Abstract: A method is described for generating an impedance image of the chest, in which electrical data of the chest is acquired, and a finite volume method is used to calculate an impedance image from the electrical data, using an analytical expression for the Jacobian.

Abstract: A method of supporting mass human-interaction events, including: providing a mass interaction event by a computer network (100) in which a plurality of participants (102) interact with each other by generating information comprising of questions, responses to questions and fact information for presentation to other participants and assimilating information: and controlling, automatically by a computer (104) the rate of information presentation to each participant, to be below a maximum information assimilation rate of each participant.

Abstract: Apparatus (800) for targeted release of a molecule carried in a circulating reservoir, comprising: at least one electrode (804); and a controller (810) adapted to electrify said electrode (804) with at least one electric field, said electric field operative to have at least one desired effect related to said circulating reservoir with said molecule, wherein said electrode and said electrification are adapted such that at least one of said effects is selectively applied to a particular blood vessel that carries blood through tissue and wherein said at least one effect that is selectively applied comprises a release effect, which releases said molecule from said circulating reservoir that circulates in said blood vessel.

Abstract: A nuclear medicine camera having an X-ray imaging capability, comprising: a gantry having a stationary portion and at least one rotating portion; at least one gamma camera mounted on a said at least one rotating portion and capable of being rotated together at a common first rotation rate about an axis, said at least one gamma camera being capable of acquiring nuclear imaging data for reconstructing a tomographic nuclear image; and an X-ray CT imager having an X-ray source mounted on said at least one rotating portion and being capable of acquiring X-ray imaging data for reconstructing an X-ray image; said X-ray CT imager being mounted closer to said stationary portion than said at least one gamma camera.

Abstract: A method of reconstructing tomography images comprising: acquiring data on individual radiation events; distributing a weight of the individual radiation events along a line of flight associated with the event determined from the acquired data; and iteratively reconstructing the image based on the individually reprojected data.

Abstract: Determining the temperature of the water by measuring the absorption coefficient of water (32). The method for determining temperature of a first substance comprising: acquiring a measurement of the absorption coefficient of the first substance at least one wavelength (30); and determining the temperature using the measurement of the absorption coefficient and known values of the absorption coefficient as a function of temperature at the at least one wavelength.

Abstract: A method of device maintenance including determining that maintenance should be performed on a target device, automatically selecting a maintenance process including at least one maintenance task to effect said maintenance, automatically managing said maintenance process on a maintenance server separate from said target device, said maintenance server adapted to manage maintenance processes for a plurality of devices, said managing including at least monitoring the execution of said process and automatically performing at least one said maintenance-related task to effect at least a portion of said maintenance of said target device.

Abstract: A piezoelectric micromotor for moving a moveable element comprising: a vibrator in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped formed from a plurality of thin layers of piezoelectric material having first and second identical relatively large rectangular face surfaces defined by long and short edge surfaces wherein the layers are aligned one on top of the other and have their face surfaces bonded together; electrodes on surfaces of the layers; a contact region located on one or more edge surfaces of the layers, urged against the body; and at least one electrical power supply that electrifies electrodes to excite vibrations in the vibrator and thereby in the contact region that impart motion to the body.

Abstract: Performing selective photothermolysis of sub-cutaneous tissue by using a plurality of beams of narrow band electro-magnetic radiation, where each of the beams have energy that is insufficient to heat the tissue that they strike to a temperature high enough to destroy such tissue, but by directing the individual beams to overlap at the target sufficient heat is generated to destroy the target tissue.

Abstract: A method of forming a V.90 connection on an all digital connection. The method includes transmitting a request to connect from a digitally connected client modem (28) to a digitally connected server modem (24) and transmitting, by the client modem (28) to the server modem, a message requesting to form a V.90 connection, identifying the digitally connected client modem (28) as an analog connected modem.

Abstract: An anastomotic connector for connecting a graft to a target vessel, comprising a thin collar section (104) adapted to engage a portion of the graft; and a separate spike section (124) adapted to mount on said collar section, and comprising a plurality of spikes (126) each of said spikes (126) adapted to transfix said graft. Preferably, the connector comprises at least one locking element for interlocking said spike section (124), and said collar section (104). Preferably the locking element provides a spring action between the two sections.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor for moving and positioning a load, the motor comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator having a plurality of electrodes and a coupling surface which is pressed to a load; and a power supply selectively operable to electrify at least one vibrator electrode with time varying voltage to generate vibrations in the coupling surface that step the load to a desired position or to electrify at least one vibrator electrode with DC voltage to displace the coupling surface and move thereby the load to a desired position, which DC voltage the power supply maintains to maintain the load at the desired position.

Abstract: This invention is a device (500) for sealing a hole in a blood vessel, comprising a ring (504); a plurality of spikes (506) extending from said ring towards a center of said ring, and to first direction along an axis of said ring, said spikes being adapted for engaging a blood vessel; a plurality of tabs (502) extending substantially radially from said ring, wherein rotating said tabs around said ring distorts said ring such that said spikes are rotated in a same direction as said tabs.

Abstract: A method for determining temperature of a material (32) comprising: measuring at least one of the real and imaginary part of the permittivity of the material (32) at each of at least one frequency (36) for which substantially only a single component of the material contributes to the dielectric permittivity of the material (32), for which known component the permittivity as a function of temperature is known; and using at least one of the determined real and imaginary part of the permittivity at each of the at least one frequency and the dependence of the permittivity of the known component on temperature to determine temperature of the known component and thereby of the material (32).

Abstract: A method of using a frame of pixels of a specified characteristic such as a maximal intensity projected frame and a depth location “virtual” frame to locate and image ROI's in patients.

Abstract: A method of determining an acoustic velocity in a bone, comprising: transmitting, from a location adjacent a first in-vivo bone, an acoustic wave having a wavelength about the same or smaller than a cross-section of the bone, which cross-section is perpendicular to a main travel direction of said acoustic wave in said bone; receiving said acoustic wave at a location adjacent a second in-vivo bone; and determining an acoustic velocity of at least a portion of at least one of the first and second bones, from a travel time of said wave through said first and second bones and at least one joint between said bones.

Abstract: A method of performing a DFT (discrete Fourier transform) or a DFT derived transform on data, comprising: providing spatially modulated light having spatial coherence, said spatially modulated light representing the data to be transformed; Fourier transforming said spatially modulated light, using an at least one optical element; and compensating for at least one of a scaling effect and a dispersion effect of said at least one optical element, using an at least one dispersive optical element.

Abstract: A gamma camera comprising: a plurality of pixelated detectors wherein each pixelated detector provides a detector signal responsive to photons that are incident on it; a plurality of processing circuits that receive said detector signals and provide processed signals responsive to said detector signals; and at least one printed circuit board on which said processing circuits are mounted and having conductors thereon that carry said detector signals to said processing circuits; wherein said processing circuits are mounted on said printed circuit board at locations remote from said detectors; and wherein said plurality of pixelated detectors form a two-dimensional planar array.

Abstract: A pancreatic controller (102), comprising: a glucose sensor (118), for sensing a level of glucose or insulin in a body serum; at least one electrode (110, 112), for electrifying an insulin producing cell or group of cells; a power source (104) for electrifying said electrode with a pulse that does not initiate an action potential in said cell and has an effect of increasing insulin secretion; and a controller (106) which receives the sensed level and controls said power source to electrify said electrode to have a desired effect on said level.

Abstract: A method for forming a high spatial resolution perspective rendering from a low spatial resolution voxel space is disclosed. The method comprises steps of: a) initializing a virtual window of predetermined resolution pixels, and placing the virtual window in or near the voxel space; b) sparsely ray-casting a plurality of vectors from a predetermined vantage-point through the virtual window into the voxel space; and c) calculating a visualization-value at a series of positions along each vector. In a position ordering of steps from the vantage-point to the pixel, an accumulated transparency-value threshold is calculated. Values of proximate voxels are interpolated into an interpolated voxel value for each position. The interpolated voxel values are then transformed into a derived visualization-value and transparency value.