Abstract: A fastener assembly is disclosed for securing an object to channel framing. One embodiment of the assembly includes an elongate body such as a nut which engages inside faces of the framing at opposite sides of a slot in the framing, a washer spaced from the nut which engages outside faces of the framing at opposite sides of the slot, and a spring interposed between and connecting the nut and the washer for generating a force holding the washer and nut in clamping engagement with respective faces of the framing prior to securing an object to the framing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method comprising the following steps: (a) partitioning an intensity modulated beam into a set of sub-IMBs; and (b) partitioning the sub-IMBs into segments, wherein steps (a) and (b) introduce no machine delivery error. The present invention also provides a method comprising the following steps: (a) recursively partitioning an intensity modulated beam into plateaus; and (b) partitioning the plateaus into segments, wherein step (a) comprises determining a tradeoff between machine delivery error and the number of segments into which the plateaus will be partitioned in step (b).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method comprising recursively partitioning an intensity modulated beam into plateaus; and partitioning the plateaus into segments. The present invention also provides a method for controlling administration of radiation therapy to a patient based on static leaf prescriptions. In addition, the present invention provides a method for partitioning an IMB.

Abstract: A dual mode motion sensor for detecting both motion of a moving target and a range of the moving target. The dual mode motion sensor normally operates in a pulse transmission mode. If motion is detected, the sensor automatically switches to a frequency modulated continuous wave transmission mode. This will allow the sensor to determine the range of the moving target. The sensor includes a microcontroller that compares the determined range of the moving target with a predetermined maximum detection range. If the determined range is outside or exceeds the predetermined maximum detection range the sensor will ignore the motion. If the determined range is within the predetermined maximum detection range, an alarm will be generated.

Abstract: A system and methods for the efficient segmentation of globally optimal surfaces representing object boundaries in volumetric datasets is provided. An optical surface detection system and methods are provided that are capable of simultaneously detecting multiple interacting surfaces in which the optimality is controlled by the cost functions designed for individual surfaces and by several geometric constraints defining the surface smoothness and interrelations.

Abstract: System and method for an all-digital audio receiver for a BTSC MTS audio signal or other composite signal that is FM modulated. A preferred embodiment comprises a digital FM demodulator for receiving an analog to digital quantized SIF signal and performing demodulation and outputting a composite audio signal, and a digital audio processor for decomposing the composite audio signal into at least the SAP, stereo and monaural signals for audio reproduction. In a preferred embodiment, the digital audio processor is a programmable digital signal processor. In a preferred embodiment, the digital FM demodulator and the digital audio processor are implemented as an integrated circuit. Methods for processing the audio signal using the digital processors of the invention are provided.

Abstract: A method for routine monitoring and quality assurance of field asymmetry of high energy circular radiation beam producing equipment. The quality assurance process of field symmetry for devices such as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) systems is simplified by directly measuring the integration of the half-beam profile. The method of the invention provides that the field symmetry is obtained by positioning the tip of an ion chamber, with a collecting length approximately half the diameter of the beam, at the central axis of the beam, and rotating the ion chamber at varying angular positions, acquiring and comparing readings at desired angular positions. Each pair of readings from positions 180 degrees opposed from each other, are plugged into the equation, Asymmetry=2(R1?R2)/(R1+R2) to compute asymmetry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a door assembly provided on the housing of a semi-automatic micro-hole plate single-photon counter, said door assembly being mounted on a door opening being cooperated with the door opening to open it or close it so as, said door assembly comprising a door shaft, a door body and a door frame, wherein the door opening is provided on a side wall of the housing, the door frame is fixedly mounted on the door opening, the door body is mounted on the door frame by the door shaft, labyrinth sealing structures which can cooperate with each other are provided on the door body and the door frame, the door body is pivotable around the door shaft so as to open or close the door opening, a restoring mechanism is provided at the door shaft; the labyrinth sealing structure of the door body and that of the door frame are cooperated with each other for labyrinth sealing so as to light seal the housing, when the door body is closed to seal the door opening.

Abstract: A probe assembly used in testing instrument for determining optical signal within a test cell, comprising a top plate (5;205) with a through-hole (52;250) therein; a cylindrical light hood (2;202) having a central channel (21;221); the lower end of the optical pickup (1) is inserted into said channel (21;221) and surrounded by said light hood, and said light hood can slide down and up within a small distance isolating said one test cell of the sample being detected from its adjacent cells and surroundings when the lower end of said light hood is in said protruding position, so that the light interference from the adjacent test cells and surroundings with (to) the determination of the sampling being detected can be avoided. Also, the present invention further relates to the light hood included in the probe assembly and the instruments including the probe assembly.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a transport mechanism comprising an upper supporting board, a lower supporting board and a long board, wherein a X-direction guide groove is provided on said lower supporting board, and a guide rail is provided on said upper supporting board, the guide rail slidably engaging with the guide groove for the upper supporting board's travelling along a X-direction; the upper supporting board is further provided with a sliding chute whose width is identical to the width of the long board; said long board can be slidably inserted into the sliding chute, acting as a sliding rail in the Y-direction of the upper supporting board. With such a design, the structure of the whole transport mechanism becomes simplified, and further, the precise positioning of the upper and lower supporting boards as well as detective accuracy of sample are improved.

Abstract: A photo detector device for single photon count apparatus includes a casing; a detect window for inputting photons from a detected sample; a photo detector for receiving said photons through said window; a socket for holding said photo detector; a voltage-dividing circuit board for powering the photo detector; and a pre-processing circuit board for processing the electric signal from the photo detector, wherein said voltage-dividing circuit board and said pre-processing circuit board are compactly disposed on the back of the socket, then said voltage-dividing circuit board said pre-processing circuit board, said socket and said photo detector are integrally placed in the casing capable of shielding light and protecting against magnetization.

Abstract: A standard light source for single photon count apparatus, comprising: a housing; a light emitting diode; a light-shielding plate, disposed above said light emitting diode, for weakening the light intensity emitted by the light emitting diode; and a light-shielding filler for blocking the light emitted by the light emitting diode propagating downward, said light shielding filler, said light shielding plate and said LED are sealed in said housing integrally.

Abstract: A method for measuring the local temperature in the body of human or animal is provided. In the method, a first ultrasonic wave is transmitted to a region to be measured, which has temperature T, under the guiding of M-type ultrasound. The reflected ultrasonic wave from a particular reflection surface is received to obtain a first parameter. Then the temperature of the region to be measured is modified to T+?T. A second ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the region to be measured. The reflected ultrasonic wave from the second ultrasonic wave reflected by a particular reflection surface is received to obtain a second parameter. A ratio of the measured value of 2nd parameter to that of 1st parameter can be obtained. On the other hand, a theoretical ratio of the second parameter to the first parameter can also be obtained through theoretical calculation. The objection function which involves the differences between the theoretical ratio and measured ratio can be minimized by an optimization method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a focus ultrasonic wave source including an ultrasonic wave emitting component for emiting the ultrasonic wave and a focusing component for focusing the the emited ultrasonic wave, wherein the emitted ultrasonic wave is transmitted to a focal point in a manner similar to a spherical wave after it is focused by said focusing component, and wherein an angle ? included between the two lines connecting two end points of the outer peripheral diameter of said focusing component to the focal point respectively is from 50° to 120°.

Abstract: The present invention provides a containing means for receiving the transmission medium for use With an ultrasonic wave source of an extracorporeal HIFU therapeutic apparatus, wherein the containing means for transmission medium is a semispheric membrane with a seating arragnment on an upper open end thereof for sealing connecting the containing means to the ultrasonic wave source, so that the membrane closes the ultrasonic wave emitting surface. The membrane is made from a material with an acoustic impedance close to that of the water, lower ultrasound transmission loss, perfect heat conductivity and good elasticity, such as latex, natural rubber, silicon rubber etc. The containing means can be used in the case that the ultrasonic wave source is mounted above the bed surface. It is easy to make the ultrasonic wave source rotated and tilted so that the inclining angle of the ultrasonic wave source may be adjusted as required so as to adapt to the variety of treatment requirements.

Abstract: A planar microstrip microwave transceiver employing a chip on board design where all components can be surface mounted. The transceiver employs a surface mounted FET chip in a low Q oscillator and a pair of surface mounted Schottky chips in balanced mixer, all of which are wire bonded to microstrip circuitry.

Abstract: A multicomponent vaginal cylinder system composed of a tandem capable of housing one or more radiation sources, one or more removable ovoid cartridges, each cartridge capable of housing a radiation source, and a vaginal cylinder structure having corresponding hollow cavities to accommodate the insertions of the tandem and the ovoid cartridges. Radiation shielding may be removably attached to portions of the vaginal cylinder structure to shield tissues from unwanted radiation. A method for using this vaginal cylinder system to treat gynecological cancers is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for imaging books or other bound documents which includes a cradle for supporting a book and an optical system positioned above the cradle. The optical system is mounted for movement along a vertical axis toward and away from the cradle. It includes an upper portion supporting a camera and mirror arrangement and a lower portion comprising a platen assembly. The upper and lower portions are mounted for independent movement along the vertical axis over a first range of travel remote from the cradle, and are coupled for movement as a single unit over a second range of travel, toward and proximate to the cradle. When the upper and lower portions are coupled, the optical system has an optical path of a predetermined length extending from the platen surface, through the mirror arrangement and through the camera.

Abstract: A VLSI wavelet transform (WT) architecture suitable for use in a discrete wavelet transform (DWT) or a discrete wavelet packet transform (DWPT). The WT architecture has a multiplier; an accumulator; at least two address generators that has a first address generator and a second address generator; a control unit; a memory of result that stores computation results; and a memory of table, which pre-stores all possible weights, each of which weights is a product of some specified filter coefficients for performing a DWT/DWPT with parameters of decomposition level, length of data segment, and filter length. The first address generator and the control unit receive data input, the control unit exports control signals to multiplier, accumulator, second address generator, and memory of table.

Abstract: A multicomponent vaginal cylinder system composed of a tandem capable of housing one or more radiation sources, one or more removable ovoid cartridges, each cartridge capable of housing a radiation source, and a vaginal cylinder structure having corresponding hollow cavities to accommodate the insertions of the tandem and the ovoid cartridges. Radiation shielding may be removably attached to portions of the vaginal cylinder structure to shield tissues from unwanted radiation. A method for using this vaginal cylinder system to treat gynecological cancers is also disclosed.