Montefiore Hospital Association of Western Pennsylvania

Xilinx, Inc.

Other

University of Pittsburgh

Misonix, Inc.

Med Institute Incorporated

Cook Pacemaker Corporation

Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery Research Associates

Krishna Rama Narayanan

Marc D Liang

Raghavendar Mysore Rao

Raied N Mazahreh

Eugene D Ross

Nihat E Tunali

John L Kurtz

Henry D Pfister

Jing Jiang

Neal E Fearnot

Louis B Goode

Howard M Alliger

Hai-Jo Tarn

Frank R Walters

Nitin Ashok Nangare

Marc Liang

Fredrick J Shipko

Vasant Padmanabhan

Methods and circuits are disclosed for forward-error-correction (FEC) decoding. A plurality of symbols are received in an interleaved format of rows and columns of the symbols. A plurality of FEC decoding iterations are performed on the plurality of symbols. Each decoding iteration performs FEC decoding of the rows of the plurality of symbols and performs FEC decoding of the columns of the plurality of symbols. After performing the decoding iterations, rows in error and columns in error of the plurality of symbols are determined. In response to the determined rows in error and the determined columns in error matching a deadlock pattern, symbols at intersections of the determined rows and columns in error are determined. Bits of one or more symbols of the determined symbols are inverted. After the inverting of the bits, one or more of the FEC decoding iterations are performed.

Forward error correction

A method for matrix expansion is disclosed. In this method, a Progressive Edge Growth ('PEG') expanding of an H matrix by a coder is used to provide an expanded H matrix. An Approximate Cycle Extrinsic Message Degree ('ACE') expanding of the expanded H matrix by the coder is used to provide a parity check matrix for a code. The ACE expanding includes initializing a first index to increment in a first range associated with a PEG expansion factor, expanding each non-zero element in the expanded H matrix with a random shifted identity matrix for the first range, initializing a second index to increment in a second range associated with the first index and an ACE expansion factor, and performing an ACE detection for each variable node in the second range for the variable nodes of the parity check matrix. The coder outputs information using the parity check matrix.

Matrix expansion

An apparatus is disclosed. In this apparatus, at least one coder block has a parity check matrix. The parity check matrix comprises each element of an H matrix expanded by a Progressive Edge Growth ('PEG') expansion factor and an Approximate Cycle Extrinsic Message Degree ('ACE') expansion factor.

Parity check matrix

A decoding circuit is disclosed that includes a decoding pipeline configured to receive a data block that includes a plurality of data symbols, encoded with a Reed-Solomon (RS) FEC coding thereafter further encoded by a second FEC coding. The data block also includes a first and second sets of FEC datagrams for correcting received words of the plurality of data symbols encoded with the RS FEC coding and second FEC coding, respectively. Each decoding stage of the pipeline is configured to decode the plurality of data symbols using the first and second sets of FEC datagrams. A post-processing circuit connected to an output of the pipelines is configured to perform bitwise RS decoding of ones of the plurality of data symbols in error.

Circuitry and method for forward error correction

In one embodiment, a circuit for FEC decoding includes first and second syndrome calculation circuits, configured to calculate FEC syndromes for rows and columns of symbols in a de-interleaved format, respectively. A decoding circuit is configured to arrange the symbols into windows. Each window includes a plurality of sequential rows and sequential columns of the symbols in the de-interleaved format. The decoding circuit is configured to place N of the windows in a group and perform M decoding iterations of the windows in the group. In each decoding iteration, the decoding circuit performs FEC decoding of rows of each of the windows in the group followed by FEC decoding of columns of each of the windows in the group.

A method of decoding linear block code uses an iterative message passing algorithm with a binary image of a parity check matrix of the linear block code, wherein the parity check matrix is adapted from one iteration to another based on the reliabilities of bits in the linear block code. The adaptation involves reducing a submatrix corresponding to the less reliable bits in the linear block code to a sparse nature before applying the message passing algorithm in each iteration. An apparatus that performs the method is also provided and several variations of the algorithm are also provided.

Iterative decoding of linear block codes by adapting the parity check matrix

A method of fat cavitation including infiltrating adipose tissue with a liquid, creating a puncture in a patient's skin, providing a wire, the wire being generally uniform in diameter and having a first end and a second end and introducing the second end of the wire through the puncture in the patient's skin. The method further includes placing at least a portion of the second end of the wire in contact the adipose tissue, generating an ultrasonic wave, transmitting the ultrasonic wave to the second end of the wire, creating cavitation bubbles in at least a portion of the targeted adipose tissue and liquefying at least a portion of the targeted adipose tissue. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Minimally invasive fat cavitation method

A new method and apparatus for the long-term removal of hair are provided. Ultrasonic energy is transmitted to a needle passed through the skin into an individual hair follicle. The resulting cavitation of the area surrounding the hair follicle causes the hair follicle to be disrupted. The process is repeated for individual hair follicles over the selected region of the body.

Method and apparatus for hair removal using ultrasonic energy

A pulsed Doppler probe 10 for monitoring blood flow within a blood vessel 12 includes a sheath 17 and a plurality of electrically conductive wires 26 extending through the sheath 17. The wires 26 have distal ends 28 to which an ultrasonic transducer 18 is operatively connected. The transducer 18 has an operative surface 20, and the probe 10 also includes a means 22 for fixing the orientation of the operative surface 20 with respect to at least one of a longitudinal axis 38 of the sheath 17, and the orientation fixing means 22, or with respect to the distal ends 28 of the electrically conductive wires 26. The orientation fixing means 22 includes an epoxy material 24 encasing the ultrasonic transducer 18, shaped to include a cylindrically concave surface 30. The probe 10 further includes a mesh band 44 of at least one of an absorbable material and an inert material adapted to encircle the blood vessel 12. The probe 10 also includes a remotely operable means 46 for detachably securing the orientation fixing means 22 to the mesh band 44 so that the ultrasonic transducer 18 is positioned adjacent to the blood vessel 12 with the concave surface 30 of the encasing material 24 facing the blood vessel 12.

Pulsed doppler probe

A laser operation and control system preferably comprising a laser adapted to be grasped by a user and freely passed over a treatment area, control circuitry for activating and deactivating the laser, at least one boundary sensor operable to transmit a signal to the control circuitry to deactivate the laser upon passage thereof beyond a boundary of the treatment area and to transmit a signal to the control circuitry to activate the laser upon passage thereof within the boundary, and at least one proximity sensor for transmitting a signal to the control circuitry to deactivate the laser should the proximity sensor fail to sense a substantially solid surface within a predetermined distance therefrom and for transmitting a signal to the control circuitry to activate the laser should the proximity sensor sense such a surface.

Boundary and proximity sensor apparatus for a laser

A method for removing adipose tissue uses an elongate rigid tube or probe member having a distal end and a proximal end and an axially extending lumen. An incision is formed in a skin surface of a patient, the tube being inserted through the incision into subcutaneous adipose tissues of the patient. Upon insertion of the tube through the incision, an ultrasonic pressure wave is generated at the proximal end of the tube, the waveform being transmitted through the tube to establish a standing wave therein. The standing ultrasonic wave in the insertion tube produces cavitation bubbles at the distal end of the tube, the bubbles causing liquefaction of adipose tissues of the patient at a surgical site located distally of the distal end of the insertion tube. Suction is applied to the lumen of the tube, thereby aspirating the liquefied adipose tissues from the surgical site through the lumen. During the entire procedure, the distal end of the tube and the adipose tissues at the surgical site are maintained at approximately body temperature.

Liposuction apparatus and associated method

A tendon approximator employs two connected, normally closed clamps, which are each formed from two extruded elements. The two extruded elements are connected together in their mid-region by means of non-circular cam on a base element and a corresponding non-circular cam surface on a clamping element. In the normally closed position of the individual clamps, the cam and cam surface urge the device into a jaw-closed position with the handles being spaced apart. In a preferred embodiment two of the clamps are connected by means of rods extending through corresponding handle portions of the two clamps.

Tendon approximator

An improved needle guard for a syringe is provided having a tubular body. The needle guard includes a longitudinal bore and one or more slots or slits formed therein. The longitudinal bore of the guard is sized for telescopic reception of and contraction about the tubular body of the syringe. Slots or slits are arranged so as to allow deformation of the longitudinal bore of the needle guard thereby increasing the inside diameter of the longitudinal bore so as to allow axial movement of the needle guard along the tubular body of the syringe.

Needle guard

Mammal skin having wrinkles can be treated to remove wrinkles by abrading elevated portions of the epithelial layer with an ultrasonic surgical tool adapted to abrade soft tissue. The subcutaneous tissue in the selected region is medicated by subcutaneous injection of anaesthetic, vaso constrictor and spreading factor in effective quantities.

Method for removing skin wrinkles

A microscope has a voice activated control system which permits precise location of the microscope and precise focusing by means of voice commands uttered by the microscope operator. When the microscope is in a movement mode, the movement is terminated by any sound exceeding a pre-established acoustic threshold level. Any microscope location can be identified and appropriate data is stored in a memory drive to permit the microscope to return to an identified location with a single voice command. The microscope is combined with a screen monitor and/or an acoustic speaker to provide visible and/or acoustic responses from the control system. The system is practical for retrofitting existing remotely controllable microscopes.

Growing community of inventors

College Station, TX, United States of America

Krishna Rama Narayanan