Abstract: An electrical surgical cautery device for delivering thermal energy to cauterize and provide hemostasis to a bleeding tissue comprises an electrically powered flexible thermal delivery element having a substantially planar resistive coil embedded in a thermally conductive material. The thermally conductive material comprises a tissue contact surface and a non-tissue contact surface. A power source is connected to the resistive coil of the thermal delivery element and provides an electrical current to heat the thermal delivery element being pressed against the tissue. A method for providing hemostasis to a bleeding tissue surface comprises providing and pressing an electrical cautery device having a thermal delivery element, against the hemorrhaging tissue at a predetermined temperature for an interval sufficient to cauterize the tissue and provide hemostasis.

Abstract: A method of navigating a cavity of a subject employing images from a previous navigation is provided. In a first endoscopic examination, a set of schemas and at least one bookmark are saved in a data storage device. Each schema includes at least a still image in a cavity and a direction of a distal end. At least one bookmark is defined as at least one schema at a point of interest. In a second endoscopic examination, still images during navigation of an endoscope are compared with still images in the set of schemas to find a match, and use the information derived from the match to determine the location and the orientation of the distal end. An endoscopic system for effecting this method and a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium embodying a program for operating such an endoscopic system are also provided.

Abstract: Two-array color imaging systems, image processing systems and related principles are disclosed. For example, a pixel from a first single-array color image sensor and a pixel from a second single-array color image sensor can define a pair of pixels. One pixel of the pair is configured to detect luminance information and the other pixel is configured to detect chrominance information. A plurality of such pixel pairs can be illuminated by an image and, in response to such illumination, emit one or more electrical output signals carrying the luminance and chrominance information. The output signals can be transformed into a displayable image. Related computing environments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for imaging includes defining a set of one or more color correction parameters having values that vary over a predefined color space. For each of the pixels in an input image, the location of the respective input color is determined in the color space, and a value of the one or more color correction parameters is selected responsively to the location. The respective input color is modified using the selected value so as to produce a corrected output color of the pixel in an output image.

Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting a video imaging system that includes an auto-focus mechanism wherein an input from a user of the video imaging system invokes an auto-focus procedure. Responsive to the input, the auto-focus mechanism is scanned over a range of focal distance from a first setting to a second setting indicated by the input. A sequence of images using the video imaging system is captured while scanning the auto-focus mechanism over the range. The images in the sequence are processed so as to compute a measure of focal quality with respect to each of the images. The measure of the focal quality is analyzed so as to select an optimal focal distance, and the auto-focus mechanism is set to the selected focal distance.

Abstract: An electrical surgical cautery device for delivering thermal energy to cauterize and provide hemostasis to a bleeding tissue comprises an electrically powered flexible thermal delivery element having a substantially planar resistive coil embedded in a thermally conductive material. The thermally conductive material comprises a tissue contact surface and a non-tissue contact surface. A power source is connected to the resistive coil of the thermal delivery element and provides an electrical current to heat the thermal delivery element being pressed against the tissue. A method for providing hemostasis to a bleeding tissue surface comprises providing and pressing an electrical cautery device having a thermal delivery element, against the hemorrhaging tissue at a predetermined temperature for an interval sufficient to cauterize the tissue and provide hemostasis.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the bending of a medical invasive tool (2) during its insertion in a body (4, 6) comprises an ultrasound transducer (8), and a position measuring system (29, 22, 26, 28) including position measuring components, and/or articulated arms (20, 22) being attached to the medical invasive tool (2). The expected position of the medical invasive tool is calculated according to the measurements produced by the position measuring system. Echo points, and/or segments of the medical invasive tool are identified on the ultrasound image (24). The comparison between the identified echo, and the calculated position of the invasive tool (without bending) is the base of detecting the bending of the medical invasive tool. Additionally, the identified echo points/segments are used in order to evaluate the actual shape of the invasive tool.

Abstract: A magnetic ferrite microwave resonator frequency tunable filter and method for tuning a filter having both a resonator portion and a tuning portion. The resonator portion has an input for receiving an electromagnetic signal and an output for emitting an electromagnetic signal. A tuning portion includes a magnetic ferrite element disposed in first and second magnetic fields generated by a fixed magnet and an electromagnet. The magnetic ferrite element has a magnetic permeability determined by the first and second magnetic fields. The first magnetic field places a ferromagnetic resonance frequency of the ferrite element near a frequency of the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the resonator portion. The second magnetic field is variable in response to a varying current supplied to the electromagnet to change the permeability of the ferrite element, to thereby alter the center frequency of the resonator, thereby facilitating tuning of the electromagnetic signal.

Abstract: A material for disposition on a surface comprising Fe, Co, or FeCo in the form of small single magnetic domain metallic clusters disposed in an insulating matrix of BN. The material may be utilized as a new absorbing material for radar microwave signals. Additionally, the material may be utilized on a magnetic storage substrate to form a new magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: Highly sensitive infrared detectors can be made from superconducting micrrip transmission lines, having a single ground plane, a dielectric substrate on the ground plane, and a thin film path of superconducting oxide on the substrate. These microstrip transmission lines can be fabricated into resonant or non-resonant structures. The detectors operate by detecting changes in a microwave signal transmitted through the microstrip, measures in the amplitude, frequency or time domains. An embodiment of this invention is an asymmetric ring interferometer, with or without a metal segment in the shorter leg of the interferometer. Another embodiment of this invention is a meander path transmission line, which, in certain configurations, may be used as a single element array with very high resolution in the direction parallel to the meander lines.

Abstract: A substantially single phase superconducting composition is formed from a of 1:2:3 molar ratio of fine powders of a superconducting rare earth oxide, CuO, and BaCo.sub.3. The mixed powders and shaped articles formed from the mixed powders are calcined, sintered, and cooled in an oxygen containing atmosphere. The cooling step is done slowly to convert the sample to the orthorhombic structure and to improve the superconducting properties. The article formed is a substantially single phase superconducting composition.

Abstract: Large oriented crystals greater than one millimeter in length of high T.sub.c superconducting compounds are grown by mixing starting materials in the correct proportions to make the superconducting compound, forming a mixture. The CO.sub.2 is removed from the mixture and the ternary oxide of the compound is formed from the mixture. Next, the mixture is formed into a self-supporting green body and sintered at a sintering temperature at which the top of the self-supporting green body is molten and the bottom surface is solid. The self-supporting green body is held at the sintering temperature for a time, forming a sintered body. Next, the sintered body is cooled so that crystals form. After this step, the crystals can be further processed to increase their superconducting properties. Finally, the crystals are removed and processed for use.

Abstract: A granular superconducting thin film bolometer made by anodizing a thin film of such materials as niobium nitride to form a thin granular film separated by and covered with the anodized oxide. The bolometer is cooled to its superconducting state and electrically connected to a biasing and detecting network. Its temporal response is better than 1 ns.

Abstract: Thin superconducting NbCN films are deposited by reactive sputtering onto a dielectric substrate inside a vacuum chamber. The substrate is heated to a temperature of 600.degree.-1200.degree. C., ultra-pure Argon is introduced into the chamber, and niobium is presputtered from a high-purity target onto a shutter. A cyanogen and nitrogen gas mixture is introduced into the chamber at a rate of approximately 10.sup.-6 Torr liters/sec, and a shutter is opened exposing the substrate to the sputtered niobium. The deposited niobium reacts with the cyanogen-nitrogen gas mixture to form NbCN films of exceptional purity, and which exhibit superior superconductor properties.

Abstract: A multi-layer superconducting shield for shielding superconducting electronic devices from stray magnetic fields. In one embodiment the shield of the present invention comprises alternating concentric layers of a transition metal having a high transition temperature and a metal alloy formed from copper and a non-transition metal, said transition metal and metal alloy forming an interface, and a layer of A.sub.3 B-compound structure metal at the interface of said transition metal and metal alloy. The A.sub.3 B-compound structure metal is a high transition temperature superconductor.In a second embodiment the superconducting shield comprises a thin film of a high transition temperature superconducting nitride compound deposited on a cylindrical substrate. The nitride is deposited by reactive rf sputtering.