1-15. (canceled)
16. An automotive milling machine, comprising:
a machine frame;
a working drum connected to the machine frame and configured to mill material from a ground surface;
a transport conveyor arranged in front of or behind the working drum, the transport conveyor being pivotable relative to the machine frame about an essentially horizontal first axis to define an elevation angle, and the transport conveyor being slewable sideways relative to the machine frame about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis to define a slewing angle, the transport conveyor having a conveying speed such that the transport conveyor discharges milled material at the conveying speed onto a point of impingement on a loading surface of a transport vehicle; and
a controller including a detection and control system configured to:
continuously locate an alterable position of the loading surface of the transport vehicle and of the transport conveyor relative to the machine frame, or the alterable position of the loading surface of the transport vehicle relative to the transport conveyor; and
continuously control positioning of the point of impingement of the milled material automatically via at least one of the slewing angle, the elevation angle and the conveying speed of the transport conveyor such that the discharged milled material impinges onto the loading surface.
17. The automotive milling machine of claim 16, wherein:
the detection and control system is configured such that the discharged milled material impinges on a specified point of impingement on the loading surface.
18. The automotive milling machine of claim 16, wherein the detection and control system comprises at least one of:
a loading surface detector configured to continuously detect the position of the loading surface;
a conveyor detector configured to continuously detect the position of the transport conveyor;
a slewing angle detector;
an elevation angle detector; and
a conveying speed detector.
19. The automotive milling machine of claim 16, wherein:
the detection and control system includes an image-recording system or a radio-frequency identification system configured to continuously locate the position of at least one of the loading surface and the transport conveyor and to supply data for determining the position of the loading surface in relation to the machine frame or to the transport conveyor.
20. The automotive milling machine of claim 19, wherein:
the detection and control system is configured to compare the data for determining the position with specified target position data and to, in the event of any deviations from the specified target position data, perform a continuous position control for at least one of:
a discharge end of the transport conveyor;
the point of impingement; and
the conveying speed.
21. The automotive milling machine of claim 20, wherein:
the detection and control system is configured to emit a signal prior to or at latest in the event of any deviation not rectifiable by control of the position of the loading surface relative to the position of the transport conveyor or the machine frame.
22. The automotive milling machine of claim 19, wherein:
the image-recording system or a detector for the radio-frequency identification system is arranged at a discharge end of the transport conveyor.
23. The automotive milling machine of claim 16, wherein:
the detection and control system comprises an image-recording system configured to detect and analyze a filling condition on the loading surface; and
the detection and control system is configured to uniformly load the loading surface by continuously controlling at least one of:
the conveyor speed;
a position of a discharge end of the transport conveyor; and
the point of impingement.
24. The automotive milling machine of claim 16, wherein:
the detection and control system is configured to:
locate the position of the loading surface; and
regulate at least one of the position of the transport conveyor and the conveying speed, such that the point of impingement on the loading surface is maintained at a position specified by the controller independent of movements of the milling machine and the transport vehicle.
25. The automotive milling machine of claim 16, wherein:
the controller is configured such that control data for at least one of the slewing angle, the elevation angle and the conveying speed are stored in a map in accordance with at least one of:
loading surfaces of different transport vehicles;
different loading conditions of the loading surface for different positions; and
points of impingement on the loading surface.
26. The automotive milling machine of claim 16, wherein:
the detection and control system is configured to detect a marking on the transport vehicles marking at least one point of an essentially rectangular loading surface or an essentially cuboid-shaped loading volume of the transport vehicle.
27. A method of discharging removed milled material from an automotive milling machine onto a point of impingement on a loading surface of a transport vehicle, the method comprising:
(a) removing the milled material from a ground surface with a working drum of the milling machine;
(b) discharging the milled material at a conveying speed from a transport conveyor arranged in front of or behind the working drum relative to a direction of travel of the milling machine, the transport conveyor being slewable sideways in a slewing angle and adjustable in discharge height in an elevation angle;
(c) detecting with a detection and control system an alterable position of the loading surface of the transport vehicle and of the transport conveyor relative to the machine frame, or the alterable position of the loading surface of the transport vehicle relative to the transport conveyor; and
(d) automatically controlling with the detection and control system the point of impingement of the milled material by controlling at least one of the slewing angle, the elevation angle and the conveying speed such that the milled material is discharged onto the loading surface.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein:
in step (d), the milled material is discharged at a specified point of impingement within the loading surface.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein:
the detecting of step (c) is performed by an image-recording system or a radio-frequency identification system, to supply data for determining the position of the loading surface in relation to the machine frame or to the transport conveyor.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein step (d) further comprises:
comparing the data for determining the position with stored target position data to identify any deviation; and
in the event a deviation is determined, controlling at least one of the position of a discharge end of the transport conveyor, the conveying speed, and the position of the transport vehicle to correct the deviation.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the target position data are determined by a teach-in procedure.
32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
detecting a filling condition of the loading surface via an image-recording system; and
wherein step (d) further comprises loading the loading surface uniformly or in accordance with a specified loading program.
33. The method of claim 27, wherein:
step (d) further comprises maintaining the point of impingement at a position specified by the detection and control system independent of movements of the milling machine and the transport vehicle.
34. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
determining a position of a geometrical center of the loading surface via image analysis or via a non-optical positioning system;
determining a position of a current point of impingement on the loading surface by image analysis; and
wherein in step (d) the position of the point of impingement is regulated in accordance with a desired position of the point of impingement.
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 of assessing a patient for risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), the method comprising:
determining an amount of at least one SCD-associated protein in the patient;
assessing the risk as a function of the determination;
determining occurrence of at least one class identifier that assesses the patient as having increased risk of SCD;
combining results of the occurrence of the class identifier and the amount of SCD-associated protein;
wherein assessing the patient is based on the combined results; and
wherein the SCD-associated protein is selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 10,146.5 Da and pI=9+; 15,006 Da and pI=9+; 166,582 Da and pI=5-7; 10,948 Da and pI=9+; 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one SCD-associated protein is identified by measuring a mass of the protein, measuring a mass-to-charge ratio of the protein with a mass spectrometer, and measuring an isoelectric pH (pI) of the protein.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of SCD-associated protein in the patient that indicates increased risk of SCD is one of higher and lower than an amount of SCD-associated protein in a patient having no increased risk of SCD.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the SCD-associated protein is used as a therapeutic agent.
5. A method of identifying patients that would benefit from an implanted medical device, the method comprising:
identifying at least one SCD-associated protein;
determining an amount of SCD-associated protein from a protein-containing sample from a patient;
assessing whether the patient would benefit from an implanted medical device based on the amount of the SCD-associated protein
wherein the implanted medical device is an electronic stimulation device; and
wherein the SCD-associated protein is selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 10,146.5 Da and pI=9+; 15,006 Da and pI=9+; 166,582 Da and DI=5-7; 10,948 Da and pI=9+; 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein identifying at least one SCD-associated protein further comprises:
collecting protein-containing samples from patients having increased risk of SCD;
collecting protein-containing samples from patients having no increased risk of SCD;
identifying at least one protein from the protein-containing samples whose amount differs between patients having increased risk of SCD and patients having no increased risk of SCD; and
wherein the identified proteins are SCD-associated proteins.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein assessing is achieved with an algorithm comprising determination of at least one SCD-associated protein selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the algorithm further comprises determination of a class identifier associated with SCD.
9. A method of identifying a SCD-associated protein comprising:
collecting first protein-containing samples from patients having increased risk of SCD;
collecting second protein-containing samples from patients having no increased risk of SCD;
determining amounts of proteins in the first and second protein-containing samples; and
identifying a protein having an amount that differs between the first and second protein-containing samples;
wherein the SCD-associated protein is selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 10,146.5 Da and pI=9+; 15,006 Da and pI=9+; 166,582 Da and pI=5-7; 10,948 Da and pI=9+; 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the amount that differs between the first and second protein-containing samples comprises one of presence of the protein, absence of the protein, increased amount of the protein, decreased amount of the protein, and change of concentration of the protein over a time period.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the identified protein is described by molecular weight and Isoelectric pH.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the identified protein is further described by mass-to-charge ratio.
13. A method of assessing a patient for risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), the method comprising: determining an amount of at least one SCD-associated protein in the patient; and assessing the risk based on the determined amount of SCD-associated protein wherein the SCD-associated protein is selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 10,146.5 Da and pI=9+; 15,006 Da and pI=9+; 166,582 Da and pI=5-7; 10,948 Da and pI=9+; 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one SCD-associated protein is identified by measuring a mass of the protein, measuring a mass-to-charge ratio of the protein with a mass spectrometer, and measuring an isoelectric pH (pI) of the protein.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the amount of SCD-associated protein in the patient that indicates increased risk of SCD is one of higher and lower than an amount of SCD-associated protein in a patient having no increased risk of SCD.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the SCD-associated protein is used as a therapeutic agent.
17. A method of identifying patients that would benefit from an implanted medical device, the method comprising:
identifying at least one SCD-associated protein;
determining an amount of SCD-associated protein from a protein-containing sample from a patient;
assessing whether the patient would benefit from an implanted medical device based on the amount of the SCD-associated protein, wherein the SCD-associated protein is selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 10,146.5 Da and pI=9+; 15,006 Da and pI=9+; 166,582 Da and pI=5-7; 10,948 Da and pI=9+; 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein identifying at least one SCD-associated protein further comprises:
collecting protein-containing samples from patients having increased risk of SCD;
collecting protein-containing samples from patients having no increased risk of SCD;
identifying at least one protein from the protein-containing samples whose amount differs between patients having increased risk of SCD and patients having no increased risk of SCD; and
wherein the identified proteins are SCD-associated proteins.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the implanted medical device comprises at least one of an electronic stimulation device and a drug delivery device.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein assessing is achieved with an algorithm comprising determination of at least one SCD-associated protein selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the algorithm further comprises determination of a class identifier associated with SCD.
22. A method of assessing a patient for risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), the method comprising:
determining the presence or absence of at least one SCD-associated protein in the patient;
assessing the risk as a function of the determination;
determining occurrence of at least one class identifier that assesses the patient as having increased risk of SCD;
combining results of the occurrence of the class identifier;
wherein assessing the patient is based on the combined results; and
wherein the SCD-associated protein is selected from a group of proteins having characteristics consisting of 10,146.5 Da and pI=9+; 15,006 Da and pI=9+; 166,582 Da and pI=5-7; 10.948 Da and pI=9+; 11,991 Da and pI=5-7; 10,552.4 Da and pI=9; 43,529.4 Da and pI=9; and 13,806.8 Da and pI=9.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one SCD-associated protein is identified by measuring a mass of the protein, measuring a mass-to-charge ratio of the protein with a mass spectrometer, and measuring an isoelectric pH (pI) of the protein.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the amount of SCD-associated protein in the patient that indicates increased risk of SCD is one of higher and lower than an amount of SCD-associated protein in a patient having no increased risk of SCD.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein the SCD-associated protein is used as a therapeutic agent.