A method of extracting complex impedance from selected volumes of the material under test (MUT) combined with various embodiments of electrode sensor arrays. Configurations of linear and planar electrode arrays provide measured data of complex impedance of selected volumes, or voxels, of the MUT, which then can be used to extract the impedance of selected sub-volumes or sub-voxels of the MUT through application of circuit theory. The complex impedance characteristics of the sub-voxels may be used to identify variations in the properties of the various sub-voxels of the MUT, or be correlated to physical properties of the MUT using electromagnetic impedance tomography and/or spectroscopy.

A method of extracting complex impedance from selected volumes of the material under test (MUT) combined with various embodiments of electrode sensor arrays. Configurations of linear and planar electrode arrays provide measured data of complex impedance of selected volumes, or voxels, of the MUT, which then can be used to extract the impedance of selected sub-volumes or sub-voxels of the MUT through application of circuit theory. The complex impedance characteristics of the sub-voxels may be used to identify variations in the properties of the various sub-voxels of the MUT, or be correlated to physical properties of the MUT using electromagnetic impedance tomography and/or spectroscopy.

A security screening apparatus for use in detecting ferromagnetic objects comprises a detector apparatus which comprises a housing that supports at least one magnetic sensor arranged to produce a signal indicative of an ambient magnetic field or gradient over a zone of sensitivity which extends away from the housing, the size of the zone being large enough to contain the whole body of the person, and a signal processing circuit which receives as an input the signal from the magnetic sensor and which, in response to a change in the signal produces an alert signal. A beacon that comprises a light source is able to emit at least two visually distinct colours of light, and a control means controls the light source such that in a first condition in the absence of the alert signal the beacon emits a first colour light and in a second condition corresponding to the presence of the alert signal the beacon emits a second, different, colour of light. The light source is arranged such that the position and/or size and/or shape of the illuminated area of the light source in the first condition is different from the position and/or size and or shape of the illuminated area of the light source in the second condition.

A security screening apparatus for use in detecting ferromagnetic objects comprises a detector apparatus which comprises a housing that supports at least one magnetic sensor arranged to produce a signal indicative of an ambient magnetic field or gradient over a zone of sensitivity which extends away from the housing, the size of the zone being large enough to contain the whole body of the person, and a signal processing circuit which receives as an input the signal from the magnetic sensor and which, in response to a change in the signal produces an alert signal. A beacon that comprises a light source is able to emit at least two visually distinct colours of light, and a control means controls the light source such that in a first condition in the absence of the alert signal the beacon emits a first colour light and in a second condition corresponding to the presence of the alert signal the beacon emits a second, different, colour of light. The light source is arranged such that the position and/or size and/or shape of the illuminated area of the light source in the first condition is different from the position and/or size and or shape of the illuminated area of the light source in the second condition.

A method for detecting a beacon signal using an above-ground tracker. The tracker comprises an antenna assembly comprising a plurality of antennas. Each antenna is oriented in a different direction. During operation, if the beacon signal is interrupted due to a local noise source, transmission of the beacon signal is stopped. The tracker then detects radiation from the local noise source and the processor determines a direction from which peak ambient noise arrives at the tracker. The beacon signal is then resumed. A processor included in the tracker excludes any signals generated by the antenna assembly that are representative of radiation that arrived at the tracker from the same direction the peak ambient noise arrived at the tracker. The tracker then detects the beacon signal using the non-excluded signals.

An object is to provide an operating body detection device having improved reliability of a capacitance-type sensor in input detection. An operating body detection device comprising: a capacitance-type sensor having a capacitance sensing surface on which a plurality of sensing electrodes is arranged; and a heat source sensing sensor comprising a heat source sensing film having a heat source sensing membrane with a heat source sensing surface. The detection surface that detects an operating body may have a region in which the capacitance sensing surface and the heat source sensing surface overlap when viewed from a normal direction of the detection surface. Preferably, the control unit that controls the capacitance-type sensor and the heat source sensing sensor starts heat source measurement with the heat source sensing sensor on condition that an object is detected with the capacitance-type sensor.

A multi-purpose detection circuit for object detection and vehicle position determination is described. For example, the circuit is configurable for detecting foreign metallic objects, living objects, and a vehicle or type of vehicle above an inductive wireless power transmitter. The circuit is also configurable for determining the vehicle's position relative to the inductive wireless power transmitter. An example apparatus includes a measurement circuit including a multiplexer, electrically connected to a plurality of inductive and capacitive sense circuits, for measuring one or more electrical characteristics in each of the inductive and capacitive sense circuits according to a predetermined time multiplexing scheme. The apparatus further includes a control and evaluation circuit for evaluating the measured electrical characteristics and determining at least one of a presence of a metallic object, a living object, a vehicle, or a type of vehicle, and a vehicle position based on changes in the measured electrical characteristics.

Systems and methods for marking the location and extent of an anatomical region-of-interest, such as a tumor, using magnetic seeds whose position and orientation are measured or otherwise detected using a detection device that includes two or more magnetic sensors are described. One or more magnetic seeds are implanted to mark and define the center and extent of an anatomical region-of-interest and a magnetic sensor-based detector system is used to accurately identify the location of the magnetic seeds.

Systems and methods for marking the location and extent of an anatomical region-of-interest, such as a tumor, using magnetic seeds whose position and orientation are measured or otherwise detected using a detection device that includes two or more magnetic sensors are described. One or more magnetic seeds are implanted to mark and define the center and extent of an anatomical region-of-interest and a magnetic sensor-based detector system is used to accurately identify the location of the magnetic seeds.

Magnetic field measurement by a set of magnetometers which are linked to a same moveable support and which have different orientations of eigendirections with respect to this support A processor determines, during a measurement in a given position and orientation of the support and of the set of magnetometers, for each magnetometer, of the orientation deviation between the eigendirections of the magnetometer and a candidate magnetic field, the magnetometer for which this deviation is minimal, the magnetic field measured by this sensor being selected as the magnetic field measured by the set of magnetometers. The magnetometers are distributed in space in order to cover a maximum of different orientations.