Abstract: An elongated catheter device with a distal balloon assembly is adapted for endovascular insertion. Coolant injected through the device may, in different embodiments, directly cool tissue contacting the balloon, or may cool a separate internal chamber. In the first case, the coolant also inflates the balloon, and spent coolant is returned to the handle via a return passage extending through the body of the catheter. Plural balloons may be provided, wherein a secondary outer balloon surrounds a primary inner balloon, the primary balloon being filled with coolant and acting as the cooling chamber, the secondary balloon being coupled to a vacuum return lumen to serve as a robust leak containment device and thermal insulator around the cooling chamber. Various configurations, such as surface modification of the balloon interface, or placement of particles, coatings, or expandable meshes or coils in the balloon interface, may be employed to achieve this function.

Abstract: A method of promoting blood vessel growth includes the steps of providing a cryocatheter having a thermally transmission region; placing the cryocatheter proximate an area of tissue to be treated; cooling the thermally transmissive region of the cryocatheter proximate the area of tissue to a temperature sufficient to injure the area of tissue; allowing the area of tissue to warm; and removing the cryocatheter from the area of tissue. Prior, during or after the cooling step, the area of tissue can be mechanically traumatized, and drugs can be injected into the tissue.

Abstract: An elongated catheter device with a distal balloon assembly is adapted for endovascular insertion. Coolant injected through the device may, in different embodiments, directly cool tissue contacting the balloon, or may cool a separate internal chamber. In the first case, the coolant also inflates the balloon, and spent coolant is returned to the handle via a return passage extending through the body of the catheter. Plural balloons may be provided, wherein a secondary outer balloon surrounds a primary inner balloon, the primary balloon being filled with coolant and acting as the cooling chamber, the secondary balloon being coupled to a vacuum return lumen to serve as a robust leak containment device and thermal insulator around the cooling chamber. Various configurations, such as surface modification of the balloon interface, or placement of particles, coatings, or expandable meshes or coils in the balloon interface, may be employed to achieve this function.

Abstract: A microwave barcode system is provided wherein the barcode comprises a plurality of conductive wires, mounted on a surface, or embedded beneath the surface of the object. A transmitter, comprising a dipole antenna, radiates microwave signals in the direction of the surface, and a microwave reader, comprising a dipole antenna positioned to receive the microwave signals passing through the surface, senses an attenuation of the microwave signal caused by a resonant interaction between the microwave signals and the conductive wires. The conductive wires of the present invention can be mounted in a stand-up fashion, wherein each wire is mounted adjacent to and parallel to, but not touching, its at least one neighbor, or in a lay-down fashion, wherein each wire is mounted coincident with an imaginary line which is also coincident with the remaining wires, and wherein the wires are mounted end-to-end with a gap surrounding each wire end.

Abstract: A method of promoting blood vessel growth includes the steps of providing a cryocatheter having a thermally transmission region; placing the cryocatheter proximate an area of tissue to be treated; cooling the thermally transmissive region of the cryocatheter proximate the area of tissue to a temperature sufficient to injure the area of tissue; allowing the area of tissue to warm; and removing the cryocatheter from the area of tissue. Prior, during or after the cooling step, the area of tissue can be mechanically traumatized, and drugs can be injected into the tissue.

Abstract: A cryogenic catheter system includes a first handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path; a second handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path; and a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path. The first handle portion is matable with the second handle portion to place the respective first and second fluid flow paths of each handle portion in fluid communication. Additionally, the catheter system includes a multiple lumen co-axial connector for connecting the catheter flow pathways with a fluid source and control console.

Abstract: An integrated diode detector for an imaging system is facilitated by fabricating a Schottky diode between the quarter wavelength arms of a photolithographically manufactured one-half wavelength resonator.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and a system for editing or displaying a message or a document stored in a Unified Messaging system, by a subscriber of said system using its wireless or cellular phone having a radio interface and GSM, GPRS and/or UMTS communication capacity.

Abstract: A cryocatheter system includes a first handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path; a second handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path; and a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path. The distal end of the first handle portion is matable with the proximal end of the second handle portion to place the respective first and second fluid flow paths of each handle portion in fluid communication; and the distal end of the second handle portion is matable with the proximal end of the catheter to place the respective first and second fluid flow paths of the second handle portion and the catheter in fluid communication.

Abstract: A cryocatheter system includes a first handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path; a second handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path; and a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, a first fluid flow path, and a second fluid flow path. The distal end of the first handle portion is matable with the proximal end of the second handle portion to place the respective first and second fluid flow paths of each handle portion in fluid communication; and the distal end of the second handle portion is matable with the proximal end of the catheter to place the respective first and second fluid flow paths of the second handle portion and the catheter in fluid communication.

Abstract: A printable microwave image for data encoding is provided. The microwave image comprises a two-dimensional pattern of a plurality of pixels on a surface, wherein each pixel exists in one of two states with respect to radiation in a microwave frequency range. An opaque state prevents transmission of microwave radiation, and a transparent state permits transmission of microwave radiation. The applicable microwave frequency range is from a low frequency of 1 gigahertz to a high frequency of 200 gigahertz. The opaque pixels can be comprised of reflective printer ink that reflects the microwave radiation, absorbent printer ink that absorbs the microwave radiation, reflective laser printer toner that reflects the microwave radiation, absorbent laser printer toner that absorbs the microwave radiation, or a metal foil.

Abstract: A printable microwave image for data encoding is provided. The microwave image comprises a two-dimensional pattern of a plurality of pixels on a surface, wherein each pixel exists in one of two states with respect to radiation in a microwave frequency range. An opaque state prevents transmission of microwave radiation, and a transparent state permits transmission of microwave radiation. The applicable microwave frequency range is from a low frequency of 1 gigahertz to a high frequency of 200 gigahertz. The opaque pixels can be comprised of reflective printer ink that reflects the microwave radiation, absorbent printer ink that absorbs the microwave radiation, reflective laser printer toner that reflects the microwave radiation, absorbent laser printer toner that absorbs the microwave radiation, or a metal foil.

Abstract: A microwave barcode system is provided wherein the barcode comprises a plurality of conductive wires, mounted on a surface, or embedded beneath the surface of the object. A transmitter, comprising a dipole antenna, radiates microwave signals in the direction of the surface, and a microwave reader, comprising a dipole antenna positioned to receive the microwave signals passing through the surface, senses an attenuation of the microwave signal caused by a resonant interaction between the microwave signals and the conductive wires. The conductive wires of the present invention can be mounted in a stand-up fashion, wherein each wire is mounted adjacent to and parallel to, but not touching, its at least one neighbor, or in a lay-down fashion, wherein each wire is mounted coincident with an imaginary line which is also coincident with the remaining wires, and wherein the wires are mounted end-to-end with a gap surrounding each wire end.

Abstract: An elongated catheter device with a distal balloon assembly is adapted for endovascular insertion. Coolant injected through the device may, in different embodiments, directly cool tissue contacting the balloon, or may cool a separate internal chamber. In the first case, the coolant also inflates the balloon, and spent coolant is returned to the handle via a return passage extending through the body of the catheter. Plural balloons may be provided, wherein a secondary outer balloon surrounds a primary inner balloon, the primary balloon being filled with coolant and acting as the cooling chamber, the secondary balloon being coupled to a vacuum return lumen to serve as a robust leak containment device and thermal insulator around the cooling chamber. Various configurations, such as surface modification of the balloon interface, or placement of particles, coatings, or expandable meshes or coils in the balloon interface, may be employed to achieve this function.

Abstract: It is taken advantage of the possibility to locate a wireless telecommunications device when being active inside a cellular telecommunications system i.e. in which cell it can just be found. Moreover, to each different cell covered each one by a base station is affected a certain number of specific terminals. The present invention is then based on an automatic transferring of a process command activated by an user on his wireless telecommunications device toward a terminal nearby in this same cell. This transfer transits via a PBX which administers all the base stations of that cellular telecommunications system and which is connected possibly via a computer to a network made of those terminals. The PBX will forward that process command with the supplementary information telling in which cell of the cellular telecommunications system this process command was received.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and apparatus for performing Haar transforms that process one image pixel for each clock cycle. The Haar transform is performed by cascading successive Haar transform cells where each Haar transform cell processes a 2×2 block of inputs and outputs a 2×2 block of Haar transform coefficients. Four inputs are processed by a first stage of two adders and two subtractors to generate four Haar transform coefficients. The output of the Haar transform may be quantized, run length encoded and then compressed to achieve a high compression ratio of greater than 20 to 1 for near lossless image compression.

Abstract: The invention relates to active repeaters for transmission systems used in mobile telephony. The active repeater comprises an antenna constituted by a plurality of juxtaposed radiating elements which are grouped together in two separate identical matrix arrays, amplification paths for connecting each radiating element of one array to the radiating element of the other array having the same matrix position, with each amplification path having identical gain and phase shift so that the wave received by the first array at an angle of incidence &thgr; is retranmsitted by the second array as a wave having an angle of incidence &bgr; such that &thgr;=&bgr;. The invention is applicable to mobile telephone systems.

Abstract: The clock multiplier which is useful for multiplying the frequency of a clock signal by an integer factor, like 4 or 6. In a typical application this multiplier is used for achieving high addressability printing on a laser printer. In order to print at a quarter pixel resolution, the frequency of the clock signal must be multiplied by four. It is important that at the beginning of the pulse train, as occurs on the leading edge of each scanline, the new clock locks in at once with the input clock from the printer. The clock multiplier, as described below, has capabilities for multiplying the input clock by a factor of 4. Other factors, like 2, 6 or 8 can easily be achieved by expanding on the description. The circuit features automatic and instant locking to the input pulse train, as well as automatic tuning to the present clock frequency.

Abstract: A data transmission system wherein data to be transmitted is supplied to an encoding device (5) which comprises a data analysis circuit (35) for producing a parity code and an output circuit (32) for assigning the parity code to the input data so as to convert it into protected data for transmission. The data analysis circuit includes: (i) a serial-to-parallel converter (30) for converting the input data into "n" parallel data streams, the bits in each stream being at instants which are multiples of n.times.T, where T is the bit period of the input data; (ii) "n" cascade combinations of delay elements, each cascade delaying one of the "n" parallel-converted data streams by time periods which are multiples of n.times.T, each cascade having tapping points following certain ones of the delay elements therein; and (iii) combining circuits (GR1, GR2, OE) having inputs connected to tapping points of each of the cascade combinations and which derive the parity code.

Abstract: This frequency dividing device has an input terminal for a signal to be divided and an output terminal for an output signal. It further comprises: a first mixing circuit which is particularly of the sub-harmonic type, has a first input which forms the input terminal, and a second input for receiving a signal from a local oscillator; a first dividing circuit for dividing the output signal of the first mixing circuit; a second dividing circuit for dividing the output signal of the local oscillator; and a second mixing circuit which has a first input for receiving the output signal of the first dividing circuit, and a second input for receiving the output signal of the second dividing circuit, and an output which forms the output terminal.