Abstract: An implantable electromedical device, including a device housing in which electronic and electrical function units are housed, a device head having at least one electrode or one line terminal, and a feedthrough arranged between the device housing and device head for at least one electrical conductor element connecting the electrodes or the line terminal to a function unit, wherein the feedthrough includes a one-piece plastic main body.

Abstract: A feedthrough of an implantable medical electronic device, including a ceramic or glass insulating body, a feedthrough flange surrounding the insulating body, and at least one connection element penetrating through the insulating body for external connection of an electric or electronic component of the device, wherein the feedthrough flange is joined from a number of pre-formed parts.

Abstract: A feedthrough of an implantable medical electronic device, including an insulating body, a feedthrough flange surrounding the insulating body, and at least one connection element penetrating through the insulating body for the external connection of an electric or electronic component of the device, wherein the feedthrough flange has at least one pre-stamped and bent and/or folded and/or deep-drawn sheet metal part, in particular, formed of a titanium sheet or titanium alloy sheet, and the sheet metal part has an extension that is integrally formed in one piece and is angled relative to the plane of extension of the feedthrough and is formed as a ground connection surface.

Abstract: In watermark symbol detection for watermarked audio signals a correlation and statistical detection is used, which is computationally complex. Therefore a downsampling can be used prior to the correlation. However, if the watermarked audio signals are transmitted over an acoustic path, without downsampling the detection rate is considerably higher than the detection rate when including downsampling of the correlation input signals. There is a trade-off between calculation complexity and detection robustness. According to the invention, an interpolation of the correlation result values is carried out for input to the statistical detector, in order to approximate the detection robustness of correlation without downsampling.

Abstract: A method of preparing (R,S)-nicotine, comprising reacting a nicotinate ester with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone in the presence of a base and a solvent to form a first mixture, combining the first mixture with an acid to form a second mixture comprising an aqueous layer, separating the aqueous layer from second mixture, combining the separated aqueous layer with an acid to form a third mixture, combining the third mixture with a base to form a fourth mixture comprising myosamine, reducing myosamine to nornicotine using a reducing agent, and methylating the nornicotine to yield R,S-nicotine.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a multi-tone glass vessel includes depositing a molten-glass first gob of a first glass color into a mold having a lower end and an upper end. An initial quantity of gas is injected into the mold in order to form a gob cavity within the first gob and cause the first gob to partially inflate and expand toward the upper end of the mold. A molten-glass second gob of a second glass color is deposited into the mold over the partially-inflated first gob. The introduction of a second quantity of gas into the gob cavity within the mold forms the first and second gobs into a single, multi-tone vessel of predetermined shape.

Abstract: Following transmission of a watermarked audio signal over an acoustic path causing echoes, reverberation and/or noise, watermark detection correlation result peak values are concentrated within a limited temporal range around main correlation result peaks, which limited temporal range is much smaller than the total correlation length. The watermark detection is based on the following: given np correlation result peak values v=(v1, v2, . . . , vnp) in an average or expected probability distribution for correlation result values for unmarked content, the probability is calculated that within windows covering the limited temporal range there are np or more values from a correlation result value set greater than or equal to these peaks v.

Abstract: A method for producing a pin for a feedthrough for an electromedical implant. A pin is produced using the following method steps: creating a foil-, sheet- or strip-shaped semi-finished product by joining at least one first layer element including an electrically conducting, preferably biocompatible, material in foil, sheet or strip form and at least one second layer element including a solder and/or an easily soft-solderable material, preferably in wire, sheet or strip form, or by applying the at least one second layer element onto the at least one first layer element; and at least partially detaching a pin, or a set of multiple pins connected to a connecting web 46, from the semi-finished product. A method is also provided for producing a feedthrough and an electromedical implant and to a pin, a feedthrough or an implant produced in the corresponding manner.

Abstract: For watermark embedding, without full Dolby AC-3 decoding, mantissa bits in the AC-3 bit stream are changed by exploiting the fact that during AC-3 encoding more bits than required by the perceptual masking curve are used for the quantization of the MDCT coefficient mantissa values. In addition to the bap values, truly required bap values are determined and the mantissa values are changed accordingly, controlled by the watermark information. The advantages are efficient watermark embedding, other bit stream parameters and values remain unchanged except for CRC checks, and the audio quality of the watermarked signal remains perceptually unchanged.

Abstract: Digital audio signal watermarking in real-time is difficult in an environment that has limited processing power. According to the invention, the channels in a data block-based audio multi-channel signal are prioritized with respect to watermarking importance, whereby the channel priority can change for different input signal data blocks. For a current input signal block, the most important channel is watermarked and the required processing time is determined. If this required processing time is shorter than a predefined application-dependent threshold, the next most important channel is marked and the additionally required processing time is determined, and so on. Due to the block-based nature of the audio watermarking including block overlap/add and due to the sensitivity of the resulting audio quality against blocking artifacts, several problems are solved in order to lead to acceptable performance and quality.

Abstract: Watermark symbol detection requires a detection metric for deciding at decoder side which candidate symbol is embedded inside the audio or video signal content. The invention provides an improved detection metric processing that achieves a reliable detection of watermarks in the presence of additional noise and echoes, and that is adaptive to signal reception conditions and requires a decreased computational power. This is performed by taking into account the information contained in the echoes of the received audio signal in the decision metric and comparing it with the corresponding metric obtained from decoding a non-marked audio signal, based on recursive calculation of false positive detection rates of peaks in correlation result values. The watermark symbol corresponding to the reference sequence having the lowest false positive error is selected as the embedded one.

Abstract: Many watermarking detection algorithms are correlation based, whereby an input signal is correlated with reference signals. The correlation with the best match determines the bit value of the watermark information. Usually a watermarked signal undergoes distortion before being fed to a watermark detector. However, the modification is stronger in some frequency ranges than in others. According to the invention, the correlation result for a current input signal section is in addition used for estimating the optimal frequency range or ranges for the following section's correlation, using a cumulative correlation value curve.

Abstract: Audio watermarking is the process of embedding watermark information items into an audio signal in an in-audible manner. In a first embodiment, in case the original audio signal has parts of low signal energy, an alternative signal having a level or strength given by the psycho-acoustic model is combined with the original audio signal. The combined signal is watermarked with watermark data to be embedded. In a second embodiment, in case the original audio signal has parts of low signal energy, an alternative signal having a level or strength given by the psycho-acoustic model is watermarked with watermark data to be embedded, and the audio signal is watermarked with the watermark data to be embedded. The watermarked alternative signal is combined with the watermarked audio signal.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for the detection of degradation products of biological molecules in layers of a layer system (1) in which the degradation products are acted upon by an excitation radiation (3) and a radiation (6) of the degradation products which is induced by the excitation radiation (3) is detected and a concentration of degradation products is determined based on a comparison of the measurement values of the radiation (6) with reference data, characterized in that there is provided a layer system (1) which includes a through layer (1.1) which is transparent to the excitation radiation (3) and radiation (6) and at least one further receiver layer containing degradation products, and in that the excitation radiation (3) is directed into the receiver layer through the through layer (1.1). The invention is further directed to an apparatus and a portable measuring device (11) for detecting the degradation products.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, compositions and kits for whitening teeth and promoting better oral hygiene. A one-step protocol is disclosed in which concentrated hydrogen peroxide is delivered into the oral cavity by aerosol spray, without burning, discomfort or damage to the soft tissues of the mouth. A two-step protocol is also disclosed in which an effervescent powder formulation is included as a post-treatment following the aerosol spray. In some embodiment, the powder formulation can be used alone to promote remineralization, reduce plaque, reduce bacterial count and generally enhance oral hygiene.

Abstract: A connecting device for an electromedical implant having a housing, the connecting device including a feedthrough and a header. The feedthrough and the header are formed in one piece so as to reduce the cost of the production process.

Abstract: A method and accompanying apparatus that allows high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide for tooth whitening by use of an aerosol spray. The aerosol spray may be delivered through a mouthpiece that will direct the spray onto the teeth while inhibiting any escape of the spray to the lips and outside the moth. Also, in combination with antiplaque formulations, enhanced tooth whitening is effected.

Abstract: An epilation device is proposed that has at least an epilation element having a skin side intended for contacting the skin in an operation state of the epilation device, the epilation element having at least two adjoining clamping elements that are arranged on a base structure and that each have a clamping surface so that the clamping surfaces lie opposite to each other, a support in which the epilation element is mounted, and an actuation arrangement that during operation of the epilation device repeatedly actuates the epilation element between a first bending state in which the base structure has a first curvature and a second bending state in which the base structure has a second curvature different to the first curvature, wherein the clamping surfaces the clamping elements are separated by a gap at the skin side in the first bending stage and are in clamping contact in the second bending stage.

Abstract: For watermark embedding, without full Dolby AC-3 decoding, mantissa bits in the AC-3 bit stream are changed by exploiting the fact that during AC-3 encoding more bits than required by the perceptual masking curve are used for the quantization of the MDCT coefficient mantissa values. In addition to the bap values, truly required bap values are determined and the mantissa values are changed accordingly, controlled by the watermark information. The advantages are efficient watermark embedding, other bit stream parameters and values remain unchanged except for CRC checks, and the audio quality of the watermarked signal remains perceptually unchanged.

Abstract: A connecting device for an electromedical implant having a housing, the connecting device including a feedthrough and a header. The feedthrough and the header are formed in one piece so as to reduce the cost of the production process.