In a material sample separation and collection system, a sample is obtained by airflow separation. The system and attendant methods collect a complete sample over a defined period of time by modulating one or more pressure balancing valves, thus allowing for a variable flow rate of materials through the system even while the fan or other source of airflow operates at constant speed. The sampling rate, which is based on how quickly or slowly materials enter and pass through the system and into a collection vessel, is automatically modulated in real time based on sensor data.

In commerce, many goods are sold as bulk materials. The term "bulk materials" refers to items obtained, transported, used, stored, or handled in a group, non-limiting examples of which include grain, wheat, vegetables, tea, spices, flavorings, peanuts, coffee beans, soybeans, and other agricultural products; manufactured food products (including human food and pet food products); and pharmaceutical or other health products such as multivitamins and supplements. Each example is an item that can be broken down into individual units and grouped with numerous others of its kind for packaging or shipment, or grouped with others of its kind and used as food ingredients. In a production plant, bulk and other materials are frequently sent along a conveyor as part of the production process. Often, the bulk materials are in the form of particulates. In some instances, the materials which are sampled are liquid, whereby a portion of the liquid is separated and transported into the collection device.
There is a need to sample bulk and other materials to determine if they contain any matter that causes injury, disease, or irritation if inhaled or ingested by a person or absorbed through the skin, or matter that creates a risk of combustion or explosion, either by itself or in contact with other matter. Such matter is characterized in different ways, and depending on its nature may be referred to variously as contaminants, adulterants, pathogens, viruses, bacteria, microorganisms, fungi, toxins, toxic chemicals, and pollutants. For brevity, such examples of matter set forth in this paragraph are referred to herein as "contaminants."
Alternatively, a need exists to sample materials to determine if they contain matter that is desirable and beneficial, i.e., which is supposed to be present. Such substances include, again by way of illustration only, an additive used to enhance a manufacturing process related to a particular commodity; or matter incorporated with a particular commodity providing beneficial, nutritional, or therapeutic effects, such as proteins, nanoparticles, and additives. For brevity, all such substances contemplated by this paragraph are referred to, individually and collectively, as "additives."
In the past, various attempts have been made to sample materials, for the purpose of testing to see if contaminants or additives are present in the bulk materials. In some instances, the materials are related to food, while in other contexts this sampling has been performed on non-food bulk materials. The present embodiments are not limited to the type of materials (bulk or otherwise) which they are practiced upon.
In this sense, sampling the bulk materials, or "taking a sample," involves separating a large quantity of bulk materials into a very small portion that is taken out of production and used for sampling, from the remainder of the bulk materials. Airflow separators are used in many applications to separate particulate matter as a means of collecting a sample, where separation occurs based on differences in size or density (or both) of particles making up the bulk materials. Cyclonic separators, also referred to as cyclones, are a type of airflow separator, having a geometry which facilitates a cyclonic airflow within the chamber as the airflow is drawn into and through it. Other airflow separators produce different kinds of air movement, including but not limited to axial flow, laminar flow, and turbulent flow. Although the term cyclonic separator is used somewhat more frequently herein than some other types of airflow separators, embodiments are not limited to cyclonic separators.
Airflow separators are usually operated by a fan run at constant speed that draws air into and through the device, as running them at constant speed is important for maintaining consistency of performance. As air enters and travels through the device, by the action of the fan, the resulting airflow transports some of the particles away from the sampling point and into the cyclone via a conduit. Generally, cyclonic separators operate based on a precise flow determined by the physical design characteristics of the cyclone and the requirements for sample separation and collection, in order to maintain a constant and precise flow of air and matter through the cyclone that increases sampling efficiency.
Conventional airflow separators are known generally to those skilled in the art. These include, but are not limited to, collectors, separators, wetted wall cyclones, and multi-stage configurations, all of which transport material under a flow of air or gas. Such airflow separators handle a wide range of products, including but not limited to particles, aerosolized particles, liquids, aerosolized liquids, biological material, and metals, any of which can be dispersed in air or other gases.
In most cases when contaminants are present in bulk materials, the contamination is localized, rather than diffuse, i.e., spread throughout the entirety of the bulk materials. Thus, although various approaches have been tried before with respect to sampling to determine contamination, the results have been poor because usually the approach involves "grab sampling" or some other technique that obtains a sample only at intervals. In some cases, the protocol calls for a person to manually obtain a sample at some predetermined interval. Other times, the sampling process is automated so that a machine obtains the sample, for example by pneumatic force or suction that redirects a portion of bulk or other materials moving along a conveyor or stored in a bin, or otherwise going through production steps. Again, though, conventional sampling performed through automation is limited just like manual sampling, in that it is done at discrete intervals. Also, sample volumes collected through automation are usually fixed and, therefore, not subject to adjustment. Consequently, localized contamination is detected only if the contamination passes the sampling point at the precise interval when the sample is taken.
Although airflow separators are known, problems and limitations are still encountered in their use. For example, the performance of cyclonic separators depends on maintaining a precise and constant flow of air and matter through the device at a preset, constant fan speed. However, these constants might not be compatible with the sampling flow requirements of a particular operation, in which sampling rate may be lower than the optimum cyclone flow. Stated differently, one operation might want to fill a sampling vessel every hour, while another might only fill the sampling vessel once or twice during an eight hour shift. Consequently, changing (raising or lowering) the total flow within this type of airflow separator to an optimum value for sampling might negatively impact the cyclonic efficiency and performance, for example if the fan speed were turned lower to reduce the rate at which sample is being collected. The problem is that when one changes flow through the total system by varying fan speed, or changing the restriction of air movement, for example, it can have negative impact on the overall performance of the cyclone.
Accordingly, there is significant need for continuous automated sampling, where the sampling rate can be varied even though the fan speed remains constant.

System and methods for maintaining constant airflow and efficiency while tuning sampling flow


An engine air management system is provided for an internal combustion engine generating blowby gas in a crankcase containing engine oil and oil aerosol. The system includes combinations of two or more of an air-oil separator, an air filter, and an acoustic silencer.

The invention relates to engine air management systems for internal combustion engines.
Internal combustion engines take in large amounts of air and also generate a relatively small amount of blowby gas in the crankcase containing engine oil and oil aerosol. The air management system may include an air intake filter as well as an air-oil separator having an inlet receiving blowby gas and oil aerosol from the crankcase, an air outlet discharging clean blowby gas, and an oil outlet discharging scavenged separated oil.
The present invention arose during continuing development efforts in the above technology.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A portable electronic device comprising a first panel supporting a user-operable input device on a first face and a second panel mounted for slidable movement over the first face of the first panel between a first position in which the user-operable input device is concealed and a second position in which the user-operable input device is exposed and, when the second panel is in the second position, for pivotal movement towards the face of the first panel.

Some forms of conventional portable electronic devices, particularly mobile communication devices, have either an extendible or foldable two-part construction which allows the device to be extended or folded open for use, then closed again for storage. These types of construction help to maximize the surface area available for supporting a keypad and a display, while minimizing the size of the device when closed.
The present invention seeks to provide a portable electronic device.


In a valve drive device, especially for an internal combustion engine including a camshaft with a cam element which is axially movably supported on the camshaft but in a rotationally fixed manner, the cam element includes a gate structure and an actuation device is provided with at least one shift element for engagement with the gate arrangement for axially displacing the cam element and the shift element has a rotationally asymmetrical basic shape in order to follow the gate structure when placed in engagement therewith.

The invention relates to a valve drive device, in particular of an internal combustion engine, including an operating mechanism with at least one shift element for axially displacing a cam element on a camshaft.
Valve drive arrangements, in particular of an internal combustion engine, with an actuation device which has at least one shift element for axially displacing a cam element by means of a shift gate, are already known.
It is the principal object of the invention to provide a valve drive arrangement, where a defined movement of a shifting element in the shift gate can be achieved.


A system for controlling accesses to network enabled devices includes a network interface over which a hub communicates with network enabled devices, a processor, and a multilayer access control layer. The access control layer includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to detect, at the hub, a request representing an attempt by an application executing on a remote host device to access a network enabled device communicatively coupled to the hub, characterize the request according to a user of the remote host device, the application making the attempt, and the network enabled device, and determine whether to allow or deny the request based upon the characterization and a plurality of rules. The rules may include definitions of access rights, with respect to the network enabled device, for users, applications, commands or queries made by applications, remote host devices, and network domains.

The number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in households is increasing every day. A smart home of the future is expected to include hundreds of these devices. These devices include household items that historically did not include computing or networking capabilities, but into which limited computing and networking capabilities have recently been incorporated. For example, a smart light bulb may include one or more components to provide network connectivity such that the light bulb can report data to a network, can be configured by the network, and can be remotely operated via the network. In some cases, IoT devices such as lights, fans, heating and air-conditioning systems, thermostats, automobiles, vehicles, toys, ovens, locks, refrigerators, sensors, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, doors, windows, washers, dryers, dish-washers, appliances, fitness equipment, consumer electronics, or other household devices are now Internet-capable or intranet-capable. IoT devices are sometimes referred to as "connected devices" or "smart devices".
IoT devices are manufactured and provided by many different entities. Many of these IoT devices are not created or provisioned with any security features. Others include security features that are not compatible with or extensible to a larger security framework of a home or a third party organization that provides security to the home. In addition, IoT devices typically include small form factors with limited processor, memory, or networking resources. Thus, many IoT devices are not easily upgraded or extendable in terms of additional resources or add-on features. The processors for IoT devices are typically small, low-powered processors that are not sufficient to provide access control for the devices. When a household includes a large number of IoT devices of many different types, the difficulty of administering a network of IoT devices is compounded.

Multilayer access control for connected devices


The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a slag discharge door, which is provided separately from a molten-steel discharge opening in an electric furnace and opens and closes a slag discharge opening for discharging slag. The method of manufacturing the slag discharge door, which moves up and down on the slag discharge opening to open and close the slag discharge opening, includes the steps of: forming a door body by forging, forming a coolant passage, a coolant inlet, and a coolant outlet in the door body by drilling, and then finishing a passage that blocks a portion that is open toward an outer surface of the door body.

Generally, an electric furnace refers to a furnace that heats and melts metal or alloy using electric energy. After scrap is charged into the furnace, current in an arc form is produced between an electrode and the scrap to heat and thereby melt the scrap.
Further, impurities in the scrap are molten during steelmaking work of the electric furnace, thus causing slag in the form of oxide to be formed on molten steel.
The slag floats on the surface of the molten steel, prevents the surface of the molten steel from being oxidized by air and serves to preserve the surface. On an interface between the slag and the molten steel, mass transfer and chemical reactions occur.

Method of manufacturing a slag discharge door


A recording apparatus has a first carrier carrying a first recording head thereon and movable, a second carrier carrying a second recording head thereon and movable, a first recording mode in which the first carrier is moved to thereby effect recording, and a second recording mode in which the first carrier and the second carrier are both moved to thereby effect recording.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a serial type recording apparatus which is applicable to a recording apparatus in a business machine or a communication instrument such as a copying machine, a facsimile apparatus, a personal computer or an office computer, and in particular to a recording apparatus which can be effectively applied to an ink jet recording apparatus in which a carrier is caused to scan in the direction of a recording column to thereby accomplish recording.
2. Related to Background Art
Among the serial type recording apparatuses, such as ink jet recording apparatuses, wire dot printers and heat transfer printers, proposed before the present invention, there is one in which a recording head is carried on a single carriage and when image recording using different ink is to be effected, the recording head is interchanged with another recording head by a manual operation. However, in such an apparatus, it is not intended that a plurality of recording heads be carried on the carriage to effect color recording, and such apparatus is not constructed so that a plurality of recording heads can be carried on the carriage. In any case, black documents and the black printing mode data processing are more often used for printing in a terminal instrument than colored graphics and colored documents.
Instead of the manual operation, it is conceivable to move a carriage carrying a plurality of recording heads thereon serially to thereby enable printing in any color to be accomplished, but this will result in a construction in which an unused recording heads are always moved or continue to be moved in a state capable of recording. Accordingly, in the heretofore known ink jet recording, an unused recording heads are subjected to the recovery process or ink is heated, which leads particularly to the waste of time and the waste of electric power. Also, the carriage carries the maximum weight thereon at all times and, therefore, the load for moving the carriage becomes great.
On the other hand, a color ink jet printer carried recording heads for four colors, i.e., Bk (black), Y (yellow), M (magenta) and C (cyan) in parallel on a single carriage and has effected printing by causing the carrier to scan.
However, in the ink jet printer, during black printing, the other printing heads are exposed to the atmosphere, and this causes problems such as clogging and adherence resulting from the desiccation of ink. These problems arise earlier in a recording head not being used than in a recording head being used, and even if the recovery process is carried out, the period during which these problems arise becomes very short. During recovery process, it is usually the practice to return the carriage periodically to its home position even during black printing to thereby effect idle discharge, or to effect suction of ink from the color printing heads even during the closing of the main switch or the suction recovery operation, and this brings about the inconvenience that the recording time is prolonged. Also, by this recovery process, the color inks are wastefully consumed, and this has been uneconomical.
Also, even when high-speed printing is to be effected, it has been necessary to drive the heavy carrier carrying the four recording heads thereon and thus, an expensive and bulky motor for driving the carrier has been necessary.
Even in printing conditions under which black printing can be executed, the absence of other color inks makes printing impossible.
Also, in spite of the execution of printing being possible if the temperature control of only the black head is effected in printing conditions under which black printing can be executed, waste such as effecting the temperature control of the other color heads, for example, warming all the heads so as to assume 35.degree. C. or higher, is unavoidable.
The present invention has been made on the basis of the above-described background art, and more particularly from a point of view which has not heretofore been foreseen.

Recording apparatus in which a plurality of carriages can be connected and separated


A binary adding apparatus adds together input words (A0-A7, B0-B7) to produce an output word (E0-E7). The apparatus includes a clock signal generator (CK) and adders (FA0-FA7) each connected to receive bits of equal significance of the input words and all having substantially the same propagation delay, the adders being interconnected in cascaded groups (e.g. FA0, FA1), in the order of significance of the bits of the input words, and the number of adders in each group being such that the total propagation delay through each group is less than the clock period. A first set of latches (A1/1-LA1/12) is connected to outputs of the adders (FA0-FA7), the set comprising respective latches (e.g. LA1/1) each connected to receive a sum bit of respective significance and respective latches (e.g. LA1/3) each connected to receive a carry-out bit from a respective one of the groups. An output set of latches (LA3-1-LA3/9) receives the bits of the output word. The latches of the first and output sets are controlled by the clock generator (CK) whereby all the latches output simultaneously, once per clock period, the bits supplied thereto. A processing assembly connected between the first set of latches and the output set of latches combines, during at least one clock period, the bits outputted by the first set of latches to produce the bits of the output word, the processing assembly including a plurality of logic units (L1-L14) each having a propagation delay which is less than the clock period, and each being operative to carry out one of a plurality of predetermined logic functions (F1-F5).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to binary adding apparatus for adding together a plurality of multi-bit input words to produce a multi-bit output word.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows how such an apparatus may be constructed. In the case of FIG. 1 it is assumed that, for example, two 8-bit input words are to be added, one of the words comprising bits A0 to A7 (in ascending order of significance) and the other of the words comprising bits B0 to B7 (in ascending order of significance). The apparatus comprises eight single-bit full adders FA each having inputs A and B, a carry-in input CI, a sum output Q and a carry-out output CO. The bits A0 to A7 and B0 to B7 of the input words are applied to the inputs A and B of the full adders FA as shown. The carry-in input CI of the full adder FA of least significance is connected to ground (GND). The full adders FA are connected in cascade. That is to say, the carry out output CO of each full adder FA (except, of course, for that of most significance) is connected to the carry-in input CI of the full adder of next highest significance. As will be evident, the result is that the full adders FA add the input words to produce an output word comprising eight bits E0 to E7, in ascending order of significance, together with a carry bit. As shown, the bits E0 to E7 are produced at the sum output terminals Q of the full adders FA, in ascending order of significance, with the carry bit being produced at the carry-out output CO of the full adder of most significance.
Due to the cascaded manner of connection of the full adders FA of the apparatus of FIG. 1, the time taken for the output word to be generated is the sum of the propagation delays of all eight full adders. This is because each full adder FA can only begin to operate when it receives a carry-out bit from the carry-out output CO of the full adder of immediately lower significance. That is, the output word is not generated until after the carry-out bits have propagated through from the least significant bit (LSB) to the most significant bit (MSB).
The above-described speed limitation may be overcome, at the cost of introducing considerable extra hardware into the apparatus, by using so-called pipelining architecture. According to this technique, the full adders are interconnected in cascaded groups, the number of full adders in each group being such that the total propagation delay through each group is less than a predetermined period. The groups are separated by sets of latches which are controlled by a clock generator, which produces a clock signal whose period is the above-mentioned predetermined period, whereby all the latches output simultaneously, once per clock period (i.e. on receipt of each clock pulse of the clock signal), the bits supplied thereto. FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows such a pipelined adding apparatus might be constructed. The apparatus of FIG. 2, like that of FIG. 1, adds two 8-bit input words comprising bits A0 to A7 and B0 to B7, respectively, to produce an output word comprising bits E0 to E7 (and a carry bit). The apparatus of FIG. 2 comprises eight single-bit full adders FA like those of FIG. 1. Additionally, the apparatus of FIG. 2 comprises 48 latches LA which effect the pipelining and afford temporal pre-equalizing and post-equalizing of the bits to insure that the bits E0 to E7 (and the carry bit) of the output word have the same timing. The latches LA are arranged in first to fourth sets (each set comprising those latches shown mutually vertically aligned in FIG. 2) with an addition stage comprising a respective one of first to fourth groups of two cascaded full adders FA preceding each set. A clock generator CK is connected to all of the latches LA to supply thereto a clock signal comprising clock pulses spaced by a clock period which is greater than the sum of the propagation delays of the groups of cascaded full adders FA.
The apparatus of FIG. 2 functions as follows. Upon generation of a first clock pulse by the clock generator CK, the hits A0 to A7 and B0 to B7 of the input words are supplied to the apparatus as shown. The bits A2 to A7 and B2 to B7 go to pre-equalizing latches of the first set of latches LA. The bits A0, A1, B0 and B1 go to the inputs A and B of the first cascaded group of full adders FA. The total propagation delay through the first cascaded group of full adders FA is twice the propagation delay through one full adder, the propagation delay through all of the full adders being substantially the same. This total propagation delay is less than the clock period. Accordingly, prior to generation of the next clock pulse, the sum output bit and carry-out bit provided by the outputs Q and CO, respectively, of the full adder receiving the input bits A1 and B1, and the sum output bit of the full adder receiving the input bits A0 to B0, have been latched into associated latches of the first set of the latches LA.
When the next clock pulse is generated, the bits stored in the latches LA of the first set are outputted and, during the following clock period, the input bits A2, B2, A3 and B3 (and the carry-out bit from the preceding stage) are added in the second group of two cascaded full adders. This process is then repeated twice more whereby, after a total of four clock periods or cycles, an output word is developed at the output of the fourth set of latches LA. The pre-equalizing latches (those preceding the full adders) and the post-equalizing latches (those following the full adders) insure that the bits of the output words as outputted from the fourth set of latches have the same timing, in which regard it should be appreciated that bits of successive pairs of input words may be inputted during each successive clock cycle whereby an output word may be produced during each clock cycle.
The apparatus of FIG. 2 is subject to the following disadvantages. Firstly, it involves the use of a large number of latches. In this regard, the pre-equalizing latches are used very inefficiently because two latches are needed for each of the bits at each pipelining stage. For example, the bits A7 and B7 require the use of six equalizing latches before they are added together. Secondly, it involves a long delay (four clock periods or cycles) between input and output. While the number of latches and the delay might be reducible if it were possible to cascade more than two full adders between the sets of latches, the disadvantages will still remain. For any given number of cascaded adders in the successive stages, the above disadvantages tend to get worse if the number of bits of the input words is increased beyond eight. Further, the employment of a large number of latches involves a further disadvantage when the apparatus is embodied using one or more programmable gate arrays (PGAs), which are also known as programmable logic arrays. A PGA comprises a chip having an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), one of which is shown schematically in FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings. Each CLB comprises a programmable logic or gate section (PLS) and a latch LA, and the CLBs (and the PLSs and latches thereof) can be connected together in any desired manner. In each CLB, it is possible to use only the PLS or only the latch LA. Alternatively, it is possible to use both the PLS and latch LA, the former feeding an output signal into the latter. The PLS can be programmed to perform any one of a variety of desired logical operations on up to (say) four input signals supplied thereto. (Alternatively, the PLS may be programmed to perform any two separate ones of a variety of desired logical operations on up to three input signals, provided that the input signals for the two operations are the same.) A PGA of the above-described type (referred to as a logic cell array) is available from Monolithic Memories of Santa Clara, Calif., under the type numbers M2064/M2018.
It is possible to embody the apparatus of FIG. 2 in a PGA of the type mentioned above. Thus, the full adders FA can be implemented by appropriate programming of an appropriate number of PLSs. To maximize hardware use, at least some of the latches LA immediately following the full adders FA can be the latches of the same CLBs whose PLSs form the full adders. However, the bulk of the latches LA of FIG. 2 would comprise the latches of individual CLBs whose PLSs would not be used. There would therefore be a very great wastage of available hardware.
An object of the invention is to provide a pipelined binary adding apparatus in which the number of latches is reduced.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pipelined binary adding apparatus which is well adapted to implementation in the form of a programmable gate array in a manner which minimizes hardware wastage.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pipelined binary adding apparatus having a reduced delay between input and output.


The present invention relates to a method comprising inferring activity of a PI3K cellular signaling pathway in a tissue and/or cells and/or a body fluid of a medical subject based at least on expression levels of one or more target gene(s) of the PI3K cellular signaling pathway measured in an extracted sample of the tissue and/or the cells and/or the body fluid of the medical subject. The present invention further relates to an apparatus comprising a digital processor configured to perform such a method, a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by a digital processing device to perform such a method, and a computer program comprising program code means for causing a digital processing device to perform such a method.

Genomic and proteomic analyses have substantial realized and potential promise for clinical application in medical fields such as oncology, where various cancers are known to be associated with specific combinations of genomic mutations/variations and/or high or low expression levels for specific genes, which play a role in growth and evolution of cancer, e.g., cell proliferation and metastasis.
For example, screening for an over-expression of the HER2 receptor on the membrane of cells in breast cancer samples is currently the standard test performed for identifying patients that are eligible to HER2 inhibitors such as Trastuzumab. Over-expression of the ERBB2 gene, which results in an over-expression of the HER2 receptor on the cell membrane, occurs in approximately 25% to 30% of all breast cancers and is associated with an increased disease recurrence and a poor prognosis. However, the expression of the HER2 receptor is by no means a conclusive indictor for driving tumor growth as the signaling initiated by the HER2 receptor can for instance be dampened by the downstream cellular signaling pathway. This also seems to be reflected in the initial response rate of 26% in HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with Trastuzumab (Charles L. Vogel, et al., "Efficacy and Safety of Trastuzumab as a Single Agent in First-Line Treatment of HER2-Overexpressing Metastatic Breast Cancer", Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol. 20, No. 3, February 2002, pages 719 to 726). Besides that, the cellular signaling pathway downstream of the HER2 receptor can also be activated by mutations/over-expression in proteins downstream of the HER2 receptor, resulting in (a) relatively aggressive tumor type(s) that will not be detected by measuring HER2 expression levels. It is therefore desirable to be able to improve the possibilities of characterizing patients that have a tumor, e.g., breast cancer, which is at least partially driven by effects occurring in the cellular signaling pathway downstream of the HER2 receptor.

Assessment of the PI3K cellular signaling pathway activity using mathematical modelling of target gene expression


A slide table includes an inner member, an outer member fitted at least partly over the inner member, air bearings provided between the inner and outer members, and a motor means having a coil connected to the outer member to drive the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide table in which a voice coil motor is employed and, more particularly, to a slide table which is suitably incorporated into an ultrasonic microscope for high speed scanning of a probe, sample, or the like.
2. Statement of the Related Art
Conventionally, an apparatus such as an ultrasonic microscope which requires the scanning of a sample with high precision incorporates therein a precision slide table with air bearings, such as disclosed on page 750 of "Precision Machine" 51-4 (1985). In this slide table, a sample (or acoustic lens) is placed on a same base supported by the air bearings, a voice coil motor drives the slide table to move it reciprocatingly, and this reciprocating movement is transmitted to the sample table. In the above structure of the slide table, a bobbin having a coil of the voice coil motor wound therearound is secured to a carriage by which a drive shaft is supported. The carriage is reciprocatingly moved while it is being guided on and along its supporting plate by ball bearings. The axial movement caused by the voice coil motor is transmitted to the sample table via a steel ball provided at a tip end of the drive shaft and via a magnet piece attached to an end of the sample table. However, this structure has a drawback in that when the voice coil motor moves with high speed, the magnet piece is separated from the steel ball due to the inertia of the sample table. This imposes a limitation upon the driving velocity as well as upon the stroke (driving velocity: 10 Hz, stroke: 5 mm or so). In addition, the carriage is attached onto the bobbin of the voice coil motor with the result that the weight being driven by the voice coil motor increases. In consequence, in the case of an apparatus requiring a high responsiveness, it is necessary to employ a voice coil motor whose output has an increased level in accordance with the increased inertia of the apparatus.
The increase in speed and stroke of the slide table has in recent years been demanded. This has required improvement of the slide table. To satisfy this requirement, it is important to make the slide table light in weight. The above-mentioned prior construction, however, is complicated in structure and therefore is difficult to miniaturize. Besides, since the sample table is in the form of a plate, i.e., small in thickness, difficulty is encountered in making the transversal stiffness of the air bearings large and there also exists a drawback that the manufacturing cost is high. Further, in case an acoustic lens is mounted on the sample table, a sample which is located beneath the sample table is difficult to observe because of being hindered by the sample table. This raises problem concerning the operating efficiency.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.


An electro-optical modulator is provided. The electro-optical modulator comprises at least one optical waveguide; a plurality of segments, wherein each one of the segments comprises at least one waveguide electrode for supplying a voltage to the optical waveguide, wherein the segments are arranged one behind the other along the optical waveguide, and wherein each one of the segments comprises its own driver unit electrically connected to the waveguide electrode of the segment for supplying an electric signal. Each one of the segments forms an electrical resonant circuit, wherein the segments are configured in such a way that the resonance frequency of the electrical resonant circuit of at least one of the segments lies within the frequency range of an electrical signal supplied to the driver units.

The invention relates to an electro-optical modulator and to a method for generating such an electro-optical modulator.
Electro-optical modulators are employed especially for the generation of optical pulses in the field of high-speed data transmission. For example, electro-optic modulators in the form of Mach-Zehnder interferometers are used, these modulators comprising two optical waveguides as interferometer branches and an electrode arrangement for supplying a voltage across the optical waveguides in order to induce a phase shift of a light wave guided in the optical waveguides. For example, the electrode arrangement comprises a plurality of electrodes, wherein an individual driver unit for supplying a voltage across a segment of the optical waveguides is assigned to each one of the electrodes. Such a modulator is disclosed, for example, in the article "Low-Power Multi-level Modulation of InP MZM with In-line Centipede Structure Directly Driven by CMOS IC", T. Yamase et al., Proceedings OptoElectronics and Communications Conference held jointly with 2013 International Conference on Photonics in Switching (OECC/PS), 2013.
The electrical data signal which is supplied to the optical waveguides of the modulator via the driver units for generating an optical output signal usually is converted using a digital-analog converter (which is e.g. a component of the driver unit) and/or is processed by a digital signal processor; in particular the frequency spectrum of the data signal fed to one of the driver units is modified in order to obtain an optical output signal with a predefined frequency spectrum. The signal processing is required in particular in order to be able to allocate the optical output signal to a provided frequency channel or a plurality of frequency channels.

Electro-optical modulator and method for generating an electrical optical modulator

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEW ANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.


An automatically generated and customized fast charging process results in reduced degradation in the battery cell. An algorithm for a particular battery cell profile is automatically generated and customized to minimize degradation due to fast charging for that particular batch. To generate the custom algorithm, battery cell information is retrieved for a profile of a battery, wherein each battery profile may have a particular manufacturer, model, type, electrode batch, and potentially other specific identification information. Each battery cell is charged from a particular SOC level and at a selected C-rate, and then discharged. During discharge, the battery cell is monitored for detection of lithium plating or other undesirable effects. A lookup table is automatically generated from the battery cell information, and can be provided to devices and/or battery management systems. The BMS then uses the lookup table to apply a charging process that is customized to the on-board battery.

Lithium-ion battery cells are w in a commonly used in wide range of products, including electronic vehicles cell phones, computers, electric vehicles, and other systems. One advantage of lithium ion batteries is that they may be "fast charged," allowing the cells to be charged faster than other battery types. Typical fast charge techniques include charging at a constant current and constant voltage, which has the undesirable side-effect of incurring severe chemical and mechanical degradation mechanisms within the battery cell. In particular, typical fast charging techniques cause degradation due to higher currents, higher temperature rise, swelling characteristics of the active materials, the mass transport limitations in the anode, risks of overcharging or excess electrolyte decomposition, and decomposition of lithium metal on the anode. For these reasons, fast-charging techniques of lithium batter cells negatively affect the life and continued capacity of the battery.

Serial SOC testing for improved fast-charge algorithm

CHONGQING JINKANG POWERTRAIN NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.


This disclosure refers to a dosing mechanism for use in a drug delivery device implementing a dialing mode and a dispensing mode, wherein the dosing mechanism comprises a dose button, a housing and a determination unit. The dose button is activatable by the user for dose dispense, causing displacement of an indicating element connected to the housing from a first position to a second position. The determination unit is adapted such that it detects the indicating element in its second position and thereby determines that the dosing mechanism is in the dispensing mode. With some embodiments, it is possible to distinguish between the dialing mode and the dispensing mode. Some embodiments further refer to a drug delivery device comprising the above dosing mechanism.

Drug delivery devices have application where regular injection by persons without formal medical training occurs. This may be increasingly common among patients having diabetes where self-treatment enables such patients to conduct effective management of their disease. In practice, such a drug delivery device allows a user to individually select and dispense a number of user variable doses of a medicament.
There are basically two types of drug delivery devices: resettable devices (i.e., reusable) and non-resettable (i.e., disposable). For example, disposable drug delivery devices are supplied as self-contained devices. Such self-contained devices do not have removable pre-filled cartridges. Rather, the pre-filled cartridges may not be removed and replaced from these devices without destroying the device itself. Consequently, such disposable devices need not have a resettable dose setting mechanism.
A further differentiation of drug delivery device types refers to the dosing or drive mechanism: There are devices which are manually driven, e.g. by a user applying a force to an injection button, devices which are driven by a spring or the like and devices which combine these two concepts, i.e. spring assisted devices which still require a user to exert an injection force. The spring-type devices involve springs which are preloaded and springs which are loaded by the user during dose selecting. Some stored-energy devices use a combination of spring preload and additional energy provided by the user, for example during dose setting. Further types of energy storage may comprise compressed fluids or electrically driven devices with a battery or the like.
These types of delivery devices generally comprise of three primary elements: a cartridge section that includes a cartridge often contained within a housing or holder; a needle assembly connected to one end of the cartridge section; and a dosing section with the dosing mechanism connected to the other end of the cartridge section. A cartridge (often referred to as an ampoule) typically includes a reservoir that is filled with a medication (e.g., insulin), a movable rubber type bung or stopper located at one end of the cartridge reservoir, and a top having a pierceable rubber seal located at the other, often necked-down, end. A crimped annular metal band is typically used to hold the rubber seal in place. While the cartridge housing may be typically made of plastic, cartridge reservoirs have historically been made of glass.
The needle assembly is typically a replaceable double-ended needle assembly. Before an injection, a replaceable double-ended needle assembly is attached to one end of the cartridge section, a dose is set, and then the set dose is administered using the dosing mechanism of the dosing section. Removable needle assemblies may be threaded onto, or pushed (i.e., snapped) onto the pierceable seal end of the cartridge assembly.
The dosing section or dosing mechanism is typically the portion of the device that is used to set (select) a dose. During an injection, a plunger or piston rod contained within the dosing mechanism presses against the bung or stopper of the cartridge. This force causes the medication contained within the cartridge to be injected through an attached needle assembly. After an injection, as generally recommended by most drug delivery device and/or needle assembly manufacturers and suppliers, the needle assembly is removed and discarded.
The dosing section of drug delivery devices for selecting and dispensing a number of user variable doses of a medicament often comprises a display for indicating the selected dose to a user. This is especially important where a user may select a different dose each time depending on the state of health. There are mechanical displays, e.g. a drum with printed numbers on its outer surface, wherein the number corresponding to the actually selected dose is visible through a window or opening in the device.
A disposable drug delivery device is known from WO 2004/078241 A1, wherein the display comprises a number sleeve with numbers printed on its outer surface. The device further comprises a housing, a cartridge holder for retaining a cartridge containing a medicament, a piston rod displaceable relative to the cartridge holder, a driver coupled to the piston rod, a dose setting knob coupled to the driver and fixed to the number sleeve, and an injection button. The number sleeve is in threaded engagement with the housing, such that the number sleeve rotates along a helical path in a first direction during dose selecting and rotates back into the housing in a second, opposite direction during dose dispensing.

Dosing mechanism and drug delivery device


Backrest for a vehicle seat with a height-adjustable headrest, which is adjusted by support rods guided inside the backrest frame, and which has ends of the support rods connected to one another by a crossbar having one or more radially biased retaining elements for retaining an end of one of the support rods, and a locking element provided for restricting movement of the retaining element. During assembly of the automobile seat, before upholstering, one of the stop-lock connections located between the support rods and the crossbar is locked by pushing a locking element up on the outside of the retaining element. The stop-lock connection is thus “frozen” to a certain extent. Once manufacturing of the automobile seat is completed, this stop-lock connection can be disengaged only by partially removing the upholstery, which for practical purposes excludes a removal of the headrests for day-to-day driving.

A backrest is known from DE 101 60 929 A1. The ends of the support rods for the headrest that extend into the backrest are connected to one another by a crossbar. These connections are designed as stop-lock connections, wherein one of the stop-lock connections can always be disengaged by applying the appropriate amount of pull, while the other stop-lock connection can be disengaged only by lifting a latch. The latter stop-lock connection has a z-shaped, bent leaf spring, which is positioned in a circumferential groove in the crossbar that encompasses a mounting opening for the support rod. When the support rod is pushed inward, the leaf springs yield elastically outward and then fall into two diametrically opposite notches that are equipped with locking surfaces for the stay bar and are arranged perpendicular to the direction of extension. In this position the headrest cannot be pulled out of the backrest. To allow this stop-lock connection to be disengaged, the support rod is rotatably mounted in the headrest. Furthermore, between the underside of the headrest and the upper surface of the backrest, unlocking surfaces for an open-ended wrench are provided. To disengage the stop-lock connection, the open-ended wrench is placed on the unlocking surfaces, and the support rod is rotated 90°. This frees the leaf springs from the notches in the stay bar and leaves them resting on its notchless; i.e., smooth circumferential area. The headrest can now be drawn upward out of the backrest.
The above-described construction is intended to prevent a headrest from being removed from a backrest, for example to improve the view toward the rear; in such cases it can be easy to forget to return the headrest to the backrest, leaving a passenger in the affected seat without the protection of a headrest.
A further backrest of this type is disclosed in DE 42 16 584 C2. However, with this backrest the stop-lock connection between the mounting devices and the support rods for the headrest are separable, so that the headrest can be removed from the backrest by a driver or passenger. This is precisely what the present invention seeks to prevent.


A device for mounting an object holder on a carrier that can be inserted into a cryostat includes at least one clamping element may be provided for non-positive connection of the object holder with the carrier. The at least one clamping element is arranged to enable damage-free mounting of the object holder on the carrier even in the case of large temperature changes, so that reproducible measuring conditions are created at large temperature changes. The at least one clamping element may be drive-connected via a lever to a piezoelectric element, which may be subjected to voltage by a control device as a function of temperature and of a bearing specification and is supported against the object holder or the carrier.

Microscopes suspended in a cryostat with vibration damping (e.g., as described in Spanish patent application ES2396331A1), which have a carrier for an object holder, are known from the prior art. However, a disadvantage of such devices is that large temperature fluctuations, for example, between room temperature and a low temperature (i.e., 1.5-300K), lead to thermally induced deformation of the components involved. This means that individual involved components with different coefficients of thermal expansion shift or wedge against each other, which makes the reproducibility of measurements considerably more difficult, or even leads to damage to the carrier or the object holder. Mechanical systems for compensation of thermal deformation are subject to the same problems due to their typically different material composition. In addition, the movement of mechanical components in relation to each other causes a certain amount of friction, the waste heat of which can result in an impairment of the measuring accuracy, especially in low-temperature measurements.
Piezoelectric elements used for positioning individual microscopy elements, such as test samples, have material properties that are strongly dependent on temperature, in particular they are subject to strong thermal deformation.
What is desired is a microscope that, even with large temperature changes, damage-free mounting of the object holder on the carrier is possible, so that reproducible measuring conditions are created even with large temperature changes.


A cam member has each of a plurality of first exposure-side surfaces provided in association with a first contact part of each exposure units and each of a plurality of second exposure-side surfaces provided in association with each first contact part. Each first contact part confronts but separates from the corresponding first exposure-side surface when the corresponding exposure unit is disposed in an adjacent position where the exposure unit is capable of exposing the corresponding photosensitive drum. Each first contact part is in contact with the corresponding second exposure-side surface when the corresponding exposure unit is disposed in a retracted position positioned farther than the adjacent position from the photosensitive drum.

A color printer with an LED exposure system is known in the art as one type of electrophotographic color printer. This color printer is provided with four photosensitive drums corresponding to the colors yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and four LED units for respectively exposing the photosensitive drums.
One such color printer that has been proposed includes a main casing, and a process cartridge that is detachably mounted in the casing. The process cartridge is provided with drum cartridges for retaining the photosensitive drums, and developer cartridges that are detachably mounted on the drum cartridges for retaining developing rollers. The printer also includes LED units for exposing the photosensitive drums. The process cartridge is mounted in and removed from the printer through an opening formed in the top surface of the main casing by opening a top cover provided thereon.

Image forming apparatus having exposure unit moving mechanism


A radioactive ray detecting endoscope comprises an elongated insertable part, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus provided in the tip part of the insertable part for transmitting ultrasonic waves toward an observed part, for receiving echoes from the observed part by these ultrasonic waves, and for outputting a signal for forming an ultrasonic image and a radioactive ray detecting apparatus arrangeable in the tip part of the insertable part for detecting radioactive rays. Preferably, the observing direction of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus and the detecting direction of the radioactive ray detecting apparatus substantially coincide with each other.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to an endoscope whereby radioactive rays can be detected.
2. Related Art Statement:
Recently, there is extensively utilized an endoscope whereby organs within a body cavity can be observed with an elongated insertable part inserted into a body cavity or, as required, various therapeutic treatments can be made by using a treating tool inserted through a treating tool channel.
The presence, penetrating range or transfer of a cancer is discovered by detecting radioactive rays emitted from cancer cells with a substance concentrating peculiarly on cancer cells and marked with a radioactive ray substance as a means of discovering and diagnosing a cancer.
Conventionally, a cancer has been detected and diagnosed to be present by leading into a body a sensor detecting such radioactive rays as .beta. rays by using a fiber scope as shown, for example, in Japanese utility model publication No. 5168/1972.
Also, a probe fitted with, for example, a semiconductor radioactive ray detector is disclosed in each of the publications of a Japanese utility model application publication No. 4526/ 1973, Japanese patent application publication Ser. No. 40518/1970 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,665,946, 3,339,095 and 4,595,014.
However, with the above mentioned probe, radioactive rays within a living body can be detected but the radioactive ray generating part can not be observed.
Also, as shown in the publication of a Japanese utility model application publication No. 5168/1972, with a fiber scope provided with a radioactive ray detecting means, it is difficult to know the radioactive ray information while observing an observed part from an eyepiece part. That is to say, a radioactive ray information display means must be seen by separating an eye from the eyepiece part. Therefore, it is difficult to make the radioactive ray generating source and endoscope image correspond to each other. Particularly, it has been difficult to confirm the positions of a deep part cancer and lymphatic knot transfer.
In the observation with a fiber scope, as only the surface of a tissue can be observed, a cancer or the like in the deep part of the tissue can not be confirmed. It is difficult to make a radioactive ray generating source in the deep part of the tissue and its image correspond to each other.


A surface light-emitting device (1) of the present invention includes: first light sources (2a) emitting light in one direction, a second light source (2b) emitting light in a direction orthogonal to the direction, a first light guide plate (3), and a second light guide plate (4). The plate (3) has a light-incident end surface (6) on which light emitted from the light sources (2a) is incident, at least one light-incident end surface (8) on which light emitted from the light source (2b) is incident, and a light-emitting end surface (7) which is opposite to the surface (6) and from which light entering the plate (3) is emitted. The plate (4) includes a counter end surface (9) opposite to surface (7), and carries out, from its main surface, surface-emitting of light entering the plate (4) via the surface (9).

Cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices have been rapidly replaced with liquid crystal display devices. A liquid crystal display device has features of energy saving, a flat body, and a lightweight body, for example. For this reason, the liquid crystal display device has been widely applied to a liquid crystal television, a monitor, a mobile phone, and the like. In order to further take advantage of such features of a liquid crystal display device, there may be proposed an improvement of an illumination device (what is called a backlight) which is provided on a backside of a liquid crystal display device.
A backlight is roughly classified into a side light type (also referred to as "edge light type") and a direct type. A backlight of the side light type has an arrangement in which (i) a light guide plate is provided on a backside of a liquid crystal display panel, and (ii) a light source is provided at a side end part of the light guide plate. Light emitted from the light source is reflected in the light guide plate, and then is emitted from an upper surface of the light guide plate, so that a surface of the liquid crystal display panel is irradiated with the light uniformly. With the arrangement, it is possible to cause an illumination device (i) to have a thin body and (ii) to be excellent in luminance uniformity. For the reasons described above, the backlight of the side light type has been mainly used in a small and medium sized liquid crystal display devices, such as a mobile phone, and a laptop computer.
Patent Literature 1 describes an example of the backlight of the side light type. Patent Literature 1 describes a backlight having an arrangement in which (i) a buffer plate is provided between a light source and a light guide plate, and (ii) both the light guide plate and the buffer plate have a prism shape. This backlight takes advantage of (i) a refractive index of the light that is emitted from the light source and is emitted from the buffer plate and (ii) a refractive index of the light entering the light guide plate. With the arrangement, the backlight has an improvement in uniformity of light emitted from the light guide plate.

Surface light-emitting device and display device


An embodiment is a molding chamber. The molding chamber comprises a mold-conforming chase, a substrate-base chase, a first radiation permissive component, and a microwave generator coupled to a first waveguide. The mold-conforming chase is over the substrate-base chase, and the mold-conforming chase is moveable in relation to the substrate-base chase. The first radiation permissive component is in one of the mold-conforming chase or the substrate-base chase. The microwave generator and the first waveguide are together operable to direct microwave radiation through the first radiation permissive component.

Generally, once a semiconductor wafer has gone through the front end of line and back end of line processing to form semiconductor devices and their respective connections, dies singulated from the semiconductor wafer or the semiconductor wafer itself is typically coated with a resin in order to further protect the dies from physical and environmental damage.
In some solutions, the resin is applied using compression molding. In these solutions, a package including a die, the die alone, or the semiconductor wafer is inserted into a molding chamber. The resin is dispensed on the device generally without a particular shape. Components of the chamber are then brought together to compress the molding around the device thereby encapsulating the device with the compound.
In some instances, the molding compound must be cured to harden the compound and make the compound generally impervious to the exterior environment. During typical curing processes, stresses can be induced within the device structure, which may lead to device warpage or failure. Hence, the efficiency and yield of the molding process can be adversely affected.

Molding chamber apparatus and curing method

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Described is a frequency selective canceler, which uses signals reflected from a reflective element (e.g. a frequency selective limiter) to selectively reject only signals having a power level above a threshold power level while simultaneously allowing signals having a power level below the threshold power level to pass without rejection.

As is known in the art, a frequency selective limiter (FSL) is a nonlinear passive device that attenuates radio frequency (RF) signals provided to an input thereof having a power level which is above a predetermined threshold power level. Hence, FSLs are said to limit the amount of power of an RF signal. RF Signals having a power level below the predetermined threshold power, on the other hand, propagate from the FSL input port to the FSL output port substantially unattenuated.
One feature of an FSL is the frequency selective nature of the high-power limiting. Specifically, an FSL has a characteristic such that low power signals (i.e. signals having a power level below the threshold power lever) close in frequency to the limited signals are substantially unaffected (i.e., the FSL does not substantially attenuate such signals).
A typical implementation of an FSL includes a stripline transmission structure provided from two layers of dielectric material disposed about a strip conductor, with the strip conductor having a fixed length and a fixed width along the length of the FSL. Such structures are relatively simple to fabricate and provide adequate magnetic fields to realize a critical power level of approximately 0 dBm when using a single crystal material. One method of reducing the threshold power level is to use a lower-impedance stripline at the cost of degraded return loss. An external matching structure can be used to improve the impedance match, but this technique reduces the bandwidth and increases the insertion loss of the FSL.


When receiving a notification of an error detected by patrol processing of the device adaptor for a secondary disk apparatus, a first recovery processing unit reads out data corresponding to the error location from a normal primary disk apparatus and writes the data into the error disk apparatus to eliminate the error. If it is determined that the content of the error notification is abnormality of the block ID which is an identifier of the order of writing data, a second recovery processing unit retrieves a correct write address indicated by the identifier, compares data of the error disk apparatus with that of the normal disk apparatus, determines that a lost write exists in the case of mismatch, and eliminates the lost write by writing the data read out from the normal disk apparatus into the error disk apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a disk array control program, method and apparatus for processing input/output requests from an upper apparatus, directed to a disk array system provided with a plurality of disk apparatuses having redundant configuration and, more particularly, to a disk array control program, method and apparatus for recovering an error detected in patrol processing of a disk apparatus by writing data from a normal disk apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Conventionally, in a disk array subsystem comprising a disk apparatus with RAID level redundant configuration, a patrol processing is performed mainly for detecting a medium defect in the disk apparatus. FIG. 1 is a conventional disk array subsystem 100, which is provided with a channel adaptor 102 connecting a host 101, device adaptors 106-1, 106-2 connecting a primary disk 108 apparatus and a secondary disk apparatus 110 which are in RAID level redundant configuration, and a central processing module 104 which is disposed between the channel adaptor 102 and the device adaptors 106-1, 106-2 to process I/O requests from the host 101. A patrol function for the disk apparatus is provided in the device adaptors 106-1, 106-2 and, when a patrol execution command is received from the central processing module 104, the device adaptors 106-1, 106-2 execute a patrol processing for the own primary disk apparatus 108 and secondary disk apparatus 110. The patrol processing of the device adaptors 106-1, 106-2 is performed by reading out block data for each logical block address from a targeting disk apparatus to a buffer on the device adaptor and by checking a check code included in the block data to determine whether an error exists or not. If the device adaptor 106-2 detects an error for the secondary disk apparatus 110, the central processing module 104 is notified of the error and the processing is terminated. When the central processing module 104 is notified of the error by the device adaptor 106-2, if the error is a recoverable error other than the medium defect, the central processing module 104 eliminates the error by reading out data at a logical block address corresponding to the error location from the primary disk apparatus 108 which is a normal disk apparatus and by writing the data into the secondary disk apparatus 110 from which the error is detected (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2003-36146 and 1992-285773).
However, in such error recovery processing based on conventional patrol processing, although an error can be eliminated if an error of a disk apparatus is detected by the patrol processing, a following problem occurs, for write processing of a primary disk apparatus and a secondary disk apparatus in response to a write request from a host, if a write failure occurs in the secondary disk apparatus and if data at another address are rewritten instead of data at a correct address, for example. For the primary disk apparatus 108 and the secondary disk apparatus 110 of FIG. 1, a data storage situation is shown as taken before the write failure occurs and identical data are stored at identical addresses. In this situation, when old data D1 are rewritten by new data D11 in accordance with a write request 112 from the host as shown in FIG. 2A, it is assumed that data D3 at another address are rewritten by the new data D11 in the secondary disk apparatus 110 due to an error 114, although the primary disk apparatus 108 is rewritten normally. In the situation of FIG. 2A, if the patrol processing is performed in the secondary disk apparatus 110, a check code abnormality 116 is determined for the data D11 as shown in FIG. 2B and recovery processing 118 is performed for eliminating the error by reading out correct data D3 corresponding to the error location from the normal primary disk apparatus 108 and by writing the data into the secondary disk apparatus 110. However, in the secondary disk apparatus 110 in which the rewrite has not been performed correctly in FIG. 1A, the data D1 remains unchanged as the old data before the rewrite, resulting in a lost write 120, and does not consist with the new data D11 in the primary disk apparatus 108, and since redundancy of the data is still lost in this portion, a problem occurs that the redundancy can not be recovered by the conventional recovery processing.

Program, method and apparatus for disk array control


One embodiment of a modular pump includes a cover and a housing that may be engaged with one another during operation. A gearset may be positioned within an internal portion of the housing. If the modular pump is configured as a rotary pump, the gear set may be comprised of an inner gear positioned within a portion of a ring gear. The modular pump may include a spacer positioned between the cover and the housing to allow the modular pump to be configured with gear sets of varying axial dimensions.

Many internal combustion engine oil pumps are of the gear pump type wherein the drive gear is connected to the engine camshaft, or other rotational power source. The drive gear, in turn, rotates an idler gear, and the pump consists of a main body and cover housing, which are affixed to one another during use. Other engine oil pumps use a rotary gear set having a rotor gear and a stator ring gear. The cover housing may also include a relief valve. An oil inlet or "pick-up tube" is often mounted on the cover housing and is located within the engine pan sump, permitting oil to be drawn into the pump from the crank case.
In high performance engines such as those used in race cars, the high engine RPM causes rapid wear in the oil pump, as such pumps are built to close tolerances in order to achieve the high oil flow necessary to lubricate the rapidly rotating engine. Conventional internal combustion engine oil pumps utilize a drive shaft, driven from the engine camshaft or ignition distributor, and a driven gear is mounted upon the lower end of the drive shaft.


A strut assembly forming an upper part of a cylinder joined to a wheel is joined to a vehicle body via an insulator and joining member, an airtight chamber space is formed by a strut cover joined to a spring body joined to a damper rod drawn from the cylinder, whereby a CDC type damper with the chamber space of which air pressure is controlled in order to vary the movement characteristic depending on movement of a tire and a damper joined to an inner space of the spring body has an urethane made damper guider having dug air channels where air moves even in a state where the damper is in close contact with the damper rod.

Generally, a suspension in a vehicle is capable of preventing a damage of a vehicle body and improving passenger's rid comfort by properly reducing vibration or a shock which a vehicle axle gets from a road surface in traveling by connecting the vehicle axle and the vehicle body to each other.
That is, such a suspension performs an operation of restricting rolling of the vehicle body as well as an operation of responding to alignment and lateral force and brake and driving force generated by a wheel while disabling the vehicle body to be influenced by roughness of the road surface and allowing the vehicle body to travel the rough road surface by providing the vehicle with vertical flexibility.
The suspension performs the operation of restricting the rolling of the vehicle body in order to improve straight braking stability and turning stability by easily inducing an understeer in the tendency of a sudden oversteer (generally occurring at turning) by a tow angle varying depending on a traveling state so as to satisfy a basic condition that front and rear opposite wheels should secure operability and stability in driving the vehicle, thereby maintaining the rid comfort and operation stability of the vehicle in an optimum state.
An air suspension adopting an air spring among such suspensions allows the height of the vehicle to be adjusted according to an operation condition of the vehicle and implements rid comfort better than a coil spring by a characteristic of the air spring.
The air spring adopted for the air suspension generally includes a damper. The damper reduces vibration or a shock applied from the outside by disabling the vibration or shock transmitted from the road surface to the vehicle axle in traveling by connecting the vehicle axle and the vehicle body to each other.
In addition, the damper adopted for the air spring generally adopts a CDC (Continuous Damping Control) damper in order to implement further improved damping performance. Such a CDC damper can secure the stability of the vehicle in turning, braking, and driving by varying a movement characteristic of the damper in real time, that is, maintaining a vertical load on a tire grounding surface in traveling the rough road surface at a proper level, and can provide a passenger with ease ride comfort and driving convenience by effectively isolating irregular pressure of the road surface generated in driving the vehicle.
The foregoing discussion is to provide general background information, and does not constitute an admission of prior art.


A system and method for obtaining measurements across a width of material being processed is provided, which includes a near-infrared (NIR) detector head (102) which reads and transmits an NIR signal that has been reflected from the material, and a fiber-optic cable (106) through which the signal is transmitted to a processor located remotely from the material being processed. A moisture level reading can be obtained in a drying apparatus and used to aid in controlling the operation of the dryer. The detector head (102) is mounted to a traversing beam (105) and the detector head (102) is capable of traveling to positions across the width of the material being processed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a system and method for obtaining measurements across the width of a material being dried in an industrial dryer.
2. Description of Related Art
Industrial dryers are used, for example, in drying tobacco in various processed forms prior to the tobacco being used in producing finished products. Other products also require drying as part of the processing to produce the final product. In certain tobacco drying processes, for example, an "apron", or substantially continuous moving sheet, of tobacco in semi-processed condition is passed through dryer units at one or more stages prior to packaging for shipment to a tobacco products manufacturer. The tobacco is checked for moisture content after it has been processed through the dryer, in order to determine whether the moisture level of the tobacco is at or below the maximum moisture level as dictated by the tobacco products manufacturer. If the moisture level exceeds the maximum level imposed, the tobacco must be reprocessed at great expense to the supplier, in order to be sold to the tobacco products manufacturer.
Similar scenarios are present in a variety of industries outside the area of tobacco production, in which the moisture content or other properties of the intermediary product must meet specifications dictated by the purchaser of the intermediary product. In such instances where moisture content is measured only at the completion of processing, the same situation can arise that the intermediary product must be further processed in order to be accepted by the purchaser.
Moisture control in apron style tobacco dryers has long been a challenge to the industry. This is due to the fact different tobaccos and tobacco blends have varying densities, as well as percentages of casing, affecting the tobacco carpet depth and/or mass flow throughput. The leaf stalk position and the environmental conditions at the time of processing also contribute to changes in the drying process. These changes represent more or less work/energy transfer required to achieve the desired results. This causes the operator to adjust both heating (drying) and re-ordering (moisturizing) zones of this multiple stage process. Most tobacco processing lines have dryers with three or more zones of heating, one or more zones of cooling, and two or more zones of re-ordering.
Processing originally depended entirely on the acquired skill of the operator's hand to determine the approximate moisture content of the tobacco discharging from the dryer. With the reduction of cost for a standard on-line moisture gauge to less than $10K per unit, many dryers are now fitted with moisture gauges at the discharge to assist operators in monitoring the quality of the product exiting the dryer. To date, most operations have relied on this final moisture value supported by lab results, in conjunction with measured internal dryer temperatures, to make necessary adjustments to control the process.
Recently, with the need to achieve the highest production rates possible with existing equipment and ever tightening customer product quality control standards, tobacco processors have been looking for a method to better control the drying process and reduce standard deviation. One major problem has been that the drying process is both multiple zone and bi-directional. Therefore, no reliable means for determining the average moisture after drying and before re-ordering was readily available. Some processors have placed standard on-line moisture gauges inside the cooling sections of dryers with limited success. Mainly because it is a single point-measuring device mounted at a fixed position along the longitudinal axis of an apron style dryer, the data does not provide a true profile of the product across the entire dryer width and therefore is of limited use. This is further complicated by the fact standard photometers (moisture gauges) in this environment are operating near or at their maximum operating temperature, affecting both their performance and life cycle (MTBF).
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a system and method for taking measurements of, for example, moisture levels present in a moving product stream, and employing that information to aid in determining whether the product will meet moisture level requirements imposed by a purchaser of the product.
It is a further principal object of the present invention to provide a system and method for taking measurements of, for example, moisture levels present in a moving product stream, and employing that information in a control loop or control scheme for controlling process equipment used to produce the desired product.
It is a further principal object to provide a system for measuring particular properties of a material being processed in an enclosed area, which deploys a compact detector head within the enclosed area, and which delivers an NIR reflected energy to an electronics package external to the enclosed area for processing.

Traversing measurement system for a dryer and associated method


To provide a nerve stimulation device capable of stimulating a vagus nerve stably while reducing the risk of interrupting a treatment by nerve stimulation due to disconnection or the like. Adopted is a nerve stimulation device including a first electrode and a second electrode disposed in different positions on the vagus nerve, a pulse generating part connected to each of these electrodes, for outputting an electric pulse for stimulating the vagus nerve, and a setting part for switching the electrode to which the electric pulse from the pulse generating part is transmitted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nerve stimulation device.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-259911, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a treatment method that conducts defibrillation with energy lower than usual by stimulating a vagus nerve at the time of ventricular fibrillation of heart (convulsion condition of ventricle) (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. Hei 8-38625). Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. Hei 8-38625 also discloses installing a set of electrodes in a cervical region as an electrode for stimulating a vagus nerve.
There is known a cardiac treatment device having a set of electrodes for stimulating a vagus nerve that stimulates a vagus nerve when the cardiac rate is higher than a predetermined rate, and conducts cardiac stimulation rather than nerve stimulation when the cardiac rate is lower than the predetermined rate (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-173790).
However, when contact resistance of an electrode to a nerve bundle increases with time due to adhesion of tissue or the like to the electrode, or when impedance increases due to disconnection of a lead wire or the like due to motion of living body, it is not possible to provide energy that is enough for an electric pulse to excite a nerve cell. In such a case, it may become difficult to continue the treatment of stimulating a vagus nerve with cardiac treatment devices disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication Nos. Hei 8-38625 and 2004-173790).


The present invention is related to a Wollaston prism (WP) comprising two birefringent wedges (W1, W2) joined by their hypotenuse to form a composite block, said wedges having optic axes (OA1, OA2) to each other at right angle. According to the invention, the optic axes (OA1, OA2) of said wedges (W1, W2) are rotated by an angle of 45.degree. or 135.degree., respectively, with regard to a position wherein one of the optic axes (OA1, OA2) lies parallel to the plane formed by the hypotenuse.. In an embodiment of the present invention, liquid crystal is used as material for the wedges (W1, W2) resulting in inexpensive and easy to handle Wollaston prisms.

The present invention is related to a Wollaston prism formed by two birefringent wedges having optic axis to each other at right angle, to a Fourier-transform spectrometer comprising said Wollaston prism, and to a method to adjust said Fourier-transform spectrometer.
A Wollaston prism is comprised of two similar wedges of birefringent material joined by their hypotenuse to form a rectangular block. The optic axes within the two wedges are aligned perpendicular to each other and parallel to the entrance/exit faces of the composite block. The angle of refraction at the internal interface of the Wollaston prism depends on the polarization state of light and hence leads to the customary use of a Wollaston prism as a polarizing beam splitter.
Conventional Fourier-transform spectrometers are based on Michelson interferometers. When the output of the interferometer is recorded as a function of the path difference between two arms, an interferogram is obtained that is the autocorrelation of the optical field. The power spectrum of the Fourier transform of the interferogram corresponds to the spectral energy or power distribution of the input light. Draw-backs associated with these instruments are that high quality mirror-scanning mechanisms are required, and the temporal resolution is limited by the maximum mechanical scanning rate.
As an alternative, a Wollaston prism may be used in a Fourier-transform spectrometer with no moving parts. It is well known in the state of the art that when a Wollaston prism is placed between two suitably oriented polarizers and illuminated with a light source, a set of straight-line interference fringes will be produced localized to a plane within the prism. These fringes are the Fourier transform of the spectral power distribution.
Although the use of Wollaston prisms in Fourier-transform spectrometers has been proposed earlier, it could not be applied without a suitable scanning device having a high resolution. Such a high-resolution scanning device has been described by Takayuki Okamoto et. al. in "A Photodiode Array Fourier Transform Spectrometer based on a Birefringent Interferometer" (Applied Spectroscopy 40, p. 691 to 695, 1986).
The varying path difference across the Wollaston prism of the above-mentioned Fourier-transform spectrometer results in the formation of interference fringes localized to a imaging plane within the Wollaston prism. For that reason, an imaging lens must be provided to image the interference plane onto the scanning device in order to obtain best results with regard to the contrast of the image.
All of the above-described Fourier-transform spectrometer have the general draw-back that the angle of incidence for a light beam to be analyzed is very small, i.e. measures must be taken to reduce the angular extent of this light beam and the spectrometer must be precisely adjusted in order to obtain acceptable results.
To overcome this draw-back, a design of a static Fourier-transform spectrometer based on a Wollaston prism has been presented by J. Courtial et. al. in "Design of a static Fourier-transform spectrometer with increased field of view" (Applied Optics, Vol. 35, No. 34, Dec. 1, 1996, p. 6698-6702). The field of view is increased by including an achromatic .lambda./2-plate (.lambda.: wavelength) between the prisms or by combining prisms fabricated from positive and negative birefringent materials. These materials are expensive and are therefore not suitable for any mass product.

Wollaston prism and use of it in a fourier-transform spectrometer

Csem Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA-Recherche et Developpment


The present invention relates to a method for virus assay. More closely the invention relates a method for total quantification of adenovirus in a sample as well as total and functional (active) adenovirus in a sample. The method for determining adenovirus concentration in a sample comprises subjecting said sample to SPR (surface plasmon resonance) assay with immobilized FX (Factor X) and/or immobilized CAR (coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor) on a sensor surface, wherein the adenovirus concentration is determined from sample binding to immobilized FX and/or immobilized CAR. CAR can be replaced by an ligand binding to adenovirus fiber, such as an anti-adenovirus fiber antibody. FX can be replaced by a ligand binding to adenovirus hexon, such as an anti-adenovirus hexon antibody. The method can be used for quality control in an adenovirus purification process, for example for gene therapy.

Human adenoviruses have been classified into six species (A to F) with 55 known serotypes causing a wide range of illnesses, from mild respiratory infections in young children (known as the common cold) to life-threatening multi-organ disease in people with a weakened immune system.
Adenoviruses are common pathogens that are widely used experimentally and in completed and ongoing clinical trials for gene delivery in oncology, cardioangiology, and regenerative medicine and as vaccine vectors.
Kalyuzhniy et al. PNAS, 2008, 105, 5483-5488, describes the Ca2+ dependent mechanism of FX binding to the Ad5 hexon trimer, using SPR (surface plasmon resonance) technology. They did this study through immobilization of Ad5 to a sensor chip and injection of FX (Factor X) whereby binding kinetics and binding specificity could be studied. There are no descriptions of FX being immobilized and virus injected, nor do the authors in any way study or discuss quantification of virus particles.
Parker et al, describes in Blood, October 2006, Volume 108, No 8 in FIG. 5C, SPR with immobilized FX and injections of different concentrations of adenovirus. They demonstrate a dose response relationship but do not take this further nor do they discuss this as a possibility to quantify the adenovirus content of unknown samples.
Common techniques used for Ad5 total virus particle titer quantification are qPCR and HPLC based methods. SDS PAGE and Western blot can be used for characterization but also quantitation. NanoSigth (Malvern) is an instrument for quantification of particle concentration and particle size distribution that is based on laser illumination the sample and utilizes nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). They all have different limitations that need to be considered. Apart from NTA and the HPLC methods they are all rather time-consuming methods. The qPCR is based on hexon DNA quantitation and requires DNA preparation before analysis. Any free DNA in the sample as well as variation in the sample preparation introduce variation and can affect the results. The NTA analysis is unspecific and only based on particle size. Any free virus proteins in the sample can introduce inaccurate results for the SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis.
For analysis of infectious virus particle titer, cell based assays such as TCID50 or similar assays using microscopy of cells, which are subjected to virus infection. The cells are seeded at the same density and different dilutions of a virus sample is added. After incubation to allow the virus to infect the lowest dilution that will affect the cell morphology is determined and the infectious virus titer is calculated. These cell-based assays require at least one week to obtain the results and are also considered to be suffering from variation affected by the operator and protocols. Precision depends on the size of the dilution steps and often a visual estimation by the operator.
Thus, there is a need of better methods for quantification of total adenovirus as well as infectious virus which are more accurate as well as simpler to perform and less time consuming.


To inhibit an electric pump from generating heat with a simple structure when the electric pump is used in a cooling system. A two-wheeled fuel-cell vehicle is provided with a cooling system to cool a fuel cell. A first radiator and a second radiator are provided to cool the cooling water warmed by the fuel cell with a flow of air. A cooling fan functions so as to ventilate the cooling fins of the first radiator and the cooling fans function so as to ventilate the cooling fins of the second radiator. An electric pump is disposed in the middle of a pipe line for the circulation of the cooling water. The electric pump is disposed at a position where the electric pump can catch the flow of air created by the cooling fan.

A fuel-cell vehicle is know that travels by supplying electric power generated by a fuel-cell system to a motor for driving the wheels of the vehicle. In the fuel-cell system, a fuel-cell stack (hereunder referred to simply as "a fuel cell") generates electric power through a chemical reaction between hydrogen as a fuel gas and oxygen as a reactive gas. Here, the oxygen is taken in from the air via a compressor and the hydrogen is supplied from a high-pressure fuel gas container.
Meanwhile, the chemical reaction generates heat in a fuel-cell and in order to generate electric power efficiently, it is necessary to cool the fuel cell by dissipating excessive heat and to keep the fuel cell within an appropriate temperature range. In order to dissipate heat efficiently, it is only necessary to cool a fuel cell by using a water-cooling type cooling system and to dissipate the heat of the warmed cooling water with a radiator, for example as a fuel-cell vehicle shown in JP-A No. 192639/1996.
In a water cooling system generally used, a pipe line is connected to a heater to be cooled and a radiator so that cooling water may circulate in between and the cooling water is circulated by a pump disposed in the middle of the pipe line. Here, in some cases, a cooling fan to send air to the fins of the radiator is disposed in order to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the radiator.
Meanwhile, as a means for driving a pump, an electric driving means that uses a built-in motor can be named. However, there is a concern in such an electric pump that the motor generates heat, thereby the efficiencies of the motor and the electric pump itself are lowered. This results in the efficiency of the cooling system being lowered. It is conceivable to cool the motor by introducing the circulated cooling water into the motor portion of the electric pump, but if such a means is applied, a more complex piping structure is required and also the thermal load of the cooling system increases.

Cooling Arrangement for a fuel-cell vehicle


A power-generation motor control system is a control system that controls a power-generation motor provided with an armature and a magnetic-field winding, and is characterized in that when the power-generation motor is operated as a motor, before a power source energizes the armature, a preliminary excitation current, with the value of which the induction voltage across the armature does not exceed the voltage of the power source, is applied to the magnetic-field winding in accordance with the rotation speed of the power-generation motor so that preliminary excitation of the power-generation motor is performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power-generation motor control system that is mainly mounted in a vehicle, operates as a motor when an engine starts or when it assists the torque of the engine, and can operate also as an electric power generator after the engine has started.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in order to raise gasoline mileage and conformity to the environment standard, there has been developed a vehicle that is equipped with a power-generation motor and performs a so-called idling stop in which the engine is stopped when the vehicle stops and the power-generation motor is driven so as to restart the engine when the vehicle starts. Because the power-generation motor utilized in such a vehicle as described above is required to be small-size, low-cost, and high-torque; therefore, in many cases, a magnetic-field-winding synchronous power-generation motor is utilized, as the power-generation motor (e.g., refer to Patent Document 1).
In some cases, in a magnetic-field-winding synchronous power generation motor, torque control is performed by controlling the magnetic-field current and the armature current. In this case, when the value of a driving torque command is small, the value of a magnetic-field current command at a time when driving is performed also becomes smaller than a rated value (e.g., refer to Patent Document 2).


An apparatus for treating a fire in a multi-floored building, a method of treating fire in a multi-floored building, and a portable apparatus for assembly and subsequent treating of a fire in a multi-floored building are disclosed. The apparatus, method and system include a curvilinear tubular structure and a bracing system coupled to a source of a fluid pressure.

It is often difficult to extinguish a fire in a high-rise building because the floor or floors on which the fire is located is/are inaccessible due to the heat accompanying the fire. This excessive heat will often cause windows to blow out. The open windows allow oxygen to feed the fire creating an even more difficult situation.
High-rise buildings typically have sprinkler systems to help extinguish fires and help firefighters access the burning floors. Many times, these sprinkler systems are not sufficient to battle a hot and out of control fire, especially when the windows of the building have already blown out. If the fire is located on a lower floor, a fire truck ladder can be used to lift a firefighter toward the open windows and douse the burning floor with water or foam. However, when the floor is beyond the reach of the ladder, there is very little chance that firefighters will be able to access the burning floors until some cooling takes place.

Apparatus and method for extinguishing fires in a multi-floored building