Abstract: Disclosed is a chromatography system (100) comprising: plural modules (1-25) including at least one pump and a column valve unit (8) connectable to plural chromatography columns; and a controller (600), the controller being operable to control the or each pump and the column valve to perform different chromatographic processes, including chromatography employing just one column, as well as chromatography employing just one column, as well as chromatography employing two or more columns by selective valve opening in said unit. The system includes a housing (110) into which the plural modules (1-25) are interchangeably mountable in apertures of one generally vertical face of housing, the modules are adapted for selective fluidic interconnection by tubing substantially at said one face such that in use the modules and tubing occupy a generally vertically extending volume to minimize the footprint of the system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chromatography system (100) comprising: plural modules (1-25) including at least one pump and a column valve unit (8) connectable to plural chromatography columns; and a controller (600), the controller being operable to control the or each pump and the column valve to perform different chromatographic processes, including chromatography employing just one column, as well as chromatography employing two or more columns by selective valve opening in said unit. The system includes a housing (110) into which the plural modules (1-25) are interchangeably mountable in apertures of one generally vertical face of housing, the modules are adapted for selective fluidic interconnection by tubing substantially at said one face such that in use the modules and tubing occupy a generally vertically extending volume to minimize the footprint of the system.

Abstract: A method for identifying patients for discharge from a general ward in a hospital, including: calculating a transition score of a patient based upon patient vital sign information; computing a TS upper bound value and a TS lower bound value based upon a set of TS values in a TS time window; determining if a length of stay of the patient is greater than a first time window, greater than an expected length of stay, and greater than a lower evaluation window; determining if a current TS lower bound value is less than a lower threshold; and producing an indication that that the patient is to be evaluated for discharge from the general ward when it is determined that the length of stay of the patient is greater than the first time window, greater than the expected length of stay, and greater than the lower evaluation window and that the current TS lower bound value is less than the lower threshold.

Abstract: A medical imaging system configured to provide cardiac sonothrombolysis therapy is disclosed. Various embodiments of portable cardiac sonothrombolysis devices are disclosed. The devices may be configured to determine if one or more ultrasound probes have a proper view of the heart, and if not, may steer the beam to a desired location. The ultrasound probes may be configured for both imaging and cardiac sonothrombolysis therapy. The ultrasound probes may be configured to be hands-free. The portable devices may be configured to provide operating instructions to an operator. The instructions may be provided via graphics, audio, and/or video.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chromatography system (100) comprising: plural modules (1-25) including at least one pump and a column valve unit (8) connectable to plural chromatography columns; and a controller (600), the controller being operable to control the or each pump and the column valve to perform different chromatographic processes, including chromatography employing just one column, as well as chromatography employing two or more columns by selective valve opening in said unit. The system includes a housing (110) into which the plural modules (1-25) are interchangeably mountable in apertures of one generally vertical face of housing, the modules are adapted for selective fluidic interconnection by tubing substantially at said one face such that in use the modules and tubing occupy a generally vertically extending volume to minimize the footprint of the system.

Abstract: The insertion of a needle or other surgical instrument into the body is guided by three dimensional ultrasonic imaging. A probe having a two dimensional array transducer is placed against the body and manipulated to acquire an image of the site of the surgical procedure inside the body. The clinician inserts the surgical instrument, trying to follow an insertion path which is in the plane of a single image produced by the ultrasound system. The clinician observes the path of insertion and insertion progress on a display of a plurality of real-time 2D ultrasound images of spatially adjacent planes of a volume including the surgical procedure site. If the insertion path of the instrument does not remain in the plane of a single image, portions of the instrument will appear in the images of multiple adjacent image planes when the instrument intersects a succession of image planes as it progresses toward the site of the surgical procedure.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has a control panel formed of a top glass plate with control area graphics screened onto the bottom surface of the glass plate. Capacitive foils are attached to the areas of the screened graphics, enabling a user control to be capacitively selected by touching the top surface above the screened graphics. Each control area is selectively back-illuminated by a diffuser frame with light pipes fastened below the glass plate. LEDs for illumination are mounted on a printed circuit board fastened to the diffuser frame, which are controlled by the printed circuit board. Different groups of user controls are illuminated in accordance with the context of the operating mode or imaging procedure being performed so that only needed control are illuminated while unneeded controls are invisible to the user. All of the controls can be extinguished and de-activated so that the top surface of the control panel can be cleaned without randomly activating the controls of the control panel.

Abstract: A medical imaging system configured to provide cardiac sonothrombolysis therapy is disclosed. Various embodiments of portable cardiac sonothrombolysis devices are disclosed. The devices may be configured to determine if one or more ultrasound probes have a proper view of the heart, and if not, may steer the beam to a desired location. The ultrasound probes may be configured for both imaging and cardiac sonothrombolysis therapy. The ultrasound probes may be configured to be hands-free. The portable devices may be configured to provide operating instructions to an operator. The instructions may be provided via graphics, audio, and/or video.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has a control panel formed of a top glass plate with control area graphics screened onto the bottom surface of the glass plate. Capacitive foils are attached to the areas of the screened graphics, enabling a user control to be capacitively selected by touching the top surface above the screened graphics. Each control area is selectively back-illuminated by a diffuser frame with light pipes fastened below the glass plate. LEDs for illumination are mounted on a printed circuit board fastened to the diffuser frame, which are controlled by the printed circuit board. Different groups of user controls are illuminated in accordance with the context of the operating mode or imaging procedure being performed so that only needed control are illuminated while unneeded controls are invisible to the user. All of the controls can be extinguished and de-activated so that the top surface of the control panel can be cleaned without randomly activating the controls of the control panel.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has a control panel formed of a top glass plate with control area graphics screened onto the bottom surface of the glass plate. Capacitive foils are attached to the are of the screened graphics, enabling a user control to be capacitively selected by touching the top surface above the screened graphics. Each control area is selectively back-illuminated by a diffuser frame with light pipes fastened below the glass plate. LEDs for illumination are mounted on a printed circuit board fastened to the diffuser frame, which are controlled by the printed circuit board. Different groups of user controls are illuminated in accordance with the context of the operating mode or imaging procedure being performed so that only needed control are illuminated while unneeded controls are invisible to the user. All of the controls can be extinguished and de-activated so that the top surface of the control panel can be cleaned without randomly activating the controls of the control panel.

Abstract: A packaged food product and a method for assembling a packaged food product that includes an edible sheet-like layer enclosing edible contents as a roll, the edible sheet-like layer and the edible contents separated from each other by a removable vapor barrier for maintaining freshness of the edible sheet-like layer until the food product is ready to be consumed, the removable vapor barrier being graspable by the user for removing it from the rest of the assembled product.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has a control panel formed of a top glass plate with control area graphics screened onto the bottom surface of the glass plate. Capacitive foils are attached to the are of the screened graphics, enabling a user control to be capacitively selected by touching the top surface above the screened graphics. Each control area is selectively back-illuminated by a diffuser frame with light pipes fastened below the glass plate. LEDs for illumination are mounted on a printed circuit board fastened to the diffuser frame, which are controlled by the printed circuit board. Different groups of user controls are illuminated in accordance with the context of the operating mode or imaging procedure being performed so that only needed control are illuminated while unneeded controls are invisible to the user. All of the controls can be extinguished and de-activated so that the top surface of the control panel can be cleaned without randomly activating the controls of the control panel.

Abstract: A packaged food product and a method for assembling a packaged food product that includes an edible sheet-like layer enclosing edible contents as a roll, the edible sheet-like layer and the edible contents separated from each other by a removable vapor barrier for maintaining freshness of the edible sheet-like layer until the food product is ready to be consumed, the removable vapor barrier being graspable by the user for removing it from the rest of the assembled product.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system is used to observe and guide insertion of a needle into the body to access a targeted surgical site. A two dimensional array probe scans a volumetric region including the surgical site and a multiplanar reformatter formats the resulting 3D echo dataset to form a sequence of spatially adjacent images in real time. A plurality of the spatially adjacent images are concurrently displayed in real time. As the clinician inserts the needle into the body its progress of insertion may be observed in one plane. But if the insertion path of the needle is not constrained to one plane but passes through numerous planes, the insertion path is seen in successive ones of the concurrently displayed adjacent images.

Abstract: The insertion of a needle or other surgical instrument into the body is guided by three dimensional ultrasonic imaging. A probe having a two dimensional array transducer is placed against the body and manipulated to acquire an image of the site of the surgical procedure inside the body. The clinician inserts the surgical instrument, trying to follow an insertion path which is in the plane of a single image produced by the ultrasound system. The clinician observes the path of insertion and insertion progress on a display of a plurality of real-time 2D ultrasound images of spatially adjacent planes of a volume including the surgical procedure site. If the insertion path of the instrument does not remain in the plane of a single image, portions of the instrument will appear in the images of multiple adjacent image planes when the instrument intersects a succession of image planes as it progresses toward the site of the surgical procedure.