A rotor blade coupling device for coupling to a rotor mast having a rotor head centerpiece. The coupling device has at least three rotor blade mountings mounted on the rotor head centerpiece and accommodating at least three rotor blades lying in a rotor plane, and at least one connecting element between adjacent rotor blade mountings. The rotor blade mountings can carry out pivoting motions about a pivoting axis extending vertical to the rotor plane. The at least one connecting element is a damping device, and the rotor blade coupling device has a plate-shaped transfer element, which respectively crosses a rotor blade mounting and is coupled to at least one damping device. The rotor blade coupling device has a simplified design and ensures improved damping of lead-lag motions.

Rotor blade coupling devices are known, for example, from US 2008/0159862 A1, wherein a plurality of damping elements (that are resilient in the rotational direction of the rotating rotor blades) are provided as connecting elements between two respectively adjacent rotor blades and dampen the lead-lag motions.
Such damping elements between two respectively adjacent rotor blades, which are known from US 2008/0159862 A1, are usually also referred to as "interblade" dampers. The rotor blade coupling device with damping elements between two respectively adjacent rotor blades known from US 2008/0159862 A1 has a complex design. For example, an additional arrangement of two respective joints and connecting brackets is required in the transition areas between the individual damping elements and rotor blade mountings, wherein the maintenance effort for these additional components is particularly high. It was furthermore determined that two joints of this type, which are spaced apart from the blade pitch axis, can generate negative dynamic effects.
Other rotor blade coupling devices known from the prior art, which feature connecting elements in the crossing area of the rotor blade mountings, as well as damping means for damping the lead-lag motions, are described below.
US 2010/0215496 A1 discloses a rotor blade coupling device with a design similar to that of the rotor blade coupling device known from US 2008/0159862 A1.
The rotor blade coupling device known from US 2010/0215496 A1 comprises a damping device that is arranged in the region crossing the rotor blade mounting, wherein this damping device comprises an elastomer component. The damping effect is based on elastic twisting of the elastomer component. Rods consisting, in particular, of rigid material are arranged between the damping devices as connecting elements between the rotor blades.
The rotor blade coupling device known from US 2010/0215496 A1 is complicated with respect to its installation and maintenance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,585 discloses another rotor blade coupling device with a plurality of rotor blades that are respectively arranged on a rotor blade mounting, as well as damping means for damping lead-lag motions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,585 also discloses damping devices in the form of connecting means between adjacent rotor blade mountings or so-called "interblade" dampers. According to a preferred variation, the rotor blade coupling device known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,585 also comprises V-shaped and rigidly designed lever elements that respectively cross the rotor blade mountings, wherein one lever arm of the lever element is connected to a damping element in an articulated fashion and the other lever arm is rigidly connected to a damping device.

Rotor blade coupling device of a rotor head for a rotorcraft


A variable gap device which comprises a suitable material with a cavity formed therein mounted over a body. Elements are formed on the surface of the body and on the top surface of the cavity. In one embodiment, the elements are electrodes of a variable capacitance device, and in another embodiment the elements are partial or total reflectors of incident light from an optical fiber. The surface of the cavity opposite the body is preferably flat and of the order of microns from the body.. The device is fabricated by forming a removable layer over a temporary substrate. An appropriate element pattern is formed over the removable layer and the layer is etched in a configuration which will define the cavity. The deformable material is encapsulated over this structure and then removed from the substrate with the element remaining in the cavity. Any removable material remaining in the cavity can then be etched away.

This invention relates to variable gap devices and their method of manufacture.
Variable gap devices are those which include a pair of elements and a deformable material which permits a variation in the gap between elements. In the case of variable capacitance devices, the elements are electrodes which form a capacitor. When a bias is supplied to the electrodes, the variable capacitance may be used for a wide variety of functions. For example, the deformable material may take the form of a membrane which is coupled to an electrode and displaced in response to a pressure or audio input. The variation in capacitance resulting from the change in electrode gap can be detected, and the device functions as a pressure sensor or microphone, respectively. By applying a varying bias to the electrodes, the membrane can be caused to vibrate, and the device functions as a loudspeaker or hearing aid. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. application of Busch-Vishniac et al, Ser. No. 572,683, filed Jan. 20, 1984 and assigned to Bell Telephone Laboratories now U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,184 issued Dec. 10, 1985.) Other types of variable capacitance devices make use of a flexible reflecting electrode for controlling optical interference in order to provide a display function. (See, e.g., European Patent Application Publication No. 0035299, published Sept. 9, 1981.) A still further type of device employs a deformable waveguide between two electrodes such that electrostatic attraction deforms the waveguide and attenuates light propagation therethrough. A plurality of such devices forms an optical image recorder (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,118, issued to Conwell).
While devices presently available may be adequate, the need exists for a variable capacitance device which can operate at low voltages. Further, precise sensor or display operations require a highly uniform gap distance. The device should also be compact in order to be compatible with the microminiature nature of operations such as blood pressure sensors and the like.
In addition to achieving devices of the abovedescribed nature, it is desirable to provide an economical method for fabricating such devices with precise dimensions in large quantities. This requires a technique which is capable of forming gaps of the order of microns and extremely flat surfaces in a reproducible fashion. Fine-line electrode dimensions approximately 20 .mu.m in width are also desirable for many applications. Present techniques typically require difficult alignment and etching techniques which are not readily compatible with extremely small gap dimensions.
Consequently, it is an object of the invention to provide variable gap devices which are small and highly accurate, yet can be manufactured inexpensively on a large scale. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing such devices.

Variable gap device and method of manufacture


A turning device for decorating a beverage container has a frame with a plurality of rotating rods that extend through the frame. Mounting dowels are connected to an end of each rotating shafts and a continuous chain is operatively connected to the plurality of rotating members. A motor is connected to an opposite end of one rotating member.

This invention is directed to a turning device and more particularly a turning device for applying epoxy to a decorated tumbler.
Decorating tumblers with glitter, spray paint, lettering, stickers and the like have become popular among people interested in making crafts. Typically, to provide a protective seal over the decorative design, a layer of epoxy is applied to the tumbler. This process can be messy, difficult, and time consuming. To assist in the application of applying epoxy, turning devices are used. While helpful, these devices are unreliable, limited to a specific size of tumbler, and limited to a single tumbler at a time.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a turning device that is more reliable.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a turning device that is able to rotate more than one tumbler at a time.
These and other objectives will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art based upon the following written description, drawings, and claims.


A device for preparing a sloped mud surface around a drain prior to setting tile or stone includes one or more arms (i.e., rigid arms) attached to a sleeve and rotatably supported relative to a vertical axis defined by a vertical shaft and horizontal planar base. An adjustable clamp assembly releasably secures the device to a conventional drain, which may be secured to a drainpipe by pipe threads. The bottom edge of the arm provides a straight working edge. The arm can be freely moved (i.e., rotated) around the vertical shaft degrees, counterclockwise and clockwise. As the arm rotates around the vertical shaft the working edge sweeps over the floor mud surface, spreading and leveling the surface while scraping or sweeping away excess material.

An important aspect of setting ceramic tile and stone around a drain is the process of applying "floor mud." Floor mud is typically comprised of Portland Cement, sand and water mixed together to a semi-dry condition. The floor mud provides a surface upon which ceramic tile or stone may be set. The floor mud surface is referred to herein as the surface of floor mud, floor mud surface, or mud surface.
Proper construction of a floor surface with a drain into which water is to be collected presents a common challenge in building construction. Such a floor surface should be smoothly graded across its extent with sufficient and consistent inclination to facilitate water collection at the drain, while preventing unwanted pooling of water in other areas of the floor surface. Concomitantly, unduly steep and non-uniform inclinations should be avoided for aesthetic, comfort and safety reasons.
Meeting these objectives using conventional construction methods requires experience, diligence and attention to detail. Unfortunately, conventional methods of constructing such floor surfaces are time consuming, laborious and conducive to error. Typically, improvised solutions with tools that are not designed or particularly well suited for the process are utilized. In many cases, the end-products exhibit inconsistent, inferior and unacceptable properties. In such cases, the unacceptable floor mud must be removed and the process must be repeated, resulting in great loss of time, money, goodwill and possibly employment.
A device and method to facilitate properly, efficiently and consistently applying floor mud to achieve the desired inclination is urgently needed. The invention is directed to fulfilling one or more of the needs and overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Floor mud forming device and methodology


Described is a bioprocess for the high-yield production of food flavor-acceptable jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate, as well as a novel jasmonic acid isomer produced thereby and organoleptic uses thereof. The process yields at least 5% of the "cis" isomer defined according the structure: ##STR1##. (wherein R is hydrogen or methyl) or at least 5% of the "cis" isomer defined according to the structure: ##STR2##. (wherein R is hydrogen or methyl). Compositions containing at least 98% of the isomer having the structure: ##STR3##. with an optical rotation (.alpha..sub.D.sup.20) of +58.degree. are novel. Compositions containing at least 98% of the isomer having the structure: ##STR4##. with an optical rotation (.alpha..sub.D.sup.20) of +58.degree. are also novel. The process of our invention comprises the cultivation under aerobic condition of one or more specific strain of Diplodia gossypina in a nutrient medium followed either by (1) isolation of the jasmonic acid product or (2) esterification of the jasmonic acid to form methyl jasmonate followed by the isolation of the methyl jasmonate and novel products produced by such process.

This invention concerns a microbial process for production of compositions of matter containing isomers of jasmonic acid having the structure: ##STR5##
which are flavor acceptable as well as isomers having the structure: ##STR6##
which are also flavor acceptable. This invention is also concerned with the production of methyl jasmonate isomers from the aforementioned jasmonic acid isomers.
Considerable time and effort have been expended by microbiologists in the search for better processes for the production of jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate which are flavor acceptable isomers, including those isomers defined according to the structure: ##STR7##
wherein R is methyl or hydrogen. Thus, Broadbent in United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1,286,266 published on Aug. 23, 1972 discloses and claims a process for the manufacture of jasmonic acid which comprises cultivation of the organism Lasiodiplodia theobromae in a nutrient medium containing an assimilable source of carbon and an assimilable source of nitrogen followed by isolation of the product from the culture medium. Gunther, et al, German Democratic Republic Patent DD 279 688 published on Jun. 13, 1990 discloses a process for the production of 7-iso-jasmonic acid by strains of the organism Botryodiplodia theobromae in aerobic culture. This work is also discussed in the paper Miersch, et al, Phytochemistry, Volume 26, No. 4, pages 1037-1039, 1987, entitled "(+)-7-ISO-JASMONIC ACID AND RELATED COMPOUNDS FROM BOTRYODIPLODIA THEOBROAME." The organisms, Botryodiplodia theobromae and Lasiodermea theobromae are synonyms of Diplodia gossypina as discussed in the paper Jones, MYCOTAXON, Volume VI, No. 1 at pages 24-26, July-September 1997 (title: "THE CURRENT TAXONOMIC STATUS OF DIPLODIA GOSSYPINA." As confirmed by Hausler and Munch in the article entitled "Microbial Production of Natural Flavors," Volume 63, No. 10, ASM News at pages 551-559:
"Another plant fatty acid metabolite, jasmonic acid, an endogenous plant growth regulator with a variety of physiological functions, is produced by means of a similar metabolic pathway. After a lipoxygenase produces a hydroperoxide derivative of linolenic acid, this compound is converted to its allene oxide, which cyclizes. .beta.-Oxidation and double-bond reduction yields jasmonic acid. The methylester of jasmonic acid is not only a volatile plant hormone, possibly involved in interplant communication, but is also an important flavor and fragrance molecule that imparts a sweet-floral, jasmine-like note . . . PA1 Otto Miersch and his collaborators at the Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle-Saale, Germany, who were studying fungal plant pathogens, including Botryodiplodia theobromae, discovered that such microorganisms produce jasmonic acid. The biosynthetic steps leading to jasmonic acid in this filamentous fungus are probably similar to those found in plants. Recently our laboratory, which is evaluating this strain's capacity for producing jasmonic acid, found that B. theobromae yields only very low concentrations of jasmonic acid in liquid culture. Such findings suggest that the biosynthesis and excretion of jasmonic acid is strictly controlled during the growth cycle of this fungus on plants in its natural habitat."no bioprocesses for the high yield production of fruit flavor-acceptable jasmonic acid or methyl jasmonate exist. The Hausler and Munch paper was published in October 1997. ASM News is published by the American Society for Microbiology. PA1 (i) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 10936; PA1 (ii) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 20575; PA1 (iii) Diplodia gossypina NRRL 25011; and PA1 (iv) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 36037 PA1 (i) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 10936; PA1 (ii) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 20575; PA1 (iii) Diplodia gossypina NRRL 25011; and PA1 (iv) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 36037. PA1 (i) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 10936; PA1 (ii) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 20575; PA1 (iii) Diplodia gossypina NRRL 25011; or PA1 (iv) Diplodia gossypina ATCC 36037 PA1 (a) extraction of the jasmonic acid from the fermentation broth with an extraction solvent such as ethyl acetate to form ajasmonic acid extract; PA1 (b) concentration of the jasmonic acid extract whereby the extraction solvent is stripped; PA1 (c) esterification of the resulting jasmonic acid with methyl alcohol whereby the methyl jasmonate is formed according to one of the reactions: ##STR25## PA1 (d) concentration of the resulting methyl jasmonate. PA1 anise oil; PA1 ethyl-2-methyl butyrate; PA1 vanillin; PA1 cis-3-heptenol; PA1 cis-3-hexenol; PA1 trans-2-heptenal; PA1 butyl valerate; PA1 2,3-diethyl pyrazine; PA1 methyl cyclopentenolone; PA1 benzaldehyde; PA1 valerian oil; PA1 3,4-dimethoxyphenol; PA1 amyl acetate; PA1 amyl cinnamate; PA1 .gamma.-butyryl lactone; PA1 furfural; PA1 trimethyl pyrazine; PA1 phenyl acetic acid; PA1 isovaleraldehyde; PA1 ethyl maltol; PA1 ethyl vanilin; PA1 ethyl valerate; PA1 ethyl butyrate; PA1 cocoa extract; PA1 coffee extract; PA1 peppermint oil; PA1 spearmint oil; PA1 clove oil; PA1 anethol; PA1 cardamom oil; PA1 wintergreen oil; PA1 cinnamic aldehyde; PA1 ethyl-2-methyl valerate; PA1 .gamma.-hexenyl lactone; PA1 2,4-decadienal; PA1 2,4-heptadienal; PA1 methyl thiazole alcohol (4-methyl-5-.beta.-hydroxyehtyl thiazole); PA1 2-methyl butanethiol; PA1 4-mercapto-2-butanone; PA1 3-mercapto-2-pentanone; PA1 1-mercapto-2-propane; PA1 benzaldehyde; PA1 furfural; PA1 furfuryl alcohol; PA1 2-mercapto propionic acid; PA1 alkyl pyrazine; PA1 methyl pyrazine; PA1 2-ethyl-3-methyl pyrazine; PA1 tetramethyl pyrazine; PA1 polysulfides; PA1 dipropyl disulfide; PA1 methyl benzyl disulfide; PA1 alkyl thiophene; PA1 2,3-dimethyl thiophene; PA1 5-methyl furfural; PA1 acetyl furan; PA1 2,4-decadienal; PA1 guiacol; PA1 phenyl acetaldehyde; PA1 .beta.-decalactone; PA1 d-limonene; PA1 acetoin; PA1 amyl acetate; PA1 maltol; PA1 ethyl butyrate; PA1 levulinic acid; PA1 piperonal; PA1 ethyl acetate; PA1 n-octanal; PA1 n-pentanal; PA1 n-hexanal; PA1 diacetyl; PA1 monosodium gulatamate; PA1 monopotassium glutamate; PA1 sulfur-containing amino acids, e.g., cysteine; PA1 hydrolyzed vegetable protein; PA1 2-methylfuran-3-thiol; PA1 2-methyldihydrofuran-3-thiol; PA1 2,5-dimethylfuran-3-thiol; PA1 2 hydrolyzed fish protein; PA1 tetramethyl pyrazine; PA1 propylpropenyl disulfide; PA1 propylpropenyl trisulfide; PA1 diallyl disulfide; PA1 diallyl trisulfide; PA1 dipropenyl disulfide; PA1 dipropenyl trisulfide; PA1 4-methyl-2-[(methylthio)-ethyl]-1,3-dithiolane; PA1 4,5-dimetyl-2-(methylthiomethyl)-1,3-dithiolne; and PA1 4-methyl-2-(methylthiomethyl)-1,3-dithiolane. PA1 .beta.-Ethyl-cinnamaldehyde; PA1 Eugenol; PA1 Dipentene; PA1 .beta.-Damascenone; PA1 Maltol; PA1 Ethyl maltol; PA1 Delta-Undecalactone; PA1 Delta-Decalactone; PA1 Benzaldehyde; PA1 Amyl acetate; PA1 Ethyl butyrate; PA1 Ethyl valerate; PA1 Ethyl acetate; PA1 2-Hexenol-1; PA1 2-Methyl-5-isopropyl-1,3-nonadiene-8-one; PA1 2,6-Dimethyl-1,6-undecadiene-10-one; PA1 2-ethyl-5-isopropyl acetophenone; PA1 2-Hydroxy-2,5,5,8a-tetramethyl-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-decahydronnaphthalene; PA1 Dodcahydro-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyl naphthol(2,1-b) furan; PA1 4-Hydroxy hexanoic acid, .gamma.-lactone; and PA1 Polyisoprenoid hydrocarbons defined in Example V of U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,372 issued on Jun. 29, 1971. PA1 Celery seed oil; PA1 Coffee extract; PA1 Bergamot oil; PA1 Cocoa extract; PA1 Nutmeg oil; and PA1 Origanum oil.
Thus, in the flavor and fragrance art, a need has arisen for the development and efficient high yield production of naturally occurring jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate, which have heretofore been found to be useful and necessary for the creation of flavor formulations used in augmenting or enhancing the aroma or taste of foodstuffs, chewing gums, toothpaste, medicinal products, chewing tobaccos and smoking tobaccos and also useful in augmenting or enhancing the aroma of perfume compositions, colognes and perfumed articles (e.g., solid or liquid anionic, cationic, nonionic or zwitterionic detergents, perfumed polymers, fabric softener compositions, fabric softener articles, hair preparations, cosmetic powders and the like).
Methyl jasmonate (without indicating which isomer) is disclosed by Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Chemicals at monograph 2093 to have a "Powerful floral-herbaceous, sweet-tenacious odor representing typical background notes of Jasmin absolute." Arctander further discloses that this material "is an almost obvious candidate for work on improved artificial Jasmin absolute." Acree, et al, J. Agric. Food Chem., 1985, Volume 33, pages 425-427, discloses that the isomer of methyl jasmonate having the structure: ##STR8##
and having an optical rotation (.alpha..sub.D.sup.20) of +58 has a strong odor, whereas the other stereoisomers of (Z)-methyl jasmonate are substantially odorless.
No specific disclosures exist in the prior art showing the use of the jasmonic acid isomers of our invention defined according to the structure: ##STR9##
or defined according to the structure: ##STR10##
for use as flavor adjuvants (wherein R is methyl or hydrogen). Furthermore, nothing in the prior art discloses the stereoisomer of the compound having the structure: ##STR11##
particularly the stereoisomer having the optical rotation (.alpha..sub.D.sup.20) of +58.degree..

Bioprocess for the high-yield production of food flavor-acceptable jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate


A method of managing memory of a control plane for services in a computer system that includes executing a service host process of the control plane on a software platform of the computer system, the service host process including runtime software configured to manage lifecycles of objects representing the services, the objects being associated with the service host process and being marked as available; determining an amount of memory in the computer system consumed by the objects; marking a plurality of the objects as paused in response to the amount of memory consumed by the objects exceeding a threshold; storing at least a portion of a runtime context of each of the plurality of objects in storage of the computer system; and disassociating the plurality of objects from the service host process to reclaim memory consumed by the objects.

The use of monolithic applications in a computing system, such as a cloud computing system, is gradually being replaced by sets of loosely coupled, independent services. Factoring applications into small services (sometimes referred to as "micro-services") allows those services to have a developmental and operational lifecycle that is independent of their peers. These services typically have a smaller set of responsibilities than their monolithic predecessors, as well as a well-defined application programming interface (API).
The use of such a system of micro-services also comes at a cost: every service may use its own data model, use its own backing store, and define its own interfaces and its own interaction models. As the number of services increases, it becomes difficult to administer the system. For example, different services may use a combination of synchronous and asynchronous APIs, different transports, different serialization formats, their own facilities for authentication and authorization, and so forth. As such, administrators and operators of such systems must possess deep system knowledge to identify runtime issues, and must be informed of the intricacies of every new service added to the system. The proliferation of service technologies also means that users of the system have to use various methods to interact with the system, with varying degrees of observability and extensibility.

Memory management in a decentralized control plane of a computing system


The invention relates to a method for manufacturing, by means of epitaxy, a monocrystalline layer of GaN on a substrate, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of GaN, comprising the following steps: (b) three-dimensional epitaxial growth of a layer of GaN relaxed at the epitaxial temperature, (c1) growth of an intermediate layer of BwAlxGayInzN, (c2) growth of a layer of BwAlxGayInzN, (c3) growth of an intermediate layer of BwAlxGayInzN, at least one of the layers formed in steps (c1) to (c3) being an at least ternary III-N alloy comprising aluminium and gallium, (d) growth of said layer of GaN.

Electronic, optoelectronic and micromechanical components based on group III element nitrides (referred to as "III-N materials") on a silicon substrate represent considerable potential.
In particular, there is a large market for electronic power components based on semiconductors with a large band gap.
Indeed, the use of large band gap semiconductors may help reduce the size and complexity of the electronic circuits wherein they are substantially integrated.
A specific particularly promising application of these materials relates to Schottky type rectifier diodes, suitable for significantly reducing diode-related losses.
Indeed, it is estimated that a motor control unit using silicon-based rectifier diodes suffer from diode-related losses of the order of 2%, whereas the same unit using large band gap semiconductor-based diodes (such as SIC, GaN, etc.) only have diode-related losses of the order of 0.2%.
In the case of the substrate supporting the large band gap semiconductor, to optimize the cost of the component, it should be available in a large size (typically greater than or equal to 6 inches (150 mm)) and have a reasonable cost.
In this respect, silicon is one of the preferred materials due to the low cost thereof, the availability thereof, and the suitability thereof for semiconductor processing methods, which are standardized.
On the other hand, gallium nitride, which is, in theory, the ideal substrate for the epitaxial growth of III-N materials, is not currently available in bulk form under industrially viable conditions (the substrates being too small (i.e., not more than 2 inches (50 mm)) and having an excessively high cost).
Sapphire and silicon carbide are other potentially advantageous candidates, but are too expensive and subject to stock shortages, respectively.
Moreover, epitaxial GaN on sapphire display defects referred to as "micropipes." These defects, caused by the formation of screw dislocation during material growth, typically have a diameter of the order of 250 to 500 nm. A density of these defects of the order of 3 to 6·105 cm−2 has thus been identified.
However, the silicon substrate, in spite of the advantages mentioned above, has two main drawbacks.
The first is a significant lattice mismatch with respect to III-N materials.
Indeed, for the Si(111) face, the lattice mismatch between GaN (wherein the lattice parameter is 3.189 Å) and Si (the lattice parameter is 3.840 Å) is 16.9%.
Secondly, there is a significant mismatch between the coefficients of thermal expansion of silicon and III-N materials.
In this way, the coefficient of thermal expansion of GaN is 5.59·10−6 K−1 whereas that of silicon is 2.59·10−6 K−1, representing a thermal mismatch of 53.7%.
Moreover, the divergent contraction of the silicon substrate (which is slow), and that of the III-N epitaxial layers (which is fast), on returning to ambient temperature after epitaxy, results in the layers being placed under tensile strain of +1.4 GPa at ambient temperature.
The lattice parameter mismatch is the source of crystalline defects in the III-N material, which are potentially harmful for component performances (leakage currents, ageing, etc.).
Thermal mismatch, for its part, is the source of cracking formed in the III-N material to relax the strain.
Cracks are macroscopic defects of the III-N material layer, which, due to the discontinuity caused by these cracks on the surface of the GaN layer, are unsuitable for component operation.
To try to remedy these mismatches between the silicon substrate and the epitaxial layer(s) of III-N material, it is known to form, as illustrated in FIG. 1, on a silicon substrate 1, a so-called buffer layer 2 of AlN and grow, by means of epitaxy, a layer 3 of GaN on the buffer layer 2.
Indeed, due to the lattice parameters of GaN (which, as mentioned above, is 3.189 Å) and AlN (which is of the order of 3.112 Å), the layer of GaN is subject to compressive strain when grown epitaxially on a layer of AlN.
In theory, i.e., if GaN grew pseudomorphically on AlN, the compression of GaN could be up to −10.9 GPa, and thus compensate for the tensile strain generated on returning to ambient temperature by the difference in coefficients of thermal expansion between GaN and the silicon substrate.
In fact, due to the high lattice mismatch between GaN and AlN (2.47%), GaN does not grow pseudomorphically but relaxes partially by forming dislocations and/or bending existing dislocations.
As a result, only a portion of the compressive strain generated at the GaN on the AlN interface can be maintained in the layer of GaN and is thus not sufficient to compensate for the tensile strain created during cooling.
In this way, the limit thickness of crack-free GaN in such a structure is around 1 μm, which is too low for most target applications.
To improve retention of the compressive strain in the layer of GaN, various teams have proposed forming, between the buffer layer and the layer of GaN, one or a plurality of "intermediate" layers.
A first process is that of the epitaxial growth of one or a plurality of layers of AlxGa1-xN (where 0<x<1) suitable for better retention of compression by graduating the aluminium content between the layer of AlN and the final layer of GaN.
One can refer to the works by H. Ishikawa, G. Y. Zhao, N. Nakada, T. Egawa, T. Soga, T. Jimbo, M. Umeno, High-quality GaN on Si substrate using AlGaN/AlN intermediate layer, Phys. Stat. Sol. A 176, 599 (1999), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,060 proposing the insertion, between the buffer layer of AlN and the useful layer of GaN, of a transition layer, wherein the Al composition decreases gradually on approaching the interface with the layer of GaN.
Alternatively, the transition layer may consist of a stack of layers wherein the Al content progressively decreases discretely.
The study by M. Hiberlen, D. Zhu, C. McAleese, M. J. Kappers, C. J. Humphreys, Dislocation reduction in MOCVD grown GaN layers on Si(111) using two different buffer layer approaches, 13th European Workshop on Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (EWMOVPE-XIII), Ulm, Germany, Jun. 7-10, 2009 (B-11), shows that, compared to a continuous variation in the aluminium content, a discrete variation makes it possible to reduce the dislocation density within the final layer of GaN significantly (of the order of 108 cm−2 as opposed to 109 cm−2).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,649,287; 7,247,889; 7,339,205; 7,352,015; and 7,352,016 describe similar transition layers to that described above.
However, the literature relating to this type of structure, supported by experiments conducted by the inventors, demonstrates that it makes it possible to obtain a continuous crack-free layer of GaN wherein the thickness is not more than 2.5 μm.
This thickness remains too small for most of the target applications.
A second type of solution is the epitaxy of an alternation of layers of AlN and layers of GaN.
WO 01/95380 thus proposes, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a structure successively comprising a silicon substrate 1, a buffer layer 2 of AlN, a first layer 3a of GaN, an intermediate layer 4 of AlN and the useful layer 3 of GaN.
The intermediate layer 4 is monocrystalline and has a lattice parameter less than that of the layer 3 of GaN, enabling the compression of the overlying layer 3 of GaN during epitaxy with a view to compensating at least partially for the tensile strain generated during cooling.
Such a structure makes it possible to obtain a crack-free layer 3 of approximately 3 to 4 μm, which is significant but too small for some target applications.
FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of this structure, which successively comprises a silicon substrate 1, a buffer layer 2 of AlN, a first layer 3a of GaN, a first intermediate layer 4a of AlN, a second layer 3b of GaN, a second intermediate layer 4b of AlN and a useful layer 3 of GaN.
Inserting the second intermediate layer 4b of AlN in the structure makes it possible to increase the thickness of the useful layer 3 of GaN, but to an extent that remains insufficient for some of the target applications.
The aim of the invention is thus that of defining a method for manufacturing by means of epitaxy, a crack-free layer of GaN that is thicker than the layers obtained to date.
More specifically, the aim of the invention is that of producing a continuous useful layer of GaN (i.e., in one piece, not containing any layer of a material other than GaN) having a thickness greater than 5 μm and having a dislocation density less than or equal to 5·108 cm−2 on a substrate optionally greater than or equal to 6 inches (150 mm) in diameter.

Method for manufacturing a thick epitaxial layer of gallium nitride on a silicon or similar substrate and layer obtained using said method

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)


The present disclosure concerns a preform for a curved composite stiffener for an axisymmetric part such as a shroud, including at least one web and at least one flange curved about an axis of revolution of the preform and defining a substantially “T” or an “I” shaped section. In one form, the preform includes a web and a flange, wherein the web includes a plurality of warp yarns circumferentially oriented relative to the axis of revolution of the preform, and a plurality of weft yarns oriented radially relative to said axis, and the flange includes a plurality of warp yarns circumferentially oriented relative to the axis of revolution of the preform, and a plurality of weft yarns substantially parallel to said axis.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
In order to produce elements of resistant and lightweight structure, in particular for the aeronautical field, it is known to prepare a dry fabric preform comprising for example carbon fibers, which is impregnated with a resin, in particular by an injection method called "RTM" (Resin Transfer Molding).
Thus, after curing to polymerize the resin, there is obtained an element comprising fibers whose density and orientation are locally adjusted in order to obtain mechanical strength features adapted to the forces applied to this part.
In particular, it is possible to carry out, by means of this technique, a self-stiffened panel in the shape of a skin bent about an axis such as an axisymmetric shroud or an axisymmetric shroud sector, including at least one stiffener, at least partially circumferential, providing rigidity to this skin: such a skin may be used in particular in the manufacture of an aircraft motor nacelle.
In some cases, the stiffening function is ensured by an element having a constant transverse section with a substantially "T," "Π" (Pi), or "I" shape, comprising a web (the vertical portion of the T, Pi or I) and a flange (the extended base of the section of the T, Pi or I).
In order to produce the assembly formed by the bent skin to be stiffened and the stiffener, it is known to separately produce the skin and the stiffener which are pre-cured, then assembled by a mechanical link or a gluing.
Different methods for manufacturing curved stiffeners are known from the prior art.
A draping method of flat fabric remnants is known from the prior art, which consists in draping in the shape of the curved stiffener, flat fabric pleats. However, this operation requires a large workforce, which leads to significant draping time and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, many fabric remnants are required, and the orientation of the fibers is not optimized.
It is also known to drape fabric remnants in shape. This method consists in placing on the flange of the panel of the fabric remnants manufactured in the shape defining the web. The advantage of this method is the good control of the orientation of the fibers, but the obtained panel is mechanically weak because of the assembly of the different preforms which generate discontinuities in the fibrous reinforcement.
A method for cracking and stretching the fiber is also known from the international application WO 2005/082605. This method consists in producing a preform having the section of the final geometry then in cracking the fiber and in stretching some portions of this preform in order to give it a curved shape. However, neither the cracking method of the fiber, nor the stretching method of the preform in order to give it its curved shape can be uniform over the assembly of the woven preform. Also, the fact of breaking the continuity of the carbon fiber considerably weakens the mechanical properties of the manufactured part.
The international application WO 2013/088040 discloses, for its part, a 3D weaving method by which a three-dimensional preform having localized unbinding zones is obtained, allowing the unfolding of the preform in order to give it its "T," "Π" (Pi), or "I" shaped section. Nevertheless, these preforms have the drawback of being straight and not being able to conform to a curvature.

Preform for a curved composite stiffener for an axisymmetric part such as a collar


This invention relates to methods for regenerating spent DNA detection chips for further use. Specifically, this invention relates to a method for removal of silver from used DNA detection chips that employ gold nanoparticle-oligonucleotide conjugate probes and that use silver staining for signal amplification.

The present invention relates to method for regenerating spent DNA detection chips for further use. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for the removal of silver from used DNA detection chips that employ gold nanoparticle-oligonucleotide conjugate probes and that use silver staining for signal amplification.
Sequence-selective DNA detection has become increasingly important as scientists unravel the genetic basis of disease and use this new information to improve medical diagnosis and treatment. DNA hybridization tests on oligonucleotide-modified substrates are commonly used to detect the presence of specific DNA sequences in solution. The developing promise of combinatorial DNA arrays for probing genetic information illustrates the importance of these heterogeneous sequence assays to future science. In most assays, the hybridization of fluorophore-labeled targets to surface bound probes is monitored by fluoresecence microscopy or densitometry. Although fluoresence detection is very sensitive, its use is limited by the expense of the experimental equipment and by background emissions from most common substrates. In addition, the selectivity of labeled oligonucleotide targets for perfectly complementary probes over those with single base mismatches is poor, preventing the use of surface hybridization tests for detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms. A detection scheme which improved upon the simplicity, sensitivity and selectivity of fluorescent methods could allow the full potential of combinatorial sequence analysis to be realized.
One such technique is the chip based DNA detection method that employs gold nanoparticle probes, modified with oligonucleotides, to indicate the presence of a particular DNA sequence hybridized on a transparent substrate in a three component sandwich assay format. See T. A. Taton, C. A. Mirkin, R. L. Letsinger, Science, 289, 1757 (2000). For low target DNA concentrations, the method employs nanoparticle-promoted silver reduction for signal amplification. The amplification step increases the sensitivity of the chip and provides for facile DNA detection. However, the silver cannot be readily removed from the chip by simply washing with water to reuse the chip as one can do with conventional fluorescence-based arrays. Accordingly, a method and composition for regenerating silver stained DNA nanoparticle-based chips for reuse is desirable.
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the removal of the silver from used DNA detection chips that employ silver staining for signal amplification. The invention relates to chemical compositions, methods using the chemical compositions and sonication methods for removing the silver.
Typically, a plurality of nanoparticle-oligonucleotide conjugates or oligonucletides can be attached to the substrate in an array for detecting multiple portions of a target nucleic acid, for detecting multiple different nucleic acids, or both. For instance, a substrate may be provided with rows of spots, each spot containing a different type of oligonucleotide or oligonucleotide-nanoparticle conjugate designed to bind to a portion of a target nucleic acid. A sample containing one or more nucleic acids is applied to each spot, and the rest of the assay is performed in one of the ways described above using appropriate oligonucleotide-nanoparticle conjugates, oligonucleotide-liposome conjugates, aggregate probes, core probes, and binding oligonucleotides such as the ones described in WO 98/04740, published Feb. 5, 1998 and WO 00/33079, published Jun. 8, 2000.
When a substrate is employed, a detectable change can be produced or further enhanced by silver staining. Silver staining can be employed with any type of nanoparticles that catalyze the reduction of silver. Preferred are nanoparticles made of noble metals (e.g., gold and silver). See Bassell, et al., J. Cell. Biol., 126, 863-876 (1994); Braun-Howland et al., Biotechniques, 13, 928-931 (1992). If the nanoparticles being employed for the detection of a nucleic acid do not catalyze the reduction of silver, then silver ions can be complexed to the nucleic acid to catalyze the reduction. See Braun et al., Nature, 391, 775 (1998). Also, silver stains are known which can react with the phosphate groups on nucleic acids.
Silver staining can be used to produce or enhance a detectable change in any assay performed on a substrate. In particular, silver staining has been found to provide a huge increase in sensitivity for assays employing a single type of nanoparticle, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 1, so that the use of layers of nanoparticles, aggregate probes and core probes can often be eliminated.
In assays for detecting nucleic acids performed on a substrate, the detectable change can be observed with an optical scanner. Suitable scanners include those used to scan documents into a computer which are capable of operating in the reflective mode (e.g., a flatbed scanner), other devices capable of performing this function or which utilize the same types of optics, any type of grayscale-sensitive measurement device, and standard scanners which have been modified to scan substrates according to the invention (e.g., a flatbed scanner modified to include a holder for the substrate). The resolution of the scanner must be sufficient so that the reaction area on the substrate is larger than a single pixel of the scanner. The scanner can be used with any substrate, provided that the detectable change produced by the assay can be observed against the substrate (e.g., a gray spot, such as that produced by silver staining, can be observed against a white background, but cannot be observed against a gray background). The scanner can be a black and white scanner or a color scanner.
A problem associated with the silver enhancement technique is that the silver cannot be simply removed from the combinatorial DNA array substrates or chips that use oligonucleotide-modified gold nanoparticle probes and that employ nanoparticle-promoted silver reduction for signal amplication.
Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide compositions for the removal of the silver from DNA detection chip, thereby allowing the chip to be recycled and reused.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cyanide-based method for removing silver from the used DNA detection chip allowing for the recycle and reuse of the chip.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a sonication method for the removal of silver and gold nanoparticles from a used DNA detection chip, thus allowing the chip to be recycled and reused.

Silver stain removal by chemical etching and sonication


A magnetic disk apparatus is disclosed wherein the apparatus comprises a magnetic disk, magnetic heads for recording and reproducing information to and from the magnetic disk, a disk driving device for driving the magnetic disk, head driving device for driving the magnetic heads, a mechanical portion driving circuit for operating the disk driving device and the head driving device, a logical operation device for exchanging signals between the magnetic heads and the mechanical portion driving circuit, a first box for containing at least the magnetic disk, the magnetic heads, the disk driving device, and the head driving device, and a second box, detachably connected to the first box, for containing at least the logical operation device, wherein signals are exchanged between the first box and the second box. The first box and the second box are electrically connected and the second box contains at least the logical operation circuit.

The present invention relates to a magnetic disk apparatus which is mounted in or on a personal computer or the like and, in particular, relates to a magnetic disk apparatus with improved portability.
A conventional magnetic disk apparatus mounted in a personal computer or the like comprises a magnetic disk and magnetic heads which record and reproduce information on and from the magnetic disk. The magnetic disk and the magnetic heads are driven by a disk driving means and a head driving means, respectively. In addition, the magnetic heads are connected to an electronic circuit which reproduces information as an electric signal. The mechanical parts such as the magnetic disk, the magnetic heads, the disk driving means, and so forth, and the electric circuits are contained compactly in the same box so as to reduce the size of the magnetic disk apparatus. In another construction, the mechanical parts are contained in a box, and a board which supports electric circuits is secured to the box so as to reduce the size of the magnetic disk apparatus.
The small magnetic disk apparatus in such a construction is mounted in a personal computer which exchanges information therewith. When the magnetic disk apparatus is detachable from the personal computer, they can be independently handled. Thus, the design work and mounting work of the personal computer and the magnetic disk apparatus can be simplified.
However, as the size and the weight of the magnetic disk apparatus is reduced, its portability is becoming an important issue and thereby the following problems arise.
When the mechanical parts and the electric circuits are contained in the same box, since the number of component parts contained therein increases, the size and the weight of the overall magnetic disk apparatus cannot be satisfactorily reduced. Thus, the portability of the magnetic disk apparatus cannot be improved. In addition, even if the mechanical parts and the electric circuits are mounted in the same box with high density, heat generated from the electric circuits adversely affects the mechanical parts. Moreover, electromagnetic noise generated by the mechanical parts may cause the electric circuits to malfunction.
As described above, to reduce the size and the weight of the conventional magnetic disk apparatus, there are problems with respect to the number of the constituting parts, heat generation, and generation of electromagnetic noise. However, it is difficult to solve such problems by a design change of the magnetic disk apparatus.
The present invention has been made in view of the above described problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic disk apparatus for preventing the electric circuits from malfunctioning due to heat generated in the box and for further improving the portability thereof.


An apparatus for integrating device objects into a superordinated control unit for field devices in automation technology. A predetermined operating system runs on the control unit, and the control unit communicates via a fieldbus with the field devices. A communication hardware is provided, having a first communication link for connecting to the control unit and a second communication link for connecting to the fieldbus. Associated with the communication hardware is a memory element. The communication hardware is so embodied, that, upon coupling of the communication hardware to the control unit via the first communication link, the frame application is started via the operating system of the control unit and the driver for the communication hardware is installed, so that operating personnel can, via the device objects stored in the memory element and the fieldbus, service the associated field devices.

In process automation technology, as well as in manufacturing automation technology, field devices are often applied for registering and/or influencing process variables. Serving for registering process variables are measuring devices, such as, for example, fill level measuring devices, flow measuring devices, pressure and temperature, measuring devices, pH-measuring devices, conductivity measuring devices, etc., which register the corresponding process variables, fill level, flow, pressure, temperature, pH-value, and conductivity, respectively. Used for influencing process variables are actuators, such as valves or pumps, via which e.g. flow of a liquid in a pipeline or fill level of a medium in a container is changed. Referred to as field devices are, in principle, all devices, which are applied near to the process and deliver, or process, process-relevant information. A large number of such field devices are available from the firm, Endress+Hauser. In connection with the invention, the term "field devices" refers, thus, to all types of measuring devices and actuators.
In modern industrial plants, field devices are, as a rule, connected via bus systems, such as, for example, a Profibus® PA, Foundation Fieldbus® or HART® bus system, with at least one superordinated control unit. The superordinated control unit can also be referred to as an object-based, management and/or configuration system for field devices. The control unit is, for example, a control system or a control unit, such as, for example, a programmable logic controller, or PLC. The PLC can be integrated, for example, into a personal computer or into a laptop. The term "device objects" refers, in connection with the present invention, to all types of electronic device descriptions. The superordinated control unit serves for process control, for process visualizing, for process monitoring, as well as for start-up and servicing of the field devices. Programs, which run self-sufficiently on superordinated units, include, for example, the operating, or servicing, tools, FieldCare of Endress+Hauser, Pactware, AMS of Fisher-Rosemount or PDM of Siemens. Operating tools, which are integrated into control system applications, include PCS7 of Siemens, Symphony of ABB and Delta V of Emerson. The terminology, "servicing of field devices", means, especially, the configuring and parametering of field devices, however, also diagnosis for the purpose of early detecting of defects at one of the field devices or in the process.
The integration of field devices into object-based, configuration or management systems occurs via device descriptions, which care therefor, that the superordinated units can recognize and interpret the data delivered by the field devices. The device manufacturers provide device descriptions for each field device type, or for each field device type as a function of application. In order that the field devices can be integrated into different fieldbus systems, different device descriptions for the different fieldbus systems must be created. Thus, there are, to name just a few examples, HART, Fieldbus Foundation and Profibus, device descriptions.
For the purpose of creating a uniform description for field devices, Fieldbus Foundation (FF), HART Communication Foundation (HCF) and Profibus Nutzer(user)organisation (PNO) have created a uniform, electronic device description (Electronic Device Description, or EDD). The EDD is defined in the standard IEC 61804-2.
For a comprehensive servicing of field devices, moreover, particular device descriptions, so called DTMs—Device Type Managers or device managers—are obtainable. The DTMs meet the FDT—Field Device Tool—specifications. The FDT specification, representing an industrial standard, is an interface specification and was developed by the PNO, in cooperation with the ZVEI—Zentralverband Elektrotechnik-und Elektroindustrie (German Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers' Association). Current FDT specifications are obtainable from ZVEI, PNO, or the FDT Group.
Many field device manufacturers deliver along with their field devices the corresponding DTMs or device descriptions. The DTMs encapsulate all device-specific data, functions and operating rules, such as e.g. the device structure, present communication possibilities and the graphical user interface, e.g the GUI, for a certain field device or for a particular field device type.
As runtime environment, the DTMs require a frame application—here, the FDT-frame. The frame application and the corresponding DTMs permit a very comfortable access to field devices, e.g. to device parameters, measured values, diagnostic information, status information, etc., as well as permitting the invoking of special functions, which individual DTMs make available. Frame application and DTMs form together an object-based management or configuration system for field devices. In order that the DTMs of different manufacturers correctly function in the frame application, the interfaces for frame application and for all the rest of the DTMs must be clearly defined. This interface definition is referred to with the acronym FDT. The FDT technology unifies the communication interface between the field devices and the superordinated control unit. A special feature of the FDT technology is that it functions independently of the installed communication protocol as well as of the respective software environment of both the field device and the superordinated control unit. FDT enables combining any field devices via any superordinated control units with any protocols. A known FDT frame is the already mentioned product, FieldCare, of Endress+Hauser.
From the above discussion, it is clear, that the number of DTMs, or device descriptions, is very large and that the number of DTMs, based on the continually increasing device, and fieldbus, numbers, is likewise continually increasing. Often, consequently, one also speaks of a so-called DTM library. The effort, which must be expended for installation of drivers for the communication hardware, communication DTMs, field device DTMs and the software for the frame application, or the FDT servicing software, is very high.

Apparatus for integrating device objects into a superordinated control unit


A process for producing a paper web having an essentially flat basis weight cross-machine profile and for simultaneously producing an essentially flat breaking length ratio cross-machine profile. This is achieved in that the lay of the fibers is deliberately influenced with a knowledge of shrinkage behavior. Techniques for respective sectional adjustments in the cross-machine direction are described.

The invention relates to a process for influencing the breaking length cross-machine profile of a running fibrous material web in a paper machine by use of a consistency controlled flowbox which discharges the stock suspension onto a wire or between two wires.
Flowboxes of this type are known, for example from:
(1) DE 35 14 554 A1 PA1 (2) U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,091 PA1 (3) DE 40 19 593 C2
Essential quality features of paper webs are the uniformity of paper thickness, the strengths in the machine and cross-machine directions, the fiber orientation and the basis weight, in each case viewed across the web width. The basis weight profile is of decisive importance.
DE 40 19 593 C2 discloses measures to make the profiles of these properties largely uniform. The paper stock suspension is fed to the flow chamber of the flowbox through a plurality of channels which are located alongside one another in parallel and are distributed uniformly over the machine width. A mixer is connected upstream of each channel by which the concentration and the throughput in the channel may be set variably. This avoids need for adjusting spindles at the lips of the outlet channel of the flowbox. The lips are kept straight by their more or less stiff construction, so that the outlet gap between the lips has a constant height, viewed across the width in the gap. In other constructions, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,091, the outlet gap is also adjusted.
The breaking length represents a measure of the breaking strength of the paper. It indicates the length of the paper strip that will break under the load of its own weight.
A breaking length can be determined in the machine direction of the paper web or else in the cross-machine direction. The so-called breaking length ratio presents a particular problem. From this breaking length, it is possible to determine the ratio R.sub.L /R.sub.Q (=breaking length ratio). Measurements have shown that the breaking length ratio, measured across the width of the paper web, is of variable size. In the central region across the web width, it is to a certain extent constant, whereas it decreases towards the edges. As a result, the breaking length ratio, represented over the width of the paper web, resembles the internal contour of a bathtub which is open upward or open downward.
A web having a large ratio of R.sub.L /R.sub.Q is able to absorb pronounced tensile forces in the machine direction.
This is of particular interest during processing in fast running printing machines. In the latter, R.sub.L should therefore be large in relation to R.sub.Q.
By contrast, in the case of so-called format papers, as well as for many packaging papers, a strength which, as far as possible, is equal in the machine direction and in the cross-machine direction is desired. If this is not present and if the cross-machine strength is low at the web edges, then tearing of the web occurs when it is loaded in the cross-machine direction.

Process for influencing the breaking length cross-machine profile of a running fibrous material web


An extended circumference intake poppet valve system for use with a single charge carrying intake duct/port to an engine cylinder in a four cycle internal combustion engine to include three or more annular intake poppet valves (secondary valves), annular valve seats (mini ports), disposed within a primary valve head which spans said single duct/port (valve system), said valve system in fluid communication with said duct and said cylinder for opening and sealing said duct/port at said duct seat, intake valve lifting and closing means, wherein the area of the duct/port, and the matched area of the open valves are substantially equal for an extended optimum charge flow period, and in addition, valve open areas at all valve lift points during the inlet event that occur, initially and throughout extended duration through closure, are enlarged when compared with a single poppet valve servicing the same duct/port, resulting in greatly enhanced charge volume into the cylinder during the intake event.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an intake valve for use in a four cycle internal combustion engine to increase volumetric efficiency, and specifically to a primary poppet intake valve with apertures that uses three or more secondary poppet valve bodies for opening and sealing said primary valve face, said primary poppet valve face opening and sealing a single intake duct and port seat.
The sum of the circumferential distances of the secondary poppet valves are specifically determined to accelerate valve opening value (circumference times lift) throughout the intake event, also simultaneously extending the duration of optimum valve opening area during the critical time frame of maximum piston velocity.
The purpose of the invention is to quantitatively increase the intake valve open area value (circumference times lift) of a single intake duct/port to enhance optimum charge flow into the combustion chamber during the intake event resulting in greater volumetric efficiency when compared with the valve open area value at varying lift points available with a single conventional intake poppet valve.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of one or more poppet intake valves in a single engine cylinder in a four cycle internal combustion engine is well known in prior art. Typically each intake duct and its corresponding port is serviced by one conventional intake poppet valve. The cross sectional area of the duct/port and the valve area value achieved (lift times circumference) at maximum valve lift generally match or exceed duct/port area to prevent impedance of the charge flow velocity during expurgation of same into the cylinder. Since the correct maximum valve open area value is the valve body circumference times maximum lift, conventional valve lift distances exceeding 0.350 thousandths inch are generally employed in engines of 500 cubic inches or less. Such lift distances encroach the mechanical limits of the cam lobe profile and the valve train components due to constraints during the intake event. The result is that maximum valve opening is achieved during a limited instantaneous position over the entire intake event's duration at the cam lobe profile. In essence during the intake event, the maximum charge available in the intake duct as determined by its cross sectional area is not provided to the cylinder throughout the major portion of the intake event.
Applicant's invention differs significantly from the conventional intake valve technology in that three or more secondary poppet valve bodies sealable to apertures are employed within a primary valve structure, said system to function in communication with a single duct/port resulting in an increased total valve circumference utility, thus defining an extended valve circumference, expanding valve open area values available throughout the intake event for an improved flow from a single duct/port, greatly increasing the volumetric efficiency of the engine.

Extended circumference intake poppet valve system for opening and sealing a single valve seat


In a lubricant composition suitable for use in the manufacture of aluminum alloys comprising lubricant base selected from the group consisting of solid lubricants, liquid lubricants, grease lubricants, emulsion lubricants, and dispersion lubricants, the improvement wherein the lubricant composition further comprises: an effective amount of water and surfactant. It is believed that mixing oil with water and surfactant provides a method for uniformly distributing the surface oxide at the meniscus for casting applications. Uniform distribution of the oxide at the meniscus reduces vertical fold formation that can lead to cracks in the aluminum ingot. In addition, the mixture promotes uniform heat transfer around the mold. Uniform heat transfer around the mold allows the solidifying aluminum alloy to stay in contact with the mold longer and form stronger ingot shells. A process for continuous or semi-continuous casting of aluminum alloys via the use of this lubricant composition is also disclosed.

The casting of alloys may be done by any number of methods known to those skilled in the art, such as direct chill casting (DC), electromagnetic casting (EMC), horizontal direct chill casting (HDC), hot top casting, continuous casting, semi-continuous casting, die casting, roll casting, and sand casting.
Each of these casting methods mentioned above has a set of its own inherent problems, but with each technique, surface imperfections can be an issue. In the aluminum alloy casting art, molten metal (or melt for brevity) surface oxidation can produce various surface imperfections in cast ingots such as pits, vertical folds, oxide patches and the like, which can develop into cracks during casting or in later processing. A crack in an ingot or slab propagates during subsequent rolling, for example, leading to expensive remedial rework or scrapping of the cracked material. One mechanical means of removing surface imperfections from an aluminum alloy ingot is scalping. Scalping involves the machining off a surface layer along the rolling faces of an ingot after it has solidified. However, scalping results in lost metal.
Rectangular ingot yields for high magnesium alloys, such as 7050 and other 7xxx alloys as well as 5182 and 5083 alloys are especially prone to surface defects and cracking caused by initiation at vertical folds on the surface of the ingot. In the past, beryllium has been added, usually at part per million (ppm) levels to some of these alloys to control melt surface defects, and to prevent magnesium loss due to oxidation. In addition, materials, especially those containing fluorine, such as boron trifluoride and ammonium fluoroborate, have been used to promote uniform oxide distribution and therefore reduce surface defects and cracking. However, the use of these additives can be very costly and beryllium itself may fall into disuse due to allegations regarding health, disposal, and environmental issues that it creates. Furthermore, the use of gases can create toxic and corrosive gaseous atmospheres. For these reasons, suitable replacement strategies to control the nature of oxides during casting are needed.
In the casting of aluminum alloys it is also known in the art to use a mold lubricant. Satisfactory ingot surfaces can be obtained using a lubricant that is effective in keeping aluminum from sticking to the mold at high temperatures used in casting aluminum alloys. In early casting practices, greases were commonly employed as mold lubricants. However, with the advent of modern casting methods, including continuous or semi-continuous casting, free flowing oils have been used to provide continuous lubrication and have replaced the use of greases as mold lubricants.
Continuous casting refers to the uninterrupted formation of a cast body or ingot. For example, the body or ingot may be cast on or between belts, as in belt casting; between blocks, as in block casting; or in a mold or die that is open at both ends, as in direct chill (DC) casting. Casting may continue indefinitely if the cast body is subsequently cut into desired lengths. Alternately, the pouring operation may be started and stopped when an ingot of desired length is obtained. The latter situation is referred to as semi-continuous casting.
Continuous lubrication is required for fully continuous casting and offers a number of advantages for semi-continuous casting. These advantages include substantial reduction of flame and smoke, substantial reduction of dragging and tearing tendencies near the end of the cast, and allowing casting practices that produce better quality and more uniform surfaces.
Despite the use of continuous lubrication during casting, a limitation of current ingot casting practice exists in the non-uniform growth of oxide at the meniscus of molten metal at the mold interface. Non-uniform oxide growth at the meniscus of the molten metal and mold interface is particularly problematic for alloying elements that rapidly oxidize in air or in air containing moisture. For example, alloys containing lithium and magnesium may oxidize rapidly and in both cases, the vapor pressure of the element is higher than that of aluminum. As a result, magnesium and lithium may diffuse to the surface of the ingot and react with oxygen or moisture in the ambient air.
Distribution of the surface oxide on the ingot head and at the meniscus plays an important role in fold prevention or formation. Data from previous research shows that humid air can produce an oxide/hydroxide film that protects magnesium-containing alloys from runaway or uncontrolled magnesium oxidation at molten metal temperatures. Since the weight gain of the magnesium-containing alloy is significantly reduced in humid air as compared to dry air, the oxide layer is thinner and the oxide distribution is believed to be more uniform. Another mechanism that plays a part in the transformation of molten metal to solid metal is the heat transfer at the mold wall between the molten metal and lubricant coated mold wall.
There remains a need for an effective alternative to beryllium and fluorine containing materials to prevent surface imperfections, such as vertical folds, pits, oxide patches and the like from forming during aluminum ingot casting, and to control the nature and distribution of oxides, particularly when casting aluminum that is alloyed with elements like magnesium and lithium. Such an invention would be instrumental in preventing cracks, which can form during casting or can develop in later processing. Finally, the invention preferably would have no adverse affect on alloy properties.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant composition that allows for uniform distribution of surface oxide at the meniscus formed between the molten aluminum and the mold during the continuous and semi-continuous casting of aluminum alloy ingots.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant composition that promotes a uniform and controlled rate of heat transfer at the interface formed between the molten aluminum and the mold during the continuous or semi-continuous casting of aluminum alloy ingots.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a casting lubricant that promotes uniform oxide distribution without requiring the use of toxic and corrosive gaseous atmospheres, and thus eliminating associated emissions and equipment corrosion.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a method that promotes uniform oxide distribution on aluminum alloy ingots or castings that does not require beryllium additions to the alloy and fluorine containing atmospheres.
These and other objects and advantages are met or exceeded by the instant invention, and will become more fully understood and appreciated with reference to the following description.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Lubricant for improved surface quality of cast aluminum and method


The system and method provide for identification of dynamic objects in an enclosed space and the presence of a component in a primary location. The system uses an active electro-optical 3D sensor, such as a three-dimensional time of flight camera, to identify the presence or absence of a reflected pulse, to determine, for example, proper placement of a seat belt, or a change in characteristics of a reflected pulse to determine a change in location, and thus possible movement, of a living creature in a vehicle, for example.

Systems to detect the presence of a child in a child seat have been developed and tested where the sensing systems are integrated directly into the child seat structure, as indicated in recent NHTSA report (DOT HS 812 187, July 2015). These systems are based on detection of the child seat through several sensing mechanisms, including the measurement of pressure, force, latching clip detection, etc. Such systems are designed to include electronics within or on the seat for detection and communication to/from the vehicle and/or to/from cell phones. The systems contain microprocessors that take the sensor and vehicle information as inputs, and monitor conditions where the child may be left behind, and a range of potential countermeasures can be taken, including initiating a warning through the vehicle systems (e.g. horn alarm); modifying the vehicle cockpit (e.g., reducing/increasing cabin temperature); and initiating a warning through telematics (e.g., sending a warning to the parent/driver).
Additionally, detection of child seat occupancy has been studied using a two-dimensional (2-D) camera, a three-dimensional (3-D) camera and other active electromagnetic methods such as ultrasonic, radar, and acoustics. These systems have shown the potential to detect the child seats and classify them as occupied or un-occupied. Another potential method is based on the use of seat weight detection systems, possibly including belt tension sensor(s). All of the above methods can be prone to incorrect classifications, due to clothing, due care, blocking obstructions, lack of motion by the occupant, etc. Moreover, many of these systems depend on sensing an expected location of an occupant, and cannot account for an occupant being separated from the sensed location.

3D time of flight active reflecting sensing systems and methods


A universal modular frame for use as a component in an above-knee endoskeletal prosthesis comprises a one-piece rigid outer frame of closed configuration having an upper sleeve extending between lateral and medial sides of the frame and adapted for connection to a linkage and socket for an above knee amputation, rigid lateral and medial side arms rigidly affixed to and extending downwardly from the sleeve, the lateral and medial side arms having recessed lightening recesses therein for reducing the weight of the frame, and a lower base extending between and rigidly affixed to bottom portions of the lateral and medial side arms. The outer frame forms the perimeter of an open central region for mounting a knee motion and gait control unit. The lower base has a flat bottom face and a pattern of spaced apart holes extending through the lower base for use in receiving corresponding fastening means for rigidly but releasably affixing an upper connecting portion of a lower leg pylon to the bottom of the outer frame. The lower means of attachment on the base of the frame provides a means for mounting to the frame a variety of lower leg pylons depending upon the patient' s needs.

In recent years, a large variety of modular prosthetic legs have been available to patients with an above knee amputation. These modular prosthetic legs have included a variety of lower leg pylons, prosthetic ankles and feet, and knee motion and gait control devices each adapted to the particular patient's needs. For instance, a lower leg prosthesis for an elderly patient will be different in its dynamic response from a lower leg prosthesis for a younger, more active patient. The various modular components used in the finished prosthesis can control such functions as heel strike, toe-off acceleration, mid-stance, swing-through, heel rise, and deceleration.
The weight of the finished prosthetic leg is a critical factor in selecting various components to be used in the prosthesis. For instance, some knee motion and gait control devices can be heavier than others, and some lower leg pylon or ankle motion devices also can weigh more than the others. As a result, some modular components that might be desirable to use in the finished prosthesis may not be used because they add too much weight to the final unit. A hydraulic gait control unit and an ankle that twists are accessories that add weight to the finished unit. These and other desirable functions of the finished prosthesis may not be possible to use if the weight added by them makes the weight of the finished prosthesis intolerable to the patient.
In addition to weight, another factor that limits use of various prosthetic components is the design of certain structural components of the brace on which the functional components are mounted. If these structural members only accept a limited number of available functional components, then the versatility of the prosthesis suffers.
The present invention provides a modular frame for an above knee endoskeletal prosthesis which is more universal in accepting a wider variety of knee control units and/or lower leg pylons while also providing a sufficient weight reduction that allows use of certain other components providing important added functions to the finished prosthesis.

Universal modular frame for above-knee endoskeletal prosthesis


The present disclosure relates to an adapter and a mechanism for attaching accessories to support structures. The adapter generally comprises a base configured for attachment to a support structure; a housing connected to the base; at least one rotating member coupled with the housing; a locking means arranged and configured to selectively engage the at least one rotating member; an accessory attachment member configured to receive at least one accessory; and at least one arm having a first end connected to the accessory attachment member and having a second end connected to the at least one rotating member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to accessory support structures. More specifically, the present invention relates to adapters for attaching accessories (e.g., firearms) to support structures (e.g., tripods).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Support structures, such as tripods, are often used for supporting accessories such as photographic and video cameras. Though most tripods were originally designed for use with video and/or photographic cameras, such camera-style tripods are increasingly being used by firearm users to support heavy firearms, to provide increased shooting accuracy and to reduce motion from recoil.
Many firearm users have started taking advantage of the benefits of using tripods and similar support structures in conjunction with firearms. For example, firearm users such as hunters, military personnel and specialized police units, oftentimes must wait for long periods of time before an anticipated target appears. Such users may employ tripods to support the firearm and decrease user fatigue while waiting for an anticipated target. Additionally, many external conditions such as the physical environment, terrain and weather, dictate a firearm user's shooting location and shooting position. A tripod, however, allows a firearm user to overcome adverse shooting conditions by providing an adjustable shooting platform that allows the user to shoot in prone, sitting, kneeling or standing positions.
Cameras and similar accessories are generally configured for direct attachment to camera-style tripods, which come equipped with any of a variety of tripod heads for accessory attachment. For example, as is well known in the art, many camera-style tripods come equipped with a standard quick-attach tripod head that accepts a standard camera mounting plate. The camera mounting plate may be mounted to a bottom surface of a camera or similar accessory, thereby allowing the accessory to be quickly and releasably attached to the quick-attach tripod head.
Due to differences in size, shape, weight and application of cameras compared to firearms, however, firearms are not generally adapted for direct attachment to tripod heads. Thus, adapters, including a variety of gun rests and arm rests, have been employed to enable attachment of firearms to tripod heads. Design problems in current adapters, however, present several disadvantages.
For example, many current devices are designed to provide shooting rests so that a user can rest his or her arms while trying to maintain a firearm in a nonmoving position. Even with the help of a gun rest and/or an arm rest, however, it is unfeasible for a user to hold a firearm in a nonmoving position for an extended period of time. This creates a problem for a firearm user because even the slightest movement of the firearm barrel translates into large deviations from long-range targets. Additionally, current devices that purport to physically support a firearm user while awaiting a target, are generally large, cumbersome and heavy. Consequently, these devices create a considerable amount of additional equipment for a user to carry into the field and these devices cannot be easily moved from location to location. Further, most current devices attach to a firearm at two points—the forearm of the firearm and the stock of the firearm. Such attachment complicates disengagement of the firearm from the support structure which could thereby create a dangerous situation for certain users (e.g., military personnel in combat situations).
Currently, a need exists for an accessory adapter for firearms and similar accessories that can be easily and quickly attached to and removed from a number of different types of support structures including tripods and bipods. There is a need for an accessory adapter that is compact and lightweight, thereby making said adapter easy to transport and store. An adapter is needed that will transform standard camera tripods into versatile shooting platforms that can support firearms. In addition, an adapter is needed that allows a user to interchange accessories (e.g., a camera, firearm, spotting scope, binoculars, etc.) using the same support structure. An adapter is needed that does not require support for both the forearm of a firearm and the stock of the firearm. Further, an adapter is needed that allows the firearm to be disengaged quickly from the support structure under field conditions. Unlike existing gun rests that are unstable and cumbersome to adjust, a need exists for an adapter that allows a user to quickly and effortlessly make precise adjustments of the firearm. Similarly, a device is needed that reduces the possibility of alerting a potential target to the user's presence by providing for minimal movement of the firearm as the user gets into a firing position.
In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that a need exists in the art for an adapter and a mechanism for attaching accessories to support structures which overcomes, mitigates or solves the above problems in the art. It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill this and other needs in the art which will become more apparent to the skilled artisan once given the following disclosure.

Adapter and mechanism for attaching accessories to support structures


A method includes: executing judgment processing for judging whether a site to carry out a first task assigned to a first robot and a site to carry out a second task assigned to a second robot are likely to overlap each other; executing comparison processing for comparing first end time with second end time when the sites to carry out the first task and the second task are likely to overlap each other; and executing determination processing for selecting the first task order when the first end time is earlier than the second end time, and selecting the second task order when the second end time is earlier than the first end time.

Task organization (task planning) for assigning tasks to processes in an assembly line to assemble products is usually optimized in light of compliance with task sequences as well as task leveling in the processes and so forth. Such optimization processing is hard to achieve by hand work. For this reason, an information processing apparatus assigns tasks to persons (workers) and automated machines such as robots by using various algorithms, and presents workloads of the respective tasks to a planner by using a load histogram (a workload chart).
When a general-purpose robot system is used in line production, the information processing apparatus has to adjust not only loads on persons but also a load balance between the persons and robots because there are many types and a large amount of tasks to be carried out by the robots. Assembly tasks including complicated processes such as cable forming as represented by assembly tasks for a notebook personal computer (PC) may involve tasks that require two or more arms (collaborative tasks) and tasks that only require one arm (one-arm tasks) at the same time. Accordingly, the information processing apparatus requires to organize the tasks while taking this point into account as well.
Examples of the related art include Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 10-039909, 2013-218644, 11-134392, and 2014-123227.

Task planning apparatus, task planning method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium


There is described a computer-implemented method of performing medical treatment outcome assessment or medical condition diagnostic. The method generally has receiving a three-dimensional (3D) anatomical image representing a region of a body of a patient; generating a 3D invariant image by processing the 3D anatomical image based on an isophote structure invariant entity (e.g., mean curvature of isophotes, Gaussian curvature of isophotes); using an image processing unit, processing the 3D invariant image and generating an output based on said processing, the output being either: medical treatment outcome data indicative of an outcome assessment of a treatment received by said patient; or medical condition diagnostic data indicative of a diagnostic of a medical condition of said patient.

Medical imaging encompasses a number of techniques of creating visual representations of a region of a body of a patient for clinical analysis and medical intervention. Typically, medical imaging generally focuses on imaging internal structures hidden by the skin and bones of the patient in order to allow a skilled physician to diagnose and/or treat a medical condition.
For any given medical imaging technique, many types of medical imaging systems can be used, each producing anatomical images that can differ from one another in terms of imaging parameters such as brightness and contrast to name a few examples. Although existing medical imaging techniques and systems are satisfactory to a certain degree, there remains room for improvement, especially in analyzing anatomical images in a way that is not impacted by the respective imaging parameters of each of the anatomical images to analyze.

Method and system of performing medical treatment outcome assessment or medical condition diagnostic

THE ROYAL INSTITUTION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING / MCGILL UNIVERSITY


A mounting device includes a trapezoidal plate with a tapered top edge and a bottom edge. A pair of ribs project from the bottom edge. Each of the ribs has a first portion and a second portion, the latter each having an engaging member at its end. The second portions are resilient and separated from the plate. The mounting device also has an attached body attached to a receptacle. The attached body includes a pair of attaching members, each of which has a channel and a guiding path formed in-between the channels. The trapezoidal plate can be inserted into the guiding path of the attached body to engage the same by the engaging members of the ribs.

The present invention relates to a mounting device, more particularly to mounting device endowed with strength and ornamentality.
There are many types of mounting devices presently on the market. One such device is a suction cup with a hook. The suction cup is stuck onto a wall, but does not stick long enough and can not carry heavy things, as a result of its limited strength, so it may fall off the wall at any time. Stronger mounting devices involve nailing a container or a cloth hanger to a wall, but if the container is large more nails are needed to do the job. Too often, though, nailing into a wall damages the appearance of the wall, so such kind of mounting device is not very welcome.


A bi-modal closure for a container opening is provided. The closure has a first mode intended for adult use, wherein the closure is readily opened, and a second child-resistant mode, wherein the closure is more difficult to open, especially by children. The conversion between modes is accomplished by use of a bi-stable element located in the closure.

The present invention relates to closure members for containers, bottles, and the like, and more particularly, to child-resistant push-and-turn closure members which are adapted for use on dispensing containers for potentially hazardous materials, such as pharmaceutical agents.
The present invention provides for the bi-modal operation of a closure for a container opening. The closure has a first mode intended for adult use, wherein the closure is readily opened, and a second child-resistant mode, wherein the closure is more difficult to open, especially by children. When engaged to an opening, at least a portion of the closure (a deflecting member) has a distal relationship to the opening wherein the closure is substantially non-removable from the opening, and a proximal relationship to the opening wherein the closure may be easily removed from the opening. In the first mode, the movement between the distal and the proximal relationships requires little or no downward force; while in the second mode, the force require to effect the movement is greatly increased (when the force required to move between the distal and proximal relationships in the first mode is non-zero, the force required in the second mode should be at least 25% greater than that required in the first mode, preferably 50% greater, and most preferably at least twice that of the first mode). The conversion between modes is accomplished by use of a bi-stable spring located in the closure, preferably on the top surface of the closure. The bi-stable spring is preferably an invertible disk, and in the first mode presents a convex surface to the user. Depressing this surface with sufficient force results in the inversion of the disk into a stable second mode wherein the disk is concave, and wherein the disk serves to directly or indirectly urge the closure (or part of the closure) into the distal relationship with the opening. The geometrical state of the disk serves as a visual and tactile cue as to the instant mode of the closure. Conversion may typically be accomplished with finger pressure alone, and without the need to disengage the closure from the bottle. The details of the internal structure of the closure may be altered to allow finger pressure to return the closure to the first mode (by accessing the back side of the closure), or the conversion to the second mode from the first mode may be made irreversible by preventing access to the bi-stable spring element from the back side of the closure.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a container closure convertible from a first adult-use mode to a second child-resistant mode.
The closure has a bi-stable element in its upper surface with a first substantially convex stable orientation and a second substantially concave stable orientation. The first stable orientation has a first associated spring rate of the deflecting member, and the second stable orientation has a second associated spring rate of the deflecting member, wherein the second spring rate is greater than the first spring rate, and wherein the bi-stable element may be converted from the first to the second stable orientations by finger pressure.
A further object of the invention is to provide an intuitively natural means for converting the container closure from the first mode to the second mode.
Yet another object of one embodiment of the invention is to provide a reversibly convertible container closure, wherein the closure may be converted from an adult-use mode to a child-resistant mode and back again.
Yet another object of one embodiment of the invention is to provide an irreversibly convertible container closure.
Yet another object of one embodiment of the invention is to provide a bi-modal container closure that can be converted from an adult use mode to a child-resistant mode while closed.
Yet another object of one embodiment of the invention is to provide a container system selectable between adult and child-resistant modes, for storage of potentially hazardous materials, especially pharmaceutical agents.
And yet another object of the invention is to provide a convertible container closure having a tactile and/or visual indication of operational status.

Convertible child-resistant closure with invertible bi-stable spring element


Apparatuses and methods for scanned beam imagers and scanned beam endoscopes that utilize multiple light collectors are disclosed. In one aspect, a scanned beam imager is disclosed. The scanned beam imager includes a scanned beam source operable to scan a beam onto a region of interest of an object. The scanned beam imager further includes a first light collector structured to collect light reflected from the region of interest and a second light collector positionable relative to the scanning tip. The second light collector structured to collect light transmitted through the region of interest.

Video endoscopes have been in general use since the 1980s for viewing the inside of the human body. Endoscopes are typically flexible or rigid devices that have an endoscope tip including an imaging unit, such as a digital camera or a scanned beam imager, configured for collecting light and converting the light to an electronic signal. The electronic signal is sent up a flexible tube to a console for display and viewing by a medical professional such as a doctor or nurse.
To improve performance, specialized endoscopes have been developed to best accomplish their intended function. For example, upper endoscopes are used for examination of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, colonoscopes are used for examining the colon, angioscopes are used for examining blood vessels, bronchoscopes are used for examining the bronchi, laparoscopes are used for examining the peritoneal cavity, and arthroscopes are used for examining joint spaces. Instruments to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon, known as flexible sigmoidoscopes, have also been developed. The discussion of endoscopes herein generally applies to these and other types of endoscopes, and the term "endoscope" as used herein encompasses all these and other such devices.
Scanned beam endoscopes are a fairly recent innovation, and an example of a scanned beam endoscope is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/873,540 ("′540 application") entitled SCANNING ENDOSCOPE, hereby incorporated by reference. FIG. 1 show a scanned beam endoscope 10 disclosed in the ′540 application. The scanned beam endoscope includes a control module and monitor, all of which may be mounted on a cart 22, and collectively referred to as console 20. The scanned beam endoscope further includes an endoscope tip 30 having a scanning tip 32 with a scanning module configured to scan a beam across a field-of-view (FOV) and detection optical fibers (not shown) that collect reflected light from the FOV and transmit the signals, either as optical signals or electrical signals if converted using an optical-to-electrical converter at the scanning tip 32, to the console 20 for further processing.
The control module includes a scanning tip controller 16 for controlling the scanning of the beam from scanning tip 32 and an image processor 18 that processes image data signals received from the scanning tip 32 characteristic of the FOV. The console 20 communicates with a handpiece 26 through an external cable 28, which is connected to the console 20 via connector 24. The handpiece 26 is operably coupled to the endoscope tip 30 and allows the user to manipulate the position and image collection functions of the endoscope tip 30.
The endoscope tip 30 and scanning tip 32 thereof are configured for insertion into a body cavity for imaging internal surfaces thereof. In operation, the scanning tip 32 scans a beam of light over a FOV, collects the reflected light from the interior of the body cavity with the detection optical fibers (not shown), and sends image data signals representative of an image of the internal surfaces to the image processor 18 for image processing. A video image of the FOV is generated by the image processor 18 according to the time-sequential pattern through which the beam of light is scanned. The image generated by the image processor 18 is displayed on the monitor 14 for evaluation by a medical professional. While the scanned beam endoscope is an effective endoscope, the detection optical fibers (not shown) of the scanning tip 32 can only be used to collect reflected light from the FOV, which consequently limits the information about the tissue or organ being examined.

Scanned beam imagers and endoscopes utilizing multiple light collectors