Patents Represented by Attorney Small Patent Law Group
  • Patent number: 8276225
    Abstract: Methods and systems for patient positioning in an imaging system are provided. A palette for an imaging system is provided that includes a base portion movably connected to the imaging system and an extender portion removably connected to the base portion. The extender portion together with the base portion supports an object to be imaged by the imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Kogan, Alexander Vaisburd, Danny Hausner, Yaron Hefetz
  • Patent number: 8265363
    Abstract: A method is provided for automatically identifying image views in a three-dimensional dataset comprises accessing with a processor a three-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of image frames and fitting with the processor at least one deformable model to at least one structure within each of the image frames. The method further comprises identifying with the processor at least one feature point within each of the image frames based on the at least one deformable model and displaying on a display at least one image view based on the at least one feature point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fredrik Orderud, Stein Rabben, Hans Torp, Vidar Lundberg
  • Patent number: 8260025
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating and archiving x-ray fluoroscopy images are provided. The method includes obtaining x-ray fluoroscopy data comprising a plurality of image frames and performing image enhancement, including motion correction, based on a subset of the acquired plurality of x-ray fluoroscopy image frames to generate a single enhanced x-ray image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vivek Walimbe, Romain Areste, Kadri Jabri, Jon Omernick
  • Patent number: 8260019
    Abstract: A method for reducing bandwidth required for transmission of data in a device having two portions rotating with respect to one another. The first portion includes a data acquisition system (DAS) having a charge-to-digital converter and a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to receive and compress digital data from the charge-to-digital processor. The second portion includes a computer configured to receive data from the DAS. The DAS and computer are communicatively coupled via a slip ring having a finite transmission bandwidth. The computer is configured to reconstruct and display an image using compressed data. The method includes using the DAS to compress scan data to a predetermined number of mantissa bits and a predetermined number of exponent bits, transmitting the compressed data from the first portion to the second portion across the slip ring, and using the transmitted compressed data to reconstruct and display an image of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Naveen Stephan Chandra
  • Patent number: 8252250
    Abstract: An electroosmotic (EO) pump is provided that includes a housing having a pump cavity, a porous core medium and electrodes. The porous core medium is positioned within the pump cavity to form an exterior reservoir that extends at least partially about an exterior surface of the porous core medium. The porous core medium has an open inner chamber provided therein. The inner chamber represents an interior reservoir. The electrodes are positioned in the inner chamber and are positioned proximate the exterior surface. The electrodes induce flow of a fluid through the porous core medium between the interior and exterior reservoirs, wherein a gas is generated when the electrodes induce flow of the fluid. The housing has a fluid inlet to convey the fluid to one of the interior reservoir and the exterior reservoir. The housing has a fluid outlet to discharge the fluid from another of the interior reservoir and the exterior reservoir. The housing has a gas removal device to remove the gas from the pump cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignees: Illumina, Inc., The Arizona Board of Regents for and on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Jonathan Posner, Kamil Salloum, Michal Lebl, Mark Reed, Dale Buermann, Matthew Hage, Bryan Crane, David Heiner, Robert Kain
  • Patent number: 8253942
    Abstract: A gas detector is provided. The gas detector includes a measurement source of optical radiation, a reference source of optical radiation, a measurement detector configured to provide an output signal indicative of a gas of interest, a reference detector configured to provide an output signal at least partially independent of the gas of interest, a measurement optical path extending from the measurement source to the reference and measurement detectors, and a sample region for receiving a gaseous sample. The sample region is located along the measurement optical path. A window is positioned in the measurement optical path downstream from the measurement source and upstream from the reference and measurement detectors. The window is partially transparent to optical radiation and partially reflective to optical radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: L. Rodney Bristol
  • Patent number: 8253865
    Abstract: The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for programming and/or charging one or more audio/video devices such that the audio/video devices will be programmed and charged to receive transmitted audio and video signals associated with an event, allowing a user to use the audio/video device to observe the sights and sounds of the event. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cart with a docking port for each of a plurality of personal audio/video devices, a charger configured to charge the power source of each personal audio/video display device, and programming logic configured to program each of the personal audio/video devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Immersion Entertainment
    Inventors: Tazwell L. Anderson, Jr., Mark A. Wood
  • Patent number: 8244015
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting aneurysm in vasculatures are provided. The method includes removing bone structures from three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) angiography image data and extracting spherical shapes from the bone removed 3D CT angiography image data. The method further includes displaying the extracted spherical shapes on an image of the 3D CT angiography image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Saad Ahmed Sirohey, Gopal B. Avinash, Tamanna N. Bembenek, Jérôme Francois Knoplioch
  • Patent number: 8241573
    Abstract: The present invention comprises systems and devices for sequencing of nucleic acid, such as short DNA sequences from clonally amplified single-molecule arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: Saibal Banerjee, Colin Barnes, Kevin Benson, Jason Bryant, Dale Buermann, Sergey Etchin, Johnny Ho, Xavier Lee, Peter Lundberg, Klaus Maisinger, Bojan Obradovic, Mark Pratt, Mark Reed, Chiara Rodighiero, Subra Sankar, Harold Swerdlow, Eric Vermaas
  • Patent number: 8244192
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of wirelessly transmitting magnetic resonance (MR) data is provided. The method comprises steps of obtaining at least one MR signal having a Larmor frequency from a radio frequency (RF) channel in an RF coil, the RF coil comprising multiple RF channels, each RF channel associated with a single imaging element, generating a modulation signal based on the MR signal, generating a carrier signal with a predetermined frequency, the predetermined frequency being associated with the RF channel and using the modulation signal to phase modulate the carrier signal to form a phase-modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ramabadran Prasidh, Kumar Santosh, Boskamp Eddy
  • Patent number: 8234771
    Abstract: The invention provides an enhanced method and system for machining an array of components. A holding mechanism is provided for holding an array of components in a machining process. The holding mechanism comprises: a rigid base plate and at least one support for holding a raw material while machining, one end of each support being coupled to the rigid base plate. The holding mechanism is further provided with a secure plate movably coupled to the rigid base plate. The secure plate is provided with one or more holding parts such as double-sided tape or guiding pins for holding the raw material. The secure plate can be elevated to hold the raw material during a machining operation such as peripheral machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Asghar Ali Farooqui
  • Patent number: 8237123
    Abstract: A rotating imaging system has a rotating portion that is configured to rotate about a central axis. A tilt gauge has a housing mounted to the rotating portion and a gravity influenced flag with a free end configured to move separately with respect to the housing. The tilt gauge is configured to provide a visual indication of a rotational position of the rotating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Leonid Yakubovsky, Alexander Vaisburd
  • Patent number: 8239910
    Abstract: A video/audio system includes an interface device that receives a plurality of audio and video signals from a plurality of sources. The interface device combines these signals into various combinations and transmits the combinations to a receiver. The receiver is configured to interface one of the combinations of signals with a user. In this regard, the receiver allows the user to select one of the combinations, and in response, the receiver separates the video signal(s) of the selected combination from the audio signal(s) of the selected combination. Then, the receiver renders the video signal(s) via a display device and produces a sound defined by the audio signal(s) via a speaker. Accordingly, the user is able to control which set of audio and video signals are interfaced with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Immersion Entertainment
    Inventors: Tazwell L. Anderson, Jr., Mark A. Wood
  • Patent number: 8231064
    Abstract: A water control fixture includes a housing having a plurality of ports defining a hot water inlet port, a cold water port, a fixture outlet port, and an auxiliary port, wherein water is dispensed from the housing via the fixture outlet port. A flow control unit is configured to be selectively positioned in fluid communication with different combinations of the plurality of ports, wherein the flow control unit has a main passage in fluid communication with the hot water inlet port, the cold water port, and the fixture outlet port. The flow control unit controls the flow of water from the hot water inlet port and the cold water port to the fixture outlet port. The flow control unit has an auxiliary passage in fluid communication with the auxiliary port and at least one of the hot water inlet port, the cold water port, and the fixture outlet port to perform an auxiliary function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Grundfos Pumps Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Lum, Dale Kempf
  • Patent number: 8231146
    Abstract: An electrolysis-resistant coupling assembly for connection with a line fitting of a fluid line includes a fitting having a first mating surface and having an aperture extending therethrough, wherein the fitting is configured to be aligned with and face the line fitting for coupling thereto. The assembly also includes a coupler having one end provided with an outer coupler flange, the fitting being loaded onto the coupler such that the outer coupler flange passes through the aperture. The assembly also includes a substantially non-compressible, electrically non-conductive rigid captive ring. The captive ring is positioned against the outer coupler flange and interposed between the fitting and the coupler to provide electrical separation between the fitting and the coupler, wherein the fitting is held against the captive ring when the fitting is interconnected with the line fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Grundfos Pumps Corporation
    Inventor: Ken Lum
  • Patent number: 8231052
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a validator that assesses a token includes an input device 4 for receiving messages 5 from a machine 2 including a validator 6. The messages contain data indicative of validator events such as an assessment of a token resulting in acceptance of the token and an assessment of a token resulting in rejection of the token. The system further includes a processor 7 for deriving timing information for the validator events and for comparing the data and timing information with predetermined criteria. Personnel alerts are raised when predetermined criteria are satisfied, and maintenance of validators may be scheduled in dependence upon criteria related to assessments of tokens resulting in rejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: eBet Limited
    Inventors: Tony Toohey, David Jack
  • Patent number: 8226462
    Abstract: A method of awarding a prize in a network of electronic gaming machines in which the probability of a machine winning the prize is dependent upon a change in a win meter of the electronic gaming machine within a polling cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited
    Inventors: Andre De Bruin, Anthony Phillip Schubert
  • Patent number: 8229188
    Abstract: Systems, method and apparatus in which some embodiments of automatic segmentation of a liver parenchyma from multiphase contrast-enhanced computed-tomography images includes analyzing an intensity change in the images belonging to the different phases in order to determine the region-of-interest of the liver, thereafter segmenting starting from the region-of-interest and incorporating anatomical information to prevent oversegmentation, and thereafter combining the information of all available images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Laszlo Rusko, Gyorgy Bekes, Marta Fidrich
  • Patent number: D664257
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Mahendra Madhukar Patil
  • Patent number: D667557
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Aurelie Boudier