Abstract: A marine propulsion unit drive train including two oppositely facing driven bevel gears having a common rotational axis and different numbers of teeth engaged with a bevel pinion drive gear having a single diametral pitch. Both driven gears have the same pitch diameter but different diametral pitches so that the driven gears rotate at different rates to boost performance when the propulsion unit is operated. The drive train is applicable to single propeller marine propulsion units and dual propeller stem drive units, and a method for fabricating a reduced-tooth driven gear to mesh with a drive pinion of a different diametral pitch is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control used in conjunction with a vacuous chamber enclosing the gradient coils of an MRI apparatus to predict heat dissipation requirements to maintain internal and external temperatures below maximum operating limits thereby enabling higher power applications for faster-imaging with improved quality, as well as allowing longer scan times for interventional procedures. The control includes determining operating parameters of an imminent scan session and predicting therefrom maximum and minimum operating temperatures. The predicted maximum and minimum temperatures are compared to maximum and minimum temperatures required for proper operation of the MRI system. If necessary, the operating profile is adjusted to drive the predicted temperatures to satisfy the temperatures required by environmental and device guidelines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling ignition timing during startup of a two-stroke internal combustion engine while avoiding ignition timing errors caused by engine speed fluctuations. A rotational component of the engine, such as a flywheel, bears a plurality of spaced indicator markers including a plurality of ignition triggering markers, each of which designates a position on the rotational component that is acceptable for triggering ignition in a respective cylinder of the engine. Ignition in each cylinder is triggered upon detecting the associated ignition triggering marker and without taking engine velocity into account. Ignition timing errors that could otherwise be introduced due to erroneous assumptions based on engine speed therefore are avoided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for tracking the motion of fluid traveling through a vessel and determining its velocity spectrum from magnetic resonance data collected within a single cycle. The present invention provides a process of independently acquiring and processing MR data from a single cardiac cycle. By combining a SPAMM excitation with a two-dimensional selective excitation, suitable tags of fluid flowing through the vessel may be created. The combination of the excitations produces a sinusoidal variation of transverse magnetization along a column of the fluid. A succession of gradient echoes are then collected to provide information about the flow of fluid in the excited vessel. Each gradient echo undergoes a transformation to obtain a 1-D projection of the excited fluid across the vessel. The magnitudes of the projections are then used to construct a velocity spectrum of the fluid.

Abstract: In order to reduce bias associated with conventional ECG analysis, the present invention provides a method and apparatus to improve diagnosis of acute cardiac syndromes (ACS), such as acute myocardial infarction and acute cardiac ischemia (unstable angina), in specified groups of patients using ECG signals and automatic detection analysis. Specific criteria are developed and utilized based on a prespecified group selection for the particular patient. After identifying group membership for the particular patient, ECG data are acquired from a patient experiencing ACS symptoms. Known criteria typically used for assessing ACS are then modified for the particular group membership. Such criteria significantly reduce the bias found in a baseline group for which the known criteria were established.