Hughes Aircraft Company

Maxwell Laboratories, Inc.

Magnetus LLC

Other

James E Drummond

David B Chang

I-Fu Shih

Jane F Emerson

Alan C Kolb

Richard A Fitch

Alfred A Mondelli

Slava A Pollack

Norton L Moise

Michael F Berg

Victor Vali

Stephen Anthony Cerwin

Alexander H Joyce

Lauren M Purcell

Janet M McWaid

Lee Mickelson

Stuart McNaughton

A medical diagnostic method using systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and pulse frequency of a patient is provided to compute a normalized diastolic distensibility value and a normalized peripheral resistance value, and to automatically compute the product of the normalized diastolic distensibility value and the normalized peripheral resistance value to generate a first product value. The first product value is compared to a stored distribution of normalized diastolic distensibility and a normalized peripheral resistance values for comparable individuals to determine if the first product value is equivalent to a value determined to indicate an abnormal condition. Particular values of the computed parameters aid in determining the etiology of hypertension and direct selection of pharmacotherapy.

Blood pressure diagnostic aid

Ultrasound induced by RF irradiation within FDA exposure limits is produced with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to allow acquisition of sub-millimeter resolution images within practical time frames.

Electromagnetic-acoustic imaging

An apparatus having a coil of wire, energized by a repetitively pulsed radio frequency (RF) power source to provide electromagnetic fields to a region within a body. A scanning, directional hydrophone acoustically connected to the body, samples ultrasonic radiation generated by the RF fields at the RF frequency or twice the RF frequency induced from conductive spots. Signals from the hydrophone are analyzed with regard to their time of arrival relative to the RF pulses and with respect to their direction of arrival. These collected data are recorded and displayed as images of the spots within the region.

Magneto-acoustic imaging

A high sensitivity, high frequency directional hydrophone is disclosed which utilizes flexible optical waveguide wrapped about an hemispherical mandrel located at the focus of a paraboloidal acoustic reflector.

Ultrasonic directional fiber-optic hydrophone

A less expensive apparatus and associated method for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of body tissues are disclosed. A physician uses an ultrasonic detector in combination with a weak magnetic field and pulsed, low frequency R.F. generator. The patient lies partially within the field of a magnet and receives low frequency radio pulses. As is shown below, ultrasonic waves are produced within the patient's body by the ordinary occurrence of nuclear magnetic resonance. For this reason, ultrasonic acoustic detection replaces the usual radio detection of the magnetic resonance induced spin echoes. The physician manipulates a hand-held ultrasonic detector with real time image feedback in much the same way that an ultrasonic transducer is used to provide the usual ultrasonic images. In the present case, however, no ultrasonic waves are emitted by the transducer; instead, the waves emitted by the 'slice' selected by the radio frequency resonance with tissue protons are the source of the ultrasonic image produced. The MRI advantages of image production emphasizing longitudinal, T1, spin relaxation or transverse, T2, relaxation are retained. The usual problem that MRI has in low-noise measurement and location of spin echoes is obviated by the intrinsic ability to locate possessed by short wavelength ultrasonic signals. The need for very high magnetic fields in MRI to improve signal-to-noise ratio is removed in the present system. This removes a large capital expense. Another capital expense required by MRI is its complex magnetic field pulsing equipment. Such equipment is necessary to locate echoes using long wavelength R.F. detection. For a given frequency, of magnetic moment precession, the length of the acoustic waves, which are emitted at twice the precession frequency, are 100,000 times shorter than the length of radio waves, which are emitted at the precession frequency. Thus acoustic detection easily locates and measures the sources of magnetic spin echoes with a smaller burden of pulsed and steady magnetic fields.

Magneto-acoustic resonance imaging

A nondestructive noninvasive device and method for testing printed circuit boards (PCBs) through the utilization of a liquid crystal material which visually images the electric fields of the PCBs. Circuit faults resulting in a change of current flow in a PCB produce recognizable changes in observed electric fields. The present invention may be used in a stand-alone mode or as a supplement to other testing techniques.

Liquid crystal electric field tester for circuit boards

A system for washing the air in a coastal environment in which a volume of air moves from a land mass to a water mass. The system includes a plurality of fountains 12 mounted offshore which spray a volume of water into the path of the air flow. Water is stored under pressure and selectively released to form the spray. In specific embodiments, wave motion is used to provide the power to pressurize the stored water. Wave power is extracted by dual reciprocating pumps 50 and 51 connected to a float 40. Wave power is amplified by lenses 20 which focus the waves onto the floats 40. A control system 100 senses pollution and controls the generation of the spray. In addition, wave motion is sensed and used to control the position of the lens 20 for optimum performance and minimum wear.

Coastal air wash system

A time-efficient method for smoothing a surface 20 of an applied coating composition 22 is disclosed herein. In particular, the present invention sets forth a technique for expediting the subsidence of coating surface nonmetallic vertical irregularities R1, R2. The technique of the present invention is applied subsequent to the application of the coating composition 22 to an electrically conductive object 24, which results in the formation of a coating surface 20. The technique of the present invention includes the step of generating electrically charged particles 40 in a volume of space adjacent to the coating surface 20. The charged particles 40 cause an electric field to develop across the coating composition 22, which induces the charged particles 40 to exert pressure on the coating surface 20.

Reduction of nonmetallic coating surface vertical irregularities by

An enhanced electrostatic paint deposition apparatus (10) comprising a nozzle (16), a conduit (14) coupled to the nozzle for supplying paint (12) thereto, and a plurality of electrically conductive whiskers (18) positioned within the nozzle for applying an electrostatic charge to droplets of the paint. Each of the whiskers terminates in a jagged end (30) for enabling the droplets to acquire an enhanced electric charge. The whiskers may be provided with lengths which are tailored to provide an array of whiskers with a desired three-dimensional curvature for controlling the focussing field on the paint droplets. Each whisker is secured to a holder (22) which is, in turn, secured to a porous grid (20) whose mesh size is selected to divide that paint into narrow streams of desired size, which exit nozzle 16 in droplet form. The holder is configured by decreasing its center portion (28) in dimension to tume the holder's current limiting capabilities. Pulsed negative high voltage is applied to the whiskers for enabling them to negatively charge the paint. Phased deflector plates 22, 24, 26 are provided to steer the paint stream.

Enhanced electrostatic paint deposition method and apparatus

An electro-optical system that implements the self-tiling process of fining proper Iterated Function Systems for modeling natural objects. The system can operate in two different modes, a real-time interactive mode and an automated mode. The purpose of the system is to speed up the process of finding a proper IFS for a given object to be modeled. The system makes use of optical processing, including optical means for rotating, magnifying/demagnifying and translating an input image. Optical beamsplitters are used to combine transformed images to produce a tiled output image. In one embodiment, an automated controller evaluates the goodness of the match between the tiled image and the input image and generates control signals which cause adjustment of the settings of the optical means. The process is repeated automatically until the match is sufficiently good. The invention can also be operated in a manual, man-in-the-loop mode.

Electro-optical IFS finder

This invention relates to a dispersive holographic spectrometer (12) for analyzing radiation from an infrared source (16). The holographic spectrometer (12) comprises a piezoelectric block (40) having a holographic lens (38) on one face, an array of detectors (36) on another face and a pair of vernier electrodes (32, 34) on opposite faces. Radiation from the source (16) incident upon the holographic lens (38) is dispersed into component wavelengths (44, 46) and directed towards the detector array (38). The holographic lens (36) has a holographic interference pattern recorded on it such that radiation of predetermined wavelength components are dispersed sufficiently enough such that radiation of specific wavelengths falls on different detector elements (48) of the detector array (36). By applying a voltage to the electrodes (32, 38), an electric field is created within the piezoelectric block (40) such that it is either compressed or expanded. This change in the piezoelectric block (40) alters the direction of the radiation from the holographic lens (38) to the detector array (36). Therefore, misalignment of the source (16) with the holographic lens (38) can be compensated for such that piezoelectric adjustment of the block (40) will make the radiation of individual wavelengths fall on the desired detector element (48). Further, radiation from different wavelengths can be directed from one detector element to another. The detector array (36) is self-scanning such that an absorption spectrum can be measured and recorded over a range of frequencies.

Dispersive holographic spectrometer

An infrared holographic defect detector (10) comprises a far infrared pulsed coherent source (14) of infrared radiation which provides infrared radiation. The radiation is directed at a generally non-reflective surface (12), for example, a surface of an automobile body having a matt grey pre-coat thereon. A semi-transparent mirror (15) is placed in the path of the radiation to provide a reference beam (17) therefrom. An infrared detector (18) and a charge-coupled device (20) receives the radiation reflected from the surface and the reference signal. A comparator (22) compares the received reflected information and the reference signal and, preferably, information from a source (24) which defines a desired surface configuration in order to derive a quantitative measurement of the surface. A monitor (26) visually displays the quantitative mesurement and location of any dents in the surface. To avoid a requirement that sequential automobile doors containing the surface of investigation be three-dimensionally aligned to within microns of reference points, a detector of the reflected radiation can be translated and rotated. A number of sensed images of the surface are taken, one at each of the different positions of the detector. For each image a measure of its correlation with the standard image is made.

Infrared holographic defect detector

An improved curing oven using Wellsbach conversion is disclosed. The present invention 10 provides an improved curing oven which cures materials with electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet region. The invention consists of a surface 12 lined with a layer of material 14 effective to radiate ultraviolet radiation in response to the application of infrared radiation. In a specific illustrative implementation, the invention 10 includes a second surface 18 overlying the first surface 12 providing a passageway therebetween. The oven temperature is set and maintained by a conventional temperature controller 20. The temperature controller 20 measures the oven temperature and controls a valve 22 which adjusts the gas pressure from a gas supply 24 to a set of oven burners 26. Air is supplied through inlet ports 28 included in the second surface 18.

Curing oven using Wellsbach conversion

A system for inspecting the electronic integrity of solder joints by repetitive pulse-heating the solder joints with radiant energy and determining the temperature oscillation of pulse-heated solder joints by measuring the infrared emissions from the solder joints during heating and non-heating periods. Advantageously, the exposed solder joints of a circuit board can be tested all at one time by pulse-heating the entire circuit board. The temperature oscillation of each joint can be compared to the temperature oscillations of corresponding standard solder joints of known good electronic integrity on properly operating boards.

Thermal technique for simultaneous testing of circuit board solder joints

An electrical precipitator which uses a combination of field charging, diffusion charging, and electron charging for the enhancement of fine particle charging and collection. A precipitator is described for the collection of fine particles of less than 1.0 micron in diameter from an effluent by enhancing the charge thereon by electrons of high kinetic energy. Another feature of the invention describes a precharging stage which can be added to the electron charging stage, or other conventional precipitator stage, that operates the basis of ion bombardment or diffusion of thermally active ions. The precharging stage charges the fine particles and they can later be increased in charge and precipitated by the electron charging stage. Another feature of the invention describes disposing a conventional stage for coarse particulates over 1.0 micron in diameter between the diffusion charging stage and the electron charging stage.

Growing community of inventors

Oceanside, CA, United States of America

James E Drummond