Abstract: A water soluble bag for containing soiled textiles, said bag having an open end, a closed end, and sides extending therebetween, said bag made of a plastic film having a thickness of at least 1.3 mils, wherein said bag dissolves in water at a temperature of 165° F. in less than about 250 seconds and does not dissolve in water at a temperature of 85° F. in 7 days, and said bag being capable of containing at least 175 lbs. of soiled textiles and having a capacity of at least 50 gallons. Also disclosed is a receptacle for collecting soiled textiles comprising a container and a water soluble bag. Also disclosed is a receptacle for collecting soiled textiles comprising a container, a sling, and a water soluble bag.

Abstract: A method of collecting soiled textiles to be cleaned, comprising the steps of providing a container having an open end, a closed end, and sides extending therebetween, providing a sling having an open end, a second end, and sides extending therebetween disposed in and supported by said container, providing a water soluble bag having an open end, a closed end, and sides extending therebetween and made of a plastic film having a thickness of at least 1.3 mils, wherein said bag dissolves in water at a temperature of 165° F. in less than about 250 seconds, does not dissolve in water at a temperature of 85° F. in 7 days, being capable of containing at least 175 lbs. of soiled textiles, and having a capacity of at least 50 gallons, wherein said bag is disposed in and supported by said sling, and wherein soiled textiles deposited in said container are contained in said bag.

Abstract: A method of collecting soiled textiles to be cleaned, comprising the steps of providing a container having an open end, a closed end, and sides extending therebetween, providing a sling having an open end, a second end, and sides extending therebetween disposed in and supported by said container, providing a water soluble bag having an open end, a closed end, and sides extending therebetween and made of a plastic film having a thickness of at least 1.3 mils, wherein said bag dissolves in water at a temperature of 165° F. in less than about 250 seconds, does not dissolve in water at a temperature of 85° F. in 7 days, being capable of containing at least 175 lbs. of soiled textiles, and having a capacity of at least 50 gallons, wherein said bag is disposed in and supported by said sling, and wherein soiled textiles deposited in said container are contained in said bag.

Abstract: A water soluble bag for containing soiled textiles, said bag having an open end, a closed end, and sides extending therebetween, said bag made of a plastic film having a thickness of at least 1.3 mils, wherein said bag dissolves in water at a temperature of 165° F. in less than about 250 seconds and does not dissolve in water at a temperature of 85° F. in 7 days, and said bag being capable of containing at least 175 lbs. of soiled textiles and having a capacity of at least 50 gallons. Also disclosed is a receptacle for collecting soiled textiles comprising a container and a water soluble bag. Also disclosed is a receptacle for collecting soiled textiles comprising a container, a sling, and a water soluble bag.

Abstract: A method and system for computer-aided detection of abnormal lesions in digital mammograms is described, wherein digital films are processed using an automated and computerized method of detecting the order and orientation of a set of films. In one embodiment, anatomic features are used to detect the order, orientation and identification of a film series. In another embodiment of the invention, a technologist feeds films into the system in any order and orientation. After processing, the system provides an output on a display device to a radiologist that is in an order and orientation preferred by the radiologist. In yet another embodiment of the invention, films from one case are distinguished from films of another case. In this manner and through the use of a bulk loader, a large number of films can be stacked together and fed into the system at one time.

Abstract: A review workstation for facilitating interpretation of a medical image by a user is described. The review workstation comprises a display device displaying the medical image to the user, and an input device receiving a graphical identification of a region of interest (ROI) in the medical image that is interesting to the user. Responsive to the identification of the ROI, a content-based image comparison is performed between the ROI and a resource database, the resource database comprising a collection of resource images previously analyzed by human interpreters and textual information associated with those previous analyses. The content-based image comparison comprises identifying a subset of the resource images similar to the ROI with respect to a preselected set of computed features. The display device subsequently displays to the user at least one of the identified subset of resource images and its associated textual information simultaneously with the ROI.

Abstract: An integrated circuit bridge comprises a substrate of non-electrically conductive material and a semiconductor layer on the substrate. First and second metal lands form contacts of the semiconductor bridge. An explosive charge bridges a gap between the metal lands. The lands, gap, semiconductor bridge, and charge are dimensioned and arranged so that in response to a current equal to or in excess of a predetermined level having a duration equal to or in excess of a predetermined value being applied across the gap, a plasma having sufficient energy to energize the explosive is formed in the gap. The predetermined current has a predetermined minimum firing voltage associated with it. The bridge is one of a lot having a firing voltage standard deviation of about 0.05 volts. Premature energization of the explosive by electrostatic discharge and voltages greater than the firing voltage and by AC induced voltages is prevented by connecting a zener diode across the first and second lands.

Abstract: A semiconductor bridge comprises a substrate of non-electrically conductive material, a doped semiconductor layer on the substrate, as well as first and second metal lands forming ohmic contacts on the doped semiconductor layer. An explosive charge bridges a gap between the metal lands across the doped semiconductor layer. The lands, gap, semiconductor layer, and charge are dimensioned and arranged so that in response to a current equal to or in excess of a predetermined level having a duration equal to or in excess of a predetermined value being applied across the gap, a plasma having sufficient energy to energize the explosive is formed in the gap. The predetermined current has a predetermined minimum firing voltage associated with it. The semiconductor bridge is one of a lot having a firing voltage standard deviation of about 0.05 volts.

Abstract: An energy conversion device is described which efficiently converts thermal energy to electrical energy or electrical energy to thermal energy through the mechanism of a structure which includes a first element (cathode), usually a metal, a second material such as an insulator or a semiconductor providing a voltage barrier and a conduction band, and a third material (anode), usually a metal, where the voltage barrier between the first element and the second element is greater than the voltage barrier between the second element and the third element. In some metals, work function is a relative indicator of voltage barrier heights and may be used as a criterion for selection of metals for the first and third elements, once the second element has been chosen.