Abstract: An automatic blood pressure gauge uses two pulse width modulated solenoid valve to achieve a substantially linear deflation curve. The solenoid valves are controlled by a valve switching signal that has a fixed fundamental frequency. The gauge samples and digitizes the cuff pressure signal. To eliminate artifacts related to the valve switching signal, a microprocessor in the gauge filters the sampled data pressure signal using a third-order Chebychev 2 filter having a zero at the frequency of the valve switching signal. A single timing source used for controlling the microprocessor is also used for developing both the valve switching signal and the sampled data pressure signal, in order to achieve high attenuation of the valve switching signal components in the pressure signal via the Chebychev filter.

Abstract: A handle, for the female half of a quick-action coupling of the type including a body having a first end adapted to receive a hose and a second end adapted to receive the male half of the coupling, a grasping means coupled to the body for releasably grasping the male half of the coupling when inserted into the second end of the body, and a spring-biased slide member coupled to the body and co-acting with the grasping means for causing a locking engagement between the male and female halves. The handle comprises a housing having an interior opening in a first end thereof dimensioned so as to receive the female half of the coupling therein in a loose-fit sliding manner.

Abstract: A system for applying radiation treatment under computer control is disclosed. The system has a radiation source, which generates a variable intensity radiation beam, and a collimator. The collimator has a plurality of movable plates disposed in the path of the radiation beam and is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the beam axis. The apparatus is capable of actuating the plates independently during the radiation treatment, in response to a first control signal. The beam changes in width when the plates are so actuated. The collimator is rotated in response to a second control signal. The intensity of the radiation beam may be varied as a function of the plate position. A total radiation dosage is applied during two intervals. The first interval precedes the collimator rotation, and the second interval follows the rotation.

Abstract: For obtaining data in phase contrast MR angiography, which data is sensitive to flow in a sample in three-orthogonal directions, a sequence with four steps is applied to a sample. In the first step, spins are flow encoded with a positive polarity in all three directions. During the three further steps, flow encoding is inverted in one direction and kept positive in all other directions, with the direction having the inverted polarity being different in all three of the further steps. A raw data set for each of the directions is obtained by complex subtraction of the signals obtained by one of the further steps and of the signals obtained by the first step.

Abstract: A device for removing air from the steam chamber of an autoclave includes a sealable sterilization chamber for receiving items to be sterilized. The chamber is sealed and the pressure and temperature therein monitored by sensors. Vapor for sterilizing items is generated in the chamber by a heater. Air is removed from the chamber through a relatively large vent and a selectively activated valve for opening and closing the vent. A digital controller receives the monitored temperature and pressure of the chamber as inputs, compares these empirical values with standard values and, on the basis of the comparison, generates a control signal to selectively open or close the valve. The vapor used in steam and the standard values are a set of coordinates, which when plotted on a pressure/temperature graph, would yield a curve characteristic of saturated steam. The standard values are stored in a memory accessible to the microprocessor.

Abstract: A method for chemical shift imaging is disclosed. A first radio frequency pulse at the resonance frequency of hydrogen and second radio frequency pulse at the resonance frequency of atoms to be examined are applied. Spatial resolution is obtained by phase encoding gradients. The repetition time is shorter than the spin-lattice relaxation time. The first radio frequency pulse at the resonance frequency of hydrogen causes a Nuclear Overhauser Effect enhancement of the resonance line of the atoms to be examined.

Abstract: A dual axis translation mechanism for holding and moving an object of variable dimension to a position defined by first and second axis. The mechanism includes a frame, a carriage mounted on the frame for movement with respect to the frame in the first axis, and an object holding means coupled with the carriage for holding and moving the object with respect to the carriage in the second axis. A motor selectively drives a first shaft and a drive/brake assembly provides a second shaft which, in a drive mode of the assembly is driven synchronously with the first shaft and, which in a brake mode of the assembly is held non-driven while the first shaft is being driven. First and second endless belts are mounted for rotating movement within the frame and extend in a direction parallel to the first axis.

Abstract: A method for removing unwanted signal components acquired by applying a three dimensional magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence to a sample, wherein signal acquisition is desired from a selected planar slice, but unwanted signal components are also acquired from a plurality of planar slices located outside the boundaries of the selected slice. According to the method, both a radio frequency saturation pre-pulse and a linear field gradient are applied to the sample. The pre-pulse and field gradient create a comb-like pattern of planar nuclear magnetic saturation regions in the sample, each of the regions being spatially positioned between a respective pair of contiguous planer slices. Next, a 3-D imaging sequence is applied to the sample. The timing of the 3-D imaging sequence is such that the comb-like saturation pattern of the pre-pulse sequence is imposed upon the 3-D imaging sequence so as to reduce the acquisition of signal originating from the regions when acquiring signal from the selected slice.

Abstract: In a contour collimator for radiation therapy, a variable aperture is formed by two stacks of aperture plates, which are mounted opposite one another. The aperture plates are connected to a setting mechanism in order to alter the aperture created between the opposed aperture plates. All the aperture plates of each stack are arranged on a respective axle. The aperture plates can be rotated individually around the axles and into the aperture.

Abstract: In a radiation emitting device, particularly in a radiation therapy device, isodose curves are adjusted both by a moveable plate that is controlled during irradiation and by varying the dose rate of the radiation beam during irradiation. By superimposing the effects of moving the plate and varying the dose rate of the radiation beam, it is possible to vary the isodose curve in the object of irradiation, so that a wide range of variation in the possible isodose curves is obtained. If the plate is moved at a constant speed, e.g. various wedge-shaped isodose curves can be easily achieved.

Abstract: A radiation treatment apparatus is provided which has an extendable imaging device. The radiation treatment apparatus comprises a stand which supports a gantry in a rotable manner. The gantry has a treatment head for emitting a radiation beam towards an object. The extendable imaging device is coupled to the gantry opposite to the treatment head in the trajectory of the radiation beam at a point past the object. The imaging device includes an holding means which is extendable from the gantry one end of which is arranged at the gantry and at the other end of which a detector head is coupled. The detector head comprises an image converting means which in its operating position is essentially perpendicular to the radiation beam and which converts an image represented by the radiation beam into a visible image. It also comprises a reflector coupled with the image converting means for reflecting the visible image into a light channel formed by the holding means and to a video camera.

Abstract: A reclining chair has a seat back and a seat bottom which are pivotally attached to opposite ends of a rocking cradle or support frame, which itself is pivotally mounted to a base. The seat back and the seat bottom are interconnected such that an end of the seat bottom proximate to the seat back is raised as the seat back is lowered. Conversely, as the end of the seat bottom proximate to the seat back is lowered, the seat back is raised. The opposite or remote end of the seat bottom is maintained at substantially the same elevation as the end of the seat bottom proximate the seat back, whereby the seat bottom is maintained in a substantially constant orientation relative to the horizontal as it is raised and lowered.

Abstract: There is disclosed an autoclave system incorporating a sterilization chamber and a reservoir. The reservoir is coupled to the sterilization chamber by means of a selectively operated valve. A microcontroller in conjunction with timing means computes a time necessary to place a predetermined amount of water into the sterilization chamber to assure that a proper sterilization cycle will be implemented. The apparatus determines the amount of time required to operate the valve based on the water level in the reservoir. The system is initilized with a full reservoir of water and bases all successive computations for valve operation from this point. Thus the valve is operated according to a given time duration, which time duration is computed according to the number of sterilization cycles previously performed by the autoclave system.

Abstract: An X-ray examination device having an imaging area which is less than the length of an object to be imaged, acquires a series of high-resolution input images at selected different positions which overlap along the length of the object. The high-resolution images are processed in accordance with first and second methods for later application to a display device. The first method creates a low-resolution composite image for display which is simutaneously representative of a plurality of the high-resolution acquired images, and the second method determines portions of each of the acquired images which are to be deleted and provides to the display the series of high-resolution images in a scroll fashion with the predetermined portions deleted from the adjacent images. The user has control means for controllably indicating a position (region of interest) on the display for causing the display to provide a high-resolution image which is centered about the region of interest.

Abstract: In a method for processing incoming code words that are accompanied by parity bits and that, in the course of being transmitted, undergo a digital attenuation and/or a code conversion for generating further code words that are to be transmitted, the code words and the parity bits are subjected to parity tests for indicating whether parity errors exist prior to the performance of the digital attenuation and/or code conversion. Then, for each of the further code words a further parity bit is generated that is also to be transmitted, but that is inverted, if the parity test of a corresponding code word has shown that a parity error exists.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously winding a plurality of inductors with insulated wire on an elongated bobbin in a manner such that portions of the wire that will locate at specified locations has its insulation is removed prior to wrapping. The apparatus includes a rotating device for turning the bobbin, a feedscrew for imparting a controlled pitch on the winding, a suspension system running the wire from a wire spool to the bobbin, and a means for removing insulation from the portions of the wire that will locate at the specified locations.

Abstract: An apparatus for electrically blending echoes from a plurality of focused beams into a composite image having reduced image artifacts. The apparatus comprises a transducer generating a sequence of beams having different focal points and converting resultant echoes into electrical signals, a receiver with its gain adjusted according to (1) time and (2) the transmitted beam, a multiplier that develops the product of the receiver output and a gain selected both by the transmitted beam and (time), and a summing network that adds together outputs of the multiplier that originated from the same sound scatterer.

Abstract: An electrical switch assembly has an L-shaped housing with a base, an endwall and sidewalls which may be molded as a single piece. The endwall is provided with receiving slots for at least one metal plate serving as an arcing plate and with a central guide channel for a plunger arm which carries a contact blade. Stationary contact assemblies which have contact clamps are fit into receiving channels formed in the base and held down by hold-down rails alongside the channels. The bottoms of the channels include anti-turn channels for the heads of lug screws to facilitate assembly. A cover, which also has a centrally located guide channel for the plunger arm is fastened to the sidewalls. A baffle extends from the outer surface of the cover between the stationary terminal assemblies. A side shield extends from one sidewall.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating blood flow velocities with an ultrasound imaging system. The method includes radiating a plurality of ultrasound beams having a fixed phase relationship with a reference frequency; receiving a plurality of successive echoes from the successive beams from the same volume of blood; and estimating the blood flow velocity from the phase shift changes, relative to the reference frequency, between a plurality of successive echo pairs by multiplying each phase shift change by coefficients stored in a RAM and accumulating the results. Desirably, the phase shift changes between the multiple pairs of successive echoes are weight averaged during the multiplication and accumulation process to arrive at the velocity estimate.