Abstract: An aerosol containment enclosure is used to isolate an air mass immediately surrounding a patient known or suspected to have a disease which may be transmitted through the air. The enclosure cooperates with a patient support apparatus (PSA). In embodiments, a flexible rod supports a substantially aerosol impermeable covering and is connected to the PSA. The enclosure may be semi-rigid and collapsible to a predetermined collapsed shape. The enclosure may be rapidly erected around a patient in an ambulance or other treatment setting. Embodiments of couplers provide compatibility with a wide diversity of sized and shaped PSAs. One coupler is connectable to the PSA with a coupler end exposed along a frame and upwardly extensible toward a PSA surface. A connector extends from the flexible rod and engages with the coupler end. The coupler may be longitudinally or laterally adjustable along the PSA.

Abstract: An aerosol containment enclosure is used to isolate an air mass immediately surrounding a patient known or suspected to have a disease which may be transmitted through the air. The enclosure cooperates with a patient support apparatus (PSA). In embodiments, a flexible rod supports a substantially aerosol impermeable covering and is connected to the PSA. The enclosure may be semi-rigid and collapsible to a predetermined collapsed shape. The enclosure may be rapidly erected around a patient in an ambulance or other treatment setting. Embodiments of couplers provide compatibility with a wide diversity of sized and shaped PSAs. One coupler is connectable to the PSA with a coupler end exposed along a frame and upwardly extensible toward a PSA surface. A connector extends from the flexible rod and engages with the coupler end. The coupler may be longitudinally or laterally adjustable along the PSA.

Abstract: An aerosol containment enclosure is used to isolate an air mass immediately surrounding a patient known or suspected to have a disease which may be transmitted through the air. The enclosure cooperates with a patient support apparatus. In embodiments, a flexible rod supports a substantially aerosol impermeable covering and is connected to the patient support apparatus. The enclosure is collapsible to a predetermined collapsed shape and expandable to a predetermined erect shape. In embodiments, a portal in the covering provides access for care personnel or equipment. The aerosol containment enclosure is lightweight, compact, and partially or fully disposable. The enclosure may be rapidly erected around a patient in an ambulance or other treatment setting.

Abstract: A system and method for replacing undesirable content in a media stream provides viewers with a highly individualized video viewing experience. A monitoring station detects undesirable content and selects substitute content based upon user preferences stored in a system database. The substitute content may have attributes related to both the primary content being viewed and the user preferences. A first trigger signal is transmitted to an output device which transmits media to the user's display. In response to the first trigger signal, the output device switches from the first media stream to a second media stream containing the substitute content. In embodiments, undesirable content is detected and substituted for in real-time.

Abstract: A system and method for replacing undesirable content in a media stream provides viewers with a highly individualized video viewing experience. A monitoring station detects undesirable content and selects substitute content based upon user preferences stored in a system database. The substitute content may have attributes related to both the primary content being viewed and the user preferences. A first trigger signal is transmitted to an output device which transmits media to the user's display. In response to the first trigger signal, the output device switches from the first media stream to a second media stream containing the substitute content. In embodiments, undesirable content is detected and substituted for in real-time.

Abstract: A milling tool having multiple cutting disks is disclosed. Each cutting disk is anchored into a flute on the milling tool with clamping screws. During use, the cutting disks naturally become dull. In a preferred embodiment, a single clamping screw is used to hold the cutting disk in place. The clamping screw is loosened and the cutting disk is rotated such that a new and sharp portion of the cutting disk is exposed for use. In an alternative embodiment, multiple clamping screws are used to secure the cutting disk into the flute. In the event a cutting disk becomes stuck in a flute, a clamping screw in a threaded bore coaxially aligned with the locating bore is used to push the cutting disk and eject it out of the flute. This design allows for many positions on the cutting disk to be used before the disk needs to be replaced, sharpened, or refurbished.

Abstract: A system for determining the relative displacement of a rigid object is described herein. In one embodiment, the system includes three data sources positioned on an object. The data sources are configured to transmit data relating to positional displacement of the object. Each data source has predefined movement parameters based on the position of each data source on the object. In one embodiment, the system further includes a receiver unit configured to display positional information relating to the object based on the data received from each data source. The positional information represents a single valid solution set generated in part by eliminating positional movements that exceed the predefined movement parameters.

Abstract: Tool bars that are manufactured as a composite, that is, layered devices. The tool bars can have a solid core, covered with a wrapped composite material, and then optionally covered with a metal sleeve. The tool bars are provided with high strength, improved stiffness over prior art tool bars, high density, low coefficient of thermal expansion, high damping capacity, improved rigidity, improved damping, less chatter and vibration, improved work piece tolerance, improved surface finish, increased speed/fee rates, and low production cost.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a method of performing a medical evaluation is provided. A plurality of composite-color MRI slices are generated and auto-segmented. The auto-segmenting identifies at least one boundary concerning an extent of a biological object represented in at least one of the plurality of composite-color slices. A change in a dimension of the biological object can be determined by comparing a dimension determined from a first three-dimensional color image and a dimension determined from a second three-dimensional color image.

Abstract: In accordance with at least one aspect, a method is provided to automatically generate a diagnosis based on information provided in a subject MRI image. In one embodiment, a plurality of stored MRI images are associated with one or more pathological conditions. A region of interest is identified in a subject color MRI image. A closest match between the subject MRI image and a stored image is determined by comparing the region of interest to a region of at least one of the plurality of stored images. A diagnosis is generated for the subject image.

Abstract: A system for determining the relative displacement of a rigid object is described herein. In one embodiment, the system includes three data sources positioned on an object. The data sources are configured to transmit data relating to positional displacement of the object. Each data source has predefined movement parameters based on the position of each data source on the object. In one embodiment, the system further includes a receiver unit configured to display positional information relating to the object based on the data received from each data source. The positional information represents a single valid solution set generated in part by eliminating positional movements that exceed the predefined movement parameters.

Abstract: A method of performing a medical procedure on target tissue within the body includes immobilizing the target tissue with an immobilization device, positioning an insertion tool (e.g., a needle, a needle and marker wire, a needle gun, etc.) to be inserted into the target tissue on the immobilization device based on at least one reading of the target tissue, and inserting the insertion tool into the target tissue. An immobilization device for performing methods includes a frame assembly, a tissue immobilization assembly coupled to the frame assembly, the tissue immobilization assembly including a structure adapted to immobilize tissue, and a needle assembly releasably connectable to the frame assembly. The needle assembly includes a needle capable of being inserted into the immobilized tissue.