Abstract: Methods of cooling and sanitation of target items, particularly food products, food storage, and food transportation devices. A treating agent containing a sanitizing agent entrapped by or absorbed in or on a cooling agent is used when processing, transporting, displaying, or storing of target items. The treating agent can be used to chill and preserve target items, and while providing the added benefit of sanitizing the target item. This disclosure also discusses novel processes for using a treating agent to process, store, or package target items using a treating agent containing a cooling agent, such as solid carbon dioxide (“dry ice”), and a sanitizing agent, such as ozone.

Abstract: Methods for treating, and/or cooling of a target item to reduce or eliminate biological microorganisms in or on a target item. The treating agent of the invention is particularly useful for treating food products, food storage, and food transportation devices as well as treating water, or other target objects. A treating agent containing a sanitizing agent entrapped by or absorbed in or on a cooling agent is used when processing, transporting, displaying, or storing of target items. The treating agent can be used to chill and preserve target items while providing the added benefit of sanitizing the target item. The novel processes of the current invention provide for using a treating agent to process, store, or package target items using a treating agent containing a cooling agent, such as solid carbon dioxide (“dry ice”), and a sanitizing agent, such as ozone.

Abstract: A product containing a food product and a bioactive culture, and a treatment process for preserving a food or food product against microbiological contamination, which improves the quality of such food and enhances the safety of food and food products. The process applies a bioactive culture to the food and utilizes a pressure treatment process, optionally with a controlled atmosphere, to provide a reduction of the level of microorganisms, spores, or enzymes on and in foods or food products and suppress growth of pathogenic organisms that are not fully killed in the treatment process. The food or food product is generally contacted with the gas under pressure conditions for a time sufficient to substantially sanitize or disinfect the food or food product following depressurization.

Abstract: This disclosure discusses the problems associated with preservation of food products while avoiding undesirable high pressures, additives, or other chemical treatments. The disclosed invention will reduce spoilage in food products, particularly liquid food products, by removing oxidants, enzymes, and killing bacteria without using heat or undesirable additives. The process of the invention uses a combination of moderate pressure and reactive gases, such as carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide to treat food products, and then removes the reactive gases by purging the food product with an inert gas. The final product is substantially free of unwanted microorganisms, enzymes, and oxidants that cause spoilage of the food product.

Abstract: This disclosure discusses methods of preserving and carbonating beverages. The invention provides a method of injecting carbon dioxide containing gas into a liquid, such as a carbonated alcoholic beverage or beer, to obtain a first pressure, which is held constant for a desired length of time. The pressure is then reduced to a final second pressure, whereby retaining a sufficient level of carbon dioxide in the liquid. The carbon dioxide containing gas may be carbon dioxide or mixtures of carbon dioxide and an inert gas. The desired effects include reduction in beer spoilage microorganisms, reduction of dissolved oxygen in the liquid, inhibition of enzymes in the stored liquid, and being able to obtain a target level of dissolved gas in the liquid.

Abstract: The invention is a method of cooling objects by submerging in a fluid to obtain a desired cooling effect. These objects can be either food or non-food. The fluid can be liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, liquid oxygen, liquid carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof. The fluid can include an additive that helps sanitize the object. This additive can be oxidizing agents such as ozone, chlorine, chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide solutions, ozonia solutions, or combinations thereof. The submergence can be by way of an automatic dipping process, or a continuous moving belt process. The regulation can occur by varying speed or by maintaining a constant speed. The submergence can be by way of total submergence, or only partial submergence, of the object in the fluid. The desired effect can be to shock the surface microorganisms to make them susceptible to concurrent or subsequent treatments.

Abstract: The invention is a method of cooling objects by spraying with a fluid to obtain a desired cooling effect. The fluid may be sprayed directly or indirectly on the objects. The fluid may be liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, liquid oxygen, liquid carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof. The fluid may include an additive that helps sanitize the object. This additive may be an oxidizing agent such as ozone, chlorine, chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide solutions, oxonia solutions, or combinations thereof. The regulation may be by way of time or flow. The regulation may involve equal time intervals of spraying or unequal time intervals of spraying. The desired cooling effect may be to shock the surface microorganisms to make them susceptible to concurrent or subsequent treatments. The desired cooling effect may be to promote the destruction or inactivation of surface microorganisms without cooling or freezing the object throughout.

Abstract: A method for treating food is disclosed. The method comprises placing the food in a treatment container maintained at an ambient process temperature and pressure. Next, the gas mixture is injected into the treatment container. The gas mixture comprises about one percent oxygen and about 0.2 to 99 percent of a second gas comprising one gas selected from the group consisting of NO, N2O, He, H2, CO, CO2, N2, and Noble Gas (e.g., Ar, Kr, Xe, and Ne). The gas mixture is subjected to a treatment temperature and treatment pressure of the gas mixture in the container at a level sufficiently great that at least one gas in the gas mixture is maintained in the supercritical state. The treatment temperature and treatment pressure are maintained for a duration. The food is then ready for packaging.

Abstract: A medical image management system including an image archive server for storing image datasets received from a plurality of image acquisition computers and a plurality of display stations for displaying requested image datasets retrieved from the image archive server is provided with an authentication and security system which includes an authentication server for maintaining and storing hashes and timestamps, and for providing hash, timestamp pairs in encrypted form in response to requests from display stations. The image acquisition computers are configured for computing hashes and providing them and image dataset identifiers to the authentication server, receiving timestamps from the authentication server which are then inserted in the image datasets, and storing the image datasets in the image archive server.

Abstract: A digital bus arrangement and an associated method are disclosed. The bus arrangement includes an input synchronization layer and an output synchronization layer. Data transfer between the modules is synchronized using a master clock signal such that data originated by one module is latched and placed on the bus in one clock cycle. Thereafter, in a second or subsequent clock cycle, the data is synchronously latched at the other modules of the system such that the data is available to an intended module. No logic circuitry is present between the input and output synchronization layers.

Abstract: Bus arrangements for interconnecting a number of discrete and/or integrated modules in a digital system are described herein. Implementations of the bus arrangements are contemplated at chip level, forming part of an overall integrated circuit, and are also contemplated as interconnecting discrete modules within an overall processing system. These bus arrangements and associated method provide for high speed, efficient digital data transfer between the modules through optimizing bus utilization by eliminating the need for maintaining a fixed time relationship between the address and data portions of transactions which are executed by the system. In this manner, the bus arrangement is capable of supporting more active transactions than the number of individual buses which make up the bus arrangement. Systems disclosed may include any number of individual buses within their bus arrangements.

Abstract: A method and associated arrangement for use in priority allocation in a bus interconnected digital multi-module system are described. The modules are configured for requesting the use of the bus with each module being granted its request based upon its priority. During the operation of the system, a set of priorities is established such that the number of priorities is equal to the number of modules in the system. Each module may be reassigned to priorities which are different than their initial priorities. In addition, the priorities may be grouped in an initial group arrangement which may be reconfigured. The group arrangement may be reconfigured in any desired manner. Also, provisions are made for refusing a grant to a module even though the module possesses the highest priority among requesting modules.

Abstract: A method and associated arrangement for use in priority allocation in a bus interconnected digital multi-module system are disclosed. The modules are configured for requesting the use of the bus with each module being granted its request based upon its priority. During the operation of the system, a set of priorities is established such that the number of priorities is equal to the number of modules in the system. Each module is assigned to an initial priority. During the operation of the system, modules may be reassigned to a priorities which are different than their initial priorities. In addition, the priorities may be grouped in an initial group arrangement which may be reconfigured. The group arrangement may be reconfigured in any desired manner. Also, provisions are made for refusing a grant to a module even though that module possesses the highest priority among requesting modules.

Abstract: Bus arrangements for interconnecting a number of discrete and/or integrated modules in a digital system are described herein. Implementations of the bus arrangements are contemplated at chip level, forming part of an overall integrated circuit, and are also contemplated as interconnecting discrete modules within an overall processing system. These bus arrangements and associated method provide for high speed, efficient digital data transfer between the modules through optimizing bus utilization by eliminating the need for maintaining a fixed time relationship between the address and data portions of transactions which are executed by the system. In this manner, the bus arrangement is capable of supporting more active transactions than the number of individual buses which make up the bus arrangement. Systems described may include any number of individual buses within their bus arrangements.

Abstract: Bus arrangements for interconnecting a number of discrete and/or integrated modules in a digital system are described herein. Implementations of the bus arrangements are contemplated at chip level, forming part of an overall integrated circuit, and are also contemplated as interconnecting discrete modules within an overall processing system. These bus arrangements and associated method provide for high speed, efficient digital data transfer between the modules through optimizing bus utilization by eliminating the need for maintaining a fixed time relationship between the address and data portions of transactions which are executed by the system. In this manner, the bus arrangement is capable of supporting more active transactions than the number of individual buses which make up the bus arrangement. Systems described may include any number of individual buses within their bus arrangements.