Pennsylvania takes driving under the influence (DUI) violations seriously. If you find yourself facing DUI charges in Lansdale or elsewhere in Montgomery County, you need a skilled DUI attorney on your side. At the McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., we can help you minimize the impact your arrest has on you work, school, and family life.
We can help you fight the charges against you. We work hard to mitigate the effects of the charges and are often able to reduce the possible penalties our clients face.
How does Pennsylvania define a DUI?
Local or state police stopped at a DUI checkpoint.
You will also face similar penalties if you refuse to submit to a breath or blood test when police suspect you of drinking and driving. These charges are often more difficult to combat than DUI charges.
Another reason you may face arrest without testing above the legal limit is if police believe you are under the influence of illegal drugs or prescription medications. Because there is no legal limit for these drugs, any level of impairment may be enough for an arrest. These charges bring similar penalties as a DUI offense, but you may face additional charges for drug possession, depending on the circumstances.
No matter the specifics of your situation, our lawyers can help. Contact us as soon as possible after your arrest so we can protect your rights throughout the process.
Do I have to go to court for a DUI?
Most people who face charges after a DUI arrest do have to go to court at least once. You must appear in court for an arraignment, where you will first hear the charges against you and enter a plea. In some cases, there may also be a short appearance shortly after your arrest.
If you contact us before your arraignment, we can advise you on how to proceed and represent you during the process. Often, this is the only time our clients face a judge. We may be able to convince the prosecutors to drop your charges, propose a plea arrangement, or help you qualify for special programs before your case reaches trial.
Will I lose my license after a DUI arrest?
There are two ways you could lose your driving privileges after a DUI arrest. First, an arrest will trigger an automatic administrative driver's license suspension. Unless you request an administrative hearing and convince the administrative law judge you were not driving drunk, you will lose your license.
Preventing this will be our top priority. We have to act quickly to request an administrative hearing. At this hearing, we can present evidence to show why the administrative law judge should allow you to retain your full driving privileges or give you a permit that allows you to drive to work or school.
This takes care of the administrative driver's license suspension, but you may still face suspension as a part of your legal penalties if the court convicts you of drunk driving. If you have a clear criminal record and meet other requirements, you may qualify for Pennsylvania's Accelerated Rehabilitative Discharge (ARD) program. This program helps you get your license back sooner. Alternatively, we may be able to arrange a plea bargain for a lesser charge that does not include a license suspension.
What penalties will I face if convicted?
DUI charges are misdemeanors, but the consequences can vary in severity. They may include a license suspension, jail time, fines, and enrollment in an approved alcohol abuse course or alcohol treatment program. The severity of these penalties varies in response to a number of factors. For example, if you have had previous DUI convictions in the past 10 years or your BAC was unusually high at the time of your stop, you will face stiffer consequences.
If a drunk driver causes an injury or death, they may face additional charges. These can include aggravated assault while under the influence or homicide while under the influence. These are felony charges with much stiffer penalties, including extended prison sentences, high fines, and other consequences.
Why do I need a DUI lawyer on my side?
We can often help our clients avoid some of the most dreaded penalties associated with a DUI charge. Our goal is to prevent you from facing a conviction. Depending on the specific circumstances of your case, we may be able to persuade the prosecutor to drop the charges against you, negotiate a plea arrangement for reckless driving or other offense, arrange for you to take part in the ARD program, or win your case in court.
You do not want to try to navigate the legal process on your own. You have a much better chance of facing reduced penalties, retaining your driving privileges, and avoiding jail time with us on your side.
The lawyers at the McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., can help you overcome a DUI arrest.
Facing any kind of criminal charge is stressful, but a DUI charge can impact your everyday life for years to come. At the McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., we understand how important your driver's license is to your career, education, and family. Call us today at 610-680-7842 to schedule a time to discuss your case and learn more about your legal options.


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USB flash drives (also known as "pen drives") are divided into partitions. Each partition is independently formatted before storing data by creating a filesystem. Depending on the configuration of the drive and of the operating system, a computer accessing the flash drive may be able to perform only reads from one of the partitions. You can remove a write-protected partition to reclaim the storage it occupies.
Log in to the computer as Administrator.
Check for a write-protect switch on the flash drive. They typically look like an externally-accessible slider on the body of the drive. If you find it, slide it to the unlocked position.
3.Connect the drive to the computer by plugging it into an open USB port.
Click "Start," then "Control Panel," "System and Maintenance" and "Administrative Tools." Double-click "Computer Management." Navigate to "Storage" and then to "Disk Management." Select the flash drive by clicking on its entry on the lower half of the Disk Management window.


Yes, this is very premature. I know that, you know that. But neither of us like to wait.
So here are my draft grades from 2012. We can look back on this together in three years and have a good laugh.
They got the best pure shooter in the draft in John Jenkins out of Vanderbilt, and Mike Scott is good value in the second round. There are a whole lot of big questions in Atlanta — like why didn't you trade Josh Smith? —but these guys are solid picks.
Jared Sullinger is a great value pick at 21, a guy whose high hoops IQ and game around the basket will be a fantastic fit with a veteran team. Fab Melo is a good gamble as a shot blocker.
The grade is not for their picks — I like getting Tyshawn Taylor and Tornike Shengelia in the second round — but for trading away a first rounder at the deadline rent Gerald Wallace who is leaving as a free agent. That No. 6 pick would have helped more.
Surprised they kept the pick after all the rumors (although I wouldn't have moved it for Derrick Williams either). I like this pick because this is a team that needs to change the culture on the court and the hustle and leadership of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a step in that direction.
They get a nice backup point guard in Marquis Teague out of Kentucky. Not thrilling, but nice. They played an iron shot off the tee into the middle of the fairway.
I don't love the reach for Waiters (could they not have moved down to No. 7 and got the same guy?). To be fair it comes down to this — how good is Dion Waiters in a three years? A lot of scouts were high on him, and if he pans out it's good pick. I'm not sold. I think they picked for need over the best player available. Adding Tyler Zeller via trade a solid move, but could they have used those picks better to round out the roster?
They trade down, they sold off a late pick for cash to the Lakers. They got a few nice picks who may give them some minutes, but I like getting Bernard James out of Florida State. Everyone is rooting for him to succeed.
I like the pick of Evan Fournier from France, he's pretty athletic, has handles and does a lot of things well. Which is a good fit on that roster.
They get an "A" not because I think Andre Drummond pans out — I hope I'm wrong but I think he ends up pretty average, or worse — but because it was a good gamble at No. 9. I also like the Khris Middleton roll of the dice.
Harrison Barnes falls to them and that is a great fit, he can be the three that they really need to round out the starting lineup — if he lives up to potential. Like the Draymond Green pick also.
GM Daryl Morey dreamed big but couldn't pull it all off, so they are still stuck in the middle. I like the Jeremy Lamb and Royce White picks, one may really pan out for them.
Meh. If they are lucky Miles Plumlee is the Jeff Foster for a new generation.
Drafting Furkan Aldemir then trading him is neither here nor there. Big move was getting Lamar Odom back… we'll see if they keep him or buy him out.
Didn't have many picks, but made a decent gamble buying Darius Johnson-Odom from Dallas. Not a game changer, may not pan out, but a decent gamble at that spot.
Picked up one of the better sleepers in the draft in Tony Wroten. It may take a couple years but could develop into good rotation player in Memphis.
They traded their only pick, Arnett Moultrie, to the 76ers for potential backup big Justin Hamilton and a future No. 1. It's moot, they don't need rookies they need guys who can help now.
They made a couple of quality picks. I'm higher on John Henson than most, and he can give them some defensive presence inside lost when Andrew Bogut was traded. Lamb can shot the rock, which is always handy.
They only had one pick at 58 at and Robbie Hummel is a feel good story who will barely if ever see the court.
It was a no-brainer but they are still the night's big winner. Taking Anthony Davis gives them the franchise player they need to build around. Austin Rivers is more of a gamble, I'm not convinced he's the point guard you put next to Eric Gordon, but they could form nice backcourt for the future.
The Knicks get an average grade for their "stash" pick of Kostas Papanikolaou who will stay in Europe a few years at least. Knicks fans at the draft get an A+ for their freak out reaction to the pick.
Baylor's Perry Jones fell all the way to 28 and he is a great pick there. He's got fantastic talent and this is a locker room that will make sure his head is screwed on right.
Don't read anything into the Dwight Howard situation with the Andrew Nicholson pick. Nicholson may develop into a nice backup center, very different thing.
A small gamble on St. John's Maurice Harkless, but if he pans out he would be another athletic wing who fits their system well as a role player.
Kendall Marshall is a solid pick as the point guard of the future — whether that future is next year or a couple years from now after Steve Nash retires.
I like the Damian Lillard pick a lot as a point guard of the future and Meyers Leonard will be solid. Not a bold stroke but some good picks.
Thomas Robinson fell into their laps but they get a guy some GMs picking above them will regret not taking in a couple years. Robinson and DeMarcus Cousins form a formidable front line.
They picked Marcus Denmon at 59. I'd say a guy picked that late never makes the team but this is the Spurs so, who knows?
I like the Terrence Ross pick, he was one of the real sleepers in this draft and a great athlete. But could they have traded down a few spots and still gotten him?
They took a gamble on small-school Kevin Murphy at 47, but that's what you should do at 47. It's a place for risks.
They get Bradley Beal, the shooting guard a lot of scouts thought was the second best player in this draft. He's a great fit next to John Wall. I like the Tomas Satoransky pick as well.


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Q: Mock python function with multiple return values I have a python function that returns multiples values. My function:
def myExampleFunction(a,b)
    # here is my code
    return name, number1, number2

def FunctionIWantToTest(self):
    # here is my code
    myName, myNumber1, myNumber2 = self.myExampleFunction(a,b)

I want to give my own values to the returned values from FunctionIWantToTest. So, I'm trying to test the 2nd function with nosetest, but I don't know how to mock the return of myExampleFunction.
I tried this:
def test_mytest(self):
    [...]
    c.myExampleFunction = Mock()
    c.myExampleFunction.side_effect = ["myName", 100, 200]
    [...]

But it doesn't work. When I launch nosetests I read this message:
ValueError: too many values to unpack

Any idea? I use python 2.7.3

A: Just wanted to share how to get this to work with side_effect. I put together a simplified version to showcase how to use side_effect for your use case.
side_effect behaves differently than return_value, where when you provide a side_effect with a list with entries, what you are stating actually is that, each time your mocked method is called it will return each item in the list as its return value. This is actually why you are getting ValueError: too many values to unpack (expected 3), because by doing this:
[1, 2, 3]

You are saying, for each call to my mocked method, return 1, then the next time I call the method, return 2, then return 3.
With that in mind, if you set up your side_effect, like this:
[('stuff1', 'stuff2', 'stuff3')]

What you are now saying, is that, for when you call side_effect, the first item in the list is what will be returned. Which, in effect is:
('stuff1', 'stuff2', 'stuff3')

Alternatively, you can do this:
my_test_foo.side_effect = lambda x, y: (1, 2, 3)

Which mimics out the method you are testing by taking two args and returning the three values it should return.
So, with this in mind, your test can be structured as:
import unittest
from unittest.mock import Mock

from mock import patch
from stuff import FunctionIWantToTest

class MyTest(unittest.TestCase):

    @patch('stuff.myExampleFunction', return_value=Mock())
    def test_mytest(self, m_example_function):
        m_example_function.side_effect = [("stuff1", 100, 200)]
        # m_example_function.side_effect = lambda x, y: ("stuff1", 100, 200)

        a, b, c = FunctionIWantToTest()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

A: You need to set the return_value of the mock, not side_effect.
You can do this when you instantiate it:
c.myExampleFunction = Mock(return_value=["myName", 100, 200])

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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The 21 Best Things To Do in Dallas This Week, Jan. 6 – 12
Summit Plano Climbing Gym Becomes an Unlikely Art Gallery
Comedy Great Larry Miller is a One Man Comedy Class
Kelly Dearmore | November 15, 2011 | 11:57am
Comedian is seemingly too simple of a label for the multi-talented Larry Miller. But when you examine the veteran scene-stealer's creative offerings, Comedian is perhaps the most appropriately broad title for him outside of Restless Artist. Whether it's his well-followed podcast endeavors, his classic stand-up routines, his memorable roles in dozens of films and television shows, the books he's authored or his theatrical turns, the funny is never too far from where Miller is plying his craft.
In fact, Miller is very much a student of comedy, and after a few minutes of speaking to him, it's clear that his job, isn't only a passion for him, but it's a calling. Comedy Central listed him among the top 100 stand-up comedians of all-time, even. Beginning Tomorrow night in Richardson, Miller will take the stage of the still-pristine Eisemann Center as the man in his one-man production, Cocktails With Larry Miller: Little League, Adultery and Other Bad Ideas.
While Miller has been very natural in his roles as principals, dads and college deans, it's tough to argue that his wise-cracking, socially drinking persona in this production isn't his best one yet. In fact, Miller relishes the opportunity to man a stage solo. He recently performed his stand-up routine on Letterman before continuing the tour with his one-man show, which is all done as he continues to star, as himself in not only his weekly podcast, but that of Adam Corolla's as well. Larry Miller is really great, and hilarious, at being Larry Miller.
With the run of shows in Richardson looming, Miller recently took a few minutes to speak with us over the phone from his podcast studio in Los Angeles. It didn't take long before we were talking about scaring his wife, the need for authenticity in any form of comedy and how wearing a fleece blanket over one's lap can be a terribly effective device for creating laughs.
For a man that enjoys so many forms of comedy, it seems like you've successfully combined stand-up and theatre into this one-man show. It was exactly a goal of mine to merge those two worlds. I love stand-up and I'll never leave it, but stand-up is as different from a one-man show as a trumpet is from a flute. It looks like it might be the same, but it's not. A one-man show combines everything I love: acting, writing, different textures of stories, well thought-out light cues, and even music. When you go to do stand-up on Letterman, for example, you go out, plant your feet and say, "Hello, folks," and you just go. I hope to be doing both stand-up and my one-man show for the rest of my life, which I hope is another 700 years.
Does a stand-up comedian need to be a good actor to be successful? Well, within each form there are so many different styles and entries. In acting, just to pick out two broad styles, there's inside-out and there's outside-in. I mean, Meryl Streep just disappears into a role and becomes an entirely different human being. And Gene Hackman is just as great of an actor, but he's always Gene Hackman. It's two different approaches, really. In stand-up, there are those who are just themselves and it's not really acting. I want to bend things a bit here and say that's why I love podcasting so much. This Week With Larry Miller is so much fun and it's doing really well. The reason I brought that up is because if podcasting is done really well, it can provide an authentic voice. It can be very basic and honest and primal, just like so much of stand-up comedy is. So, all roads lead to, and out of, stand-up for most comedians. Look at Rodney Daingerfield, for example. He, and even Henny Youngman, to go back even further, would walk onto the stage, smile and begin. And when they would look around the audience, everyone immediately knew who they were, just by listening to their stand-up voices. Daingerfield had these clean entry lines that showed his authentic voice and showed his story-telling heart better than anyone. That's acting in its own way, too. Every performer is different. For me, I like word-pictures and images and dependent clauses and structure. So this show gives a guy like me a chance to get better at all of this. Really, I feel like I'm just getting to know how to do this stuff and it's an amazing feeling to say, "You know what? That was good."
So, even after all of these years, you still feel like you're trying to figure it out? Oh, I hope that when I'm 103 years old, someone will come up to me and say, "I really liked that thing you did when you were 98." I'll be acting forever, writing forever and I'm thrilled about it.
You draw much of your material for the one-man show from marriage. Is it important for the audience to relate to the stories in order for them to be funny? In a sense, sure, it can be important, however, when I was eight years old, I would listen to Bill Cosby on record talk about his marriage and I would howl with laughter. I was eight. How would I know anything about his marriage or about any marriage at all? I wouldn't. Good point. I laughed at his family and marriage material when I was much younger, also. Right. So, in a sense, it is still, and always will be, about the skill and artfulness of an actor, an artist or a creator. In my case, it's about the skill of the story-teller. Yes, it's gratifying when someone comes up to me after a show and says, "Wow, you must've been in the car with my wife and I," but it's very bit as gratifying when a 23 year-old with a stud in her tongue comes up to me and says something nice. I talk about marriage a lot because it makes me laugh. The key is for the material to sound real and to come from a real voice. Is it good to be relatable? Sure. But a good performer could talk about parking lots on Mars and still get a good reaction.
So does your wife accept that everything's fair game and that it can become material for your comedy? Yes, yes and yes. By the way, she's a comedy writer and producer [Disney Channel's Shake it Up] and her resume is as long as your arm, but that doesn't really mean anything in a marriage. She sees my tweets and from time-to-time she'll ask if I can ease up a bit. I love her to death, and she's great and I think we were made for each other, and periodically, she thinks I'm nice. The standard marriage relationship is one where the man will jump in front of a bus for the wife, but she's driving the bus. Actually, I'm going to write that down, that was good, wasn't it?
Yes, that was really good, actually. See, now that's comedy! My wife knows what's going on. It's all true and that's a big deal, to be completely true. A couple of nights ago, we were in the car, and a tiny slug somehow ended up near her on the car seat and she jumped in shock. Later, I tweeted, "My wife had a slug near her in the car and freaked out, which is weird, because I only put snakes on her side... maybe the kids."
You recently had a funny role in Curb Your Enthusiasm and you've had memorable spots in Waiting for Guffman and especially Best in Show. How enjoyable is it to improv with such great actors and comedians? You know something, pal? It is just so much fun. In the Christopher Guest movies, they really put a great group of knuckleheads together. Those films were more or less all improv, even though we knew where we wanted the various scenes to go, and they were so great. But also, it's just as much fun to deal with exact words and exact phrases. I was just in a Neil Simon play on Broadway [The Dinner Party], and it's so important to get every word right, every phrase, and every image. Same with Mamet plays and movies. Everything's scripted. It's poetic and it's wonderful. Look at Shakespeare; are you going to change something there? How nuts would you have to be to do something like that? It's wonderful to go word-for-word and comma-for-comma. That and improv both are great fun. I'm in a Gary Marshall movie coming up real soon, and there was nothing written for me there. He just called me and said, "We'll just make a part." It's all great. I guess I don't really have a preference.
Early in your film career, you seemed to be playing the role of a college Dean quite often. In fact, you were one in the movie you filmed in Denton, Necessary Roughness. A college Dean would be a weird thing to be typecast as, it seems like. True, but you know, John Wayne didn't play just one kind of sheriff, you know? Well, O.K., that was a bit grandiose, and I am certainly not comparing myself to him, believe me. It will cross all character actors' minds, at one point or another, that they aren't being considered for the part of the next James Bond. That's a fine place to be. If someone is producing or casting a movie about a college and they consider me for the Dean, then that's great. I just try to make that role funny, which is usually by being a very annoying character.
This might be crazy, but I remember the fleece blanket you wore over your lap in the football field stands in Necessary Roughness. That was the funniest thing for a man to have in that situation. First of all; thank you, I actually thought of that. That's just what I like to do, and it adds to the character and hopefully someone gets it and notices it. In that movie, I also made a point to over-pronounce certain characters names, like Hector Elizondo's character; "Hello, Coach Genaro." It just made that character a bigger dink. I can't tell you how many people noticed that, actually. It's very gratifying because, that is comedy. It's just a combination of good craftsmanship and just loving the stuff.
Larry Miller performs "Cocktails with Larry Miller: Little League, Adultery and Other Bad Ideas" at the Eisemann Center in Richardson from November 16 - 20.
The 20 Best Things To Do in Dallas This Week, Jan. 13 – 19
52 Things You Should Do in Dallas This Year
Slide By Broaches the Topic of Mass Violence With Comedy
There Are 2 DFW Women on This Season of The Bachelor!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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St Peter's Street
£4 Adults
£2 Children (5-16)
£3 Concessions (aged 60+ or students with ID)
£3 Groups of over 15 people (to be booked separately)
FREE Under 5s, Companions, Friends of St Albans Museum
£10 Family (2 adults + 2 children or 1 adult + up to 4 children)
Adults, Exhibitions, Families
Please note this exhibition is closed in order to comply with the latest Covid-19 restrictions currently in place in Hertfordshire. We hope to be able to reopen soon.
This winter explore the fascinating world of automata with Cabaret Mechanical Theatre and explore the tools used to create them in St Albans Museums' own Salaman Tool Collection.
The exhibition will include artworks from the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre collection. These whimsical mechanical artworks illustrate their inner workings at the push of a button or turn of a lever, enabling a greater level of understanding of mechanics, engineering and art.
These simple but effective interactives demonstrate the basic principles behind cams, drives, linkages, gears, pulleys, ratchets, gears and levers. All these mechanisms underpin and feature in our lives in a multitude of ways on a daily basis.
The designs also showcase the creativity of their makers from funny scenes to intriguing stories the simple movements bring these sculptures to life.
Exhibition adaptations for Covid-19
Cabaret Mechanical Theatre and St Albans Museums have worked hard together to ensure that visitors will be able to interact with the automata in a safe way. Every visitor will be able to take away a free pencil which can be used in the exhibition to press buttons and hand sanitiser will be available near any other touchable interactives. Ticketing will ensure that there is enough space for everyone to social distance and individual maker kits will be available for younger visitors who want to make an automata so that equipment is sanitised between uses.
The Salaman Collection
St Albans Museums is home to a large collection of trade tools, brought together by local resident Raphael Salaman and added to the museum's collection in the 1970s. The collection covers a wide variety of trades and illustrates how important manual craftsmanship once was.
Part of Salaman's wide range of woodworking tools will be displayed in the exhibition including some of the 100+ planes he collected. These show how even a simple tool can be adapted to each specific craftsperson's needs.
We will also have a display of watchmaking tools designed to work on clockwork and gears even smaller than those in the automata on display.
Children (5-16) £2
Concessions (aged 60+ or students with ID) £3
Groups of over 15 people (to be booked separately) £3
Under 5s, Companions, Friends of St Albans Museum FREE
Family (2 adults + 2 children or 1 adult + up to 4 children) £10
Tickets for the exhibition will be released soon. To be amongst the first to book please join our Mailing List
The Cabaret Mechanical Theatre Company (CMT), was formed in 1979 by Sue Jackson, as a small general craft shop, simply called Cabaret, located
in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Collaborating with local artists Cabaret specialised in creating
hand-made automata that were exhibited and sold to the general public.
Due to the company's huge success it moved its premises to London in 1984, where it soon established an international reputation for the quality and uniqueness of its product. CMT continued to support a growing number of makers, and helped to define automata as a craft genre, encouraging organisations like the Crafts Council of Great Britain to recognise its significance and collect some of its finest examples.
The Museum of everyday life in Roman Britain


text:
The  is a compact MPV produced by Honda. It was first introduced in the Chinese market in September 2013, where it is manufactured by Dongfeng Honda. It is based on the ninth-generation Civic platform and has two seating versions for 5 or 4+2 passengers.

Market
The Jade was developed primarily with the Chinese market in mind but has since been released in Japan from February 2015 and parts of Asia such as Hong Kong, and in Singapore. Due to declining sales, it was withdrawn from the Singapore market in May 2018.

Besides the two seating options (5 or 4+2), there are two trim levels (EXi or VTi), and two transmissions (5AT or CVT) and two engines to choose from (1.8L upon release, followed by 1.5L Turbo).

Versions
In February 2015, a hybrid version went on sale in Japan with a 2+2+2 seating layout.

In May 2015, the Jade RS was launched to the Japanese market, offering a newly developed 1.5-liter direct injection VTEC Turbo engine rated at 150 PS (148 hp) at 5,500 rpm and 203 N⋅m (150 lb-ft) of torque between 1,600 and 5,000 rpm.

Facelift
The facelifted Jade was unveiled at the 2016 Auto Guangzhou. The Japanese domestic market version of the facelifted Jade was launched on 17 May 2018, and went on sale on the following day. It was announced on the website on 8 March 2018. The trim levels are G, RS, X, HYBRID RS and HYBRID X, which were equipped with standard Honda Sensing. The Jade was discontinued in China in June 2020 and Japan on 31 July 2020, alongside the Civic sedan and the City, known as the Grace in the latter, due to declining sales of these models.

Gallery
Chinese market

Japanese market

References

External links

Jade
Cars introduced in 2013
2020s cars
Compact MPVs
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Vehicles with CVT transmission

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


NEW YORK, New York – Legendary producer Steve Pageot picked up his first HARMAN's AKG recording microphone at the age of 19, from where he ambitiously combined his engineering skills with a passion for music, leading to an esteemed career in music production. Inspired by electronic engineering magazines, he taught himself how to mix and record songs three years later. Today, he uses several AKG microphones and headphones that have seen him through countless studio sessions.
Having worked on multiple high-profile albums with Krayzie Bone, Aretha Franklin, and even a movie with Nick Cannon, Pageot's credits are as his audio engineering skills. To perform consistently at a top level, he exclusively uses AKG microphones for all of his recordings. His microphone inventory includes AKG C1000S, P820 and C414 XLII microphones, and he owns three pairs of AKG K240 MKII headphones at his home studio.
Currently, Pageot is feverishly working on multiple projects, including Krayzie Bone's final album, MTV shows and the initial stages of the latest album by the Jacksons. However, his most admirable feat could be his one-on-one music production classes, where he teaches audio students how to produce records with AKG microphones.


"As a practitioner with special interest I am receiving referrals from other optometrists to look at conditions that can be managed in primary care. The Heidelberg suite of equipment (HRT3, SPECTRALIS OCT and the HEP perimeter) gives me the ability and confidence to keep the patient away from the Hospital eye service.
Many eye conditions are managed by repeat measurements and comparisons to baseline measurement. Heidelberg technology has the edge over all other machines because of its ability to ensure that I am measuring exactly the same piece of tissue each time. Without that, trying to make a comparison would be pointless.
The other huge strength that I so appreciate is the fact that the analyzing software speaks to all the equipment to produce meaningful reports – For instance – The HRT3 measures the structure of the optic nerve head and the HEP perimeter measure the function of the optic nerve. Those two pieces of information are then put together into one report and suddenly the information becomes meaningful.


We have a wonderful opportunity to serve the Hunter Huss and Bessemer City Football Teams during the months of September and October!
I really need some help pulling these events off. Would you be available to help with any of the following dates? If so please complete the registration form below to sign-up for the dates you can help!
The meals are simple! Chicken, green beans, potatoes are great or any pasta dish such as spaghetti, lasagna, alfredo etc. with toast will be perfect. I'll buy the supplies and have them ready for you to prepare when you arrive at the West Campus.


• The video competition details will go live on this website on 1st September and videos must be submitted by 30th September.
• Submission must be made by sharing the video file. This can be done by: uploading to a video sharing website and then emailing neil.jarrett@regents.ac.th the link, emailing the video directly, or using a cloud storage service.
• The video must be a maximum of 3 minutes in length. If it is over 3 minutes, the video will be stopped by the judge and any information after will not be counted.
• Judges will mark the video on 3 categories: mathematical knowledge and understanding, creativity and presentation. Up to 40 marks will be awarded for each category so a total of 120 points are up for grabs.
• Video's must be created, edited, produced and filmed ONLY by the 4 students.
• Teacher support must be minimal; the project needs to be student led.
• The video must contain only ORIGINAL material to avoid copyright issues (including background music).
• Video files must be no bigger than 100MB (please compress them before sending if they are).
• There is no set specification of video camera; an iPad is perfectly acceptable.
• Please film in landscape mode.
• Videos will be made public on this website. School's must ensure they have permission for student's to be featured online. If permission is not granted then the students in question could do the filming. In addition, student's do not have to be in the video; screencasting, or other methods i.e. animation could be used.
•Results will be announced on October 7th.


• Understand the many benefits of using an art therapy approach in your practice.
• Learn how Art Therapy developed into a field, and who were its founders.
• Be inspired to pursue further education and practice in art therapy.
A past President and Honorary Life Member of the American Art Therapy Association, Dr. Rubin is retired from full-time clinical practice, and is devoting her energies to creating and disseminating films on the arts in therapy through a nonprofit organization, Expressive Media, Inc. Her other films include Beyond Words: Art Therapy with Older Adults (2004), We'll Show You What We're Gonna Do! (art with blind children, 1971), Children & the Arts (all of the arts with children, 1973), and The Green Creature Within (group art-drama therapy with adolescents, 1984). More about Judith Rubin's films and the organization can be found at http://www.expressivemedia.org.


In an embodiment, an orthopedic device in the form of a lumbar support includes first and second elongate belt members, an anatomically shaped plate, and a closure system connecting the belt members to the plate. The closure system is arranged to move the belt members relative to the plate, and connects to the belt members via a flexible belt attachment which removably secures to the belt members. The closure system includes tensioning elements corresponding to the belt members, and a pulley system connecting to the tensioning elements. The closure system is slidably mounted to the plate and arranged to the belt members relative to the plate between opposed linear directions. The plate has various contours which provide pressure distribution over a lumbar region of a back. Anatomically shaped and resiliently formed handles secure to the tensioning elements and the belt members.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/249,933, filed Sep. 30, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/713,268, filed on Feb. 26, 2010, which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional application No. 61/155,843, filed on Feb. 26, 2009, and U.S. provisional application No. 61/236,649, filed on Aug. 25, 2009. The entirety of each of these provisional applications is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention is directed to an orthopedic device for treatment of the lower back. Embodiments of the device are exemplified for lumbar orthotic management in the particular configuration of a lumbo-sacral orthosis.
Many individuals frequently experience chronic lower back pain. Lower back pain is typically managed through rest, analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and orthopedic devices or orthoses in the form of lumbar supports. Various types of lumbar supports are available and include sacroiliac (SIO), lumbo-sacral (LSO), and thoracolumbosacral (TLSO) orthoses.
Typical indications for use of lumbar supports include spinal stenosis, herniated discs, post-surgical stabilization, stable and non-displaced spinal fractures, spondylolithesis, spondylolysis, and degenerative spinal pathologies.
One mechanism of action by these lumbar supports includes immobilization of the lower back, by resisting flexion, extension, pelvic tilt, spinal rotation, and lateral bending. Another mechanism is pelvic stabilization in which the lumbar support maintains proper alignment of the pelvis in relation to the spine, and reduces pain in the lumbo-sacral region. Yet another mechanism is hydrostatic lift which occurs when the abdominal cavity is gently compressed, and the intra-abdominal pressure is increased. In yet another mechanism, the lumbar support introduces lordosis support or maintains lumbar support in order to provide correct lumbar lordosis for pain relief, spinal stabilization and improved posture.
Frequently, patients with arthritic hands lack the dexterity to tighten and adjust a lumbar support, as well as in other types of orthopedic devices. Various forms of closure systems, for example hook and loop, buckles, and lacing, have been used to facilitate the closure and retention of these supports on the wearer. However, many of these known forms of closure systems fail to permit adequate easy adjustment of a lumbar support which leads to insufficient exertion of compression on the back of the wearer.
Some closure systems have been proposed which include pulling tensioning elements, for example straps, cables or cords, through a series of guide elements, for example pulleys, posts, rings or eyelets, so as to create a mechanical advantage. Yet many of these known systems suffer from the drawback of friction created on the guide elements when the tensioning elements are adjusted. Another shortcoming is that in many known lumbar supports, a single tensioning element or dual tensioning elements are provided on a single side of the wearer, which in turn leads to rotation of the lumbar support over the wearer's torso when the tensioning element or elements are adjusted. This rotation may lead to the risk of the wearer applying pressure outside the optimal area of the wearer's lumbar region.
Another drawback to known lumbar supports is that because there are so many sizes of the human body, a clinic must maintain many differently sized supports. Even if proper sizes of supports are stocked, a wearer's anatomical shape and size may change over the course of treatment while wearing the device. Some lumbar supports include plates which are universally dimensioned, and are prone to poorly fitting a patient. This leads to inadequate support and discomfort by applying inconsistent or undue pressure over the spinal region and paraspinal musculature of the wearer.
In view of the shortcomings of known lumbar supports, there is a demand for an orthopedic device which is simple to employ but capable of exerting compression against the wearer to effectively treat and stabilize the lower back and other weakened anatomy, is customizable in size, and provides sufficient anatomical support capable of servicing a wide variety of anatomical contours and treatment levels.
In an embodiment of an orthopedic device of the invention, the orthopedic device is a lumbo-sacral orthosis or lumbar support. The orthopedic device includes a plate, a first elongate belt member having first and second end portions, and a closure system coupling the first belt member to the plate. The closure system is slidably mounted to the plate and arranged to move the first belt member relative to the plate between first and second linear directions. The first belt attachment is secured to the closure system and extends flexibly therefrom. The first belt attachment is removably secured to the second end portion of the first belt member.
In a preferred embodiment, the closure system includes a pulley system and a first elongate tensioning element having a second end connected to the pulley system. The pulley system preferably has a four-to-one ratio, but can also be provided in variations of this preferred ratio. The pulley system includes a first pulley connector including a pin which slidably engages an elongate slot formed by the plate. The first tensioning element is arranged to move the first belt member relative to the plate and a first end of the tensioning element is adjustably securable to the first belt member. The tensioning element may be a cable, cord, strap or other suitable element used to allow the user to apply tension and pressure over the lumbar region of the back via the closure system.
The closure system may include a dosage meter having an indication feature representing tightening settings of the closure system.
In an exemplary embodiment, the orthopedic device also includes a second belt member having first and second end portions. The second end portion of the second belt member connects to the second end portion of the first belt member via the closure system. The closure system includes first and second tensioning elements corresponding to the first and second belt members and the first and second tensioning elements are arranged to extend towards the first end portions of the first and second belt members, respectively. The first end portions of the first and second belt members are arranged to removably secure to one another. In this variation, the closure system comprises a pulley system including first and second pulley connectors mounted on the plate so as to slide in first and second linear directions. The first and second tensioning elements are each secured to the first and second pulley connectors.
The closure system preferably extends over the plate so as to apply pressure onto the plate itself, thereby evenly distributing pressure over the lumbar region of the wearer as the orthopedic device is tightened over a lumbar region of the wearer. The pulley system creates a mechanical advantage, and beneficially employs a four-to-one ratio so as to reduce the travel of the tensioning element. The bearings inside the pulley system reduce friction and facilitate drawing of the tensioning element away from the closure system. Moreover, in the event that two belt members are employed, the orthopedic device uses first and second tensioning elements which correspond to the first and second belt members, and extend in opposed directions. By balancing the load required to tighten the device over the lumbar region, the device eliminates rotation and reduces the load required by each tensioning element. From a combination of these features, the orthopedic device can be effortlessly used to apply intra-abdominal pressure so as to unload and immobilize the spine and provide effective pain relief.
A first handle is secured to the first end of the first tensioning element and is adjustably securable to the first belt member. The first handle has a first end portion and a second end portion which is more rigid than the first end portion. The first tensioning element engages the second end portion of the handle.
In an exemplary embodiment of the handle, the handle has a first handle portion defining a predetermined anatomical shape and formed from at least one resilient material. The handle has a second handle portion more rigid than the first portion. Preferably, the first and second handle portions are integrally secured to one another and are comprised of polymeric materials. The first handle portion is preferably configured to flex over anatomy of a wearer and return to the predetermined anatomical shape when in an unused or unflexed configuration. A hook material may be provided on the handle over an inner surface or a surface facing the belt member. Preferably, a substantial entirety of the outer surface of the first belt member is formed from a hook receivable material so as to allow for the handle to secure over any portion of the first belt member.
Due to the flexibility and resilience of the first handle portion, the handle allows for easy adjustment by the wearer. The handle is anatomically contoured so that is can fully secure to the belt member when worn on wearer, without protruding or causing discomfort to the wearer. The second handle portion is more rigid which makes the handle more durable to withstand the loads when the tensioning element is drawn from the closure system.
In a preferred embodiment, the belt member has a first, predetermined length, and is reducible in length from the second end portion. The first belt member has a plurality of spaced sections arranged for severing with a tool so as to reduce the length of the belt. These spaced sections may be defined from thermoformed regions having thicker and thinner portions, with each thicker portion defining a predetermined sizing dimension and with the thinner portions being preferably the location along which they are severed or cut in order to reduce the length of the belt member.
The first belt member has an outer surface so that regardless of the length of the reduced belt member, the new end portion is arranged to removably engage the first belt attachment. The outer surface may be formed by a loop material capable of securing to a hook material that may be provided on the belt attachment. In order to facilitate the reduction in size of the belt member, the belt member defines a plurality of reduced thickness sections arranged in a predetermined sequence corresponding to different predetermined lengths of the belt member.
A substantial entirety of an outer surface of the first belt member may be formed from a hook receivable material, and a substantial entirety of an inner surface of the first belt member on an opposite side from the inner surface and directed toward a wearer may be formed from a ventilated three-dimensional fabric.
From these features of the belt member, the belt member may be universally sized and therefore accommodate a variety of waist circumferences upon reducing certain lengths of the belt member. Depending on the size of the wearer, a clinician can modify the length of the belt member so as to fit an individual wearer, and over a period of treatment, easily resize the belt according changes in size of the wearer.
The plate may be flexible and anatomically shaped to correspond to a lumbar region of a human back. Specifically, the plate is arranged to relieve pressure over a spinal region of a human back by having an outwardly directed curvature generally protruding away from the spinal region. The plate is also configured to apply even pressure over paraspinal musculature of a human back by having an inwardly directed contour extending over such paraspinal musculature. The plate is configured with the slot to accommodate the closure system so that the slot is at least substantially located over the paraspinal musculature outside of the spinal region of the wearer.
In view of the flexibility and shape of the plate and the location at which the closure system mounts on the plate, pressure is preferably only exerted on the paraspinal musculature thereby providing gentle contact of the orthopedic device over the lumbar region of a wearer. Consequently, pressure spikes are avoided over the lumbar region of the wearer while still providing effective immobilization of the lower back of the wearer.
A rigid panel may be pivotally connected to the plate which allows for hip development, and further aids in automatically adjusting to various anatomies. In the event that the panel is a posterior panel, the posterior panel defines an outwardly directed curvature generally protruding away from the spinal region. The posterior panel applies even pressure over a paraspinal musculature of a human back by having an inwardly directed contour extending over the paraspinal musculature. A rigid panel may also be arranged for an anterior application whereby the panel is adapted to support the abdominal area of a wearer and secure to at least one of the first end portions of the belt members.
The rigid panel may be secured to an inner surface of the orthopedic device, preferably along an inner surface of the plate. In a variation, the plate is covered by a textile cover constructed from a breathable material. The rigid panel is connected to the textile cover at an attachment point so that it pivotally connects to the plate thereby being arranged to accommodate hip movement of the wearer while maintaining support of the lumbar region of the wearer.
Both the plate and the rigid panels may be thermoformable and trimmable to accommodate most body types. They preferably are surrounded with a padding material and define ventilation openings. The plate and rigid panels are shaped to fit the anatomy of wearers, and are anatomically contoured to better immobilize the spine and maximize patient comfort. The particular contours of the plate and the rigid panels prevent pressure on the surgical site and provide pressure on the paraspinal musculature.
The inventive orthopedic device is described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments according to the device described herein. It will be noted that the device as disclosed in the accompanying drawings is illustrated by way of example only. The various elements and combinations of elements described below and illustrated in the drawings can be arranged and organized differently to result in embodiments which are still within the spirit and scope of the device described herein.
FIG. 1 is a front plan view according to a first embodiment of the orthopedic device according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear plan view showing the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of a back plate and a variation of the closure system according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4A is a side elevational view showing an embodiment of the back plate.
FIG. 4B is a top view showing an embodiment of the back plate of FIG. 4A.
FIG. 4C is a perspective view showing an embodiment of device on a lower back of a wearer which a schematic representation of pressure mapping.
FIG. 4D is a schematic view showing a pressure mapping grid from FIG. 4D.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a plate or rigid panel in or for use with the device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another variation of a plate or rigid panel in or for use with the device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing another variation of a plate or rigid panel in or for use with the device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a perspective schematic view of another embodiment of a strap cover of the orthopedic device.
FIG. 9 is a frontal view of another embodiment of the orthopedic device.
FIG. 10 is a rear view of the orthopedic device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the handle for use in the orthopedic device of FIG. 9.
FIG. 12 is a rear view of the handle in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a side view of the handle in FIG. 11.
FIG. 14 is a front view of the handle in FIG. 11.
FIG. 15 is a rear view of the handle in FIG. 11.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments are shown in the drawings and are described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, combinations, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state "means for" performing a specified function, or "step for" performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a "means" or "step" clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6.
In observing a first embodiment of the orthopedic device shown in FIG. 1, the orthopedic device is in the form of a lumbo-sacral support 10 having first and second elongate belt members 12, 14 each including first and second end portions 12A, 14A; 12B, 14B. The belt members 12, 14 are securable to one another at their first end portions 12A, 14A. The belt members 12, 14 are slidably connected at their second end portions 12B, 14B to a back plate 22, and are coupled to one another via a closure system 23. The closure system 23 is arranged to move the first and second belt members 12, 14 relative to the back plate 22. A cover 16 is secured to the back plate 22 and conceals the closure system 23, and is adjustably securable to the belt members 12, 14.
Turning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the belt members 12, 14 each define an attachment portion 13, 15 located at their first end portions 12A, 14A. The front surface of the belt members 12, 14 (as shown in the orientation of FIG. 1) is generally defined as a hook-receiving or loop material. The rear surface of one of the belt members 14 (as shown in the orientation of FIG. 2), has a hook-type material section 50 which is securable over the front surface of either of the belt members 12, 14. This attachment arrangement permits easy adjustment of the belt members about the waist of the wearer.
According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the attachment portions 13, 15 each define corresponding geometric shapes. For example, the illustrated attachment portions have an oval shape which, in combination with properly sizing the belt members for the dimensions of the wearer, allow for easy alignment since the wearer can mate the corresponding shapes to one another. This arrangement allows for the wearer to align the belt members at the same location over repeated uses. Then, upon proper alignment of the belt members, the wearer can just adjust the tension of the support only by pulling the arms and tensioning elements to different locations; the adjustment of the belt members remains constant and it will be easier for the clinician to merely advise just the settings of the arms instead of having to also advise on settings of the belt members relative to one another.
The belt members may be formed from a stretchable or non-stretchable material. Moreover, the belt members may have a padded core with localized areas of increased and decreased padding according to placement locations on the wearer. The belt members may have color coded sections, as in the attachment portions 13, 15, which are provided to direct the wearer as to the particular locations at which the belt members are to secure to one another.
At least in part to minimize uncomfortable pressure exerted on the wearer, the belt members define padded areas 17 surrounding the attachment portions 13, 15. These padded areas may be formed in accordance with thermoforming principles described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,334,135, 5,695,452 and 5,823,981, incorporated herein by reference. In addition, the belt members 12, 14 include a padded edging 19 which provides pressure relief along the edges of the belt members against the wearer. Additional padding may be provided anywhere along the device as considered necessary by the wearer or the clinician.
The belt members 12, 14 define an array of thinned sections 42 beginning at the second end portions 12B, 14B and extending toward the first end portion 12A, 14A. Between these thinned sections 42 are padded areas 40 having greater thickness than the thinned sections 42. The thinned sections 42 are preferably trimmable to reduce the length of the belt members 12, 14. A back panel 44 may be secured to a rear side of the back plate 22, and in combination with the padded areas 40, provide compressible padding to the areas surrounding the lumbo-sacral region of the wearer. Alternatively, the back panel may be replaced with a rigid panel of any of the types shown herein, and particularly by example in FIGS. 5-7.
Due to their thinned nature, sections 42 may be provided with some stretchability to the belt members, thereby allowing the belt members to better accommodate the wearer's anatomy and movement. Alternatively, the sections 42 may be formed from stretchable segments connected to the padded areas to greatly enhance any stretching of the belt members. It should be understood, however, that the belt members can be configured to either stretch or not stretch, or have localized areas of increased stretching.
Size selection indicia 39 are provided on the padded areas 40 so as to show particular size configurations. Instead of requiring a vast variety of supports having different lengths, reduced thickness or thinned sections 42 enable easy adjustment in length of the belt members by facilitating reduction of the length of the belt members by cutting along the thinned sections.
For example, the belt members may each have a first predetermined length and are reducible in length from their second end portions. The belt members have a plurality of spaced sections delimited by the thinned sections which allow for severing at these thinned sections in order to reduce the length of the belt. After the belt member has been reduced in length, the new, reduced second end portion of the belt member secures to the closure system.
The belt members may be adaptable to include various drug delivery devices, stiffeners, temperature therapy devices, and electrical stimulation treatment devices. For example, the belt members may be formed using features described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/733,865 and published as U.S. patent application publication 2007/0237808, incorporated herein by reference. Also, the belt members may be configured with attachment or enclosure means or pocket 43 to accommodate other orthopedic devices, such a shell in a hip brace of the type described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/438,474 and published as U.S. patent application publication 2006/0264790, incorporated herein by reference. The belt members also may define closeable pockets 45 to include any of the aforementioned treatment devices.
Turning to an embodiment of the back plate in reference to FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B, the back plate 22 slidably connects to the belt members 12, 14. According to this embodiment, the back plate is flexible or bendable to accommodate the anatomy of a wearer's back when the closure system is employed. The ability to bend about the wearer's back is particularly advantageous since the back plate can be used to support a variety of anatomical contours of a single wearer or a variety of wearers. However, while the back plate is bendable about the wearer's back, it provides sufficient rigidity to support the lumbo-sacral region of the wearer. In an alternative, the back plate may be custom formed so as to correspond to exact contours of a particular wearer wherein the back plate is substantially rigid or semi-rigid.
The back plate 22 has a particular anatomical geometry that is arranged to closely accommodate a wide variety of different back anatomies. For example, the plate 22 is configured to relieve pressure over a spinal region of a human back by having an outwardly directed curvature 78 generally protruding away from the spinal region. The plate 22 is arranged to apply even pressure over a paraspinal musculature of a human back by having an inwardly directed contour 80 extending over the paraspinal musculature. The plate 22 includes side wing portions 81 which are inwardly contoured toward the wearer, a tapered top portion 83 and generally rounded side portions 85, which provide coverage over side portions of the lumbar region of a wearer's back, and contribute to better pressure distribution over sensitive and less sensitive areas of a wearer's back.
The plate 22 defines a general arcuate contour 82 which provides lordosis support for the wearer. This contour 82, in combination with pressure exerted on the plate 22 via the closure system, introduces and maintains correct lumbar lordosis for pain relief, spinal stabilization and improved posture. Because the plate is anatomically contoured with the aforementioned features, better hydrostatic lift is also created when the abdominal cavity is gently compressed and the intra-abdominal pressure is increased. Better pelvic stabilization is created by the anatomical shape of the plate since it is arranged to properly align the pelvis in relation to the spine, thereby reducing pain in the lumbo-sacral region of a wearer's back. Again, in combination with closure system, the plate allows for improved immobilization of a wearer's back by immobilizing flexion, extension, pelvic tilt, spinal rotation and lateral bending.
The back plate 22 is formed with a plurality of ventilation openings 54 allowing for a circulation of air between the back of the wearer and back plate 22. The ventilation openings 54 also permit the back plate to be sized larger than conventional back plates since it can cover a greater surface area of the wearer's back without causing undue warming of the wearer's back. Further, since the openings 54 can be arranged in a particular pattern, they can be placed in locations to facilitate greater bending of the back plate, for example at a center pattern 55 extending about the centerline of the back plate and along the outwardly directed curvature 78.
Of particular focus is the back plate variation shown in FIG. 5. Again, as with the back plate 22 of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the back plate 98 has a pattern of openings 100 which are arranged to facilitate both bending along a center line such that a pair of an array of openings 102 is located on opposed sides of the centerline. Also provided between end portions of the pair of an array of openings 102 is another array of openings 106 which further assist in the bending of the back plate 98. On opposed sides of the back plate 98 are patterns of openings which closely follow the contours of the back plate 98 when arranged in a bent configuration. The plate 98 may include an outwardly bowed portion 105 to accommodate the spinal region of a wearer, as well as a plurality of openings 104 extending generally along the spinal region so as to provide enhance breathability and flexibility. A cover 103 of a variety of types may be secured to or surround the plate 98.
Of course, it will be understood that the patterns of the openings defined by the back plate variations shown herein are not limitative, but a variety of patterns fall within the scope of the invention to facilitate bending of the back plate and assist in ventilation the support.
The plate shown in FIG. 5 may be arranged as a rigid panel 98R provided in addition to the back plate 22, and may be pivotally connected to an inner side of the plate adjacent a wearer's back, such as at locating element 242 in FIG. 9. The rigid panel may be surrounded by padding material and the padding material may be substantially ventilated using any of the padding materials described herein for use in connection with the belt members and the back plate.
Turning to a variation of the closure system according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a closure system 23 including first and second pulley systems 24, 26, and first and second tensioning elements 32, 34 coupled to the pulley systems 24, 26 and arranged to tighten the device about the wearer's torso. The pulley systems 24, 26 are connected to the second end portions 12B, 14B of the belt members 12, 14 via belt attachments 18, 20. The closure system 23 is slidably mounted to the plate 22 and arranged to move the belt members 12, 14 relative to the plate 22 between first and second linear directions; outward (A) and inward (B) directions, as shown in FIG. 1.
The tensioning element may be a cable, cord, strap or other suitable element used to allow the user to apply tension and pressure over the lumbar region of the back via the closure system.
The pulley systems 24, 26 include first and second pulley connectors 27, 28 which secure to the first and second belt members 12, 14, respectively, via the belt attachments 18, 20, and secure on opposed sides of the plate 22 in the inwardly directed contour 80 extending over the paraspinal musculature of a wearer's back. The first tensioning element 32 which extends outwardly from the first pulley system 24 at a lower portion whereas the second tensioning element 34 extends outwardly from the second pulley system 26 at an upper portion.
The pulley connector 27 includes a top set of pulleys comprising a top upper pulley 74U and a top lower pulley 74L through which the second tensioning element 34 extends. A first end of the second tensioning element 34 is fixably secured to the anchor post 56 carried by the pulley connector 28. The second tensioning element 34 runs between the top upper pulley 74U on the pulley connector 27 by extending through inlet 77A and outlet 77B and wrapping around a spindle or bearing 79 mounted in each individual pulley. The second tensioning element 34 extends through the top pulley 62 on the pulley connector 28, returning to the top lower pulley 74L, and then being directed through outlet post 64.
The tensioning element 32 is arranged to extend between the pulley connectors 27, 28, while having a first end fixably secured to anchor post 58 carried by the pulley connector 27. The tensioning element 32 also extends between bottom pulleys 68U, 68L located on the pulley connector 28, and the pulley 76 so as to eventually extend through outlet post 66 on the pulley connector 27.
It is preferred, while not limiting, that there are fewer pulleys amounting to an 8:1 pulley system (combined with both pulley connectors, and 4:1 for each tensioning element). It has been found that when there is less travel of the tensioning element through the pulley system, easier adjustment of the pressure on the lumbar region of the wearer is obtained. When combined with the bearings inside the pulleys, there is an elimination of friction which greatly improves the ability for wearers of the device to make adjustments of the tensioning elements. This arrangement leads to improved immobilization of the lumbar region, while providing improved pelvic stabilization, hydrostatic lift and lordosis support.
A sliding arrangement 86 is used to mount the pulley connectors 27, 28 of the pulley systems 24, 26 onto the panel 22. Each pulley connector 27, 28 defines a neck 87 extending outwardly and downward from an outer side (contrasted with an inner side oriented towards the centerline of the back plate). An elongate arm 88 extends in a cross-wise manner from the neck 87.
The neck 87 is arranged to slidably engage a slot 52 formed by the back plate 22, and located in the inwardly directed contour 80 extending over the paraspinal musculature and outside of the outwardly directed curvature 78. The arm 88 retains the neck 87 within the slot 52 and generally slides against a rear surface of the back plate 22 as the second pulley connector 26 is moved relative to the back plate between the directions A, B shown in FIG. 1. The downward bend of the neck 87 may be configured in a manner that permits the second pulley connector to adjustably rotate relative to the back plate in order to permit additional adjustment of the back plate relative to the second belt member.
The pulley connectors 27, 28 each define upper and lower tabs 92U, 92L along the outer side, and a recess 91 in which the sliding arrangement 86 is located. The pulley connectors 27, 28 also define a back mount 74 which are used to retain the belt attachments 18, 20 to the pulley connectors. Because the pulley connectors may be arranged in a resilient or semi-rigid configuration (while permitting some bending to accommodate tightening of the support about the torso of the wearer), a line of apertures 90 are likewise formed by the pulley connectors so as to permit the corresponding belt attachment to be stitched to the pulley connector.
The pulley connectors define a plurality of fingers 94 along the inner side. Each of the fingers 94 carries one of the pulleys, and each finger is spaced by a notch 96. The arrangement of the fingers 94 and the notches 96 permit flexure of the fingers relative to the remainder of the pulley connector, thereby better accommodating the support due to tightening of the tensioning elements.
It is preferable to include opposed tensioning elements of the type shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 in order to eliminate rotation of the support on the wearer. In effect, the tensioning elements counteract rotation from one another, thereby more securely adjusting to the wearer when the tensioning elements are tensioned.
Accordingly to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the belt attachments 18, 20 are each defined as a pair of flaps having opposed surfaces of hook material. The hook material engages the hook-receiving material of the belt members and effectively couples the closure system to the belt members.
FIG. 4C shows how the advantageous arrangement of the embodiment of the device 230 having a closure system in combination with the plate 22 and associated belt members 12, 14 applies an even distribution of pressure 95 over the paraspinal musculature of a wearer's back. In this instance, a rigid panel 98R is provided in combination with the plate 22, but even without the rigid panel 98R, the even distribution of pressure 95 over the paraspinal musculature may be obtained. As for the spinal region, there is minimal pressure leading to relief 93 exerted on the wearer's back.
The result of the combination of these features of the device in FIG. 4C leads to a pressure mapping in FIG. 4D which shows the relief 93 along the spinal region and gentle even contact over the paraspinal musculature in the remaining areas of the lumbar region. It follows that there are no pressure spikes (or at least minimal) which may lead to discomfort when a wearer uses the device.
Referring back to the strap cover, FIG. 1 illustrates that the cover 16 extends over the back plate 22. According to this embodiment, the cover 16 is secured around the back plate 22 with stitching 30 along portions between the belt members 12, 14. The cover 16 defines first and second arms 31, 33 which generally correspond to the first and second belt members 12, 14, respectively. At least the first and second arms 31, 33 are elasticized and are readily positionable relative to the first and second belt members 12, 14.
The first and second arms 31, 33 define first and second channels 35, 37, respectively, through which the first and second tensioning elements 32, 34 extend, respectively. The channels 35, 37 may be formed in a variety of constructions, but it is preferable that they conceal the tensioning elements so as to prevent the tensioning elements from catching on any object that the wearer may contact or any clothing. For example, in embodiment of FIG. 1, the channels are sewn into two layers of material used to form the arms 31, 33. Alternatively, channels may be formed along the surface of the cover by adding a strip layer of material.
Each of the arms 31, 33 includes a handle 36, 38 which is secured to an end portion thereof. A second end of each tensioning element is secured to the handle 36, 38. The handle 36, 38 may be formed in a variety of different configurations, for example as having a raised handle portion of the type shown in FIG. 1 which permits the wearer to insert fingers into the handle portion to better grasp the handle and thereby easily tighten the arms (and tensioning elements) relative to the belt members. Of course, other grasping configurations are possible which allow for the wearer to easily grasp the end portions of the arms, as will be shown in FIGS. 11-15.
Each end portion of the arms includes an attachment portion which allows for securing the arm end portions relative to the belt member. For example, the outer surface of the belt members may be formed from a hook-receiving material and an inner side of the arms at a location generally corresponding to the handle may include a hook patch. Therefore, upon drawing the arms away from the back panel and by the tensioning elements, the wearer can secure the handles at a variety of locations on the belt members to tighten the support about the torso of the wearer.
In a variation of the cover, the handles may be removable from the arms and the tensioning elements so that the arms can be folded over to reduce their length for certain wearer's of the support having a narrower torso. Once the arms are properly sized, the handle may be attached to the arm having a reduced length and the tensioning element can accordingly be reattached.
In observing FIG. 2, the back panel 44 has cushioning features that are arranged to be adjacently placed against the wearer to provide comfort to the wearer. In particular, as the arms are tightened relative to the belt members, the pressure exerted against the wearer is minimized by the back panel. The back panel comprises first and second padded regions 46, 48 which are spaced by a thinned transition area 49. The transition area 49 permits better bending of the back panel 44 as the back plate 22 is similarly bent to accommodate the wearer.
The back panel 44 is shaped in an ergonomic form much like the aforementioned form of the back plate 22. Further, the back panel 44 may be formed from a ventilated three-dimensional fabric or a thermoformed padding material or combination thereof, as discussed above in connection with the belt members, so as to work in combination with the ventilation openings of the back plate to better provide a circulation of air through the support to allow for added comfort to the wearer.
FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a front plate 110 which may be used in combination with the support 10. The front plate 110 removably secures to the inner surface of the belt members. The front plate 110 defines a pattern of openings 112, in a similar manner to the openings 102 of the back plate 98, which assist in bending the front plate about the torso when tightened against the user. The front plate 110 also defines a plurality of ventilation openings 114 which further assist in permitting a circulation of air to make the support more comfortable to the wearer. A plurality of openings 115 are particularly provided along the spinal region to provide ventilation and flexibility.
The front plate may be wrapped with a fabric material, such as a three-dimensional fabric of any type described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/723,604 and published as U.S. patent application publication 2007/0185425, incorporated herein by reference. The fabric may be combined with a padding material, such as foam, and is preferably breathable so as to work in combination with the ventilation openings.
As depicted by the sections 116 in FIG. 6, the front and back plates may define a surface curvature (resulting in the plates having a curved cross-section) which follows the contours of general human anatomy. In other words, the front and back plates are not flat plates, but have a specific geometry which applies more even pressure onto the wearer than in conventional flat plates. For example, surface curvatures in the back plate can lift the plate away from the spinal column of the wearer and apply even pressure on either side of the spinal column so as to form a shape which imparts a very rigid plate when placed proximate to the wearer with a thin sheet of plastic forming the plate. It will be understood, however, that the support is not limited to including curved front and back plates; conventional flat plates may be employed.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, a variation of the back plate or rigid panel 117 is shown having a variety of different size configurations 118, 122, 124, 126. These size configurations each have a trim line 120 which is formed by a reduced thickness enabling the clinician to trim the back plate to a suitable size corresponding to the wearer. The back panel and the front plate may also have such trim lines so that the entirety of the support along with the belt members may be modified to the appropriate size of the wearer.
In referring to FIG. 8, an embodiment of the arms belonging to the cover is shown as having a dosage meter. In this variation, the arms comprise a strap 200 having a strap body 202 divided by a stitched divider 212. The divider 212 forms upper and lower channels 208, 210 through which upper and lower tensioning elements 204, 206 connecting to a closure system are inserted. The tensioning elements 204, 206 secure to a handle 214 having a grasping feature 216 in the form of an opening.
The tensioning elements 204, 206 are connected to a tension meter 218 which provides indicia showing relative degrees of tightening of the tensioning elements about the torso of the wearer. The tension meter may include a spring which elongates at prescribed tension settings which can correspond to indicia. The purpose of the tension meter is to provide a calibrated load that is measured by the clinician so that instructions can be given to the wearer at which tension setting the wearer should adjust the tensioning elements.
In a variation, the tension meter may include printing on an elastic segment which is revealed once the tensioning elements and the elastic are stretched to a certain point.
In observing FIGS. 9 and 10, another embodiment of the orthopedic device is shown bearing some features different from the embodiment of FIG. 1. According to this embodiment, the device 230 includes first and second belt members 232, 234 which are secured to a back plate 236 via belt attachments 260, 262. The back plate 236 is shown as having a covering 237. The back plate 236 is contoured down the middle or spinal region 240 to correspond to the anatomy of the lower back or lumbar region of the back, as well as regions 254, 258 outside the middle region 240 in a manner described above in connection with other embodiments of the back plate. A breathable covering 264 surrounds portions of the periphery of the back plate 236.
The first belt member 232 includes a fastening element 238 located on the inner surface, such as hook material, which secures to the outer surface of the second belt member 234.
An inner surface of the covering 237 includes a locating element 242 which allows for the user to align and mate to a corresponding supplementary support element thereto. For example, a bladder system 257, which is either inflatable or pre-inflated, may be secured to the covering 237. By providing the locating element, the wearer can be assured that the supplementary support element is positioned in the proper location. Alternatively, a rigid panel 259, such as the rigid panel 98R may be secured at the locating element 242 so as to provide additional support to the plate.
The locating element 242 may be a colored patch having a contrast relative to the color of the covering which is adapted to engage hook elements located on a supplementary support element. The end portion of the second belt member 204 may likewise include another locating element 244 which is located on the front of the user or abdominal region, and arranged to receive another supplementary support element, such as an anatomically contoured front plate 256.
As shown in FIG. 10, the device 230 includes a closure system which uses tensioning elements 246, 250 having handles 248, 252 located at the end thereof. The tensioning elements 246, 250 are exposed and the handles 248, 252 are adapted to engage a hook receivable outer covering 266 of the belt members 232, 234. A hook element 268 is provided on the belt member 232 to secure to the outer covering.
Turning to FIGS. 11-15, an example of a handle 300 useable in the device 230 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is depicted.
FIG. 11 illustrates the handle 300 as including a first part 302 which definitively defines a periphery of the handle 300. A second part 304 is integrally secured to the first part 302, and is at least exposed on the inner surface of the handle 300, as shown in FIG. 12. The second part 304 extends from the mid-span 320 to the front portion 314 of the handle 300. The first part 302 is substantially flexible, and the second part 304 is more rigid than the first portion 302.
In accordance with one variation, the first part 302 is constructed from a polymeric material having flexibility and resiliency. The second part 304 is also constructed from a polymeric material which is substantially rigid. The first and second parts are integrally secured to one another forming a single component. A leading section 312 of the second part 304 is exposed on the outer surface at the front portion 314, as depicted by FIG. 11, whereas the entirety of the periphery of the second part 304 is exposed on the inner surface of the handle, as depicted by FIG. 12. As shown in FIGS. 13-15, the second part 304 is retained within the first part 302, and is flush with the periphery of the first part 302.
In yet another variation, anchors having a shape generally conforming to at least part of the handles may be secured to the belt members so that the handle is secured at the anchors. The anchors can have a retention wall which includes a lip preventing further movement of the handle relative to the back plate so as to define a maximum tension that the wearer should set the arms. The clinician can set the anchors at various locations on the belt members as the treatment of the wearer changes, and more or less tension is required.
The handle 300 includes a recess 316 for securing to the cord belonging to the closure system. An opening 318 at the middle of the thickness of the handle is defined which is in communication with the recess 316. The opening 318 is located at the front portion 314 through which the cord extends to the closure system thereby assuring that the cord is pulled generally along the axis of the handle.
As illustrated in FIG. 13, because the second part 304 is substantially rigid, the handle 300 is contoured with bend 316 so as to be anatomically compliant to the torso of the wearer.
Suitable fasteners 324, such as rivets, may be used to secure the hook material onto the handle 300. In variations, other types of fasteners may be used in place of hook and loop material to secure the tensioning elements to the handles. Examples include buckles, snaps and other suitable types of corresponding fasteners on the belt members and the handles.
While the foregoing embodiments have been described and shown, it is understood that alternatives and modifications of these embodiments, such as those suggested by others, may be made to fall within the scope of the invention. Moreover, any of the principles described herein may be extended to any other orthopedic devices.
wherein the plate includes side wing portions inwardly contoured toward a wearer, a tapered top portion and generally rounded side portions.
2. The orthopedic device according to claim 1, wherein the plate is arranged for securing against a lumbo-sacral region of a wearer, and is configured to relieve pressure over a spinal region of a human back by having an outwardly directed curvature generally arranged to protrude away from a spinal region of a wearer.
3. The orthopedic device according to claim 1, wherein the plate is arranged for securing against a lumbo-sacral region of a wearer, the plate being arranged to apply even pressure over paraspinal musculature of a human back by having an inwardly directed contour arranged to extend over paraspinal musculature.
4. The orthopedic device according to claim 1, wherein the closure system extends at least in part over the plate and is arranged to exert pressure over the plate onto the anatomy of the wearer, the plate defining a generally arcuate contour.
5. The orthopedic device according to claim 1, wherein the plate defines a plurality of ventilation openings.
6. The orthopedic device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of ventilation openings are arranged in a pattern to facilitate bending along a vertical center line defined along the plate.
7. The orthopedic device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of ventilation openings are defined along opposed sides of the centerline.
8. The orthopedic device according to claim 1, wherein the plate defines an outwardly bowed portion arranged to accommodate a spinal region of a wearer, and a plurality of openings extending generally along the spinal region.
a rigid panel pivotally connected to an inner side of the plate adjacent to anatomy of a wearer.
10. The orthopedic device according to claim 9, further comprising padding material surrounding the rigid panel.
11. The orthopedic device according to claim 9, wherein the rigid panel defines a plurality of trim lines representing differently sized profiles.
12. The orthopedic device according to claim 9, wherein the closure system is slidably mounted to the plate and arranged to move relative to the plate between first and second directions when worn by a user.
13. The orthopedic device according to claim 9, further comprising a substantially rigid anterior panel arranged for connecting to the belt member against a wearer's abdominal region, wherein the plate is arranged as a posterior plate adapted to secure against a wearer's back at the lumbo-sacral region.
a substantially rigid anterior panel arranged for connecting to the belt member against a wearer's abdominal region, the plate being arranged as a posterior plate adapted to secure against a wearer's back at the lumbo-sacral region.
15. The orthopedic device according to claim 14, further comprising padding material surrounding the rigid anterior panel.
16. The orthopedic device according to claim 14, wherein the rigid anterior panel defines a plurality of trim lines representing differently sized profiles.
CH556649A (en) 1972-10-09 1974-12-13 Maurer Wilhelm Closure for winter sports shoes.
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This basic men's T-shirt pattern from Liesl + Co. can be made several different ways. With both short-sleeve and long-sleeve options, you'll get endless use from this easy and quick-to-sew style. Pattern has sizes xs - XXL.


text:
« US troops embedded | Now they tell us »
By Bob Weir
Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? Although there are many good ones, the one that really puts the season and life in general in perspective for me is, It's a Wonderful Life. The 1946, Frank Capra classic, in addition to being a marvelous love story with a dose of divine guidance, combines drama, pathos, humor, and a lesson for all those who lose sight of their individual value to the world. When George Bailey, played by James Stewart, attempts suicide because he fears bankruptcy, a guardian angel is assigned to show him what the world would have been like without him.
Bailey, a very respected resident of the very respectable town of Bedford Falls, has sacrificed his dream of a future in a big city, in order to run the failing Building and Loan institution, founded by his deceased father. Lionel Barrymore is at his best as the greedy banking tyrant, Henry Potter, who has, for many years, tried unsuccessfully to destroy the B & L and become the only lending institution in town, thereby squeezing every penny from the residents with usurious loans. Bailey is the only thing standing in his way, until a mishap by a Bailey associate, gives Potter the edge he needs. When Bailey realizes that he might not only lose the B & L, but face embezzlement charges as well, he turns bitter and decides to end it all.
When Clarence, his guardian angel, grants his wish that he was never born, Bailey gets a view of Bedford Falls without his influence. The home that he and his wife restored, honeymooned in, and raised a happy family in, is empty and dilapidated. Donna Reed, who plays his adorable wife, runs from him in terror when he claims to be married to her, and his three children don't even exist. His mother doesn't know him, and threatens to call the police if he doesn't get away from her door. Bailey runs along the dark, snow covered streets of the town, now known at Pottersville, frantically trying to obtain recognition from family and friends who once revered him. Residents, who used to be friendly and polite, have become hostile and cynical.
The cozy, conservative taverns have become strip joints where prostitution flourishes. People, who once owned their own homes, providing the rural tapestry of the town, are no longer a part of the landscape. In addition, when Bailey was a youngster, he saved his kid brother from drowning. His brother grew up to be a hero in WW2, saving the lives of many other soldiers. Now, Bailey visits the cemetery in town and finds his brother's headstone, indicating that he drowned when he was a child. The fear in Bailey's eyes when he realizes that he had a wonderful life, but threw it away during a bout of self-pity, is, to me, one of the most gripping moments in movie history.
He begs to have his old life back; with the B&L problems, Potter's incessant attempts to ruin him, and even the loose ornament at the bottom of the banister that keeps coming off in his hand when he heads upstairs. When his wish is granted, he races through the streets screaming, "Merry Christmas," as he basks in the glow of a second chance at life, while his family and friends contribute their savings and valuables to get him out of debt. The movie warms the heart, enriches the soul, and keeps the viewer's attention, without ever resorting to sex, violence, or profanity. Furthermore, it provides a valuable lesson in how we perceive our circumstances.
Moreover, we're urged to consider the differences each life makes in the overall scheme of things. Since we don't live in a vacuum, in order for our lives to have any meaning at all, it must make an impact on the lives of others. What would the world be like if you were never born? How many people would be less than they are today, if not for your positive influence? There are George Baileys in every town, in every country, people who work selflessly to improve the lives of those less fortunate. While you celebrate this holiday season, with all the stress that often accompanies it, remember how lucky you are to have family and friends that love you. The world would be a lonely and frightening place without them. The affection you have for each other is what makes for a wonderful life.


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I put this giveaway on my sidebar.
I liked Niall Horan on Facebook.
By the way, I think you mean June 22nd right?
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the blush is in such pretty shade!
I follow you on Twitter (@journeyofthezoo) and would appreciate a follow back.
So many sweet things, thank you.
What a fabulous Giveaway, and what a pity I missed it. In any case, I am already following you.
mislim da će ti bit bolje da si sama napraviš account pa naručuješ preko ebaya jer pretpostavljam da ova cura super naručuje na svim ovim ljudima koji preko nje naručuju takve lančiće i to. 15 kn po 15, i brzo se skupi.