Abstract: A method for a noninvasive determination and/or monitoring of the intracranial compliance of a biological material includes performing an acoustic spectroscopy of a human or an animal skull; comparing the acoustic transmitting signals with the corresponding acoustic receiving signals, and determining a function in n-dimensions, which is characteristic for the biological material; determining the expansion of the biological material, the linear expansion and/or volume expansion of the biological material being measured, and determining the intracranial compliance of the biological material based on the comparisons.

Abstract: A device for examining biological and non-biological materials via acoustic spectroscopy includes an ultrasonic transmission device and an ultrasonic reception device for receiving a reflected and/or transmitted ultrasonic reception signal after said signal has passed through the material to be examined. The transmission device transmits ultrasonic transmission signals having different frequencies and the reception device receives corresponding ultrasonic reception signals. Time-of-flight values of the allocated ultrasonic signals can be identified from every signal pair using a first processing device, and the attenuation values of the allocated ultrasonic signal can be identified from every signal pair using a second processing device. For every frequency of the different transmission signals and reception signals, the correspondingly identified time-of-flight values and attenuation values can be stored as a results dataset.

Abstract: A device for examining a test material via acoustic spectroscopy, including a measuring distance which is formed from a reference material and the test material an ultrasonic transmission device for transmitting an ultrasonic transmission signal having an initial amplitude (A0) through the measuring distance, a first ultrasonic reception device for receiving the transmitted ultrasonic reception signal after the signal has passed through the measuring distance, and a second ultrasonic reception device for receiving the ultrasonic receiving signal reflected on the boundary surface between the test material and the reference material after the signal has twice passed through the reference material or test material, the transmission device being configured for giving ultrasonic transmission signals having different frequencies (f) and the two reception devices being configured for receiving corresponding ultrasonic reception signals having different frequencies.

Abstract: The invention relates to a phase detection method (200) comprising the following steps: receiving (201) a receiving sequence (Yj) of values (Y0, Y1, . . . , YN?1) of a receiving signal (Y), said values (Y0, Y1, . . .

Abstract: The invention relates to a phase detection method. A plurality of consecutive values of a receiving signal with a known sampling frequency fs are received as a reaction to a transmitting signal having a known transmitting frequency fw. Two differential values are determined, each coming from two consecutive values out of three consecutive values of the receiving signal. A phase real part and a phase imaginary part of the receiving signal are determined based on a linear relation between the phase real part, the phase imaginary part and the two differential values.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (01) for examining a test material (02) via acoustic spectroscopy, comprising a measuring distance (37) which is formed from a reference material (38) and the test material (02), the acoustic material parameters of the reference material (38) being known for different frequencies, and the length (xR) of the reference material (38) being known, and the length (xM) of the test material (02) being known, and comprising an ultrasonic transmission device (39) for transmitting an ultrasonic transmission signal (42) having an initial amplitude (A0) through the measuring distance (37), and comprising a first ultrasonic reception device (41) for receiving the transmitted ultrasonic reception signal (44) after said signal (44) has passed through the measuring distance (37), and comprising a second ultrasonic reception device (40) for receiving the ultrasonic receiving signal (45) reflected on the boundary surface (43) between the test material (02) and the reference material (38) after

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (01) for examining a biological and non-biological material (02) via acoustic spectroscopy, said device comprising an ultrasonic transmission device (03) for transmitting an ultrasonic transmission signal (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41), an ultrasonic reception device (04) for receiving a reflected and/or transmitted ultrasonic reception signal after said signal has passed through the material (02) to be examined, said transmission device (03) being configured for giving several ultrasonic transmission signals having different frequencies and said reception device (04) being configured for receiving corresponding ultrasonic reception signals having different frequencies, the time-of-flight values (16) of the allocated ultrasonic signals being able to be identified from every signal pair consisting of the transmission signal and the reception signal using a first processing device (10), the attenuation values (20) of the allocated ultrasonic signal being able to be identified fro

Abstract: The invention relates to a phase detection method (200) comprising the following steps: receiving (201) a receiving sequence (Yj) of values (Y0, Y1, . . . , YN-1) of a receiving signal (Y), said values (Y0, Y1, . . .

Abstract: The invention relates to a phase detection method (200), comprising the following steps: receiving a plurality of consecutive values of a receiving signal (Y) with a known sampling frequency fs as a reaction to a transmitting signal having a known transmitting frequency fw; determining two differential values (?Y1, ?Y2), each coming from two consecutive values out of three consecutive values (Y1, Y2, Y3) of the receiving signal (Y); and determining a phase real part (U) and a phase imaginary part (V) of the receiving signal (Y) based on a linear relation between the phase real part (U), the phase imaginary part (V) and the two differential values (?Y1, ?Y2).

Abstract: A method and system for determining the purity and authenticity of a substance being transported in a container. A coded signal is first passed through the container and its contents thereby generating an identifier. When the container reaches its destination, a second signal is passed through the container and its contents thereby generating a second identifier. The first and second signals are compared to determine if the substance inside the container has been altered.

Abstract: A medical device for determining the position of intracorporeal implants such as fixation systems, plates or the like, comprises at least one impedance-measuring device and an ultrasound device which are both connected to at least one intracorporeal probe, the impedance-measuring device being additionally equipped with at least one connector for connection to the implant. The device is suitable for determining the position of pedicle screws and the like in a spinal column fixation system with metal rods as stabilizers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for examining a medium (19), comprising the following steps of: transmitting a measurement input signal (4) comprising at least one measurement frequency, wherein the measurement input signal (4) is coupled into a medium (19); receiving a measurement output signal (9) emerging from the medium (9); transmitting a counter measurement input signal (13) comprising at least one counter measurement frequency, wherein the counter measurement frequency essentially corresponds to the measurement frequency, and wherein the counter measurement input signal (13) is coupled into the medium (19) simultaneously and in an opposite direction to the measurement input signal (4); receiving a counter measurement output signal (16) emerging from the medium (19); calculating a Doppler correction by comparing the counter measurement input signal (13) with the counter measurement output signal (16) in terms of the counter measurement frequency and by comparing the measurement input signal (4

Abstract: An ultrasonic interferometer for the characterization of the matter (solids, fluids & gases) in a medium is described, along with a method of using the same. The interferometer accurately determines the travel time of the multi-frequency ultrasonic signal in the matter that is being queried. By carefully selecting the design of the multi-frequency ultrasound signal, various properties of the material can be derived using a trainable classification system to classify or recognise the substance, or state of a process. The apparatus exploits the normally undesirable higher harmonics characteristics of the piezoceramic transducer to gain penetration through a spatial-frequency window that is not suitable for the higher frequency signals that are required to achieve the measurements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for non-invasive monitoring of brain density variations. At least two ultrasonic pulses having different frequencies are provided into the brain for transmission therethrough. The reflected ultrasonic pulses are then sensed and the sensed signal data are then processed for determining at least two phase differences between the phases of the at least two reflected ultrasonic pulses and the phases of the at least two provided ultrasonic pulses. A phase of at least a beat frequency is determined in dependence upon the at least two phase differences. Data indicative of a brain density variation are determined based on the at least two phase differences and the at least a beat frequency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for examining a medium (19), comprising the following steps of: transmitting a measurement input signal (4) comprising at least one measurement frequency, wherein the measurement input signal (4) is coupled into a medium (19); receiving a measurement output signal (9) emerging from the medium (9); transmitting a counter measurement input signal (13) comprising at least one counter measurement frequency, wherein the counter measurement frequency essentially corresponds to the measurement frequency, and wherein the counter measurement input signal (13) is coupled into the medium (19) simultaneously and in an opposite direction to the measurement input signal (4); receiving a counter measurement output signal (16) emerging from the medium (19); calculating a Doppler correction by comparing the counter measurement input signal (13) with the counter measurement output signal (16) in terms of the counter measurement frequency and by comparing the measurement input signal

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for simultaneously determining the position and velocity of objects. Moreover the method comprising the steps of: 1) simultaneously generating a first signal for determining the velocity and a second signal for determining the position; 2) mixing the first signal with the second signal to form a mixed signal and subsequently transmitting the mixed signal towards an object using a transmitter, so that the mixed signal can be at least partially reflected by the object; and 4) evaluating an echo signal. Such a method may be used for various applications, such as monitoring blood vessel access and/or for pericardiocentesis, as well as for determining the blood flow velocity and the position of blood vessels.

Abstract: An ultrasonic interferometer for the characterization of the matter (solids, fluids & gases) in a medium is described, along with a method of using the same. The interferometer accurately determines the travel time of the multi-frequency ultrasonic signal in the matter that is being queried. By carefully selecting the design of the multi-frequency ultrasound signal, various properties of the material can be derived using a trainable classification system to classify or recognise the substance, or state of a process. The apparatus exploits the normally undesirable higher harmonics characteristics of the piezoceramic transducer to gain penetration through a spatial-frequency window that is not suitable for the higher frequency signals that are required to achieve the measurements.

Abstract: Magnetically locatable implants, such as fixation systems, anchor plates or the like, and the determination of their intracorporeal position by means of a medical device comprising at least one impedance-measuring device and a device for generating and coupling a magnetic field which are both connected to at least one intracorporeal electrically conductive probe, the impedance-measuring device being additionally equipped with at least one connector for connection to the magnetically locatable implant. The device is particularly suitable for determining the position of magnetically locatable pedicle screws and the like in a spinal column fixation system with rod-shaped electrically conductive probes as stabilizers.

Abstract: A medical device for determining the position of intracorporeal implants such as fixation systems, plates or the like, comprises at least one impedance-measuring device and an ultrasound device which are both connected to at least one intracorporeal probe, the impedance-measuring device being additionally equipped with at least one connector for connection to the implant. The device is suitable for determining the position of pedicle screws and the like in a spinal column fixation system with metal rods as stabilizers.

Abstract: The present invention provides an investigation device for investigating a sample of a solid, liquid or gaseous medium. The device has a transmission mechanism capable of sending several transmitted signals of different frequencies and a receiving mechanism for receiving received signals corresponding to the various transmitted signals. The device further includes a processing mechanism for determining the phase shift of each pair of transmitted and received signals and computationally determining a qualifying value for the sample. The processing mechanism determines the qualifying value based on a comparison of the determined phase shift values with comparison phase shift values from a comparison sample intended for the respective transmitter frequencies.