Abstract: A system for maintaining accurate health data and for providing rewards to data market participants. A marketplace platform based on Blockchain technology leverages smart contracts to provide rewards to sellers of data assets that provide corrections or updates to medical data, such as provider demographics. A URL API is provided to a buyer of the data with an encrypted password that is used to access the data from the URL API.

Abstract: A low overhead voice activity detection technique for a noise-canceling bioacoustic sensor consumes, as inputs, signals generated by a body microphone and an environment microphone and produces, as an output based on these inputs, an indication of whether voice activity is present. The technique applies a novel dual ANC configuration that produces, in addition to the normal noise reduction function, a signal composed of environmental sounds with body sounds attenuated and a signal composed of body sounds projected into the acoustic environment, primarily speech sounds. The technique then applies to these derived signals an algorithm based on the scientific observation that speech intensity, within limits, rises and falls to match environmental sound intensity to provide voice activity detection.

Abstract: A model-based method for assessing acoustic signal quality in a heart monitoring device. The personal heart sound interval distribution of a person being actively monitored is compared with a modeled global heart sound interval distribution shared by most human beings after which processing action is taken consistent with the quality assessment. The error in the best fit between the personal interval distribution and the global interval distribution is presumed to be caused predominantly by noise, allowing the quality of the fit to serve as a proxy for the level of noise in the acoustic signal and used in making processing decisions.

Abstract: A method and engine for identifying events in a sensor signal using rate-dependent feature sets couples trial event identifications made using different rate-dependent feature sets with rate-dependent quality assessments to overcome the mutual dependency of event attributes and the rate of events. The quality assessments compare event identifications made at different rates against quality benchmarks for event identifications at those rates, such as event stability benchmarks, to determine which feature sets are producing reliable event identifications and which are not. The invention enables electronic monitoring devices to make improved event identifications by accepting identifications made by presently reliable rate-dependent feature sets and rejecting those made by presently unreliable rate-dependent feature sets. In one application of the invention, the method and engine enable a respiration monitoring device to make improved respiration segment identifications.

Abstract: A low overhead voice activity detection technique for a noise-canceling bioacoustic sensor consumes, as inputs, signals generated by a body microphone and an environment microphone and produces, as an output based on these inputs, an indication of whether voice activity is present. The technique applies a novel dual ANC configuration that produces, in addition to the normal noise reduction function, a signal composed of environmental sounds with body sounds attenuated and a signal composed of body sounds projected into the acoustic environment, primarily speech sounds. The technique then applies to these derived signals an algorithm based on the scientific observation that speech intensity, within limits, rises and falls to match environmental sound intensity to provide voice activity detection.

Abstract: A model-based method for assessing acoustic signal quality in a heart monitoring device. The personal heart sound interval distribution of a person being actively monitored is compared with a modeled global heart sound interval distribution shared by most human beings after which processing action is taken consistent with the quality assessment. The error in the best fit between the personal interval distribution and the global interval distribution is presumed to be caused predominantly by noise, allowing the quality of the fit to serve as a proxy for the level of noise in the acoustic signal and used in making processing decisions.

Abstract: A system for transporting materials that traverses seams and stepped sections of a standing-seam type roof includes two trolleys, the lower one of which has ridges on its top simulating roof seams and upon which the wheels of the upper trolley can be placed. When a step in the roof is encountered, the upper trolley can be rolled off the lower trolley onto the upper section of the roof.

Abstract: Tile nippers are provided with hardened teeth formed with a short radius curvature extending from substantially flat interior shoulders configured to be substantially parallel when used for gripping and breaking tile. A compound leverage assembly connects the jaws of the tile nippers to the handles of the tile nippers. A retractable cutter or scoring wheel may be provided in a free end of a handle. A nail puller notch may be provided on a jaw of the tile nippers to allow the tile nippers to be used for gripping and pulling nails without damaging the tips of the teeth.

Abstract: Trolley for transporting materials that traverses seams and stepped sections of a roof includes a bed mounted on aligned frames that house wheels. Once positioned on the roof seams, roofing materials are hoisted onto the trolley for positioning where the materials are needed. The trolley may include a brake.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus, system and methods for growing high-purity crystals of substances that are peritectic at atmospheric pressure. The apparatus includes a pressure vessel that contains a pressurized gas. The apparatus also includes a cooling unit that is situated in the pressure vessel. The cooling unit receives a coolant flow from outside of the vessel, and has cooled surfaces that define an enclosure that receives the charge material. The apparatus further includes an inductive heating element situated in the vessel, that is coupled to receive electric power externally to the vessel. The element heats the interior portion of the charge material to form a molten interior portion contained by a relatively cool, exterior solid-phase portion of the charge material that is closer relative to the molten interior, to the cooled surfaces of the cooling unit.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus, system and methods for growing high-purity crystals of substances that are peritectic at atmospheric pressure using the Czochralski technique. The apparatus includes a pressure vessel that contains a pressurized gas. The apparatus also includes a cooling unit that is situated in the pressure vessel. The cooling unit receives a coolant flow from outside of the vessel, and has cooled surfaces that define an enclosure that receives the charge material. The apparatus further includes an inductive heating element situated in the vessel, that is coupled to receive electric power externally to the vessel. The element heats the interior portion of the charge material to form a molten interior portion contained by a relatively cool, exterior solid-phase portion of the charge material that is closer relative to the molten interior, to the cooled surfaces of the cooling unit.

Abstract: A biosensor for the detection and determination of the concentration of toxins by use of enzyme inhibition. Inhibition biosensors are affected by non-specific denaturation and substrate utilization which both result in a limited operational lifetime. These problems are mitigated by providing in an environment an enzyme which is oxidized by hydrogen peroxide the oxidized enzyme being reduced by an electron transfer agent, such as ferrocene, which is itself oxidized in the process. The electron transfer agent is capable of regeneration back to the reduced state and the extend of electron transfer regeneration gives a measure of enzyme inhibition by toxin. Electro-chemical technique allows for the generation of hydrogen peroxide from oxygen in aqueous media and the reduction of oxidized electron transfer agent. Immobilization of the enzyme to an electrode increases efficiency while potentially reducing denaturation. The biosensor can be used for the environmental determination of toxins like cyanide.

Abstract: In order to produce core yarn wrapped with at least two separate wrapper yarns of the same or opposite hands, core material is passed in succession through a pair of rotary hollow spindles, each carrying a package of wrapper yarn whereby the core material is wrapped and which are relatively displaced so that the path of the material between a point just before the entrance of the first spindle and a point just after the exit of the second spindle deviates from a straight line so as to cause the core material or the resultant yarn to engage a rotary end of at least one of the spindles so as to apply false twist. The spindles may be supported so that their axes are displaced or displaceable in relation to one another for which purpose each spindle may be carried by a mounting capable of angular displacement about a support shaft and capable of being secured in any one of a range of angular positions.