Abstract: A stethoscope head comprises a bell housing,for resonating, a diaphragm arrangement for sound communication, and a user operable selector control for selectively providing an opening in the diaphragm.

Abstract: A common application of X-ray fluoroscopy is in monitoring the location of a catheter inside a body. Such catheters may be used for balloon angioplasty, laser ablation, or like procedures that are now often used in place of traditional invasive surgery. Reliable and fast determination of the tip location from the fluoro images using the digital image processing technique is required. The present invention relates to a method for tracking a catheter probe or similar object during a fluoroscopic procedure as may be utilized, for example, in conjunction with apparatus and methods that confine full X-ray dosage to a central area, compensating for the reduced X-ray dosage in the peripheral areas by computer imaging enhancement.

Abstract: An method of providing defect enhanced CoSi2 formation and improved silicided junctions in deep submicron MOSFETs. A silicon wafer having a diffusion window is first precleaned with hydrofluoric acid. After the HF precleaning, the silicon wafer is transferred to a conventional cobalt sputtering tool where it is sputter cleaned by bombardment with low energy Ar+ ions so as to form an ultra-shallow damage region. After the sputter cleaning, and without removing the wafer from the sputtering tool, Cobalt metal is deposited on the silicon wafer at room temperature and a CoSi2 layer is formed in the diffusion window.

Abstract: In order to restrict the voltage across the gate oxide of an input pass-through transistor which operates as an input signal source to a MOS inverter, a MOS transistor wired as a MOS diode is connected between the source and gate electrode of the pass-through transistor. The diode connected transistor allows the use of a thin oxide device for the pass-through transistor which enables a high transconductance device to be employed while restricting the voltage across the gate oxide of the pass-through transistor to an acceptable value.

Abstract: In a circuit arrangement for centrally controlled telecommunication trunk exchanges, including PCM telephone trunk exchanges, with line trunk groups with submatrices, which are connected with duplicate central processors and duplicate switching matrices, line trunk groups connected with duplicate switching matrices over two link circuit systems and each having, among other things, a submatrix and a local controller, are divided into two categories. Concentrators are always connected to one line trunk group in each category. For the loading of the controllers and concentrators with new programs and/or data, one processor continues to perform the switching procedures, while only the controllers in the first category remain connected with it, while the concentrators continue to make connections only over the line trunk groups in the first category. The other processor is connected to the controllers in the second category and performs loading procedures for and through them.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting the presence of a gas in an ambient atmosphere comprises a multiple quantum well structure; a thin mesh of a transition metal formed on the multiple quantum well structure; and an arrangement for monitoring transmission of electromagnetic radiation through the mesh and the multiple quantum well structure.

Abstract: A method for identifying software objects that have been assigned to a wrong group, in which the similarity between objects is known, such as by evaluating a similarity function, comprises the steps of checking each object to see whether it belongs to its current group with K peers and confidence N, checking whether each object belongs to another group with a lower and therefore better confidence rating, and identifying as misclassified those objects having a lower confidence rating in said another group.

Abstract: The present invention apparatus and method uses a recursive filter to estimate the instantaneous intensity and temporal rate of change in intensity for object points in consecutive images of an image-sequence. The estimates of the intensity and its temporal rate of change are updated for each new image in the image sequence. The amount of smoothing introduced by the recursive filter is dependant upon the estimates computed for the intensity and temporal rate of change. As such, the recursive filter corrects the image sequence in accordance with each new set of estimates. Since motion in an image-sequence is implicit in the rate of change of intensity, the recursive filter is able to achieve motion compensated enhancements.

Abstract: A multistep process is disclosed that provides an economical process for making a gain memory cell array using self-aligned techniques; that provides an integrated diode in the gate stack of the storage transistor; that provides a buried V.sub.DD line to connect the drains of the storage transistors to the power supply; and that provides a buried strap to connect the integrated diode to the source region of the storage transistor.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for locating an edge portion of an aperture in an X-ray filter member having at least one aperture formed therethrough, such that X-rays passing through the at least one aperture remain unattenuated and strike a subject body in a common region and wherein the X-rays passing through the filter member are attenuated and strike the subject body in a pattern that surrounds, and is adjacent to, the common region.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and method for reducing the dosage of X-rays during a fluoroscopic procedure wherein a filter member is used to selectively attenuate the X-ray radiation striking a patient's body. The filter member allows unattenuated X-rays to image an area of interest selected by a physician, thus producing a high intensity, low noise image. However, the areas surrounding the area of interest are imaged with attenuated radiation producing a less intense, more noisy image. A real-time image processing system is used to compensate the image brightness and to potentially filter the compensated region so as to reduce noise. Image quality is thus restored so that a physician can orient the location of a procedure, within a patient's body, and have perspective to the position of area of interest relative to its surroundings.

Abstract: A modified parser generator enables the parsing of programs such as C programs with preprocessor directives and implemented extensions to the normal abstract syntax tree representation of programs to create an integrated representation structure.

Abstract: A method of making a MOS field effect transistor having shallow source and drain regions with improved breakdown and leakage characteristics includes the step of forming a layer of a metal silicide along a surface of a body of silicon at each side of a gate which is on an insulated from the surface. A high concentration of an impurity of a desired conductivity type is implanted only into the metal silicide layers. A lower concentration of the impurity is then implanted through the metal silicide layers and into the body just beneath the metal silicide layers. The body is then annealed at a temperature which drives the impurities from the metal silicide layer into the body to form the junctions.

Abstract: Scanning samples of digital signals received in analog form are sent at intervals determined by the scanning clock pulses to a digital signal receiving network after analog-digital conversion for conversion of digital signals received in analog form. The respective digital signal receiving unit delivers control signals derived from the received digital signals. After filtering, these control signals are sent at predetermined intervals to a clock generator to deliver the scanning clock pulses. Filtering of the control signals takes place in the formTa(i)=a1(Te(i)-a2(Te(i-1))+Ta(i-1),where a1 and a2 denote a set of filter coefficients, Ta(i) and Ta(i-1) are filtered control signals at the times i and (i-1) and Te(i) and Te(i-1) are control signals delivered at times i and (i-1). The set of filter coefficients is fixed in accordance with the value of the instantaneous control signal deviation. The filtered control signals are then sent to the clock generator in quantized form.

Abstract: A method of arbitrating between various modes of operation involved in controlling the movement of a robot vehicle from a current position in which the modes are given a sequential priority in such manner that no mode can be activated unless all previous modes in the sequence are not actuated. The sequential priority is abort command, joystick control, object avoidance, missed target procedure, and dead reckoning.

Abstract: A process for generating a logic netlist suitable for a logic simulator model from a data or netlist representation (11) of a circuit of transistors and resistors in either emitter coupled logic or current mode logic technology. The logic netlist is formed to serve as a logic simulation model having logic elements structured and patterned to follow the circuit representation at the transistor level, most commonly known as a netlist, which includes the resistors and the overall circuit interconnection. The logic extraction process (1.0, 2.0) identifies active and passive circuit elements connected according to prescribed criteria to eliminate elements which do not contribute to logic functionality as well as identifying elements essential to providing the logic functionality. A systematic approach keeps track of circuit nodes to enable the appropriate interconnection of logic elements patterned after the physical circuit represented as the netlist.

Abstract: The invention concerns an arrangement to couple an auxiliary switch mechanism to an electrical switchgear unit, preferrably a contactor, with a contact slide piece onto which the moving contact pieces are mounted, and a switchgear housing onto which the switchgear fixed-mounted contact pieces are mounted. The contact slide pieces of the switchgear unit and the auxiliary switch mechanism are mounted so that they can slide transversely to the direction of connection. A projection of the auxiliary switch mechanism is positioned in a cutout of the contactor in an interlocking fashion. The connection of contact slide pieces similarly takes place in a positive, interlocking fashion. A lock makes an effective connection with the position of the contact slide piece in the auxiliary switch mechanism, thereby preventing the removal of the auxiliary switch mechanism when the unit is switched on.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting the presence of a gas in an ambient atmosphere comprises a multiple quantum well structure; a thin mesh of a transition metal formed on the multiple quantum well structure; and an arrangement for monitoring transmission of electromagnetic radiation through the mesh and the multiple quantum well structure.

Abstract: A timing recovery circuit of the sampling type uses two signal samples per symbol time and utilizes a control signal (for a local oscillator which generates the timing signal) which is given essentially by the product of a reconstruction error signal, derived at the generic sampling instant, multiplied by the difference between the values of the reconstruction symbols, taken at one-half symbol interval respectively before and after said sampling instant. The derived control signal allows generation of a timing signal which positions with extreme accuracy and stability the sampling instant of the received signal at the minimum points of the mean square error curve, even under selective fading conditions.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling the release of jobs from a pool of pending jobs into a factory, which includes a plurality of machines processing jobs-in-progress, which comprises the following steps. First, a continuity index (CI) is calculated for one of the jobs in the job pool, which is related to the total amount of processing time required by that job, and the anticipated time to finish that job. Second, a mean continuity index (MCI) is calculated related to the CI of all of the jobs processed by the factory in a predetermined period of time. Third, a lower range (r.sub.1) and an upper range (r.sub.2) are calculated which are related to the utilization factor of the machines and the fraction of jobs which are on time. Finally, a job is released from job pool into said factory if:MCI-r.sub.1 .ltoreq.CI.ltoreq.MCI+r.sub.2otherwise, the steps are repeated for the other jobs remaining in the job pool.