Abstract: Motion correction for optical tomographic imaging in three dimensions. An object of interest is illuminated to produce an image. A lateral offset correction value is determined for the image. An axial offset correction value is determined for the image. The lateral offset correction value and the axial offset correction value are applied to the image to produce a corrected file image.

Abstract: Motion of an object of interest, such as a cell, has a variable velocity that can be varied on a cell-by-cell basis. Cell velocity is controlled in one example by packing cells into a capillary tube, or any other linear substrate that provides optically equivalent 360 degree viewing access, so that the cells are stationary within the capillary tube, but the capillary tube is translated and rotated mechanically through a variable motion optical tomography reconstruction cylinder. The capillary tube motion may advantageously be controlled in a start-and-stop fashion and translated and rotated at any velocity for any motion interval, under the control of a computer program. As such, there are several configurations of the optical tomography system that take advantage of this controlled motion capability. Additionally, the use of polarization filters and phase plates to reduce light scatter and diffraction background noise is described.

Abstract: An electronically controlled multi-pulse ignitor ignites a cartridge used to launch a projectile. An electronics module is programmed with a temperature performance profile for the cartridge. A temperature sensor is coupled to supply current cartridge temperature data to the electronics module. A first event ignitor is coupled to the electronics module and initiates a ballistic cycle upon command from the electronics module. A translation mechanism, including a first charge coupled to the first event ignitor, moves the projectile forward to increase the free volume in the cartridge. A second event ignitor, coupled to receive a second event ignition signal from the electronics module, ignites the main propellant charge on receiving the second event ignition signal from the electronics module, where the timing of ignition of the second event ignitor is determined by the temperature performance profile and the current cartridge temperature data.

Abstract: A process includes coating a cylinder having an inner wall and a cylinder axis with a gel coating on the inner wall. Then a specimen mixture including solvent is made to flow through the cylinder while the cylinder is being continuously rotated. The specimen mixture is initially directed to flow along the cylinder axis and such that specimen particles from the specimen mixture are accelerated off the cylinder axis toward the inner wall, so as to form a film of specimen particles embedded into the gel coating.

Abstract: A metal detecting device for the detection of a metal object concealed in shoe or on a leg of a subject, including: a housing with a platform having an upper surface with indication areas thereon for the correct positioning of each of a subject's feet, left-foot and right-foot electromagnetic coils under the indication areas connected to a power supply via an oscillator and a switch, an electromagnetic shield divider between the left-foot and right-foot electromagnetic coils, a detection system for the detection of the placement of the subjects feet on the indication area, a processing unit for processing signals from the electromagnetic coils and detection system, and a display connected to the processing unit for displaying a warning signal if metal is detected.

Abstract: A parallel-beam optical tomography system for imaging an object of interest includes a parallel ray beam radiation source that illuminates the object of interest with a plurality of parallel radiation beams. After passing through the object of interest the pattern of transmitted or emitted radiation intensities is magnified by a post specimen optical element or elements. An object containing tube is located within an outer tube, wherein the object of interest is held within or flows through the object containing tube. A motor may be coupled to rotate and/or translate the object containing tube to present differing views of the object of interest. One or more detector arrays are located to receive the emerging radiation from the post specimen magnifying optic. Two- or three-dimensional images may be reconstructed from the magnified parallel projection data.

Abstract: An optical tomographic system wherein the localization of secondary emitters within an object of interest is determined using the temporal signatures of secondary emission arising from the object being illuminated by an external primary source beam that is non-parallel, such as a cone beam, while the object is moving relative to said beam in a controlled manner. A unique set of secondary emitter spots is localized within the object and, when combined with a computed 3D reconstruction of the object from its primary cone beam projections, creates an image of the secondary emitters in the object so as to enable quantitative three-dimensional imaging of fluorescent labeled molecular probes in a biological cell, for example.

Abstract: Two or more two-dimensional Fourier transforms are acquired from different perspectives of a three-dimensional object region. A three-dimensional Fourier transform is then constructed using tomographic methods, permitting the application of image analysis algorithms analogous to those used for two-dimensional images.

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a cell includes adjusting a current set of projection images according to a priori knowledge to produce adjusted projection images, for example, based on probability masks and/or Bayesian analysis of multiple similar objects in the same sample. A reconstruction algorithm processes the adjusted projection images to generate a 3D image. The 3D image is further adjusted according to the a priori knowledge to generate an adjusted 3D image. Criteria for process completion are applied to determine whether the adjusted 3D image is adequate. Otherwise, a set of pseudo projections are computationally created at the same projection angles as the current set of projection images and then compared to the current set of projection images to produce a set of new projections, wherein the new projections are input again to the reconstruction algorithm and the steps of the method are repeated until the adequacy criteria are met.

Abstract: A cell adhesion solution of a cross-linked polymer for substrates includes an amino acid polymer, a buffered cross-linking agent, and deionized water (DI H2O). In one example, the amino acid polymer is selected from a neutral or basic amino acid, such as poly l-lysine or poly l-arginine. In another example, the amino acid polymer includes poly l-lsine. In another example, the amino acid polymer includes poly l-lsine of molecular weight of 100,000 or higher. The cross-linking agent can be selected from an aldehyde functional group, a buffered formaldehyde solution or a 10% neutral buffered formalin solution.

Abstract: A system and method for rapidly detecting cells associated with malignancy and disease using molecular marker compartmentalization includes an optical tomography (OT) or a flow optical tomography (FOT) instrument capable of producing various optical projection images (or shadowgrams) containing accurate density information from a cell or cells labeled with tagged molecular probes or stains, a computer and software to analyze and reconstruct the projection images into a multi-dimensional data set, and automated feature collection and object classifiers. The system and method are particularly useful in the early detection of cancers such as lung cancer using cells from sputum or cheek scrapings and cervical/ovarian cancer using a cervical scraping, and the system can be used to detect rare cells in specimens including blood.

Abstract: Three dimensional reconstruction of an object of interest moving at a constant velocity. The object of interest is centered. The object of interest is imaged with optical point sources located at multiple projection angles around the object of interest, in cooperation with opposing time delay and integration (TDI) image sensors located at a distance from the objects of interest such that there is no focal plane within the objects of interest during imaging. Each of the TDI sensors has a line transfer rate synchronized to the constant velocity of the objects of interest.

Abstract: An explosive delay assembly including a housing, the housing includes a continuous elongated sidewall surrounding a region bounded at one end by a top surface, the top surface including an aperture configured for accepting an end booster where the end booster is attached to a ferrule assembly, the end booster and ferrule assembly connected to form a mild detonating fuze including an explosive charge. The elongated sidewalls include a groove emanating from the aperture and threading around the continuous elongated sidewall to a bottom surface and connected to a channel running from the bottom surface to the top surface. The ferrule assembly is wound around the housing within the groove and inserted into the channel to terminate at a top surface region counterbore. The counterbore is filled with an explosive charge.

Abstract: A method for making a degradable practice mine including the steps of covering a flat work surface with a polyethylene sheet to serve as a release film, weighing out the materials in a ratio of 10 parts sand to 1 part polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), mixing 1 part PVA with 10 parts sand making a sand/PVA mixture, filling a mold with the sand/PVA mixture, consolidating the sand/PVA mixture to make a consolidated form in the shape of a mine, and heating the consolidated form to make a hardened mine form mimicking the shape and launching characteristics of a tactical mine.

Abstract: A flow optical tomography system includes a flow cytometer, and at least one reconstruction cylinder positioned around a capillary tube. A photon source and a photon sensor work together with a pulse height analyzer to provide a first trigger point for the beginning of an object or cell, and a second trigger point for the end of the cell. The trigger signal is received by the reconstruction cylinder. The reconstruction cylinder includes optical point sources having a selectable emission wavelength, disposed in a geometric pattern around the cylinder perpendicular to and concentric with the capillary tube axis that facilitate the acquisition of transmitted, attenuated projection images of the flowing cells. The sensors also collect projections of fluorescence emitted from tagged molecular probes associated with nuclear and/or cytoplasmic structures or cell membranes. The projections are algorithmically processed to provide three dimensional information about the cells and their disease state.

Abstract: A system and method for rapidly detecting cells of interest using multi-dimensional, highly quantitative, nuclear and cytoplasmic densitometric features (NDFs and CDFs) includes a flow optical tomography (FOT) instrument capable of generating various optical projection images (or shadowgrams) containing accurate density information from a cell, a computer and software to analyze and reconstruct the projection images into a multi-dimensional data set, and automated feature collection and object classifiers. The system and method are particularly useful in the early detection of cancers such as lung cancer using a bronchial specimen from sputum or cheek scrapings and cervical/ovarian cancer using a cervical scraping, and the system can be used to detect rare cells in specimens including blood.

Abstract: A spring disc includes a contiguous outer ring including a first plurality of holes and having a contiguous, upwardly curved portion having an outer edge. A middle ring encompasses a second plurality of holes, and a contiguous inner ring, is encompassed by the outer ring and the middle ring. The inner ring surrounds a central aperture sized to accommodate installation onto a cartridge case member, where the outer ring, inner ring and middle ring operate together so as to support the cartridge case by evenly distributing stresses when installed on a cartridge case. A taper angel &thgr; is built into a bottom with a value of about 1° as measured from the bottom extending radially from the center of the inner ring to the outer edge with reference to a plane parallel to an imaginary plane overlaid on the contiguous outer edge.

Abstract: A set of inert mines are loaded into a canister, where each of the inert mines includes a locating feature for a dispersion strap. A breech includes a reusable slider housing. A closure cap covers another end of the canister. An obturator is inserted into a breech end of the canister and connected as an interface between the canister and a breech. The dispersing strap is anchored to the breech where the dispersing strap is woven around the inert mines within the canister such that the strap traverses the locating feature of at least some of the inert mines so as to disperse the mines in a simulated mine dispersion pattern when the canister is fired.

Abstract: A travel purchasing optimization system consists of a cognizer in communication with a knowledge base and a rule base. A knowledge acquisition and rule manager (KARM) dynamically creates, alters, and adaptively fine tunes rules for the rule base from existing business knowledge using a rule modeling language. A travel request is made through an external booking system and sent to the cognizer via an integration framework and the knowledge base. The integration framework pools data from a series of external systems or databases and the cognizer compares the rules from the rule base with the pooled data from the integration framework. The cognizer generates the total cost of travel (TCOT) and sends the TCOT back to the external booking system via the integration framework.

Abstract: A system for collecting images at multiple wavelengths for image analysis of biological specimens. The process separates contrasts for images of a biological specimen prepared with a chromogen. Light wavelengths matched with each chromogen optimize separation for each image. Computing attenuation coefficients and extinction coefficients for each chromogen provides for determination of the concentration of each chromogen. A chromogen separator allows for subtracting predetermined chromogens to generate new images and aid in identification of cell morphology. The system can perform the image analysis of the new images using image processing techniques such as segmentation, feature calculation and object classification. At each stage of image processing, data from each of the new images may influence the processing of the other images.