Philips

About: Philips is a company organization based out in Vantaa, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Signal & Layer (electronics). The organization has 68260 authors who have published 99663 publications receiving 1882329 citations. The organization is also known as: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. & Royal Philips Electronics.

Necrotic core thickness and positive arterial remodeling index: emergent biomechanical factors for evaluating the risk of plaque rupture

Abstract: Fibrous cap thickness is often considered as diagnostic of the degree of plaque instability. Necrotic core area (Core(area)) and the arterial remodeling index (Remod(index)), on the other hand, are difficult to use as clinical morphological indexes: literature data show a wide dispersion of Core(area) thresholds above which plaque becomes unstable. Although histopathology shows a strong correlation between Core(area) and Remod(index), it remains unclear how these interact and affect peak cap stress (Cap(stress)), a known predictor of rupture. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in plaque vulnerability as a function of necrotic core size and plaque morphology. Cap(stress) value was calculated on 5,500 idealized atherosclerotic vessel models that had the original feature of mimicking the positive arterial remodeling process described by Glagov. Twenty-four nonruptured plaques acquired by intravascular ultrasound on patients were used to test the performance of the associated idealized morphological models. Taking advantage of the extensive simulations, we investigated the effects of anatomical plaque features on Cap(stress). It was found that: 1) at the early stages of positive remodeling, lesions were more prone to rupture, which could explain the progression and growth of clinically silent plaques and 2) in addition to cap thickness, necrotic core thickness, rather than area, was critical in determining plaque stability. This study demonstrates that plaque instability is to be viewed not as a consequence of fibrous cap thickness alone but rather as a combination of cap thickness, necrotic core thickness, and the arterial remodeling index.

Radiation Dose Reduction without Degradation of Low-Contrast Detectability at Abdominal Multisection CT with a Low–Tube Voltage Technique: Phantom Study

Abstract: PURPOSE: To reduce radiation dose from abdominal computed tomography (CT) without degradation of low-contrast detectability by using a technique with low tube voltage (90 kV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board approved the participation of the radiologists in the observer performance test, and informed consent was obtained from all participating radiologists. A phantom for measurement of the radiation dose and a phantom containing low-contrast objects were scanned with a 16–detector row CT scanner at 120 kV and 90 kV. For determination of the radiation dose at both 90 kV and 120 kV, the tube current–time product settings were 100–560 mAs, and the doses at the center and periphery of the phantom were measured. To assess low-contrast detectability, we used a 300-mAs setting at 120 kV and 250–560-mAs settings at 90 kV. Five observers participated in the receiver operating characteristic analysis. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az) values were calculated in each ob...

Device including moveable support for examining persons

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the examination of persons, said device comprising a medical examination device (11) having an examination volume (12), a support (1) for a person to be examined, and displacing means (3) for displacing the support in a displacement direction in such a manner, that a person to be examined present on the support is displaced into and out of the examination volume Said displacing means comprise a gear­wheel (7), which is driven by driving means (5, 8) and is co-operating with a toothed rack (4) mounted to the support for displacing the toothed rack relative to the gear-wheel in the driven state of the gear-wheel The displacing means comprise sub-displacing means (6, 9) for displacing the gear-wheel in its driven state in the displacement direction with a speed which is lower than the speed of support

Formation and magnetic properties of the compounds R2Fe14C

Abstract: It was shown by X-ray diffraction that rare earth compounds of the type R2Fe17 can dissolve appreciable amounts of carbon up to x = 0.6 in R2Fe17Cx at 900 °C. The increase in the lattice constants is accompanied by a strong increase in Curie temperature. From a structure determination (R = 7%) it was found that the carbon atoms dissolve interstitially and occupy the 9e position in the Th2Zn17 structure type (R3m). This ternary carbide is present as the main phase when compounds of the type R2Fe14C are heated above their decomposition temperatures. The decomposition proceeds by means of a solid state transformation and the corresponding transformation temperatures Tt vary strongly with the R component. In several of the light rare earth systems Tt becomes rather low and makes an annealing treatment ineffective with regard to the formation of R2Fe14C phases. The magnetic properties of the R2Fe14C phases are compared with those of R2Fe14B. It is shown that the former follow the magnetic behaviour of the latter almost completely.

One-step inkjet printing of conductive silver tracks on polymer substrates.

Abstract: A one-step process to fabricate conductive features on flexible polymer substrates by inkjet printing an organometallic silver ink directly onto a substrate that is heated to 130 °C is presented. This process led to the immediate sintering of the printed features. The samples were left for 5 min at elevated temperature, which resulted in conductive silver features with a resistivity of eight times the bulk silver value. The combination of this ink and the simultaneous printing/sintering process opens up routes for the direct fabrication of conductive features on common polymer substrates that could be applied, for example, in roll-to-roll production of flexible microelectronic systems.