Abstract: Surgical tools and assemblies are employed for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A surgical tool assembly includes a handle assembly and a frame assembly. The handle assembly and frame assembly are designed and constructed to have an articulation input joint and a grounding joint between them. A pitch rotational degree of freedom and a yaw rotational degree of freedom are provided by way of the articulation input joint. The handle assembly is translationally constrained relative to the frame assembly by way of the grounding joint. Intermediate bodies and joints can be provided in certain surgical tool assemblies and architectures.

Abstract: A tire support rim for track roller associated with a flange is provided with a circular tire (2), and a support rim (1) for an annular track roller producing a flange. The rim (1) defines a peripheral edge intended to bear a tire, a medial edge in contact with the medial portion of the roller, and two opposite faces producing, on the one hand, an open face and, on the other hand, a bearing face positioned against the surface of the flange of the roller. The rim (1) incorporates a cooling device having at least one circulation duct for air passing through the thickness of the rim from an orifice (51) of the open face such that the duct has a portion at the medial edge and a portion positioned radially on the bearing face between the medial and peripheral edges.

Abstract: A device for monitoring wear of a flange (1) of a roller (2) includes a peripheral rim (3) and intended to cooperate with a homologous flange (1bis) of a roller (2bis) positioned face-to-face to interact with the head of a rolling rail (4). The device includes at least one first recess localized at the level of a peripheral line of constant radius on the flange (1) configured to be positioned at the level at which the point (7) of separation of the flange (1) relative to its homologue (1bis) is the smallest.

Abstract: A device for monitoring wear of a flange (1) of a roller (2) includes a peripheral rim (3) and intended to cooperate with a homologous flange (1 bis) of a roller (2bis) positioned face-to-face to interact with the head of a rolling rail (4). The device includes at least one first recess localized at the level of a peripheral line of constant radius on the flange (1) configured to be positioned at the level at which the point (7) of separation of the flange (1) relative to its homologue (1 bis) is the smallest.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing digital images is described. A digital image is transformed into a series of decomposed images in frequency bands, or different resolution grids. A decomposed image is noise suppressed and contrast enhanced. Representative value of signal at each pixel is computed based on contributions to signals from pixels in a neighborhood of the pixel. Lookup tables are applied to pixel values to selectively enhance signal in a predetermined range of signal strength. Another set of lookup tables are applied to pixel values to suppress noise components contained therein. Optionally, operations are applied to decomposed images to suppress quantum noise, enhance object edges or enhance global contrast, among others. These decomposed images, after signal enhancement and noise suppression, are then recombined to result in an enhanced image.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable medium for detecting and removing unwanted information in a medical image. One method includes receiving, at a processor, an image, obtained using a shutter including at least a first blade and a second blade. The method also includes processing the image to identify a first plurality of candidate edges in the image for the first blade and a second plurality of candidate edges in the image for the second blade. The method further includes individually evaluating each of the first and second plurality of candidate edges to select one of the first plurality of candidate edges as a true edge for the first blade and one of the second plurality of candidate edges as a true edge for the second blade. In addition, the method includes removing the unwanted information from the image based on a location of each of the identified true edges.

Abstract: A method for removing shutter areas in an image, in particular an x-ray image is provided. Edges are examined in a multi-resolution image pyramid and evaluated to determine potential shutter blade candidates defining the shutter areas. Heuristic rules and/or an automatic classifier such as a Neuronal Network, are applied to distinguish true shutter blades from false positives. The rule set and the classifier are based on a set of features extracted from the potential shutter blade candidates as well as predetermined knowledge of the expected placement of the shutter, human anatomy. Up to four shutter blades are expected to be detected and based on these blades, the bright areas in the image that occur due to the shutters are removed.

Abstract: A method and computer program are provided for segmenting a prostate from a medical image such as an ultrasound image. Each slice in a study is analysed and uses a manual initialization to obtain an initial contour, in which a user selects initial points that are automatically rendered on the image. An automatic refinement stage then snaps the contour to the prostate boundary in the image based on a pre-stored anatomical atlas and edge information obtained from the image. A manual adjustment stage may then be performed and if selected, the contour is automatically propagated to the next image slice to avoid the manual initialization. An auxiliary image slice may be referred to, which indicates how the prostate shape changes from slice to slice, e.g. by providing a perpendicular profile.

Abstract: A method and computer program are provided for segmenting a prostate from a medical image such as an ultrasound image. Each slice in a study is analysed and uses a manual initialization to obtain an initial contour, in which a user selects initial points that are automatically rendered on the image. An automatic refinement stage then snaps the contour to the prostate boundary in the image based on a pre-stored anatomical atlas and edge information obtained from the image. A manual adjustment stage may then be performed and if selected, the contour is automatically propagated to the next image slice to avoid the manual initialization. An auxiliary image slice may be referred to, which indicates how the prostate shape changes from slice to slices e.g. by providing a perpendicular profile.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing digital images is described. A digital image is transformed into a series of decomposed images in frequency bands, or different resolution grids. A decomposed image is noise suppressed and contrast enhanced. Representative value of signal at each pixel is computed based on contributions to signals from pixels in a neighborhood of the pixel. Lookup tables are applied to pixel values to selectively enhance signal in a predetermined range of signal strength. Another set of lookup tables are applied to pixel values to suppress noise components contained therein. Optionally, operations are applied to decomposed images to suppress quantum noise, enhance object edges or enhance global contrast, among others. These decomposed images, after signal enhancement and noise suppression, are then recombined to result in an enhanced image.

Abstract: A method for removing shutter areas in an image, in particular an x-ray image is provided. Edges are examined in a multi-resolution image pyramid and evaluated to determine potential shutter blade candidates defining the shutter areas. Heuristic rules and/or an automatic classifier such as a Neuronal Network, are applied to distinguish true shutter blades from false positives. The rule set and the classifier are based on a set of features extracted from the potential shutter blade candidates as well as predetermined knowledge of the expected placement of the shutter, human anatomy. Up to four shutter blades are expected to be detected and based on these blades, the bright areas in the image that occur due to the shutters are removed.

Abstract: An image processing system and method having a statistical appearance model for interpreting a digital image. The appearance model has at least one model parameter. The system and method comprises a two dimensional first model object including an associated first statistical relationship, the first model object configured for deforming to approximate a shape and texture of a two dimensional first target object in the digital image. Also included is a search module for selecting and applying the first model object to the image for generating a two dimensional first output object approximating the shape and texture of the first target object, the search module calculating a first error between the first output object and the first target object. Also included is an output module for providing data representing the first output object to an output. The processing system uses interpolation for improving image segmentation, as well as multiple models optimised for various target object configurations.

Abstract: A “frozen” rack chock of a jack-up rig is released by a moving force imparted on the rack chock by a worm gear assembly. The worm gear assembly has a tooth wheel with a plurality of teeth and a worm gear member provided with a worm thread that engages the teeth for transmitting rotational force from a drive motor to the tooth wheel. A shaft of the tooth wheel is operationally connected to the rack chock to cause disengagement of the rack chock from the contact surface of a leg chord when the tooth wheel is rotated.