Abstract: A method for determining a set of points to be supported for an object to be manufactured by means of an additive manufacturing method, characterised in that it comprises a step consisting of subdividing the object into successive layers, each layer corresponding to a thickness of material deposited during the manufacture of the object; and, for each layer, adding, to a set of points to be supported, points to be supported (PS) on the surface of the object that make it possible to ensure the stability of all of the sub-objects (2n), a sub-object being defined as a solid resulting from the manufacture of the i first layers (Ci) of the object.

Abstract: A support structure for supporting an object during the manufacture of same by means of an additive manufacturing method; method for generating such a structure.

Abstract: An image processing device, including an analyzer calculating cutting data and difference data from image data, a selector receiving data from a working node, the data including cutting data, cost data, and position data, an assembler receiving data from working nodes and from a predecessor node and calculating updated node data as a function of the cost data, a driver configured to call the analyzer with image data of an input image, call the selector with an input node and with the cutting data calculated by the analyzer, call the assembler with the successor nodes determined by the selector as working nodes and with the input node as a predecessor node, and repeatedly call the selector and the assembler using one of the updated nodes as a working node for the selector, until a condition relating to the cutting data and the position data of an updated node is satisfied.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of prosthetics having the function of restoring swallowing, breathing and phonation to a patient having a dysfunctional larynx. More specifically, the present invention concerns a valve device forming an intra-laryngeal endoprosthesis intended for implanting in the anatomical larynx in place having the function of enabling breathing while forming a seal against elements such as saliva, mucus or any other element coming from the bolus. The complete intra-laryngeal endoprosthesis, as well as its various applications, are also the subject matter of the present invention.

Abstract: An electrochemical process for the concurrent recovery of iron metal and chlorine gas from an iron-rich metal chloride solution, comprising electrolysing the iron-rich metal chloride solution in an electrolyser comprising a cathodic compartment equipped with a cathode having a hydrogen overpotential higher than that of iron and containing a catholyte having a pH below about 2, an anodic compartment equipped with an anode and containing an anolyte, and a separator allowing for anion passage, the electrolysing step comprising circulating the iron-rich metal chloride solution in a non-anodic compartment of the electrolyser, thereby causing iron to be electrodeposited at the cathode and chlorine gas to evolve at the anode, and leaving an iron-depleted solution, which is recirculated, at least in part, to the iron-rich metal chloride solution. The iron-rich metal chloride solution may originate from carbo-chlorination wastes, spent acid leaching liquors or pickling liquors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve device designed to be implanted in a dysfunctional larynx or in a prosthetic larynx. The valve device has a distal portion forming an annular support structure and a central portion forming an obturator. The obturator includes i) a peripheral part forming a first valve integral with the annular support structure in a first hinge region, and ii) a central part forming a second valve integral with the first valve in a second hinge region.

Abstract: An image processing device, including an analyzer calculating cutting data and difference data from image data, a selector receiving data from a working node, the data including cutting data, cost data, and position data, an assembler receiving data from working nodes and from a predecessor node and calculating updated node data as a function of the cost data, a driver configured to call the analyzer with image data of an input image, call the selector with an input node and with the cutting data calculated by the analyzer, call the assembler with the successor nodes determined by the selector as working nodes and with the input node as a predecessor node, and repeatedly call the selector and the assembler using one of the updated nodes as a working node for the selector, until a condition relating to the cutting data and the position data of an updated node is satisfied.

Abstract: A method and system for synthesizing texture using upsampled pixel coordinates and a multi-resolution approach. The parallel texture synthesis technique, while based on a neighborhood matching technique having order-independent texture synthesis, extends that approach in at least two areas, including efficient parallel synthesis and intuitive user control. Pixel coordinates are upsampled instead of pixel colors, thereby reducing computational complexity and expense. These upsampled pixel coordinates then are jittered to provide texture variation. The jitter is controllable, such that a user has control over several aspects of the jitter. In addition, each neighborhood-matching pass is split into several sub-passes to improve correction. Using sub-passes improves correction speed and quality. The parallel texture synthesis system and method disclosed herein is designed for implementation on a parallel processor, such as a graphics processing unit.

Abstract: An electrochemical process for the concurrent recovery of iron metal and chlorine gas from an iron-rich metal chloride solution, comprising electrolysing the iron-rich metal chloride solution in an electrolyser comprising a cathodic compartment equipped with a cathode having a hydrogen overpotential higher than that of iron and containing a catholyte having a pH below about 2, an anodic compartment equipped with an anode and containing an anolyte, and a separator allowing for anion passage, the electrolysing step comprising circulating the iron-rich metal chloride solution in a non-anodic compartment of the electrolyser, thereby causing iron to be electrodeposited at the cathode and chlorine gas to evolve at the anode, and leaving an iron-depleted solution, which is recirculated, at least in part, to the iron-rich metal chloride solution. The iron-rich metal chloride solution may originate from carbo-chlorination wastes, spent acid leaching liquors or pickling liquors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve device designed to be implanted in a dysfunctional larynx or in a prosthetic larynx, said device comprising a distal portion forming an annular support structure and a central portion forming an obturator, characterized in that said obturator comprises i) a peripheral part forming a first valve integral with the annular support structure in a first hinge region, and ii) a central part forming a second valve integral with the first valve in a second hinge region.

Abstract: A dimensionality-reduced appearance space system and method that transforms an exemplar image from a traditional three-dimensional space of pixel colors to a low-dimensional Euclidean space of appearance vectors. The transformation of an exemplar is a preprocessing step, and the transformed exemplar becomes the starting point for high-quality texture synthesis. The exemplar transformation begins by computing a high-dimensional appearance vector using one or a combination of several attribute channels. These attribute channels provide additional information to further distinguish exemplar pixels from each other. These attribute channels includes spatial pixel neighborhoods, feature distance, and radiance transfer information. Dimensionality reduction is applied to the resulting high-dimensional appearance vector to generate the transformed exemplar in low-dimensional Euclidean appearance space.

Abstract: A method and system for synthesizing texture using a preprocessed exemplar image and a neighborhood-matching per-pixel texture synthesis correction technique. The sub-pass correction system and method alters pixel coordinates to recreate neighborhoods similar to those in the exemplar image. In the context of parallel texture synthesis, instead of synthesizing all pixels of an image simultaneously, the sub-pass correction system and method allows neighbors to be corrected in different sub-passes. Each pixel, therefore, benefits from the correction of some of its neighbors in previous sub-passes. This reduces the required number of global correction passes to obtain good synthesis results Generally, one or more correction passes are performed, with each correction pass divided into a plurality of correction sub-passes. A number of pixel coordinates are corrected in parallel during each of the correction sub-passes.

Abstract: An anisometric texture synthesis system and method for generating anisometric textures having a similar visual appearance as a given exemplar, but with varying orientation and scale. This variation is achieved by modifying the upsampling and correaction processes of the texture synthesis technique using a Jacobian field. The modified correaction process includes accessing only immediate neighbors of a pixel instead of non-local pixels. This constraint that only immediate neighbors be used also allows the generation of seamless anisometric surface textures. This is achieved by using indireaction maps containing indirection pointers that are used to jump from a set of pixels outside the boundary of a texture atlas chart to another chart. The system and method also includes an anisometric synthesis magnification technique that uses a Jacobian field to modify the magnification step of a synthesis magnification scheme and account for anisometry.

Abstract: A saltating sample image enhancement system and method that provides an image processing operation in which a filter considers one or one or more exact source image pixels; one or more bilinearly interpolated source image samples, where the bilinear weights are coupled to the position of the target pixel relative to the source pixels; and (optionally) one or more linearly interpolated source image samples, where the linear weights are coupled to the position of the target pixel relative to the source pixels. The filter can construct a spatially continuous image statistic.

Abstract: An adaptive texture regeneration method and system for generating a sequence of images over time (an animation sequence) that gives the appearance of texture flowing over a surface. The adaptive texture regeneration method and system helps keep synthesized texture flow over a surface from becoming so distorted such that it no longer resembles the original exemplar. This is achieved in part by using pixel coordinates instead of colors. By using pixel coordinates, distortion of the texture can be measured. Based on this distortion measurement, the texture can be adaptively regenerated if necessary. The distortion measurement of the texture is measured and compared to a distortion threshold. If the measured distortion does not exceed the threshold, then the current synthesized texture is retained. On the other hand, if the measured distortion exceeds the threshold, the current synthesized texture is regenerated.

Abstract: A multidimensional hash table is created based on a data source having sparse multidimensional data. The sparse source data is mapped into the hash table using a hash function. The hash function can be defined by accessing multidimensional values in an offset table. The offset values in the offset table can be precomputed from the static source data so as to avoid hash collisions, thus creating a perfect hash function. Additionally, the perfect hash function is designed to preserve spatial coherence of accesses, so as to improve locality of memory reference.

Abstract: A method and system for synthesizing texture using upsampled pixel coordinates and a multi-resolution approach. The parallel texture synthesis technique, while based on a neighborhood matching technique having order-independent texture synthesis, extends that approach in at least two areas, including efficient parallel synthesis and intuitive user control. Pixel coordinates are upsampled instead of pixel colors, thereby reducing computational complexity and expense. These upsampled pixel coordinates then are jittered to provide texture variation. The jitter is controllable, such that a user has control over several aspects of the jitter. In addition, each neighborhood-matching pass is split into several sub-passes to improve correction. Using sub-passes improves correction speed and quality. The parallel texture synthesis system and method disclosed herein is designed for implementation on a parallel processor, such as a graphics processing unit.

Abstract: A multi-level image data structure (called a multi-level image stack) containing a single image at each level and a method for generating the same. Images at each level contain the same number of pixels. The multi-level image stack defines a set of levels emanating from an original image having a number of pixels. Each successive level of the multi-level image stack contains a single image. Each single image contains the same number of pixels as the original image. Successive levels encode progressively filtered information of the original image, but without subsampling. This retains the fine-scale resolution of the original image. A variety of filter techniques can be used, including a Gaussian filter and a box filter. The multi-level image stack is particularly well-suited for use in texture synthesis applications, where its fine-scale resolution at all levels has the advantage of reducing artifacts and spatial quantization.

Abstract: An indirection texture magnification system and method for producing high-resolution indirection texture results. The system and method uses an indirection texture, designed for use with a low-resolution texture image, and a high-resolution texture image, which is a higher-resolution version of the low-resolution texture image. The indirection texture magnification system and method re-interprets an indirection texture computed for a low-resolution image so that a higher-resolution image can be used with the same indirection texture. This generates additional samples and allows the generation of a magnified, high-resolution indirection texture result. The indirection texture magnification system and method takes three or more neighboring pixel coordinates stored in an indirection texture and offsets those pixel coordinates in order to access the higher-resolution image with an increased precision.

Abstract: An adaptive texture regeneration method and system for generating a sequence of images over time (an animation sequence) that gives the appearance of texture flowing over a surface. The adaptive texture regeneration method and system helps keep synthesized texture flow over a surface from becoming so distorted such that it no longer resembles the original exemplar. This is achieved in part by using pixel coordinates instead of colors. By using pixel coordinates, distortion of the texture can be measured. Based on this distortion measurement, the texture can be adaptively regenerated if necessary. The distortion measurement of the texture is measured and compared to a distortion threshold. If the measured distortion does not exceed the threshold, then the current synthesized texture is retained. On the other hand, if the measured distortion exceeds the threshold, the current synthesized texture is regenerated.