Abstract: Methods and systems implement a dry-heat sterilizer configured to operate at temperatures permissive of a heat-intolerant articles and heat-intolerant packaging. To effectively and evenly transmit heat throughout a dry-heat sterilizer at such temperatures, the dry-heat sterilizer furthermore provides an electronic controller coupled to multiple sensor-heating element configurations, the electronic controller configured to compute proportional-integral-derivative (PID) terms to operate a multi-loop heat control cycle including at least a first feedback loop and a second feedback loop, and configured as an asymptotic PID controller for at least one feedback loop. In this fashion, the likelihood that spot airflow temperature at particular temperature sensors will overshoot a PID setpoint is substantially reduced. This results in spot airflow temperature at the temperature sensors being sustained at the PID setpoint asymptotically, substantially improving precision of heat control cycles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of detection of metallic items and/or metallic surgical instruments or articles by a detection device in the event that such articles have been retained in a patient after a surgical procedure. More specifically, the invention relates to a detection system that uses (1) a metal detector or (2) a detector for harmonic-generating amorphous or non-amorphous metallic tags together with three-dimensional spatial position measurement to determine if a foreign metallic article has been retained in the body and if so, to determine the article's location. The invention scans the patient pre- and post-operatively, evaluating three-dimensional differences in electronic response to account for other nearby metallic objects not related to the retained metallic article, thereby determining by inference whether the post-operative electronic response results from presence of a retained article.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of detection of metallic items and/or metallic surgical instruments or articles by a detection device in the event that such articles have been retained in a patient after a surgical procedure. More specifically, the invention relates to a detection system that uses (1) a metal detector or (2) a detector for harmonic-generating amorphous or non-amorphous metallic tags together with three-dimensional spatial position measurement to determine if a foreign metallic article has been retained in the body and if so, to determine the article's location. The invention scans the patient pre- and post-operatively, evaluating three-dimensional differences in electronic response to account for other nearby metallic objects not related to the retained metallic article, thereby determining by inference whether the post-operative electronic response results from presence of a retained article.

Abstract: A system for determining the magnitude of force applied to an oar by a rower as the oar is pulled through water includes a deflection sensor and a temperature sensor mounted on an oar shaft to determine deflection and temperature of a portion of the oar shaft during rowing. A processor connected to the deflection sensor and the temperature sensor receives signals indicative of deflection and temperature of the oar shaft and derives a force applied to an oar blade based on the deflection and temperature signals.

Abstract: A system for determining the magnitude of force applied to an oar by a rower as the oar is pulled through water includes a deflection sensor and a temperature sensor mounted on an oar shaft to determine deflection and temperature of a portion of the oar shaft during rowing. A processor connected to the deflection sensor and the temperature sensor receives signals indicative of deflection and temperature of the oar shaft and derives a force applied to an oar blade based on the deflection and temperature signals.

Abstract: Metal detectors include a sense coil coupled to an analog to digital converter that produces a numeric representation of an electrical signal associated with a conductive object situated in an active region of a sense coil. The numeric representation is processed to obtain a noise contribution associated with random noise, fixed pattern noise, and/or thermal drift. The noise is subtracted from the numeric representation to produce a numeric difference. The numeric difference includes contributions associated with conductive objects located in a sense volume defined by the sense coil. The numeric difference (or the numeric representation) can be digitally processed with, for example, a matched filter to enhance the conductive object contribution. The matched filter can be based on a measured sense coil speed or can be based on typical sense coil speeds.

Abstract: Metal detectors include a sense coil coupled to an analog to digital converter that produces a numeric representation of an electrical signal associated with a conductive object situated in an active region of a sense coil. The numeric representation is processed to obtain a noise contribution associated with random noise, fixed pattern noise, and/or thermal drift. The noise is subtracted from the numeric representation to produce a numeric difference. The numeric difference includes contributions associated with conductive objects located in a sense volume defined by the sense coil. The numeric difference (or the numeric representation) can be digitally processed with, for example, a matched filter to enhance the conductive object contribution. The matched filter can be based on a measured sense coil speed or can be based on typical sense coil speeds.