text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|PCT number
|Publication date
|Aug 16, 2011
|Filing date
|Dec 10, 2008
|Priority date
|Dec 10, 2007
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Michael R. Treat, David Michael Brady, Russell Baker, Jack M. Kaplan, David Berk
|Original Assignee
|Robotic Systems & Technologies, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (11), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (13), Classifications (40), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Nos. (1) 61/012,683, filed Dec. 10, 2007, (2) 61/074,268, filed Jun. 20, 2008, and (3) 61/113,646, filed Nov. 12, 2008, each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
The present disclosure relates to systems, methods and processes for robotically processing instruments, and more particularly to robotic systems for handling and processing surgical instruments in sterile supply environments and the like.
Used surgical instruments and related medical devices are typically handled by a Central Sterile Supply (hereafter "CSS") department within a hospital or other related medical service facility, and is considered one of the most important service centers of a hospital. The CSS department typically processes used surgical instruments, and other types of re-usable medical devices, from a "dirty" or contaminated state and returns them to a sterile state. Turning to
An exemplary container described in connection with
Container 317 also includes a tray 318, that fits inside container 317. Tray 318 is typically made of perforated steel or other suitable material, to allow fluids and other material to pass through during the various stages of the sterilization process. Tray 318 may be configured to accept dividers or inserts to organize or separate tools, and/or hold the tools in a particular fashion. Nevertheless, many trays in current use do not have inserts, but use stringers 320 as their prime organizational tool. As can be seen from the illustration in
As is known in the art, handheld surgical instruments 319 are typically made of stainless steel, though other materials may be equally suitable. Standard instruments include scissors, tweezer-like graspers, latching graspers ("hemostats"), and retractors of various shapes.
A large number of surgical instruments also contain a ratchet lock, typically with instruments having a finger ring configuration. Ratchets are located between each finger ring and the shank. The ratchets are smooth on one side and toothed on the other, and are often configured to have three "teeth", where, when the instrument is closed, the toothed sides interlock. Thus, to close the instrument, the finger rings are drawn together and the jaws of the instrument meet before the teeth of the ratchet lock. Once the jaws meet, force must be applied to overcome the strength of the shafts and engage the teeth. Engagement of each successive tooth requires greater force. To open the instrument, first the ratchet must be disengaged. This is done by forcing the finger rings in the directions normal to their respective smooth sides of the ratchet. Once the teeth are separated, the finger rings should be moved apart to prevent reengagement of the teeth upon relaxation of the force.
Referring back to
After a surgical procedure, dirty instruments are sent to CSS with the intention of sterilizing and repackaging them for future use. Thus, the first step in the sterilization process is decontamination. Typically, a department worker opens a container and finds a tray with dirty, disorganized instruments. Each instrument is then manually washed or scrubbed (401). The purpose of this manual process is to physically remove deposits and to break up biofilms (such as dried blood) that may be adherent to the instruments.
At this point, the looped instruments are either thrown haphazardly back into the tray in an extreme open position, or they are placed on an extra wide stringer (320) that holds the instruments in the extreme open condition (i.e. as far as the instrument is physically capable of opening). The purpose of having them open is to expose the inner surfaces of the box lock hinge as much as possible, for cleaning and washing purposes. Other instruments such as retractors, which do not require opening, may also be thrown in at this point.
After the hand cleaning, the instruments proceed through a variety of rinsing and soaking procedures or baths. These baths may include ultrasonic cleaners or enzymatic solutions (402).
The instruments are then placed in a washer/disinfector (403), essentially a dishwasher for instruments where the instrument is cleaned by water impingement and detergent. These special-purpose dishwashers have a rotating spray bar which emits high pressure water and detergent spray to clean the instruments by impingement of the water jets on the instrument surfaces. It is optimal to have the looped instruments held in a wide open stance for this step to expose the critical locations on the instrument which may otherwise be obscured from the water jets.
When the instruments leave the washer/disinfector, they are considered decontaminated. Further processing continues on what is called the "clean" side of CSS (see
During the count and sort process (404, 405), the instruments in the container are compared to its count sheet. A count sheet specifies the type and quantity of each instrument to be included in the container. The count generated in CSS will form the basis for the count in the operating room (OR). During a procedure the surgical staff must maintain an accurate count of all the instruments to ensure none are inadvertently left behind in the patient. A mistake in the original count from CSS can significantly complicate the count in the OR. For example, an undercount in CSS can contribute to an instrument being erroneously left in the body cavity. On the other hand, an over-count can contribute to a false alarm, giving the erroneous appearance that an instrument is missing. Accordingly, the surgical team must search for the nonexistent instrument, prolonging the procedure and the time the patient is under anesthesia.
Many CSS facilities still rely on paper for their count sheets. CSS facilities that are beginning to incorporate automated systems utilize software and/or instrument barcodes to help automate the process. Nevertheless, in either case, conventional CSS processes are still time consuming and error prone tasks.
As part of the sorting process, looped instruments are manually placed on a standard width stringer, so that similar instruments are adjacent to one another and preferably arranged largest to smallest in size. The standard width stringer holds the instruments in a nearly closed but un-ratcheted position, which is referred to in the art as a "soft" close. The non-looped instruments, such as retractors, are arranged on the bottom of the tray. The stringer full of instruments is placed into the tray, and the tray is placed into a container. The CSS worker will typically sign the count sheet and place it into the container with the tray. The container is then latched and ready for the sterilization process as mentioned above.
For CSS systems utilizing automated processes, a robotic automation mechanism is programmed and configured to manipulate relevant objects. Examples of such robotic systems may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,164,968, titled "Robotic Scrub Nurse," issued Jan. 16, 2007, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Under such systems, robotic manipulations for a given process must handle objects in a prescribed manner, and often run into situations where the manner of manipulation is beyond the means of the robot. In such cases, additional devices are required in order to achieve these goals. A device designed for such a purpose is said to be robot-ready. Additionally, there are increasing varieties of surgical instruments having different sizes, shapes, and characteristic features. Certain instruments may be found in different states (e.g., open, closed, upside-down) over the course of the sterile supply process. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a system and method for handling various types of instruments regardless of state, and to be able to transfer the instruments between states.
As such, an exemplary system and method is disclosed for processing a plurality of surgical instruments for cleaning and/or packaging. The system includes a device for identifying a robot-ready insert, wherein the insert contains a plurality of surgical instruments in one or more predetermined areas, and each area of the insert is configured to accept a predetermined set of surgical instrument types. Each of the plurality of surgical instruments is then removed from the predetermined areas using an automated apparatus, preferably a robotic arm. An apparatus is also provided for optically or electrically identifying each of a plurality of surgical instruments. Each of the plurality of surgical instruments is then processed so as to perform various functions related to cleaning and/or packaging. An automated apparatus, preferably a robotic arm, then orients each of the identified surgical instrument, and places each of the surgical instruments in one or more predetermined areas of the insert, where each area of the insert is configured to accept a predetermined set of surgical instrument types.
Specialized tools are also provided for automatically opening and closing surgical instruments, flipping instruments and assisting in the maintenance of surgical instruments.
Under additional and/or alternate embodiments, a robotic system and corresponding methods are disclosed for performing the functions of the CSS Department of a hospital, as well as additional functions relating to trafficking surgical instruments from a point of use to a point of processing for re-use. The robotic system includes the following components: a robotic arm or other mechanism for physically handling and moving about the surgical instruments, a machine-vision system to assist in locating and identifying these items, and a software system that incorporates artificial intelligence capability so that the system may perform its functions autonomously after receiving guidance from a human operator.
The aforementioned robotic system also performs one or more of the following functions: unload surgical instruments or other types of items used in surgery from a container, and then clean, identify, inspect, count, sort, and package the instruments and other items. The system may perform other functions including opening, closing, lubricating, sharpening, and/or demagnetizing instruments or items, as well as preparing the container of instruments for sterilization by wrapping it.
The robotic system may further perform functions related to reading a bar code or other tag device on individual surgical instruments or on tray inserts of surgical instruments. Also, the robotic system may read and/or write RFID tag data or other read-write information device that may be affixed to a container of instruments or even to individual instruments. The robotic system would obtain and process such data as needed to describe details of individual instrument usage and history, as well as the detailed inventory or list of the instruments or items that have been packaged into the container.
Furthermore, the robotic system may be configured to interface with and update a hospital inventory system or database. Using the interface, the robotic system may communicate, process and/or update information regarding instruments or items that are lost, damaged, needing replacement, or other data regarding instrument usage (e.g., the number of times an instrument has been used). The robotic system may also be configured to prepare reports relating to instrument or item usage over time. The robotic system may also accept inputs from surgeons indicating preferences for contents of containers and may prepare containers with the instruments or items. Preferably, all of these functions of the robotic system are under the control of a software artificial intelligence that allows the system to perform its functions autonomously.
In addition to the robotic system, specially designed inserts for surgical instrument trays are disclosed. Under an exemplary embodiment, the inserts are configured for the organization of looped instruments, and are designed to encourage users of the system to use the described extra wide stringer method before the washer/disinfector cycle. The insert is further designed to ease the various loading and unloading processes. Use of the extra wide stringer increases the cleaning efficiency of the washer/disinfector and reduces the number of dirty instruments making it back to the operating room. Use of the extra wide stringer also simplifies the counting and sorting processes.
The aforementioned inserts maintain looped instruments in an orderly arrangement and enable an insert to be processed by a robotic CSS system. A simple easy to use design is necessary to bridge the human/robot interface, and usher in automation to an archaic system. The inserts also allow looped instruments to be presented to operating room staff in a more accessible manner.
Further still, additional accessory mechanisms or stations are disclosed that can be arrayed around the reach of an arm of the robotic system. The additional mechanisms are embodied as special purpose devices that accomplish exemplary tasks such as opening and closing of ratcheted instruments, vigorous mechanical roller brush or spray wash cleaning of instruments, lubricating hinges or joints, sharpening scissors, demagnetizing instruments, and performing certain physical tests on the instruments. Also, a special station for reading bar codes or laser etching bar codes onto the instruments may be provided, if required, as well as a station for reading and writing RFID tags.
Other objects, features, and advantages according to the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain advantageous embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which the same components are identified by the same reference numerals.
Robotic arm 102 is preferably located in the center of the workspace surface 103, and is responsible for performing various manipulations to instruments and/or equipment described below. One example of a robotic arm suitable for use in system 100 is an Adept Viper™ s650 6-axis arm produced by Adept Technologies, Inc. Other suitable arms include "VS" or "VM" series 6-axis arms from DENSO Robotics, or Pro Six PS3 by Epson Robotics. It is also possible to design and build a custom robotic arm for this purpose. Other types of robotic arms may be used, including overhead gantry x-y-z Cartesian robots or SCARA-type robotic arms. Furthermore, more than one type of robotic arm may be employed in some embodiments of the full system.
Robotic arm 102 is equipped with a central computer control system (not shown) that is suitably programmed for directing operations for arm 102. The computer control system may be integrated directly into the arm itself, or may be located at a remote location. Arm 102 is also equipped with a special gripper for handling surgical instruments. In one embodiment, this gripper may be electromagnetic, but other means to handle the instruments including mechanical grippers and suction grippers may also be used. It is understood that many different types of gripper or grippers could be attached and even combined with each other on the basic arm in order to manipulate the surgical instruments.
Workspace surface 103 is configured to be of a suitable size to accommodate various instruments for identifying, inspecting and counting by system 100. Robotic arm 102 may be in a fixed position, or may be mounted on a moving track or sliding mechanism in order to extend its reach. In addition, the system 100 may alternately employ conveyor belts or vibrating tables on workspace 103 to move instruments from one location to another. The system may also employ special mechanisms to perform certain tasks such as opening or closing the instruments or even sharpening them as needed. The system also employs means for washing and lubricating the instruments. These means may be ultrasonic agitators loaded with baths of cleaning fluid to remove dried blood, etc. from the instruments. There may also be a bath of lubricating fluid into which the instruments may be dipped.
Examples of commercially available devices for maintaining instruments are the EdgeCraft ScissorPro™, which can be used as a sharpener. Bench-top demagnetizer from Electro-Matic Products Co. can be used for that demagnetization duty. A lubricating device would preferably comprise a solenoid-actuated plunger on a syringe or a small, motorized pump that would place a drop of oil on a predetermined spot such as the hinge joint of a scissors or hemostat.
As an important part of its functioning, system 100 employs a machine-vision system for identifying, inspecting, counting and sorting the instruments. Multiple machine-vision cameras 105 would typically be used, to obtain different perspectives on the instruments or to view different parts of the work-space. Cameras 105 may be situated on one side of the system enclosure 101, but are preferably installed to have two or more angular views of workspace 103. Examples of a type of camera suitable for system 100 includes a Fire-i™ Digital Camera manufactured by Unibrain, Inc., and other similar cameras satisfying the IIDC-1394 Digital Camera, V1.04 Specification. Additionally, system 100 may incorporate a barcode reader, or RFID tag reader and/or other means to identify individual instruments.
Machine-vision and other modalities provide data to the central computer control system to enable the computer to count and sort the instruments and to produce a detailed inventory of the number and type of instruments present in the container. The system software includes a reporting module to track all instruments, making note of defects, need to sharpen, or old items that may need to be pulled from service. If the instruments are individually marked, for example, by bar codes or RFID tags, then system 100 will track the number of cases in which a particular instrument has been used and therefore be able to decide if a particular instrument is in need of maintenance (i.e. sharpening) before it is returned to duty.
At the start of processing of a used tray, the system has the capability to use its robotic manipulator 102 and gripper to withdraw the instruments one by one from a used tray that has been brought down from the OR. At the end of the cleaning and inspecting process, system 100 also has the capability to place the instruments in a predetermined orderly fashion back into a clean tray. The entire system 100, including robotic arm, associated special mechanisms, washing facilities (see
Exemplary top-down views of system workstation 103 are illustrated in
An exemplary top-level process flow is shown in
On the dirty side of the CSS under the present disclosure, system 100 preferably automates the following functions: identifying the surgical instruments; unloading them from specially designed robot-ready inserts; cleaning the instruments; inspecting them for cleanliness; opening and/or closing instruments; reloading the tray inserts; and processing the inserts through an ultrasonic cleaner.
On the clean side of the CSS, the presently disclosed system preferably automates the following functions: identifying the surgical instruments; modifying a count sheet; sorting the instruments; inspecting instruments for mechanical integrity; inspecting instruments for functionality; marking instruments with barcodes or other identifying tags; pulling defective or unclean instruments; replenishing missing or defective instruments; performing instrument maintenance such as lubricating, sharpening, and demagnetizing; flipping instruments into a preferred orientation; and repacking the tray inserts.
System 100 operates with the use of robot-ready surgical tray inserts. Inserts for surgical trays are organizational tools designed to separate like instruments or hold instruments in a prescribed fashion. There are many varieties of inserts across many fields of surgery.
The present tray inserts are designed to achieve three goals. These goals include (a) ease of loading/unloading by a human, (b) ease of loading/unloading by a robotic manipulator, and (c) proper presentation for the instruments when in the washer/disinfector. Efforts to robotically automate a process are often thwarted by the difficulty in achieving consistency across the boundary from human control of a process to robotic control of a process. The use of custom tray inserts represents one potential solution to this problem in the context of the CSS.
One example of an insert is shown in
Use of the tray insert in
The pairs of pegs 525 are designed to hold instruments in the soft close position. Looped instruments of any size may fit on the pegs. The pegs may be used for homogeneous or heterogeneous stacks of instruments. A homogeneous stack refers to multiple instances of one type, while a heterogeneous stack refers to multiple instances of several types. The positions of pegs 525 on the insert are such that a maximum length instrument is permitted. Excessive length will be indicated by the instrument hanging off the insert or being obstructed by another object of the insert. The maximum length may be demarcated by an indentation in the insert or some other marking.
A preferred use of this style of insert is as follows. Instruments should be loaded onto the hinged stringers at any point prior to the washer/disinfector stage of the sterilization process. To load instruments, a stringer is pulled up into the load/unload position (
The stringer holds itself in the load/unload position, and the loops of the instruments should be placed around the lengths of the hinged stringer. Instruments are oriented on the hinged stringer (
Large looped instruments will fit onto the hinged stringers intended for smaller instruments, but with an open angle less than that corresponding to the extreme open position. Instruments should be loaded onto the largest hinged stringer they fit on. When the inserts are removed from the washer/disinfector, the instruments are unloaded for counting and sorting. To unload the instruments, the stringers are placed in the load/unload position. The instruments are removed from the stringers, and then the stringers are laid flat once again.
As the instruments are counted and sorted, each type of instrument and all of its instances are placed on appropriate pegs (
The hinged stringers can also be moved from the flat position to the load/unload position by a robotic manipulator, and designed so a robot can place an appropriately opened instrument on it when in the load/unload position. Furthermore, The hinged stringer is designed so that a robotic manipulator can remove an instrument from it when in the load/unload position. The hinged stringers also can be moved from the load/unload position to the flat position by a robotic manipulator. The pairs of pegs for the insert are designed so a robot can place an appropriately opened instrument on them. The pairs of pegs are also designed so a robot can remove an appropriately placed instrument from them.
The insert may be assembled from the following groups of subcomponents:
The hinges (523) may be configured to be tight around the stringer, or alternately loose, allowing the stringer to wobble. This will improve the flow of the various fluids in and around the hinged stringer during the sterilization process. The stringers may be held in the flat position by any one of the following: ball spring plunger mechanisms, cable/tool clip style snap-in, and/or magnetic attraction. The hinged stringers may also use a spring and latch design. The latch would hold the stringer in the flat position. When released, the spring would return the stringer. The methods by which the stringer is held in the flat position could also serve as a barrier to the instruments sliding off the end of the stringer when in the flat position.
The stringers may incorporate numerous variations, including adjustable width, multiple pairs of legs allowing for varied instrument size and/or multiple stacks of instruments in the soft close position, and curved legs to stabilize instruments when rotating stringer.
An alternate embodiment of an insert is shown in
The slots for the insert of
Under an exemplary process of use for the
After the washer disinfector, the instruments are counted and sorted. First they are removed from the slots. Once the insert is cleared of instruments, it is considered to be in the organized state of use, and the instruments must be returned to their prescribed slots. When every instrument is replaced in the insert, the insert is ready to be replaced into the surgical instrument tray, which may then be placed in a container for sterilization.
An exemplary dirty side processing is detailed in the flowchart in
The robot will then remove the first specially designed insert from the tray and begin processing it, as shown in the flowchart in
As the instruments are unloaded, they are identified. A detailed description of this process is included below. An instrument identification includes the type of the instrument, such as "Kelly Clamp" or "Richardson Retractor". This type is used at various stages of the downstream processing. The identification can also include a code distinguishing each instance of this instrument from the others. This information can be used downstream to track maintenance schedules and usage statistics.
An instrument opener is used to ensure that looped instruments are in the soft open position at this point. A detailed description of the instrument opener is provided below. Soft opening allows the robotic gripper to securely grasp the instrument as it is moved from place to place. An instrument in the soft open position can be grasped just above the hinge so that the two independent hinged sides don't move relative to one and other while the robot is in motion.
Turning to
Once all of the instruments have been cleaned, the insert is reloaded as described in the flowchart of
The reloaded insert is then placed into an ultrasonic cleaner and/or enzymatic solution bath. This process may take some time so the robot is free to work on the next insert at this point. When all inserts have been processed and reloaded into the tray, dirty side processing is complete. The tray may then be removed from the robotic workcell and put in the washer/disinfector.
Unloading/Reloading Robot-Ready Stringers
After removing the insert(s) the robot 102 will removes instruments from the robot-ready stringer. The control software commands the robotic arm to move to a fixed location just above a left prong of the upright stringer. Since the location of the insert within the workcell is known, and the dimensions of the insert are known, this location is deterministic. The control software will then command the arm to move in a straight line directly above the left prong until either the loop of an instrument or the bottom of the insert is encountered. This event can be detected with a mechanical "bump" switch on the robot's end-effector, a proximity sensor, using force feedback from the robot's motors, or other means. If distance traveled is equal to the length of the prong, no looped instrument was found on the stringer. Otherwise, the presence of an instrument will be detected and prepared to be grasped, where the robot's motion may be reversed, pulling the instrument off the stringer. The robot can grasp the instrument by means of an electromagnet force, a suction device, a mechanical grasper, or other means. The robot can then lay the instrument down and repeat the process until the stringer is empty. Later in the process these robot-ready stringers will be reloaded. This process is the same as above, only in reverse.
Unloading/Reloading Robot-Ready Slots
Instruments without loops are stored in specially shaped slots on the insert. These slots are designed with a cutout so that the robot's gripper can descend into the slot to pick up (or drop off) instruments. This process is substantially similar to that described for robot-ready stringers above. The control software commands the arm to a point above the slot and then along a straight line directly down into the slot. As before, this motion continues until either an instrument or the bottom of the slot is detected. If the distance traveled corresponds to the slot's depth, no instrument was found. Otherwise, the instrument is grasped and the robot reverses its motion to pull the instrument out of the slot. Later in the process these robot-ready slots will be reloaded. This process is the same as above, only in reverse.
Identifying Instruments
The instrument identification process is shown in
When identifying instruments via a barcode, the robot performs the functions of a human scanning the code. There are alternatives design options. A standard barcode scanner can be attached to the robot's end effector. In this scenario the robot will move the scanner over the instrument to scan it. In another scenario, the robot inserts the instrument into a stationary version of a standard barcode scanner. In either case the robot is programmed with the optimal scanning distance, orientation, and rate so as to improve the successful scan rate.
Instrument identification can alternately be accomplished using a number of commercially available solutions such as InfoDots™ by Unique Micro Design, Censitrac™ by Censis Technologies, Inc., and Abacus. The identification under the present disclosure may utilize any of these solutions and/or any scanner-based barcode or RFID solution. Since the system's robotic arm may programmed to mimic a human arm with a handheld scanner, any such system would be suitable. Additionally, physical instrument identifications can accomplished by marking instruments using a commercially available system such as the Synrad™ Co2 Laser Marking System.
Identifying Instruments: Machine Vision
Instrument identification via machine vision relies on well-known algorithms known in the art. Commercially available systems include such products as supplied by Cognex™ and MathWorks™, and can be suitably configured to perform these functions. In general, the process includes the following steps:
Machine vision is preferably configured to only identify the presence and type of instrument in question and not the individual instance. The process described above may need to be repeated for other vantage points such as the instrument's side. Some instruments differ only in the amount of curvature at the tip, which is difficult to measure from a top down image.
In an optional step, after the instrument has been identified by machine vision, the robot can insert the instrument into a specially designed barcode or RFID marking device. This device will etch or otherwise mark the instrument with a unique identification code so that it can be scanned on subsequent trips through the system.
Opening Instruments
The instrument opener is a device designed to open surgical instruments which have a ratchet lock mechanism. The instrument opener functions by forcibly pushing the two ratchets of the instrument apart. An exemplary embodiment of a preferred instrument opener is shown in
Turning to
In addition, the following variations are also possible under alternate exemplary embodiments of the instrument opener.
Closing Instruments
The instrument closer (an exemplary embodiment is illustrated in
The exemplary device in
Instruments to be closed are placed on the surface with both finger rings in between the jaws, and within the sweep of the jaws. The device closes the instrument by lessening the distance between the two jaws. The geometry of the body and jaws 939, combined with the pressure from the jaws, ensures the stability of the instrument while closing.
The instrument closer can close a device to a completely closed position, or alternately to any level of partial closure. If a soft close is required, the device will go to a set distance based on the size of the instrument and the desired distance between finger rings. If it is desired to have a particular number of teeth engaged, the device will close to the requisite distance dependent on the instrument size and prescribed number of teeth.
In addition to the above, the following variations are envisioned for the instrument closer.
Inspecting Instruments For Cleanliness
As shown in
Clean Side Processing
Clean side processing is detailed in the flowchart in
Instruments are inspected on the clean side in a process detailed in
The instrument is checked for mechanical integrity by comparing an image of the instrument to an exemplar template shape for the instrument. Exemplar shapes for each instrument type, such as Hopkins Clamp, are defined in advance of system usage and define the proper outline for a canonical instrument of each type. The image processing required for this step is identical to that described in "Identifying Instruments: Machine Vision" above. Mechanical integrity means that no piece of the instrument is missing or deformed.
Looped instruments can become stiff and difficult to open and close over time. This can be caused by forceful use, dropping the instrument, accidental impact with another object, or gradual wear on the hinge over time. If an instrument is difficult or impossible to open, its functional integrity is said to be compromised. Instruments are tested for functional integrity using the instrument closer shown in
After inspection, the instrument goes through the routine maintenance functions shown the
Once all instruments have been unloaded, an inventory check is performed as shown in
After the inventory check, the insert is reloaded. As described above, the reload plan developed here may use the robot-ready stringers or the pins on the insert. This is a matter of hospital preference. When all inserts have been processed and reloaded into the tray, clean side processing is complete. The tray may then be removed from the robotic workcell and put in a container to go in the autoclave.
Flipping Instruments
An exemplary process for flipping an instrument is shown in
An exemplary instrument flipper is illustrated in
The instrument to be flipped is placed on plate with its finger rings pointing towards the axle. The drivetrain 1161 transmits power to the plates in a prescribed sequence and direction. First, second plate 1160 rotates 180� to meet with first plate 1159. The instrument is secured by the pressure from the soft rubber material (not shown) of both plates. Second, the both plates are rotated simultaneously 180� in the same direction, such that second plate 1160 is in it resting state. At this stage, the instrument has been flipped. Finally, first plate 1159 rotates 180� back to its resting state revealing the flipped instrument now resting on second plate 1160. This completes the flipping process and renders the device prepared for the next flipping.
Robot-Ready Storage Cabinet
An exemplary robot-ready storage cabinet (see
Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and indeed many other embodiments, modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.
Along with the claimed invention, the application provides the following features:
A method for processing a plurality of surgical instruments for cleaning, comprising the steps of:
The method wherein the optical apparatus is a machine-vision device.
The method wherein the plurality of surgical instruments are identified according to at least one of (1) size, (2) shape, and (3) color.
The method wherein the automated apparatus comprises a robotic arm.
The method wherein the surgical instrument types are placed in the insert according to a predetermined loading plan.
The method wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more stringers for accepting looped surgical instruments.
The method wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more pegs for accepting surgical instruments.
A method for processing a plurality of surgical instruments for cleaning, comprising the steps of
The method wherein the electrical apparatus is one of an RFID reader, and a barcode reader.
The method wherein the automated apparatus comprises a robotic arm.
The method wherein the surgical instrument types are placed in the insert according to a predetermined loading plan.
The method wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more stringers for accepting looped surgical instruments.
The method wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more pegs for accepting surgical instruments.
A system for processing a plurality of surgical instruments for cleaning, comprising:
The system wherein the optical apparatus is a machine-vision device.
The system wherein the plurality of surgical instruments are identified according to at least one of (1) size, (2) shape, and (3) color.
The system wherein the automated apparatus comprises a robotic arm.
The system wherein the surgical instrument types are placed in the insert according to a predetermined loading plan.
The system wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more stringers for accepting looped surgical instruments.
The system wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more pegs for accepting surgical instruments.
A system for processing a plurality of surgical instruments for cleaning, comprising the steps of
The system wherein the apparatus is one of an RFID reader and a barcode reader.
The system wherein the automated apparatus comprises a robotic arm.
The system wherein the surgical instrument types are placed in the insert according to a predetermined loading plan.
The system wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more stringers for accepting looped surgical instruments.
The system wherein one predetermined area of the insert comprises one or more pegs for accepting surgical instruments.
A method of processing a plurality of surgical instruments for packaging, comprising the steps of:
The method wherein the automated apparatus comprises a robotic arm.
The method wherein the insert is identified using one of an RFID reader and a barcode reader.
The method wherein the instruments are oriented using a flipping device that rotationally directs an instrument to turn 180�.
The method wherein the instruments are oriented using the automated apparatus.
The method wherein the optical apparatus is a machine-vision device.
The method wherein the machine-vision device inspects the surgical instrument for one or more of (1) deformation, (2) contamination, and (3) sharpness.
The method wherein the automated mechanical apparatus comprises a device that exerts and measures force applied to the surgical instrument.
The method wherein the step of accessing an instrument inspection record comprises accessing a maintenance history record for an identified surgical instrument to determine if maintenance is required at the time of inspection.
An instrument manipulation device, comprising:
An instrument flipping device, comprising:
The robot-ready tray insert wherein the contoured body is perforated.
The robot-ready tray insert wherein the contoured body is configured to allow at least one other insert to be stacked on top of the robot-ready insert.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|May 2, 1966
|Sep 26, 1967
|William Loran
|Instrument tray
|Jun 28, 1976
|Aug 23, 1977
|J. Sklar Mfg. Co., Inc.
|Instrument sterilizing pin
|Oct 15, 1985
|Feb 17, 1987
|Micromedics, Inc.
|Modular sterilizing system
|Jul 27, 2000
|Feb 19, 2002
|Device for gauging and verifying the precision of surgical instruments
|Jan 22, 2003
|Dec 7, 2004
|Brian K. Reaux
|Surgical or medical instrument holder
|Jun 22, 2004
|Nov 28, 2006
|Sri/Surgical Express, Inc.
|Management and distribution of surgical supplies within an RFID enabled network
|Apr 7, 2003
|Jan 16, 2007
|The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York
|Robotic scrub nurse
|May 24, 2007
|Apr 14, 2009
|Smith & Nephew, Inc.
|System and method for tracking surgical assets
|Feb 3, 2005
|Mar 1, 2011
|Depuy Products, Inc.
|System and method for ensuring proper medical instrument use in an operating room
|Aug 12, 2003
|Feb 17, 2005
|Steris Inc.
|Automated instrument sorting system
|Feb 14, 2005
|Sep 29, 2005
|Grimm James E
|Universal support arm and tracking array
|International Search Report dated Jul. 9, 2009, which was issued for PCT/US2008/086252.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jul 12, 2010
|Oct 9, 2012
|Kla-Tencor Corporation
|Dual scanning stage
|Dec 6, 2012
|Jun 17, 2014
|Robotic Systems & Technologies, Inc.
|Automated robotic system for surgical instrument storage and retrieval
|Feb 12, 2014
|Feb 16, 2016
|General Electric Company
|Vision-guided electromagnetic robotic system
|Oct 12, 2012
|May 10, 2016
|Karl Storz Gmbh & Co. Kg
|Device and method for identifying anomalies on instruments
|Apr 13, 2015
|Oct 25, 2016
|Lawrence M. Richman
|Organizer for surgical instruments and items used during surgery
|Nov 22, 2013
|Oct 31, 2017
|Medtronic Navigation, Inc.
|Automatic identification of instruments used with a surgical navigation system
|Jul 12, 2010
|Jan 27, 2011
|Kla-Tencor Corporation
|Dual Scanning Stage
|Apr 5, 2012
|Oct 11, 2012
|Oliver Gloger
|Device And Method For Identifying Instruments
|Oct 12, 2012
|Apr 18, 2013
|Oliver Gloger
|Device And Method For Identifying Anomalies On Instruments
|Dec 6, 2012
|Jun 27, 2013
|Robotic Systems & Technologies, Inc.
|Automated robotic system for surgical instrument storage and retrieval
|Oct 13, 2011
|Apr 18, 2013
|How To Organize (H2O) Gmbh
|Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Erkennen von Anomalien an Instrumenten
|Oct 12, 2012
|Apr 17, 2013
|How to Organize (H2O) GmbH
|Apparatus and method for detecting anomalies of instruments
|Jul 27, 2015
|Apr 14, 2016
|Lawrence Richman
|Organizer for surgical instruments and items used during surgery
|U.S. Classification
|414/222.01, 356/72, 356/73, 414/754, 414/816, 414/806, 356/237.1, 356/426, 73/865.8, 73/865.9, 73/788, 702/81, 414/222.02, 356/69, 414/758, 356/237.2
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 9, 2010
Owner name: ROBOTIC SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGIES, NEW YORK
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:TREAT, MICHAEL R;BRADY, DAVID MICHAEL;BAKER, RUSSELL;ANDOTHERS;SIGNING DATES FROM 20100721 TO 20100810;REEL/FRAME:024960/0789
|Aug 29, 2014
Owner name: RST AUTOMATION LLC, NEW YORK
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ROBOTICS SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGIES, INC.;REEL/FRAME:033641/0322
Effective date: 20140522
|Feb 11, 2015
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4


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MOVIE SYNOPSIS [ General Audiences ] Being a creation directed by Chijindu Kelechi Eke, this movie in English (subtitles) was presented in 2013. This film written by Chijindu Kelechi Eke was developed in USA. You can watch False Engagement online on TV cable or theaters with original audio in English at different dates. This film premiered in theaters in 2013.
Rating: 5 by 10 users./
Runtime: 100 minutes
Adanze Eke, Chijindu Kelechi Eke, Uzoma Eke, Ikechukwu Eziefule, Paul Gonzo, Jacqueline S. Holguin, Yazomam Ibekwe, Jordan Iheaso, Merlisa 'Determined' Langellier, Syr Law, Chero Leitich, Kalina de Moura, Nene Nwoko and Maureen Onyechere.
100-minute film (full movie) directed by Chijindu Kelechi Eke.
The original audio of False Engagement has dialogues in Dolby Digital, it was produced in USA.
It premiered in cinemas or television in 2013.
Screenplay written by Chijindu Kelechi Eke.
Chijindu Kelechi Eke.
Chijindu Kelechi Eke.
This film was produced and / or financed by Bigobi.
Without commercial breaks, the full movie False Engagement has a duration of 100 minutes; the official trailer can be watched in streaming on the Internet. You can watch this full movie free in EnglishDolby Digital in movie TV channels, renting the DVD or with VoD services (Video On Demand player, Hulu) and PPV (Pay Per View, Netflix).
See the page of this full movie, False Engagement in FULLTV Movies.

subset: commoncrawl


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Short version: This was boring and dull. It was anticlimactic, and I despise when first person present tense narrations switch over to third person narrations when the main character dies. BOO.
It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, and I reserve one star rating for things I truly hate, so this doesn't quite fit the bill. But I wouldn't recommend this at all, so there's that.


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Home / Collections / All Housewares / Fixie Cafe Towel
Fixie Cafe Towel
We've given our tea towel an upgrade! Your favorite fixed gear bike screen printed in black, marigold, turquoise and red on 100% cotton 18" X 32" towel. The thread pattern leaves this kitchen accessory softer and more absorbent with every wash.
- Highly Absorbent Smooth Huck Style Weave
- Size Tolerance: 1-2 inches
Imported material, USA sewn, printed in Denver, CO.


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Doug Lyons
Senior Vice President/Controller/Treasurer
Doug Lyons, 60, is senior vice president, controller and treasurer of The E.W. Scripps Company.
Doug joined Scripps in 1985 as assistant controller, and prior to his current role also served as Director of Financial Reporting and Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Interactive Media Division. Prior to joining Scripps, Doug was an audit manager for Deloitte.
Doug graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. He serves as a member of the School of Business Advisory Council at the University of Dayton. He is a certified public accountant in the state of Ohio.


text: Anyone else having an issue running Pingchat 1.0.6? When I install it the application links on my phone all break. The shortcut on the home screen, and the main app in all apps both say "The linked program is no longer installed on your phone" HOWEVER, if I go to the market, and click on Pingchat, it gives you an option to "Open" And if I run the application from there, it opens fine. Restoring (via Titanium Backup) to 1.0.5 fixes it. I tried making sure Pingchat wasn't running and installed again. No luck, same problem. HTC Incredible Android 2.2


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Download EMUI 5.0 Stock Themes For EMUI Running Device
Download EMUI 5.0 [White] Stock Themes For EMUI Running Device
Some week ago Huawei just releases their new OS EMUI 5.0 with Huawei Mate 9. It launches in german, this OS remarkable for it's all new features and design. This OS is more stylish and optimized than the previous version, it gives you the most stylish look of your device. The Else most popular thing that emui_5.0 comes with latest Huawei Mate 9. Huawei launch emui 5.0 with this device.
That's why many Huawei or Honor users want EMUI_5.0 theme for their device. Huawei developer successfully makes the theme for emui running device and share this theme in the forum. We just got this file and want to share this file with you. emui_5.0 theme are so cool and beautiful. It works all version of emui devices. It has been tested on Honor 6 emui 4.0 version it works fine.
Emui_5.0 theme so cool and looks so beautiful. You can see some of the preview images above. Just click on the link below to download Emui 5.0 themes. After the file downloaded, extract it and follow the instructions below.
⇓⇓ Download EMUI 5.0 Themes ⇓⇓
How To Apply :-
- Download Blue EMUI 5.hwt file and Extract it .
- Copy Blue EMUI 5.hwt File To SD-Card or Internal storage In "HWthemes" Folder.
- Then Open Theme App On Your Phone From Home Screen.
- Now Go To "Mine" option and chose the theme what you want, then click Apply.
⇒ For More Emui Themes, Browse Our ⇒ Themes_Section
Like Huawei Dev For Huawei News Updates https://www.facebook.com/HuaweiDev


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Void is a new part of GamersGate where you get to play for free, just by looking at a couple of ads. The service is now live and you can configure your GamersGate account to take advantage of the new service.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It's part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today's pop culture.


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HEALTHeCAREERS Network Releases Q2 2013 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot
Today, HEALTHeCAREERS Network (HeCN) released its Q2 2013 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot. This quarter, more than 3,000 healthcare employers posted a total of 43,271 available jobs on HEALTHeCAREERS Network. The Q2 report also provided some important information for job seekers in the industry -- there was a notable increase in the types of postings for certain positions, a shift in the top ten states posting positions, and a new national focus on mental health.
The healthcare industry employs about 14.5 million people, which equates to one in every 10 jobs across the 100 largest metropolitan areas (Brookings Institution per HeCN Q2 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot).
Do you currently hold one of these positions? If not, apply today!
Calling all physicians/surgeons, counseling and social service providers and physican assistants!
This quarter, several healthcare areas saw an increase in the number of jobs posted from Q1 to Q2. These included physicians/surgeons (13 percent), counseling and social services professionals (9 percent), and physician assistant (4 percent). Baby Boomers may at least partially explain the substantial increase in surgery related jobs -- "As they demand more elective services—like plastic surgery—and replace aging joints, growth in job postings for surgeons, certified registered nurse anesthetists, post anesthesia care unit RNs and operating room RNs should continue to increase" (Q2 2013 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot).
States posting healthcare jobs
The top ten states for healthcare jobs in Q2 2013 as illustrated by HEALTHeCAREERS Network employer job postings were, in descending order: Texas, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Washington, Illinois, Colorado and Massachusetts.
Do you live in one of these states? Have you seen the increase in open healthcare positions?
National Mental Health focus
On June 3, 2013, President Obama hosted the first National Conference on Mental Health at the White House to promote increased awareness and understanding of mental health as a tool to reduce gun violence. According to a press release from the administration, the Affordable Care Act was a topic of discussion along with its projected impact on mental health in America. The act will expand mental health benefits for 62 million in 2014. (Q2 2013 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot)
Along that same vein, Q2 data revealed an increased demand for mental health workers, including counseling and social services professionals, psychiatrists, psychiatry/mental health RNs, psychologists and psychometrists.
Are you in the mental health field and looking for a new position? If so, search new job postings today.
Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to read the most recent healthcare news and Upload your resume today.
Looking for healthcare employees? Post your job listings on HEALTHeCAREERS.


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Bullpen depth and rotation depth are two things baseball people say a team can never have enough of. Even the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the best overall pitching staff in MLB, could use more depth. Not just average depth, but quality depth.
Now that the Pirates closer, Jason Grilli, has been sidelined for anywhere between four-to-eight weeks, the rest of the bullpen has been forced to step into roles that they haven't been in all season. Mark Melancon has been named closer, Bryan Morris and Justin Wilson have been placed as set-up men and Vin Mazzaro is pitching a lot in the seventh inning recently.
I like all of those guys, and I think Melancon is probably a better closing option than Grilli to begin with; but I don't like Morris and Wilson being used in the eighth inning. They simply don't have enough experience for me to be comfortable using them in high-leverage situations.
San Diego Padres reliever Luke Gregerson has been a subject of many trade rumors recently. The Pirates haven't been rumored to be involved in any talks with the Padres concerning Gregerson, but I'm sure they have made a few calls about him. It would be a great move for the Pirates to trade for Gregerson to put him in the eighth inning role. In 42.1 innings in 2013, Gregerson has a 2.98 ERA and a very low 1.91 BB/9. He has a devastating slider that is his main pitch, and he has a track record of being an effective reliever. His career ERA is just 2.93 and he owns a career 9.06 K/9. I'm not sure how much it would take to acquire the reliever, but the price shouldn't be extremely high considering he is just a bullpen pitcher.


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Horatio Hornblower: Retribution | 2000
Jump to
The further adventures of early 19th century British Naval Captain Horatio Hornblower, based on the novels of C.S. Forester. The court-martial of Horatio Hornblower, overseen by Sir Edward Pellew, begins and events which took place on board the ship "Renown" come under close scrutiny.
Hornblower is not in official command of the HMS "Renown," but is virtually at the helm. His nemesis, the mentally unstable Captain Sawyer, is straightjacketed, but alert enough to cast aspersions that do not go unnoticed by certain members of the crew. Hornblower and his fellow lieutenants rise to the occasion in battle, deciding that their best chance at avoiding court martial is to successfully complete their mission of securing a fort held by the Spanish.
Hornblower, Bush and Kennedy lead an attack on the Spanish fort. They soon are in battle not only with the Spanish, but with a platoon of rebel slaves as well -- a group that has slaughtered 33 deserters from the ship. Hornblower succeeds in capturing the fort and returns a hero. In the middle of the night, the Spanish prisoners attempt to capture the "Renown." Hornblower comes to the rescue yet cannot save the life of Captain Sawyer. In court, Buckland claim that Hornblower pushed the Captain into the hold. Ignoring Pellew's pleas for mercy, the post-captains insist that Hornblower stand in court and, as a man of honor, answer truthfully when asked whether he pushed Captain Sawyer into the hold. Hornblower's innocence comes out when a man dying from battle wounds enters the court and reveals who pushed the Captain. Hornblower is rewarded the command of the captured Spanish ship, renamed "Retribution."


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Willmar Notebook: A wrestler on the long, winding road
Former Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg athlete Kevin Steinhaus of rural Pennock is spending the summer in the pews of an oversized van and in gymnasiums from coast to coast.
The Minnesota Gophers wrestling captain was at the middle school in Willmar on Wednesday morning after spending the previous evening at Grove City at Spencer Lund's West Central Minnesota Wrestling Camp.
His summer résumé reads like the refrain from the trucker's song "I've been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere."
In May, he was in pre-fire Fort Collins, Colorado, attending the God-Life-Sports camp. Then it was back to the Midwest for the University National Tournament in Akron, Ohio, where he placed runner-up in the 184-pound weight class.
Back on U.S. Highway 80 to Forest Lake, Iowa, for a 10-day J Robinson Camp at Waldorf College, and then a whiplash return east to Edinboro, Pennsylvania, for another J Robinson camp, with this one lasting 14 days. This week he's taking a brief break from teaching at Robinson's signature 28-day camp at the U of M for a visit to the home area.
Up ahead is a 14-day camp in Ashland, Oregon, among the coastal Redwoods. The Gophers in the grapplers' caravan are preparing for the upcoming World Team Trials in Colorado Springs. Weight-division champions will make the national team and travel overseas.
The wrestling camps are more than a summer job.
"It's good; you get to wrestle and train all summer, work out with your teammates, lift weights and stay close to the sport," Steinhaus told me minutes prior to a three-hour stint at the Cardinal Wrestling Camp run by Willmar varsity coaches Justin Brown and Ed Oehlers.
Kevin won three individual state titles in high school (136-0 the last three years) and quarterbacked the KMS team that won Class A football in 2008 followed up by the Fighting Saints' wrestling team winning the Class A championship in March.
After a redshirt freshman year on the Minneapolis campus, he's got two years left on the Gophers. This past season, he went 34-6 (8-0 Big 10), beat the defending D-I champ in his weight class, won his weight-class at the Big 10 tournament and finished fifth at the NCAA Nationals for his second All-America medal. He was voted Most Dedicated Wrestler of the Year by teammates and achieved Big 10 All-Academic honors.
A career year, the reporter noted. But the curly-locked Gopher has more in mind.
"I've got two more years to keep moving up the ladder," he said softly. Then, he jumped from the stage to the gym floor and went to work.
Take that, Parise
Then there was the time a Willmar youth hockey team rocked another Minnesota team skating three future NHLers ... stop me if you've heard this one.
It was the winter of 1998, a post-holiday A Bantam tournament in Fargo. Sixteen teams, including Shattuck-St. Mary's, an Episcopal boarding and day school in Faribault, were there.
The school's hockey teams typically play a 50-75 game national Tier I schedule that attracts emerging teenage stars, like Sydney Crosby, to its campus.
Willmar's VFW Bantams met the Sabres in a winner's bracket semifinal.
Matt Breen, a first-line forward, remembers the setting.
"It was early Sunday morning and they may have been a little flat," he recalled, cutting the excessively talented Sabres some slack. "We'd heard about Shattuck, of course, but they weren't part of the Let's Play Hockey rankings, so we couldn't be sure what to expect. Likely, they knew nothing about us."
But this was among Willmar's best-ever youth hockey teams. They jumped out 3-1 on S-S-M and went on to win 5-2. Lee Engstrom, Ben Villnow and Breen got two points each, Darin Strand a goal and Troy Weiss an assist. Jeff Wahl was the head coach and Scott Carruthers the assistant.
A kid named Zach Parise assisted on Shattuck's first goal and Patrick Eaves scored in the third period. Zach's older brother Jordan made 18 saves in goal; Steve Schminke made 22 stops in the Willmar cage.
Most of the Willmar players were in ninth grade. Zach Parise, two years younger, was likely a seventh-grader still eligible to play at the PeeWee level. J.P. Parise, the former North Star, was the head coach. Zach will skate for the Wild this year and well into the future; Jordan plays in Europe. Eaves is with the Red Wings, though he missed most of the past season with a broken jaw/concussion. Ryan Carter, born in White Bear Lake, was also on that long-ago Shattuck team. He was Zach's teammate during New Jersey's march to the Stanley Cup Finals, scoring five goals in the playoffs.
The Willmar boys had outstanding high school careers in all sports. While they didn't reach state, the varsity hockey team under head varsity coach John Wilson showed they could play with the best when they posted an overtime victory over the Spuds in Moorhead and a holiday tournament win over Roseau on the Rams' own rink.
Matt Breen coaches the Minnetonka Skippers JV boys hockey team. Not far away, Engstrom is the head boys coach at Shakopee and next door to Minnetonka, Doug Runke, also from the 2001 class, heads up the Mound-Westonka boys program.
My visit with Matt and his brother Mike, who supplied the official score sheet by email, provided a time to catch up with the three Breen boys, each multi-sport athletes at Willmar.
Mike is an attorney in the Twin Cities specializing in contract law, Patrick has been teaching in Green Bay but will return to his alma mater to teach high school science this fall and Matt teaches geometry and AP statistics at Minnetonka. Parents Tom and Kathy, who were tireless in their support of school activities, now live in Prescott, Wis.
Beer here!
You know that's it's a pretty high-power slow pitch softball tourney the Litchfield Firefighters ran at Watercade last weekend when Peter's Signs of Litchfield and Gratz Trucking of Willmar finish out of the top four.
The tournament was dominated instead by metro power brokers, such as HMC/Easton and Stagecoach, looking to line their purses to cover travel to the biggest national tournaments.
The weekend was hot and sunny so the beer and soft drinks, as well as brats and burgers, sold briskly. The proceeds go to the fire department's Relief Association.
Long-time volunteer fireman Greg Gilbertson said the department has 30 on its roster. Some of the profits will go to the retirement fund but also to pay for fire equipment and to help with improvements at the two fields that are across the street from the football stadium parking lot.
Gilbertson told me the firemen took over the tournament sponsorship from the Jaycees, who no longer had the numbers to handle it. He said the department's firefighters' waterball tournament at Watercade has been a huge success over the years, though lightning curtailed Friday's event.
The firefighters group also runs concessions (with beer) during men's leagues on Tuesday and Thursday. They also try to have the concession stand open for food for girls softball on Mondays (also their meeting night).
Brad Bonk at Willmar recreation wants to see the WCER's Willmar Fests Tournament grow. He can help run the event, but without a civic organization stepping in to run concessions, obtain a temp beer license and provide the honey pot that attracts the bumble bees, significant growth seems unlikely. The tourney at the end of June here had eight teams and no concessions.
On the fly
n At last check, Willmar High School still has not filled head coaching vacancies in girls basketball and girls hockey. Basketball coach Brad Atchison retired after 35 years while Jason Meyer, 40, a non-school employee, wants to back off the demands of being head coach after two years leading girls hockey. "I'd love to still help as an assistant and just coach. The time needed year around is just too difficult," said Meyer, who is the Laboratory Director at Rice Memorial Hospital.
n Regarding the Foot Lake 4, the running race at Willmar Fests -- at least two individuals have run in all 18 of the races sponsored by Rice Memorial Hospital. They are Wendy Nelsen of rural Willmar and Ann Day of Willmar. Any others? Send an email to email@example.com.


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A young Turkish woman, now resident in Canada, travels to Turkey in an attempt to unravel the story behind her aunt Guzide's murder, some 30 years earlier in a remote Kurdish village.
As she searches for clues and closure, she encounters antiquated customs in a Kurdish culture she has never known. She knows that her aunt was a victim of a senseless vendetta killing and as she ventures from village to village she pieces together the woman's final days and closes in on the identity of her killer.
Beating drums and blowing whistles, hundreds of women marched last month on Istanbul's central Taksim Square, in one of dozens of rallies that have been held around the country to protest a new threat to reproductive rights.
ISTANBUL - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sparked a strong response from women's rights activists after calling for legislation to restrict women's access to the procedure. The future of abortion is now in question in Turkey.
Hundreds of women protesters demonstrated outside the Istanbul office of Prime Minister Erdogan. The protest followed his strong attack on abortion at a congress of his party in a football stadium in Istanbul Sunday.
On May 25th, Turkish journal "Today's Zaman" published Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, statement considering abortion a crime and called on society to be against abortion. This declaration was held during the Fifth International Parliamentarians' Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Istanbul where 300 members of parliament from 110 countries reiterating their commitment to achieve the goals laid out in the ICPD Programme of Action adopted in Cairo, Egypt in 1994.
ISTANBUL — Gokce, a soft-spoken 37-year-old mother of two, has lived on the run for 15 years, ever since her abusive husband tracked her down, broke down her door and shot her in the leg six times after she refused to return to him.
Women's human rights discourse and movements have become entangled within a culture-versus-rights dualism. Yakin Ertürk argues that this is a false dualism which serves both private patriarchy and public patriarchy of neo-liberal globalisation. Yakin Ertürk serves on the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture ↑ .She was the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences, from 2003 -2009, and until recently Professor of Sociology at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
Join VNC for two events on 21 April 2012, at the AWID Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. We'll be hosting a talk show on "The Nexus between Culture, Gender and Other Identities: Resisting Discrimination and Reclaiming Space", as well as a workshop on "Visioning Cultures Free from Violence: Transnational Advocacy and Communications using Visual Arts and Digital Media". Full details below.
Being a woman in Turkey is no easy task. What is even more difficult, however, is the life of a woman on Turkish primetime TV.
"This is about mosques being a space for women," declared Kadriye Avci Erdemli, Istanbul's deputy mufti, the city's second most powerful administrator of the Islamic faith. "When a woman enters a mosque, she is entering the house of God and she should experience the same sacred treatment. In front of God, men and women are equal; they have the same rights to practice their religion."
Hamiyet, a member of Turkey's Kurdish minority, was a 15-year-old newlywed when her husband began beating her every evening after work. He hit her when she was pregnant with each of their nine children, and he raped her almost nightly. She sought help from the police, but they always sent her back home, more concerned with preserving "family unity" than with her safety.
ANKARA, Jan 31, 2011 (IPS) - A ruling by an administrative court banning female candidates for academic posts from being veiled during an admission examination has brought the headscarf back to the front of Turkish politics, and reignited tensions between secularist and religious forces.
Speaking in his apartment in a suburb of Diyarbakir, in southeastern Turkey, Solin and his colleague Koya are so scared of being identified that they will not allow even an obscured photograph of themselves to be published. Nor do they want their real names to be known. "People here see homosexuality as a poison - a disease," says Solin, the ash of his cigarette making a quick, quiet hiss as he taps it into a jar of water.
"The idea of namus may not, strictly speaking, be a Muslim idea. Usually translated as 'honor,' the word namus is actually a word with no direct translation in English.
It means virginity, purity, integrity and honor. An emphasis on a woman's virginity and sexual purity certainly predates Islam and is an idea that is common to many cultural groups and ethnicities, whether Muslim, Christian, Jewish or otherwise," says Professor Leyla Welkin, who is conducting group therapy with sexually abused women in Ankara.
It means virginity, purity, integrity and honor. An emphasis on a woman's virginity and sexual purity certainly predates Islam and is an idea that is common to many cultural groups and ethnicities, whether Muslim, Christian, Jewish or otherwise," says Professor Leyla Welkin, who is conducting group therapy with sexually abused women in Ankara.
Death reopens debate over 'honour' killings in Turkey, which account for half of all the country's murders
The hole where a 16-year-old girl was buried alive by her relatives in Adiyaman, southeastern Turkey.
By Robert Tait (Istanbul)
Turkish police have recovered the body of a 16-year-old girl they say was buried alive by relatives in an "honour" killing carried out as punishment for talking to boys.
The burqa is usually prohibited by local ordinances on behalf of the need to see the faces. But the simple veil, who does not hide the face, is widely accepted in the world
Banning the burqa? Almost all European countries have considered. And took measures to severely restrict the wearing of this garment that completely covers the head and body of women, a fence hiding their eyes.
Onal Found Remorse Among Turkish 'Honor' Killers
Run Date: 05/18/09
By Anna Louie Sussman
WeNews correspondent
Journalist Ayse Onal's work, which got her blacklisted, has ranged from Kurdish separatism to Turkish Hizballah. Her recent book and documentary about "honor" killings taps into regrets of men who carry out these killings.
ISTANBUL, Turkey (WOMENSENEWS)--For years, coverage of so-called honor killings in Turkey took the perpetrator's side, describing them as heroes and their victims--typically young women accused of harming their family's social standing by committing adultery or engaging in premarital sex--as deserving of their bloody fate.
ISTANBUL - The top appeals court has upheld a lower court's decision to be lenient on those who are found guilty of honor killing because the two families in Diyarbakır involved in the case faced s
A massacre in the village of Bilge was the bloodiest example to date of the barbaric way in which disputes between rival clans are settled. Masked assailants gunned down 44 people -- including the bride and groom and six children -- in the village square last week.
Bilge -- Honour comes before everything in Kurdish regions of Turkey and blood is cleansed with blood -- with a machine gun if necessary.
Author Onal Found Remorse Among Turkish 'Honor' Killers
By Anna Louie Sussman
WeNews correspondent
The country and the people of the southeastern village of Bilge in the province of Mardin, where a massacre took place, killing 44 people in an engagement party, mourn the deaths as they question what kind of customs could have caused such an atrocity; clan rivalry and feud have been mentioned as the possible cause of the mass killings.
Unreported World travels to Turkey to investigate honour killings, which have now reached record levels, with more than 200 girls and women killed in the past year alone. And in a chilling new development, the programme highlights how a new law outlawing honour killings, passed as part of the Government's attempts to join the EU, may have led to a huge increase in girls being forced to commit suicide instead.
A study titled "Honor Killings in the Media and Their Impact on Students and Parents" conducted by the Ministry of Education has revealed that parents believe the media play a role in increasing the number of honor killings.
The Women's Platform against Sexual Violence aims to create deterrents against harrassment and rape, as well as putting an end to victimisation.
Bıa news centre - İstanbul
When certain practices are rampant in a society, it requires a paradigm shift in public thinking to get them outlawed.
When a Turkish man rescued his daughter after she was abducted by a gang that forced her into prostitution, he was hailed a hero by many in the country. But people in his own home region of south-eastern Anatolia turned against him, because he refused to do what traditional laws of family honour say must be done in a case like this: kill the girl.
"My daughter did not go voluntarily," the man, who did not want to be identified in order to protect his 18-year-old daughter, told Turkish newspapers last month. "Why should I kill her?"
ANKARA: Honour killings have claimed the lives of nearly 350 men and women in Turkey since 2001, a report said this week.
Late last month, when a jurist representing Turkey's highest court in a briefing to the Justice Ministry suggested reducing Turkey's legal marriage age for women to 14 and reducing the penalties for sexual attackers who agree to marry the woman they rape, the backlash from women's organizations and gender equality groups was enormous.
A special team formed by an association will operate in the southeastern province of Mardin to stop honor killings. "Emergency action teams," formed by the Association for Preventing Honor Crimes and Validating Female Potential, or TÖDER, will be working in 20 villages around Mardin. The team includes the village's teacher, opinion leader, nurse and reverend.


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A recent post on the Pacific Northwest Board criticized a visitor who was going to a Seattle restaurant to eat a soft-shell crab roll, saying: "Point, the only soft-shell crab you could possibly get would have to be flown thousands of miles. What are you doing?" Eating fresh, local foods, including seafood, is indisputably desirable. But if you limit yourself exclusively to local foods, you will deprive yourself of some real culinary treasures. I'll use the seafood used for sushi and sashimi as a case in point. Some of the best sushi I've ever had on the West Coast of the U.S. (I live in Seattle, and formerly lived in Los Angeles) has been air-freighted in fresh from the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. If I had avoided these items because they have been "flown thousands of miles," I would have never had the amazing experience of eating fresh ocean eel (anago), firefly squid (hotaruika), and baby eel (nore sore) at Kaito Sushi in San Diego (where, by the way, thanks to fellow Chowhound "cgfan," I had some of the best sushi and sashimi I've ever had in my life), or eating fresh red clam (akagai) and whitebait (shira-uo) under the tutelage of master itamae Shibutani-san when he owned Shibucho in Los Angeles, or eating fresh golden-eye snapper (kinmedai) and halfbeak (sayori) at Kisaku Sushi in Seattle. To further complicate the subject, underlying the preference for local fish is the assumption that "fresher is better." But this is not necessarily so. As any good sushi chef knows, the best sushi and sashimi is not necessarily made from the freshest fish. Fresh fish have very little flavor. Allowing fish to "age" breaks down the muscle proteins into components that produce tastiness. Different fish require different "resting" times, and the art of a good sushi chef is balancing the degradation of texture involved in this aging process against the improvement in taste, and serving the fish when the perfect balance of these elements is reached. Another complication is that local fish are not necessarily "fresher" than non-local fish, unless you happen to know a day-fisherman who brings in his catch hours after the fish are caught (and properly stored on board his fishing boat) and sells his catch the same day directly from his boat. When you buy local fish at a fish market, you don't usually know the conditions under which the fish was caught (e.g., how long were dead fish left in a net?), how the fish were stored on board the fishing vessel, how they were handled during shipment and distribution, or, for that matter, how long they have been sitting on ice at a local fish market.
Soft shell crab, however, is a subject all to itself. On the West Coast of the U.S., almost all soft-shell crab is frozen. The reason for this is that fresh soft-shell crab, let's say blue crab from Maryland (the best), is usually shipped live just above freezing (around 36 degrees F.). During transit at this temperature, the crab die, but are still considered "fresh" and have a shelf-life of 5-6 days. Because of the time consumed in the packing, shipping and handling process, by the time the fresh soft-shell crab arrive on the West Coast, they must be eaten in one or two days. The risk of not being able to sell all the crabs to customers in this very narrow window of time makes the purchase of fresh soft-shell crabs economically unfeasible for most restaurateurs. You can, from time to time, find a West Coast restaurant that takes the economic risk to purchase fresh soft-shell crabs. But, failing to find such a place, the question for West Coast residents is, "Would you rather eat frozen soft shell crab, or not eat soft shell crab at all unless you happen to be in Maryland between late May and September?" I personally love Maryland soft-shell blue crab, and since I don't live in Maryland, have decided not to deprive myself of this delicacy by letting "the best": become the enemy of "the good."
For these reasons, I think the criticism of eating soft-shell crabs in Seattle, or eating non-local seafood in any city for that matter, is shortsighted.
I realize that the subject of seafood is enormously complex these days, and that this post superficially skims one small aspect of the many issues: local vs. non-local, fresh vs. frozen, farmed vs. wild, pollution, sustainability, etc. These are perilous times for seafood lovers.


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Who is Kate? Kate is a cute German girl who wants to tease you with her sexy little body. This 19-year-old chick doesn't get fully naked, so you will have to just imagine how tasty her coed pussy must be and how soft and supple her titties must feel. This babe has a small ass and a big smile and on her site called My Bitch Kate, you get to see her put the entire package on display for everyone to see. This site isn't a show-off-my-girlfriend site, but rather what we have here is yet another individual-model site and as for any kind of hardcore edge, the most hardcore thing this babe does is pull her panties up and give herself a little wedgie. This is softcore action to the max!
The Layout
My BitchKate is a decent-looking site. It won't completely blow you away with its design. But with enough navigational tools that allow you to sort through content, it is manageable to navigate.
The Content
Her banner says that she loves "to show me nude and teasing to make you hungry," but I guess something gets lost in translation from this German hottie because there's nothing nude about what she does. Actually in one photo shoot she has little stickers over her nipples and pussy and in one photo you can actually see her pussy, but that is obviously an accident and not the rule. With that being said there are some really good softcore, individual model sites out there, so that isn't why this one gets such low marks. The reason for that has to do with that fact that there are only 22 photo sets and 18 videos. The movies aren't dated, so I can't be sure how often she is adding new ones. Also, the content is pretty unexciting (or at least that is how it seemed to me), but at least the pics are high-res and the videos offer good-quality playback.
The WOW Factor & Bonuses
You'll get some bonus photo galleries.
The Price
$19.99 – 30 Days
$59.95 – 90 Days
$89.95 – 180 Days
The Rating: 6/10
The star of My Bitch Kate is cute, but that's about as far as it goes. The site doesn't have enough content so you might want to skip on a membership for now.


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ASUS ROG STRIX-GTX1060-6G-GAMING prices in Hong KongClick here for the full specifications
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ASUS ROG STRIX-GTX1060-6G-GAMING Expert Reviews
This summer Nvidia introduced the GeForce GTX 1060. At first a model with 6 GB VRAM was released, followed by a model with half of the available video memory. But which GTX 1060 should you buy? We tested eight different models manufactured by ASUS, EVGA...Read More >
CCL Computers – US: $The release of NVIDIA's -series Pascal-based graphics cards has been one of their strongest demonstrations to date; particularly for the mid-high end which has likely been heightened due to AMD's delay with their next-gen series Th...Read More >
Today we have the ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1060 O6G GAMING video card for evaluation. The name is long, and the engineering customization in-depth. ASUS has taken the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU and built a completely custom, from the ground up, video c...Read More >
The mid-range graphic card market is exciting this generation, what with Nvidia and AMD both releasing cards that are far more accessible than the previous generation. For AMD, it's the RX 480; for Nvidia, it's the GTX 1060. Since we've already taken a lo...Read More >
We discovered this past summer that NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1060 is quite an effective card at its suggested price of ~$249 (6GB model), delivering superb 1080p performance, and solid 1440p performance. As impressive as it was, though, there's always a littl...Read More >
Could this new 10-series card with boosted clock speed be your new baby when aiming for a VR-ready rig? Let's find out in our review.We previously tested out two of the heavy hitters of Nvidia's Pascal cards, though of course getting a behemoth card to pu...Read More >
Yesterday we gave you our take on ASUS' ROG Strix GTX 1080 . Short story is, the card is impressive – it's wickedly fast, extremely powerful and makes short work of whatever games you throw at it. That's actually the biggest problem with it – unless you'r...Read More >
Ahoy, people of the internet! Today we are looking at the 3rd GTX 1060 graphics card we've tested so far, and this time – it's rather flashy. It's huge, it's long, it's black, and is certainly not the hard one you're thinking of right now. It is ladies an...Read More >
The ASUS Strix ROG GeForce GTX 1060 6GB at a $329.99 initial price and with all the ROG Strix bells and whistles we would put it in the GTX 1060 Luxury video card category. Packed with Pascal technology on a 16nm process with a 200mm² die it gets half the...Read More >
The ASUS Strix ROG GeForce GTX 1060 6GB at a $329.99 initial price and with all the ROG Strix bells and whistles we would put it in the GTX 1060 Luxury video card category. Packed with Pascal technology on a 16nm process with a 200mm² die it gets half the...Read More >
When NVIDIA announced the GeForce GTX 1060, the company allowed its add-in card (AIC) partners to launch their custom-design cards right away. The company set the MSRP of this SKU at US$249 and is selling its reference-design "Founders Edition" SKU at $2...Read More >
Today, we will be taking a look at the ASUS Strix Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 Graphics card. This is our second graphics card on review here at Enos Tech and we couldn't be more excited to start getting into some of the nicer hardware. The ASUS Strix 1060 fea...Read More >
PC gamers are truly spoilt for choice these days. For all the news about the latest and upcoming consoles from both Sony and Microsoft , there's still no beating the sheer variety – not to mention performance – that's available to PC gamers.Furthermore, N...Read More >
Hot on the heels of the Asus GeForce GTX 1070 Strix OC Graphics Card that we took a look at in July we now have its little brother the Asus GeForce GTX 1060 Strix OC Graphics Card here at pcG . These cards are powered by Nvidia's latest energy efficient P...Read More >
NVIDIA's Pascal architecture is already a resounding success as consumers desperately try to get hold of the latest and greatest solutions in graphics technology. So far, AMD has focused on mass market appeal and the Polaris 10 architecture was created to...Read More >
ASUS STRIX Geforce GTX 1060 OC Review. After an in-depth look at the GTX 1080 and 1070 , We switched focus to examine what AMD had released , in the form of the RX 480 and 470 . Where does the GTX 1060 slot into the situation? We'll take a closer look the...Read More >
Back at a trade show some time ago, I once had a reader ask me what the most important price tier was for our video card reviews. Was it the high-end cards with their groundbreaking performance? Or was it the mainstream cards, which bring existing perform...Read More >
The ASUS GTX 1060 STRIX features a solid backplate and comes with all the usual NVIDIA Pascal features such as Gameworks, VRWorks, G-Sync, and Ansel. Aside from the fantastic RGB STRIX cooler which works wonderfully and looks absolutely great, this partic...Read More >
The ASUS GTX 1060 STRIX features a solid backplate and comes with all the usual NVIDIA Pascal features such as Gameworks, VRWorks, G-Sync, and Ansel. Aside from the fantastic RGB STRIX cooler which works wonderfully and looks absolutely great, this partic...Read More >
User Comments
ASUS ROG STRIX-GTX1060-6G-GAMING Specs
|Release Date in Hong Kong
|Jul 2016
|Graphics processor family
|Graphics processor
|GeForce GTX 1060
|Maximum resolution
|7680 x 4320 pixels
|Processor frequency
|1506 MHz
|Parallel processing technology support
|Not supported
|Processor boost clock speed
|1708 MHz
|Maximum digital resolution
|7680 x 4320 pixels
|CUDA cores
|Discrete graphics adapter memory
|Graphics adapter memory type
|Memory bus
|192 bit
|Memory clock speed
|8008 MHz
|Ports & interfaces
|Interface type
|PCI Express x16 3.0
|HDMI ports quantity
|DVI-D ports quantity
|DisplayPorts quantity
|HDMI version
|DisplayPort version
|Cooling type
|Form factor
|Number of slots
|Colour of product
|TV tuner integrated
|DirectX version
|Shader model version
|OpenGL version
|Dual Link DVI
|Full HD
|NVIDIA GameWorks VR
|NVIDIA 3D Vision


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Shia LaBeouf, star of the "Transformers" movie, was arrested last night in a Chicago Walgreens. LaBeouf apparently has a little bit of a problem with authority after he has had a few sips of the hard stuff.
Chicago police say Shia LaBeouf was arrested at the Walgreens around 2:30 a.m. Sunday after refusing to leave the store. A security guard repeatedly told LaBeouf that he wasn't welcome and had to leave because he appeared to be drunk, police said.
I don't think Optimus Prime would be too happy about this incident. Luckily he did have a car that can drive without any help so you have to look at the bright side. Can you think off a less glamorous way to get arrested? He wasn't arrested for drugs, driving drunk, attacking a paparazzi, or racially insulting a cop. He was arrested for something must college kids do at night when they are bored – just walk to the corner store and mess around. Hope he can transform into a blowtorch so he can cut through those bars.


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Contact: 8130501117
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It is NOT ok to contact this poster with commercial interests.


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Ashperton, St Bartholomew's Church
History, tourist information, and nearby accommodation
In 1344 she was dancing with King Edward III when her garter fell to the ground. The king retrieved it, and, seeing the smiles on the faces of his courtiers, is said to have remarked 'Honi soit qui mal y Pense', which loosely translates as 'Shame on he who thinks evil of this'. The phrase was immortalized as the motto of the chivalric Order of the Garter established by Edward shortly after.
But we digress; both Katherine and her brother were born at the castle and may have been baptized at Ashperton church.
On the wall of the north transept is a carved 15th century coat of arms known as 'The Defiance' which was moved to the church for safe keeping in 1840.
While one notable historic object was transfered to Ashperton church, another was moved away from it; the exquisite 14th century painted wooden effigy of Walter de Helyon, steward of William de Grandison, was made for St Bartholomew's. In the late 16th century it was moved for safety to Much Marcle while Ashperton church was remodelled. It was never returned, and can now be seen in Much Marcle parish church.
About Ashperton, St Bartholomew's Church
Address: Church Lane, Ashperton, Herefordshire, England, HR8 2SW
Attraction Type: Historic Church
Website: Ashperton, St Bartholomew's Church
Location map
Photo Credit: Philip Halling, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence
We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned.
Find other attractions tagged with:
13th century (Time Period) - 14th century (Time Period) - 16th century (Time Period) - castle (Architecture) - Edward II (Person) - Edward III (Person) -
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low-exceptional) on historic interest
Tarrington, St Philip & St James Church - 1.5 miles (Historic Church)
Pixley, St Andrew's Church - 2 miles (Historic Church)
Putley Church - 2.4 miles (Historic Church)
Castle Frome, St Michael's Church - 2.8 miles (Historic Church)
Bosbury, Holy Trinity Church - 3.5 miles (Historic Church)
Much Cowarne, St Mary's Church - 3.8 miles (Historic Church)
Westhide, St Bartholomew's Church - 3.9 miles (Historic Church)
Bishops Frome, St Mary's Church - 4.4 miles (Historic Church)
Nearest Accommodation to Ashperton, St Bartholomew's Church:
Nearest Self Catering Cottages
Ledbury, Herefordshire
Sleeps: 2
Stay from: £273.00
Ledbury, Herefordshire
Sleeps: 8
Stay from: £616.00
Fownhope, Herefordshire
Sleeps: 4
Stay from: £248.00 - 546.00
More self catering near Ashperton, St Bartholomew's Church >>
Nearest Hotels
Ledbury, Herefordshire
Stay from: £99.00
Hereford, Herefordshire
Stay from: £149.00
Malvern, Worcestershire
Stay from: £65.00
More Hotels near Ashperton, St Bartholomew's Church >>
Nearest Bed and Breakfasts
Ledbury, Gloucestershire
From: £90.00
Ledbury, Herefordshire
From: £50.00
Malvern, Worcestershire
From: £150.00
More bed and breakfasts near Ashperton, St Bartholomew's Church >>
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for freedom by rykyWatch
©2012-2017 ryky
6hours SAI,Photoshop
wacom bamboo tablet
Thank you
wacom bamboo tablet
Thank you
Wowowowowowowowowowow!!!!!!! I'm speechless!
I LOVE it ;w;
Beautiful work!! Great job!!!
Your art is just so amazing!
I like atmosphere and mood
For Skyrim!
Incredable, I am realy amazed by this one, nice digital art work
love this :-9 love the swords and horns :-9
le choix des couleurs et de la luminosité sont parfaits, superbe boulot
the light and textures are really nice good work! nicely done ^^
wonderfully **


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EC-40AC D.E. Filter Tank, Only, W/ Clamp #EC40AC
Hayward Perflex D.E. filters provide the deepest, most comprehensive clean, removing microscopic dust and pollen as small as one micron – 100 times smaller than a grain of salt.
Providing crystal clear, sparkling water at an economical price, it the Perflex D.E. Filters have been proven reliability, and energy savings over many years, Perflex has set the standard in swimming pool filtration by incorporating the patented Flex-Tube™ design in combination with D.E. filter powder – the most efficient dirt remover known for pool filtration. The result is superior water clarity, extended filter cleaning cycles – and no backwashing required.
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Note: All prices in US Dollars
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Should have thought twice about playing partisan games in the transition, dontcha think?
President-elect Donald J. Trump's transition staff has issued a blanket edict requiring politically appointed ambassadors to leave their overseas posts by Inauguration Day, according to several American diplomats familiar with the plan, breaking with decades of precedent by declining to provide even the briefest of grace periods.
The mandate — issued "without exceptions," according to a terse State Department cable sent on Dec. 23, diplomats who saw it said — threatens to leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada and Britain. In the past, administrations of both parties have often granted extensions on a case-by-case basis to allow a handful of ambassadors, particularly those with school-age children, to remain in place for weeks or months.
Mr. Trump, by contrast, has taken a hard line against leaving any of President Obama's political appointees in place as he prepares to take office on Jan. 20 with a mission of dismantling many of his predecessor's signature foreign and domestic policy achievements. "Political" ambassadors, many of them major donors who are nominated by virtue of close ties with the president, almost always leave at the end of his term; ambassadors who are career diplomats often remain in their posts. — NY Times
We see what Kerry did. What Obama is doing with Russia. What he did with Iran. And others.
Why in Hell would we want his personal appointees overseeing our ongoing relations with other nations?
If, as NYTimes asserts, that there are 'critical' nations like Germanay, Canada, and Britain… why would we entrust them to Obama's flunkies? Wouldn't that cause GREATER problems than briefly empty position would?
Besides, if the appointees we've seen so far are any indication, the incoming ambassadors will be great choices.


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We need you! The auction is scheduled for Saturday, November 17th at the Portland Art Museum. This is a GREAT event to get those volunteer hours out of the way. You can commit to the time frames that work best for you and then enjoy the rest of the evening.
Volunteer Opportunities: Saturday November 17
- Registration/Checkout/Cashier (get guests registered, input winning bids and check out at the end of the night. Need to be computer savvy)
- Silent Auction Table Closer (quick and easy an hour max of your time during the silent auction)
- Live Auction Recorder (get in on the action recording bids during the live auction)
- Live Auction Runner (get bid sheets to registration during live auction)
- Greeter to Live Auction (help get guests seated and settled so the bidding can begin)
- Will Call (help get the winning bidders their items)
- Floater (willing to help where needed most – you pick your times)
- Clean Up after the Event (help us all get everything put away and home for the evening – this will start after the auction has completed around 10:30pm)
If you are interested in getting more information on the various positions or signing up to help out; go to /auction-volunteers/.
Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Mark Togni at firstname.lastname@example.com or 503-860-0885 or Auction Chair Michelle Murff at firstname.lastname@example.com or 503-539-6122 with or any questions or to sign up!


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The Penobscot Valley Hospital Laboratory is celebrating Medical Laboratory Professionals Week April 20-26, an annual recognition of the 300,000 laboratory professionals who perform over 10 billion lab tests each year. At PVH, much of the lab work is done in-house by our dedicated and experienced team of professionals; other work is sent to referral laboratories such as Quest Diagnostics.
"We are working on several initiatives this year," says lab director Scott Warner. "We've started patient rounding in the morning to check in on patients who have had blood drawn. It doesn't hurt to see an extra set of smiles when you're in the hospital." The lab also does a safety check while in the room, another set of eyes and ears to help the rest of the healthcare team at PVH.
Warner added, "We're also working with area hospitals to conserve blood, something that is becoming a scarce resource." Just a couple weeks ago, PVH developed a new web-based form for area laboratories to share their blood bank inventory levels with lab managers and blood bankers. There are currently about five facilities sharing this information with hopes to add more soon. This new process is designed to better inventory blood supplies and share resources, saving money and lives.
"Our lab wanted to create a method to enhance the communal use of blood supplies in our area. This new tracking form allows other facilities to view available blood units at surrounding organizations and decide the best use of those units while matching a patient's blood type," states PVH chief operations officer Joe Grant. "Couriers have been assisting us in transporting the requested blood units. This process will reduce the chances of expiring, unused units of our fundamental commodity, blood."
In 2013, the laboratory received national recognition for its quality initiatives, and the enthusiasm and initiative that earned this recognition continues in the work done by staff. In addition, the lab works with area nursing homes and other care agencies to provide timely, quality lab testing. While this work is all done "behind the scenes" and out of view of the general public, it is a vital element in patient care.
PVH Laboratory hours are 6am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 8am to noon on Saturday and Sunday. Patients are encouraged to bring copies of requisitions from their providers to avoid any delays. The staff is happy to answer any questions about preparation for tests, so call them at 794-7244 if you have questions.