Abstract: A robotic system may include an electrical ground line and a protective earth line electrically coupled to the electrical ground line. The robotic system may also include a testing circuit coupled to the protective-earth line via an isolation capacitor. The testing circuit may include a lock-in amplifier and may be configured to measure an impedance for the protective-earth line through the isolation capacitor. Methods for testing or monitoring protective-earth lines are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A robotic system may include an electrical ground line and a protective earth line electrically coupled to the electrical ground line. The robotic system may also include a testing circuit coupled to the protective-earth line via an isolation capacitor. The testing circuit may include a lock-in amplifier and may be configured to measure an impedance for the protective-earth line through the isolation capacitor. Methods for testing or monitoring protective-earth lines are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A robotic system may include an electrical ground line and a protective earth line electrically coupled to the electrical ground line. The robotic system may also include a testing circuit coupled to the protective-earth line via an isolation capacitor. The testing circuit may include a lock-in amplifier and may be configured to measure an impedance for the protective-earth line through the isolation capacitor. Methods for testing or monitoring protective-earth lines are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A proximal end portion of a robotic surgical arm is to be coupled to an adapter of a surgical robotic platform, for use during a surgical session at the platform, and then decoupled from the adapter for storage until being re-coupled for use during another surgical session at the platform. A resonant-mode transformer-coupled power converter is provided that has a secondary side and a primary side. The secondary side is in the arm and has a transformer secondary coil in the proximal end portion of the arm. The primary side has a transformer primary coil in the adapter. The primary and secondary coils are held at positions and orientations that enable mutual inductive coupling between them for operation of the power converter when the arm is coupled to the adapter. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A proximal end portion of a robotic surgical arm is to be coupled to an adapter of a surgical robotic platform, for use during a surgical session at the platform, and then decoupled from the adapter for storage until being re-coupled for use during another surgical session at the platform. A resonant-mode transformer-coupled power converter is provided that has a secondary side and a primary side. The secondary side is in the arm and has a transformer secondary coil in the proximal end portion of the arm. The primary side has a transformer primary coil in the adapter. The primary and secondary coils are held at positions and orientations that enable mutual inductive coupling between them for operation of the power converter when the arm is coupled to the adapter. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A proximal end portion of a robotic surgical arm is to be coupled to an adapter of a surgical robotic platform, for use during a surgical session at the platform, and then decoupled from the adapter for storage until being re-coupled for use during another surgical session at the platform. A resonant-mode transformer-coupled power converter is provided that has a secondary side and a primary side. The secondary side is in the arm and has a transformer secondary coil in the proximal end portion of the arm. The primary side has a transformer primary coil in the adapter. The primary and secondary coils are held at positions and orientations that enable mutual inductive coupling between them for operation of the power converter when the arm is coupled to the adapter. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments include a method and system for simultaneously displaying diagnostic medical ultrasound image clips on one or more monitors without degradation in display frame rate. In one preferred embodiment, compressed ultrasound image frames are sent to a video display system for decompression. Because compressed image frames are sent, there is no degradation in frame rate caused by the bandwidth limitations of the CPU/video display system bus. Further, because the video display system decompress the compressed image frames faster than decompression software executed by a CPU, there is no degradation in frame rate caused by power limitations of the CPU. The video display system can also be used to control the frame rate, luminance, and size of individual ultrasound image clips. The preferred video display system described herein finds particular utility in ultrasound examinations performed in cardiac, radiological, obstetrical, and neo-natal ultrasound examinations.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system includes a beamformer stage operative to generate a frame of acoustic signals on an initial sample grid, and a display characterized by a pixel parameter. Acoustic signals on the initial sample grid are converted to processed acoustic signals on a modified sample grid prior to scan conversion. The modified sample grid is controlled as a function of the pixel parameter of the display to reduce image artifacts and maximize the detail with which the image is displayed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system includes a beamformer stage operative to generate a frame of acoustic signals on an initial sample grid, and a display characterized by a pixel parameter. Acoustic signals on the initial sample grid are converted to processed acoustic signals on a modified sample grid prior to scan conversion. The modified sample grid is controlled as a function of the pixel parameter of the display to reduce image artifacts and maximize the detail with which the image is displayed.