A steering column arrangement for a vehicle comprises a first portion rotatably supported by a second portion. The steering column arrangement further comprises a first electrical motor that is adapted to be operably connected to a vehicle control system. The steering column is arranged to be moved laterally and/or axially by the first electric motor. The steering column arrangement further comprises locking means arranged to lock the steering column thereby preventing rotation of the steering column. The locking means comprise a first locking member attached to the steering column and a second locking member arranged to be attached to the vehicle chassis, where the first electric motor is arranged to move the steering column to a locked position in which the first locking member and the second locking member are arranged to engage, thereby preventing rotation of the steering column.

Today legal requirements require a locking of steering, transmission and/or brake to secure cars against for instance theft or other unauthorised usages and rollaway. Steering columns today mostly use locking devices for locking of the steering column which requires space along the steering column axis. This space is vital to have for other possibilities such as a knee-airbag or as a collapse area for the column in case of crashes to name a few.
One example of a locking device for locking a steering column is disclosed in DE 200510027777. Here the locking device is located next to the steering column and attached to the steering column. A locking bolt can be displaced into the steering column in order to lock the steering column. The movement of the locking bolt is controlled by an electronic control unit. As mentioned above, such an arrangement takes up space along the steering column axis. These locking devices are also expensive and may apart from taking up space add to the total weight of the car.
There is thus a need for an improved steering column that addresses the above mentioned problems.


An optical transmitter includes: an optical modulator including a first modulation unit and a second modulation unit respectively configured to propagate a first optical signal and a second optical signal that are obtained by splitting input light; a signal generator configured to generate a first drive signal and a second drive signal that are respectively supplied to the first modulation unit and the second modulation unit; a phase controller configured to control a phase difference between the first optical signal and the second optical signal in the optical modulator; and a phase difference detector configured to detect the phase difference between the first optical signal and the second optical signal controlled by the phase controller. The signal generator generates the first drive signal and the second drive signal based on the phase difference detected by the phase difference detector.

In order to provide a next-generation long-distance large-capacity communication system, research and development have been made on a transmitter that generates modulated optical signals using digital signal processing. For example, the digital signal processing generates signals for a multi-level modulation format such as QPSK and QAM. Also, for example, the digital signal processing can generate signals for suppressing dispersion of an optical transmission line (that is, signals for dispersion pre-equalization). Then, an optical modulator is driven by the signals generated by the digital signal processing to generate large-capacity multi-level modulated optical signals.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an optical transmitter. An optical transmitter 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a digital signal processor 11, D/A converters 12a and 12b, drivers 13a and 13b, a light source 14, and an optical modulator 15. The digital signal processor 11 generates a drive signal I and a drive signal Q from input data. The D/A converters 12a and 12b covert the drive signal I and the drive signal Q to an analog signal respectively. The drivers 13a and 13b drive the optical modulator 15 with the drive signal I and the drive signal Q outputted from the D/A converters 12a and 12b respectively. The light source 14 generates continuous wave light.
The optical modulator 15 includes an I arm modulation unit and a Q arm modulation unit. The continuous wave light generated by the light source 14 is split by an optical splitter and guided to the I arm modulation unit and the Q arm modulation unit. The I arm modulation unit modulates the continuous wave light in response to the drive signal I to generate an optical signal. The Q arm modulation unit modulates the continuous wave light in response to the drive signal Q to generate an optical signal. The two optical signals are combined to generate a modulated optical signal.
The optical modulator 15 is designed so that the phase difference between the I arm and the Q arm is π/2+nπ (where n is any integer including zero). More specifically, a bias voltage supplied to a phase shifter 15a is controlled so that the phase difference between light propagating through the I arm and light propagating through the Q arm is π/2+nπ. Note that the method of controlling the phase difference between the I arm and the Q arm of the optical modulator so as to be π/2 is described, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-82094, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-246578, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-259426.
However, in the adjustment of the phase difference between the I arm and the Q arm of the optical modulator (hereinafter referred to as an "I-Q phase difference" or a "phase shift amount of the phase shifter"), π/2+nπ and 3π/2+2nπ are not distinguished. For example, the optical transmitter may generate the modulated optical signal in a state in which the I-Q phase difference is controlled to be either π/2+2nπ or 3π/2+2nπ. In light of this, the optical receiver decides whether the I-Q phase difference is either π/2+2nπ or 3π/2+2nπ, and then recovers data from the modulated optical signal. The optical receiver for receiving the modulated optical signal is described, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-270909.
The next-generation optical transmission system can provide an optical signal with various characteristics using the digital signal processing as described above. For example, the digital signal processing for generating a drive signal from the input data can perform dispersion pre-equalization, frequency offset addition, or the like.
However, when a parameter assuming that the I-Q phase difference is π/2+2nπ is supplied while the I-Q phase difference is controlled to be 3π/2+2nπ, the transmission characteristics of the optical signal may be degraded. For example, when chromatic dispersion assuming that the I-Q phase difference is π/2+2nπ is supplied while the I-Q phase difference is controlled to be 3π/2+2nπ, cumulative chromatic dispersion to be detected by the optical receiver may be greater than a case where wavelength pre-equalization is not performed.

Optical transmitter and modulated optical signal generating method


A system, device and method that enables units to communicate with each other and point to each other's location without requiring line-of-sight to satellites or any other infrastructure. Further, the system, device and method are able to operate outdoors as well as indoors and overcome multipath interference in a deterministic algorithm, while providing bearings at three dimensions, not only location but actual direction.

Existing technologies allow users to find a location but often do not function correctly under certain circumstances. For example, global positioning satellite (GPS) based systems rely on microwave signals transmitted by Medium Earth Orbit satellites; such microwave signals are affected by multipath propagation and atmospheric conditions. Effects of multipath propagation include data corruption, signal nulling, increased signal amplitude and decreased signal amplitude. Since acquiring and tracking such signals can therefore be difficult or impossible, particularly when used indoors, GPS-based systems may become increasingly inaccurate or stop working. Wideband and ultra wideband signals have been used for some time for locating items in radar, especially radar arrays for close proximity.

System and method for enhanced point-to-point direction finding


The present invention discloses a method for controlling pilot power of an HNB, comprising: initializing the HNB and setting up communication connection between the HMB and a mobile terminal user, and further comprising: determining a setting type of a current data communication service; increasing current pilot power when the current data communication service is of a first type and a current SNR is less than a predetermined threshold; and reducing the current pilot power when the current data communication service is of a second type and the current SNR is more than or equal to the predetermined threshold. The present invention further provides a system for controlling pilot power of an HNB, which can rationally distribute pilot power resources.

With the fast development of a 3rd Generation (3G) digital communication technology and the recombination of telecommunication and mobile operators, the operators more and more focus on the seamless access technology and indoor coverage technology for signals in the construction of networks. Good network coverage, particularly indoor coverage, is the key for the fast development of the mobile communications. Under the background of such requirements, an HNB, as a small and low-power base station, has been highly concerned and favored by operators at home and abroad as well as equipment manufactures. On the one hand, the HNB can fast solve the problem of indoor coverage of signals with lower cost, provide a user with a high-speed data communication service and reduce the load of a macro base station; on the other hand, the HNB realizes the combination of fixation and mobility for the operators so as to realize the development of the mobile communications in a family market.
At present, as dedicated resources of private users, the HNB is mainly deployed and applied in indoor places, such as home, school, company, small-scale group area. It can supplement the coverage of an extensive macro cell and provide a user with a high-speed data, voice and multimedia service in the 3G communication system.
The network framework of the HNB mainly includes an HNB and an HNB gateway. The HNB is connected to a core network through the HNB gateway which is in charge of the safety authentication, registration, maintenance management, configuration, and control of the HNB and the like and realizes the data signaling exchanging between the core network and the HNB.
In the HNB, a pilot signal is used for the phase timing of a mobile terminal, the extraction of coherent carrier, the comparison of signal intensity during transition and handover and the like. The pilot signal is ceaselessly sent during the working period of a base station, and the transmit power of the pilot signal, i.e., the pilot power, is about 12% of the total downlink transmit power of a cell in order to ensure that each mobile terminal in the cell can correctly perform demodulation and communication. The increase of the pilot power can expand a signal coverage area, however, overlarge pilot power can cause pilot pollution, interfere pilot signals of other cells, and reduce the power of a downlink service channel of a base station which the cell belongs to, thereby the services supported is reduced due to such effect.
For example, in the HNB, if a pilot signal is leaked out to a room or an area outside the coverage area of the HNB, it will interfere other mobile terminal users in adjacent areas or passing through the area, thereby causing lots of unnecessary mobility events, such as, measurement, cell reselection, handover, and area location update. These mobility events will increase the load of the core network and cause lots of unnecessary signaling interaction between the HNB and the core network.
There are several methods and strategies for controlling the pilot power in the prior art, such as a pilot power fixing method and a pilot power automatically optimizing method. The disadvantage of the pilot power fixing method f is that it is impossible to modify the pilot power timely according to a practical condition and a fixed pilot power is set only when the HNB is initialized and automatically configured. At present, the pilot power automatically optimizing method mainly includes methods for automatically adjusting the pilot power based on measurement, distance and mobility events, but cannot realize the adjustment of the pilot power according to the service types of the mobile terminal.

Method and system for controlling pilot power of Home NodeB


A simplified snap-action micromachined thermal switch having a bimodal thermal actuator fabricated from non-ductile materials such as silicon, glass, silicon oxide, tungsten, and other suitable materials using MEMS techniques.

The present invention relates to snap action thermal measurement devices and methods, and in particular to snap action thermal measurement devices formed as micro-machined electromechanical structures (MEMS).
Various temperature sensors are known in the art. Such sensors are used in various measurement and control applications. For example, thermocouples, resistive thermal devices (RTDs) and thermistors are used for measuring temperature in various applications. Such sensors provide an electrical analog signal, such as a voltage or a resistance, which changes as a function of temperature. Monolithic temperature sensors are also known. For example, a diode connected bipolar transistor can be used for temperature sensing. More specifically, a standard bipolar transistor can be configured with the base and emitter terminals shorted together. With such a configuration, the base collector junction forms a diode. When electrical power is applied, the voltage drop across the base collector junction varies relatively linearly as a function of temperature. Thus, such diode connected bipolar transistors have been known to be incorporated into various integrated circuits for temperature sensing.
Although the above described devices are useful in providing relatively accurate temperature measurements, they are generally not used in control applications to control electrical equipment. In such control applications various types of precision thermostats are used. The thermal switch is one form of precision thermostat used in control applications to switch on or off heaters, fans, and other electrical equipment at specific temperatures. Such temperature switches typically consist of a sensing element which provides a displacement as a function of temperature and a pair of electrical contacts. The sensing element is typically mechanically interlocked with the pair of electrical contacts to either make or break the electrical contacts at predetermined temperature set points. The temperature set points are defined by the particular sensing element utilized.
Various types of sensing elements are known which provide a displacement as a function of temperature. For example, mercury bulbs, magnets and bimetallic elements are known to be used in such temperature switches.
Mercury bulb thermal sensors have a mercury filled bulb and an attached glass capillary tube which acts as an expansion chamber. Two electrical conductors are disposed within the capillary at a predetermined distance apart. The electrical conductors act as an open contact. As temperature increases, the mercury expands in the capillary tube until the electrical conductors are shorted by the mercury forming a continuous electrical path. The temperature at which the mercury shorts the electrical conductors is a function of the separation distance of the conductors.
Magnetic reed switches have also been known to be used as temperature sensors in various thermal switches. Such reed switch sensors generally have a pair of toroidal magnets separated by a ferrite collar and a pair of reed contacts. At a critical temperature known as the Curie point, the ferrite collar changes from a state of low reluctance to high reluctance to allow the reed contacts to open.
Mercury bulb and magnetic reed thermal switches have known problems associated with them. More specifically, many of such switches are generally known to be intolerant of external forces, such as vibration and acceleration forces. Consequently, such thermal switches are generally not suitable for use in various applications, for example, in an aircraft.
Bi-metallic thermal switch elements typically consist of two strips of materials having different rates of thermal expansion fused into one bi-metallic disc-shaped element. Precise physical shaping of the disc element and unequal expansion of the two materials cause the element to change shape rapidly at a predetermined set-point temperature. The change in shape of the bi-metal disc is thus used to activate a mechanical switch. The bimetallic disc element is mechanically interlocked with a pair of electrical contacts such that the rapid change in shape can be used to displace one or both of the electrical contacts to either make or break an electrical circuit.
The critical bimetallic disc element is difficult to manufacture at high yield with predictable thermal switching characteristics. This unpredictability results in a need for costly, extensive testing to determine the set-point and hysteretic switching characteristics of each individual disc element. In addition, because the bi-metallic disc elements are fabricated by stressing a deformable or ductile metal beyond its elastic limit, which permanently deforms the material. The material, when the stress is removed, slowly relaxes toward its pre-stressed condition, which alters the temperature response characteristics. Thus, drift or xe2x80x9ccreepxe2x80x9d in the temperature switching characteristics can result over time. Next generation markets for thermal switches will require products with increased reliability and stability.
Furthermore, the bi-metallic disc element is by nature relatively large. Therefore, these thermal switches are relatively large and are not suitable for use in various applications where space is rather limited. Next generation thermal switches will require a reduction in size over the current state of the art.
Moreover, thermal switches actuated by the various sensing elements discussed above are normally assembled from discrete components. As such, the assembly cost of such temperature switches increases the overall manufacturing cost.
Another problem with such known thermal switches relates to calibration. More specifically, such known thermal switches generally cannot be calibrated by the end user. Thus, such known temperature switches must be removed and replaced if the calibration drifts, which greatly increases the cost to the end user.
Monolithic micromachined thermal switches have been developed in the past that obviate the necessity of assembling discrete components. These monolithic micromachined structures also allow the thermal switch to be disposed in a relatively small package. One example is a thermal switch described by co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,233 entitled, MICROMACHINED THERMAL SWITCH, issued to Brian Norling on Oct. 31, 1995, which is incorporated herein by reference, wherein a thermal switch includes a bi-metallic cantilever beam element operatively coupled to a pair of electrical contacts. A biasing force such as an electrostatic force is applied to the switch to provide snap action of the electrical contacts in both the opening and closing directions which enables the temperature set point to be adjusted by varying electrostatic force biasing voltage.
Although many of these known thermal switches are useful and effective in current applications, next generation applications will require products of reduced size with increased reliability and stability beyond the capabilities of the current state of the art.
The present invention provides a small and inexpensive snap action thermal measurement device which can retain its original set point over long operating life and large temperature excursions by providing a thermal switch actuator fabricated from non-ductile materials, in contrast to the prior art devices and methods.
The apparatus and method of the present invention provide a simplified snap-action micromachined thermal switch that eliminates any requirement for electrical bias to prevent arcing. The apparatus of the invention is a thermal switch actuator fabricated from non-ductile materials such as silicon, glass, silicon oxide, tungsten, and other suitable materials using MEMS techniques that replaces the bimetallic disc thermal actuator described above. The use of non-ductile materials solves the lifetime creep problems, while the use of MEMS manufactured sensors addresses size and cost issues. The resulting thermal switch is alternatively configured to drive a solid state relay or a transistor.
According to one aspect of the invention, the bimodal thermal actuator includes an actuator base structure formed of a first substantially non-ductile material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, the actuator base structure being formed with a relatively mobile portion and a substantially stable mounting portion extending therefrom; a cooperating thermal driver structure formed of a second substantially non-ductile material and having a second coefficient of thermal expansion different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion, the thermal driver structure being joined to at least a portion of the mobile portion of the actuator base structure; and an electrical conductor portion formed on the mobile portion of the actuator base structure.
According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of the first and second substantially non-ductile materials of the bimodal thermal actuator is selected from a family of materials having a high ultimate strength and a high shear modulus of elasticity.
According to another aspect of the invention, the mobile portion of the actuator base structure of the bimodal thermal actuator is formed in an arcuate shape.
According to another aspect of the invention, the cooperating thermal driver structure of the bimodal thermal actuator is formed as a thin layer of the second substantially non-ductile material joined to the mobile portion of the actuator base structure adjacent to the substantially stable mounting portion thereof.
According to another aspect of the invention, the electrical conductor portion of the bimodal thermal actuator is formed as a portion of the mobile portion that is doped with electrically conductive material.
According to another aspect of the invention, the electrical conductor portion of the bimodal thermal actuator is formed as a metallic electrode at a central portion of the mobile portion.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention provides a micromachined thermal switch that further includes a support base having an upright mesa and an electrode formed on one surface; and the mounting portion of the bimodal thermal actuator is coupled to the mesa with the electrical conductor portion of the mobile portion aligned with the electrode on the support base. According to other aspects of the invention, the support base includes two upright mesas with the electrode formed on the surface in between. The bimodal thermal actuator is suspended from the two mesas with the electrical conductor portion provided at the center of the mobile portion in alignment with the electrode on the support base.
According to still other aspects of the invention, the invention provides a method for determining temperature, the method providing joining together two substantially non-ductile materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion along a common surface in a bimodal thermal actuator having an actuator portion being mobile relative to a mounting portion and having an electrically conductive area situated at one surface thereof; and wherein the relatively mobile actuator portion is further disposed subsequently in a plurality of stable relationships to the mounting portion as a function of sensed temperature, a first stable relationship of the relatively mobile actuator portion to the mounting portion positioning the electrically conductive area in contact with an electrode, and a second stable relationship of the relatively mobile actuator portion to the mounting portion spacing the electrically conductive area away from the electrode.
According to another aspect of the method of the invention, the first stable relationship places the electrically conductive area of the relatively mobile actuator portion on a first side of the mounting portion, and the second stable relationship places the electrically conductive area of the relatively mobile actuator portion on a second side of the mounting portion opposite from the first side.
According to another aspect of the method of the invention, the method further provides joining the mounting portion of the bimodal thermal actuator in relationship to a support structure including the electrode.
According to yet another aspect of the method of the invention, the method further provides forming the relatively mobile actuator portion in an arcuate configuration extending from the mounting portion.
According to still another aspect of the method of the invention, the method further provides forming the mounting portion as a pair of spaced apart mounting portions; and forming the relatively mobile actuator portion in an arcuate configuration extending between the pair of spaced apart mounting portions.


A printed circuit board capable of resilient deformation having two major surfaces and a contact edge. Electrically conductive traces are provided on each major surface of the board which lead to electrically conductive contact pads at the contact edge of the board. A gap is provided between the two major surfaces of the board along the contact edge. The gap permits resilient deformation of the board so that a force is created upon deformation which will bias the major surfaces toward their undeformed position. An elastomeric biasing member may be provided in the gap.

Printed circuit boards are typically used to increase the performance capability and memory capacity of computers. Printed circuit boards are usually comprised of a rigid substrate having one or more integrated circuits and/or other electronic circuitry provided thereon. It is well known that a printed circuit board can be electrically connected to an electronic device, such as another printed circuit board, by providing one board with several pins and the other with sockets for receiving those pins. Stamped metal springs are typically used to ensure that good electrical contact is maintained between the pins and the sockets. Usually, one spring is provided for each pin.
The use of these stamped metal springs, however, becomes increasingly costly as the number of pins increases. The number of pins, and therefore the number of springs required, typically ranges between a few and 68, but may extend into the hundreds. Thus, while it may be advantageous to decrease the size of the pins or the spacing between them, this reduction can be complicated by the difficulty and cost of manufacturing and installing so many tiny springs, each of which must still be strong enough to ensure good electrical contact between the pins and their respective sockets.
Printed circuit boards can be used in integrated circuit (IC) cards, which are increasingly being used with portable computers. Integrated circuit cards include personal computer (PC) cards and Smart cards. There are two basic types of PC cards: input/output (IO) cards and memory cards. Memory cards are used to store data in portable electronic devices, such as portable computers. Memory cards can be used to increase the main memory of a computer, or they can be used to store information pertaining to one particular subject, e.g., they can be used in a hospital setting to store a patient's medical records. Memory cards typically include at least one integrated circuit (IC) chip having either read-only-memory (ROM) or random-access-memory (RAM). The chief advantage of such cards is that they can be easily inserted and removed from the electronic device by the use of a multi-pin connector of the type described above.
In order to be useful, the card connector must be able to withstand many insertion and withdrawal cycles. Performance requirements established by certain standards organizations may typically be 10,000 insertion and withdrawal cycles. It would be desirable to have a printed circuit board connector which met these requirements and yet had a simple and reliable design.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A memory arbiter minimizes latency of memory accesses in a system having multiple processors. The memory arbiter improves overall system performance by managing the memory requests from each processor individually before those requests are sent to a central memory arbiter for handling memory requests for the shared resources from the multiple processors. The local memory arbiter buffers the memory requests from a local processor, analyzes the buffered memory requests, and optimizes the requests by reordering commands according to a rule set, and by performing write merging and prefetch squashing in certain conditions.

In computer architecture applications, processors often use caches and other memory local to the processor to access data during execution. The processors more efficiently execute instructions when, for example, data accessed by a processor is stored locally in a cache. The problem is compounded when multiple caches (often having differing line sizes and timing requirements) of multiple processors are used together in a multiprocessor system. Processor stalls often occur, for example, when different processors attempt to access the same memory resources. Thus, an improvement in techniques for reducing stalls that are associated with processors sharing memory resources is desirable.
The problems noted above are solved in large part by a local memory arbiter that minimizes latency of memory accesses in a system having multiple processors. The disclosed memory arbiter improves overall system performance by managing the memory requests from each processor individually before those requests are sent to a central memory arbiter for handling memory requests for the shared resources from the multiple processors. The local memory arbiter buffers the memory requests from a local processor, analyzes the buffered memory requests, and optimizes the requests by reordering commands according to a rule set, and by performing write merging and prefetch squashing in certain conditions.

Speculation-aware memory controller arbiter


A laminated plastic molded body of the present invention comprises a laminated plastic molded body having a layered structure portion of three-layers or five-layers in which a resin layer A and a resin layer B are alternatively laminated, wherein the resin layer A provided at least at the surface side of the layered structure portion is a mixed resin layer of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin and at least one resin selected from the group consisting of an amorphous polyester resin, an ethylene naphthalate-ethylene terephthalate copolymer resin and a meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin, and the resin layer B interposed between the resin layers A is a barrier resin layer comprising at least one resin selected from the group consisting of a meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin and an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin. Thus, a multi-layer laminated plastic container having highly gas barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide gases, and yet transparency, excellent characteristics in mechanical properties, and having food hygiene properties can be provided.

This invention relates to laminated plastic molded bodies having extremely high gas barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide gases, being transparent, having excellent mechanical properties and having food hygiene properties.
Various kinds of plastic containers have been on the market as a container for, for example, foods, drinks, cosmetics, chemicals or the like, since they have a light weight, a less danger of breakage, a low cost and the like. In particular, plastic containers made of poly(ethylene terephthalate) resins have an excellent transparency and show a beautiful appearance similar to glass bottles, so that they have been generally used as a container for drinks.
The above-mentioned plastic molded bodies made of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resins are insufficient in the gas barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide gases. Thus, by making a laminated plastic molded body in which the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin layer and the other thermoplastic gas barrier resin layer are laminated, the body can be made suitable for its contents which require gas barrier properties.
However, lamination of the thermoplastic gas barrier resin layer causes problems of lowering in mechanical properties and lowering in transparency, so that a film thickness of the gas barrier resin layer to be laminated is inherently limited. Thus, with regard to its contents to be contained which require particularly excellent gas barrier properties, it is the present status that there is still a problem in its shelf life.
Thus, with regard to the conventional laminated plastic body in which the above-mentioned poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin layer and the thermoplastic gas barrier resin layer are laminated, the portion corresponding to the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin layer is replaced by a mixed resin layer comprising the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin and a specific resin, so that gas barrier properties can be markedly improved without lowering marked mechanical properties or lowering in transparency. Thus, it can be confirmed that the resulting body becomes a laminated plastic molded body in which a shelf life of a content which requires gas barrier properties can be markedly improved whereby the inventors have accomplished the present invention.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide laminated plastic molded bodies having extremely high gas barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide gases, having excellent mechanical properties and having food hygiene properties.
To accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention comprises the following constitution.
That is, the laminated plastic molded bodies of the present invention are laminated plastic molded bodies having a layered structure portion of three-layers or five-layers in which a resin layer A and a resin layer B are alternatively laminated, wherein the resin layer A provided at least at the surface side of the layered structure portion comprises a mixed resin layer of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin and at least one resin selected from the group consisting of an amorphous polyester resin, an ethylene naphthalate-ethylene terephthalate copolymer resin and a meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin, and the resin layer B interposed between the resin layers A comprises a barrier resin layer comprising at least one resin selected from the group consisting of a meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin and an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin.
In the laminated plastic molded bodies having the above-mentioned constitution, the above-mentioned poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin preferably comprises a resin in which 80 mol % or more, preferably 90 mol % or more of a dicarboxylic acid component constituting the polymer is a terephthalic acid unit, and 80 mol % or more, preferably 90 mol % or more of a dialcohol component constituting the polymer is an ethylene glycol unit.
Moreover, the above-mentioned amorphous polyester resin is preferably an amorphous polyester resin obtained by copolymerizing at least one copolymer component selected from the group consisting of isophthalic acid, diphenyl ether 4,4-dicarboxylic acid, naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid, naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, adipic acid, sebacic acid, decan-1,10-dicarboxylic acid, hexahydroterephthalic acid, propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, neopentyl glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyethoxyphenyl)propane, etc., in addition to terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.
Incidentally, as the amorphous polyester resin, for example, a gas barrier polyester resin commercially available as Mitsui B-010 manufactured by Mitsui Kagaku Co., Ltd., or a polyester type gas barrier resin commercially available as RB8550 manufactured by Toyo Boseki Co., Ltd. can be used.
Moreover, it is preferred that the above-mentioned ethylene naphthalate-ethylene terephthalate copolymer resin is a copolymer resin comprising 5 to 45 mol % of an ethylene naphthalate unit and 95 to 55 mol % of an ethylene terephthalate unit. This is because, in these ranges, compatibility with the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin becomes good and improvement in the barrier characteristics of the resin layer A by mixing said copolymer resin can be realized.
Furthermore, it is preferred that the above-mentioned meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin is a polyamide resin comprising a polymer containing 70 mol % or more of an amide unit obtained from meta-xylylene diamine alone, or a mixed xylylenediamine containing meta-xylylenediamine and 30 mol % or less of para-xylylenediamine based on the total xylylenediamine and xcex1xc2x7xcfx89-aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having 6 to 10 carbon atoms.
Moreover, it is preferred that, in the resin forming the mixed resin layer, at least one resin selected from the group consisting of the amorphous polyester resin, ethylene naphthalate-ethylene terephthalate copolymer resin and meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin is contained in an amount of 5 to 45% by weight. This is because, when the compounding amount is less than 5% by weight, improvement in barrier properties due to the mixed resin layer is not remarkable, while when it exceeds 45% by weight, moldability of said mixed resin layer becomes poor whereby unevenness in film thickness is liable to be caused and the molding step is liable to become unstable. From the same point of view, the compounding amount thereof is preferably 5 to 20% by weight.
Moreover, a weight of the resin forming the above-mentioned resin layer B is preferably 2 to 25% based on the weight of the resin forming the resin layer A and the resin layer B. This is because the meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin or die ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin to be used for forming the resin layer B shows an excellent gas barrier properties by a single resin layer made of the resin, but the presence of the resin layer causes lowering in mechanical properties or lowering in transparency, so that these disadvantages can be avoided by decreasing the amount of these resins.
Also, it is preferred that the above-mentioned laminated plastics molded body is a container, and at least a body portion and a bottom portion of the above-mentioned container are constituted by the above-mentioned layered portion.
Moreover, the resin layer B provided by being interposed between the resin layers A comprises a barrier resin layer comprising at least one resin selected from the group consisting of a meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin and an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin. The meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin is a generally used resin as a barrier resin. Preferred examples of the resin are the same as the meta-xylene group-containing polyamide resin to be used in the mixed resin layer constituting the above-mentioned resin layer A. On the other hand, the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin is also generally used resin as a barrier resin. In the points of moldability and gas barrier properties, it is preferred to use an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin containing 50 to 70 mol % of a vinyl alcohol unit.
As mentioned above, in the laminated plastic molded body of the present invention, by making the resin layer A a mixed resin layer of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin and a specific resin which is less worsen the moldability of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin and has high gas barrier properties and nontoxicity, and laminating it with the resin layer B, without accompanying marked lowering in mechanical properties or lowering in transparency, the gas barrier properties which are not affected by the circumferential atmosphere can be markedly improved when the molded body is a container, etc.
The laminated plastic molded body of the present invention can be molded by the same molding means as in the conventional molded body of a laminated plastic container comprising the poly(ethylene terephthalate) resin layer and the other thermoplastic gas barrier resin layer, i.e., by a direct blow molding, a parison blow molding or a biaxial drawing blow molding, etc. The biaxial drawing blow molding is preferred since more preferred mechanical properties can be obtained.


A portable electrocardiographic recording analyzer incorporates means for counting the total sum of P, Q, R, S, T and U waves of electrocardiographic waveforms larger than a set reference voltage for a certain period of time; means for storing the preceding counted values; means for setting a reference value for the difference between the two means; signal means operating to issue an output when the difference between the value counted by the counting means and the value stored by the storing means is larger than a predetermined value; recording means for recording electrocardiographic waveforms in discontinuous periods of time which are set as desired; and means for storing an electrocardiographic waveform obtained when the signal means issues the output, along with an electrocardiographic wavform obtained at the preceding step. This analyzer can be used for monitoring in the domain of mental and nervous diseases, for monitoring of patients suffering from various diseases under hospital or home treatment, for use as a life monitoring apparatus for a serious case, as well as for monitoring of patients under medical treatment for cardiac or cerebral diseases.

As is well known, the percentage of tragic results caused by various troubles dangerous to life (e.g., heart stroke and cerebral hemorrhage) can be reduced if the occurrence of the relating abnormality is immediately detected to enable administration of first aid.
However, no means has been provided which enables a device for detecting this kind of abnormality to be put to widely practical use in complete systems. Ordinarily, electrocardiograms are used for the prediction of abnormalities or for searching for evidence of such.
In electrocardiogram tests, however, unlike abnormal waves always present such as those relating to organic degeneracy diseases (typically, arrhythmia and so on), abnormal waves temporarily generated (e.g., of myocardial infarction) cannot be detected unless they are accidentally generated during electrocardiogram recording.
For the purpose of compensating for this drawback, a portable electrocardiogram recorder is carried for a long time to detect in a magnetic tape record a fit wave which may be generated at an unpredictable time. This system is known as Halter electrocardiograph.
In the Halter electrocardiograph, however, a magnetic tape used for recording is played back afterward by a special reproduction analyzer in a medical institution to reproduce waveforms, and the existence and the number of abnormal waves and the forms of the waves are not made clear until the reproduction. The halter electrocardiograph is therefore useless in immediately taking measures to meet the situation at the time of the emergence of abnormal waves.

Portable electrocardiographic recording analyzer for monitoring discontinuous time periods of waveforms


First and second dummy structures (201 and 202) are formed over a semiconductor device substrate (10). In one embodiment, portions of the first dummy structure (201) are removed and replaced with a first conductive material (64) to form a first gate electrode (71) and portions of second dummy structure (202) are removed and replaced with a second conductive material (84) to form a second gate electrode (91). In an alternate embodiment, the dummy structures (201 and 202) are formed using a first conductive material (164) that is used to form the first electrode (71). The second electrode is then formed by removing the first conductive material (164) from dummy structures (202) and replacing it with a second conductive material (84). In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the first conductive material and the second conductive material are different conductive materials.

In semiconductor device fabrication, polysilicon and silicon dioxide are commonly used to form gate electrodes and gate dielectrics for metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors. However, the scaling of semiconductor devices into the 0.1 micron (.mu.m) regime will likely result in problems that will require fabricating gate electrodes and gate dielectrics using alternative materials.
Polysilicon requires the addition of impurities to affect its conductivity. As the transistor is scaled to smaller dimensions, the transistor's resistivity is increased and gate depletion effects can become a factor. Increasing the impurity concentration within the polysilicon to reduce the resistance and the gate depletion effects can contribute to boron penetration effects, which can adversely affect the transistor's performance. In addition, scaling may also necessitate using alternative dielectric materials, such as metal oxides that have dielectric constants greater than that of conventional silicon dioxide in order to reduce tunneling leakage between the gate electrode and the transistor's channel region. Incompatibility issues can exist when using polysilicon gates in conjunction with some metal oxides. The polysilicon can react with the metal oxide and contaminate it, thereby negatively affecting its dielectric constant properties.
Metals are an alternative material currently being investigated to replace polysilicon for use as gate electrodes. Metals offer potential advantages over polysilicon because of their low sheet resistance. However, merging metal gate technology into complementary MOS (CMOS) designs introduces new process integration and manufacturing issues. For example, current polysilicon gate CMOS processes can use a combination of doped N.sup.+ and P.sup.+ polysilicon in respective NMOS and PMOS devices to overcome problems associated with adjusting channel threshold voltages (VT). Metals, however, are not readily doped. Therefore, when replacing polysilicon with metal, efforts have focused on selecting those metals having work functions that are close to the mid band-gap of silicon. This allows the VT of the respective n-channel and p-channel devices to be symmetrical. Unfortunately, these mid-gap metal materials can result in transistor VTs that are not optimized for low-voltage, low-power, high-performance devices.

Method for forming a semiconductor device


Various forms of knife guides are provided for knife sharpeners to minimize damage to the knife blade. The knife guides include the provision of flexible fibers on the guide surface and further include rings, such as O-rings on an array of rollers when the rollers are used to form the guide surface. Other forms of knife guides are non-contact optical arrangements.

Modem blade sharpeners depend upon precise control of the sharpening angles in order to obtain the sharpest knives. Generally there are precision guides which insure that the blade is held at the same angle relative to the plane of the sharpening abrasive or to the plane of the sharpening steel on each and every sharpening stroke. In order to develop the sharpest edges it is important that the blade and the surface of the abrasive material be held in a consistent angular position on each sharpening stroke across the abrasive.
In order to maintain a consistent angle of the facets (that meet to create the edge) as they contact a sharpening or steeling element, it has been shown important to have angle guides that physically relate to some feature of the knife blade. It is convenient and practical to reference from the face of the blade to set the angle of the blade edge facets relative to the surface plane of the sharpening or steeling element at the point of contact.
Consequently it is common in sharpening to lay the face of the blade against a planar single guiding surface and to slide the blade with its face in good physical contact with that surface while the edge facet is being modified by the abrasive or steeling element.
Physical guides using the face of the blade being sharpened as the reference to set the angle of the blade facets to the abrasive can be extremely precise because of the generally large and flat structure of the face of most knives. However, because the blade face must be held in relatively firm contact with the flat planar surface it is necessary to keep that surface clean of foreign materials such as swarf and abrasive fragments in order to avoid some scratching or burnishing the blade face. Because blade faces are commonly polished at the factory in a direction perpendicular to the edge, even mild abrasive action parallel to the edge can in time cause a mild burnishing along the blade face. This is not a functional problem that interferes with obtaining a sharp edge, but it is a cosmetic issue for knife collectors who purchase expensive knives. It is therefore desirable to seek improved means to eliminate this effect.
Means of reducing this scratching and burnishing effect have been described previously and patented by this inventor. These include the use of multiple rollers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,406,679 and 5,449,315, guiding against vertical guide surfaces with or without rollers in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,390,431 and 5,582,535; plastic surfaced rollers in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,449,315 and 5,404,679; guide planes created by a number of ball bearings and moving a guided sharpener along the blade edge U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,535.
While most of the previously disclosed means of reducing random scratching or burnishing of the face of knives as they are moved along physical guides have proven useful they have not completely eliminated the scratching and burnishing. As a result research was initiated to develop improved approaches and alternative solutions that will virtually eliminate these undesirable effects for extended periods of time.

Knife sharpener with improved knife guides


A die for use in a sheet metal forming process includes a die material having a surface. A plurality of depressions is formed in a predetermined portion of the surface, where each of the plurality of depressions has a predetermined diameter and depth. Interaction of a surface of a sheet metal blank with i) the plurality of depressions, and ii) a solid forming lubricant, including particles of an average predetermined size and distribution, disposed on one of the die material surface or the sheet metal blank surface substantially reduces adhesion between the sheet metal blank surface and the die material surface during the sheet metal forming process.

Automotive body panels and other similar articles of manufacture are often made by hot or warm forming a sheet metal blank using a forming press. During the hot and warm forming processes, the sheet metal blank is pressed against the surface of at least one die in the forming press in the presence of heat. After a predetermined amount of pressing time, the sheet metal blank assumes the shape of the die surface and the sheet metal blank is thereafter removed from the forming press. In some instances, the die or the sheet metal blank is coated with relatively large amounts of lubricant to reduce adhesion between the sheet metal blank and the die surface during the forming process.

Die for use in sheet metal forming processes


When a speech sound of at least a predetermined sound pressure is externally input while a time measurement is not being performed, a time measuring circuit starts a time measurement responsive to a signal from a speech detector. When another speech sound of at least a predetermined sound pressure is externally input while a time measurement is being performed by the time measuring circuit, a measurement time measured by the time measuring circuit at this moment is stored in a time information memory. After a predetermined time has elapsed, if a speech recognition circuit recognizes that the externally input speech sound is a "stop" command, the time measurement operation performed by the time measuring circuit is stopped, and the time information stored in the time information memory is read out and displayed as measurement time information on a display unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speech recognition apparatus for recognizing input speech data and performing an operation according to the recognition result.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a conventional speech recognition apparatus incorporated in an electronic instrument or the like receives a speech input, the apparatus recognizes speech data of the input speech over a predetermined time and starts a predetermined operation in accordance with the recognition result after recognition is finished.
Speech recognition techniques of this type are described in, for example, U.S. Pat Nos. 4,158,750, 4,461,023, 4,532,648 and 4,596,031.
When the above conventional speech recognition apparatus is incorporated in, e.g., a stopwatch device or timer device to control start or stop of a time measurement operation in accordance with a speech such as "start" or "stop", the following problem arises. That is, in a track or swimming race, for example, assume that racers or swimmers start in accordance with a speech "start" and a stopwatch device recognizes the speech "start" and then starts time measurement. In this case, the competitors start not after the speech "start" is completely finished but simultaneously with start of the speech "start". The stopwatch device, however, starts the time measurement after the speech "start" is completely input and recognized. Therefore, since a time difference is produced between the start of the competitors and that of time measurement of the stopwatch device, a correct measurement time cannot be obtained. This problem is similarly posed, as in the case of "start", when measurement is to be stopped by a speech "stop" or elapsed time data is to be obtained by a speech such as "lap" or "split".
When the speech recognition apparatus is incorporated in a video tape recorder or speech recording device to start or stop video or sound recording by a speech sound, the same problem as in the case of the stopwatch device arises. In addition, for example, in a system in which different data are automatically and selectively displayed on a screen at a predetermined time interval and desired data can be held on the screen by a speech sound of "stop" when it is displayed on the screen, the same problem is posed.

Speech recognition apparatus with means for preventing errors due to delay in speech recognition


An energy selective radiation sensor has a photodetector and a transfer gate for controlling transfer of charge from the photodetector to a first sense node. A first readout circuit is provided for reading out charge from the first node. In use a first charge accumulated in the photodetector from a first predetermined portion of an energy spectrum of a radiation source is transferred to the first sense node. A second charge is accumulated in the photodetector from a second predetermined portion of the energy spectrum. The first charge is readout from the first sense node with the readout circuit, the second charge transferred to the first sense node and likewise readout. In embodiments of the invention, a second sense node and second transfer gate are provided and the first charge is read out through a first sense node and the second charge through the second sense node. In further embodiments a dump drain controlled by a dump gate is also provided to permit duty cycle control of sensitivity of the photodetector by selectively dumping and storing of charge accumulated in the photodetector.

Intra-oral x-ray imaging using a solid-state x-ray sensor is known. Bitewing x-ray images are used for crowns of teeth, that is a portion of the teeth above a gum, for both upper and lower teeth in a portion of a mouth. Bitewing x-rays are used to examine a thick, dense part of a tooth, e.g. enamel and dentine, and are used to determine thickness of enamel and the presence of decay (caries) between teeth. A best image contrast could in principle be obtained using a high-energy portion of a dental x-ray spectrum, e.g. between 35 keV and 70 keV, but typically a broad spectrum between 10 keV and 70 keV is used.
Periapical x-rays images show an entire tooth, including a root and surrounding bone. The root fits into fibrous bone below the gum, and is usually twice as long as the crown. Periapical x-rays examine a thin, less dense portion of the tooth and the low-density fibrous bone surrounding the root. Periapical x-rays are used to examine for root fracture, bone loss due to gum disease, and condition of root canal and periodontal ligament (which supports the tooth in its bony socket). Since bone loss can be caused by gum disease, detail of the gum where it meets the tooth is important. Periapical x-rays are also used to aid diagnosis following presentation of symptoms of pressure sensitivity, e.g. diagnosis of an abscess or cyst in the fibrous bone at the base of the root. In all cases, periapical x-rays are used to examine low density tooth and bone and image detail may be of soft tissue. Best image contrast could in principle be obtained by taking advantage of photo-electric x-ray attenuation in soft tissue using a low-energy portion of the dental x-ray spectrum, e.g. between 10 keV and 35 keV, but typically a broad spectrum between 10 keV and 70 keV is used.
Because different photon energies are required to obtain high resolution, high contrast images for different portions of a tooth and the surrounding tissue, it is not normally possible to obtain a single high resolution, high contrast image of a whole tooth and the surrounding tissue with a single exposure.
In other known systems:                a second image is generated after a first image is read out, which for a large area sensor typical of intra-oral, mammo- or chest radiography, could take several seconds—registration of the two images will usually be adversely affected due to motion effects;        the two images may be generated from two different sensors and the spatial registration may be poor;        the two images may be generated via filtering in order to obtain high and low sensor channels, and such filtering can rarely achieve desirable characteristics such as sharp cut-off and discrimination of the pass-bands.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,301 describes a system which uses two complete mechanical scans of an object at two different x-ray energies. The two scan images are then combined. There is likely to be poor registration of the two images since each of the scans is likely to take at least 10seconds and the object may move between the scans. The registration also depends on generator and detector positioning accuracy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,740 describes a dual-energy x-ray system, in which the detector consists of a soft x-ray detector and a hard x-ray detector in tandem, with an inter-detector filter in between. Alternatively suitable high energy/low energy scintillators are arranged to produce light of different colours, which are then imaged by CCD detectors for the capture of separate images. The detector is likely to have poor selectivity of the two x-ray energies. The sensitivity for the higher x-ray energy is likely to be poor since the high energy photons have to pass through the low energy detector before being imaged. The registration of the two images is likely to be poor because two detectors are used, also the inter-detector filter may produce undesirable spatial offsets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,833 describes a dual energy detector with high and low energy detecting elements each based on an x-ray sensitive scintillator and a photodiode, arranged alternately in at least two rows and with low and high energy detector elements also arranged in columns of alternating high and low energy detector elements perpendicular to the rows. There is interpolation of the signals from adjacent, e.g. high energy pixels, and the signals are combined to produce an interpolated value for a virtual detecting element of high energy. The system is based on a linear, not an area, array, and hence the object must be scanned. The arrangement of the detector pixels is described, but not how the adjacent low and high x-ray energy pixels are actually realised. There may, for instance, be poor discrimination of the two x-ray energies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,934 describes first and second filters which are selectively switched so as to be disposed between a source and a space accommodating a body, independently and respectively, for first and second, different x-ray energy levels. The filters interposed can never be ideal and the system is likely to have poor discrimination of the two x-ray energies.
It is an object of the present invention at least to ameliorate the aforesaid shortcomings in the prior art.


A fluid feeding apparatus includes parallel flow passages connected at their downstream side, each parallel passage including a pressure flow controller (C) for regulating the flow of fluid and a fluid changeover valve (D) for opening and closing the passage on the downstream side of the pressure flow controller. A fluid feeding control unit (B) controls the pressure flow controllers and changeover valves so that when a changeover valve is closed a control valve (1) upstream of the changeover valve is also closed to prevent a pressure buildup at the changeover valve. In addition to the control valve (1), each pressure flow controller includes an orifice (5) downstream from the control valve, a pressure detector (3) for sensing pressure (P.sub.1) in the passage at a point between the control valve and the orifice, and a calculation control unit (6) for producing a control signal Qy for controlling the drive (2) for the control valve. The calculation control unit first calculates a flow rate signal Qc=KP.sub.1, where K is a constant and P.sub.1 is the pressure sensed by the pressure detector. The calculation control unit then calculates Qy as the difference between a set point or flow rate specifying signal Qs and the calculated value Qc. Thus, the flow rate on the downstream side of the orifice is controlled by regulating the pressure P.sub.1 on the upstream side of the orifice via the control valve. The fluid feeding apparatus avoids transient overshooting at the start of fluid feeding and at fluid changeover time and is suitable for use in semiconductor manufacturing facilities and other gas supply systems where high precision is required.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement of an apparatus for feeding various kinds of fluids such as gas for use in the manufacture of semiconductors, chemicals, precision machine parts, and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a fluid feeding apparatus which permits high precision control of the flow rate of fluid at the times of starting to feed a fluid and of switching fluids from one kind to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fluid feeding apparatuses requiring control with high precision of the flow rate are used in semiconductor manufacturing facilities and chemical production plants. Most of those apparatuses are equipped with so-called mass flow controllers.
FIG. 8 shows an apparatus for feeding fluid (gas) for use in a high purity moisture generator in semiconductor manufacturing facilities. It is designed so that H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 are fed to a reactor 51 from a gas feeding apparatus 50 at specific flow rates and are radicalized with a platinum catalyst and allowed to react with each other in a non-combustion state to generate moisture gas (water vapor). The moisture gas thus generated in the reactor 51 is then supplied to an oxidizing furnace 52.
In FIG. 8, the reference numeral 54 designates a circuit for measuring moisture generation responsiveness of the reactor 51, and includes a suction rate regulating valve 55, a quadrupole mass spectrometer (Q-mass spectrometer) 56, a turbo molecular pump 57, and a vacuum pump 58.
The Q-mass spectrometer 56 is for measuring ion concentrations of H.sub.2 O, H.sub.2, O.sub.2, and N.sub.2. A quadrupole mass analyzer MSQ-150A (ULVAC Corporation, Japan) is used for the purpose. The aforesaid gas feeding apparatus 50 is formed from three mass flow controllers MFC.sub.1, MFC.sub.2, and MFC.sub.3, changeover valves V.sub.1, V.sub.2, and V.sub.3, gas storage containers (not shown), and pressure regulators (not shown). The changeover valves V.sub.1, V.sub.2, and V.sub.3 in this example are of the electric metal diaphragm type.
From the respective gas storage containers (not shown), H.sub.2 at a gauge pressure of 2 kgf/cm.sup.2, O.sub.2 at a gauge pressure of 2 kgf/cm.sup.2, and N.sub.2 at a gauge pressure of 6 kgf/cm.sup.2 are supplied to the primary sides of the three mass flow controllers MFC.sub.1, MFC.sub.2, and MFC.sub.3.
To generate moisture in the reactor 51, in the meantime, the flow rates and other conditions of the three mass flow controllers MFC.sub.1, MFC.sub.2, and MFC.sub.3 in the gas feeding apparatus 50 are set, and then the system is purged with N.sub.2, V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 being closed and V.sub.3 being opened. Then V.sub.3 is closed and V.sub.2 , is opened to supply O.sub.2, and at the same time that O.sub.2 is supplied, or about 3 seconds after the O.sub.2 supply, V.sub.1 is opened to supply H.sub.2. Thus, moisture gas (water vapor) starts to be generated in the reactor 51.
Part of the moisture gas or the like from the reactor 51 is sucked into the measurement circuit 54 for a specific time by operating the suction-regulating valve 55, where the concentrations of H.sub.2, O.sub.2, H.sub.2 O, and N.sub.2 in the generated moisture are measured by the Q-mass spectrometer 56.
FIGS. 9 to 11 illustrate the concentrations of H.sub.2, O.sub.2, N.sub.2, and H.sub.2 O measured by the Q-mass spectrometer 56 in the moistures produced in a moisture-generating testing arrangement. The testing arrangement was provided with a gas feeding apparatus 50 equipped with the mass flow controllers as shown in FIG. 8. And the measurements were taken under the following conditions (1), (2), and (3). The gauge pressure of H.sub.2, O.sub.2, and N.sub.2 on the primary sides of the mass flow controllers in the gas feeding apparatus 50 were 2 kgf/cm.sup.2, 2 kgf/cm.sup.2, and 6 kgf/cm.sup.2, respectively.
(1) Pressure on the secondary side of the mass flow controllers: 1 kg/cm.sup.2 abs PA0 H.sub.2 : 50 sccm+O.sub.2 : 1000 sccm PA0 N.sub.2 : 1000 sccm PA0 (2) Pressure on the secondary side of the mass flow controllers:0.5 kg/cm.sup.2 abs PA0 H.sub.2 : 50 sccm +O.sub.2 : 1000 sccm PA0 N.sub.2 : 1000 sccm PA0 (3) Pressure on the secondary side of the mass flow controllers: 0.2 kg/cm.sup.2 abs PA0 H.sub.2 : 50 sccm+O.sub.2 : 1000 sccm PA0 N.sub.2 : 1000 sccm PA0 (1) Pressure on the secondary side of the mass flow controllers: 0.5 kg/cm.sup.2 abs PA0 H.sub.2 : 100 sccm+O.sub.2 : 50 sccm (H.sub.2 :O.sub.2 =2:1) PA0 N.sub.2 : 1000 sccm PA0 (2) Pressure on the secondary side of the mass flow controllers: 0.5 kg/cm.sup.2 abs PA0 H.sub.2 : 100 sccm+O.sub.2 : 50 sccm (H.sub.2 :O.sub.2 =2:1) PA0 N.sub.2 : 1000 sccm
H.sub.2 starts to be fed 3 seconds after O.sub.2 supply.
H.sub.2 starts to be fed 3 seconds after O.sub.2 supply.
H.sub.2 starts to be fed 3 second after O.sub.2 supply.
It is to be understood that "sccm" is a unit indicating the flow rate/minute in volume (cm.sup.3) of H.sub.2, O.sub.2, N.sub.2, etc. in the standard state. As is evident from FIGS. 9 to 11, the concentration of H.sub.2 rises and peaks at a peak P.sub.H2 at the start of the gas feeding as the pressure decreases on the secondary side of the mass flow controllers MFC's (pressure reduction) in the moisture generation testing arrangement provided with the gas feeding apparatus 50 equipped with mass flow controllers. Along with that, there appears a peak P.sub.H2 O in the concentration of H.sub.2 O.
H.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O peak at P.sub.H2 and P.sub.H2O in the initial stage of the gas feeding. That means it is impossible to precisely effect H.sub.2 concentration control (flow rate control). The mass flow controller cannot meet the demand for high precision control of the flow rate of H.sub.2.
It should also be noted that if the peak P.sub.H2 of the concentration of H.sub.2 rises to several percent, there will arise a possibility of hydrogen exploding in the downstream oxidizing furnace 52, raising a safety problem.
On the other hand, FIGS. 12 to 13 also show the concentrations of H.sub.2, O.sub.2, N.sub.2, and H.sub.2 O measured by the Q-mass spectrometer 56 in the moistures produced in a moisture-generating testing arrangement. The testing arrangement was provided with a gas feeding apparatus 50 equipped with the mass flow controllers as shown in FIG. 8. And the measurements were taken under the following conditions (1) and (2). The supply pressures (gauge pressures) of H.sub.2, O.sub.2, and N.sub.2 on the primary sides of the mass flow controllers were 2 kgf/cm.sup.2, 2 kgf/cm.sup.2, and 6 kgf/cm.sup.2, respectively.
H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 started to be fed simultaneously and were cut off at the same time.
H.sub.2 started to be fed 3 seconds after O.sub.2 supply and the feeding of H.sub.2 was cut off three minutes earlier than O.sub.2 cut-off.
As is clear from FIG. 12, the concentration peak P.sub.H2 of H.sub.2 in the initial stage of gas feeding rises to some 10 percent if H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 are fed simultaneously in the gas feeding apparatus 50 equipped with the prior art mass flow controller and there arises a safety question.
Furthermore, the concentration P.sub.O2 of O.sub.2 suddenly falls in the region where a peak P.sub.H2 of H.sub.2 is observed because O.sub.2 is consumed in its reaction with H.sub.2. As a result, it will be impossible to generate an intended quantity of moisture.
Also, as is shown in FIG. 13, the concentration peak P.sub.H2 of H.sub.2 increases to more than some 50 percent at the beginning of gas feeding in the gas feeding apparatus 50 using the prior art mass flow controller, further increasing the danger.
In addition, a large quantity of O.sub.2 is consumed at the aforesaid peak P.sub.H2 of H.sub.2, resulting in a substantial fall in the concentration O.sub.2. That makes it difficult to produce a required amount of moisture.
As set forth above, the gas feeding apparatus 50 equipped with the prior art mass flow controllers has a problem that the flow rate of H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 is impossible to control with high precision, because H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 flow in excessively in what is called an overshooting in the initial stage of the gas feeding or suspension.
In generating moisture in the gas feeding apparatus 50 with the mass flow controllers, it is natural that the amount of moisture generated deviates greatly from the set level, because of the overshooting of H.sub.2 and O.sub.2, and it is difficult to control the generation of moisture with high precision.
In the meantime, in the manufacture of semiconductors or the like, it is often necessary to feed many different kinds of gases at specific flow rates to specific places or switch the feeding from one kind to another. Also, it is necessary to supply to specific places high purity water produced through a reaction between H.sub.2 and O.sub.2. It is always required that the supply or switchover of gases and H.sub.2 O should be effected quickly with high precision. That is because high precision control of the flow of gases and moisture is indispensable to improving or securing the production yield as well as the quality of finished products or semiconductors.


A method for the treatment of cancer by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor with a therapeutically effective amount of a B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma 2 inhibitor (“B Cell CLL/Lymphoma 2”, or “BCL-2”). Administration of the CDK inhibitor and BCL-2 inhibitor can be simultaneous, successive or separate.

Pharmacologic approaches for treating cancer have traditionally relied on the use of various single agent systemic therapies (monotherapies). An archetypical example is chemotherapy, which utilizes broadly cytotoxic drugs that target rapidly dividing cells, or mitotic inhibitors to inhibit or kill the rapidly growing cells typical of cancer. Tumors may not be completely responsive to such monotherapy, either due to their high collateral systemic toxicity necessitating lower, even sub-therapeutic doses or development of tumor resistance that circumvents the activity of the monotherapy agent. More advanced chemotherapy strategies have been developed that are predicated on use of multiple agents in a combination therapy that simultaneously attack the tumor along multiple of biochemical pathways. Many of these regimens, such as the combination of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinlastine and DTIC for Hodgkin's lymphoma, have been developed through empirical testing. Because of the inherent limitations of their individual pharmacologic components, such approaches remain relatively non-specific with high morbidity, allowing considerable room for improvement in terms of efficacy and safety.
Targeting cancers based on their selective overexpression of certain cell-surface receptors or reliance on specific signaling or metabolic pathways, in particular aberrant pathways present in certain cancers, provides another point of attack. For instance, it has been found that some cancers harbor mutations in certain protein kinases that are involved in cell signaling and hyperproliferative growth. Targeting these pathways through the use of inhibitors has proven attractive in controlling cancers by staving off oncolytic signaling. A similar approach based on targeting overexpression of certain receptors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), provides the basis for damping the oncolytic activity of these receptors, for instance by use of antibodies to the targeted receptors (or by use of agents that inhibit the signaling stimulated by these receptors). Unfortunately, as in the case of conventional chemotherapy, these receptors and pathways may play important physiologic roles peripheral to the tumor, leading to toxicity upon their targeting, while the targeted cells also may develop resistance by harnessing alternate biochemical processes or proliferating via selection of resistant clonal subpopulations of tumor cells. Thus, the challenges posed by these types of targeted therapies are substantially similar to those posed by conventional chemotherapy.
While the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK) inhibitor dinaciclib (((S)-(−)-2-(1-{3-ethyl-7-[(1-oxy-pyridin-3-ylmethyl)amino] pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-yl} piperidin-2-yl)ethanol) has shown encouraging clinical effects in treating Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), its activity in other heme malignancies and solid tumors has been limited. Combination with the B Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Lymphoma 2 ("B Cell CLL/Lymphoma 2", or "BCL-2") inhibitor ABT-199 (4-(4-{[2-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethylcyclohex-1-en-1-yl]methyl}piperazin-1-yl)-N-({3-nitro-4-[(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-ylmethyl)amino]phenyl}sulfonyl)-2-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-5-yloxy)benzamide) has now been found to provide synergistic anti-tumor effects, and is well tolerated in preclinical tumor xenograft models.


A surgical stapling and severing instrument particularly suited to endoscopic procedures incorporates a handle that produces separate closing and firing motions to actuate an end effector. In particular, the handle produces multiple firing strokes in order to reduce the required amount of force required to fire (i.e., staple and sever) the end effector. A firing member reciprocates within an elongate shaft to the end effector to transfer this firing motion. A retraction spring retracts the firing member after full firing. Between firing strokes as the firing trigger is released, an anti-backup mechanism activates an electrical actuator (e.g., elecroactive polymer actuator) that is physically grounded to the handle to bind the firing member preventing inadvertent retraction.

Endoscopic and laparoscopic surgical instruments are often preferred over traditional open surgical devices since a smaller incision tends to reduce the post-operative recovery time and complications. The use of laparoscopic and endoscopic surgical procedures has been relatively popular and has provided additional incentive to develop the procedures further. In laparoscopic procedures, surgery is performed in the interior of the abdomen through a small incision. Similarly, in endoscopic procedures, surgery is performed in any hollow viscus of the body through narrow endoscopic tubes inserted through small entrance wounds in the skin.
Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures generally require that the surgical region be insufflated. Accordingly, any instrumentation inserted into the body must be sealed to ensure that gases do not enter or exit the body through the incision. Moreover, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures often require the surgeon to act on organs, tissues and/or vessels far removed from the incision. Thus, instruments used in such procedures are typically long and narrow while being functionally controllable from a proximal end of the instrument.
Significant development has gone into a range of endoscopic surgical instruments that are suitable for precise placement of a distal end effector at a desired surgical site through a cannula of a trocar. These distal end effectors engage the tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect (e.g., endocutter, grasper, cutter, staplers, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapy delivery device, and energy device using ultrasound, RF, laser, etc.).
Known surgical staplers include an end effector that simultaneously makes a longitudinal incision in tissue and applies lines of staples on opposing sides of the incision. The end effector includes a pair of cooperating jaw members that, if the instrument is intended for endoscopic or laparoscopic applications, are capable of passing through a cannula passageway. One of the jaw members receives a staple cartridge having at least two laterally spaced rows of staples. The other jaw member defines an anvil having staple-forming pockets aligned with the rows of staples in the cartridge. The instrument includes a plurality of reciprocating wedges which, when driven distally, pass through openings in the staple cartridge and engage drivers supporting the staples to effect the firing of the staples toward the anvil.
Generally, a single closing stroke followed by a single firing stroke is a convenient and efficient way to perform severing and stapling. However, in some instances, multiple firing strokes are desirable. For example, surgeons select a length of staple cartridge for the desired length of the cut from a range of jaw sizes. Longer staple cartridges require a longer firing stroke. Thus, to effect the firing, a hand-squeezed trigger is required to exert a larger force for these longer staple cartridges in order to sever more tissue and drive more staples as compared to a shorter staple cartridge. It would be desirable for the amount of force to be lower and comparable to shorter cartridges so as not to exceed the hand strength of some surgeons. In addition, some surgeons, not familiar with the larger staple cartridges, may become concerned that binding or other malfunction may occur when an unexpectedly higher force is required.
In co-pending and commonly-owned U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. 2005/0067457 A1, Ser. No. 10/673,929, "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH MULTISTROKE FIRING INCORPORATING AN ANTI-BACKUP MECHANISM" to Shelton et al. filed on Sep. 29, 2003, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, an advantageous anti-backup mechanism mechanically disengages as a firing member distally moves during each firing stroke and then engages as the firing trigger is released between firing strokes, preventing inadvertent retraction. Upon full firing travel, a mechanical linkage is tripped that disengages the anti-backup mechanism, allowing a retraction spring to retract the firing member. Thereby, the advantages of multiple firing strokes were realized in combination with automatic retraction.
More recently, a similar anti-backup mechanism is described in two U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/052,387 entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT INCORPORATING A MULTI-STROKE FIRING MECHANISM WITH RETURN SPRING ROTARY MANUAL RETRACTION SYSTEM" to Shelton et al., and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/052,632 entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT INCORPORATING A FIRING MECHANISM HAVING A LINKED RACK TRANSMISSION" to Swayze et al., both filed on 8 Feb. 2005, the disclosure of both being hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
While these mechanically controlled anti-backup mechanisms provide significant clinical utility, it is desirable to provide an alternate approach to preventing inadvertent retraction that allows for additional functionality.
Consequently, a significant need exists for an improved surgical stapling and severing instrument that performs multistroke firing for increased firing travel and/or reduced force to fire with a reliable and configurable prevention of inadvertent firing retraction between strokes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multiple firing stroke surgical instrument incorporating electroactive polymer anti-backup mechanism