Abstract: An electrode for use in an electrochemical machining process comprising an outer metal skin of corrosion resistant material, an inner core of conductive material, and an insulating coating disposed on an external surface of the outer metal skin. The external surface is partially coated with the insulating coating so as to define a pattern of raised areas to be formed on an internal surface of a predrilled hole in a workpiece.

Abstract: An electrode used as a tool in an electrochemical machining process to generate raised areas or ridges in the walls of a predrilled hole in an electrically conductive workpiece has an electrically conductive cylinder partially coated with an electrically insulating material in a pattern defining the raised areas to be formed. The pattern may comprise a plurality of spaced apart rings. An electrochemical machining method of drilling bulbs in the walls of a predrilled hole uses the electrode of the invention to greatly increase process efficiency.

Abstract: An apparatus and method including a closed-circuit coolable airfoil assembly for use and exposure in a hot fluid flow of a machine portion. The assembly includes a first flange configured to be connected with a casing of the machine portion. A second flange is configured to be connected with the casing. An airfoil is connected with and between the first flange and the second flange, the airfoil including a peripheral portion surrounding a medial portion. At least one channel is disposed in the peripheral portion, the channel extending between the first flange and the second flange and being in flow communication with each. A closed flow path is formed from the casing and through the first flange, the second flange and the channel in which a coolant fluid can pass to cool the airfoil assembly.

Abstract: A magnet having an imaging volume, a pole piece with a laminated portion including a first surface hole, a non-magnetizable first insert with an internally-threaded hole, and a first shim with a shape of an externally-threaded bolt. The first insert is positioned in the first surface hole and is attached to the pole piece. The first shim is threaded into the hole of the first insert. Additional shims for additional inserts for additional surface holes are used to shim the magnet to reduce magnetic field inhomogeneities in the imaging volume.

Abstract: An imaging system enables cardiac functioning within a particular cardiac chamber to be imaged. The system acquires imaging data that includes intensity values for four-dimensional voxels within a region of interest (ROI). A seed voxel is identified, and neighbor voxels to the seed voxel are also identified. The intensity values for each neighbor voxel are compared to a threshold to determine whether the voxel corresponds to blood or muscle tissue. For each neighbor voxel corresponding to blood, its neighbor voxels are identified and compared to the threshold, and this process is repeated until a pre-established spatial boundary is encountered or the number of new neighbor voxels indicates that processing is migrating into an adjacent cardiac chamber. At that point, the set of identified blood voxels represents a blood volume for the desired cardiac chamber. Voxels adjacent to the interior and exterior surface boundaries of the blood volume are added to the set.

Abstract: A method for modeling an object with a polygonal mesh includes obtaining a closed-surface polygonal mesh and positioning the closed-surface polygonal mesh relative to the object. A ray is projected through a point-of-interest on said closed-surface polygonal mesh. The existence of an intersection point between said ray and a surface of the object is determined and the location of the point-of-interest is adjusted in response to the existence and location of the intersection point. The projecting is repeated for a plurality of points in the closed-surface polygonal mesh in order to approximate the object.

Abstract: A post-beamformer signal processing algorithm is utilized in a system for improving ultrasound B-scan resolution and contrast. The algorithm is based on a model of the imaging process that represents: 1) the shape of the pulse transmitted by the transducer and the frequency-dependent attenuation of that pulse as it propagates through tissue and back to the transducer; and 2) the effects of changes in frequency-dependent attenuation and in scatterer density as the pulse propagates across tissue boundaries and through cystic and calcified structures. The system provides substantial improvements in resolution and contrast as compared to standard envelope-detected imagery.

Abstract: A low cost mixed analog digital application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) includes a standard central processing it (CPU) programmed to execute a correlation function for arc detection. Use of a standard CPU is possible because need for digital fourier analysis is eliminated by the ASIC architecture. The SIC includes a power supply configured to be coupled to an AC power line for supplying power to the ASIC components, and further includes a current sensor coupled to a current-carrying conductor for generating a signal representative of current in the conductor. A first analog-to-digital converter (ADC), coupled in series with the current sensor, has its output coupled to a central processing unit (CPU). The CPU supplies a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with a digital signal representative of a portion of the sensed current. The DAC supplies this signal, in analog form, to a summer, which also receives an output signal from the current sensor.

Abstract: Two parts are coaxially aligned at opposing face ends. The parts are temporarily compressed together at the face ends during welding thereof to control size of the resulting weld joint. Temporary compression may be effected by applying a compression force through the parts to abut together the face ends, and then limiting plastic displacement of the parts at the weld joint during welding. The displacement control limits radial expansion at the weld joint in a preferred embodiment.

Abstract: Magnetic shields for plastic molded electricity meter frames are positioned to substantially block external magnetic fields from adversely affecting operation of meter components. The shield can be utilized with either electromechanical or electronic energy meters. In an electromechanical watthour meter which employs an aluminum disk driven to rotate through a magnetic field produced by a retarding magnet, the meter frame includes an integrally formed retarding magnet shield and an integrally formed bearing shield. The shields are coextensive with the frame, and extend from an inner periphery of the frame toward the retarding magnet and the bearing, respectively. The shields are formed of a magnetically permeable powder, such as a ferrite powder mixed with the plastic material from which the meter frame is molded. The shields divert externally applied fields away from the magnetically sensitive components of the meter without adversely affecting meter accuracy.

Abstract: An electrochemical machining process is disclosed for forming multiple raised areas having multiple heights in a wall of predrilled holes within a workpiece. Positioned within each hole is an electrode coated with an insulating material in a pattern defining the raised areas to be formed in the wall of each respective hole. An electric current is applied from a power supply to each of the electrodes. A resistor is positioned between the power supply and at least one of the electrodes to vary the voltage passing through the electrode to vary the amount of material removed within that respective hole.

Abstract: A remote inventory system employs unique serial numbers ‘burned’ into each board/software routine desired to be tracked. These boards/routines find their way into machines at various remote sites each connected to a base by a remote link. A monitor program is run by a microprocessor resident at each remote site. It periodically collects the serial numbers and other information regarding the boards/routines, and transmits the information to a base running a base program. The base program interacting with a database, determines the hardware/software configuration, performance history, tracks the lifecycle of a board/routine. It may also be possible to determine remote sites running unauthorized ‘protected property’.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging of biological tissue using multiple harmonic response parameters is performed by transmitting a pulse centered at fundamental frequency ƒ0 and filtering the returned beamformed signal with a bandpass filter centered at a frequency less than ƒ0. The fundamental transmit pulse spectrum and the receive filter passband are chosen to have negligible overlap so that substantially only harmonic signal components are bandpassed. The harmonic signals leaked through the passband from harmonic spectra centered at DC or at ƒ0 are detected and processed to form display image data which are displayed on a display subsystem. The signal content leaked through the passband is a function of the entire set of harmonic response parameters.

Abstract: A magnet, such as a closed, superconductive, magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) magnet, includes a main coil and includes a shielding coil positioned radially outward from the main coil. A magnetizable member is positioned radially outward from the main coil and radially inward from the shielding coil to supplement the strength, and increase the homogeneity of, the magnetic field created, at least in part, by the main coil and to supplement the shielding provided, at least in part, by the shielding coil.

Abstract: Anisotropic data having data spacing significantly larger between layers of data compared with spacing between adjacent data values, is supplemented with additional data to approximate isometric data. The ratio of spacing in one dimension to another is referred to as an aspect ratio A. Preferably, spacing is halved until spacing a modified aspect ratio A′ is near unity. Intermediate values are interpolated between existing values of the anisotropic data to create approximate isotropic data having a modified aspect ratio A′. Surface voxels are determined from the approximate isotropic data. 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 viewing elevation angle is converted to an effective elevation angle. The surface is then rendered into a 2D screen image as if it were created from isotropic data.

Abstract: A gas oven comprises at least a first burner element disposed within an oven cavity of the gas oven. A first control valve is disposed within a gas line connected to the burner element and to a gas source. The control valve controls gas flow to the burner element. A first temperature sensor is positioned so as to detect temperature about the burner element. A controller is electrically coupled to the temperature sensor and to the control valve wherein the controller ensures successful ignition of the burner element by monitoring the temperature signals generated from the temperature sensor to determine if the temperature signals increase a rate that is greater than a predetermined.

Abstract: A magnet, such as a closed, superconductive, magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) magnet includes a main coil, a magnetizable article, and a shielding coil positioned radially outward from the main coil and magnetizable article. Two magnetizable members are positioned radially outward from the main coil and magnetizable article and radially inward from the shielding coil to supplement the strength, and increase the homogeneity of, the magnetic field created, at least in part, by the main coil and magnetizable article and to supplement the shielding provided, at least in part, by the shielding coil.

Abstract: A magnet, such as a closed, superconductive, magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) magnet includes a main coil, a correction coil, and a shielding coil positioned radially outward from the main and correction coils. Two magnetizable members are positioned radially outward from the main and correction coils and radially inward from the shielding coil to shorten the magnet, to supplement the strength, and increase the homogeneity of, the magnetic field created, at least in part, by the main and correction coils and to supplement the shielding provided, at least in part, by the shielding coil.

Abstract: An imaging method and system generates images of non-planar portions of a three dimensional data point array wherein the non-planar portion corresponds to a non-planar object. The method includes selecting at least two different intermediate imaging planes, each selected plane including at least a portion of the object to be imaged, generating cross-sectional views perpendicular to each intermediate plane, selecting a viewing plane, projecting the cross-sectional views onto the viewing plane to generate transition value sets, and combining the transition value sets to generate values for each pixel in a display.

Abstract: In performing flow imaging using coded excitation and wall filtering, a coded sequence of broadband pulses (centered at a fundamental frequency) is transmitted multiple times to a particular transmit focal position, each coded sequence constituting one firing. On receive, the receive signals acquired for each firing are supplied to a finite impulse response filter which both compresses and bandpass filters the receive pulses, e.g., to isolate a compressed pulse centered at the fundamental frequency. The compressed and isolated signals are then high pass filtered across firings using a wall filter. The wall-filtered signals are used to image blood flow and contrast agents.