Abstract: An improved system for confocal imaging within dermal tissue of a patient is provided which minimizes instability in confocal images by reducing the relative motion of the tissue with respect to the confocal imaging optics of the system. The system includes a mechanism for maintaining an area of skin tissue under stress by application of force at the edges of the area, and an imaging head coupled to this mechanism for imaging the stressed skin. The mechanism includes a mechanical structure, such as a platen, brace, or attachment, which both supports the imaging head of the system and applies stress to a limited surface area of the tissue to minimize skin motion during confocal imaging.

Abstract: Encapsulated tissue is contained in an optically transparent cassette (34). The cassette (34) or an endcap (38) enclosing the cassette is marked with a fiducial (40) indicating and corresponding to the location of the excision on the patient's body. An image, which is preferably a representation of a surface of the tissue specimen and the vertical section(s) area of the tissue internal of the specimen and adjacent to a surface thereof, is obtained by an imaging system (10). The cassette is moved, preferably in a stage (22) which rotates the cassette while translating it, so that the head (12) of the imaging system provides a linear scan in a direction perpendicular to the wall of the cassette (also perpendicular to the surface of the tissue encapsulated in the cassette). The imaging system's display (28) indicates the morphology at and in proximity to the surface of the specimen as well as the location thereof.

Abstract: Abstract An instrument for cutting tissue to controlled dimensions for removal of tissue specimens from remote sites in the body of a patient. The instrument has a housing and a substantially flexible shaft extending from the housing to a distal end. Suction can be municated along the shaft to the distal end for distribution across a cavity utilizing a nifold to pull tissue into the cavity against a tissue engaging of the manifold. One or more needles are extendable into the cavity to enable infusion of fluid into the tissue. A blade in the distal end is extendable over the manifold to cui the tissue held by suction in the cavity. The shape and depth of the tissue removed by the cut is in accordance with the contour of the tissue engaging surface and the size and shape of the cavity at the distal end.

Abstract: Optical devices for guiding illumination are provided each having a body of optical material with staircase or acutely angled ramp structures on its top surface for distributing light inputted from one end of the device from the front exit faces of such structures along certain angular orientations, while at least a substantial portion of the light is totally internally reflected within the body until distributed from such front exit faces. Optical devices are also provided each have a body of optical material having a bottom surface with acutely angled ramp structures and falling structures which alternate with each other, such that light is totally internally reflected within the device until reflected by such ramp structures along the bottom surface to exit the top surface of the device or transmitted through the ramp structures to an adjacent falling structure back into the device.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating short optical pulses is provided having a storage medium capable of storing optical energy, a first module for delivering pumping optical pulses or continuous beam into the storage medium to energize the storage medium, and a second module for delivering one or more trigger optical pulses to the optical storage medium. Each of the trigger optical pulses has a rising edge which causes a cascade release of the energy stored in the storage medium in an output optical pulse having a greater power and narrower in width or duration (at full width at half maximum) than the trigger optical pulse that caused the output pulse. A control module in the apparatus controls the operation of the pump module and trigger module so as to provide the desired characteristics of output optical pulses from the apparatus.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing system provides a sprayer. The system has a container with liquid fluid, such as used in lawn and garden weed control and fertilization. The sprayer has a handle containing a spring engine and a pump for liquid from the container. The spring engine has a flat spring having a spring band extending from two coils wound on two shafts. One of the coils is manually wound by a crank connected to a shaft on which the coil is connected. The other shaft is connected to the pump by a rotary cam driver. Liquid is sucked by the pump into a pump chamber during part of a cycle of rotation of the other shaft when the coils are unwound and the liquid is pumped out of the chamber during the other part of the cycle of rotation to a sprayer head on the sprayer handle.

Abstract: System and method for conferencing communication devices associated with participants conversant in different languages has a system for connecting communication devices with one or more other communication devices where each communication device is associated with one of a plurality of different languages, and one of the different languages is designated as the main language. The system in response to receiving a request for a conference call, connects two or more of the communication devices in a conference call when two or more of said communication devices are associated with the main language, connects each of the communication devices associated with a different language than the main language with the communication device of an interpreter selected for interpreting between the different language and the main language, and then connects the communication device of the interpreter for each of the different languages than the main language to the conference call.

Abstract: An instrument is provided for cutting tissue having a housing, a shaft extending from the housing to a distal end with an opening, and a guide tube extending from the distal end through the opening for receiving a guide wire through the shaft and housing. A movable blade shuttle having a blade is provided at the distal end. The blade shuttle's travel is guided by the guide tube when the blade shuttle and blade is extended from the distal end opening to cut tissue and retracted back through the distal end opening. The housing has a pivotal actuator member mechanically coupled to the blade shuttle to remotely control movement of the blade shuttle at the instrument's distal end. The instrument may be used for longitudinal cutting of tissue at remote sites in the body of a patient to provide incisions of precise depth and length over a controlled path of a guide wire.

Abstract: Improved methods are provided for calibrating color on a color display coupled to a computer, which are useful for obtaining calibrated data in a virtual proof network for enabling different color devices to render consistent color. Methods involve user interactions with screens on the display to set color display parameters. An apparatus is also provided for calibrating a sensor which may be used for measuring color of a display in one or more of these methods.

Abstract: Automatic gain control is provided for a confocal imaging system to improve the quality of images produced by the system. The confocal imaging system utilizes an illumination source, such as a laser, to produce illumination which enables imaging of an object. The automatic gain control is provided by an automatic gain controller which operates in accordance with the counted number of pixels which are too bright, the counted number of pixels which are too dim, and the counted total number of pixels, or in accordance with the average value of pixels, of each two-dimensional frame of the images from the confocal imaging system to control the intensity of the illumination source. The automatic gain controller may be operative over either the entire frame, or a region thereof.

Abstract: Lighting devices are provided for efficiently distributing light over an area to provided uniform illumination over a wide angle or other tailored illumination patterns. Each light device has at least one light source, at least one collimator for partially collimating light from the light source, and at least one diffuser for diffusing light from the collimator. The diffuser provides diffused light over an area from the diffuser having an intensity that is angularly dependent in accordance with the angular distribution intensity of light outputted from the collimator, so as to provide a predetermined illumination pattern from the device. The light sources and collimators may be provided in one or two-dimensional arrays, and a single diffuser may be formed on each collimator or the diffuser may be along a plate spaced from the collimators.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for enabling respondents at their computer systems to connect via a browser with a server computer over a network, such as the Internet, and receive an initial set of survey questions on one or more pages during which primary images are downloaded into the browser's cache but are not presented to each respondent as they are each displayed into a small (e.g. 1 by 1) pixel area on display of the respondent's computer system and thus are not detectable by respondents. After receiving answers to such questions for each of the respondents, the server computer directs the browser of each respondent computer with at least one survey question in which the primary image is displayed from the browser's cache for a brief interval of time to the respondent, and the respondent answers the question with respect to the primary image. Different survey questions may be presented to the respondent having different timed displayed primary images.

Abstract: In order to stop a moving vehicle without injury to occupants, a vehicle barrier is provided having a pair of platforms disposed on opposite sides of a roadway, and a capture net extending across the roadway between the platforms. Each platform has a rotatably mounted spool attached to a different end of the net, and a dual acting extension-compression shock absorber pivotally mounted to the spool, such that when the force or energy of an impacting vehicle on the net is applied to the shock absorbers, via rotation of the spools. Rotation of spools operate the shock absorbers in compression, and if needed, in extension. In railroad crossing application, two of the vehicle barriers are provided on either side of the railroad tracks to prevent vehicles from crossing the railroad tracks.