446results about How to "Speed ​​up the extraction process" patented technology

Method and apparatus for obtaining a sample of blood from a patient for subsequent diagnostic tests, e.g., glucose monitoring. In one aspect of the invention, the method comprises the steps of:

• • (a) placing a blood collection device over a region on the surface of the skin from which said sample is to be obtained,
  • (b) forming a seal between said blood collection device and said surface of the skin,
  • (c) creating a vacuum sufficient to result in said surface of the skin becoming stretched and engorged with blood,
  • (d) triggering a lancing assembly and causing a lancet to penetrate said skin,
  • (e) retracting said lancet,
  • (f) withdrawing blood toward and onto a fluid collector, and
  • (g) releasing the vacuum.

In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for carrying out the method described previously is provided. The apparatus comprises:

• • (a) a housing having a sealable chamber located therein and a sealable opening in fluid communication with said sealable chamber,
  • (b) a power source,
  • (c) a vacuum pump operably connected to said power source, said vacuum pump in communication with said sealable chamber,
  • (d) a lancing assembly positioned within said housing, said lancing assembly capable of moving a lancet towards said sealable opening, and
  • (e) a fluid collector positioned in said sealable chamber, said fluid collector in fluid communication with said sealable opening.

The invention is a new method and apparatus that can be used to detect, recognize, and analyze people or other objects in security checkpoints, public-places, parking lots, or in similar environments under surveillance to detect the presence of certain objects of interests (e.g., people), and to identify their activities for security and other purposes in real-time. The system can detect a wide range of activities for different applications. The method detects any new object introduced into a known environment and then classifies the object regions to human body parts or to other non-rigid and rigid objects. By comparing the detected objects with the graphs from a database in the system, the methodology is able to identify object parts and to decide on the presence of the object of interest (human, bag, dog, etc.) in video sequences. The system tracks the movement of different object parts in order to combine them at a later stage to high-level semantics. For example, the motion pattern of each human body part is compared to the motion pattern of the known activities. The recognized movements of the body parts are combined by a classifier to recognize the overall activity of the human body.

Tomography limitations in vivo due to incomplete, inconsistent and intricate measurements require solution of inverse problems. The new strategies disclosed in this application are capable of providing faster data acquisition, higher image quality, lower radiation dose, greater flexibility, and lower system cost. Such benefits can be used to advance research in cardiovascular diseases, regenerative medicine, inflammation, and nanotechnology. The present invention relates to the field of medical imaging. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to methods, systems, and devices for imaging, including tomography-based and MRI-based applications. For example, included in embodiments of the invention are compressive sampling based tomosynthesis methods, which have great potential to reduce the overall x-ray radiation dose for a patient. To name a few, compressive sensing based carbon nano-tube based interior tomosynthesis systems, tomography-based dynamic cardiac elastography systems, cardiac elastodynamic biomarkers from interior MR imaging, exact and stable interior ROI reconstructions for radial MRI, and interior reconstruction based ultrafast tomography systems are provided.

A method and apparatus for forming a beverage involves the use of a filter aid, e.g., that is provided in a beverage cartridge with a beverage medium in a dry state. In one embodiment, a cartridge including a dried fruit material may also include a filter aid, such as perlite, diatomaceous earth or cellulose, that is mixed together with the fruit material. The filter aid may assist in flow through the beverage medium or through a filter, e.g., by helping prevent the clogging of pores of a filter used to remove particulate from a beverage formed by interaction of the beverage medium with water introduced into the cartridge. Thus, the filter aid may permit the use of some beverage media that would otherwise clog a filter and/or prevent proper dissolution of materials in the beverage media without the filter aid.

A light-emitting element is provided having a layered structure composed of at least a light-emitting layer having a light-emitting region and a reflective layer for reflecting light emitted from the light-emitting region. Light emitted from the light-emitting region is extracted from a light-extracting surface distanced from the light-emitting region. A light-scattering portion is present in a part of the reflective layer.

A wavelength conversion chip is formed by depositing a wavelength conversion material on a substrate to form a layer, removing the resulting wavelength conversion layer from the substrate and then segmenting the wavelength conversion layer into a plurality of wavelength conversion chips. The wavelength conversion material can be annealed by thermal annealing or radiation annealing to increase the wavelength conversion efficiency of the chips or to sinter the wavelength conversion material to form a ceramic material. Optical coatings, vias, light extraction elements, electrical connections or electrical bond pads can be fabricated on the wavelength conversion chips.

A system and method for providing high-speed, high-resolution three-dimensional imagery for endoscopy, particularly of a tissue surface at a medical procedure site is disclosed. High-resolution imagery provides greater detail of the tissue surface, but requires high-speed depth-frame imaging to provide timely updated depth information. A pattern of light, such as a point of light for example, may be projected onto the tissue surface and a reflected image analyzed to determine depth information. The point of light can be projected and analyzed quickly to produce faster depth-frame image rates. Three-dimensional structured-light depth resolution information may be generated and combined with either a two-dimensional image or a two-dimensional stereo image to provide three-dimensional imagery of the tissue surface. Switching between three-dimensional images and one of the two-dimensional image and a two-dimensional stereo image may also be provided. Further, the three-dimensional structured- light depth information may be further optimized by combining it with three-dimensional stereo-correspondence depth information to generate hybrid three-dimensional imagery.

Smooth, preferably variable-sweep fluid collection device surfaces disposed into opposition with wind, river, surf, ocean or tidal currents generate enhanced velocity fluid flows at length driven into onboard work-extracting disc turbines at advantageous angles of attack. Keyed to shafts turning freely through optionally extendable volutes, disc turbines comprising a dense population of smooth, axially fixed or adjustably spaced discs conducting preferably laminar flow between adjacent elements develop significant torque through boundary layer adhesion and viscous shear-stress between fluid layers. Exhaust of disc turbine throughput into divergent channels drafting into external currents of initially higher than ambient velocity and lower pressure may reduce turbine discharge backpressure, rapidly clear system throughput, and allow normally disadvantageous drag to be utilized to develop greater work generation. Gainfully turning with, instead of at odds to natural or anthropogenic currents provided, disc turbines utilized as disclosed may provide unprecedented renewable energy from fluids in motion.

A wavelength conversion chip is formed by depositing a wavelength conversion material layer on a substrate, segmenting the wavelength conversion layer into a plurality of wavelength conversion chips, and then removing the wavelength conversion chips from the substrate. The wavelength conversion of the chips can be increased by thermal annealing or radiation annealing of the wavelength conversion material. Optical coatings or light extraction elements can be fabricated on the wavelength conversion layer.

A method of producing lane information for use in a map database is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes acquiring one or more source images of a road surface and associated position and orientation data, the road having a direction and lane markings parallel to the direction of the road; acquiring road information representative of the direction of said road; transforming the one or more source images to obtain a transformed image in dependence of the road information, wherein each column of pixels of the transformed image corresponds to a surface parallel to the direction of said road; applying a filter with asymmetrical mask on the transformed image to obtain a filtered image; and producing lane information from the filtered image in dependence of the position and orientation data associated with the one or more source images.

A blood sampling device is provided having holder with a manipulating end and an absorbent probe on the opposing end. The probe is of hydrophilic polymer sized to directly absorb a predetermined volume of up to about 30 microliters of blood. Ribs on the holder position the probe within a compartment of a container to prevent contact with the container. The ribs also position the probe within extraction wells.

A beverage dispensing machine includes: a first hydraulic circuit including a water source, a pump, a water heater, a brewing device selected from a brewing chamber and a capsule, the brewing device including an inlet and outlet, a beverage collector collecting brewed beverage leaving the brewing device and for dispensing the beverage to a container; and a second hydraulic circuit that includes a second pump and second water heater, the outlet of the second water heater being connected to the first circuit at a location that is downstream to the brewing device with respect to the water flow in the first circuit. The first circuit can maintain in the brewing device a pressure substantially constant for a pre-set time, the pressure being less that an opening pressure for the brewing device.

A processing system and methods for extracting phytochemicals from plant materials with subcritical water. The processing system includes a water supply interconnected with a high-pressure pump, diverter valve, a temperature-controllable extraction vessel, a cooler, a pressure-relief valve and a collection apparatus for collecting eluant fractions from the extraction vessel. The processing system controllably varies the temperature of subcritical water within the extraction vessel, and may optionally be configured to controllably vary the pH of subcritical water flowing into the extraction vessel. A plant material is placed into the extraction vessel after which a flow of subcritical water is provided through the extraction vessel for extraction of phytochemicals. The temperature of subcritical water is controllably varied during its flow through the extraction vessel water thereby producing a plurality of eluant subfractions corresponding to the temperature changes, thereby separating the different classes of phytochemicals extracted from the plant material.

An encapsulated electronic device is described comprising:

• • a first barrier structure (20) comprising at least one inorganic (24) and at least one organic layer (23),
  • a second barrier structure (30) comprising at least one inorganic (31) and at least one organic layer (32),
  • an electronic device (10) arranged between the first and the second barrier structure (20, 30),

characterized in that the at least one inorganic layer (24) of the first barrier structure (20) and the at least one inorganic (31) layer of the second barrier structure (30) contact each outside an area (A) occupied by the electronic device (10).