Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090266504 | LONG WEAR SIDE DAMS - The method of producing thin cast strip by continuous casting having a side dam assembly. The side dam assembly includes a side dam having opposite outer surfaces, one surface contacting molten metal and the opposite outer surface having fastening portions capable of attaching the side dam to a side dam holder, to hold the side dam in place during casting without exposed portions of the side dam holder extending substantially beyond the opposite outer surface toward the outer surface for contacting molten metal. | 10-29-2009 |
20130126120 | METHOD OF CONTINUOUS CASTING THIN STEEL STRIP - A method of continuously casting metal strip having the steps of assembling a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls, assembling a metal delivery system adapted to deliver molten metal above the nip to form a casting pool, the casting pool forming a meniscus with each casting surface of the casting rolls, delivering a shell thickness controlling gas to select areas within 300 mm of end portions of at least one casting roll downwardly toward the meniscus between the casting pool and the casting surface adapted to control thickness of the metal shell, and control attenuation of the casting roll, and sensing the temperature and thickness profiles of the cast strip downstream from the nip to determine high or low temperature areas of the cast strip within 300 mm of the end portions and causing the gas to be delivered to the high or low temperature areas to change the thickness of the metal shell. | 05-23-2013 |
20130126121 | METHOD OF CONTINUOUS CASTING THIN STEEL STRIP - In a twin roll continuous caster, the formation of skulls in the triple point region, the heat flux between the molten metal in the casting pool and the surfaces of the casting rolls, and consequently the casting speed and strip thickness, are controlled by controlling the level of carbon dioxide to at least 20% present in the casting area atmosphere above the casting pool supported on the casting surfaces of counter-rotating casting rolls. The carbon dioxide level in casting area may be more than 40%, 50%, 60%, 75% or 90%. The gas mixture in the casting area above the casting pool may be more than 0.05% free oxygen. | 05-23-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090177111 | System and method for displaying contact between a catheter and tissue - A system and method for assessing and displaying a degree of contact between a sensor, an electrode, and tissue in a body is provided. Values for the sensor are read, and a degree of contact is calculated. This degree of contact is displayed to a clinician in a variety of ways to indicate the degree of contact to the clinician. The system and method find particular application in ablation of tissue by permitting a clinician to create lesions in the tissue more effectively and safely. | 07-09-2009 |
20110213259 | BODY-SURFACE MAPPING SYSTEM - A body-surface mapping system is disclosed that uses a plurality of electrodes to map at least a portion of a human torso without having to adjust the positions of the electrodes. The body-surface mapping system energizes groupings or regions of electrodes, then compares and adjusts the current driven through each grouping or region of electrodes to produce near-uniform fields. The electrodes of the body-surface mapping system may be interconnected by wires capable of sensing interelectrode distances, such that the system can reconstruct a detailed model of a patient's torso surface. The body-surface mapping system may also use a catheter in addition to the body surface electrodes to compute both endocardial and epicardial voltage distributions. | 09-01-2011 |
20120150106 | TORQUE-LIMITING CATHETER HANDLE - A catheter includes a handle that advantageously limits the amount of torque that can be imparted to the body of the catheter. This advantageously reduces the likelihood of catheter failure, damage to tissue, or damage to medical devices introduced into the vasculature via the catheter. The catheter handle includes a grip portion that the practitioner manipulates in order to impart a torque and a torque transmitting portion operably coupled thereto that transmits the torque to the catheter body. A torque limiting mechanism decouples the torque transmitting portion from the grip portion, the body, and/or any pull wires when the torque imparted to the grip portion exceeds a torque threshold, thereby preventing excessive torques from being transmitted to the catheter body and/or pull wires. A practitioner may be able to adjust the torque threshold and may be able to disable the torque limiting mechanism. | 06-14-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100069921 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING LESIONS IN TISSUE - A method and system for assessing lesion formation in tissue is provided. The system includes an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU is configured to acquire values for first and second components of a complex impedance between the electrode and the tissue, and to calculate an index responsive to the first and second values. The ECU is further configured to process the ECI to assess lesion formation in the tissue. | 03-18-2010 |
20100168735 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING COUPLING BETWEEN AN ELECTRODE AND TISSUE - A system and method for assessing a degree of coupling between an electrode and tissue in a body is provided. Values for first and second components of a complex impedance (e.g., resistance and reactance or impedance magnitude and phase angle) between the electrode and the tissue are obtained. These values are used together with a standardization value indicative of a deviation from a reference standard by a parameter associated with at least one of the body, the electrode and another component of the system to calculate a coupling index that is indicative of a degree of coupling between the electrode and the tissue. The coupling index may be displayed to a clinician in a variety of ways to indicate the degree of coupling to the clinician. The system and method find particular application in ablation of tissue by permitting a clinician to create lesions in the tissue more effectively and safely. | 07-01-2010 |
20130226169 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING LESIONS IN TISSUE - A method and system for assessing lesion formation in tissue is provided. The system includes an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU is configured to acquire values for first and second components of a complex impedance between the electrode and the tissue, and to calculate an index responsive to the first and second values. The ECU is further configured to process the ECI to assess lesion formation in the tissue. | 08-29-2013 |
20140107430 | System and method for assessing coupling between an electrode and tissue - A system and method for assessing a degree of coupling between an electrode and tissue in a body is provided. Values for first and second components of a complex impedance (e.g., resistance and reactance or impedance magnitude and phase angle) between the electrode and the tissue are obtained. These values are used together with a standardization value indicative of a deviation from a reference standard by a parameter associated with at least one of the body, the electrode and another component of the system to calculate a coupling index that is indicative of a degree of coupling between the electrode and the tissue. The coupling index may be displayed to a clinician in a variety of ways to indicate the degree of coupling to the clinician. The system and method find particular application in ablation of tissue by permitting a clinician to create lesions in the tissue more effectively and safely. | 04-17-2014 |
20140257069 | BASKET FOR A MULTI-ELECTRODE ARRAY CATHETER - An electrophysiology catheter is provided. In one embodiment, the catheter includes an elongate, deformable shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and a basket electrode assembly coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The basket electrode assembly has a proximal end and a distal end and is configured to assume a compressed state and an expanded state. The electrode assembly further includes one or more tubular splines having a plurality of electrodes disposed thereon and a plurality of conductors. Each of the plurality of conductors extends through the tubular spline from a corresponding one of the plurality of electrodes to the proximal end of the basket electrode assembly. The tubular splines are configured to assume a non-planar (e.g., a twisted or helical) shape in the expanded state. | 09-11-2014 |
20140275920 | Devices and Methods for Catheter Localization - A medical device can be localized by providing at least three non-colinear localization elements (e.g., electrodes) thereon. Once placed in a non-ionizing localization field, three adjacent localization elements, at least one of which will typically be a spot electrode, may be selected, and the non-ionizing localization field may be used to measure their locations. A cylinder is defined to fit the measured locations of the selected localization elements. The cylinder is rotationally oriented using the measured location of a spot electrode. Location and rotational attitude information may be used to construct a three-dimensional representation of the medical device within the localization field. The electrodes may be provided on the medical device or on a sheath into which the medical device is inserted. The invention also provides systems and methods for identifying and calibrating deflection planes where the medical device and/or sheath are deflectable. | 09-18-2014 |
20150099992 | System and Method for Generating Electrophysiology Maps - A method of mapping cardiac electrical activity includes the acquisition of electrophysiological signals and using signal processing hardware to process such signals to identify lateness attributes thereof. If the lateness attribute exceeds a lateness threshold, then the corresponding point on the patient's heart can be designated as a therapy (e.g., ablation) target. It is also contemplated to use an upper bound on the lateness threshold, such that the corresponding point on the patient's heart is only designated as a therapy target if the lateness attribute both exceeds the lateness threshold and does not exceed the lateness bound. Both late activation (“Late-A”) and late potential (“Late-P”) attributes are contemplated. | 04-09-2015 |
20150119738 | System and Method for Analyzing Biological Signals and Generating Electrophyisology Maps - A method of generating a cardiac electrophysiology map includes receiving a reference biological signal and an electrical signal indicative of electrical activity at a location on a patient's heart. Using a graphical user interface, a practitioner designates at least two trigger point icons, one upward-pointing and one downward-pointing, on a graphical representation of the reference biological signal (e.g., a waveform). By pairing one upward-pointing icon with one downward-pointing icon, a plurality of triggering criteria are defined. Electrophysiology data points are captured and/or added to the electrophysiology map when the triggering criteria are satisfied. | 04-30-2015 |
20160095642 | System and method for assessing coupling between an electrode and tissue - A system and method for assessing a degree of coupling between an electrode and tissue in a body is provided. Values for first and second components of a complex impedance (e.g., resistance and reactance or impedance magnitude and phase angle) between the electrode and the tissue are obtained. These values are used together with a standardization value indicative of a deviation from a reference standard by a parameter associated with at least one of the body, the electrode and another component of the system to calculate a coupling index that is indicative of a degree of coupling between the electrode and the tissue. The coupling index may be displayed to a clinician in a variety of ways to indicate the degree of coupling to the clinician. The system and method find particular application in ablation of tissue by permitting a clinician to create lesions in the tissue more effectively and safely. | 04-07-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100125015 | DRIVING FORCE TRANSMITTING APPARATUS - A drive transmission apparatus for transmitting a driving force to a rotatable member includes a driving source; a drive pulley for receiving a driving force from the driving source; a driven pulley; a belt, extending around the drive pulley and the driven pulley, for transmitting the driving force from the drive pulley to the driven pulley; a driving gear for receiving a driving force from the driving source; a driven gear for receiving the driving force of the driving gear; a drive transmitting shaft, provided with the driven pulley and the driven gear, for transmitting the driving force to the rotatable member; a drive transmission mechanism, provided between the driven gear and the drive transmitting shaft, for transmitting the driving force in a rotational direction from the driven gear to the drive transmitting shaft when an angular speed of the driven pulley is lower than an angular speed of the driven gear. | 05-20-2010 |
20110033206 | DRIVING FORCE TRANSMITTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A driving force transmitting apparatus includes a driving source; a drive pulley rotatable by a driving force supplied from the driving source; a follower pulley rotatable with a member to be rotated; a belt member extending around a cylindrical surface of the driving pulley and a cylindrical surface of the follower pulley; and an intermediate transmission member disposed between the driving pulley and the follower pulley, the intermediate transmission member having a rigidity higher than that of the belt member and contacted to the pulleys or opposed to the pulleys with the belt member therebetween. | 02-10-2011 |
20120153565 | SKEW-FEEDING CORRECTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The skew-feeding correcting apparatus of the present invention includes an abutment portion which is disposed to a conveying path to convey a sheet and to which a top end of the sheet is abutted to correct skew feeding of the sheet, a movement portion which moves the abutment portion in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction, and a controller which controls driving of the movement portion to move the abutment portion to a position where a corner part of the sheet is not to be abutted to the abutment portion before the top end of the sheet is abutted to the abutment portion. | 06-21-2012 |
20130056926 | SHEET CONVEYING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is a sheet conveying apparatus including a skew correction apparatus of a sheet which prevents the sheet from encroaching on a nip portion of a registration roller by backward rotation of the registration roller and also controls the backward rotation of the registration roller to the minimum so as to prevent the curling the sheet. | 03-07-2013 |
20130134663 | SKEW CORRECTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A skew correcting device includes a first roller pair configured to nip and convey a sheet; a second roller pair disposed upstream of the first roller pair and configured to nip and convey the sheet; a contact portion disposed downstream of the first roller pair, the contact portion being a portion that the leading edge of the conveyed sheet comes into contact to correct skew of the sheet; a switching mechanism configured to change a nipping force of the first roller pair before the leading edge of the conveyed sheet comes into contact with the contact portion to form a loop in the sheet; and a control unit configured to make a determination on the basis of sheet information as to whether the nipping force of the first roller pair is to be changed, the control unit being configured to control the switching mechanism on the basis of the determination. | 05-30-2013 |
20130156478 | SHEET CONVEYING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveying apparatus includes first and second conveyance roller pairs, a width-direction shifting unit, first and second drive units, and a control unit. The second conveyance roller pair is arranged downstream of the first conveyance roller pair to nip and convey the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance roller pair, and to bend the sheet. The width-direction shifting unit shifts the sheet nipped by the second conveyance roller pair in a width direction by shifting the second conveyance roller pair in the width direction. The control unit controls the first and second drive units so that a circumferential speed of the first conveyance roller pair is made higher than that of the second conveyance roller pair between when the second conveyance roller pair starts conveying the sheet and when the width-direction shifting unit completes shifting the second conveyance roller pair in the width direction. | 06-20-2013 |
20150115525 | SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a moving unit configured to move a conveyance unit nipping the sheet in the width direction such that in a case where the position of the end of the sheet in the width direction detected by the detection unit is separated from a reference position by an amount which is greater than a first predetermined amount and less than or equal to a second predetermined amount, the moving unit to move the conveyance unit by a third predetermined amount which is less than or equal to the first predetermined amount, and to perform control, in a case where the position of the end of the sheet in the width direction detected by the detection unit is separated from the reference position by an amount which is greater than the second predetermined amount, to perform abnormality processing. | 04-30-2015 |
20150338813 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus for minimizing a shift amount of the registration roller for the first and subsequent sheets is provided. The image forming apparatus forms an image on a sheet conveyed on a conveying path. The image forming apparatus includes an exposure device. Further, the image forming apparatus includes a pair of registration rollers | 11-26-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130009358 | SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a control unit which controls the operation of a registration roller shift motor so as to perform positional deviation correction based on the detection result of a contact image sensor (CIS) configured to detect positional deviation in the width direction of a sheet. When the amount by which the registration roller shift motor moves the registration roller in the width direction exceeds an upper limit value, the control unit limits the movement amount by which the registration roller shift motor moves the registration roller in the width direction. | 01-10-2013 |
20130264767 | SKEW CORRECTION APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A skew correction apparatus includes a first roller pair configured to nip a sheet to convey the sheet, a second roller pair provided upstream of the first roller pair and configured to nip the sheet and convey the sheet, a contact portion provided downstream of the first roller pair and configured to come in contact with a leading edge of the sheet conveyed with the first roller pair to correct a skew of the sheet, and a separation mechanism configured to set the second roller pair to a separated state before the skew of the sheet conveyed downstream with the first roller pair is corrected. | 10-10-2013 |
20130285315 | SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller pair and a mechanism. While following movement of the sheet nipped by the conveyance roller pair, the mechanism moves the conveyance roller pair from a home position, and, in response to a trailing edge of the sheet passing through a conveyance roller pair nip portion, the mechanism returns the pair to the home position. The mechanism includes a movement supporting portion, a cam, a pressing member, and an urging member. The pressing member urges the conveyance roller pair toward the home position by exerting an urging force to the cam. In response to the conveyance roller pair and one of the cam and the pressing member moving in the width direction from the home position, the pressing member exerts the urging force to the cam in a direction reverse to a direction in which the conveyance roller pair has moved. | 10-31-2013 |
20130285316 | SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller pair, a conveyance roller driving unit, a registration roller pair, a registration driving unit, a separation and press-contact unit configured to set the registration roller pair to a separated state and to a press-contact state, and a control unit. After a sheet has stopped at a stop position immediately before the registration roller pair, the registration roller pair having been set to the separated state is set to the press-contact state. The registration roller pair is rotated backward during formation of a loop in the sheet. | 10-31-2013 |
20150102555 | SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller pair, an urging portion, a releasing portion, and a moving portion. The conveyance roller pair includes a first roller and a second roller, and conveys a sheet. The urging portion applies a pinching force to the conveyance roller pair. The releasing portion releases the pinching force of the conveyance roller pair against an urging force of the urging portion. The moving portion moves the conveyance roller pair, the urging portion, and the releasing portion in a width direction intersecting with a sheet conveyance direction. | 04-16-2015 |