149results about How to "Characteristic is different" patented technology

A multiple RF return pad contact detection system is provided which is adaptive to different physiological characteristics of patients without being susceptible to electrosurgical current interference (e.g., interference or measurement interaction between components of the detection system). The detection system can measure or sense the contact resistance or impedance between the patient and pairs of RF return pads or return electrodes where multiple pairs of RF return pads are utilized due to the high current frequently needed during electrosurgery while eliminating or minimizing the risk of measurement interaction between the RF return pad pairs. The system allows for the independent and simultaneous measurement of the pad contact impedance for each pair of RF return pads. If the impedance of any pad pair is above a predetermined limit, the system turns off or reduces the electrosurgical output of the electrosurgical generator to prevent excess heating. The system eliminates or minimizes interference or measurement interaction between the pad pairs by providing a different signal source frequency for each pad contact pair, but a frequency which matches an associated series resonant network frequency. The current that flows in the series resonant network is a direct reflection or function of the pad impedance of the corresponding pad pair.

A mattress has a main sleep area surrounded by a perimeter trim. Both the main sleep area and the perimeter trim are formed from wire springs contained within pockets of soft material. The wire springs in the sleep area are arranged in honeycomb nested rows. The wire springs of the perimeter trim, which are of different wire construction with different flex characteristic from the wire springs in the main sleep area, are arranged in side by side rows which are not honeycomb nested. In addition, the wire springs of the perimeter trim are pivotally linked directly to one another across the perimeter trim, both widthwise and lengthwise of the mattress which produces an essentially non-feelable flex transition between the perimeter trim and the main sleep area of the mattress.

A method for operating a base station in a wireless communication system in order to support a plurality of propagation characteristics is provided. The method includes allocating resource periods for respective propagation characteristics, transmitting system information including information on the propagation characteristics, transmitting a reference signal with the propagation characteristic corresponding to the relevant resource period through at least one of the resource periods, and receiving feedback information determining channel qualities for all of the propagation characteristics.

A system and method for switching data packet traffic distribution across diverse transmission medium according to detected quality of service characteristics for a given data packet rate from server to client. It should be recognized that diverse medium are not interdependent with regard to fading or signal strength considerations. One mode of switching comprises switching all the data packets from transmission on a first medium to transmission over a second diverse medium. In a second mode of switching the distribution is changed according to a media-time coding mechanism in which typically data is being transmitted simultaneously across more than one of the multiple diverse medium. The data packet transmissions preferably comprise audio-video data packet streams, such as MPEG-2 streams. By way of example, the diverse transmission medium may comprise a wireless connection (i.e. WiFi) used in combination with a power-line network connection, such as within a home network.

The present invention is related to an interstitial marker for localizing an organ, tumor or tumor bed within a mammalian body wherein said marker has a proximal end, a distal end, and a continuous intervening length, at least a portion of the intervening length of said marker being visible under at least one imaging modality and having a flexibility such that said marker follows movements and changes of shape of said organ, tumor or tumor bed.

Image recognition and augmented reality experiences utilize auxiliary data extracted from an image or video, or image fingerprints, or a combination of both. One claim recites a method comprising: receiving a plurality of imagery frames captured by a device sensor; identifying a plurality of key points in each of the plurality of imagery frames; resolving image pose by utilizing relative relationships of the key points between different frames of the plurality of frames; modifying imagery of at least one of the plurality of frames based on resolved image pose; and deriving a fingerprint from modified imagery. Of course other claims and combinations are provided as well.

A probe provides electrical communication between a coating and a processing system. One optional feature includes an outwardly projecting, electrically conductive engaging member that is held in a captivation structure releasably retained in a housing and engages a contact that is inside the probe and connected with the processing system. Another optional feature of the probe provides the electrically conductive engaging member in the form of a pin or pins captivated in a light-transmissive structure adjacent a light-emitting source. Another optional feature of the probe includes a restraining structure that defines a frustoconical seat for engaging a conical distal end of an electrically conductive pin that is adapted to contact the coating.

The invention provides a method for forming particles of a target substance, comprising (a) co-introducing into a particle formation vessel, under controlled temperature and pressure, a supercritical or near-critical anti-solvent fluid; a “target solution or suspension” of the target in a first vehicle; and a second vehicle which is soluble in the anti-solvent fluid; and (b) using the anti-solvent to disperse the target solution / suspension and the second vehicle, and to extract the vehicles, substantially simultaneously and substantially immediately on introduction of the fluids into the particle formation vessel, wherein the second vehicle is immiscible with the first, and wherein contact between the target solution / suspension and the second vehicle occurs a sufficiently short period of time before their dispersion by the anti-solvent, and with sufficient physical mixing, as to allow only insignificant, if any, phase separation to occur between the two vehicles between their contact with one another and their dispersion

There is provided a method, apparatus and computer program product for scalable video encoding and decoding. In some embodiments, an improved method of encoding / decoding of enhancement layer pictures is introduced to enable encoding an area within an enhancement layer picture with increased quality and / or spatial resolution and with high coding efficiency. Enhancement layer sub-pictures have a size smaller than the corresponding enhancement layer pictures. They are coded with respect to the previously coded base-layer pictures or enhancement layer pictures. The enhancement information could be in the form of: increasing the fidelity of the chroma; increasing the bit-depth; increasing the quality of a region; or increasing the spatial resolution of a region.

A system and method for switching data packet traffic distribution across diverse transmission medium according to detected quality of service characteristics for a given data packet rate from server to client. It should be recognized that diverse medium are not interdependent with regard to fading or signal strength considerations. Two general modes of switching are described, switching all the data packets, and switching according to a media-time coding mechanism. In one embodiment the data is encoded using Fountain encoding prior to transmission. The data packet transmissions preferably comprise audio-video data packet streams, such as MPEG-2 streams. By way of example, the diverse transmission medium may comprise a wireless connection (i.e., WiFi) used in combination with a power-line network connection, such as within a home network.

Electronic system (106, 109A) for authenticating a user of an electronic service, said system preferably comprising at least one server apparatus, the system being configured to store (122, 112, 200), for a number of users, a plurality of personal voice-prints (204) each of which being linked with a dedicated visual, audiovisual or audio cue (202), for challenge-response authentication of the users, wherein the cues are user-selected, user-provided or user-created, pick (116, 200C, 142, 144), upon receipt of an authentication request associated with a claim of an identity (160) of an existing user of said number of users, a subset of cues (212) for which there are voiceprints of the existing user stored (112), and provide the cues for representation to the user as a challenge, receive (126, 148, 150) sound data indicative of the voice responses uttered by the user to the represented cues, said voice responses being captured utilizing both air and throat microphones, determine (114, 152, 154, 156, 158) on the basis of the sound data, the represented cues and voiceprints linked therewith and the existing user, whether the response has been uttered by the existing user of said number of users, wherein the sound data indicative of the voice responses uttered to the represented cues are preferably matched as concatenated against a concatenated voiceprint established based on the voiceprints linked with the represented cues and the existing user, and provided that this seems to be the case, elevate (116, 152, 200D, 218, 216) the authentication status of the user as the existing user, preferably regarding at least the current communication session. Related method and device (102c) are presented.

A non-invasive brain assessment monitor is disclosed. An embodiment of the monitor includes a head-mounted brain sensor which passively senses acoustic signals generated from pulsing blood flow through a patient's brain. A reference sensor may be mounted at another location on the patient's body to sense an arterial pulse, and the signals from the brain sensor and reference sensor may be compared. Another embodiment includes transmitters which generate acoustic signals in the brain which are also detected by the brain sensor. The brain assessment monitor may be used to detect conditions such as head trauma, stroke and hemorrhage.

A game image representing a part or all of an identical game space is displayed on game machines. A first game machine detects the link strength of wireless communication between the first game machine and a second game machine. The first game machine executes predetermined game processing such that a processing result changes depending on the detected link strength. Further, the first game machine updates the game image based on a result of the predetermined game processing. The first game machine sends game processing information indicating the result of the predetermined game processing, to the second game machine. The second game machine updates the game image based on the game processing information sent from the first game machine.

A medical device comprises a catheter having a catheter shaft and a medical balloon positioned thereon, as well as a rotatable assembly disposed about the balloon. The balloon has a pre-expansion state and an expanded state. The rotatable assembly comprises a sheath, wherein the sheath is disposed about the balloon in both the pre-expansion state and in the expanded state. The sheath is rotatable about the balloon in the pre-expansion state. The sheath comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer is in rotatable contact with the balloon and the outer layer is disposed about the inner layer. The inner layer is at least partially constructed of at least one material having a durometer value greater than that of the outer layer.

The present invention is related to an interstitial marker for localizing an organ, tumor or tumor bed within a mammalian body wherein said marker has a proximal end, a distal end, and a continuous intervening length, at least a portion of the intervening length of said marker being visible under at least one imaging modality and having a flexibility such that said marker follows movements and changes of shape of said organ, tumor or tumor bed.

A flat panel X-ray imager using an amorphous selenium detector which uses a polymer grid structure within the X-ray conversion layer to form an interface between the X-ray conversion layer and the pixel electrodes. The grid structure provides an additional physical barrier between pixel electrodes that reduces electrical bridging due to crystallization of the amorphous selenium due to temperature increases while also reducing the delamination temperature by providing a good anchor to the selenium, as well as a “cushion” for thermal expansion or contraction of the pixel electrodes. The grid can further include one or more grid electrodes for effecting avalanche-gain within the X-ray conversion layer while minimizing dark current entry into the selenium layer from the pixel electrode.

An image pickup apparatus comprising an array of unit cells, vertical signal lines, and a control circuit. The unit cells are arranged in rows and columns. Each unit cell has a light-receiving device for receiving light and generating an electric charge corresponding to the light, a charge-accumulating section for accumulating the electric charge generated by the light-receiving device, a transfer device for transferring the electric charge from the light-receiving device to the charge-accumulating section, and a charge-limiting device for limiting the electric charge accumulated in the charge-accumulating section. The vertical signal lines extend along the columns of unit cells, respectively, each for receiving a electric data item corresponding to the electric charge accumulated in the charge-accumulating section of any unit cell of the associated column. The control circuit controls each of the unit cells, causing the charge-limiting device to limit the charge generated by the light-receiving device during a first period and transferred to the charge-accumulating section through the transfer device. The charge generated by the light-receiving device during a second period following the first period and transferred to the charge-accumulating section through the transfer device is added to the electric charge accumulated in the charge-accumulating section.

Gas oil components, coking process recycle, and heavier hydrocarbons are cracked or coked in the coking vessel by injecting an additive into the vapors of traditional coking processes in the coking vessel. The additive contains catalyst(s), seeding agent(s), excess reactant(s), quenching agent(s), carrier(s), or any combination thereof to modify reaction kinetics to preferentially crack or coke these components. The quenching effect of the additive can be effectively used to condense the highest boiling point compounds onto the catalyst(s), thereby focusing the catalyst exposure to these target reactants. With a catalyst to crack these highest boiling point materials, this mechanism can effectively increase the catalyst's selectivity, thereby increasing its efficiency and reducing catalyst requirements and costs. Selective, catalytic conversion of the highest boiling point materials in the coking process product vapors (coker recycle and / or ‘heavy tail’ of the heavy coker gas oil) may be accomplished with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in varying degrees. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention can also provide methods to control the (1) coke crystalline structure and (2) the quantity and quality of volatile combustible materials (VCMs) in the resulting coke. Pet coke from this process may have unique characteristics with substantial utility.

The invention provides an endoscope which has a reduced-diameter insertion portion, which is capable of observation using a plurality of types of light with different spectral characteristics, and which can obtain high-resolution images. The invention provides an endoscope system comprising a light-source portion for emitting a plurality of types of irradiation light having different spectral characteristics, which are radiated towards an acquisition object; an optical system for transmitting the irradiation light towards the acquisition object; an image-acquisition portion, disposed in a portion inserted inside the body cavity and capable of acquiring fluorescence emitted from the acquisition object due to irradiation with the plurality of types of irradiation light, and light of a different wavelength band from the fluorescence; a variable-spectrum unit, disposed in a light path between the image-acquisition portion and a tip of the portion inserted inside the body cavity and capable of changing a wavelength band of light incident on the image-acquisition portion from the acquisition object by varying spectral characteristics thereof; and a control portion for controlling the light-source portion, the variable-spectrum unit, and the image-acquisition portion in association with the spectral characteristics of the irradiation light that the light-source portion emits, the spectral characteristics of the variable-spectrum unit, and a light exposure level of the image-acquisition portion.

Gas oil components, coking process recycle, and heavier hydrocarbons are cracked or coked in the coking vessel by injecting an additive into the vapors of traditional coking processes in the coking vessel. The additive contains catalyst(s), seeding agent(s), excess reactant(s), quenching agent(s), carrier(s), or any combination thereof to modify reaction kinetics to preferentially crack or coke these components. Modifications of the catalysts in the additive improve performance for certain desired outcomes. One exemplary embodiment of the present invention uses the olefin production capabilities from newly developed catalysts to increase the production of light olefins (e.g. ethylene, propylenes, butylenes, pentenes) for alkylation process unit feed, the production of oxygenates, and petrochemical feedstocks, such as plastics manufacture. Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is the use of the olefin production from newly developed catalysts to improve the coker naphtha quality. A third exemplary embodiment of the present invention uses the cracking characteristics of newly developed catalysts to optimize the production of light gas oils, naphtha, and gases from the coking process.

A Lundell type rotor core with a pair of side cores and a magnetic-pole cylindrical portion has a structure in which the magnetic-pole cylindrical portion is mated between both the side cores (also referred to as “pole cores”) in a radial direction at an outside of a field coil wound on a boss portion in the side cores. The magnetic-pole cylindrical portion is made of plural magnetic steel sheets laminated in the axis direction, and is easily deformed rather than both the side cores. The easy deformation characteristic of the magnetic-pole cylindrical portion prevents generation of a gap during the assembling process of the magnetic-pole cylindrical portion and the side cores. Without paying strict dimension control of the components for the rotor core, it is easily possible to prevent any generation of a gap between the side cores and the magnetic-pole cylindrical portion while assembling. It is thereby possible to prevent a deterioration of a magnetic flux flowing in the rotor core.

A multilayer safety helmet assembly is provided comprising a helmet assembly including a helmet outer shell, a helmet inner shell, and an array of vibration dampeners disposed intermediate the outer shell and the inner shell. A resilient face guard / shock absorber assembly is further provided including a face guard and shock absorber assembly extending between the face guard and the helmet assembly. A head motion restraint assembly includes a first portion engaged to the helmet assembly and a second portion engageable to a shoulder pad(s) worn by a user.

Methods and systems for managing memory and stress to memory systems. A method for managing memory includes receiving from a software application memory retention requirements for application data. The memory retention requirements include storage duration length and / or criticality of data retention. The method also includes storing the application data in one of a plurality of memory regions in non-volatile memory based on the memory retention requirements and memory retention characteristics of the memory regions. Each memory region may have different memory retention characteristics.

A Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator includes a first end facet and a reflecting portion opposing the first end facet; a single optical coupler including input and output ports, the optical coupler being disposed between the first end facet and the reflecting portion; first and second optical waveguides that are connected to the input ports of the optical coupler; third and fourth optical waveguides that are connected to the output ports of the optical coupler; and a phase shifting section disposed between the optical coupler and the reflecting portion. The phase shifting section includes a first optical waveguide structure constituting part of the third optical waveguide; a first upper electrode on the first optical waveguide structure; a second optical waveguide structure constituting part of the fourth optical waveguide; and a second upper electrode on the second optical waveguide structure.

A game image representing a part or all of an identical game space is displayed on game machines. A first game machine detects the link strength of wireless communication between the first game machine and a second game machine. The first game machine executes predetermined game processing such that a processing result changes depending on the detected link strength. Further, the first game machine updates the game image based on a result of the predetermined game processing. The first game machine sends game processing information indicating the result of the predetermined game processing, to the second game machine. The second game machine updates the game image based on the game processing information sent from the first game machine.

Electronic system for authenticating a user of an electronic service, said system preferably comprising at least one server apparatus, the system being configured to store, for a number of users, a plurality of personal voice-prints each of which being linked with a dedicated visual, audiovisual or audio cue, for challenge-response authentication of the users, wherein the cues are user-selected, user-provided or user-created, pick, upon receipt of an authentication request associated with a claim of an identity of an existing user of said number of users, a subset of cues for which there are voiceprints of the existing user stored, and provide the cues for representation to the user as a challenge, receive sound data indicative of the voice responses uttered by the user to the represented cues.