Abstract: A system for processing powder includes a process tube connected to load lock chamber via a vacuum valve. The load lock chamber includes first and second stations. Each of the first and second stations is configured to receive a barrel containing powder to be treated. A mechanical transfer mechanism is configured to: move a barrel containing powder to be treated from the first station into the process tube; move a barrel containing powder to be treated from the second station into the process tube; move a barrel containing treated powder from the process tube to the first station; and move a barrel containing treated powder from the process tube to the second station.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide outdoor power equipment including a frame, a seat and at least one leg support angled from a horizontal plane. The outdoor power equipment can include one or more handles, a suspension unit coupled between the frame and the seat. In some embodiments, the seat can be declined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the operator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to a vertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide outdoor power equipment including a frame, a seat and at least one leg support angled from a horizontal plane. The outdoor power equipment can include one or more handles, a suspension unit coupled between the frame and the seat. In some embodiments, the seat can be declined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the operator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to a vertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide outdoor power equipment including a frame, a seat and at least one leg support angled from a horizontal plane. The outdoor power equipment can include one or more handles, a suspension unit coupled between the frame and the seat. In some embodiments, the seat can be declined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the operator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to a vertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide outdoor power equipment including a frame, a seat and at least one leg support angled from a horizontal plane. The outdoor power equipment can include one or more handles, a suspension unit coupled between the frame and the seat. In some embodiments, the seat can be declined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the operator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to a vertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a lawn mower including a frame, a seat or operator station, one or more handles, and a suspension unit coupled between the frame and the seat or operator station. The lawn mower can include one or more pivot members with a first portion coupled to the frame at a pivot location forward of the seat or operator station and a second portion coupled to the seat or operator station. The one or more pivot members can allow the seat or operator station and the one or more handles to move with respect to the frame while the suspension unit absorbs a portion of shock caused by riding over the uneven terrain. The seat can be positioned at least partially between a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel and at least partially along a drive axis. The seat can be declined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the operator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to a vertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat.

Abstract: A method including acquiring images of medical slides at a plurality of different focus positions, determining a position which produces a maximum value of pixel values relative to a pixel value mean, wherein said determining comprises using a pixel value mean as a coarse estimate of coarse focus position, and subsequently refining said coarse focus position to find a fine focus position, and wherein said refining comprises fitting to a polynomial, and using a specified portion of the polynomial as a fine estimate of focus position, and producing a focus control signal that is related to said maximum value to control a focus position.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a lawn mower including a frame, a seat or operator station, one or more handles, and a suspension unit coupled between the frame and the seat or operator station. The lawn mower can include one or more pivot members with a first portion coupled to the frame at a pivot location forward of the seat or operator station and a second portion coupled to the seat or operator station. The one or more pivot members can allow the seat or operator station and the one or more handles to move with respect to the frame while the suspension unit absorbs a portion of shock caused by riding over the uneven terrain. The seat can be positioned at least partially between a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel and at least partially along a drive axis. The seat can be declined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the operator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to a vertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat.

Abstract: A method including acquiring images of medical slides at a plurality of different focus positions, determining a position which produces a maximum value of pixel values relative to a pixel value mean, wherein said determining comprises using a pixel value mean as a coarse estimate of coarse focus position, and subsequently refining said coarse focus position to find a fine focus position, and wherein said refining comprises fitting to a polynomial, and using a specified portion of the polynomial as a fine estimate of focus position, and producing a focus control signal that is related to said maximum value to control a focus position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automated cell analysis of biological specimens automatically scans at a low magnification to acquire images which are analyzed to determine candidate cell objects of interest. The low magnification images are converted from a first color space to a second color space. The color space converted image is then filtered. The candidate interest pixels are morphologically processed and compared to blob parameters to identify candidate objects of interest which correspond to cells or other structures relevant to medical diagnosis of the biological specimen. The location coordinates of the objects of interest are stored and additional images of the candidate cell objects are acquired at high magnification.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automated cell analysis of biological specimens automatically scans at a low magnification to acquire images (288) which are analyzed to determine candidate cell objects of interest. The low magnification images are converted from a first color space to a second color space (290). The color space converted image is then low pass filtered (292) and compared to a threshold (294) to remove artifacts and background objects from the candidate object of interest pixels of the color converted image. The candidate object of interest pixels are morphologically processed (296) to group candidate object of interest pixels together into groups which are compared to blob parameters (298) to identify candidate objects of interest which correspond to cells or other structures relevant to medical diagnosis of the biological specimen. The location coordinates of the objects of interest are stored and additional images of the candidate cell objects are acquired at high magnification.

Abstract: A method for automated image analysis of a biological specimen by histological reconstruction. Also provided is an automated cell image method for analyzing a biological specimen that has consecutively been stained by either an in situ hybridization (ISH) method, or an immunohistochemistry (IHC) method or a nucleic acid stain, and counterstained. The method couples composite images in an automated manner for processing and analysis. To identify structure in tissue that cannot be captured in a single field of view image or a single staining technique, the disclosure provides a method for histological reconstruction to analyze many fields of view on potentially many slides simultaneously.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automated cell analysis of biological specimens automatically scans at a low magnification to acquire images (288) which are analyzed to determine candidate cell objects of interest. The low magnification images are converted from a first color space to a second color space (290). The color space converted image is then low pass filtered (292) and compared to a threshold (294) to remove artifacts and background objects from the candidate object of interest pixels of the color converted image. The candidate object of interest pixels are morphologically processed (296) to group candidate object of interest pixels together into groups which are compared to blob parameters (298) to identify candidate objects of interest which correspond to cells or other structures relevant to medical diagnosis of the biological specimen. The location coordinates of the objects of interest are stored and additional images of the candidate cell objects are acquired at high magnification.

Abstract: A method for automated image analysis of a biological specimen by histological reconstruction. Also provided is an automated cell image method for analyzing a biological specimen that has consecutively been stained by either an in situ hybridization (ISH) method, or an immunohistochemistry (IHC) method or a nucleic acid stain, and counterstained. The method couples composite images in an automated manner for processing and analysis. To identify structure in tissue that cannot be captured in a single field of view image or a single staining technique, the disclosure provides a method for histological reconstruction to analyze many fields of view on potentially many slides simultaneously.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automated cell analysis of biological specimens automatically scans at a low magnification to acquire images (288) which are analyzed to determine candidate cell objects of interest. The low magnification images are converted from a first color space to a second color space (290). The color space converted image is then low pass filtered (292) and compared to a threshold (294) to remove artifacts and background objects from the candidate object of interest pixels of the color converted image. The candidate object of interest pixels are morphologically processed (296) to group candidate object of interest pixels together into groups which are compared to blob parameters (298) to identify candidate objects of interest which correspond to cells or other structures relevant to medical diagnosis of the biological specimen. The location coordinates of the objects of interest are stored and additional images of the candidate cell objects are acquired at high magnification.

Abstract: A method for automated image analysis of a biological specimen by histological reconstruction. Also provided is an automated cell image method for analyzing a biological specimen that has consecutively been stained by either an in situ hybridization (ISH) method, or an immunohistochemistry (IHC) method or a nucleic acid stain, and counterstained. The method couples composite images in an automated manner for processing and analysis. To identify structure in tissue that cannot be captured in a single field of view image or a single staining technique, the disclosure provides a method for histological reconstruction to analyze many fields of view on potentially many slides simultaneously.

Abstract: A method for automated image analysis of a biological specimen by histological reconstruction. Also provided is an automated cell image method for analyzing a biological specimen that has consecutively been stained by either an in situ hybridization (ISH) method, or an immunohistochemistry (IHC) method or a nucleic acid stain, and counterstained. The method couples composite images in an automated manner for processing and analysis. To identify structure in tissue that cannot be captured in a single field of view image or a single staining technique, the disclosure provides a method for histological reconstruction to analyze many fields of view on potentially many slides simultaneously.

Abstract: The system and method for evaluating the amount of marker identifying precipitate in a cellular specimen on a microscope slide is disclosed. The automated microscope system performs a low magnification and high magnification scan of a cellular specimen to identify and confirm candidate objects of interest which correspond to cells containing a marker identifying precipitate. A regularly shaped area centered about a centroid computed for a candidate object of interest is used to define the pixels to be processed. A color ratio is computed for each pixel and those color ratios indicative of being dominated by the color corresponding to the marker identified precipitate are summed and normalized. The normalized color ratio is compared to at least one predetermined threshold to assign a grade to the candidate objects of interest. The grades for a predetermined number of candidate objects of interest are summed to form an aggregate score and the aggregate score is compared to a threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus for burying filiform objects such as ducts, conduits, cables and the like into the ground. The apparatus has the general appearance of a gasoline-powered manually-driven soil tiller with a V-shaped blade extending into the ground to a predetermined depth. The blade is given a fore-and-aft oscillating movement which temporarily slices a pie-shaped section of the soil as the apparatus progresses over the ground.A chinese finger mounted on the apex of the blade is used to crimp the end of the filiform object which is then pulled under the sliced soil section. Manually controlled clutches allowing the operator to separately activate the forward motion of the apparatus and the vibrating motion of the blade.