Abstract: A system is provided for processing spot trades in selected commodities among a group of trading stations in a communication network through a series of structured stages. Each trading station is capable of initiating a transaction with any other trading station in the network by transmitting a request for a quotation on a selected commodity. The receiving, or counterparty, trading station responds by transmitting a quotation back to the initiating trader, and the trader transmits a proposal based on this quotation. The counterparty then transmits an acceptance of the proposal and upon receipt of this acceptance by the initiating trader, a confirmation signal is automatically transmitted back to the counterparty and the deal is automatically logged at both sites. Alterations of transmitted quotations and proposals and extensive negotiation are also possible.

Abstract: A device for measuring a rate exposed to deleterious materials comprises a heartbeat sensor for sensing heart rates, a deleterious material sensor for sening concentrations of deleterious materials in the air, a memory for storing the conversion values for converting the heart rates into corresponding respiration rates, and an operation unit. The operation unit counts a heart rate based a heartbeat signal received from the heartbeat sensor, calculates a respiration rate corresponding to the heart rate based on a conversion value read out from the memory, and calculates a rate exposed to deleterious material per unit time based on the calculated respiration rate and a signal respresenting a concentration of the deleterious material which signal is received from the deleterious material sensor.

Abstract: An artifact suppression system for a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising static field application means for applying a static field to a subject, RF pulse application means for applying RF pulses, gradient field application means for applying gradient fields which consist of a slice field for designating a tomographic slice, a phase encode field for affording a phase encode magnitude, and a signal read field for encoding a frequency, and sequence control means for controlling a signal acquistion sequence which acquires a magnetic resonance signal from the designated tomographic slice of the subject, and a saturation sequence which saturates spins of movable objects to traverse the designated tomographic slice of the subject for the signal acquisition, before execution of the signal acquisition sequence.

Abstract: An imaging system acquires imaged data from a non-invasive examination of the subject. The data is transferred among various image processing agents on a data bus. A data acquisition agent receives the image data from the non-invasive examination and generates subsequent agent locations and transmits the subsequent agent locations and the packets of image data along the data bus. Various image processing agents each receive packets of data transmitted with that agent's location and performs imaging and processing operations on the data packets generating another agent location and thereafter transmitting the other agent location and process data packets along the data bus. The display agent receives the processed image data packets from one of the image processing agents via the data bus, stores the processed image data packets and communicates the process image data to a man-readable image display.

Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously monitoring the heart rate of each of a plurality of subjects comprises a main circuit for transmitting a predetermined signal of predetermined frequency and duration and at predetermined time intervals to cause each of a plurality of remote subcircuits to transmit subcircuit identity data and heart rate data in predetermined timed sequence, a receiver for receiving remote subcircuit transmissions and producing an output representative of the heart rate of a subject and a plurality of remote subcircuits, each remote subciruit having a pulse monitoring device adapted to be secured to a subject for detecting and producing an output in response to a heart beat, and a detector for detecting the pulse monitoring device output and determining the number of the outputs which occur within a predetermined time interval, and being responsive to the main circuit predetermined signal for transmitting to the main circuit a signal representative of subcircuit identity data and the number of t

Abstract: A computer software security and billing system is disclosed in which the application program is enciphered in accordance with an algorithm driven by a numeric key. The user's computer is provided with a hardware security module and a removable billing module, both of which carry unique codes. A security program accesses the application program and also writes information about billing into the billing module. The billing module is periodically replaced so the user can be charged based on amount of usage of the software. The security system is also capable of operating to provide data and program security independent of the billing function.

Abstract: A hand-held, portable device for keeping track of the in-play and error shots of a specific type of shot made by a player in a sports event, comprises at least a first display for indicating at least the percentage of the cumulative number of in-play shots relative to the cumulative number of the total in-play and error shots; a first key switch for inputting each in-play shot; a second key switch for inputting each error shot; and a microprocessor for keeping track of the total number of in-play and error shots and for calculating at least the percentage of the cumulative number of the in-play shots relative to the cumulative number of the shots made by the player, whereby the percentage display is updated each time one of the first and second key switches is depressed.

Abstract: Apparatus for collecting blood includes a control device for starting the action of collecting blood into a continuously or intermittently vibrated blood container, to receive a measured collected blood amount and data of a set amount of blood to be collected into the blood container, and also a vibration stoppage reference time during which the vibration of the blood container is stopped at a blood collection terminating stage so as to calculate, at a midway stage of the blood collection, the amount of blood yet to be collected and the blood collecting speed allowed by the current donor, to calculate, on the basis of the calculated blood collection speed, the yet-to-be-collected blood collecting time that corresponds to the amount of blood yet to be collected.

Abstract: A method of displaying cardiac function which forms by helical or segmental analysis a three-dimensional cage model which can be shaded and color coded to indicate local and regional dysfunction by thickening or motion and stresses. On this model is superimposed the coronary artery tree including stenosed segments as obtained from the same patient by angiograms and the resulting three-dimensional coronary and mechanical model can be subjected to animation and analysis for diagnostic purposes and to simulate effects of treatment.

Abstract: A method and system for quantitation of blood flow rates by using digital subtraction angiographic (DSA) images, wherein the spatial shift of the distribution of contrast material injected into an opacified vessel in the acquired angiographic images is analyzed as a bolus of the contrast material proceeds through the vessel. In order to determine the distance that the bolus travels between image acquisitions, there is obtained from the DSA images the distribution of vessel contrast along the length of the vessel, called and "distance-density" curve. The distance that the contrast material travels during the time between two images acquisitions is determined by means of cross correlation of the two respective distance-density curves. The flow rate between the image acquisitions is calculated by multiplying this distance by the frame rate and the vessel cross-sectional area which is estimated from the vessel size assuming a circular cross section.

Abstract: In a medical information communication system, image data and image addition data acquired by modalities are stored in a database. An unread examination list and a read examination list are produced in the database, and are transferred to work stations during a reading operation. List data for the read examination list is arranged in accordance with a desired priority order. Image data or the like associated with each examination list is transferred to magnetic disks from an optical disk.

Abstract: A process is indicated for improving the accuracy and reproducibility of the data measured in immunometric tests which are carried out using microtitration plates and in which a pipetting drift is observed. Correction is made by pipetting in a test control in a multiple determination at the start and at the end of a series of samples for examination, and deriving, from the change in the values measured in this multiple determination, a correction factor, varying from the start to the end, for the intermediate samples under examination.

Abstract: A matching system for trading instruments in which bids are automatically matched against offers for given trading instruments for automatically providing matching transactions in order to complete trades for the given trading instruments, includes a host computer means (20) comprising means for anonymously matching active bids and offers in the system by trading instrument based on a variable matching criteria, which comprises counterparty credit limit between counterparties (24a, 26b) to a potential matching transaction.

Abstract: In an electronic translator apparatus, synonymous phrases (title data) and sentences in plural languages are stored in correspondence to each other. These phrases or sentences are read out and translated. This electronic translator apparatus stores the title data as a basic phrase and the explanatory data relating to the title data, thereby allowing a wide range of translation. The title data can be translated into plural languages which are displayed simultaneously. The title data and corresponding sentences are separately stored, thereby increasing the number of sentences that can be translated. The display method is varied depending on the necessity. If the sentence to be translated is long, part of the original sentence during displaying is ommitted and the translated sentence is displayed in whole. When translating into English, an article may be added or a plural form may be expressed so as to translate properly.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for mounting on an existing x-ray simulator and calculating a back projected computed tomographic image. The detector array is linear and outputs signals from the photodiodes mounted therein to a preprocessor for smoothing, correcting and filtering and subsequent processing to transform the signal from that produced by an x-ray originating from a fan beam source, e.g., in a polar coordinate system, into the signal which would have been produced by a detector in an array on which a parallel beam is incident on a Cartesian coordinate system. The transformed data is converted to a gray scale value for a picture element having a specific position in the Cartesian coordinate system and output to an appropriate display. Data is taken at each incremental angle as the beam source and detector array rotate around a target object.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining the organic matter content of sedimentary rocks from data recorded in the well by at least two well-logging probes measuring different parameters. Two probes are chosen, one for responding in the same direction ot a variation of the water and organic matter content of the rocks, the other for responding very differently to a variation of one or other of these same components, and both so that the iso-organic matter content lines in a three pole diagram are substantially merged whether the third pole is the water pole or the clay pole. The position of the line I(0%) is determined experimentally and the organic matter content is derived therefrom corresponding to each pair of values of the parameters measured in the well. In a diagram where the parameters used depend, for example, on the transit time of sound in the rock and on the electric resistivity of the formations, the iso-content lines form a family of parallel lines.

Abstract: A computerized tomography system comprising a means for data rearrangement for converting fan-beam projection data into parallel beam projection data speedily andd easily without complicated calculations, said fan-beam projection data obtained at the detecting position corresponding to each defined pitch of rotary angle by which a detector unit comprising a number of radiation detectors arranged in a fan form against the radiation source is rotated.

Abstract: In storage phosphor radiography, a portion of the x-ray energy transmitted through the subject is absorbed by a storage phosphor plate. When stimulated by visible light of the right wavelength, the phosphor plate emits light (at another wavelength) in proportion to the absorbed energy. To obtain the radiographic image, the plate can be scanned in a raster fashion and the emitted light can be photoelectrically detected. The detected signal is then amplified, digitized, processed and finally printed on film, or displayed on a cathode ray tube (CRT). Setting the amplification gain of this scanning process, the so-called final scan (or final read-out) gain, is of interest in maximizing the information extracted from the phosphor. One method of setting the final scan gain invokes the use of a preliminary read-out (pre-scan). A pre-scan can be conducted on the phosphor plate by use of a stimulating ray having a stimulating energy lower than the stimulating energy in the final scan.

Abstract: A meeting management device of a computer system determines the optimal meeting date and time for a specified group of invitees within a set of specified time parameters. A subset of the invitees are designated as critical along with any specified pieces of equipment and desired meeting sites. Remote from personal calendars of the invitees, the device compares available dates and times of each critical invitee with each other and that of any critical pieces of equipment and meeting sites. The comparison determines common available dates and times in which to schedule the meeting. Available or unavailable dates and times of each invitee are defined in part by the invitee and in part by other scheduled meetings to which the invitee has been invited. The invitee may define available or unavailable dates and times automatically through his personal calendar or manually to mirror as much of his calendar as desired.

Abstract: In a system for carrying out finanical transactions via facsimile machines, account customized transaction vouchers are completed by at least one party to a transaction. The transaction vouchers issued to that party contain thereon a series of pseudo random alphanumeric characters with a different set of characters on each voucher. The party transmits by facsimile an image of the completed voucher to a facsimile machine at a central facility. A character reader at the central facility reads the incoming data and authorizes the requested transaction based on the pseudo random alphanumeric set of characters on the voucher when confirmed by a comparision to a list of pseudo random alphanumeric sets of characters in the account record of that party. Used sets of alphanumeric characters are deleted from the list in the account data to permit onetime usage of a voucher. A credit voucher is sent from the central facility to a facsimile machine at the site of the other party to the transaction.