The present invention relates to compositions containing a PIKfyve inhibitor, preferably apilimod, APY0201 or YM-201636, most preferably apilimod, for use in treating or preventing viral infections, preferably Ebola or Marburg virus infections. It also relates to a pharmaceutical pack or kit comprising apillimod and at least one additional anti-viral agent.

Many viruses enter the cell via endocytosis and utilize the cell's the endosomal network as a means to infiltrate the cell and replicate. For example, viral entry into cells may be mediated by a viral glycoprotein (GP), which attaches viral particles to the cell surface, delivers them to endosomes, and catalyzes fusion between viral and endosomal membranes. For example, Rab9 GTPase was shown to be required for replication of HIV-1, filoviruses (such as Ebola and Marburg), and measles virus. Murray et al. 2005 J. Virology 79:11742-11751. Silencing Rab9 expression dramatically inhibited HIV replication, as did silencing the host genes encoding TIP47, p40, and PIKfyve, which also facilitate late-endosome-to-trans-Golgi vesicular transport. Reducing Rab9 expression also inhibited the replication of the enveloped Ebola and Marburg filoviruses and that of measles virus, but not the non-enveloped reovirus. US 20070087008 (Hodge et al.) describes RAB9A, RAB11A, and modulators of those proteins as potentially useful for decreasing viral replication, especially HIV replication.
Additional studies indicate that the endo/lysosomal cholestrol transporter Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) acts as a post-endocytic intracellular receptor that is necessary for Ebola and Marburg virus penetration. Carette et al., 2011 Nature 477:340. Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) and the homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting (HOPS) complex were identified in a genome-wide haploid genetic screen as host factors for filovirus entry. The NPC1 locus was the single strongest hit, with 39 independent insertions. The HOPS complex was the next strongest hit. Additional genes whose products are involved in the biogenesis of endosomes (PIKfyve) and lysosomes (BLOC1S1, BLOC1S2), and in the targeting of luminal cargo to the endocytic pathway (GNPTAB) were also identified, but only NPC1 was validated in functional assays. For example, NPC1 function was required for infection by Ebola and Marburg viruses in human fibroblasts, NPC1 deficiency conferred resistance to viral infection in HAP1 and CHO cells, and NPC1 null mice were resistant to infection and pathogenesis of Ebola and Marburg viruses. WO 2012/103081 (Chandran et al.) describes methods for treating filovirus infection using an agent that inhibits, inter alia, NPC1 and the HOPS.
In yeast, fusion of the phagosome membrane to the lysosome membrane requires the HOPs complex and phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P2). Synthesis of PI(3,5)P2 is mediated by phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate 5-kinase (PIKfyve). Phosphoinositides such as PI(3,5)P2 are important lipid regulators of membrane trafficking and cellular signaling. Using the inhibitor YM201636, Jefferies et al. showed that inhibiting PIKfyve and blocking cellular production of PI(3,5)P2 disrupts endomembrane transport and retroviral budding. Jefferies et al. EMBO rep. 2008 9:164-170.
Ebola is a filamentous, lipid enveloped, negative stranded RNA virus of the family Filoviridae. There are five known strains of Ebola, four of which infect humans. The 5 strains are Bundibugyo, Sudan, Tai Forest, Zaire, or Reston; Reston is not known to infect humans. Zaire or Ebola virus is responsible for the majority of outbreaks (Burd, 2015). Initially Ebola targets macrophages and dendritic cells (Missai and Sullivan 2014); however, it is subsequently able to penetrate all cell types excluding lymphocytes by binding to the plasma membrane surface proteins. Viral entry is mediated by glycoprotein (GP), which attaches viral particles to the cell surface, delivers viral particles to the endosomes; and catalyzes fusion between the viral particles and the endosomal membranes (Gray, 2014, Cook and Lee, 2013, Ansari, 2014, Carette, et al. 2012).
EVD is global public health emergency and the World Health Organization has declared the recent epidemic to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The NIH classifies EVD as a Category A pathogen which indicates that it poses the highest risk to public safety and national security (Stahelin, 2014). The recent West African outbreak was first reported in March 2014 (McCoy, et al. 2014, Meyers et al. 20152015, Gatherer, 2014, Ansari, 2014) with infection rates increasing by 13% in a 6 month period. The recent epidemic is concentrated in areas of West Africa in countries such as Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The current outbreak has killed over 3,800 people (documented cases) making it the most lethal outbreak of Ebola to date. In the recent outbreak, mortality rates are approximately 50% to 70%; while mortality rates in the 20 recognized outbreaks of Ebola range from 25 to 90% (Meyers et al. 2015). Clinical manifestations, duration of illness, case fatality rates and the degree of transmission rates in this outbreak are similar to previous outbreaks. Due to global travel and the international aid workers who have been on the ground in West Africa, infected people have traveled outside of West Africa. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain and the United States have allowed infected patients to re-enter and receive treatment. On Sep. 30, 2014, the CDC confirmed the first case of travel associated EVD in the US. Subsequently, two health care workers who were exposed to EVD through this initial patient, tested positive for EVD; these two cases were the first non-travel related cases of EVD in the United States.
EVD is initially transmitted to man through contact with an infected animal. The virus is spread in humans from direct contact with broken skin or mucous membranes with blood and body fluids including urine, saliva, feces, vomit, breast milk and semen; needles and syringes that are contaminated with the virus; or infected animals. EVD is not spread through the air, water or food nor is it believed to be transmitted through mosquitoes or other insect vectors. Symptoms of EVD may appear 2 to 21 days after exposure with an average of 10 days. During the latent period of the disease the patient may not show symptoms and is considered noncontagious.
Initial clinical signs of Ebola consist of: Fever (>38.6° C. or 101.5° F.), severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and unexplained hemorrhage.
Over the clinical course of Ebola, patients can develop fulminant septic shock and coagulopathy which can subsequently lead to death. EVD is often masked upon clinical presentation because the early signs and symptoms of EVD are similar to other common viral infections; therefore, patient histories are critical to understanding the potential risk of EVD. Several diagnostic tests are available for Ebola; including RT-PCR and ELISA tests (Burd, 2015; Bishop 2014); however, none of these tests are available in a non-hospital setting; therefore, making confirmation of the diagnosis difficult in the field. EVD care is generally limited to supportive care including administration of IV fluids, maintenance of oxygen status and blood pressure and treatment other underlying conditions or organ dysfunction or failure. Recovery from EVD is dependent on the supportive care and immune response of the patient.
Currently, there are no approved therapies for EVD. Two experimental treatments for Ebola are available on an emergency use basis in the US. They are ZMAPP (MAPP Pharmaceuticals) which is a biologic composed of three humanized monoclonal antibodies and TKM-Ebola, (Tekmira) a siRNA which interferes with the viral proteins L, VP24, and VP35 (Bishop 2014).). The efficacy of both of these experimental agents has yet to be established in controlled clinical trials. Current supplies of ZMAPP are exhausted and the drug product requires frozen shipment while TKM-Ebola is on partial clinical hold due to safety issues; therefore, there exists an urgent medical need for the development of new safe and effective treatments.
The present invention addresses the need for antiviral compositions and methods for the treatment of subjects infected with viruses and the prophylaxis of subjects who are at risk for viral infection, and particularly for human subjects infected with or at risk of infection with Ebola virus.

Anti-viral compositions containing PIKfyve inhibitors and use thereof


A coning-resistant rotor and a seal assembly including a coning-resistant rotor are disclosed. An embodiment of the rotor includes a rotor base, a rotor head, and an axially-extending web interposed between the rotor base and rotor head, wherein the web includes axial and radial web regions defined by at least one circumferential groove provided in the web. In another embodiment, a rotor base includes a sealing surface and an inner diameter surface, and the inner diameter surface includes a channel with a taper.

Rotors mounted on a rotating shaft are generally clamped down in order to resist high torque loads and to maintain closure of the shaft-mounted components. As a result of the clamping force, distortions may be transmitted to the rotor face since the mounting surfaces may not be uniform, rigid, or perfectly square to the shaft axis. These distortions are often referred to as "coning." However, for correct or proper operation, the rotor face should be maintained flat and square to the shaft within a few helium light bands. In addition to clamping induced distortion, rotation of the shaft and heating of the rotor from the seal ring assembly can additionally contribute to undesirable rotor distortion.

Coning resistant rotor for a seal assembly


A new and distinct cultivar of Tecoma plant named ‘Sunhortedai’, characterized by its upright and relatively compact plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; flowering under high temperature conditions; greyed orange-colored flowers; and low temperature tolerant.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Tecoma plant, botanically known as Tecoma hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Sunhortedai'.
The new Tecoma plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Chikushino-shi, Fukuoka, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and upright Tecoma plants with freely branching habit and attractive flower colors.
The new Tecoma plant originated from a cross-pollination in Chikushino-shi, Fukuoka, Japan in September, 2013 of a proprietary selection of Tecoma hybrida identified as code name TSTG#2, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Tecoma hybrida identified as code name TSAG#1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Tecoma plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Chikushino-shi, Fukuoka, Japan in June, 2014.
Asexual reproduction of the new Tecoma plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in Chikushino-shi, Fukuoka, Japan since June, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Tecoma plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A dental oven comprising a firing chamber for the heat treatment of dental restoration parts. The firing chamber is connected to a negative pressure source via a suction line. A valve arrangement is located between the firing chamber and the suction line with the aid of which the suction line is closable towards the firing chamber in order to maintain a negative pressure in the firing chamber. The suction line between the valve arrangement and the negative pressure source is ventilatable via an ambient air connection.

Dental ovens which fire dental restoration parts in firing cycles have been known for a long time. Thus, DE 1 160 777 A discloses an electrically heatable dental oven comprising a negative pressure source in the form of a piston pump as a negative pressure pump. As the pump, depending on its design, causes a significant level of operating noise, it is preferably operated via a negative pressure or suction line which is several meters long, i.e., it is spatially separated slightly from the dental oven. Hereby, the suction line is appropriately formed as a hose which is resistant to negative pressure and flexible to a certain extent. In addition, this hose must be resistant to temperatures as the air which is released by the firing chamber of the dental oven may be relatively hot, although it is being cooled when passing through the wall of the oven.
Typically, thermal stability of up to 300° C. must be given, in fact as a first approximation independently of the fact if the dental oven is operated at a firing temperature of e.g., 1200° C. or at a relatively high firing temperature of 1600° C.
Recently, "muffle ovens" have been used as dental ovens for the production of dental restoration parts. An example of this is disclosed in DE 40 02 358 C1. In such dental ovens, the ceramic part to be shaped/produced is introduced as a blank or "green body" into a sprue which is formed in a prepared muffle made of gypsum. The muffle is heated together with the dental restoration part, in fact, in most cases, after it has already been heated to a starting temperature of e.g., 700° C. in a "pre-heating furnace". The firing chamber of this dental oven is put under negative pressure by a negative pressure pump which produces negative pressure, i.e., a so-called "vacuum". Subsequently, a press plunger presses the blank and upon softening of the dental restoration material due to the increasing temperature, the restoration material, favored by the negative pressure which exists in the entire firing chamber, reaches the mold cavities in a pore-free manner whose shape corresponds to that of the dental restoration parts to be produced.
This method has been known for a long time and has stood the test of time, whereas, of course, a condition for the successful provision of the dental restoration parts is that enough negative pressure exists in the entire firing chamber, i.e., also in the muffle itself.
Gypsum or similar casting compounds are not gas-tight, nor liquid-tight, but have a certain degree of flow resistance so that the formation of a completely balanced negative pressure in the firing chamber requires an operation of the suction pump, which forms the negative pressure source, of at least several seconds or minutes. Especially with pre-heated muffles, the "starting temperature" is then already significantly higher than the room temperature, and hot air flows into the suction line immediately when the suction pump is turned on.
In order to prevent the suction pump from being damaged by the hot air, which may also be contaminated, the manufacturers at least of the pumps, or maybe also the manufacturers of the dental ovens, stipulate that the negative pressure line must not be shorter than a certain length, e.g., 3 meters. In order to ensure the desired flexibility of the negative pressure line, the inner diameter, thus the outer diameter, is limited to measurements which are favorable for production and which also make possible the use of standard negative pressure lines. The length of such negative pressure lines can also be adapted to the spacial circumstances in the dental laboratory, as they are available in the piece.
A further advantage of the slightly longer suction line is that a certain "pressure elasticity" is provided; the negative pressure line acts as a buffer and at the same time prevents negative pressure peaks which can be introduced by the negative pressure pump depending on its construction.
A serious disadvantage which up to now, however, prevented the desired design of a negative pressure line in any desired length was and is the tendency of these lines to clog. Due to the large temperature gradient between the firing chamber and the ambient air, the humidity from the firing chamber, which is not carried along, condenses in the negative pressure line. This not only leads to an increase in flow resistance but in particular also to a worsening of the quality of the negative pressure, as the evaporation temperature of the water droplets in the negative pressure line decreases as the negative pressure increases.
In view of this fact, the manufacturers of dental ovens have regularly realized special dehumidification programs which make various attempts to remove the water droplets located in the negative pressure lines.
It has also been suggested to provide several negative pressure lines without further ado and to simply exchange them when the formation of droplets is too high. But this is impractical and requires additional storage, and it may also result in sealing problems when re-assembling the fresh negative pressure line.
It has been known for a longer period of time that the muffle itself and/or the dental restoration material which consists of dental ceramics can be exposed to a considerable degree of residual humidity.
In order to remove the residual humidity, the dental oven is operated at a dehumidification temperature under negative pressure. During this dehumidification program the valves of the dental oven are opened towards the external negative pressure source so that air which is enriched with water vapor flows through the suction line to the negative pressure source. By doing this, the suction line is excessively soaked. This can be problematic for the dental ceramics which are subsequently heated and for the negative pressure, which must be maintained in the desired quality during the pressing process.
When the deposition of moisture is too high in the long suction line, it does not function anymore, which has a negative impact on the quality of the restoration.


The invention discloses a current detecting circuit, a temperature compensating device and a display device, and relates to the field of display technology, which resolves the problem of image flicker in the display screen or abnormal display due to changes in the turn-on voltage of the thin film transistors in the display panel caused by changes in the temperature in the prior art. The current detecting circuit includes a voltage source, a first mirror current source for supplying a reference current, a second mirror current source for obtaining a difference between a current output from the first mirror current source and a current output from a unit to be detected and converting the difference into a voltage signal, and an inverter for amplifying the voltage signal and output a detection result. A temperature compensating device including the foregoing current detecting circuit. A display device including the above temperature compensating device.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device uses a LCD panel to display images. As shown in FIG. 1, a display panel in the prior art includes a display area and a non-display area. In the display area, there are provided gate lines (GL1-GLn), data lines (DL1-DLn), and a plurality of pixel units in array arrangement defined by GL (Gate Line) and DL (Data Line). Each pixel unit includes a thin film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode, the thin film transistor includes a gate (G), a source (S) and a drain (D), wherein the gate G is connected to gate line GL, the source S is connected to the data line DL, and the drain D is connected to the pixel electrode. In the non-display area, there are provided a gate driving circuit 10 and a source driving circuit 11, the gate driving circuit 10 supplies a voltage to gates through the gate lines GL, the source driving circuit 11 supplies a voltage to sources through data lines DL.
The display panel operates as follows: for a thin film transistor for driving pixel unit, that is, a driving thin film transistor, when a voltage applied to the gate G reaches a turn-on voltage (that is, a threshold voltage, which is a critical voltage applied to the gate so that the source and drain of the thin film transistor begins to turn on), the source S and the drain D enter into a turn-on state, a voltage may be obtained from the pixel electrode which is electrically connected to the drain D, and the liquid crystal molecules are deflected due to a electric field generated by the voltage so that display is performed. However, the turn-on voltage of the driving thin film transistor is not constant, but varies with the temperature, and if there is a deviation between the turn-on voltage and a set turn-on voltage of the driving thin film transistor due to changes in temperature, the deviations are different between various temperature areas. In the prior art, as the voltage supplied to the gate from a gate driving circuit is constant, image flicker is likely to occur in the display panel or the display panel may not display normally. Therefore, a temperature compensating device is needed so as to correct the deviations in the turn-on voltage of the driving thin film transistors due to changes in temperature, so as to avoid the image flicker or abnormal display in the display panel.
The temperature compensating device in the prior art includes a detection unit for detecting the temperature of the display panel. The detection unit includes a thermistor. As the resistance of the thermistor varies with the temperature, the temperature of the display panel may be obtained based on the change in resistance of the thermistor. In the prior art, the temperature compensating device is generally provided on an additional control plate which is adjacent to the display panel to detect the temperature of the display panel. As the additional control plate is separated from the display panel, a temperature detected by the detection unit provided on the addition control plate can not reflect the real temperature of the display panel in time. Also, the result of the thermistor is affected by the manufacturing process, thus it is difficult for the temperature compensating device to accurately correct the deviation in turn-on voltage of the thin film transistor due to changes in temperature.

Current detecting circuit, temperature compensating device and display device

Hefei BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A flashlight includes a cylindrical casing containing a battery. A bulb is slidably disposed in a socket member carried in the casing, and a head assembly is rotatably mounted on one end of the casing. The bulb has an annular flange forming an electrical terminal. The head assembly has a preloaded pressure pad arranged for engaging the bulb flange. When the head assembly is rotated in one direction, the bulb is moved toward the battery and the bulb flange is moved into contact with another electrical terminal in the casing. This closes an electrical circuit connecting the battery and the bulb, illuminating the bulb. A spring carried by the socket member is disposed between the battery and the bulb. When the head assembly is rotated in the opposite direction, the spring urges the bulb away from the battery and moves the bulb flange out of contact with the electrical terminal in the casing. This opens the electrical circuit between the battery and the bulb, extinguishing the bulb.

This invention relates generally to flashlights and, in particular, to a flashlight with a rotatable head assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,932 discloses a flashlight having a cylindrical casing containing batteries. A head assembly is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the casing while a tail cap closes the lower end of the casing. A bulb, which is retained in the casing upper end, is turned on and off by rotating the head assembly. When the head assembly is removed from the casing, the bulb remains on. Also, the tail cap and the batteries must be removed from the casing in order to remove the bulb.


A wrench includes a rod, a retainer, and a casing for accommodating the retainer and allowing relative pivotal movement between the casing and the retainer. The rod includes a driving portion on an end thereof for engaging with a fastener. The retainer has a first end securely mounted to the rod to turn therewith and a second end. An engaging member is mounted in the casing and biased to engage with the second end of the retainer, thereby exerting an engaging force between the second end of the retainer and the engaging member. When a rotational force applied to the casing is smaller than the engaging force, the retainer and the rod are turned to thereby turn the fastener. When a rotational force applied to the casing is greater than the engaging force, the casing slides relative to the retainer while the retainer and the rod are not turned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wrench with a fixed maximum operational torque to prevent damage to the object secured by a fastener driven by the wrench.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 16A of the drawings illustrates a conventional wrench 1 having a hexagonal driving portion with six planar faces 2 for engaging with six faces of a hexagonal groove in a top face of a fastener. However, slide tends to occur between the planar faces of the driving portion of the wrench 1 and the faces of the fastener. FIG. 16B illustrates a so-called TROX wrench 3 having plural arcuate faces 4 for engaging with corresponding arcuate faces in a top face of a fastener. Such a TROX wrench 3 is used to tighten important parts of a car and cutting tools. As illustrated in FIG. 17, a blade 7 is tightened to a cutting tool 5 by a bolt 6. However, the expensive blade 7 tends to be damaged when the bolt 6 is excessively tightened. But the blade 7 could fly away and thus cause injury if the bolt 6 is not tightened to the desired extent.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wrench with a fixed maximum operational torque such that when the torque applied by the user is greater than the maximum operational torque, the wrench slides and the fastener is not turned. Thus, damage to the object secured by the fastener resulting from over-tightening is prevented.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wrench with a fixed maximum operational torque that can be altered in response to the actual use.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a wrench comprises a rod, a retainer, and a casing for accommodating the retainer and allowing relative pivotal movement between the casing and the retainer. The rod comprises a driving portion on an end thereof for engaging with a fastener. The retainer has a first end securely mounted to the rod to turn therewith and a second end. An engaging member is mounted in the casing and biased to engage with the second end of the retainer, thereby exerting an engaging force between the second end of the retainer and the engaging member. When a rotational force applied to the casing is smaller than the engaging force, the retainer and the rod are turned to thereby turn the fastener. When a rotational force applied to the casing is greater than the engaging force, the casing slides relative to the retainer while the retainer and the rod are not turned.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a wrench comprises a rod, a retainer, and a casing. The rod comprises a driving portion on an end thereof for engaging with a fastener. The retainer has a central portion securely mounted to the rod to turn therewith and two ends. The casing accommodates the retainer and allows relative pivotal movement between the casing and the retainer. Two engaging members are mounted in the casing and biased to respectively engage with the ends of the retainer, thereby exerting an engaging force between each of the ends of the retainer and an associated one of the engaging members. When a rotational force applied to the casing is smaller than the engaging force, the retainer and the rod are turned to thereby turn the fastener. When a rotational force applied to the casing is greater than the engaging force, the casing slides while the retainer and the rod are not turned.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Wrench with a fixed maximum operational torque


A receiver assembly for securing an elongate rod to a bone anchor includes a receiver having pair of upright arms that define an open channel configured to receive the elongate rod, a discontinuous helically wound receiver guide and advancement structure formed into the interior surfaces of the upright arms, and horizontally-elongated tool engaging grooves formed into upper portions of the outer surface of the upright arms. The receiver assembly further includes a closure configured for positioning within the open channel to secure the elongate rod to the receiver in a locked configuration, with the closure having an outer surface with a mating continuous helically wound closure guide and advancement structure configured to resist a tendency toward splaying between the upright arms upon a screwing in of the closure within the open channel by rotatable engagement with the receiver guide and advancement structure.

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for use in performing spinal surgery and, in particular, to tools and methods of using such tools, especially for percutaneously implanting spinal screws and for implanting a rod for spinal support and alignment, using minimally invasive techniques.
For many years, spinal osteosynthesis apparatuses have been utilized to correct spinal deformities, injuries or disease. In such procedures, elongate rods are surgically attached to vertebrae of the spine to provide support and/or to realign or reposition certain vertebrae. Such rods are secured to vertebrae utilizing bone screws and other spinal implants. In order to reduce the impact of such surgery on the patient, a desirable approach is to insert such implants percutaneously or with surgical techniques that are minimally invasive to the body of the patient.
Problems arise when implantation tools designed for traditional surgery that is highly invasive are utilized in percutaneous surgery. The tools may be bulky, oversized or have irregular surfaces or protrusions. A projecting actuator arm or fastening member may be useful with respect to the spinal screw implantation process or the rod reduction process, but there is insufficient clearance to use such structure and/or such structure may produce additional invasive trauma which the percutaneous surgery is attempting to avoid.
A percutaneous procedure also presents a problem with implantation of rods that are elongate and have historically required a long incision and open wound in order to provide for the length of the rod and the space required for the surgeon's hands to manipulate the rod. Such problems are then compounded by the implants and insertion tools used with the rod.
Consequently, it is desirable to develop apparatuses and techniques that allow for the insertion of bone screws, the insertion and reduction of a rod into the bone screws and the securing of the rod to the bone screws with significantly less invasion into the body of the patient and with minimal surgical incision of the skin over the operational site.

Closures with splay resisting threads for bone anchor receivers having horizontal radiused tool attachment grooves


Trellis arrangements are used for supporting fruit-bearing plants as they grow. A problem in some orchards or the like is that it can be difficult to install trellis posts in the ground, in particular when the posts are relatively long and difficult to place at the correct angle. The invention discloses a trellis comprising a plurality of supports, each support comprising a shaft embedded in a ground, and at least one connector arm extending upwards at an acute angle with respect to the ground. The trellis is such that for each support, a post is sleeve-fitted to the connector arm so that the post extends upwards at an acute angle but does not touch the ground; the upwardly extending posts collectively support elevated lines running between the posts; and the lines support branches of a fruit bearing plant growing along the lines.

It is known to install a trellis having a series of wires held in an elevated fashion. The wires are used for supporting fruit-bearing plants as they grow. A problem in some orchards or the like is that it can be difficult to install trellis posts in the ground, in particular when the posts are relatively long and difficult to place at the correct angle. It is an object of a preferred form of the invention to go at least some way towards addressing this problem. While this applies to the preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the object of the invention per se is simply to provide the public with a useful choice. Therefore object of the preferred embodiment should not be seen as a limitation on any claims expressed more broadly.


A method and system is disclosed for extending the depth of a subterranean borehole that uses heated aqueous fluid to dissolve rock of the subterranean formation. The heated aqueous fluid comprises water and hydroxides of Group I elements of The Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof. The drilling system comprises means for delivering aqueous fluid and heating the aqueous fluid prior to contacting rock of a subsurface formation.

This invention relates generally to a method and system for drilling into and through subsurface rock using high temperature aqueous solutions comprising high concentrations of hydroxyl ions.
For many years, oil and gas wells have been drilled by a rotary bit mounted on a tubular drill string extending down a borehole from the surface of the earth. The drill string is rotated at the surface, and the rotary motion is transmitted by the drill string to the bit at the bottom of the hole. A liquid commonly known as drilling mud is introduced through the drill string to cool the bit and to carry cuttings produced by the bit to the surface through the annular space between the drill string and the wall of the borehole. This method of drilling has certain limitations and advantages. The string must be relatively stiff in order to transmit torque and heavy enough to transmit sufficient axial load to the bit at the bottom of the hole. In hard rock, the drilling rate is slow, and the drill bit tends to wear rapidly. When the drill bit requires replacement, the entire string must be pulled out of the hole and broken down into tubing joints as it is removed. It is necessary to use heavy, powerful machinery to handle the relatively heavy drill string. Powerful equipment is also required in order to inject the drilling mud with sufficient pressure to remove cuttings from the bottom of the well. In horizontal drilling, removal of the cuttings by the flowing mud is particularly difficult because the axial mudflow is perpendicular to the settling direction. In the case of horizontal drilling, the weight of the drill collar can no longer be used effectively to provide the required weight on the drill bit. The horizontal distance that can be drilled becomes limited by cutting removal and by buckling of the drill string in compression unless a complex bottom hole tractor is used.
To overcome the shortcoming of rotary drilling, various means have been proposed of directing high velocity streams or jets of fluid against the material to be cut. In one approach, high-pressure fluid is discharged from the distal end of a hollow drilling tube. Hydraulic jet drill heads are typically attached to the drilling tube, with the drill heads having a multiplicity of nozzles through which the drilling fluid is discharged. Because of the difficulties in compressing fluid to very high pressures, in transporting the pressurized fluid over a long distance, and with erosion of equipment due to high velocity solids-laden fluid, the fluid jet approach of drilling boreholes has seen limited usage.
Thermal spallation is another method to drill holes through rock. Spallation, often called thermal drilling, produces thin flakes, or spalls, that flake or spall off the rock surface. In one spallation procedure, a combustion flame jet impinges on a rock surface, thereby inducing stresses high enough to cause the rock to spall. Examples of spallation drilling are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,984 and WO9603566. Spallation drilling has the advantage in that a drilling rig need not use rotation of the drill string. Further, there is no direct contact between the effective end of the drilling apparatus and the rock being removed, thereby avoiding wear caused by abrasion at the tool-rock interface. However, one shortcoming of spallation drilling is the difficulty of avoiding overheating of at least part of the rock to be spalled. Some types of rock will not spall if the heat flux exceeds a minimum temperature. Overheating of the rock can result in fusion of specific mineral components at the thermodynamic melting point severely impeding the spallation process. Molten rock is more resistant to spalling after resolidification and cannot easily be removed by a spallation apparatus as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,206.
A hybrid drilling system, wherein spallation drilling using a flame jet is combined with mechanical cutting and erosion using ultra-high pressure hydrojets, is disclosed by J. North, S. T. Knibb, and S. M. Farouq Ali in the Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, Volume 40, P 67, 2001. In one example of this technique, 0.075% ethanoic acid is added to the water to enhance the drilling process for limestone.
Chemical dissolution of rock using jets is yet another disclosed method to drill holes through rock as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,001, U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,303 and W. C. Mauer, xe2x80x9cAdvanced Drilling Techniquesxe2x80x9d, Petroleum Publishing Co., 1980. The disadvantages of the chemical approaches proposed to date are the highly toxic and corrosive nature of the chemical agents, the extreme high temperatures required and the high expense of the chemical agents.
A need therefore exists for an improved drilling system that can effectively penetrate deep, subsurface rock formations.
The invention includes a method for penetrating rock of a subsurface formation, comprising:
(a) lowering a fluid conduit into a borehole in the subsurface formation, the conduit having a top end and a lower end and adapted to heat and discharge from the lower end a stream of aqueous fluid;
(b) introducing into the top end of the fluid conduit an aqueous fluid comprising water and hydroxides of Group I elements of The Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof;
c) heating said aqueous fluid to temperatures in the range of 500xc2x0 C. to 1400xc2x0 C. to provide a heated aqueous fluid;
d) discharging from the lower end of the fluid conduit the heated aqueous fluid to contact the rock of the subsurface formation and effect dissolution of the rock therefrom; and
e) removing the dissolved rock and the heated aqueous fluid from the borehole by an ascending fluid stream.
The invention also includes a drilling system for hydrothermally drilling a subterranean formation comprising a coiled tubing with an upper end and a lower end; a body attached to the lower end of the coiled tubing, said body having a heating chamber disposed therein and a plurality of nozzles opening through said body adjacent the bottom of the body so as to communicate with the heating chamber, said chamber capable of heating aqueous fluid, said nozzles capable of directing heated aqueous fluid to formation rock below the coiled tubing.
The invention further includes a drilling system for hydrothermally drilling a subterranean formation comprising a coiled tubing with an upper end and a lower end; a body attached to the lower end of the coiled tubing, said body having a combustion chamber disposed therein and having a first set of nozzles opening through the bottom of the body, said first set of nozzles being capable of emitting chemical reactants and products of combustion occurring in said combustion chamber and a second set of nozzles opening through the bottom of the body adjacent to the first set of nozzles, said second set of nozzles being capable of emitting a heated aqueous fluid comprising water and hydroxides of Group I elements of The Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof and said first set and second set of nozzles capable of directing heated aqueous fluid to formation rock below the coiled tubing.

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company


An etchant composition and method for etching molybdenum from a microelectronic device at an etch rate are described. A microelectronic device is contacted with an etchant composition for a time sufficient to at least partially remove the molybdenum. The etchant composition comprises at least one oxidizing agent, at least one oxidizing agent stabilizer, and at least one base and has a pH of from 7.5 to 13. The etchant composition selectively removes molybdenum at an etch rate of 5-200 Å/min.

Typically, tungsten and tungsten-based materials are used as the electrodes in 3D-NAND fabrication. However, tungsten materials have been found to be sensitive to various etchant compositions. For example, in a process using an W electrode, acidic compositions including phosphoric acid and nitric acid used for electrode isolation (the so-called "W recess") were found to cause partial etching of the tungsten layer.
Currently, 3D-NAND structures are finding utility in memory devices. In order to achieve better efficiency in memory performance, 3D-NAND manufacturers have investigated other materials that can lead to superior performance in memory devices. In particular, many 3D-NAND manufacturers have replaced the W layers with molybdenum. As a result, manufacturers require etchant compositions that can selectively remove the Mo in the recesses without removing TiN. Of particular interest is an etchant composition that can selectively remove molybdenum at an etch rate such that each recess achieves a substantially the same targeted etch depth under the controlled etching conditions.

Method and composition for etching molybdenum


A support for a table top or the like is provided by a leg having end portions over and to each of which is mounted a sleeve of a material characterized by a frusto-conical exterior surface and a high coefficient of friction. Each sleeved end of the leg is designed to seat in and tightly and frictionally engage one of the sockets to provide rigid support for the table top and each sleeve is provided with a releasable latch to prevent separation of the leg from the socket in the absence of intentional detachment of the latch by an operator.

The invention is particularly intended for use in connection with furniture designed to be stored when not in use. To conserve storage space, it is very desirable that furniture used for this purpose be capable of being folded or disassembled so it can be rendered as compact as possible for storage. Further, the steps necessary to assemble or disassemble the furniture should be both simple and quickly completed. This is accomplished by the construction disclosed in my earlier application, Ser. No. 325,989.
However, it has been discovered that for certain applications, such as in motor homes, it is considered essential that means be provided to positively lock the furniture to the vehicle body so that, in the absence of an intentional act by an operator, the leg on which the furniture is supported will not become detached from the vehicle structure, such as a floor. Also, the invention provides such a means which can also be utilized to prevent unintentional detachment of the leg from that which it is supporting, such as a table top. The invention does not require the table top to have any particular circumferential position with respect to the leg. Thus, it does not restrict or interfere with the positioning of non-circular table tops in the most useable position.


A system for translating compressed instructions to instructions in an executable format is described. A translation unit is configured to decompress compressed instructions into a native instruction format using X and Y indices accessed from a memory, a translation memory, and a program specified mix mask. A level 1 cache is configured to store the native instruction format for each compressed instruction. The memory may be configured as a paged instruction cache to store pages of compressed instructions intermixed with pages of uncompressed instructions. Methods of determining a mix mask for efficiently translating compressed instructions is also described. A genetic method uses pairs of mix masks as genes from a seed population of mix masks that are bred and may be mutated to produce pairs of offspring mix masks to update the seed population. A mix mask for efficiently translating compressed instructions is determined from the updated seed population.

Many portable products, such as cell phones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or the like, require the use of a processor executing a program supporting communication and multimedia applications. The processing system for such products includes one or more processors, each with storage for instructions, input operands, and results of execution. For example, the instructions, input operands, and results of execution for a processor may be stored in a hierarchical memory subsystem consisting of a general purpose register file, multi-level instruction caches, data caches, and a system memory.
In order to provide high code density a native instruction set architecture (ISA) may be used having two instruction formats, such as a 16-bit instruction format that is a subset of a 32-bit instruction format. In many cases, a fetched 16-bit instruction is transformed by a processor into a 32-bit instruction prior to or in a decoding process which allows the execution hardware to be designed to only support the 32-bit instruction format. The use of 16-bit instructions that are a subset of 32-bit instructions is a restriction that limits the amount of information that can be encoded into a 16-bit format. For example, a 16-bit instruction format may limit the number of addressable source operand registers and destination registers that may be specified. A 16-bit instruction format, for example, may use 3-bit or 4-bit register file address fields, while a 32-bit instruction may use 5-bit fields. Processor pipeline complexity may also increase if the two formats are intermixed in a program due in part to instruction addressing restrictions, such as branching to 16-bit and 32-bit instructions. Also, requirements for code compression vary from program to program making a fixed 16-bit instruction format chosen for one program less advantageous for use by a different program. In this regard, legacy code for existing processors may not be able to effectively utilize the two instruction formats to significantly improve code density and meet real time requirements. These and other restrictions limit the effectiveness of reduced size instructions having fields that are subsets of fields used in the standard size instructions.

Methods and apparatus for storage and translation of entropy encoded software embedded within a memory hierarchy


A method for removing sediments under sewage water in a sewer includes: introducing a portion of a cable into a sewer from the ground by extending the cable into the sewer through an inlet in the ground accessible to the sewer and out of the sewer through an outlet in the ground communicated with the sewer; lowering the portion of the cable until the portion of the cable is embedded in the sediments; positioning two ends of the cable extending outwardly of the inlet and the outlet on the ground; moving mechanically the cable to stir and suspend the sediments into the sewage water; pumping the suspended sediments from the sewer to the ground through one of the inlet and the outlet; removing the sediments from the sewage water by filtration on the ground; and returning the sewage water to the sewer through the other one of the inlet and the outlet.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for removing sediments under sewage water in a sewer, more particularly to a sediment-removing method that can be carried out conveniently and quickly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, with reference to FIG. 1, sediments 18 under sewage water 19 in a sewer 11 are removed by a digger 10. Digging a number of large holes 14 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) in the ground or road 12 in order to permit access of the digger 10 into the sewer 11 is required before removing the sediments 18. After the sediments 18 are dug out by the digger 10 from the sewer 11 through the large holes 14, the large holes 14 on the road 12 must be closed in preparation for use by the vehicles.
Referring to FIG. 2, a steel plate 15 is disposed on top of support walls 13 that are provided between the sewer 11 and the road 12. Then, a concrete layer 16 and an asphalt layer 17 are formed sequentially above the steel plate 15 in order to close a large hole 14. It is noted that the conventional process for removing the sediments 18 from the sewer 11 is troublesome and time-consuming.

Method for removing sediments under sewage water in a sewer


An organic EL display includes an anode electrode; a cathode electrode; at least one organic layer selected from a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transporting layer, and an electron injection layer between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; and at least one organic compound derivative layer arranged between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, the organic compound derivative layer having a structure of formula:R1R2MR3R4,where “M” is one metal selected from a group consisting of Ti, Pt and one metal belonging to groups 13 and 14 of periods 3 to 5.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic EL display and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional organic EL display, and particularly shows a low molecular organic EL display.
The organic EL display of FIG. 1 includes an anode electrode 12, a hole injection layer 13, a hole transport layer 14, an organic light-emitting layer 15, an electron transport layer 16, an electron injection layer 17, and a cathode electrode 18, which are stacked on a substrate 11 in described order. Of the layers, the electron transport layer 16 can be removed.
Eventhough not shown, a high molecular organic EL display generally includes an anode electrode, a hole transport layer, an organic light-emitting layer, and a cathode electrode, which are sequentially stacked.
Holes move from the anode electrode 12 to the organic light-emitting layer 15, and electrons move from the cathode electrode 18 to the organic light-emitting layer 15. The organic light-emitting layer 15 emits light by excitation and recombination of electrons and holes injected from a cathode and an anode. Therefore, if the hole injection efficiency and the electron injection efficiency are improved, the device characteristics of the organic EL display are also improved.
In the case of a low molecular organic EL display, the layers are formed using a vacuum deposition technique. However, in case of a high molecular organic EL display, the layers are formed using a solution processing technique, which result in certain limitations to forming the organic light-emitting layer made of an organic material.
In particular, the hole transport layer must be stable to a wet coating process to form the organic light-emitting layer using an organic solvent. The hole transport layer is generally made of a water-soluble high molecular material such as a PEDOT (a mixture of a poly(3,4)-ethylenedioxythiophene and a polystyrenesulfonate) or a PANI (a mixture of a polyaniline and a polystyrenesulfonate). However, such a hole transport layer has a problem in that an interface characteristic between the hole transport layer and the hydrophobic organic light-emitting layer is lowered.
For example, since a bonding power between the hole transport layer and the organic light-emitting layer is low, a life span of the organic EL display is shortened. Also, uniform organic light-emitting layer cannot be formed on the hydrophilic hole transport layer using an ink-jet printing technique or a laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) technique, even though the ink-jet printing technique and the LITI technique have an advantage in that it is easy to define pixels and achieve a full color light emission.
Another problem for the organic EL display is there is a poor interface characteristic between an anode electrode and a hole transport layer. Migration of oxygen from the anode electrode to a hole transport layer or a light-emitting layer and permeation of moisture through the anode/hole transport layer or the hole transport layer/light-emitting layer interface can damage the device characteristic of the organic EL display.
In efforts to overcome the problems described above, a silicon oxide layer or a silicon nitride layer is arranged between the anode electrode and the hole transport layer so as to improve a device characteristic of the organic EL display.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,528 discloses a silicon carbide (SiC) layer arranged between the anode electrode and the hole transport layer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,565 discloses a silicon oxynitride layer arranged between the anode electrode and the hole transport layer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,685 discloses a silicon oxide layer arranged between the anode electrode and the hole transport layer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,725 discloses a tantalum oxide layer arranged between the anode electrode and the hole transport layer. However, the U.S. patents stated above require a high vacuum process and have a complicated manufacturing process.

Organic EL display with an organic compound derivative layer


A computer program product, apparatus, and method for use in determining the position of a user terminal includes receiving at the user terminal a digital television (DTV) broadcast signal transmitted by a DTV transmitter; tracking a periodic component of the DTV signal using a delay-lock loop (DLL), including selecting an observation interval based on the timing of the periodic component, and turning on a portion of the DLL during the observation interval, and turning the portion off otherwise; and determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and the DTV transmitter based on the DTV broadcast signal; and wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range and a location of the DTV transmitter.

The present invention relates generally to position determination, and particularly to position determination using DTV signals.
There have long been methods of two-dimensional latitude/longitude position location systems using radio signals. In wide usage have been terrestrial systems such as Loran C and Omega, and a satellite-based system known as Transit. Another satellite-based system enjoying increased popularity is the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Initially devised in 1974, GPS is widely used for position location, navigation, survey, and time transfer. The GPS system is based on a constellation of 24 on-orbit satellites in sub-synchronous 12 hour orbits. Each satellite carries a precision clock and transmits a pseudo-noise signal, which can be precisely tracked to determine pseudo-range. By tracking 4 or more satellites, one can determine precise position in three dimensions in real time, world-wide. More details are provided in B. W. Parkinson and J. J. Spilker, Jr., Global Positioning System-Theory and Applications, Volumes I and II, AIAA, Washington, D.C. 1996.
GPS has revolutionized the technology of navigation and position location. However in some situations, GPS is less effective. Because the GPS signals are transmitted at relatively low power levels (less than 100 watts) and over great distances, the received signal strength is relatively weak (on the order of xe2x88x92160 dBw as received by an omni-directional antenna). Thus the signal is marginally useful or not useful at all in the presence of blockage or inside a building.
There has even been a proposed system using conventional analog National Television System Committee (NTSC) television signals to determine position. This proposal is found in a U.S. Patent entitled xe2x80x9cLocation Determination System And Method Using Television Broadcast Signals,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,801, issued Apr. 23, 1996. However, the analog TV signal described contains horizontal and vertical synchronization pulses intended only for relatively crude synchronization of the TV set sweep circuitry, and not suitable for precise positioning. Further, in 2006 the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) will consider turning off NTSC transmitters and reassigning that valuable spectrum so that it can be auctioned for other purposes deemed more valuable.
The above disclosures describe the use of the new American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) digital television (DTV) signals for position location. When these techniques are used to determine the position of a handheld unit such as a cellular telephone, the efficient use of the limited power supply of the handheld unit is important.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a computer program product, apparatus, and method for use in determining the position of a user terminal. It includes receiving at the user terminal a digital television (DTV) broadcast signal transmitted by a DTV transmitter; tracking a periodic component of the DTV signal using a delay-lock loop (DLL), including selecting an observation interval based on the timing of the periodic component, and turning on a portion of the DLL during the observation interval, and turning the portion off otherwise; and determining a pseudo-range between the user terminal and the DTV transmitter based on the DTV broadcast signal; and wherein the position of the user terminal is determined based on the pseudo-range and a location of the DTV transmitter.
Particular implementations can include one or more of the following features. Implementations include determining the position of the user terminal based on the pseudo-range and the location of the DTV transmitter. Determining a position of the user terminal includes adjusting the pseudo-range based on a difference between a transmitter clock at the DTV transmitter and a known time reference; and determining the position of the user terminal based on the adjusted pseudo-range and the location of the DTV transmitter. The DTV broadcast signal is an American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) DTV signal, and the pseudo-range is determined based on a known digital sequence in the ATSC frame. The known digital sequence is a synchronization code. The synchronization code is a Field Synchronization Segment within an ATSC data frame. The synchronization code is a Synchronization Segment within a Data Segment within an ATSC data frame.
Determining a position of the user terminal includes determining an offset between a local time reference in the user terminal and a master time reference; and determining the position of the user terminal based on the pseudo-range, the location of the DTV transmitter, and the offset. Determining a pseudo-range includes correlating the DTV signal with a signal generated by the user terminal as the DTV signal is received to produce the pseudo-range.
Implementations include tracking the pilot signal of the DTV signal using a phase-lock loop; and wherein tracking the component of the DTV signal is based on the tracking of the pilot signal. Implementations include transmitting the pseudo-range to a location server configured to determine a position of the user terminal based on the pseudo-range and a location of the DTV transmitter. The position of the user terminal is determined by adjusting the pseudorange based on a difference between a transmitter clock at the transmitter of the broadcast analog television signal and a known time reference, and determining the position of the user terminal based on the adjusted pseudorange and the location of the TV transmitter. Implementations include determining a further pseudorange based on a further broadcast analog television signal; and projecting the pseudorange and the further pseudorange to an instant of time, thereby eliminating any first order term in the clock of the user terminal.
Advantages that can be seen in implementations of the invention include one or more of the following. Implementations of the invention may be used to position cellular telephones, wireless PDA""s (personal digital assistant), pagers, cars, OCDMA (orthogonal code-division multiple access) transmitters and a host of other devices. Implementations of the inventions make use of a DTV signal which has excellent coverage over the United States, and the existence of which is mandated by the Federal Communication Commission. Implementations of the present invention require no changes to the Digital Broadcast Stations.
The DTV signal has a power advantage over GPS of more than 40 dB, and substantially superior geometry to that which a satellite system could provide, thereby permitting position location even in the presence of blockage and indoors. The DTV signal has roughly six times the bandwidth of GPS, thereby minimizing the effects of multipath. Due to the high power and low duty factor of the DTV signal used for ranging, the processing requirements are minimal. Implementations of the present invention accommodate far cheaper, lower-speed, and lower-power devices than a GPS technique would require.
In contrast to satellite systems such as GPS, the range between the DTV transmitters and the user terminals changes very slowly. Therefore the DTV signal is not significantly affected by Doppler effects. This permits the signal to be integrated for a long period of time, resulting in very efficient signal acquisition.
The frequency of the DTV signal is substantially lower that that of conventional cellular telephone systems, and so has better propagation characteristics. For example, the DTV signal experiences greater diffraction than cellular signals, and so is less affected by hills and has a larger horizon. Also, the signal has better propagations characteristics through buildings and automobiles.
Unlike the terrestrial Angle-of-Arrival/Time-of-Arrival positioning systems for cellular telephones, implementations of the present invention require no change to the hardware of the cellular base station, and can achieve positioning accuracies on the order of 1 meter. When used to position cellular phones, the technique is independent of the air interface, whether GSM (global system mobile), AMPS (advanced mobile phone service), TDMA (time-division multiple access), CDMA, or the like. A wide range of UHF (ultra-high frequency) frequencies has been allocated to DTV transmitters. Consequently, there is redundancy built into the system that protects against deep fades on particular frequencies due to absorption, multipath and other attenuating effects.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Time-gated delay lock loop tracking of digital television signals


An endoprosthesis for below knee amputations includes a socket, a foam-covered pylon, and a prosthetic foot. A prosthetic knee is added for above knee amputations. A plastic sleeve is formed, heated, and stretched until it has a size sufficient to ensleeve the endoprothesis. The plastic sleeve is maintained at that enlarged size and cooled so that the resulting sleeve is substantially inelastic and is adapted to receive the endoprosthesis. The plastic sleeve is heated in areas where it does not conform exactly to the endoprosthesis until it shrinks and conforms exactly to the endoprosthesis, including the contour of the foam-covered pylon. The plastic sleeve then reveals all of the structural details of the prosthetic foam but does not apply compressive force to the foam. Lines of demarcation therefore do not form at the locations where the foam meets the prosthetic socket, the prosthetic knee, or the prosthetic foot.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to the art of prosthetics. More particularly, it relates to cosmetic covers for endoskeletal prostheses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exoskeletal prosthetic devices were in common use as recently as thirty (30) years ago. They are made of materials such as wood, fiberglass, or other suitable materials that may be shaped to approximate the appearance of a limb. The ability to provide the general appearance of a human limb is the primary advantage of an exoskeletal device.
Exoskeletal devices also have the advantage of being relatively easy to manufacture because they are made in one piece. Thus, they are weight-bearing and do not require supplementation with additional structural elements.
However, because an exoskeletal device is made in one piece, it cannot be adjusted as the user""s gait changes and as the residual limb shrinks over time.
Endoskeletal prostheses have gradually supplanted exoskeletal devices during the last thirty years for several reasons. An endoskeletal device is stronger than an exoskeletal device of the same weight, and it can be adjusted over time as a user""s gait changes and as a user""s residual limb changes in size. The primary drawback of an endoskeletal prosthesis is that it has a functional, utilitarian or mechanical appearance and therefore bears little resemblance to the limb it replaces. For example, an endoskeletal prosthesis that performs the function of the tibia and Peron bones of a leg is provided in the form of straight pylon that does not resemble a human leg.
Moreover, endoskeletal prostheses are not one-piece structures. For a below knee amputee, an endoskeletal device will include a form-fitting socket for receiving a residual limb, a pylon that performs the function of the tibia and Peron bones in a human leg, a prosthestic foot that takes the reaction force from the ground and transmits it to the pylon and socket and ultimately to the bone structure of the amputee, and connection hardware that interconnects the various components. More particularly, connection hardware is required between the distal end of the socket and the proximal end of the pylon and between the distal end of the pylon and the proximal end of the prosthetic foot.
An above knee prosthesis requires all of the below-knee components, and a prosthetic knee joint as well. It provides angular motion similar to that of a human knee.
One advantage of having separate components is that a worn part may be replaced without replacing the entire prosthesis. An exoskeletal prosthesis, on the other hand, must be replaced in toto if any part thereof requires replacement.
Because endoskeletal prostheses are machine components with inadequate aesthetic value, the art has developed several techniques for covering the pylon with a cosmetic covering that approaches the appearance of a human limb. A common cosmetic covering is a foam known in the art as prosthetic foam. It can be shaped to substantially conform to the shape of a limb. Typically, the sound limb of an amputee is used as a model. The foam that covers the pylon is sculpted to look like the sound limb in shape and size. It is then spray painted with a flexible paint having a skin tone that matches the coloration of the sound leg. A skin tone stocking is then placed over the painted foam and a cosmetic cover is placed over the stocking. Depending upon the color of the cosmetic cover, it may or may not be painted. Thus, the cosmetic cover ensleeves the prosthetic foot, the foam-covered pylon, the prosthetic knee, and at least the distal end of the socket in above-knee amputation applications. In below knee applications where no prosthetic knee is required, the cosmetic cover ensleeves the prosthetic foot, the foam-covered pylon, and at least the distal end of the socket.
Two types of cosmetic covers have been developed for use with endoskeletal prostheses. Each of them has advantageous as well as disadvantageous properties.
The first type of cosmetic cover is substantially inelastic. Cosmetic covers exhibiting low elasticity are mass produced in many different sizes and shapes in the hope that a reasonable match may be found for each user. However, due to the wide variation in such parameters as ankle and calf geometry, both in circumference and longitudinal profile, a suitable match is seldom made between such an xe2x80x9coff the shelfxe2x80x9d product and the geometry of an amputee""s limb. Moreover, due to the low elasticity of such a cover, it cannot conform to the surface details in the prosthetic foam that covers the pylon of an endoprosthetic device. A prosthetist may work diligently and with artistry to fashion a prosthetic foam cover that provides a good match to the amputee""s sound limb, only to have the details of the prosthetic foam obliterated by an inelastic cosmetic cover that inadequately conforms to the realistic surfaces created by the prosthestist.
The second type of cosmetic cover has good elasticity characteristics and thus does not hide the work of the prosthetist. This type of cosmetic cover is desirable because it conforms exactly to the surface contour of the underlying prosthetic foam. Accordingly, the appearance of the prosthesis closely matches the appearance of the sound limb.
Highly elastic form-fitting cosmetic covers are thus initially more desirable than the inelastic type. Unfortunately, the bias provided by the elasticity continuously bears against the underlying prosthetic foam, applying a uniform pressure to it. After a few weeks or months, depending upon such factors as the stiffness of the foam and the elasticity of the cosmetic cover, the underlying foam sustains a set and shrinks. A uniform shrinkage in circumference is of little or no concern throughout most sections of the prosthesis, but in an above-knee prosthesis, it is problematic at the junction between the distal end of the prosthestic knee joint and the proximal end of the prosthetic foam, and the junction between the proximal end of the prosthetic foot and the distal end of the prosthetic foam. Neither the prosthetic knee joint nor the prosthetic foot are foam-covered so such parts do not undergo shrinkage. Thus, in above knee applications, a visible line of demarcation forms at the juncture between the prosthetic knee joint and the proximal end of the foam, and between the distal end of the foam and the prosthetic foot. In below knee applications, a visible line of demarcation forms at the juncture between the proximal end of the foam and the distal end of the socket and the distal end of the foam and the proximal end of the prosthetic foot. These lines of demarcation destroy the semblance of normalcy created by the careful sculpting and painting of the foam and the contour-following elasticity of the cosmetic cover.
Both types of cosmetic covers are thus understood to have significant drawbacks. What is needed is a cosmetic cover that provides the form-fitting benefits of a highly elastic cover without also causing the shrinkage of the underlying foam. The needed cosmetic cover would conform exactly to the underlying foam, as would a highly elastic cover, but would not apply a pressure thereto.
However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how these inherently contradictory requirements could be fulfilled.
The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for an improved cosmetic cover for an endoskeletal prosthesis is now met by a new, useful, and nonobvious invention. The invention provides a cosmetic cover that conforms precisely to the prosthetic foam it overlies without compressing the foam and causing development of lines of demarcation between foam-covered and non-foam-covered parts of the prosthesis.
The novel cosmetic cover of this invention includes a plastic sleeve having an elastic reinforced textile inside that has been pre-stretched so that it may be easily donned over a finished prosthesis and then heat shrunk into place. Different sections of the cosmetic cover are stretched by different percentages. A balloon, for comparison purposes, has a uniform thickness so that when it is inflated, all sections thereof are stretched by the same percentage. Thus, the geometry of an inflated balloon substantially matches the geometry of the balloon prior to inflation. The novel cosmetic cover of this invention, in contrast to a balloon, includes sections that are stretched to differing degrees.
The sections of the novel cosmetic cover that are subjected to more stress and wear during use are either: 1) made thicker; 2) made the same thickness but with fabric incorporated thereinto; or 3) made thicker and with fabric incorporated thereinto. In the first case, thicker sections of the plastic sleeve will stretch less than thinner sections thereof. In the second situation, the fabric is less elastic than the plastic sleeve so those sections of the plastic sleeve having fabric incorporated thereinto will stretch less than those sections of the plastic sleeve lacking fabric reinforcement. In the third scenario, the thicker sections of the plastic sleeve will also be fabric-reinforced so such sections will stretch less than sections that are thicker but not fabric reinforced or fabric reinforced but not thicker.
The ankle section and the foot section of a cosmetic cover are among the sections that are subjected to the greatest amount of wear and that therefore require greater thickness or fabric reinforcement, or both, to reduce their elasticity.
Some sections of a cosmetic cover should be pre-stretched to facilitate their donning over a completed prosthesis. Specifically, the ankle and foot sections should be larger when stretched to facilitate introduction of the prosthetic foot thereinto. Accordingly, when the novel cosmetic cover is pre-stretched, the ankle and foot sections thereof are stretched more than the other sections. Such stretching may be performed by inflating the cosmetic cover inside a preformed shell that constrains some sections against stretching but not other sections. The cosmetic cover is then heated, and cooled in the stretched form. It may also be performed mechanically by tensioning arms, in which case the cover is heated and cooled in the pre-stretched form.
The first cosmetic cover disclosed herein is used with an endoskeletal prosthesis of the type having utility in below knee amputations. The prosthesis includes a socket, a pylon, and a prosthetic foot. A pylon is covered with a prosthetic foam and the foam is contoured to match a contour of a sound limb. Areas of the plastic sleeve that do not conform to a contour of the prosthetic foam are shrunk by heating said areas until said areas conform to said contour. Alternatively, the cover can be shrunk to size by placing the whole prosthesis in an oven for a few minutes. When the heat source is removed, the substantially inelastic plastic sleeve does not exert enough pressure upon the prosthetic foam to cause it to compress. Therefore, no visible lines of demarcation form between the prosthetic foot and the distal end of the foam-covered pylon and no visible lines of demarcation form between the proximal end of the foam-covered pylon and the socket.
The second cosmetic cover disclosed herein is used with an endoskeletal prosthesis of the type having utility in above knee amputations. The prosthesis includes a socket, an upper pylon, a prosthetic knee, a lower pylon, and a prosthetic foot.
The upper pylon, the knee joint, and the lower pylon are covered with a prosthetic foam and the foam is contoured to match a contour of a sound limb. The cosmetic cover is placed into ensleeving relation to the prosthetic foot, the lower pylon, the prosthetic knee, the upper pylon, and the socket.
Areas of the plastic sleeve that do not conform to a contour of the prosthetic foam are shrunk by heating until said areas conform to said contour. Alternatively, the cover can be shrunk to size by placing the whole prosthesis in an oven for a few minutes. When the heat source is removed, the substantially inelastic plastic sleeve does not exert sufficient pressure upon the prosthetic foam to cause it to compress. Therefore, no visible lines of demarcation form between the distal end of the socket and a proximal end of the upper pylon-covering prosthetic foam. Nor do any visible lines of demarcation form the distal end of the prosthetic foam and the proximal end of the prosthetic foot.
An important object of this invention is to provide a cosmetic cover that overlies an endoskeletal prosthesis that includes prosthetic foam-covered parts and that conforms exactly to the contour of said foam to show all of the structural details thereof.
Another important object is to provide a cosmetic cover that does not compress the prosthetic foam that it overlies.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.


There is provided an alternating current supply noise reducer for a 3D chip stack having two or more strata. Each of the strata has a respective one of a plurality of power distribution circuits and a respective one of a plurality of clock distribution circuits arranged thereon. The alternating current supply noise reducer includes a plurality of voltage droop sensors and a plurality of skew adjustors. The plurality of voltage droop sensors is for detecting alternating current supply noise in the plurality of power distribution circuits. One or more voltage droop sensors are respectively arranged on at least some of the strata. The plurality of skew adjusters are for delaying one or more clock signals provided by the plurality of clock distribution circuits responsive to an amount of the alternating current supply noise. Each skew adjuster is respectively arranged on the at least some of the strata.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to integrated circuits and, in particular, to alternating current (AC) supply noise reduction in a 3D stack with voltage sensing and clock shifting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Supply noise is spatially dependent on the current sources that are used. In general, simultaneous clock switching in synchronous clock systems causes large power supply noise through the power and ground power grids. Such synchronous clock systems may be used, for example, in 3D stacked chips.
Three-dimensional (3D) stacked chips include two or more electronic integrated circuit chips stacked one on top of the other. The chips are connected to each other with chip-to-chip interconnects that could use C4 or other technology, and the chips could include through-Silicon vias (TSVs) to connect from the front side to the back side of the chip. Given the amount of simultaneous clock switching that typically occurs in 3D chips, the reduction of AC noise in 3D chips is particularly of interest.

AC supply noise reduction in a 3D stack with voltage sensing and clock shifting

International Business Machines Corporation