Abstract: A method is described for driving matrix displays which are made up of a plurality of lines with individual pixels, which lines are configured as rows and columns, wherein individual lines are driven selectively by rows being activated for a defined row addressing time and an operating current or a corresponding voltage being applied to the columns in correlation with the activated row corresponding to the desired brightness in the pixels. In order to improve the performance of the display, the row addressing time for each row is determined as a function of the maximum brightness of all the columns of the row.

Abstract: A medical pump for use in water jet surgery which provides ease of connection between a pump unit and a pump actuating device. The medical pump includes a pump unit and a pump actuating device. The pump unit has at least one piston. The pump actuating device includes a holding device and at least one coupling device, the combination of which is configured to connect the pump unit and pistons to the pump actuating device. The pump actuating device includes a drive device controlled by a control system to actuate the pump unit, to open/close the holding device, and to open/close the at least one coupling device. The pump actuating device includes a detection device in communication with the control system that detects a relative position between the pump unit and the pump actuating device and transmits detection signals to the control system.

Abstract: A water jet surgical device comprises a fluid feed device, which is controllable by control signals from a control device, for delivering a fluid into a connecting line of a surgical instrument with an outlet nozzle. The fluid feed device includes at least one measuring device, which is configured such that following the connection of the surgical instrument to the fluid feed device, the measuring device generates measuring signals to represent a quantity of fluid delivered. The quantity of fluid delivered may be displayed on a display or recorded in a recording unit. This enables improved monitoring of surgical operations.

Abstract: A medical pump for use in water jet surgery which provides ease of connection between a pump unit and a pump actuating device. The medical pump includes a pump unit and a pump actuating device. The pump unit has at least one piston. The pump actuating device includes a holding device and at least one coupling device, the combination of which is configured to connect the pump unit and pistons to the pump actuating device. The pump actuating device includes a drive device controlled by a control system to actuate the pump unit, to open/close the holding device, and to open/close the at least one coupling device. The pump actuating device includes a detection device in communication with the control system that detects a relative position between the pump unit and the pump actuating device and transmits detection signals to the control system.

Abstract: A method is described for driving matrix displays which are made up of a plurality of lines with individual pixels, which lines are configured as rows and columns, wherein individual lines are driven selectively by rows being activated for a defined row addressing time and an operating current or a corresponding voltage being applied to the columns in correlation with the activated row corresponding to the desired brightness in the pixels. In order to improve the performance of the display, the row addressing time for each row is determined as a function of the maximum brightness of all the columns of the row.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal display has a liquid-crystal cell (1) which is formed of two substrates (2) spaced apart from each other, and is filled with a nematic liquid-crystal substance (4). On the cell inner-space side, electrode layers (3) which can be acted on by voltage are arranged on the substrates (2). On the cell outside space side, a double-refracting compensation layer extends over the cell surface. Liquid-crystal cell (1) and compensation layer are arranged between two polarization filters (11). The compensation layer is developed over its surface with a plurality of regions adjacent to each other. The amount of the double refraction of the regions differs from each other by a small amount.

Abstract: A driving method is provided for arrays of liquid crystal elements having a linear response to an applied electric field, and specifically ferroelectric liquid crystals capable of two surface-stabilized states. The presented schemes write simultaneously both states in one scan of the array, recognizing both the threshold as a critical voltage-time area and keeping this integrated averaged area equal to zero for symmetrically responding pixels. The voltage pulse trains are optimized to intrinsically assure stabilizing rms torques without applying separate holding voltages. Improvements in contrast and frame writing speed are achieved by optimizing driving parameters and scan procedures, such as scanning in loops, in combination with impedance switching.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the continuous industrial production of tubular bodies in which coated or uncoated steel strip is formed to a slit tube and the opposite strip edges are longitudinally seam welded at high speed by a laser beam of high energy density under protective gas with or without supply of additive material, and after a preparation adapted to the narrow melt zone and bringing together of the strip edges a fusion welding with subsequent controlled cooling and upsetting is carried out which results in a seam geometry suitable for any further processing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for obtaining cholesterol esterase by culturing an appropriate micro-organism in an appropriate nutrient medium and recovering the enzyme from the culture broth or from the biomass, wherein the culturing is carried out in a mineral salt medium containing n-alkanes with 10 to 20 carbon atoms as the sole source of carbon and in the form of an aerated submersion culture.

Abstract: It is necessary to determine the effects of welding pressure in order to control the high-frequency welding process in the manufacture of pipes with longitudinal seams. It has been discovered that measurements of the height of the welding bead provide an approximation that is satisfactory for determining the mass of the bead, which is proportional to welding pressure in known pipe geometry. The height of the bead is transmitted by an optical system to the diode matrix of a commercially available diode-matrix camera. The results are processed to control welding pressure.

Abstract: A system for non-destructive testing of metallic materials and for, in particular, welding seams. An ultrasonic sensor is employed and ultrasonic defect signals are producted according to the pulse echo method. The ultrasonic defect signals are digitized and the digitized signals are combined with signals corresponding to longitudinal positions along the welding seam. A defect curve is produced form the data resulting from combining the digitized signals with the signals corresponding to longitudinal positions along the welding seam. The resulting defect curve is compared with data from a catalog of classes of defects. The system eliminates the need for manual ultrasonic reinspection of presumed welding defects.