Author: claimsbot

1. A containing and conditioning system (102, 202) for an agricultural product (104), such as seeds or grains, said system comprising
a container (106) for containing the agricultural product, the container having an inlet (108) and an outlet (110) for the agricultural product,
a conditioning device (112) for conditioning the agricultural product,
a stirring device (114, 204) for stirring the agricultural product,
at least one sensor (116) for sensing characteristics of the agricultural product (104), such as a humidity andor a temperature,
a control device (118) adapted to control said system in response to said characteristics and wherein said sensor (116) is a wireless sensor and said sensor is comprised in said stirring device (114, 204).
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor (116) is attached to said stirring device (114, 204) at a position which is fixed relatively to at least a part of the stirring device and said sensor is moveable with said part of the stirring device.
3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said part is a stirring part of said stirring device and said sensor (116) is attached to or incorporated in said stirring part.
4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said part is an auger (208) and said sensor (116) is attached to or incorporated in said auger (208).
5. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the stirring device (114, 204) comprises a plurality of said sensors (116).
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein a first of said plurality of sensors (116) is comprised in the stirring device (114, 204) at another vertical height than a second of said plurality of sensors.
7. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said stirring device (204) comprises a member (206) extending in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction and at least one vertical or substantially vertically extending device (208), such as an auger (208), the vertical or substantially vertical device preferably being moveable along said member (206) in said horizontal or substantially horizontal direction and wherein said vertically or substantially vertically extending device (208) comprises said sensor (116).
8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said vertically or substantially vertically extending device (208) is an auger (208).
9. A method for controlling a containing and conditioning system for an agricultural product (104), such as seeds or grains, said system (102, 202) comprising a container, a stirring device, a conditioning device and a control device, said method comprising
sensing (502) characteristics such as a humidity andor a temperature of said agricultural product within said container with a sensor (116),
controlling said system in response to said characteristics with the control device, wherein the method further comprises
transmitting (504) said characteristics wirelessly from said sensor (116) to said control device, and
operating (506) said stirring device and hereby moving said sensor within said storage.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said stirring device comprises an auger (208) and wherein said sensor (116) is attached to or incorporated in said auger (208).
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein operating (506) said stirring device comprises rotating said auger (208) and hereby enabling changed agricultural product matter constantly to be measured by the sensor (116).
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein moving said stirring device in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction moves said sensor in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction.
13. The method according to any of the preceding claim 9 or 12, wherein controlling said system is provided in response to a plurality of measurements from a plurality of sensors provided at a plurality of different positions on said stirring device.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a first of said plurality of sensors (116) is comprised in the stirring device (114, 204) at another vertical height than a second of said plurality of sensors.
15. The method according to any of the preceding claim 9, 12 or 13, wherein controlling said system comprises at least one of;
adding an amount of the agricultural product to the storage device, such as to a particular position of the storage,
extracting an amount of the agricultural product from the storage device, such as from a particular position of the storage,
controlling an amount of air being added to andor extracted from the storage,
moving the stirring device, such as along a certain path andor to a certain position,
operating the stirring device in a certain mode, such as at a certain speed,
operating the conditioning device, such as to dry or cool the agricultural product to certain extends andor in a certain manner andor in a certain position of the storage.
16. The method according to any of the preceding claim 9, 12, 13 or 15, wherein controlling said system is carried out in order to optimize an amount of energy used upon containing and conditioning an amount of the agricultural product in a certain period andor to optimize a quality of the agricultural product.

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 fixing device comprising:
an irradiation section that irradiates a recording medium with light, the recording medium having thereon an image formed by an image forming material to be fixed by absorbing light and being transported along a transporting path; and
a preventing member that is provided with a first hole that allows the light to pass therethrough, and prevents the image forming material irradiated with the light from adhering to the irradiation section.
2. The fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a blowing unit that sends wind for preventing the image forming material irradiated with the light from passing through the first hole.
3. The fixing device according to claim 2,
wherein the blowing unit sends wind that passes through the first hole and goes to the transporting path.
4. The fixing device according to claim 3,
wherein the optical axis of the light irradiated by the irradiation section inclines to the downstream side with respect to the transporting path.
5. The fixing device according to claim 2,
wherein the blowing unit sends wind that goes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transporting path.
6. The fixing device according to claim 5,
wherein the optical axis of the light irradiated by the irradiation section inclines to the upstream side with respect to the transporting path.
7. The fixing device according to claim 3, further comprising:
a reflective member provided with an opening portion that faces the transporting path and that allows the light irradiated by the irradiation section and reflected light reflected by the recording medium to pass therethrough, and having a reflecting surface that reflects the reflected light passed through the opening portion to the recording medium,
wherein the preventing member is supported by the reflective member in the opening portion, and
wherein the blowing unit sends wind that goes from the inside of a space surrounded by the reflective member and the preventing member to the outside of the space.
8. The fixing device according to claim 4, further comprising:
a reflective member provided with an opening portion that faces the transporting path and that allows the light irradiated by the irradiation section and reflected light reflected by the recording medium to pass therethrough, and having a reflecting surface that reflects the reflected light passed through the opening portion to the recording medium,
wherein the preventing member is supported by the reflective member in the opening portion, and
wherein the blowing unit sends wind that goes from the inside of a space surrounded by the reflective member and the preventing member to the outside of the space.
9. The fixing device according to claim 7,
wherein the reflective member is provided with a second hole that allows the light irradiated by the irradiation section to pass therethrough, and
wherein the blowing unit sends the wind into the space from the second hole.
10. The fixing device according to claim 8,
wherein the reflective member is provided with a second hole that allows the light irradiated by the irradiation section to pass therethrough, and
wherein the blowing unit sends the wind into the space from the second hole.
11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a transfer section that transfers an image, which is formed by an image forming material to be fixed by absorbing light, to a recording medium;
an irradiation section that irradiates the recording medium with light, the recording medium having thereon the image transferred thereto by the transfer section and being transported along a transporting path; and
a preventing member that is provided with a first hole that allows the light to pass therethrough, and prevents the image forming material irradiated with the light from adhering to the irradiation section.

1. A method for expanding a field-of-view of a volumetric computed tomography scan, comprising:
obtaining truncated and non-truncated views of an object using a CT imaging system;
identifying the truncated views having projection truncation and the non-truncated views without projection truncation based on an average value of one or more edge channels over more than one view;
calculating an estimated missing projection distribution for each of the truncated views based on at least one neighboring non-truncated view;
calculating a projection profile for each of the truncated views based on the estimated missing projection distribution, the projection profile providing at least one of attenuation data and projection data for an area outside a field-of-view; and
displaying an image of the object on a display of the CT imaging system based on the at least one of attenuation data and projection data.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying a predetermined number of consecutive views adjacent to each of the non-truncated views; and
reassigning a non-truncated view to be a truncated view when at least one of the consecutive views is a truncated view.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
calculating a total attenuation curve representative of measured total attenuation for each of the truncated and non-truncated views; and
identifying a truncation view region between first and second non-truncated views, the truncation view region comprising at least a portion of the truncated views, the estimated missing projection being further based on the truncation view region.
4. The method claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one non-truncated view being closest to a truncated view, the projection profile for the truncated view being further calculated based on a projection profile representative of the at least one non-truncated view.
5. The method claim 1, further comprising:
identifying first and second non-truncated views being closest to a truncated view, the truncated view being located between the first and second non-truncated views;
calculating projection profiles representative of the first and second non-truncated views; and
applying a higher weight to one of the first and second non-truncated views based on a lesser distance from the truncated view, the projection profile for the truncated view being further calculated based on the projection profiles representative of the first and second non-truncated views.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying a truncation boundary between a truncated projection and a measured projection; and
blending the estimated missing projection and a mirror projection based on the measured projection at the truncation boundary to ensure a gradually varying slope adjacent to the truncation boundary.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying the truncated views having both left side and right side truncation; and
distributing the estimated missing projection between the left and right sides based on a scaling factor.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
calculating a location and size of a water cylindrical object based on at least one of a measured projection and an extent of truncation;
calculating an estimated water cylinder projection based on the water cylindrical object; and
deriving a scaling factor for increasing or decreasing the estimated missing projection based on a comparison of the estimated water cylinder projection and the estimated missing projection.
9. A method for expanding a field-of-view of a computed tomography scanner, comprising:
obtaining truncated and non-truncated views of an object using a CT imaging system;
identifying the truncated views having projection truncation and the non-truncated views without projection truncation based on an average value of one or more edge channels over more than one view;
calculating a total estimated missing projection distribution based on a total attenuation curve representative of measured total attenuation for each of the truncated and non-truncated views;
calculating a projection profile for each of the truncated views based on at least one of the total estimated missing projection distribution and a projection profile representative of at least one non-truncated view being closest to each of the truncated views, the projection profile providing at least one of attenuation data and projection data for an area outside a field-of-view; and
displaying an image of the object on a display of the CT imaging system based on the at least one of attenuation data and projection data.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
identifying a transition region near an outer edge of the field-of-view for each non-truncated view;
identifying projection values within the transition region; and
calculating a projection profile extending beyond the field-of-view for each non-truncated view, projection values beyond the field-of-view reducing gradually with respect to the projection values within the transition region.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
identifying a truncation boundary between a truncated projection and a measured projection;
identifying a predetermined number of channels within the measured projection adjacent the boundary region; and
blending the total estimated missing projection near the truncation boundary based on the predetermined number of channels.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
identifying a predetermined number of consecutive views adjacent to each of the non-truncated views; and
reassigning a non-truncated view to be a truncated view when at least one of the consecutive views is a truncated view.
13. The method of claim 9, further comprising increasing or decreasing the total estimated missing projection based on an estimated water cylinder projection of a water cylindrical object, the water cylindrical object being based on at least one of a measured projection and an extent of truncation.
14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
identifying first and second non-truncated views being closest to a truncated view, the truncated view being located between the first and second non-truncated views; and
calculating an extent of truncation for the truncated view based on the first and second non-truncated views.
15. A system for expanding a field-of-view, comprising:
a computer for receiving computed tomography image data representative of multiple views, the computer configured to:
identify truncated views having projection truncation and non-truncated views without projection truncation based on an average value of one or more edge channels over more than one view;
calculate an estimated missing projection distribution for each of the truncated views based on at least one neighboring non-truncated view; and
calculate a projection profile for each of the truncated views based on the estimated missing projection distribution, the projection profile providing at least one of attenuation data and projection data for an area outside a field-of-view.
16. The system of claim 15, the computer further configured to identify at least one non-truncated view being closest to a truncated view, the projection profile for the truncated view being further calculated based on a projection profile representative of the at least one non-truncated view.
17. The system of claim 15, the computer further configured to:
identify a transition region near an outer edge of the field-of-view for each non-truncated view;
identify projection values within the transition region; and
calculate a projection profile extending beyond the field-of-view for each non-truncated view, projection values beyond the field-of-view reducing gradually with respect to the projection values within the transition region.
18. The system of claim 15, the computer further configured to:
identify first and second non-truncated views being closest to a truncated view, the truncated view being located between the first and second non-truncated views; and
calculate an extent of truncation for the truncated view based on the first and second non-truncated views.
19. The system of claim 15, the computer further configured to:
determine shortest view distances for each of left and right sides of a current truncated view to a non-truncated view; and
distribute the estimated missing projection between the left and right sides based on the shortest view distances.
20. The system of claim 15, the computer further configured to:
calculate a location and size of a water cylindrical object based on at least one of a measured projection and an extent of truncation;
calculate an estimated water cylinder projection based on the water cylindrical object; and
derive a scaling factor for increasing or decreasing the estimated missing projection based on a comparison of the estimated water cylinder projection and the estimated missing projection.

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 pharmaceutical composition consisting essentially of:
a first substance comprising sodium chloride in an amount between about 1.5% and 6.9% (wv);
a second substance comprising at least one of dextran, carboxymethyl starch, sodium alginate, pentahydroxyethyl starch, gelatin derivatives and pectin, wherein said second substance is present in an amount between about 3 and 18% total (wv);
a third substance comprising at least one of sodium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, sodium lactate, and Tris (Hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, wherein said third substance is present in an amount between about 0 and 5.4% total (wv); and
an injection comprising at least one of water, physiological saline, balanced buffers, glucose solution, sodium lactate solution, Tris solution, and glucose and sodium chloride solution, wherein said injection is present in an amount between about 75.1% and 95.5% total (wv),
wherein the total sodium ion concentration does not exceed an equivalent sodium ion concentration of 6.9% (wv) sodium chloride solution.
2. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein:
said first substance comprises sodium chloride in an amount between about 4.0 and about 4.4 g per 100 ml; and
said second substance comprises at least one of dextran, carboxymethyl starch, sodium alginate, pentahydroxyethyl starch, gelatin derivatives and pectin in an amount between about 7.0 g and about 8.2 g per 100 ml.
3. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein said dextran has a molecular weight of about 40,000-230,000 atomic mass units; said carboxymethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 30,000-80,000 atomic mass units; said sodium alginate has a molecular weight of about 20,000-26,000 atomic mass units; said pectin has a molecular weight of about 20,000-40,000 atomic mass units; and said pentahydroxyethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 264,000 atomic mass units.
4. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein said gelatin derivatives have a molecular weight of about 20,000-35,000 atomic mass units and are selected from at least one of urea-conjugated gelatin, modified liquid gelatin, oxidized polygelatin and degraded gelatin polypeptide.
5. A method for preparing the pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, comprising:
dissolving an amount between about 3 g and 18 g of said second substance in a total of 100 ml of said injection;
adding 1.5 g of said first substance; and
mixing said injection to dissolve said first and second substances therein.
6. The method for preparing the pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, comprising:
dissolving an amount between about 3 g and 18 g of said second substance in a total of 100 ml of said injection;
adding 1.5 g of said first substance;
adding an amount between 0 and about 5.4 g of said third substance, such that the total sodium ion concentration based on said first, second and third substances does not exceed an equivalent sodium ion concentration in a 6.9% (wv) sodium chloride solution; and
mixing said injection to dissolve said first, second, and third substances therein.
7. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1, wherein said first substance is present in an amount between approximately 1.5% and approximately 4.4% total (wv).
8. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1, wherein said first substance is present in an amount between approximately 4.0% and approximately 4.4% total (wv).
9. A pharmaceutical composition consisting essentially of:
a first substance comprising sodium chloride in an amount between about 4.0 and about 4.4 g per 100 ml;
a second substance comprising at least one of dextran, carboxymethyl starch, sodium alginate, pentahydroxyethyl starch, gelatin derivatiyes, and pectin in an amount between about 7.0 g and about 8.2 g per 100 ml;
a third substance comprising at least one of sodium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, sodium lactate, and Tris (Hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, wherein said third substance is present in an amount between about 0 and 2.5% total (wv); and
an injection comprising at least one of water, physiological saline, balanced buffers, glucose solution, sodium lactate solution, Tris solution, and glucose and sodium chloride solution, wherein said injection is present in an amount between about 84.9% and 89.0% total (wv),
wherein the total sodium ion concentration does not exceed an equivalent sodium ion concentration of 6.9% (wv) sodium chloride solution.
10. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9, wherein said dextran has a molecular weight of about 40,000-230,000 atomic mass units;
said carboxymethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 30,000-80,000 atomic mass units; said sodium alginate has a molecular weight of about 20,000-26,000 atomic mass units; said pectin has a molecular weight of about 20,000-40,000 atomic mass units; and said pentahydroxyethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 264,000 atomic mass units.
11. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9, wherein said gelatin derivatives have a molecular weight of about 20,000-35,000 atomic mass units and are selected from at least one of urea-conjugated gelatin, modified liquid gelatin, oxidized polygelatin and degraded gelatin polypeptide.
12. A pharmaceutical composition consisting essentially of:
a first substance comprising sodium chloride in an amount of about 1.5 g;
a second substance comprising:
at least one of carboxymethyl starch, sodium alginate, pentahydroxyethyl starch, gelatin derivatiyes, and pectin in an amount of about 3 g; and
dextran in an amount of about 9 g;

a third substance comprising sodium bicarbonate in an amount of about 3.4 g; and
an injection comprising physiological saline, said injection being present in an amount of about 83.1% total (wv),
wherein the total sodium ion concentration does not exceed an equivalent sodium ion concentration of 6.9% (wv) sodium chloride solution and the total volume of the composition is 100 ml.
13. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 12, wherein said dextran has a molecular weight of about 40,000-230,000 atomic mass units; said carboxymethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 30,000-80,000 atomic mass units; said sodium alginate has a molecular weight of about 20,000-26,000 atomic mass units; said pectin has a molecular weight of about 20,000-40,000 atomic mass units; and said pentahydroxyethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 264,000 atomic mass units.
14. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 12, wherein said gelatin derivatives have a molecular weight of about 20,000-35,000 atomic mass units and are selected from at least one of urea-conjugated gelatin, modified liquid gelatin, oxidized polygelatin and degraded gelatin polypeptide.
15. A pharmaceutical composition consisting essentially of:
a first substance comprising sodium chloride in an amount of about 4.2 g;
a second substance comprising at least one of dextran, carboxymethyl starch, sodium alginate, pentahydroxyethyl starch, gelatin derivatiyes, and pectin in an amount of about 7.6 g;
a third substance comprising at least one of sodium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, sodium lactate, and Tris (Hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, wherein said third substance is present in an amount between about 0 and 2.7% total (wv); and
an injection comprising water, said injection being present in an amount between about 85.5% and 88.2% total (wv),
wherein the total sodium ion concentration does not exceed an equivalent sodium ion concentration of 6.9% (wv) sodium chloride solution.
16. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 15, wherein said dextran has a molecular weight of about 40,000-230,000 atomic mass units;
said carboxymethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 30,000-80,000 atomic mass units; said sodium alginate has a molecular weight of about 20,000-26,000 atomic mass units; said pectin has a molecular weight of about 20,000-40,000 atomic mass units; and said pentahydroxyethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 264,000 atomic mass units.
17. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 15, wherein said gelatin derivatives have a molecular weight of about 20,000-35,000 atomic mass units and are selected from at least one of urea-conjugated gelatin, modified liquid gelatin, oxidized polygelatin and degraded gelatin polypeptide.
18. A pharmaceutical composition consisting of:
a first substance comprising sodium chloride in an amount between about 1.5% and 6.9% (wv);
a second substance comprising at least one of dextran, carboxymethyl starch, sodium alginate, pentahydroxyethyl starch, gelatin derivatiyes, and pectin, wherein said second substance is present in an amount between about 3 and 18% total (wv);
a third substance comprising at least one of sodium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, sodium lactate, and Tris (Hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, wherein said third substance is present in an amount between about 0 and 5.4% total (wv); and
an injection comprising at least one of water, physiological saline, balanced buffers, glucose solution, sodium lactate solution, Tris solution, and glucose and sodium chloride solution, wherein said injection is present in an amount between about 75.1% and 95.5% total (wv),
wherein the total sodium ion concentration does not exceed an equivalent sodium ion concentration of 6.9% (wv) sodium chloride solution.
19. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 18, wherein said dextran has a molecular weight of about 40,000-230,000 atomic mass units; said carboxymethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 30,000-80,000 atomic mass units; said sodium alginate has a molecular weight of about 20,000-26,000 atomic mass units; said pectin has a molecular weight of about 20,000-40,000 atomic mass units; and said pentahydroxyethylstarch has a molecular weight of about 264,000 atomic mass units.
19. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 18, wherein said gelatin derivatives have a molecular weight of about 20,000-35,000 atomic mass units and are selected from at least one of urea-conjugated gelatin, modified liquid gelatin, oxidized polygelatin and degraded gelatin polypeptide.