Abstract: An MRI support structure for imaging a breast region of a patient, said support structure comprising: a housing including a top portion, a bottom portion, a left support portion, and a right support portion wherein the top portion, bottom portion, and left support portion define a left cup opening, and the top portion, bottom portion, and right support portion define a right cup opening; a rail system comprising a plurality of rails each coupled to a bottom surface of the top portion; a lateral grid plate holder comprising a ratchet mechanism engaged with the rail system and configured to ratchet along the rail system in a medial direction; and a medial grid plate holder coupled to a top surface of the bottom portion.

Abstract: An MRI system for imaging a human breast region of a patient comprising a breast coil comprising a housing including a top portion, a bottom portion, a left support portion, and a right support portion wherein the top portion, bottom portion, and left support portion define a left cup opening, and the top portion, bottom portion, and right support portion define a right cup opening; and a receive coil configured to image the breast region of the patient; wherein the bottom portion of the housing comprises: a first side adjacent a spine coil, the first side and the spine coil each being disposed on a tabletop; and a second side overlapping a top surface of the spine coil such that a top surface of the bottom portion is approximately horizontal.

Abstract: An MRI support structure for imaging a breast region of a patient, said support structure comprising: a housing including a top portion, a bottom portion, a left support portion, and a right support portion wherein the top portion, bottom portion, and left support portion define a left cup opening, and the top portion, bottom portion, and right support portion define a right cup opening; a rail system comprising a plurality of rails each coupled to a bottom surface of the top portion; a lateral grid plate holder comprising a ratchet mechanism engaged with the rail system and configured to ratchet along the rail system in a medial direction; and a medial grid plate holder coupled to a top surface of the bottom portion.

Abstract: An MRI system including a main magnet defining a volume, an imaging region disposed within the volume. The main magnet is configured to produce a uniform main magnetic field within the volume, wherein the uniform magnetic field is oriented along a patient axis. The system includes a gradient magnetic coil assembly disposed within the volume and configured to generate a spatially varying magnetic field across the imaging region. The gradient magnetic coil assembly includes a first coil configured to generate a magnetic field in a first axis, a second coil configured to generate a magnetic field in a second axis, and a third coil configured to generate a magnetic field in the patient axis. The system also includes a passive gradient shield disposed between the main magnet and primary gradient magnetic coil assembly, the passive gradient shield can include a continuous cylindrical layer of high permeability, low electrical conductivity material.

Abstract: An MRI system including a main magnet defining a volume, an imaging region disposed within the volume. The main magnet is configured to produce a uniform main magnetic field within the volume, wherein the uniform magnetic field is oriented along a patient axis. The system includes a gradient magnetic coil assembly disposed within the volume and configured to generate a spatially varying magnetic field across the imaging region. The gradient magnetic coil assembly includes a first coil configured to generate a magnetic field in a first axis, a second coil configured to generate a magnetic field in a second axis, and a third coil configured to generate a magnetic field in the patient axis. The system also includes a passive gradient shield disposed between the main magnet and primary gradient magnetic coil assembly, the passive gradient shield can include a continuous cylindrical layer of high permeability, low electrical conductivity material.

Abstract: A system is provided for feeding a stream of material. The system includes a feeder, a material density portion, a detector, a weight calculator and an indicator. The feeder can output a portion of the stream of the material from a first position to a second position. The material density portion can generate a density signal based on the density of the material. The detector can detect a volume of the portion of the stream of the material without contacting the portion of the stream of the material and can generate a volume signal based on the detected volume. The weight calculator can calculate a weight based on the density signal and the volume signal and can generate a weight signal. The indicator can provide an indication signal based on the weight signal.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a system for transferring a plurality of non-oriented items. The system includes a feeding area, a conveyor and a rail. The feeding area can accept the plurality of non-oriented items. The conveyor has a first end, a second end, a conveyor length disposed between the first end and the second end, a conveyor first side, a conveyor second side, a conveyor width disposed between the conveyor first side and the conveyor second side, and a conveyor ledge along the second side. The rail is disposed above the conveyor and from the conveyor ledge at a distance equal to one of the item height, the item width and the item length. A first portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will convey along the conveyor path. A second portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will fall off the conveyor ledge.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a system for transferring a plurality of non-oriented items. The system includes a feeding area, a conveyor and a rail. The feeding area can accept the plurality of non-oriented items. The conveyor has a first end, a second end, a conveyor length disposed between the first end and the second end, a conveyor first side, a conveyor second side, a conveyor width disposed between the conveyor first side and the conveyor second side, and a conveyor ledge along the second side. The rail is disposed above the conveyor and from the conveyor ledge at a distance equal to one of the item height, the item width and the item length. A first portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will convey along the conveyor path. A second portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will fall off the conveyor ledge.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for analysis of a biological sample includes receiving the sample, wherein the sample includes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), lysing the sample to obtain access to the DNA included in the sample, purifying the DNA in the sample to isolate the DNA from other components in the sample, amplifying the DNA, separating fragments of the amplified DNA, detecting the separated fragments using laser induced fluorescence, based on the detecting, generating a profile of the DNA in the received sample, comparing the generated profile with profiles of DNA stored in a database, and upon determining that the generated profile matches one of the stored profiles, identifying the source from which the stored profile was obtained, wherein the receiving, lysing, purifying, amplifying, and detecting are performed on corresponding portions of a microfluidic device, and wherein transporting the sample and the DNA to the portions of the microfluidic device and enabling the lysing, purifying, amplifying,

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a system for transferring a plurality of non-oriented items. The system includes a feeding area, a conveyor and a rail. The conveyor has a first end, a second end, a conveyor length disposed between the first end and the second end, a conveyor first side, a conveyor second side, a conveyor width disposed between the conveyor first side and the conveyor second side, and a conveyor ledge along the second side. The rail is disposed above the conveyor and from the conveyor ledge at a distance equal to one of the item height, the item width and the item length. A first portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will convey along the conveyor path. A second portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will fall off the conveyor ledge. ledge.

Abstract: A system is provided for feeding a stream of material. The system includes a feeding portion, a material density portion, a detector, a weight calculating portion and an indicator. The feeding portion can output a portion of the stream of the material from a first position to a second position. The material density portion can generate a density signal based on the density of the material. The detector can detect a volume of the portion of the stream of the material without contacting the portion of the stream of the material and can generate a volume signal based on the detected volume. The weight calculating portion can calculate a weight based on the density signal and the volume signal and can generate a weight signal.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a system for transferring a plurality of non-oriented items. The system includes a feeding area, a conveyor and a rail. The conveyor has a first end, a second end, a conveyor length disposed between the first end and the second end, a conveyor first side, a conveyor second side, a conveyor width disposed between the conveyor first side and the conveyor second side, and a conveyor ledge along the second side. The rail is disposed above the conveyor and from the conveyor ledge at a distance equal to one of the item height, the item width and the item length. A first portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will convey along the conveyor path. A second portion of the plurality of non-oriented items will fall off the conveyor ledge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a design of a radiofrequency (RF) receive coil (also commonly referred to as an imaging coil) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a vertical field MRI system of a patient's breast region. The design described herein generally includes a housing that includes two coil cups. The coil housing will generally encase the coil elements. In general, the breast coil of certain embodiments of the invention will include loop elements surrounding each side of each of the coil cups, a saddle element at the bottom of each cup, and an element that spans the width of the coil, wrapping at least partially up both sides of the coil. It is foreseen that further embodiments of the breast coil design may include additional elements.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for analysis of a biological sample includes receiving the sample, wherein the sample includes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), lysing the sample to obtain access to the DNA included in the sample, purifying the DNA in the sample to isolate the DNA from other components in the sample, amplifying the DNA, separating fragments of the amplified DNA, detecting the separated fragments using laser induced fluorescence, based on the detecting, generating a profile of the DNA in the received sample, comparing the generated profile with profiles of DNA stored in a database, and upon determining that the generated profile matches one of the stored profiles, identifying the source from which the stored profile was obtained, wherein the receiving, lysing, purifying, amplifying, and detecting are performed on corresponding portions of a microfluidic device, and wherein transporting the sample and the DNA to the portions of the microfluidic device and enabling the lysing, purifying, amplifying,

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for identification of most read images. Certain embodiments provide automatically determining a reading time for an image based on at least one of image viewing time and tool usage with respect to the image, and generating a viewing order for the image based on the reading time. Reading times may be determined for a plurality of images. In certain embodiments, a priority may be assigned to the image based on the reading time. Images may be arranged on a display based on the priority, for example. A series of images may be ordered according to reading time for each of a plurality of images, for example.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a design of a radiofrequency (RF) receive coil (also commonly referred to as an imaging coil) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a vertical field MRI system of a patient's breast region. The design described herein generally includes a housing that includes two coil cups. The coil housing will generally encase the coil elements. In general, the breast coil of certain embodiments of the invention will include loop elements surrounding each side of each of the coil cups, a saddle element at the bottom of each cup, and an element that spans the width of the coil, wrapping at least partially up both sides of the coil. It is foreseen that further embodiments of the breast coil design may include additional elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a housing for a radiofrequency receive coil for magnetic resonance imaging. The housing is designed for a coil wherein the patient lies on top of the coil in the prone position. The housing includes a base portion, a body portion and at least two wing portions. The base and body portions are generally constructed from a rigid material, while the wing portions are constructed from a flexible material. The wing portions may be connected using a connection strap, that applies tension to the wing portions to flex the wing portions in closer vicinity to the patient's body for optimal imaging.

Abstract: An improved method for counting irregular or unsymmetrical shaped articles that allows greater precision and provides enhanced features over current counting devices and methods. The method improves upon current devices and methods by providing a more precise volume for each article by using actual cross sectional areas of articles. The improved method also allows the user to count broken or incomplete articles as “partial” volumes. These partial volumes may be added to one another to give a precise total batch volume. The actual cross sectional areas may also be used to allow the user to display three dimensional adaptations of each article counted. Because this information is stored, the articles may be displayed at any time after the articles are scanned. The improved method also allows a user to determine the distance between articles, by using the counting device, and, using this information, adjust the feed rate of the device to an optimum feed rate.

Abstract: A manual tool for rolling and positioning a mass of material. More particular, for use with rolls of stratified materials having a central core. The tool when inserted into the central core of such stratified rolls articulates in a manner so as to allow a cleat member to grip the outer perimeter of the roll and thereby allows the workman to apply leverage to the mass causing rotation. Repeated articulated movements allows the tool to be operated in a ratcheting manner.