Abstract: A non volatile memory device comprises memory cells such as MRAM cells, reading circuits and a reference cell for generating a reference for use by the reading circuits, and can determine if the reference is degraded by thermal instability. This can help reduce a data error rate. Detecting such degradation can prove to be more effective than trying to design in enough margins for the lifetime of the device. The reference cell can be less susceptible to degradation than other cells by using different shape of cells and different write currents. Where each reference cell is used by many memory cells, the reference cell tends to be used more often than any particular memory cell and so can be more susceptible to degradation. Another way of ensuring against longer term degradation of the reference is periodically rewriting the reference cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement (10) for heating of a magnetic material (100) located in the centre region of an inscribed sphere within a region of action, which arrangement comprises:—selection means (210) for generating a magnetic selection field (211) having a pattern in space of its magnetic field strength such that a first sub-zone (301) having a low magnetic field strength and a second sub-zone (302) having a higher magnetic field strength are formed in the region of action (300),—drive means (220) for changing the position in space of the two sub-zones (301, 302) in the region of action (300) by means of a magnetic drive field (221) so that the magnetization of the magnetic material (100) changes locally, and—control means (76) for controlling the drive means (220) to change the position in space of the first sub-zone (301) along a sequence of locations around said inscribed sphere for so long and with such a frequency that the centre region of said inscribed sphere is heated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement (10) for measuring small amounts of a first medium (202) in a third medium (206) and/or of a substance in the first medium (202), said third medium (206) comprising said first medium (202) and a second medium (204), said second medium (204) comprising a known concentration of a magnetic material, wherein said arrangement comprises: magnetization means (12) for providing a variable magnetic field (20) in a region of action (22), in which a probe (18; 208) of said third medium (206) is placed for measurement, receiving means (14) for acquiring a detection signal of the magnetization of said probe (12) in said region of action (22) after application of said variable magnetic field (20), and evaluation means (214) for evaluating said detection signal and comparing it to calibration measurements of the magnetization of at least one calibration sample to derive an information about the amount of said first medium (202) in said third medium (206) and/or of said substan

Abstract: Reference magnetic elements or bits with a range of magnetic volumes smaller than the minimum size used for actual data storage are written or patterned in the data storage device. The reference elements or bits have dimensions such that their magnetization will relax in a shorter time than that of the minimum expected relaxation time of the storage elements or bits. Probing of the magnetization of the reference elements or bits allows the detection of the probable onset of magnetization relaxation in the storage elements or bits therefore signaling that the re-writing (re-magnetizing) of the storage elements or bits is necessary. Such a scheme can be organized over rows, columns, or sectors.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetic tracer material for use in magnetic particle imaging and a manufacturing method thereof. The magnetic tracer material comprises clusters of a plurality of magnetic particles that are clustered in a controlled way to form individual entities, for example, stabilized oil droplets, solid emulsion particles, liposomes, polymersomes or vesicles, or naturally occurring biological entities such as cells or viruses.

Abstract: An electronic compass has a 2D magnetometer for determining two of the three components of the earth-magnetic field vector. Values for the magnitude and inclination of the field at the location of the device are given. If at least one of the body axes of the device is held horizontally in operational use, an educated guess can be made about the actual orientation of the device (e.g., heading and tilt angles) with respect to the earth. Accordingly, this compass is a very-low cost device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to materials and methods for non-invasive imaging of biocompatible products. Biocompatible products are provided that can be visualized in vivo and in vitro using magnetic particle imaging methods. It was found that these materials can be employed for monitoring development, remodeling or degradation of biocompatible products. In another aspect, the inventive products enable substance delivery tracking and can be used to visualize targeted delivery of active agents.

Abstract: The dental position tracking system includes a toothbrush (30) which has a system (20) for determining the orientation of the toothbrush in the mouth of a user relative to the earth, based on measured stored information. Information is stored in the toothbrush concerning target ranges of expected measured toothbrush orientations for each of a plurality of dental zones (22). A processor (24) compares the measured toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation ranges, following conversion of both the target orientation information and the measured toothbrush orientation information to the same coordinate system. The processor then determines which if any of the target ranges matches, within a selected tolerance thereof, with the toothbrush orientation information. Any difference between the target range and the measured toothbrush orientation information is then used to partially adjust the target information range, in order to compensate for a change of position of the user's head.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor circuit comprises a first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) which senses a first magnetic field component in a first direction to supply a first sense signal (Vx). A first flipping coil (FC1) applies a first flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) to cause the first sense signal (Vx) to have alternating different levels synchronized with the first flipping magnetic field. A second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) senses a second magnetic field component in a second direction different than the first direction to supply a second sense signal (Vy). A second flipping coil (FC2) applies a second flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) to cause the second sense signal (Vy) to have an alternating different levels synchronized with the second flipping magnetic field. The first flipping magnetic field and the second flipping magnetic field have a phase shift.

Abstract: An arrangement and a method for influencing and/or detecting magnetic particles in a region of action is disclosed, which arrangement comprises:—selection means (210) for generating a magnetic selection field (211) having a pattern in space of its magnetic field strength such that a first sub-zone (301) having a low magnetic field strength and a second sub-zone (302) having a higher magnetic field strength are formed in the region of action (300),—drive means (220) for changing the position in space of the two sub-zones (301, 302) in the region of action (300) by means of a magnetic drive field (221) so that the magnetization of the magnetic particles (100) changes locally,—receiving means (230) for acquiring signals, which signals depend on the magnetization in the region of action (300), which magnetization is influenced by the change in the position in space of the first and second sub-zone (301, 302),—a control unit (11) for controlling the drive means and/or the selection means and/or the receiving means

Abstract: A separator system with a separator column and a method of fractionating magnetic particles, preferably using field-flow fractionation is proposed, which allows for more effective fractionation of magnetic particles with respect to their dynamic magnetic response in a wide frequency and amplitude range of an applied magnetic field, in particular relevant for magnetic particle imaging (MPI).

Abstract: A non volatile memory device comprises memory cells such as MRAM cells, reading circuits and a reference cell for generating a reference for use by the reading circuits, and can determine if the reference is degraded by thermal instability. This can help reduce a data error rate. Detecting such degradation can prove to be more effective than trying to design in enough margins for the lifetime of the device. The reference cell can be less susceptible to degradation than other cells by using different shape of cells and different write currents. Where each reference cell is used by many memory cells, the reference cell tends to be used more often than any particular memory cell and so can be more susceptible to degradation. Another way of ensuring against longer term degradation of the reference is periodically rewriting the reference cell.

Abstract: A non volatile memory device comprises memory cells such as MRAM cells, reading circuits and a reference cell for generating a reference for use by the reading circuits, and can determine if the reference is degraded by thermal instability. This can help reduce a data error rate. Detecting such degradation can prove to be more effective than trying to design in enough margins for the lifetime of the device. The reference cell can be less susceptible to degradation than other cells by using different shape of cells and different write currents. Where each reference cell is used by many memory cells, the reference cell tends to be used more often than any particular memory cell and so can be more susceptible to degradation. Another way of ensuring against longer term degradation of the reference is periodically rewriting the reference cell.

Abstract: An electronic device has an orientation sensing system for determining an orientation of the device. The system comprises a magnetometer and an accelero meter. The system further has calibration means to calibrate the sensing system for operational use. The accelerometer supplies measurements used to constrain a range of possible directions of the external magnetic field to be determined. The calibration means numerically solves a set of equations and is equally well useable for a 2D or 3D magnetometer in combination with a 2D or 3D accelerometer.

Abstract: An electronic compass has a 2D magnetometer for determining two of the three components of the earth-magnetic field vector. Values for the magnitude and inclination of the field at the location of the device are given. If at least one of the body axes of the device is held horizontally in operational use, an educated guess can be made about the actual orientation of the device (e.g., heading and tilt angles) with respect to the earth. Accordingly, this compass is a very-low cost device.

Abstract: An orientation sensing system uses an algorithm that iteratively improves an estimate of the body attitude. In each iteration, an error vector is generated that represents the difference between the actually measured sensor signals on the one hand, and a model-based prediction of these sensor signals, given the attitude estimate of the previous iteration, on the other hand. From the compound sensor data error vector, an attitude estimation error (a 3 degrees-of-freedom rotation) is calculated by multiplying the compound error vector by the pseudo-inverse of a sensitivity matrix. An improved attitude estimate is then obtained by applying the inverse of the attitude estimation error to the old attitude estimate.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor circuit comprises a first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) which senses a first magnetic field component in a first direction to supply a first sense signal (Vx). A first flipping coil (FC1) applies a first flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) to cause the first sense signal (Vx) to have alternating different levels synchronized with the first flipping magnetic field. A second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) senses a second magnetic field component in a second direction different than the first direction to supply a second sense signal (Vy). A second flipping coil (FC2) applies a second flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) to cause the second sense signal (Vy) to have an alternating different levels synchronized with the second flipping magnetic field. The first flipping magnetic field and the second flipping magnetic field have a phase shift.

Abstract: A medicament delivery device, which comprises a driving mechanism and a housing (1) having a reservoir (2), which is at least partly filled with a substance and which is sealed at least on one side with a flexible wall (21). The driving mechanism is adapted to press a piston (23) against the flexible wall (21) thereby releasing the substance from the reservoir (2) through an opening (25) in the reservoir (2). This provides for a safe and reliable medicament delivery device.

Abstract: Devices (1) comprising sensor arrangements (2) for providing first field information (11-13) defining at least parts of first fields and for providing second field information (14, 15) defining at least parts of second fields are provided with updaters (4) for updating parameters of the first and/or second fields via criterion-dependent iterations, to become more reliable and user friendly. The fields may be earth gravitational fields and/or earth magnetic fields and/or further fields. The parameters comprise magnitudes of the fields and dot products of the fields. The criterion-dependent iterations comprise magnitude functions and dot product functions. The magnitude functions define new magnitudes being functions of old magnitudes and of updated magnitudes and the dot product functions define new dot products being functions of old dot products and of updated dot products.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing magnetic field strength has a sensor element, and detection circuitry for detecting a level of resistance of the sensor element, the level of resistance varying with magnetic field under test and having hysteresis, so that upon electromagnetic excitation the resistance can switch between two or more stable levels as the magnetic field under test varies. The sensor outputs a digital signal according to the level of resistance. The sensor output may further be interpreted in terms of a change-of-state upon electromagnetic excitation. As the sensor no longer needs a different characteristic from magnetic memory cells, it can be much easier to construct and to integrate with magnetic memory cells than an analog sensor. An excitation signal varies a threshold for the magnetic field under test at which the resistance switches, to enable multiple measurements with different thresholds. Multiple sensor elements can have different thresholds, by having differing geometry or size.