Abstract: Each pulse of a pulse sequence received from a neutron detector is set as a trigger pulse triggering a predefined gate, the multiplicity of pulses within this gate is determined, the pulse having triggered the gate is assigned to a multiplicity category corresponding to this multiplicity of pulses and the trigger-to-predecessor distances from the trigger pulse to pulses preceding the trigger pulse within a certain range in the pulse sequence are determined. The range within which one looks for predecessor pulses of each trigger pulse exceeds the dead time of the neutron detector. For each multiplicity category, the number of trigger pulses assigned thereto is determined. For each multiplicity category, one builds, based upon the trigger-to-predecessor intervals determined, a distribution in time after an arbitrary preceding pulse of trigger pulses assigned to that specific multiplicity category.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system including a robot manipulator having an effector unit equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom force/torque sensor and being configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument having a first end mounted to the effector unit and a second end located beyond an external fulcrum that limits the instrument in motion, where the method includes determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum, measuring by means of the 6 degrees of freedom force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument, and calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: A medical robotic system (10) for performing medical procedures comprises a robot manipulator (14) for robotically assisted handling of a medical instrument, in particular a laparoscopic surgery instrument (18). The robot manipulator (14) comprises a base (24); a manipulator arm (26) with an essentially vertical part (27) supported by the base and with an essentially horizontal part (29) supported by the vertical part (27); a manipulator wrist (28) supported by the manipulator arm (26); and an effector unit (30) supported by the manipulator wrist and configured for holding a medical instrument. The manipulator arm (26) has a cylindrical PRP kinematic configuration for positioning the manipulator wrist.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system comprising a robot manipulator (10). The manipulator has an effector unit (12) equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) force/torque sensor and is configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument (14) having a first end (16) mounted to the effector unit and a second end (20) located beyond an external fulcrum (23) that limits the instrument in motion, usually to 4 DOF. The method comprising the steps: —determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum; —measuring by means of the 6-DOF force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument; and —calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: A sintered nuclear fuel pellet, in particular for use in PWR or BWR nuclear reactors consists of grains having a size of less than 1 ?m. A method of manufacturing such pellet is also disclosed.

Abstract: A robotic surgical system for performing minimally invasive medical procedures includes a robot manipulator for robotically assisted handling of a laparoscopic instrument having a manipulator arm, a manipulator wrist supported by the arm and an effector unit supported by the wrist, wherein the manipulator arm provides three degrees-of-freedom by means of a first joint, a second joint and a third joint, each having an associated actuator, for robotically positioning the wrist, the wrist providing two degrees-of-freedom by means of a fourth joint and a fifth revolute joint having an associated actuator, for robotically setting the yaw angle and the pitch angle of the effector unit respectively; the effector unit includes a laparoscopic instrument actuator and provides one degree-of-freedom by means of a revolute sixth joint having an associated actuator for robotically setting the roll angle of the LIAs which includes a seat with an associated coupling mechanism for mounting an instrument stem adaptor to the ef

Abstract: A micro collimator for compressing X-ray beams for use in a X-ray diffractometer is described, wherein said collimator has a channel means for providing a channel guiding said X-ray beams, said channel having a channel entrance portion and a channel exit portion. The object of the invention is to provide a micro beam collimator capable of being used in a conventional X-ray diffractometer with the Bragg-Brentano geometry, so as to enable the characterisation of very small sample regions without need of very large radiation sources (synchrotron). For solving this technical problem it is proposed to form the channel means by two opposite, polished, oblong plate means made of or coated with a material selected from the group consisting of the heavyweight metals and materials having total reflection properties comparable to those of the heavyweight metals.

Abstract: In a head-end process for the reprocessing of reactor core material with embedded fuel particles, reactor core material is arranged in a reactor containing a fluid. The reactor comprises a voltage discharge installation in the fluid. Voltage discharges are applied through the fluid for fragmenting the fuel particles into fragmentation products and the fragmentation products are segregated.

Abstract: “A micro beam collimator for compressing beams is described, where the collimator has channel means for providing a channel having a cross section and guiding the beams from an entrance end to an exit end of the channel. The invention provides a micro beam collimator for compressing beams which allows easy adjustment of the width of the cross section of the beams while making it possible at the same time to adjust the length of the cross section of the beams. The invention forms the channel means by at least three rod members each of which having at least one bordering surface for bordering the cross section, wherein the rod members are moveable against each other along the bordering surfaces so that the geometry of the cross action is variable.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of loading a mother radionuclide into a radionuclide generator which comprises an cation exchange material, the said method comprising a preliminary step which consists in passing over said material a solution containing the mother radionuclide and a complexing agent for said radionuclide, said complexing agent being at an effective concentration so as to prevent the mother radionuclide from concentrating solely in one part of the volume of the cation exchange material, the cation exchange material being chosen in the group consisting of the macroporous resins and the resins having a crosslinking rate of from 1 to 12%. This method is applied to radioisotope generators which emit ? particles and are used in particular in the field of radiotherapy.

Abstract: To form an optical element (20), in particular an interferometric sensor, an optical fiber (1) is placed tangent to a cylindrical supporting element (2); a straight portion (1a) of the optical fiber and the supporting element are surface fused; and a cavity (26) is formed in the optical fiber (1), the cavity being defined by facing surfaces (27,28) of the straight portion (1a) substantially perpendicular to the axis of the straight portion (1a). The optical fiber (1) and supporting element (2) may be subjected to traction during surface fusion, to form a small cross-section portion close to the cavity, and which, when light is conducted by the optical element, provides for reducing the amount of light dispersed in the cavity.

Abstract: A sensing apparatus, a bolometer, and a bolometer sensor includes an inductor and capacitor connected as a resonant circuit. At least one of the capacitor or inductor has a temperature-dependent reactance, and the resonant frequency is dependent on the temperature of inductor or capacitor. The bolometer is suitable for fusion research and its resonant circuit includes a ferroelectric capacitor. The resonant frequency of the circuit may be tracked by means of a phase locked loop.

Abstract: A luminous intensity sensor element having a flat disk-shaped element (2) made of material with a high thermal expansion coefficient and of low thermal conductivity, and in turn having, on opposite faces (3, 5), an optically absorbent layer (4) and a reflecting layer (6). On receiving excitation radiation (R), the optically absorbent layer (4) is heated and transmits heat to the flat disk-shaped (2), which in turn is heated internally in spatially nonuniform manner and is deformed together with the superimposed reflecting layer (6). The reflecting layer (6) receives an incident reference layer beam (S) to generate a reflected light beam having optical characteristics (&Dgr;&phgr;) depending on the aforementioned deformation (&Dgr;d) and varying in response to the excitation radiation.

Abstract: Described are a process and an apparatus for the remote measurement of uranium or plutonium in radioactive materials. in which the sample of the material to be analyzed is to be handled as little as possible. To attain that object it is proposed that the laser beam of a laser is focussed by means of a focussing unit onto the sample to be analyzed, so that a light-emitting plasma is generated, an image of the emission spectrum of the plasma is formed in a spectrograph by means of an imaging unit, and finally it is analyzed by means of an analyzing unit.

Abstract: A sensing apparatus, a bolometer, and a bolometer sensor includes an inductor and capacitor connected as a resonant circuit. At least one of the capacitor or inductor has a temperature-dependent reactance, and the resonant frequency is dependent on the temperature of inductor or capacitor. The bolometer is suitable for fusion research and its resonant circuit includes a ferroelectric capacitor. The resonant frequency of the circuit may be tracked by means of a phase locked loop.

Abstract: The invention refers to a measuring head for use in radiant energy flash measuring of the thermal diffusivity of heterogeneous samples (S) under employment of a probe beam (B) generated by a radiant energy generating means and a detector means for detecting a temperature rise of the sample (S), comprising a sample holder means (SH) for receiving the sample (S). The technical problem to be solved is to provide a measuring head offering the opportunity to align the sample (S) with the probe beam (B) in order to carry out local measurements of the thermal diffusivity in the axial direction of the sample (S) or to deposite the energy shot on the most suitable area of the sample (S), dependently on the given sample features. Therefore, according to the present invention it is proposed to arrange the sample holder means (SH) movable in at least one direction (X, Y) perpendicular to the optical axis (AB) of the probe beam (B).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for measuring heat evolution in a homogenous fluid sample. The device comprises: (i) a first chamber having a heat capacity C1 and an internal surface of area A1 defining a cavity for containing a volume V1 of the said fluid; (ii) a second chamber having a heat capacity C2 and an internal surface of area A2 defining a cavity for containing a volume V2 of the said fluid, wherein C1 is approximately equal to C2, A1 is approximately equal to A2 and V1 is greater than V2; (iii) means to detect and measure heat flow between the first and second chambers; and (iv) means to achieve a temperature equilibration between the two chambers.

Abstract: Described are a process and an apparatus for the remote measurement of uranium or plutonium in radioactive materials, in which the sample of the material to be analyzed is to be handled as little as possible. To attain that object it is proposed that the laser beam of a laser is focussed by means of a focussing unit onto the sample to be analyzed, so that a light-emitting plasma is generated, an image of the emission spectrum of the plasma is formed in a spectrograph by means of an imaging unit, and finally it is analyzed by means of an analyzing unit.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and a device for agglomerating particles in a gaseous flow through an acoustical agglomeration chamber (3). According to the invention a portion of the flow at the outlet of the chamber is selectively extracted by preferring larger particles, and is re-injected into the inlet of the chamber.

Abstract: A device for detecting thermal radiation having a detector and a reflector type concentrator. The detector is arranged to have one or more portions exposed to thermal radiation and one or more portions protected from thermal radiation, wherein the detector delivers detection signals on the basis of a temperature difference between the exposed portions and the protected portions. The detector supports pairs of planar thermocouple elements having a cold junction in contact with the protected portion of the detector and a hot junction in thermal contact with the exposed portion of the detector. The reflector type concentrator concentrates thermal radiation coming from a three-dimensional zone. The detector and the reflector type concentrator are combined to define a zone under surveillance and detect any change in the state of thermal unbalance in the zone under surveillance.