Abstract: A constant switching current flip-flop includes a latch circuit that provides latch outputs of the flip-flop, whereby the latch outputs are reset to zero at the beginning of each clock cycle to eliminate pattern dependent switching currents. The latch circuit is reset responsive to control signals provided without significant delay.

Abstract: A device for providing a constant mass flow rate to a downstream column system of a gas chromatograph includes a small full scale mass flow controller that controls carrier gas to flow at a first mass flow rate and a flow resistance element, including an inlet port connected to a sample inlet, an outlet port connected to the downstream column system, and a pressure sensing port in fluid communication with the outlet port and the mass flow controller. A sample inlet pressure controller controls the sample inlet at a first pressure, and a pressure sensor measures a second pressure of the carrier gas at the pressure sensing port. A set point of the first pressure is determined as a function of the second pressure, flow resistance of the flow resistance element, and a second mass flow rate from the inlet port to the outlet port of the flow resistance element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the quality, expressed in terms of a quality value, of an biomolecule sample, based on measured data of the biomolecule sample, by extracting a number of prescribed features from the measured data using data analysis, and determining the quality value from the extracted features using a quality algorithm.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer having a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) source which operates at ambient pressure is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of automatically controlling an extendable robot arm to avoid collisions while returning to a first position from a second position includes periodically storing locations of the robot arm as the robot arm moves along a forward path from the first position to the second position; applying heuristic algorithms to the stored locations to determine a return path to the first position, the return path including at least a portion of a retrace path retracing the stored locations of the forward path; and controlling the robot arm to return to the first position using the determined return path.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable storage media for providing image-extracted measurements extracted from an image of at least one cell or subcellular component with the image. At least one attribute is determined from the image-extracted measurement of the at least one cell or sub-cellular component. The image of the at least one cell or sub-cellular component is virtually stained with at least one color, wherein different colors represent different attributes, and wherein the at least one color is virtually stained in locations of the image from where the image-extracted measurements were extracted for the attribute that that color represents.

Abstract: An atmospheric pressure ionization apparatus includes a chamber, an ion inlet structure, an electrode, a sample emitter, and a gas passage. The ion inlet structure includes a sampling orifice. The electrode includes an electrode bore. An ionization region is defined between the ion inlet structure and the electrode. The flared structure is coaxially disposed about the ion inlet structure, and extends along an outward direction that includes a radial component relative to the sampling axis. The sample emitter is oriented at an angle to the sampling axis for directing a sample stream toward the ionization region. The gas passage directs a stream of gas from a gas source to the chamber. The flared structure and the wall cooperatively form an outward-directed portion of the gas passage that extends annularly about the sampling axis and along the outward direction. The gas flows through the outward-directed portion, around the flared structure, and toward the ionization region and the electrode bore.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable media for controlling an instrument in communication with a host computer are provided. Operations of an instrument that must be completed on schedule are controlled via an embedded controller embedded in the instrument. A complete status packet is sent to a host computer from the embedded controller. Periodically, the embedded controller repeats the sending of a complete status packet to the host computer, wherein status values in the complete status packet are updated with each iteration of sending a complete status packet.

Abstract: A mass analyzer comprises a pair of planar electrode structures. The electrode structures are disposed opposite one another, parallel to one another, and axially offset from one another. One of the pair of planar electrodes comprises an opening. The mass analyzer comprises an ion mirror disposed between the pair of planar electrodes. A mass spectrometer and a mass spectrometry method are also described.

Abstract: A method of replacing an ion source in a mass spectrometer (MS) system is provided, where the ion source includes an ionization volume, at least one ionizing element and at least one focusing element, and where the mass MS system includes the ion source, a vacuum chamber that houses the ion source, and an interlock chamber. The method includes opening a valve between the interlock chamber and the vacuum chamber, moving the ion source into the interlock chamber through the opened valve and closing the valve, and removing the ion source from the interlock chamber. The ion source may further include means for plugging into a docking station in substantially one action, where the docking station provides sufficient electrical connection, upon plugging with the ion source, for operation of the ion source.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, the system receives user inputs including: (1) a netlist that describes the circuit elements and connections of an integrated circuit; (2) a mathematical device model that corresponds to the integrated circuit and that includes an equation with a number of parameters and decision variables grouped into terms; and (3) a description of an input voltage. Based on these inputs, the system calculates an output such as a voltage or current. The system displays a GUI that includes a view which shows each of the terms of the equation after a value has been assigned to each parameter and to each decision variable and a view which shows each of the terms of the equation after reduction of the values assigned to each parameter and each decision variable. Upon receipt of a user's change to the value of a parameter, the system promptly updates the views.

Abstract: An interface for use in a mass spectrometer is disclosed. The interface comprises a first ion funnel comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, and a first axis between the first inlet and the first outlet. The interface further comprises a second ion funnel in tandem with the first ion funnel, the second ion funnel comprising a second inlet and a second outlet, and a second axis between the second inlet and the second outlet. The first axis and the second axis are offset relative to one another. A mass spectrometer comprising the interface and a method are disclosed.

Abstract: A system includes at least two IEEE 1588 nodes. The nodes are connected by two paths: a low latency communication path and a high bandwidth path. The clocks within the nodes are synchronized to one another at a network interface. Data and timing are transmitted on the high bandwidth path while critical timing signals are passed on the low latency communication path thereby improving timing synchronization.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) receiver using digital downconversion and subsampling tracks transmit and/or receive signal phases according to time(s) elapsed since reference times (e.g. reset times) corresponding to known phases. Carrier-frequency (fc) NMR signals are digitized directly, using a sampling frequency (fs) lower than fc. Digital downconversion and carrier phase correction are performed to yield NMR modulations of interest. A phase determination circuit may include an N-bit counter incremented at fs and an associated count register storing an indicator of a time elapsed since a carrier generator reset for each transient sampling period start, A real-time controller synchronously resets the counters and corresponding signal generators. A sin/cos lookup table maps counts to phase correction function values.

Abstract: A plunger for a syringe used to inject gas and liquid chromatography samples has an end portion surrounded by a flexible sleeve. The sleeve forms a seal in the bore of a barrel traversed by the plunger, the bore being in fluid communication with a cannula attached to the end of the barrel. The plunger has an end surface that is exposed and is flush with an annular end surface of the sleeve. The plunger end surface, and not the sleeve, contacts the cannula upon injection and avoids imposing cyclical hoop stresses on the barrel which tend to crack the barrel after a finite number of cycles. In a further embodiment, a thin layer of sleeve material covers the end surface of the plunger. The thin layer avoids inducing significant barrel stress.

Abstract: A method for optimizing loop gain of an atomic force microscope (AFM) apparatus includes determining a change in gain of the physical system and adjusting a controller frequency response of the controller in an AFM loop to compensate for the determined change in gain. The AFM loop has a corresponding loop response that includes the product of the controller frequency response and a physical system response of the physical system.

Abstract: A system for measuring inter-carrier interference (ICI) in an OFDM system includes a test symbol generator coupled to a transmitter of the OFDM system to generate an N*N orthogonal matrix having N*N test symbols, and to send the test symbols in a test symbol stream via the transmitter to a receiver of the OFDM system. The N*N test symbols are arranged by the test symbol generator into an N*N orthogonal matrix before being sent to the receiver. The system also includes an ICI measuring module coupled to the receiver to detect the N*N test symbols received in the receiver and to arrange the test symbols as a receiving matrix in the same way as the orthogonal matrix in the transmitter. The ICI measuring module outputs the receiving matrix as an ICI matrix of the OFDM system, wherein an element on the kth row, lth column of the ICI matrix represents interference from the lth sub-carrier on the kth sub-carrier, wherein k?l.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for determining the quality of a CGH array, including calculating a spread of the derivative of log ratio value differences between consecutive probes representing consecutive positions along a chromosome, wherein ratio values are calculated from probe signals from a CGH array.

Abstract: A network analyzer comprises: a signal source configured to supply an input signal to a device, wherein the device is configured to generate a phase reference signal; a receiver configured to receive the phase reference signal from the device and to measure a phase response of the device according to the phase reference signal; and a calibration component configured to compare the measured phase response of the device with an actual phase response of the device to identify a tracking parameter for the receiver.

Abstract: A thermal conductivity detector includes a structure defining a cavity, the structure principally comprising a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; a sensing element for sensing a thermal conductivity of a gas flowing within the cavity, the sensing element having a second coefficient of thermal expansion different from the third first coefficient of thermal expansion, the sensing element being disposed at least in part within the cavity; and a compensation structure having a third coefficient of thermal expansion different from the first and second thermal coefficients of expansion. Over a selected temperature range, a stress within the sensing element is less than a yield stress of any component of the sensing element, and a stress within the compensation structure is less than a yield stress of any component of the compensation structure.