The present invention relates to a transparent elastic compression bandage film composite for the treatment of venous diseases and tissue lesions, comprising a transparent film layer of 5-50 microns thickness, a medical adhesive coated on at least a portion of one surface of the film layer, which is preferably hypoallergenic, a first release liner for longitudinal detachment covering the adhesive film surface and, optionally, a second release liner for longitudinal detachment to serve as a carrier, wherein the effects of elasticity and of strong adhesion add to a compression quality superior to textile European standard compression media, in the main affecting superficial varicosities and long-term wearing.

Several diseases, such as venous insufficiency, edema and tissue injuries are commonly treated by compression. The purpose of compression is to limit blood or fluid extravasations, hematoma, the swelling of tissue, to reduce pain, or to serve as a prevention of thrombosis by increasing the flow velocity in blood vessels while reducing their diameter. Furthermore, compression bandages can be used to fix resorptive media in a wound management.
For example, after vein surgery compression strategies follow the aims to avoid bleeding from cuts and spots where vessels or tissue have been ripped off. Second, the decrease of vessel diameters will increase the flow velocity and thus prevent thrombosis. An additional benefit is the prevention of posttraumatic swelling. In a similar way compression is applied after other kinds of surgery, like liposuction.
Varicose veins are veins that have become enlarged and tortuous. The term commonly refers to the veins on the leg, although varicose veins can occur elsewhere. Varicose veins are most common in the superficial veins of the legs, which are subject to high pressure when standing.
Besides cosmetic problems, varicose veins are often painful, especially when standing or sitting, due to blood congestion. The oxygen transfer is limited and metabolism products are locally enriched, after years of the disease skin changes like inflammations, indurations and discolorations are common. Ulcers are typical for late changes of varicose veins and venous insufficiency. Spider veins are miniature varicose veins. They are considered as a mere cosmetic problem, as far as they do not go along with other symptoms.
The treatment of varicose veins and venous insufficiency is changing to interventional techniques, which are catheter-based using laser light, radiofrequency or steam energy, or chemicals. The veins remain in the body, but are occluded and a continuous regression takes place over weeks and months until just an invisible string of connective tissue remains. Also superficial varicosities, which were surgically removed in former times, are now often also treated by interventional techniques, in particular foam sclerotherapy. After these treatments, post-interventional compression is mandatory for a couple of weeks to support and increase the process of vein regression. Furthermore, in superficial varicosities compression prevents symptomatic phlebitis, inflammatory reactions, prominent blood clots, or discolorations due to the metabolism of large amounts of clotted intravenous blood.
In the present medical routine, vein compression or tissue compression is performed by stockings or bandages made of woven tissue containing elastic elements like rubber or polymer fibres. Long stretch compression bandages have long stretch properties, meaning their high compressive power can be easily adjusted. They also have a higher pressure at rest and therefore usually have to be removed at night to avoid pain or discomfort. Thus, short stretch compression bandages are commonly preferred for the treatment of venous diseases. Typical stretchability is 60-90%. However, due to the low contents of elastic elements, the restoring force is weak for the first centimetres of extension, and then it will increase suddenly and rapidly unto an almost rigid behaviour due to the non-elastic elements (FIG. 7). This feature contributes to drawbacks in comfort, in particular during work or sports.
Woven bandages have to be renewed daily or every few days. For long-term treatment of venous insufficiency, compression stockings have been developed, consisting of elastic fibres or a woven compound of textile and elastic fibres. Unlike traditional dress or athletic stockings and socks, compression stockings use stronger elastics to create significant pressure on the legs, ankles and feet. However, also compression stockings usually have to be put off for the night time, as they are simply uncomfortable or even lead to ischemic pain. This is a drawback for initial use after endovenous therapy, as the loss of pressure will result in re-filling of the treated veins with amounts of blood and consecutive increase of the healing period.
During research on vein diameters after endoluminal occlusive treatments the inventor discovered a particular ultrasound pattern, which has not been reported or explained before: The cross-section ultrasound image of occluded veins showed one circular structure of moderate signal intensity within a vein-equivalent circular structure with low signal intensity (FIG. 5). This particular pattern was present in up to 80% of the cases unto week 4, but not observed in later examinations. Normally, a homogenous cross-section signal intensity had been expected, representing blood thrombus in organization. Focusing on patients undergoing weekly examinations it could be found that this particular pattern was generated in phases of reduced compression, e.g. after removal of bandages. When the pressure exerted on treated veins is relieved, unclotted blood will enter the vein and fill the space between the existing thrombus and the vein wall, enlarging the vein diameter. The freshly arrived amount of blood will clot within the following hours and, due to its high content of water, appear with low signal intensity for a period of one to three weeks. When examining some patients every day after occlusive vein treatment, it could be found that even the pressure reduction from work to rest at night may lead to an increase in vein diameter. The conclusion is that an optimal compression modality after endoluminal occlusive treatments should provide sufficient compression as well under work conditions as under rest conditions, to avoid any re-enlargement of the vein diameter. For this purpose, the optimal compression medium has to be different from all known textile or woven media. In particular, it should be wearable for several weeks day and night without any discontinuation and without discomfort.
Veins are vessels with thin walls compared to arteries, while their diameter may be larger than in corresponding arteries. In particular, the vein's muscle layer is rather weak. Therefore, the diameter of a vein is mainly determined by the blood load or the venous blood pressure. For this reason, superficial veins are rarely seen on an elevated extremity while they are large in a drooping extremity, best seen in regions with little fatty tissue, like the back of the hand or the foot. Veins with reduced or eliminated valve competence, commonly called "insufficient", show increased diameters. In a vicious circle, valve incompetence leads to increased blood filling (congestion), and congestion further dilates the vein walls including the valve zones, provoking more valve incompetence. These are the reasons why varicosities grow with time, and why they become more and more visible. Even very large and ugly varicosities seem to normalize when the extremity is elevated over heart level for a couple of minutes. A normalization of vein diameters would mean to reduce the space consumption and therefore the pressure on the adjacent tissue including sensitive nerves (e.g. in the skin) to a normal (non-hurting) value. If a vein undergoing occlusive treatment can be normalized in diameter, there will be no more complaints due to the formerly increased vein size.
When a diseased vein is closed by means of interventional tools or injection, the amount of blood remaining in the vein or returning to that vein is decisive for the period of tissue metamorphosis.
All these methods, except endovenous gluing, do not fix the vein size during treatment, but just induce chemical or physical changes to the innermost layer of the vein, the so called endothelium. An occluded vein with denaturized endothelium will potentially lose its vascular structure and transfer to a connective tissue string. The higher the amount of blood within the vein, the more blood has to be organized and removed by the body which happens in an inflammation-like reaction. Therefore, the patient will hardly feel these changes in small veins, but most likely in large veins. As the distance to nerve containing structures is decisive for the intensity of pain, in particular large superficial varicosities which are close to the skin are subject to symptomatic vein reactions after endovenous treatments. This relation is the main reason why a new compression modality is required for vein-occluding modalities except gluing. The general recommendation to use compression stockings or bandages after any kind of vein therapy addresses quite other purposes, like the risk of thrombosis or phlebitis, and the prevention of bleedings or edema. It does not meet the requirements of interventional, ultrasound-based treatments. In particular, the benefit of continuous wearing is lost in most of the cases as patients at least want to take of the compression media for the night time or to take a bath or shower. In those periods, even when short, blood will return to the treated veins, enlarge them and extend the period and increase the symptoms of vein regression. A compression medium which allows permanent wearing could therefore help to avoid these problems.
There are several other disadvantages of common compression media. Stockings of adequate medical pressure are difficult to put on, and many patients will not be able to accomplish this without a helping hand. Bandages, on the other hand, are easy but time-consuming in their application, and the pressure will depend on the tension applied. Stockings and bandages will remove fluid and fat from the skin and make it more fragile to lesions, inflammations or infections. Therefore, stockings are usually removed in the evening to allow the skin to restore. The comfort of compression stockings, trousers or bandages is low (pain by pressure, skin abrasion by moving wrinkles; displacement, allergic reactions). Even stockings individually tailored for the patient often do not fit optimally. Bandages often cannot be worn in regular shoes as the layers are too thick. In summer times, heat congestion is frequent and makes compression media even more uncomfortable. This is a main reason why venous surgery is usually not performed in summer. One final disadvantage is the ugly appearance of bandages and medical stockings, often disclosing patients from wearing skirts or short trousers, or to participate in sports, swimming or beach live. As a consequence of all these disadvantages, the patient compliance is poor.
The compression effect of woven textile material on veins in upright standing individuals cannot be measured by imaging techniques, except in rare vertical MRT. If a compression medium could be manufactured as a transparent film, the effects on superficial veins could be visually estimated. If the material furthermore was transparent to ultrasound, the compression effect on certain veins could be directly measured in ultrasound images. This would be advantageous after vein treatments, before the patient is dismissed or as a control during follow-up.
When transparent cling film sheets are used to tightly wrap a leg with varicose veins, the film will visibly reduce the space available for the veins to dilate. The film will fix superficial varicosities to almost skin level. The more the varicosities formerly exceeded the skin level, the more their lumen size will be reduced. However, cling film sheets will slip and crumble during patient movements even when fixed with adhesive tape.
The inventor unexpectedly found that when using thin elastic semipermeable films and medical glues to tightly fix the films on human skin with varicose veins for two weeks, the diameter reduction of the diseased veins was significantly higher than by use of common woven compression bandages (Table 1).
TABLE 1Mean diameter (mm) of varicose veins before and aftersclerofoam therapy with compression media worn for 14 d in60 randomized patientsMovementnbefore14 d28 d90 dConventional compression bandage*126.96.36.199.4Conventional compression bandage**126.96.36.199.1Compression bandage short188.8.131.52.5stretch***Compression bandage short107.24.65.04.0stretch****Adhesive compression film220.127.116.11.1bandage******Sigvaris, class 2 Germany, 24 h + daytime**Sigvaris, class 2 Germany, 14 day + night***bandage 24 h + daytime****bandage day and night, renewed every 2-3 days*****day and night
Investigating this effect on varicose veins, it could be found that there are three forces contributing to the vein compression by adhesive elastic films:
A) orthogonal forces defined by the adhesive strength of the glue alone by limiting the available space. This applies in particular to superficial veins (FIGS. 3d-e, 8). For an accurate physical description it has to be mentioned that the space-limiting effect of the glue is reduced by the stretchability of the film for a low percentage. For instance, if a compression tape is applied on an elevated leg, its varicose veins will be fixed in a collapsed condition, even when the film has no elastic properties;
B) forces defined by the film's resistance to shear stress due to the adhesive, as the adhesive film is not able to slide on the skin. This may be explained using the previous example: When the circumference of a leg increases when changing from elevation to a drooping position according to blood inflow, any conventional bandage will slip on the skin to adapt its length. However, the adhesive film bandage will not slip due to the adhesive and thus resist the shear stress (FIG. 3d-e);
C) the well known centripetal force by concentric compression, depending on the pre-tension of the compression medium during attachment (FIGS. 2b, 3e). This force is different for conventional media and a compression film, because the woven textile media just contain a percentage of elastic media, while the compression film can be completely manufactured from elastic material.
For these reasons, the desired effect of a compression film bandage has to consist of these 3 components and can only be established by particular mechanical properties of the glue and the film according to the invention. Furthermore, the compression film bandage requires certain backings or release liners for storage and delivery, as in the most embodiments the thin adhesive film is too floppy as to handle it manually without supportive media.
Comparing the compression effect of an adhesive compression film bandage and conventional textile media, its effect is different. In those well-known media the compression effect is due only to the elastic properties of the tissue, as the material does not stick to the skin. Using a self-adhesive compression bandage film means to establish a compound of film and skin (FIG. 3e). Other than with a textile bandage, the material cannot slide on the skin or on itself. As soon as the film is adhering to the skin, the elastic properties of film and skin—and even with influence of the underlying connective tissue—will add. For this reason, the pressure effects on target structures like veins have always to be understood as a result of film and glue properties plus properties of the skin and connective tissue. In result, when using the compression film bandage there is an additional general constrictive force (C) and a particular constrictive force on superficial varicose veins above skin level, due to the adhesive properties of the film (A, B).
This quality, summarizing the influence of adhesive and film elasticity, can best be defined by the resulting changes in vein size (FIGS. 2, 3). The general compression effect due to the elastic properties, similar to the concentric effects of conventional compression stockings or compression bandages is defined best by the achieved increase in tissue pressure. This is also the common basis for conventional compression media and for the definition of "compression classes", even when the nomenclature may be different from country to country (table 2).
TABLE 2Ankle pressures of compression classes I-II in mmHg in internationalcomparison (Rabe et al., 2008)Compression classUSAUKFranceGermanysugg.*I15-2014-1710-1518-2110-20II20-3018-2415-2023-3220-30*sugg. = suggested values for compression film bandage, added by inventor
While no elastic film bandages have been described for the purpose of general tissue compression, some elastic dressings have been presented for different local purposes like prevention of bleedings from veins or arteries, or as a wound dressing. WO 2004/112666 discloses a bandage with an elastic compression means. The disclosure relates to a dressing comprising a swab that can be placed against the wound and absorbs secretion there from, a means for pressing the swab against a wound, and a fastening means for locally fixing the dressing. The pressing means is embodied as an open-pore or closed-pore foam material which can be deformed in an elastically reversible and delayed manner and is accommodated within the dressing between the swab and an outer cover layer that overlaps the swab.
The particular mechanical features of the elastic film and glue composite according to the invention define applications in which a compression bandage film will perform better than conventional textile bandages or stockings, and different from medical films produced for wound management (FIG. 6, 7).
Band-aids or patches made from film material have been used in medicine as transparent wound covering, usually sterile, with or without additional resorptive area, in different sizes depending on the size of the wounds to treat. The use of transparent film material was mainly intended by the aims to obtain continuous view on a wound and second to have a more flexible patch to fix it in non-plain ground. In the most-spread film patches (TEGADERM®, 3M) the patch of desired size is taken from a sterile cover, a non-adhesive paper covering the glue at the bottom of the film is removed transversally, the film patch is placed on the wound and finally a second sheet is removed from the surface of the film. In this case, the surface cover is removed by grabbing two paper flags and pulling the two halves of the patch cover to the side. This kind of application is laborious and not transferable to the use as compression bandage, where the film has to be positioned continuously round by round, slightly overlapping, to a body part while holding the film under a certain tension. Furthermore, the elastic properties of such film patches are weak and just meant to adapt to any part of the body surface. They are not meant to provide concentric pressure and will fail in such attempts (FIG. 6).
The present invention does neither relate to the prevention or treatment of bleedings from arteries or veins, nor to the treatment of wounds, but to the reduction of vein diameters and to the fixation of therapy-reduced superficial vein diameters.

Adhesive film bandage for medical compression

Swiss VX Venentherapie Und Forschung GMBH


A system is provided for detecting a seal fault in units which include sealed gaseous portions. The system includes an electro-negative tracer gas inserter for inserting an electro-negative tracer gas within the sealed portion of the unit, a gas sampler for sampling a flow of gas proximate the object containing the tracer gas and an electron capture detector connected to the gas sampler for monitoring the gas for the presence of the electro-negative test gas. The system thereby determines a presence or absence of the seal fault in the sealed portion of the unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to apparatus to detect leaks within fluid or gas containing systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for testing the integrity of gas-seals constructed within fluid containing apparatus or gas-containing sub-systems within test objects which includes injecting a test gas into the test object, detecting a presence of test gas at or near the object on assumption that same passed through a break in a gas-seal sealing the object/sub-system, and recycling the test gas used.
2. Description of the Related Art
In manufacturing and industry, various components and apparatus are known (referred to herein as "equipment" or "test objects") manufactured as, or to include gas- or fluid-filled subsystems for their normal operation. Of course the seals required by same mentioned components and apparatus are tested before the test object is put in commerce. The accuracy of the testing, i.e., the ability to identify and separate test objects, the seals of which are required intact normal operation is paramount to maintaining consistent quality control standards, and therefore quality of the apparatus known commercially.
The need for accurate and efficient methods for testing gas- or fluid-filled apparatus has facilitated development of dedicated test apparatus and methods to verify the integrity of seals in apparatus requiring same. Conventional apparatus and methods enable a manufacturer or OEM to verify the integrity seals within, for example, refrigeration fluid sub-systems under certain test conditions. Prior art seal-testing apparatus use a test gas containing some type of trace molecule or entity used to conduct integrity studies of seals or sealed subsystems within test objects. The gas is injected into the subsystem, and the object is "sniffed" for leaked portions of the test gas.
Conventional gas-seal test equipment attempts to verify the presence of the test gas, usually using spectroscopic equipment, such as an electron capture detector.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,317,159, 5,293,130, 3,714,421, 3,892,968, disclose various gas-seal integrity testing apparatus which utilize mass spectrometers. For example, a gas leak detection system 1 of the prior art is shown in FIG. 1 which utilizes pressurized test gas and a mass spectrometer in a method of use known "pressure/accumulation testing" to verify the integrity of seals which seal a gas- or fluid-containing sub-system 2a within a test object 2.
The system 1 includes a mass spectrometer 8 connected to a "sniffer" probe 4. The sniffer probe 4 is constructed in fixed fluid communication with mass spectrometer 8 via a flexible hose or tube 10. The spectrometer includes an ionization chamber to ionize particular gas or gases present in the ionizing chamber. During testing, the subsystem is charged with a helium-containing test gas. Hence, an amount of the test gas injected into the test object must be sufficient to generate a pressure within the test object 2 significantly greater than atmospheric pressure, or one (1) atmosphere (Atm.), to ensure that a sufficient amount of test gas leaks into the atmosphere around the object to be clearly identified by the system 1.
The test object 2 is inserted into testing chamber 6 to which the sniffer probe 4 is attached. Any break or fault in the seal of subsystem 2a provides a path for pressurized test gas (containing the helium) to escape into the testing chamber. The chamber 6 is "sniffed" for helium or traces of helium in a flow of gas drawn into the sniffer from the atmosphere surrounding the test object (inlet 4a) of the sniffer probe. That is, gases near the test object are sucked into the sniffer probe. The sniffed gases pass through hose 10 into mass spectrometer 8. That is, detector 8 verifies the presence of (and/or quantity of) helium in the gas collected, typically in parts per million. Detection of helium is indicative of a leak in the subsystem of the test object being tested.
Pressure/accumulation testing so described is useful for verifying the integrity of seals sealing gas subsystems within large test objects, such as tanks, particularly those including gas-filled sealed compartments of which are not easily evacuated, but are built to withstand stresses generated by large differential pressures, or a leak rate specifications which are strenuous in view of the art. The reader must note that the accuracy of such testing is limited where the sniffer gas sample contains gas leaked from the subsystem. That is, because the "sniffer probe" takes in surrounding air and its adulterants, it cannot be assumed that intaken air has tracer gas even though same indeed leaked from the test object 1. That is, non-metered volumes of atmospheric gases present at or near the test object during testing could also lead to significantly diluted test gas concentrations, and therefore, accuracy of the test.
Vacuum testing is also known, such as vacuum detection system 21 of FIG. 2. Vacuum detection system 21 is shown in the figure to include a helium detector or mass spectrometer 8 connected in fluid communication with a vacuum pumping system 22 by tube or gas conduit 20. Conduit 20 also connects detector 8 and system 22 to subsystem 2A within test object 2. The vacuum pumping system 22 allows the helium detector 8 to operate under high vacuum pressure to evacuate the sealed fluid subsystem 2A during testing. The test requires that a fine spray of helium (which may be contained in a conventional gas tank 28) is directed over the outside of test object 2 using a helium sprayer 24. If a flaw in the seal exists, helium will pass into the subsystem through the flaw induced by the pressure differential. Tube 20 transports the input gas to mass spectrometer 8, where, if helium is detected, a leak is assumed.
An obvious drawback exists in that any gases drawn into the system may contain relatively insignificant or undetectable amounts of helium tracer gas. Hence, detection of helium leaked by the test object will be available in detectable amounts in the sucked-in gases only if the test object 2 is "sufficiently" sprayed, and/or the flaw or leak is "sufficiently" large. So vacuum-testing technology works only as long as helium present in the gas sample is not overly diluted to amounts outside the effective detection ability of the vacuum-based system. A not so obvious drawback to conventional technologies is that the high vacuum pressure utilized in the vacuum test requires mechanical apparatus of substantial size (and maintenance) at the place of testing, which also increases system construction costs.
Shortcomings in conventional vacuum testing, and/or accumulation-pressure testing technology led to yet another conventional leak detection system 31 which utilizes a combination of the pressure and vacuum testing technologies (FIG. 3). System 31 includes a mass spectrometer 8 and a vacuum chamber 34 attached to the spectrometer via gas conduit. Conduit 20 is also connected at its other end to a vacuum pumping system 22. To use system 31, the user must first use a gas injection means (not shown in the figure) to inject a test gas into the closed space or sealed gas-filled subsystem within test object 30 which is to be tested. Helium is injected into object 30 to generate an internal gas pressure greater than one atmosphere. The helium-pressurized test object 30 is placed within test chamber 34. The test chamber 34 is evacuated to less than atmospheric pressure via vacuum pumping station 22. This process results in a reduction of helium concentration contained within air filling the chamber to a helium concentration significantly below that normally found in air. The accuracy of the leak detection is improved in kind.
Hence, if a flaw allowing gas leakage from the sealed subsystem of the test object exists, the pressurized helium will leak from same to be detected as the gas from the chamber 34 is drawn into the mass spectrometer 8 via hose 20. While less severe than the technologies described above, it should be noted leak detection apparatus designed after system 31 subjects the test object to both vacuum pressure (less than one atmosphere) externally, and to greater than atmospheric pressure (about 1 atmosphere). Many objects which require seal-testing cannot withstand this type of testing. Additionally, generating such testing conditions requires the use of substantially sized mechanical apparatus, which apparatus must be calibrated and maintained regularly for proper operation. A final drawback of such a conventional system is that its continued use over time results in leakage of considerable amounts of helium (or other conventional test gases) into the environment which in time could result in detectable environmental change.
A need, therefore, exists for a device and/or system for accurate testing of the integrity of fluid or gas seals, whether the object is a gas- or a liquid-flow system, or a similar subsystem in an object which requires accurate seal-integrity testing. The "seals" be tested would, preferably, tested by such a system with a low internal to external pressure differential, i.e., greater than four-fifths (0.80) atmospheres internal, and less than one and one fifth atmosphere (atms.) external, assuming atmospheric pressure is exactly one atmosphere) in order to minimize potential harm resulting from such pressures.
A further need exists for a device and/or system capable of testing the integrity of a gas seal required for operation of a test object, wherein detected presence of tracer gas, e.g., helium or other detector gases is detectable in amounts as minimal as parts per trillion.
A still further need exists for a leak detection apparatus which effectively detects a particular tracer gas and where the tracer gas is detectable in such minute amounts that it is possible to significantly dilute an amount of tracer gas needed for testing. The system also, preferably, includes an apparatus for recycling the tracer gas needed for accurate testing of test objects. A commensurate drop in cost for testing under the circumstances could be anticipated.

System for determining integrity of a gas-sealed compartment


A photomask blank substrate container having an inner member, inner cassette and retainer member, container main body having a lower box and an upper lid, and a sealing tape, in which the container main body and inner member include a polymer-based material in which when 0.1 g of a sample thereof is retained at 40° C. for 60 minutes to release an outgas component, the outgas total amount detected by a gas chromatography mass spectrometer is 1.9×103 ng or less in terms of n-tetradecane, and the sealing tape is a material in which when a size of 10 mm×10 mm of a sample thereof is retained at 150° C. for 10 minutes to release an outgas component, the outgas total amount detected by a gas chromatography mass spectrometer is 1.8×103 ng or less in terms of n-tetradecane. This photomask blank substrate container allows storing and transporting the photomask blank substrate while suppressing influence on the resist pattern.

The design rules of design circuits including semiconductors, etc., have been progressing further miniaturization of circuits year by year. Accompanied by this, with regard to the photomasks for forming circuits, the conditions required for the circuit pattern such as the line width, the shape and the pitch are increasingly strict.
As a forming method of a circuit, the photolithography method has heretofore been used, and as a resist composition for dealing with such miniaturization, a chemical amplification type resist suitable for a shorter wavelength and a higher resolution has widely been used.
The photolithography method using the chemical amplification type resist is a method for obtaining a desired circuit pattern in which a catalytic substance in the resist composition is formed by irradiation with light such as an excimer laser or irradiation of electron beam, and heat treatment is carried in the next step to react the catalytic substance and a polymer with each other, whereby the light or electron beam irradiated portion is solubilized (positive type) or insolubilized (negative type).
With regard to a photomask blank substrate container (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as container) for storing or transporting a photomask blank substrate onto which a resist composition has been coated until the light or electron beam irradiation to the photomask blank substrate, light weight is desired since transportation or carrying is easy. In addition, a container using various polymer-based materials as a substrate, and produced by injection molding, etc., has conventionally been used in the points of being inexpensive and capable of being mass-produced.
However, various volatile components generating from the container comprising these polymer-based materials caused some influence on a catalytic action, a solubilizing action or insolubilizing action of the photoresist composition coated on the photomask blank substrate during storage or transportation of the photomask blank substrate. As a result, it sometimes caused inconvenience that, for example, a dimensional change such as enlargement or reduction of the line width was generated to the resist pattern on the photomask blank substrate formed by light or electron beam irradiation, heat treatment and development, and as a result, a pattern as designed could not be obtained.
To the problem caused by such a polymer-based material, it has been proposed a container comprising a thermoplastic resin in which an amount of caprolactam is 0.01 ppm or less in terms of n-decane per a weight of the resin by paying attention to the caprolactam in the outgas (for example, see Patent Literature 1).

Photomask blank substrate container, method for storing photomask blank substrate and method for transporting photomask blank substrate


Identifying conflicting declared invalid runtime references of overlaid data structures of a shared memory area as declared in a program listing. The identifying includes identifying a first data structure and a first parameter list in the program listing. A first routine call and a sequential flow of execution of the first routine call through the program listing in order to write data to the shared memory area are identified. A second data structure and a second parameter list in the program listing are identified. A second routine call and a second sequential flow of execution of the second routine call through the program listing in order to write data to the shared memory area are identified. It is determined whether the second routine call is attempting to overwrite data of the first routine call with the data of the second routine call in the shared memory area.

The invention relates to the field of application programming. In particular, the present invention relates to validating run-time references.
Large and complex systems, such as the IBM® CICS® transaction processing system, are composed of many thousands of separate and individual programs. (IBM and CICS are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.) Each program includes source code, and the source code provides a certain type of functionality or service. In order to use this functionality, a program will make a call, invoke a function, send a message, or invoke methods against other classes (in an object orientated language) in or to the program that it needs to use.
In certain types of applications, programs are grouped into domains. A domain is a collection of programs designed to provide a particular function such as storage management or locking, for example. A domain is akin to a class in object orientated languages. Each domain provides a gate which allows other domains to invoke its services.
In order for a program to make a call to another program, a program includes declarations (references) to data structures and parameter lists which are used to invoke gates within another domain. Parameter lists are typically declared within a section near the start of a program and define the different types of parameters, options, response, and reason code fields, etc. which allow the code to make a call to other domains at runtime. These declarations include the parameter list storage area that is set up at run-time, prior to making a call to another domain, and populated upon the return from a domain call, with the various response and reason codes from a called routine within a program.
Often, programs are termed as 'single threaded', meaning that there is only a single thread of control running through a program at any one time. This also means that at any point in time, only one set of parameter storage is being used to handle the invocation to another domain.
It is common practice to declare different parameter list areas as overlaying each other. In a programming language, such as PLX, for example, this is achieved by defining the parameter lists as a 'union' of data structures, all mapping to the same starting point within a program's working storage. The 'union' is declared as the maximum memory size for the largest of all the parameter list areas. The advantage of this approach is that it simplifies the mapping of a program's working storage and reduces the need for larger program stack areas.
Declaring each domain's parameter list area separately means that each one will be mapped to a separate area of computer memory when the program executes. This will result in a larger program stack area and an increase in memory use. Overlaying the parameter list areas avoids this unnecessary extra storage requirement by reusing the same area in memory for each of the parameter lists.
Overlaid parameter lists are an efficient approach to better memory usage within a programming environment. However, a problem can occur when using overlaid parameter lists and not ensuring that their scope of reference is correctly managed within the source code.
Consider the case where a program invokes a call to 'domain 1'. The program sets up the parameters in a parameter list to invoke 'domain 1' in a shared memory area and calls 'domain 1'. When 'domain 1' has fulfilled its purpose, the flow of control of the overall program returns from 'domain 1' to the program. Logic is embedded within the program which can test fields, such as response and reason codes from 'domain 1' that have been set within the parameter list area and make run-time decisions based upon the results of the call.
However, there is no restriction on the program invoking another call (e.g., to 'domain 2') before testing the results from calling 'domain 1'. The program sets up the parameters to invoke 'domain 2' in the shared memory area. The program then calls 'domain 2'. When the flow of control of the program returns from 'domain 2' to the program, the logic can now test fields within the parameter list area as before, and make run-time decisions based upon the results of the call. The program logic tests the results of the call to 'domain 2', since the results are now held within the shared memory area. However, the program logic, in a different scenario, may decide to check the results of the earlier call to 'domain 1'. However, because this information is no longer held within the parameter list area of memory (because it has been overwritten by the results of 'domain 2'), the program logic is testing fields within the parameters set up for, or returned by, 'domain 2' as opposed to 'domain 1'. This can lead to logic errors at run-time because the shared memory area does not contain the correct information.


Embodiments described herein provide a shipper a discount for each postal item that is mailed by a delivery service provider. A facilitator offers the shipper an immediate discount that is based on the shipper meeting certain requirements, e.g. purchasing a certain amount of postage value, shipping a certain number of mail items, and/or shipping a certain type of mail item such as a qualified mail piece. The facilitator will receive a rebate from the delivery service provider based on the shipper ability to meet the established requirements.

The use of postage indicia in place of traditional postage stamps has become widespread. For example, solutions for generating and printing valid postage indicia using a home or office processor-based system, such as a personal computer, have been provided by Stamps.com Inc., Los Angeles, Calif. (the assignee of the present application) for a number of years. The postage indicia generated by such processor-based systems has typically been an information based indicia (IBI), wherein a barcode (e.g., two-dimensional barcode) carries computer readable information useful for validating the indicia when placed in the mail stream.
Typically, the user prepays a particular amount into an account, and postage is deducted from the account during the creation of the indicia. The user is charged the full amount for each indicium that is created. Each postal item mailed by a user may have the same or different postage costs associated with the postal item as compared with other postal items. For example, items mailed using first class service cost more than items mailed using third class service. Heavier postal items cost more than lighter postal items. Postal items being sent to more distant locations may cost more than those being sent to closer destinations. Larger packages cost more than smaller packages. In any event, for each postal item being mailed, the user does not receive a discount on the postage required for the item. If the user desires to have lower costs, then the user must change the size, weight, and/or service level (e.g. from first class to third class) of the item being mailed.

Systems and methods for applying postal rate discounts


A method and an apparatus for redistributing differentiated power for transmitting high speed packet data according to UEs in high speed packet data transport system. The method and apparatus redistribute powers, which have been already assigned in order to transmit the high speed packet data, thereby improving the performance of the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for transmitting a high speed packet data in a CDMA mobile communication system, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for differentiated power distribution in high speed packet transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Like other kinds of channels, channels for high speed packet transport employ channelization codes in order to maintain their independence. However, from among channelization codes being used, the channelization codes used by the channels for high speed packet transport utilize shorter codes, that is, codes having smaller spreading factors (for example, spreading factors of not higher than 32), than those for the other channels. Further, in high speed packet transport, a high order modulation scheme is employed in order to increase data transport speed of the entire system. Therefore, the high speed packet transport employs link adaptation techniques, which are different from those in 2nd generation radio communication systems employing a fixed modulation scheme.
In general, mobile communication systems employ power control technologies to effectively use radio resources. 2nd or 3rd generation mobile communication systems employ especially fast power control technologies. Mobile communication systems for high speed packet transport employ an Adaptive Modulation and Coding Scheme (hereinafter, referred to as "AMCS") for effective assignment of radio resources, in contrast to 2nd generation mobile communication systems employing a fixed coding rate and modulation scheme.
Power control technology implies a technology of controlling transport power of a node B or each User Equipment (hereinafter, referred to as "UE"), enabling all UEs to receive uniform service from the same node B. In other words, the power control enables a UE having a relatively bad channel condition to use a transport power higher than a transport power used by a UE having a relatively good channel condition, so that signals transmitted from all UEs can reach a node B with uniform power level. The node B enables all UEs to receive signals with uniform power by individually determining the transport power of the signals in consideration of the channel condition of each UE. In this case, the channel condition may depend on a distance between the node B and each UE. For example, the UE having a relatively bad channel condition may be a UE located far from the node B, and the UE having a relatively good channel condition may be a UE located adjacent to the node B.
Next, AMCS is a technology of modifying the coding rate and modulation scheme of a UE as a downlink condition changes. In the AMCS, each UE periodically checks the downlink condition and reports Channel Quality Information (hereinafter, referred to as "CQI") determined from the checking, to the node B. The node B estimates the downlink condition for the corresponding UE by means of the CQI, and determines the proper coding rate and modulation scheme for the corresponding UE on the basis of the estimated downlink condition. The determination of coding rate and modulation scheme is usually carried out by Modulation and Coding Scheme (hereinafter, referred to as "MCS") levels, which are determined by the CQI. For high speed packet transport, High Speed Downlink Packet Access (hereinafter, referred to as "HSDPA") and 1X-EVDV have been proposed until recently. In the HSDPA and 1X-EVDV, modulation schemes of QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM are being discussed and coding rates of ½ and ¾ are being considered for AMCS. Therefore, in a system employing the AMCS, relatively high-order modulation schemes of 16QAM and 64QAM and a relatively high coding rate of ¾ are applied to UEs using good quality channels, such as UEs located adjacent to a node B. In contrast, relatively low-order modulation schemes of 8PSK and QPSK and a relatively low coding rate of ½ are applied to UEs using bad quality channels, such as UEs located at boundary regions between cells.
The two technologies described above, which are the power control and the AMCS, are different types of link adaptation techniques and are independently applied to a mobile communication system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional transmission apparatus employing an AMCS for high speed packet transport. Referring to FIG. 2, a controller 210 receives information about a downlink condition from each UE and determines a modulation scheme and a coding rate for each UE on the basis of the information, so that data to be transmitted to the corresponding UE can be encoded and modulated by means of the determined modulation scheme and coding rate. In other words, the better the downlink condition is, the higher-order the modulation scheme and the higher the coding rate are, as assigned by the controller 210. In contrast, the worse the downlink condition is, the lower-order the modulation scheme and the lower the coding rate are, as assigned by the controller 210. Coding and modulation units 220 and 230 receive corresponding user data, encode and modulate the user data by means of the coding rate and modulation scheme determined by the controller 210, and then output modulation symbol arrays according to UEs. Then, the modulation symbol arrays are input to a demultiplexer (DEMUX) 240. Under the control of the controller 210, the demultiplexer 240 distributes the modulation symbol arrays corresponding to the number of channels, which will be used. That is, the demultiplexer 240 separates the output of the coding and modulation units 220 and 230 according to the number of codes assigned to each UE. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, M number of modulation symbol arrays according to UEs are distributed to n number of channels. In this case, it is preferred that n, representing the number of channels, is larger than or equal to M, representing the number of UEs or users. The modulation symbol arrays, which are divided according to the channels, are inputted to corresponding spreaders 250-1, 250-2, . . . , and 250-n, and are spread into corresponding channelization codes by the corresponding spreaders 250-1, 250-2, . . . , and 250-n. The assignment of codes to the respective UEs is carried out according to a determination of an upper scheduler or a code assignment controller (not shown). The signals having been spread with the N channelization codes W1 to Wn are added in an adder 260 that thus outputs one signal array. The signal array output from the adder 260 is gain-compensated with power having a usable magnitude in a power gain unit 270 and is then outputted. In conclusion, in the conventional transmission apparatus, power is uniformly distributed according to the same gain compensation for each channel.
When employing the AMCS described above, the magnitudes of assigned powers are different according to MCS levels. This difference will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 3, which illustrates an example of coding rates and modulation schemes determined by MCS levels of UEs. In this case, the MCS levels are classified into four stages.
Referring to FIG. 3, each MCS level has a predetermined assignment range corresponding to the channel condition, which has an upper critical point and a lower critical point. For example, reference numeral 301 in FIG. 3 designates an upper critical point of an MCS level having a modulation scheme of 64QAM and a coding rate of ¾, and reference numeral 303 designates a lower critical point of the MCS level (in fact, the upper critical point need not be considered when the 64QAM is the highest-order modulation scheme). Of course, when the MCS level having the modulation scheme of 16QAM and the coding rate of ¾ in FIG. 3 is taken into consideration, the reference numeral 303 designates an upper critical point of the MCS level.
Since each MCS level has a specific modulation scheme and a specific coding rate, a modulation scheme and a coding rate which will be applied to a specific UE are determined by the MCS level. That is, the higher the order of the modulation scheme and the coding rate are, the higher the MCS level is. In contrast, the lower the order of the modulation scheme and the coding rate are, the lower the MCS level is. The MCS level is determined by a channel condition, i.e., a Signal to Noise Ratio (hereinafter, referred to as "SNR"). Therefore, the best channel condition, that is, the best SNR is required to employ the highest-order modulation scheme and the highest coding rate corresponding to the uppermost MCS level from among the MCS levels. In FIG. 3, UE #1 310 and UE #2 320 to which the modulation scheme of 64QAM and the coding rate of ¾ are applied require the best SNR. That is, a modulation scheme and a coding rate corresponding to each MCS level are applied to UEs, which can meet the requirement of each MCS level. When the MCS levels have been determined, powers are assigned according to the determined MCS levels. Therefore, powers having the same magnitude are assigned to UEs (or channels), which have been determined as having the same MCS level, even though they require powers of different magnitudes. In this case, the power for high speed packet transport, which can be assigned to the UEs, has a value obtained by subtracting a power arranged for voice service from the total power, which can be used by a node B. The assigned power is used as a parameter for controlling the channel condition. That is, the channel condition corresponding to a predetermined channel can be improved by increasing the power assigned to the predetermined channel. In contrast, the channel condition corresponding to a predetermined channel can be degraded by decreasing the power assigned to the predetermined channel.
In applying the AMCS as described above, the MCS level for each UE is determined according to the channel condition. In the case of the HSDPA being currently discussed, the MCS levels are classified into stages from at least four to at most eight. The AMCS in which the modulation schemes and the coding rates are different according to the channel conditions can be applied best when one channelization code is assigned for a fixed duration. However, the high speed packet transmission system employing the AMCS described above use both code division and time division in order to simultaneously support service for many UEs. This means that a plurality of channelization codes may be assigned instead of a single channelization code. The number of assignable channelization codes plays an important role in determining the number of UEs capable of simultaneously accessing. This implies that multiple UEs can simultaneously receive packets through different channelization codes. In this case, one or more channelization codes may be assigned to one UE for a fixed duration. When a plurality of channelization codes are assigned for a fixed duration as described above, the AMCS cannot effectively use the resources. That is, although the MCS level is determined corresponding to the channel condition and each of different channelization codes, an optimum channel condition cannot be employed due to the limited MCS levels.
In more detail, each MCS level has an upper critical point and a lower critical point, and the same MCS level is given to UEs having channel conditions between the two critical points. Therefore, even the UEs (UE#1 and UE#2 in FIG. 3) having channel conditions with a relatively large difference may be provided with the same MCS level, and even the UEs (UE#2 and UE#3 in FIG. 3) having channel conditions with a relatively small difference may be provided with different MCS levels. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the UE#2 320 having a channel condition slightly exceeding a lower critical point 303 and the UE#1 310 having a channel condition adjacent to an upper critical point 301 are provided with the same MCS level, although they have considerably different channel conditions. In contrast, referring again to FIG. 3, the UE#2 320 having a channel condition slightly exceeding a lower critical point 303 and the UE#3 330 having a channel condition adjacent to the lower critical point 303 are provided with different MCS levels, although they have approximate channel conditions. Therefore, the UE#2 320 provided with the same MCS level as that of the UE#1 310 has a higher probability of generating errors in comparison with the UE#l 310, so that the UE#l 310 has a higher probability of requiring retransmission. Further, the UE#2 320 provided with an MCS level higher than that of the UE#3 330 has a higher probability of generating errors in comparison with the UE#3 330.
In the conventional transmission apparatus employing the AMCS, since each MCS level has too broad a range, as described above, the same power may be assigned even to UEs having channel conditions which are much different from each other, thereby deteriorating the transport power. Moreover, different MCS levels may be provided to UEs having channel conditions, which are only slightly different from each other. This problem can be overcome by adjusting powers assigned to UEs provided with MCS levels. That is, surplus powers of UEs having more assigned powers than needed can be redistributed to UEs having assigned powers insufficient for the services required by the corresponding MCS levels provided with the assigned powers, so as to solve this problem.

Apparatus and method for distributing power in an HSDPA system


The invention relates to a counting chamber for a microscope, adjustable in height. The method measures a cell count at two different chamber heights and deduces the concentration of particles without an exact calibration of the absolute height, as the height difference gives a measurement of the “missing” volume and therefore an estimate of the particle concentration.

When examining body fluids, it is often desirable to study samples of such biological material under the microscope over a certain time. When examining sperm, for example, the aim is to establish how many spermatozoa are present in the sample and also how motile they are and how their morphology is. When examining blood samples, for example, the aim is to establish how many red and/or white blood cells are present in the sample and also how their morphology is.
To carry out this investigation, a sample of a certain thickness is to be subjected to microscopic examination in a counting compartment, using a grid built into the eyelens of the microscope. Such a grid may be divided into a hundred squares, and the number of cells (such as spermatozoa or blood cells) in each of a representative number of squares can be counted by the investigator in order to determine the total number of cells in the whole grid area. Such a grid may also be provided in the counting compartment.
From U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,911,782 and 5,200,152 a method is known for conducting such determinations with the aid of a counting compartment formed by two transparent plates joined together by a connecting layer composed of a cured plastic.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,554 B1 and EP patent No. 0 809 815 B1 a counting device is known, which comprises two transparent plates which are held at a fixed distance from each other and joined together by a connecting layer, and at least one counting compartment which is situated between the plates, bounded by the connecting layer and fitted with an inlet and an outlet. The connecting layer contains material particles which are separate from one another and have a size that determines the depth of the counting compartment, which material particles are substantially in contact with the two plates.
For a correct quantitative evaluation of a sample it is required that the correct depth between the two glass plates of the counting device is maintained throughout the complete counting area. It is also required that there is no variation between counting devices in order to allow a correct quantitative evaluation of all samples to be analyzed using such a device. However, this counting device is a one-way device and requires a new counting area for each sample thus raising high requirements for uniformity of the devices. The way of loading the device as well as the quality of the sample can influence the result of such an evaluation. As the two glass plates are firmly attached to each other, the sample must pass through a very small gap into the counting area (typically between 10 and 100 μm), being thus exposed to any kind of blocking or sieving effects developing at such a small gap. The qualitative analysis of a sample of cells like sperm requires a completely inert and non-toxic environment to allow observation of unimpaired motility and morphology of the sperm. Typically counting devices consisting of two glass plates use a glue or adhesive to attach the glass plates to each other. Such binding material often is toxic to sperm and impairs motility and or morphology of the sperm.
There is a need in the art for improved counting devices and methods for analysing samples comprising cells and/or particles, which in particular allow to obtain accurate and improved measurement results.

Counting compartment and method for sample analysis


An aerogel including a polymerization product of a first monomer selected from an aryl polyol compound including at least two aryl groups linked to each other by a linker, an aryl polyol compound including at least two aryl groups fused to each other, or a combination thereof, and a second monomer including a benzene substituted with at least two hydroxyl groups.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to an aerogel, a composition for preparing an aerogel, and a method of making the aerogel.
2. Description of the Related Art
An aerogel is a mesoporous material having a nanometer-sized three-dimensional mesh structure. Because the aerogel has desirable adiabatic and sound absorption properties, the aerogel may be applied to a diverse variety of technologies. In particular, an aerogel may be usefully applied to a cooling device, such as a refrigerator or a freezer, and may be used as an adiabatic material in aerospace applications and for building construction.
Aerogels may be categorized as an inorganic aerogel or an organic aerogel according to the material of the aerogel. An example of an inorganic aerogel is a silica aerogel. An organic aerogel includes an organic linking group therein, and thus is more flexible than an inorganic aerogel.

Aerogel, composition for the aerogel, and method of making the aerogel


A method of discarding PDCP PDUs submitted for transmission includes submitting the PDCP PDU to a first entity for transmission over a first physical layer, and submitting the PDCP PDU to a second entity for transmission over a second physical layer. In response to determining that a predetermined time period has elapsed since the submission of the PDCP PDU, the first entity and the second entity are instructed to discard the PDCP PDU without transmission, or one of the first entity and the second entity are instructed to discard the PDCP PDU in response to an indication of transmission or delivery of the PDCP PDU by the other entity. Related apparatus and computer program product(s) are disclosed.

In some wireless communications networks, such as for example Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G or New Radio (NR) networks, dual connectivity (DC) using a split bearer may be available. With DC a User Equipment (UE) may be connected to two distinct radio nodes. Also, in some networks, carrier aggregation (CA) may be available. With CA, the UE may be connected to one radio node via multiple (e.g. two or more) carriers, and therefore maintains two physical layers (PHY) to the radio node. With CA, the protocol stack may consist of one MAC, RLC, and PDCP entity. Therefore, with CA, data units to be transmitted may be routed via both carriers. With packet duplication, the same packet may be transmitted on each carrier for redundancy.

Discard of PDCP PDU submitted for transmission


A method of making a product for use in fabricating a low-loss core of a transformer. The core is composed of a web of amorphous metal of small thickness. In forming the product, the web is wound into an annular spiral structure on a circularly cylindrical mandrel. The structure is removed from the mandrel and collapsed into an approximate figure "8" shape and groups of cuts are produced in the upper collapsed surface of the figure "8". Each cut defines a step of a group. Each step has a number of turns of the web and each group has a number of steps. The steps of each group are offset in a succession along the structure and penetrates progressively into the structure. Successive groups extend progressively inwardly throughout the structure. The cuts subdivide the structure into separate strips. The strips are wrapped in a spiral to form a lapped spiral structure onto a second circularly cylindrical mandrel of smaller diameter than the first mandrel. In wrapping the steps of each group, the ends of each step are lapped and the inner end of each step forms a butt joint with the outer end of the immediately preceding inner step.

This invention relates to the transformer art, and it has particular relationship to transformers whose cores are composed of laminations of amorphous magnetizable material of small thickness. Typically, the thickness of the laminations is about 0.001-inch. This invention is uniquely advantageous for transformers whose cores are composed of wound webs of small thickness of amorphous magnetizable material and is disclosed herein in detail as applied to such transformers and cores. It is to be understood however, that the adaptation of the principles of this invention to transformers and cores composed of magnetizable materials of other types, for example, highly grain-oriented silicon iron, is within the scope of equivalents of this application and of any patent which may issue on, or as a result thereof, typically as scope of equivalents is applied in Grover Tank & Mfg. Co. v. Linde Air Products Co., 339 US 605; 70 Supreme Court Reporter 854 (1950) and interpreted in Uniroyal v. Rudkin-Wiley Corp., 5 USPQ 2d 1434 (CAFC 1988).
This invention concerns itself with transformers which are assembled with preformed coils which are telescoped on the legs of the core. To assemble such a transformer, it is necessary that the core, after being wound, be severed in a region and opened, to permit the telescoping of the coils, and thereafter reclosed. There are air gaps in the core of the completed transformer in the regions where the core is severed, increasing the magnetic reluctance which it is desirable to minimize.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,630, Frank H. Grimes and Eugenius S. Hammack, discloses a core with step-lap-butt joints in the regions of the cuts. In Grimes, the cuts are in staggered groups, each group including a plurality of peripherally offset steps which penetrate progressively inwardly into the core. In FIG. 3 of Grimes the steps are cut into the spiral, i.e., in the direction in which the spiral forming the core is wound, and the turn which bounds the inner end of an outer step and the outer end of the immediately adjacent inner step is overlapped. In FIG. 4 of Grimes the steps are cut out of the spiral, i.e., opposite to the direction in which the spiral is wound, and the overlap is between the last turn (8 or 7) of an outer step and the first separate turn (1) of the immediately adjacent inner step. There is also an overlap between the turn (7) which bounds the inner end of the last step of an outer group and the immediately adjacent inner step of an inner group. Effective reduction in reluctance was achieved in transformers embodying the Grimes invention. However, it is desirable to reduce the reluctance still further and it is an object of this invention to achieve this purpose.
In addition to Grimes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,096 Lee-Ballard is typical of the prior art. Lee discloses a transformer whose core is formed by winding a strip of ferromagnetic material on a first cylindrical mandrel, into an annulus, producing a radial cut through the annulus in one region, opening the annulus, winding the opened structure on a second mandrel having a diameter smaller than the first mandrel, and rearranging the laminations into what Lee calls "groups" which Lee says forms "packets" so that the "groups" overlap. Lee's teaching suffers the disadvantage that the cost of embodying it in a transformer is high. The rearrangement of the laminations on the second mandrel into "groups" and "packets" to produce the overlaps involves substantial cost. An important cost-factor is the necessity of counting the laminations of small thickness to subdivide them into "groups" and "packets" in rearranging the structure. In addition, it is desirable that the number of "groups" in Lee's "packet" be increased as the packets progress from the window of the core to its outer periphery. This involves the costly process of counting "groups" to effectuate the desired increase.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages and drawbacks of prior art as taught by references such as Lee and to provide a relatively low-cost method of making a transformer having a core whose laminations or turns are overlapped to reduce magnetic reluctance. It is also an object of this invention to provide a method for providing a product for use in making a core for the transformer, made by the low-cost method.

Method of making transformers and cores for transformers


An apparatus includes a laser diode, a near field transducer configured to direct light emitted from the laser diode to a magnetic recording medium, and a power source configured to provide modulated current to the laser diode.

High density storage disks are configured with layers of materials that provide the required data stability for storage. The magnetic properties of the media require a softening when writing to the disk to change the bit state. Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) device or Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology provides heat that is focused on a nano-sized bit region when writing onto a magnetic storage disk, which achieves the magnetic softening. A light waveguide directs light from a laser diode to a near field transducer (NFT). The NFT focuses the optical energy to a small spot on the target recording area which heats the magnetic storage disk during a write operation.
EAMR/HAMR uses a controlled magnitude of laser diode power for the magnetic softening at the disk. During operation with temperature and current change, the laser diode gain spectrum shifts causing laser mode hops. Because different longitudinal modes have different spectral positions, the power magnitude changes, which creates recording noise. The delta between longitudinal modes is particularly significant in a case of optical feedback from optical elements located at a distance greater than 100 microns from the laser diode facet. For example, the laser diode may receive reflection from a near field transducer and the magnetic storage disk, which will have different phase shift for different modes, such that laser power will change with mode hopping.

Current modulation on laser diode for energy assisted magnetic recording transducer


The present invention discloses a self-excitation synchronous rectification driver, which comprises a self-excitation coil, a self-excitation driver, a synchronous-signal source, a pulse transformer, a positive/negative edge detector, and a latch unit. The synchronous-signal source generates a synchronous signal to attain an external synchronous function. When the frequency is abnormal, the first and second rectifier switches of the rectification unit of the power supply are forced to turn on or turn off. Thereby, the first and second rectifier switches can turn on alternately, and the first and second rectifier switches are limited to within the highest and lowest working frequencies during the zero-load stage or the shutdown stage. Thus, the frequency of the synchronous rectification driver is under control, and abnormal voltage will not occur.

A power supply usually comprises a main power system and a standby power system. By a main transformer, the main power system is divided into a power driver unit at the primary side and a rectification unit at the secondary side. The rear end of the rectification unit is coupled to a voltage feedback unit 6 to correct the working period of the power driver unit. Refer to FIG. 1 for the circuit architecture of a conventional power supply. In the conventional power supply shown in FIG. 1, the power driver unit has a primary driver unit SW1, a secondary driver unit SW2 and a main transformer TX1. The rectification unit utilizes a self-excitation coil Lo to generate a self-excitation phenomenon. The charge/discharge of the self-excitation coil Lo is used to control the turn-on of a first rectifier switch and a second rectifier switch. For example, a R.O.C. patent application No.093203328 "Forward-Type Power Supply with Self-Excitation Synchronous Rectification Circuit" has a self-excitation coil and a self-excitation driver for the self-excitation coil inside the rectification unit at the secondary side of its main transformer. Further, four US patent Publication Nos. 20020097588, 20020196002, 20050047177 and 20060018133 also utilize self-excitation technologies for power transformation. Therefore, self-excitation synchronous rectification technologies have been widely used in forward-type power transformation devices. The sensed voltage of the main transformer is directly or indirectly used to drive the synchronous rectifier switch elements and achieve synchronous self-excitation in all the existing patents of self-excitation synchronous rectification technologies. Refer to FIG. 2 for the waveforms of the conventional power supply circuit shown in FIG. 1. In conventional power supplies, when the load varies abruptly, the self-excitation frequency will be out of control, which will results in abnormal voltage and damage. The conventional self-excitation technologies cannot achieve the external synchronous function via that the self-excitation coil senses the activities of the power driver unit at the primary side of the main transformer. Thus, the timings of the first and second rectifier switches cannot separate, and overlap loss occurs. When energy is recycled during the zero-load stage, the operation of the primary driver switch of the power driver unit stops; thus, an abnormally low self-excitation frequency and a surge voltage 5 appear. Besides, during the underload-shutdown stage, the secondary side of the main transformer still has unreleased energy with the power driver unit at the primary side having been turned off, and the voltage is thus out of control. Therefore, in the conventional self-excitation technologies, the self-excitation frequency of the rectification unit is likely to get out of control during the underload-shutdown stage or the zero-load stage. Obviously, the art needs a mechanism to regulate the self-excitation frequency.

Self-excitation synchronous rectification driver


A system and method for lun migration between data containers, such as aggregates of a storage system is provided. A new destination lun is created on a destination aggregate. A background copy process is then started that copies all data from a source lun on a source aggregate to the destination lun. The storage system continues to process client-originated data access requests directed to the source lun while the background copying continues. Once all the data of the source lun has been copied to the destination lun, processing of data access requests to the lun(s) is quiesced by the storage system. Lun maps of the storage system are then updated and processing of the client-originated data access requests is resumed with those requests now being directed to the destination lun.

A storage system typically comprises one or more storage devices into which information may be entered, and from which information may be obtained, as desired. The storage system includes a storage operating system that functionally organizes the system by, inter alia, invoking storage operations in support of a storage service implemented by the system. The storage system may be implemented in accordance with a variety of storage architectures including, but not limited to, a network-attached storage environment, a storage area network and a disk assembly directly attached to a client or host computer. The storage devices are typically disk drives organized as a disk array, wherein the term "disk" commonly describes a self-contained rotating magnetic media storage device. The term disk in this context is synonymous with hard disk drive (HDD) or direct access storage device (DASD).
Storage of information on the disk array is preferably implemented as one or more storage "volumes" of physical disks, defining an overall logical arrangement of disk space. The disks within a volume are typically organized as one or more groups, wherein each group may be operated as a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID). Most RAID implementations enhance the reliability/integrity of data storage through the redundant writing of data "stripes" across a given number of physical disks in the RAID group, and the appropriate storing of redundant information (parity) with respect to the striped data. The physical disks of each RAID group may include disks configured to store striped data (i.e., data disks) and disks configured to store parity for the data (i.e., parity disks). The parity may thereafter be retrieved to enable recovery of data lost when a disk fails. The term "RAID" and its various implementations are well-known and disclosed in A Case for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), by D. A. Patterson, G. A. Gibson and R. H. Katz, Proceedings of the International Conference on Management of Data (SIGMOD), June 1988.
The storage operating system of the storage system may implement a high-level module, such as a file system, to logically organize the information stored on the disks as a hierarchical structure of directories, files and blocks. For example, each "on-disk" file may be implemented as set of data structures, i.e., disk blocks, configured to store information, such as the actual data for the file. These data blocks are organized within a volume block number (vbn) space that is maintained by the file system. The file system organizes the data blocks within the vbn space as a "logical volume"; each logical volume may be, although is not necessarily, associated with its own file system. The file system typically consists of a contiguous range of vbns from zero to n, for a file system of size n−1 blocks.
The storage operating system may further implement a storage module, such as a RAID system, that manages the storage and retrieval of the information to and from the disks in accordance with input/output (I/O) operations. The RAID system is also responsible for parity operations in the storage system. Note that the file system only "sees" the data disks within its vbn space; the parity disks are "hidden" from the file system and, thus, are only visible to the RAID system. The RAID system typically organizes the RAID groups into one large "physical" disk (i.e., a physical volume), such that the disk blocks are concatenated across all disks of all RAID groups. The logical volume maintained by the file system is then "disposed over" (spread over) the physical volume maintained by the RAID system.
The storage system may be configured to operate according to a client/server model of information delivery to thereby allow many clients to access the directories, files and blocks stored on the system. In this model, the client may comprise an application, such as a database application, executing on a computer that "connects" to the storage system over a computer network, such as a point-to-point link, shared local area network, wide area network or virtual private network implemented over a public network, such as the Internet. Each client may request the services of the file system by issuing file system protocol messages (in the form of packets) to the storage system over the network. By supporting a plurality of file system protocols, such as the conventional Common Internet File System (CIFS) and the Network File System (NFS) protocols, the utility of the storage system is enhanced.
The file system executing on the storage system may implement data containers, such as aggregates, which enable the use of flexible (or virtual) volumes. Aggregates are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/836,817, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,409,494 on Aug. 5, 2008, entitled EXTENSION OF WRITE ANYWHERE FILE SYSTEM LAYOUT, by John Edwards et al., the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Illustratively, a file system layout apportions an underlying physical volume into one or more data containers, such as flexible volumes, of the storage system. The underlying physical volume is another data container, such as an aggregate, comprising one or more groups of disks, such as RAID groups, of the storage system. The aggregate has its own physical volume block number (pvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that pvbn space. Each flexible volume has its own virtual volume block number (vvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that vvbn space.
The storage system may further implement virtual disk objects (vdisks) that are exported to clients as logical unit numbers (luns) to enable the storage system to service both Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN) environments. One example of such vdisks is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/216,453, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,107,385, on Sep. 12, 2006, entitled STORAGE VIRTUALIZATION BY LAYERING VIRTUAL DISK OBJECTS ON A FILE SYSTEM, by Vijayan Rajan, et al., the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
A number of disadvantages may arise in storage systems utilizing aggregates to store luns that are exported to clients. An administrator may desire to move a lun from one aggregate to another due to, e.g., load balancing, lack of storage space, etc. Migration of a lun from one aggregate (e.g., a source aggregate) to another (e.g., a destination aggregate) typically requires that the lun be unmounted which, in turn, requires suspension of all data access requests directed to the lun. The lun is then copied from the source aggregate to the destination aggregate before data access requests are restored. The time required to copy the lun may be substantial, especially if the lun is large, e.g., hundreds of gigabytes. Thus, during lun migration, clients are not able to access the lun via data access requests. In a modern IT environment, lack of client access to data for potentially tens of minutes (or hours) is generally unacceptable.

System and method for migrating lun data between data containers


Method of monitoring energy consumption of an individual in an information system, comprised of periodically determining the energy balance of the individual by measuring body fat percentages (or body fat mass) at least at three consecutive moments of time and calculating change of body fat percentages (body fat mass) from two consecutive moments of time, and calculating the trends of the individual's energy balance from the changes of body fat percentages (body fat mass) and determining from the trend whether the individual is in the stage of burning or accumulating fat. The information system automatically generates recommendations for controlling energy balance based on the trends of changes of the energy balance.

Various methods and devices for monitoring human energy consumption are known in practice. Diet and physical effort planning decisions are made for the individual based on the monitoring results.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,667 describes a belt training device equipped with electronic scales that monitor the change of the individual's weight, and the device calculates the amount of energy spent using the installed software. The results are displayed on the screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,285,090 describes a device monitoring the ratio of the energy spent and assimilated by an individual using sensors attached to the individual's body. The information is wirelessly transmitted from the sensors to an electronic device where the information is processed by the software installed in the device. Information on the food consumed is entered in the device and the amount of assimilated energy is determined based on this information. The ratio of spent and assimilated energy is determined by processing the total information entered.
Patent application No. US20060253010 describes a sports watch that enables measuring of the energy spent by the individual by using an indirect method, based mainly on the heart rate, weight and age of the individual.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,152 describes a method that first calculates the predicted body fat percentage change on the basis of calories consumed from food and calories spent, and after that calculates the energy balance correction factor based on the actual and predicted change of body fat percentage.
Patent application No. US20020193702 describes calculation of the body fat percentage based on a bioimpedance measurement and the individual's individual data, setting the desired body fat percentage as a goal, determining the amount of calories to be spent based on the actual body fat percentage and the body fat percentage set as the goal, and determining the exercising activity required to achieve it.
The drawback of all the above mentioned solutions is the fact that the energy consumption of an individual, and the loss of body fat mass or percentage resulting from that, is determined indirectly based on the amount of energy (calories) consumed and spent, by applying the so-called Harris-Benedict formula, and the results obtained may differ from the actual results. These so-called calorimetric methods also require monitoring of the amount of energy (calories) consumed and spent.
Scales capable of determining the body fat mass and percentage are known, indicating the change of body fat mass and percentage based on two consecutive measurements (e.g. Body Signal scales from the TEFAL brand). The scales can easily give faulty results on the basis of two consecutive measurements—a positive result (decrease of body fat amount) is indicated based on a single change, but at the same time the trend of body fat accumulation continues.

Method for monitoring an individual's fat metabolism state