An assembly is disclosed for maintaining the carbonation level in a carbonated soft-drink beverage and for dispensing the beverage from its container while minimizing carbonation loss from the container. The assembly utilizes a closure cap assembly that has inlet pressurization means, outlet dispensing means, and a siphon tube internally locatable in a beverage bottle.

The present invention comprises a closure system for use on beverage bottles and more particularly discloses a bottle cap assembly for use on carbonated beverage bottles, which assembly maintains carbonation in the beverage and likwise provides a means for dispensing the beverage without depleting the carbon dioxide in the beverage bottle.
Carbonated drinks such as colas and fruit drinks are often sold in large plastic containers, often in sizes as large as three liters, which containers are made of a relatively permeable plastic material such as poly(ethyleneterephthalate), commonly called "PET". Bottlers may add as much as four atmospheres of CO2 pressure to the "headspace" of the filled bottle to maintain acceptable levels of carbonation in the soft drink beverage. This also contributes to rigidity of the filled container during shipment and on the grocer's shelves.
Unfortunately, Pet is a relatively permeable plastic for carbonation (CO2), and allows the gas to continuously permeate out through the container wall. In addition, as the volume of beverage in the container is slowly reduced by the consumer, the headspace increases and allows more open volume for CO2 to evolve into from the liquid drink. Also, each time the large container is opened, the CO2 pressure in the headspace is lost into the atmosphere, thereby increasing the rate of loss from the beverage.
Marketing studies have revealed that the average consumer considers a carbonated beverage to be "flat" when it has lost only about fifteen percent (15%) of its original carbonation. Because of CO2 loss through the container walls and through constant evacuation of the headspace, this level usually occurs before the typical two or three liter bottle is completely empty of beverage.
Thus there is a need in the beverage packaging business for means to reduce or prevent the "headspace" CO2 loss and to offset the permeation loss through the container walls.
Conventional closure devices for carbonated beverage bottles suffer several serious disadvantages. For example, the Saponara, U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,091, discloses a double-cap apparatus with an inner cap providing a closure member to be threaded onto a beverage bottle. A second threaded assembly, carrying a scissors-operated bellows, is threaded onto the exterior of the inner cap. The Saponara closure device suffers from the disadvantages of being bulky and too tall to fit into many refrigerators; requiring that the cap be removed to pour beverage from the bottle, thereby losing all of the carbonation pressure in the bottle; being expensive to make and having complex structure; providing poor sealing with a single ball checkvalve; and, requiring a large scissors system to get enough mechanical advantage to give any significant pressure gain in the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,986 to Poole discloses a closure system comprising a rubber cap that is stretched over a bottle top and has a rubber chamber formed above or to the side of the top. It suffers from the disadvantage that the resilient body will not hold pressure since internal pressure will expand the cap away from the bottle neck and allow carbonation to bleed off. Also the rubber walls of the device offer little barrier to gas loss through permeation. Other disadvantages of the Poole closure are that the low volume of the chamber and inefficient pumping action of the bulb-type chamber would require many flexings to obtain any significant pressure increase; the rubber material of the bulb would soon fatigue and start to crack as a result of the many flexings and the corrosive nature of carbonated beverages; and, the closure has to be removed each time beverage is dispensed. Each removal evacuates the headspace.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,877 to Saxby discloses a screw-on closure cap having a plunger/piston passing through the cap and into the bottle. It suffers from the disadvantages of having such a small volume in the piston assembly, which is limited by the size of the bottle neck it must fit into, that it requires an enormous amount of pump strokes to get measurable pressurization in the beverage container; and, the assembly has to be removed in order to pour beverage from the bottle each time.
It should also be noted that none of the conventional devices automatically replace carbonation (CO2 pressure) as it is lost via permeation through plastic container walls. This lost pressure is redeveloped by sacrificing carbonation from the beverage to the headspace. All of the devices require that the closures be removed in order to pour liquids from the bottle, thereby losing all the carbonation in the "headspace" of the bottle.
In addition to the conventional closure devices described above, several apparatus for generating carbonated beverage from plain water are known commercially. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,306,667, 4,359,432, and 4,376,496, all to Sedam et al, disclose large and complex commercial-scale carbonated beverage generating systems utilizing a large plain-water reservoir, a carbonating device, and the primary feature which is a "disposable package for containing and dispensing the syrup of the post-mix beverage". These do not disclose apparatus usable as closures on carbonated beverage bottles.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a compact closure assembly that allows for continuous repressurization of the beverage, provides a pressurized dispensing system, and does not allow the headspace carbonation to be depleted every time beverage is dispensed. It performs these functions by the provision of a bottle closure system having separate pressurization flow means and fluid dispensing means, and an external pressure generation system. The invention optionally provides an external dispenser control device.

Bottle closure system with repressurization and dispensing means


Embodiments of the invention provide a facility for measuring critical CPR parameters during first aid training. Specifically, the device provides a manikin housing for the insertion of a consumer electronic device such as phone, music player, personal assistant, game controller or other device with necessary sensory for the measurement of the CPR parameters. Tactile buttons, touch sensitive displays and embedded accelerometers in these devices may be used to accurately measure CPR parameters. In certain embodiments, parameters may be measured using a game console controller and the feedback may be displayed on a television in the form of a video game.

There are currently an estimated 40,000 incidences of cardiac arrest every year in Canada, most of which take place outside of hospital settings. The odds of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest currently stand at approximately 5%. In the U.S., there are about 164,600 such instances each year, or about 0.55 per 1000 population. There is a desire to decrease these out-of-hospital incidences of cardiac arrest. Certain places, such as sports arenas, and certain classes of individuals, such as the elderly, are at particular risk and in these places and for these people, a convenient solution may be the difference between survival and death.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a proven effective technique for medical and non-medical professionals to improve the chance of survival for patients experiencing cardiac failure. CPR forces blood through the circulatory system until professional medical help arrives, thereby maintaining oxygen distribution throughout the patient's body. However, the quality of CPR is often poor. Memory retention of proper CPR technique and protocol may be inadequate in most individuals and the anxiety of an emergency situation may confuse and hinder an individual in delivering proper treatment.
According to the journal of the American Medical Association (2005), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is often performed inconsistently and inefficiently, resulting in preventable deaths. Mere months after the completion of standard CPR training and testing, an individual's competency at performing effective chest compressions often deteriorates significantly. This finding was found to hold true for untrained performers as well as trained professionals such as paramedics, nurses, and even physicians.
The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation in 2005 described an effective method of administering CPR and the parameters associated with an effective technique. Parameters include chest compression rate and chest compression depth. Chest compression rate is defined as the number of compression delivered per minute. Chest compression depth is defined as displacement of the patient's sternum from its resting position. An effective compression rate may be 100 chest compressions per minute at a compression depth of about 4-5 cm. According to a 2005 study at Ulleval University Hospital in Norway, on average, compression rates were less than 90 compressions per minute and compression depth was too shallow for 37% of compressions.
Other studies have found similar deficiencies in the delivery of CPR. One 2005 study at the University of Chicago found that 36.9% of the time, fewer than 80 compressions per minute where given, and 21.7% of the time, fewer than 70 compressions per minute were given. The chest compression rate was found to directly correlate to the spontaneous return of circulation after cardiac arrest, so it is very important that the optimum rate be achieved for maximum chances of patient survival.
In addition to too shallow compressions, too forceful compressions may also be problematic. Some injuries related to CPR are injury to the patient in the form of cracked ribs or cartilage separation. Such consequences may be due to excessive force or compression depth. Once again, lack of practice may be responsible for these injuries.
Positioning of the hands is another parameter that may be considered when delivering CPR. It has been found that an effective position for the hands during compression is approximately two inches above the base of the sternum. Hand positioning for effective CPR may be different depending on the patient. For example, for performing CPR on an infant, an effective position may be to use two fingers over the sternum.
It has been shown through numerous studies that one of the primary reasons behind poor CPR quality is a lack of effective CPR training. Many individuals are apprehensive to take lessons in an unfamiliar environment. Others forget their skills soon after the completion of training. Therefore, a device that allows an individual to be trained and re-trained in CPR in the comfort of their home at minimal cost is desired.
Embodiments of the present invention include a device that enables the use of removable and portable electronic devices, such as consumer electronic devices with appropriate internal sensory to be used in the objective training of proper CPR technique. Such devices include an enclosure that houses the electronic device, which may be, for example, a cellular phone, personal digital assistant, game console controller or other digital device. In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device may contain an accelerometer or other type of sensor capable of measuring motion, movement or position.
The enclosure housing the electronic device may be, in some embodiments, a manikin resembling a human or human torso. In a preferred embodiment, the enclosure may possess the characteristics of a human chest. The enclosure may contain a spring or other similar component enabling the enclosure to be resistively compressed during the CPR training process. The amount of force required to compress the enclosure a specific distance may be similar or identical to that require to compress a real human chest. The enclosure may completely enclose the electronic device or may leave a portion of the device exposed. In a preferred embodiment, the enclosure is a spring loaded manikin having the electronic device inserted into a cavity in the chest area.
Embodiments of the present invention may also incorporate a feedback device capable of relaying CPR data to a student using the device. The feedback device may be a separate component with a facility to relay relevant data both visually and audibly. The feedback device may communicate with the electronic device within the enclosure through a number of ways. The feedback device may be tethered to the enclosure or the electronic device within the enclosure. Alternatively, it may communicate with the electronic device through wireless communication such as Bluetooth or wifi. If the enclosed electronic device is a game console controller, the feedback may be displayed on a television screen and the data may be transmitted to the console wirelessly or through the controller's tether. The feedback may be relayed to the user or student in the form of an interactive game incorporating challenges and simulations.
Embodiments of the present invention may be capable of determining chest compression depth and rate. The depth may be measured using a sensor within the electronic device, such as the accelerometer inside the Apple iPhone or the Nintendo Wii game console controller. The depth and rate of chest compressions may be calculated using other sensor modalities within these devices.
Other CPR relevant parameters may also be determined, such as chest recoil and proper hand position of the student. For example, tactile buttons or touch screens may be used to determine proper chest recoil by detecting the full release of the student's hands following a chest compression. Proper compressions require full chest release and the activation and deactivation of certain buttons may be used to signal this release. Buttons may also be used to determine proper hand position. The device may be configured so that proper hand placement during CPR activates certain buttons on the electronic device. These buttons, when activated, denote the hands being properly placed. The touch sensitive display on certain electronic devices may be used instead of the buttons to determine chest recoil and hand position. The force applied to the display may be used to determine proper chest release following a compression. Proper distribution of force across the display may also be detected and used to determine proper hand placement. This is particularly suited to multi-touch display devices such as the Apple iPhone or iPod touch music player.
Embodiments of the present invention may also incorporate a facility for detecting proper ventilations. A ventilation bag, which may be replaceable, may be placed within the enclosure and beneath the electronic device. A proper ventilation delivered by the student may inflate the bag causing the electronic device to rise a certain height dependent on the volume of air. The amount of movement of the electronic device may then be determined using its internal sensors, such as an accelerometer. The volume of each ventilation delivered by the student to the enclosure may be measured accurately and shown to the student.

CPR training system using consumer electronic device


A magnetic resonance system that has a magnet system that generates magnetic fields in an excitation region, allowing nuclei in an examination subject in the excitation region to be excited to emit a magnetic resonance signal. A reception antenna device with multiple local coils for reception of the magnetic resonance signals is arranged in proximity to the examination subject, and has a base part and an attachment part. The attachment part can be placed on the base part such that the examination subject is located between the base part and the attachment part (6). The multiple local coils are respectively connected with an evaluation device for evaluation of magnetic resonance signals. To simply and reliably couple the antenna devices to an evaluation device with optimally few electrical conductors being located in the excitation region, the multiple local coils in the attachment part are respectively connected with the evaluation device via a base coupling element that is arranged at a predetermined base part location on the base part and an attachment coupling element is arranged at a predetermined attachment part location on the attachment part. The magnetic resonance signal received by the local coil can be fed to the evaluation device via the attachment coupling element and the base coupling element and as long as the attachment part is placed on the base part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a magnetic resonance system of the type having a magnet system that generates a magnetic field in an excitation region, allowing nuclei in an examination subject in the excitation region to be excited to emit a magnetic resonance signal, and a reception antenna device with a number of local coils for reception of the magnetic resonance signal, in proximity to the examination subject, and that has a base part and an attachment part; the attachment part being attached to the based part such that the examination subject is located between the base part and the attachment part; with the local coils being respectively connected with an evaluation device for evaluation of magnetic resonance signals.
2. Description of the Prior and Related Subject Matter
Magnetic resonance systems of the above type are generally known.
Conventionally, the acquisition of magnetic resonance signals emitted from the examination subject ensues either with a whole-body antenna or with local coils. If the magnetic resonance signal is acquired with a whole-body antenna, the magnetic resonance signal can be acquired from the entire excitation region. The acquisition, however, may occur only with relatively low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Therefore local coils are also used in many cases in magnetic resonance systems, often multiple local coils. The local coils are arranged near to the examination subject (normally a person) and can therefore receive signals with a good SNR, although only from a small part of the excitation region. Moreover, spatial coding by gradient fields can be supplemented due to spatial resonance by the arrangement of the local coils as such. The required measurement time for an acquisition thus can also be reduced.
In conventional magnetic resonance systems, all local coils are connected by a corresponding number of connectors (attached to the patient bed) and a movable cable harness to an evaluation device that is arranged on the base body. Due to the attenuation of the long, thin cables employed, preamplifiers must be arranged in the local coils. Furthermore, each local coil must have a detuning circuit that deactivates the coil given non-use and upon transmission. Elaborate common mode chokes (known as sheath wave barriers) must also be inserted into the long cable harness in order to be able to limit induced voltages during transmission.
A plug connection for local coils that operates without contact (namely via inductive coupling) is known from DE 101 30 615 C2. This teaching represents an advance since a galvanic contact between the local coil and the evaluation device is no longer necessary for coupling of a local coil to the evaluation device. As is conventional, however, the necessity exists of actively plugging the connection by operating personnel. The local coil must also be specifically connected to the evaluation device or disconnected from it.
From DE 35 00 456 C2 it is known to couple a local coil with the whole-body antenna. A contact-free coupling is achieved, but this coupling is possible only for a single local coil, and even then only given suitable orientation of the local coil. Moreover, the teaching of DE 35 00 456 C2 can not be extended to multiple local coils. Here as well the local coil must also be actively connected to the whole-body antenna or disconnected from it.
From EP 0 437 049 A2 it is known to directly, inductively couple a local coil to another coil that is arranged in immediate proximity of the local coil. For this purpose the local coil must also be actively connected to the evaluation device or disconnected from it.
An approach to overcome the mechanical plug connection between the electrical circuits of the moving part and the stationary base part of a magnetic resonance system is disclosed in DE 10 2005 056711 B3.
A wireless connection of local coils for an MR system is described therein. The coupling ensues either inductively or capacitively. The problem of making an electrical connection in the antenna devices that are intended for specific body parts, and that can be installed as needed in a magnetic resonance system, is not solved by this proposal. For example, for an antenna device adapted to the head shape for examinations of the head of a patient in a magnetic resonance system, the local coils are arranged closer to the tissue to be examined and thus ensure a stronger signal with better signal-to-noise ratio.
A radio-frequency device with coil that has a radio-frequency coil in order to receive a magnetic resonance signal and that has a second unit with a second radio-frequency coil with which the magnetic resonance signal is received independently of the first radio-frequency coil is known from US 2005/0242812 A1. The first and second units are supported by a carrier. The carrier can be detached from at least one of the first and second units. The carrier is configured such that the alignment of first unit in relation to the second unit can be changed.

Magnetic resonance system with reception antenna device


An LGA socket connector (1) comprises a rectangular base (2), a plurality of terminals (5) received in the base, and two reinforcing members (4) attached to the base. Tow side walls (23) are formed on opposite ends of the base. Each reinforcing member has an elongate base plate (40), a first side plate (42) bent perpendicularly inwardly from a top edge portion of the base plate and a second side plate (44) bent perpendicularly inwardly from a bottom edge portion of the base plate. With this configuration, the reinforcing member is formed from a sheet of metal with very little wastage. Further, the reinforcing members each have a xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d-shaped cross-section. Thus the reinforcing members each can attain a good rigidness along a length thereof. The two reinforcing members are respectively attached to the side walls of the base, thereby the base is effectively reinforced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit (IC) socket connector, and more particularly to a land grid array (LGA) socket connector with reinforcing members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the trend toward miniaturization of electrical components, this enables dielectric components for receiving the electrical components to be correspondingly miniature. Further, the dielectric components are commonly formed from dielectric materials of low rigidness and relatively easily deform. Thus this unexpected deformation decreases reliability of mechanical and electrical engagement between the electrical components.
A typical LGA socket connector is one kind of the miniature electrical and dielectric components. U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,978 discloses an LGA socket connector. Referring to FIG. 4, the LGA socket connector 8 comprises a substantially rectangular base 80, and a plurality of terminals 82 received in the base 80. A rectangular opening 804 is defined in the base 80, for receiving an IC package 7 therein. Four side walls 802 are formed on the base 80, and cooperatively defines the opening 804. A resilient first arm 8040 extends from one side wall 802 into the opening 804. Two spaced resilient second arms 8020 extend from one adjacent side wall 802 into the opening 804.
Referring to FIG. 5, in assembly, when the IC package 7 is placed in the opening 804 of the base 80, the second arms 8020 generate resilient force to hold the IC package 7, and the first arm 8040 only generates relatively little resilient force to facilitate positioning the IC package 7 in the opening 804. Thus the first and second arms 8040, 8020 cooperatively secure the IC package 7 in the opening 804. As a result, mechanical and electrical engagement between the terminals 802 and corresponding pads (not shown) of the IC package 7 is attained.
Referring to FIG. 6, with the second arms 8020 pressing on a side of the IC package 7, a counterforce xe2x80x9cFxe2x80x9d respectively presses upon two opposite inner sides of side walls 802 of the base 80 in opposite directions. Thus the base 80 is liable to bend along a direction xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d. If this happens, some terminals 82 disposed at opposite bending ends of base 80 may not fully engage with the corresponding pads of the IC package 7. Uniform engagement between the terminals 82 and the corresponding pads of the IC package 7 is destroyed, and even open electrical circuits are formed therebetween. Thus reliability of mechanical and electrical engagement between the terminals 82 and the corresponding pads of the IC package 7 is decreased.
FIG. 7 discloses another kind of typical LGA socket connector 9, which comprises a base 90, a plurality of terminals (not shown) received in the base 90, a cover 92 pivotally attached to the base 90, an actuator member 93 rotatably mounted on the base 90, and a retention frame 91 mounted on the base 90. The actuator member 93 is disposed at one end of the base 90, and the cover 92 is pivoted at an opposite end of the base 90. With this structure, in use, a position portion (not labeled) of the actuator member 93 is adopted to resiliently press an extending portion (not labeled) of the cover 92 so as to position the cover 92 on the base 90. Thus mechanical and electrical engagement between the terminals and corresponding pads of an IC package (not shown) is attained. By this positioning means, the base 90 has a trend of warping upwardly at said opposite ends thereof.
The retention frame 91 is formed from a sheet of metal material, and has a good rigidness. With the retention frame 91 being mounted on the base 90, the rigid retention frame 91 prevents the base 90 from warping upwardly at said opposite ends thereof. Thus reliable engagement between the terminals and the corresponding pads of the IC package is assured.
In essence, the base 90 has a trend of warping upwardly only at said opposite ends thereof. Thus only two opposite laterals (not labeled) of the retention frame 91 are used to prevent the base 90 from warping upwardly at he opposite ends thereof. However, the retention frame 91 has four sides. The four sides cooperatively define an opening (not labeled). With this structure, when the retention frame 91 is formed from the sheet of metal material, much metal material may be wasted, this inflates manufacturing costs of the retention frame 91.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved LGA socket connector to overcome the above-mentioned problems.
Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide an LGA socket connector with two reinforcing members able to both reinforce a base of the socket connector and lower manufacturing costs thereof. thereof.
To fulfill the above-mentioned object, an LGA socket connector comprises a rectangular base, a plurality of terminals received in the base, and two reinforcing members attached to the base. Tow side walls are defined on opposite ends of the base. Each reinforcing member has an elongate base plate, a first side plate bent perpendicularly inwardly from a top edge portion of the base plate and a second side plate bent perpendicularly inwardly from a bottom edge portion of the base plate. With this configuration, the reinforcing member is formed from a sheet of metal with very little wastage. Further, the reinforcing member has a xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d-shaped cross-section. Thus said reinforcing member can attain a good rigidness along a length thereof. The two reinforcing members are respectively attached to said side walls, the base is thereby effectively reinforced.

LGA socket connector with dual reinforcing members


A system for passing long fan-folded documents and corresponding copy paper through a reproducing apparatus and including a collapsible, upright stand which carries a pair of copy paper roll supporting elements, a pair of paper guide plates pivotally and detachably connected to the top of the stand, and a guide bar for guiding copy paper from a roll on the stand to the guide plates. The system further includes an improved, two-part feed tray detachably mounted on the reproducing apparatus. Each part is selectively positionable on the reproducing apparatus to facilitate containment of a fan-folded document to be reproduced. Each feed tray part includes a base plate having a downwardly extending strap to locate the tray on the reproducing machine, and at least one upwardly projecting stop rib spaced from a paper discharge slot at the front side of each tray part, and acting as an indexing abutment for contacting and positioning the fan-folded document in the tray.

1. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,760, and my U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,733 entitled "SYSTEM FOR PASSING ELONGATED PAPER THROUGH A REPRODUCING APAPRATUS", I describe a system by means of which elongated, relatively narrow sheets of copy paper can be fed through a xerographic copying machine in synchronization with the feeding to the machine of elongated fan-fold type original documents. The system described in my two earlier patents satisfy the need for enabling the conventional xerographic copying apparatus to be utilized for producing continuous copies of such elongated original documents as galley proofs of manuscripts, oil and gas well logs, electrocardiograms, teletype printouts, strip charts made on various types of continuous recorders, adding machine tapes, computer printouts, the output of graphic plotters of seismic data, and the like.
That part of the system described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,733 for feeding elongated fan folded original documents has worked well in practice, but it is limited in its capability for feeding variously sized fan-folded documents to the copying apparatus. Thus, where a fan-folded document of different width is to be copied, adjustments have to be made which require some skill, or an additional and different document feeding tray, having a different transverse dimension, must be placed within the system in order to accommodate the differently dimensioned document to be fed. Moreover, the stability of the original document feed tray in its position on the copy machine is such that it can be inadvertently bumped or displaced so that it will not feed truly without re-setting or re-adjustment.
Although the document feed trays utilized in the systems which I have previously patented are generally satisfactory where only one or two widths of fan-folded original documents are to be copied, they exhibit several less than optimum characteristics. I have now invented an improved feed tray which allows the feeding of various sizes of fan-folded documents to a reproducing apparatus in a more convenient and trouble-free fashion, and without the requirement to change out the feed trays as the original document size varies.

Document feed tray for feeding elongated fan-folded papers through a reproducing apparatus


Disclosed is a method for manufacturing liquid crystal display device which can peel a protective film from a board assembly and mount the board assembly on a backlight unit. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising steps of: providing an integrated peeling and mounting device having an index rotary unit having a shaft for rotating heads facing in different directions, an alignment calibration unit and a mounting unit; rotating the index rotary unit; calibrating an aligned state of a board assembly and a backlight unit by operating the alignment calibration unit; mounting the board assembly attached to a first head of the index rotary unit on the backlight unit by operating the mounting unit; and peeling a film from the board assembly attached to a second head of the index rotary unit, wherein the steps of peeling the film and mounting the board assembly on the backlight unit are simultaneously performed.

1. Field of the Invention
This document relates to an integrated device which can peel a protective film from a board assembly and mount the board assembly on a backlight unit.
Furthermore, this document relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device which can perform both film peeling and mounting by using the integrated device.
2. Background of the Related Art
An active matrix driving type liquid crystal display device displays moving pictures by using a thin film transistor (hereinafter, "TFT") as a switching element. This liquid crystal display device is small-sized compared to a cathode ray tube (CRT), and hence is rapidly replacing a cathode ray tube (CRT) by being applied to televisions, as well as displays of mobile information devices, office machines, computers, etc.
A liquid crystal display device includes, as shown in FIG. 1, a board assembly BA and a backlight unit BL.
The board assembly BA includes a liquid crystal panel sandwiched between an upper glass substrate and a lower glass substrate, polarizers attached on top and bottom surfaces of the liquid crystal display panel, a TCP (Taper Carrier Package) for connecting source and gate drive integrated circuits (ICs) to data lines and gate lines of the liquid crystal display panel, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and flexible printed circuits (FPCs) connected between the PCBs.
The backlight unit BL is an assembly of a light source, a reflection sheet, a light guide plate, a diffusion sheet, a prism sheet, a mold frame, an inverter, etc. The light source may be a lamp, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and an external electrode fluorescent lamp (EEFL), or a light emitting diode. The inverter is a power driving circuit for turning on the light source.
The board assembly BA is mounted on the backlight unit BL in a film peeling and mounting process. In the film peeling and mounting process, a lower polarizer protective film 11 attached on the lower surface of the panel of the board assembly BA is peeled, and then the board assembly BA and the backlight unit BL are aligned and the board assembly BA is mounted on the backlight unit BL.
A film peeling and mounting device as shown in FIG. 2 carries out the process in the order of conveyance of the board assembly BA, peeling of the lower protective film of the board assembly BA, feeding of the board assembly BA, alignment of the board assembly BA and the backlight unit BL, and mounting of the board assembly BA on the backlight unit BL. This film peeling and mounting device is advantageous in reducing the process time because a process of peeling the lower polarizer protective film from the board assembly BA and then feeding the board assembly BA and a process of feeding the backlight unit BL to a mounting position are separated, but the device is large-sized and complicated. Further, the film peeling and mounting device shown in FIG. 2 has a problem that since the standby time of the board assembly BA is lengthened before the board assembly BA is mounted on the backlight unit BL, the board assembly BA may be contaminated by impurities, thereby increasing the probability of defects of the board assembly BA. The arrow in FIG. 2 is a feeding path of the board assembly BA.
The film peeling and mounting device shown in FIG. 3 carries out the process in the order of feeding of the board assembly BA, peeling of the lower protective film of the board assembly BA, alignment of the board assembly BA and the backlight unit BL, and mounting of the board assembly BA on the backlight unit BL. While this film peeling and mounting device has an advantage that impurity defects of the board assembly BA are small because the device is relatively small in size and mounting is performed immediately after film peeling, it is difficult to reduce the processing time since the film peeling process and the film mounting process are continuously performed in 1 cycle. The arrow in FIG. 3 is a feeding path of the board assembly BA.

Integrated device of peeling and mounting board assembly on backlight unit of liquid crystal display


Systems and methods are disclosed for receivers of transmit chains of a MIMO system to receive transmit power information and to compute channel characteristics of the transmit chains to enable dynamic adjustment of the transmit power on the transmit chain to optimize an overall data throughput while meeting a maximum emission limit, such as a regulatory limit on emitted power. The transmit power and the data rate on the transmit chains may be independently controlled. The receiver of the MIMO system may determine the new transmit power for the transmit chains from the computed channel characteristics and the current transmit power of the transmit chains. Alternatively, the receiver may transmit the computed channel characteristics of the transmit chains to the transmitter for the transmitter to determine the new transmit power for the transmit chains. The transmitter may use the new transmit power to transmit new data on the transmit chains.

Communication systems using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology enable increased throughput for a given transmit power by exploiting spatial diversity at the transmitter and at the receiver. In a wireless MIMO system, gain and spatial diversity introduced by multiple antennas may increase spectral efficiency. Similarly, in a wire-line MIMO system, multiple physical channels may be combined with beam-forming to increase the total data throughput compared to a single-input single-output (SISO) system of identical transmit power.
Regulatory requirements typically impose limits on the maximum radiated emission of a communication system. These limits, which vary by regions, seek to limit the amount of power transmitted from a communication device to reduce interference on other devices operating in the same frequency band. For example, the HomePlug AV specification for North America limits the maximum transmit power spectral density to −50 dBm/Hz for bandwidth between 2-30 MHz for a device communicating over home power lines. For systems employing MIMO technology where there are multiple simultaneous transmit chains, the maximum transmit power applies to the overall emissions from the multiple transmit chains. Thus, the maximum transmit power may be distributed among the multiple transmit chains of the MIMO system, resulting in the transmit power on a single transmit chain to be less than the transmit power in a SISO system. If there is low data throughput on some of the transmit chains due to poor channel characteristics, the overall throughput of the multiple transmit chains may be less than the throughput of a SISO system. For example, if the transmit power is equally divided between two transmit chains of a MIMO HomePlug AV2 device, and if a first transmit chain experiences low throughput due to interference, the second transmit chain may not have sufficient diversity gain to compensate for the lower throughput of the first transmit chain. This may result in a lower overall data throughput in the MIMO device compared to a SISO device transmitting at maximum power through a single transmit chain Accordingly, there is a need to automatically compensate for different channel characteristics in the multiple transmit chains of a MIMO system to increase the overall data throughput while staying within the maximum transmit power imposed by regulatory requirements.

Automatic compensation of transmit power of separate transmit chains in MIMO communication


A data communication device includes a first communicator that receives encrypted data; a second communicator that transmits the encrypted data; an identification information acquisition unit that, when the first communicator has received information for encryption that is used for establishing encrypted communications including encrypted part and plaintext part where the plaintext part includes identification information of a transmission source of the encrypted data, acquires the identification information from the information for encryption; and a configurator that sets data transmission of the second communicator, based on the identification information.

A relay device is often provided between a server device and a terminal device (a client device) to increase communication rates and safety. Communication data are often encrypted to further increase communication safety. With regard to a combination of such a relay device and encryption of communication data, several techniques have been suggested.
For example, in a communication method described in PTL 1, a secure sockets layer (SSL) proxy server, which relays communications between a web server and a terminal, issues a proxy certificate, based on a server certificate from the Web server and transmits the proxy certificate to the terminal.
In addition, a relay processing device described in PTL 2 performs an SSL handshake with an information processing device (a server device) to acquire a public key certificate of the information processing device from the information processing device before establishing an SSL communication with the information processing device. Then, the relay processing device transmits the public key certificate of the information processing device to a client terminal using a controlled communication at some point between starting the SSL handshake for establishing an SSL communication with the client terminal and actually establishing an SSL communication with the client terminal.
Further, in an encrypted communication system described in PTL 3, when transmitting a request for establishing an encrypted communication path to a server, a terminal transmits the request by specifying a relay device that is permitted to decrypt the request in the middle. The specified relay device establishes an encrypted communication path individually with an adjacent terminal, relay device, or server.

Data communication device, communication system, data relay method, and recording medium with stored program


A method for determining a vehicle action includes: by a controller that acquires travel situation information of a road on which a host vehicle travels and determines a driving action from the travel situation information, setting at least one control determining point on a first route on which the host vehicle travels, the control determining point determining whether to run or stop the host vehicle; and determining whether to run or stop the host vehicle at the control determining point before the host vehicle reaches the point. The controller determines whether or not the host vehicle enters a road on which another vehicle or a pedestrian travels or walks with priority over the host vehicle on the first route; and where it is determined that the host vehicle enters the road on which the other vehicle or pedestrian travels or walks with priority, sets the control determining points more densely.

As a control for determining a driving action of a host vehicle, JP2015-170233A discloses a control when the host vehicle crosses an oncoming lane and turns at a cross-point. Specifically, an intersection between a travel route of the host vehicle and a travel route of another vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane is extracted, it is estimated whether or not the host vehicle and the other vehicle collide with each other at the intersection. When it is determined that the host vehicle does not collide with the other vehicle, let the host vehicle enter the cross-point, and when it is determined that the host vehicle does not collide with the other vehicle, let the host vehicle stop before the cross-point.

Vehicle action determining method and vehicle action determining device


A method for adjusting the geometry of photomask patterns is provided. Such adjusted pattern can be employed to achieve pattern doubling in subsequent layers. A patterned photoresist mask is provided over an underlayer. A polymer layer is placed over the mask. The mask is selectively trimmed to generate individual mask features having an increased aspect ratio. Subsequent pattern layers can be formed on the trimmed mask pattern to generate a hard mask having increased pattern density. The hard mask is selectively etched and the material of the trimmed mask pattern is removed. The underlayer is then etched to achieve pattern transfer from the hard mask to the underlayer to achieve a final double density pattern.

During semiconductor wafer processing, semiconductor devices are structures are defined and formed in the wafer using well known patterning and etching processes. In many of these processes, a photoresist (PR) material is used to assist in the formation of these structures. Commonly, photoresist material is deposited on the wafer and then exposed to light filtered by a mask reticle to achieve a patterned photoresist mask. The reticle is generally a glass plate that is patterned with exemplary feature geometries that block light from propagating through the reticle.
After passing through the reticle, the light contacts the surface of the photoresist material. The light changes the chemical composition of the photoresist material such that a developer can remove a portion of the photoresist material. In the case of positive photoresist materials, the exposed regions are removed, and in the case of negative photoresist materials, the unexposed regions are removed. Thereafter, the wafer is etched to remove the underlying material from the areas that are no longer protected by the photoresist material, and thereby define the desired features in the wafer.
The minimum feature size of integrated circuits (ICs) continues to shrink with each generation of semiconductor wafer processing improvements. As transistors and metal lines get smaller and move closer together, this puts increasing demands on the photoresist materials and patterns. Previously insignificant third-order variables now play a major role in IC design and fabrication.
One significant limitation in the existing state of the art pertains to the thickness or vertical height of the photoresist layer. In existing technologies, depth of focus limitations inherent in the patterning equipment prevent the application of photoresist in layers thicker than they are currently used. However, there is a need in the industry for ever thicker mask layers to achieve certain fabrication structures. Currently, this need is met by transferring the mask pattern from the photoresist pattern to an underlying film to create an underlying "hard mask" having taller features which are then used to form various structures on the substrate. This approach has the unfortunate drawback of requiring additional steps to form the second mask which requires more time and has its own unique complications.
One example of a prior art process is depicted in FIGS. 1A-1D. In FIG. 1A a substrate 100 is provided having a number of structural and possibly circuit features. In this depiction, a layer 101 that is to be patterned is shown. The prior art achieves a narrow feature spacing in the following manner. The process continues with the formation of a hard mask layer that is to be etched into the desired hard mask pattern. FIG. 1B depicts layer 101 with an etch stop layer 102 formed thereon. Further, a hard mask layer 103 is formed on the etch stop layer 102. It is over this hard mask layer 103 which a photoresist layer is formed, exposed, and developed into mask pattern 104. The process continues as shown by FIG. 1C. As shown trenches 105 are etched into the hard mask layer 103 to define a plurality of tall and narrow hard mask features 103a that now serve as a hard mask pattern 106. This pattern 106 defines a pattern to be etched into the underlying material 101 to define a desired structure. This can enable high density feature formation and robust resistance to etch conditions. If desired, the photoresist material of the mask 104 can be removed prior to patterning the underlying substrate 101.
In a subsequent substrate etch step the pattern is transferred into the substrate 101 using an etch process to achieve the desired pattern in the layer 101. FIG. 1D depicts a series of etched features 101a formed in the layer 101. Typically, once the pattern 101a has been transferred to the substrate 101, the hard mask pattern of features 103a are removed so that further processing can occur.
The process of generating the hard mask 106 is time consuming and many of the processes used for its formation and removal can degrade the substrate and the quality of the pattern therein. Also, this process is limited to the critical dimension that is established by the initial mask pattern.
Methods for reducing process steps and processes that eliminate the need for a hard mask are advantageous. Moreover, processes capable of forming pattern doubled structures are needed.

Aspect ratio adjustment of mask pattern using trimming to alter geometry of photoresist features


The present disclosure provides crystalline Form II of nicotinic acid riboside, crystalline Form II of nicotinic acid riboside triacetate, and methods of preparation thereof.

Vitamin B3, and other B-vitamins such as thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and pyridoxine (vitamin B6) are extracted in their coenzyme forms from foodstuffs. During digestion, the coenzymes are catabolized to the free circulating vitamins, which are then passively or actively transported across membranes, and salvaged intracellularly to their respective cofactors. Mammals are entirely reliant on a dietary source of vitamin B1 and heavily dependent on the dietary supply of vitamins B2, B3, and B6. Of note, acute deficiencies in vitamin B1 and vitamin B3 affect identical organs, with identical outcomes if left untreated: dementia and death. Conditions such as diabetes and obesity, alcoholism, a high fat diet, and conditions where therapy impacts nutrition can compromise suitable absorption of these vitamins.
The dietary vitamin B3, which encompasses nicotinamide ("Nam" or "NM"), nicotinic acid ("NA"), and nicotinamide riboside ("NR"), is a precursor to the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ("NAD+"), its phosphorylated parent ("NADP+" or NAD(P)+"), and their respective reduced forms ("NADH" and "NADPH," respectively).
Eukaryotes can synthesize NAD+ de novo via the kynurenine pathway from tryptophan. See W. A. Krehl et al., Growth-retarding Effect of Corn in Nicotinic Acid-Low Rations and its Counteraction by Tryptophane, 101 SCIENCE 489 (1945); Gunther Schutz & Philip Feigelson, Purification and Properties of Rat Liver Tryptophan Oxygenase, 247 J. BIOL. CHEM. 5327 (1972); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The kynurenine pathway is a de novo pathway that originates from tryptophan. Through the sequential enzymatic action of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase ("TDO"), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase ("IDO"), kynurenine formamidase ("KFase"), kynurenine 3-hydroxylase ("K3H"), kynureninase, and 3-hydroxyanthranylate 3,4-dioxygenase ("3HAO"), tryptophan ("Trp") is converted to quinolinic acid ("QA"). See Javed A. Khan et al., Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide metabolism as an attractive target for drug discovery, 11 EXPERT OPIN. THER. TARGETS 695 (2007), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Quinolinic acid (QA) is converted to nicotinic acid mononucleotide ("NaMN") through the action of quinolinic phosphoribosyltransferase ("QAPRTase'). See Khan et al., 2007.
The de novo kynureninase pathway, which produces nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NaMN) from quinolinic (QA), feeds into the well-established Preiss-Handler pathway, in which nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NaMN) is an intermediate. The Preiss-Handler pathway is a salvage pathway that starts with the conversion of nicotinic acid (NA) to nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NaMN), catalyzed by the enzyme nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase ("NAPRT" or "NAPRTase"). Nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NaMN) is then adenylylated to form nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide ("NaAD"), catalyzed by the enzyme nicotinic acid/nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase ("NMNAT"). Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide (NaAD) is in turn amidated to form nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), catalyzed by the enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide synthetase ("NADS"). Nicotinamide (Nam or NM), which is a breakdown product of NAD+, can be converted to nicotinic acid (NA), catalyzed by the enzyme nicotinamide deamidase ("NM deamidase"). See Jack Preiss & Philip Handler, Biosynthesis of Diphosphopyridine Nucleotide, 233 J. BIOL. CHEM. 493 (1958), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. See also Khan et al., 2007.
Another salvage pathway can convert nicotinamide (Nam or NM), the breakdown product of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), into nicotinamide mononucleotide ("NMN"), by the action of the enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase ("NMPRT" or "NMPRTase"). Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) can then be directly converted into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) by nicotinic acid/nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT). Alternatively, nicotinamide (Nam or NM) can be deamidated to form nicotinic acid (NA), which can then enter the Preiss-Handler pathway. Analysis of genome sequences suggests that the above two salvage pathways are often mutually exclusive; many organisms contain either NM deamidase or NMPRTase. See Khan et al., 2007.
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) can also be used as a precursor for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthesis, and nicotinamide riboside kinase ("NRK") catalyzes the phosphorylation of nicotinamide riboside (NR) to produce nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). See Khan et al., 2007.
Notably, nicotinamide riboside (NR) has not been considered a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) via the Preiss-Handler salvage pathway, or via conversion into nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NaMN) or nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide (NaAD) as intermediates. Instead, the biosynthetic pathway for nicotinic acid riboside (NAR) is known to proceed directly to nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NaMN), then nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide (NaAD), and ultimately to form NAD+.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an enzyme co-factor and the central reduction-oxidation coenzyme that is essential for the function of several enzymes related to reduction-oxidation reactions and cellular energy metabolism. See Peter Belenky et al., NAD+ metabolism in health and disease, 32 TRENDS IN BIOCHEMICAL SCIS. 12 (2007); Katrina L. Bogan & Charles Brenner, Nicotinic Acid, Nicotinamide, and Nicotinamide Riboside: A Molecular Evaluation of NAD+Precursor Vitamins in Human Nutrition, 28 ANNUAL REV. OF NUTRITION 115 (2008); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) functions as an electron carrier or hydride group acceptor in cell metabolism, forming reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), with concomitant oxidation of metabolites derived from carbohydrates, amino acids, and fats. See Bogan & Brenner, 2008. The NAD+/NADH ratio controls the degree to which such reactions proceed in oxidative versus reductive directions. Whereas fuel oxidation reactions require NAD+ as a hydride acceptor, the processes of gluconeogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, ketogenesis, detoxification of reactive oxygen species, and lipogenesis require reduced co-factors, NADH and NADPH, to act as hydride donors.
In addition to its role as a coenzyme, NAD+ is the consumed substrate, and thus activator, of enzymes such as: poly-ADP-ribose polymerases ("PARPs"); sirtuins, a family of protein deacetylases that have been implicated in metabolic function and extended lifespan in lower organisms; and cyclic ADP-ribose synthetases. See Laurent Mouchiroud et al., The NAD+/Sirtuin Pathway Modulates Longevity through Activation of Mitochondrial UPR and FOXO Signaling, 154 CELL 430 (2013), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. See also Belenky et al., 2006. The co-enzymatic activity of NAD+, together with the tight regulation of its biosynthesis and bioavailability, makes it an important metabolic monitoring system that is clearly involved in the aging process.
Once converted intracellularly to NAD(P)+ and NAD(P)H, vitamin B3 metabolites are used as co-substrates in multiple intracellular protein modification processes, which control numerous essential signaling events (e.g., adenosine diphosphate ribosylation and deacetylation), and as cofactors in over 400 redox enzymatic reactions, thus controlling metabolism. This is demonstrated by a range of metabolic endpoints, which include the deacylation of key regulatory metabolic enzymes, resulting in the restoration of mitochondrial activity and oxygen consumption. Critically, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular impairment have been correlated to the depletion of the NAD(P)(H)-cofactor pool, when the NAD(P)(H)-cofactor pool is present in sub-optimal intracellular concentrations. Vitamin B3 deficiency yields to evidenced compromised cellular activity through NAD(P)+ depletion, and the beneficial effect of additional NAD(P)+ bioavailability through NA, Nam, NR, and nicotinamide mononucleotide ("NMN") supplementation is primarily observed in cells and tissues where metabolism and mitochondrial function have been compromised.
In reduction-oxidation reactions, the nucleotide structures of NAD+, NADH, NADP+, and NADPH are preserved. In contrast, PARP, sirtuin, and cyclic ADP-ribose synthetase activities hydrolyze the glycosidic linkage between the nicotinamide (Nam or NM) and the ADP-ribosyl moieties of NAD+ to signal DNA damage, alter gene expression, control post-translational modifications, and regulate calcium signaling.
In animals, NAD+-consuming activities and cell division necessitate ongoing NAD+ synthesis, either through the de novo pathway that originates with tryptophan, or via the salvage pathways from NAD+-precursor vitamins nicotinamide (Nam or NM), nicotinic acid (NA), and nicotinamide riboside (NR). See Bogan & Brenner, 2008. Dietary NAD+ precursors, which include tryptophan and the three NAD+-precursor vitamins, prevent pellagra, a disease characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia. The beneficial effect of additional NAD+ bioavailability through nicotinamide (Nam or NM), nicotinic acid (NA), and nicotinamide riboside (NR) supplementation is primarily observed in cells and tissues where metabolism and mitochondrial function has been compromised.
Interestingly, supplementation with nicotinic acid (NA) and nicotinamide (Nam or NM), while critical in acute vitamin B3 deficiency, does not demonstrate the same physiological outcomes compared with that of nicotinamide riboside (NR) supplementation, even though, at the cellular level, all three metabolites are responsible for NAD+ biosynthesis. This emphasizes the complexity of the pharmacokinetics and bio-distribution of B3-vitamin components. The bulk of intracellular NAD+ is believed to be regenerated via the effective salvage of nicotinamide (Nam or NM), while de novo NAD+ is obtained from tryptophan. See Anthony Rongvaux et al., Reconstructing eukaryotic NAD metabolism, 25 BIOESSAYS 683 (2003), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Crucially, these salvage and de novo pathways depend on the functional forms of vitamin B1, B2, and B6 to generate NAD+ via a phosphoriboside pyrophosphate intermediate. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is the only form of vitamin B3 from which NAD+ can be generated in a manner independent of vitamin B1, B2, and B6, and the salvage pathway using NR for the production of NAD+ is expressed in most eukaryotes.
Thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), and pyridoxine (vitamin B6) are salvaged from food and converted back intracellularly to their respective, bioactive forms: Thiamine DiPhosphate ("ThDP"); Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide ("FAD"); Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+); and PyridoxaL Phosphate ("PLP"). The conversion of vitamins B1, B2, and B6 to ThDP, FAD, and PLP, respectively, is ATP-dependent. Two of the three salvage pathways that convert vitamin B3 to NAD+ are dependent on ThDP (B1), with the de novo production of NAD+ from tryptophan depending on the bioactive forms of vitamins B1, B2, and B6. The vitamin B1 dependency comes from the fact that ThDP (B1) is cofactor for the transketolases involved in the biosynthesis of phosphoriboside pyrophosphate, an essential substrate in these aforementioned NAD+ salvage and de novo pathways. The most recently identified, yet so far believed redundant, third NAD+ salvage pathway, the Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) dependent NAD+ biosynthetic pathway, does not require phosphoriboside pyrophosphate and is independent of vitamins B1, B2, and B6.
Though nicotinamide riboside (NR) is present in milk, the cellular concentrations of NAD+, NADH, NADP+, and NADPH are much higher than those of any other NAD+ metabolites, such that dietary NAD+ precursor vitamins are largely derived from enzymatic breakdown of NAD+. See Pawel Bieganowski & Charles Brenner, Discoveries of Nicotinamide Riboside as a Nutrient and Conserved NRK Genes Establish a Preiss-Handler Independent Route to NAD+ in Fungi and Humans, 117 CELL 495 (2002); Charles Evans et al., NAD+ metabolite levels as a function of vitamins and calorie restriction: evidence for different mechanisms of longevity, 10 BMC CHEM. BIOL. 2 (2010); Samuel A. J. Trammell & Charles Brenner, Targeted, LCMS-Based Metabolomics for Quantitative Measurement of NAD+Metabolites, 4 COMPUTATIONAL & STRUCTURAL BIOTECH. J. 1 (2013); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Put another way, though milk is a source of nicotinamide riboside (NR), the more abundant sources of nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide (Nam or NM), and nicotinic acid (NA) are any whole foodstuffs in which cellular NAD+ is broken down to these compounds. Human digestion and the microbiome play roles in the provision of these vitamins in ways that are not fully characterized.
Different tissues maintain NAD+ levels through reliance of different biosynthetic routes. See Federica Zamporlini et al., Novel assay for simultaneous measurement of pyridine mononucleotides synthesizing activities allows dissection of the NAD+biosynthetic machinery in mammalian cells, 281 FEBS J. 5104 (2014); Valerio Mori et al., Metabolic Profiling of Alternative NAD Biosynthetic Routes in Mouse Tissues, 9 PLOS ONE e113939 (2014); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Because NAD+-consuming activities frequently occur as a function of cellular stresses and produce nicotinamide (Nam or NM), the ability of a cell to salvage nicotinamide (Nam or NM) into productive NAD+ synthesis through nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase ("NAMPT") activity versus methylation of nicotinamide (Nam or NM) to N-methylnicotinamide ("MeNam") regulates the efficiency of NAD+-dependent processes. See Charles Brenner, Metabolism. Targeting a fat-accumulation gene, 508 NATURE 194 (2014); Veronique J. Bouchard et al., PARP-1, a determinant of cell survival in response to DNA damage, 31 EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY 446 (2003); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. NAD+ biosynthetic genes are also under circadian control, and both NAMPT expression and NAD+ levels are reported to decline in a number of tissues as a function of aging and overnutrition. See Kathryn Moynihan Ramsey et al., Circadian Clock Feedback Cycle Through NAMPT-Mediated NAD+Biosynthesis, 324 SCIENCE 651 (2009); Yasukazu Nakahata et al., Circadian Control of the NAD+Salvage Pathway by CLOCK-SIRT1, 324 SCIENCE 654 (2009); Jun Yoshino et al., Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, a Key NAD+Intermediate Treats the Pathophysiology of Diet-and Age-Induced Diabetes in Mice, 14 CELL METABOLISM 528 (2011); Ana P. Gomes et al., Declining NAD+Induces a Pseudohypoxic State Disrupting Nuclear-Mitochondrial Communication during Aging, 155 CELL 1624 (2013); Nady Braidy et al., Mapping NAD+metabolism in the brain of ageing Wistar rats: potential targets for influencing brain senescence, 15 BIOGERONTOLOGY 177 (2014); Eric Verdin, NAD+ in aging, metabolism, and neurodegeneration, 350 SCIENCE 1208 (2015); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
High-dose nicotinic acid (NA), but not high-dose nicotinamide (Nam or NM), has been used by people for decades to treat and prevent dyslipidemias, though its use is limited by painful flushing. See Joseph R. DiPalma & William S. Thayer, Use of Niacin as a Drug, 11 ANNUAL REV. OF NUTRITION 169 (1991); Jeffrey T. Kuvin et al., Effects of Extended-Release Niacin on Lipoprotein Particle Size, Distribution, and Inflammatory Markers in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease, 98 AM. J. OF CARDIOLOGY 743 (2006); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Though only approximately 15 milligrams per day of either nicotinic acid (NA) or nicotinamide (Nam or NM) is required to prevent pellagra, therapeutic doses of nicotinic acid (NA) can be as high as 2-4 grams. Despite the >100-fold difference in effective dose between pellagra prevention and treatment of dyslipidemias, the beneficial effects of nicotinic acid (NA) on plasma lipids depend on function of nicotinic acid (NA) as an NAD+-boosting compound. See Belenky et al., 2007. According to this view, sirtuin activation would likely be part of the mechanism because nicotinamide (Nam or NM) is an NAD+ precursor in most cells but is a sirtuin inhibitor at high doses. See Kevin J. Bitterman et al., Inhibition of Silencing and Accelerated Aging by Nicotinamide, a Putative Negative Regulator of Yeast Sir2 and Human SIRT1, 277 J. BIOL. CHEM. 45099 (2002), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. See also Zamporlini et al., 2014; Mori et al., 2014.
NAD+ was initially characterized as a co-enzyme for oxidoreductases. Though conversions between NAD+, NADH, NADP+, and NADPH would not be accompanied by a loss of total co-enzyme, it was discovered that NAD+ is also turned over in cells for unknown purposes. See Morelly L. Maayan, NAD+-Glycohydrolase of Thyroid Homogenates, 2014 NATURE 1169 (1964), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Sirtuin enzymes such as Sir2 of S. cerevisiae and its homologs deacetylate lysine residues with consumption of an equivalent of NAD+, and this activity is required for Sir2 function as a transcriptional silencer. See S. Imai et al., Sir2: An NAD-dependent Histone Deacetylase That Connects Chromatin Silencing, Metabolism, and Aging, 65 COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 297 (2000), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. NAD+-dependent deacetylation reactions are required, not only for alterations in gene expression, but also for repression of ribosomal DNA recombination and extension of lifespan in response to calorie restriction. See Lin et al., Requirement of NAD and SIR2for Life-Span Extension by Calorie Restriction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 289 SCIENCE 2126 (2000); Lin et al., Calorie restriction extends Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan by increasing respiration, 418 NATURE 344 (2002); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. NAD+ is consumed by Sir2 to produce a mixture of 2′- and 3′-O-acetylated ADP-ribose plus nicotinamide (Nam or NM) and the deacetylated polypeptide. See Anthony A. Sauve et al., Chemistry of Gene Silencing: the Mechanism of NAD+-Dependent Deacetylation Reactions, 40 BIOCHEMISTRY 15456 (2001), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Additional enzymes, including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases ("PARPs") and cADP-ribose synthases are also NAD+-dependent and produce nicotinamide (Nam or NM) and ADP-ribosyl products. See Mathias Ziegler, New functions of a long-known molecule, 267 FEBS J. 1550 (2000); Alexander Bürkle, Physiology and pathophysiology of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, 23 BIOESSAYS 795 (2001); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The non-coenzymatic properties of NAD+ have renewed interest in NAD+ biosynthesis. Based on the ability of nicotinamide riboside (NR) to elevate NAD+ synthesis, increase sirtuin activity, and extend lifespan in yeast, nicotinamide riboside (NR) has been employed in mice to elevate NAD+ metabolism and improve health in models of metabolic stress. See Peter Belenky et al., Nicotinamide Riboside Promotes Sir2 Silencing and Extends Lifespan via Nrk and Urh1/Pnp1/Meu1 Pathways to NAD+, 129 CELL 473 (2007), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. See also Bieganowski & Brenner, 2004. Notably, nicotinamide riboside (NR) allowed mice to resist weight gain on a high-fat diet, and to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. See Carles Cantó et al., The NAD+Precursor Nicotinamide Riboside Enhances Oxidative Metabolism and Protects against High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity, 15 CELL METABOLISM 838 (2012); Kevin D. Brown et al., Activation of SIRT3 by the NAD+Precursor Nicotinamide Riboside Protects from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, 20 CELL METABOLISM 1059 (2014); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Data indicate that nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a mitochondrially favored NAD+ precursor and, indeed, in vivo activities of nicotinamide riboside (NR) have been interpreted as depending upon mitochondrial sirtuin activities, though not to the exclusion of nucleocytosolic targets. Andrey Nikiforov et al., Pathways and Subcellular Compartmentation of NAD Biosynthesis in Human Cells, 286 J. BIOLOGICAL CHEM. 21767 (2011); Charles Brenner, Boosting NAD to Spare Hearing, 20 CELL METABOLISM 926 (2014); Carles Cantó et al., NAD+Metabolism and the Control of Energy Homeostasis: A Balancing Act between Mitochondria and the Nucleus, 22 CELL METABOLISM 31 (2015); each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Similarly, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), the phosphorylated form of nicotinamide riboside (NR), has been used to treat declining NAD+ in mouse models of overnutrition and aging. See J. Yoshino et al., 2011; A. P. Gomes et al., 2013. Because of the abundance of NAD+-dependent processes, it is not known to what degree NAD+-boosting strategies are mechanistically dependent upon particular molecules such as SIRT1 or SIRT3. In addition, the quantitative effect of nicotinamide riboside (NR) on the NAD+ metabolome has not been reported in any system.
In conclusion, vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6 are closely intertwined in their biosynthetic pathways, with the maintenance and regeneration of the NADPH intracellular pool depending on the availability of ThDP (vitamin B1), FAD (vitamin B2), and PLP (vitamin B6), along with that of ATP. Critically, the latter is produced through NAD+-dependent OXPHOS and glycolysis, and is necessary for the functionalization of the vitamins B1, B2, and B6 to ThDP, FAD, and PLP, respectively. A shortage of any of these vitamins would impact negatively on the biology of the others. Maximizing these vitamins' bioavailabilities is achieved by conjugating these vitamins to NR, NAR, NRH, or NARH, or their related derivatives, and by using the NR/NAR uptake to achieve improved vitamin bioavailability.
WO 2016/014927 A2, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes crystalline forms of nicotinamide riboside, including a Form I of nicotinamide riboside chloride. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the crystalline Form I of nicotinamide riboside chloride, and methods of producing such pharmaceutical compositions.
WO 2016/144660 A1, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes crystalline forms of nicotinamide riboside, including a Form II of nicotinamide riboside chloride. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the crystalline Form II of nicotinamide riboside chloride, and methods of producing such pharmaceutical compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,975,915, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes crystalline forms of nicotinamide riboside, including a NR methanolate Form II of nicotinamide riboside chloride. Also disclosed are compositions comprising the NR methanolate Form II of nicotinamide riboside chloride, and methods of preparation of the NR methanolate Form II of nicotinamide riboside chloride. Also disclosed are crystalline forms of nicotinic acid riboside (NAR), including a Form I of nicotinic acid riboside (NAR). Also disclosed are compositions comprising the Form I of nicotinic acid riboside (NAR), and methods of preparation of the Form I of nicotinic acid riboside (NAR). Also disclosed are crystalline forms of nicotinamide riboside triacetate (1-(2′,3′,5′-triacetyl-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-nicotinamide, "NR triacetate," or "NRTA"), including a Form I of nicotinamide riboside triacetate (NRTA). Also disclosed are compositions comprising the Form I of nicotinamide riboside triacetate (NRTA), and methods of preparation of the Form I of nicotinamide riboside triacetate (NRTA). Also disclosed are crystalline forms of nicotinic acid riboside triacetate (1-(2′,3′,5′-triacetyl-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-nicotinic acid, "NAR triacetate," or "NARTA"), including a Form I of nicotinic acid riboside triacetate (NARTA). Also disclosed are compositions comprising the Form I of nicotinic acid riboside triacetate (NARTA), and methods of preparation of the Form I of nicotinic acid riboside triacetate (NARTA). Also disclosed are crystalline forms of nicotinamide mononucleotide ("NMN"), including a Form III of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), and a Form IV of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). Also disclosed are compositions comprising the Form III of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and compositions comprising the Form IV of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), and methods of preparation of the Form III of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and methods of preparation of the Form IV of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).
In view of the above, if new compounds and derivatives comprising nicotinoyl riboside conjugates, or derivatives thereof, or salts, hydrates, solvates, or prodrugs thereof, or crystal forms thereof, could be found, this would represent a useful contribution to the art. Furthermore, if new methods of preparing compounds and derivatives comprising nicotinoyl riboside conjugates, or derivatives thereof, or salts, hydrates, solvates, or prodrugs thereof, or crystal forms thereof, could be found, this would also represent a useful contribution to the art.
In view of the above, there is a need for processes that are atom-efficient in terms of reagent and solvent equivalency, that bypass the need for polar, non-GRAS ("generally recognized as safe") solvents, that are versatile in terms of limitations associated with solubility and reagent mixing, that are time- and energy-efficient, and that provide efficient, practical, and scalable methods for the preparation of nicotinoyl ribosides.
In view of the above, there is a need for novel derivatives and novel crystalline forms of nicotinoyl ribosides.

Crystalline forms of nicotinoyl ribosides and derivatives thereof, and methods of preparation thereof


A surface-conforming obscured feature detector includes a plurality of sensor plates flexibly connected together, each having a capacitance that varies based on the dielectric constant of the materials that compose the surrounding objects and the proximity of those objects. A sensing circuit is coupled to the sensor plates to measure the capacitances of the sensor plates. A controller is coupled to the sensing circuit to analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or a plurality of indicators are coupled to the controller, and are selectively activated to identify the location of a relative high capacitance, which can be indicative of an obscured feature behind a surface.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to devices used for detecting the presence of obscured features behind opaque, solid surfaces, more specifically, devices used for locating beams and studs behind walls and joists beneath floors.
2. Background
The need to locate obscured features such as beams, studs, joists and other support elements behind walls and beneath floors is a common problem encountered during construction, repair and home improvement activities. Often a need exists to cut or drill into a supported surface with the aim of creating an opening in the surface while avoiding the underlying support elements. In these instances, it is desirable to know where the support elements are positioned before beginning so as to avoid cutting or drilling into them. On other occasions, one may desire to anchor a heavy object to the obscured support element. In these cases, it is often desirable to install a fastener through the surface in alignment with the underlying support element. However, once the wall, floor or surface is in place, the location of the support element is not visually detectable.
A variety of rudimentary techniques have been employed with limited success to address this problem in the past. These have included driving small pilot nails through the surface until a support element is detected and then covering over holes in the surface that did not reveal the location of the stud or support. A less destructive technique comprises tapping on the surface in question with the aim of detecting audible changes in the sound which emanates from the surface when there is a support element beneath or behind the area being tapped. This technique is not very effective, however, because the accuracy of the results depends greatly on the judgment and skill of the person searching for the support, and because the sound emitted by the tapping is heavily influenced by the type and density of the surface being examined.
Magnetic detectors have also been employed to find obscured support elements with the detector relying on the presence of metallic fasteners, such as nails or screws, in the wall and support element to trigger a response in the detector. However, since metallic fasteners are spaced at discreet locations along the length of a support, a magnetic detector may pass over a length of the support where no fasteners are located, thereby failing to detect the presence of the obscured support element.
Capacitive displacement sensors have also been employed to detect obscured features behind opaque surfaces. These detectors sense changes in capacitance on the examined surface that result from the presence of features positioned behind, beneath or within the surface. These changes in capacitance are detectable through a variety of surfaces such as wood, sheetrock, plaster, gypsum and do not rely on the presence of metal fasteners in the surface or obscured feature for activation of the sensor.
However, conventional capacitive sensors suffer from a number of shortcomings. Conventional detectors typically have a flat detecting surface and don't provide a mechanism to allow the position of sensor plates to accommodate the mild surface curvature that is common to many architectural surfaces. Many architectural surfaces, such as walls and floors, may appear flat upon casual observation. Nevertheless, they often have at least a mild degree of curvature. When a conventional, flat detector is placed on a curved surface, air gaps can emerge between the sensor plates and the detected surface. The readings of the detected surface can differ depending on whether or not an air gap is present. Consequently, air gap inconsistencies can make it more difficult to ascertain the depth and position of hidden features. The signals detected become less consistent and readings may be less reliable. If the surface has too much curvature, it may be difficult, or impossible, to detect hidden features. The problem with air gaps affects conventional capacitive sensing detectors, and may be more significant in larger detectors with more sensor plates and larger sensor plates.

Surface-conforming obscured feature detector


According to an embodiment, a communication device connected to a host device includes a wireless communication unit and a communication control unit. The communication control unit controls the wireless communication unit to transmit a file which is stored in a storage unit of the communication device by the host device to a transmission destination corresponding to a type of the host device and a type of the communication device using wireless communication.

In recent years, memory cards having a wireless communication interface, such as IEEE802.11 or TransferJet (registered trademark), a storage interface, such as SDHC or SDXC, and a host interface, such as USB or SDIO, have been known.
When such a memory card is used as a storage unit of a host device, it is possible to automatically transmit the file stored in the memory card by the host device to a predetermined transmission destination using the wireless communication function of the memory card.
However, in the related art described above, the transmission destination of the file is determined on the basis of the memory card, but the host device is not considered in determining the transmission destination.

Communication device, host device, communication control method, and computer program product for transmitting file


A hand-held debris blower including a blower tube and an associated ejector. The blower includes an airflow generator adapted to generate a primary airflow that is directed into a blower tube. A flow ejector is operable to selectively increase a working airflow provided by the blower by selectively entraining a secondary airflow within the primary airflow.

Handheld debris blowers are commonly used by homeowners and professionals alike for the removal of debris from outdoor surfaces such as yards, driveways, sidewalks, etc. Typically, debris blowers draw air into a blower housing through an air inlet and exhaust an accelerated air stream through an air outlet. The air stream is then channeled through a blower tube attached to the air outlet, wherein the blower tube may then be directed at the surface to be cleaned.
Because many blowers are designed for hand-held use, they are often made of lightweight materials. Although more powerful blowers may utilize a gasoline-powered engine to provide power, many lightweight consumer-oriented blowers utilize small electric (battery or corded) motors as the power source.
Although size and weight are criteria to consider in the selection of a blower motor, available power is also a factor. For example, a typical blower may be designed to draw, as maximum input power, about 1440 Watts (120-volt AC, 15-amp circuit at 80% load). With this as one constraint, manufacturers may design a debris blower to provide the desired output air stream characteristics.
Typically, debris blowers are designed to provide either: high volumetric flow rate (e.g., for moving larger masses of debris); or high air stream velocity (e.g., for dislodging/loosening debris). However, for a blower to meet both of these competing performance goals typically necessitates providing a blower with multiple and interchangeable blower tubes and/or blower nozzles.

Debris blower incorporating flow ejector


A system is provided for positioning separate portions of a sample in elongate, parallel channels of a sample chamber and for irradiating a sample in the chamber to create a diffraction pattern where the sample and chamber differ in refractive index. The system also can measure absorption of electromagnetic radiation by a sample in the chamber, and can measure the absorption simultaneously with measurement of diffraction by the sample.

The present invention relates generally to optical devices and, more particularly, to a microfluidic device defined by a plurality of parallel, elongate channels for containing a sample and optical apparatus for irradiating a sample in the channels and measuring absorption of the sample and diffraction of electromagnetic radiation by the system for sensor and modulation applications.
Devices for spatial light modulation based on liquid crystals, colloidal crystal hydrogels, materials showing photochromic and photoelastic effects, and micromachined structures are known. Some of these devices operate by exploiting differences in phase or absorption of electromagnetic radiation.
Differences in phase of electromagnetic radiation can be produced by varying a path that the radiation follows, for example by passage of the radiation through media of differing refractive index. Phase differences of light have been exploited for a variety of uses including sensors, apparatus for photolithography, optical displays, optical communication, fiber optic carriers, and the like.
Absorption of material by electromagnetic radiation is determined routinely. Absorption of light by fluid samples typically is determined by measuring absorption of light through an empty sample chamber, then measuring absorption of the same light through the same chamber filled with a sample, and comparing the two. A source of electromagnetic radiation is positioned on a first side of the chamber and a detector is positioned on the opposite side to detect radiation passing through the chamber, both filled and unfilled. These procedures are carried out with so-called absorption spectrometers which can determine absorption of a sample over a range of electromagnetic radiation frequencies.
Solgaard, et al., in xe2x80x9cDeformable Grating Optical Modulatorxe2x80x9d, Optics Letters 17, 9 (1992) describe a deformable light grating modulator based on electrically controlling the amplitude of a micromachined phase grating. The described structure includes silicon nitride beams suspended above a substrate. With no voltage applied between the substrate and the individual beams, the total path length difference for light reflected from the beams and from the substrate equals the wavelength of the incoming light. Reflections from the beams and from the substrate add in phase, and the grating reflects the light as a flat mirror. When a voltage is applied between the beams and the substrate, electrostatic force pulls the beams down. The total path length difference for the light reflected from the beams and from the substrate is now xc2xd of the wavelength, and the reflections interfere destructively, causing light to be diffracted. Solgaard, et al., state that ease of integration is expected to make deformable mirror modulators strong competitors with liquid crystal and electro-optic spacial light modulators in display technologies and for optical signal processing.
Delamarche, et al., xe2x80x9cMicrofluidic Networks for Chemical Patterning of Substrates: Design and Application to Bioassays,xe2x80x9d J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1998, 120, 500-508, describe a microfluidic network useful for the small-scale patterned delivery of reactants to surfaces using the elastomer poly(dimethylsiloxane) as at least a portion of the channels. Woolley, et al., in xe2x80x9cHigh-Speed DNA Genotyping Using Microfabricated Capillary Array Electrophoresis Chips,xe2x80x9d Analytical Chemistry, 69:11, Jun. 1, 1997, describe flowing a fluid through multiple channels and measuring optical characteristics of the fluid.
As mentioned above, measurement of properties of fluid samples in sample chambers is carried out routinely. There are many uses for systems that cause fluid to flow through channels, including very small channels. In an article entitled xe2x80x9cDownsizing Chemistry,xe2x80x9d Chemical and Engineering News, Feb. 22, 1999, 27-36, a variety of systems are described for analyzing very small amounts of samples and reagents on chemical xe2x80x9cchipsxe2x80x9d that include very small fluid channels and small reaction/analysis chambers. Small-scale systems are currently being developed for genetic analysis, clinical diagnostics, drug screening, and environmental monitoring. Such small-scale systems are commonly referred to as Microscale Total Analysis Systems (see, for example, Kricka, L. J., Wilding, P. Micromechanics and Nanotechnology, in Handbook of Clinical Automation, Robotics and Optimization, Kost, G. J., Welsh, J., Eds., John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1996, p. 45; van den Berg, A., Bergveld, P., Eds., Micro Total Analysis Systems, Kluwer Academic Publishers, London, 1995; Manz, A., Becker, H., Eds. Microsystem Technology in Chemistry and Life Sciences, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 1998; Manz, A., Harrison, D. J., Verpoorte, E., Wildmer, H. M. Adv. Chromatogr., 1993, 33, 1; Kricka, L. J., Wilding, P. Pure Appl. Chem., 1996, 68, 1831). Microscale Total Analysis Systems must be able to handle liquid or gas samples at very small scale, and must be compatible with chip-based substrates. Microfluidics, the behavior of fluid flow in very small-scale systems, therefore is central to the development of these systems.
Miniaturized capillary electrophoresis systems are known. Capillary electrophoresis is a separation technique that, conventionally, is typically carried out in fused silica capillaries. Capillary electrophoresis within polymer channels also is known. For a discussion of miniaturized capillary electrophoresis techniques, see Duffy et al., xe2x80x9cRapid Prototyping of Microfluidic Systems in Poly(dimethylsiloxane), Analytical Chemistry, 70, 23, 4974-4984 (Dec. 1, 1998), and references therein.
Electroosmotic flow is a known technique for urging the flow of fluid within a channel by applying electric fields along the channels. Electroosmotic flow typically is carried out within glass channels in which it is relatively easy to create a negatively-charged interior channel surface to support electroosmotic flow.
Microfluidic systems based upon poly(dimethylsiloxane) are known. See Duffy, et al., referenced above, and references therein.
While the above and other reports describe in many cases useful optical modulators and sensors, and useful microfluidic systems, a need exists for simplified, inexpensive devices that can serve as effective modulators and/or can provide significant information when used as a sensor and microfluidic systems that can be used in these and other techniques. It is an object of the invention to provide such devices.
The present invention provides systems and methods for optical modulation and sensing. Some of these aspects and methods are described in the accompanying claims.
A device of the invention can be a diffraction grating defined by essentially parallel lines. But the device is not limited to a diffraction grating with evenly spaced, parallel lines. By changing the width and spacing of the microchannels more complex light patterns can be made, e.g. a variety of patterns defined by microchannels that change the spatial distribution of light passing through the device through diffraction effects, through constructive and destructive interference of light passing through different regions of the device, such as a Fresnel lens that focuses light using a planar array of channels.
Other advantages, novel features, and objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and which are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a single numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention.

Optical modulator/detector based on reconfigurable diffraction grating

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A dicing lines is placed to overlap a slip created in a wafer, so that the slip extends within the dicing line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer and a semiconductor device (or an integrated circuit chip) formed by cutting the semiconductor wafer.
2. Description of the Background Art
A silicon substrate in the form of wafer (hereinafter, referred to simply as xe2x80x9csilicon waferxe2x80x9d) is generally used for manufacturing semiconductor devices (integrated circuits). In the device manufacturing process, a dislocation called xe2x80x9cslipxe2x80x9d may occur in the silicon wafer while it is subjected to high-temperature processing. If such a slip extends into an integrated circuit, the circuit will suffer failures like increased leakage and dielectric breakdown.
In the studies of the slips, the applicant has found that a sip is normally formed from the peripheral of the silicon wafer and extends inwards along its crystal orientation. For example, the slip tends to extend in a  less than 110 greater than  direction in the silicon wafer of  less than 100 greater than  surface orientation.
More specifically, the applicant has found that the formation of slip 4 is detected, as shown in FIG. 5, both at a notch 2 that is provided in the silicon wafer 1 primarily for recognition of the surface orientation of the wafer, and at a contact point 8 of silicon wafer 1 and a boat 7 that is used to secure silicon wafer 1 within a reaction chamber during the high-temperature processing.
FIGS. 6 and 7 are enlarged views of formation of slips 4 in the conventional silicon wafer 1.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a number of integrated circuits 6 are formed in silicon wafer 1, and dicing lines 5 are provided to surround the integrated circuits 6. Silicon wafer 1 is divided along dicing lines 5 into a plurality of integrated circuit chips.
In the conventional silicon wafer 1, however, integrated circuits 6 have been arranged without taking into consideration the formation of slips 4. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, slips 4 would extend into integrated circuits 6. This causes device failures including increased leakage and dielectric breakdown, and results in a poor yield.
The present invention is directed to solve the above-described problems. An object of the present invention is to suppress extension of a slip into an integrated circuit to improve the yield.
The semiconductor wafer according to an aspect of the present invention has a notch for recognition of crystal surface orientation, and a dicing line is aligned with a defect extending from the notch such that the dicing line overlaps the defect. A typical example of the defect is a dislocation (slip) that occurs during high-temperature processing of the wafer.
By placing the dicing line as described above, the defect such as dislocation extends within the dicing line and is prevented from extending into the integrated circuit.
The dicing line preferably extends from an end of the notch towards the inside of the semiconductor wafer.
Thus, the dislocation extending from the end of the notch comes to lie within the dicing line, so that extension of the dislocation into the integrated circuit is prevented.
The semiconductor wafer according to another aspect of the present invention is secured to a boat during high-temperature processing, and a dicing line is aligned with a defect extending from a contact point of the boat and the semiconductor wafer such that the dicing line overlaps the defect.
In this aspect again, the defect comes to lie within the dicing line, so that the defect is prevented from entering within the integrated circuit.
The dicing line preferably extends from the contact point towards the inside of the semiconductor wafer.
Thus, the dislocation extending from the contact point comes to lie within the dicing line, and extension of the dislocation into the integrated circuit is prevented.
The semiconductor wafer is a silicon wafer of  less than 100 greater than  surface orientation and the dicing line is made to extend in a  less than 110 greater than  direction.
In the silicon wafer of  less than 100 greater than  surface orientation, a dislocation tends to extend in the  less than 100 greater than  direction. Thus, by making the dicing line extend in the  less than 100 greater than  direction, the dislocation comes to he within the dicing line.
The semiconductor device according to the present invention is formed by cutting the semiconductor wafer along the dicing line.
With the semiconductor wafer as described above, it is possible to effectively prevent extension of a dislocation or the like into an integrated circuit region. Thus, there exist almost no defects as described above in the semiconductor devices (or the integrated circuit chips) obtained by cutting the semiconductor wafer. Therefore, the semiconductor device according to the present invention is highly reliable.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Semiconductor wafer with a dicing line overlapping a defect