Patents Represented by Attorney Peter Vogel, Esq.
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Patent number: 7807977Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments, row-correlated noise of a digital X-ray detector is monitored during idle operation of the digital X-ray detector and the magnitude of the row-correlated noise is compared to a visible threshold.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2007Date of Patent: October 5, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ping Xue, James Zhengshe Liu, Chuande Liu, Scott William Petrick, Kenneth Scott Kump
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Patent number: 7787014Abstract: In some implementations, a portable imaging system includes a host computer, a docking station connected to the host computer, and a portable imaging device intermittently attached to the docking station and configured to communicate data with the host computer through a wired connection when the portable imaging device is attached to the docking station, and through a wireless connection when detached from the docking station. In some implementations, a method for communicating data between a portable imaging device and a computer is also provided. In some implementations, the method includes determining whether a wired connection is established between the portable imaging device and the computer. In some implementations, if established, the wired connection is used to communicate data between the portable imaging device and the computer.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2005Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Zeljko John Serceki
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Patent number: 7783009Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which a safety switch arrangement is assembled to prevent false activation of a subsystem in a medical system. In some embodiments, the safety switching arrangement comprises at least a first and a second type of switching element. In some embodiments, the first and the second type of switch each have an output that is processed by a processor, controller, or logic unit to produce an output signal for activating or deactivating a subsystem in the medical system.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2006Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Scott A. Bielski, Matthew B. Peterson, Kevin A Coombs, Jonathan M. Butzine, Kenneth M Stopar
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Patent number: 7755059Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some implementations field-effect-transistor (FET) leakage from a pixel array panel of a digital X-ray detector is reduced by acquiring an image and an offset image from the pixel array panel of the digital X-ray detector while a negative voltage of the pixel array panel is at a higher level than a negative voltage of a threshold state of the pixel array panel of the digital X-ray detector.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2008Date of Patent: July 13, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Ping Xue, Ching-Yeu Wei, Donald Langler, Fengchao Zhang
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Patent number: 7719543Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing visual consistency for a dataset of images by using observed and formulated display attributes. The formulated display attributes are derived from an analysis of a first set of images from the image repository. The formulated display attributes from the first set are combined with observer's display attributes to determine scaling factors. The optimized display attributes are then derived from the calculated scaling factors for a second set of images. In another aspect, a system and method is described where a digital image is processed in order to enhance viewing of the image on a display device in accordance to the optimized attributes associated with the observer.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2005Date of Patent: May 18, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kadri Nizar Jabri, Gopal B. Avinash, Chaitanya Yashwant Deodhar
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Patent number: 7686311Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments a lateral motion of an imaging device is provided by at least one friction reduction device that provides motion in a direction that is lateral to main wheels of the imaging device.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2006Date of Patent: March 30, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Samuel Lee Alder, Vernon Thomas Jensen
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Patent number: 7683322Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments a non-volatile storage medium is or can be operably coupled to a medical image acquisition device to reduce the risk of loss of medical image data.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2006Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Scott William Petrick, Jacob Robert Bauer, Zeljko John Serceki
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Patent number: 7676407Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an online purchasing system. In one embodiment, the online system includes business logic for approving a purchase requisition having a plurality of itemized goods and service and requiring approval by a plurality of authorized approvers on a line item by line item basis. An approval table defining identified authorized approver and conditions under which the authorized approvers must approve specified line items in a particular purchase request is generated by the online purchasing system to enable approvers of the purchase requisition to monitor the status of the particular purchase request. In a second embodiment, the online purchasing system through extracting business logic identified a second group of authorized approver and conditions under which the authorized approvers must approve specified line items.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2004Date of Patent: March 9, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: David J Van De Van, Prashant Sinha, Moshin Dawoodbhai
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Patent number: 7632545Abstract: In one embodiment, a radiation shielding composition comprises lead oxide or lead composite material of predetermined particle size, and an adhesive, wherein the composition comprises free flow property.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2005Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Cariappa Achappa Baduvamanda, Bhaskar Raj
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Patent number: 7634302Abstract: A method of differentiating tissues in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) comprising applying a Magnetization Transfer (MT) pre-pulse in combination with the Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) pulse sequence to obtain an image of the tissue under evaluation. Analysis maps and/or measurements are generated from the obtained image, from which values representative of the macromolecular content are computed for obtaining tissue differentiation.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2004Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Anasuya Mohan Rao, Ramesh Venkatesan
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Patent number: 7632014Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for angulation enhancement. An X-ray system comprising X-ray detector and X-ray source disposed at different ends of the X-ray system. An apparatus shifts a beam field produced by the X-ray source towards the edge of the X-ray detector whereby a large X-ray detector on a vascular X-ray system can be utilized to image smaller anatomy at extremes angles.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2007Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Albert Wolfe
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Patent number: 7620143Abstract: In some embodiments, an optical mask for a CT detector is disclosed. In some embodiments, the mask is intercalated between a photodiode array and a scintillator array forming the CT detector. In some embodiments, the optical mask may extend along one or more axes and differentially absorbs and/or reflects light emitted from the scintillators at edges of photodiodes forming the diode array, with less absorption or reflection at edges of tiled die forming the diode array than in central portions of each of the die. Through selective absorption and/or reflection, transference of light photons from a scintillator to the photodiode corresponding to a neighboring scintillator is spatially modified, at least partially compensating for spatial differences in crosstalk signals between adjacent pairs of photodiode/scintillator cell elements. This reduction in differential crosstalk reduces artifacts in a reconstructing data descriptive of internal portions of a subject, which improves diagnostic value of the data.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2007Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Abdelaziz Ikhlef, Faisal Saeed
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Patent number: 7579838Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which a partially elongated field-of-view in a magnetic resonance imaging system is generated either by an asymmetric primary coil or a conventional symmetrical primary coil with a supplementary high odd-order shim that elongates the field-of-view towards one end of the bore. For significantly increased efficiency, the high odd-order shim can evoke specific parts of the primary coil by injecting additional current and/or subtracting current from specific turns, as required.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2005Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Timothy James Hollis
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Patent number: 7539245Abstract: The invention relates to a communication system comprising a modulator, encoder, decoder, demodulator, and a data input source, which employs an improved modulation technique by effectively utilizing the conjugate signal space in Digital Pulse Position Modulation (DPPM) format. This technique utilizes multiple the DPPM formats, whereby M data bits are conveyed by splitting them into sets of k bits. The split data are encoded to have forward and conjugate pulse positions for transmission over a transmission channel, which are discriminated and combined into a M-bit digital output. The system and method achieve superior characteristics in terms of data rate, channel utilization and coding efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2003Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Shubhra Venna, Shiban Kishan Kak
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Patent number: 7534037Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided through which mechanical members associated with a moving subsystem on a mobile X-ray medical imaging system are accelerated and decelerated using triangular acceleration and deceleration pulses having pulse widths that do not provide excitation energy that will cause unwanted vibrations in the members.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2006Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Steven Emerson Curtis
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Patent number: 7522707Abstract: In some embodiments, an X-ray target includes a target cap formed of a substrate material and a focal track layer of emitting material, and at least one of the substrate material and the emitting material has a density greater than about 95.0% of theoretical density. In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing an X-ray target includes forming an intermediate target cap form of substrate material and a focal track layer of emitting material, and compacting the intermediate target cap form by application of gas pressure at elevated temperature to form a final target cap form, and at least the substrate material is dense substrate material having a final density greater than an intermediate density or the emitting material is dense emitting material having a final emitting material density greater than an intermediate emitting material density.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2006Date of Patent: April 21, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Gregory Alan Steinlage, Thomas Carson Tiearney, Jr., Michael Scott Hebert, Paul Alfred Siemers, Kirk Alan Rogers, Ray Alden Henrichsen
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Patent number: 7522755Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which a specialized back-projection process reconstructs a finely detailed and crisp three-dimensional image (3-D) from a series of two-dimensional (2-D) images by pre-filtering the 2-D images with a first group of settings before back-projecting the 2-D images into a 3-D image, and then post-filtering the 3-D image with another group of settings. In some embodiments, the first group of settings and the second group of settings are synergistically optimized in relation to each other to provide emphasis on a structure of interest in the object.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2005Date of Patent: April 21, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Baojun Li, Gopal B. Avinash, Renuka Uppaluri
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Patent number: 7519157Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments, a wrap-around capture device of an X-ray collimator frame limits movement of an X-ray tube mounting bracket away from the X-ray collimator. In some embodiments, a C-shaped passive capture device is attached or mounted on the wrap-around capture device, having a portion that is positioned in between the wrap-around capture device and the X-ray collimator frame, which further limits movement of the X-ray tube mounting bracket.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2005Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ron Kent Hockersmith, Edward Emaci, James Lorne Dodge, Eric Matthew Plate
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Patent number: 7519441Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which movement of a medical imaging device is detected and the movement is assisted in magnitude by an external force.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2005Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Jonathon Carl Boomgaarden
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Patent number: 7519156Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for hot swapping a portable detector to an imaging system. A portable detector having a unique identifier and calibration data is detected by an imaging system. The imaging system selects the calibration data for the detected portable detector. The imaging system uses the calibration data in the imaging process. In some embodiments, the selected calibration data can be stored in the portable detector or in the imaging system. In some embodiments, the calibration data is organized as both imaging system dependent and imaging system independent. In some embodiments, the imaging system integrates the portable detector and the associated calibration data into the operation of the imaging system.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2007Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Rajeev R. Marar