1. A biopsy system comprising:
a. at least one of a plurality of disposable probe portions, the plurality of disposable probe portions having various size attributes, wherein one of the plurality of disposable probe portions comprises:
i. an elongated hollow piercer having a lateral tissue receiving port, and
ii. a cutter rotatable and axially translatable relative to the lateral tissue receiving port;
b. a reusable portion, wherein the reusable portion is adapted to receive one of the plurality of disposable probe portions; and
c. a control unit, wherein the control unit is operable to control one of the plurality of disposable probe portions.
2. The biopsy system of claim 1, wherein the size attributes comprise different diameter sizes of the piercer.
3. The biopsy system of claim 1, wherein the size attributes comprise different lengths of the piercer.
4. The biopsy system of claim 1, wherein the size attributes are communicated to the control unit by a user input.
5. The biopsy system of claim 1, wherein the size attributes are determined by the control unit by translating the cutter from a first position to a second position and computing a distance between the first position and the second position.
6. The biopsy system of claim 5, wherein the control unit compares the size attributes determined by the control unit to size attributes communicated to the control unit by a user input.
7. The biopsy system of claim 1, wherein the biopsy system comprises a plurality of operating modes, and wherein at least one of the plurality of operating modes is dependent on the size attributes of the disposable probe portion.
8. The biopsy system of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of operating modes comprises a calibration mode.
9. The biopsy system of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of operating modes comprises a sampling mode.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. System for controlling vehicle braking operation, comprising:
an engine compression brake associated with an internal combustion engine for retarding engine operation;
a service brake associated with a vehicle carrying said engine;
means for determining activation of said service brake and producing a service brake signal corresponding thereto; and
a control computer responsive to said service brake signal to activate said engine compression brake.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said control computer is further operable to control and manage overall operation of said internal combustion engine.
3. The system of claim 1 further including a transmission coupled to said internal combustion engine and including a number of automatically selectable gear ratios;
and wherein said control computer forms part of a transmission control module associated with said transmission, said control computer operable to control and manage overall operation of said transmission.
4. The system of claim 3 further including:
an engine computer operable to control and manage overall operation of said internal combustion engine; and
means for transferring information between said control computer and said engine computer.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said engine compression brake includes a number of engine compression brake settings, each of said number of engine compression brake settings resulting in a different engine retarding torque;
and wherein said control computer is responsive to said service brake signal to activate said engine compression brake to provide for maximum engine retarding torque.
6. The system of claim 5 further including:
means for determining a desired braking force of said service brake and producing a service brake force signal corresponding thereto; and
a transmission coupled to said internal combustion engine and including a number of automatically selectable gear ratios, each of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios having a downshift engine speed point corresponding thereto;
and wherein said control computer is operable to modify at least some of said number of downshift engine speed points as a function of said service brake force signal.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein said control computer is configured to reduce engine speed values of at least some of said number of downshift engine speed points if said service brake force signal is below a force threshold, and to increase said engine speed values of at least some of said number of downshift engine speed points if said service brake force signal is above said force threshold.
8. The system of claim 6 further including:
a turbocharger;
a wastegate valve operable to control turbocharger boost pressure; and
means for determining a vehicle deceleration rate;
wherein said control computer is operable to control said wastegate valve to maintain said vehicle deceleration rate below a deceleration threshold.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein said control computer is configured to control said wastegate valve to maintain said vehicle deceleration below a first deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is below a force threshold, and to maintain said vehicle deceleration below a second deceleration threshold different from said first deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is above said force threshold.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein said control computer is configured to control said engine compression brake to select an appropriate one of said number of engine compression brake settings as a function of said vehicle deceleration and said deceleration threshold.
11. The system of claim 5 further including:
means for determining a desired braking force of said service brake and producing a service brake force signal corresponding thereto;
a transmission coupled to said internal combustion engine and including a number of automatically selectable gear ratios, each of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios having a downshift engine speed point corresponding thereto; and
means for determining vehicle deceleration;
and wherein said control computer is operable to modify said number of downshift engine speed points as a function of said vehicle deceleration.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein said control computer is configured to modify said number of downshift engine speed points to maintain said vehicle deceleration below a first deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is below a force threshold, and to maintain said vehicle deceleration below a second deceleration threshold different from said first deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is above said force threshold.
13. The system of claim 1 further including means for determining a desired braking force of said service brake and producing a service brake force signal corresponding thereto;
and wherein said engine compression brake includes a number of engine compression brake settings, each of said number of engine compression brake settings resulting in a different engine retarding torque;
and wherein said control computer is responsive to said service brake signal to select one of said engine compression brake settings as a function of said service brake force signal.
14. The system of 13 further including means for determining vehicle deceleration;
and wherein said control computer is operable to select said one of said engine compression brake settings further as a function of said vehicle deceleration.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein said control computer is configured to select an appropriate one of said engine compression brake settings to maintain said vehicle deceleration below a first deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is below a force threshold, and to select an appropriate one of said engine compression brake settings to maintain said vehicle deceleration below a second deceleration threshold different from said first deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is above said force threshold.
16. The system of claim 15 further including a transmission having a number of automatically selectable gear ratios, each of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios having a downshift engine speed point corresponding thereto;
and wherein said control computer is operable to modify at least some of said number of downshift engine speed points to achieve a target engine speed value following corresponding transmission downshifts if said service brake force signal is above said force threshold.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein said control computer is configured to modify at least some of said number of downshift engine speed points to achieve said target engine speed value following corresponding transmission downshifts if said service brake force signal is below said force threshold.
18. The system of claim 16 further including:
a turbocharger; and
a wastegate valve operable to control turbocharger boost pressure;
wherein said control computer is operable to control said wastegate valve to maintain said vehicle deceleration below said first deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is below said force threshold, and to maintain said vehicle deceleration below said second deceleration threshold if said service brake force signal is above said force threshold.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein said control computer is configured to control said engine compression brake to select an appropriate one of said number of engine compression brake settings as a function of said vehicle deceleration and said deceleration threshold.
20. System for controlling vehicle braking operation, comprising:
an engine compression brake associated with an internal combustion engine for retarding engine operation;
a service brake associated with a vehicle carrying said engine;
means for determining a desired braking force of said service brake and producing a service brake force signal corresponding thereto;
a transmission coupled to said engine and including a number of automatically selectable gear ratios, each of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios having an engine speed downshift point associated therewith; and
a control computer responsive to said service brake force signal to control said engine compression brake and said number of engine speed downshift points as a function thereof.
21. The system of claim 20 further including:
a turbocharger; and
a wastegate valve operable to control turbocharger boost pressure;
and wherein said control computer is further responsive to said service brake force signal to control said wastegate valve as a function thereof.
22. A method of controlling vehicle brake operation, comprising the steps of:
monitoring a service brake associated with a vehicle carrying an internal combustion engine; and
activating an engine compression brake associated with said engine if said service brake is activated.
23. The method of claim 22 further including the step of modifying engine speed downshift points of a number of automatically selectable gear ratios of a transmission coupled to said engine as a function of a desired braking force of said service brake.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the modifying step includes reducing said engine speed downshift points of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios if said desired braking force is below a force threshold, and increasing said engine speed downshift points of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios if said desired braking force is above said force threshold.
25. The method of claim 24 further including the steps of:
determining a deceleration rate of said vehicle;
controlling either of a turbocharger wastegate valve and said engine compression brake to maintain said deceleration rate below a first deceleration threshold if said desired braking force is below said force threshold; and
controlling either of said turbocharger wastegate valve and said engine compression brake to maintain said deceleration rate below a second deceleration threshold different from said first deceleration threshold if said desired braking force is above said force threshold.
26. The method of claim 23 further including the step of determining a deceleration rate of said vehicle;
and wherein the modifying step includes modifying said engine speed downshift points of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios to maintain said deceleration rate below a first deceleration threshold if said desired braking force is below a force threshold, and modifying said engine speed downshift points of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios to maintain said deceleration rate below a second deceleration threshold different from said first deceleration threshold if said desired braking force is above said force threshold.
27. The method of claim 23 wherein the modifying step includes modifying said engine speed downshift points of said number of automatically selectable gear ratios to achieve a target engine speed value following transmission downshifts if said desired braking force is above a force threshold.
28. The method of claim 27 further including the steps of:
determining a deceleration rate of said vehicle;
controlling either of a turbocharger wastegate valve and said engine compression brake to maintain said deceleration rate below a first deceleration threshold if said desired braking force is below said force threshold; and
controlling either of said turbocharger wastegate valve and said engine compression brake to maintain said deceleration rate below a second deceleration threshold different from said first deceleration threshold if said desired braking force is above said force threshold.