Abstract: A portable electronic device which provides hearing aid compatibility and a printed circuit board (PCB) for use in a portable electronic device are provided. The PCB comprises a body having at least one signal trace, a hearing aid compatibility (HAC) coil located in the body and electrically coupled to the at least one signal trace, and a ferrite core located in the body for amplifying a magnetic field generated by the HAC coil.

Abstract: Method and system for facilitating post-processing of images using deformable meshes in which a deformable mesh model of an object such as an organ is extended by attaching information thereon in order to simplify and/or facilitate a desired post-processing task so that the post-processing task effected when the mesh is applied to the same object in an additional image can expeditiously use this information. The information may be attached to the mesh after its creation, for example, upon segmentation of the same object in some training image. The post-processing task can therefore be performed automatically without user interaction upon segmentation of the object in the additional image. Information is encoded on the mesh by enumerating a list of triangles or vertices of the mesh which have to be considered in the subsequent, post-processing task and by optionally providing additional parameters defining the precise post-processing algorithm(s) to be used.

Abstract: A device for cooling a tissue sample on a microtome includes a cooling element (44), a first air channel (32), and a ventilation device (22). The cooling element (44) has a cold region facing the tissue sample and a hot region which faces away from the tissue sample and dissipates the heat generated in the cooling element (44) to the ambient environment. The first air channel (32) is provided for dissipating the heat released by the cooling element (44). The ventilation device (22) generates an air flow through the first air channel (32), said air flow absorbing and removing the heat released via the hot region of the cooling element (44).

Abstract: Coronary artery segmentation is a crucial task in cardiac CT image processing. This is often a tedious task performed manually by an operator. According to the present invention, a method is provided which combines data from multiple cardiac phases during the segmentation process in order to deliver a complete and continuous coronary vessel tree. Advantageously, this may allow for an improved visualization and segmentation of vessels, for example, in coronary CTA.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a throttle valve unit having a housing part and a valve flap part that can move in relation to it includes the steps of injection molding the housing part of a first plastic material in a first cavity, transferring the molded housing part to a second cavity spatially decoupled from the first cavity, and injection molding the movable valve flap part out of a second plastic material in a second mold cavity inside the molded housing part. Before the molded housing part is transferred to the second cavity, it is subjected to an intermediate treatment in order to influence the shrinkage behavior, thereby selectively adjusting the gap geometries between the parts.

Abstract: A patient data record is described comprising a mean model representative of the patient and further comprises at least one shape model to represent data concerning the patient, in which the said mean model comprises at least one region and the said shape model comprises at least one sub-section, and in which the at least one sub-section of the shape model is linked to the equivalent region of the mean model. This has the advantage of allowing greater structure to the patient record. Further a system is described to present patient data upon queries generated by a user and arranged to access the claimed patient data record, and which is further arranged to provide access to information in the sub-section of the shape model when a query generated by the user accesses the equivalent region of the mean model. This system allows full use of the improved patient data record.

Abstract: A resonator for a transducer of an electronic device is provided. The resonator comprises: a first enclosure having a first opening to receive a back end of the transducer and a second opening; and a port connected to the first enclosure through the second opening of the enclosure, the port having a first end, a second end, an interior channel spanning from the first end to the second end. When the transducer is mounted into the first enclosure, a first volume between the transducer and the enclosure is formed which is in communication with air surrounding the second end of the port through the interior channel of the port. A second enclosure to cover a front portion of the transducer may be provided.

Abstract: A data structure for use by a computer system for comparing temporally varying medical data (9a, 9b) is disclosed. The data structure performs the steps of receiving a first data set (9a) including first data representing a medical parameter at a plurality of first times, receiving a second data set (9b) including second data representing said medical parameter at a plurality of second times, and processing said first and/or second data sets to increase a degree of correlation or similarity between a plurality of said first and second times representing identifiable events.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interactively manipulating a shape of an object, comprising selecting an object to be manipulated and rendering the object in dependence of a manipulation type. The method provides a smart object adapted interaction, manipulation and visualization scheme in contrast to previous display driven schemes. The method allows efficient shape manipulation by restricting the degrees of freedom for the manipulation to the meaningful ones for a given object or object part, thus allowing to reduce e.g. a 3D interaction to a 2D interaction.

Abstract: A method for optimizing the friction, wear, and function of an injection-molded throttle valve unit, including a throttle valve housing and a throttle valve that can move in relation to it. The throttle valve housing is injection molded out of a first plastic material inside a first cavity, then transferred to a second cavity. Bearing bushes are inserted into the throttle valve housing to constitute a hard material on hard material friction pairing between the bearing bushes and the throttle valve housing; either the bearing bushes are inserted into the throttle valve housing in a non-rotating fashion and the valve shaft rotates in relation to the bearing bushes or the bearing bushes rotate in relation to the throttle valve housing. The moving throttle valve is injection molded from a second plastic material inside the second cavity. The bearing bushes are preferably manufactured out of a metallic material and remain dimensionally stable when subjected to the injection pressure.

Abstract: Method and system for facilitating post-processing of images using deformable meshes in which a deformable mesh model of an object such as an organ is extended by attaching information thereon in order to simplify and/or facilitate a desired post-processing task so that the post-processing task effected when the mesh is applied to the same object in an additional image can expeditiously use this information. The information may be attached to the mesh after its creation, for example, upon segmentation of the same object in some training image. The post-processing task can therefore be performed automatically without user interaction upon segmentation of the object in the additional image. Information is encoded on the mesh by enumerating a list of triangles or vertices of the mesh which have to be considered in the subsequent, post-processing task and by optionally providing additional parameters defining the precise post-processing algorithm(s) to be used.

Abstract: Coronary artery segmentation is a crucial task in cardiac CT image processing. This is often a tedious task performed manually by an operator. According to the present invention, a method is provided which combines data from multiple cardiac phases during the segmentation process in order to deliver a complete and continuous coronary vessel tree. Advantageously, this may allow for an improved visualization and segmentation of vessels, for example, in coronary CTA.

Abstract: A gas bag module for a motor vehicle steering wheel includes a gas bag (10), a gas generator (12) mounted so as to be capable of swinging, a generator carrier (16), means (18) for bracing the gas bag (10) on the generator carrier (16), and an elastically deformable, in relation to the central axis (A) of the gas bag module encircling sealing element (24). The sealing element (24) is fastened by its free edges directly or indirectly to the gas generator (12) and to the generator carrier (16), respectively. A section (26) of the sealing element (24), which is free before a filling of the gas bag (10), is deflected by the pressure occurring in the interior of the gas bag on filling of the gas bag (10), so that it comes directly or indirectly in abutment with a support surface (22; 28).

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle steering wheel comprising a hub, a steering wheel rim, and at least one spoke having at least one spoke section. An vibration-decoupling means is provided on the spoke which acts in all directions and at least largely isolates the steering wheel rim in terms of vibrations from the at least one section of the spoke.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the interactive segmentation of a structure contained in an object from a three-dimensional image of the object. In an expansion mode a region expansion process is carried out, the results of said process simply being completely or partly undone again in a contraction mode. A quasi-continuous similarity measure can be used to determine whether or not a voxel belongs to the structure to be segmented. The expansion taking place in the region expansion process always involves the voxels having the largest similarity measure each time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the interactive segmentation of a structure contained in an object from a three-dimensional image of the object. In an expansion mode a region expansion process is carried out, the results of said process simply being completely or partly undone again in a contraction mode. A quasi-continuous similarity measure can be used to determine whether or not a voxel belongs to the structure to be segmented. The expansion taking place in the region expansion process always involves the voxels having the largest similarity measure each time.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a throttle valve unit having a housing part and a valve flap part that can move in relation to it includes the steps of injection molding the housing part of a first plastic material in a first cavity, transferring the molded housing part to a second cavity spatially decoupled from the first cavity, and injection molding the movable valve flap part out of a second plastic material in a second mold cavity inside the molded housing part. Before the molded housing part is transferred to the second cavity, it is subjected to an intermediate treatment in order to influence the shrinkage behavior, thereby selectively adjusting the gap geometries between the parts.

Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle comprises a stationary skeleton which has an essentially arc-shaped skeleton section, and an actuation member that is movably mounted on the skeleton section and that has two contact sections essentially opposite from each other. The actuation member surrounds the skeleton section with a ring-shaped cross section and extends between the contact sections continuously along the arc-shaped skeleton section.

Abstract: A method for optimizing the friction, wear, and function of an injection-molded throttle valve unit, including a throttle valve housing and a throttle valve that can move in relation to it. The throttle valve housing is injection molded out of a first plastic material inside a first cavity, then transferred to a second cavity. Bearing bushes are inserted into the throttle valve housing to constitute a hard/hard friction pairing between the bearing bushes and the throttle valve housing; either the bearing bushes are inserted into the throttle valve housing in a non-rotating fashion and the valve shaft rotates in relation to the bearing bushes or the bearing bushes rotate in relation to the throttle valve housing. The bearing bushes are preferably manufactured out of a metallic material and remain dimensionally stable when subjected to the injection pressure.

Abstract: An electrical plug connection system for a throttle valve control motor for a motor vehicle includes in a female plug component having a contact lug on its end region with a convex or flattened surface portion which the comes to rest on a contact pin of a male plug component. Moreover, between its end regions, the contact lug has a stamped indentation that reduces the cross-sectional area of the contact lug and lengthens the contact lug in the direction of the contact pin.