Analogic Corporation

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Bk Medical Holding Company, Inc.

Louis R Poulo

Hans J Weedon

Bernard M Gordon

Enrico Dolazza

Mark H Miller

John P O'Connor

David Lieblich

Nicholas A Accomando

Adrian Delforge

Walter F Anderson, Jr

Brian D Sabo

Jan Wissmuller

Eliot Mayer

Joseph D Fantuzzi

Jeffrey L Sauer

James G Staley

Ravindran Sundar

Mark R Jones

Ching T Lee

Michael Lachmayr

A micro channel device processing apparatus includes a heating/cooling chamber configured to receive at least a sub-portion of a micro channel device and a fluid control system that controls a flow of a heating/cooling fluid in the chamber. A method includes controlling a temperature of a sample carried by a micro channel device installed in a micro channel device processing apparatus via a heating/cooling chamber of the processing apparatus. A micro channel device processing apparatus includes a heating/cooling chamber configured to receive a micro channel device carrying a sample and means for controlling a temperature of the sample in the chamber.

Micro channel device temperature control

A system () includes an interventional instrument () and an imaging apparatus (). The interventional instrument includes an interventional instrument event tracking transmitter () that transmits an interventional instrument event signal in response to a predetermined interventional instrument event by interventional instrument in connection with an interventional procedure for a region of interest of a subject. The imaging apparatus () includes an imager () that generates image of the region of interest of the subject. The imaging apparatus () further includes a receiver () that receives the interventional instrument event signal. The imaging apparatus () further includes an instrument event mapper () that maps the predetermined interventional instrument event to the image based on the received interventional instrument event signal.

Imaging apparatus and interventional instrument event mapper

Among other things, a communication system and technique for transferring information between a stationary unit and a rotating unit of a computed tomography (CT) system is provided. The communication system comprises a transceiver and a contactless data-link comprising at least one physical channel. The transceiver is configured to create at least two logical channels from a single physical channel to provide for transmitting at least two types of information in a single direction and/or to provide for transmitting information bi-directionally. In this manner, an amount of data that can be transmitted over a single physical channel can be increased.

Contactless information transfer in CT imaging modality

A method includes obtaining first 3D imaging data for a volume of interest. The first 3D imaging data includes structural imaging data and a target tissue of interest. The method further includes obtaining 2D imaging data. The 2D imaging data includes structural imaging data for a plane of the volume of interest. The plane includes at least three fiducial markers of a set of fiducial markers. The method further includes locating a plane, including location and orientation, in the first 3D imaging data that corresponds to the plane of the 2D imaging data by matching the at least three fiducial markers with corresponding fiducial markers identified in the first 3D imaging data and using the map. The method further includes visually displaying the first 3D imaging data with the 2D imaging data superimposed over at the corresponding plane located in the first 3D imaging data.

Multi-imaging modality navigation system

Among other things, a communication system and technique for transferring information between a stationary unit and a rotating unit of a computed tomography (CT) system is provided. A transmitter is configured to map digital data to an analog signal by selecting, from at least three signal configurations, a signal configuration associated with the digital data, and to generate an analog signal according to the selected signal configuration. A receiver of the communication system is configured to decode an analog signal by comparing characteristics of a signal sample to at least three possible signal configurations, and to identify a digital code word that corresponds to a signal configuration (of the at least three possible signal configurations) that matches characteristics of the signal sample. In this way, in a CT application, more than 1-bit of data may be communicated per analog signal, allowing more data to be communicated faster.

A RF power transmitter () includes an RF synthesizer () that generates an analog RF signal based on a digital description of the desired RF waveform and digital feedback signals and a power module () that amplifies the analog RF signal and provides the amplified analog RF signal () to a load ().

RF power transmitter

A delta-sigma A/D converter includes a delta-sigma modulator having an integrating amplifier dispose within the loop of the modulator so that the input of the modulator can be connected to receive relatively low level input currents, and so as to improve DC stability. The modulator is specifically adapted for IC implementation for use in a DAS of a CT scanner so that the current output of a detector of the scanner can be connected directly to the input of the modulator of the converter. The noise shaping characteristics are shaped so as to provide an improved frequency response with minimal spillover. Noise shaping of the converter is provided throughout the dynamic range of the current outputs of CT scanner detectors so as to compensate for the poorer S/N for low input currents. The preferred converter also includes a unique digital filter transfer function, with finite impulse response (FIR) filter characteristics, optimized for CT-DAS applications and having excellent characteristics in the frequency domain and the time domain.

Data acquisition system using delta-sigma analog-to-digital signal converters

An ultrasound beamformer that processes the signals of an array transducer includes a plurality of processing channels, one for each element of the active transducer array. Each channel includes a digitizing element for converting the received signal into digital samples and a delay element for delaying the digitized signal. The delays are chosen so that when the signals from the individual channels are combined, a beam forms in a particular direction. The invention implements sub-sampling period delays in the individual channels with low-complexity digital filters having superior delay characteristics with respect to frequency, but having undesirable attenuation characteristics with respect to frequency. The invention corrects for the undesirable attenuation characteristics via a single digital filter after the signals from the individual channels have been combined.

Method and apparatus for delaying ultrasound signals

An array transducer ultrasound beamformer includes a plurality of processing channels, one for each active element of the transducer array. Each channel includes a digitizing unit for converting the received signal to digital samples and a time multiplexed delay unit for producing a primary stream of delayed TDM samples corresponding to one or more beams. Within each channel, the primary stream of delayed TDM samples is demultiplexed in order to separate the stream in a plurality of secondary streams of delayed TDM samples, wherein each of the secondary streams corresponds to a portion of a beam or a single beam.

Digital ultrasound beamformer

Although known because of high packaging inductances and thought to be wholly unsuitable for RF amplifiers, high voltage power switching MOSFETs of the type having coplanar leads having inductances on the order of between 8 nH and 15 nH are used in an RF amplifier. The individual devices operate on a high impedance load line to render the high inductance insignificant. The circuit configuration presents a high impedance to the output, eliminating the need for expensive combiners and low inductance packaging.

High power solid state R.F. amplifier

A converter circuit operable in a current control mode is disclosed. The circuit is of the type including an (1) inductor, (2) a clock for providing a clocking signal so that the circuit operates as a synchronous converter and (3) switching means, responsive to the clocking signal and a threshold current, for controlling the load voltage across the inductor between at least two different levels of voltage as a function of one or more supply voltages so that the inductor conducts (a) increasing inductor current for one level of load voltage from the beginning of each cycle of the clocking signal until the inductor current equals the threshold current during each cycle, and (b) decreasing inductor current for the other level of voltage from the time in each cycle the current equals the threshold current until the end of each said cycle. The threshold current is generated as a function of the load and supply voltages so that the slope and level of the threshold current is the desired steady state solution of the decreasing inductor current so that any perturbations of the inductor current immediately converges to the steady state solution at the time in each cycle the current equals the threshold current, and compensation is provided so that the average current passing through the inductor is substantially independent of the supply and load voltages.

Converter circuit for current mode control

An autozero compensation system for autozeroing the output of a data conversion circuit comprising a floating point amplifier and an analog-to-digital converter. The autozero compensation system comprises a source for generating a desired offset voltage, a plurality of digital counters, one for each gain setting of the amplifier, for storing values which are functions of the offset voltages for the gain settings, and a comparator for comparing the output of the A/D converter with the desired offset. Periodically, each of the counters in the autozero circuit is updated for each gain setting by setting the analog input of the amplifier to system ground and the gain of the amplifier set to each of the gain settings, so that the output of the comparator is used to update each of the counters. The outputs of the counters are each converted to analog form by a D/A converter and used to provide the offset correction voltage to the floating point amplifier.

Digital autozero circuit operable in a plurality of modes with separate

A process is described for converting an image in one digital format to a second digital format by considering both horizontal and vertical values of pixels to generate output pixels of intermediate value.

Growing community of inventors

Andover, MA, United States of America

Louis R Poulo