Abstract: A method of decoding a received systematic code encoded block corresponding to an original block of information, wherein the received systematic code encoded block may include soft systematic values, may include detecting an error condition in the received systematic code encoded block. The method may also include decoding the received systematic code encoded block for retrieving the original block of information if the error condition in the received systematic code encoded block is detected and processing the soft systematic values to retrieve the original block of information instead of the decoding if the error condition in the received systematic code encoded block is not detected.

Abstract: Shaving apparatus having at least one cutting unit with an external cutting member and a rotatable internal cutting member each the external and internal cutting members having cooperating cutting edges forming bearing surfaces of a first bearing, and a second bearing with bearing surfaces. To minimize the friction between the cutting edges, a support device having visco-elastic properties is provided between the two bearings. During operation, the distance between the bearing surfaces of the first bearing adjusts to the distance between the bearing surfaces of the second bearing. During cutting of hairs, the support device behaves as a stiff element whereas during periods in which no hairs are cut, the support device behaves relatively soft so that the cutting gaps between the cutting edges are closed.

Abstract: A method and system for obtaining focus optimization in an optical disc system is disclosed. The focus offset of a recording unit is set to a first of a plurality of predetermined values. A HF quality value is measured and stored for the selected focus offset value of the recording unit. The focus offset is then set to a best-known focus offset value. Tracks on the optical media being read are then jumped. The above steps are then repeated for each of the plurality of predetermined focus offset values. The optimal focus setting is then determined from the stored HF quality measurements.

Abstract: A radiation-sensitive detector includes a photosensor elements (122) and a scintillator (116) optically coupled to the photosensor element (122). The scintillator (116) includes a powdered scintillator and a resin mixed with the powdered scintillator. The refractive index mismatch between the powdered scintillator and the resin is less than 7%. In one non-limiting instance, the composite scintillator material may be used to form fiber optic leaves arranged as a high-resolution detector array in conventional or spectral CT.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a local minimum identifier (408) that identifies a local minimum between overlapping pulses in a signal, wherein the pulses have amplitudes that are indicative of the energy of successively detected photons from a multi-energetic radiation beam by a radiation sensitive detector, and a pulse pile-up error corrector (232) that corrects, based on the local minimum, for a pulse pile-up energy-discrimination error when energy-discriminating the pulses using at least two thresholds corresponding to different energy levels. This technique may reduce spectral error when counting photons at a high count rate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to in vivo and in vitro methods, agents and compound screening assays for inducing differentiation of undifferentiated mammalian cells into osteoblasts, including bone formation enhancing pharmaceutical compositions, and the use thereof in treating and/or preventing a disease involving a systemic or local decrease in mean bone density in a subject.

Abstract: The invention relates to a feeding device (1) for introducing a piece of linen (12) to be ironed into an ironing unit by means of suction, the feeding device (1) being provided with a suction shaft (3) into which the piece of linen (12) can be sucked and a top suction portion (4) which is provided for sucking the piece of linen (12) into the suction shaft (3). The feeding device (1) comprises a blocking clamp (6) which is provided to secure the piece of linen (12) in a clamping position, and which is arranged in the feeding device (1) in such a way that there is located after the clamping of the piece of linen (12) a portion of this piece of linen (12) above this blocking clamp (6) that can be sucked by the top suction portion (4) into the suction shaft (3). The invention further relates to an ironing device, comprising an ironing unit for ironing a piece of linen (12) and a feeding unit (1) for feeding the piece of linen (12) to be ironed into the ironing unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an illumination device (10) for illuminating a surface, with a lighting element (20) and an illuminating body (30), wherein the lighting element (20) emits an artificial light (21,21?), a housing element (40) comprises the lighting element (20) and supports the illuminating body (30), the illuminating body (30) comprises a transparent light conductive material and is generally overlying the surface, being illuminated. The invention discloses, that the illuminating body (30) comprises a light extraction layer (50), configured to receive and to deflect the artificial light (21,21?) from the lighting element (20) onto the surface.

Abstract: A method for cardiac imaging for determining a myocardial region of interest (ROI) is disclosed. The method includes acquiring functional imaging data of a subject, where the functional imaging data includes at least the myocardium. A ROI encompassing at most the myocardium from the acquired functional imaging data, and diagnostic parameters relating to the myocardium are estimated and quantified based on the determined ROI. In one embodiment, the ROI is determined from a projection image representation utilizing histogram based thresholding and ray casting based localization to determine the extents of the ROI. In another embodiment, the ROI is determined from a volumetric image representation utilizing clustering Manhattan distance based cleaning to determine cardiac angles used for reorienting the left ventricle.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electric lamp (102) comprising a primary semiconductor light source (104) in thermal communication with a primary reflector (106). Herein, the primary reflector (106) is reflective, transparent and/or translucent. The primary reflector (106) is configured for transferring heat generated by the primary semiconductor light source (104) during operation away from said primary semiconductor light source (104). As a result, the electric lamp (102) according to the invention effectively reduces the number of parts comprised in the electric lamp (102), thereby lowering the costs of manufacturing the electric lamp (102).

Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting apparatus (1). A first light device (52) comprises a first light source (2) for generating a first light beam (3) and a light emanating element (6) from which the first light beam (3) emanates. A second light device (53) with a second light source (4) generates a second light beam (5) being directed to the light emanating element (6) of the first light device (52), wherein the light emanating element (6) is adapted to redirect the second light beam (5) such that the redirected second light beam (7) emanates from the light emanating element (6). Since the first light beam (5) and the redirected second light beam (7) emanate from the light emanating element (6), both light beams appear to originate from the same location. The probability of generating selective shadowing effects can therefore be reduced, in particular, selective shadowing effects can be eliminated.

Abstract: A calibration/surgical tool (90, 160) includes an electromagnetic sensor array (30) of two or more electromagnetic sensors in a known geometrical configuration. Electromagnetic tracking errors are characterized by a mapping of pre-operative absolute and relative errors based on a movement of a calibrated calibration/surgical tool (90, 160) through a pre-operative electromagnetic field. Using statistical mapping, a desired absolute error field (46) is measured either in the clinic as the part of daily quality control checks, or before the patient comes in or in vivo. A resulting error field (46) may be displayed to the physician to provide clear visual feedback about measurement confidence or reliability of localization estimates of the absolute errors in electromagnetic tracking.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner (1) comprises an inlet (13), an outlet, a fan (14) for creating a flow of air through the vacuum cleaner (1) by drawing air to be cleaned through the inlet (13) into the vacuum cleaner (1) and by exhausting air through the outlet outwardly of the vacuum cleaner (1) and a separator (15, 41). The separator (15, 41) is rotatably arranged around an rotation axis (21), for creating, during use, a column of rotating air to separate at least a portion of the airborne particles (10) from the flow of air. The separator (15, 41) includes a number of vanes (25, 44) for the creation of the column of rotating air, wherein each vane (25, 44) is provided with a leading face (26) and a trailing face (27). The leading faces (26) of the vanes (25, 44) are inclined with respect to the rotation axis (21) for conveying the airborne particles (10) at least in an axial direction.

Abstract: An instrument system that includes an elongate body, an optical fiber and a controller is provided. The optical fiber is at least partially separate from the elongate body. The controller is operatively coupled to the elongate body and to the optical fiber and the controller is adapted to receive a signal from the optical fiber, detect movement of the optical fiber based on the signal; and update a position of the elongate body relative to the optical fiber based on the detected movement.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and device for inflating a cuff of a non-invasive blood pressure measurement apparatus. The method comprises: obtaining a plurality of pressure values of the cuff at a plurality of time points; calculating a first inflation speed parameter on the basis of the plurality of pressure values, a plurality of target pressure values of the cuff at the plurality of time points and a plurality of inflation speed parameters corresponding to each time interval between every two adjacent time points of the plurality of time points; and inflating the cuff at a speed corresponding to the first inflation speed parameter from a last time point of the plurality of time points to a first time point after the plurality of time points. In this way, uniform cuff inflation can be achieved when the target pressure values of the cuff change uniformly, so that the over-voltage phenomenon or the condition of low-speed cuff inflation can be reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for motion visualization of a moving object in angiographic images are described. In a preferred embodiment of the method, first a mask image of the object of interest is acquired and a sequence of angiographic images of the object in different phases of motion of the object is acquired. Then, a first angiographic subtraction image and at least a second angiographic subtraction image are generated by subtracting the angiographic images from the mask image. Subsequently, a twice subtracted image is generated by subtracting the first angiographic subtraction image from the second angiographic subtraction image. In this way a double subtraction, i.e. a twice subtracted angiography is performed, to facilitate the assessment of the motion.

Abstract: Projector (1) adapted to be installed on a household appliance (26), for projecting visible information onto a projection surface (17) lying outside of said household appliance, the projector comprising a focusing unit (4) that is adapted for focusing a light beam that emanates from a light source (5) onto said projection surface, wherein the focusing unit further comprises at least one fixation element (12) that is adapted to arrange the focusing unit in at least two different focusing positions (13, 13?) within said projector (1).

Abstract: A high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer comprising a piezoelectric array with a layer of piezoelectric material having a patient-facing front surface and a back surface, the front surface comprising a transmitting surface, and a plurality of electrodes located on the front and back surfaces of the piezoelectric material for applying electrical signals to the piezoelectric array. Electrical connections between an electrode on the back surface to an electrode on the front surface of the piezoelectric array are made through non-magnetic conductive vias extending through the layer of piezoelectric material.

Abstract: A system comprises a therapy tasks scheduling module (30) constructing a workflow schedule for performing a plurality of therapy tasks including dose optimizations, and a dose optimization module (26) performing a dose optimization in accordance with the workflow schedule to generate a therapy plan. The dose optimization module performs inverse radiation therapy planning that iteratively adjusts (82) a set of radiation therapy parameters (70) to optimize a simulated spatial dose distribution (72) respective to a set of radiation therapy objectives (78). In some embodiments, at least some iterations update a region of a fluence map that is smaller than the entire fluence map. In some embodiments, at least some iterations optimize the simulated spatial dose distribution respective to a subset of the set of radiation therapy objectives. In some embodiments, the simulated spatial dose distribution has a nonuniform voxel size.

Abstract: The invention provides new uses, compositions and methods of administration for specific binding agents to von Wiliebrand Factor (vWF) in patients with thromboembolic disorders and in particular new combined uses with thrombolytic agents such as tissue plasminogen activator in patients with thromboembolic disorders such as e.g. ischemic stroke. Furthermore, a new group of vWF binding agents and an improved Middle Cerebral Artery Thrombosis Model in guinea pigs to study the effects of stroke such as ischemia (oxygen and glucose depriviation) and hemorrhage (bleeding), in particular hemorrhage, are provided.