The new pyridazine derivatives have unexpected drug properties as inhibitors of protein kinases especially against ALK and are useful in treating disorders related to abnormal protein kinase activities such as cancer, neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Protein kinases are enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of hydroxyl groups of tyrosine, serine, and threonine residues of proteins. Many aspects of cell life (for example, cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, cell cycle and survival) depend on protein kinase activities. Furthermore, abnormal protein kinase activity has been related to a host of disorders such as cancer and inflammation. Therefore, considerable effort has been directed to identifying ways to modulate protein kinase activities. In particular, many attempts have been made to identify small molecules that act as protein kinase inhibitors.
The c-Met proto-oncogene encodes the Met receptor tyrosine kinase. The Met receptor is a 190 kDa glycosylated dimeric complex composed of a 50 kDa alpha chain disulfide-linked to a 145 kDa beta chain. The alpha chain is found extracellularly while the beta chain contains transmembrane and cytosolic domains. Met is synthesized as a precursor and is proteolytically cleaved to yield mature alpha and beta subunits. It displays structural similarities to semaphorins and plexins, a ligand-receptor family that is involved in cell-cell interaction. The ligand for Met is hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a member of the scatter factor family and has some homology to plasminogen (Longati, P. et al., Curr. Drug Targets 2001, 2, 41-55); Trusolino, L. and Comoglio, P. Nature Rev. Cancer 2002, 2, 289-300].
Met functions in tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis. Expression of Met along with its ligand HGF is transforming, tumorigenic, and metastatic (Jeffers, M. et al., Oncogene 1996, 13, 853-856; Michieli, P. et al., Oncogene 1999, 18, 5221-5231). MET is overexpressed in a significant percentage of human cancers and is amplified during the transition between primary tumors and metastasis. Numerous studies have correlated the expression of c-MET and/or HGF/SF with the state of disease progression of different types of cancer (including lung, colon, breast, prostate, liver, pancreas, brain, kidney, ovaries, stomach, skin, and bone cancers). Furthermore, the overexpression of c-MET or HGF have been shown to correlate with poor prognosis and disease outcome in a number of major human cancers including lung, liver, gastric, and breast. c-MET has also been directly implicated in cancers without a successful treatment regimen such as pancreatic cancer, glioma, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Met mutants exhibiting enhanced kinase activity have been identified in both hereditary and sporadic forms of papillary renal carcinoma (Schmidt, L. et al., Nat. Genet. 1997, 16, 68-73; Jeffers, M. et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 1997, 94, 11445-11500). HGF/Met has been shown to inhibit anoikis, suspension-induced programmed cell death (apoptosis), in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells. Anoikis resistance or anchorage-independent survival is a hallmark of oncogenic transformation of epithelial cells (Zeng, Q. et al., J. Biol. Chem. 2002, 277, 25203-25208).
Increased expression of Met/HGF is seen in many metastatic tumors including colon (Fazekas, K. et al., Clin. Exp. Metastasis 2000, 18, 639-649), breast (Elliott, B. E. et al., 2002, Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 80, 91-102), prostate (Knudsen, B. S. et al., Urology 2002, 60, 1113-1117), lung (Siegfried, J. M. et al., Ann. Thorac. Surg. 1998, 66, 1915-1918), and gastric (Amemiya, H. et al., Oncology 2002, 63, 286-296). HGF-Met signaling has also been associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis (Yamamoto, Y. et al., J. Hypertens. 2001, 19, 1975-1979; Morishita, R. et al., Endocr. J. 2002, 49, 273-284) and increased fibrosis of the lung (Crestani, B. et al., Lab. Invest. 2002, 82, 1015-1022).
Ax1 belongs to the subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that also includes Tyro3 and Mer. It was originally cloned from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and, when overexpressed, it exhibits transforming potential. Ax1 overexpression has been reported in a variety of human cancers, and is associated with invasiveness and metastasis in lung, prostate, breast, and gastric cancers as well as in renal cell carcinoma and glioblastoma. A recent study showed that Ax1 overexpression via a "tyrosine kinase switch" leads to resistance to imatinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Ax1 expression is induced by chemotherapy drugs and overexpression of Ax1 confers drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. Ax1 has also been shown to regulate endothelial cell migration and tube formation. These findings suggest that Ax1 may be involved in the regulation of multiple aspects of tumorigenesis (for review, see Li et at, Oncogene 2009, 28: 3442).
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) belongs to the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) superfamily of protein kinases. ALK expression in normal adult human tissues is restricted to endothelial cells, pericytes, and rare neural cells. Oncogenic, constitutively active ALK fusion proteins are expressed in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMT) due to t2; chromosomal translocations. ALK has also recently been implicated as an oncogene in a small fraction of non-small-cell lung cancers and neuroblastomas (Choi et al, Cancer Res 2008; 68: (13); Webb et al, Expert Rev. Anticancer Ther. 9(3), 331-356, 2009).
Anaplastic large-cell lymphomas (ALCLs) are a subtype of the high-grade non-Hodgkin's family of lymphomas with distinct morphology, immunophenotype, and prognosis. ALCLs are postulated to arise from T cells and, in rare cases, can also exhibit a B cell phenotype. In addition, there are 40% of cases for which the cell of origin remains unknown and that are classified as "null". First described as a histological entity by Stein et al. based on the expression of CD30 (Ki-1), ALCL presents as a systemic disease afflicting skin, bone, soft tissues, and other organs, with or without the involvement of lymph nodes. ALCL can be subdivided into at least two subtypes, characterized by the presence or absence of chromosomal rearrangements between the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene locus and various fusion partners such as nucleophosmin (NPM). Approximately 50-60% of cases of ALCL are associated with the t(2;5;)(p23;q35) chromosomal translocation, which generates a hybrid gene consisting of the intracellular domain of the ALK tyrosine kinase receptor juxtaposed with NPM. The resulting fusion protein, NPM-ALK has constitutive tyrosine kinase activity and has been shown to transform various hematopoietic cell types in vitro and support tumor formation in vivo. Other less frequent ALK fusion partners, e.g., tropomyosin-3 and clathrin heavy chain, have also been identified in ALCL as well as in CD30-negative diffuse large-cell lymphoma. Despite subtle differences in signaling and some biological functions, all fusions appear to be transforming to fibroblasts and hematopoietic cells. Extensive analysis of the leukemogenic potential of NPM-ALK in animal models has further corroborated the importance of NPM-ALK and other ALK rearrangements in the development of ALK-positive ALCL and other diseases.
ALK fusion proteins have also been detected in cell lines and/or primary specimens representing a variety of other tumors including inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), neuroectodermal tumors, glioblastomas, melanoma, rhabdomyosarcoma tumors, and esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (see review by Webb T R, Slavish J, et al. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase: role in cancer pathogenesis and small-molecule inhibitor development for therapy. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2009; 9(3): 331-356). Recently, ALK is also implicated in small percent of breast and colorectal cancers (Lin E, Li L, et al. Exon Array Profiling Detects EML4-ALK Fusion in Breast, Colorectal, and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers. Mol Cancer Res 2009; 7(9):1466-76).
ALK is further implicated in neurological diseases. Evaluation of adult ALK homozygotes, where the ALK kinase domain was deleted, revealed an age-dependent increase in basal hippocampal progenitor proliferation and alterations in behavioral tests consistent with a role for this receptor in the adult brain (Bilsland J G, Wheeldon A, Mead A, et al. Behavioral and neurochemical alterations in mice deficient in anaplastic lymphoma kinase suggest therapeutic potential for psychiatric indications. Neuropsychopharmacology 2008; 33:685-700). These ALK knockout animals displayed an increased struggle time in the tail suspension test and the Porsolt swim test and enhanced performance in a novel object recognition test. Neurochemical analysis demonstrates an increase in basal dopaminergic signalling selectively within the frontal cortex. These results suggest that ALK functions in the adult brain to regulate the function of the frontal cortex and hippocampus and identifies ALK as a new target for psychiatric indications, such as schizophrenia, depression, and substance (cocaine) addiction.
2-amino-pyridines, such as PF-2341066, have been reported as potent inhibitors of the HGF receptor tyrosine kinase (c-Met) and ALK (J. G. Christensen, et al. Abstract LB-271, AACR 2006 meeting; H. Y. Zou et al. Cancer Res 2007; 67: 4408; patent disclosures: WO 2004076412, WO 2006021881, WO 2006021886).

In the phase I trial of PF-02341066 (crizotinib), a dramatic 60% radiographic response rate has been observed in NSCLC patients with EML4-ALK (Kwak E L, Camidge D R, Clark J, et al. Clinical activity observed in a phase I dose escalation trial of an oral c-met and ALK inhibitor, PF-02341066. J Clin Oncol 2009; 27:15s abstract 3509). Subsequent expansion trial confirmed its activity: out of 50 evaluable patients, 64% achieved objective response (ORR) by RECIST, and 90% had disease control (Bang Y, Kwak K L, Shaw D R, et al. Clinical activity of the oral ALK inhibitor, PF-02341066, in ALK-positive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). J Clin Oncol 2010; 28:7s, suppl; abstr 3). It is remarkable that the dramatic response was observed in patients who were refractory to chemotherapies and EGFR inhibitors. Furthermore, most patients had only minor side effects, suggesting that inhibition of ALK is well tolerated. These results firmly validated ALK as a safe and effective target for this subset of NSCLC patients who has no effective alternative systemic treatment options.
Unfortunately, the dramatic response to PF-02341066 is only transient. Most patients develop resistance and the disease progresses after about 6-18 months of treatment. In particular, a significant portion of the patients develop brain metastasis which PF-02341066 is unable to treat.
Previously, we described the substituted pyridazine carboxamide compounds as protein kinase inhibitors (WO 2009/154769). Most of these compounds potently inhibit c-Met and ALK with IC50 of <100 nM. As there is still unmet need in treatment options for kinase mediated diseases such as NSCLC with ALK fusion proteins as described above, herein we further optimized the pyridazine compounds to address the unmet medical needs.

Substituted pyridazine carboxamide compounds


Use of a single end testing of stems of felled trees whereby by inducing a sonic wave with an impact and by reference to detected reflections and with a knowledge of the length of the stem the stiffness and/or strength characteristics of the stem or logs to be cut therefrom can be derived. A preferred procedure is a determination of the fundamental frequency f0 which relates to velocity V, the speed of longitudinal compressional motions along the stem, and L, the length of the stem, as follows: V=2Lf0. From that value V or a function of V can be derived an indicator of stiffness and/or strength.

The present invention relates to a method of deriving a (surrogate) measure of stiffness and/or strength of sections of the stem of a felled tree (e.g., so as to be determinative of possible destinies of logs to be cut from the stem), a method of log making or log use determination for logs made or to be made from a felled tree with a view to maximizing stiffness and/or strength related extracted value therefrom, procedures involved in such methods and to related apparatus and means.
The invention also relates to the apparatus useful in such a procedure and to its use.
The timber industry faces a need to efficiently utilise its rather variable forest resource. Timber classification, for example machine stress grading, is currently done at the end of the production chain. This process results in wastage from processing which ultimately proves to have been inappropriate. Clearly, it would be more efficient to measure log properties early in the chain and process the logs accordingly.
As recognised in British Patent 1244699 of Washington State University Research Foundation (the full content of which is hereby included by way of reference) non-destructive individual valuation of wood products is often desirable because of the inherent variability of wood as a material particularly where a wooden member is to be used for a purpose that requires knowledge of its ability to perform to a minimum structural standard.
The aforementioned patent contemplates, in addition to visual inspection, a non-destructive method of grading logs by a procedure where properties are determined along a selected length of a specimen by means of longitudinal energy wave propagation through the selected length thereof. This was achieved by locating a first sensor in proximity to a surface of the specimen at one end of the selected length thereof and locating a second sensor in proximity to a surface of the specimen at the remaining end of the selected length thereof, impacting one end of the specimen itself to set up an energy wave within the specimen to travel in a longitudinal direction to encounter and then move along the selected length of the specimen between the sensors measuring the time of passage of the energy wave between the sensors and determining mechanical properties of the specimen as related to the measured time of passage of the energy wave through the selected length.
A dynamic modulus of elasticity (hereinafter MOE) was derived by the product of (a) the square of the velocity of wave propagation (i.e., length of the selected specimen length divided by the time of passage of wave)(i.e., V2) and (b) the specimen density(xcfx81).
Such procedures disclosed in British Patent 1244699 are not of a kind usable in a forest with a minimum of labour in the time frame usually required for marking up a felled tree which is to then be broken into logs by appropriately positioned cuts.
It is of course possible to assign different destinies to different logs to be cut from the same stem of a felled tree which will maximize the extracted value of the harvesting of the particular tree. This has been recognised in New Zealand and elsewhere by software packages such as those of the New Zealand Forest Research Institute (i.e., the AVIS(trademark) Software) or previously used by LIRO (i.e., the New Zealand Logging Industry Research Organisation).
A device of favour in the log forming industry in New Zealand is of a kind typified by that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,635 of Interpine Export (NZ) Limited (the full content of which is hereby included by way of reference).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,635 discloses apparatus for determining cut positions in stems of felled trees. The apparatus has distance measuring means which provide an output signal representative of length for determining lengths along the stem. The apparatus also has diameter measuring means which provides an output signal representative of diameter for determining the diameter of a stem at selected positions along the stem. Data entry means are adapted to receive and output selected information relating to the quality of a stem at various positions along the stem. Computing means are also provided on the apparatus which (in response to input signals from the distance measuring means, diameter measuring means and data entry means) determines the preferred cutting positions on the stem to optimize the millable timber obtained from the stem. Output means allow information determined by the computer means to be presented to the user so that the stem may then be appropriately marked with cut positions.
Such a product however does not provide an indication of a preferred destiny for individual logs to be cut from the stem reliant in any way upon any actual or surrogate measure of stiffness and/or strength. Stiffness and/or strength (whether MOE or a surrogate measure thereof) is a characteristic of the structural quality of the wood in the logs and is fundamental to its performance in certain uses.
The computer software referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,635 consists of an optimizing algorithm which works in conjunction with a log type file or library. The log type file or library contains specifications for each log type to be considered along with a relative value representing the desirability of each log type. This software is presented with the input of measurements of length, diameter and curvature of the stem. There is also provision for the manual inputting of the number and size of knots (as a quality code).
The input information then allows the algorithm to xe2x80x9cfitxe2x80x9d the best value combination of logs to be cut from the stem thus providing an optimum solution in terms of the value returned by the stem when cut into logs.
The present invention recognises that the MOE is a good indicator of the structural characteristics of timber. The MOE is related to the speed V of a longitudinal compression wave by the relation
MOE=xcfx81V2
where xcfx81 is the density of the wooden material. In dried wood (about 12% moisture content) it is known that the modulus correlates approximately with the density xcfx81. In a freshly cut stem or log, the density in large measure is due to the free water content, and the value is in the vicinity of 1000 kg/m3. The modulus is determined by the indicator V2 by measurement (preferably at low frequency as hereinafter described) of the velocity V. Indeed the present invention recognises the value of a measure of V or a function of V owing to its 2nd order use in the MOE formula above.
Apparatus such as the PILODYN(trademark) (density penetrometer which estimates only outer wood density) procedure as a measure of wood characteristics is therefore far less attractive as an indicator of wood performance for structural or other purposes than is the longitudinal wave propagation V or function of V (e.g., elapsed time values) procedure hereinafter described to interpolate to logs along the stem length a surrogate stiffness and/or strength (and thus stiffness and/or strength related value enhancing destiny).
The present invention also recognises the value of the simple relationship where V can be determined by determining (particularly at low frequency) an equivalent fundamental resonance frequency (f0) using the relationship
Vxc3x97resonant frequencyxc3x97twice the length (L) of the stem.
The present invention therefore in a first aspect consists in a method of log making (or at least cut positioning for log making) from the stem of a felled tree with a view to maximizing stiffness and/or strength related extracted value therefrom, which method includes
inducing from an end of the stem of the felled tree a sonic wave (as hereinafter described) to travel along the length of the stem of the felled tree, reflecting repeatedly at the free ends,
deriving by reference to the tree stem length (or multiples thereof) and the appropriate resonant frequency for the stem V or V2 or a function of V or V2,
and then using that output of V or V2 or a function of V or V2
(i) as a factor in determining cut positions for a number of logs from the tested felled tree stem, and
(ii) as a prime factor in determining end use for each or at least some of the logs.
Preferably for the purpose of steps (i) and/or (ii) there is reference to a library of known stiffness and/or strength characteristics [whether MOE, V2, V, elapsed time, resonant frequency or some other surrogate value] in relation to known sonic wave travel values typical or generic of trees of the felled tree condition.
Preferably the deriving of the function of V or V2 value comprises the steps of at one end of the stem of a felled tree (preferably after the removal of all branches), inducing an energy input (e.g., by striking or otherwise) and
detecting at that same end the resonant frequencies using spectral analysis of the sequence of multiply reflected returns of the input energy and deriving from the spectrum by appropriate calculations a value of V or a function of V by reference to the known length of the stem.
For the purpose of such detection any suitable apparatus may be used by way of example see U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,799 of Ross et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,799 deals with the measurement of an induced acoustic wave past a detector between the ends of a ground supported vertical pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,799 discloses the use of impacting means to induce the sonic or acoustic wave and a detection of the passage of the wave past a laterally positioned piezo electric transducer based detector. Those or alternative forms of detection and/or wave propagation can be utilised by the present invention.
The present invention however envisages detection at the same end from which the impact is induced so as to minimise the complexity of the process. The function of V then becomes a manual or automatic input to computing means as will hereinafter be described. Such computing means may, for example, be a derivative of the form of apparatus described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,635.
The present invention in a further aspect consists in a method of determining a value indicative of stiffness and/or strength or useful for that purpose (e.g., V or a function of V) [which may optionally be squared to provide a better surrogate value of stiffness and/or strength] which comprises
inducing into one end of the stem of a felled tree an acoustical input (e.g., by striking or other means) and
by detecting subsequent reflected sound therefrom or otherwise using that input to provide a measure of resonant frequencies and
by reference to the length of the stem, determining a value indicative of V or V2 or a function or V or V2 (e.g.; MOE) by reliance on the resonant frequencies.
In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of log making or log use determination for logs made or to be made from a felled tree with a view to maximizing stiffness and/or strength related extracted value therefrom, said method comprising
(i) determining
(a) at least one or more of
stem diameter,
stern sweep,
branch size,
internodal length,
stern length, and
feasible log length,
(b) a surrogate measure of stiffness and/or strength for the stem derived from the resonant frequency of an induced sound wave along at least the full stem
(ii) by computer or machine reference to a library of known stiffness and/or strength characteristics in relation to known values of the same type surrogate measure of stiffness and/or strength (or a squaring thereof) typical or generic of trees of the felled tree condition and determining value attributed to different stiffness and/or strength characteristics and/or deriving potential cut positions for discrete logs which take account of stiffness and/or strength related values, such cutting positions determining a preferred destiny or range of destinies.
The log making optimisations may be those disclosed in Interpine Export (NZ) Limited U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,635, the full content of which is here introduced by way of reference.
As used herein all reference to the term xe2x80x9csonic wavexe2x80x9d is to be considered synonymous with any energy wave of a vibrational kind that may be induced along the length of the stem of a tree (which might variously be referred to as an induced stress wave, an induced energy wave, an induced acoustic wave, etc).
As used herein reference to deriving or determining a value includes any algorithm into which values are entered and from which V, V2 or a function of V or V2 can be derived whether the actual calculation need be made (e.g., a computer) prior to being used as a surrogate stiffness and/or strength value.
In a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of providing an indicator of or from which stiffness and/or strength can be estimated, which method involves an operative use of apparatus as hereinafter described or as disclosed in our New Zealand Patent Specification No. 337015 filed Jul. 30, 1999.
In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of providing an indicator of or from which stiffness and/or strength can be estimated for a felled log of known or measurable length L, said method comprising or including the steps of
striking an end of the felled log whilst having sensing means in contact with the log end to detect one or both of (i) the impulse and at least one echo of the impulse resulting from the striking of that same log end and (ii) multiple echoes of the impulse resulting from the striking of that same log end,
processing the output of at least said sensing means in processing means to derive, using an echo or echoes sensed by said sensing means, a said indicator, and
displaying said indicator or any derivative thereof received from said processing means,
optionally thereafter appropriately marking or otherwise indicating the fate of the log on the basis of the displayed indicator,
said process being further characterised in that said processing means tests frequency transformed data derived from time based echo data with a view to deriving a measure or good estimate of fundamental frequency f0, L has been, is or can be entered into said processing means, and said processing means derives said indicator by reference to both f0 and L.
Preferably said indicator is an estimation of MOE for a green felled log on the basis of an estimation of xcfx81=1000 kg/m3.


A drive unit includes a lens frame configured to support a lens, a movable body located outside the lens and configured to be movable with the lens frame, and a vibratory actuator configured to drive the movable body. The vibratory actuator includes an actuator main body contacting the movable body, an opposite member provided at a position which is opposite to the actuator main body so that the movable body is sandwiched between the actuator main body and the opposite member, and a connecting member configured to connect the actuator main body and the opposite member and to bias them toward the movable body. The connecting member is not provided at a side of the movable body where the lens frame is provided, but is provided at an opposite side of the movable body to the side where the lens frame is provided, as viewed in the optical direction.

The present disclosure relates to a drive unit which includes a vibratory actuator and drives a lens frame.
Conventionally, as a drive unit for driving a lens frame, various drive units have been known. For example, a drive unit according to Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-067712 (hereinafter referred to as PATENT DOCUMENT 1) includes a vibratory actuator with two actuator bodies each of which is comprised of a piezoelectric element. Specifically, the two actuator bodies are arranged so that a shaft is sandwiched therebetween. The vibratory actuator further includes two engaging members between which the two actuator bodies arranged as described above are sandwiched. The two engaging members are connected together via a housing and are biased by two coil springs in the direction toward the two actuator bodies. That is, the two actuator bodies press on the shaft from both sides. The vibratory actuator configured as described above has a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped shape formed by the actuator bodies and the engaging members. The shaft sticks out from one end portion of the vibratory actuator in the longitudinal direction of the vibratory actuator. When the two actuator bodies are vibrated in this state, drive force of the actuator bodies is transmitted to the shaft, and the shaft is driven in the axis direction of the shaft. An end of the shaft is connected to a lens frame. Specifically, a pin is provided at the end of the shaft to extend in the radial direction of the shaft. A long hole is provided in the lens frame to extend in parallel to the shaft. The pin provided at the end of the shaft fits in the long hold of the lens frame. The pin fitting in the long hole is substantially fixed by a plate spring. Thus, displacement of the shaft in the axis direction is transmitted to the lens frame.


A electromechanical relay device (100) comprising a source electrode (102), a beam (104) mounted on the source electrode at a first end and electrically coupled to the source electrode; a first drain electrode (112) located adjacent a second end of the beam, wherein a first contact (110) on the beam is arranged to be separated from a second contact (112) on the first drain electrode when the relay device is in a first condition; a first gate electrode (106 arranged to cause the beam to deflect, to electrically couple the first contact and the second contact such that the device is in a second condition; and wherein the first and second contacts are each coated with a layer of nanocrystalline graphite.

Transistors are widely used in integrated circuits. However, transistors only have a limited range of operating conditions. High or low temperatures or ionising radiation can all change the way their constituent semiconductor materials will behave and seriously affect device operation. For example, a commercially available field programmable gate array (FPGA) designed for extreme environments can generally withstand up to 125° C. and 300 krad absorbed dose of radiation.
It is desirable, in some industries, to move electronic sensors closer to high temperature environments, for example to improve control system reaction time and reduce weight of cabling.
Nanoelectromechanical relays are electrically actuated mechanical switches in which a cantilevered or doubly-clamped beam attached to a source electrode is deflected towards a drain electrode using an electric field created from the application of a voltage difference between a gate electrode and the beam. A nanoelectromechanical device can withstand greater than 100 Mrad of radiation dose without additional radiation-hardened packaging and can operate at over 200° C. However, known nanoelectromechanical relay devices are not practical for use in most applications as they can only undergo a very limited number of switching cycles before failure.


At least one segment is identified in an audio signal. The audio segment is associated with an artifact within the audio signal and has a time duration. At least one stored sound clip is retrieved, which has a time duration that exceeds the time duration associated with the audio segment. The retrieved sound clip is mixed with the audio signal and the retrieved sound clip audibly compensates for the audio artifact.

Modern audio communication may involve transmission of audio information over a packet switched network, such as the interne. Audio communication over packet switched networks may be a feature of telephony, online computer gaming, video and teleconferencing, and other applications.
For example, multiplayer online computer gaming may involve live voice communication among the various game players. In this context, the voice communication path may encompass a voice coder, the output of which is packetized and relayed to the other game players via a packet switched network.
Applications, situations or issues described in this section could be pursued, but have not necessarily been previously conceived or pursued. Unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion herein. Similarly, issues identified with respect to one or more applications or situations should not be assumed to have been recognized in any prior art on the basis of this section, unless otherwise indicated.

Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation


The invention relates to Quench box assembly comprising quench pipe and quench box, to mix quench gas and vapor-liquid effluent from previous catalyst bed to achieve equilibrium temperature before entering the next bed. The quench pipe is in the form of ring having aperture while quench box consists of swirling section and a mixing chamber. The swirling section consists of inclined baffles to provide swirling action to incoming stream and the turbulence created by the swirling action increases the heat transfer rate thus requiring the smaller reactor volume to attain equilibrium temperature. The perforated plate being open from all the sides allowing the liquid to flow uniformly from all directions thus providing uniform distribution on the distributor tray. Hence, eliminates the requirement of rough liquid distributor before the distribution tray.

In co-current down-flow reactors the gas and liquid flow downward over the catalyst bed. During reaction the temperature of the reaction mixture increases. To limit the temperature rise in the reactor within permissible limit the reactor is divided into different beds and quench gas followed by mixing device is provided to cool down the effluent before entering into the next bed. The apparatus is located between two catalyst beds. The quench gas and vapor-liquid effluent from catalyst bed gets mixed in the mixing chamber to achieve equilibrium temperature before entering the next bed.
EP0471117A1 covers the quench box assembly having improved mixing efficiency comprises a series of mixing zones: quench fluid inlet zone; quench box mixing zone; a jet stirred mixing zone; and a distributor zone. In the quench fluid inlet zone, quench fluid is introduced to fluid from the catalytic bed above. However, the reaction fluid and quench fluid enter the quench mixing zone through the central opening (16) and no means to mix theses fluids thoroughly is provided. Furthermore, plurality of pipes (22) for introduction of quench gas and process fluid into jet stirred mixing zone, may result into non-uniform temperature from different pipes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,312B2 covers the compact quench box design for a multi-bed, mixed-phase co-current downflow fixed-bed reactor has a quench pipe manifold and nozzle assembly, a collection tray, a mixing chamber, and a single final distributor tray. The quench pipe manifold and nozzle assembly is an annular ring pipe having nozzles arising there from. However, the multiple ramps (50) and mixing chamber (36) for reaction fluid and quench fluid may lead to different temperature in ramps (50) and mixing chamber (36) leading to uneven temperature after the quench-box assembly.

Quench-box assembly for hydroprocessing reactors


A portable and passive safety intraosseous device to allow for direct introduction of medications, etc., within the intermedullary space of a subject patient's bone or, if needed, the removal of certain substances from such a subject patient's bone. Such a device permits direct drilling and placement of a cannula within the subject bone with access external to the subject patient's skin, permitting, as well, connection of a tube for such introduction/removal purposes. The ability to provide a passive safety unit allows for facilitated utilization in, for instance, emergency situations with the entire device provided for utilization thereof. The device includes a drilling component with a permanently attached stylet and a removable cannula, a power supply for a single drilling operation, a mechanism to draw the stylet back into the drill component after use and disengagement from the cannula, and an automatic closure that activates with the separation of the cannula.

The ability to internally deliver fluids and/or medicaments to a patient for quick and effective resolution of certain medical problems has, of course, been the desire of the medical industry since its inception. Although intravenous delivery is a standard for certain situations, there are emergency instances that require a much more robust and safer procedure than first having access to an individual's arm or neck and then, in a potentially difficult position, undertaking venipuncture to provide such an IV line. One particularly effective alternative to such IV-based methods is intraosseous delivery, or the access to the intramedullary space of certain properly sized and located bones within a subject patient's body. For example, again, considering emergency situations in particular, there may occur the need to access a proper introductory space for a patient at an automobile accident site. Such a patient may be suffering from cardiac arrest or other type of malady at that moment requiring quick action to introduce necessary fluids/medicaments for treatment. With an IV-based procedure, again, if the patient is situated in a difficult position for such IV access, or at least in terms of access at a proper and suitable vein for such a purpose, the ability to provide such a necessary action may be compromised. Finding the vein, for instance, may be difficult and require multiple attempts by the emergency medical technician, incurring time that is of enormous necessity. Thus, there is an alternative that may provide more access points for such fluid/medicament delivery. Such intraosseous processes allow the paramedic, clinician, EMS personnel, etc. the ability to locate a suitable bone (whether in the arm, leg, knee, or even sternum) and then introduce a cannula therein for delivery of needed fluid/medicament within the intermedullary space thereof. Such a procedure has proven to be an effective alternative to IV methods on occasion, but in terms of emergency access situations, and the ability, at least, to introduce fluid/medicament within a bone that is close to, for instance, a patient's heart, is particularly effective and desired. Additionally, such an intraosseous method may also permit removal of, for example, blood plasma, bone marrow, and the like, in less stressful situations than emergencies. In any event, the versatility of such a device is particularly important and aids immeasurably within the medical industry as a result.
To date, there have been utilized certain intraosseous devices to different levels of effectiveness and versatility. Initially, the "standard" method employed was basically the manual screwing in of a cannula and stylet. Such a method is, clearly, dependent upon the abilities of the user to first determine the proper location for such an introduction and, more importantly, the need to properly gauge the depth of such a drilling/screwing stylet component to enter the subject patient's bone. Guides may be provided at the skin surface for some degree of control and depth determinations, but the ability to properly operate and apply such a manual device has not proven effective and/or desirous in developed nations. Certainly, though, the ability to provide some type of manual intraosseous device in other countries that lack access to battery, etc., powered devices leaves the usefulness of such a device to the capabilities of the actual user and whether s/he can control and direct such a screw-type implement correctly. Relative speed of introduction is likewise then a potential drawback of this type of device.
Other devices, such as spring-loaded ballistic types have also been employed within the industry. Such gun-like delivery devices are, frankly, limited in their benefits to the industry simply because the user must properly hold and aim such a device while it basically shoots a cannula device through a subject patient's skin and into his or her bone. The user must align everything properly, hope that the cocked device does not prematurely shoot the sharp cannula component, and then keep the device in place while shooting a sharp dart-like implement into the desired bone. Such a method has proven highly suspect at the emergency use level, primarily because of the difficulties in keeping the alignment, etc., in place correctly and, more importantly, the lack of control of the depth of introduction within the subject bone. If employed with certain target bones, such a "shot" dart may crack certain bones, potentially causing potential problems such as leakage of intramedullary fluids or, more importantly, introduction within the bone of undesirable substances (not to mention significant pain for the subject patient, too). Additionally, such a device may misfire, hitting undesired locations, may dislodge from a patient's bone readily particularly when the stylet is removed, or even fail to penetrate the target bone. As such, the drawbacks of this type of intraosseous device are prevalent.
Another device utilized currently includes a separate drill component that magnetically attaches to a stylet (trochar)/cannula implement. Whether utilizing this magnetic drill option or the projecting type, the stylet/cannula combination has proven to be highly effective due to the ability of the stylet to generate the primary bone entry results (drilling or shooting) with a proper tapered end while being removable from the cannula thereafter. This configuration allows for the stylet to drill, shoot, penetrate, etc., while preventing bone, skin, and fluid from clogging the cannula upon removal therefrom. It thus also allows the cannula to be of a suitable bore to provide optimum injection (drip) into or removal from the subject bone intermedullary space. In other words, the combination of stylet and cannula has proven to be important and highly desirable for intraosseous utilization.
Thus, with the magnetically attached stylet/cannula device, such is then placed at a location external of a subject patient and aligned with a location for a suitable bone and then the drill is activated to introduce the stylet therein. After drilling, the stylet is detached from the drill (which is then used for future drilling procedures) and then unscrewed from the cannula, leaving an access port for fluid, etc., introduction therein through the recessed cannula, fluid, etc., and/or removal from the same port. To accommodate different bone sizes and/or different size subject patients (adults as compared with young children and/or infants, for instance), this system includes two differently sized stylet/cannula implements (color coded as well), one at 45 millimeters and the other at 25 millimeters in length (with 15 millimeters for pediatric usage). The cannula includes an external circular lip to prevent further introduction within the subject patient's skin and bone and a further separator may be placed prior to drilling to further limit the depth of introduction, as well (one may be placed after drilling, too, to best ensure the cannyula remains in place). Such a system has proven effective in certain situations, particularly with hospital-based, non-emergency instances due to the control aspects involved and the ability to capture and easily dispose of the stylet post-drilling. There are, however, significant drawbacks with such devices and procedures, namely the requirement for effective control prior to skin introduction; instances have occurred where the user attempts to set the stylet properly at the skin surface only to lose control and impale or at least scar the subject patient, even in non-emergency situations. Also, the necessity of handling the extremely sharp stylet has proven difficult and hazardous, particularly after detachment from the cannula and most particularly in emergency situations. As such an implement must be disposed of immediately, for obvious reasons, the potential for the user to harm the patient of her- or him-self is exacerbated with a free stylet in such an instance. Likewise, then, the dependence upon the drill component itself to be fully charged for use, if not also provided and/or found easily for such a purpose, is of significance as well. The separate provision of a drill in this type of situation, coupled with the determination of proper length stylet/cannula, locating such proper length stylet/cannula, attaching same to the drill, and then drilling with all in place without harming the subject patient, is of consequence within this particular area of the medical industry.
Of further importance, if not the highest importance, however, is that whether in terms of the projectile or magnetically attached drill type (or any other types within the prior art, including spring-loaded drills, sternum-applied drilling stylet/cannula implements, etc.) there is always an issue related to the potential for contamination of the stylet and high potential for contact with a user, patient, or other bystander during utilization. In other words, and as examples, with the standard projectile and magnetically attached stylet/cannula drill devices, there is a requirement of the user to physically detach the used stylet from the cannula and remove the same with the drilling/shooting tip exposed thereafter without proper coverage. The only possible means to prevent contamination appears to be the potential provision of a cushion-like implement to insert the stylet tapered end into after such use. However, in any situation typically provided as of today, the lack of automatic coverage and requirement of active removal with such exposure, no matter how prolonged it may be, leaves too much of a chance for transfer of contamination. As such, there remains a need for a truly passive safety protocol that is nonexistent within the intraosseous device market today.
Furthermore, with the reusable drill implement of the magnetically attached stylet/cannula method and device, such a drill is potentially contaminated after each use. Additionally, in emergency situations, such a magnetically attached device requires the actual locating of, unpacking of, and applying (attaching) of such a stylet/cannula implement to a potentially previously contaminated and potentially questionable power level for sufficient operation, such that clear difficulties in utilization thereof exist. There thus exists a significant need to provide an intraosseous device and system that overcomes all of these clear deficiencies. To date, however, the separate drill with detachable stylet/cannula has been the standard, leaving much to be desired, particularly as an emergency medical tool and specifically in terms of a passive safety protocol.


A method for providing voters with election information specific to voter polling location. A voter registration file is queried for a name of a registered voter in response to an input from a user. The user is queried for additional narrowing information through a series of single criterion iterations each time the query renders more than one result. The user is notified of multiple results after each single criterion iteration is processed to show the progress of the initial query. The user is granted access to a information page if the user is found in the voter registration file. The information page presents the user with relevant information based on the user polling location.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for conveniently providing information to users via a network regarding public information that may require some protected information to be referenced to refine searches, such as ballot content, poll information and other information regarding elections and government.
2. Background Art
A key to democratic and representative government is an informed electorate. When interacting with government, citizens must often search through irrelevant data to find information that is pertinent and often must divulge personal information to increase efficiency. As an example, in many elections a large number of candidates vie for legislative, executive, and judicial offices at the federal, state, and local levels of government. In addition, complex ballot proposals relating to public initiatives, tax assessments and other issues frequently appear on ballots. Mass media information sources such as radio, television and newspapers cover broad geographic areas and focus on federal and state candidates and issues. Consequently, less media attention is given to local elections and local ballot proposals, many of which are almost completely ignored by the media. Voters must wade through information regarding many local candidates and ballot proposals that they do not have the opportunity to vote for to locate the candidates and ballot proposals that do appear on their ballots.
One problem encountered in prior art systems is that users with common attributes (e.g., a name is the common initial query) required the system to divulge information in the voter file to narrow the search parameters. In order to differentiate queries about similar attributes (e.g., when users with the same name living in different locations query the database) previous systems would display additional attributes to prompt the user to differentiate himself. These systems provided the user with other identifying information associated with the names, such as the city, the street of residence or the ZIP code. The excess information represented an unnecessary exposure of personal information and the system became exponentially difficult to navigate based on the recurrence of the original attribute queried in the database.
Government agencies have attempted to provide ballot data for major elections but a comprehensive system that provides a convenient way to access all local ballots, candidates and proposals has not been developed. In one election, ballot content information was made available based on identification of a location on a map corresponding to a voter's address. Many systems used ZIP code searches to access election information. However, ZIP codes do not directly correspond to the jurisdictions. Users needed to input their ZIP+4 codes, which are often not widely known. Other systems use a series of increasingly granular maps of progressively greater detail to allow users to select or "drill-down" to relevant ballot data, which required voters to visually recognize the geographical boundaries of their districts. Some systems use direct address searches, but address searches require a great deal of information and do not provide information on registration status. In another attempt to provide voters with information, electronic voter guides provide candidates with an opportunity to post biographical data and data relating to political issues in lieu of candidate websites. This approach has been problematic because many candidates (even those with campaign websites) fail to provide biographical data.
Campaign finance information required by the federal and state election laws is made available to the media and the voter. Voters in some states may access campaign finance information via the same mapping system that is used to identify candidates who are elected from a specific precinct or district. This process of searching by starting with wide-area maps and then "drilling down" by selecting smaller geographic regions within those maps is better suited to the needs of lobbyists, the media, and political candidates than to the needs of voters. Lobbyists, reporters, and candidates who are familiar with the geography of voting districts can use the drill-down mapping system to research candidate submissions and campaign finance information and get a broad view of the regional political activities. Individual citizens, however, find the same mapping system frustrating and difficult to use when they attempt to identify exactly which candidates and ballot proposals they will need to review.
There is a need for a simple and effective voter information system that can provide every voter with a jurisdiction-specific sample ballot before going to the polling place to cast a vote. There is also a need to provide better access to campaign literature and finance information, polling locations, instructions on how to use the voting machines, and information regarding campaign events in a single system. The system may be easy to use and may use no specialized knowledge of ZIP+4 codes or geographical boundaries of jurisdictions. The system may focus on the candidates and issues found on an individual voter's ballot. The system may display public information without compromising user information.
In order to provide this information, in the prior art, Applicant offered a system publicly that allowed voters to search a state voter registration database (e.g., a voter file) in order to query general election information data to generate a pre-processed partial sample ballot and candidate websites. The problems associated with this prior system is that it failed to identify a voter's polling location. It required substantial processing time to create pre-proposal sample ballots that were incomplete. It also was not easily scalable in that it could not accommodate a large quantity of data required for a complete ballot.
The problems noted above, and other problems relating to providing voter, election and other public information are addressed by applicant's invention as summarized below.


A method of communication is such that a first party (30) communicates a composite credential (54) across a distributed electronic network (44) to a second Party (32). The composite credential (54) includes a plurality of credentials (46-52).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of communication and to composite credentials.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In communication across a distributed electronic network such as the internet, particularly (but not exclusively) in a business to business communication, there may be many separate business to business communications required for a single action or transaction.
FIG. 1 of the drawings that follow illustrates such a known communication method and system. In FIG. 1 there is shown a first party 2 in communication with a set 4 of other enterprises comprising a second party 6, third party 8, fourth party 10, fifth party 12 and sixth party 14, respectively some of which are in communication with each other as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. Communication between the first party 2 and the set of other enterprises 4 is across the internet (indicated schematically at 16). Communication between the second to sixth parties 6-14, respectively may be across the internet, but could also be across a wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN). Typically, each party will be an enterprise such as a business.
If the first party 2 wishes to communicate reliably with the second party 6, for instance to carry out a financial transaction it is necessary for first party 2 to provide a credential 18 to the second party 6.
A credential is a data structure provided to the bearer for a purpose with some acknowledged way to verify the bearers right to use the credential.
In the digital environment a credential will generally be an electronic document which has a defined structure known to all involved parties. Credentials are issued by an authority (sometimes referred to as a trusted source). Typically the credential has additional data (i.e. a digital signature) that "ties" the document content to the issuer.
Typically a credential will comprise information concerning the bearer (perhaps identity details or financial records) and will be digitally signed by a trusted source. Verification is achieved by decryption of the digital signature. Generally a credential performs the functions of authentication and authorization.
The purpose of the credential is to identify the user and/or to validate a transaction between parties, which transaction may be the transfer of information which needs to be validated. However, for the second party 6 to complete the transaction it needs (in this example) to communicate with the third and fourth parties 8, 10 respectively. The third and fourth parties 8, 10 respectively each communicate separately with fifth party 12, which in turn communicates with sixth party 14. Each party 6-14 may require a different credential from first party 2 to validate its part of the transaction. In this example, third party 8 requires a second credential 20 from first party 2 and fifth party 12 requires a third credential 22 from first party 2. Thus, third party 8 and fifth party 12 need to communicate separately with a first party 2 to obtain the second and third credentials 20, 22 respectively. This, therefore, is a multi-layer communication. First party 2 will not necessarily be aware of the need at the beginning of the transaction for the third and fifth parties 8, 12 respectively to be involved so extra validation and credential transfer may be required.
To undertake such a transaction, data continuously has to be sent back and forth between the involved parties. This increases the possibility of an external attack. To minimize the risk of an attack, data has to be protected and verified by each party of a transaction at each step, which reduces the overall performance.
Moreover, such a method of communication requires many separate communications between the parties. Specifically, the first party is involved in several communications which is undesirable.
It is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to improve performance in such communication environments.

Communication and authentication of a composite credential utilizing obfuscation

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Oil in an oil spill is collected by laying an elongate generally flat mat onto and around the spill where the mat is formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally to define a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips. The mat is unrolled from a supply and laid onto the surface of a body of water in which the spill has occurred so that open empty tubular cells stand upwardly from the surface allowing the oil to be absorbed into the cells. The oil can be squeezed out by pressing the strips together to close the cells.

Many proposals have been made to collect and contain oil from a body of water in an oil spill.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,172 shows the use of polymer filled sacks which are dumped into an oil spill to soak up the oil for recovery.
Canadian application no: 2,418,051 shows a strip of material made up of flax which is laid out in a spill to contain the spill and absorb the oil.

Method for collecting or containing an oil spill


The present invention relates to an optical power and extinction ratio controlling device and method. An optical signal output from a light source is detected and optical power and extinction ratio of the light source are controlled. In detail, a feedback signal is provided to the light source to automatically control the bias current based on a DC signal output by a photodetector detecting the optical signal. Therefore, the optical output of the light source is maintained. Also, an optical signal output by the photodetector is converted into a predetermined times DC signal, and a feedback signal is provided to the light source to automatically control the modulation current based on the DC signal. Therefore, the extinction ratio of the light source is maintained. As a result, the extinction ratio is automatically maintained to satisfy the change of condition and the characteristic of light source, thereby maintaining quality optical outputs.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical controller. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device and method for automatically controlling optical power provided by a light source, and an optical extinction ratio (ER).
(b) Description of the Related Art
In a general optical communication network, it is required to maintain outputs and an extinction ratio (an intensity ratio of the minimum transmission light and the maximum transmission light) of a laser diode and an optical transmitter that are determined according to data rates and transmission distances in order to provide quality optical signal transmission. The laser diode generally used as a light source in the optical communication starts being oscillated when a current of more than a threshold current is applied at a predetermined temperature, and the optical output of the laser diode is linearly increased as the applied current value is increased. A bias current is applied at the oscillation in order to maintain the average optical output of the laser diode, and a modulation current is applied in order to maintain a predetermined extinction ratio.
The optical output/current characteristic curve of the laser diode is variable depending on the temperature and the aging of the laser diode. FIG. 1 shows a graph for an optical output/current characteristic curve for a general laser diode. In FIG. 1, Ib is a bias current value, and Im is a modulation current value. P0 is an optical output value of the laser diode when the bias current is applied only, and P1 is an optical output value when the modulation current is applied. Also, Pav is an average optical output value, which is an average of P0 and P1. In this instance, the extinction ratio is defined by Equation 1.ER=10 log(P1/P0)[dB]  (Equation 1)
Referring to FIG. 1, the optical output/current characteristic curve for the laser diode varies according to the temperature. In detail, when a predetermined modulation current is applied to the laser diode so as to acquire a desired extinction ratio with reference to the optical output/current characteristic curve at room temperature (e.g., 25° C.), the slope of the optical output/current characteristic curve varies even under the same conditions when the laser diode has a high temperature (e.g., 85° C.). As a result, the high temperature has less optical output value, thus reducing the extinction ratio. The reduction of the extinction ratio influences the power penalty in the optical communication to reduce the maximum transmission distance.
Therefore, it is required to maintain the extinction ratio so as to provide optimized optical communication, and it is needed to control the amplitude of the modulation current and that of the bias current according to the optical output/current characteristic curve.
In general, in order to maintain the extinction ratio, the modulation amplitude is controlled as follows.
The first method is to find characteristic values of the optical output/current characteristic curve depending on the temperature changes of the laser diode, storing an optimized modulation amplitude into a lookup table based on the characteristic values, and controlling the modulation amplitude based on the lookup table. In this instance, when the temperature of the laser diode is changed, corresponding modulation amplitude is read from the lookup table and is then fed back to the laser diode.
However, in this case, the modulation amplitude is determined according to the temperature change from the characteristic value for the optical output/current characteristic curve of the laser diode, and hence, there is a restriction on establishing in detail the difference of characteristic changes caused by the optical output/current characteristic curve and temperature change that are slightly different for respective laser diodes.
Also, there are many restrictions to changing the lookup table, the data of which are statistically processed so as to acquire the desired extinction ratio when considering the costs caused by measurement and control, and time. Therefore, the problem is that the lookup table is only applied to the laser diodes having characteristic values of a similar optical output/current characteristic curve. Further, it is needed to individually change driving circuits of the laser diodes in order to change the optical output/current characteristic curves according to the temperature for the respective laser diodes.
The second method is to apply a pilot tone signal having a predetermined measurement frequency to the original signal output by the laser diode to sense an error signal, and controlling the feedback of the modulation current of the laser diode based on the sensed error signal.
However in the above-noted second method, a circuit for applying the pilot tone signal is added so that the whole circuit structure becomes more complicated and jitter caused by applying the pilot tone signal is increased. Also, since the optical output/current characteristic curve is non-linearly changed at high temperature (e.g., 85° C.), the amplitude of the applied pilot tone signal is reduced. Therefore, the modulation current is increased so as to correct the reduction thereof, and as a result, the temperature of the laser diode is further increased so that normal operation is not performed.
As described above, the conventional manual extinction ratio controlling method and the pilot tone based extinction ratio controlling method fail to control the current by applying different optical output/current characteristics according to the temperature changes of the respective laser diodes. Therefore, when the laser diode is used at a high temperature or a low temperature, errors occur to deteriorate communication quality of the communication system and generate substantial communication problems.

Apparatus and method for controlling optical power and extinction ratio


A polystyrene resin in foam form having a basis weight of less than about 20 g/100 in.sup.2 and a density of about 6 lbs./ft.sup.3 or less, the foam precursor of which is either a polystyrene having a melt index of about 8 or more or a polystyrene in combination with a minor proportion of any other material which will result in a melt index of about 8 or more. A method of forming such a polystyrene resin foam structure includes combining the resin in molten form under pressure with the blowing agent of at least approximately 100% carbon dioxide and extruding the mixture through a die into an atmosphere of reduced pressure to form the foam structure.

Polystyrene foam is most commonly made by combining a physical blowing agent with molten polystyrene resin under pressure and, after thorough mixing, extruding the combination through an appropriate die into a lower pressure atmosphere. From about the 1950's to the present, the physical blowing agents of choice have been the halocarbons, hydrocarbons or mixtures of the same. Examples of these include commercially available Freon compositions, such as dichlorodifluoromethane, trichlorofluoromethane and the C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 hydrocarbons, with isopentane being preferred. These blowing agents, while being effective in producing the proper foam structure and excellent surface characteristics, do have their own drawbacks and disadvantages. These blowing agents are released to the atmosphere during and after foam production and are a cause of pollution. The hydrocarbon blowing agents in addition constitute a fire hazard.
Through the years, carbon dioxide has been experimented with as a blowing agent for polystyrene resin. It is listed as a blowing agent in Gilbert et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,164, Noel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,363, Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,938, and others. No prior investigator has actually demonstrated that 100% CO.sub.2, can produce a commercially acceptable foamed polystyrene product. To date, the best utility for carbon dioxide in foamed polystyrene is as a co-blowing agent or a diluent for hydrocarbon or halocarbon blowing agents, see, for example, Johnson et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,710 and the article by L. M. Zwolinski and F. J. Dwyer, Extruded Polystyrene Foam with CFC/Carbon Dioxide Blowing Agents, ANTEC'86 pages 30-33, Conference Proceedings, Society of Plastic Engineers 44th Annual Technical Conference and Exhibit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a polystyrene resin in foam form employing as a precursor resin a polystyrene not heretofore successfully converted to an excellent foam structure.
It is another object of the present invention to present a process for foaming a particular class of polystyrene resins employing 100% carbon dioxide as the blowing agent.

High melt index polystytene foam and method


The present invention provides internal gain charge coupled devices (CCD) and CT scanners that incorporate an internal gain CCD. A combined positron emission tomography and CT scanner is also provided.

The present invention relates generally to imaging systems. More specifically the present invention relates to novel micro-CT scanners that incorporate internal gain charge-coupled devices (CCD). Further, a combined positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging system is also provided.
Dedicated high-resolution small animal imaging systems have recently emerged as important new tools for cancer research. These systems permit noninvasive screening of animals for mutations or pathologies and to monitor disease progression and response to therapy. Among these, x-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT), shows promise as a cost-effective means for detecting and characterizing soft tissue structures, skeletal abnormalities, and tumors in live animals (Paulus et al., IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 46:558-564 (1999); Paulus et al., Neoplasia 2:62-70 (2000)). Current CT systems provide high-resolution images with excellent sensitivity to skeletal tissue and good sensitivity to soft tissue, particularly when contrast-enhancing media are employed. However, use of this powerful modality for functional studies such as those of tumor vascular physiology or involving true whole organ physiologic imaging is difficult due to the lack of a suitable x-ray imaging detector. Typically, such studies require a detector that can simultaneously provide high speed, high sensitivity, and a large active imaging area.
In 1987 Flannery et al. (Flannery et al., Science 237:1439-1444 (1997); Flannery et al., J. Appl. Phys. 62:4668-4674 (1987)) brought x-ray microtomography into a new era with the introduction of a three-dimensional imaging system using a two-dimensional detector comprising of a phosphor plate optically coupled to a charge-coupled device (CCD) array. This, coupled with the development of a new three-dimensional "cone-beam" image reconstruction algorithm (Feldkamp et al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. 1:612-619 (1984)), spurred the development of a large number of microtomography systems for high-resolution specimen analysis in the 1990s. The majority of the studies performed using these instruments focused on high-density tissue such as bone or teeth for which magnetic resonance imaging is less successful. For in vivo small animal studies, particularly large population studies, these systems become cumbersome to operate because the subject must be confined in a rotating carrier designed to prevent soft-tissue organ motion. Recently, dedicated small animal microCT scanners have been developed in which the detector and x-ray source rotate about a fixed "patient bed" much like clinical CT systems. A table of the currently available micro-CT systems from various manufacturers is included below.
TABLE ISome of the major small animal micro-CT systems and the manufacturers currently in market.ReconstructionMainManufacturerModelX-ray SourceX-ray DetectorMax. object sizeResolutionapplicationSKYSCAN1072μ-focus, 5 μm1024 × 1024 12-20 mm @Electronic(high-(4W)/8 μmbit cooled CCD,1K × 1K,components,resolution/(8W), 0-100 kV,3.7:1 fiberoptic37 mm @ 2K × 2KbiomedicalCone-0-250 μAtaper coupled to(2) 20-50 mmobjects,beamscintillator@ 1K × 1Kcompositesscanner)(2) 768 × 512 8etc.bit CCD, lenscoupled toscintillator107420-40 kV/0-768 × 576 8-bit,16-30 mm40 μm or 22 μmMetal foams,(portable/1000 μAlens-coupled toplastics,Cone-scintillatorcomposites,beambiomedicalscanner)objects1076μ-focus, 20-4000 × 2300 12-68 or 35 mm Φ,1000 × 1000 toIn-vivo small(high-100 kv, 10W,bit cooled with200 mm long8000 × 8000,animalresolution/5 μm (4W)fiberoptic9 μm/18 μm/imagingCone-coupled to35 μmbeamscintillatorscanner)10782 tubes, 20-651280 × 1024 12-48 mm Φ,140512 × 512 × 512 @High-(high-kV each, 40 Wbitmm long94 μm orthroughputspeed/each1024 × 1024 × 1024in-vitro/in-Cone-@ 47 μmvivo smallbeamanimalscanner)imagingSCANCOμ-CT 20μ-focus 5-7 μm,Max. FOV = 17.4512 × 512 orBiomedicalMedical(high-50 kVp/32mm, 50 mm long1024 × 1024, slice:objectsresolution/keV(160 μA)25-35 μmFanbeam)μ-CT 40μ-focus 5-7 μm,2048 × 256, 24FOV = 12-37512 × 512 orBiomedical(high-30-70 kVp/20-50μm pitchmm, 80 mm long1024 × 1024 orobjects,resolution/keV(160 μA)2048 × 2048, 6-small animalCone-72 μm isotropicimagingbeam)μ-CT 80μ-focus 5-7 μm,2048 × 128, 48FOV = 76 mm,512 × 512 orBiomedical(high-30-70 kVp/20-50μm pitch120 mm long1024 × 1024 orobjects,resolution/keV(160 μA)2048 × 2048, 10-74small animallargeμm nominalimagingsamples/isotropicCone-beam)Viva-CTμ-focus 5-7 μm,2048 × 252,FOV = 20-38512 × 512 orBiomedical4030-70 kVp/20-5026 μm pitchmm, 145 mm1024 × 1024 orobjects,(high-keV(160 μA)long2048 × 2048, 10-72small animalspeed)μm nominalimagingisotropicGE MedicalMS μ-CTμ-focus, 20-70 mm × 70 mmMax. Φ = 40 mm10-100 μmBiomedicalSystems(cone-90 kVp, 0.18 mAarea, 2048 × 2048objects,beam)(max.)pixel CCDtissuespecimensRS μ-CT80 kVp, W3500 × 175090 mm Φ × 4590/45 μm,In vivo, in(cone-targetCCD, 10 μmmm long1750 × 1750 × 875vitro,beam)pixelsVolumetricsmall animalCTImTek Inc.MicroCA80 kVp, 9 μm,Up toImaging area upImage circle fromIn vivo,T IIW target4096 × 4096to 110 mm × 11035 mm to 110 mmVolumetricCCD, cooled,mmΦsmall animalfiberoptic taperCTcoupled toscintillator
While the above systems are capable of mass production of small animal CT systems, at present they do not incorporate high speed CT technology. In particular, most of the conventional systems employ CCD based detector arrays, micro-focus x-ray tubes, and have reconstructed image resolution between 50 and 100 microns. It is important to note that some of the existing microCT systems are not capable of in vivo imaging, while others having this capacity are limited by their speed of operation resulting in data acquisition times of several minutes to hours. Thus, the existing systems cannot be used for high-speed dynamic, i.e., functional, studies, where high sensitivity and high-speed x-ray imaging is required. For example, the fastest scan time among the conventional current high-throughput systems is provided by SkyScan-1078, which is about 49 seconds at 94 μm resolution and 1.44 degree rotational steps (250 views).
Most of the current microCT systems employ CCD based detector arrays which provide adequate spatial resolution (50 to 100 μm) and imaging area (5 cm×5 cm), but offer limited imaging speeds of 1 to 5 seconds per projection. This translates into volumetric data acquisition times in the range of 5 to 30 minutes for high resolution imaging, making it impossible to use them for functional studies. As microCT devices are not yet capable of functional imaging, important functional and physiologic studies in animal models of various diseases such as solid tumors, stroke physiology, and acute myocardial ischemia, are performed using existing clinical CT scanners. The clinical CT scanners can provide the required temporal resolution, but offer a tradeoff between spatial resolution and imaging volume. For example, the GE LightSpeed multi-slice CT scanner can provide 2 cm image coverage with a 0.5 cm (500 μm) slice thickness or a 0.5 cm image coverage with a 0.125 cm (125 μm) slice thickness, and a 300×300 μm nominal, in plane resolution. Even though the existing clinical scanners are capable of cine-mode data acquisition, only from a limited volume. For example, a 2 cm-long volume can be studied if a slice thickness of 5 mm is used. Also, the minimum slice thickness is limited to 1.25 mm, and in this mode only 5 mm of the volume is covered.
Additional difficulties arise from the fact that the image voxels are anisotropic, which lead to severe partial volume artifacts in small animal imaging, where each voxel represents a heterogeneous sample of various tissue components and the calculated physiologic parameters represent an average physiological behavior at best. Thus, the limited spatial resolution and small volume coverage associated with the current CT scanners are suboptimal for small animal functional studies related to accurate characterization of tissue-specific physiology. Isotropic dynamic perfusion studies and whole organ physiologic imaging, require detectors with 100 to 300 frames per second readout, spatial resolution of ˜100 μm, and a x-ray detection efficiency of >85%. Such an imaging system allows a repeated volumetric data acquisitions in seconds.
The limitations of current CCD based microCT x-ray imaging systems arise from two factors. First, readout speeds are curtailed in order to minimize the system read noise, which increases with the readout rates. An increased read noise reduces the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and the effective dynamic range of the detector. Recently developed CCD based x-ray imaging systems address the speed issue to some extent, however, at the cost of reduced SNR, pixel resolution, and sensitivity. Second, the CCDs themselves are not used for x-ray detection. Rather, a high density scintillator is placed between the x-ray beam and the CCD, so that the x-rays are stopped in the scintillator, their energy converted to light photons, which are subsequently detected by the CCD. In most systems that typically use Gd2O2S (GOS) phosphors, such as the Kodak® MinR-2000, the sensitivity is limited due to the tradeoff between x-ray stopping power and spatial resolution. Thicker GOS screens improve sensitivity, but reduce the spatial resolution because the light photons spread from the conversion point, and scatter as well. Thus, there is a need for improved speed, spatial resolution and SNR. At present important functional, physiologic studies of various diseases such as solid tumors, stroke physiology, and acute myocardial ischemia in small animal models are performed using clinical CT scanners. This is due to the fact that microCT devices are not yet capable of the high processing speeds and resolution necessary for functional imaging.
The development of high-speed microCT systems allows for the use of CT for functional imaging, substantially enhancing the role of this powerful technique, which is already well established for anatomical imaging. Functional micro-CT provides a novel approach for longitudinal high-resolution investigations of, for example, new anti-angiogenic therapies by using perfusion imaging of a tumor. Moreover, investigations of stroke physiology and developing new therapeutic approaches for treatment of acute cerebral ischemia will largely benefit from the availability of a high resolution imaging modality with enough active imaging area to cover the whole organ of interest. This approach will substantially improve the accuracy of the quantification of physiologic parameters, such as blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), transcapillary transfer constants (K1, k2), extraction fraction (E) and permeability surface area product (PS).
In addition to the tissue specific physiology studies, functional CT techniques are also being used for experimental studies of solid tumor vascular physiology and angiogenesis, and its inhibition by anti-angiogenic therapies in mice. Additionally, studies of cerebrovascular physiology in experimental stroke models in rats, rabbits, and monkeys, and investigations of myocardial ischemia are in progress. In all such functional CT studies a short bolus of radio-opaque contrast agent is administered and its first passage, which takes only a few seconds, is recorded through the region of interest. Several images have to be acquired at closely spaced time intervals in order to apply tracer kinetic modeling to these temporal data for quantification of physiologic parameters.
Transgenic and "knock-out" mice have provided important insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes. However, similar advances in the field of myocardial infarction (MI) have been impeded by the challenge of performing coronary ligation during survival surgery in animals weighing 30 g or less. Nevertheless, this challenge has been overcome in recent years and numerous studies now demonstrate the feasibility of inducing MI in intact mice. Thus the surgical challenge has now given way to the technical challenge of assessing myocardial infarction, left ventricular dimensions, and cardiac function in very small animals with high heart rates (>500 bpm). Although it is possible to non-invasively assess myocardial perfusion and infarction in patients with radionuclide techniques, the limited spatial and temporal resolution of, for example, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), effectively precludes its application in mice. However, more accurate measurements can be made through the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which has emerged as one of the most powerful modalities currently available for the noninvasive assessment of ischemic heart disease.
Although the utility of MRI for imaging cardiac structure, function, and infarct size in mice has been well established, there are several disadvantages with MRI that limit its widespread application in biomedical research. First, a high cost associated with high field strength (e.g., ≧4.7 T) MRI imaging limits its accessibility to researchers. Second, the high field strength magnets preclude the use of any metallic objects in or on the animal or as part of support equipment. Third, the overall time for setup and imaging small animals with MRI can be quite lengthy. Finally, due to the high heart rates in small animal models, particularly mice (>500 BPM), cardiac MRI does not provide the required temporal resolution to capture the first-pass of a contrast agent in order to obtain the input function that would allow the assessment of myocardial perfusion in the mouse. A high temporal resolution CT system is expected to allow simultaneous assessment of myocardial perfusion and function in the mouse heart. The ability to correlate flow and function is of great importance in cardiovascular research which cannot be performed using MRI. In addition to cardiac functional analysis, there are novel applications, such as liposomal CT contrast agents, for assessing myocardial perfusion and risk area in the murine heart. The advantage of the liposomal contrast agent over the standard contrast agents that are usually employed with CT or MR imaging is that the liposomal agent remains trapped intravascularly allowing accurate assessment of myocardial perfusion and risk area.
Over the recent years, researchers have been combining data from various modalities such as, for example, positron emission tomography (PET) and MRI to provide complementary data for diagnosis. Similarly, there is a significant interest in combining image data from microPET and microCT, and combining the modalities of SPECT and CT.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Micro CT scanners incorporating internal gain charge-coupled devices


An original feeding apparatus has a first original feeding means for directing an original to an original reading station from one side thereof in an original-stationary scanning mode in which the original is read while fixing the original at the original reading station, and a second original feeding means for directing then original to the original reading station from the other side thereof in an original-through scanning mode in which the original is read while shifting the original along the original reading station.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an original feeding apparatus and an image forming system having such original feeding apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to an image forming system, such as a copying machine, a laser beam printer and the like, having an original feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet original to a predetermined position such as an image reading station and for resting the sheet original thereon.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 21, original feeding apparatuses were divided into two groups.
FIG. 10 shows an original feeding apparatus of switch-back type wherein a sheet original is fed from a sheet tray 4 to an image reading station (platen 3) from an end B of the glass platen 3 and the sheet original is rested on the platen at a predetermined position. Thereafter, an image reading portion (optical system) of an image forming system is shifted to read the image, and, then, the sheet original is discharged from the end B of the glass platen and is stacked on the sheet tray again.
FIG. 21 shows an original feeding apparatus of a type wherein, similar to FIG. 10, a sheet original is fed to an image reading station (platen 3) from an end B of the glass platen 3 and the sheet original is rested on the platen at a predetermined position. After the image reading operation, the sheet original is discharged from the end B of the glass platen (switch-back type) or the sheet original is discharged from an opposite end C of the glass platen into a sheet path communicating with the sheet tray (closed-loop type). The closed-loop type or the switch-back type is selected in accordance with a size of the sheet original. In the original feeding apparatus of closed-loop type, after the image reading operation, the sheet tray was positioned horizontally or slightly inclined upwardly to facilitate the re-stacking of the sheet originals on the sheet tray 4.
In an original-through scanning mode in the conventional image forming system as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, after the sheet original P from the sheet tray 4 has been rested on the glass platen 3 at any position, an optical system 213 was fixed, and the image reading was effected while discharging the sheet original P in a direction A.
However, there were the following drawbacks in performing the image formation by the aforementioned conventional techniques.
In the switch-back type shown in FIG. 10, since the next sheet original P was rested on the platen 3 after the first sheet original P has been discharged from the platen, a time (referred to as "original exchange time" hereinafter) required to discharge the first sheet original from the platen after the image reading operation and to set the next sheet original to be treated on the platen was long (corresponding to a time for feeding two sheet originals). In a high speed image forming system, since a copy sheet-to-copy sheet time (for example, a value obtained by dividing a distance between a trailing end of the first sheet and a leading end of the second sheet by a process speed) becomes shorter as the system is operated at higher speed, when "1 to 1" image formation (one image is formed on one sheet) is effected, if the sheet original exchange time is not smaller than the copy sheet-to-copy sheet time, it is impossible to make the productivity in the "1 to 1" image formation in the image forming system 100%. In the original feeding apparatus of the type shown in FIG. 10, since the sheet original exchange time was long, the productivity of 100% could not be achieved.
On the other hand, in the original feeding apparatus of the type shown in FIG. 21, although the sheet original can be fed by the switch-back mode as similar to FIG. 10 regarding a large size (for example, A3 size) sheet original, a half size (for example, A4 size and the like) sheet original is treated by the closed-loop mode. As shown in FIG. 22, in the closed-loop path, after the image reading operation regarding the first sheet original, the next sheet original is rested on the image reading station. In this closed loop type, since the sheet original exchange time is relatively short (a time required for feeding the sheet original by a distance corresponding to one sheet original plus a gap between two sheet originals), it is possible to exchange the sheet originals faster than the switch-back type shown in FIG. 10; but, if a further high speed operation is desired, since the feeding distance for the sheet original is already fixed or determined, the feeding speed must be increased. However, if the feeding speed is increased, the control for the stop position with high accuracy will become difficult, the damage of the sheet original will be increased when the sheet original is jammed, and the system will become large-sized and expensive and great noise will be generated because a large-sized motor must be for the higher speed operation.
To avoid this, in order to perform the high speed image formation without using the high speed sheet original feeding, it is known to fix the image reading portion of the image forming system and to read the image while shifting the sheet original. When the original-through scanning is effected in the types shown in FIGS. 10 and 21, unless the image reading is performed while the sheet original is being fed from the end C to the end B of the glass platen, the proper image cannot be obtained. In the type as shown in FIG. 11, when the original-through scanning is effected, since after the sheet original is once fed onto the glass platen, the sheet original must be shifted to the direction A meanwhile the image on the sheet original is read, the original exchange time is required to feed the sheet original to the platen without fail. In order to eliminate this long exchange time, as mentioned above, the higher speed sheet original feeding must be adopted, thus causing the aforementioned problems.
Further, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 10, a belt conveyor 7 is rotated in a direction E to feed the sheet original P onto the platen 3 and then is rotated reversely to return the sheet original to a direction D, thereby performing the switch-back feeding. Thus, a motor for driving the belt conveyor must be rotated normally and then reversely for a short time. However, generally, a motor has a building-up time for achieving a predetermined number of revolutions. If the building-up time of the motor is long, when the sheet original is read, discrepancy in a leading end portion of the image will occur during the reading of the sheet original. Further, with this arrangement, while the sheet original is being fed and read, the sheet original are stocked between inversion rollers 10, 12, with the result that the load to the belt drive motor is varied, thus causing the discrepancy in the image. In order to avoid such drawbacks, the image reading position of the image forming system may be shifted to a position 214 shown by the broken line in FIG. 11 not to reach the sheet original to the inversion rollers 10, 12 until the trailing end of the sheet original P is read; however, if do so, after the sheet original P is fed to the broken line position 215, the image must be read while switch-backing the sheet original, thus worsening the function of the image forming system considerably.

Original feeding apparatus and image forming system with it


Many methods are provided including methods of stabilizing a portion of a subterranean formation or reducing the production of particulates from a portion of a subterranean formation comprising contacting the portion of the subterranean formation with a pre-flush fluid; contacting the portion of the subterranean formation with a consolidation fluid comprising a resin and an aqueous dissolvable solvent; and, contacting the portion of the subterranean formation with an after-flush fluid. Also provided are methods of fracturing a portion of a subterranean formation while controlling particulates comprising contacting the portion of the subterranean formation with a pre-flush fluid; contacting the portion of the subterranean formation with a consolidation fluid comprising a resin and an aqueous dissolvable solvent; and, contacting the portion of the subterranean formation with a fracturing fluid at a pressure sufficient to create or enhance a fracture in the subterranean formation.

The present invention relates to methods for controlling the migration of unconsolidated particulates in a subterranean formation. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of treatment fluids comprising relatively dilute resin compositions for controlling the migration of unconsolidated or weakly consolidated particulates in a portion of a subterranean formation wherein the relatively dilute resin compositions comprise an aqueous dissolvable solvent.
Hydrocarbon wells are often located in subterranean formations that comprise unconsolidated portions, that is, portions of a subterranean formation that contain particulate matter capable of migrating out of the formation with produced fluids. Unconsolidated portions of subterranean formations include those that contain loose particulates that are readily entrained by produced fluids and those wherein the particulates are bonded together with insufficient bond strength to withstand the forces produced by the production of fluids through the zones. The presence of particulate matter, such as sand, in produced fluids may be disadvantageous and undesirable in that such particulates may abrade pumping equipment and other producing equipment and may reduce the fluid production capabilities of the producing portions of the subterranean formation.
One method of controlling unconsolidated particulates involves placing a filtration bed of gravel near the well bore to prevent the transport of unconsolidated formation particulates with produced fluids. Typically, such operations are referred to as "gravel packing operations," and they usually involve pumping and placing a quantity of particulates adjacent to a portion of an unconsolidated formation so as to form a gravel pack between the open well bore and the formation walls. Although used frequently, such methods can be time-consuming and expensive to perform.
Another conventional method used to control loose formation particulates in unconsolidated formations involves consolidating a portion of a subterranean formation from which the unconsolidated particulates tend to flow by applying a curable resin composition to that portion. In one example of such a technique, an operator pre-flushes the formation, applies a resin composition, and then applies an after-flush fluid to remove excess resin from the pore spaces within the formation. Such resin consolidation methods, however, have not been practicable on formations containing reactive mineral clays such as smectite and kaolinite. Resin consolidating treatments performed on such reactive clay-laden formations tend to yield little or no improvement in consolidation strength and/or may cause significant loss of permeability.

Methods for controlling particulate migration


A warp controlled package includes a substrate that assumes a warped configuration according to the application of heat. At least one device is coupled along the substrate. A plurality of electrical contacts extend between at least the device and the substrate. One or more counter moment elements are coupled with the substrate. The one or more counter moment elements include a passive configuration and a counter moment configuration. In the counter moment configuration the one or more counter moment elements are configured to apply a counter moment to the substrate to counteract the warped configuration. In the passive configuration the one or more counter moment elements are configured to apply a neutral counter moment less than the counter moment of the counter moment configuration.

Electronic packages include for instance a device (semiconductor, processor or the like) coupled along a substrate having a plurality of layers and interconnecting traces and vias. The device is coupled with the substrate with a plurality of contacts that electrically couple the device and the substrate. In at least some examples the contacts include a solder interface of solder dots between the device and the substrate. The solder dots are heated after coupling of the device to the substrate. The heat reflows the solder with the goal of reinforcing the solder connection between the device and the substrate.
The application of heat, whether for reflow of the solder, testing of package function, or during installation of the package to another system, causes expansion of the substrate. The expansion, in at least some examples, warps at least the substrate and creates stress between the contacts including reflowed solder dots. In at least some examples the contacts are opened or provide a poor connection and the device or package fail to function properly.
In some examples, a glass cloth layer is included in the substrate to increase the stiffness of the package. In other examples, the package is pinned or clipped to an overall substrate to maintain the package in a flat orientation. In still other examples, a metal or polymer frame is formed around the package to increase stiffness.

Warpage controlled package and method for same