A system for producing ultra-pure water having an electrodialysis unit 1, which has a membrane selectively permeable to monovalent cations and a membrane selectively permeable to monovalent anions, and a reverse osmosis unit 5 which is connected after the electrodialysis unit 1 in series.

Ultra-pure water containing only trace amounts of electrolytes, minute particles, organic substances (to be referred to as TOC hereinafter) has been used in semiconductor plants, nuclear power plants and pharmaceutical plants. As a system for producing such ultra-pure water, a combination of an ion-exchange unit packed with an ion-exchange resin and a reverse osmosis unit has been used widely. With such system incorporating an ion-exchange resin, however, TOC elating from the ion-exchange resin becomes so big in amount that in many cases it can not be eliminated completely by the subsequent unit on reverse osmosis.
As a means to meet such problem, the present inventors proposed a combination of an electrodialysis unit packed with ion-exchange membranes selectively permeable to monovalent cations and a reverse osmosis unit (Japanese Patent Application No. Hei-4(1992)-25180).
This system practically arrests elution of TOC: the unit on electro-dialysis removes monovalent cations such as Na+ or K+ even at extremely low concentrations, and the unit on reverse osmosis is excellent in eliminating polyvalent ions. Therefore, this system allows stable production of ultra-pure water of an extremely high purity.
However, when a variety of crude waters were treated with the system described above, it was found that elimination of TOC by the electrodialysis unit varies greatly according to the quality of the water treated, and does not proceed as expected for certain waters. More precisely, while a water sample is treated, water molecules are cleaved in association with desaltination. Because this cleavage of water molecules might affect the ion-exchange membrane, divalent cations are allowed intentionally to remain in the water, to prevent their damaging effects to the ion-exchange membrane. Contrary to expectation, however, this maneuver allows anions to remain in the water, and the amount of the anions corresponds in electric charges to those of cations to be kept intentionally in the water, especially of divalent cations such as Ca.sup.2 + and Mg.sup.2 +. How much and what kind of anions remain in the water during such treatment vary according to the ionic balance or pH of the original water sample, but roughly speaking, inorganic carbonate ions tend to remain in the water. Among such inorganic carbonate ions, HCO.sub.3 -- (bicarbonate ion) more tends to remain in the water because it can not be readily captured by the subsequent reverse osmosis unit. Thus, with this system the quality of water falls rather near the outlet.
To solve this problem, the present inventors have tried hard to develop a ultra-pure water producing system that allows production of water practically free not only from TOC but also from cations and anions by combining an electrodialysis unit capable of thoroughly removing monovalent cations and anions, and a reverse osmosis unit capable of removing polyvalent cations and anions, and further to confer the system a property which dispenses with such a maintenance work as the renewal treatment of ion-exchange resins with HCl or NaOH, that is, a necessary maintenance work indispensable to conventional systems.
As a result, the inventors advanced a step beyond the previous system which depended on the use of an electrodialysis unit only with membranes selectively permeable to monovalent cations, developed a system wherein another set of membranes selectively permeable to monovalent anions is added to above-described membranes, and found that this system could solve the problem. This finding led to the present proposal of this invention.
The present invention, being based on the finding described above, aims at providing a system for producing ultra-pure water which will allow thorough elimination of not only electrolytes, minute particles and organic substances from the crude water submitted, but also monovalent cations and anions, and divalent and polyvalent cations and anions therefrom.


The present invention provides a space-saving and compact high-operability image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes an original reading unit, a sheet supporting unit, an image forming unit and a sheet discharging unit. The original reading unit is adapted to hold an original placed on an original mount by a cover member, for reading an original image. The sheet supporting unit is placed under the original image reading unit, and supports a sheet on which an image is formed. The image forming unit is placed at the rear of the housing containing the original reading unit and the sheet supporting unit and is used to form an image on a sheet held by the sheet supporting unit. The sheet discharging unit discharges a sheet, on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit, towards and above the original reading unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having the functions of reading an original image recorded on an original sheet, which is placed on an original mount, and forming an image on a sheet to be conveyed.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art is replete with examples of copiers, printers, facsimiles, and apparatus combining combinations thereof all utilizing an image forming apparatus.
One such known image forming apparatus has flatbed original reading means (a flatbed scanner) for reading the image of an original placed on an original mount. In such apparatus, a pressure plate for holding the original placed on the original mount is adapted to be freely pivotally opened and closed.
Thus, in the general image forming apparatus, the following systems are found. A reading portion disposed at the topmost part of the main unit of the apparatus, an image forming portion placed under the said reading portion, with a recording sheet discharging outlet additionally placed thereunder.
This design, however, has certain numerous drawbacks, described as follows.
When a recording sheet printed or recorded with data is discharged by means of shortening the sheet conveying path in a design such as that common in the aforementioned prior art, a discharged-sheet tray is usually provided on the left or right side thereof, under the reading portion, so as to improve operability. Alternatively, a recording sheet discharged from the image forming portion can be often turned over and discharged between the reading portion and the image forming portion. Thus, in the former case, the discharged-sheet tray protrudes from the left or right side of the apparatus, and in the latter case, the entire apparatus is increased in longitudinal size. In either case, the size of the apparatus is large, an obvious drawback.
Moreover, as part of the maintenance of the image forming portion, a toner cartridge or an ink cartridge is usually exchanged with a new one supplied from an upper part of the image forming portion. It is therefore necessary, in order to facilitate the exchange of the cartridge, to either deviate the image forming portion or the reading portion from the main unit to a place where these elements do not interfere with each other, or to incline one of them. The conventional apparatus thus has another drawback in that the size of its main unit must be increased still more and that doing so is complicated.
Accordingly, a compact image forming apparatus for personal use, to be installed on a desk, has yet to be realized.


A surface-mounted antenna has a base having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, an antenna element formed on the surface of the base and having a first radiation electrode subjected to direct power supply, and an antenna element formed on the surface of the base and having a radiation electrode subjected to capacitive coupling power supply. With this, the smaller surface-mounted antenna of a combo antenna type can be provided.

In recent years, compact communication terminal devices such as cellular phones which solely cope with plural radio communication systems using a surface-mounted antenna, such as wireless LAN, GPS, and Bluetooth, have appeared. The frequencies of electric waves used by these radio communication systems are typically different from each other. Plural surface-mounted antennas are provided in one compact mobile terminal device, which cannot make the compact communication terminal device smaller. The study for coping with the plural radio communication systems of different frequencies by one surface-mounted antenna is being advanced.
One of the candidates of such surface-mounted antennas which are now being studied is of a combo antenna type with two power supply electrodes and two radiation electrodes. This has two radiation electrodes on one base surface so that they are not overlapped with each other and supplies power to each of them. Its specific example is described in FIG. 6 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-67259.

Surface-mounted antenna, antenna device using the same, and radio communication equipment


Compositions and methods for regulating an immune response in a subject are described. More particularly, described are human antibodies that regulate the activity of NK cells and allow a potentiation of NK cell cytotoxicity in mammalian subjects, and antibodies having antigen-binding properties similar to those of human monoclonal antibody 1-7F9 or 1-4F1. Described also are also fragments and derivatives of such antibodies, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same and their uses, particularly for use in therapy, to increase NK cell activity or cytotoxicity in subjects.

Natural killer (NK) cells are a sub-population of lymphocytes, involved in immunity and in the host immune surveillance system.
NK cells are mononuclear cell that develop in the bone marrow from lymphoid progenitors, and morphological features and biological properties typically include the expression of the cluster determinants (CDs) CD16, CD56, and/or CD57; the absence of the alpha/beta or gamma/delta TCR complex on the cell surface; the ability to bind to and kill target cells that fail to express "self" major histocompatibility complex (MHC)/human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins; and the ability to kill tumor cells or other diseased cells that express ligands for activating NK receptors. NK cells are characterized by their ability to bind and kill several types of tumor cell lines without the need for prior immunization or activation. NK cells can also release soluble proteins and cytokines that exert a regulatory effect on the immune system; and can undergo multiple rounds of cell division and produce daughter cells with similar biologic properties as the parent cell. Upon activation by interferons and/or cytokines, NK cells mediate the lysis of tumor cells and of cells infected with intracellular pathogens by mechanisms that require direct, physical contacts between the NK cell and the target cell. Lysis of target cells involves the release of cytotoxic granules from the NK cell onto the surface of the bound target, and effector proteins such as perforin and granzyme B that penetrate the target plasma membrane and induce apoptosis or programmed cell death. Normal, healthy cells are protected from lysis by NK cells.
Based on their biological properties, various therapeutic and vaccine strategies have been proposed in the art that rely on a modulation of NK cells. However, NK cell activity is regulated by a complex mechanism that involves both stimulating and inhibitory signals.
Briefly, the lytic activity of NK cells is regulated by various cell surface receptors that transduce either positive or negative intracellular signals upon interaction with ligands on the target cell. The balance between positive and negative signals transmitted via these receptors determines whether or not a target cell is lysed (killed) by a NK cell. NK cell stimulatory signals can be mediated by Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors (NCR) such as NKp30, NKp44, and NKp46; as well as NKG2C receptors, NKG2D receptors, certain activating Killer Ig-like Receptors (KIRs), and other activating NK receptors (Lanier, Annual Review of Immunology 2005; 23:225-74). NK cell inhibitory signals can be mediated by receptors like Ly49, CD94/NKG2A, as well as certain inhibitory KIRs, which recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules (Kärre et al., Nature 1986; 319:675-8; Öhlen et al, Science 1989; 246:666-8). These inhibitory receptors bind to polymorphic determinants of MHC class I molecules (including HLA class I) present on other cells and inhibit NK cell-mediated lysis.
KIRs, sometimes also referred to as Killer Inhibitory Receptors, have been characterized in humans and non-human primates, and are polymorphic type 1 trans-membrane molecules present on certain subsets of lymphocytes, including NK cells and some T cells. KIRs interact with determinants in the alpha 1 and 2 domains of the MHC class I molecules and, as described above, distinct KIRs are either stimulatory or inhibitory for NK cells.
The nomenclature for KIRs is based upon the number of extracellular domains (KIR2D and KIR3D having two and three extracellular Ig-domains, respectively) and whether the cytoplasmic tail is long (KIR2DL or KIR3DL) or short (KIR2DS or KIR3DS). The presence or absence of a given KIR is variable from one NK cell to another within the NK population present in a single individual. Among humans, there is also a relatively high level of polymorphism of KIR genes, with certain KIR genes being present in some, but not all individuals. The expression of KIR alleles on NK cells is stochastically regulated, meaning that, in a given individual, a given lymphocyte may express one, two, or more different KIRs, depending on the genotype of the individual. The NK cells of a single individual typically express different combinations of KIRs, providing a repertoire of NK cells with different specificities for MHC class I molecules.
Certain KIR gene products cause stimulation of lymphocyte activity when bound to an appropriate ligand. The activating KIRs all have a short cytoplasmic tail with a charged trans-membrane residue that associates with an adapter molecule having an Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Activation Motifs (ITAMs) which transduce stimulatory signals to the NK cell. By contrast, inhibitory KIRs have a long cytoplasmic tail containing Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif (ITIM), which transduce inhibitory signals to the NK cell upon engagement of their MHC class I ligands. The known inhibitory KIRs include members of the KIR2DL and KIR3DL subfamilies. Inhibitory KIRs having two Ig domains (KIR2DL) recognize HLA-C allotypes: KIR2DL2 (formerly designated p58.2) and the closely related, allelic gene product KIR2DL3 both recognize "group 1" HLA-C allotypes (including HLA-Cw1, -3, -7, and -8), whereas KIR2DL1 (p58.1) recognizes "group 2" HLA-C allotypes (such as HLA-Cw2, -4, -5, and -6). The recognition by KIR2DL1 is dictated by the presence of a Lys residue at position 80 of HLA-C alleles. KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 recognition is dictated by the presence of an Asn residue at position 80 in HLA-C. Importantly, the great majority of HLA-C alleles have either an Asn or a Lys residue at position 80. Therefore, KIR2DL1, -2, and -3 collectively recognize essentially all HLA-C allotypes found in humans. One KIR with three Ig domains, KIR3DL1 (p70), recognizes an epitope shared by HLA-Bw4 alleles. Finally, KIR3DL2 (p140), a homodimer of molecules with three Ig domains, recognizes HLA-A3 and -A11.
Although multiple inhibitory KIRs and/or other MHC class I-specific inhibitory receptors (Moretta et al, Eur J. Immunogenet. 1997; 24(6):455-68; Valiante et al, Immunol Rev 1997; 155:155-64; Lanier, Annu Rev Immunol 1998; 16:359-93) may be co-expressed by NK cells, in any given individual's NK repertoire there are cells that express only a single KIR, and thus are inhibited only by specific MHC class I alleles (or alleles belonging to the same group of MHC class I allotypes). Human MHC class I molecules often are referred to as Human Histocompatibility Antigen (HLA) class I.
NK cell populations or clones that are KIR-ligand mismatched with respect to their targets, i.e., that express KIRs which do not recognize any HLA molecule of a host, have been shown to mediate potent, life-saving anti-tumor responses after allogeneic bone-marrow trans-plantation in leukemia patients (Ruggeri et al., Science 2002, 295:2097-2100). The underlying mechanism is believed to be that HLA mismatched hematopoietic transplantation leads to the expansion of donor-derived NK cells expressing KIR which do not recognize any HLA ligands in the recipient, and thus are not inhibited via KIR. These allogeneic NK clones exert potent anti-tumor activity. This response is very strong in patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), and treated with KIR-MHC mismatched haplo-identical transplants. One way of reproducing this effect by pharmacological treatment of a patient would be to administer reagents that block the KIR/HLA interaction to activate the patient's endogenous NK cells.
Certain monoclonal antibodies specific for KIR2DL1 have been shown to block the interaction of KIR2DL1 with "group 2" HLA-C allotypes, such as HLA-Cw4 (Moretta et al., J Exp Med 1993; 178:597-604), and to promote NK-mediated lysis of target cells that express those HLA-C allotypes. Monoclonal antibodies against KIR2DL2/3 that block the interaction of KIR2DL2/3 with HLA-Cw3 or similar allotypes have also been described (Moretta et al., J Exp Med 1993; 178:597-604). Such antibodies are not ideal for use in clinical situations, as the development of two therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and administration of both of such antibodies or a selection of one of such antibodies (after appropriate diagnosis) would be required to treat all potential patients, depending on whether any given patient was expressing group 1 or group 2 HLA-C allotypes.
Watzl et al. (Tissue Antigens 2000; 56:240-247) produced cross-reacting murine anti-bodies recognizing multiple isotypes of KIRs, but those antibodies did not potentiate the lytic activity of NK cells. Further, Spaggiari et al. (Blood 2002; 99:1706-1714 and Blood 2002; 100:4098-4107) carried out experiments utilizing numerous murine monoclonal antibodies against various KIRs. One of those antibodies, NKVSF1 (also known as Pan2D), was reported to recognize a common epitope of KIR2DL1 (CD158a), KIR2DL2 (CD158b) and KIR2DS4 (p50.3). Shin et al. (Hybridoma 1999; 18:521-7) also reported the production of two monoclonal antibodies, denoted A210 and A803g, capable of binding to all of KIR2DL1, KIR2DL3, and KIR2DS4. However, for therapeutic use of an antibody in blocking the inhibitory KIRs of a patient's NK cells, the fewer activating KIR molecules an antibody cross-reacts with, the better, since blockade of activating receptors could impair the stimulation of NK cells. Thus, an anti-body having the antigen-binding characteristics of NKVSF1, A210, or A803g would not be optimal in a clinical setting. Additionally, the use of murine monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of a human patient may result in a host immune-response against the antibodies, thus compromising the efficacy of the treatment.
Accordingly, practical and effective approaches for the therapeutic modulation of inhibitory KIRs have not been made available so far in the art.

Nucleic acids encoding human anti-kir antibodies


The present invention provides a magnetic flux measuring device and magnetic flux measuring method for stationary induction electrical apparatus which can accurately measure the magnetic flux without being influenced by the DC offset component which superimposes on the measurement system, and can constantly and continuously measure the magnetic flux without setting a limit in the magnetic flux measurement period. The magnetic flux measuring method which measures a magnetic flux of a stationary induction electrical apparatus 2 using a voltage waveform of the stationary induction electrical apparatus 2, wherein the magnetic flux 151 of the stationary induction electrical apparatus 2 is determined by the steps of: inputting a voltage waveform 121 of the stationary induction electrical apparatus 2 into a negative-feedback amplification means 14 of which feedback circuit is constructed by a low pass filter; and integrating output of the negative-feedback amplification means 14 by integration means 15.

When a stationary induction electrical apparatus, such as a transformer and reactor, is electrically connected to an electric power system, a big transient magnetizing inrush current may flow. After a stationary induction electrical apparatus has been electrically connected to the system, alternating magnetic flux, of which initial value is a residual magnetic flux when the circuit breaker is opened, flows into the iron core, and the transient magnetizing inrush current flows when the magnetic flux exceeds the magnetic saturation point of the iron core, and as the residual magnetic flux becomes higher, the saturation degree of the iron core increases, and transient magnetizing inrush current increases.
In the case of a transformer, the transient magnetizing inrush current (multiplying factor with respect to the rated current of the first wave peak value) reaches several magnitudes, so it is necessary to take measures to prevent the malfunction of a ratio differential relay for transformer protection or an overcurrent relay for power receiving, which is installed to activate when a short circuit accident occurs at the secondary side of the transformer, or to take measures considering the design of the transfer so as to withstand the electromagnetic force generated by the transient magnetizing inrush current. The transient magnetizing inrush current has a waveform protruding in one direction (like a half-wave rectification), and therefore contains many higher harmonics, such as a second harmonic and fourth harmonic.
Hence [the transient magnetizing inrush current] temporarily becomes a higher harmonic current source, and it is necessary to take measures so that this [higher harmonic current source] does not affect a static capacitor and various AC filter equipment installed in the system. If the transient magnetizing inrush current is extremely high, the electric power system may be affected, such as an instantaneous drop in power system voltage.
In order to decrease the transient magnetizing inrush current, it is suggested to calculate the residual magnetic flux based on the voltage of each phase of the transformer, and consider the feed timing of the circuit breaker (phase) so as to cancel the residual magnetic flux of each phase, as shown in Patent Document 1 and Non-patent Document 1, for example.
An example of a conventional method for determining the residual magnetic flux of a stationary induction electrical apparatus is measuring the change of the induced voltage generated in the stationary induction electrical apparatus when power supply is interrupted, loading this voltage waveform into a computer, performing an integration operation to determine the magnetic flux waveform, and determining the residual magnetic flux from the difference between the final value of this magnetic flux waveform and the center value of the sinusoidal vibration of the magnetic flux waveform before opening (see Patent Document 2).
Another example of a method for determining the residual magnetic flux is a magnetic flux measuring method for a stationary induction electric equipment, comprising: opening detection means for detecting an opening time of a circuit breaker connected to a power supply circuit of a stationary induction electrical apparatus; voltage signal measurement means for storing voltage signals of the power supply circuit for a predetermined time, and measuring the voltage signals of the power supply circuit before and after opening of the circuit breaker; voltage signal offset removal means for calculating the offset of the voltage signal before opening of the circuit breaker and removing the offset from the voltage signal; voltage signal integration block detection means for deciding the end of integration based on the voltage signal after opening of the circuit breaker; voltage signal integration means for integrating voltage signals; magnetic flux signal calculation means for acquiring a magnetic flux signal by removing the offset of the voltage integration signal; and residual magnetic flux calculation means for calculating the residual magnetic flux value from the magnetic flux signal (see Patent Document 3).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-204368    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-275311    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-232840    Non-Patent Document 1: "Controlled Switching of Unloaded Power Transformers", Electra No. 212, p. 38 (2004)
In the case of the method for measuring the magnetic flux proposed in Patent Document 2, the final value of the magnetic flux waveform acquired by integrating the voltage is not constant, but increases or decreases monotonously because of the influence of the DC offset component superimposed on the measurement system. In the case of the magnetic flux waveform shown in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 2, for example, the final value φ1 is increasing monotonously. If the DC offset component is high, the integration result may diverge in a short time. Hence in the case of the invention according to Patent Document 2, the magnetic flux is different depending on the timing of reading, and an accurate residual magnetic flux cannot be calculated.
It is the magnetic flux measuring method according to Patent Document 3 that proposes one solution to the problem of Patent Document 2. The magnetic flux measuring method according to Patent Document 3 proposes a method of eliminating the influence of the DC offset component superimposed on the measurement system by calculating the DC offset from the sinusoidal voltage waveform before the circuit breaker performs opening operation, and integrating the resulting waveform after subtracting this DC offset from the voltage waveform as shown in FIG. 2 in Patent Document 3. This offset of the magnetic flux waveform as a result of the integration is also removed in the same way to calculate the residual magnetic flux.
However a problem of the method of Patent Document 3 is that the period of integrating a voltage waveform, which is executed to calculate the magnetic flux waveform, is extremely limited. In other words, the integration operation is performed for a voltage waveform in 200 ms and 100 ms periods before and after opening of the circuit breaker respectively. The reason why the integration operation period is limited is because the voltage waveform to be the integration target for removing offset must be stored once in the storage media, such as a memory.
For example, a 9.6 kB/phase memory capacity is required to store digital data having a voltage waveform which was analog-digital converted at 16-bit 4800 Hz for one second, and a memory capacity several times this capacity is required to execute the residual magnetic flux calculation proposed by Patent Document 3. Considering the cost-to-performance of the device in terms of economy and practicality, the calculation period of the magnetic flux waveform, that can be calculated by the magnetic flux measuring method proposed by Patent Document 3, is at most several seconds.
If the magnetic flux waveform measurement period is limited like this, the magnetic flux measuring device may experience a practical problem. In the case of the synchronous switching controlgear for circuit breaker considering residual magnetic flux, as shown in Patent Document 1 and Non-patent Document 1, it is critical to accurately measure the residual magnetic flux at all times, and having a limitation in the magnetic flux waveform measurement period may cause a practical problem.
For example, when a circuit breaker having an inter-pole capacitor switches a stationary induction electrical apparatus without load, voltage appears in the stationary induction electrical apparatus terminal via the inter-pole capacitor even after the circuit breaker is opened. Therefore, as FIG. 11 of Non-patent Document 1 shows, a large voltage may be generated in the stationary induction electrical apparatus terminal by the transient voltage which is generated after opening when an accident occurs of an external circuit of the stationary induction electrical apparatus, such as an electric station bus, and the residual magnetic flux may change. Since it is impossible to predict when this change of residual magnetic flux will occur, the magnetic flux waveform must be measured at all times.
Even in the normal power supply interruption operation of the stationary induction electrical apparatus, including opening when an accident occurs, the transient phenomena of the voltage waveform after power supply is interrupted may continue for several tens of seconds, depending on the impedance of the stationary induction electrical apparatus and the impedance conditions of the peripheral circuits thereof, and in order to accurately measure the residual magnetic flux in such a case, it is necessary to measure the magnetic flux waveform for several tens of seconds.
In this way, limiting the magnetic flux waveform measurement period is a problem that must be solved when the magnetic flux measuring method for the stationary induction electrical apparatus is applied to the synchronous switching controlgear of a circuit breaker, considering the residual magnetic flux.

Magnetic flux measuring device and magnetic flux measuring method for stationary induction electrical apparatus, and synchronous switching control gear for circuit breaker


A freezeless wall hydrant has a normally horizontal fluid inlet tube with an interior end and exterior end. A hollow valve fitting is rigidly secured to the interior end of the inlet tube for a connection to a source of pressurized fluid. A valve seat is located on an interior end of the valve fitting. An elongated hollow tube of a diameter less than the interior diameter of the inlet tube is positioned on the center line of the inlet tube and has inner and outer ends. A plug is rigidly secured to the inner end of the tube to close the inner end for fluid flow. A normally closed check valve is movably mounted in the tube to engage a valve seat on the plug, to open the tube for fluid therein under conditions of high fluid pressure in the inlet tube.

Freezeless wall hydrants and faucets have long been in existence. They characteristically have a fluid closure valve located in the end of an inlet pipe located within the wall or a warmer interior area of the building of which the wall is a part. This closure valve is operated by an elongated rod connected to an exterior handle. The freezeless characteristics of the hydrant are caused by the closure valve shutting off the flow of water within the wall or building at a freezing temperature, with the residual water in the inlet pipe flowing by gravity outwardly through the conventional outlet drain of the hydrant.
The foregoing structure works very successfully except in situations where a hose or the like is attached to the outlet drain of the hydrant, whereupon the residual water is not able to easily flow by gravity out of the hydrant when the closure valve connected to the pressurized water is closed. With a hose attached during freezing weather, the residual water freezes within the hydrant, and the inlet pipe or related components thereupon rupture from the freezing conditions within the hydrant.
It has in recent times been recognized that the rupture of such a hydrant under freezing weather conditions does not take place because of the frozen water in the hydrant. Rather, the rupture results from the ice imposing severe pressure on the captivated non-frozen fluid in the inlet pipe. Thus, the increased pressure on this water by the expanded ice is the principal cause for the rupture of the hydrant.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a freezeless wall hydrant which has the ability to relieve the pressure on the residual water located inwardly of frozen residual water located outwardly thereof when that water freezes by reason of a hose or the like being attached to the discharge nozzle.
A further object of the invention is to provide a freezeless wall hydrant which has the ability to relieve the pressure on residual water located inwardly of frozen residual water located outwardly thereof by means of an auxiliary passageway guarded by a check valve within the hydrant which will allow for the escape of residual water under pressure caused by icing conditions.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
A freezeless wall hydrant has a normally horizontal fluid inlet tube with an interior end and exterior end. A hollow valve fitting is rigidly secured to the interior end of the inlet tube for a connection to a source of pressurized fluid. A valve seat is located on an interior end of the valve fitting.
A head member is rigidly secured to the outer end of the inlet tube and includes a drain conduit in communication with an interior of the inlet tube for discharging water from the hydrant. A valve body is longitudinally movably mounted in the inlet tube adjacent to the valve fitting. A valve seating element is on the valve body and is adapted to engage and disengage the valve seat to prevent or to permit, respectively, a fluid flow through the valve fitting into the inlet tube.
An elongated hollow tube of a diameter less than the interior diameter of the inlet tube is positioned on the center line of the inlet tube and has inner and outer ends. A plug is rigidly secured to the inner end of the tube to close the inner end for fluid flow. The plug is connected to the valve body to rotate the valve body when the tube is rotated. A handle is connected to the outer end of the tube for rotating the same.
A valve seat surface is formed on the outer end of the plug and a fluid channel is associated with the plug to permit fluid to flow from the interior of the inlet tube to the valve seat surface. A check valve in the form of a piston or a ball is slidably or movable mounted in the tube and is adapted to engage the valve seat surface to normally prevent fluid flow through the plus into the tube. The plug is adapted to permit fluid flow into the tube when out of engagement with the valve seat surface.
A compression spring is in the tube and engages the check valve to normally hold the check valve in engagement with the valve seat surface.
An air conduit is associated with the tube for venting air from the interior of the tube to the atmosphere surrounding the tube when there is pressurized fluid pushing the check valve away from the valve seat surface.

Freeze protection device for wall hydrants/faucets


A temperature sensor in which a thermocouple is embedded in a front end of a center electrode of a spark plug, the front end of which is disposed in a combustion chamber of an internal engine, and including a digital-optical converter which is arranged to convert the potential of the thermocouple into an optical output representing the temperature of the spark plug. A connector is arranged to be removably connected to a receptacle in the digital-optical converter. The connector has a pair of contacts which are adapted to energize the digital-optical converter when the connector is electrically connected to the receptacle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a temperature sensor for a spark plug of an internal combustion engine which is capable of measuring the temperature at the front end of a spark plug electrode.
2. Description of Prior Art
In a spark plug generally used for internal combustion engine, the temperature of the spark plug is measured for the purpose of appropriately arranging a degree of gas mixture, intake temperature, ignition timing, revolution speed, intake and exhaust pressure.
As one example of this kind of spark plug, the applicant of this application had previously suggested a model shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-67835.
According to the Utility Model Publication No. 63-67835, the applicant have found the following disadvantages.
(i) No shield is taken into consideration, so that there is a tendency of leaking at any level of noise. The cord or cable which picks up the potential of the thermocouple, is electrically connected to a high tension line so that the cord or cable has tendency of inducing noise. Further, the electrically conductive case is connected to the high tension line so that noise is induced from the spark plug body, the plug cap, the case, the cord and the like. The noise influences measuring the temperature of the spark plug body.
(ii) The electrically conductive case is connected to the high tension cord so that the case is kept at high voltage to induce spark to the ground particularly when the grounding deteriorates.
(iii) To provide a shield with the case so as to avoid leakage, it is necessary to provide enough insulation, thus requiring a large device, and at the same time, making it cumbersome to handle.
(iv) The cable is fixebly secured to the converter so that it is necessary to individually provide a different connector each time a different spark plug is introduced.
(v) It is impossible to remove the converter from the case, and thus making it difficult to check the converter and replace battery cells.
Therefore, it is one object of this invention to obtain a temperature sensor which is capable of easily connecting to a spark plug body, and readily checking a converter and replacing battery cells.
It is another object of this invention to a obtain temperature sensor which is capable of reducing the level of noise, and at the same time, high voltage breakdown, and making easy to handle.
According to the present invention, the noise leaking from the outer insulator sleeve is shielded by the metallic sheet to contribute to the reduction of noise. The electrical connection among the high tension cord, the shield wire and the spark plug body, is facilitated by a single outer insulator sleeve.
The outer, middle and inner shaft is provided to connect to the triple coaxial plug, thus preventing the diameter of the spark plug body from the being unnecessarily enlarged.
Further, the high tension cord and the shield cord are placed into the outer insulator sleeve in addition to the shield coat being connected to the metallic sheet. This enables to protect the high tension cord and the shield wire against the leakage of noise.
The interconnecting case is enclosed by the shield case in electrically insulating relationship with the shield case. The shield case is avoided from being kept at high voltage to ensure safety. The interconnecting case is electrically insulated from the shield case so as to prevent electrical elements of the converter from being broken down.
Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear in the following description and in the accompanying drawings.

Temperature sensor for use in a spark plug of an internal combustion engine


An ultrasonic diagnostic device includes a probe configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to a subject and to receive the ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject; an image processor configured to convert ultrasonic image data based on the ultrasonic wave received by the probe, into digital data; a main body configured to output the digital data output from the image processor; and a connector configured to electrically connect and disconnect the image processor with respect to the main body.

Conventionally, ultrasonic diagnostic devices have been known that emit ultrasonic waves to a subject, and receive reflected waves from the subject to obtain ultrasonic images. Also, when an ultrasonic image is captured by an ultrasonic diagnostic device, it has been known that the frequency of the ultrasonic wave and the shape of the probe to transmit and receive the ultrasonic wave differ depending on the part to be observed.
For this reason, conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic device has been known in which a tip part (probe) including a group of acoustic elements to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves according to target parts can be attached to and detached from the main body of the device that is connected with the tip part via a cable.
See, for example, the following patent documents:
Japanese Patent No. 6067966
Japanese Patent No. 6024120
Connection between the probe and the main body of the device requires multiple channels of signal lines for transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves. Also, a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave received by the probe is a reflected signal from a living body, and hence, is a very weak analog signal.
For this reason, if attempting to maintain the image quality of ultrasonic images, the cable connecting the probe and the main body of the device would become very expensive, difficult to handle, and difficult to attach and detach the probe with respect to the main body of the device.

Ultrasonic diagnostic device and ultrasonic diagnostic system


A Vertical Function Field Effect Transistor (VIFET) is disclosed with reduced noise and input capacitance and high input impedance. The VIFET has a substrate; a source disposed on the substrate; a drain, and a channel. The vertical channel has one or more channel sidewall surfaces. The channel sidewall surfaces have a total or aggregate channel sidewall surface area. A semiconductor gate grown on one or more of the channel sidewall surfaces has a thickness below 10 nanometers (nm), or between 3 am and 10 om, that reduces transistor noise. The interface surface area between the conductive (e.g. metal) external electrical gate contact and the contacted surface of the semiconductor gate is minimized to further reduce transistor noise.

The present invention relates to Field Effect Transistors (FETs). More specifically, the invention relates to low-noise Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFETs).
Low-noise amplifiers, and the transistors used in such amplifiers, have a myriad of uses. For example, low-noise components are essential in life sciences where they are used for acquisition of signals in various biological and biochemical applications. Emerging mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) applications require low-power and low-noise devices. Even higher power and larger battery driven IoT devices can benefit from low noise and high input impedance while running in a low voltage mode. There is also a renewed interest in the low-noise analog implementation of neural networks where low-noise amplifiers are used in conjunction with other system components for efficient/low-power implementation of cognitive tasks such as pattern recognition and natural language processing.
The input stage of a low-noise amplifier typically is a transconductance amplifier configured as either a trans-impedance amplifier or voltage amplifier. (Transconductance amplifiers can have a differential voltage input and a current output.)
Many prior art low-noise systems are rack-mounted, but there is increasing interest in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) implementations of these electronics to enable closer integration of the sensor and amplifier.
Junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) are semiconductor devices which exhibit low noise and high input impedance. As a result, JFETs can be useful to construct devices as low-noise ring oscillators, memory devices, and operational amplifiers with high input-impedance and/or very high current-gain. Operational amplifiers can be viewed as essential building blocks of analog electronics in general and are often used in the systems referenced above.
In commercial low-noise amplifiers, large discrete JFET devices are often used in the input stages due to their superior flicker noise performance. However, FET devices are not generally available in CMOS processes.
More generally, noise reduction is a problem in CMOS devices, as well. Reducing the flicker noise in CMOS devices requires increasing the input device size, which results in additional circuit area, power consumption, and input capacitance. Larger input capacitance degrades the high frequency noise performance of trans-impedance amplifiers. In voltage amplifiers, the large input capacitance increases the voltage division of the input signal, reducing signal input strength.
There is a need for improved JFETs with low-noise and reduced input capacitance. There is a need for device structures and methods that allow monolithic integration of low-noise JFETs in CMOS technologies. In addition, there is a need to have JFET input stages integrated in CMOS technologies that have reduced input capacitance and low noise.

Low-noise gate-all-around junction field effect transistor

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus for retensioning a loose roof plate held by a roof bolt, includes a main spacer, a washer, and a nut. The main spacer occupies a space between a head of the roof bolt and the loose roof plate, and the main spacer has a threaded circumferential outer surface and a radially extending slot for inserting a shaft of the roof bolt therein. The washer occupies a space between the main spacer and the loose roof plate, and the washer has a radially extending slot for inserting the shaft of the roof bolt therein. The nut has a threaded hole for passing the head of the roof bolt therethrough, for threading onto the threaded spacer and for tightening onto the threaded spacer until the roof plate is firmly pressed against the roof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for re-tensioning a loose roof plate that has become loose in an underground mine, such as a coal mine.
2. Description of Related Art
Surface mining and deep underground mining are the two basic methods of mining coal. Coal seams relatively close to the surface are usually surface mined, whereas coal seams occurring at greater depths are usually mined underground. Underground mining accounts for most of world's coal production.
In underground mining, roof bolting has been an important technological development for supporting the roof of an underground mine. In roof bolting, bolts are installed within a rock mass to reinforce and stabilize the rock formation above the mine tunnel. Conventionally, it is common practice to drill a hole through a mine tunnel ceiling into the rock formation above. A roof plate is then mounted on to the head of a roof bolt that is installed into the hole. The roof plate is then brought up against the mine ceiling as the roof bolt is tightened into place, allowing the roof plate to applying a pressure against the roof of the tunnel.
Over time, the roof layer just above the roof plate may crumble and flake over time, causing the roof plate to become loose. Support of the roof is compromised because the loose roof plate is no longer applying pressure against the roof of the tunnel. Related art tensioning devices have attempted to solve this problem by reestablishing contact between the roof and the loose roof plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,069 to Schofield describes an apparatus and method for retensioning a loose roof plate that is held in place by a roof bolt in an underground mine. The device includes an externally threaded split bushing, a spacer unit and an internally threaded nut. To retension the loose roof plate, the externally threaded split bushing is placed around the roof bolt to be in contact with the roof bolt head and between the roof bolt head and the loose roof plate. The spacer unit is then slid over the roof bolt head and over the externally threaded split bushing to be placed into contact with the loose roof plate. The internally threaded nut is then slid over the roof bolt head and threaded onto the externally threaded split bushing until the roof plate is snug against the roof. However, one problem of the Schofield device is the difficulty of threading the internally threaded nut onto the externally threaded split bushing. Another problem is the difficulty of manufacturing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,980 to Robertson describes an apparatus and method for re-tensioning a loose roof plate that is held in place by a roof bolt in an underground mine. The apparatus includes a slotted screw member, a slotted nut and optionally one or more slotted spacers. To re-tension the loose roof plate, the slotted screw member and slotted nut are coupled together, placed around the roof bolt between a head of the roof bolt and the loose roof plate with the head portion of the screw member oriented toward the roof bolt head. Then, the slotted screw member and slotted nut are turned away from each other such as to bias the roof plate against the mine roof. If a gap between the roof bolt head and the roof plate is great, then one or more slotted spacers are placed between the roof bolt head and the head portion of the screw member. However, one problem of the Robertson design is that it cannot be used when the gap between the roof bolt head and the roof plate is less than the length of the slotted screw member. Another problem is the difficulty of manufacturing.

Apparatus and method for re-tensioning a loose roof plate in an underground mine


A device for analyzing an audio signal to obtain an analysis representation of the audio signal includes a converter for converting the audio signal into a representation representing a neurotransmitter vesicle occurrence in clefts between a plurality of nerve fibers and inner auditory cells of an ear model, and a calculator for calculating a neural activity pattern over time on the plurality of nerve fibers, which results based on the neurotransmitter vesicle occurrence, wherein the neural activity pattern is an analysis representation of the audio signal. The inventive device thus generates an especially suitable analysis representation of an audio signal in which masking effects occurring in the generation of action potentials on nerve fibers are considered. The inventive analysis representation is also suitable for an examination of the audio content and also for controlling cochlea implants.

The analysis and modeling of the human audio system have for a long time formed a main area both in recognizing and classifying audio signals and in medical technology. At that, in particular the setup of the human ear has been studied for a long time. In order to enable an understanding of the present invention, in the following some basic findings regarding the fundamentals of auditory perception are presented.
Physiology: Auditory Periphery and Central Audition
The physiological circumstances of the human auditory periphery have meanwhile been researched well and may be looked up in a plurality of scientific documents. Thus, at this point only the main basic facts necessary for the further understanding of later explanations are to be presented.
The peripheral sound processing apparatus of man (see FIG. 20) consists of the totality of outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Through the acoustic meatus, the sound reaches the eardrum and is passed on in the middle ear via the ossicles. A subsequent processing in the inner ear causes a frequency-dependent transduction of mechanical oscillations into neural nerve action potentials and passing the same on to the connected auditory nerve fibers.
Outer Ear:
The outer ear forms a funnel leading the incoming sound waves to the eardrum. The auricle, the auditory canal, the form of the scull and shoulder modify the sound signal.
As the auditory canal (including auricle) is open at one end and closed at the other, it is physically approximately considered as a half-open tube. Thus, in the case of resonance, i.e. when a quarter of the sound wavelength corresponds to the effective auditory canal length, a sound pressure level gain may be observed. In the resonance maximum at approximately 2500 Hz, the amplification is up to 20 dB. A second resonance ("Cavum Conchae resonance") is caused between 2000 Hz and 2500 Hz by the auricle alone.
Depending on the sound incident direction, as a result of the shape of the outer ear by so called "direction-determining bands" individual narrow frequency ranges are boosted or lowered, respectively. By this, up to a certain measure, the localization of incoming sound is also possible without binaural time and intensity differences, in particular in the vertical plane (median sagittal plane).
The described phenomena may be summarized by the outer ear transfer function (or "head related transfer function" HRTF, respectively), illustrated in FIG. 21.
Middle Ear:
The main task of the middle ear (MO) consists in adapting the sound characteristic impedance of air and of the liquids within the inner ear. If such a functionality is missing, like in the case of sound transmission hearing disability up to 98% of the incoming sound energy is reflected. With a healthy middle ear, around 60% of the signal intensity may be passed on to the inner ear. The sound pressure amplification necessary for this is made possible by the lined up coupling of eardrum, the three ossicles (hammer, anvil and stapes) and the oval window as a contact location to the inner ear (see FIG. 22).
Three different mechanisms are responsible for this impedance transformation:
1. Area ratio of eardrum AT and stapes sole plat AS:
            A      T              A      S        ≅  172. Ratio of the lever arms of hammer lH and anvil lA:
                    l        H                    l        A              ≅    1    ,  33. Lever arm by the curvature of the eardrum and the asymmetrical suspension of the hammer:FT≈1,4
The overall amplification is calculated to be:
            p      ges              p      T        =                    F        T                                    A          T                          A          S                                            l          H                          l          A                      ≅          30                                      dB      (pT: sound pressure at the eardrum).
The importance of the transfer function of the MO is remarkable, acting like a band pass filter having a wide passband. In the low frequency range it is limited by the mechanical characteristics of eardrum and oval window. With high frequencies, the moments of inertia and friction and bending losses of the ossicles limit the transmission. If the course of the MO transmission function is compared to that of the hearing threshold (see FIG. 23), it may be seen that the auditory sensitivity curve is mainly determined by the mechanical characteristics of the middle and outer ear.
An additional task is fulfilled by the muscles of the MO (M. tensor tympanus and M. stapedius, see FIG. 20). By a reflex contraction, the MO stiffness may be increased and thus an attenuation of lower frequencies may be achieved. A limited protection with regard to high levels and a reduction of the perception of self-produced sounds are the consequence.
Inner Ear:
The structure of the inner ear consists of two units. While the vestibular organ represents a component of the system of equilibrium, the setup of the cochlea forms the final part of the auditory periphery (see FIG. 22). Anatomically, the cochlea is equal to a snail shell having two and a half windings. It is separated into the two chambers "scala vestibuli" (SV) and "scala tympani" (ST) (see FIG. 22) containing perilymph liquid by the cochlear partition.
The operation of the cochlea may again be described in two sections. The hydromechanical part is determined by the macro- and micro-mechanical characteristics of the interior of the winding. The actual functional unit for converting the input signals into neural representations is located within the cochlear partition. The scala vestibuli is connected to the middle ear via the oval window (OW). The same oscillates with the movement of the stapes and thus forces the incompressible lymph liquid to elude. The elusion movement is then passed on to the cochlear partition and forms a traveling wave into the direction of the helicotrema (HC), cochlea spike. Due to the continuously changing mechanical characteristics along its extension (mass cover, rigidity, width, etc.) the partition forms frequency-dependent resonances at certain locations. This tonotopical frequency selectivity is also referred to as location theory.
Locations of maximum wave amplitudes may be associated with the characteristic frequencies on the partition, continuously reaching from high frequencies in the area of the oval window (basis of the basilar membrane) to low frequencies at the helicotrema (end or apex, respectively, of the basilar membrane). Via this dispersion characteristic, frequency contents in the incoming audio signal may be split up to a certain extent.
This functionality is supported by the characteristics of the cochlear division wall (see FIG. 24). The same is closed towards the scala vestibuli by the Reissner membrane (RM). The interface to the scala tympani consists of the basilar membrane (BM) including mounted organ of Corti (CO) on whose top side in the longitudinal direction three rows of outer hair cells and one row of inner hair cells are located. These hair cells are again spanned by the tectorial membrane (TM).
In the area in between the endolymph liquid of the scala media is located. When the cochlear partition moves, the tectorial membrane and the organ of Corti get into a relative movement which leads to a deflection of the sensory hairs located on the hair cells. This partially happens by direct contact, partially, however, also by hydrodynamic coupling. The outer hair cells now have the capability to shorten or lengthen, respectively, very quickly depending on the partition oscillation. This leads to an amplification by up to 1000 of the traveling wave amplitudes and provides sharp and distinct oscillation maxima.
Just like the sensory hairs of the outer hair cells, those of the inner hair cells are also deflected by the relative movement of tectorial membrane and organ of Corti. The measured, three-dimensional movement of the cochlea is complicated and was for example determined by Zenner and Gummert at the University of Ulm. As a consequence of this movement, biochemical processes are started causing a transduction of mechanical movements into neural action potentials (see FIG. 25).
In a state of rest, the inner hair cells have a resting membrane potential of about −40 mV and a low potassium concentration. The surrounding liquid of the scala media, however, comprises an unusually high proportion of potassium ions and is positively charged. With a deflection of the sensory hairs into one direction, so called transduction ion channels open, through which an inflow of positively charged potassium ions into the hair cells takes place due to potential equalization. A deflection of the sensory hairs into the opposite direction closes those channels and through ionic compounds into the baso-lateral cell membrane, the original potential may be reestablished. When the channels are open, the changed sensor potential causes an increased release of afferent transmitter substance.
The same diffuses through the synaptic cleft into the direction of the auditory nerve. Depending on the transmitter concentration in the synaptic cleft, the probability of triggering a nerve action potential (NAP) is increased.
Up to a frequency of just about 5000 Hz the release of the transmitter substance is highly synchronous following the deflection of the sensory hairs. Thus, a linear frequency transmission may occur via a time encoding, which is summarized in literature under the term of "phase locking".
Further, reference is also made to FIG. 26, which again shows the anatomy of the auditory periphery. FIG. 26 here shows the conversion or transmission, respectively, of a noise via eardrum and middle ear to the cochlea. The cochlea here enables a spectral analysis of the incoming noise and a conversion of vibrations into neural impulses. The cochlea further comprises nerve cells generating nerve impulses (action potentials), which are passed on via the auditory nerve to the brain.
FIG. 27 again shows in schematical form the mechanism of signal transmission in the human ear. From FIG. 27 it may be seen, that the cochlea 3210 recognizes different frequencies at different locations (location theory). For example, high frequencies (e.g. with a frequency of 20 kHz) are converted into nerve signals at the beginning of the cochlea, while low frequencies (e.g. with a frequency of 20 Hz) are converted into nerve signals at the end of the cochlea. By this, in the cochlea both a spectral analysis of a noise or an audio signal, respectively, may take place, wherein for a predetermined frequency those nerve cells are excited most that are most suitable for a perception of the respective frequency.
FIG. 28 shows the setup of the organ of hearing, wherein reference is also made to the geometry of the basilar membrane. A graphical illustration 3310 here shows that the width of the basilar membrane 3320 increases from the basis of the cochlea towards the end (apex) of the cochlea by a factor of 10.
A graphical illustration 3320 further shows a coupling of an acoustic wave into the cochlea via an oval window 3330. The coupling in via the oval window 3330 generates a traveling wave in the cochlea traveling from the basis 3340 of the cochlea to the apex 3350 of the cochlea and thus deflecting the basilar membrane 3360 of the cochlea. It is to be noted here, that nerve cells which are located closer to the basis 3340 of the cochlea are excited earlier than nerve cells which are located further from the basis 3340 of the cochlea. In other words, the location of the traveling wave as a function of time may be regarded as a trajectory of the traveling wave. The trajectory may of course also be mapped to discrete nerve cells, so that a trajectory also describes in what time sequence several spatially separated nerve cells are excited by a traveling wave.
FIG. 29 shows an exemplary electric replacement model, by the help of which the propagation of sound waves through the cochlea up to the excitation of the inner hair cells may be modeled. The illustrated model is known as the "extended Zwicker model". The model for example describes the hydromechanic of the inner ear and the nonlinear feedback of the outer hair cells. It is noted, however, that the illustrated model is only one of many possible models for calculating the excitation of the inner hair cells.
FIG. 30 describes, in a schematical illustration, the organ of Corti, and FIG. 31 describes the setup of two different types of hair cells.
FIG. 32 shows a detailed schematical illustration of two hair cells. The schematical illustration of FIG. 32 is designated by 3700 in its entirety. With reference to the graphical illustration 3700, here for improving the understanding the chemical processes within an inner hair cell are shortly outlined.
The hair cell 3710 comprises a plurality of stereocilia 3720 having the shape of fine hairs. An excitation or deflection, respectively, of the stereocilia causes the transmittance or conductivity, respectively, of a cell membrane to change, so that positively charged potassium ions 3730 may enter the hair cell. By this, the intra-cellular potential of the hair cells changes, often designated by V(t). Depending on the intra-cellular hair cell potential V(t), positively charged calcium ions 3740 may enter the cell so that the concentration of calcium ions 3740 is increased. The calcium ions then act upon the release of neurotransmitter molecules 3750 into a synaptic cleft 3760 between the hair cell 3710 and a nerve fiber 3770. The release of the neurotransmitter molecules 3750 typically takes place quantized in vesicles of several thousand molecules.
The concentration of neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft 3760 then changes the potential in the synaptic cleft 3760. If the potential in the synaptic cleft 3760 exceeds a certain threshold value, then finally an action potential in the nerve fiber 3770 is generated.
FIG. 33 for clarifying finally shows the arrangement of a plurality of hair cells in a sensory point of a human cochlea. From the illustration of FIG. 33 it may be seen that one individual hair cell typically comprises a plurality of stereocilia (hairs) and is coupled to a plurality of nerve fibers.
Some approaches already exist to process or identify audio signals, respectively, with reference to the processes in human hearing. For example, Thorsten Heinz and Andreas Brückmann describe in the article "Using a physiological ear model for automatic melody transcription and sound source recognition" presented in the 114th Meeting of the Audio Engineering Society in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in March 2003, an audio signal analysis and modifications of conventional signal processing algorithms which are perception-oriented.
The above-mentioned article describes a simulation of the functionality of the inner ear including the conversion of mechanical vibrations into information about a concentration of a transmitter substance in the clefts of the inner hair cells. The basilar membrane is here separated into 251 regions of uniform width, and each segment is connected to an inner hair cell, wherein the inner hair cell is excited by vibrations of the corresponding section of the basilar membrane. For a pitch recognition, the concentration of the transmitter substance in the clefts of the 251 described hair cells is then analyzed.
To this end, pitch trajectories are formed and segmented. Further, the mentioned article shortly describes the recognition both of a timbre and a melody recognition.
Further, Toshio Irino and Roy D. Patterson describe in their article "Segregating Information about the size and shape of the vocal tract using a time domain auditory model: The Stabilized Wavelet-Mellin Transform" (published in the Elsevier Journal for Speech Communication 36, 2002, pages 181-203) the application of a two-dimensional Mellin transformation to an auditory image. According to the above article, the Mellin transformation generates a Mellin image from the auditory image which is invariant with regard to the size of a vocal tract of a speaker on whose speech signal the auditory image is based.
The above-mentioned article proposes a speech recognition using a so called Mellin image resulting through a spatial Fourier transformation from a size-shape-image. The size-shape-image is, however, according to T. Irino and R. D. Patterson gained from a stabilized auditory image through a plurality of conversion steps.
Further, A. Brückmann, F. Klefenz and A. Wünsche describe in the article "A neural net for 2D-slope and sinusoidal shape detection" (published in the CIST International Scientific Journal of Computing, ISSN 1727-6209) a neural net for pattern recognition. The described neural net may learn straight lines of different slopes or a set of sinusoidal curves of different frequencies and may recognize corresponding patterns after the learning phase. The corresponding neural net thus realizes a Hough transformation and thus enables a recognition of two-dimensional patterns.

Device, method and computer program for analyzing an audio signal

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


A closed-loop focusing system and method positions a focusing assembly to a desired positioned. A feedback positioning device, such as a linear encoder, provides an actual or xe2x80x9creadxe2x80x9d value for the linear movement of the focusing assembly. The desired position is compared to the actual position of the focusing assembly. If the two values are outside of a predetermined tolerance or valid range, then an audible or visual warning will be given. Furthermore, when a laser source is utilized with the focusing system, then laser operation will be prevented where the two values are outside of tolerance.

Various laser procedures or operations require that the laser beam be properly focused to a specific focal point. For example, in ophthalmic laser surgery wherein eye tissue is to be photodisrupted or ablated in or on the tissue that is to be affected, the correct positioning of a focusing assembly used to focus a laser beam is very critical. Such ophthalmic surgical procedures include those in cornea, sclera, iris, the crystalline lens and related structures, vitreous, and retina, and for treatment of glaucoma. Focal depth precision is also required in many non-ophthalmic laser surgical procedures, such as applications in dermatology and even xe2x80x9csurgeryxe2x80x9d in DNA to excise portions of chromosomes. Also, non-biologic applications, such as photolithography and micromachining require focal depth precision.
Even with calibration of a focusing element for a laser, which is made to vary according to the requirement of the surgical treatment pattern, the actual focal depth of the laser beam may differ from the desired focal depth for the treatment and an actual focal depth. Hence, there is a need for a closed-loop system that controls movement of a focusing assembly to a desired position and feedback validation that the desired movement of the focusing assembly has been achieved. In this manner, the depth position of a focal point may be precisely controlled.
The present invention relates generally to a closed-loop focal positioning system. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and system for moving a focusing assembly for focusing a laser beam to a desired position (also referred to as the theoretical position) and then determining via a feedback positioning device, an actual movement value of the focusing assembly.
Briefly stated, the closed-loop focal positioning system utilizes a computer processor for the execution of software to control the movement of a focusing assembly used to focus a laser beam. The software is configured to allow an operator to identify a laser focal point or depth. In turn, the focusing assembly is instructed to move to a desired position. A feedback positioning device reads the actual position or movement of the focusing assembly. A comparison of the desired position and the actual position is used to determine if the focusing assembly has been correctly moved, thereby ensuring that the laser beam will be correctly focused when it is activated.
Various laser sources may be used with the inventive system and method, including infrared, visible, and UV lasers. Further, laser sources to be used with the inventive system may be continuous wave, Q-switched pulse, and mode-locked ultrashort pulse lasers. Although the following is not an exhaustive list, lasers of the foregoing type may be used with the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the laser source is an infrared ultrashort pulse laser with a pulse duration of less than 10 picoseconds.
The focusing assembly may be a single lens, objective lens, compound lens, a lens assembly, curved mirror or series of curved and/or flat mirrors, a combination of the foregoing, or a moveable housing containing the foregoing, that is used to focus a laser beam where the movement of the focusing assembly can be measured and the movement correlated to a focal depth. In other words, the focusing assembly can be any laser focusing device in whole or in part that is moveable, and the movement of such device can be measured by a feedback positioning device to determine if an actual focal point is achieved.
In an embodiment of the inventive system, an operator of a laser system for ophthalmic surgery identifies a desired focal depth position value for photodisruption or ablation of a structure of the eye, such as the cornea or crystalline lens. A software program executing on a host computer receives the value for the laser focal depth position. The software program commands a displacement of a focusing assembly of a laser system by writing a voltage to a Digital/Analog card. A Z Galvo will in turn move the focusing assembly to the desired focal depth position based upon the commanded voltage by directing a current to the motor-driven focusing assembly.
A linear encoder positioned within the laser system senses the linear movement of the focusing assembly. An intelligent controller interoperating with the host computer and software program utilizes a sensor to read an encoder strip attached to the focusing assembly. As the lens is moved into position, encoder feedback is provided by an intelligent controller and an actual focusing assembly position is obtained.
Although in one embodiment the feedback positioning device is a linear encoder, other feedback positioning devices may be used including a rotary encoder, an interferometric encoder, an optical encoder, a resolver, a Heidenheim scale, angular encoders, digital length gauge systems, phase device, magnetic strip reader, or transducer.

Closed-loop focal positioning system and method


A circuit breaker includes a housing, separable contacts, an operating mechanism having a pivotally mounted operator handle for opening and closing the separable contacts, and a trip mechanism releasing the operating mechanism to move the operator handle to its tripped position. A micro-switch includes an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage a surface of the operator handle. The micro-switch also includes a normally open contact having a closed state corresponding to the actuated position and an open state corresponding to the non-actuated position. The operator handle surface engages and moves the actuator lever to the actuated position in only the ON position of the operator handle. The actuator lever is in the non-actuated position in the OFF position and the tripped position of the operator handle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to circuit breakers for protecting electric power circuits and, more particularly, to such circuit breakers including separable contacts, an operating mechanism and a switch, such as a micro-switch, which follows the ON, tripped and OFF states of the operating mechanism.
2. Background Information
Circuit breakers are used to protect electrical circuitry from damage due to an overcurrent condition, such as an overload condition or a relatively high-level short circuit condition.
Circuit breakers used in residential and light commercial applications are commonly referred to as miniature circuit breakers because of their limited size. Such circuit breakers typically have a pair of separable contacts opened and closed by a spring biased operating mechanism. A thermal-magnetic trip device actuates the operating mechanism to open the separable contacts in response to persistent overcurrent conditions and to short circuits.
Circuit breakers typically provide status feedback by a visual indication only (e.g., by the position of the circuit breaker handle, by an indication window).
Some circuit breakers employ a status contact for reporting the status of the circuit breaker""s separable contacts. For example, electrical switching devices may optionally include an auxiliary connection or an auxiliary switch located therein to externally indicate the status of the device. Such an auxiliary connection may include, for example, a connection from an internal auxiliary switch to a bell alarm and/or other external circuits for enunciating and/or monitoring the open/closed/tripped status of the electrical switching device.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,301,083 and 5,373,411 describe a remotely operated circuit breaker, which introduces a second pair of switching relay contacts in series with the main separable contacts. The main contacts still interrupt the overcurrent, while the secondary contacts perform the discretionary switching operations (e.g., load shedding). The secondary contacts are opened by a solenoid, which is spring biased to close the contacts. Feedback circuitry, including normally open and normally closed auxiliary feedback contacts, provides a status indication of the condition of the secondary contacts.
Known circuit breakers of such types only provide the status of the switching contacts. There is a need, therefore, to also provide the status of the main contacts.
Typically, there are significant space limitations in relatively small, miniature circuit breakers. Adding micro-switches to small circuit breakers has been found to be difficult because such breakers typically have limited space due to their configuration for mounting in a standardized load center or panelboard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,755 discloses an example of a small residential or light industrial or commercial circuit breaker, which is provided with a micro-switch to generate an electrical indication that the circuit breaker contacts are opened. Two cascaded actuating members, one actuated by the handle structure and one by the cradle, are incorporated into the circuit breaker for actuating a plunger of the micro-switch and indicating the operating status of the breaker.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,461 discloses a circuit breaker including a bell switch and an auxiliary switch positioned in the circuit breaker housing for actuation by levers mounted on a cradle pin and crossbar, respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,746 discloses micro-switches mounted in a compartment and molded housing of a circuit breaker separate from the compartment in which the circuit breaker mechanism is mounted. The micro-switches are actuated to indicate the operating status of the circuit breaker by cascaded first and second actuating members. The first actuating member bears against a cam surface on the operating handle of the circuit breaker. The cam surface actuates the micro-switches through the first actuating member when the operating handle is in the OFF position. The second actuating member engages a cradle of the circuit breaker and actuates the micro-switches through the first actuating member when the cradle is unlatched (i.e., tripped).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,265 discloses a miniature circuit breaker including side-by-side ganged cases. One of the ganged cases includes the main circuit breaker operating mechanism and contacts and the other ganged case includes an actuable micro-switch having a switch bar. A handle tie arrangement interconnects one circuit breaker handle with a similar handle in the parallel cell of the circuit breaker arrangement. If the circuit breaker mechanism of the active cell is opened, a common tie-in member causes the handle and, thus, a peninsula portion of the handle to move toward the switch bar and cause it to actuate the switch and provide an external indication that the circuit breaker has opened. However, a different mechanism actuates the switch when the circuit breaker is tripped. A rotatable axial shaft extending from the adjacent chamber includes an electrically insulating triggering device having an elongated cam member, which rotates toward the switch bar and causes it to actuate the switch.
There is room for improvement in circuit breakers including a switch which follows the ON, tripped and OFF states of the operating mechanism.
This need and others are satisfied by the invention, which is directed to a circuit breaker, which includes a switch that provides the status of the circuit breaker""s separable contacts (i.e., ON, tripped, OFF). A switching mechanism, such as a micro-switch, is provided internal to the circuit breaker housing and is actuated by the operator handle or movable contact arm of the operating mechanism. The contact of the switch, in turn, is wired in a variety of fashions. As one example, the switch contact is used in conjunction with a remote controlled circuit breaker in order to provide feedback of both the main separable contacts as well as the relay switching contacts.
As one aspect of the invention, a circuit breaker comprises: a housing; at least one set of separable contacts including a set of main contacts; an operating mechanism including an operator handle for opening and closing the separable contacts, the operator handle having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, the separable contacts being closed in the ON position, being open in the tripped position, and being open in the OFF position; a trip mechanism releasing the operating mechanism to move the operator handle to the tripped position; and a switch including an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage the surface of the operator handle of the operating mechanism, the switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to the actuated position and a second state corresponding to the non-actuated position, the surface of the operator handle engaging and moving the actuator lever to the actuated position in only the ON position of the operator handle, the actuator lever being in the non-actuated position in the OFF position and the tripped position of the operator handle.
According to a preferred practice, the housing includes a base portion and a cover portion; and the switch is a micro-switch having a first side, which engages the base portion, and an opposite second side, which engages the cover portion.
As another preferred practice, the at least one set of separable contacts is the set of main contacts; and the contact of the switch has an input adapted to receive a voltage and an output adapted to provide a feedback voltage external to the housing when the set of separable contacts is closed.
As another aspect of the invention, a circuit breaker comprises: separable contacts; an operating mechanism including a movable contact arm for opening and closing the separable contacts, the movable contact arm having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, the separable contacts being closed in the ON position, being open in the tripped position, and being open in the OFF position; a trip mechanism releasing the operating mechanism to move the movable contact arm to the tripped position; and a switch including an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage the surface of the movable contact arm of the operating mechanism, the switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to the actuated position and a second state corresponding to the non-actuated position, the surface of the movable contact arm engaging and moving the actuator lever to the actuated position in the tripped position and the OFF position of the movable contact arm, the actuator lever being in the non-actuated position in the ON position of the movable contact arm.
As a further aspect of the invention, a circuit breaker comprises: a molded housing having a base portion and a cover portion; separable contacts; an operating mechanism including an operator handle for opening and closing the separable contacts, the operator handle having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, the separable contacts being closed in the ON position, being open in the tripped position, and being open in the OFF position; a trip mechanism releasing the operating mechanism to move the operator handle to the tripped position; and a micro-switch including an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage the surface of the operator handle of the operating mechanism, the switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to the actuated position and a second state corresponding to the non-actuated position, the surface of the operator handle engaging and moving the actuator lever to the actuated position in the ON position of the operator handle, the actuator lever being in the non-actuated position in the OFF position and the tripped position of the operator handle, the micro-switch having a first side, which engages the base portion of the molded housing, and an opposite second side, which engages the cover portion of the molded housing.
As one preferred practice, the base portion and the cover portion of the molded housing define a compartment, which houses the separable contacts, the operating mechanism, the trip mechanism and the micro-switch.
As another aspect of the invention, a circuit breaker comprises: separable contacts; an operating mechanism including an operator handle for opening and closing the separable contacts, the operator handle having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, the separable contacts being closed in the ON position, being open in the tripped position, and being open in the OFF position; a trip mechanism releasing the operating mechanism to move the operator handle to the tripped position; a micro-switch including a first side, an opposite second side, and an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to be actuated by the surface of the operator handle of the operating mechanism, the switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to the actuated position and a second state corresponding to the non-actuated position, the contact having one of the first and second states in the ON position of the operator handle, and having the other of the first and second states in the OFF position and the tripped position of the operator handle; and a molded housing having a base portion, which engages the first side of the micro-switch, and a cover portion, which engages the second side of the micro-switch, the base portion and the cover portion of the molded housing defining a compartment, which houses the separable contacts, the operating mechanism, the trip mechanism and the micro-switch.


A material used to form a biasing element for a magnetomechanical EAS marker has a coercivity that is lower than the coercivity of biasing elements used in conventional magnetomechanical markers. The marker formed with the low coercivity material can be deactivated by applying an AC magnetic field at a level that is lower than is required for deactivation of conventional markers. The marker with the low coercivity bias element can also be deactivated when at a greater distance from a deactivation device than was previously practical.

It is well known to provide electronic article surveillance systems to prevent or deter theft of merchandise from retail establishments. In a typical system, markers designed to interact with an electromagnetic field placed at the store exit are secured to articles of merchandise. If a marker is brought into the field or "interrogation zone", the presence of the marker is detected and an alarm is generated. Some markers of this type are intended to be removed at the checkout counter upon payment for the merchandise. Other types of markers remain attached to the merchandise but are deactivated upon checkout by a deactivation device which changes a magnetic characteristic of the marker so that the marker will no longer be detectable at the interrogation zone.
A known type of EAS system employs magnetomechanical markers that include an "active" magnetostrictive element, and a biasing or "control" element which is a magnet that provides a bias field. An example of this type of marker is shown in FIG. 1 and generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The marker 10 includes an active element 12, a rigid housing 14, and a biasing element 16. The components making up the marker 10 are assembled so that the magnetostrictive strip 12 rests within a recess 18 of the housing 14, and the biasing element 16 is held in the housing 14 so as to form a cover for the recess 18. The recess 18 and the magnetostrictive strip 12 are relatively sized so that the mechanical resonance of the strip 12, caused by exposure to a suitable alternating field, is not mechanically inhibited or damped by the housing 14. In addition, the biasing element 16 is positioned within the housing 14 so as not to "clamp" the active element 12.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,489, issued to Anderson, et al., the active element 12 is formed such that when the active element is exposed to a biasing magnetic field, the active element 12 has a natural resonant frequency at which the active element 12 mechanically resonates when exposed to an alternating electromagnetic field at the resonant frequency. The bias element 16, when magnetized to saturation, provides the requisite bias field for the desired resonant frequency of the active element. Conventionally, the bias element 16 is formed of a material which has "semi-hard" magnetic properties. "Semi-hard" properties are defined herein as a coercivity in the range of about 10-500 Oersted (Oe) and a remanence, after removal of a DC magnetization field which magnetizes the element substantially to saturation, of about 6 kiloGauss (kG) or higher.
In a preferred EAS system produced in accordance with the teachings of the Anderson, et al. patent, the alternating electromagnetic field is generated as a pulsed interrogation signal at the store exit. After being excited by each burst of the interrogation signal, the active element 12 undergoes a damped mechanical oscillation after each burst is over. The resulting signal radiated by the active element is detected by detecting circuitry which is synchronized with the interrogation circuit and arranged to be active during the quiet periods after bursts. EAS systems using pulsed-field interrogation signals for detection of magnetomechanical markers are sold by the assignee of this application under the brand name "ULTRA*MAX" and are in widespread use.
Deactivation of magnetomechanical markers is typically performed by degaussing the biasing element so that the resonant frequency of the magnetostrictive element is substantially shifted from the frequency of the interrogation signal. After the biasing element is degaussed, the active element does not respond to the interrogation signal so as to produce a signal having sufficient amplitude to be detected in the detection circuitry.
In conventional magnetomechanical EAS markers, the biasing element is formed from a semi-hard magnetic material designated as "SemiVac 90", available from Vacuumschmelze, Hanau, Germany. SemiVac 90 has a coercivity of around 70 to 80 Oe. It has generally been considered desirable to assure that the biasing magnet has a coercivity of at least 60 Oe to prevent inadvertent demagnetization of the bias magnet (and deactivation of the marker) due to magnetic fields that might be encountered while storing, shipping or handling the marker. The SemiVac 90 material requires application of a DC field of 450 Oe or higher to achieve 99% saturation, and an AC deactivation field of close to 200 Oe is required for 95% demagnetization.
Because of the high level required for the AC deactivation field, conventional devices for generating the AC deactivation field (such as devices marketed by the assignee of the present application under the trademarks "Rapid Pad 2" and "Speed Station") have been operated in a pulsed manner to limit power consumption and comply with regulatory limits. However, because the AC field is generated only in pulses, it is necessary to assure that the marker is in proximity to the device at the time when the deactivation field pulse is generated. Known techniques for assuring that the pulse is generated at a time when the marker is close the deactivation device include generating the pulse in response to a manual input provided by an operator of the device, or including marker detection circuitry within the deactivation device. The former technique places a burden on the operator of the deactivation device, and both techniques require provision of components that increase the cost of the deactivation device. Also, even pulsed generation of the deactivation field tends to cause heating in the coil which radiates the field, and also requires that electronic components in the device be highly rated, and therefore relatively expensive.
The difficulties in assuring that a sufficiently strong deactivation field is applied to the marker are exacerbated by the increasingly popular practice of "source tagging", i.e., securing EAS markers to goods during manufacture or during packaging of the goods at a manufacturing plant or distribution facility. In some cases, the markers may be secured to the articles of merchandise in locations which make it difficult or impossible to bring the marker into close proximity with conventional deactivation devices.

Magnetomechanical electronic article surveillance marker with bias element having abrupt deactivation/magnetization characteristic


A fuel introduction member is connected to an open end of a siphon tube which constitutes a part of a fuel tank. The fuel introduction member is provided with an opening through which a fuel is introduced from the tank into the siphon tube and from the siphon into the tank, a lid portion which is swung by the hydraulic pressure from the siphon tube so as to open the opening, and a float member which floats on the fuel in accordance with the rise of a fuel liquid surface in the tank to displace the lid portion in order to open the opening.

Fuel tanks are used to supply fuel to internal combustion engines. For example, 4WD (four-wheel-drive) vehicles and FR (front engine, rear wheel drive) vehicles use a so-called saddle type fuel tank, the bottom of which is upwardly recessed at a center portion in the width direction of the vehicle in order for the fuel tank to avoid physical interference with a propeller shaft, which extends down the middle of the vehicle.
A saddle fuel tank generally is divided into a first reservoir for reserving fuel and a second reservoir for reserving fuel. Each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir is equipped respectively with a fuel pumping system. Accordingly, in comparison with fuel tanks for use in 2WD (two-wheel-drive) vehicles, a saddle fuel tank requires two fuel pumping systems, and a problem is encountered in that a saddle fuel tank tends to be more costly and larger in size.
Thus, for example, there is known a fuel tank level equalizer system, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-061515. As shown in FIG. 11 of the accompanying drawings, the fuel tank level equalizer system includes a fuel tank 1 having two separate sections 1a, 1b, and operates to maintain equal fuel levels in the separate sections 1a, 1b via a siphon 2.
The separate section 1b houses therein a fuel pump module 3, which has an outlet connected to a bypass pressure regulator 4. The regulator 4 has an outlet connected to a conduit 5 through which liquid fuel is supplied to a nozzle 6a of a jet pump 6. The jet pump 6 is operated by liquid fuel that is supplied to the nozzle 6a, thereby transferring the fuel through the interior of the siphon 2 from respective fuel pickups 2a, 2b of the siphon 2.
Accordingly, the fuel levels in the separate sections 1a, 1b are equalized through the siphon 2, whereby a single fuel level sensor 7 can monitor all of the fuel levels in the vehicle.
In the above fuel tank 1, each of the fuel pickups 2a, 2b is equipped with a flow valve assembly, not shown, which is actuated by a filter and a diaphragm. The filter is made of a flexible material having small openings or pores therein. The filter, when wetted, prevents air from flowing therethrough due to a capillary action of the liquid fuel. In the event that liquid fuel is not present in the inlets of the fuel pickups, air is prevented from flowing therethrough by a liquid capillary seal of the filter.


The present invention provides a cell capable of high-yield production of polypeptides and a method for producing the same.

When proteins useful as pharmaceuticals are produced with the recombinant DNA technique, use of animal cells enables complicated post-translational modification and folding which prokaryotic cells can not perform. Therefore, animal cells are frequently used as host cells for producing recombinant proteins.
Recently, a large number of biopharmaceuticals, such as antibodies and physiologically active proteins, have been developed. Techniques that permit efficient production of recombinant proteins by animal cells lead to cost reduction of biopharmaceuticals and promise their stable supply to patients.
Under these circumstances, a method of protein production with higher production efficiency is desired.
It has been known that the number of copies of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene is amplified (gene amplification) in cells by methotrexate (MTX), whereby the cells become MTX-resistant. Widely used in industrial production is a method for increasing the amount of useful protein production, in which plasmids having a gene of the protein connected downstream of the DHFR gene are introduced into animal cells which are then cultured in an MTX-supplemented medium to induce gene amplification (Patent Document 1).

Method for producing a cell capable of high-yield production of heteroproteins

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a cell capable of high-yield production of a desired polypeptide, wherein a strongly bicarbonate transporter-expressing cell into which DNA encoding the desired polypeptide has been introduced is cultured in the presence of a high concentration of methotrexate and a cell capable of high-yield production of the desired polypeptide is selected from among surviving cells.