The device for removing a hypodermic needle from a syringe body and for simultaneously distorting the hypodermic needle comprises a receptacle, a guiding structure for guiding the hypodermic needle into the receptacle, a mechanism for engaging, pulling and simultaneously distorting the hypodermic needle adjacent to the guiding structure and a mechanism for operating the engaging, pulling and distorting mechanism to pull the needle into the receptacle, the guiding structure includes an abutment for preventing the syringe body from entering the receptacle and the mechanism for engaging, pulling and distorting the needle includes a pair of intermeshing gears.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for removing hypodermic needles from syringes and for distorting the hypodermic needles to provide an effective and safe means of discarding used hypodermic needles.
2. Description of the related art including information disclosed under 37 CFR .sctn..sctn. 1.97-1.99
Heretofore, a number of devices have been proposed for safely and effectively destroying hypodermic needles rendering them incapable of a second use. Examples of some of these devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 5,138,125 Salesses 5,138,124 Kirk et al. 4,969,379 Taylor et al. 4,531,437 Szablak et al. 4,404,881 Hanifl 4,332,323 Reenstierna 4,275,628 Greenhouse 4,255,996 Choksi et al. 3,800,644 Garvis et al. 3,785,233 Robinson 3,683,733 Johan et al. 3,404,593 Arcarese et al. ______________________________________
The Salesses U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,125 discloses an electrical needle destruction device. The device has a receiver assembly, pivotally connected to the housing. The receiver assembly includes a support arm with an opening and an open channel. When the receiver assembly is in an initial vertical position, a needle is inserted through the opening into the open channel. The receiver assembly is rotated to a second position whereby the needle is brought into contact with electrodes causing the needle to be destroyed. The support arm also has a plunger near the opening extending through a passageway which is perpendicular to the open channel. When a downward force is applied to the plunger the needle hub is immobilized. While the hub is immobilized, the syringe may then be detached from the hub.
The Kirk et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,124 discloses an apparatus for destroying hypodermic needles. The housing of the device has a guide member for guiding the hypodermic needle into contact with a stationary electrode element and a rotating electrode wheel. When the needle contacts both the electrode wheel and the electrode element a circuit is completed which causes the needle to immediately become heated to a temperature greater than the needle's melting point. The needle is turned into powdered debris which falls into a compartment of the container.
The Taylor et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,379 discloses a disposable needle and syringe destructor unit. The unit has an aperture for receiving the entire syringe. The syringe sits horizontally inside the unit on a V-shaped stop member which accurately positions the syringe under a piston. The piston is then brought down upon the syringe, forcing the syringe into contact with the cutting dyes. The syringe is cut into pieces which fall to the bottom of the container. When the container is full, the entire unit can be disposed of.
The Szablak et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,437 discloses a rotary needle and syringe destructor. This device has a base housing and an upper closure body. The housing has an open side to receive a receptacle which collects the severed needles. The receptacle is automatically locked in a closed position upon removal from the housing. The upper body has a rotary die member for severing the needles and syringes. The rotary die member has an outer die sleeve and an inner die core. The sleeve and core have registered openings at the top to accept the needle and the hub of the syringe. The sleeve and the core also have smaller registered openings at the bottom to allow only the needle to pass through. The core is then rotated, causing the die and core openings to become misaligned and thus severing the needle from the hub and the hub from the syringe. The severed needle and hub fall into a receptacle, which when full can be removed, discarded and replaced.
The Hanifl U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,881 discloses a needle and syringe destroyer. The device has a receptacle and a base mounted on the receptacle. The base includes a shearing means and a disposal means. The shearing means has a pair of guillotine shears each having a movable shear blade. Static shear blades having apertures for syringe and needle entry are also mounted on the base. The needle is positioned within the apertures. The movable shear blades are then activated by a hand manipulable lever, bringing the movable blades into contact with the needle close to cutting edges of the fixed blades, and thus severing the needle. The severed portions of the needle fall directly into the receptacle. Remaining portions of the syringe barrel may be deposited in the disposal means which is located on the receptacle and comprises an opening and a movable closure lid.
The Reenstierna U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,323 discloses a destruction device for injection needles. The destruction device has an outer sleeve with a bottom and a concentric inner sleeve. Blades are fixedly attached to the inner surface of the outer sleeve and are pivotally retained by the inner sleeve. When a needle is inserted into the device for destruction, the needle sits within the inner sleeve. The assembly is then struck or pressed against some object at the bottom, forcing the outer sleeve towards the inner sleeve and forcing the blades to pivot and engage the needle, thus bending or breaking the needle.
The Greenhouse U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,628 discloses a syringe and needle destroyer. This needle destroyer has a horizontally movable severing means having an upper blade and a lower blade. The blades are moved horizontally when a lever is actuated. The needle and hub portion of the syringe are inserted into an opening on top of a cover of a receptacle. When the lever is actuated the blades move horizontally, and the lower blade severs the needle from the hub while the upper blade severs the hub from the syringe. The severed needle and hub then fall into the bottom of the receptacle.
The Choksi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,996 discloses a needle destroyer with an improved mechanical advantage. The device has a separable housing having a top portion and a bottom portion. An opening in the top portion is provided to accept the needle and hub. Hub and cannula cutters laterally slide relative to the hub center and simultaneously sever both the hub and the cannula in one motion. The mechanical advantage to the cannula cutter is provided by joining the hub and cannula cutters at a slidable joint and by providing non-coaxial pivot points for the cutters. The severed hub and cannula fall into a box located in the bottom portion of the housing.
The Garvis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,644 discloses a destruction and disposal device for hypodermic syringes. A syringe or multiple syringes are placed in the feeding tray. The syringes are automatically, one by one, fed into a cutting section of the device. The cutting section has a plurality of cutting blades having a fixed set of blades and a movable set of blades. The movable set is capable of moving into and out of a shearing relationship with the fixed set. The movable blades are then actuated, cutting the syringe into a plurality of pieces. The pieces are then dispensed into a collection bin located beneath the cutting section. The entire process of feeding, cutting and dispensing is controlled by a motor control unit of the device.
The Robinson U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,233 discloses a cutting punch for destroying hypodermic syringes. The punch comprises a base, a standard extending from the base and an overhang portion over the base. The base is fitted with a die retainer having a cutter with a groove at the front and the rear. The grooves are of semi-cylindrical shape and serve to support the hypodermic syringe in a substantially position when inserted into the die. The overhang portion is bored with a cylindrical passage to accommodate a plunger having cutting edges. The plunger is pressed downwardly to effect the cutting operation, thus severing the needle and the hub of the syringe. The severed portions fall into a drawer positioned below the base.
The Johan et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,733 discloses an apparatus for destroying hypodermic needles. The device has a rotatable cylindrical inner cutting body having a bore. The inner body is positioned within a stationary outer cutting body which cooperates with the inner body and has a bore with sharp cutting surfaces. In the initial position the two bores are aligned. A needle is inserted through the bores of the inner and outer bodies. The inner bore is then rotated so that the needle is severed along the cutting surfaces of the outer body.
The Arcarese et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,593 discloses a hypodermic syringe destroyer having a cabinet with a removable container. A cutting means is provided comprising a housing which is located on top of the container having two axially aligned apertures, a movable member with a handle and a pair of arms, and shearing elements attached to the arms of the movable member. The hypodermic syringe is inserted into the housing and through the apertures, then the handle is operated so as to bring the shearing elements into contact with the syringe, thus severing the syringe. The severed portions of the syringe then fall into the removable container.

Device for removing a hypodermic needle from a syringe body and for distorting the hypodermic needle


A sleeper laying apparatus comprises a mobile chassis having a front portion in the nature of a full trailer furnished with unsprung road wheels (11) permitting it to travel along a bare rail bed. A dual chain storage conveyor (15,16,17,18,19) extends along the front portion of the chassis with supported top chain flights on which a file of sleepers (21A) may rest and be fed, when the storage conveyor is operated, towards the rear of the chassis. The chassis further comprises a trailing rear portion supporting an inclined gravity conveyor (26,27) able to receive sleepers (21A) from the storage conveyor and allow them to gravitate onto the track bed, and a hold back escapement mechanism (32,33,34,35,36,37) disposed above said gravity conveyor in the nature of a dual chain conveyor with abutment arms (37) projecting from its chains (36) into the path of sleepers (21C) on the gravity conveyor to control the movement of sleepers thereon. Intermittent, synchronized operation of the storage conveyor and escapement mechanism is effected by controllers, responsive to the forward travel of the chassis, so as to release sleepers from the gravity conveyor onto the track bed at predetermined intervals. The controllers include a center wheel (40) rolling on the track bed and a signal generator responsive to rotation of the wheel generating signals initiating each operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the construction of railway track, and in particular to the emplacement of sleepers on the track bed prior to the affixture of rails to the sleepers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, sleepers have been manhandled into place during the construction of new railway track. This is laborious, slow and, therefore, expensive. Furthermore the accuracy of placement depends entirely on the care taken by the persons doing the laying, and, having regard to the difficulty of manually shifting a sleeper, it is not surprising that in many cases the end result leaves something to be desired.
Attempts to improve on purely manual methods include manually attaching a plurality (say six) sleepers to a jig adapted to hold them in a correctly spaced and aligned array, and then depositing the array as a unit by means of a mobile crane or the like. This method is still labour intensive and still requires care in the positioning of each array. Furthermore, it suffers from the fact that each individual array is straight and therefore not appropriate for curved sections of track. Nevertheless, this technique is still widely used.
In view of the deficiencies of the largely manual methods referred to above, track laying machines have been developed, that are intended to more or less fully automate the process of laying sleepers. Such prior known machines are large and complex items. They usually advance on the track they lay, and therefore run on track wheels and are not independently steerable. Thus they cannot travel by road and have to be partially dismantled for road transport between one operation and another. They are costly to make and constitute considerable idle capital if not fully occupied.
Those prior known machines have usually included devices for depositing the individual sleepers which lift the sleeper into place while it is resting on carry arms or held by clamping devices that then have to be retracted from underneath the sleeper. This has usually required a specially prepared grooved bed to be formed, so as to provide clearance for the carry arms, and subsequently rectified. This has added to the complexity of the process and has limited the use of known machines to operations in which the track bottom ballast has been trucked to site and pre-deposited; whereas it is more economic to deliver all the ballast by train travelling slowly on the unballasted track.
All in all, prior known sleeper laying machines cannot be justified on a cost basis, except, maybe, for very large track construction jobs.


Oligonucleotide structures are provided that are capable of forming more stable bonds to a lipid membrane and thereby generate an improved control of the process whereby oligonucleotide linkers are introduced to lipid membranes. Methods of forming lipid membrane oligonucleotide attachments are provided including lipid vesicles. The oligonucleotides typically comprise at least two hydrophobic anchoring moieties capable of being attached to a lipid membrane. Said moieties may be attached at the terminal ends of an oligonucleotide or, in the case of a first and second strand forming a duplex, at the same terminal end one of the strands other end not being part of the duplex leaving it free to hybridize to additional strands. The lipid vesicles attached with the oligonucleotide can be used in biosensors and may contain membrane proteins.

Rapid progress in protein-chip technologies is today made with respect to water soluble proteins (Kodadek, T., Chemistry and Biology 2001, 8, 105-115), but to generate a signature of the whole proteome make-up also membrane proteins, which constitute an important group of proteins being a common target for disease diagnostics and therapeutic drugs, must also be addressable. However, this class of proteins are often identified as an extremely difficult group of proteins to be analysed on this format. In fact, the first low-density protein chip based on membrane proteins was only recently reported (Fang, Y.; Frutos, A. G.; Lahiri, J., Journal of the American Chemical Society 2002, 124, (11), 2394-2395), demonstrating an array produced via micro-dispensing of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) containing lipid membranes. To fully explore the potential of array-based analysis of membrane proteins, tethered lipid vesicles have recently emerged as a most promising alternative, non-the least since they offer the possibility to measure also membrane-protein mediated material transport across the membrane (Stamou, D.; Duschl, C.; Delamarche, E.; Vogel, H., Angewandte Chemie-International Edition 2003, 42, (45), 5580-5583). Means to control the positioning of different types of vesicles on pre-defined regions are still, to a large extent, lacking. By combining the concept of DNA-labeled vesicles (Patolsky, F.; Lichtenstein, A.; Willner, I., Journal of the American Chemical Society 2000, 122, (2), 418-4) previously utilized for signal enhancement of DNA hybridization detection (with the concept of using DNA-labeled biomolecules for site-selective binding on cDNA arrays (Niemeyer, C. M., Science 2002, 297, (5578), 62). It has recently been demonstrated by the present inventors (Svedhem, S.; Pfeiffer, I.; Larsson, C.; Wingren, C.; Borrebaeck, C.; Höök, F., Chem Bio Chem 2003, (4), 339-343) and others (Yoshina-Ishii, C.; Boxer, S. G., Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003, 125, (13), 3696-3697) to use low density cDNA arrays for site-selective and sequence specific coupling of DNA-tagged lipid vesicles. Instead of using covalent coupling of DNA to chemically active lipids (Yoshina-Ishii, C et al and the article Patolsky, F.; Katz, E.; Bardea, A.; Willner, I., Langmuir 1999, 15, (11), 3703-3706), we made use of cholesterol-modified ss-DNA for spontaneous anchoring into the hydrophobic interior of lipid membranes. This means of anchoring DNA adds a three-folded advantage. This is so because the method (i) is faster (tens of minutes compared with hours), (ii) does not require chemically modified lipids to be introduced and (iii) makes use of a naturally occurring membrane constituent, thus eliminating the risk for side effects induced by chemically reactive lipid head groups on incorporated membrane constituents. However, the cholesterol-based anchoring of DNA to lipid membranes turns out to be relatively weak, thus complicating quantitative control of the number of DNA per vesicles. In addition, site selective sorting of differently DNA-tagged vesicles to cDNA arrays, must, due to DNA exchange between differently tagged vesicles, be accomplished in a sequential, rather than parallel manner (see above recited articles by Svedhem et al Yshina-Ishii et al)

Oligonucleotides related to lipid membrane attachments


A compounded transdermal cream for topical administration of a compounded therapy includes a nerve depressant such as gabapentin in an amount between approximately 5% and 15% by weight of the transdermal cream, an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) such as nabumetone in an amount between approximately 5% and approximately 25% by weight of the transdermal cream, a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline in an amount between approximately 0.5% and approximately 4% by weight of the transdermal cream, a local anesthetic such as lidocaine and prilocaine in an amount between approximately 1% and approximately 7% by weight of the transdermal cream, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

Transdermal creams are employed to deliver medication to the skin of a patient. Conventional compositions intended for topical administration include EMLA cream, a eutectic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine in an emulsified topical cream, such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,299,902 and 4,562,060, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. However, conventional transdermal creams may include various drawbacks, such as addressing limited medical conditions, creating adverse side effects, and/or having limited shelf lives. Additionally, conventional methods of manufacturing transdermal creams may be inefficient and/or lack precision with the amount of active ingredients, or have other drawbacks.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Composition and method for compounded therapy


In abdominal operations, particularly gyneacological abdominal operations, gauze-like material is often used in practice to hold organs such as intestines away from the operative area. This gauze-like material must in many cases be replaced during an operation and also lacks the desired stiffness to hold the intestines in particular in place in all cases.. The present invention provides a cushion-like member for inserting into a relatively large body cavity, as formed during abdominal/pelvis surgery, and for restraining one or more body organs (for instance the intestines) and/or for absorbing blood and/or wound fluid, wherein the cushion-like member consists substantially of synthetic, absorbent material and has a outer contour of such shape that it is layable along and or beyond an edge of said body cavity.

In abdominal operations, particularly gyneacological abdominal operations, gauze-like material is often used in practice to hold organs such as intestines away from the operative area. This gauze-like material must in many cases be replaced during an operation and also lacks the desired stiffness to hold the intestines in particular in place in all cases.
Experiments have taken place on a limited scale with restraining members for intestines in particular operations. These have been found inadequate in practice, for instance because of the inadequate shape, stiffness and/or flexibility.
The retro-peritoneal vessels extend along the spinal column and have a thickness of about 2 cm. Pressure on the retro-peritoneal vessels may lead to brain damage due to lack of an adequate supply of blood. Care must be taken to avoid pressure on the retro-peritoneal vessels during surgery.

Cushion-like member for abdominal operations


A reciprocating saw blade mounting device includes a reciprocating rod, a clamping mechanism and an ejection mechanism. The reciprocating rod is provided with a clamping cavity. The clamping mechanism includes a clamping member and a positioning member which are disposed opposite to each other. The clamping member can move such that the reciprocating saw blade mounting device switches between a clamping state and a released state. The ejection mechanism includes a pressing block and a first elastic member. When the reciprocating saw blade mounting device is in the released state, the pressing block is elastically pressed between the clamping member and the positioning member by the first elastic member. When the reciprocating saw blade mounting device is in the clamping state, the pressing block is pressed out from between the clamping member and the positioning member by the clamping end and compresses the first elastic member.

An electric reciprocating saw is a kind of electric tool used for performing saw cutting through a reciprocating saw blade. The existing reciprocating saw typically includes a reciprocating rod which can perform reciprocating motion and a saw blade connected to the reciprocating rod. The reciprocating rod is driven by a motor to perform the reciprocating motion, and then the saw blade is driven to perform the reciprocating motion, thereby achieving the cutting.
The electric reciprocating saw is used to saw metal plates, pipes, profiles or cut inclined openings on steel pipes, as well as cables or other nonmetallic materials. The saw blade needs to be replaced when worn. Currently, a reciprocating saw blade mounting device has many structures, but most of the devices must be operated with both hands when the saw blade is mounted, which is not convenient for a user.

Reciprocating saw blade mounting device and reciprocating saw


A hot tub cover assembly includes a hot tub that includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall. The peripheral wall includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall and a fourth side wall wherein the first and second side walls are positioned opposite of each other. The peripheral wall has an upper edge defining an opening into the hot tub. A panel has a size and shape substantially equal to the upper edge of the peripheral wall. A lifting assembly is attached to and extends between the peripheral wall and the canopy. The lifting assembly is configured to selectively lift the canopy into an open position lifted above and spaced from the hot tub or lower the canopy into a closed position abutting the upper edge and covering the opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spa covering devices and more particularly pertains to a new spa covering device for selectively covering and sealing an opening of a hot tub.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of spa covering devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,566 describes a device that including a plurality of legs each selectively extendable upwardly or downwardly with respect to a spa. Another type of spa covering device in U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,932 having a structure adapted for selectively closing a spa. A spa enclosure is found in U.S. Patent Des. No. 299,959.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that can be retrofitted to existing spas by attaching legs to an outer surface of the spa. It is preferred that the device selectively lift a canopy upwardly over a spa to form a spaced covering while the spa is being used and which will lower a canopy to seal the spa when it is not being used. This will allow the canopy to perform a dual purpose.


A handover method and apparatus for reducing a time delay during handover in a communication system is provided. A Mobile Station (MS) transmits a serving Base Station (BS) a first message indicating that the MS will perform handover to a target BS and the first message includes information for requesting a second message indicating a response to the successful receipt of the first message.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a communication system, and in particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for handover in a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The next generation communication system has evolved to enable the system to perform high-speed data transmission/reception while ensuring the mobility of a plurality of Mobile Stations (MSs). The next generation communication system can provide services having various Quality of Service (QoS) classes. An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16e communication system is an example of the next generation communication system.
In the IEEE 802.16e communication systems, handover is a very important factor to ensure the mobility of the MSs. The term 'handover' as used herein refers to an action of allowing an MS in service to receive a seamless service while moving between Base Stations (BSs). The 'handover' refers to an action in which an MS moves to a target BS from which it can receive a higher-quality service than its serving BS from which it is presently receiving a service, in response to a decrease in the quality of the service being provided from the serving BS, thereby receiving the seamless service.
FIG. 1 illustrates a handover procedure in an IEEE 802.16e communication system.
Referring to FIG. 1, a serving BS 102 transmits a Mobile Neighbor Advertisement (MOB_NBR-ADV) message to an MS 100 in step 101. Upon receipt of the MOB_NBR-ADV message, the MS 100 can acquire information on neighbor BSs from the received MOB_NBR-ADV message. The MS 100 scans Carrier-to-Interference and Noise Ratios (CINRs), based on which it can measure signal qualities of reference signals, or pilot signals, transmitted from the neighbor BSs in step 103.
After scanning CINRs received from neighbor BS 104 and neighbor BS 106, when the MS 100 determines to switch from its current serving BS 102 to a new BS, it transmits a Mobile Station Handover Request (MOB_MSHO-REQ) message to the serving BS 102 in step 105.
Upon receipt of the MOB_MSHO-REQ message, the serving BS 102 detects a recommended neighbor BS list of the neighbor BSs to which the MS 100 can perform handover, from an Information Element (IE) of the MOB_MSHO-REQ message. The recommended neighbor BS list includes information on the recommended neighbor BSs to which the MS 100 prefers to perform handover. For convenience, it is assumed in FIG. 1 that the recommended neighbor BS list includes the neighbor BS1 104 and the neighbor BS2 106.
The serving BS 102 transmits HO_notification messages to the recommended neighbor BSs, i.e. the neighbor BS1 104 and the neighbor BS2 106, included in the recommended neighbor BS list in steps 107 and 109. The HO_notification message includes information on the bandwidth and QoS that a new serving BS, or an expected target BS, of the MS 100 should provide. Upon receipt of the HO_notification messages, the neighbor BS1 104 and neighbor BS2 106 transmit HO_notification-RSP messages to the serving BS 102 in response to the HO_notification messages in steps 111 and 113. The HO_notification-RSP message includes an action time required until the MS 100 is assigned to a dedicated transmission opportunity for transmitting of a Ranging Request (RNG-REQ) message in performing a network reentry procedure after performing handover to the target BS. Further, the HO_notification-RSP message includes QoS information supportable in the neighbor BS 104 and the neighbor BS 106 among the QoSs used by the MS 100.
The serving BS 102 receives the HO_notification-RSP messages from the neighbor BS1 104 and the neighbor BS2 106 in steps 111 and 113. The serving BS 102 includes information of the neighbor BSs, for example, the action time and QoS information, acquired from the HO_notification-RSP messages, in a Mobile BS HandOver Response (MOB_BSHO-RSP) message, and transmits it to the MS 100 in step 115.
Upon receipt of the MOB_BSHO-RSP message, the MS 100 determines a final target BS that can provide the bandwidth and QoS requested by the MS 100. It will be assumed herein that the MS 100 has determined the neighbor BS1 104 as a final target BS. After determining the final target BS, the MS 100 transmits a Mobile Handover Indication (MOB_HO-IND) message to the serving BS 102 in response to the MOB_BSHO-RSP message in step 117. Upon receipt of the MOB_HO-IND message, the serving BS 102 transmits a HO_confirm message to the target BS 104 included in the MOB_HO-IND message in step 119.
Although not illustrated in the drawing, after transmitting the MOB_HO-IND message to the serving BS 102 in step 117, the MS 100 stops the communication with the serving BS 102 and acquires synchronization with the target BS 104. After acquiring the synchronization with the target BS 104, the MS 100 receives a downlink MAP (DL-MAP) and an uplink MAP (UL-MAP) from the target BS 104 and then attempts handover ranging.
After the MS 100 transmits the MOB_HO-IND message to the serving BS 102, when the serving BS 102 needs a time in analyzing and processing the MOB_HO-IND message, the serving BS 102 can transmit downlink data to the MS 100 while analyzing and processing the corresponding MOB_HO-IND message. In this case, because the MS 100 may interrupt the communication path to the serving BS 102 immediately after transmitting the MOB_HO-IND message to the serving BS 102, the downlink data transmitted from the serving BS 102 to the MS 100 may be lost.
Given that the serving BS 102 needs a time in processing the MOB_HO-IND message after the MS 100 transmits the MOB_HO-IND message to the serving BS 102, the MS 100 may delay the communication path interruption to the serving BS 102, causing a handover delay.
As described above, in the handover procedure of the current IEEE 802.16e communication system, the time at which the MS interrupts the communication path to the serving BS and attempts an access to the target BS after transmitting the MOB_HO-IND message to the serving BS has not been clearly defined.

Apparatus and method for handover in a communication system


Embodiments of the disclosed technology comprise payment for an item (any good or service) to remain in the domain or dominion of a buyer of such an item, while delivering the item to the customer and insuring payment will be made, at a future date, to the seller of the item. A special account designated for this purpose is utilized, in embodiments of the disclosed technology, to ensure that funds are kept separate and the customer or buyer cannot otherwise use the funds. However, interest, or a part thereof, on the funds are, in embodiments of the disclosed technology, awarded to the customer for use in making further purchases (in the form of “reward points”) or as credit back to the customer.

Transactions in the marketplace typically take place when a seller advertises or otherwise makes known that an item (good or service) is for sale and the buyer pays money in exchange for this item. Payment may be made by cash, check, electronic wiring of funds, credit card, and so forth. In most of these cases, the funds then become the seller's and the item the property of the buyer or customer. ("Buyer" and "customer" are used interchangeably in this disclosure and are defined as one desirous of acquiring an item offered for sale.)
Different methods of incentivizing a customer to purchase with a particular payment mechanism (such as reward points for a credit card) or incentivizing to make a purchase from a particular seller (such as offering discounts and special sales) are known in the art. In these cases, the customer parts with his/her money and the seller receives the money, or the funds are in transit to the seller instantaneously. On the other hand, many customers prefer to be invoiced. In this manner, the customer receives the goods, but only needs to pay later. However, when issuing an invoice, the seller is not assured that the payment will actually be made and, further, often has to invest more time and expense in trying to collect payment.
What is needed in the art is the ability to ensure payment, while allowing a buyer to make a payment at a later date; in other words, to reduce the negativities associated with commerce.

Certified promissory payment method for transaction with reward points


According to some embodiments, systems, methods, apparatus, computer program code and means are provided to interpolate from a first portion of a digital object having a first level of detail to a second portion of the digital object having a second level of detail, create a third portion of the digital object having a third level of detail based on the interpolating, and intersect a ray at the third portion.

Ray tracing is a video rendering technique that produces photo-realistic images. In nature, a light source, such as the sun, emits rays of light that travel towards a surface of an object. In a perfect world these rays might be straight lines but in reality, these rays may either be absorped, reflected, and/or refracted by the object or other nearby objects. For example, a surface of an object may reflect the ray in a plurality of directions. If the ray is absorbed, the ray may lose intensity and if the surface has transparent or translucent properties, the ray may be refracted.
In a computer application, the above mentioned absorbed, reflected and refracted rays may be utilized to create a digital image of a digital object and/or nearby digital objects. However, as a digital object is viewed and a perspective becomes closer to the object, more detail related to the digital object may be required and accordingly, as the digital object is viewed from a further perspective less detail may be needed.


The meter box has an inside wall defining a cavity and having upper and lower ends, with upper and lower openings respectively leading to the cavity whereby the cavity may receive a meter by way of the lower opening. An outside wall having upper and lower ends is spaced from and surrounds the inside wall. A receptacle wall is coupled between the upper ends of the inside and outside walls for receiving and supporting a cover. A flange is coupled to and surrounds the outside wall between the upper and lower ends of the outside wall. The flange has an upper flange wall coupled to the outside wall and a lower flange wall spaced from the upper flange wall. The outside wall has alternate inner and outer wall sections spaced from each other and having upper and intermediate ends respectively. The lower flange wall is coupled to the intermediate ends of the outside wall sections of the outside wall. The inner wall sections extend above the flange with their upper ends located below and next to the receptacle wall for providing support for the receptacle wall. Support wall sections are coupled to the lower flange wall and to the upper ends of the inner sections for providing support for the receptacle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to meter boxes for protecting meters, in particular, water meter boxes for water meters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Meter boxes are used to protect buried meters while simultaneously providing easy access to the meters for meter reading and repair. Meters located in roadways and driveways require meter boxes capable of withstanding heavy loads that may be placed on the cover of the meter box by vehicles.
Concrete meter boxes are commonly used in roadways and driveways since they are heavy duty and are capable of withstanding heavy loads placed on the cover of the meter box. Concrete meter boxes are formed by a wall of concrete that extends about the meter. A lip extends about the top of the meter box. The cover of the meter box fits into the top of the meter box and rests on the lip. The concrete lip provides sufficient support to the cover to enable the meter box to withstand the force of heavy loads on the cover.
Concrete meter boxes present some disadvantages, however. Concrete meter boxes are difficult to transport and install. During transport, concrete meter boxes are prone to being chipped, and significant amounts of concrete meter boxes become non-usable because of damage incurred in transport. Installation of concrete meter boxes is difficult because of the weight of the meter boxes. Installation of a concrete meter box generally requires the effort of two people because the meter boxes weigh about seventy pounds each. The weight of the concrete meter boxes also presents some danger of physical injury to the persons installing the meter box.


Methods, apparatuses, and systems for implementing data flows in a processor are described herein. A data flow manager may be configured to generate a configuration packet for a compute operation based on status information regarding multiple processing elements of the processor. Accordingly, multiple processing elements of a processor may concurrently process data flows based on the configuration packet. For example, the multiple processing elements may implement a mapping of processing elements to memory, while also implementing identified paths, through the processor, for the data flows. After executing the compute operation at certain processing elements of the processor, the processing results may be provided. In speech signal processing operations, the processing results may be compared to phonemes to identify such components of human speech in the processing results. Once dynamically identified, the processing elements may continue comparing additional components of human speech to facilitate processing of an audio recording, for example.

Digital signal processing for wireless communications, such as digital baseband processing or digital front-end implementations, may be implemented using some hardware (e.g., silicon) computing platforms. For example, multimedia processing and digital radio frequency (RE) processing may be accomplished in a digital front-end implementation of a wireless transceiver, as implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A variety of hardware platforms may implement such digital signal processing, such as the ASIC, a digital signal processor (DSP) implemented as part of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a system-on-chip (SoC). However, each of these solutions often requires implementing customized signal processing methods that are hardware implementation specific. For example, a digital signal processor may implement a specific portion of digital processing at a cellular base station, with individual hardware components (e.g., processors) being configured to implement specific functionalities. For example, each portion of the overall signal processing performed may be implemented by different, specially-designed hardware, creating complexity.
Moreover, there is interest in moving wireless communications to "fifth generation" (5G) systems. 5G offers promise of increased speed and ubiquity, but methodologies for processing 5G wireless communications have not yet been set. In some implementations of 5G wireless communications, "Internet of Things" (IoT) devices, which may operate with lower power requirements than traditional wireless communication devices, may utilize a narrowband wireless communication standard, which may be referred to as Narrow Band IoT (NB-IoT). For example, Release 13 of the 3GPP specification describes a narrowband wireless communication standard.
At the same time, high speed memory access, and reduced power consumption are features that are demanded from semiconductor devices. In recent years, systems that have adopted multi-core processors for the execution of applications have resulted in faster access patterns to a memory device serving as a main memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) and also more random access patterns. For example, a typical access pattern to the DRAM repeats bank activation, read access or write access, and bank precharge in the order. Data flows to/from a memory device for faster access are needed. The efficiency and performance of a computing device may be affected by different memory device and/or the processor architecture. Accordingly, a need exists for fast and efficient access patterns to facilitate data flows in multi-core processors, for example.

Providing, in a configuration packet, data indicative of data flows in a processor with a data flow manager


A method of operation of a navigation system includes: selecting a starting point; selecting a destination; identifying a destination lot associated with the destination; and calculating a vehicle travel route from the starting point to the destination with the vehicle travel route traversing through the destination lot for displaying on a device.

Modern portable consumer and industrial electronics, especially client devices such as navigation systems, smart phones, portable digital assistants, and combination devices are providing increasing levels of functionality to support modern life including location-based information services. Research and development in the existing technologies can take a myriad of different directions.
As users become more empowered with the growth of mobile location based service devices, new and old paradigms begin to take advantage of this new device space. There are many technological solutions to take advantage of this new device location opportunity. One existing approach is to use location information to provide navigation services such as a global positioning system (GPS) for a car or on a mobile device such as a cell phone, portable navigation device (PND) or a personal digital assistant (PDA).
Often, the routing algorithm of navigation devices subjects the user to cumbersome and sometimes dangerous directions in light of simpler and safer choices. In unfamiliar areas, the user has no choice but to endure the longer travel time and the added dangers without even knowing of other choices.
Thus, a need still remains for a navigation system to provide information with improvement in usability, performance, and accuracy. In view of the importance of positioning systems in modern life, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Navigation system with parking lot integrated routing mechanism and method of operation thereof


The present invention provides a data searching method of database, apparatus and computer program for the same. The data searching apparatus of a database includes: a storage unit configured to store graph data; and a controller configured to store physical location information in which vertex and edge information included in the graph data is stored in the storage unit, and perform a search for the vertex and the edge based on the physical location information. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently search the data by improving a search speed of a graph, minimize the update of the information even when a storage location of the data is changed, and facilitate query by the graph data regardless of types of the database and a storage structure, and efficiently use a storage space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data searching method of database, apparatus and computer program for the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a data searching method of database, apparatus and computer program for the same for searching data in the database by a graph data structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A database stores and processes input data, and outputs a result corresponding to a query input by a user. Particularly, when a capacity of the input data is large, various types of databases are used in a data processing apparatus for processing data to increase a processing rate and obtain a reliable result.
Among the databases, a graph database is optimized to process semi-structured data that do not observe a structured data model rule connected to a relational database or different types of data table, thereby being applied to various fields such as social data, recommendation, geographic spatial analysis, and the like. In a case of the graph data used in the graph database, there is an advantage in that information on a connectional relationship between data may be stored and analyzed to mine new information.
Among operations applied to the graph data, the most basic and important operation is an operation for a graph search. The graph search refers to a search for various vertices included in the graph data according to connection information of a graph, and for this, rapidly finding other vertices connected to one vertex is the key.
In an operation used for the above-described graph search in a conventional database, a B-tree index, a join algorithm, and the like are used. The B-tree index includes a root index which is an uppermost level, a branch index below the root index, and a leaf index which is a lowermost level, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Herein, the root index and the branch index indicate index blocks of a next level, and each index block stores a header, an ID, and a length and a value of a key column and is bidirectionally connected for facilitating index search.
However, the conventional algorithm for the above-described graph search has a problem in that as a size of data is increased, a search efficiency is decreased. As an example, in the case of the B-tree index, when n items are indexed, a size of a B tree is increased to O (log N), and a search speed is in proportion to a height of the B tree. Herein, in the B tree, since each node of the tree is stored in a disk, read I/O of the disk occurs once for a single search, such that large costs are required.
As a prior art, Korean Patent Registration Publication No. 10-1480670 discloses a method for searching the shortest path in a big graph database, however, did not solve the above-described problems.

Data searching method of database, apparatus and computer program for the same


An angular intensity distribution shaping member includes a first surface for receiving a light beam emitted from a light source, the first surface having a length in a width direction that is longer than that in a thickness direction; second surfaces forming a plate-shaped light path on which the light beam incident from the first surface propagates by total reflection, the second surfaces including at least one adjustment surface for spreading a full angle of an angular intensity distribution, in the width direction, of the light beam incident from the first surface so that the full angle becomes wider than that of the angular intensity distribution of the light beam just after emission from the light source; and a third surface through which the light beam exits, the full angle of its angular intensity distribution in the width direction having been widened by the at least one adjustment surface.

The liquid crystal display element in a liquid crystal display device does not emit light itself. Liquid crystal display devices therefore have a backlight disposed behind the liquid crystal display element as a light source to illuminate the liquid crystal display element. CCF (Cold Cathode Fluorescent) lamps, in which the inner wall of a glass tube is coated with a phosphor and from which white light can be obtained, have been the leading type of light source for backlight use. With the recent striking improvements in LED (Light Emitting Diode) performance, however, the demand for backlights using LED light sources has been rapidly expanding.
Among the devices referred to as LEDs there are monochromatic LEDs and white LEDs. A monochromatic LED emits monochromatic light such as red, green, or blue light by direct emission from the LED. A white LED has a blue LED and a yellow phosphor enclosed in a package. The yellow phosphor is excited by the blue light. White light is thereby obtained from the white LED. White LEDs in particular have high emission efficiency and are effective in reducing power consumption. White LEDs are therefore widely used as light sources for backlights. 'Monochromatic' refers to a single color with no admixture of other colors. 'Monochromatic light' is light with a single narrow wavelength width.
A white LED has a wide wavelength bandwidth. For that reason, white LEDs have the problem of a narrow color gamut. The liquid crystal display element in a liquid crystal display device has internal color filters. The liquid crystal display device renders colors by using these color filters to extract the isolated spectral wavelength ranges of red, green, and blue light. With a light source having a continuous wavelength spectrum with a wide bandwidth as found in a white LED, to widen the color gamut, it is necessary to increase the color purity of the color filters of the display colors. The color filters are therefore designed to have narrow wavelength transmission bands. If the color filters have narrow wavelength transmission bands, however, then their light utilization efficiency is reduced. The reason is that there is a large amount of unnecessary light that is not used by the liquid crystal display element of the liquid crystal display device. Further problems also arise: the brightness of the display surface of the liquid crystal display element is reduced and the power consumption of the liquid crystal display device is increased.
White LEDs are particularly deficient in energy in the red spectral band from 600 nm to 700 nm. If a color filter with a narrow wavelength bandwidth is used to increase the purity in the desired 630-640 nm wavelength band, the problem arises that the amount of light transmitted is greatly reduced. Accordingly, the problem of sharply reduced brightness arises.
As a remedy to these problems, backlights using monochromatic LEDs or lasers of high color purity have recently been proposed. High color purity means a narrow wavelength band and excellent monochromaticity. Lasers in particular have extremely good monochromaticity, and their emission efficiency is also high. By using laser light sources, it has therefore become possible to offer liquid crystal display devices that display images with high brightness and a wide color gamut. By using laser light sources, it has also become possible to offer liquid crystal display devices with low power consumption.
Monochromatic LEDs and lasers emit monochromatic light. To generate white light by using monochromatic light sources, a backlight therefore needs to have red, green, and blue light sources. That is, the backlight needs to have different light sources emitting light of the three primary colors. The backlight generates white light by mixing the light emitted from these light sources. If light sources having different angular intensity distributions are used, there will be irregularities in the spatial intensity distributions of the colors on the display surface of the liquid crystal display element. When light sources of a plurality of colors are used to generate white light, these spatial intensity distribution irregularities will show up as color irregularities. That is, when mixed to generate white light, the intensity irregularities of the light of the different colors will show up as color irregularities. Light intensity irregularities are also referred to as brightness irregularities.
To solve this problem, it is necessary to increase the planar uniformity of the spatial intensity distributions. Light emitted from light sources that differ in their emitting mechanism or in the material properties of their light emitting elements will have differing divergence angles and emission efficiencies, however. For that reason, it is necessary to provide optimal means for uniformizing the spatial intensity distributions in the planes corresponding to the light sources.
In conventional backlights, color irregularities have been suppressed by using special light guide plates matched to the characteristics of the light sources. Patent Document 1, for example, proposes a backlight having a special light guide plate for the light source of each color for use in a flat display panel. This backlight for use in a flat display panel has a different light source for each color and a light guide plate corresponding to the light source for each color. The backlight generates white illumination light by additively mixing the monochromatic planar light emitted from each light guide plate. This configuration enables the structure of each light guide plate to be optimized for the characteristics of the corresponding light source. It is accordingly possible to increase the uniformity of the planar spatial intensity distribution of each color and suppress color irregularities. A 'planar spatial intensity distribution' is a distribution representing levels of light intensity at positions expressed in a two-dimensional plane.

Surface light source device and liquid crystal display device


A disposable medical collection tube holder assembly with retractable needle is disclosed. The spent needle, or other similar medical device, affixed to the holder may be safely encapsulated and disposed by a simple, one handed operation, and, both the needle and the holder are rendered useless for any subsequent operation. The invention is comprised of two parts, a collection tube holder and an evacuated accessory fitted with an air release/vacuum seal mechanism that readily permits the introduction of the vacuum into the hollow chamber of the accessory. When using the collection tube holder in the standard manner, and after the collection of the blood or other bodily fluids is complete, the collection test tube is withdrawn from the holder and then the needle withdrawn from the vein. The accessory, a tubular member with an evacuated interior, is inserted into the collection tube holder fully, and longitudinally axial force is applied to the proximal (thumb) end of the evacuated accessory. This causes a sequence of events that results in encapsulation of the spent needle within the interior of the accessory. The entire assembly may now be safely disposed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to medical instruments, and more particularly to a specialized medical test tube holder assembly that is used in the collection of blood or other body fluids via evacuated test tubes. Still more particularly, the present invention relates firstly to a disposable article, a medical test tube holder with modifications that permit an attached needle or other medical sharps device to be quickly and safely detached from the holder after use, and secondly, to an accessory article, an evacuated chamber that captures the detached needle and retracts it into the chamber, all actions being accomplished in a safe manner with one hand. The disposable medical test tube holder assembly of the present invention is fitted with a detachable needle port hub and a wedging hub release ring that positions the detachable needle port hub within the interior wall of the holder at the distal (towards the needle) end of the holder. The detachable needle port hub of the holder may have the needle pre-molded into the hub as an integral component of the holder or, as in the preferred embodiment, may be a needle hub interface that is compliant for use with specialized needle devices or other similar medical devices, The disposable holder may be of any particular shape to accomplish a specific purpose or, as in the preferred embodiment, may be of a generally tubular shape with varying interior diameter from proximal end to distal end with flanges fitted on the proximal end to assist the operator to hold the device during use. The evacuated accessory consists of a hollow chamber fitted with a specialized combination part mounted on the distal end of the evacuated accessory. The specialized combination part contains a needle port hub capturing device; it has an air release/vacuum seal mechanism to readily introduce and hold a pressure differential within the hollow chamber of the evacuated accessory; and, it has gasket seals which maintain a pressure differential between the hollow chamber of the evacuated accessory and the atmosphere. The hollow chamber of the evacuated accessory may be constructed in the form of a test tube, false plunger or other chamber of appropriate size, shape and density capable of holding and maintaining a pressure differential when fitted with a specialized combination part. The specialized combination part functions to capture a detachable target contrivance, allows introduction of a pressure differential within the hollow chamber, and seals the pressure differential between the hollow chamber and the atmosphere.
A problem for doctors, nurses and other health care personnel who use or handle medicinal blood collection devices is the accidental puncture of the skin by the needle. The problem can be very serious if the needle has been used. Potentially fatal diseases, such as hepatitis or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), can be contracted if the needle has been used on an infected subject.
The needle used in the collection of blood or other body fluids is typically covered with a removable sheath prior to and following use to prevent accidental contact, but the act of replacing the sheath after use can still result in accidental skin puncture. Also, if the sheath is not securely repositioned, the danger exists that personnel subsequently involved in disposal of the device may become infected by accidental puncture.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,570 discloses the use of a removable cap for the purposes of enclosing and protecting a sterilized syringe in a transport.
Solutions that attempt to better protect the health care worker include that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,822. The '822 patent discloses a disposable syringe in which the needle can be first captured by the plunger and then withdrawn into the barrel in a position with the needle completely protected by the barrel. The plunger can then be broken off, leaving the broken end flush with the end of the barrel, so that the needle cannot be accidentally pushed out from the barrel and exposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,830 discloses a similar system with a plunger that can be broken off once the needle is retracted into the barrel. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,692,156 and 4,643,200 disclose similar systems, used with a blood donor assembly, which allows retraction of a needle into a barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,120 discloses a needle guard movable on the syringe barrel between an extended position in which the needle guard shields the needle and a retracted position in which the needle is exposed for use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,022 discloses a syringe with a sliding cap for preventing accidental puncture. The '022 patent utilizes a nub and backseat for engagement of a nose-piece for securing the cap around the syringe for safety purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,619 discloses a syringe assembly that has a transport held in telescoping position over a syringe by flanges. Other and various means of sheathing or shielding a syringe are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,738,663; 4,723,943; 4,666,435; 4,655,751; 4,639,249; 4,592,744; 4,356,822; 4,300,678; 3,976,069; 3,895,633; 3,107,785.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,826,483 discloses a non-reusable syringe with one-way movable position.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,736 and 5,125,898 to Kaufhold et al show disposable syringes with automatic needle retraction. The Kaufhold patents allow the used needle or other medical sharps device to be encapsulated within an evacuated plunger of the syringe and be rendered safe for handling immediately after use and throughout subsequent disposal procedures, as well as rendering the syringe unsuitable for further use. The Kaufhold patents do not address the safety issues associated with disposal of needles or other medical sharps devices when used with those specialized blood collection devices that do not have and do not use plungers as part of normal operation.

Disposable medical collection tube holder with retractable needle


Fiber optic modules, fiber optic connectors, and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fiber optic module includes a body and a fiber tray. The body includes a fiber tray recess extending from a first surface, a fiber-end datum surface positioned an end of the fiber tray recess, and a plurality of lens surfaces. The plurality of lens surfaces, the fiber-end datum surface, and intervening portions of the body define a plurality of lenses each having a linear optical axis. The fiber tray includes a plurality of fiber support features disposed on a first surface. The plurality of fiber support features is configured to receive a plurality of optical fibers. The fiber tray is disposed within the fiber tray recess and secured to the body.

Short-distance data links used for consumer electronics are reaching increasingly higher data rates, especially those used for video and data storage applications. Examples include the USB 3.0 protocol at 5 Gb/s, HDMI at 10 Gb/s and Thunderbolt™ at 10 Gb/s over two channels. At such high data rates, traditional copper cables have limited transmission distance and cable flexibility. For at least these reasons, optical fiber is emerging as an alternative to copper wire for accommodating the high data rates for the next generations of electronic devices such as consumer devices.
Unlike telecommunication applications that employ expensive, high-power edge-emitting lasers along with modulators, short-distance optical fiber links are based on low-cost, low-power, directly modulated light sources such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). Optical-to-optical fiber optic connectors of optical cable assemblies pass optical signals to and from mated, aligned optical connectors, typically by use of lenses. To be viable for consumer electronics and other electronics, optical cable assemblies used to couple optical signals must be precisely aligned with lenses of the fiber optic connector, and the lenses of a first fiber optic connector must be precisely aligned with lenses of a second, mated optical connector. This requirement drives the need for the design of assemblies to be simple to manufacture while also having suitable performance. Accordingly, there is an unresolved need for fiber optic modules and connectors that simplify the alignment of optical fibers.

Fiber optic modules having a fiber tray, optical-to-optical fiber optic connectors, and methods thereof


A system for isolating effects of one or more process parameters on performance of a heat transfer device is provided. The system includes an efficiency correction unit that is adapted to receive data from the heat transfer device. The data is representative of one or more measurable process parameters or a change in the one or more measurable process parameters of the heat transfer device. The efficiency correction unit is also configured to compute a normalized efficiency of the heat transfer device. The normalized efficiency represents a corrected efficiency that isolates effects of one or more process parameters on performance of the heat transfer device.

The invention relates generally to power plants and power generation equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to techniques for monitoring heat transfer devices of various types in power plants or similar installations.
Power plants and power generation equipment play a significant role in the current economy. The demand for electrical power has never been greater, and it has been estimated that in the coming years the demand will continue to increase. Power plants are typically classified based on the process of electrical power generation. Examples of types of power plants include thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants, nuclear power plants, geothermal power plants, wind farms, and solar farms. Each generating modality operates with a specific and different input and produces an electrical power output. In most power plants, heat transfer devices such as furnace firewalls, air preheaters, superheaters, reheaters, economizers, and so forth are used to transfer heat from one medium to another medium in order to maintain a continuous generation of electrical power.
When the heat transfer devices function, there are a number of processes that take place. Typically, these processes may produce undesired by-products that can subsequently hinder the functioning of the processes. As a result, the efficiency of the power plant decreases with time and overall cost of operation of the power plant increases. Boilers, for example, form an integral part of any power plant that uses combustion to generate steam to run turbines. Boilers generate steam by heating a liquid medium, typically by combustion of a fuel. Common types of fuel used to fire boilers include coal and fuel oil. Due to chemical by products released during combustion and incomplete combustion, the boilers commonly suffer from fouling and slagging.
Fouling is the accumulation of ash and by products of incomplete combustion as a layer on the inner surface of a boiler. A layer of fouling substance typically has low thermal conductivity that reduces the amount of heat transferred in heat exchanging components. In the case of a boiler, this causes an overall increase in temperature inside the boiler for a given amount of steam production, a decrease in functional efficiency of the boiler, and an increase in pressure drop within the boiler due to reduced cross-sectional area. Slagging is a process that is quite similar to fouling. Slagging refers to deposition of solid or molten layers on the outside surface of the boiler tubes. Such layers are formed by a process commonly known as sintering. Sintering is the bonding of adjacent surfaces of particles into a hard deposit. Sintering subsequently strengthens the mass, causing an increase in tenacity of the deposit on the surface. Both fouling and slagging are self-propelling processes, meaning that once an initial layer of a material forms on a surface, the layer causes more of the material to be deposited.
Another of the components used for heat transfer in power plants and similar installations is an air preheater. The air preheater typically transfers heat from re-circulating flue gases to air. The outgoing flue gases from a combustion process are used to pre-heat air that could be used in other processes. The pre-heating of air reduces the amount of energy spent in raising the temperature of an otherwise cold air to a desired temperature level. Because these flue gases contain organic and inorganic chemicals, the flue gases react with metal tubes disposed within the air preheater and cause corrosion and fouling.
Due to effects as described above, performance of these components drops significantly over time and ultimately causes a breakdown or an expensive forced outage. Addition of chemicals to the fuel and treating the device surface is a common way of reducing the effects of fouling and slagging. The addition of chemicals can be an expensive process and also is time consuming. The existing systems that monitor boilers are typically what can be termed as reactive warning systems. This means that the systems would raise an alarm or warning only when a problem affects the boilers or other heat transfer devices. By the time the alarm is raised, the effects of fouling and slagging typically have progressed to a severe stage that leaves system operators with little option other than to shutdown the boiler for cleaning and/or treating the heat transfer surfaces to bring the boiler performance to acceptable limits. Also, such reactive warning systems generally are incapable of predicting when a failure of the boiler might occur. In many cases, evaluation relies instead on the operator experience and knowledge of boiler performance to predict an impending failure.
There is, therefore, a need for an active warning system that consistently and continuously monitors the performance of heat transfer devices and alerts a system operator of an impending problem, not when the problem has occurred but when the problem is actually at its initiation phase, and is also able to predict more accurately when a device failure might occur. With such an early warning, maintenance of heat transfer devices would be easier and would require lower levels of chemicals to treat the devices and fuel, leading to a longer operating life and a significant reduction in maintenance costs.

Systems and methods for monitoring fouling and slagging in heat transfer devices in coal fired power plants


An endotracheal tube assembly (10) is disclosed which suctions away bacteria multiplying mucus before such mucus can accumulate on the inside walls of the endotracheal tube (14). In the preferred embodiment, one or more suctioning tubes (20, 21) are formed into the walls of an endotracheal tube so that they extend along length of the endotracheal tube. A plurality of mucus slurping holes (34) are then formed at or near the distal end of the endotracheal tube and connected to the suctioning tubes. In operation, suctioning through the mucus slurping holes is preferably performed intermittently during patient expiration. By timing this intermittent suctioning with patient expiration, the suctioning flow will be in the same direction as patient breathing. While the mucus slurper of the present invention has been found to be effective at keeping the inner walls of the endotracheal tube free of mucus deposits, it can nonetheless be combined with other cleaning and disinfectant techniques for greater assurance of cleanliness.

Through injury or diseases, human or animal lungs can become too weak to sustain a sufficient flow of oxygen to the body and to remove adequate amounts of expired carbon dioxide. Under these circumstances, it is often necessary to aid the lungs through forms of mechanical assistance, such as mechanical ventilation.
In a common form, mechanical ventilation involves the introduction of an endotracheal tube and, in some cases, a small, open-ended catheter within that tube, into the trachea of a human or animal. The distal ends of the endotracheal tube and/or catheter are positioned to rest at or slightly above the carina of the lungs. A well-humidified oxygen/air mixture is then introduced through the endotracheal tube and/or catheter to provide oxygen to the lungs. In less severe circumstances, the oxygen/air mixture can be supplied through the endotracheal tube and/or catheter using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Where CPAP is used, the patient will use his or her own lung power to exhale the inspired gas. In more severe circumstances, it is necessary to use mechanically controlled ventilation with a positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP).
One problem commonly associated with the use of endotracheal tubes is the accumulation of mucus on the inside walls of the endotracheal tube. In a healthy human, mucus is secreted through glandular action in the trachea/bronchial tree and is progressively transported upward through the action of cilia along the tracheal airways. Upon nearing the vocal folds, such mucus is either swallowed or expectorated.
This mucus transport mechanism is generally not available, though, to a patient intubated with an endotracheal tube. Typically, the endotracheal tube will block the mucus clearing action of the adjacent cilia, particularly where an inflatable cuff is used to firmly position the endotracheal tube against the inside wall of the trachea. In such case, instead of being expelled from the lungs and trachea, the mucus will tend to migrate up from the bronchia tree through the distal end of the endotracheal tube and then collect on the inside walls of the endotracheal tube. If such mucus collection is allowed to continue, the internal diameter of the endotracheal tube will become smaller, which makes it more difficult to breathe. Perhaps more seriously, infectious bacteria (e.g., Staph and Pseudomonas spp.) tend to grow and multiply on the stagnant mucus. The bacteria infected mucus can then aerosolize and deposit into the patient's lungs, leading to ventilator-associated pneumonia.
A number of approaches have been developed to address the mucus accumulation problem for endotracheal tubes. In the most basic approach, the mucus laden endotracheal tube is simply removed from the patient's trachea and replaced with a clean endotracheal tube. Needless to say, removing the mucus laden endotracheal tube is very uncomfortable for patient, particularly since ventilation must be interrupted during the removal process. Moreover, reinsertion of a clean endotracheal tube can lead to tracheal injury, particularly if it is done frequently.
In another common approach, salt water is introduced into the endotracheal tube to dissolve the mucus and a suction catheter is then inserted into the endotracheal tube to try to vacuum up the dissolved mucus deposits. This suctioning approach has a number of drawbacks. First of all, the suctioning process typically takes 10 to 15 seconds to complete, which can seem like an agonizingly long time for many patients. Secondly, the suction catheter tends to miss a number of the accumulated mucus deposits and thereby leaves them as a breeding ground for infectious bacteria.
A further approach to the mucus accumulation problem is described in the lead inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,714. In this approach, droplets of water or saline are entrained in the oxygen/air ventilation mixture to continually dissolve mucus before it has an opportunity to form deposits and a reverse thrust catheter is used to help transport dissolved mucus away from the lungs.
Recently, the lead inventor has developed a mucus shaver cleaning apparatus which is described in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/773,570, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. This mucus shaver cleaning apparatus comprises a central flexible tube with an inflatable balloon at its distal end. Affixed to the inflatable balloon are one or more shaving rings, each having a squared leading edge to shave away mucus accumulations. In operation, the uninflated cleaning apparatus is inserted into the endotracheal tube until its distal end is properly aligned with or slightly beyond the distal end of the endotracheal tube. After proper alignment, the balloon is inflated by a suitable inflation device, such as a syringe, until the balloon's shaving rings are pressed against the inside surface of the endotracheal tube. The cleaning apparatus is then pulled out of the endotracheal tube and, in the process, the balloon's shaving rings shave off the mucus deposits from the inside of the endotracheal tube.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of The Department of Health and Human Services


A touch pad machine control system uses a touch pad having an overlay to define control strip surface areas which perform different functions. The contact of an operator's finger along one of the defined control strips selects a desired function and produces the desired machine motion from the rate, distance or duration of finger contact according to the desired function. The result is equivalent control motion without the need for moving parts.

The present invention relates to machine control, and more particularly to a touch pad machine control which remotely provides the feel of hands on control of a machine.
In many applications it is necessary to control a machine from a remote location. Such control is exercised via push buttons and rotary knobs. For example in a video tape editing suite a video tape recorder (VTR) may be positioned by running it forward or backward at different speeds to locate a particular video frame. This positioning is done while viewing a video monitor to determine when the particular frame is located under the read head of the VTR. Manually the positioning could be done by spinning the tape reels by hand, initially at a high rate of speed until close to the desired video frame, and then at a slower speed as the video frame is approached. It may be necessary to make slight adjustments back and forth, "jogging", to position the VTR exactly at the desired video frame.
This positioning of the VTR may also be done remotely using corresponding push buttons and a rotary knob. Movement of the rotary knob simulates the manual rotation of the reels of the VTR. The use of the rotary knob to locate and position a desired video frame on a video tape under the read head of a VTR requires manual dexterity of a higher order than the manual manipulation of tape reels. Also the rotary knob has to perform different functions which requires push buttons to select the desired knob function. The result is a certain amount of unnatural feel to the positioning of the video tape.
Touch pads of various sorts have been implemented in many applications for controlling cursors on a computer terminal, selecting functions, line drawing and the like. Such use of touch pads is illustrated by the KB 5153 Touch Pad Keyboard manufactured by Key Tronic of Spokane, Wash.
What is desired is a means to control a machine using a touch pad to provide to the operator a natural, hands on feeling of motion.


A method for geometric calibration of a radiography apparatus disposes at least one radio-opaque marker in the field of view of the radiography apparatus. A series of tomosynthesis projection images of patient anatomy is acquired from the detector with the x-ray source at different positions along a scan path. For at least three projection images showing the position of the radio-opaque marker, the spatial and angular geometry of the x-ray source and detector are calculated according to the positions of the marker. A tomosynthesis image is reconstructed according to the calculated geometry. A rendering of the reconstructed image is displayed.

Digital X-ray tomosynthesis is an imaging technique that enables three-dimensional imaging of a patient using a large-area digital detector typically used for conventional (single projection) radiography. A finite number of projection images over a limited angular range, typically between 20° and 40°, are acquired by varying the orientations of the x-ray tube, patient and detector. This is usually accomplished by either moving both the detector and x-ray source or by fixing the position of the detector (source) and moving the x-ray source (detector). In applications where the detector is fixed, multiple spatially distributed X-ray sources may alternately be used, or movable sources may be displaced in various patterns or trajectories. Three-dimensional data is reconstructed from the captured projections in the form of a number of slices through the patient anatomy, each parallel to the detector plane. A consequence of limited angular scanning is that the in depth resolution is much lower than the in-plane resolution of the reconstructed object.
Reconstruction of volumetric data from a tomosynthesis system requires knowledge of the underlying capture geometry, including the relative orientation and position of the detector, the movement and position of the source for each projection, and potential patient motion. In a standard tomosynthesis apparatus, many of the geometric variables are well known, as the detector position is precisely specified, and the relationship between source and detector is mechanically fixed and well established.
For a bed-side portable tomosynthesis system, however, the capture geometry can be difficult to determine with the desired accuracy. Detector positioning is done by the operator with consideration for affording the patient a reasonable degree of comfort, but without a high degree of geometric precision. The detector is placed behind a patient by an attending operator, so that often the detector is completely obscured by the patient's body. For instance, the patient may be in a propped position, with the detector placed behind the patient. The angle between the detector plane and a horizontal plane is only approximately known. Moreover, the detector might be skewed with respect to the transport path of the x-ray source, which further complicates the reconstruction process. The result is that the image quality of the resulting volumetric data can be compromised.
There is a need for a calibration utility that overcomes the limitations aforementioned and more accurately defines the geometry of the tomosynthesis system when using mobile radiography apparatus.

Fiducial marker for geometric calibration of bed-side mobile tomosynthesis system


Systems and methods are provided for analyzing application usage on a user device and optimizing application and license distribution for user devices in an enterprise. An example system includes a management server and a data server. The management server can provide instructions to the user device to install a tracking application that gathers application-usage data using built-in functionality of the user device. The data server can receive and compile the application-usage data, creating compiled usage data. Using this compiled usage data, the management server can execute a rules engine to determine an action to take associated with at least one application on the user device, such as redistributing application licenses.

Enterprises frequently overspend on software applications for their workforces. Enterprise applications continue to increase in popularity, showing a steep increase in development in recent years. Enterprises expend substantial capital—sometimes millions of dollars—to develop, license, or purchase these applications. Despite their expenditures, these enterprises typically lack any meaningful information regarding an application's usage. This lack of information leads to various inefficiencies, such as purchasing licenses to use the application for employees that never actually use the application. For large-scale enterprises, these inefficiencies multiply as more applications are developed or purchased over time.
A core source of inefficiency is the lack of data regarding application usage. Usage metrics for publicly available applications are often only available to the developer. The enterprise might be forced to pay a third-party for this information. Metrics for internal and web-based applications can be even more difficult to ascertain. Internal applications are typically distributed through an Enterprise Mobility Management ("EMM") system, while web-based applications provide an application-based gateway to a website, but both types of application fail to provide meaningful metrics. Without these metrics, an enterprise lacks the tools to optimize their application deployment to employees.
Third-party solutions offer a potential option for an enterprise that desires application metrics for an internal application. However, these solutions carry various drawbacks. For example, they require additional coding within each application, increasing the complexity and development time for applications. Another substantial drawback is the cost of utilizing a third-party solution for every application as it is developed. If these third-party solutions differ between applications within an enterprise, then the enterprise might receive data in varying formats. Finally, the third-party solutions fail to provide optimization strategies across multiple applications, leaving the enterprise with lots of data but no actionable strategy for optimization.
As a result, a need exists for a system that can analyze application usage—including internal-application and web-application usage—on a user device, as well as determine optimization strategies to save money for the enterprise.

Systems and methods for analyzing application usage on a user device


A method determines a warping function between a first image and a second image. For each pixel in each scan-line of the first image, a distance matrix is constructed which represents distances between the pixel and a plurality of corresponding pixels of a second image. The distance matrices are ordered according a scan-line order of the pixels. A minimum cost path through the ordered distance matrices represents the warping function between the first image and the second images

Determining a warping function between two images is important for several applications. For instance, many projector systems require automatic recovery of the shape of a display surface. There, a known pattern is projected onto a surface having an unknown shape. An image of the pattern on the surface is compared with the known pattern to find the warping function, which manifests the shape of the surface. The warping function minimizes an error between the original and projected images.
Another application is to correct optical distortion of a camera. Distortion can be due to lens distortions, water drops on the lens, distorting glass in front of the lens, or atmospheric conditions.
A number of methods are known for recovering warping functions between images, see, e.g., Uchida et al., "Piecewise Linear Two-Dimensional Warping," Proceedings of the 15th ICPR, 3, pp. 538-541, 2000. However, that method is limited to linear distortions along a single direction.
Existing non-linear warping recovery methods are computationally demanding because those methods include a 2-D minimization problem, see, e.g., Levin et al., "Dynamic planar warping for optical character recognition," Proceedings of ICASSP, pp. 149-152, 1992.
Therefore, there is a need for a method that can determine a non-linear warping function between two images that does not have the problems of the prior art methods.

Recovering a non-linear warping function from images

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A method of measuring at least one electrical property of a semiconductor wafer includes providing an elastically deformable and electrically conductive contact having an insulative oxide layer formed on an exterior surface thereof by a controlled oxidation process, such as, without limitation, thermal oxidation, anodic oxidation or deposition oxidation. A first electrical contact is formed between the oxide layer on the surface of the contact and a dielectric layer overlaying a top surface of the semiconductor wafer and a second electrical contact is formed with the semiconductor wafer. A CV type stimulus is applied between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact. A response of the semiconductor wafer to the CV type stimulus is measured and at least one electrical property of the dielectric layer, the semiconductor wafer or both is determined from the response.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the testing of semiconductor wafers.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of conductive elastic probes for measuring one or more electrical properties of a semiconductor wafer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,492,827 to Mazur et al. It has been observed that conductive elastic probes formed from certain materials, such as platinum, iridium or tantalum, or probes having at least platinum, iridium or tantalum-coated tips work best for testing semiconductor wafers. Heretofore, it was believed that the inability to grow oxides and/or the ability to grow conductive oxides on one or more of these materials rendered them more useful for such testing. However, when using such probes to perform CV type measurements of semiconductor wafers having overlaying ultra-thin dielectric layers, an undesirable leakage current flows thorough the dielectric layers thereby adversely affecting the measurement.
What is, therefore, needed and not disclosed in the prior art is a method of measuring the response of a semiconductor wafer to a CV type stimulus applied by a contact or probe to the semiconductor wafer via an overlaying ultra-thin dielectric layer of the semiconductor wafer without causing leakage current to flow through the dielectric layer.

Method of measuring semiconductor wafers with an oxide enhanced probe


An image pickup apparatus is configured with an image pickup device on which a plurality of bumps are arranged in line on an outer circumferential portion of a light receiving surface; and a flexible wiring board including a plurality of inner leads each of which is configured with a distal end portion, a bending portion and a rear end portion, the distal end portion being compression-bonded to a bump, and the rear end portion being arranged parallel to a side face of the image pickup device with the bending portion interposed between the distal end portion and the rear end portion. A height of a light receiving portion side of the bumps is lower than a height of a side face side; and each of the inner leads is plastically transformed according to a shape of a top face of the bumps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus provided with an image pickup device on which a plurality of bumps connected to a light receiving portion are arranged in line on an outer circumferential portion of a light receiving surface on which the light receiving portion is formed, and a flexible wiring board including a plurality of inner leads each of which is connected to any of the plurality of bumps; and a method for manufacturing the image pickup apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solid-state image pickup apparatus 101 shown in FIG. 1 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H5-115435. The solid-state image pickup apparatus 101 is provided with a solid-state image pickup device 110 on which a light receiving portion is formed and a substrate 120. An inner lead 121 of the substrate 120 is connected to a metal projection 114, which is a bump of the solid-state image pickup device 110 for external connection.
Since the inner lead 121 is bent substantially at a right angle in a direction opposite to a light receiving surface 110SA, the solid-state image pickup device 110 has a small diameter. In order to prevent the inner lead 121 from coming into contact with and short-circuited with the solid-state image pickup device 110, an insulating plate 150 is arranged on a side face of the solid-state image pickup device 110.

Image pickup apparatus and image pickup apparatus manufacturing method


An impedance calibration circuit for a serial ATA (SATA) transmitter has a resistor in series with each leg of the differential output of the transmitter. An array of selectable resistors is in parallel with each of the series resistors. Resistors in the array are selected to be in parallel with the series resistors. A calibration circuit utilizes a comparator to determine when the minimum error in the impedance calibration is reached. Offset errors in the comparator are compensated for by a circuit which determines the center of alternate ones and zeros generated by the comparator when the input signals are within the offset of the comparator, which should be the point of minimum error in the calibration.

The present invention impedance calibration circuit and more specifically to an impedance calibration circuit for a serial ATA (SATA) transmitter.
Current computers use parallel ATA hard drives and other peripherals which are connected to the controller by a 40 or 80 wire ribbon cable. This parallel bus interface is reaching its performance limits at data rates of 133 MB/sec. This interface will be replaced by a serial ATA interface which, in addition to having higher data rates, will utilize low voltage signaling. The SATA interface replaces the 80 conductor ribbon cable with a 4 conductor cable. Problems associated with the ribbon cable in blocking air flow within the computer box and folding the cable during assembly are thus eliminated. The data is sent out in a serialized form as a differential signal pair having a 250 mV signal swing which is much less than the 3 or 5 volt signal swing used in parallel ATA interfaces.
The SATA interface will initially have a data rate of 150 MB/sec which requires a speed of 1.5 Gbps for serial data transmission. The second and third generation data rates will be 300 MB/sec and 600 MB/sec, necessitating transmission speeds of 3.0 Gbps and 6.0 Gbps, respectively.
The impedance of the cable that connects the peripheral to the controller can vary with the type of cable used. Furthermore, the input impedance of the receiver circuit in the peripheral may vary among the manufactures of the peripherals. Signal reflection noise becomes a significant problem at the data transmission speeds that are utilized in SATA devices and will become more severe in the next 2 generations of the standard. At lower frequencies the reflection decays within one clock cycle. At the frequencies utilized in SATA, the system does not have enough time to await the decay of the signal reflection noise. Thus the matching of the transmitter and receiver impedance is more critical. The signal reflection noise problem is further exacerbated by the much lower amplitude of the transmitted signal when compared to parallel ATA transmissions.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,244 to use an up/down counter in an impedance matching circuit. In the patent, the impedance matching is for the p-channel pull-up transistors and the n-channel pull-down transistors of a CMOS digital output driver.
A general object of the invention is to provide a technique for calibrating a SATA transmitter.
This and other objects and features of the invention are attained by a transmitter for a serial ATA (SATA) interface comprising a transmitter circuit having a differential output and an impedance matching circuit. The impedance matching circuit has a pair of resistors, one of the resistors being in series with each of the differential outputs of the transmitter circuit. A pair of resistor arrays, one of the arrays being in parallel with each of the series resistors, each of the arrays having a plurality of selectable resistors. A calibration circuit coupled to the selectable resistors for selecting resistors in each of the arrays which will be coupled in parallel to the respective series resistor.
Another aspect of the invention includes a serial ATA (SATA) system comprising a transmitter circuit having a differential output, each leg of the differential output having a series resistor. First and second resistor arrays are coupled in parallel to a respective one of the series resistors. A transmission line is coupled to an output node of each of the resistor arrays, the transmission lines each having a characteristic impedance. A host receiver having an input impedance is coupled across each of the transmission lines. A calibration circuit is coupled to the selectable resistors for selecting resistors in each of the resistor arrays which will be coupled in parallel to the respective series resistor whereby the output impedance is calibrated to the AC impedance of the transmission lines and the DC input impedance of the host receiver.
A further aspect of the invention is provided by a method of calibrating output impedance of a serial ATA (SATA) transmitter. A resistor is provided in each leg of a differential output of a transmitter, each resistor being coupled to a transmission line having a characteristic impedance. A resistor array is provided in parallel with each of the resistors, each array having a plurality of selectable resistors. One or more resistors is selected from each of the arrays to calibrate the output impedance of the transmitter to match the characteristic impedance of each transmission line with minimum error.
A still further aspect of the invention comprises an offset correction circuit for a comparator. A first multiplexer couples a first input to a comparator between a first signal source and a first reference source. A second multiplexer couples a second input to the comparator between a second signal source and a second reference source. A logic circuit is coupled to an output of the comparator for detecting when a logical output thereof changes from all logical ones to a combination of logical ones and logical zeros and for determining a central point in the combination of logical ones and logical zeros as a point of minimum error.
Yet another aspect of the invention is provided by a method of correcting for offset in a comparator. A first input to the comparator is coupled between a first signal source and a first reference source. A second input to the comparator is coupled between a second signal source and a second reference source. A logical output of the comparator changing from all logical ones to a combination of logical ones and logical zeros; is detected. A central point in the combination of logical ones and logical zeros is determined to be a point of minimum error.