Abstract: The invention relates to a method of connecting workpieces which is suitable notably for connecting an anode rod (5) to an end plate (6) of a rotor sleeve (7) in a rotary anode X-ray tube where on the one hand adequate strength is required and on the other hand an as small as possible cross-section of the anode rod so as to realize a heat barrier. The method is characterized mainly in that the objects are connected to one another by friction welding and that the cross-section is reduced, that is, outside a connecting zone in which the friction weld is situated, in such a manner that the strength of the connecting zone is at least slightly greater than that of the segment of reduced cross-section.

Abstract: An ultrasound system, comprising: a plurality of interchangeable transducer connector modules (TCMs), wherein each TCM includes an ultrasound connector, a switching circuit, and a pluggable interface; and an ultrasound control unit, wherein the ultrasound control unit includes: a plurality of bays, each for receiving and pluggably coupling one of the TCMs into a distribution bus of the ultrasound control unit, and a system controller for selecting one of the plurality of TCMs and for activating the switching circuit of the selected TCM.

Abstract: Recognition of a useful signal in a measurement signal by: transforming the measurement signal for a given time slot into the frequency range; identifying frequency peaks in the transformed measurement signal; assigning identified frequency peaks to temporal progressions of identified frequency peaks of one or more preceding time slots to the extent the identified frequency peaks are already present; assigning the temporal progressions to one or more families which are comprised of a fundamental wave and/or of one or more harmonic waves; selecting a family as that which should represent the useful signal, and; selecting a frequency peak of the current time slot from the selected family as that which should represent the measured value of the useful signal in this time slot. The signal filtering is preferably used for medical measurement signals, preferably in the area of pulsoximetry and for measuring blood pressure or determining the heart rate.

Abstract: A process for setting a focus in a ultrasonic imaging system includes receiving a point of interest and range of interest by a user input. A system controller of the system sets a focus zone on the point of interest and adjusts the aperture and apodization for the range of interest. If the range of interest can not be covered by one focal zone, further focal zones are added.

Abstract: A software architecture uses a source program and retrievable internal-register configuration models corresponding to data that is specific to different types of ICs, and permits configuration of the internal registers of one of the ICs. In one embodiment, the single source program causes the CPU to select and load one of a plurality of respective models for different types of ICs, to translate the loaded model, and to use the translated model to access the internal register in an IC corresponding to the loaded model. In one specific application, a PC executes the source program and configures the internal registers of an IC that is coupled to the PC through the parallel printer port. By providing an IC definition file for different types of ICs, such a PC can be programmed to reconfigure the internal registers of the corresponding ICs without requiring revisions to the source program.

Abstract: An acoustic backing element includes a glass fiber epoxy composite planar substrate to the outer major surfaces of which are applied electrically conductive material. The electrically conductive material may be a conductive layer that is etched to expose electrical contact material in the form of conductive traces. Each conductive trace provides electrical connection between a transducer element and electrical control circuitry typically located on an electrical circuit board. The acoustic backing element provides precisely located electrical contacts for connecting the transducer elements to their control circuitry, while simultaneously providing superior acoustic attenuation. In addition, the thermal coefficient of expansion (TCE) of the glass fiber epoxy composite material comprising the planar substrate can be closely matched to the TCE of the electrical contact material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical examination apparatus (1) which includes at least one switchable magnet whose magnetic field can be applied to an organism to be examined in the operating condition. The invention notably relates to an examination apparatus (1) which includes a coil (3) that generates a magnetic field when current flows therethrough, and also includes a receiving space (2) that is provided in the interior of the coil so as to receive the organism to be examined, the examination apparatus (1) being mounted on the floor (5) and being constructed in such a manner that a noise-absorbing material (16) is provided in a plane that is situated underneath the magnet (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a window transparent to electron rays comprising a foil (1, 10, 300a) transparent to electron rays and separated from a carrier substrate as well as a retaining element (2, 300b) for supporting a peripheral region of the foil transparent to electron rays in the operational state, which retaining element (2, 300b) is made of a material which has a linear thermal expansion coefficient which matches the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the foil material. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a window transparent to electron rays and an X-ray device with such a window.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device that is provided with a C-arm 7 for carrying medical devices 5, 6, which C-arm is adjustably attached to a carrier 4. The carrier is provided with a bearing block 11 that is provided with at least one row of roller elements 8 on both sides. The C-arm is constructed so as to be hollow and is provided on both sides with at least two oppositely situated running surfaces 15, 16 for the roller elements. The device is characterized in that a plurality of roller elements of one row is interconnected by means of an interconnecting member 9. The invention also relates to a bearing block of the described kind that forms part of the device in accordance with the invention.

Abstract: A C-arm X-ray system is disclosed which includes an X-ray source, an X-ray detector and a support C-arm mechanism including an outer and inner C-arm. The X-ray source and the X-ray detector are oppositely disposed on the inner C-arm. The inner C-arm is suspended upon at least one wheel construction disposed in the support C-arm. The inner C-arm may be automatically driven annularly outside of a first end of the C-arm support and into a second end of the C-arm support to close a gap normally found in conventional C-arm X-ray devices. Such construction allows the X-ray source and X-ray detector to rotate at least one full 360 degree cycle, providing an C-arm X-ray device capable of performing both fluoroscopic and CT procedures without a need to move a patient under examination (i.e., monitoring the patient in a common frame of reference for both applications).

Abstract: The invention relates to a display device for rendering gray tone images on a monitor controlled by s electron rays. The display device includes a correction unit for generating s output image signals As composed of gray tone values forming part of a set K of correction gray tones from an image signal. The image signal is composed of gray tone values forming part of a set M of original gray tones, and the s output image signals As, after a D/A conversion, are fed each to one electron ray for a brightness-corrected rendering of a gray tone in one pixel of the monitor for the purpose of adapting the brightness distribution of the monitor to the optimum perceptional brightness distribution.

Abstract: A vertical field type MRI apparatus is provided with a superconducting coil system for generating a substantially homogeneous magnetic field in an imaging volume of the apparatus. The coil system includes a circular outer coil and a supplementary coil which is positioned in the same plane as and within the outer coil, which coils conduct opposite currents. The ratio Da/Do of the diameter Da of the supplementary coil to the diameter Do of the outer coil lies between 0.7 and 0.9. Further coils for making the field more homogeneous are preferably located on a conical surface within the circular outer coil and supplementary coil in such a manner that a recess is formed in which a conically shaped gradient coil system can be accommodated, with the result that the expensive outer coil and the supplementary coil can be arranged at an as short as possible distance from the space for receiving the patient to be examined.

Abstract: A system and method for synchronized persistence with ultrasonic harmonic imaging of both tissue and tissue perfused with a contrast agent are disclosed. The ultrasonic harmonic imaging system comprises a frame memory, a frame processor, a persistence actuator, and a persistence controller. In a preferred embodiment, the persistence actuator disables persistence filtering in response to contrast agent destructive ultrasonic transmissions. A method for observing an ultrasonic response of a contrast agent may be performed by: introducing a contrast agent into tissue targeted for imaging; insonifying the tissue with a first ultrasound transmit signal suited to observe the contrast agent and the tissue; modifying a transmit signal parameter to destroy a substantial portion of the contrast agent; disabling persistence filtering while the modified transmit signal is actuated; and enabling persistence filtering while observing the re-perfusion of the tissue.

Abstract: The present invention provides an X-ray examination apparatus, comprising an X-ray source, an X-ray detector, a filter arranged between said source and said detector, said filter comprising an array of filter elements having X-ray absorbtivities that can be adjusted by means of control voltages, a control circuit for supplying said control voltages to said filter elements, and an object support arranged between said filter and said detector, said station being adapted to support an object to be exposed to X-ray radiation emanating from said source, the transmitted X-ray radiation being detected by said detector, said control circuit being adapted to supply said control voltages in single-sequence fashion to groups of adjacent filter elements.

Abstract: An analysis apparatus including a spectroscopic analysis apparatus comprises an excitation system and a monitoring system. The excitation system emits an excitation beam to excite a target region during an excitation period. The monitoring system emits a monitoring beam to image the target region during a monitoring period. The excitation period and the monitoring period substantially overlap. Hence the target region is imaged together with the excitation, and an image is formed displaying both the target region and the excitation area. On the basis of this image, the excitation beam can be very accurately aimed at the target region.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for reproducing slice images during the treatment of an object to be examined, the device includes measuring hardware for determining, relative to a reference system, the position of a medical instrument partly introduced into the object to be examined during the treatment. In order to enable such a device to change the orientation of slice images during the treatment in a simple and interactive manner, according to the invention adjusting means are provided on the part of the medical instrument which projects from the object to be examined in order to change the orientation of the slice images reproduced. The invention also relates to a medical instrument appropriately constructed for this purpose and provided with such adjusting means as well as to an appropriate method.

Abstract: A device that is provided with a C-arm 2 for carrying medical devices 5, 6, which C-arm is attached to a carrier 3 so as to be adjustable along its circumference, which carrier is provided with a bearing block 7 that is provided on both sides with at least one row of roller elements 8. The C-arm is hollow and is provided on both sides with at least two oppositely situated internal running surfaces 9 for the roller elements. The device is characterized in accordance with the invention in that the running surfaces are provided with reinforcement elements 11. The invention also relates to a bearing block as described as part of the device in accordance with the invention.

Abstract: A novel magnetic resonance method for two-dimensional or three-dimensional imaging of an examination zone is described, in which k-space is scanned at predetermined sampling positions. Magnetic resonance signals of a first data set over k-space and magnetic resonance signals of subsequent reduced data sets over part of k-space are acquired, and data of the subsequent reduced data sets are completed with data of the first data set in order to obtain a full image of the scanned object. The acquisition of data of the subsequent reduced data sets (d2, d3, d4) will start or end with the highest value in k-space. Further a novel magnetic resonance apparatus and a computer program product are described, which are designed for performing the above mentioned method.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image correction method for an X-ray detector which includes a rear-mounted light source with improved correction of the after-image effects. The invention is based on the recognition of the fact that the so-called gain effects cannot be eliminated by means of known methods. The gain effects, however, give rise to an increase of the amplification by a few percents, and hence to a bright image with artefacts, already in the case of customary diagnostic X-ray doses. In accordance with the invention the gain effects are measured by acquisition of light source images by means of the build-in light source; the strength of the gain effect as well as a correction factor are determined pixel by pixel on the basis thereof. The pixel values of the bright image are corrected by means of the correction factor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light-sensitive semiconductor component that consists of pixels (1), wherein n doped dot zones (7) are provided, in a preferably hexagonal pattern, on the surface of a p doped channel region, the dot zones (7) of a pixel (1) being electrically connected to one another by means of leads (6) and to a collecting lead (4). The dot zones (7) form parallel connected semiconductor diodes whereby minority charge carriers that are generated by the incidence of light in the channel region can be detected after having traveled to the dot zones (7) by diffusion. The described arrangement enables a high sensitivity to be achieved throughout the channel region and also a minimum capacitance of the semiconductor constructed by means of the CMOS technique. Diffusion of charge carriers out of a pixel is prevented by a guard ring (3) of an opposed type of doping.