Abstract: Various forms of apparatus (1) for preparing and dispensing beverages, preferably based on coffee, can receive instructions from a customer and deliver the beverage automatically. The apparatus is preferably capable of fully automatic cleaning in a cleaning cycle in which a cleaning agent is flushed through the lines (62, 64), and the apparatus is preferably arranged to ensure that not only are the lines cleaned properly but that no cleaning agent can be dispensed. The apparatus includes a brewer assembly (78) having a chamber (81) in which freshly ground coffee can be introduced and either espresso or filter coffee can be automatically prepared by passing hot water through the chamber and removing the spent coffee grounds. The coffee may be stored as coffee beans in sealed containers (208) that can automatically be pierced to release the beans which are ground immediately before preparation of the beverage.

Abstract: A system uses a digital photographic camera attached to a radiation therapy device to create an overlay of radiation beam information comprising data identifying treated patient anatomical region data and supporting determination of cumulative radiation treatment information from multiple treatment overlays. A system records a treatment beam landing area on the anatomical body surface of a patient for use in radiation or other therapy. The system includes an input processor for receiving data representing an image of the surface of a portion of the anatomy of a patient. A data processor provides beam landing position data relative to the image by calculating a position of a treatment beam landing area relative to the image using received input data indicating projection characteristics of a treatment beam used in treating the portion of the anatomy of the patient. A storage processor stores the beam landing position data in a record associated with the patient.

Abstract: A system uses a digital photographic camera attached to a radiation therapy device to create an overlay of radiation beam information comprising data identifying treated patient anatomical region data and supporting determination of cumulative radiation treatment information from multiple treatment overlays. A system records a treatment beam landing area on the anatomical body surface of a patient for use in radiation or other therapy. The system includes an input processor for receiving data representing an image of the surface of a portion of the anatomy of a patient. A data processor provides beam landing position data relative to the image by calculating a position of a treatment beam landing area relative to the image using received input data indicating projection characteristics of a treatment beam used in treating the portion of the anatomy of the patient. A storage processor stores the beam landing position data in a record associated with the patient.

Abstract: A system determines a most recent medical image study accessed or used by a healthcare worker and identifies the most up to date instance of a medical image study stored in a distributed environment with multiple DICOM storage nodes, for example. A medical image data acquisition and processing system, involves multiple sources of medical image data accessible via a network. The medical image data comprises one or more sets of medical images of a particular patient individually including an associated medical image set identifier. A search processor automatically initiates a search of the multiple sources to identify existence of sets of medical images of a particular patient having a duplicate first medical image identifier, in response to a user command to access a set of medical images having the first medical image identifier.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of making a current collector plate for use in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The method includes the steps of: (a) molding the current collector plate by injection, compression or any other molding process from a resin/conductive filler composition; (b) measuring the current collector plate's average thickness; (c) measuring the current collector plate's through-plane resistivity; (d) removing a portion of the current collector plate's surface layer by abrasion; and (e) repeating steps (a) to (d) until a desired plate thickness is removed. The desired plate thickness removed is no more than about 10 micrometers, and preferably about 5 micrometers.