Abstract: An ultrasound cardiovascular measuring device may include an ultrasonic sensor system having an ultrasound transmitter layer configured to generate ultrasonic plane waves and a focusing layer that includes one or more lenses. One or more of the lenses may be configured to generate output signals corresponding to detected ultrasonic reflections. The measuring device may include a control system capable of processing the output signals to calculate values corresponding to one or more cardiovascular properties.

Abstract: A biometric measuring device for obtaining biometric measurements on a limb or digit, such as a finger. The biometric measuring device may include a rollable sleeve that is rollable along a longitudinal axis of the limb or digit and multiple biometric sensors attached to the rollable sleeve such that the biometric sensors are positioned on the rollable sleeve to enable the sleeve to be rolled.

Abstract: A biometric measuring device for obtaining biometric measurements on a limb or digit, such as a finger. The biometric measuring device may include a rollable sleeve that is rollable along a longitudinal axis of the limb or digit and multiple biometric sensors attached to the rollable sleeve such that the biometric sensors are positioned on the rollable sleeve to enable the sleeve to be rolled.

Abstract: An ultrasound cardiovascular measuring device may include an ultrasonic sensor system having an ultrasound transmitter layer configured to generate ultrasonic plane waves and a focusing layer that includes one or more lenses. One or more of the lenses may be configured to generate output signals corresponding to detected ultrasonic reflections. The measuring device may include a control system capable of processing the output signals to calculate values corresponding to one or more cardiovascular properties.

Abstract: A mobile smart bed adapted for use outside a hospital environment is disclosed herein. The mobile smart bed includes a smart bed computer, and a patient monitoring device operatively connected to the smart bed computer. The smart bed computer is remotely accessible such that a remotely located caregiver can control the patient monitoring device in order to monitor a patent. A corresponding mobile smart bed system is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A diagnosis and repair recommendation system for a railroad locomotive is disclosed. The system uses generalized repair recommendations and instantiates them to a specific repair process for a unique road number locomotive. In addition to repair steps to be executed by the technician, the method and system remotely provides supporting documentation specifically tailored for each step in the repair process. As the repair is being conducted, feedback information is entered by the technician. The repair recommendations and the supporting documents are available to the technician via a remote unit, thereby allowing the technician to access the repair steps and supporting documentation while the repair is in progress.

Abstract: A diagnosis and repair recommendation system for a railroad locomotive is disclosed. The system uses generalized repair recommendations and instantiates them to a specific repair process for a unique road number locomotive. In addition to repair steps to be executed by the technician, the method and system remotely provides supporting documentation specifically tailored for each step in the repair process. As the repair is being conducted, feedback information is entered by the technician. The repair recommendations and the supporting documents are available to the technician via a remote unit, thereby allowing the technician to access the repair steps and supporting documentation while the repair is in progress.

Abstract: A diagnosis and repair recommendation system for a railroad locomotive is disclosed. The system uses generalized repair recommendations and instantiates them to a specific repair process for a unique road number locomotive. In addition to repair steps to be executed by the technician, the method and system remotely provides supporting documentation specifically tailored for each step in the repair process. As the repair is being conducted, feedback information is entered by the technician. The repair recommendations and the supporting documents are available to the technician via a remote unit, thereby allowing the technician to access the repair steps and supporting documentation while the repair is in progress.

Abstract: Signal-dependent noise in a coherent imaging system signal, such as in medical ultrasound imaging, is reduced by filtering speckle noise using nonlinear adaptive thresholding of received echo wavelet transform coefficients, thereby enhancing the resultant image by improving the signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring the health and response of critical electromechanical control valves to detect the likelihood of future valve malfunction includes the use of Fourier transform decomposition and time-domain wavelets to selectively enhance portions of the valve response signal for comparison with a normal valve response signal.

Abstract: A signal processing system includes a phase locked loop for locking a largest sine wave phase and frequency element of an incoming analog signal; an amplitude estimator for estimating a maximum amplitude of the incoming signal; a multiplier for multiplying the estimated largest sine wave phase and frequency element by the estimated maximum amplitude to provide an estimated largest sine wave component; and a subtractor for subtracting the estimated largest sine wave component from the incoming signal to provide a diagnostic signal.

Abstract: The enhancement of ultrasound images is provided through the filtering of signal dependent noise such as speckle noise by dividing the signal into selective subintervals and utilizing discrete wavelet transform and the identification and selection of those wavelet transform coefficients primarily including signal and not those primarily including signal dependent noise.

Abstract: A fluoroscopic imager for observing a living creature with reduced x-ray dosage uses a video monitor for displaying frames of image samples received during respective ones of frame scan intervals that regularly and successively occur at a display frame rate sufficiently high that brightness flicker is acceptably low to a human observer; an x-ray source that can be gated on for intervals not as long as a display frame; and a fluoroscopic camera, including a raster-scanning video camera and x-ray-to-light conversion apparatus with persistence not appreciably longer than a display frame and frame-filling apparatus. Especially during purely diagnostic procedures, the frame-filling apparatus generates a continuous succession of frames of image samples at the display frame rate by interpolating between successively grabbed frames of image samples.

Abstract: A fluoroscopic imager for observing a living creature with reduced x-ray dosage uses a video monitor for displaying frames of image samples received during respective ones of frame scan intervals that regularly and successively occur at a display frame rate sufficiently high that brightness flicker is acceptably low to a human observer; an x-ray source that can be gated on for intervals not as long as a display frame; and a fluoroscopic camera, including a raster-scanning video camera and x-ray-to-light conversion apparatus with persistence not appreciably longer than a display frame and frame-filling apparatus. Especially during purely diagnostic procedures, the frame-filling apparatus generates a continuous succession of frames of image samples at the display frame rate by interpolating between successively grabbed frames of image samples.

Abstract: An automated system for determining artifacts in images indicating defects in an imaging device being tested employs a constant radiation source which supplies radiation of spatially uniform intensity to the imaging device to be tested. The imaging device then creates a flood image A.sup.(0). A region of interest (ROI) mask means for all pixel values of flood image A.sup.(0) sets values to zero outside of the imaging devices field of view to produce a flood image A.sup.(1). An image normalization means normalizes flood image A.sup.(1) to have an average value of zero producing a normalized flood image A. A correlation means performs an autocorrelation of normalized flood image A to produce a correlation field which is then masked to select portions of the correlation field.

Abstract: An automated system for determining artifacts in images indicating defects in an imaging device being tested employs a constant radiation source which supplies radiation of spatially uniform intensity to the imaging device to be tested. The imaging device then creates a flood image A.sup.(0). A region of interest (ROI) mask unit for all pixel values of flood image A.sup.(0) sets values to zero outside of the imaging devices field of view to produce a flood image A.sup.(1). An image normalization unit normalizes flood image A.sup.(1) to have an average value of zero producing a normalized flood image A. A unitary transform unit performs a unitary transformation of normalized flood image A to produce an transform field which is then masked to select portions of the transform field. The squared magnitudes of the transform values of the selected regions are summed and the resulting sum is normalized for mask shape and flood image intensity to determine and quantify the presence of specific artifacts.

Abstract: An interactive system for producing acceptable quality fluoroscopy images determines X-ray tube photon count and voltage while minimizing X-ray radiation dosage to a subject. Parameters of the subject and the type of image to be produced are provided to the system. X-ray tube voltage U and photon count Q are initialized at a fraction of conventional values for a portion of a subject to be imaged. An image is created and sectioned into rectangles. Rectangles having the greatest and least gradient values are used to determine variances indicating signal and noise power respectively. Images are produced and adjusted until the maximum transmitted power is reached, or the signal-to-noise ratio does not increase beyond a quality increment. The process is repeated to optimize X-ray tube voltage. The X-ray fluoroscopy procedure is then performed with the optimum X-ray tube photon count and the optimum X-ray tube voltage thereby reducing X-ray dosage. The optimization is repeated periodically to readjust the system.

Abstract: An interactive system for producing acceptable quality fluoroscopy images determines X-ray tube photon count and voltage while minimizing X-ray radiation dosage to a subject. Parameters of the subject and the type of image to be produced are provided to the system. X-ray tube voltage and current are initialized at a fraction of conventional values for a portion of a subject to be imaged. An image is then created and transformed. A power ratio of low frequency components to high frequency components is calculated indicating quality of the image. Images are produced and adjusted until the maximum exposure is reached, or the power ratio does not increase beyond a quality increment. The process is repeated to optimize X-ray tube voltage. The X-ray fluoroscopy procedure is performed with the optimum X-ray tube photon count and the optimum voltage thereby reducing X-ray dosage. The optimization is repeated periodically to readjust the system.

Abstract: A method for fluoroscopically observing a living creature with reduced x-ray dosage is usable with a video monitor for displaying frames of image samples received during respective ones of frame scan intervals that regularly and successively occur at a display frame rate sufficiently high that brightness flicker is acceptably low to a human observer; an x-ray source that can be gated on for intervals not as long as a display frame; a fluoroscopic camera, including a raster-scanning video camera and a x-ray-to-light conversion apparatus with persistence not appreciably longer than a display frame; and frame filling apparatus for grabbing frames of image samples and interpolating between successively grabbed frames of image samples, when necessary, to generate frames of image samples at said display frame rate.

Abstract: A method of fluoroscopically observing a living creature with reduced x-ray dosage is usable with a video monitor for displaying frames of image samples received during respective ones of frame scan intervals that regularly and successively occur at a display frame rate sufficiently high that brightness flicker is acceptably low to a human observer; an x-ray source that can be gated on for intervals not as long as a display frame; a fluoroscopic camera, including a raster-scanning video camera and a x-ray-to-light conversion apparatus with persistence not appreciably longer than a display frame; and frame filling apparatus for grabbing frames of image samples and interpolating between successively grabbed frames of image samples, when necessary, to generate frames of image samples at said display frame rate.