civil Engineering: (1) environmental/water resources, (2) geotechnical, (3) structural, and (4) transportation systems. Sustainability is incorporated throughout the curriculum.
Sample Plans for each Focus Area
- Objectives
- Outcomes
- Liberal Education Requirements
- Course List
- Cooperative Education I/II (CE 4096/4596) Description
- List of Approved CE Tech Electives (pdf)
- Prerequisites (pdf)
- Program Sample Plan (general) (pdf)
- CE Degree Requirements
- Program Planning Worksheet
- Recommended Laptop Configurations
- Writing Guide (pdf)
- Advising Checklist(pdf)
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Internships and Jobs
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The Civil Engineering program at UMD started in the fall of 2008 with the first graduating class in spring of 2012. The program applied for ABET accreditation immediately after the first graduating class, for retroactive accreditation of the program for all CE graduates. The Swenson College of Science and Engineering was notified in August of 2013 that the Civil Engineering program was awarded a 6 year accreditation. This accreditation can be found on ABET's accredited program list on their website.