Abstract: A method for bi-directionally transmitting digital optical signals over an optical transmission link in which a first optical transmit signal is created according to a first binary digital signal in such a way that the bit information of the first binary digital signal is included in first sections of the symbol interval of the first optical transmit signal. A second optical transmit signal is created by creating an optical wavelength reuse signal using the first optical transmit signal received at the second end of the optical transmission link, the optical wavelength reuse signal being modulated according to a second digital signal in such a way that the bit information of the second digital signal is included in second sections of the symbol interval of the first optical transmit signal received.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for filtration, drying and storage of solids from a suspension (FDS unit) and a method carried out in this system for the downstream processing of a solids suspension, in particular of crystallizable therapeutic proteins or active ingredients. The FDS unit, designed for use as a disposable system, is a device with which active ingredient crystals can be gently and safely filtered, dried, stored and reconstituted in a closed process procedure, i.e. without intermediate opening or transfer.

Abstract: Devices and methods that combine an actual surgical instrument handle, for example the handle of an AutoSuture EndoStitch™ device, with a force feedback generator able to create resistance to motion similar to that encountered in a real operating environment. The devices and methods provide a means for repeatedly performing maneuvers that accurately simulate the actual instrument, but in a virtual environment. The devices have haptic capabilities and collision detection so that the virtual device, such as the needle driver of the EndoStitch™ device, is “aware” of instrument contact.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical WDM transmission system including a plurality of first optical transceivers (11) at a first end (7) of an optical WDM transmission link (5, 5?), each of the first optical transceivers (11) including a tunable optical transmitter (17) being adapted to create a first digital optical channel signal (S1ch,i) within the bandwidths of a set of first optical channels of the optical WDM transmission system (1, 1?) according to a tuning control information, multiplexing means (13) for multiplexing the first digital optical channel signals (S1ch,i) into a first optical WDM signal (S1WDM), which is supplied to the first end (7) of the optical WDM transmission link (5, 5?), a plurality of second optical transceivers at a second end (9) of the optical WDM transmission link, each of the second optical transceivers including an optical transmitter being adapted to create a second digital optical channel signal (S2ch,i) within the bandwidth of a predetermined optical channel of a second se

Abstract: The invention relates to a protected optical single-fiber WDM system. A first (3) and a second (5) head-end terminal and at least one optical add/drop filter device (11) are connected to form a chain-like transmission path, each of the first and second head-end terminals (3, 5) being connected, at a WDM port (3a, 5a), through a single optical fiber (13) to a western (11a) or an eastern WDM port (11d) of an adjacent one of the optical add/drop filter devices (11), respectively, and each of the optical add/drop filter devices (11) being connected, at an eastern or western WDM port (11d, 11a), to a western or eastern WDM port (11a, 11d) of an adjacent one of the optical add/drop filter devices (11), respectively.

Abstract: A system for and method of determining thermal history of components which are subjected to high-temperature environments, such as in boilers, fuel cells, furnaces, engines and gas turbines, and temperature-monitoring materials and coatings for use in such a system and method.

Abstract: The present invention embraces an optical wavelength division multiplex (WDM) transmission system, especially a WDM passive optical network, typically including a central node having a first and a second WDM port and a remote node having a first and a second WDM port and a plurality of channel ports, the central node first WDM port being connected to the remote node first WDM port via a bidirectional single-fiber optical working path and the central node second WDM port being connected to the remote node second WDM port via a single-fiber bidirectional optical protection path, and a group of basic optical node units (ONU's) each of which is connected to a respective remote node channel port via a bidirectional optical ONU path, each ONU including an optical receiver for receiving a downstream optical channel signal and an optical tunable transmitter for creating an upstream channel signal.

Abstract: A steering drive system includes a drive arrangement having a first drive and a second drive, a summing gear unit for summing driving torques of the drives on an output shaft of the summing gear unit, a first drive connection device by which the first drive is drivingly connected to a first input shaft of the summing gear unit, and a second drive connection device by which the second drive is drivingly connected to a second input shaft of the summing gear unit. The two drive connection devices are arranged in each instance such that no driving torque directed to the drives from the summing gear unit can be transmitted to the drives during a continuously produced drive connection between the drives and the summing gear unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for inactivating viruses and/or bacteria in medicinal-leech extracts by means of electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: An optical transmission system method including generating for a tunable laser a pilot tone having an adjustable pilot tone frequency identifying a wavelength division multiplexing channel used by the tunable laser; multiplying the pilot tone with pilot tone data to provide a pilot tone data signal; supplying the pilot tone data signal and a high frequency data signal to the tunable laser generating an optical laser signal output by the tunable laser responsive to the supplied signals; transporting the optical laser signal to a central wavelength to locker; converting the received optical laser signal to provide a pilot tone data signal for wavelength division multiplexing channels demodulated to detect the pilot tone and the pilot tone data for each individual wavelength division multiplexing channel; and identifying the wavelength division multiplexing channel on the basis of the pilot tone frequency of the detected pilot tone and evaluating the pilot tone data.

Abstract: A receiving apparatus and method for processing a differential phase shift keying signal carrying a plurality of symbols are disclosed to provide for improved compensation of linear and non-linear noise in phase modulated optical transmission. The receiving apparatus comprises an input unit for receiving electrical signals derived from an optical signal and a calculation unit for calculating a current value of a decision variable. The current value is indicative of a differential phase shift in the optical signal between a currently received symbol and a previously received symbol as a function of the optical signal power of the optical signal for the currently received symbol and at least one previous value of the decision variable. The receiving apparatus also comprises a decision unit for determining the differential phase shift from the current value of the decision variable obtained from the calculation unit to obtain the currently received symbol.

Abstract: The present invention embraces an optical wavelength division multiplex (WDM) transmission system, especially a WDM passive optical network, typically including a central node having a first and a second WDM port and a remote node having a first and a second WDM port and a plurality of channel ports, the central node first WDM port being connected to the remote node first WDM port via a bidirectional single-fiber optical working path and the central node second WDM port being connected to the remote node second WDM port via a single-fiber bidirectional optical protection path, and a group of basic optical node units (ONU's) each of which is connected to a respective remote node channel port via a bidirectional optical ONU path, each ONU including an optical receiver for receiving a downstream optical channel signal and an optical tunable transmitter for creating an upstream channel signal.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a static mixer (1) with a plurality of nozzles, and more generally, to a mixer and method of use thereof for mixing phosgene and amine with shaped jets or at least two rows of nozzles (15,16)where the second row (16) is used to enrich an area of deficit of the phosgene flow within the static reactive jet mixer (1). Configurations of enriching secondary flow include the use of concentric, eccentric, or offset jets of amine/phosgene, and the use of nozzles with different and regular geometries to help focus amine/phosgene to a specific area of the principal phosgene flow.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging method for simultaneously determining in vivo distributions of bioluminescent and/or fluorescent markers and radioactive markers at identical projection angles, the distribution of the bioluminescent and/or fluorescent markers being determined by separate detection of photons having a first average energy, which are emitted by the bioluminescent and/or fluorescent markers, by means of at least one first detector and the distribution of the radioactive markers being determined by simultaneous separate detection of photons having a second average energy, which are emitted by the radioactive markers, by means of at least one second detector.

Abstract: A wear-sensing structure comprising a metallic object having a wear-sensing layer at a surface which is subject to wear, wherein the wear-sensing layer comprises a host metallic matrix having a luminescent ceramic phase dispersed therewithin, the ceramic phase comprising a ceramic host containing a luminescent material which luminesces when illuminated with an illuminating radiation, with wear of the object being determined by reference to luminescence from the luminescent material.

Abstract: A steering drive system includes a drive arrangement having a first drive and a second drive, a summing gear unit for summing driving torques of the drives on an output shaft of the summing gear unit, a first drive connection device by which the first drive is drivingly connected to a first input shaft of the summing gear unit, and a second drive connection device by which the second drive is drivingly connected to a second input shaft of the summing gear unit. The two drive connection devices are arranged in each instance such that no driving torque directed to the drives from the summing gear unit can be transmitted to the drives during a continuously produced drive connection between the drives and the summing gear unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for inactivating viruses and/or bacteria in medicinal-leech extracts by means of electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical imaging detector for fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging of an imaged object that can be used for tomographic imaging. The optical imaging detector comprises at least one micro-lens array with a plurality of micro-lenses. A photo detector can be located either in the focal plane of the micro-lens array or can be connected to the micro-lens array by a network of optical fibers and be located externally.

Abstract: A coating material (20) for coating a machine component (10), especially a gas turbine or a part thereof, comprises a mixture of at least a refractory material and an indicator material having an optical emission (e.g. fluorescence) spectrum which varies in response to a physical parameter of the coated component. In a preferred embodiment, the coating consists of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) or yttrium stabilized zirconium. The dopant is preferably a rare earth metal, e.g. Eu, Tb, Dy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the transmission of a digital signal in inverse multiplexing, particularly via an Optical Transport Network (OTN), in which a digital signal to be transmitted, which is split into a certain number M of several sub-signals, where each sub-signal of a transmit side of a transmission line assigned exclusively to this sub-signal is transmitted to a reception side of the assigned transmission line, and in which, on the reception side of the transmission lines, the sub-signals are reassembled to a digital reception signal.