Abstract: A method is provided for generating at least one quantitative measure of a joint comprising sending an acoustic signal to at least a part of a joint, receiving said acoustic signal after modification by said joint, analyzing the received acoustic signal with a computer, and generating, from said computer, one or more of a quantitative surface, quantitative volumetric and quantitative measurements of the physical properties of the joint or a portion thereof.

Abstract: A method of image compression, comprising: providing image-data encoding light; transforming said light from an image space to a transform space utilizing an optical component; and converting said transformed light into electrical signals, which electrical signals represent a compressed representation of said image data.

Abstract: A hair cutting apparatus comprising a structure (126), a portion (1216) of which being adapted for placement against a skin surface where hair is to be cut, a heat generator comprising one or more heat elements (1214) positioned to touch said hair and heated to a temperature sufficient to cut hair, at least one of said heat elements being juxtaposed with said portion and a controller that controls the power source to provide pulsed heating of said one or more heat elements.

Abstract: A method for transferring information between a server (24) and a client (28), through a converter (22), comprising: analyzing at least a portion the information by the converter (22), to determine a standard used by the server (24) to encode the information in the portion; and replacing at least a portion of the analyzed information with other information, which other information uses a second standard, wherein, analyzing comprises parsing the information on a syntactic level and wherein the information comprises at least one Internet hypertext document.

Abstract: A radiation source comprising: a source of radiation; a plate having an aperture formed therein, said aperture facing the source of radiation; and means for moving the source when no radiation is desired on the side of the plate away from the source.

Abstract: A typical probe comprises a sensor, and a connection head that includes a conversion circuit for driving the sensor. The probe communicates with a controller via a two wire DC 4-20 mA link. The conversion circuit is also known as a two-wire transmitter. The conversion circuit and the sensor are connected to each other (and to the external link) via screw terminals usually located at the circuit top face. The invention provides a conversion circuit and a matching base forming plug and socket type connections. On the converter circuit, the connections are moved from the top of the circuit, to the bottom of the circuit, thus clearing space for an integral display. The sensor and the link wires are attached to the base socket. The conversion circuit fits into the socket in only a single orientation, thus ensuring correct coupling of the wires to the circuit elements.

Abstract: Scanning probe apparatus, comprising: a) a tip-electrode which is coupled to be maintained at a first potential; b) a counter-electrode which is positioned in proximity with the tip electrode and which is coupled to be maintained at a second potential differing from the first potential by a value greater than approximately 150 volts; and c) positioning instrumentation, which is adapted to maintain the tip-electrode at a distance from a surface while scanning the tip-electrode parallel to the surface, and controls the position of the tip-electrode in a scanning direction parallel to the surface to within a resolution sufficient so that the apparatus can be used as a scanning probe microscope.

Abstract: Apparatus for aiding in the identification of tissue type for an anomalous tissue in an impedance image comprising a first device providing a polychromic immitance map of a portion of the body; a second devise determining a plurality of polychromic measures from one or both of a portion of the body; and a display which displays an indication based on the plurality of polychromic measures.

Abstract: This invention is an apparatus for ophthalmic surgery comprising a laser source (52) that generates a laser beam (54); a scanner (56) comprising an input for said laser beam, and an output of a spatially scanned laser beam (54); controlling circuitry that drives said scanner (56) to remove tissue in a desired pattern on the eye (40); a microscope (58) for viewing said tissue removal; and a beam combiner (70) comprising a first input for a line of sight of said microscope (58) and second input for said spatially scanned beam (54).

Abstract: A method of managing a DSL connection by a DSL server modem, including receiving signals from a DSL client modem at a first rate, determining, by the DSL server modem, a data content of the received signals, and initiating, by the DSL server modem, negotiation of a change in the rate of the DSL connection, responsive to the determination of the data content, so as to receive signals at a second rate different from the first rate.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring a plurality of tissue viability parameters of a tissue layer element, in which two different illumination sources are used via a common illumination element in contact with the tissue. One illumination source is used for monitoring blood flow rate and optionally flavoprotein concentration, and collection fibers are provided to receive the appropriate radiation from the tissue. The other illuminating radiation is used for monitoring any one of and preferably all of NADH, blood volume and blood oxygenation state of the tissue element, and collection fibers are provided to receive the appropriate radiation from the tissue. In one embodiment, the wavelengths of the two illumination sources are similar, and common collection fibers for the two illuminating radiations are used. In another embodiment, the respective collection fibers are distanced from the illumination point at different distances correlated to the ratio of the first and second illuminating wavelengths.

Abstract: A dual sensor intruder alarm (DSIA) for detecting an intruder in a security zone monitored by the DSIA comprising: a PIR sensor; an additional sensor, and a controller that determines an operating difference between the ambient temperature and a normative surface temperature of an intruder in the security zone; wherein if the operating difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold difference, the controller determines whether an intruder is present in the security zone using signals from both the PIR sensor and the additional sensor and if the operating difference is less than the predetermined threshold difference, the controller uses signals from the additional sensor but not from the PIR sensor to determine presence of an intruder.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator (50) having a surface comprising a localized non-planar shaped first surface region thereon which first surface region has a shape different from the shape of the surface on which it is located; and a friction nub (52) formed with a second surface region that is substantially a negative relief of the first surface region, which first and second regions are bonded together. Preferably the friction nub (52) is detachably mounted to the vibrator (50) via a boss (54) waving a protuberance (56) of conical shape. Alternatively the friction nub (52) has a protuberance (76) which is form-fitted to a recess (72) in the vibrator (50) or boss (70), respectively. First and second surface regions can also be threading surfaces.

Abstract: The invention relates to determining a matching between discrete optical elements, such as an SLM and a CCD, and continuous optical systems, subsystems and/or elements, such as Fourier lens and individual lenslet of lenslet arrays. Exemplary processing performed by such matched systems includes discrete transforms, such as the discrete Fourier transform, the discrete cosine transform and the discrete wavelet transform.

Abstract: A self-intelligent component-based robotics system wherein at (202), system (100) is assembled. At (204) an optimal self configuration process is performed. At (206) a user inputs into the system a “system image” which represents one or more functions expected from the system. At (208) calibration is performed. Once calibration is completed, system 100 is being used at (210).

Abstract: A time-to-contact estimate determination system is disclosed for generating an estimate as to the time-to-contact of a vehicle moving along a roadway with an obstacle. The time-to-contact estimate determination system comprises an image receiver and a processor. The image receiver is configured to receive image information relating to a series of at least two images recorded as the vehicle moves along a roadway. The processor is configured to process the image information received by the image receiver to generate a time-to-contact estimate of the vehicle with the obstacle.

Abstract: A low profile medical lens protector (100) for a medical viewing device having a given diameter, comprising: a rotatable view-through element; a motor which rotates said view-through element; and a housing (140) enclosing said view-through element and said motor, characterized in that said housing has an outer diameter less than 10 mm greater than said given diameter.

Abstract: A laser system for treating features on the skin of a patient with laser light comprising: an imaging subsystem that locates features on the skin to be treated; a laser; laser optics that focuses light from the laser onto a feature located by the imaging subsystem; and a controller that when a feature is located, controls the laser to radiate a pulse of laser light that is focused by the laser optics to a spot localized about the feature.

Abstract: A hand gamma camera system for generating an image of a gamma radiation source, the camera including a housing designed to be hand held, a gamma radiation image detector mounted on or in the housing that generates detection data responsive to radiation data from a gamma source incident on the radiation detector, a controller connected to the radiation detector that receives the detection data and generates image data and a display mounted on or in the housing that receives the image data from the controller and generates an image.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the deformation of an implant during deployment thereof, comprising: a force application mechanism for applying deformation force to the implant, by motion of a force applicator against the implant; and a restraint element positioning mechanism that positions a restraining element such that the deformation of the implant is controlled by restraint of the restraining element on allowable deformation; and a synchronizer that synchronizes the motion of the restraining element and the force applicator, to achieve a desired deformation of the implanted.