Other

Xre Corporation

John K Grady

Richard E Rice

Paul G Rice

Remo J Rossi

Kip P Van Steenburg

Gordon D Row

John Galando

Lim H Cheung

Joseph Giamona

David B Rice

A radiotherapy system comprising an X-ray tube operating at 100 to 800 kVp for providing X-ray beams of 50 mm diameter or less (and preferably approximately 30 mm or less) and configured to move the entrance beam footprint on the body during irradiation to any arbitrary sequential position set that has been predetermined to limit the intervening tissue dose rate at any one location to a safe level, such that the sum of the skin area traversed during treatment is 20 to 100 times the beam area.

Small beam area, mid-voltage radiotherapy system with reduced skin dose, reduced scatter around the treatment volume, and improved overall accuracy

A radiotherapy system comprising an X-ray tube operating at 100 to 800 kVp for providing X-ray beams of 30 mm diameter or less and configured to move the entrance beam footprint on the body during irradiation to any arbitrary sequential position set that has been predetermined to limit the intervening tissue dose rate at any one location to a safe level, such that the sum of the skin area traversed during treatment is 20 to 100 times the beam area.

Applicant has disclosed a method and apparatus for a bipolar automotive electrical system. In the preferred 'apparatus' embodiment, Applicant's bipolar electrical system comprises: two (e.g., 12 V) batteries of equal, but opposite voltage (e.g., +12 V, &#x2212;12 V), with bipolar outputs; an alternator, responsive to the batteries, which controls electrical charge to the batteries individually; an automotive DC motor connected by a single lead wire to the bipolar outputs from the batteries; and, wherein the reversible motor is run off the bipolar output without the need for any intervening devices between the bipolar command outputs and the motors. Alternatively, the alternator can inherently charge the batteries sequentially with the lowest voltage battery being addressed first. This approach allows heavy loads to be powered by 24 V or 48 V DC, yet the arc voltage to ground is still only 12 V or 24 V DC.

Automotive bipolar electrical system

Applicant has disclosed an improved method and apparatus for installing electrical junction boxes in embedded concrete construction applications. In the preferred embodiment, a first box (with at least one attached conduit) is embedded in the bottom of a concrete deck at pour, wherein the box has an open bottom covered during the pour. After pouring, the cover is removed to expose the open bottom, through a plane of the deck, without having to break through the concrete. A second box, with an open top, is lifted up and fastened (preferably, screwed) to the embedded first box to complete a preferred electrical junction box. The second box is designed to be exposed to accept surface mount or exposed wiring methods. There is a passage between the first and second boxes for accepting wire pulled through the conduit(s).

Methods of installing wiring in poured concrete

Applicant has disclosed a method for controlling on and off times for streetlights by synchronizing these intervals to recent local daylight conditions without any human intervention. The preferred method comprises: sensing, via a photocell, when dusk and dawn occurs; and then, timing or counting the dusk and dawn times per 24-hour cycle, recording that dusk and dawn data, calculating the average dusk-to-dawn interval for a plurality of preceding 24-hour cycles; predicting, the next dusk time; and turning on the streetlight for a preselected percentage of the calculated average dusk-to-dawn interval. Future 'on' time periods are repeatedly calculated as a percentage of the dark periods determined on one or several immediately prior nights, and so varies with the seasons. Unlike the prior art, Applicant's streetlight control does not require field programming or field inputs from the installer or time knowledge. It also does not require any external or internal precision clock or calendar.

Autonomous streetlight control

Applicant has disclosed an improved dual cycle ignition system for automobiles. In the preferred embodiment, the improved ignition system comprises at least two secondary ignition coils wired in a high voltage 'OR' configuration using a single high voltage circuit through a distributor, or alternatively a single plug operated directly from diodes connected respectively to associated secondary coils. The ignition coils are set up to alternate sparks, so that even at 8000 engine RPM, each coil is firing as if operating at 4000 RPM, a speed where conventional highly optimized and inexpensive coils are very effective and can reach their full output.

Dual coil ignition

An improved rotating anode x-ray tube housing is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment: a single cable, insulated with Ethylene-Propylene Rubber ('EPR'), has an extended Federal Standard terminal or plug mounted within an extended Federal Standard receptacle, attached to an anode end of the housing; the cable is designed to carry up to approximately 150 kV to power the cathode; and insulation of the plug also insulates the 150 kV from a grounded center portion of the x-ray tube and the anode disk area. The longitudinal axes of the anode and high-voltage plug are parallel to one another. This new configuration allows the cathode plug and receptacle to be moved virtually entirely inside the housing. This results in absolute minimal size of the assembly, and a single cable that exits parallel to the rotational axis of the housing.

Grounded rotating anode x-ray tube housing

An 'Angio Capable Portable X-Ray Fluoroscopy Unit with Sliding C-Arm and Variable Pivot Point' is disclosed. It is a new Portable C-Arm x-ray system for fluoroscopy (e.g., angio fluoroscopy) that permits head-to-foot, or cranio-caudal, angulation without appreciable degradation or rotation of the recorded image in the segment of possible views most desired to be used for cardiac angiography, generally between a vertical beam and 60 degrees to the patient's left side from vertical. Applicant's preferred embodiment comprises an portable x-ray device of the type having a C-arm which 'slides' through a fixed C-slider housing or sleeve mounted onto a portable base, wherein: the C-slider housing is mounted onto the portable base through a rotatable tilt bearing, and the rotation axis of the bearing and fixed sleeve can be repositioned, within an arcuate slot in the base, from approximately horizontal, when the x-ray beam is vertical, to between approximately 60 degrees and 40 degrees below horizontal in a vertical plane.

Angio capable portable x-ray fluoroscopy unit with sliding C-arm and variable pivot

A flat-panel, quantum-limited x-ray imager for fluoroscopy is configured for converting very low levels of x-rays into electrical signals suitable for standard processing by a computer into real-time images, and comprises a screen for converting x-rays into visible light, a very fast demagnification lens system/array positioned behind the screen and configured to provide quantum-limited performance, and an array of CCD image sensors optically coupled, via the lens system, to the screen. The CCD sensors have a high signal-to-noise ratio and an onboard CCD amplification mechanism in the form of an extended section of 'gain' register between the normal serial register and the final detection node or output amplifier. The sensors' sequential, internal electrodes are controlled by way of a clocking scheme that produces a slight and well-controlled avalanche multiplication (a slight gain) at each stage in the gain register.

Low noise x-ray detector for fluoroscopy

A rapid mounting, 'square' electrical outlet or junction box (4&#x2033; square, 4 11/16&#x2033; square, 2-gang, etc.) includes a back plate and four upstanding sidewalls attached to the back plate and defining a front opening. One or more of the sidewalls has a number of conduit knockouts, as well as a plurality of cable access ports, which allow entry of AC, MC, NM, or other cables. The sidewalls also have a mounting hole pattern for rapidly mounting the outlet box, by way of any of the sidewalls, to a wood or metal stud. Accordingly, regardless of the box's orientation, conduit and/or electrical cables can always be routed to the box, and conduits that approach the box from any direction can be easily accommodated without bending or rerouting. Among other things, the outlet box may also be provided with external cable clamps, fold-out depth tangs, device connection flanges, and pre-attached ground leads.

Square electrical outlet box with exterior clamp shelves for holding electrical cables

A dual C-arm angiographic device for flat panel x-ray receptor (&ldquo;dual C-arm gantry&rdquo;) comprises: a base attached to the floor; an outer C-shaped track non-movably attached to the base; a crawler carriage that moves along the outer track; and a counterweighted, inner C-shaped instrument bracket (&ldquo;inner C-arm&rdquo;) pivotally attached to the crawler carriage. A detector/counterweight housing, flat-panel x-ray receptor, and x-ray tube and collimator are attached to the inner C-arm. The bottom end of the outer track terminates at the base, such that the outer track arches over the side and top of a separate patient support table. Additionally, the outer track, crawler carriage, and inner C-arm are mutually configured such that the dual C-arm gantry is capable of full spherical angulation and of providing a full range of clinical positioning, while minimizing interference with clinical use patterns (i.e., the head end of the table is left clear for all angulations).

Dual C-arm angiographic device for flat panel receptor

A mobile motorized base, cart, or carriage apparatus for moving medical imaging equipment about a portion of a body of a patient. The apparatus includes a lower chassis and an upper chassis. The upper chassis can be moved in a selective and controlled manner between a retracted and extended position. The lower chassis has precision movement to mechanically guide and advance the medical imaging equipment about the patient. The movement is enabled by the use of separate drive motors and rotator motors for the drive wheels. An omni-directional third wheel is used to support the upper chassis relative to the floor.

Motorized support for imaging means

An X-ray system includes an X-ray source transmitting x-radiation through an radio-opaque mask and the position of a human subject to an X-ray receptor such as a fluorescent screen which responds to the X-radiation to produce a light image at the second side of the receptor. Effective at the second side of the receptor are a plurality of optical reflecting or refracting components in a two-dimensional pixel array which direct light from the image to the input lens of a video camera tube. That is, the optical components are spaced center-to-center proportionally to the size and spacing of the picture elements in a video signal generated by the camera tube. Because the light image is directed by the optical components selectively toward the input to the camera tube a substantially higher light energy is received by the camera tube than if the light from the receptor is radiated isotropically, such that the exposure of the subject is reduced and the signal-to-noise ration is increased, and the information content of the video signal is substantially improved.

X-ray system with image directing optics

An X-ray system scans the vascular portion of a human patient by a series of rapidly pulsed exposures from an X-ray tube rotated continuously through 360 degrees around the patient. The tube emits a cone-shaped beam through the patient to a receptor which generates a corresponding series of two-dimensional video images of the patient from successive angles.

Angiographic X-ray system with 360 degree scanning

An X-ray stand with two hollow arms for supporting an X-ray tube and an X-ray receptor contains within one hollow arm a grounded anode X-ray tube and a non-inductive Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier power supply also grounded at one end to the support arm. The hollow arm forms a chamber filled with insulating fluid surrounding both the X-ray tube and its voltage multiplier. The voltage multiplier and X-ray tube plug together physically and electrically within the oil filled arm.

Growing community of inventors

Harvard, MA, United States of America

John K Grady