1. A method of detecting or monitoring the characteristics of at least one electrical indicator of the function of a tissue in a biological organism in the presence of a magnetic field over time.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the magnetic field is generated by a magnetic resonance imaging scanner.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the method additionally comprises one or more of the steps of:
(a) detecting or monitoring sources of unwanted signal or signal noise; and
(b) compensating for, or avoiding the unwanted signal or signal noise.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 in which the unwanted signal or signal noise comprises signals associated with the presence of the magnetic field.
5. A method as claimed in claim 3 in which the unwanted signal or signal noise is avoided or eliminated by mathematical computation.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which, in the performance of the method in motion of the biological organism or tissue within the magnetic field may also be detected.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the biological organism is a mammal.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7, in which the mammal is either a human subject or a non-human subject.
9. A method as claimed In claim 1, in which the tissue is an electrically excitable tissue.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9, in which the tissue is a neural tissue.
11. A method as claimed in claim 9, in which the tissue is a tissue within the central nervous system of the subject.
12. A method as claimed in claim 11, in which the tissue is the brain of the subject.
13. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the neural tissue is a peripheral nerve, or part of a peripheral nerve.
14. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the tissue is a non-neural tissue.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, in which the tissue is:
(a) the skin of the subject; or
(b) the heart or part of the heart of the subject.
16. A method as claimed in claim 14 in which the tissue is a muscle tissue.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16, in which the tissue is:
(a) skeletal muscle; or
(b) smooth muscle.
18. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the biological organism is placed in either or both:
(a) a static magnetic field; andor
(b) a time varying magnetic field
19. A method as claimed in claim 18 in which the time varying magnetic field, if used in the method, is present only during image acquisition by the magnetic resonance imaging scanner.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19, in which the magnetic resonance imaging scanner measures the electrically excitable tissue.
21. A method as claimed in claim 20, in which the magnetic resonance imaging sequence used in the performance of the method is:
(a) a spin-echo sequence; or
(b) a gradient echo sequence.
22. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the electrical indicator is either or both:
(a) a direct electrical indicator of characteristics of function of the tissue; or
(b) an indirect electrical indicator of such function.
23. A method as claimed in claim 22, in which the method involves the use of a direct electrical indicator.
24. A method as claimed in claim 23, in which the indicator used comprises one or more of the following:
(a) the electroencephalogram;
(b) the electrocardiogram;
(c) the electromyogram; andor
(d) measurements of skin conductance.
25. A method as claimed in claim 22, in which the method involves the use of an indirect electrical indicator.
26. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the method permits the simultaneous or concomitant detection and recording over time in a magnetic resonance imaging acquisition sequence of the tissue or biological organism under observation, as well as changes over time in electrical observations on the tissue or biological organism.
27. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the output of readings taken by the magnetic resonance imaging scanner is:
(a) displayed on a display means;
(b) recorded for subsequent use on a recording means; andor
(c) printable on a printing means.
28. A method as claimed claim 1, in which the method comprises the simultaneous or concomitant capture of functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalogram data from the biological tissue or organism under observation.
29. A method as claimed in claim 28, in which the method comprises the steps of:
(a) capturing functional magnetic resonance imaging information; and
(b) selectively sampling readings taken from an electroencephalogram taken in association with the magnetic resonance imaging procedure.
30. A method as claimed in claim 29, in which the method additionally comprises the use of means that are capable of distinguishing between:
(a) the electroencephalogram signal; and
(b) artifacts or signals which do not represent the electroencephalogram signal.
31. A method as claimed in claim 30, in which the means are capable of distinguishing:
(a) the electroencephalogram signal; and
(b) artifacts or signals which do not represent the electroencephalogram signal capture sample readings from the electroencephalogram signal during periods of time when artifacts are either wholly or substantially absent.
32. A method as claimed in claim 31, in which the method additionally comprises the use of either or both of the following:
(a) filtering means to filter unwanted data; andor
(b) post-data capture processing means, in order to present data captured from observations taken on the biological tissue or organism.
33. A method as claimed in claim 32, in which to improve the accuracy of the results derived by using the method, the method additionally comprises the use of:
(a) a signal which is absent of the electroencephalogram signal, but which contains motion-related data; andor
(b) artifact signal.
34. An apparatus suitable for performing the method claimed in claim 1.
35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 34, in which the apparatus comprises, or co-operates with means for detecting or monitoring the characteristics of at least one electrical indicator of the function of a tissue in a biological organism in the presence of a magnetic field over time.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for processing data from a client, the steps comprising:
receiving an internet printing protocol data stream from a driver associated with the client;
generating a web client interface on the client, which web client interface includes device data corresponding to a feature of at least one associated document output device;
receiving, from the web client interface, selection data representative of a selected document processing operation to be associated with a received printing protocol data stream;
parsing the data stream, the parsing step further comprising obtaining a destination document output device to be associated with the printing protocol data stream;
converting the printing protocol data stream to a format compatible with the destination document output device; and
routing the printing protocol data stream to the destination document output device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination document output device is a remote printer.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing job tracking and accounting information.
4. The method of claim 1, the parsing step further comprises obtaining a user identification.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising storing job tracking and accounting information with the user identification.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a web page with the destination document output device’s current status.
7. A method for processing a print job from a client, the steps comprising:
receiving the print job via an internet printing protocol data stream from a driver associated with the client;
generating a web client interface on the client, which thin client display includes device data corresponding to a feature of at least one associated document output device;
receiving, from the web client interface, selection data representative of a selected document processing operation to be associated with a received printing protocol data stream;
parsing the print job, the parsing step further comprising determining a remote destination document output device, and a user identification;
converting the printing protocol data stream to a format compatible with the remote destination document output device; and
routing the printing protocol data stream to the remote destination document output device.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing job tracking and accounting information.
9. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing job tracking and accounting information with the user identification.
10. The method of claim 7 further comprising updating a web page with the remote destination printer’s current status.
11. A method for processing a request for a destination device’s status from a client, the steps comprising:
receiving the request from a driver associated with the client via an internet printing protocol;
generating a web client interface on the client, which web client interface includes device data corresponding to a feature of at least one associated document output device;
receiving, from the web client interface, selection data representative of a selected document processing operation to be associated with the received request;
parsing the request and determining the destination document output device;
converting the request to a format compatible with the destination document output device;
routing the request to the destination document output device;
receiving a reply from the destination document output device;
converting the reply from the format compatible with the destination document output device to the internet printing protocol; and
sending the reply via an internet printing protocol to the client.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the destination device is a remote printer.
13. A method for processing a request for a remote printer status from a client, the steps comprising:
receiving the request from a driver associated with the client via an internet printing protocol;
generating a web client interface on the client, which web client interface includes device data corresponding to a feature of at least one associated document output device;
receiving, from the web client interface, selection data representative of a selected document processing operation to be associated with the received request;
parsing the request, the parsing step comprising determining an identity for the remote document output device and formatting the request in a format compatible with the remote printer;
routing the request in the format compatible with the remote document output device to the remote document output device;
receiving a reply from the remote document output device;
converting the reply from the format compatible with the remote document output device to the internet printing protocol; and
sending the reply via an internet printing protocol to the client.
14. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for processing a print job from a client, comprising:
instructions for\u2014receiving a print job via an internet printing protocol data stream from a driver associated with the client;
instructions for generating a web client interface on the client, which web client interface includes device data corresponding to a feature of at least one associated document output device;
instructions for receiving, from the web client interface, selection data representative of a selected document processing operation to be associated with the printing protocol data stream; instructions for parsing the print job, the instructions further comprising instructions for determining a remote destination document output device to be associated with the printing protocol data stream, and a user identification;
instructions for converting the print job to a format compatible with the destination document output device; and
instructions for routing the printing protocol data stream to the remote destination document output device.
15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising instructions for storing job tracking and accounting information.
16. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising instructions for storing job tracking and accounting information with the user identification.
17. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising instructions for updating a web page with the remote destination printer’s current status.
18. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, comprising:
instructions to receive a request to obtain a remote document out device’s status from a client via an internet printing protocol;
instructions to generate a web client interface on the client, which web client interface includes device data corresponding to a feature of at least one associated document output device;
instructions to receive, from the web client interface, selection data representative of a selected document processing operation to be associated with the received request;
instructions to parse the request, the instructions further comprising instructions to obtain an identity for the remote document output device and instructions to format the request in a format compatible with the remote document output device;
instructions to route the request in the format compatible with the remote printer to the remote document output device;
instructions to receive a reply from the remote document output device;
instructions to convert the reply from the format compatible with the remote document output device to the internet printing protocol; and
instructions to send the reply via the internet printing protocol to the client.