Digital Integrator for Fast Accurate Measurement of Magnetic Flux by Rotating Coils

A fast digital integrator (FDI) with dynamic accuracy and a trigger frequency higher than those of a portable digital integrator (PDI), which is a state-of-the-art instrument for magnetic measurements based on rotating coils, was developed for analyzing superconducting magnets in particle accelerators. Results of static and dynamic metrological characterization show how the FDI prototype is already capable of overcoming the dynamic performance of PDI as well as covering operating regions that used to be inaccessibl

Standalone, battery powered radiation monitors for accelerator electronics

A technical description of the design of a new type of radiation monitors is given. The key point in the design is the low power consumption inferior to 17 mW in radiation sensing mode and inferior to 0.3 mW in standby mode. The radiation monitors can operate without any external power or signal cabling and measure and store radiation data for a maximum period of 800 days. To read the radiation data, a standard PC can be connected via a USB interface to the device at any time. Only a few seconds are required to read out a single monitor. This makes it possible to survey a large network of monitoring devices in a short period of time, for example during a stop of the accelerator

Uncertainty Reduction Via Parameter Design of A Fast Digital Integrator for Magnetic Field Measurement

At European Centre of Nuclear Research (CERN), within the new Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project, measurements of magnetic flux with uncertainty of 10 ppm at a few of decades of Hz for several minutes are required. With this aim, a new Fast Digital Integrator (FDI) has been developed in cooperation with University of Sannio, Italy [1]. This paper deals with the final design tuning for achieving target uncertainty by means of experimental statistical parameter design

A Flexible Software Framework for Magnetic Measurements at CERN: a Prototype for the new Generation of Rotating Coils

A new software platform named FFMM (Flexible Framework for Magnetic Measurements) is under development at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in cooperation with the University of Sannio. The FFMM is aimed at facing the new test requirements arising after the production series of the Large Hadron Collider magnets. In particular, the basic concepts of the FFMM, its architecture, and the experimental implementation of a demonstrator are illustrated in order to show how the quality requirements of software flexibility and scalability are met

Performance Analysis of a Fast Digital Integrator for Magnetic Field Measurements at CERN

A Fast Digital Integrator (FDI) has been designed at CERN for increasing performance of state-of-art instruments analyzing superconducting magnets in particle accelerators. In particular, in flux measurement, a bandwidth up to 50-100 kHz and an accuracy of 10 ppm has to be targeted. In this paper, basic concepts and architecture of the developed FDI are highlighted. Numerical metrological analysis of the instrument performance is shown, by focusing both on deterministic errors and on uncertainty in time and amplitude domains

Metrological Characterisation of a Fast Digital Integrator for Magnetic Measurements at CERN

A Fast Digital Integrator (FDI) was designed to satisfy new more demanding requirements of dynamic accuracy and trigger frequency in magnetic measurements based on rotating coil systems for analyzing superconducting magnets in particle accelerators. In particular, in flux measurement, a bandwidth up to 50-100 kHz and a dynamic accuracy of 10 ppm are targeted. In this paper, results of static and dynamic metrological characterization of the FDI prototype and of the Portable Digital Integrator (PDI), heavely used at CERN and in many sub-nuclear laboratories, are compared. Preliminary results show how the initial prototype of FDI is already capable of both overcoming dynamic performance of PDI and covering operating regions inaccessible before

Fault self-defection of automatic testing systems by means of aspect-oriented programming

An Aspect Oriented approach to implement fault detection in automatic measurement systems is proposed. Faults are handled by means of "aspects", a specific software unit to better modularize issues transversal to many modules ("crosscutting concerns"). In this way, maintainability and reusability of a measurement software are improved: indeed, once a modification of the fault detection policy occurs, only the related aspects have to be modified. As an experimental case study, this technique has been applied to the fault self-detection of a flexible framework for magnetic measurements, developed at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Technology applications in shoulder replacement

The advancement of technologies in orthopaedic surgery should provide the surgeon with precise and trustworthy support for pre-operative planning, intra-operative guidance and post-operative follow-up. The request for greater accuracy, predictable results and fewer complications, is the engine of digital evolution in pre-operative planning and computer-assisted surgery (CAS). It is an evolution rather than a revolution, and in the last few years these developments have begun to involve shoulder replacement surgery, too

Thyroid ultrasonography reporting: consensus of Italian Thyroid Association (AIT), Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE), Italian Society of Ultrasonography in Medicine and Biology (SIUMB) and Ultrasound Chapter of Italian Society of Medical Radiology (SIRM)

Thyroid ultrasonography (US) is the gold standard for thyroid imaging and its widespread use is due to an optimal spatial resolution for superficial anatomic structures, a low cost and the lack of health risks. Thyroid US is a pivotal tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of autoimmune thyroid diseases, for assessing nodule size and echostructure and defining the risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules. The main limitation of US is the poor reproducibility, due to the variable experience of the operators and the different performance and settings of the equipments. Aim of this consensus statement is to standardize the report of thyroid US through the definition of common minimum requirements and a correct terminology. US patterns of autoimmune thyroid diseases are defined. US signs of malignancy in thyroid nodules are classified and scored in each nodule. We also propose a simplified nodule risk stratification, based on the predictive value of each US sign, classified and scored according to the strength of association with malignancy, but also to the estimated reproducibility among different operators

Thyroid nodules treated with percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation: a comparative study

Percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation (RTA) was reported as an effective tool for the management of thyroid nodules (TNs). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of RTA and to establish whether they were treatment-related by comparison with a matched, untreated control group