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An innovative method of manufacturing polishing pads using photo-curing polymers and photolithography. The photolithography enables the creation of useful surface patterns not possible with conventional machining techniques and enables the use of pad materials otherwise too soft to pattern by conventional machining techniques.
1. A method of manufacturing a polishing pad comprising:
supporting a solid precursor material having photoreactive moieties;
applying a photomask along at least one surface of the precursor material and creating a pattern on the precursor material, using a beam of electromagnetic radiation which penetrates through only a portion of the photomask to cause a pattern of electromagnetic radiation to contact the precursor material, causing the material to degrade at locations contacted by the electromagnetic radiation; and
removing degraded portions of the precursor material to provide a three dimensional pattern on the material, wherein the ratio of surface area of the material after the creation of the three dimensional pattern divided by the surface area of the material prior to creation of the three dimensional pattern is in the range of 1.1-50.
This application claims the benefit of U.S application Ser. No. 09/005,708 filed Jan. 12, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,579 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/034,492 filed Jan. 13, 1997.
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/005,708 filed Jan. 12, 1998 U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,579 which claims benefit of Provisional 60/034,492 filed Jan. 13, 1997
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to high performance polishing pads useful in chemical-mechanical polishing ("CMP"); CMP is often used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices and the like. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an innovative method of manufacturing such pads using photo-curing polymers and photolithography.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Broadly speaking, photolithography is known. Similarly, CMP processes are also generally known. Prior to the present invention however, it was not known how (or even if it were possible) to combine these two technical fields in a practical way to provide high performance polishing pads useful in CMP processes.
The present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing polishing pads useful in chemical-mechanical polishing ("CMP"), particularly CMP processes for planarizing silicon wafers or other substrates used in the manufacture of integrated circuit chips or the like. The pads of the present invention are particularly useful in the planarization of metals, particularly tungsten, copper, and aluminum.
The photolithography techniques of the present invention enables the creation of useful surface patterns upon materials of such softness that a surface pattern would not otherwise be possible, using conventional mechanical surface etching, machining or similar-type conventional techniques. As a result, a whole class of high performance CMP pads are now possible for the first time on a commercial scale.
Furthermore, the lithographically induced patterns of the present invention can be more complex and better suited to particular applications than would otherwise be possible, using conventional mechanical surface etching, machining or similar-type conventional techniques; once again therefore, certain types of high performance pads are now for the first time possible on a commercial scale. The present invention enables the reliable, inexpensive manufacture of high performance pads which are capable of meeting the leading edge requirements of the semiconductor industry as it advances at an extraordinary rate.
Furthermore, since the design of the surface pattern can be readily changed in accordance with the methods of the present invention, this invention is particularly well suited to low volume production of customized patterns relative to conventional molding techniques. Pad design can be optimized for specific integrated circuit designs. Hence the present invention provides advantages over the prior art in modifying and customizing polishing pad designs, particularly on a prototyping or other similar-type low volume production.
The preferred processes of the present invention begin with a liquid precursor comprising a photoinitiator and a photo-polymerizable prepolymer or oligomer. The amount of photo-polymerizable prepolymer or oligomer (in the liquid precursor) is preferably at least about 10 weight percent, more preferably at least about 25 weight percent, yet more preferably at least about 50 weight percent and most preferably at least about 70 weight percent.
Preferably, the photo-polymerizable prepolymer or oligomer comprises a polymer backbone having photoreactive groups, such as (and preferably) an acrylic or methacrylic (or a substitute derivative of an acrylic or methacrylic) functionality in an amount between 1 to 30 weight percent, more preferably between about 5 and 20 weight percent and yet more preferably about 7 to about 15 weight percent. Preferably, the photo-polymerizable prepolymer or oligomer further comprises between 15 and 65 weight percent (yet more preferably between 20 and 50 weight percent and most preferably between 25 and 45 weight percent) of a hydrophilic moiety. The preferred hydrophilic moiety is at least one member of the group consisting of sulphone, ester, ether, urethane, amide, hydroxyl, acryl, methacryl and carboxyl. Preferred photo-polymerizable prepolymer or oligomer include acrylic or methacrylic functionalized: alkyl urethanes, polyether urethanes, polyester urethanes, polyester-ether urethanes and the like.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, some or all of the acrylic or methacrylic functionality of the photo-polymerizable prepolymer or oligomer is replaced with a vinyl or ethylenically unsaturated moiety.
Depending upon the particular photoreactive moiety or moieties selected in any particular embodiment of the present invention, photocuring may be possible using ultraviolet, microwave, x-ray, infra-red (or other portion of the visible spectrum), electron beam radiation or the like.
The photoinitiator can be any composition capable of producing free radicals upon exposure to the type of electromagnetic radiation (preferably ultraviolet light) used in the photopolymerization described below. Useful such photoinitiators include benzoin; alpha-hydroxymethyl benzoin; 2,2-diethoxyacetophenone; haloalkylbenzophenones; alpha, alpha, alpha-trichloroacetophenone; ketosulfides; 2-alkoxy-1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanediene; alkyl benzoin ethers; alpha, alpha-dimethoxyphenylacetophenone; 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione-2,0-benzyl-oxime; S,S′-diphenylthiocarbonate and the like.
The liquid precursor is preferably unfilled, but can include up to 40 weight percent of other additives and fillers, such as, waxes, dyes, inert ultraviolet absorbers, polymer fillers, particulate fillers and the like. In an alternative embodiment, the liquid precursor comprises about 1 to 25 weight percent particulate filler, wherein the average size of the particulate is in the range of about 1 to about 1000 nanometers, more preferably between about 10 and 100 nanometers; examples of such particulate fillers include alumina, silica and derivations of silica, hollow organic micro-balloons, hollow micro-beads of glass or similar-type inorganic material, and the like.
In the method of the present invention, the precursor is caused to flow onto a photodish, filling the photodish with the liquid precursor to a height of between 0.5 and 5 millimeters, more preferably from about 1 to about 2.5 millimeters; by controlling the thickness of the final pad, it is possible to control or balance properties, such as stiffness, resiliency and the like. "Photodish" is hereby defined as any container or support being transparent to photo-curing radiation (allowing transmission of at least 50% of incident photo-curing radiation) with respect to at least 85% of the portion of the photodish which surrounds the precursor and is of a configuration suitable for forming a CMP pad. CMP pads come in a large variety of shapes and sizes; they can be circular, oval, belts, rolls, ribbons or of virtually any shape and can have a surface area of a few square centimeters to many thousands of square centimeters. Preferably, the unstressed shape of the pad is substantially flat or planar, although non-flat or non-planar pads may be suitable for certain specialized applications.
The precursor is applied to the photodish by curtain coating, doctor blading, spin coating, screen printing, ink jet printing or any similar-type conventional or non-conventional coating technique.
The term "photomask" is intended to mean any material having varying or non-uniform barrier properties to ultra-violet light or other electromagnetic radiation used to photopolymerize the precursor. A preferred photomask material comprises an electromagnetic barrier material having a design which perforates (or is cut out of) the material. Upon application of electromagnetic radiation on one side of the photomask, a pattern of electromagnetic radiation is emitted from the opposite side of the photomask. The emitted pattern preferably comprises "shadow portions" (having virtually no electromagnetic radiation) and electromagnetic radiation portions; together the two portions can form an intricate pattern of electromagnetic radiation.
The photomask is applied over at least one surface of the liquid precursor and photo-curing (electromagnetic) radiation is applied to the photomask, thereby causing a pattern of electromagnetic radiation to be applied to the surface of the precursor. The photomask allows selective curing of the liquid precursor photoreactive moieties due to beams of electromagnetic radiation which penetrates through only a portion of the photomask. The resulting pattern of electromagnetic radiation which pass through the photomask, creates a pattern upon the surface of the precursor by solidifying only that portion of the pad which is in the pathway of the pattern of electromagnetic radiation. In this way, the pattern of the photomask is applied to the surface of the precursor material.
In one embodiment of the present invention, multiple imaging is used, so that multiple depths can be obtained. Furthermore, multiphased compositions or multiple layers of different photo-reactive compositions can be used to provide composite structures.
Further photo-curing radiation can be used to cause photopolymerization of the precursor on the opposite (non-patterned) surface of the precursor. Such photo-curing on both sides of the precursor allows control of the depth of the pattern. Ultimately, the precursor is fully solidified by the photo-curing radiation and defines a pattern on a surface, due to the photo-curing pattern emitted through the photomask.
The patterned surface is solidified by photo-curing radiation only where electromagnetic radiation is able to penetrate through the photomask. The shadow portion of the pattern contains virtually no electromagnetic radiation, and the surface portion upon which the shadow is cast is not solidified, i.e., is not cured or photopolymerized by the electromagnetic radiation. The non-photopolymerized portion of the surface remains liquid and is preferably washed away in a second step by a liquid carrier capable of pulling the unpolymerized precursor away from the photopolymerized portion, thereby resulting in a solidified pad having a patterned surface.
The three dimensional pattern can be any configuration, such as a divot, groove, hole, cube, cone, or any other geometric configuration. Preferably the average depth of the pattern is anywhere between about 25 microns and the entire depth of the pad, i.e., the pad can comprise holes or channels which extend through the entire pad. Also, the spacing between such geometric configurations is preferably in the range of about 0.5 to 5 millimeters. In one embodiment, the three dimensional pattern defines a series of labyrinthine pathways extending from a middle portion of the pad to a outer portion along the circumference of the pad.
Optionally, a backing is placed onto the back (non-patterned) surface of the pad. The backing can provide dimensional integrity. Additional layers may be incorporated with or without the backing to provide stiffening, compressibility, elasticity or the like. The flexible backing is preferably elastomeric, such as an elastomeric urethane foam or the like.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a photomask is unnecessary, because the photo-curing radiation is provided in the form of one or more lasers and/or electron beams which can be moved in such a way as to cause a pattern of radiation to be placed upon a surface of the photo-curing precursor. The resulting pattern of radiation will then cause photo-curing in accordance with such pattern.
In yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the precursor material is a solid, and the photo-reactivity of the precursor causes the solid precursor material to degrade when sufficiently contacted with electromagnetic radiation. In this way, the portion of the precursor which is contacted by the electromagnetic radiation is removed from the precursor to thereby create a surface pattern.
In a more preferred embodiment, the precursor comprises at least a majority amount by weight of a polyurethane pre-polymer or oligomer.
In another embodiment, the photo-curing is accomplished from above the precursor, and photo-curing radiation from below is unnecessary. Consequently, in such an embodiment, any support substrate would be appropriate and need not be a photo-curing transparent substrate, i.e., a photodish.
In another embodiment, the ratio of surface area of the pad after the creation of the three dimensional pattern divided by the surface area of the pad prior to creation of the three dimensional pattern is in the range of 1.1 to 50.
In other embodiments, the modulus of the final pad can have a range of about 1 to 200 MegaPascals, a surface energy in the range of about 35-50 milliNewtons per meter and will swell by less than 2% when immersed in 20 degree Centigrade water for 24 hours.
The pads of the present invention can be used as part of a method for polishing a substrate comprising silicon, silicon dioxide, metal or combinations thereof. Preferred substrates are those used in the manufacture of integrated circuit chips and the like, such as in the planarization of silicon wafers and the polishing or planarization of integrated circuit chip layers of silicon, silicon dioxide or metal embedded in silicon and/or silicon dioxide. Preferred metals for polishing (using the pads of the present invention) include aluminum, copper and tungsten.
A pad of the present invention is preferably placed in contact with the substrate, and a water based particulate slurry is pumped onto the pad. Preferably, the slurry forms a film between the pad and substrate as the pad is moved over the substrate, typically in a circular motion. As the substrate is polished, the slurry flows through the pathways of the pad and out of the system as new slurry is pumped into the system.
The methods of the present invention are particularly advantageous for polishing applications requiring pads of a very low modulus surface material (having a 40 Shore D hardness or less), because such a pad is generally too soft for machining a pattern onto the surface of the pad. Furthermore, certain patterns available with the lithographic techniques of the present invention are not possible with conventional machining technology. Hence, the methods of the present invention allow for a whole class of intricately patterned pads which were not possible with conventional machining technology.
FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of electromagnetic radiation penetrating a photomask and thereby causing a photopolymerized pattern upon a precursor material in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pad surface configuration manufactured in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate multilayer pads in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred method of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment, liquid photopolymerizable precursor material comprising acrylic or methacrylic photopolymerizable polyurethane was obtained from MacDermid Imaging Technology, Inc. under the commercial designation of R260. A photomask was place at the bottom of a photodish, the photomask being a conventional, commercially available photomask having a ultraviolet light permeable (polyester) film which supports a pattern of an ultraviolet light impermeable silver halide material. A 12 micron thick polypropylene film is placed over the photomask to protect it from contamination by the precursor material.
The precursor material was poured into a photodish container (over the photomask and polypropylene film) until an overall thickness of about 1.25 millimeters was obtained; the thickness was uniform to a tolerance of about plus or minus 25 microns.
Ultraviolet light was applied to the precursor material, through the photomask. The ultraviolet light source provided an intensity of about 6-7 milliwatts per square centimeter and a wavelength of about 300 to 400 nanometers. A similar-type ultraviolet light source was then applied from above the surface of the precursor material, thereby causing photocuring of the top (non-patterned) side of the precursor material. Exposure time for the upper and lower ultraviolet light source was about 20-30 seconds from the top and about 15 seconds from the bottom. The precursor material was then rinsed in a washing solution also supplied by MacDermid Imaging Technology, Inc. (V7300). After about ten minutes, the material was again exposed to ultraviolet radiation, but this time no photomask was used. Thereafter, the solidified material was dried at about 36 degrees Centigrade. The resulting pad had the following physical properties:
1. overall thickness: 1.3 mm;
2. groove depth: 0.4 mm;
3. groove width: 0.25 mm;
4. land (top of the grooves) width: 0.50 mm;
5. pitch: 0.75 mm;
6. hardness: 44D (Shore) by ASTM D2240-91 (Standard Test Method for Rubber Property-Durometer hardness", Published Feb. 1992;
7. modulus: 120 MPa; and
8. density: 1.2 g/cc.
These pads were used to polish aluminum films deposited on semiconductor wafers. The pads were conditioned prior to use using industry standard procedures. Polishing was carried out using a Westech 372U polisher using typical conditions known to those skilled in the art of polishing. The pad was used in conjunction with an alumina based slurry developed by Rodel, Inc.
The pads removed aluminum at a rate greater than 5000 A/min. with better than 5% non-uniformity across the wafer. The pad has a significantly higher removal rate than competitive pads (3000 A/min) and has the further advantages of producing polished wafers having improved planarity, smoother surfaces and lower defects.
An illustration of the photo-polymerization and photolithography process of the present invention is shown generally at 10 in FIG. 1. The photodish 12 supports the precursor material 14. A protective polypropylene sheet 16 lies under the precursor material 14 and between the precursor and a photomask 18. A first ultraviolet light source 20 applies ultraviolet light through the photomask 18, providing a pattern of ultraviolet light upon the precursor 14, whereby the ultraviolet light passes through the photomask only at transmission openings 22. A second ultraviolet light source 26 applies ultraviolet light upon the opposite surface 24 of the precursor material.
FIG. 2 illustrates a surface pattern which can be advantageously created pursuant to the present invention. The variation in groove depth can be accomplished by multiple photo-imaging. Furthermore, multiple layers are possible, so that the hardness or other physical characteristic at a top portion of a groove could be designed to be different from a bottom portion of a groove.
In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, two different reactive base polymers 30 and 40 having different properties are used to coat a substrate 50 to create a surface layer having a gradient of properties. Substrate 50 and reactive coating 40 have equivalent low hardness while coating 30 has a higher hardness. To produce the final device, coatings of each material in turn are formed and reacted as described above. This produces a fully reacted intermediate layer on top of which is applied the next layer in the desired sequence. Thus in FIG. 3, the coating materials are combined to give a simple hard top coat over two softer underlayers. In FIG. 4, multiple layers are alternated to give a step approximation to a hardness gradient in the surface.
FIGS. 5a-d illustrate a technique for preparing a textured pad having flow channels in the surface. A reactive polymer base 60 is spread onto a substrate 70 to form a contiguous uniform surface layer. Following film formation, a mask 80 with opaque and transmissive area is placed onto or proximate to the outer surface of the layer. Upon illumination 72, the reactive polymer 60 polymerizes only where light is transmitted (64), leaving the remainder 62 of the layer in an unreacted form. Following exposure, the article is washed in an appropriate solvent to remove the unpolymerized portion of the surface layer to produce a series of flow channels in the final surface.
The present invention is not intended to be limited by any of the embodiments described above, but rather, is intended to be limited only by the claims provided below.
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See how popular dairy and non-dairy yogurts compare. Get tips from a dietitian along with ideas for incorporating yogurt into your diet.
5 Fast Fruity Breakfasts That Are Kind to Your Heart
We know that you're too busy during the week to prepare complicated, time-consuming breakfasts for you and your family. Here are five delicious, heart-healthy breakfast ideas that take no more than 10 minutes to prepare.
Recipe: Patriotic Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits (Infographic)
Build them and they will devour. These red, white and blue yogurt parfaits are not only fun for the whole family, they're jam packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, protein and calcium.
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Probiotic supplements have been touted to improve gut health, balance vaginal flora and strengthen the immune system. Find out what you need to know before taking them.
Breakfast: 5 Simple Tips to Start Smart (Slideshow)
Find out what gives you lasting energy and what sends you spiraling into a sugar crash. And don't forget the coffee.
Rise and Shine: The 5 Best Breakfast Foods
You need the right fuel in the morning to be at your best. Start your day with these five foods.
Breakfast: Eat Like the Experts
How do Cleveland Clinic's food and nutrition experts start their days? Find out — and get a bonus smoothie recipe.
Recipe: Red Fruit Frozen Yogurt Topping
To satisfy your family's sweet tooth, try pouring this warm, delicious fruit topping over frozen yogurt. Raspberries, cranberries and cherries are high in fiber, and contain vitamin C plus powerful antioxidants that help prevent disease.

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BENNINGTON CHIROPRACTIC - About Us
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Our company is based on the belief that our patients' needs are of the utmost importance. Dr. Burton is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from repeat patients and referrals.
We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry.
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Click Here to Watch the Whole Video in HD at Amateurs Do It
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what aspects of ICT fluency the schools should be responsible for fostering in the first place.
Being Fluent articulates, through its FITness framework, an important continuum of skills, concepts, and intellectual capabilities. ICT is not only a "thing" like an integrated circuit or the World Wide Web; it is also an application of hardware and software in the service of cognitive and professional growth. The result is a revolutionary new space for knowledge-generation and its digital representation (Horwitz, see Appendix B). It is a space that can link a wide community of learners and thinkers, where our capacities can advance through the intersection of people's social and individual inclinations.
John Seely Brown (2002, p. 6) describes this very real phenomenon as follows:
It's interesting to watch how new systems get absorbed by society; with the Web, this absorption, or learning process, by young people has been quite different from the process in times past. My generation tends not to want to try things unless or until we already know how to use them. If we don't know how to use some appliance or software, our instinct is to reach for a manual or take a course or call up an expert. Believe me, hand a manual or suggest a course to 15 year olds and they think you are a dinosaur. They want to turn the thing on, get in there, muck around, see what works. Today's kids get on the Web and link, lurk, and watch how other people are doing things, then try it themselves…. Learning becomes situated in action; it becomes as much social as cognitive, it is concrete rather than abstract.
Yet as Bell points out (see Appendix C), the existing FITness framework described in Being Fluent is predominantly based on an individual construct of ICT fluency. It notes, for example, that "FITness is a body of knowledge and understanding that enables individuals to use information technology effectively in a variety of different contexts" (National Research Council 1999, p. 40). But Bell, like Brown, suggests that expertise and ultimate solutions mediated through ICT are often to be found in distributed groups or communities and not just in the mind of the individual. "Generally, individuals routinely leverage their social networks to identify useful knowledge and relevant learning resources as part of their day-to-day dealings," Bell writes. "For those immersed within what could be characterized as an ICT learning community, they may learn about new technological systems and approaches from others in their social network."
Vera Michalchik emphasizes the social and cultural dimensions associated with information and communication technology, stressing how difficult it is to separate the technology from the social context of the user (V.


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State Farm Insurance is an equal opportunity employer.


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Journal Sentinel TV and film critic Duane Dudek looks at life on the small and big screen, and some of the cool stuff on both.
Get out 'Dancing' vote video for Driver features Walker, Barrett, Bango
This get out the vote for Donald Driver on "Dancing With the Stars" video was produced by Driver's marketing team Lammi Sports Management.
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13 July 2012
New research published today in the journal Nature shows that a relationship exists between diet, gut bacteria and the health of older Irish people. The findings provide exciting new opportunities for the food industry as there is now the scientific basis for developing foods to promote healthier ageing.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney has welcomed the outputs of this important research; 'The Irish food industry will directly benefit from the scientific knowledge generated on foot of this research and be in a position to develop new food products to enhance the health of older citizens in the ever increasing ageing population. These new products will also help to achieve the targets set for Ireland's agri-food industry under Food Harvest 2020'.
The discovery was made by a multidisciplinary team of scientists from University College Cork and Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark. Dr Paul O'Toole, UCC who led the study says, 'It is well known that gut microbiota, or the community of bacteria in our gut, is required for immune development in infants and maintenance of health in adult life, and changes in the composition of our microbiota have been linked to inflammatory and metabolic disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and obesity.
'As we get older, we may experience deterioration in our dental health, salivary function and digestion, and this can also affect the good bacteria that live in our gut. Some of these changes are out of our control, but we can control our diet. However, until now, links between diet, gut microbiota composition and health in large human studies were unclear'.
The team collected information on diet, physical activity, immune function, and cognitive function, and measured the faecal microbiota composition of 178 older persons living in different settings in the South of Ireland.
The study funded by Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and the Health Research Board found that the composition of the gut microbiota can positively and negatively impact the health of older people in our population.
Dr O'Toole explains; "The healthiest people live in a community setting, eat differently and have a distinct microbiota compared to those in long-term residential care. It can be inferred from findings related to increased inflammation and increased frailty, that there is a diet-microbiota link to these indicators of accelerated ageing".
Professor Paul Ross from Teagasc asserts that "particular food ingredients that promote certain components of the gut microbiota may be useful for maintaining health in older individuals. In addition, profiling of the gut microbiota coupled with metabolomics offers the potential for biomarker-based identification of individuals at risk of less healthy ageing".
The research is published in the journal Nature
Gut microbiota composition correlates with diet and health in the elderly.
Authors: Marcus J. Claesson, Ian B. Jeffery, Susana Conde, Susan E. Power, Eibhlis M. O'Connor, Siobhán Cusack, Hugh M.B. Harris, Mairead Coakley, Bhuvaneswari Lakshminarayanan, Orla O'Sullivan, Gerald F. Fitzgerald, Jennifer Deane, Michael O'Connor, Norma Harnedy, Kieran O'Connor, Denis O'Mahony, Douwe van Sinderen, Martina Wallace, Lorraine Brennan, Catherine Stanton, Julian R. Marches, Anthony P. Fitzgerald, Fergus Shanahan, Colin Hill, R. Paul Ross, and Paul W. O'Toole.


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A generally U-shaped surgical staple comprises a base 10 and a pair of generally "L"-shaped legs 12 extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite ends of the base respectively. The legs 12 in use of the staple are bent through approximately 90° relative to the base. To effect a greater compression of the stapled tissue the legs include a penetrative portion 16 adjacent the tip and a compressive structure 30 which, due to its increased height relative to that of the penetrative portion, spreads the compressive forces of the staple further along the length of the incision being closed. The compressive portion also provides a depth stop to avoid the tip penetrating too deeply into the tissue in which it is deployed.
1. A surgical staple comprising a base and a pair of legs each extending from an opposite end of the base, each leg having a penetrative portion terminating at a tip, the staple being deformable to bend each leg relative to the base causing each tip to approach the other leg along a substantially arcuate path lying in a plane, wherein each leg further comprises a compressive portion located intermediate the base and the penetrative portion, the compressive portion having a height greater than that of the penetrative portion, said heights being measured in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the arcuate path.
2. The surgical staple of
3. The surgical staple of
4. The surgical staple of
5. The surgical staple of
6. The surgical staple of
7. The surgical staple of
8. The surgical staple of
9. The surgical staple of
10. The surgical staple of
11. The surgical staple of
12. The surgical staple of
13. The surgical staple of
14. The surgical staple of
15. The surgical staple of
16. The surgical staple of
17. The surgical staple of
18. The surgical staple of
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/240,183 filed on Jan. 22, 2003 and entitled "Surgical Staple" (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,709), which is a continuation of International Application PCT/IE02/00078, filed on Jun. 4, 2002, entitled "Surgical Staple," which claims priority to Irish Application No. S2001/0547, filed on Jun. 7, 2001. The complete disclosures of these applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
This invention relates to a surgical staple.
Staples have been used in general surgery for many years, mainly for anastomosing tissue. Examples include skin staplers used to close a skin incision in place of the standard manual suturing process, and end-to-end and end-to-side bowel stapling instruments which are generally one shot devices used during bowel reconstruction procedures.
The staples used with these devices are generally manufactured from a metal or metal alloy material such as stainless steel or titanium. The majority are constructed from round profile wire and generally produced in a generally 'U'-shaped configuration. The ends of the 'U'-shape are normally pointed or sharpened so as to ensure easy tissue penetration. Examples of prior art in this area include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,505,273, 5,026,390 and 4,719,917.
In clinical use the staples are delivered using a stapler device which generally consists of an anvil component positioned inside the 'U' between staple legs and in contact with the staple. A former component is positioned on the other side of the staple base, the gap between the forming arms of the former being approximately the width of the anvil plus two times the diameter of the staple wire. The head of the stapler device is normally positioned centrally across the slit or opening which is to be closed.
On activation of the device the staple legs are advanced forward so that they penetrate the tissue on both sides of the slit or opening. As the former is advanced further the legs of the staple bend around the anvil causing the tips of the legs to advance along an arcuate path toward each other so that the staple ultimately assumes a generally rectangular shape thereby compressing the tissue which has been trapped between the staple legs. This compression of tissue is the mechanism by which a closure is effected. Depending on the length of the incision or opening a series of staples will be delivered along its length in order to ensure a blood tight closure.
While this method of closing an incision is effective when a series of staples are used along the length of the incision it is less effective when it is desirable to close the opening with the minimum number of staples. For example for an incision of 5-6 mm in length one round wire staple positioned centrally along the incision is insufficient to effect a closure as the compression due to the staple legs only acts in a limited area towards the center of the incision, leaving the extremities open.
Also in situations where the tissue is soft and friable the narrow staple leg will have a tendency to tear through the tissue as they are bent around the anvil thereby decreasing the level of compression between the staple legs and causing unnecessary damage to the vessel wall.
In order to avoid complications such as clot formation, it is important to retain the staple legs within the vessel wall, i.e. avoid the penetration of the internal wall on the introduction of a foreign body into the lumen of the vessel. If the staple legs penetrate into the lumen of the vessel there is the added danger that excessive pressure from the staple gun may cause the vessel to collapse, which can lead to the legs penetrating the opposing vessel wall, i.e. stapling the vessel walls together and blocking the lumen of the vessel.
Therefore there is a need for an improved surgical staple which will more effectively close an incision, thereby requiring fewer staples to close an incision. In addition it would be advantageous to profile the staple legs so that they are less inclined to tear through softer tissue. Furthermore, it would be desirable to limit the depth of penetration of the staple legs to prevent the legs entering the lumen of the vessel.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a surgical staple comprising a base and a pair of legs each extending from an opposite end of the base, each leg having a penetrative portion terminating at a tip, the staple being deformable to bend each leg relative to the base causing each tip to approach the other leg along a substantially arcuate path lying in a plane, wherein each leg further comprises a compressive portion located intermediate the base and the penetrative portion, the compressive portion having a height greater than that of the penetrative portion, said heights being measured in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the arcuate path.
The advantage of the invention is that the improved surgical staple delivers a significantly increased area of compression between the staple legs once the staple has been deformed in use. The increased area of compression is achieved by providing the compression portion which tends to increase the contact area between the staple and the tissue against which it is bearing.
The invention is particularly useful in applications where the staple is permanently implanted inside the body. In such cases it is desirable to minimize the amount of metal which is needed to effect a positive closure. With existing stapler devices a series of staples need to be positioned along the length of the slit or tissue edges being anastomosed. Staples are normally positioned close together as any one staple will only compress a small amount of tissue on either side. Using staples with an improved compression capacity, as provided by this invention, will mean that a significantly lower number of staples is required to close any one incision.
The invention also has particular relevance in the area of vascular puncture closure. During this percutaneous procedure it is desirable to close the arterial puncture preferably with one staple. Again it is desirable that the staple contains the minimum amount of metal. However, it is important that once delivered the staple has generated enough compression along the length of the slit or hole to prevent any blood leakage. The direction of height of the compression portion normal to the plane of closure of the legs corresponds in use to the direction of length along the incision.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 5 to 9 are perspective views of embodiments of the invention.
In the figures the same reference numerals have been used to indicate the same or equivalent components.
Referring first to
The free ends 18 of the staple legs are generally sharpened so as to ensure easy tissue penetration. In addition to penetrating the tissue the staple is also formed in use, to bring the free ends of the legs together and thereby hold closed a wound. By forming the staple, the staple is transformed from a generally "U"-shaped configuration to a generally rectangular shaped configuration during the delivery process. This occurs by bending the legs 12 through 90° relative to the base 10 of the staple at the point where the proximal portions of the legs meet the base (known as the bend points and denoted as points X and Y in the drawings) at points relative to the central portion 10 b.
FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c) are a sequence of views showing the process by which the conventional staple is deployed and deformed from a generally "U"-shape to a generally rectangular shape to effect a closure of a puncture hole or slit 20 in a vessel or other tissue 22. In
The invention solves this problem by increasing the height of a portion of the legs 12 (i.e. the height being the dimension perpendicular to the plane in which the staple legs bend during forming), in order to increase the effective contact area between the staple legs and the tissue as the staple is being deformed. Increasing the contact area in this way will help prevent the staple leg from tearing its way through the tissue but more importantly will create a much greater area of compression within the rectangle of the formed staple and radiating from it, so that this compression will be transferred over a much greater length of the slit or opening 20 in the tissue.
The process by which these improved staples achieve greater areas of compression over the length of an opening in body tissue is illustrated in
The stapler of WO 02/19922 takes the form of a hollow shaft and a blood locator tube slidable axially within the shaft. The tube projects beyond the end of the shaft to enter a puncture site in a blood vessel, and blood flowing back through the tube and exiting the device indicates to the surgeon that the tip of the shaft (where the stapling head is located) is at the incision in the vessel. A surgical staple straddles the tube and is slidable thereon forwardly towards an anvil against which the staple may be deformed to staple together the opposite edges of the puncture site. A cam mechanism drives the staple forwardly along the tube into deforming engagement with the anvil and at the same time retracts the tube into the shaft in time to allow the legs of the staple to close onto the puncture site.
The staple of
The staple has a pair of legs 12 extending from the ends of the base 10. Each leg is generally "L"-shaped in plan view and comprises a proximal portion 14 and a distal portion 16 terminating at a pointed tip 18. In use (see also
Located on the distal portion 16 is a compressive portion 30 in the form of a bar extending at right angles to the distal portion. In this staple, therefore, the compressive portion and the penetrative portion are both located on the distal portion of the "L"-shaped leg. The penetrative portion is the part of the leg extending from the bar 30 to the tip 18. The forward surface 30 a of the bar provides a shoulder acting as a depth stop to prevent the leg penetrating the vessel wall too deeply. This feature can be used to ensure that the tip will not penetrate into the lumen of a blood vessel by designing the staple such that the distance between the front surface 30 a and the extremity of the tip 18 is less than the vessel wall thickness. The bar also serves as a compressive feature spreading the compressive forces provided by the staple along a length of the incision corresponding to the height H of the bar 30 (
By making the staple from a sheet material rather than from wire, another significant advantage is obtainable. The thickness of the material of the base (measured between the internal surface of the opening 32 and the corresponding external surface 34) is not constant but instead increases to a maximum at the apex of the horseshoe. This strengthens the structure against a tendency for the curve to distort as the staple is being formed. It has been found that the action of the former and anvil bending the legs relative to the base tends to cause the horseshoe curve to open out or flatten somewhat. It will be appreciated that this can lead to the staple deploying incorrectly, as the legs tend to deviate from the "straight-ahead" orientation during closure. Adding extra material to the curve toward the top selectively reinforces the curve at this point of maximum strain during forming and counteracts the tendency to distort.
Another important feature of the staple of
In addition, the respective tips 18 are beveled oppositely to one another so that the leading edge 36 of the tip on the left-hand penetrative portion (as viewed in
Each leg 12 branches to a pair of tips 18 each having a penetrative portion 38. The two penetrative portions on each leg extend from the ends of a respective compressive portion 30 in the form of a curved bar which is generally perpendicular to both the proximal portion 14 and the penetrative portions 38. The bar 30 provides a shoulder acting as a depth stop and acts to spread the compressive forces of the staple along its length.
It can be seen from
The reason for the curvature of the bars 30 in the embodiment of
The embodiments described herein have "L"-shaped legs with a roughly 90° angle between proximal and distal sections. It will be noted that the compressive section can be on either the proximal section or the distal section. Furthermore, the legs need not take this "L"-shape and can instead be curved (e.g. in a quarter-circle), with the portion of leg adjacent the tip defining a penetrative portion and a compressive structure being located further along the curve towards the base.
To aid in staple formation the point at which the legs join the base can be weakened or provided by a notch, but in most cases this is unnecessary as the deformation between the anvil and former will cause the legs to bend correctly at the junction with the base.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.
Referenced by
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The trailer for one of the most hotly anticipated films of the year was revealed online today. The Great Gatsby, directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, has already inspired fashion designers around the world as '20s style flapper dresses have made a welcome return. The trailer gives us more hints of the film's wardrobe (which is sure to be incredible) including Daisy Buchanan's (played by Mulligan). See below to shop her party style.
To watch the trailers, just


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Faux Pearl Handle Butterfly Knife with stainless steel handles on both sides. Blade is 440 stainless steel, doubled edges, and extremely sharp. Closed Length 4-3/4" Open Length 8-7/8" Blade Length 4: Includes black nylon case with belt loop. Keep your knife as sharp as the day you first opened the box with the Samurai Shark Knife Sharpener. As Seen On TV! The Samurai Shark, the only sharpener youll ever need. It works on scissors, kitchen knives, pruning sheers, lawn-mower blades, electric peelers, snow skis and even serrated knives. The Samurai Shark is made for any blade! It has ergonomic handle for use in right or left hands . The Samurai Shark has two sharpeners. You use the V-slots at the tip of the device to sharpen regular knives and cleavers. On the other end is a retractable sharpener that works on serrated knives, scissors and shears. The V-slot is adjustable. Overall Length: 6.25 inch Handle Material: ABS Plastic Sharpening Steel: Tungsten Carbide Great For: Cutlery, Scissors, Tools, Equipment, Machinery, Appliances and More! The Only Sharpener that Sharpens Serrated Knives


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I mean seriously, it's so fucking obvious it's not even funny. This needs to happen ASAP.
why the hell is this not called warcry?
While WarCry would make sense in light of their previous game and technology names (Far Cry, Crysis, CryEngine) as well as company name (Crytek), the real reason I suspect they went with "Warface" is probably the fact that "Warcry" is pretty generic and would, therefore, be hard to protect as an unique trademark.
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Because Warface is a dumb name I can rally behind.
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girl lemme see ya warface
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In terms of sheer amount of dumb, Warface wins. At least Warcry would have made sense on multiple levels.
Official answer: RPS interview with Crytek CEO
Short answer: Because Facebook isn't called Crybook.
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I have no idea. Warface is such a bad title.
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I think Warface is so dumb that it's great.
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Actually, I think CryFace would be a much better name
@Winternet said:
Sure, because WarFace isn't generic at all.
But in terms of securing and establishing a name for their product/service WarFace was probably more unique - as strange as that name is ;)
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They should call their next game CryWar and make it some sort of internet forum-simulator.
That RPS article blows me away, It's much easier to see what happened to Crysis2 when you see that Yerli is living in a fantasy land. It seems he isn't down to earth enough to focus on the important things like gameplay but not crazy enough to actually create something really unique. . . .
God I loved the first half of Crysis, I'd be fine with more of that.
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@Superfriend said:
They should call their next game CryWar and make it some sort of internet forum-simulator.
That's meta
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The Canon ZR960 MiniDV Camcorder is an entry level offering that provides users with the reliability of the MiniDV format. Whether you want to record your child's ballet recital or you're a beginning film student, the ZR960 is a worthy, yet affordable option. The camera features external mic terminal for enhanced audio recording; a must for students.
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- The camera's ability to connect an external microphone provides for improved sound recording
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- Program AE Mode provides a variety of settings for capturing in various conditions
- Use the ZR960's Firewire DV terminal to upload your videos to the computer for sharing
- Exposure lock keeps your exposure settings in place when you want to refine your composition
- Level and Grid Markers help you compose better shots by lining up the horizontal lines in your images
- Smooth Zoom Control gives you three fixed speeds for fluid transitions


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Comment Re:Why at a place of learning? (Score 1) 1007 1007
Oral sex is good - Song of Solomon is all for that
That's certainly one way of looking at a poem about love between a man and a wife, but it certainly isn't the only way of looking at it (and I'd argue, not the best). We can see allusions to pretty much anything we want in some types of poetry, but that doesn't mean we ought to--the passage in question that usually is tied to this is:
- With all the trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.
You are a garden spring,
A well of fresh water,
And streams flowing from Lebanon."
Awake, O north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
Make my garden breathe out fragrance,
Let its spices be wafted abroad.
May my beloved come into his garden
And eat its choice fruits!
Is some kind of sexual/romantic setting in view? Almost certainly, but any particular variety of sex shouldn't be directly drawn from the passage.
10 virgin wives? Sure it's a parable, parables are based on things people understand so again.. 10 virgin wives? - Gospel of Matthew
The passage in Matthew 25 to which you refer is looking at the bride's attendants and specifically at the fourth stage of a traditional Ancient Near East wedding, equivalent to an extended modern reception/final consecration of the marriage like the wedding feasts that go on for days in Asia now. Some Western weddings have a large number of bride's maids even today. In case you are wondering about the second part, where some don't get to join in, would you want half your wedding party to come to the reception if it was a time where leaving a young unmarried woman alone or with a small number of attendants could cause her to be assaulted by those outside the community?
Comment we can make them (Score 1) 934 934
Comment Re:test for free enterprise (Score 1) 142 142
Comment Re:I hope China crushes the US and the EU (Score 1) 142 142
Comment Re:Disconcerting? (Score 1) 348 348
At my university job, all assignments are turned in electronically, plagiarism checked automatically and then left for me to grade... cuts out waiting around for a student who "left the paper in his car, please please please wait for a few minutes". This of course, even with a plagiarism check, allows for a careful student to cheat--but then, that's always been possible provided someone is motivated enough to look for the "easy" (often more work or at least more money than doing the assignment) way out.
As far as the diploma'd guy getting a job with your company over the experienced guy, I hope they are also looking at internship experience because I wouldn't hire more than about 1 in 10 of the students I see for anything other than McDonald's. I say this not because they aren't capable but because they aren't motivated and perhaps more importantly haven't really decided what they want to do in life.
Comment Re:Disconcerting? (Score 1) 348 348
Comment Re:Disconcerting? (Score 3, Insightful) 348 348
Learning is a choice and it does not have to happen even in the best class (and I while I am certainly not perfect, I have one of the best classes I've had in years).
Comment Re:No you don't. (Score 1) 631 631
Comment Re:No you don't. (Score 1) 631 631
Comment Re:1+1=3 (Score 1) 1774 1774
Comment Re:prove your memory (Score 1) 1774 1774
Comment Re:You Americans. (Score 1) 922 922
As for the importance of our respective footballs, is the championship game of your football season essentially a national holiday?
Essentially, yes. It is an event that even if you are uninterested in the event itself, you often find yourself at a watching party (many go just to watch the advertisements during breaks). In some areas, local churches either close for the afternoon/evening or arrange for public viewing licenses to serve the community. Restaurants that might not normally be considered sports bars suddenly have televisions and local electronics stores tend to make adjustments to their returns policies for large tv sets at this time of year. The winning team usually gets a parade in its own city (a more official holiday).
Comment Re:*Hint* (Score 2) 195 195
It might be related to human activity and it might not be related to human activity (maybe it's smokestacks and smelting but it might be equally caused by solar activity and methane depletion in the oceans)--but we should be responsible with our resources regardless. I for one am glad to have grey whales make a come back in the Atlantic. At the same time, I think we need to be careful where we put our people if we are going to continue to have severe weather, excessive flooding, etc.


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Print/E-paper exclusives for Sunday, April 8
Besides the stories you can read at herald-dispatch.com, there are many more stories and features in today's Herald-Dispatch newspaper and e-paper.
WE LIKE IKE: A local man revisits a whistle-stop train tour from President Dwight Eisenhower that came to Huntington.
BUSINESS OF TRAFFIC: Founded in 1948, Bayliss & Ramey Inc. has about 50 employees working on 35 projects throughout the state of West Virginia, including Huntington's new traffic signals.
HE WRITES THE SONGS: We talk to world famous songwriter and piano man Barry Manilow, who is set to perform in Huntington later this month.
PERSONNEL: See who is getting ahead in the local business world in the Sunday business personnel column.
Get instant access to these complete stories, and many more, by subscribing to The Herald-Dispatch and our online e-paper. Receive electronic or print delivery for as little as $5.95 per month. Check here for our latest subscription deals for the print and e-paper editions. For more information, call 800-888-2834.


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How to complicate choices further #GuildWars2
So after a month-long self-imposed sabbatical from blogging, I'm here again to talk about the final Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend Event, a.k.a. BWE3.
This time, ArenaNet decided to finally give us a glimpse on the final two races, Sylvari and Asura. Since I had pretty much decided my complete character plan for release, with the other three races set to become host of my first characters, playing these two additional races would be a nice distraction from the content I was really intent on playing, and a good chance to test the only two professions I never touched, just for kicks. Of course, things didn't end up being so simple.
The Sylvari
Expectation: a nice looking elven-like race. Reality: an awesome-looking, but still elven-like race.
Others went into more detail on why it's hard to completely separate the Sylvari from the elven stereotype, and I agree with that assessment. The lore might be different and unique in its own way, but in essence they are still a bunch of holier-than-thou tree-huggers (they hug each other, right?) just like everything else this side of Lothlórien.
That said, I really enjoyed their visuals and customization options, and I'm now looking forward to playing one. Their environments are not my favorite, but are surely pretty.
By the way, right before the beta finale event started, me and Mrs. K found ourselves in the Sylvari area with our Asura characters, and doing the big meta-event there. Here is how that boss looks (the voice on the video is all Mrs. K's, I didn't have time to configure Bandicam correctly before recording so it didn't capture mine).
The Asura
Disclaimer: I hate, and have always hated short races in MMOs. I would refuse to play with Gnomes and Dwarves on World of Warcraft, and I only played with the Greenskin on Warhammer Online because the class I wanted (the Shaman) was only available with that race.
Oh, the Asura. I was so sure it would be my least favorite race of all. How could I be proved so wrong? I absolutely love these silly little gremlins. Their look, attitude, animations, structures, everything is absolutely spot-on. It is definitely on my top two favorite races on the game (it's hard to beat the Charr).
At first I thought the weird animations would get old fast, but I never get tired of watching them struggle with the weight of their huge heads. This race is a love letter to 3D character animation; every game developer I ever criticized (ahem… The Secret World) for having poor or stiff character animations: please, go play Guild Wars 2 with the Asura. You'll learn a trick or two.
Having tested these two final races makes me very pleased to say that there isn't a single race on the game that I dislike. I have my preferences (Charr > Asura > Norn > Sylvari > Human), but even my least favorite has its charms. That in itself is a major selling point to this game.
There is one aside on the Asura initial area I should mention. Don't read if you don't want spoilers.
There is one event chain where you must help an Asura mad scientist (pleonasm alert) gather "test subjects" for an experiment on Skritt intelligence. Am I the only one that felt very conflicted about helping a race get enslaved by beating them half way to death? The weird feeling I got from this was only worsened by the dialog from the golem that holds the hostages after we beat them into submission, telling them "it will be alright now, just hold my hand" or something along those lines.
I thought it was incredibly disturbing to have an objective like this on Guild Wars 2, after hearing the developers say they didn't want us to have "dark" dialog options because all content is made from the point of view of players being heroic. How could a hero allow something like this to happen? I have nothing against black comedy in games, and I enjoy being the bad guy when the situation requires, but there is a great conflict between the character the game tells us we are, and the events we are allowing to or helping transpire.
Warrior and Engineer
Since I only had two professions yet to give any time to, playing a Sylvari Warrior and an Asura Engineer was my plan for this BWE.
The Warrior is… fine, I suppose. It was pretty much what I expected of it: simple to play, very flexible with all the weapon choices, and… kinda boring. To me it feels like it lacks any complexity to make playing it interesting. If I was to recommend a good melee class, I would stick with the Ranger for agile and fun combat, or the Guardian for more deep array of support options.
The Engineer was another happy surprise, and by happy I mean it's a blast. I expected to find micro-management hell, and instead got to a fire and explosions heaven! The lack of weapon choices can be worrying at first, but just makes the profession focused; once you start unlocking kits a large array of options opens up, and this gadget specialist shines bright. I really had a lot of fun with the engineer, and not only did it now replace the Mesmer on my top-5 list of professions to play on release, but it is on my top-3.
I expected to find micro-management hell, and instead got to a fire and explosions heaven!
When I look at all my options now, considering that I really enjoyed all races and so many professions held my interest, I'm no longer planning to pick simply my favorite race/class combo for the main character, but I will select from the five professions I enjoyed the most, and pick the race I feel fits better with each. That will stop me from creating a Charr Elementalist, a combination I always felt slightly uncomfortable about.
My current character plan looks like this:
- Charr Ranger
- Sylvari Elementalist
- Asura Engineer
- Norn Guardian
- Human Necromancer
Hunger Royale
The closing event was a very faithful and interesting parody of The Hunger Games. All players were sent to instanced versions of the Asura's Metrica Province, dressed up the same, given the same weapons and a very limited supply of ammunition and food, and a "hunger" debuff that would constantly tick down our health. Both ammunition and food could be found around the word, but it was very rare.
Not my video, because my recording didn't turn out really good.
What made the event unique is that everyone was separated into four large groups, and we could kill other players, and loot all the ammunition and food they had on them. Initially you would be respawing back at your corner home base. After an initial 10 minutes practice round, and 40 minutes into the actual event, death penalty kicked in. That means: you die, you're out. Well, not exactly out, but you would get turned into a small robot that could help your team by dropping ammunition and pinging the location of enemies. It's the ultimate cooperative last-man-standing game.
The complexity of the event, the huge arena and large number of players perhaps made the event run a little less than ideal, with a few complaining on how hard it was to find enemies, but that is secondary. What is really worth noting is how intricate are the events the game is capable of implement. I have never, ever done anything on such a large-scale on any game ever, and I'm very excited for what could be coming next.
ArenaNet has promised to keep new events coming after release on all areas and for all levels. Their ability to create this event to close this last BWE tells me this is not just an empty promise, it's something they can truly deliver in a scale never seen in any MMO. It should be making every penny I spent on the Collector's Edition worth.


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text: Prev | Next A group of unidentified people jumps into the icy water of Lake Wissota, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 at the Polar Bear Plunge held near Chippewa Falls, Wis. The annual event, a fund-raiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, traditionally is held on New Year's Day, but was moved up one day so as not to conflict with the final Green Bay Packer NFL football regular season game. According to Craig Monson, CEO of the non-profit organization which pairs kids with adults for one-on-one mentoring, the event raised nearly $5,700 and involved 47 plungers. (AP Photo/Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Steve Kinderman) Gallery: New Year's around the world Jan. 01, 2012 @ 07:13 AM Glittering fireworks exploded around the world as revelers from Asia to America welcomed 2012. (u'nobuy',)


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Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States
This commission, established in 1998, was charged with conducting original research into the fate of assets taken from victims of the Holocaust that came into the possession of the U.S. federal government, reviewing the research done by others regarding assets that came to private collections and non–federal government organizations, and advising the President on policies that should be adopted to make restitution to the rightful owners of stolen property or their heirs. The commission finished its research and presented its final report, "Plunder and Restitution: Findings and Recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States and Staff Report," in December 2000.
The final report may be found on the commission's Web site at
U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State maintains a permanent electronic archive of documents and speeches related to Holocaust-era assets, including the proceedings of the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets.
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives Records Administration maintains an extensive collection of archives and has published finding aids to facilitate research on Holocaust-era assets.
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001 USA
Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group
The Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group was established by Public Law 105-246 in 1998 to identify, recommend for declassification, and provide public access to remaining classified U.S. government records related to Nazi war crimes, war criminals, persecution, and looting.
Steven Garfinkel, Chair
David Van Tassel, Staff Director
Richard Breitman, Director of Historical Research
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740 USA
Telephone: +1 301 713 7230 ext. 231
Fax: +1 301 713 6907
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
National Association of Insurance Commissioners
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners maintains an International Holocaust Commission Task Force to work toward restituting unpaid insurance claims. It was also fundamental in the creation of the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims.
Executive Headquarters
2301 McGee, Suite 800
Kansas City, MO 64108-2604 USA
Telephone: + 816 842 3600
Activities and organizations listed by individual states
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums (AAM) has established a guideline on ethical obligations of museums concerning the acquisition of Nazi-era objects. The AAM also maintains a Web site concerning Nazi-era provenance, including links to "Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects During the Nazi Era," issued in November 1999 and updated in April 2001; AAM Recommended Procedures for Providing Information to the Public about Objects Transferred in Europe during the Nazi Era; the Report of the AAM's Task Force on the Spoliation of Art during the Nazi/World War II Era (1933–1945); and research by many museums about Nazi-era provenance of objects in their collections. This information may be found at http://www.aam-us.org/.
American Association of Museums
1575 Eye Street, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005 USA
Telephone: + 1 202 289 1818
Fax: + 1 202 289 6578
American Jewish Committee
In March 2002, the American Jewish Committee hosted a conference entitled "Anti-Semitism, Holocaust Memory, Property Restitution and Related Issues Confronting the Jewish Communities of Central and Eastern Europe" in Bucharest, Romania. Jewish leaders in NATO-aspirant nations in Eastern Europe offered observations on progress made in property restitution and other issues at the conference. The conference report may be found on the American Jewish Committee's Web site at http://www.ajc.org/.
National Headquarters
The American Jewish Committee
Jacob Blaustein Building
165 East 56th Street
New York, NY 10022 USA
Telephone: +1 212 7514000
Fax: +1 212 838 2120
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference)
The Claims Conference works to secure compensation and restitution for survivors of the Holocaust and heirs of victims. Since 1951, working in partnership with the State of Israel, the conference has negotiated and distributed payments from Germany, Austria, other governments, and certain industries; recovered unclaimed German Jewish property; and funded programs to assist the neediest Jewish victims of Nazism.
In the USA:
15 East 26th Street, Room 906
New York, NY 10010 USA
Telephone: 1-212-696-4944
Fax: 1-212-679-2126
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
In Israel:
18 Gruzenberg Street
65251 Tel Aviv, Israel
Telephone: 03-517-9247/48/49
Fax: 03-510-0906
E-mail: email@example.com
In Austria:
Desider Friedmann-Platz 1
A-1010 Vienna, Austria
Telephone: 1-533-1622
Fax: 1-533-1623
E-mail: email@example.com
In Germany:
Sophienstrasse 26
60487 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Telephone: 69-970-7080
Fax: 69-9707-0811
E-mail: email@example.com
Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal
The Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal (NEPIP), created by the American Associations of Museums (AAM), is a searchable registry of objects of collections in US museums. This portal is free of charge and is designed to aid people in their search for lost or stolen objects during the Nazi era 1933 - 1945 from Continental Europe.
Erik Ledbetter, Project Manager
Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal
American Association of Museums
1575 Eye St. NW
Washington, DC 20005
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Telephone: +1 202-289-9121
Fax: +1 202-289-6578
The Simon Wiesenthal Center
Established in 1977, the Simon Wiesenthal Center closely interacts on an ongoing basis with a variety of public and private agencies, meeting with elected officials, the U.S. and foreign governments, diplomats, and heads of state. The Simon Wiesenthal Center maintains a Web site relating to restitution of Holocaust assets, particularly in Swiss, Swedish, French, and British banks, and insurance claims, which may be found at http://www.wiesenthal.com.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center's searchable database of dormant Swiss bank accounts may be found at http://www.wiesenthal.com.
1399 South Roxbury Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90035 USA
Telephone: + 310 553 9036
+ 800 900 9036 (toll-free from within the U.S.)
Fax: + 310 553 4521
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center
Central Maryland Red Cross is the headquarters for a tracing service for the victims of the Holocaust and World War II. The Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center (HWVTIC) acts as a national clearinghouse for inquiries made by people separated from family and friends during the Nazi reign of terror in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Volunteers and staff at the center coordinate with local Red Cross chapters throughout the country and with Red Cross societies throughout the world to help individuals looking for answers regarding the fate of lost loved ones and/or to obtain proof of internment necessary for reparations. The HWVTIC obtains its information from archives throughout the world, including the International Tracing Service in Arolsen, Germany. All services of the HWVTIC are free and strict confidentiality is maintained.
Linda Cauthen Klein, Director
4700 Mount Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215 USA
Telephone: +1 410 764 5311
Fax: +1 410 764 7664
Email: email@example.com
B'nai B'rith International Headquarters
B'nai B'rith has created an educational campaign for Holocaust compensation, provides assistance in completing claim forms, and provides representation to legislators on behalf of Holocaust claims or compensation recipients.
2020 K Street, NW, 7th floor
Washington, DC 20006 USA
Telephone: +1 202 857 6600
Fax: +1 202 857 1099
Legislative Activities of the 108th Congress
Legislative Activities of the 107th, 106th, and 105th Congresses
Information on bills introduced to Congress during their 105th, 106th, and 107th sessions may be searched for on Legislative Search Service of the Library of Congress at http://thomas.loc.gov/.
The United States participated in the London Conference on Nazi Gold.
The United States participated in the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets.
The United States participated in the Vilnius International Forum on Holocaust Era Looted Cultural Assets. Proceedings of the Vilnius Forum may be found at http://www.vilniusforum.lt.


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Office of Special Programs Home
Updates (v. 3/25/15)
MED Program: Final decisions for the 2015 MED Program have been sent to all applicants with completed applications. Applicants placed on the wait list can meet or call with one of the Office of Special Programs staff to discuss their application later in the summer; however wait-listed applicants are still actively considered until the 2015 MED class matriculates at the end of May.
The online application for the 2016 MED Program will be available later in the fall for interested applicants.
Welcome to the Office of Special Programs at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine! Our office exists to promote the school's mission of educating physicians who can help meet the health care needs of our state, the nation, and the global community. Along with recruitment and retention of minority and disadvantaged students at the UNC School of Medicine, our office provides academic and social support, leadership opportunities, professional development, and additional resources to potential and current students who have a commitment to join us on our mission.
Click here to learn more about our programs and initiatives.


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NEW YORK The puppeteer who performs as Elmo on Sesame Street is taking a leave of absence from the popular kids show in the wake of allegations that he had a relationship with a 16-year-old boy.
Sesame Workshop said puppeteer Kevin Clash denies the charges, which were first made in June by the alleged partner, who by then was 23.
We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action, Sesame Workshop said in a statement issued Monday. We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation.
The organization described the relationship as personal and unrelated to the workplace. Its investigation found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated. But it said Clash exercised poor judgment and was disciplined for violating company policy regarding Internet usage. It offered no details.
I had a relationship with (the accuser), Clash told TMZ. It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not.
Sex with a person under 17 is a felony in New York if the perpetrator is at least 21. It was unclear where the relationship took place, and there is no record of any criminal charge against Clash in the state.
At his request, Clash has been granted a leave of absence in order to protect his reputation, Sesame Workshop said.
No further explanation was provided, nor was the duration of his leave specified.
Elmo is bigger than any one person and will continue to be an integral part of `Sesame Street to engage, educate and inspire children around the world, as it has for 40 years, Sesame Workshop said in its statement.
Sesame Street is currently in production, but other puppeteers are prepared to fill in for Clash during his absence, according to a person close to the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to publicly discuss details about the shows production.
Elmo will still be a part of the shows being produced, that person said.
In addition to his role as Elmo, Clash also serves as the shows senior Muppet coordinator and Muppet captain.
Clash, the 52-year-old divorced father of a grown daughter, has been a puppeteer for Sesame Street since 1984. It was then that he was handed the fuzzy red puppet with ping-pong-ball eyes and asked to come up with a voice for him. Clash transformed the character, which had been a marginal member of the Muppets gang for a number of years, into a major star rivaling Big Bird as the face of Sesame Street.
Among children and adults alike, Elmo was quickly embraced as a frolicsome child with a high-pitched giggle and a tendency to speak of himself in the third person.
I would love to be totally like Elmo, Clash said in a 1997 interview with The Associated Press. He is playful and direct and positive.
Besides Sesame Street, Elmo has made guest appearances on dozens of TV shows. He starred in the 1999 feature film Elmo in Grouchland. And he has inspired a vast product line, including the Tickle Me Elmo doll, which created a sales sensation with its introduction in 1996.
Along the way, Clash has become a star in his own right. In 2006, he published an autobiography, My Life as a Furry Red Monster, and was the subject of the 2011 documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey.
AP reporter Tom Hays contributed to this report.
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Garde saw his side thrashed 5-1 at Montpellier over the weekend and the result left Lyon 14th in the Ligue 1 table after nine games, 10 points adrift of the leaders.
The club also failed to qualify for the group phase of this season's UEFA Champions League after losing to Real Sociedad in the play-offs.
Questions have been raised over Garde's future and the former Arsenal midfielder is aware it is the most difficult period of his tenure.
"Resignation? I know that is the kind of latest fashion question to be asked of some of us [coaches], but I don't think about it at all," Garde, who took charge of Lyon in 2011, said after the defeat by Montpellier.
"However, I have been asked if I feel in danger and the reply is yes, I feel under threat considering the results.
"We have already played almost a quarter of Le Championnat and we are far away from what we can achieve.
"Is it the most difficult period since I have been coach? Yes, clearly. A crisis? I will let you use whatever word you want - crisis, ruin, etc.
"I know the period is difficult for the club because one win in 10 matches is clearly not enough."


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Hans von Bülow
- Article
- Web sites
German conductor
External Web sites
Britannica Web sites
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- Hans von Bülow - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
(1830-94). German pianist and conductor Hans von Bulow's accurate, sensitive, and profoundly musical interpretations, especially of the works of Richard Wagner, established him as the prototype of the virtuoso conductors who flourished at a later date. He was also an astute and witty musical journalist.


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Diamond Nexus Labs is a jewelry company that specializes in diamond stimulants. as well as synthetic rubies, emeralds and sapphires. We believe smart (more)
For over 30 years, Delilah Accessories has been catering to all women the biggest selection in fashion accessories and fashion jewelry. (more)
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By mikejones | mikejones March 25, 2009 at 6:41AM
Producer and sales agent Kevin Iwashina hosted a congrats dinner at his West Hollywood residence for new Sundance head John Cooper.
Mingling among the dim sum and wine were a bevy of Cooper friends including FIND's Dawn Hudson, CAA's Micah Green, SKE's Bingham Ray, producer Michael London and Darin Frank from Eisner, Frank & Kahan.
Cooper was also joined by Sundance colleagues Trevor Groth, Michelle Satter, Caroline Libresco and Rosie Wong. "I'm excited to rev up the troops," Cooper told us. "I think they've been beaten down by all that's going on."
Party organizers Marcus Hu of Strand Releasing and Kevin Iwashina.
Cooper hugs one of his former "Sundance wives" Rebecca Yeldham, new director of the Los Angeles Film Fest. Yeldham and Cooper worked together at Sundance.
"Sugar" producer Jamie Patricof with Lynette Howell, producer of "Phoebe in Wonderland." Iwashina recently partnered with Patricof at Hunting Lane Films. Both "Sugar" and "Phoebe" opened this month.
Cooper and his other Sundance wife, producer Cathy Schulman, another fest vet.
All photos by John Shearer/Wireimage.com.


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If you are the maintainer of a software package that uses OpenMx, and you would like us to host a forum discussion folder for your software, please let us know. You can contact us via email or by posting a request on the forums.
Our packages simsem (simsem.org) and semTools (https://github.com/simsem/semTools/wiki) currently include functions related to OpenMx. Could we add a folder for these packages?
simsem has been developed for facilitating simulation and analysis of data within the structural equation modeling (SEM) framework in R. This package aims to help analysts create simulated data from hypotheses or analytic results from obtained data.
The goal of semTools is to collect useful functions for structural equation modeling in a single, easily accessible place. All users of R and SEM are invited to send functions to us and we will maintain the functions.
Could you please add a forum discussion folder for metaSEM? Thanks.


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Actor Mickey Rourke and Frank Stallone, brother of actor Sylvester Stallone were spotted dining at Caffe Roma. In a candid conversation with the paparazzi, Frank Stallone talks about the "World's Dumbest Celebrities," placing Lindsay Lohan and The Kardashians on the top of his list. Watch what he says.
The Exclusive Insight And Behind The Curtain Gossip Of The Biggest & Hottest Celebrities Of Hollywood. Catch up-to-the-minute news on your favorite celebrities, from fashion disasters to malfunctions , break-ups to hot new couples and a lot more straight from the paparazzi.


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Antivirus checklist results for Autokeybot.com:
Norton Safeweb scan result 100% No virus or malware
AVG Threat Labs scan 100% No virus or malware
Sucuri Net Scanner 100% No virus or malware
Bitdefender Scanner 100% No virus or malware
quttera Scan 100% clean website
Do not be fooled by false positives: What is a false positive?
Autoclicker - Terms of download and use of Auto Keybot
By downloading or puchasing from the Auto Keybot Web site you are agreeing that you will not use, sell or resell, directly or indirectly, this software as authorized by international law. Use of the purchased full version of the program is restricted to personal computers owned by the purchaser or the purchasers household.
The software from this site is provided "AS IS" - Please test the software Trial version BEFORE purchasing.
The author of Auto Keybot makes no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantibility, fitness for a particular purpose, of title, or of non-infringement of third party rights.
Download, purchase and use of the software is at the user's own risk and is deemed acceptance of these terms. In no event shall the authors be liable to the user for any damages arising from use of or inability to use of the software, including any damages as a result of incidental or consequential damages from use of the software.
The software has been tested on Windows 7 and Windows 8 - 64bit/32bit and Windows Vista, if the Trial version works, the full version should also work as the source code is more or less identical.
You may not and you agree not to, or to enable others to, copy, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, attempt to derive the source code of, decrypt, modify, create derivative works of the Auto Keybot Software, or any part thereof.
Programming is my hobby and I do not intend to make a fortune on this software - I do however spend alot of my free time on developing and programming it, so I hope you will support it.
The "Auto Keybot" name and logo are trademarks of Autokeybot.com and any use of the software code or any material: text, images, graphics and/or videos from the homepage is subject to international copyright and trademark laws under U.S. and international law.
If you have any problems using the software, please use the support E-mail Support [@] autokeybot.com.
Thank you for your interest!
Contact E-mail: Webmaster [@] autokeybot.com


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The Mitt Romney campaign on Tuesday glowingly sent out an email touting this Wall Street Journal editorial , in which the newspaper rejected an assertion from the Brookings-Urban Institute Tax Policy Center that the exclusion of interest on tax-exempt municipal bonds and the exclusion of interest on life insurance savings won't be touched.
But that's not so, the op-ed states, quoting Romney's senior economic adviser Glenn Hubbard among others.
Since the campaign is sending the op-ed along, one must assume that this is in fact the Romney position. To strip out the double and triple negatives, then, the Romney team is proposing taxing interest from municipal bonds and from life insurance savings.
Which leads to the natural next question, how much are we talking about?
The answer is, roughly $70 billion a year. According to a Congressional Research Service estimate, which used Joint Committee on Taxation estimates, tax exempt-tax credit bonds are set to cost $42.7 billion in fiscal 2014 and the exclusion of inside buildup, insurance is set to cost $27.7 billion for the same year. The WSJ op-ed cites a bigger number, $90 billion, using American Enterprise Institute figures.
But in either case, if the Romney campaign is putting these items on the table — and they seem to be saying they will — it would offset much or all of the $86 billion shortfall the Tax Policy Center asserts and that the Obama campaign has seized upon to argue that Romney's tax-cut plans will actually lead to middle-class tax hikes.
– Steve Goldstein


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Saurav Dutt's The Butterfly Room is now available for sale on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and Waterstones
Rugby league side set to leave Barnet behind to return west
The Diary of a Teenage Girl is out on Friday August, 7, but how good is the film and is it worth a watch?
Opposition councillors have accused Ealing's Labour leader of backtracking on his commitment to oppose a third Heathrow runway
A petition has been launched to save children's inpatient services at Ealing Hospital after it was announced that they would be closed
Ealing is the birthplace of the famous Ealing Studios and Ealing Blues Club, and a thriving base for film-makers and musicians. The annual Summer Festival draws large crowds and top performers. Ealing's parks are plentiful, independent shops thrive, and residents are spoilt for choice with top quality restaurants and pubs.
EalingHospitalto keepA&E
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Editorial director of the award-winning www.getSurrey.co.uk, www.getHampshire.co.uk and print titles in Surrey and north east Hampshire for the last eight years, Marnie's role has expanded to include West London as well as www.getBucks.co.uk and print titles in Buckinghamshire.
She previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.