Abstract: A system for displaying surfaces of volumetric data determines surface cubes by a simple method without interpolation. A central voxel is selected. The central voxel is tested against a threshold. If it is below the threshold, a different voxel is chosen as a central voxel. When one is found which is above the threshold, diagonal cubes, those at each of the corners of the central voxel, are tested against the threshold. When one is encountered with at least one voxel below the threshold, it is categorized as a surface voxel. The values of the adjacent voxels are then used to determine a vector normal to the surface at the central voxel. This is repeated for a number of central voxels to determine a surface. The surface then may be displayed. If anisotropic voxels are used, the elevation angle is converted to an effective elevation angle. The normal vectors to the surface are also adjusted to compensate for the anisotropic nature of the data.

Abstract: An optical coupling is incorporated into an invasive device used in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The coupling is incorporated into the invasive device between an imaging or tracking RF coil, and the MR receiver. The optical coupling has a first transducer circuit coupled to the RF which converts between optical and electrical signals. An optical fiber is coupled to the first transducer circuit and extends out of the invasive device to medical imaging equipment. Near this equipment, a second transducer circuit converts optical signals to electrical, and electrical signals to optical, just opposite that of the first transducer circuit. The present invention thereby replaces long lead wires which can cause heating during MR imaging, and may distort an MR image.

Abstract: Graphical representations of a machine structure desired to be measured are pre-stored in a video storage device. A user selects dimensions of the machine to be measured through a manual input device. The preferred viewpoints for this measurement are determined by a image creation device. These viewpoints are provided to video storage device to create an image of the machine structure showing the dimension to be measured. An instructional video overlay device receives an indication from the manual input device of the dimension to be measured. It then provides a graphical overlay of a preferred tool to be used and shows its preferred positioning and use on the machine image from image creation device. These are merged by a video merge device and displayed to a user on a display device. The users then selects the tool, positions, and uses it as instructed. When activated by the user, the tool directly provides measurement information to a control device which stores the information, reducing human error.

Abstract: Several complete fingerprint coils are attached to a support. The support is then rolled into a cylindrical shape such that a ray connecting the centers of each of pair of coils aligns with a component of a magnetic desired to be minimized or eliminated. In order to create this alignment, the support must have a length larger than the circumference of the cylinder which it forms, thereby causing a predetermined overlap. Since the coils are complete, there is no need to solder half-turns of coils to make a complete coil as was the case in previous coils. Since there are no solder points which are typically weaker than the remaining coil, the coil assembly is more resilient and less prone to breakage, making it more reliable.

Abstract: A system for determining a maximum length digital sequence is constructed by selecting a Mersenne Prime integer and a primitive polynomial having an ORDER equal to the Mersenne Prime integer. An arbitrarily selected mask m is either provided to the transmitter and receiver, or constructed, at either, or both. The mask is used to create a decimated M sequence, and work backwards to define a recursion rule vector r which is associated with another primitive polynomial corresponding to the decimated M sequence. This recursion rule vector r is used to create a new feedback shift register which produces a maximum length sequence. An initialization vector i is provided to the transmitter and receiver and used as an initial load of the shift register. A selected stage of this register is exclusive-ORed ("XORed") with each bit of a plaintext message to be sent to result in cipher text.

Abstract: The present invention analyses an existing legacy system, such as a Physician's Office Management System, and automatically extracts, reformats and sends required data to a service company, which may be for example, and insurance company. It begins by feeding the legacy system "seed data" and monitors the legacy system storage device to determine a "raw map" of where and how the seed data is stored. It then culls out multiple records, single records, inconsistent records in the raw map. Control flow information is also extracted. This indicates which fields are "key" fields and are used to extract other information. These key fields must be acquired before their related data. After the data is located and the order is determined, a script is automatically created to extract the data. The data is then extracted and reformatted in a predetermined format determined by the service company, and the required data is automatically sent, by conventional means, to the service company.

Abstract: A novel breast localization and biopsy system employs a chest support for holding the patient in a slightly rotated (20.degree.-30.degree.) prone position allowing the breast tissue hang downward and fit through an opening in the chest support, while holding the other breast against the subject away from the imaging region. A pair of support plates compress the breast tissue. At least one of the support plates has a grid with reference markers for localization and windows allowing a physician access to the breast tissue. A thick biopsy plate with a plurality of holes at marked positions fits into one of the grid openings and guides an interventional device, such a biopsy needle, into a desired location in a lesion. In an alternative embodiment, both breasts fit through the chest support. There are two stabilization plate assemblies, one for each breast and two medical imaging sources. Each source points from the lateral to medial support plate to accomplish imaging of both breasts simultaneously.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for real time tracking of position and orientation, termed "pose", of a remote camera. While remote cameras have been used on a regular basis to inspect machinery for wear or damage, knowing the exact location of a camera is difficult. Off-line feature extraction is employed with on-line pose determination. The feature extraction precomputes features from a CAD model of the object visible in a selected set of views. The on-line pose determination starts from an initial pose estimate, determines the visible model features, projects them into a two-dimensional image coordinate system, matches each to the current camera image, and uses the differences between the predicted and matched feature positions in a gradient descent technique to iteratively refine the pose estimate. The on-line portion of the system is designed to execute at video frame rates, providing a continual indication of borescope tip pose.

Abstract: A system for communicating digital information over wires having a great deal of harmonic distortion, such as a power line, employs a transmitter which transmitter which creates a carrier wave for each of a plurality of signals to be sent. This carrier wave has frequency lobes positioned between the frequency lobes of the harmonic distortion. Each of the lobes of a single carrier signal is encoded with the same bit value during a given bit period. This signal is then mixed with any existing signal on the wire. At a remote receiver coupled to the wires, the signal is sensed, filtered, and Fourier transformed into coefficients. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of each Fourier coefficient is determined by a novel S/N estimation technique. The coefficients are weighted based upon the S/N ratio estimation, and decoded, preferably by an inner product of the weighted Fourier coefficients. Additionally, the S/N ratio estimates could be time averaged before being used in the weighting and bit decoding.

Abstract: An Optical Probe Measurement Device accurately and efficiently measures locations of visible features of a structure without making contact with the structure. It employs a centering microscope which a user looks through to locate the feature to be measured. The centering microscope is connected to an orientation plate in a known pose which has targets measurable with a 3D measurement device. The 3D measurement device determines 3D locations of the targets. A light source is attached to the orientation plate to produce a light beam which intersects the optical axis at the focal point of the centering microscope, being a distance D.sub.0 away from the end of the centering microscope. When this light beam impinges on the surface of the structure at the same location as the feature seen in the centering microscope, the feature is exactly the D.sub.0 away from the centering microscope.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for performing fast segmentation and image processing for enhanced three dimensional (3-D) visualization of a subject. The present invention automatically extracts unwanted dominant features from images while preserving the desired information. The present invention works especially well with Computed Tomography Angiograms (CTA) for viewing vasculature of a subject's head. Segmenting and removing dominant structures from image data permits visualization techniques such as maximum intensity projection (MIP), surface rendering and volume rendering, to provide enhanced vessel visualization.

Abstract: An encoder functions to perform a modulo-two dot product of an n-bit information word with a succession of n-bit projector words which are n-bit words chosen at random or generated pseudorandomly. These projectors are also known by the decoder. The parity of the successive dot products is sent as the output bits of the coder. The decoder receives the incoming bits which have been generated at the encoder and subsequently passed through a noisy channel. In the decoder, the projectors serve as successive n-bit addresses to a table. If the incoming i-th bit is a zero, the content of the indicated table location is incremented. If the incoming bit is a one, the content is decremented. After the table has been filled, the table contents are considered as a vector, V. The Hadamard transform is then taken. The largest (most positive) coefficient of the transform is identified. The table address corresponding to the location of the largest coefficient is the estimate of the decoded information word.

Abstract: A system for displaying sets of surface cubes with gradient vertex vectors first employs a pointer table constructed to order the surface cubes so as to generally cause a row by row and layer by layer ordering during model creation. During display, a viewpoint is selected and a scan controller causes cubes to be displayed according to this order of the pointer table. A test backprojection of cubes to image plane is performed to determine which pixels will be impinged by the cubes. For pixels which have not been updated, or pixels which have been updated by a less superficial cube than the current cube, projection rays are created through the center of impinged pixels in a direction opposite that of the backprojection. An intersection point of the ray with a surface within a current cube is determined. The data value and gradient vectors for the current cube are interpolated at this intersection point.

Abstract: A patient isolation device is used as a safety device to provide electrical insulation between medical electronic equipment and portions of the equipment which come in contact with the patient. In one implementation of the patient isolation device, an RF coil is incorporated in a catheter connected to medical electronic equipment which tracks the position of the catheter. Typically, there is also medical imaging electronics to provide internal images of the subject along with an indication of the location of the catheter. Typically, the signal from the RF coil is provided to a preamplifier to amplify the signal. The isolation device is placed between the RF coil and the preamplifier such that MR response signals may pass through to the preamplifiers but in the event of a short or electrical malfunction the line voltage will not pass backward into the RF coil causing damage to the patient.

Abstract: Calibrated spatial reference devices (SRDs) of known dimensions having targets at known relative locations are attached to a large structure to be measured. A design device employs a digital camera to acquire digital images of `islands` of the structure including the SRDs and employs photogrammetry techniques to determine relative locations of `islands` within a large structure. A highly accurate coordinate measurement device provides absolute 3D measured locations of the targets used to convert the relative photogrammetry locations into absolute 3D locations. A monitor displays the digital images, measured 3D locations, photogrammetry locations in a superimposed manner to a user and a user interface allows the user to select objects to be measured. Image detection techniques are used to identify objects selected by a user and dimensions, and distances between selected objects are automatically calculated.

Abstract: A computer modeling and visualization system employs both 3D visual modeling and force feedback through a haptic device consistent with the visual display of the computer model. Force, or haptic, interaction is employed for exploring computer models. Point contact force equations were created for quickly computing forces directly from a model data which are provided to the haptic device, causing it to apply that force to an operator. The force equations employed are consistent with isosurface and volume rendering, providing a strong correspondence between visual and haptic rendering. The method not only offers the ability to see and feel the volumetric model but allows interactive modification and display of the model.

Abstract: Enhanced drug delivery to tumor tissue is obtained by attaching drug molecules to elongated polypeptide carrier molecules several orders of magnitude longer than wide. These are chosen to have a high net negative charge. The carrier molecules are created by unfolding long polypeptides by a large degree of substitution with steric hindrance molecules, such as diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) with at least 90% substitution. This causes the conformation to be worm-like as evidenced by a measure of persistence length, with a diameter small enough squeeze through the pore structures of tumor tissue but not so small as to pass through pores of vessels in normal tissue. The length is determined by optimizing two processes, blood circulation lifetime, and tumor uptake. The elongated conformation may cause the complex to become entwined with stroma in tumor interstitium and become trapped.

Abstract: An enhanced reality maintenance system for operating in a hazardous environment employs an environment modeler which creates a computer model of the environment. An environment renderer creates a plurality of images, each corresponding to a viewing location and orientation, `viewpoint`. A remotely operated manipulator arm is attached at a fixed end to a stationary structure, has a utility package, such as a video camera, attached to a distal end, and actuators which move the manipulator arm to desired locations within the environment. The position and orientation of the manipulator arm, are determined by a position and attitude (P&A) sensing unit. This information is passed to an manipulator arm renderer which creates an image from a prestored model of the manipulator arm, viewed from several different viewpoints. The may be interactively determined as an offset from the current position and orientation of the utility package.

Abstract: An interactive surgery planning and display system mixes live video of external surfaces of the patient with interactive computer generated models of internal anatomy obtained from medical diagnostic imaging data of the patient. The computer images and the live video are coordinated and displayed to a surgeon in real-time during surgery allowing the surgeon to view internal and external structures and the relation between them simultaneously, and adjust his surgery accordingly. In an alternative embodiment, a normal anatomical model is also displayed as a guide in reconstructive surgery. Another embodiment employs three-dimensional viewing.

Abstract: A tracking system monitors the position of a device within a subject and superimposes a graphic symbol on a diagnostic image of the subject. Registration of the tracked location with the diagnostic image is maintained in the presence of subject motion by monitoring subject motion and adjusting the display to compensate for subject motion. Motion monitoring can be performed with ultrasonic, optical or mechanical methods. The display can be adjusted by modifying the displayed location of the device or it can be adjusted by translating, rotating or distorting the diagnostic image.