Abstract: A floor covering includes a plastics core, which has an upper side and a lower side, a functional layer and a reinforcement mat arranged on the upper side, and which has fibers and voids located therebetween, wherein the reinforcement mat is located between the upper side of the plastics core and the functional layer, the reinforcement mat and the functional layer constituting a preproduced unit, in which the reinforcement mat is fastened to the functional layer, wherein the plastics core is joined with the preproduced unit in such a way that the plastics core is joined with the fibers of the reinforcement mat and through the voids of the reinforcement mat with the functional layer such that the floor covering has a high degree of dimensional stability, and a method for producing the floor covering.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical imaging system which repeatedly irradiates a capturing area of a patient with a radiation and acquires data from the irradiated area of the patient and generates images from such acquired data, characterized in that the system is arranged for automatic adaptive adjustment of at least one parameter of the system influencing the image quality of the generated images dependent from the position, spatial orientation and/or type of an intervention tool which is introduced into the patient.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer-assisted tomography (CT) system having the following features: a) at least one X-ray source, b) at least one patient couch for supporting a patient, c) at least one first X-ray detector, provided permanently or at least temporarily in the ray path of the X-rays radiated by the X-ray source through the patient couch, d) at least one second X-ray detector, provided permanently or at least temporarily in the ray path of the X-rays radiated by the X-ray source through the patient couch, e) at least one actuable drive mechanism, using which the first and/or second X-ray detector can be moved from a position in the ray path of the X-rays radiated by the X-ray source through the patient couch, to a position outside the ray path and vice versa, f) at least one electronic control device that is configured to actuate the drive mechanism.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer-assisted tomography (CT) system having the following features: a) at least one X-ray source, b) at least one patient couch for supporting a patient, c) at least one collimator in the ray path of the X-rays from the X-ray source through the patient, wherein a targeted X-ray from among the total X-ray radiation of the X-ray source is radiated by the collimator onto the patient, d) at least one X-ray detector, provided permanently or at least temporarily in the ray path of the targeted X-ray radiated by the collimator through the patient, e) at least one automatically actuable drive mechanism, using which the collimator can be moved with respect to the radiation direction of the targeted X-ray passing through the collimator, relative to the patient and/or to the X-ray detector, f) at least one electronic control device that is configured to automatically actuate the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for determining a time-dependent, three-dimensional perfusion data set relating to the perfusion of at least one vessel and/or of tissue of an examination object. Projection images of the vessel and/or tissue are acquired in a plurality of recording geometries by an X-ray detector at a plurality of recording times in each case, which images describe detected intensities in a plurality of imaging regions of the X-ray detector. The perfusion data set is determined by associating a weighted sum of specified time-dependent base functions with each voxel of the perfusion data set.

Abstract: A passenger lavatory unit has an enclosing structure enclosing a lavatory space, and a toilet assembly inside the lavatory space. The toilet assembly has a toilet bowl and a shroud to support the user during use. The toilet assembly serves as a hybrid toilet to be used as a sitting toilet or as a squatting toilet. The shroud includes an upper edge surrounding an upper opening of the toilet bowl. To accommodate a user sitting position, the upper edge is provided as a toilet seat, and a feet-placing area is provided on a floor segment in front of the toilet assembly. The shroud has two lateral tread portions, one on either side of the toilet bowl. To accommodate a user squatting position, the tread portions are provided as elevated rest-platforms arranged on an intermediate level provided above a floor level and below a toilet seat level.

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting a movement of a body between acquisition times of at least two acquisition data sets, wherein, for virtual sectional planes of the body, a first intermediate function value of attenuation values of all the body elements lying in the sectional plane is determined based on a first acquisition data set, and a second intermediate function value of the attenuation values is determined based on a second acquisition data set. For each sectional plane, a difference value is determined from the intermediate function values. A total error value for the two acquisition data sets is calculated by combining the difference values of all the sectional planes. The virtual sectional planes have a common line of intersection, and for the particular acquisition time, the difference between pairs of the sectional lines is at least one pixel.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for determining a time-dependent, three-dimensional perfusion data set relating to the perfusion of at least one vessel and/or of tissue of an examination object. Projection images of the vessel and/or tissue are acquired in a plurality of recording geometries by an X-ray detector at a plurality of recording times in each case, which images describe detected intensities in a plurality of imaging regions of the X-ray detector. The perfusion data set is determined by associating a weighted sum of specified time-dependent base functions with each voxel of the perfusion data set.

Abstract: A passenger lavatory unit has an enclosing structure enclosing a lavatory space, and a toilet assembly inside the lavatory space. The toilet assembly has a toilet bowl and a shroud to support the user during use. The toilet assembly serves as a hybrid toilet to be used as a sitting toilet or as a squatting toilet. The shroud includes an upper edge surrounding an upper opening of the toilet bowl. To accommodate a user sitting position, the upper edge is provided as a toilet seat, and a feet-placing area is provided on a floor segment in front of the toilet assembly. The shroud has two lateral tread portions, one on either side of the toilet bowl. To accommodate a user squatting position, the tread portions are provided as elevated rest-platforms arranged on an intermediate level provided above a floor level and below a toilet seat level.

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting a movement of a body between acquisition times of at least two acquisition data sets, wherein, for virtual sectional planes of the body, a first intermediate function value of attenuation values of all the body elements lying in the sectional plane is determined based on a first acquisition data set, and a second intermediate function value of the attenuation values is determined based on a second acquisition data set. For each sectional plane, a difference value is determined from the intermediate function values. A total error value for the two acquisition data sets is calculated by combining the difference values of all the sectional planes. The virtual sectional planes have a common line of intersection, and for the particular acquisition time, the difference between pairs of the sectional lines is at least one pixel.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the reconstruction of time-dependent cross-sectional images and may be applied for example in perfusion imaging in the vessel system (2) of a patient. According to the method, projections pij are generated from a number M of different directions di and at different times tij. Moreover, the time-dependent intensity function I(x,t) of the reconstructed volume is approximated by a predetermined model function I*(a(x),t), wherein the unknown parameter vector a(x) is estimated for each voxel x. This estimation may be done using the update functions of known reconstruction algorithms like ART for at least N projections pij in each iteration step.

Abstract: Adaptively controlling an imaging system (200, 205) includes constructing model feature characteristics (105) of a process over time, determining parameters and commands (110) for controlling the imaging system for each state of the process, performing data acquisition (120) for the process, extracting current features (130) of the process from the acquired data, matching (135) the current features (130) with the model feature characteristics (105) to determine a state of the process (140), and controlling the data acquisition based on the state of the process to produce optimized data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for data acquisition in computed tomography (CT) applications are provided. The systems and methods are particularly adapted for scanning and acquiring/processing data in connection with high-power cone-beam CT applications. The electron beam is moved/scanned along the anode surface to multiple focal positions. Data acquisition for a full projection at one focus position and one view angle is achieved by activating each focus position multiple times during the data acquisition for one angle of the gantry. The detector array and associated data processing system are adapted to rapidly switch between the different focus positions during the acquisitions for one view angle and to collect all data belonging to the same projection into the same data set. Adaptive electron optics are utilized to move/scan the electron beam along the anode surface to the various focus positions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for data acquisition in computed tomography (CT) applications are provided. The systems and methods are particularly adapted for scanning and acquiring/processing data in connection with high-power cone-beam CT applications. The electron beam is moved/scanned along the anode surface to multiple focal positions. Data acquisition for a full projection at one focus position and one view angle is achieved by activating each focus position multiple times during the data acquisition for one angle of the gantry. The detector array and associated data processing system are adapted to rapidly switch between the different focus positions during the acquisitions for one view angle and to collect all data belonging to the same projection into the same data set. Adaptive electron optics are utilized to move/scan the electron beam along the anode surface to the various focus positions.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the reconstruction of time-dependent cross-sectional images and may be applied for example in perfusion imaging in the vessel system (2) of a patient. According to the method, projections pij are generated from a number M of different directions d and at different times tij. Moreover, the time-dependent intensity function I(x,t) of the reconstructed volume is approximated by a predetermined model function I*(a(x),t), wherein the unknown parameter vector a(x) is estimated for each voxel x. This estimation may be done using the update functions of known reconstruction algorithms like ART for at least N projections pij in each iteration step.

Abstract: A 3D image of a region of an object is computed from truncated cone beam projection data acquired with an x-ray device and a prior CT image representing a larger region of the object. The truncated projection data are extrapolated to derive pseudoprojection data associated with projection directions outside the detector, and an intermediate CT image is reconstructed based on the truncated projection data completed with the pseudoprojection data. The prior CT image is then registered with the intermediate CT image. Forward projection data associated with projection directions outside the detector are computed from the truncated projection data and the registered prior CT image. The 3D image is finally reconstructed based on the truncated projection data completed with the forward projection data.

Abstract: An automatic dialog system for spoken inquiries into a database entry which contains several components available for inquiry, wherein speech recognition of a spoken utterance for inquiring into the database entry is supported by a language model which was prepared before a start of the dialog to which the spoken utterance belongs and which models a relative frequency of correlated occurrence of the components of the database entry provided for the inquiry in the spoken utterance of the dialog.

Abstract: Adaptively controlling an imaging system (200, 205) includes constructing model feature characteristics (105) of a process over time, determining parameters and commands (110) for controlling the imaging system for each state of the process, performing data acquisition (120) for the process, extracting current features (130) of the process from the acquired data, matching (135) the current features (130) with the model feature characteristics (105) to determine a state of the process (140), and controlling the data acquisition based on the state of the process to produce optimized data.

Abstract: The invention relates to an X-ray detector (1) with an array (2) of sensor elements (21), wherein each row (i) of sensor elements is connected via an addressing line to an addressing unit (5), and wherein each column j) of sensor elements is connected via a read-out line to a read-out unit (3). In the read-out unit (3), sensor signals are preprocessed, for example amplified by amplifiers (31). The detector further comprises a control unit (6) which is adapted to set the gains of said amplifiers (31) for each column (j) and each row (i) individually. The values of the gains may particularly be derived from a priori knowledge, from previous images of the object, or from the image signals of rows that have already been read out.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the processing of reconstructed 3D images (I) in C-arm based volume imaging which often exhibit spatially slowly varying inhomogeneities caused by inconsistent projection data. To correct the images (I), a retrospective homogenization procedure is proposed. The image (I) is segmented (11, 12) into principal classes like bone, tissue and air based on their gray values. Only the tissue-regions (M) are then used as support in order to fit (14) a spatially slowly varying 2D baseline (B) representing the smooth shape of cupping or other inhomogeneities. Finally the inverse of the estimated 2D baseline is subtracted from the original slice (I) to correct for the inhomogeneities.