High-resolution Mode Research Articles

Effect of Ultra High-Resolution Computed Tomography and Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction on Detectability of Simulated Submillimeter Artery

To evaluate the effect of ultra high-resolution computed tomography (UHRCT) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) on the detectability of simulated submillimeter artery. A small vessel phantom ranging from 0.4 to 2.0 mm in diameter and edge phantoms of low to high attenuation values were scanned by UHRCT (super-high-resolution mode and normal-resolution-mode) and conventional CT, and data were reconstructed by MBIR and filtered back projection (FBP). Vessel detectability was assessed subjectively and the effective size at which 50% of response was achieved (ES50 [mm]) was calculated. Modulation transfer function (MTF) was calculated by an edge spread function method. ES50 of super high-resolution mode (0.36 mm for MBIR and 0.50 mm for FBP) was significantly smaller than those of normal-resolution mode (P < 0.01). In the MTF analysis, the MTF of MBIR improved as the edge phantom attenuation increased, whereas that of FBP was stable. Both UHRCT and MBIR are effective for the detectability of simulated submillimeter artery.

Enhancement of photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes sensitized by SILAR - Deposited PbS nanoparticles

The aim of this work is to improve the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2-NTAs) by sensitizing them with PbS nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction method (SILAR). The Microstructure, surface morphology, phase composition and optical properties of the prepared structure were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM and High-resolution mode HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The TiO2 NTAs were loaded by PbS NPs, which contents increase by increasing the number of SILAR cycles. The PbS NPs, which have a size in the order of ∼20 nm, were found to be uniformly distributed in the TiO2 NTAs without damaging the tubular ordered structure. The photocatalytic activity of the PbS/TiO2 NTAs system, toward Amido Black (AB), showed significant enhancement compared to the bare untreated TiO2 NTs. At 30 SILAR deposition cycles the PbS-NPs/TiO2 NTAs structure is able to remove 75% of BA under simulated solar light, considerably higher than the 40% removal obtained with unloaded TiO2 NTAs. A significant improvement of the Photoelectrochemical (PEC) efficiency has been also demonstrated for the PbS-NPs/TiO2 NTAs hybrid system. This improvement is mainly related to visible-light harvesting and reduced recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs due to the synergistic effect of the heterojunction and to the well-organized morphology of the TiO2 NTAs.

Estimation of root inclination of anterior teeth from virtual study models: accuracy of a commercial software

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of commercially available software in estimating anterior tooth root inclination from digital impressions of the crowns of the teeth.Subjects and methodsFollowing sample size calculation and application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 55 anterior natural teeth derived from 14 dry human skulls were selected. Impressions were taken and plaster study models were fabricated. Plaster models were scanned using the high-resolution mode of an Ortho Insight 3D laser scanner. The teeth on the digital scans were segmented and virtual roots were predicted and constructed by the Ortho Insight 3D software. The 55 natural teeth were removed from the dry skulls and scanned using the Identica extraoral white-light scanner in order to calculate their actual root angulation. The teeth were scanned twice, once to acquire the crown and the cervical part of the root, and a second time to acquire the remaining part of the root, including the apex. The two scanned segments were joined in software by superimposing them along their common part. The accuracy of the digital models generated by the Ortho Insight 3D scanner in predicting root angulation was assessed by comparing these results to the corresponding measurements of the 55 natural teeth. The long axes of the tooth models obtained from the software prediction and the scanning of the actual teeth were computed and the discrepancy between them was evaluated. The error of the methods was evaluated by repeating the measurements on 14 teeth and showed an acceptable range.ResultsThe predicted tooth angulation was found to differ significantly from the actual angulation, both statistically and clinically. The angle between the predicted and actual long axes ranged from 2.0 to 37.6°(average 9.7°; median 7.4°). No statistically significant difference was found between tooth categories.ConclusionsFurther investigations and improvements of the software are needed before it can be considered clinically effective.

A Modular, Direct Time-of-Flight Depth Sensor in 45/65-nm 3-D-Stacked CMOS Technology

This article introduces a modular, direct time-of-flight (TOF) depth sensor. Each module is digitally synthesized and features a 2 $\times $ (8 $\times $ 8) single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pixel array, an edge-sensitive decision tree, a shared time-to-digital converter (TDC), 21-bit per-pixel memory, and in-locus data processing. Each module operates autonomously, by internal data acquisition, management, and storage, being periodically read out by an external access. The prototype was fabricated in a TSMC 3-D-stacked 45/65-nm CMOS technology, featuring backside illumination (BSI) SPAD detectors on the top tier, and readout circuit on the bottom tier. The sensor was characterized by single-point measurements, in two different modes of resolution and range. In low-resolution mode, a maximum of 300-m and 80-cm accuracy was recorded; on the other hand, in high-resolution mode, the maximum range and accuracy were 150 m and 7 cm, respectively. The module was also used in a flexible scanning light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system, where a 256 $\times $ 256 depth map, with millimeter precision, was obtained. A laser signature based on pulse-position modulation (PPM) is also proposed, achieving a maximum of 28-dB interference reduction.

Effects of Ordering in Fe-xAl Alloys

The evolution of the structurally different phases and of the microstructural state of Fe-xAl alloys is studied in neutron diffraction experiments performed in the high resolution and continuous temperature scanning modes. It is found that the D03 phase in a weakly nonequilibrium state of alloys occurring in the doping range from x ≈ 23 to x ≈ 31 at % has the form of nanoclusters (L ≈ 100–800 A) dispersed within a host material (matrix) such as the disordered (A2) or partially ordered (B2) phase. The B2 → D03 → B2 → A2 phase transitions are accompanied by a decrease or increase in the lattice parameters of these phases in the course of ordering or disordering of the atomic structure, respectively. In this situation, the lattice parameters of both the matrix and clusters change simultaneously and a high degree of coherence of the crystal lattices of the matrix and clusters is observed.

Untargeted characterization of extracts from Cannabis sativa L. cultivars by gas and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in high resolution mode

Elucidation of Cannabis composition is required to evaluate the potential of this plant for pharmacological uses, but also for implementation in breeding programs with agronomical purposes. The aim of the present study was to develop a method for untargeted analysis of polar and non-polar Cannabis extracts. For this purpose, extracts from 17 cultivars of Cannabis sativa L. were analyzed by gas chromatography–time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (GC–TOF/MS) and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC–QTOF MS/MS) in high resolution mode. One hundred sixty-nine compounds were identified in the extracts by searching MS and MS/MS information. Among identified families, there were mainly cannabinoids, terpenoids, lipids and flavonoids, but also some interesting compounds such as amino and organic acids, among others. Relative contents of terpenoids and cannabinoids in the same cultivars grown in greenhouse and field were compared. Compositional differences in the profile of terpenoids and cannabinoids between both types of grown conditions were found.

Analysis and evaluation of BC-mode OCT image visualization for microsurgery guidance.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been gaining acceptance in image-guided microsurgery as a noninvasive imaging technique. However, when using B-mode OCT imaging, it is difficult to continuously keep the surgical tool in the imaging field, and the image of the tissue beneath the tool is corrupted by shadow effects. The alternative using C-mode OCT imaging is either too slow in imaging speed when operating in a high-resolution mode, or provides a poor image resolution in a high-speed mode, with the sweep rate less than one million hertz. Moreover, the 3-dimensional rendering of C-mode OCT image makes it difficult to visualize the tissue structure and track the surgical tool beneath the tissue surface. To solve these problems, we propose a BC-mode OCT image visualization method. This method uses a sparse C-scanning scheme, which provides a set of high-resolution B-mode OCT images at sparsely spaced cross sections. The final BC-mode OCT image is obtained by averaging the image set, with inter frame variance processing to enhance the signal of the surgical tool and tissue layers. The performance of BC-mode OCT images, such as image resolution, signal to noise ratio (SNR), imaging speed, and surgical tool tracking accuracy, is analyzed theoretically and verified experimentally. The feasibility of the proposed method is evaluated by guiding the insertion of a 30-gauge needle into the cornea of an ex-vivo human eye freehand. The results show that this provides better visualization of both the surgical tool and the tissue structure than the conventional B- or C- mode OCT image.

DEAD WOOD DETECTION BASED ON SEMANTIC SEGMENTATION OF VHR AERIAL CIR IMAGERY USING OPTIMIZED FCN-DENSENET

Abstract. The assessment of the forests’ health conditions is an important task for biodiversity, forest management, global environment monitoring, and carbon dynamics. Several research works were proposed to evaluate the state condition of a forest based on remote sensing technology. Concerning existing technologies, employing traditional machine learning approaches to detect the dead wood in aerial colour-infrared (CIR) imagery is one of the major trends due to its spectral capability to explicitly capturing vegetation health conditions. However, the complicated scene with background noise restricted the accuracy of existing approaches as those detectors normally utilized hand-crafted features. Currently, deep neural networks are widely used in computer vision tasks and prove that features learnt by the model itself perform much better than the hand-crafted features. The semantic image segmentation is a pixel-level classification task, which is best suitable to dead wood detection in very high resolution (VHR) mode because it enables the model to identify and classify very dense and detailed components on the tree objects. In this paper, an optimized FCN-DenseNet is proposed to detect dead wood (i.e. standing dead tree and fallen tree) in a complicated temperate forest environment. Since the appearance of dead trees generally occupies greatly different scales and sizes; several pooling procedures are employed to extract multi-scale features and dense connection is employed to enhance the inline connection among the scales. Our proposed deep neural network is evaluated over VHR CIR imagery (GSD-10cm) captured in a natural temperate forest in Bavarian national forest park, Germany, which has undergone on-site bark beetle attack. The results show that the boundary of dead trees can be accurately segmented, and the classification are performed with a high accuracy, even though only one labelled image with moderate size is used for training the deep neural network.

Physicochemical surface characterizations of four dental CAD/CAM lithium disilicate-based glass ceramics on HF etching: An XPS study

The surfaces of four lithium disilicate glass ceramics (LDGC) were characterized at the nanolevel. The goal was to detect the chemical alteration of the surface on etching with hydrofluoric acid (HF). The four LDGC tested were Celtra Duo, IPS e.max CAD, Straumann n!ce and Vita Suprinity. Four blocks of each LDGC were sectioned to ∼ 1 mm thicknesses. The requirement for firing, or not, was carried out following the manufacturer’s recommendations. The samples were then divided into two groups: a control and an etched group. Etching was carried out using a solution of 5% HF for 20 s, rinsed for 20 s and dried for 10 s, using an air jet. The atomic percentages of the first atomic layers were probed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in the survey mode (n = 12). The oxygen and silicon peaks (O1s and Si2p) were then analyzed in the high resolution mode. The samples were also characterized using scanning electronic microscopy at high magnification (60 k). XPS showed the amounts of the major elements, Si, O and Li, were changed on etching. For all samples, trace elements, such as P, Zn, Y, Na and Sr, disappeared on glassy phase dissolution. Zr and Al percentages varied, based on the LDGC analyzed. High resolution spectra of the O1s and Si2p peaks showed that the chemical environments were qualitatively different in all samples. Acid etching, using 5% HF for 20 s, modified not only the topographic structure, but also the chemical composition of the LDGC surface.

A CO-multilayer outer atmosphere for eight evolved stars revealed with VLTI/AMBER

Abstract We determine the physical parameters of the outer atmosphere of a sample of eight evolved stars, including the red supergiant α Scorpii, the red giant branch stars α Bootis and γ Crucis, the K giant λ Velorum, the normal M giants BK Virginis and SW Virginis, and the Mira star W Hydrae (in two different luminosity phases) by spatially resolving the stars in the individual carbon monoxide (CO) first overtone lines. We used the Astronomical Multi-BEam combineR (AMBER) instrument at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), in high-resolution mode (λ/Δλ ≈ 12 000) between 2.28 and 2.31 $\, \mu {\rm m}$ in the K band. The maximal angular resolution is 10 mas, obtained using a triplet telescope configuration, with baselines from 7 to 48 m. By using a numerical model of a molecular atmosphere in a spherical shells (MOLsphere), called pampero (an acronym for the ‘physical approach of molecular photospheric ejection at high angular resolution for evolved stars’), we add multiple extended CO layers above the photospheric marcs model at an adequate spatial resolution. We use the differential visibilities and the spectrum to estimate the size (R) of the CO molsphere, its column density (NCO) and temperature (Tmol) distributions along the stellar radius. The combining of the χ2 minimization and a fine grid approach for uncertainty analysis leads to reasonable NCO and Tmol distributions along the stellar radius of the MOLsphere.

Understanding of Molecular Contribution of Quinhydrone/Methanol Organic Passivation for Improved Minority Carrier Lifetime on Nanostructured Silicon Surface

In this report, we present a study of the quinhydrone/methanol (QHY/MeOH) organic passivation technique for a silicon (Si) surface. The roles of p-benzoquinone (BQ) and hydroquinone (HQ), which make up QHY, in controlling the uniformity and coverage of the passivation layer as well as the minority carrier lifetime (τeff) of Si were investigated. The uniformity and coverage of the passivation layer after treatment with diverse mixture ratios of BQ and HQ in MeOH were studied with two different atomic force microscope (AFM) techniques, namely tunneling mode (TUNA) and high-resolution tapping mode AFM (HR-AFM). In addition, the τeff and surface potential voltages (SPV) of passivated surfaces were measured to clarify the relationship between the morphologies of the passivation layers and degrees of surface band bending. The molecular interactions between BQ and HQ in MeOH were also analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). In our study, we successfully demonstrated the role of each molecule for effective Si surface passivation with BQ working as a passivation agent and HQ contributing as a proton (H+) donator to BQ for accelerating the passivation rate. However, our study also clearly revealed that HQ could also hinder the formation of a conformal passivation layer, which raises an issue for passivation over complex surface geometry, especially a nanostructured surface.

Stability study and oxidative degradation kinetics of posaconazole

Posaconazole (POS), a triazole derivative used for the treatment of systemic fungal infections, was recently found to be a potential therapeutic alternative for patients with chronic Chagas disease. It is necessary to determine the stability of POS and identify its degradation products to achieve the expected pharmacological effects and assess the risks of drug toxicity associated with this novel therapeutic application. This study aimed to evaluate POS stability under varied conditions using forced degradation tests (acidic and basic hydrolysis, thermolysis, and oxidation). A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the separation and identification of POS and its degradation products. POS was stable to acid and basic hydrolysis and thermolysis but not to oxidation. POS and its degradation products were characterized by high-resolution positive mode electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight (ESI-QTOF) mass spectrometry. Two degradation products with m/z values of 717 and 733 were detected. Molecular modeling was used for the calculation of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and electrostatic potential changes. The results suggest that POS degradation begins with the breakage of its piperazine ring. This is the first study to report the kinetics of POS oxidative degradation under different oxidizing agent concentrations, temperatures, and pH conditions. The reaction followed second-order kinetics under all tested conditions. The analytical methods developed in this study were suitable to delineate the stability profile of POS. Elucidation of the degradation kinetics of POS is essential to ensure the stability of the drug in pharmaceutical formulations.

Revealing the nature of central emission nebulae in the dwarf galaxy NGC 185

Aims. In this paper we present new optical observations of the galaxy NGC 185 intended to reveal the status of supernova remnants (SNRs) in this dwarf companion of the Andromeda galaxy. Previously, it was reported that this galaxy hosts one SNR. Methods. Our deep photometric study with the 2m telescope at Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory using narrow-band Hα and [S II] filters revealed complex structure of the interstellar medium in the center of the galaxy. To confirm the classification and to study the kinematics of the detected nebulae, we carried out spectroscopic observations using the SCORPIO multi-mode spectrograph at the 6m telescope at the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science, both in low- and high-resolution modes. We also searched the archival X-ray and radio data for counterparts of the candidate SNRs identified by our optical observations. Results. Our observations imply the presence of one more SNR, one possible H II region previously cataloged as part of an SNR, and the presence of an additional source of shock ionization in one low-brightness planetary nebula. We detected enhanced [S II]/Hα and [N II]/Hα line ratios, as well as relatively high (up to 90 km s−1) expansion velocities of the two observed nebulae, motivating their classification as SNRs (with diameters of 45 pc and 50 pc), confirmed by both photometric and spectral observations. The estimated electron density of emission nebulae is 30–200 cm−3. Archival XMM-Newton observations indicate the presence of an extended, low-brightness, soft source in projection of one of the optical SNRs, whereas the archival VLA radio image shows weak, unresolved emission in the center of NGC 185.

High-Definition Zoom Mode: A High Resolution X-ray Microscope for Neurointerventional Treatment Procedures.

Visualization of structural details of treatment devices during neurointerventional procedures can be challenging. A new true two-resolution imaging X-ray detector system features a 194µm pixel conventional flat-panel detector (FPD) mode and a 76µm pixel high-resolution high-definition (Hi-Def) zoom mode in one detector panel. The Hi-Def zoom mode was developed for use in interventional procedures requiring superior image quality over a small field of view (FOV). We report successful use of this imaging system during intracranial aneurysm treatment in 1 patient with a Pipeline-embolization device and 1 patient with a low-profile visualized intramural support (LVIS Blue) device plus adjunctive coiling. A guide catheter was advanced from the femoral artery insertion site to the proximity of each lesion using standard FPD mode. Under magnified small FOV Hi-Def imaging mode, an intermediate catheter and microcatheters were guided to the treatment site, and the PED and LVIS Blue plus coils were deployed. Radiation doses were tracked intraprocedurally. Critical details, including structural changes in the PED and LVIS Blue and position and movement of the microcatheter tip within the coil mass, were more readily apparent in Hi-Def mode. Skin-dose mapping indicated that Hi-Def mode limited radiation exposure to the smaller FOV of the treatment area. Visualization of device structures was much improved in the high-resolution Hi-Def mode, leading to easier, more controlled deployment of stents and coils than conventional FPD mode.

Design and offline processing of an ultrafast digitizer based on internal cascaded DRS4

In this paper, we present an ultrafast digitizer utilizing the DRS4 switched capacitor array application-specific integrated circuit to achieve an ultrafast sampling speed of at most 5 GS/s. We cascaded all eight channels (sub-channels) of a single DRS4 chip for increased storage depth. The digitizer contains four DRS4 chips, a quad-channel analog-to-digital converter, a controlling field-programmable gate array, a PXI interface, and an SFP+ connector. Consequently, each DRS4 channel has a depth of 8192 points and a vertical resolution of 14 bits. The readout sequences should be broken into several segments and then reordered to obtain the correct sequential data sets, and this offline procedure varies in different readout modes. This paper describes the design and implementation of the hardware; in particular, the respective processing procedures are described in detail. Furthermore, the offset error is calibrated and corrected to improve the precision of the captured waveform in both single-channel and high-resolution modes.

Granular activated charcoal from peanut (Arachis hypogea) shell as a new candidate for stabilization of arsenic in soil

A sandy soil of pH = 5.0 artificially contaminated with 15 mg/kg As in form of arsenate ions [iAs(V)] corresponding to the permissible value in force in Hungary was incubated for 4 weeks after amendment with different peanut shell-derived activated charcoal (AC) materials at an application rate of 2 wt%. Composite formation with silicate materials and adsorption mechanism for As were corroborated by attenuated total-reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, 0.01 M oxalic acid (OA) was also applied to investigate further enhancement through protonation of iAs(V) and/or AC. Assessment of As stabilization was achieved by a fit-to-purpose BCR sequential soil extraction procedure (extraction of the water-soluble and carbonatic fraction with 0.11 M acetic acid solution and the easily reducible one by 0.5 M hydroxylamine hydrochloride). Arsenic phytoavailability was estimated by leaching with 0.02 M EDTA solution (pH = 4.65). Samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometer applying high resolution mode. Total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was used to check data accuracy. The largest As stabilization rate (approximately 30%) compared to the reference soil treatment was obtained when granular Florisil®-AC was applied. Stabilization efficiency did not improve by using OA. A 5 wt% AC application rate for the Florisil® composite resulted in a similar As distribution to the 2 wt% one also at a 30 mg/kg iAs(V) dosage. The amounts of immobilized As increased almost proportionally with the higher AC application rate by doubling the iAs(V) dose. Similarly, studies conducted on solutions proved that As adsorption onto ACs was slightly exponential.

A phantom study comparing technical image quality of five breast tomosynthesis systems

BackgroundDigital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a three-dimensional breast imaging method. DBT vendors employ various approaches in both image acquisition and data processing, which may affect image quality and radiation exposure to patients. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the performance of five DBT systems: Fujifilm Amulet Innovality (using both a standard mode and high-resolution mode), GE Senographe Essential, Hologic Selenia Dimensions, Planmed Clarity 3D, and Siemens Mammomat Inspiration. Materials and methodsThe performance of each device and imaging technique was evaluated and compared by phantom measurements performed with four quality assurance phantoms. Technical image quality assessments consisted of measuring artefact extent, in-plane resolution, relative noise power spectrum, and geometric accuracy. ResultsArtefact spreading varied remarkably between the devices, and the full width at half maximum values of artefact spread functions varied from 3.5 mm to 10.7 mm. Noticeable in-plane resolution anisotropy, determined using modulation transfer function (MTF) analysis, was typically observed between tube travel direction and chest wall-nipple direction. The MTF50 varied from 1.1 mm−1 to 1.6 mm−1 and from 1.5 mm−1 to 4.1 mm−1 in the tube travel and chest wall-nipple directions, respectively. Moreover, distinctly different noise power spectra were observed between the systems. The geometric accuracy in every system was within 0.5%. ConclusionTechnical image quality assessments with image quality phantoms revealed remarkable differences in artefact spread, in-plane resolution, and noise properties between the DBT systems and imaging methods.

The optimal calculation formula for glomerular filtration rate estimation in patients with acute kidney injury in the early course of acute pancreatitis

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is currently the reference method for the determination of inorganic elements, and has many applications in healthcare and the environmental field. The objective of the present study was to develop and validate a high-resolution ICP-MS method for the simultaneous quantification of 38 elements in samples of human whole blood, urine, hair and tissues after microwave mineralization. The samples were incubated with nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide and internal standards prior to microwave mineralization for 25 min. The analysis was performed with an Element XR ICP-MS and validated using commercial reference standards (whole blood, urine, and hair) and in-house quality control samples. The 38 elements were detected in low-, medium- or high-resolution mode, depending on interferences and sensitivity. The lower and upper limits of quantification were adjusted for each element. The method was linear for all elements (correlation coefficient >0.996), and the inter- and intraday precision values (coefficient of variation) were below 15%. Samples from a clinical trial were used to confirm the high-resolution ICP-MS method’s suitability for the assessment of patient samples.

Temporal high-resolution evaluation algorithm for sinusoidally phase modulated interference signals.

In this paper, we present a practical approach for phase analysis of sinusoidally phase shifted interference signals, which are generally used to detect optical path length changes in one arm of the interferometer based on an algorithm introduced by de Groot. We describe the original algorithm from our point of view and try to emphasize the limitations and some details that need to be known for practical implementation. We introduce methods for how to overcome these limitations, and in addition, we provide an extension of the algorithm to a temporal high-resolution mode, which provides a possibility to calculate a phase value for each sampled point of an interference signal and opens new applications for the existing measurement devices without any hardware changes. Simulated and experimental results verify our extensions.

New high-resolution and high-transmission modes of the FRS for FAIR phase-0 experiments

The FRagment Separator FRS at GSI is primarily a powerful in-flight separator for short-lived exotic nuclei based on multiple magnetic rigidity analysis and atomic energy-loss in shaped matter. The versatile ion-optical system of the FRS can also be operated as a high-resolution spectrometer and can be used for precise momentum measurements. Other experiments require high rates of exotic nuclei which is accomplished through thick targets and high optical transmission. Here, two developments are presented: A new mode for high-resolution momentum measurements and a high-transmission mode for exotic isotopes spatially separated and energy bunched with achromatic and monoenergetic degraders.