Abstract: The electronic ballast with lamp type determination for an electronic ballast providing power to a lamp filament 208 includes a filament current sensing circuit 220 operably connected to the lamp filament 208 and generating a sensed filament current signal, and a microprocessor U2 receiving the sensed filament current signal and operably connected to control the power to the lamp filament 208. The microprocessor U2 is programmed to heat the lamp filament by applying the power at a first frequency, measure the filament characteristics, and determine lamp type from the measured filament characteristics. The microprocessor U2 can also be programmed to update operating parameters for the electronic ballast to suit the determined lamp type.

Abstract: An illumination device (1) for illuminating an object comprising a light source (2) to emit light (21), an adjustable optical element (3) for adjusting the light (21) originated from the light source (2) into adjusted light (31), and a controller (4) for controlling at least one element of a group of elements comprising the adjustable optical element (3) and the light source (2) in response to an adjusting control signal (71) via at least one driving signal (75, 76).

Abstract: The invention relates to a cooled high-pressure gas-discharge lamp, at least comprising a cooled envelope (43) that seals off hermetically a discharge chamber (431) filled with a gas, there being, at least in the discharge chamber (431), a non-uniform temperature distribution at the time of the gas discharge, and comprising a cooling means (7) having a coolant, which cooling means (7) produces a directed flow (9) of coolant, there being a liquid coolant acting on the envelope (43) of the lamp, it being possible for the lamp to be operated at a higher power, and the flow (9) of coolant being such that, when the power consumption of the lamp is increased, any devitrification of the envelope (43) of the lamp and any condensation of the gas is substantially prevented.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for guiding a probe over the surface of the skin of a patient. Performing measurements with ultrasound techniques for small structures such as blood vessels need well-defined spatial relationship between the measuring probe and the tissue which has to be examined. The invention seeks to ensure a movement of the measuring probe in a controlled and precise way over the skin. Therefore, a system 1 is suggested which comprises a probe holder 2 to which a probe 4 is rigidly attachable. The probe holder 2 is moveable along at least one rail 5, 5?. The rail can be wrapped around the patient 3 or a body part 7 of the patient or the animal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus (1) for inductively measuring the bio-impedance of a user's body. Furthermore the invention relates to a bed (2) comprising said apparatus (1). In order to provide a method and apparatus for spatially resolved inductively measuring the bio-impedance of a user's body without a complex circuitry, an apparatus (1) is suggested for inductively measuring the bio-impedance of a user's body, whereas the apparatus (1) comprises a number of first inductors (4), said first inductors (4) being adapted to induce an alternating magnetic field in the user's body and the apparatus (1) further comprises a number of second inductors (6), said second inductors (6) being adapted to measure a secondary magnetic field in the user's body, characterized in that each of the number of first inductors (4) overlaps at least one of the number of second inductors (6) to form a number of measuring areas (12, 25).

Abstract: An autostereoscopic display 101, which provides a depth perception by providing a viewer's left and right eyes (104a, 104b) with two slightly different perspectives of an image to be displayed, is provided for ultrasound guided interventions with a surgical instrument (103). The surgeon watches displayed ultrasound data (102), rendered for at least two views. The plane at which those views (L, R) intersect is adjusted to correspond exactly with the tracked three-dimensional position within a displayed scene of the surgical instrument (103), which position can be extracted from the three-dimensional ultrasound data by means of, for example, 3D object recognition. Thus, the point of reconstruction of the image presented to the viewer can be dynamically adjusted to correspond with the position of the surgical instrument on which the surgeon's eyes are presumed to be focused.

Abstract: A parasitic capacitance compensation system and method, with a parasitic capacitance compensation circuit for an electronic ballast including a phase detector 60 generating a phase difference signal 62 in response to a lamp voltage signal 48 and an output current signal 50, a filter 64 generating a dimming correction signal 66 in response to the phase difference signal 62, and an adjuster 68 generating an adjusted dim signal 44 in response to a dim signal 54 and the dimming correction signal 66. A parasitic capacitance compensation method for an electronic ballast includes measuring phase difference between a lamp voltage and an output current, determining an amount of parasitic current from the phase difference, and increasing the output current by the amount of the parasitic current.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes an imaging probe having an array of transducer elements that is flat and relatively elongated in the azimuth direction and is curved outwardly in the elevation direction. As a result, when the transducer elements are scanned in a step-wise manner, the acoustic pattern of the probe diverges in the elevation direction. The probe therefore provides a large field of view in the near field despite using relatively few transducer elements. The probe also includes sub-array beamformers to delay signals transmitted and received from the transducer elements in respective sub-arrays. The received signals are coupled to an imaging system which includes a signal path that processes the received signals into signals corresponding to a volumetric image. A display coupled to the signal path can then show a volumetric image of anatomical features in a volumetric region adjacent the array of transducer elements.

Abstract: In a cardiac monitoring method, at east an inactive natriuretic peptide (22) and an active natriuretic peptide (20) are assayed in a biological sample taken from a patient. Both the inactive and active natriuretic peptides are produced in the patient responsive to cardiac stress. A therapeutic agent (26), such as a synthetic or mimetic natriuretic peptide, is administered to the patient. The administered therapeutic agent substantially interferes with the active natriuretic peptide assay but does not substantially interfere with the inactive natriuretic peptide assay. Kinetics of the administered therapeutic agent are determined based on at least the active natriuretic peptide assay. Cardiac diagnostic information is determined based on at least the inactive natriuretic peptide assay.

Abstract: A method of matching prone and supine colon image data is disclosed. The method comprises matching prone centerline colon data with supine centerline colon data to identify partially matching sections of the prone and supine centerlines, and identifying a portion of the prone centerline (Trans(PO)) corresponding to a gap in the supine centerline data. The portion (Trans(PO)) of the prone centerline data corresponding to a gap in the supine centerline data is then fit between the end points (TP(S1), TP(SO)) of the gap in the supine centerline data to provide a continuous section of centerline data to enable data in the prone colon image to be automatically matched to data in the supine colon image.

Abstract: An electroluminescent light source comprising a transparent substrate (3), a transparent electrode (4), a reflective electrode (9) and at least one organic electroluminescent layer (5) for emitting light, with a thickness of more than 300 nm, preferably more than 400 nm, particularly preferably more than 500 nm, arranged between the electrodes (4, 9).

Abstract: An electric cooking appliance comprising heating means (9) for heating a bowl (4) and sensor means (10,11) for sensing the temperature of the bowl (4). The sensor means (10,11) comprise a movable thermal contact member (10) to contact the wall (5) of the bowl (4). The cooking appliance is provided with detection means (18,19) for detecting the presence of the bowl (4), whereby displacement of said movable thermal contact member (10) operates said detection means (18,19).

Abstract: In summary, when new optical record media types become available in the market that are not supported by the optical drive 530 a user has, in addition to upgrading the existing optical drive to be able to read/write these new optical record media types, the host application that is being used to read/write optical record media will have to be updated. This problem is solved by providing a method to operate the optical drive 530 in an emulation mode for emulating different optical record media types. The emulation feature allows using the existing application that can handle an old optical record media type to be used on new optical record media. Additionally, the emulation feature allows designing host applications for newer type of optical record media that become available by using the existing old optical record media types.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an evanescent field induced optical sensor of a transparent polymer substrate coated with a thin transparent polymer waveguide for use as biosensor for detecting biological molecules, wherein the transparent polymer waveguide has a thickness of ?0.10 ?m and ?0.50 ?m and a refractive index nD of 1.39 to 1.79, said transparent polymer waveguide has a coupling grating recess structure for enhancing the coupling of the light wave into said transparent polymer waveguide, the lower surface of said transparent polymer waveguide contacts the transparent polymer substrate, said transparent polymer substrate has a refractive index n of 1.29 to 1.69, wherein the material of said transparent polymer waveguide and said transparent poly-mer substrate is selected such that the difference of the refractive index ?nD of said transparent polymer waveguide and said transparent polymer substrate is at least ? n 0.

Abstract: A method for determining the relative locations of plural wirelessly controllable building service device nodes and switching control nodes within a building. At least some of the plural building service device nodes are located in different rooms of the building and should be allocated to switching control nodes on a room-specific basis. Wireless communication is established between the nodes to determine relative spatial positions of selected nodes using received signal strength indication (RSSI) values indicative of a distance of separation between two communicating nodes. The building service device nodes are then grouped into two or more groups, a first group corresponding to service device nodes in one of said different rooms and a second group corresponding to service device nodes in another of said different rooms, based on spatial distribution of service device nodes as indicated by the RSSI values, which are strongly affected by walls separating the rooms.

Abstract: In summary, when an optical record medium is to be played, the optical drive first determines which type of optical record medium is inserted based on detection of a few signals and execution of a few calibrations. These calibrations could fail sometimes, making the optical record medium completely unrecognisable or converging to bad settings, thereby decreasing the playability of the optical record medium. This problem is solved by using a new criterion to calibrate the optical drive and improve the playability of the optical record medium, which comprises analyzing the header information. This method is useful in all optical drive systems such as CD, DVD and blu-ray players.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a broadcast signal (28) comprises receiving a broadcast signal (28), the broadcast signal including a timebase (23), monitoring the broadcast signal (28) for an identification signal (24), and pausing the timebase (23) if the identification signal (24) is not present. The method further comprises restarting the timebase (23), once the identification signal (24) is present.

Abstract: A system and method to minimize the power consumed by a light source. The power of a light source in controlled in response to a determination of the quality of the received data in order to optimize a reduction in power consumption. If the quality of the received data is sufficient, then the laser power can be reduced in order to save power.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microsensor device like a magnetic biosensor (100). The microsensor device comprises an array of probe-sensors (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) for the measurement of a physical quantity, for example the concentration of molecules labeled with magnetic beads in a sample chamber. The array further comprises a reference-sensor (10.4) that is disposed close to the probe-sensors (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) but shielded from the physical quantity to be measured. The measuring signal of the reference-sensor (10.4) reflects the influence of environmental conditions like temperature and can therefore be used to correct the measuring signals of the probe-sensors (10.1, 10.2, 10.3). The sensors (10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4) are connected via a multiplexer to the same detector unit for further processing in order to minimize variations and to reduce hardware complexity.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high-pressure gas discharge lamp assembly comprising a burner (3) and a reflector (1). The burner (3) is fixed to the reflector (1) such that at least a part of the concave light reflecting surface (2) of the reflector (1) surrounds the light emitting part of the burner (3). An end portion (11) of the glass bulb of the burner (3) is embedded in cement (15) in order to fix it in a central hole of the reflector (1). The end portion (11) of the glass bulb of the burner (3) is attached by means of cement (15) to a metal holder (14), and afterwards the metal holder (14) is attached to the reflector (1).