Abstract: The use of a quaternary ammonium salt of a polyalkoxylated amine as a stabilisation additive in an oilfield fluid comprising water.

Abstract: Emulsified acids have been used to increase production rates of oil and gas in carbonate reservoirs through acid fracturing and matrix acidizing operations. An emulsifier is used to emulsify the aqueous acid with an oil, usually diesel. Very small particles, such as colloidal clay particles and/or nanoparticles increase the stability of the emulsified acids over an elevated temperature range.

Abstract: Emulsified acids have been used to increase production rates of oil and gas in carbonate reservoirs through acid fracturing and matrix acidizing operations. An emulsifier is used to emulsify the aqueous acid with an oil, usually diesel. Very small particles, such as colloidal clay particles and/or nanoparticles increase the stability of the emulsified acids over an elevated temperature range.

Abstract: Emulsified acids have been used to increase production rates of oil and gas in carbonate reservoirs through acid fracturing and matrix acidizing operations. An emulsifier is used to emulsify the aqueous acid with an oil, usually diesel. Very small particles, such as colloidal clay particles and/or nanoparticles increase the stability of the emulsified acids over an elevated temperature range.

Abstract: Emulsified acids have been used to increase production rates of oil and gas in carbonate reservoirs through acid fracturing and matrix acidizing operations. An emulsifier is used to emulsify the aqueous acid with an oil, usually diesel. Very small particles, such as colloidal clay particles and/or nanoparticles increase the stability of the emulsified acids over an elevated temperature range.

Abstract: Water production produced from a subterranean formation is inhibited or controlled by consolidated water sensitive porous medium (WSPM) packed within the flow path of the wellbore device container. The WSPM includes solid particles having a water hydrolyzable polymer at least partially coating the particles. The WSPM is packed under pressure within the flow path of the wellbore device container to consolidate it. The WSPM increases resistance to flow as water content increases in the fluid flowing through the flow path and decreases resistance to flow as water content decreases in the fluid flowing through the flow path.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for producing renewable electrical power energy which does not require the consumption of fossil-based, petroleum-based or other combustible fuels, nor release hazardous emissions or byproducts to the atmosphere or otherwise to the environment. The system utilizes closed-loop fluid recirculation and is not dependent upon an external unlimited sources of water flow and head as with dam-style hydro-electric power systems and is not dependant upon predefined favorable environmental and/or weather conditions to function. The system includes a DC magnetic system adapted to be coupled between an AC generator and a hydro-rotor/centrifugal pump system; a DC power source and charging system; a propulsion pump system; and a containment housing with a plurality of thrust producing vanes, fluid management infrastructure and reservoir.

Abstract: The method and system for exploiting information from multiple images in a mammographic computer-aided detection application is disclosed. A pair of images is obtained by a CAD system. The images are processed to produce a set of regions of interest (ROIs) to be associated with each image. A ROI is selected from the first image of the pair. This ROI is identified and matched to a ROI in the second image. The single image feature values are obtained by the two ROIs of the image pair. Transforming the image feature value to an integer value produces a pair of integers for each image feature value. The pair of integers defines the element of the pre-determined co-occurrence matrix. An element of a predetermined co-occurrence matrix is selected to provide evidence value for the ROI of the first image.

Abstract: This invention provides an information fusion method for multiple indicators of cancers detected with multiple channels. Each channel consists of specifically tuned detectors, features, classifiers and Bayes networks. The outputs of the Bayes networks are probabilities of malignancy for the detections passing the corresponding classifier.

Abstract: A computer aided detection method and system to assist radiologists in the reading of medical images. The method and system has particular application to the area of mammography including detection of clustered microcalcifications and densities. A microcalcification detector is provided wherein individual detections are rank ordered and classified, and one of the features for classification is derived using a multilayer perceptron. A density detector is provided including an iterative, dynamic region growing module with embedded subsystem for rank ordering and classification of a best subset of candidate masks. A post processing stage is provided where detections are analyzed in the context of a set of images for a patient. Three analysis methods are used to distribute a limited number of detections across the image set and further within each image, and additionally to perform a normalcy classification.

Abstract: A computer aided detection method and system to assist radiologists in the reading of medical images. The method and system has particular application to the area of mammography including detection of clustered microcalcifications and densities. A microcalcification detector is provided wherein individual detections are rank ordered and classified, and one of the features for classification is derived using a multilayer perceptron. A density detector is provided including an iterative, dynamic region growing module with embedded subsystem for rank ordering and classification of a best subset of candidate masks. A post processing stage is provided where detections are analyzed in the context of a set of images for a patient.

Abstract: A computer aided detection method and system to assist radiologists in the reading of medical images. The method and system has particular application to the area of mammography including detection of clustered microcalcifications and densities. A microcalcification detector is provided wherein individual detections are rank ordered and classified, and one of the features for classification is derived using a multilayer perceptron. A density detector is provided including an iterative, dynamic region growing module with embedded subsystem for rank ordering and classification of a best subset of candidate masks. Features are computed from a detection on an input image by providing first and second regions on the input image corresponding to areas inside and outside the detection, measurements are computed based on values derived from the two regions, a standard deviation is computed for the measurements in each region, and a feature for the detection is computed using a Bauer-Fisher ratio.

Abstract: An apparatus for the intravascular placement of a vena cava filter includes a flexible deployment sheath and an IVUC with an ultrasonic imaging element. These two components are joined together and oriented in a substantially parallel relationship with one another with the imaging components of the IVUC extending above or in front of the upper opening of the deployment sheath. Once the apparatus is appropriately positioned within the vena cava, as determined through ultrasonic imaging, a filter and its associated delivery system are inserted through the deployment sheath to the appropriate location for deployment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the intravascular placement of a vena cava filter includes an outer sheath, an intravascular ultrasound catheter with an ultrasonic imaging element, a guide wire, and the vena cava filter that is to be deployed. The outer sheath, ultrasound catheter, and guide wire share a common central axis. The ultrasound catheter is enclosed by and is moveable relative to the outer sheath, and the guide wire is enclosed by and is moveable relative to the ultrasound catheter. In the stored position, the filter is secured between the outer sheath and the ultrasound catheter. When the apparatus is introduced into a vein, the ultrasound catheter provides real-time imaging of the vein for identifying the appropriate location for placement of the filter. Once such a location has been identified, the outer sheath is drawn back relative to the ultrasound catheter, exposing the legs of the filter, allowing the legs of the filter to spring free and attach themselves to the wall of the vein.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product system for evacuating coolant from a liquid-cooled device. The system includes a coolant supply path adapted to be coupled between a coolant supply pump and the liquid-cooled device; a coolant return path adapted to be coupled between a coolant supply reservoir and the liquid-cooled device; and a coolant removal path coupled between the coolant supply path and the coolant return path. The coolant removal path is configured to evacuate coolant from the liquid-cooled device using a venturi effect from the coolant supply path to evacuate the coolant through the coolant return path into the reservoir.

Abstract: A stone facing section anchor mounting system has a special hole configuration, in facing stone, that will not rotate while being installed, and because of its installed angularity and pressure points will not tend to rupture or pull out of the stone. The anchor system holds beyond the lateral strength of the stone itself when the stone is at the cracking point. The superior holding power of the present anchor and its minimum edge distance eliminates the kerf and aluminum "J" structure and silicone used with other anchors, and while having the advantage of being hidden it also has the holding power of a through bolt. Fan nut anchor holes in facing material are made with ease to tolerances required. The anchors do not rotate during installation and use a lock nut that does not work loose in transit and the anchor is such, with accurate hole predetermined angularity that installation can be made without over tightening occurring.

Abstract: A valve assembly for use in the passage of fluid in a conduit system wherein the valve assembly possesses an actuator part and a valve part for controlling the flow of fluid therein while simultaneously providing means for purging any residual fluid trapped within the valve assembly when the valve is in its closed position. The valve part of the valve assembly is made up of a cage means housing two flow-to-close valve members which are independently spring biased in the closed position. Placed within this cage member are venting means which provide a passage for trapped gases to escape through a vent duct system when the valve is in its closed position, but restricting the vent means when the valve is in its full open position.

Abstract: An information sensing system as used in sensing unbalanced forces acting upon a rotating wheel being balanced is characterized by means for generating a correction factor associated with each wheel balancing operation and determined by feeding a known signal through a given circuit and comparing the output received with the output expected. The correction factor can then be applied to the sensed signals fed through the same circuit. The frequency of the known signal and other signals are both derived from the same source such as the rate of rotation of the wheel.