Abstract: An optical communication system includes a rotatable base having a plurality of optical sources and optical receivers mounted thereon, and a stationary base having a plurality of optical sources and optical receivers mounted thereon. The system is configured to send and receive optical signals bi-directionally between the rotatable base and the stationary base while the rotatable base is rotating.

Abstract: A system and method for screening a potential customer and assigning an account number to the potential customer prior to permitting the potential customer to purchase products or services from an automated seller facility over a computer network, such as the Internet, is disclosed. The potential customer enters customer data into a user interface to be received by the seller in the automated seller facility so that the seller can check the potential customer's qualifications. The invention includes performing an initial screening to determine whether the potential customer is qualified to purchase the products or services from the seller. If the potential customer passes the initial screening, an account number is issued to the potential customer. The account number allows the potential customer further access to the automated seller facility so that the potential customer may make an offer to purchase products or services while the automated seller facility performs a complete screening.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for MR imaging in inhomogeneous magnetic fields includes acquisition of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) MR data sets, each data set having a central transmit frequency and a central receive frequency set to a frequency offset that is distinct for each 3D MR data set. A composite image is generated based on the plurality of 3D MR data sets.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling knock in a lean burn internal combustion (IC) engine includes a spark plug having an electrode, and an electrical circuit configured to provide a first voltage to the electrode and detect an ion current during a thermal-ionization phase of the combustion process, and provide a second voltage to the electrode to create a spark and initiate a combustion process within a combustion chamber. The engine includes a controller configured to monitor the ion current for a knock condition that includes at least an incipient knock condition, determine a spark crank angle timing of the IC engine where the incipient knock occurs, and adjust the spark timing of the IC engine to operate at a crank angle that does not exceed a threshold level beyond an incipient knock set point.

Abstract: A motor control center subunit includes a subunit housing configured to fit within a motor control center. The housing has a front panel. The motor control center subunit also includes a drive mechanism attached to the subunit housing. The drive mechanism is configured to control a plurality of line connectors to move between a retracted position and an extended position when the subunit housing is seated in the motor control center and the front panel of the subunit housing is in a closed position. A window is disposed in the front panel of the subunit housing and is positioned to provide a view of the plurality of line connectors.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling knock in a lean burn internal combustion (IC) engine includes a spark plug having an electrode, an electrical circuit, and a controller. The electrical circuit is configured to provide a first voltage to the electrode and detect an ion current during a thermal-ionization phase of the combustion process, and provide a second voltage to the electrode to create a spark and initiate a combustion process within the combustion chamber. The controller is configured to monitor the ion current for a knock condition that includes at least an incipient knock condition, determine a crank angle of the IC engine where the incipient knock occurs, and adjust timing of the IC engine to operate at a crank angle that does not exceed a threshold level beyond inception of incipient knock.

Abstract: An x-ray tube includes a cathode positioned within a vacuum chamber and configured to emit electrons. The x-ray tube includes an anode positioned within the vacuum chamber to receive electrons emitted from the cathode and configured to generate a beam of x-rays from the electrons, a window positioned to pass the beam of x-rays therethrough, and an electron collector structure attached to the x-ray tube having an aperture formed therethrough to allow passage of x-rays therethrough. The aperture is shaped to prevent diffracted x-rays from combining with the beam of x-rays passing through the window.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are presented for quickly acquiring MR cardiac images in a time equivalent to a single breath-hold. MR data acquisition is segmented across multiple cardiac cycles. MR data acquisition is interleaved from each phase of a first cardiac cycle with MR data from each phase of a subsequent cardiac cycle. Preferably, low spatial frequency data are interleaved between multiple cardiac cycles, and the subsequent cardiac cycle acquisition includes sequential acquisition of high spatial frequency data at the tail end of the acquisition window. An MR image can then be reconstructed with data acquired from each of the acquisitions that reduce ghosting and artifacts. MR images are reconstructed using this interleaved variable temporal k-space sampling technique to produce volume images of the heart within a single breath-hold. Images can be acquired throughout the cardiac cycle to measure ventricular volumes and ejection fractions.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting incipient mechanical motor faults by way of current noise cancellation is disclosed. The system includes a controller configured to detect indicia of incipient mechanical motor faults. The controller further includes a processor programmed to receive a baseline set of current data from an operating motor and define a noise component in the baseline set of current data. The processor is also programmed to repeatedly receive real-time operating current data from the operating motor and remove the noise component from the operating current data in real-time to isolate any fault components present in the operating current data. The processor is then programmed to generate a fault index for the operating current data based on any isolated fault components.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system of controlling rotation of a gantry to rotate at a rotational speed such that a desired relationship between center projection angles of neighboring partial scans is maintained.

Abstract: Phase and magnitude correction is performed in two dimensions to reduce ghosting in single shot and multi-shot EPI scans. First, a phase/magnitude correction in the readout direction is carried out to reduce echo shifts and gradient waveform distortions. Then, a two dimensional phase/magnitude correction is performed to remove the remaining xy phase/magnitude errors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for multi-phase cardiac CT imaging includes an adaptive, selective reconstruction process that, when possible, implements an image or non-phase location driven reconstruction process to reconstruct cardiac CT images. If the hardware parameters support an image location driven reconstruction for the particular imaging session then the image location driven reconstruction is implemented. However, if image location driven reconstruction is not supported, a default phase location driven reconstruction is employed. Image location driven reconstruction improves system throughput and improves image quality as more cardiac phase locations can routinely be generated to better “freeze” the motion of the heart of a patient.

Abstract: A system for magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy includes a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet and an RF coil assembly coupled to a pulse generator to emit RF pulse sequences and arranged to receive resulting MR signals from a subject of interest. A system control is also included in the MR spectroscopy system and is coupled to the plurality of gradient coils and the RF coil assembly. The system control is programmed to cause the RF coil assembly to emit a first RF pulse and a second RF pulse, wherein at least one of the first and second RF pulses is spectrally selective and at least one of the first and second RF pulses is spatially selective. The system control is also programmed to cause the RF coil assembly to emit a third RF pulse after a pre-defined time delay to generate a stimulated echo and detect MR signals resulting from the stimulated echo.

Abstract: A system and process to manage and administer assets of an institution is provided and includes a graphical user interface to display urgent device alerts and scheduled tasks reminders. The system includes a consolidation engine that, at a centralized processing facility, receives and consolidates data from a number of auto-generation and manual-generated data sources, which are located within a host facility. A method to graphically display consolidated condition data for equipment of a host facility is also provided.

Abstract: Cast collimators for use in CT imaging systems are described, as are methods of making them. Such collimators may comprise pre-patient collimators, pre-patient filter/collimator assemblies, and/or post-patient collimators. The filters and/or collimators may be made of any suitable high-density, high atomic number material such as lead, a lead alloy, tantalum, tungsten, tungsten suspended in an epoxy matrix, tungsten suspended in a slurry, or the like. Embodiments of these collimators comprise specially-designed channels and vanes that allow them to be precision cast to the necessary degree of accuracy. These channels and vanes are preferably tapered. These collimators and filter/collimator assemblies help minimize the x-ray dose to the patient by minimizing the scattered radiation creation mechanism and by collimating out much of the scattered radiation that would otherwise be subjected to the patient.

Abstract: Pin-based support structures for easily and precisely assembling CT detector components into individual detector modules are described, as are methods of making the same. The pins in these structures serve as the local reference points against which all other detector components (i.e., collimators, scintillator packs, diodes, electronic flex connectors, etc.) are aligned. The pins may also be used to quickly and easily attach the individual detector modules to the local detector reference frame and then to the global reference frame in a CT imaging system. These structures allow CT detector components to be more easily and economically assembled than previously possible. Furthermore, these structures are extensible in the Z-direction, allowing for longer Z-coverage with each rotation of the gantry, thereby allowing for full organ imaging in a single CT scan.

Abstract: A system and method for parallel imaging is disclosed that generates linear combination coefficient weights by solving systems of linear equations formulated with correlation values. An MRI apparatus includes a computer programmed to acquire MR data from an imaging volume for a plurality of encoding locations using an array of RF receiver coils. Correlation values are calculated from the MR data. From these calculated correlation values, synthesis weights are generated. An image is then reconstructed based on an application of the synthesis weights to at least a portion of the MR data acquired from the array of RF receiver coils.