An implant system and a method for controlling the natural and artificial microenvironments surrounding an implanted device using an artificial tissue system (ATS) and includes methods of diagnostic and testing related thereto. The ATS, among other things, induce better integration, function, and extended lifespan of the devices at the site of implantation. The ATS includes cells, such as naturally occurring, engineered, and/or artificial cells; matrices such as natural, engineered, artificial and/or hybrid matrices; tissue response modifiers (TRM); and/or cell response modifiers (CRM). The specific composition of the ATS is based on the nature of the tissue in which ATS-device combination is implanted and the nature of the implant device, as well as the required function and lifespan of the implanted device. Additionally, the ATS, as well as ATSdevice combinations can be utilized in vitro to aid in the design of improved ATS, devices and ATS-device combinations for in \>ivo uses.

Implantable materials and devices, such as drug delivery systems, pacemakers, artificial joints, and organs play an important role in health care today. In addition to these devices, implantable monitoring devices implantable sensors have great potential for improving both the quality of care and quality of life of patients and animals. Potentially these sensors can measure a wide variety of analytes in the blood and tissue, which would be critical in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Unfortunately the development of these implantable sensors has been hampered by the inability of currently designed implantable sensors to overcome their loss of function and short lifespan in vivo. Frequently this loss of function is a result of the acute and chronic tissue reactions to the implanted sensors. These tissue reactions are a result of various factors including 1) tissue injury and inflammation as a result of tissue trauma from the surgical implantation of the device, 2) immune and non-immune inflammation at the implantation site as a result of "foreign body" reactions to the device, 3) the release to tissue of toxic factors from the function of the device and or the chemical breakdown of the device and its coating. Ultimately, these chronic inflammatory reactions at sites of sensor implantation result in tissue destruction and fibrosis and complete loss of sensor function in vivo.
Conventionally, efforts to extend the in vivo lifespan of implantable glucose sensors have focused on the uses of various sensor coatings, in an effort to hide or stealth the sensor from detection and the resulting tissue reactions. Unfortunately these approaches have not been successful, and the use of various coatings has seen limited success because of the body innate and acquired host defense systems (immunity) that can detect minute differences between normal tissue elements and foreign materials such as sensor coatings.
Alternative conventional efforts to incorporate bioactive drugs and peptides and proteins into the coatings or sensor associated drug delivery systems have seen some success. However, in the case of sensor coatings it has been found that 1) frequently only "analyte permeable coatings" can be used as sensor coatings, thus limiting the type of coating available for implantable sensors; 2) binding of sufficient quantities of bioactive agents such as peptides and proteins, can be difficult and often they do not remain active after being bound to the sensor coating; 3) the intense tissue reactions (proteins and cells) frequently "mask" or degrade the bioactive agents on the coatings and limit their effectiveness 4) because of the limited quantities of bioactive agents that can be incorporated into sensor coatings, the coating and therefore the sensor have a limited lifespan in vivo and must be replaced frequently. Additionally the device and its byproducts can also damage both the tissue and the sensor and its coatings. For example, implantable sensors generally function based on the use of glucose oxidase which is specific for glucose. The enzyme needs to be immobilized on the platinum wire by using a carrier protein such as albumin and toxic crosslinking agent such as glutaraldehyde. Additionally, the glucose oxidase used in the sensor continuously breaks down glucose into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, both of which are tissue toxic as well as potentially "sensor toxic". The hydrogen peroxide is further broken down in reactive oxygen radicals, which are also toxic.
In the case of traditional drug delivery systems such as micro beads, they frequently do not incorporate (load) and or release bioactive agents in quantities and for durations that are useful for implantable sensors. Since the drug delivery system used with implantable sensors are usually located near the sensor, "foreign body" tissue reactions to the drug delivery system often have negative "bystander" effects on the sensor and its function. For example, the breakdown of the drug delivery systems such as micro beads result in the release of tissue toxic and sensor toxic byproducts that hinder sensor function in vivo. Ultimately the combination of inflammation, fibrosis and loss of blood vessels also decrease tissue levels of both glucose and oxygen, both essential to glucose sensor function in vivo, with a resulting loss of sensor function and lifespan in vivo. Clearly in the future, new approaches, methods and devices are needed to extend the function and lifespan of implantable sensors such as the glucose sensors used in conjunction with, for example, the disease condition known as diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that afflicts over 18 million people in United States, with an annual cost of $132 billion in direct and indirect expenditures in the United States. Diabetes is a leading contributor to many other diseases, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and peripheral neuropathy. The key factor in preventing these devastating complications of diabetes is the close monitoring of blood glucose levels. Currently, repeated "finger sticks" to obtain capillary blood samples is the major approach to monitoring blood glucose levels. Unfortunately, because of the pain and inconvenience of this procedure associated with "finger sticking" the patient compliance is often poor. However, even with good patient compliance with regular blood glucose testing, it appears that blood glucose swings often stay undetected. For example, initial continuous glucose monitoring has shown that glucose concentrations are only within a target range of 4-10 mmol/l for about 35 percent of the time. Clearly, there is a critical need for a method that would allow continuous blood glucose monitoring in vivo.
Although implantable glucose sensors have been in existence for over 30 years, and in vitro studies have demonstrated that they can function for weeks to months, glucose sensor function in vivo has seen little success. Previous in vivo studies have indicated that implantable glucose sensors lose function within hours to days after implantation.
It is generally accepted that the loss of sensor function in vivo is associated with sensor induced tissue injury, inflammation and fibrosis with associated blood vessel regression. Presently there has been little progress in the developments for the reason described above. In fact currently available glucose sensors display rapid loss in sensor function within 1-3 days post sensor implantation, and even these sensors require frequent reference "finger sticks" to determine blood glucose levels to utilize to recalibrate the implanted sensor. Clearly a new approach and devices are needed for enhancing the in vivo function and lifespan of implanted sensors such as the glucose sensor.

Artificial tissue systems and uses thereof


A device and method for the treatment of symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome is described. The device comprises an elastic member which removably attaches to the distal tips of the fingers and the thumb of the affected hand. The patient dons the device and with the fingers and thumb extended, repetitively forces the fingers and thumb outward away from one another against the elastic restoring force of the device. Brief, frequent, (preferably daily) use of this device relieves the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for the treatment of symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Background and Prior Art
The complex of symptoms resulting from compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel is referred to as carpal tunnel syndrome.
A cross-section of the carpal tunnel, (indicated at 20 in FIG. 2) demonstrates the vulnerability of the median nerve. The carpal bones which are tightly bound together form the dorsal medial and lateral walls of the tunnel. These bones are joined anteriorly by the transverse carpal ligament, a dense, non-resilient structure. The carpal tunnel contains the median nerve as well as nine flexor tendons and their tendon sheets.
A number of conditions such as obesity or pregnancy can increase the contents or decrease the size of the carpal tunnel and thereby compress the median nerve. Anomalous overdeveloped muscles may also compress the median nerve. Similarly, any condition that produces edema in the hand and wrist may cause or accentuate carpal tunnel compression.
The most common pathologic finding among patients with carpal tunnel syndrome is non-specific tenosynovitis. This condition is characterized by thickening of the tenosynovium, which increases the volume of the structures within the carpal tunnel thereby compressing the median nerve. A non-specific thickening of the tenosynovium is the most common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. A patient with carpal tunnel syndrome usually first complains of pain and numbness in the fingers of one hand. At times, a patient may complain of pain extending into the forearm or even the upper arm or shoulder. The discomfort can range from mild to excruciating. If carpal tunnel syndrome has been present for several months or years, patients may also complain of clumsiness and weakness in the hand which makes it difficult for them to pick up and hold small objects. These symptoms often result from atrophy of the thenar muscles; these muscles are supplied by the motor branch of the median nerve.
If carpal tunnel symptoms are mild and of short duration (2 or 3 months), conservative treatment is usually recommended. This is particularly true when the symptoms are expected to disappear in the foreseeable future (e.g., termination of pregnancy or change of occupation). Conservative treatment includes medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids or diuretics, immobilization and steroid injection of the wrist. Elsey, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,309 (col 1, lines 11-16) suggests that exercise can be used to overcome problems associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Unfortunately, no examples of such exercises are presented. The patent teaches the use of a wrist splint to treat the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Non-operative treatment may provide early symptomatic relief of carpal tunnel syndrome, but often fails to give protracted benefit. This is particularly true for the individual whose job requires constant repetitive wrist and hand activities. Surgical treatment is indicated when non-operative management is ineffective and symptoms are of sufficient severity to warrant surgery. Surgical intervention involves dissection of the transverse carpal ligament. The incision may cause injury to one or more of the small cutaneous branches of the median nerve which can result in neuroma formation or a painful hypertrophic scar. Anomalies of the median nerve are not uncommon and small incisions that will require blind dissection to decompress the nerve are fraught with significant potential complications. The complications of surgery have been documented (for a summary of complications, see, for example, "Complications of Surgical Release for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome," Rodney McDonald et al Journal of Hand Surgery, Vol. 3, No. 1, pg. 70 (1978)) and include incomplete division of the transverse carpal ligament, damage to the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve, palmar hematoma, and other nerve injuries.
In view of the foregoing complications of surgery, it is desirable that a device and method for treating symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome which is both conservative and applicable towards both early and more advanced states of the syndrome should be available.
Greenfield, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,734, teaches the construction and use of a band exerciser. The exerciser generally comprises a regular array of openings in planar elastic member through which openings the fingers and thumb may be inserted. The fingers may be moved relative to one another against the resistance of the elastic member to exercise various muscle groups. Greenfield suggests (Col 4, lines 10-18) that the exerciser may be useful for treating arthritis and rheumatism and for exercising or training for sporting activities.
Williams, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,827 describes a similar exercise device comprising a disk-like member provided with recesses in its periphery and at least one aperture for the thumb. The device has the capability of either individually or simultaneously exercising or manipulating all digits of a patient's hand thereby strengthening the muscles and tendons. Surprisingly, until now it has not been recognized that a particular set of exercises as will be described below may be performed on hand exercising devices similar to the prior art devices above to provide relief for the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Non-invasive method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome


A stator for an electric machine includes a plurality of pins, which are arranged on concentric circles at different distances to a stator center in slots in the stator, and each concentric circle forms a layer. In each case four pins in different layers are serially connected to one another and form a winding, a first pin of the winding is located in a first slot in the 4n−3 layer, wherein n is an integer, a second pin of the winding is located in a second slot in the 4n−2 layer, wherein the second slot has a first radial distance to the first slot in a first circumferential direction of the stator, a third pin of the winding is located in the first slot in the 4n layer, and a fourth pin of the winding is located in the second slot in the 4n−1 layer.

Electric machines are generally known and are increasingly used as electric motors for driving vehicles. An electric machine consists of a stator and a rotor.
The stator comprises a plurality of slots, in which the windings are guided. The windings may be formed from insulated copper rods as so-called pins. The rotor is located in the stator and is connected to a rotor shaft.
Such a pin, U pin, or hairpin motor is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 9,136,738 B2.

Stator with pins for an electric machine


Apparatus for displaying still images that appear animated to viewers in motion relative to those images includes a plurality of images mounted on a surface and a slitboard mounted between that surface and the viewer. As viewers pass by, the slitboard acts like a shutter creating an animation effect. Multiple animation effects are created by interspersing and mounting multiple series of still images on the surface. Each series of still images is viewable from a different angle relative to viewers passing by. The still images can be arranged such that all series of images are viewable while passing by the apparatus in the same direction. Alternatively, the images can be arranged such that some series are viewable from one direction while others are viewable from the opposite direction.

This invention relates to the display of still images that appear animated to a viewer in motion relative to those images. More particularly, this invention relates to the display of multiple series of still images in which each series appears animated to a viewer in motion relative to the still images.
Display devices that display still images appearing to be animated to a viewer in motion are known. These devices include a series of graduated images (i.e., adjacent images that differ slightly and progressively from one to the next). The images are arranged in the direction of motion of a viewer (e.g., along a railroad) such that the images are viewed consecutively. As a viewer moves past these images, they appear animated. The effect is similar to that of a flip-book. A flip-book has an image on each page that differs slightly from the one before it and the one after it such that when the pages are flipped, a viewer perceives animation.
A longstanding trend in mass transportation systems has been the development of installations to provide the passengers in subway systems with animated motion pictures. The animation of these motion pictures is effected by the motion of the viewer relative to the installation, which is fixed to the tunnel walls of the subway system. Such installations have obvious value: the moving picture is viewable through the train windows, through which only darkness would otherwise be visible. Possible useful moving picture subjects could be selections of artistic value, or informative messages from the transportation system or from an advertiser.
Each of the known arrangements provides for the presentation of a series of graduated images, or xe2x80x9cframes,xe2x80x9d to the viewer/rider so that consecutive frames are viewed one after the other. As is well known, the simple presentation of a series of still images to a moving viewer is perceived as nothing more than a blur if displayed too close to the viewer at a fast rate. Alternatively, at a large distance or low speeds, the viewer sees a series of individual images with no animation. In order to achieve a motion picture effect, known arrangements have introduced methods of displaying each image for extremely short periods of time. With display times of sufficiently short duration, the relative motion between viewer and image is effectively arrested, and blurring is negligible. Methods for arresting the motion have been based on stroboscopic illumination of the images.
These methods require precise synchronization between the viewer and the installation in order that each image is illuminated at the same position relative to the viewer, even as the viewer moves at high speed.
The requirements of a stroboscopic device are numerous: the flash must be extremely brief for a fast moving viewer, and therefore correspondingly bright in order that enough light reach the viewer. This requirement, in turn, requires extremely precisely timed flashes. This precision requires extremely consistent motion on the part of the viewer, with little or no change in speed. All of the aforementioned requirements result in a high level of mechanical or electrical complexity and cost, or greater consistency in train motion than exists. Other known arrangements have overcome the need for high temporal precision by providing a transponder of some sort on the viewer""s vehicle and a receiver on the installation to determine the viewer""s position. These arrangements involve considerable mechanical and electrical complexity and cost.
The aforementioned known arrangements generally require the viewer to be in a vehicle. This requirement may be imposed because the vehicle carries equipment for timing, lighting, or signaling; or because of the need to maintain high consistency in speed; or to increase the viewer""s speed, for example. The use of a vehicle requires a high level of complexity of the design because of the number of mechanical elements and because one frequently is dealing with existing systems, requiring modification of existing equipment. The harsh environment of being mounted on a moving subway car may limit the mechanical or electrical precision attainable in any unit that requires it, or it may require frequent maintenance for a part where high precision has been attained.
The use of a vehicle also imposes constraints. At the most basic level, it limits the range of possible applications to those where viewers are on vehicles. More specifically, considerations of the vehicle""s physical dimensions constrain a stroboscopic device""s applicability. The design must take into account such information as the vehicle""s height and width, its window size and spacing, and the positions of viewers within the vehicle. For example, close spacing of windows on a high speed train requires that stroboscopic discharges preferably be of high frequency and number in order that the display be visible to all occupants of a train. The dimensions of the environment, such as the physical space available for hardware installation in the subway tunnel and the distances available over which to project images, impose further constraints on the size of elements of any device as well as on the quality and durability of its various parts.
Though in principle a stroboscopic device can work for slowly moving viewers, simply by spacing the projectors more closely, in practice it is difficult. First, closer spacing increases cost and complexity. Also, once the device is installed with a fixed projector-to-projector distance, a minimum speed is imposed on the viewer.
An existing method for the display of animated images involving relative motion between the viewer and the device is the zootrope. The zootrope is a simple hollow cylindrical device that produces animation by way of the geometrical arrangement of slits cut in the cylinder walls and a series of graduated images placed on the inside of the cylinder, one per slit. When the cylinder is spun on its axis, the animation is visible through the (now quickly moving) slits.
The zootrope is, however, fixed in nearly all its proportions because its cross section must be circular. Since the animation requires a minimum frame rate, and the frame rate depends on the rotational speed, only a very short animation can be viewed using a zootrope. Although there is relative motion between the viewer and the apparatus, in practice the viewer cannot comfortably move in a circle around the zootrope. Therefore only one configuration is practicable with a zootrope: that in which a stationary viewer observes a short animation through a rotating cylinder.
For the reasons of its incapacity to be altered in shape, the short duration of its animation, and the fact that it must be spun, the zootrope has remained a toy or curiosity without practical application. However, at least one known system displays images along an outdoor railroad track in an arrangement that might be referred to as a xe2x80x9clinear zootropexe2x80x9d in which the images are mounted behind a wall in which slits are provided. That outdoor environment is essentially unconstrained.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide apparatus for use in a spatially-constrained environment that displays still images that appear animated to a viewer in motion.
It would also be desirable to provide such apparatus for use in a spatially-constrained environment having known ambient lighting levels.
It would further be desirable to provide such apparatus that displays multiple series of still images such that each series appears animated to a viewer in motion.
It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus for use in a spatially-constrained environment that displays still images that appear animated to a viewer in motion.
It is also an object of this invention to provide such apparatus for use in a spatially-constrained environment having known ambient lighting levels.
It is further an object of this invention to provide such apparatus that displays multiple series of still images such that each series appears animated to a viewer in motion.
In accordance with this invention, apparatus is provided that displays multiple series of still images. Each series of still images forms an animated display to a viewer moving substantially at a known velocity relative to the images substantially along a known trajectory substantially parallel to the images. The apparatus includes a backboard having a backboard length along the trajectory. Images of each series are interspersed with images of other series and are mounted on a surface of the backboard. Each still image has an actual image width and an image center. Image centers of successive images of the same series are separated by a frame-to-frame distance. A slitboard is positioned substantially parallel to the backboard facing the surface upon which the images are mounted and is separated therefrom by a board-to-board distance. The slitboard is mounted at a viewing distance from the trajectory. The board-to-board distance and the viewing distance total a backboard distance. The slitboard has a slitboard length along the trajectory and has a plurality of slits substantially perpendicular to the slitboard length. Each slit corresponds to a respective image of each series and has a slit width measured along the. slitboard length and a slit center. Respective slit centers of adjacent slits are preferably separated by the frame-to-frame distance.
Each series of still images can be viewed from a respective viewing angle relative to a viewer moving along the known trajectory. The multiple""series of still images can be arranged such that each series can be viewed while moving in the same direction along the known trajectory. Or, alternatively, the multiple series of still images can be arranged such that one or more series can be viewed while moving in one direction along the known trajectory, while one or more other series can be viewed while moving in the opposite direction along the known trajectory.

Apparatus for displaying multiple series of images to viewers in motion


A fitting coupler is provided configured for coupling a planar fluid conduit and a fluidic device. The fluidic device comprises a cavity, a device conduit, and a mouth where the device conduit opens into the cavity. A contact pressure element is configured for sealingly pressing the planar fluid conduit to the mouth, so that a conduit opening of the planar fluid conduit opens into the mouth.

In high performance liquid chromatography, a liquid has to be provided usually at a very controlled flow rate and at high pressure at which compressibility of the liquid becomes noticeable. For liquid separation in an HPLC system, a mobile phase comprising a sample fluid with compounds to be separated is driven through a stationary phase, thus separating different compounds of the sample fluid which may then be identified.
The mobile phase, for example a solvent, is pumped under high pressure typically through a column of packing medium, and the sample to be analyzed is injected into the column. As the sample passes through the column with the liquid, the different compounds, each one having a different affinity for the packing medium, move through the column at different speeds. Those compounds having greater affinity for the packing medium move more slowly through the column than those having less affinity, and this speed differential results in the compounds being separated from one another as they pass through the column.
The mobile phase with the separated compounds exits the column and passes through a detector, which identifies the molecules, for example by spectrophotometric absorbance measurements. A two-dimensional plot of the detector measurements against elution time or volume, known as a chromatogram, may be made, and from the chromatogram the compounds may be identified. For each compound, the chromatogram displays a separate curve or "peak". Effective separation of the compounds by the column is advantageous because it provides for measurements yielding well defined peaks having sharp maxima inflection points and narrow base widths, allowing excellent resolution and reliable identification of the mixture constituents. Broad peaks, caused by poor column performance, so called "Internal Band Broadening" or poor system performance, so called "External Band Broadening" are undesirable as they may allow minor components of the mixture to be masked by major components and go unidentified.
An HPLC column typically comprises a stainless steel tube having a bore containing a packing medium comprising, for example, silane derivatized silica spheres having a diameter between 0.5 to 50 μm, or 1-10 μm or even 1-7 μm. The medium is packed under pressure in highly uniform layers which ensure a uniform flow of the transport liquid and the sample through the column to promote effective separation of the sample constituents. The packing medium is contained within the bore by porous plugs, known as "frits", positioned at opposite ends of the tube. The porous frits allow the transport liquid and the chemical sample to pass while retaining the packing medium within the bore. After being filled, the column may be coupled or connected to other elements by e.g. using fitting elements. Such fitting elements may contain porous parts such as screens or frit elements.
During operation, a flow of the mobile phase traverses the column filled with the stationary phase, and due to the physical interaction between the mobile and the stationary phase a separation of different compounds or components may be achieved. In case the mobile phase contains the sample fluid, the separation characteristics is usually adapted in order to separate compounds of such sample fluid. The term compound, as used herein, shall cover compounds which might comprise one or more different components. The stationary phase is subject to a mechanical force generated in particular by a hydraulic pump that pumps the mobile phase usually from an upstream connection of the column to a downstream connection of the column. As a result of flow, depending on the physical properties of the stationary phase and the mobile phase, a relatively high pressure occurs across the column.
Fittings for coupling different components, such as separation columns and conduits, of fluidic devices are commercially available and are offered, for instance, by the company Swagelok. A typical tube fitting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,599 A.
WO 2010/000324 A1, by the same applicant, discloses a fitting for coupling a fluid conduit to another component of a fluidic device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,095 B2 discloses modular microfluidic systems with planar couplers coupled between. Planar couples from micro-machined titanium for high pressure microfluidic applications are disclosed by the same applicant in US 2008/0142479 A1.
WO 2009/121410 A1, by the same applicant, discloses planar fluidic conduits and the coupling thereof to other devices.

Fitting coupler for planar fluid conduit


A method for improving the thermal characteristics of cement compositions is provided in which fine resilient graphitic carbon particles (“RGC”) are substituted for a portion of the fine aggregate (typically sand) in the cement formulation. For the purposes of the present disclosure, “fine” is intended to describe particulates having a mesh size of less than about 8 mesh, or a particle size of less than about 2.38 mm, or, more preferably when referring to RGC, a mesh size of less than about 16 mesh and a particle size of less than about 1.19 mm. “Resilient” is intended to describe graphitic carbon particles that exhibit a rebound of at least about 20% after compression to 10,000 psi.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for improving the thermal and electrical properties of cement compositions and to formulations for cements having such properties and, more particularly to such methods and formulations in which fine resilient graphitic carbon particles are added to the formulations.
Electrically conductive and/or thermally transmissive cements are useful for a number of purposes, such as, but not limited to, heated pavement systems, indoor or outdoor heated/cooled flooring systems, heat dissipation in power plants or mechanical operations, and heat dissipation in structural systems.
It is known that the addition of graphite to cement compositions improves the thermal and electrical properties of the cement. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,149 to Peter R. Carney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,961 to Nahm et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,584 to Bennett, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,732,381 to Williams et al.
By way of the present disclosure, methods and formulations are provided for cements having a fine fraction comprising resilient graphitic carbon and having improved thermal and electrical characteristics.

Cement compositions including resilient graphitic carbon fraction


Various embodiments provide solutions to assist in the classification of products in a procurement system. The tools provided by various embodiments include, without limitation, methods, systems, and/or software products. Merely by way of example, a method might comprise one or more procedures, any or all of which are executed by a computer system. Correspondingly, an embodiment might provide a computer system configured with instructions to perform one or more procedures in accordance with methods provided by various other embodiments. Similarly, a computer program might comprise a set of instructions that are executable by a computer system (and/or a processor therein) to perform such operations. In many cases, such software programs are encoded on physical and/or tangible computer readable media (such as, to name but a few examples, optical media, magnetic media, and/or the like).

In many enterprises, an employee can purchase products through the procurement infrastructure offered by the enterprise. The number of products offered through the procurement services of the enterprise may be extremely large. In order to manage all these effectively, all the products often are classified in certain categories, like IT products, marketing products, etc. These categories may include subcategories; for instance, IT products may include the categories Hardware, Software and Services. In this way, both the employees and the procurement department of the enterprise can manage the products lists more efficiently.
But problems may occur when someone purchases a product that is not listed in any of the previously mentioned categories. In this case the employee needs to add the category by herself. Most of the time, this is difficult and complicated, since the number of categories of products may be large and the difference between some of them may not be obvious. Then the employee may assign the product to the wrong category or even not assign it to any of them. This leads to a corruption in the hierarchical structure of the product categories. Even in the case where the user assigns a product to the correct category, it may take too long to navigate through the whole list and decide the corresponding category. In other cases, to alleviate the issue, the system defaults the category to Miscellaneous resulting in a large spend being categorized in the miscellaneous bucket or incorrectly classified due to human error.

Product classification in procurement systems


The disclosed technology relates to a water filtration and delivery system for a dialysis unit. The water nitration and delivery system including: a laminarizer, the laminizer producing a laminarizer flow; an ultrafiltration unit, the ultrafiltration unit being placed downstream and connected to the laminarizer, the ultrafiltration unit receiving the laminar flow from the laminarizer; and at least one carbon filter, the at least one carbon filter being placed downstream from the ultrafiltration unit, the at least one carbon filter receiving the laminar flow, wherein the laminar flow causes less stress on internal components of the ultrafiltration unit and the at least one carbon filter.

Water plays an important, life-sustaining role for dialysis patients. When hemodialysis started to blossom over 25 years ago, many dialysis centers used water right from the tap. It is now known that certain contaminants in water supplies can cause severe complications in dialysis patients. In fact, no municipal water can be considered safe for use in hemodialysis applications in the absence of a treatment system, since some of the most toxic contaminants arise from municipal water treatment practices.
Hemodialysis patients are particularly vulnerable to contaminants in the water used to prepare concentrate and dialysis fluid, or in water used for reprocessing dialyzers. This vulnerability stems from the fact that water is the major constituent of dialysis fluid. Compared with individuals who are not on hemodialysis, hemodialysis patients are exposed to extremely large volumes of water. The estimated water intake of a healthy individual is 2 L per day or 14 L per week. By comparison, during a single dialysis treatment lasting four hours, performed at a dialysis fluid flow rate of 800 mL/min, a hemodialysis patient is exposed to 192 L of water, or to 576 L per week, if treated three times weekly.
Furthermore, hemodialysis patients have inadequate barriers to such contaminants. In healthy individuals who are not on dialysis, the gastrointestinal tract separates blood from contaminants in the water. By comparison, the barrier between blood and water in hemodialysis patients is the membrane within the hemodialyzer through which transfer of contaminants is limited only by the molecular or particulate size of the contaminant. As such, the water used for dialysis patients must be of special quality.
Water purification systems are currently used to purify water to a level determined to be safe for dialysis patients. The critical piece of equipment in these water purification systems is the reverse osmosis (RO) machine, which has proven itself to be the safest, most reliable, and most economical method of purifying water for dialysis.
The Association for the Advancement of Medical instrumentation (AAMI) has set forth water standards as guidelines for dialysis centers to follow. These standards list maximum levels for ions found in water as well as for heavy metals and bacteria. Maximum Allowable Levels (mg/L) as set by the AAMI are as follows: Aluminum 0.01, Arsenic 0.005, Barium 0.1, Cadmium 0.001, Total Hardness 21.0, Calcium 2.0, Calcium as CaC03 5.0, Magnesium 4.0, Magnesium as CaC03 16.0, Chlorine (free) 0.5, Chloramine (combined) 0.1, Chromium 0.014, Copper 0.1, Fluoride 0.2, Lead 0.005, Mercury 0.0002, Nitrate (N) 2.0, Potassium 8.0, Selenium 0.09, Silver 0.005, Sodium 70.0, Sulfate 100.0 and Zinc 0.1.
The current trend is to strive for higher purity for dialysis water while keeping operating cost at a minimum. So, the question remains what is the most reliable and economical way to produce water, which meets or exceeds the AAMI standards?

Water treatment and delivery system for dialysis units


A method and improved data structure for attaching information to words in a trie of nodes. Each node of a trie includes a single tag bit which is interpreted according to information specified in a header of the trie. The information may specify that a node may be tagged with multiple tags, whereby if the tag bit is set in a given node, the node further includes a bitmask indicating which one or ones of the tags apply to that node. A value mask may be provided in the header indicating which of the tags (if any) have values associated therewith, whereby information representative of the value such as the value itself or a pointer thereto is stored in each node tagged with at least one tag having an associated value. Partial enumeration of tagged nodes may be provided by storing a count of the number of tagged words under a node, wherein if a trie has multiple tags, each tag may be selectively and separately enumerated as specified in header information. Partial enumeration may be combined with global enumeration of each word, with multiple tags, and/or with tags that have associated values.

A trie is a data structure that is useful for compressing lexical data such as a list of dictionary words. Tries are composed of states, with a top-level state representing, for example, each of the first letters (e.g., a-z) of all valid words in a given dictionary. Each state is comprised of nodes, wherein each node represents a valid letter in that state, along with some information about that letter, such as a pointer to a lower state (if any). Each state represents a transition from one character in a word to the next. For example, the letter "q" in one state usually transitions to the letter "u" in a next lower state.
To use the trie, such as to find if a user-input word is a valid word in the dictionary, a search through the states is performed. For example, to find the word "the," the top-level state in the trie is searched until the "t" node is found, and then a next lower level state pointed to by the "t" node is searched to determine if there is an "h" node therein. If not, the word "the" would not be a valid word in that dictionary. However, if there is an "h" node in the state pointed to by the "t" node, the "h" node is examined to find a next state, if any. The state pointed to by the "h" node is then searched to find out whether there is an "e" node therein. If there is an "e" node, to be a valid word, the "e" node needs to be followed by some indication (e.g., a flag) indicating that a valid word exists at this time, regardless of whether the "e" node points to a further state. In a trie-structured dictionary that properly represents a list of words in the English language, "the" would be a valid word, and thus the top-level state would have a "t" node, the next state pointed to by the "t" node would have an "h" node therein, and the state pointed to by that "h" node would have an "e" node therein with a valid flag set. If characters such as "thj" were searched, however, the "t" node would transition to the next state which would have an "h" node therein, but the next state pointed to by "h" node would not include a "j" node, and thus this word would not be a valid word.
While storing words in a trie structure is efficient in terms of both storage and access time, it is difficult to attach information to individual words in the trie. One known way to attach information to certain individual words stored in a trie is to tag selected words by setting a single "tag" bit in the last node of each selected word. Tagging is useful for identifying a small or regular subset of words for special processing upon decompression. For example, some words are slang words, which although acceptable (e.g., to a spell checker), are not recommended (e.g., by a thesaurus). If a trie is used to store words, the slang words can be tagged, whereby upon decompression, those words stand out from the rest. Then, the spell checker may ignore the tag, while the thesaurus may recognize the tag and thereby delete or change the appearance of the word in a list of synonyms presented to a user.
Another technique for associating information with words is known as global enumeration. Global enumeration is a technique that maps each word in the word list to a number and maps that number back to the same word, i.e., the number may be used to determine its associated word, and vice-versa. The numbers are dense, e.g. if there are N words in the list, then the words map to the range zero to N minus one. The number may serve as an index to information associated with specific words, which is useful if the same type of information is attached to every (or most) words in the list with little or no pattern. For example, the words in a thesaurus may be stored in a trie and enumerated, whereby the number associated with each word may serve as an index to a table of synonyms, a table of antonyms and so on. The tables themselves may be lists of numbers representing associated words that map back to the trie. By way of example, the user may want a synonym for a word that is enumerated in the trie as 957, whereby 957 is used as an index to a table of synonyms, resulting in the numbers 2040, 902 and 457 being retrieved. Those retrieved values are then used to find their corresponding words in the trie for display to a user.
While tagging and enumeration are thus helpful techniques, they are essentially limited to solving only their specific types of problems, i.e., marking certain words, or associating each of the words in a trie with a unique indexing number. Thus, these solutions work in certain circumstances, however there are many word lists that would benefit from having additional information stored with the word, and the existing techniques are neither flexible enough nor extensible to solve the problem in an efficient manner. For example, certain languages have gender associated with certain words, but not all words. Thus, a single bit is not sufficient to represent male, female or gender neutral. Separately tagging more than one subset of words can be done by setting aside an additional bit in each node for each additional subset, (e.g., one bit for gender or not, one bit for male or female), however reserving such tagging bits in each node reduces compression. While enumeration could be used to store the related gender information in an indexed table, enumeration requires the storing of numbers with the nodes, which in some instances is very inefficient, such as if enumeration is not otherwise needed and only a few words need such associated information.

Identification and enumeration of data components in a trie


In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning unit includes: a cleaning blade that scrapes off untransferred toner remaining on an image support; an application brush that contacts the image support on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the image support relative to the cleaning blade, the application brush rotating in a counter direction at a contact position with the image support, thereby scratching off lubricant particles from a solid lubricant provided at its periphery, and supporting and feeding the lubricant particles toward the contact position with the image support; and a moving force providing unit that provides the lubricant being fed by the application brush with an electrical moving force toward the image support, on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the application brush relative to the contact position of the image support and the application brush.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus with an application unit for applying a lubricant to an image support.
2. Description of Related Art
In an electrographic image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 7, the circumferential surface of an image support 102 is uniformly charged by a charging unit 101, and then irradiated with an optical beam so that an electrostatic latent image is formed thereon. Thereafter, in the image forming apparatus, a developing unit 103 develops the electrostatic latent image on the image support 102, thereby forming a toner image. Moreover, in the image forming apparatus, the toner image formed on the image support 102 is transferred onto a sheet material such as paper, and then the transferred toner image is fused and fixed on the sheet material. The image forming apparatus also includes a cleaning unit 104 provided so as to contact the image support 102 for the purpose of removing toner remaining on the image support 102 without being transferred onto the sheet material (hereinafter, such toner will be referred to below as untransferred toner). The cleaning unit 104 includes a cleaning blade 105 made of strips of polyurethane. The cleaning blade 105 is pressed against the image support 102, thereby scraping off untransferred toner.
In recent years, to reduce downtime of the image forming apparatus, there is demand for extended service lives of the image support 102 and the cleaning blade 105. A factor that limits the service lives is an amount of abrasion. In an abrasion reduction technique in practical use, an application brush 107 is used to apply a solid lubricant 106 onto the circumferential surface of the image support 102, thereby forming a film of solid lubricant (referred to below as a lubricant film) thereon.
However, reducing the amount of abrasion of the image support 102 means reducing the force of the application brush 107 scrubbing the circumferential surface of the image support 102, resulting in other issues. The most critical of all is an image defect. Specifically, charged products (such as O3 and NOx) generated by the charging unit 101 adhere to the image support 102. The adhering charged products might be left unscrubbed when the lubricant film weakens the scrubbing force of the image support 102. The remaining charged products might lower the surface resistance of the image support 102, making the electrostatic latent image on the image support 102 defective. Accordingly, for example, a resultant print includes an image with blurry edges or a half-tone image with white spots. Such image noise is included in the image defect. Note that in the case where the amount of abrasion of the image support 102 is high, charged products are scrubbed together with the film on the surface of the image support 102, so that no image defect is caused.
The mechanism of the image defect will now be described in more detail. In the following, the percentage of applied lubricant is a value obtained by dividing the amount of solid lubricant 106 applied to the image support 102 by the amount of lubricant scraped by the application brush 107. In the configuration of FIG. 7, both the image support 102 and the application brush 107 rotate counterclockwise, and the percentage of applied lubricant is less than 50%, so that there are numerous lubricant particles 108 (represented by small circles) where the image support 102 and the application brush 107 contact each other, as shown in FIG. 8. The lubricant particles 108 have a low friction coefficient, and therefore reduce a frictional force generated between the image support 102 and the application brush 107. As a result, the application brush 107 cannot achieve the effect of scrubbing the circumferential surface of the image support 102, so that charged products are not removed from the circumferential surface of the image support 102, causing an image defect.
An image forming apparatus capable of reducing the image defect is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-265185. This image forming apparatus includes a lubricity providing member, an application roller, and a friction coefficient adjusting member. The lubricity providing member and the friction coefficient adjusting member are arranged in this order along the rotational direction of the application roller. The lubricity providing member supplies a lubricant to the application roller. The application roller with the lubricant contacts the friction coefficient adjusting member, thereby removing excess lubricant from the application roller. Thereafter, the application roller applies the lubricant to the image support.
Incidentally, the lubricant film on the image support adsorbs charged products, and therefore, to prevent image defects, it is important to scrub the lubricant film with charged product adsorbed thereon, and form a new lubricant film without any charged product being adsorbed thereon.
However, simply adjusting the amount of lubricant to be supplied as in the approach described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-265185 might not successfully remove the lubricant film with charged product adsorbed thereon, so that the lubricant film with charged product adsorbed thereon possibly remains on the image support, causing an image defect.

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


A portable device for filtering and purifying water comprised of an outer chamber and an inner chamber that is slidable within a section of the outer chamber, and a small pore size pre-filter, whereby water is drawn through the pre-filter into the first container section of the outer chamber where it is isolated and treated with a disinfectant agent, then is drawn out of the first container section and into the second container section, and then into the inner chamber, where it is passed across another filtering material such as an activated carbon bed, removing any remaining contaminants before the potable water exits through a mouthpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for converting contaminated or impure water into potable or pure drinking water, and more particularly to a portable water filtering and purifying device having a plurality of separate chambers wherein the water is initially isolated in a first chamber and immersed in a disinfecting agent, and then is transferred to another chamber for further filtering and/or purifying, and more particularly still to a portable water filtering and purifying device that is customizable with particular treating agents to simply and easily remove specific contaminants from a water supply.
2. Description of Related Art
Contaminated drinking water is a leading cause of health problems and concerns throughout the world. While such problems and concerns are encountered by millions on a daily basis, particularly in less developed countries, ensuring the safety of a supply of water is also an important concern for soldiers, hikers, international travelers and others. Various waterborne diseases are commonly found in untreated water, caused by microbial agents including protozoan parasites that cause Giardiasis and Cyclosporasis, and Crytosporidium parvum, viruses such as the hepatitis A and other viruses, and bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella typhi which causes Typhoid fever, Vibrio cholerae, and shigella species. Symptons include fever and diarrhea, rashes, cramps, jaundice, liver disease as well as other diseases, and while in many cases such ailments can be treated if attended to quickly, if not treated can worsen and cause permanent serious conditions and often death, particularly in the young and elderly, as well as those having compromised immune systems.
In addition to concerns related to untreated water, treated water supplies may also contain contaminants. While in developed countries most cities and large towns have large piped water systems for continually transporting relatively high quality treated water to users, such tap water is only safe to drink if it has been fully treated and disinfected, and if the water system is well operated and maintained. Bottled-water is also becoming increasingly popular, and although usually presumed to be safe by most users, may also be contaminated not only by microbial hazards such as those already mentioned above but also by any number of chemical and physical hazards. Possible chemical hazards include heavy metal ions, lead, arsenic and benzene, while physical hazards include glass chips and metal fragments.
A variety of portable devices for filtering and purifying water from untreated sources such as lakes and streams, improperly maintained piped water supplies, and other sources, to make such water potable are found in the prior art. For example, numerous portable straw-type devices wherein the user places his or her mouth over one end of an elongated casing and sucks inwardly in the same manner as with a conventional drinking straw, causing the water to pass across or through a filter in the device, are known. Also known are gravity-activated filter assemblies having at least two compartments through which water is passed to remove various particulates, organisms, and ions. A significant disadvantage of mouth suction and gravity activated filtering and purifying devices, however, is that there is a practical limit to the pore size of the openings in the filter elements used, measured in microns, which pore size determines what size particles are prevented from passing through the filter. While filters having as small pore sizes as possible are obviously more desirable, since more microbial and other contaminants will thereby be filtered from the water, if the pore size of the filter is made too small, it becomes impossible for the user to pass a meaningful amount of water through the filter and straw merely by mouth suction or gravity pressure. For example, while a maximum pore size of 4.0 microns will filter out Giardia cysts, a maximum pore size of 0.2 microns is required to filter out bacteria, which generally have a size of between 0.2 and 10 microns. Viruses, which typically range in size from 0.0004 to 0.1 microns, are too small to be filtered out by most filters, but many viruses will attach themselves to a larger host bacteria, and these viruses can be removed by removing the host bacteria. Even where a pre-filter is used to filter out larger particles that would immediately clog the main filter, the smaller the pore size of the main filter, the more quickly it will become clogged and ineffective. Several pressurized filtering and purifying devices are known, but they are bulky and inconvenient to carry and use and thus are not truly portable.
The use of granulated activated carbon (GAC) as a water filtration media is well known, since activated carbon is efficient in removing or filtering out small contaminants from water. However, bacteria and viruses in the water can grow in the carbon bed, and activated carbon as a filter means does not work well with heavy metals, as well as certain chemicals such as alcohols, glycols, strong acids and bases. Thus, other agents for destroying certain viruses and bacteria, as well as for eliminating heavy metals and other contaminants are also known.
A further problem with water filters having small pore sizes is that they quickly become clogged with contaminants and materials that have been removed from the water. As a result, many such filters must be replaced continually with a new, clean filter, since even if, for example, the filter is sterilized by dipping it in a disinfecting solution such as bleach to kill harmful parasites and the like in the filter, such contaminants although possibly no longer harmful if ingested, nevertheless remain trapped in and clogging the filter cartridge. Thus, the cost of such filters is problem, particularly in less wealthy countries wherein while persons having a filtering device can avail themselves to a supply of clean and potable water as long as the device contains a new filter, once the filter become clogged either the user must have a replacement filter available, which is expensive, impractical, and unlikely, or the device will be rendered useless. The present inventor, recognizing the problems associated with existing portable water filtering and purifying devices, has now developed an improved water filtering and purifying device that can be carried easily in a backpack, bag, or clothing pocket and that can be used with filters having pore sizes small enough to filter out some viruses, down to 1 micron, thus removing virtually all contaminants from the water. In such device the present inventor has also provided an arrangement for clearing contaminants and materials from the filter device quickly and easily, thereby making the filter reusable and extending its life more or less indefinitely. Such improvements are provided by the present device which not only can pump or force water through filters having smaller pore sizes than would be possible with only manual suction, but in addition said same pumping action can be used to force contaminants and other materials clogging the filter out of such filter so that the device is ready to be reused.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Double chamber water purification device


A friction hinge system for a laptop computer is provided. The system allows the computer display to move easily from a closed condition toward various operating angular positions while providing a greater torque for maintaining selected angular orientation. The system includes two or more bands wrapped in the same direction about a common shaft as well as a stop features for limiting the angle of rotation of each band relative to the shaft.

This invention relates to a friction hinge mechanism used for mounting the displays on laptop computers and other devices. It has significant advantages over hinges of the prior art which can provide only one level of torque. Having a single level of torque poses a problem for present day laptops which have larger and heavier displays but lighter bases, both of which are enabled by recent advances in technology.
The need for different levels of torque can be understood from the following. Low torque is desirable as the laptop is opened so that the base does not have to be held down by the user as the lid is raised. Yet, when the screen is in range of positions for operation of the laptop, higher torque is needed to keep the screen from moving, even when subject to bouncing, as on a train or in a car.
During closing, low torque is permissible, even desirable for ease of motion, until the lid is nearly closed. But then a higher torque is needed to prevent the lid from slamming shut which may cause damage to the fragile elements in the display.
The hinge of our invention can also provide torque to cause the lid to pop-up, an additional feature much sought after by laptop customers, and therefore, by the designers and manufacturers of these devices. Those who supply friction hinges to the laptop industry are often asked for pop-up hinges. That is, hinges that will cause the display to open slightly when the latch is released so that the user can more easily open the computer. Those laptops without this feature often require that the lid be lifted by the user. Releasing a single latch in the center while raising the lid can be awkward. Providing a latch on each side, where the hands must be positioned to raise the lid, increases cost, weight, and complexity. The pop-up feature of our hinge derives from the same components that provide the two-level torque. So no additional components or expense are required to achieve this benefit.
There are several techniques employed for producing friction in hinges. The hinge of our invention uses question-mark shaped bands wrapped tightly about a round shaft. Those familiar with the art of such friction hinges will be aware that the torque produced by such bands is lower for one direction of rotation about the shaft, and higher for the other. The torque required to produce rotation in the direction that tends to unwrap the band is lower. For a hinge made with two bands, one connected to each of the two elements being rotatably hinged, and wrapped in the same direction about a common shaft, the torque needed to rotate one band relative to the other will be the lower value for either direction of rotation. This occurs because one of the bands will tend to unwrap for one direction of rotation, while the other band will do so for the second direction of rotation. This arrangement of bands is used in our invention to provide the lower sought-after torque through most of the opening and closing motion of a laptop computer.
However, it is still necessary to provide a higher torque for holding the lid at the two ends of its range of motion: in the open position for viewing, and near the closed position to prevent slamming shut. This is accomplished by adding features to the shaft and bands to limit their relative motions at these positions. So, the band that tends to unwrap as the lid is opened reaches a stop when the lid nears the angle for viewing. Since that band can no longer slip about the shaft, further motion of the lid will force the other band to slip about the shaft. Since this other band tends to wrap down, or tighten about the shaft for that direction of rotation, a higher torque is required to cause slippage. This higher torque holds the lid in position during use.
Similarly, during closing, the other band slips more easily until it reaches its stop on the shaft. Thereafter, further rotation of the lid causes the one band to slip at its higher torque. This prevents the lid from closing too fast.
A device incorporating this type of hinge and a latch to keep it fully closed will exhibit some tendency to pop open when the latch is released because the higher torque at closing will produce some distortion in the tails of the band elements and in the plastic materials of which the cases of such devices are usually made. An optional feature that can be added to the hinge of our invention increases the pop-open action. This is achieved by so arranging the stop features that just before reaching the fully closed position, neither band can rotate further in that direction. Then a still larger torque is required to fully close the lid and engage the latch. Upon opening, the energy stored in the spring material of the bands and the deflection of the case materials is released, lifting the lid a few degrees.
Our hinge has one or more band elements that are firmly connected to the lid of the device to be hinged, and one or more band elements firmly connected to the base of the device. A shaft passes axially through all of the band elements, providing the connection between the lid and the base. In the simplest embodiment, when the assembled device is viewed from an end of the shaft, the band elements are wrapped in the same direction about the shaft. The shaft has stop features which interact with corresponding features on at least some of the bands to limit motion between band and shaft.
For the simplest embodiment having two band and a shaft, the stop feature limits the angle of rotation of each band relative to the shaft, and the total angle through which the hinge can operate is the sum of these two angles plus any slight amount beyond that sum used for the pop-up feature. It is not necessary for the two bands to have equal angles of operation. This flexibility can be used to achieve advantages in design.
It is an object of our invention to provide friction hinges for laptop computers and for other electronic displays and devices whose operation can benefit from differing torque levels during different portions of their relative movement.
It is a further object of our invention to furnish a friction hinge system for laptop computer displays that allows them to move easily from the closed condition toward the operating range of positions and then provides a greater torque for maintaining the angular orientation during operation, while still permitting accurate adjustment.
It is still a further object of our invention to provide friction hinges for electronic displays that are easily moved and yet prevent the display from banging against its latch.
It is also an object of our invention to provide friction hinges for electronic displays that spring open upon release of a latch.
The inventive pop-up friction hinge system accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions described hereinafter, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

Pop-up friction hinge having multiple levels of torque


Embodiments of a charge pump circuit and a method for operating a charge pump circuit are disclosed. In an embodiment, a charge pump circuit includes a charge pump configured to generate a charge pump output voltage, a transistor array including multiple transistor devices that includes at least one transistor device having a back gate terminal coupled to the charge pump output voltage, and a control circuit configured to control the charge pump output voltage so as to regulate the back bias voltage of the transistor devices within the transistor array. Other embodiments are also described.

A charge pump uses capacitive devices as energy storage elements to convert an input direct current (DC) voltage into a desired output DC voltage, which may be higher than or lower than the input DC voltage. A charge pump can be used to drive one or more load devices with a charge pump output voltage. However, due to process and temperature variations, transistor devices can exhibit different behavior under the same voltage. Consequently, driving transistor devices using a fixed charge pump output voltage may result in a large leakage current within the transistor devices, which can negatively affect the performance of the transistor devices. A resistive device, such as a resistive ladder, can be used to sense or regulate the output voltage of the charge pump. However, a resistive device typically consumes large current and results in large power consumption, which is not desirable for low power charge pump circuits.

Charge pump circuit and method for operating a charge pump circuit


A magnetic detecting device and a method of manufacturing the magnetic detecting device are provided. Non-magnetic material layer-side magnetic layers of second fixed magnetic layers form a fixed magnetic layer. Each of the non-magnetic material layer-side magnetic layers and a free magnetic layer is formed of a layer, for example, a CoMnGeCu layer. In the CoMnGeCu layer, a bulk scattering coefficient may become larger, as compared with a CoMnGe layer. As a result, it is possible to increase the product between a magnetoresistance variation and a device area. Further, the ferromagnetic coupling magnetic field can be decreased. The Cu is added by a range which is larger than 0 at. % and not more than 17.5 at. % (average composition ratio).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic detecting device having fixed magnetic layers and a free magnetic layer, in which a magnetization direction of the fixed magnetic layers is fixed to be oriented in a particular direction, and the free magnetic layer is formed between the fixed magnetic layers via non-magnetic material layers and the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer varies by an external magnetic field. More particularly, the present invention relates to a magnetic detecting device which is capable of increasing the product ΔRA between a magnetoresistance variation ΔR and a device area A and decreasing a ferromagnetic coupling magnetic field Hin.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic detecting device has a multilayered film in which a free magnetic layer, a non-magnetic material layer, and fixed magnetic layers are laminated. In such a magnetic detecting device, there are two kinds in accordance with a difference of a current direction with respect to the multilayered film, that is, a CIP (current in the plane) type and a CPP (current perpendicular to the plane) type.
In the CIP-type magnetic detecting device, a current flows in a parallel direction to a film surface of the multilayered film. In contrast, in the CPP-type magnetic detecting device, a current flows in a perpendicular direction to the film surface of the multilayered film.
The CPP-type magnetic detecting device has an advantage in that it has a device size smaller than that of the CIP-type magnetic detecting device and increases a reproducing output. Accordingly, the CPP-type magnetic detecting device has been expected as a magnetic detecting device which can substitute for the CIP-type magnetic detecting device having been widely used and achieve a high recording density.
In the meantime, in order to allow to be put to practical use the CPP-type magnetic detecting device capable of achieving the high recording density in future, it is required to increase the product ΔRA between a magnetoresistance variation ΔR and a device area A.
Each of JP-A-2003-8102, JP-A-2002-150512, and JP-A-2004-214251 discloses a method of increasing the product ΔRA between a magnetoresistance variation ΔR and a device area A in a CPP-type magnetic detecting device.
According to a method disclosed in JP-A-2003-8102, a resistance adjusting layer is provided between a magnetization fixed layer (fixed magnetic layer) and a non-magnetic intermediate layer (non-magnetic material layer). A forming material of the resistance adjusting layer is described in claim 6 or the like in JP-A-2003-8102. Further, according to a method disclosed in JP-A-2002-150512, a free layer (free magnetic layer) is formed with a laminated structure of a thin film and a non-magnetic layer. Furthermore, according to a method disclosed in JP-A-2004-214251, unlike a fixed magnetic layer or a free layer, an inserting layer containing a semimetal is separately provided.
Although various mechanisms have been made for increasing ΔRA by using various methods including the above-mentioned methods, there is no structure which it is possible to effectively increase ΔRA such that the method can be put to practical use.
Further, in order to allow to be put to practical use the CPP-type magnetic detecting device capable of achieving the high recording density in future, it is required to decrease a ferromagnetic coupling magnetic field Hin, in addition to the increasing the ΔRA.
Since the ferromagnetic coupling magnetic field Hin is generated by the magnetostatic coupling between the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer (topological coupling), it causes a problem such that the ferromagnetic coupling magnetic field becomes stronger, and an asymmetry of a reproducing waveform is increased.

Magnetic detecting device having free layer or pinned layer formed by lamination of magnetic alloy and Cu layer and method of manufacturing magnetic detecting device


An example embodiment relates to a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of cylindrical bottom electrodes arranged in a first direction and in a second direction. The device includes a supporting base configured to support the plurality of cylindrical bottom electrodes by contacting side surfaces of the plurality of cylindrical bottom electrodes. The supporting base includes first patterns in which first open areas are formed, and second patterns in which second open areas are formed. The first patterns and the second patterns have different oriented shapes.

1. Field of Invention
Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device including a pillar-type structure, such as a semiconductor memory device including a cylindrical capacitor.
2. Description of Related Art
In semiconductor devices, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), due to increased integration, it is desirable to increase or constantly maintain a capacitance while reducing an area occupied by devices. One technique for increasing capacitance while reducing the area occupied by the device is to form a capacitor that includes a cylindrical bottom electrode or a stacked bottom electrode and to increase the height thereof.
A cylindrical bottom electrode or a stacked bottom electrode has a structure in which the outer surfaces or both the outer surfaces and the inner surfaces of an electrode are used, and thus a cylindrical bottom electrode or a stacked bottom electrode has a feature of having a relatively wide area of the electrode. However, a cylindrical bottom electrode or a stacked bottom electrode having an integrated one cylinder stack (OCS) structure desirably has a relatively tall bottom electrode in order to secure the capacitance desired for operating devices, and thus a bottom electrode may collapse or break before a dielectric material is deposited.

Semiconductor memory device having capacitor and semiconductor device


A temperature measuring method accurately measures a sheet-like object even when the sheet-like object has an uneven temperature distribution throughout. In this method, temperature measurement is conducted in a measuring area where the sheet-like object is to be measured for its physical quantity or in the vicinity of the measuring area during determination of the physical quantity by a physical quantity measuring device. One or more temperature sensors are located at a position proximal to each sheet-like object that streams in a predetermined direction relative to the temperature sensors, and air is jetted out toward the sheet-like object for creating an air curtain that surrounds each temperature sensor so that a gauge workspace substantially confining the atmosphere therein is defined over one or both of the opposite surfaces of the sheet-like object. The temperature sensors detect the temperature in the measuring area or its vicinity within the gauge workspace.

Currently, apparatuses for determining thickness of a dynamic or static stream of films are available (e.g., see Patent Document 1 listed below). The apparatuses disclosed in Patent Document 1 is, as shown in FIG. 16, comprised of a main frame 100, a sheet-thickness gauge sensor 102, a measuring head 103, and a movable mechanism 104. A reference symbol 'a' denotes any of measured objects shaped in sheet.
The main frame 100 is configured to be a frame that permits a sheet(s) a to pass through. The sheet-thickness gauge sensor 102 may be any of those which are capable of emitting electro-magnetic waves, or radioactive or particle rays as well as pneumatic, capacitance-operated, ultrasonic, non-contact or contact gauges, and Patent Document 1 discloses a gauge of pneumatic sensing. In the disclosure, a pair of the sheet-thickness gauge sensors 102 are located respectively over and under the sheet a; i.e., orthognal opposed to each other. Each of the pair of the sheet-thickness gauge sensors 102 is supported at a distal end of the measuring head 103, facing or pointing toward the sheet a by any suitable means such as an air cylinder (not shown) that serves as a reciprocating carriage and allows the head and thus the sensor to come close to and recede from the sheet a. The movable mechanism 104 causes the measuring head 103 to move in lateral directions perpendicular to the passage of the sheet a. Also, a pair of the movable mechanisms 104 are located over and under the passage of the sheet(s) a, opposed to each other within the main frame 100.
Assuming that X-rays are emitted to determine thickness of the sheet a in such a thickness gauge apparatus, the pair of the sheet-thickness gauge sensors 102 are cooperative X-ray emitter and detector in the vertically opposite locations over and under the sheet a, respectively. Specifically, X-rays radiated from the X-ray emitter are directed to the bottom side of the sheet a and then vertically transmitted through the entire thickness of the same, and eventually received at the X-ray detector. The X-rays thus received by the X-ray detector is quantified to determine the thickness of the sheet a.

Temperature measuring method, temperature measuring apparatus, temperature control method, temperature control apparatus, correction method, and correction apparatus


A novel polymeric support is provided for carrying out the synthesis of oligonucleotide analogs via solid-phase synthesis techniques. The suitably-shaped polymeric disc, wafer, etc., of the invention may be made of polystyrene, silica gel, glass beads, polyamide/kieselguhr, cellulose, etc. The suitably-shaped disc or wafer of the invention should, preferably, have a thickness of 200-400 .mu.m and may be of any suitable length or width. A process for the synthesis of oligonucleotide analogs utilizing the polymeric support of the present invention is also disclosed.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the synthesis of oligonucleotide analogs. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel polymeric disc, wafer or other similarly shaped resin (e.g., planar and non-planar) and a method for its use in solid-phase synthesis.
The present invention permits the rapid production of oligonucleotide analogs, i.e., numerous oligonucleotides differing from one another by only a single base or a small number of bases. The synthesis of analogs according to the present invention can take place at a rapid rate while assuring that the reagents necessary to synthesize the analogs undergo quantitatively complete reactions so as to minimize undesirable side-reaction products which could result in the production of "deletion peptides" or "deletion sequences."
Within recent years, oligonucleotides have been used in crystallographis and biochemical studies of DNA and RNA sequencing and as site-specific mutagens. This and related activity has created an increased need for the chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides and small genes. The present invention greatly simplifies and increases the efficiency of the task of preparing synthetic oligonucleotides.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of peptide chemistry, solid phase peptide synthesis ("SPPS") was introduced by Dr. R. Bruce Merrifield in 1963 when Dr. Merrifield attached a growing peptide chain to a solid support. Merrifield, R. B. (1963) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 85, 2149-2154. The procedures enunciated by Dr. Merrifield for SPPS were as follows: An amino acid corresponding to the C-terminal of the target peptide is covalently attached to an insoluble polymeric support ("the resin"). The next amino acid, with a protected .alpha.-amino acid, is activated and reacted with the resin-bound amino acid to yield an amino-protected dipeptide on the resin. Excess reactants and co-products are removed by filtration and washing. The amino-protecting group is removed by and chain extension is continued with the third and subsequent protected amino acids. After the target protected peptide chain has been built up in this stepwise fashion, all side chain groups are removed and the anchoring bond between the peptide and the resin is cleaved by suitable chemical means thereby releasing the crude peptide product into solution. The desired peptide then undergoes an extensive purification procedure and is then characterized. Kent, S. & Clark-Lewis, I., "Modern Methods for the Chemical Synthesis of Biologically Active Peptides," Division of Biology 147-75, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. 91125 U.S.A.; Houghten, R. A., Chang, W. C. & Li, C. H. (1980), Int. J. Pept. Protein Res., 16, 311-320; Houghten, R A., Ostresh, J. M. & Klipstein, F. A. (1984), Eur. J. Biochem., 145, 157-162; Stewart, J. M. & Young, J. D., Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis, Pierce Chemical Company (2d ed. 1984). See, also, Geysen, H. M., 20 Meloen, R. H. & Baretling, S. J. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81, 3998-4002; Matthes, H. W. D., Zenke, W. M., Grundstrom, T. Staub, A., Wintzerith, M. & Chambon P., (1984) The EMBO Journal, 3, 801-805.
The resin employed in standard SPPS is known as the "Merrifield resin" and is a polystyrene bead of 100-200 microns in size. The resin typically contains 0.5-2.0% divinylbenzene cross-linkage and contains 0.2 to 0.8 mmole of p-chloromethyl groups per gram resin. The number of p-chloromethyl groups determines the number of individual chains per gram and their ultimate size. The size of the bead allows for a rapid penetration of reagents in SPPS. The percentage of cross-linkage determines the extent to which the resin shrinks and swells during solvent changes. A large shrink-and-swell effect is preferred.
In the field of oligonucleotide chemistry, on the other hand, Dr. Khorana has developed techniques, which were used by others in solution-phase synthesis, for solid-phase synthesis. In doing so, Dr. Khorana eliminated the intensive purification procedures required between each chemical step; the solid-phase procedure only required filtration and rinsing of the solid support with fresh solvent. Solid-phase synthesis permitted chemists to add 15-16 nucleotides per day rather than four or five nucleotides per week.
While the solid phase techniques had revolutionized biomedical research in industry and academia, this procedure has remained essentially unchanged since its inception in the early 1960's. With the explosive pace at which biotechnical research has been advancing in the industrialized nations of the world, substantially more oligonucleotides, particularly analogs, of greater complexity are needed in industry and research than ever before. The ever increasing demand for analog oligonucleotides has been approached in several ways, but no approach thus far, has proven completely satisfactory.


A novel low profile vehicle, and a novel method for converting normal profile vehicles into the same, is disclosed. The low profile vehicle disclosed herein is adapted for use in a variety of applications, such as mining operations and aircraft maintenance applications. Selected components and assemblies found in a normal profile vehicle are removed from the normal profile vehicle's original frame and retained and/or modified for use in a completed low profile vehicle in accordance with the present invention. The operator's cab of the original normal profile vehicle is modified for use in the completed low profile vehicle. A frame extension is added to the forward end of the frame of the normal profile vehicle to form a split level frame in a position forward of the front wheels. The cab is shortened and otherwise modified and attached to the frame extension. The lower level of the frame extension allows the shortened cab to be secured to the frame extension and still not exceed the maximum height allowed for the low profile vehicle. The described low profile vehicle provides many features and better performance than previously available in low profile vehicles and achieves such performance and features more economically than possible with prior art low profile vehicles.

1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to self propelled vehicles used to transport articles and personnel in locations where the vertical clearance is limited, such as in below ground mining and aircraft support operations. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of converting normal profile vehicles to low profile self propelled vehicles and the resulting vehicles.
2. The Prior Art
Several modern industries have a need for self propelled low profile vehicles. Examples of such industries are the mining and aircraft maintenance and support industries. For example, both military and commercial aircraft require ground support vehicles which are capable of maneuvering under aircraft wings and fuselages. In the mining industry, vehicles are required to maneuver in low clearance mine roadways to transport personnel, maintenance equipment, fuel and lubricates, and other items from one location to another in the mining operation.
Low profile vehicles are generally defined as those having a maximum vertical height of eighty, and usually less than about sixty, inches or less. The vertical height of a vehicle is generally measured from the underlying road or ground surface to the highest rigid structure on the vehicle.
Not only must a low profile vehicle be able to pass under low clearances, but it must also carry payloads of anywhere in the range from hundreds to thousands of pounds reliably over rough road conditions. Thus, a low profile vehicle should be as thoroughly engineered and tested as normal profile vehicles which are mass produced by the tens of thousands.
Moreover, normal profile vehicles which are intended for use on city streets and highways are generally built so that the operator's cab is raised to the highest practical vertical height to improve visibility of the surrounding traffic from the operator's cab. Normal profile vehicles, such as those which are intended to be operated on city streets and highways generally have a vertical height in the range from eighty to one-hundred and twenty inches. Thus, it is widely recognized among those having skill in the art that normal profile vehicles do not have application in industries requiring low profile vehicles.
The general recognition in the pertinent industries that low profile vehicles are a necessity under certain conditions has caused some manufacturers to produce specialized low profile vehicles. It is the usual case that specific industries, profile vehicles are custom built for specific industries, e.g., vehicles are designed and built individually, or in quantities only in the tens, specifically for the mining or for the aircraft support industries. This is in contrast to the tens, or hundreds, of thousands of a particular chassis of a normal profile vehicle which will customarily be produced by a manufacturer.
Manufacturers of such specialized low profile vehicles include Eimco Mining Machinery International of Canada; A. L. Lee Corp. of Lester, W.V.; and Getman Corporation of Bangor, Mich.
The market for such specifically designed and custom built low profile vehicles is very limited with some manufacturers producing only a few of each model of low profile vehicle each year. Thus, each low profile vehicle is generally built on an individual basis, or in very few numbers, to fill the need of a particular customer or class of customers.
It is widely acknowledged that producing such small numbers of specifically designed low profile vehicles is inherently inefficient. Thus, the cost of each low profile vehicle is very high compared to vehicles which are mass produced and directed to a larger number of users.
Moreover, since so few low profile vehicles are built by each manufacturer, the design and fabrication of the vehicles requires that simple and readily available components, material, and fabrication techniques be used. For example, in mass produced vehicles where tens of thousands are manufactured, such as normal profile trucks, the frame, engine, drive train components, and body parts are all specifically designed and extensively tested to ensure that they work together properly and in a trouble free manner.
In contrast, low profile vehicles are designed by each manufacturer and built in small numbers from the "ground up" with no other perspective in mind but to produce the vehicle for the intended specific end use. Thus, low profile vehicle manufacturers are left to obtain components such as engines, drive trains, and brake systems from other sources where they are mass produced. The remaining components used in low profile vehicles, such as frames and body parts, must be individually fabricated by the vehicle manufacturer.
As recognized in the arts devoted to design and production of normal profile vehicles, the compatibility of vehicle components is crucial to making a vehicle perform most efficiently. Ensuring that vehicle components are compatible requires a great deal of design, engineering, and testing effort before production of the vehicle begins. Such extensive design, engineering, and testing efforts are prohibitively expensive in view of the small numbers of low profile vehicles which are manufactured. Unfortunately, the use of "high quality" and individual components does not ensure that the components will work well together.
Since the frames, bodies, and other components of prior art low profile vehicles must be designed and fabricated in small numbers, they are of simple construction and are fitted with components which are not ideally suited for use therewith. In the case of body parts, large flat pieces of sheet metal are generally attached to a simple geometric framework giving the completed low profile vehicle a "boxy" and "unfinished" appearance when compared to mass produced normal profile vehicles.
Moreover, the fact that each prior art low profile vehicle is individually designed and built causes most manufacturers to omit the design, fabrication and installation of many desirable features into their low profile vehicles. Such omitted features may include performance enhancing features such as drive train, exhaust system, and suspension, braking, and fuel system improvements.
Also omitted from prior art low profile vehicles are even basic amenities for the comfort and safety of the low profile vehicle operator such as cab environmental control, roll down windows, padded dashboard, windshield wipers, and windshield washers. In some cases, low profile vehicles do not provide the operator with any enclosed cab at all.
Further drawbacks which are evident with some prior art low profile vehicles is that the driver and steering wheel are offset from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, in some cases by as much as 90.degree.. Thus, the low profile vehicle operator must sit and steer sideways. Still further, some manufacturers of low profile vehicles utilize a two piece articulated frame scheme which increases the cost of producing and maintaining the low profile vehicle.
Still another drawback inherent in prior art low profile vehicles is the fact that a new chassis is generally designed for each application. For example, a two person transport, a twelve person transport, and a large two ton equipment transport would each be designed from the ground up using all different components. Disadvantageously, this scheme also requires that an owner of such vehicles maintain a different complete parts inventory and trained repair technicians for each of the different vehicles.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an advance in the art to provide a low profile vehicle which includes the desirable features present in normal profile vehicles while providing the low profile vehicle at a lower cost than prior art low profile vehicles. It would be a further advance in the art to provide a method of converting normal profile vehicles for use as low profile vehicles. It would also be an advance in the art to provide a low profile vehicle conversion which allows low profile vehicles to be produced more efficiently than are prior art low profile vehicles which are designed and built in small numbers for specific end uses.

Low profile self propelled vehicle and method for converting a normal profile vehicle to the same


The present application provides a display panel, a display device and a repairing method of the display panel, the display panel includes: a color filter substrate; an array substrate opposite to the color filter substrate and provided with a plurality of pixel areas at intervals, and each of the pixel areas including a signal line and a light-emitting diode electrically connected with the signal line; a liquid crystal layer located between the array substrate and the color filter substrate; a common electrode located on a surface of the color filter substrate facing the liquid crystal layer; and a plurality of compensation electrodes arranged at intervals and located on a surface of the array substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, the common electrode is opposite to the compensation electrodes, and the plurality of compensation electrodes corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting diodes one by one.

With a rapid development of the display panel industry, the manufacturing process technology of the display panel has become more mature. Display panels using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are also becoming more and more popular. However, during the manufacturing process, the light-emitting diodes may often be damaged due to certain factors, thereby increasing the possibility of repairing the display panels. In order to avoid this problem, the related art adopts a method of installing a plurality of light-emitting diodes in the pixels of a display panel. Although this method can reduce the possibility of repairing the display panel, it leads to an increase of the cost of the light-emitting diodes and a reduction of the available space in the pixels of the display panel.
The above content is only used to assist the understanding of the technical solution of the present application, and does not mean that the above content is recognized as prior art.

Display panel, display device and repairing method of display panel