Patents Represented by Attorney The Small Patent Law Group

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  • Determining hazard of an aneurysm by change determination
    Patent number: 8116542
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some implementations changes in an aneurysm in a patient over time are identified by determining temporal differences between segmented aneurysms in a plurality of longitudinal exams and visually presenting the temporal differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gopal B. Avinash, Saad Ahmed Sirohey, Tamanna N. Bembenek, Paul E. Licato
  • Imaging system sag correction method and apparatus
    Patent number: 8107730
    Abstract: An apparatus for use with a single modality imaging system configured to generate uncorrected imaging data of a patient, the single modality imaging system includes two gamma cameras and a patient stretcher disposed between the two gamma cameras, the apparatus for compensating for downward stretcher deflection at the extended end of the patient stretcher that occurs during stretcher extension. The apparatus includes a single sag sensor for sensing the downward deflection of the patient stretcher, a subtracting device configured to generate a sag correction factors based on a baseline stretcher height and an input received from the sag sensor, and a compensator configured to modify at least a portion of the uncorrected imaging data to compensate for sag using the using the sag correction factor to generate a unified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Dov Kariv
  • Isotope production system and cyclotron having a magnet yoke with a pump acceptance cavity
    Patent number: 8106370
    Abstract: A cyclotron that includes a magnet assembly to produce a magnetic field to direct charged particles along a desired path. The cyclotron also includes a magnet yoke that has a yoke body that surrounds an acceleration chamber. The magnet assembly is located in the yoke body. The yoke body forms a pump acceptance (PA) cavity that is fluidicly coupled to the acceleration chamber. The cyclotron also includes a vacuum pump that is configured to introduce a vacuum into the acceleration chamber. The vacuum pump is positioned in the PA cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonas Norling, Tomas Eriksson
  • Isotope production system and cyclotron having reduced magnetic stray fields
    Patent number: 8106570
    Abstract: A cyclotron that includes a magnet yoke that has a yoke body that surrounds an acceleration chamber and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly is configured to produce magnetic fields to direct charged particles along a desired path. The magnet assembly is located in the acceleration chamber. The magnetic fields propagate through the acceleration chamber and within the magnet yoke. A portion of the magnetic fields escape outside of the magnet yoke as stray fields. The magnet yoke is dimensioned such that the stray fields do not exceed 5 Gauss at a distance of 1 meter from an exterior boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonas Norling, Tomas Eriksson
  • Methods and systems for assessing patient movement in diagnostic imaging
    Patent number: 8107695
    Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically detecting gross patient motion using a diagnostic medical imaging system are provided. The method provides for acquiring a plurality of frames of image data, positioning a first time window and a second time window over overlapping frames of image data, calculating a statistical correlation value based on the first time window and the second time window, and comparing a first derivative of the statistical correlation value to a threshold value to determine patient motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Scott David Wollenweber
  • Laminate filter
    Patent number: 8097060
    Abstract: A filter includes a spacing member and a filter element having two layers laminated together with the spacing member such that the spacing member extends between the filter element layers. The spacing member spaces apart the filter element layers to define an opening between the filter element layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuqing Ding
  • Transmit beamforming in 3-dimensional ultrasound
    Patent number: 8096951
    Abstract: An ultrasound system comprises a probe including a two-dimensional (2D) array of transducer elements that form an aperture having a plurality of receive elements that are configured to receive ultrasound signals. The transducer elements form at least one transmit sub-aperture that is configured to be interconnected with a fixed group of the transducer elements within the aperture. Transmitters generate electrical transmit signals, and at least one transmit sub-aperture processor (tx SAP) maps the transducer elements within the fixed group of the transducer elements to the transmitters in a transmit configuration based on a beam steering direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kjell Kristoffersen, Bruno Hans Haider, Thomas Halvorsroed, Steinar Bjaerum
  • Water control fixture having bypass valve
    Patent number: 8091793
    Abstract: A faucet has a fixture body in fluid communication with a pressurized supply of hot water. The fixture body has a spout outlet configured to dispense water from the fixture body. At least one operating valve is coupled to the fixture body for controlling a flow of water to the spout outlet. A bypass valve is disposed in the fixture body for controlling a recirculating flow of water through the fixture body, where the bypass valve changes state when heated and when cooled to block and permit the recirculating flow of water based on a temperature of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Grundfos Pumps Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Dale Kempf, Ken Lum
  • Systems, methods and apparatus for detection of organ wall thickness and cross-section color-coding
    Patent number: 8094896
    Abstract: Systems, method and apparatus in which some implementations of respiratory structure imaging includes tracking a portion in a organ, determining wall contours in the portion and color-coding confidence in the wall contours. Some implementations of the color-coding includes selecting a cross section of a portion, determining average intensity of a wall in the organ from equally space ray vectors, determining confidence from a distribution of the average intensity, labeling sections of an organ image in reference to the average intensity, and color coding sections of the image in the memory according to the confidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sandeep Dutta, Csongor Pal Sprencz, Maria-Magdalena Nay, Laurent Launay
  • Method and system for estimating randoms in imaging data
    Patent number: 8094908
    Abstract: A method for estimating randoms in PET imaging data includes acquiring imaging data that includes a plurality of singles and a plurality of randoms, where the randoms exhibit a non-exponential decay, generating a randoms correction estimate based on the non-exponential decay, and applying the randoms correction estimate to the imaging data to generate corrected imaging data. The method further includes generating an image using the corrected image data. An imaging system and computer readable medium programmed to estimate randoms is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Charles William Stearns
  • Fan array fan section in air-handling systems
    Patent number: 8087877
    Abstract: A fan array fan section in an air handling system includes a plurality of fan units arranged in a fan array and positioned within an air handling compartment. One preferred embodiment may include an array controller program to operate the plurality of the fan units at peak efficiency. The plurality of fan units may be arranged in a true array configuration, a space pattern array configuration, a checker board array configuration, rows slightly offset configuration, columns slightly offset configuration, or a staggered array configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Huntair, Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence G. Hopkins
  • Methods and systems for integrating sound attenuation into a filter bank
    Patent number: 8087492
    Abstract: A filter bank is provided. The filter bank includes a housing having a front face and a back face. Air flows along an air flow path from the front face to the back face. A filter layer is held in the housing. The filter layer is oriented between the front and back faces such that air flows through the filter layer before discharging from the back face. An attenuation layer is positioned within the housing to attenuate sound as the sound propagates between the front and back faces. The attenuation layer is oriented to extend along the air flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Huntair, Inc.
    Inventors: Zareer Cursetjee, David L. Baugh, David E. Benson
  • Light concentrating modules, systems and methods
    Patent number: 8088994
    Abstract: A light concentrating module for transforming light into at least one of electrical and thermal energy is provided. The light concentrating module may be coupled in flow communication with a fluid conversion module and include a primary optical element that has a reflective surface with a plurality of contoured sections. Each contoured section is shaped to reflect light that impinges the contoured section toward a corresponding focal region. The module may also have a receiver system that includes a plurality of energy conversion members positioned proximate to corresponding focal regions. The receiver system also has a working fluid passage for carrying a working fluid that absorbs the thermal energy. The working fluid can be conveyed away from the receiver system through a mounting post that holds the receiver system. In addition, the module may also generate electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Solergy, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoav Banin, Gino D'Ovidio, Giovanni Lanzara
  • Method and system for diagnostic imaging using a digital phase locked loop
    Patent number: 8085075
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for minimizing output pulse jitters in a phase locked loop. The method includes pre-setting the digital phase locked loop to a desired frequency, locking the digital phase locked loop to the desired frequency to generate an output signal, and filtering the output signal of the digital phase locked loop to maintain undesirable jitter to an acceptable range. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a medical imaging device. In another embodiment, the apparatus is a baggage imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Comapany
    Inventors: Nathanael Dale Huffman, Jason Stuart Katcha, Phil E. Pearson, Jr.
  • Methods and apparatus for determining body weight and fat content using computed tomography data
    Patent number: 8086012
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining body weight and fat content using computed tomography data are provided. One method includes acquiring a pre-scan image using a computed tomography imaging system and segmenting the pre-scan image into pixels representing imaged fat and pixels representing imaged tissue. The method further includes determining a lean body weight based on the segmented pixels representing imaged fat and imaged tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Louis Toth, Daniele Marin, Lisa Ho, Rendon Nelson
  • System, method and medium for acquiring and generating standardized operator independent ultrasound images of fetal, neonatal and adult organs
    Patent number: 8083678
    Abstract: A system, method and medium for standardizing a manner of acquisition and display of ultrasound images. In one embodiment of the invention, a volumetric image of an organ is acquired in a standardized manner. Relationships such as formulas are utilized to automatically generate anatomical planes of interest within the volume that can be displayed independent of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Eastern Virginia Medical School
    Inventor: Alfred Z. Abuhamad
  • Fourier scattering methods for encoding microbeads and methods and apparatus for reading the same
    Patent number: 8081792
    Abstract: A method, optical arrangement, and apparatus for reading a microbead having a code. The method includes reflecting an incident light from the microbead to provide an output light. The output light is projected on a Fourier plane. The method also includes reading the code from the Fourier plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Moon, Martin A. Putnam
  • User interface and method for displaying information in an ultrasound system
    Patent number: 8081806
    Abstract: A user interface and method for displaying information in an ultrasound system are provided. A medical image display of the ultrasound system includes a plurality of segmented regions each corresponding to a region of an imaged heart. The medical image display further includes a tracking quality indicator displayed in connection with one or more of the plurality of segmented regions having a tracking quality below a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zvi Friedman, Sergei Goldenberg, Peter Lysyansky
  • Power drying system
    Patent number: 8074372
    Abstract: A system configured to dry containers before a date coding process includes a blower assembly, an air manifold and a bracket assembly. The blower assembly includes a centrifugal air blower. The air manifold is connected to the blower assembly and includes a plurality of air nozzles. The air nozzles are configured to be positioned over a conveyor line, wherein the air nozzles are configured to expel air moved by the centrifugal air blower. The bracket assembly is configured to adjustably mount the air manifold over the conveyor line, wherein the bracket assembly allows the air manifold to be horizontally and/or vertically adjusted with respect to the conveyor line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Allen S Pucciani, Steven E. Broerman
  • Methods and systems for determining a medical system alignment
    Patent number: 8076644
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing a patient scan using a three-dimensional (3D) cylindrical Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging system are provided. The method includes acquiring a count-rate profile of a brain, repositioning at least one of a detector and the brain based on the count-rate profile and a detector sensitivity profile, and scanning the brain when the acquired count-rate profile substantially matches the detector sensitivity profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Scott David Wollenweber