Abstract: An image processing method for processing the images of an image sequence (S) comprising steps of determining image data related to first points of an Object of Interest observed in a first image, said Object of Interest having possible movements, and image data related to correlated points found in a second image of the sequence, and based on said image data, of estimating parameters of sets of transformation functions (400), which transformation functions transform said first points into said correlated points and, from said parameters, of determining one Warping Law (500) that automatically transforms said given Object of Interest of the first image into the same object in the second image of the sequence for following and locating (600) said Object of Interest in said second image of the sequence.

Abstract: An X-ray detector module (1) is provided, in which a preferably metallic carrier (3) forms tubular cells (4) in which there is provided a mixture of a binder (7) and scintillator particles (6). The absorption of X-rays by the scintillator particles (6) gives rise to the emission of light of a longer wavelength (&lgr;1, &lgr;2) that can be detected by a detector (5) arranged at the far end of the cells (4). In order to keep the light yield as high as possible, a difference of less than 20% is pursued between the refractive indices of the binder (7) and the scintillator particles (6) and/or nano-crystalline scintillator particles (6) of a size of between 1 and 100 nm are used. Preferably, the cell walls (3, 3′) are extended in the direction of incidence of the X-rays in order to form an anti-scatter grid above the detector.

Abstract: A method to enhance motion estimation is provided. The method includes providing a motion estimator, obtaining at least two candidate motion vectors from the motion estimator and applying an error function having a penalty that depends on the position and size of the candidate motion vectors. A device for recursive motion vector estimation having enhanced convergence is also provided. The device includes a vector generator and a best vector selector. The best vector selector comprises means to evaluate candidate motion vectors by applying an error function having at least a penalty that depends on the position and size of the candidate motion vectors.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system including an electromagnetically protected ultrasound TEE probe, a display for displaying ultrasound images, a housing including a transducer connector including at least one connection and a computer for processing electrical signals representative of received ultrasound echoes. The TEE probe includes a probe housing including an imaging sensor, an outer acoustic lens, a cable interconnect and an internal metal shield which surrounds the sensor and cable interconnect, and a cable including electrical conductors and electromagnetic cable shielding, the electrical conductors electrically connected to the cable interconnect at a first end, and the electrical conductors and the cable shielding are electrically connected to a transducer connector at a second end.

Abstract: Reliable and efficient activation and deactivation control of a number of electronic products (P1, P2, P3) is effected by activation of one of the products by emission of an activation command specific to the product and controlling performance and/or functionality of the product by speech commands. Emission of the activation command specific to the one product is accompanied by emission of a deactivation code causing deactivation of any other of the number of electronic products.

Abstract: A variety of performance optimization techniques are provided that are based upon a history of a user's usage patterns. To reduce actual response time, the system prefetches information in anticipation of the user's request. To reduce perceived response time, if a response to the user's request is likely to be delayed, the system initiates other anticipated fast-response processes for the user. To ease the user's interaction with the system, the user's interface is dynamically modified to facilitate the entry of anticipated requests. To improve security, increased security measures are invoked when the user's request pattern is inconsistent with prior request patterns. At a system level, performance assessments and optimizations, including dynamic load balancing, are based on the prior usage patterns of mulitple users.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method involves acquisition of sets of magnetic resonance signals from several scan-volumes of an object. According to the invention different spatial approaches are taken in the scanning of the respective scan-volumes. In particular_respective scan-volumes include different numbers of scan-slices or scan slices of respective scan-volumes have different slice-thickness or scan-slices of respective scan-volumes have different fields-of-view or scan-slices of respective scan-volumes have different numbers of scanned points in k-space.

Abstract: An X-ray apparatus with an X-ray source for producing a beam of X-rays, an X-ray detector for detecting the beam, and an X-ray filter with filter elements which is arranged between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector so as to attenuate the X-ray beam in each independent filter element individually. Each filter element can receive a liquid having electrically conducting properties and X-ray absorbing properties, the value of the X-ray absorption of the filter element being dependent on the level of the X-ray absorbing liquid in the filter element. Each filter element includes a first electrode (23) which is located in the wall of the filter element and on top of the substrate layer (38) in order to apply an electric potential to the wall of the filter element. A second electric potential is applied to the liquid via a second electrode.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of imaging perfusion parameters of, for example blood in a volume of the brain in the head of a body by means of magnetic resonance, in which a contrast medium is introduced into a blood flow within the body, said contrast medium flowing, via the carotid arteries, to the volume in the head to be imaged by means of magnetic resonance. The images of the volume which are reconstructed from the magnetic resonance signals received are subsequently deconvoluted with an arterial input function of the contrast medium in a supply to the volume imaged. This arterial input function is determined according to the invention by excitation of spins and measurement of a magnetic resonance signal in an elongate part of the body which contains the carotid arteries and has a cross-section which is at least equal to a diameter of a carotid artery.

Abstract: An X-ray device includes a C-shaped arm, a first end of which supports an X-ray source and a second end of which supports an X-ray image pick-up device. The C-shaped arm is pivotable about a pivot axis relative to a carriage. The carriage is tiltable about a tilting axis relative to a guide. The guide is rotatable about a propeller axis. The tilting axis extends at an angle relative to the propeller axis. A leverage point on the propeller axis is situated near the tilting axis. The mass center of the C-shaped arm is situated on the pivot axis. The mass centers of the C-shaped arm and of the carriage are situated on a leverage line which extends at least substantially through the leverage point. The mass centers of the C-shaped arm and of the carriage are situated to both sides of the leverage point.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method for processing an intensity image (J0) formed of points representing an object (LV), including steps for automatically supplying points so as to determine a minimum path representing the object contour (CT), involving: acquiring data of the intensity image, evaluating probability values (P) indicating the probability that a given point of the image belongs to predefined regions of the image relating to the object, and deriving a contour model (SP) of the object from said probability values (P), transforming the image (J0) into a three-dimensional matrix image (IM) based on said contour model (SP) and said probability values (P), performing dynamic programming (DP) in order to determine said minimum path (CT) in said three-dimensional matrix image (IM).

Abstract: An amplifier comprising an input stage (IPST) having a pair of inputs (INN,INI) for receiving a differential input signal (Vin) and a pair of outputs (CQ6,CQ7) for delivering a differential intermediate signal in response to the differential input signal (Vin); an intermediate stage (INTST) for converting the differential intermediate signal to a non-differential intermediate signal, which intermediate stage (INTST) comprises a current mirror (Q5,R5,Q4,R4) having an input branch (Q5,R5) and an output branch (Q4,R4) for receiving the differential intermediate signal; an output stage (OPST) having an input coupled to the output branch (Q4,R4) and having an output for delivering an output signal (Vout) to an output (OP) of the amplifier; and means for stabilizing the amplifier. The means for stabilizing the amplifier comprises a capacitor (CM2) coupled between the output (OP) of the amplifier and the input branch (Q5,R5).

Abstract: A CDMA reverse link has a system for providing compensation for phase errors caused by clock jitter in a CDMA reverse link. After filtering, data spread by a pilot PN sequence is supplied to a shift register that produces several data samples for sequential cycles of an internal clock. A memory stores compensation factors representing the clock jitter, pre-calculated for each of the internal clock cycles. A counter counts the internal clock cycles to provide the memory with an address signal indicating a memory location that stores the compensation factor for a current internal clock cycle. Based on the data samples and the compensation factor, an interpolator performs an interpolation algorithm to determine an adjusted spread data value that compensates for phase errors caused by jitter in the internal clock.

Abstract: In order to increase the ruggedness and the scattered radiation attenuation quality, a grid (3) with comb elements (12) which absorb electromagnetic radiation and are intended to form a grid is constructed, in such a manner that comb lamellae (11) extend transversely of an associated comb base surface which supports the comb lamellae (11).

Abstract: An ultrasound process and apparatus for determining the location of an ultrasonic homogeneity discontinuity called parietal surface situated in a tissue from a radio-frequency signal (y(z)) function of digital depths along an excitation line (Z) crossing the parietal surface. The process and apparatus includes filtering the radio-frequency signal in order to provide a tissue signal (e(z)) representative of tissue scatterers, apart from a radio-frequency excitation signal. Also, filtering the tissue signal (e(z)) in order to provide a variance amplitude signal (S(z)) as a function of the digital depths on the excitation line wherefrom the corresponding parietal surface digital depth is determined. This process is used to estimate an artery radius from the digital depths of the arterial walls on the excitation line.

Abstract: The invention relates to a series resonant converter (1) comprising a control circuit (8) for controlling the output voltage of the converter. To improve the behavior of the converter, it is proposed that the control circuit (8) is provided for processing a first actual value (Uout), which depends on the respective converter output voltage (uout(t)) and for processing a second actual value (UC), which depends on the respective current (ires(t)) flowing through the series resonant circuit elements (C, L, R) of the converter (1), and that the control circuit (8) is provided for delivering a correcting variable (u) determining the scanning ratio of a pulse-width modulated voltage (upwm(t)) delivered to the series resonant circuit of the converter.

Abstract: An X-ray examination apparatus includes an X-ray source with a brightness control signal input, an X-ray image device for providing an X-ray image of an object to be imaged, X-ray absorption means between the X-ray source and the X-ray image device, a brightness control system coupled to the X-ray image device and the brightness control signal input in order to derive a brightness control signal from the X-ray image, and a detection means which is coupled between the X-ray image device and the brightness control signal input in order to exclude a degree of detected absorption from said brightness control signal caused by the absorption means present in the X-ray image. Direct radiation and absorption means (such as filters) in the detected absorption range in a histogram of pixels of the X-ray image are automatically excluded from the brightness control which is thus improved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging method. The method includes the execution of image pulse sequences for the measurement of magnetic resonance image signals and navigator signals. After the execution of the image pulse sequence, the navigator MR signal is checked so as to determine whether the navigator MR signal meets a predetermined quality criterion. If the navigator MR signal does not meet the quality criterion, the navigator MR signal and the magnetic resonance imaging signals corresponding to the navigator MR signal are measured again.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the processing of a multidimensional image which is formed by points representing objects of different intensity and are delimited from a background by way of their edges; this method includes steps for the segmentation (100; 30, 40) of the image into cells belonging to the background and cells belonging to the objects, for the application of criteria which impose that said cells (Ci) have substantially uniform intensities, that the cells neither intersect nor enclose any object edge, and that the object edges coincide with cells edges; this method includes a step for the presegmentation (30) of the image into a first number of cells while performing a classification of the image points in the various cells as a function of intensity gradients of these points, and an actual segmentation step (40) for reducing the first number of cells by classifying the cells in the form of pairs of adjoining cells (Cj, Ck), by evaluating a merger threshold (&lgr;0(j,k)) for the cells of

Abstract: A method of and a device for forming an image of an irradiated object in which images are formed with different exposure levels and the differently exposed images are combined so as to form a single image. The device includes a source and an imaging device which is connected to the source in order to form the image, the imaging device being arranged to form images with different exposure levels and being provided with an image processor in which the differently exposed images are combined so as to form the single image. The device produces images of a quality which is comparable to that of images acquired by means of a device having a much larger dynamic range.