Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods, apparatuses, and systems for implementing a point-to-point radio architecture in which the isolation needed between the transmitter and receiver may be achieved through the use of separate antennas. One embodiment is directed at a radio head comprising a transmitter configured to operate at a first frequency, a receiver configured to operate at a second frequency, and a processor coupled to both the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter is further coupled to a first antenna interface coupled to a first antenna configured to transmit signals at the first frequency. The receiver is further coupled to a second antenna interface coupled to a second antenna configured to receive signals at the second frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter of this disclosure relates to data communications and, more particularly, to signal transmission in point-to-point radio systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the need for the transmission of voice, video, and data have constantly escalated with the increasing use of wireless access devices, the importance of maximizing the utilization of radio frequency (RF) spectrum has increased sharply. For licensed band point-to-point systems, combinations of mechanisms have been employed to increase available data rates. Two principal philosophies can be employed: (1) Increase the number of data bits sent per Hz of bandwidth (b/Hz), or (2) increase the amount of bandwidth (Hz) used.
Increases in the b/Hz rate have been constantly growing through improving digital processing techniques and improved analog fidelity in the analog RF circuits, and increases in the bandwidth have increased to a limited extent by using wider licensed bandwidths, by using both horizontal and vertical polarizations along with digital processing techniques (cross polarization interference cancellation or "XPIC"). The most aggressive techniques employ both.
However, existing systems implementing these techniques incorporate filters, diplexers, couplers, Ortho-Mode Transducer (OMT), and/or other elements that lead to signal loss and degradation of signals, higher costs, more weight, increased complexity, constraints on transmission range of components, and additional design problems. Accordingly, there is a need for a point-to-point communication radio system that avoids the cost, electrical losses, weight, tuning range limitations, and parametric limitations associated with the filters, diplexers, couplers, and OMT combining networks of present systems.

Transmitter for point-to-point radio system


A bracket (10) for mounting accessories on a pick-up truck cab (20) consisting of a Z-shaped elongated body (22) having a forward upper horizontal mounting flange (24), a rearward lower horizontal mounting flange (28), and an integral arcuate upright section (26) located in between. The upright section (26) conforms to the shape of the truck cab (20) and includes a recessed cavity (30) in reverse image of a truck third brake light socket (32) that is formed within the truck cab. A number of threaded fasteners (54) are used for attaching the third brake light onto existing threaded mounting holes (38) in the truck third brake light socket (32) when the bracket is inserted into the socket (32), thereby securely retaining both the light and the bracket in place.

Previously, many types of brackets or light bars have been used to provide an effective means for mounting lights and other accessories on top of a pick-up truck and other vehicles.
The prior art listed below did not disclose any patents that possess the novelty of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.InventorIssue Date4,722,030BowdenJan. 26, 19884,974,125McGeheeNov. 27, 19905,585,782YoskoDec. 17, 19665,988,839Pokorney et al.Nov. 23, 19996,424,269 B1PedersonJul. 23, 2002
Bowden in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,030 teaches a light bar for a vehicle consisting of a support that extends transversely across the top of a vehicle. One or more lights are mounted on the support, and by manipulation of controls the driver of the vehicle is able to aim the lights.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,125 issued to McGehee is for a light bar that contains a series of aligned and illuminated geometric configurations, which enhance visibility of the vehicles. Spaced flanges located beneath the bar permit mounting mud flaps, and access plates permit service lights and the like to be contained on the bar.
Yosko in U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,782 discloses a light bar that includes optical fibers facing a light source backed by a reflective surface.
Pokorney et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,839 teaches a rear-facing light bar for a passenger vehicle. The light bar has a housing that is shaped to define a rearward-directed roof extension, which increases in depth in the downstream direction. The housing is permanently attached to the vehicle and supports a linear array of individually controllable lights, which are located behind an outer lens and are rearward directed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,269 B1 issued to Pederson for LED warning signal lights and a light bar. The warning signal lights have a controller, power supply and battery. Various colored light signals such as stationary, revolving or oscillating lights are included. The warning light may be mounted on a vehicle or mounted on a tripod as a stand-alone warning signal.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related, reference may be made to the remaining cited patents Des. 310,793 issued to Castagna and Des. 347,902 issued to Stutts.

Pick-up truck cab accessory mounting bracket


A system and method for allowing a telemarketer to place a series of telephone calls to called parties utilizes a distributed processing architecture. This allows the telemarketer to utilize data stored at remote locations to help interact with called parties. In addition, the telemarketer can utilize telephone assets to quickly and easily place multiple simultaneous calls to different called parties.

A traditional architecture which includes telephony devices and computers is illustrated in FIG. 1. In this traditional architecture, first and second user computers 10, 50 are connected to the Internet 40. First and second user telephones 20, 60 would be connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 30. Any telephone conversations conducted by the users would initially pass through the PSTN. The operators of the PSTN might route calls through the Internet, but the interface to the actual user telephones would still pass thought the PSTN.
Telemarketers and others who must rapidly place a series of telephone calls have used software which enables a user to place telephone calls using telephone numbers appearing in lists on their computers. Typically, the user would have a list of telephone numbers that appear on the user's computer screen. The user would highlight or select one of the telephone numbers to place a telephone call to the selected number.
In the context of a telemarketer, the user telephone could take the form of a device or expansion card which is installed in the user's computer. One or more separate telephone lines (each having a different telephone number) would be connected to the device, and a headset with a microphone and a speaker element would also be connected to the device. Software running on the user's computer is then used to cause the device to place telephone calls to selected telephone numbers over the telephone lines connected to the device. When a call is connected, the user would be able to talk and hear the call using the headset.
In some embodiments, the computer and the associated calling software are capable of communicating directly with the PSTN, either through a telephone line or via an Internet connection, so the software can instruct the PSTN to place telephone calls.
A method of rapidly placing calls using the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1 would start when User 1 highlights and selects a telephone number assigned to User 2's telephone 60. In some embodiments, the software running on User 1's computer 10 would send signals to the PSTN 30 (either directly or via the Internet) to instruct the PSTN to place a first telephone call to User 1's telephone device 20 over a first telephone line 22, and to place a second call to User 2's telephone 60 over telephone line 62. The signals sent from User 1's computer would also instruct the PSTN to bridge the first and second calls. User 1's telephone would then ring, and User 1 would pick up immediately. User 1 would then hear the call being connected to User 2's telephone 60. If User 2 answers the telephone call, User 1 could begin talking. In other embodiments, the software running on User 1's computer would cause User 1's telephone device to directly call User 2's telephone.
When the call is finished, both User 1 and User 2 would hang up, and User 1 could then highlight and select the next telephone number on his list and the process would be repeated.
In the system described above, when calls are being bridged by the PSTN to connect User 1 and User 2, it is necessary for two telephone calls to be placed over two lines, and for the PSTN to bridge the two calls. Placing two calls and bridging the calls in this fashion is considerably more expensive than simply placing a single telephone call from User 1's telephone device 20 to User 2's telephone 60. However, the increased cost is worthwhile because it enables User 1 to rapidly and accurately place calls to multiple telephone numbers stored on an electronic list.
Also, if User 2 does not answer the call, but an answering machine or answering service does answer the call, User 1 could leave a message. Alternatively, the software running on User 1's computer might be capable of causing a pre-recorded message to be recorded on User 2's answering service while User 1 moves on to another call.
To accomplish this, the software would make User 1's computer play the audio message over the first line 22 connected to User 2's telephone 60. The software would also switch User 1's headset or audio interface over to a second line 24. The software would then place a call to User 3. As explained above, this could be accomplished by instructing the PSTN to place a third call to User 1's telephone device 20 over the second line 24, and to place a fourth call to User 3's telephone 70 over line 72. The PSTN would then bridge the third and fourth calls. Or, the software could cause User 1's telephone 20 to directly dial User 3's telephone 70.
When calls are being bridged by the PSTN to connect User 1 with other parties, and User 1 moves on to a new call four telephone lines would be in use simultaneously. The first and second lines 22 and 62 would be used to cause the audio message to be played to User 2's answering service while the third and fourth lines 24 and 72 would be used to allow User 1 to place a call to User 3's telephone. While this enables User 1 to make the next call without wasting time leaving a message for User 2, it means that four lines will be in use, and that two bridges must be maintained. Here again, this involves considerable expense. But the time savings for User 1 make the expense worthwhile.
The description provided above explains one known system for allowing a user to place telephone calls using existing computer and telephone systems. In addition, there are various existing computer and telephony systems that provide voice services to users. These voice services can be speech recognition and touchtone enabled. Examples of such services include voice mail, voice activated dialing, customer care services, and the provision of access to Internet content via telephone.
One common example of a system that provides voice services is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. In prior art systems, a user would typically use a telephone to call in to a central computer system which provides voice services via an IVR system. The IVR system deployed on the central computer system would then launch voice services, for instance by playing an audio clip containing a menu of choices to the user via the telephone line connection. The user could then make a selection by speaking a response. The spoken response would be received at the central computer system via the telephone line connection, and the central computer system would interpret the spoken response using speech recognition techniques. Based on the user's response, the IVR system would then continue to perform application logic to take further action. The further action could involve playing another menu of choices to the user over the telephone line, obtaining and playing information to the user, connecting the user to a third party or a live operator, or any of a wide range of other actions.
The ability to provide voice services has been quite limited by the nature of the systems that provide such services. In the known systems that provide voice services using relatively complex speech recognition processing, the voice applications are performed on high end computing devices located at a central location. Voice Application processing requires a high end centralized computer system because these systems are provisioned to support many simultaneous users.
Because complex voice application processing must be provided using a high end computer system at a central location, and because users are almost never co-located with the high end computer system, a user is almost always connected to the central computer system via a telephone call. The call could be made using a typical telephone or cell phone over the PSTN, or the call might be placed via a VoIP-type (Skype, SIP) connection. Regardless, the user must establish a dedicated, persistent voice connection to the central computer system to access the voice services.
The prior art centralized voice services platforms, which depend on a telephony infrastructure for connection to users, are highly inflexible from a deployment standpoint. The configurations of hardware and software are all concentrated on a small number of high end servers. These configurations are technically complex and hard to monitor, manage, and change as business conditions dictate. Furthermore, the deployment of existing IVR system architectures, and the subsequent provisioning of users and voice applications to them, requires extensive configuration management that is often performed manually. Also, changes in the configuration or deployment of IVR services within extant IVR architectures often require a full or partial suspension of service during any reconfiguration or deployment effort.
Further, cost structures and provisioning algorithms that provision the capabilities of such a centralized voice services platform make it virtually impossible to ensure that a caller can always access the system when the system is under heavy usage. If the system were configured with such a large number of telephone line ports that all potential callers would always be connected to access contrasting types of voice services, with different and overlapping peak utilization hours, the cost of maintaining all the hardware and software elements would be prohibitive. Instead, such centralized voice services platforms are configured with a reasonable number of telephone ports that result in a cost-effective operating structure. The operator of the system must accept that callers may sometimes be refused access. Also, system users must accept that they will not receive an "always on" service.
Prior art centralized voice services platforms also tend to be "operator-centric." In other words, multiple different service providers provide call-in voice services platforms, and each service provider usually maintains their own separate platform. Thus, if a user has called in to a first company's voice services platform, he will not likely be able to access the voice services of a second company's platform during the same call. In order to access the second company's voice services platform, the user must terminate his call to the first company, and then place a new call to the second company's platform. Thus, obtaining access to multiple different IVR systems offered by different companies is not convenient.
In addition to the above-described drawbacks of the current architecture, the shared nature of the servers in a centralized voice services platform limits the ability of the system to provide personalized voice applications to individual users. Similarly, the architecture of prior art IVR systems limit personalization even for groups of users. Because of these factors, the prior art systems have limitations on their ability to dynamically account for individual user preferences or dynamically personalize actual voice applications on the fly. This is so because it becomes very hard for a centralized system to correlate the user with their access devices and environment, to thereby optimize a voice application that is tuned specifically for an individual user. Further, most centralized systems simply lack user-specific data.
Prior art voice services platforms also had security issues. In many instances, it was difficult to verify the identity of a caller. If the voice services platform was configured to give the user confidential information, or the ability to transfer or spend money, security becomes an important consideration.
Typically, when a call is received at the voice services platform, the only information the voice services platform has about the call is a caller ID number. Unfortunately, the caller ID number can be falsified. Thus, even that small amount of information could not be used as a reliable means of identifying the caller. For these reasons, callers attempting to access sensitive information or services were usually asked to provide identifying data that could be compared to a database of security information. While this helps, it still does not guarantee that the caller is the intended user, since the identifying data could be provided by anybody.

System and method for placing telephone calls using a distributed voice application execution system architecture


An electrode unit of an extreme ultraviolet radiation generator comprise a breakdown voltage impression electrode, a ground electrode, an insulator provided in contact with the breakdown voltage impression electrode and the ground electrode in which plasma is generated between the discharge electrodes thereby emitting extreme ultraviolet radiation from the generated plasma, wherein at least one of the breakdown voltage impression electrode and the ground electrode includes a cooling portion which is made of copper, aluminum, or a material which contains copper, aluminum, or combination thereof as a main component and in which a passage through which a coolant passes is formed, and a discharge portion which is provided in close contact with a surface of the cooling portion, and which is made of any one of tungsten, tantalum, rhenium, molybdenum, and an alloy thereof as the a main component.

For the micro-fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits, radiant rays having a shorter wavelength are required for an exposure (lithography). Light source devices which emit light having a wavelength of 11 to 14 nm called extreme ultraviolet radiation (hereinafter referred to as EUV radiation) are being developed. Among methods of generating the EUV radiation, there is a method of generating high temperature and high density plasma by discharge so as to emit EUV radiation. As an example of an apparatus to which the method is applied, there is an apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-218025.
FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of an extreme ultraviolet radiation generator (hereinafter referred to as EUV radiation generator) which emits EUV radiation from plasma.
A ring-shaped first main electrode 11 (breakdown voltage impression electrode: cathode), and a second main electrode 12 (ground electrode: anode) are disposed so as to hold an insulator 13 therebetween. In a high temperature and high density plasma generating space 10, plasma is generated. The diameters of holes of the rings are about φ5 to 20 mm.
A chamber 14 which is a discharge container, is divided into a first container 14a on the side of the cathode, and a second container 14b on the side of the anode, which are separated and insulated by the insulator 13. For example, an Xenon (Xe) gas which is discharge gas, is introduced from an gas inlet 14c of the first container 14a to which a gas supply unit 20 is connected, and is discharged into a gas discharge unit (not shown) connected to the second container 14b from a gas outlet 14d.
The pressure of the high temperature and high density plasma generating space 10 is adjusted to 1 to 20 Pa by a vacuum pump connected to the second container 14b.
As described above, the second main electrode (anode) 12 is grounded, and a breakdown voltage of about −5 kV to −20 kV is applied to the first main electrode (cathode) 11 from a high voltage pulse generating unit 21. If the discharge gas, such as Xenon (Xe), is allowed to flow between the two electrodes, high temperature and high density plasma discharge is caused at 1 to 10 kHz inside the rings of the electrodes 11 and 12, and EUV radiation having a wavelength of 13.5 nm is emitted from the plasma. The emitted EUV radiation is led to a radiation-emitting portion 16 by collector optics unit 15 (EUV collector optics) provided in the second container 14b.
The reason why the second main electrode (anode) 12 is grounded is to prevent electric discharge from occurring between optical components of the collector optics system 15 (EUV collector optics) provided adjacent to the second main electrode 12. The optical components are attached to a chamber container and are at the ground potential along with the container.

Electrode unit of extreme ultraviolet generator


Temperature of each cooling target fluid is detected. When the flow rate of a cooling target fluid passing through a cooling system is high, the fan revolution speed of a cooling fan of the cooling system is controlled to achieve a target fan revolution speed so that the detected temperature of the cooling target fluid reaches a preset target temperature. In cases where the engine is in a low idling state, the flow rate of each cooling target fluid passing through the cooling system is reduced. The fan revolution speed of the cooling fan is controlled to achieve a new target fan revolution speed that is lower than the target fan revolution speed.

An engine for driving pumps is provided with a main pump and a fan pump. The main pump is for excavation or other work and serves to drive a working unit system and a turning system of a hydraulic shovel. The fan pump serves to perform variable control of the pump discharge rate of a fan pump by system of an electro-hydraulic transducing valve so as to control the revolution speed of the fan motor that is adapted to drive a cooling fan for cooling an intake air cooler, an oil cooler, and a radiator. Through the control of the revolution speed of the fan motor, the fan pump serves to control the fan revolution speed of the cooling fan. The electro-hydraulic transducing valve is controlled by a controller. Temperature sensors respectively detect temperatures of the intake air, the hydraulic oil, and the coolant, all of which are cooled by the cooling fan. The controller serves to control the fan revolution speed of the cooling fan by controlling the flow rate of the hydraulic oil fed from the fan pump so that the detected temperatures are brought to the same level as the respective target temperatures that have been set beforehand (refer to Japanese Patent No. 3295650 as an example).
Japanese Patent No. 3295650 mentioned above describes an automatic engine speed control system (hereinafter referred to as "AEC") for automatically reducing the engine speed to a given, low revolution speed and a one-touch low idling switch to be operated by an operator with a single operation so as to put the engine in the one-touch low idling state, in which the engine speed is controlled at a given, low speed. When the levers are at the neutral position, the hydraulic actuators are prevented from being operating. Should the engine be in either one of the aforementioned two states when the levers are at the neutral position, i.e. the AEC state when AEC is on or the one-touch low idling state, the engine speed is lower than in cases where the working unit is in operation. Regardless of the reduction in the engine speed, however, there is virtually no decrease in the fan speed, because the controller controls the fan revolution speed of the cooling fan by controlling the pump discharge rate of the fan pump so as to bring the detected temperature of each cooling target fluid, such as the hydraulic oil, to the same level as each respective target temperature determined beforehand. In other words, there is virtually no decrease in the amount of cooling air.
To summarize, the controller is adapted to control the fan revolution speed of the cooling fan by controlling the pump discharge rate of the fan pump so as to bring the detected temperature of each cooling target fluid, such as the hydraulic oil, to the same level as each respective target temperature determined beforehand. Therefore, when the detected temperature of a cooling target fluid, such as the hydraulic oil, is high, the controller controls the fan revolution speed of the cooling fan at a high speed.
Should the levers be returned to the neutral position during heavy load operation, the controller reduces the engine speed by system of either the AEC control or the one-touch low idling control while controlling a capacity changing system, such as a swash plate, of the variable delivery pump that serves to feed the hydraulic oil to the hydraulic actuators, thereby reducing the pump discharge rate of the variable delivery pump. As a result, the flow rate of the hydraulic oil fed to the hydraulic actuators is reduced sharply, resulting in sharp decrease of the flow rate of the oil returned to the tank from the hydraulic actuators through the oil cooler.
This may cause thermal strain resulting from the hydraulic oil in the oil cooler being rapidly cooled by the cooling fan rotating at a high speed to cope with the high temperature of the hydraulic oil. Such thermal strain presents the possibility of breakage of or other damage to the oil cooler.
In order to solve the above problems, an object of the invention is to provide a fan revolution control method that is capable of improving the durability of a cooling system provided with a cooling fan by reducing thermal strain that occurs in such cooling system.


Disclosed is a rigid disk drive information storage device which includes a rigid disk having a diameter in the range of about 45-50 mm., with a housing having a footprint that includes a width of about 51 mm. and utilizing a rotary actuator for positioning read/write recording elements across the surface of the disk. The disk storage devices further includes a footprint with a length of about 70 mm., includes dynamic loading apparatus for loading the read/write recording elements into operative relationship with the disk and further includes an inertial latch for preventing rotation of the actuator when the drive is subjected to a rotational force.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the storage of digital information, and more particularly to a miniature disk drive and associated circuitry for storage of digital information on a rotating disk.
2. Description of Prior Art
As computerized devices have been reduced in size over the years, the demand for smaller disk drives has correspondingly increased to keep pace with the reduced sized computing devices. One hard disk drive in the prior art, which includes a 3.5" rigid disk, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,988 issued Feb. 4, 1986 to McGinlay et al. This patent was reexamined, resulting in the issuance of Reexamination Certificate B1 4,568,988, issued Nov. 29, 1988. McGinlay et al. describe a 3.5" Winchester disk drive which utilizes a disk having a diameter in the range of 85-100 mm. in diameter, with a recording density of 600 tracks per inch, utilizes open loop servo positioning system and reports a storage capacity in excess of 5 megabytes per disk when formatted. McGinlay et al. also disclose the use of a rotary actuator which is driven by a stepper motor through a band.
A further reduction in size of computer equipment lead to the development of a 2.5" form factor rigid disk drive. An example of such a disk drive is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,785 issued Jun. 12, 1990 to Morehouse et al. The rigid disk drive disclosed in Morehouse et al. used two rigid disks, each having a diameter of about 2.5" and utilized a rotary actuator for positioning magnetic recording heads above the tracks of the disks. The "footprint" (width by length measurement) of the drive described in the above-noted Morehouse et al. patent was described as being 2.8".times.4.3". That is, the housing used to enclose the rigid disk drive was 2.8" wide and 4.3" long. A rigid disk drive of this size is generally applicable to computers having a size of 8.5".times.11".times.1". As computers become smaller, such as, for example, a "palm top", "hand held" or "pocket" size, it is necessary to provide a rigid disk drive which is smaller than either of the foregoing described drives.

Miniature hard disk drive for portable computer having a rotary inertial latch for disk drive actuator


Compositions and methods, including novel homogeneous microparticulate suspensions, are described for treating acute wounds, chronic wounds and/or a wound or epithelial tissue surface that contains bacterial biofilm, including unexpected synergy between bismuth-thiol (BT) compounds and certain antibiotics, to provide topical formulations including antiseptic formulations, for management and promotion of wound healing and in particular infected wounds. Previously unpredicted antibacterial properties and anti-biofilm properties of disclosed BT compounds and BT compound-plus-antibiotic combinations are also described, including preferential efficacies of certain such compositions for treating gram-positive bacterial infections, and distinct preferential efficacies of certain such compositions for treating gram-negative bacterial infections.

1. Technical Field
The presently disclosed invention embodiments relate to compositions and methods for the treatment of microbial infections. In particular, the present embodiments relate to improved treatments for managing bacterial infections in epithelial tissues, including in wounds such as chronic wounds and acute wounds, and including treatment of bacterial biofilms and other conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
The complex series of coordinated cellular and molecular interactions that contribute to skin wound healing, and/or to healing or maintenance of epithelial tissues generally, may be adversely impacted by a variety of external factors, such as opportunistic and nosocomial infections (e.g., clinical regimens that can increase the risk of infection), local or systemic administration of antibiotics (which may influence cell growth, migration or other functions and can also select for antibiotic-resistant microbes), frequent wound dressing changes, open-air exposure of wounds to speed healing, the use of temporary artificial structural support matrix or scaffold materials, and/or the possible need for debridement and/or repeat surgery to excise infected or necrotic tissue.
Wound healing thus continues to be a formidable challenge for clinical practitioners worldwide. The current treatments for recalcitrant wounds are impractical and ineffective, often requiring multiple surgeries to close the wound. For instance, Regranex® (becaplermin, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., available from Ethicon, Inc., recombinant platelet-derived growth factor) exemplifies one of the few available treatments for chronic wounds, but is expensive to produce and has limited clinical utility.
Chronic and Acute Wounds and Wound Biofilms
Wounds occur when the continuity between cells within a tissue, or between tissues, is disrupted, for instance, by physical, mechanical, biological, pathological and/or chemical forces (e.g., burns, dermal infections, puncture wounds, gunshot or shrapnel wounds, skin ulcers, radiation poisoning, malignancies, gangrene, autoimmune disease, immunodeficiency disease, respiratory insult such as by inhalation or infection, gastrointestinal insult such as by deleterious ingestion or infection, circulatory and hematologic disorders including clotting defects,) or other traumatic injuries, or the like.
While a limited level of bacterial contamination in a wound, or "colonization" of the wound, may not necessarily interfere with the processes of wound healing, the presence of bacteria in numbers sufficient to overwhelm the host immune defenses can lead to an acute wound or a chronic wound or a wound in which a bacterial biofilm is present, such as a wound infection in which bacterial growth proceeds to the detriment of the host. Bryant and Nix, Acute and Chronic Wounds: Current Management Concepts, 2006 Mosby (Elsevier), NY; Baronoski, Wound Care Essentials: Practical Principles (2nd Ed.), 2007 Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, Pa.). For example, acute wounds such as may result from injury, trauma, surgical intervention, or other causes, typically lack underlying health deficits and heal rapidly, but may on occasion fail to do so due to the presence of an infection; rapidly forming bacterial biofilms have been described in acute wounds (e.g., WO/2007/061942). Additional factors that may contribute to the development of chronic wounds include losses in mobility (e.g., that result in continued pressure being applied to a wound site), deficits of sensation or mental ability, inaccessibility of the wound site (e.g., in the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts) and circulatory deficits. Infection at a chronic wound site may be detected by the clinical signs of skin redness, edema, pus formation and/or unpleasant odor, or other relevant, clinically accepted criteria.
Acute wounds that cannot heal properly may thus be present, and chronic wounds thus may develop, in higher organisms (including but not limited to humans and other mammals) when the host's immune system has been overwhelmed by bacterial infection of a wound site (e.g., an acute wound), creating permissive conditions for bacteria to invade and further destroy tissue. In general, chronic wounds are wounds that do not heal within three months, and instead of becoming smaller they tend to grow larger as the bacterial infiltration progresses. Chronic wounds may become very painful and stressful for the patient when nearby nerves become damaged (neuropathy) as the wound progresses. These wounds affect four million Americans each year and cost about $9 billion in treatment expenses. Afflicted individuals are mostly over the age of 60.
Chronic wounds may in some cases originate as acute wounds and thus may include, for example, gunshot or shrapnel wounds, burns, punctures, venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, radiation poisoning, malignancies, dermal infections, gangrene, surgical wounds, diabetic foot ulcers, decubitis ulcers, venous leg ulcers, infected and/or biofilm-containing nonhealing surgical wounds, pyoderma gangrenosum, traumatic wounds, acute arterial insufficiency, necrotizing fasciitis, osteomyelitis (bone infection), and radiation injuries, such as osteoradionecrosis and soft tissue radionecrosis, or other types of wounds. Venous ulcers, for example, occur mostly in the legs, as a result of poor circulation (e.g., ischemia), malfunctioning valves of veins, or repeated physical trauma (e.g., repetitive injury). Pressure ulcers may be present when local pressure that is exerted at or around a wound site is greater than blood pressure, for instance, such that poor circulation, paralysis, and/or bed sores may contribute to, or exacerbate, the chronic wound. Diabetic ulcers may occur in individuals with diabetes mellitus, for example, persons in whom uncontrolled high blood sugar can contribute to a loss of feeling in the extremities, leading to repetitive injuries and/or neglect on the part of the individual to attend to injuries. Factors that can complicate or otherwise influence clinical onset and outcome of chronic wounds include the subject's immunological status (e.g., immune suppression, pathologically (e.g., HIV-AIDS), radiotherapeutically or pharmacologically compromised immune system; age; stress); skin aging (including photochemical aging), and development and progression of biofilms within the wound. In the case of epithelial tissues in the respiratory and/or gastrointestinal tracts, inaccessibility, occlusion, difficulty in generating epithelial surface-clearing fluid forces or development of localized microenvironments conducive to microbial survival can engender clinical complications.
Wound-related injuries may be accompanied by lost or compromised organ function, shock, bleeding and/or thrombosis, cell death (e.g., necrosis and/or apoptosis), stress and/or microbial infection. Any or all of these events, and especially infection, can delay or prevent the effective tissue repair processes that are involved in wound healing. Hence, it can be important as early as possible in an individual who has sustained a wound to remove nonviable tissue from a wound site, a process referred to as debridement, and also to remove any foreign matter from the wound site, also referred to as wound cleansing.
Severe wounds, acute wounds, chronic wounds, burns, and ulcers can benefit from cellular wound dressings. Several artificial skin products are available for nonhealing wounds or burns such as: Apligraft® (Norvartis), Demagraft®, Biobrane®, Transcyte® (Advance Tissue Science), Integra® Dermal Regeneration Template® (from Integra Life Sciences Technology), and OrGel®. These products, however, are not designed to address the problem of bacterial tissue infiltration and wound spreading.
Unfortunately, systemic antibiotics are not effective for the treatment of chronic wounds, and are generally not used unless an acute infection is also present. Current approaches to the treatment of chronic wounds include application of topical antibiotics, but such remedies may promote the advent of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and/or may be ineffective against bacterial biofilms. It therefore may become especially important to use antiseptics when drug resistant bacteria (e.g., methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA) are detected in the wound. There are many antiseptics widely in use, but bacterial populations or subpopulations that are established in some chronic wounds may not respond to these agents, or to any other currently available treatments, thus requiring surgical amputation or resection to prevent further spread of the infection within the host, i.e., the undesirable loss of an infected limb or other tissue. Additionally, a number of antiseptics may be toxic to host cells at the concentrations that may be needed to be effective against an established bacterial infection at a chronic wound site, and hence such antiseptics are unsuitable. This problem may be particularly acute in the case of efforts to clear infections from internal epithelial surfaces, such as respiratory (e.g., airway, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal paths, tracheal, pulmonary, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, etc.) or gastrointestinal (e.g., buccal, esophageal, gastric, intestinal, rectal, anal, etc.) tracts, or other epithelial surfaces.
Particularly problematic are infections composed of bacterial biofilms, a relatively recently recognized organization of bacteria by which free, single-celled ("planktonic") bacteria assemble by intercellular adhesion into organized, multi-cellular communities (biofilms) having markedly different patterns of behavior, gene expression, and susceptibility to environmental agents including antibiotics. Biofilms may deploy biological defense mechanisms not found in planktonic bacteria, which mechanisms can protect the biofilm community against antibiotics and host immune responses. Established biofilms can arrest the wound-healing process.
Research into chronic, non-healing wounds has demonstrated that microbial biofilms are readily detectable in a majority of cases, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that up to 70% of infections in the western world are associated with biofilms. It has been reported that biofilms are more common in chronic wounds than acute wounds (James et al., 2008 Wound Rep. and Regen. 16:37-44). Common microbiologic wound contaminants include S. aureus, including MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Enterococci, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, Streptococci, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Some of these organisms exhibit an ability to survive on non-nutritive clinical surfaces for months. S. aureus, has been shown to be viable for four weeks on dry glass, and for between three and six months on dried blood and cotton fibers (Domenico et al., 1999 Infect. Immun. 67:664-669). Both E. coli and P. aeruginosa have been shown to survive even longer than S. aureus on dried blood and cotton fibers (ibid).
Microbial biofilms are associated with substantially increased resistance to both disinfectants and antibiotics. Biofilm morphology results when bacteria and/or fungi attach to surfaces. This attachment triggers an altered transcription of genes, resulting in the secretion of a remarkably resilient and difficult to penetrate polysaccharide matrix, protecting the microbes. Biofilms are very resistant to the mammalian immune system, in addition to their very substantial resistance to antibiotics. Biofilms are very difficult to eradicate once they become established, so preventing biofilm formation is a very important clinical priority. Recent research has shown that open wounds can quickly become contaminated by biofilms. These microbial biofilms are thought to delay wound healing, and are very likely related to the establishment of serious wound infections.
The current guidelines for the care for military wounds, for example, specify vigorous and complete irrigation and debridement (Blankenship C L, Guidelines for care of open combat casualty wounds, Fleet Operations and Support. U.S. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery). While this early intervention is important, it is not adequate to prevent the development of infection. Additional therapeutic steps need to be taken following debridement to promote healing, reduce the microbial bio-burden, and thereby reduce the chances of establishing wound infections and wound biofilms.
Because of the complex nature of military traumatic wounds, the potential for infection is great, particularly considering the introduction of foreign objects and other environmental contaminating agents. Both military and clinical environments (including people within both of these environments) act as important sources of potentially pathogenic microbes, particularly to those suffering from open and/or complex wounds. Acute and chronic wounds, including surgical and military wounds, have already compromised the body's primary defense and barrier against infection; the skin. Wounds thus expose the interior of the body (a moist and nutritive environment) to opportunistic and pathogenic infections. Many of these infections, particularly persistent wound infections, are likely related to biofilm formation, as has been shown to be the case with chronic wounds (James et al., 2008). Infection of wounds in hospitals constitutes one of the most common causes of nosocomial infection, and wounds acquired in military and natural disaster environments are particularly susceptible to microbial contamination. Military wounds are predisposed to infection because they are typically associated with tissue damage, tend to be extensive and deep, may introduce foreign bodies and interfere with local blood supply, may be associated with fractures and burns, and may lead to shock and compromised immune defenses.
Skin Architecture and Wound Healing
Maintenance of intact, functioning skin and other epithelial tissues (e.g., generally avascular epithelial surfaces that form barriers between an organism and its external environment, such as those found in skin and also found in the linings of respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, glandular tissues, etc.) is significant to the health and survival of humans and other animals. The skin is the largest body organ in humans and other higher vertebrates (e.g., mammals), protecting against environmental insults through its barrier function, mechanical strength and imperviousness to water. As a significant environmental interface, skin provides a protective body covering that permits maintenance of physiological equilibria.
Skin architecture is well known. Briefly, epidermis, the skin outer layer, is covered by the stratum corneum, a protective layer of dead epidermal skin cells (e.g., keratinocytes) and extracellular connective tissue proteins. The epidermis undergoes a continual process of being sloughed off as it is replaced by new material pushed up from the underlying epidermal granular cell, spinous cell, and basal cell layers, where continuous cell division and protein synthesis produce new skin cells and skin proteins (e.g., keratin, collagen). The dermis lies underneath the epidermis, and is a site for the elaboration by dermal fibroblasts of connective tissue proteins (e.g., collagen, elastin, etc.) that assemble into extracellular matrix and fibrous structures that confer flexibility, strength and elasticity to the skin. Also present in the dermis are nerves, blood vessels, smooth muscle cells, hair follicles and sebaceous glands.
As the body's first line of defense, the skin is a major target for clinical insults such as physical, mechanical, chemical and biological (e.g., xenobiotic, autoimmune) attack that can alter its structure and function. The skin is also regarded as an important component of immunological defense of the organism. In the skin can be found migrating as well as resident white blood cells (e.g., lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells) and epidermal dendritic (Langerhans) cells having potent antigen-presenting activity, which contribute to immunological protection. Pigmented melanocytes in the basal layer absorb potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Disruption of the skin presents undesirable risks to a subject, including those associated with opportunistic infections, incomplete or inappropriate tissue remodeling, scarring, impaired mobility, pain and/or other complications. Like the skin, other epithelial surfaces (e.g., respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and glandular linings) have defined structural attributes when healthy such that infection or other disruptions may present serious health risks.
Damaged or broken skin may result, for example, from wounds such as cuts, scrapes, abrasions, punctures, burns (including chemical burns), infections, temperature extremes, incisions (e.g., surgical incisions), trauma and other injuries. Efficient skin repair via wound healing is therefore clearly desirable in these and similar contexts.
Although skin naturally exhibits remarkable ability for self-repair following many types of damage, there remain a number of contexts in which skin healing does not occur rapidly enough and/or in which inappropriate cellular tissue repair mechanisms result in incompletely remodeled skin that as a consequence can lack the integrity, barrier properties, mechanical strength, elasticity, flexibility, or other desirable properties of undamaged skin. Skin wound healing thus presents such associated challenges, for example, in the context of chronic wounds.
Wound healing occurs in three dynamic and overlapping phases, beginning with the formation of a fibrin clot. The clot provides a temporary shield and a reservoir of growth factors that attracts cells into the wound. It also serves as a provisional extracellular matrix (ECM) that the cells invade during repair. Intermingled with clot formation is the inflammatory phase, which is characterized by the infiltration of phagocytes and neutrophils into the wound, which clear the wound of debris and bacteria, while releasing growth factors that amplify the early healing response. The process of restoring the denuded area is initiated in the proliferation phase of healing and is driven by chemokines, cytokines, and proteases that have been secreted from the immune cells and are concentrated within the clot. Keratinocytes are stimulated to proliferate and migrate, which forms the new layer of epithelium that covers the wound while wound angiogenesis delivers oxygen, nutrients, and inflammatory cells to the wounded area. The remodeling phase is the final phase of wound repair and it is carried out by the myofibroblasts, which facilitate connective tissue contraction, increase wound strength, and deposit the ECM that forms the scar (Martin, P. Wound Healing-Aiming for Perfect Skin Regeneration. Science 1997; 4:75-80).
Bismuth Thiol- (BT) Based Antiseptics
A number of natural products (e.g., antibiotics) and synthetic chemicals having antimicrobial, and in particular antibacterial, properties are known in the art and have been at least partially characterized by chemical structures and by antimicrobial effects, such as ability to kill microbes ("cidal" effects such as bacteriocidal properties), ability to halt or impair microbial growth ("static" effects such as bacteriostatic properties), or ability to interfere with microbial functions such as colonizing or infecting a site, bacterial secretion of exopolysaccharides and/or conversion from planktonic to biofilm populations or expansion of biofilm formation. Antibiotics, disinfectants, antiseptics and the like (including bismuth-thiol or BT compounds) are discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,719, including factors that influence the selection and use of such compositions, including, e.g., bacteriocidal or bacteriostatic potencies, effective concentrations, and risks of toxicity to host tissues.
Bismuth, a group V metal, is an element that (like silver) possesses antimicrobial properties. Bismuth by itself may not be therapeutically useful and may exhibit certain inappropriate properties, and so may instead be typically administered by means of delivery with a complexing agent, carrier, and/or other vehicle, the most common example of which is Pepto Bismol®, in which bismuth is combined (chelated) with subsalicylate. Previous research has determined that the combination of certain thiol- (—SH, sulfhydryl) containing compounds such as ethane dithiol with bismuth, to provide an exemplary bismuth thiol (BT) compound, improves the antimicrobial potency of bismuth, compared to other bismuth preparations currently available. There are many thiol compounds that may be used to produce BTs (disclosed, for example, in Domenico et al., 2001 Antimicrob. Agent. Chemotherap. 45(5):1417-1421, Domenico et al., 1997 Antimicrob. Agent. Chemother. 41(8):1697-1703, and in U.S. RE37,793, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,248,371, 6,086,921, and 6,380,248; see also, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,719) and several of these preparations are able to inhibit biofilm formation.
BT compounds have proven activity against MRSA (methicillin resistant S. aureus), MRSE (methicillin resistant S. epidermidis), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium, drug-resistant P. aeruginosa, enterotoxigenic E. coli, enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Clostridium difficile, Heliobacter pylori, Legionella pneumophila, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae, Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus vulgaris, Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio cholerae, and Shigella Flexneri (Domenico et al., 1997 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 41:1697-1703). There is also evidence of activity against cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2, and yeasts and fungi, such as Candida albicans. BT roles have also been demonstrated in reducing bacterial pathogenicity, inhibiting or killing a broad spectrum of antibiotic-resistant microbes (gram-positive and gram-negative), preventing biofilm formation, preventing septic shock, treating sepsis, and increasing bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics to which they previously exhibited resistance (see, e.g., Domenico et al., 2001 Agents Chemother. 45:1417-1421; Domenico et al., 2000 Infect. Med. 17:123-127; Domenico et al., 2003 Res. Adv. In Antimicrob. Agents & Chemother. 3:79-85; Domenico et al., 1997 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 41(8):1697-1703; Domenico et al., 1999 Infect. Immun. 67:664-669: Huang et al. 1999 J Antimicrob. Chemother. 44:601-605; Veloira et al., 2003 J Antimicrob. Chemother. 52:915-919; Wu et al., 2002 Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 26:731-738).
Despite the availability of BT compounds for well over a decade, effective selection of appropriate BT compounds for particular infectious disease indications has remained an elusive goal, where behavior of a particular BT against a particular microorganism cannot be predicted, where synergistic activity of a particular BT and a particular antibiotic against a particular microorganism cannot be predicted, where BT effects in vitro may not always predict BT effects in vivo, and where BT effects against planktonic (single-cell) microbial populations may not be predictive of BT effects against microbial communities, such as bacteria organized into a biofilm. Additionally, limitations in solubility, tissue permeability, bioavailability, biodistribution and the like may in the cases of some BT compounds hinder the ability to deliver clinical benefit safely and effectively. The presently disclosed invention embodiments address these needs and offer other related advantages.

Bismuth-thiols as antiseptics for epithelial tissues, acute and chronic wounds, bacterial biofilms and other indications


A system using proxy actions to handle requests for actions that are not yet registered with a broker. When an action request is received and the action is not registered in the broker, a proxy action object is created and stored on a proxy action queue. Proxy action objects stored on the queue are read periodically and a check is made as to whether the actions they refer to have been registered yet. If an action for a queued proxy action object has been registered, the action request represented by the proxy action object delivered to the appropriate service provider component. If a proxy action object remains on the proxy action queue without the corresponding action being registered before a corresponding proxy action queue element lifetime timer expires, the proxy action object is removed from the proxy action queue without the action being performed.

As it is generally known, in modern computer systems, a computer application may include or employ multiple application components. For example, applications referred to as "composite applications" combine or make available multiple services from multiple applications. In existing systems, services provided through a composite application may consist of functionality drawn from components in a service oriented architecture (SOA). Components may be individual Web services, selected functions from within other applications, and/or entire systems whose outputs have been packaged as Web services.
Portlets are one example of components that may be connected within a composite application for run time communications. Portlets are typically user interface components that are managed and displayed in a Web portal. For example, a Web portal page is typically displayed as a collection of non-overlapping portlet display areas (sometimes referred to as "windows"), in which each portlet display area is a user interface object for a corresponding portlet. A collection of portlets provided in a portal page may be considered a type of Web-based composite application. Some common examples of component applications that may be provided through portlets are electronic mail ("e-mail"), weather reports, discussion forums, and news.
Web containers, as used in the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition ("J2EE"), are another example of components that may be connected to each other and/or to other components within a composite application.
One example of software connections that facilitate run time communication between application components are application developer defined "wires". Wires are declarative connections defined by a composite application programmer at program development time, and created by the run time environment (e.g. assembler or the like) at run time. Application component wiring defines and enables run-time, cross-component communications. Wires define the communication between components, e.g. how an event is conveyed from a producer of the event to the consumer of the event. Events conveyed from a producer component to a consumer component through a wire may, for example, include things such as changes to a property value in the producer component, etc.
In existing composite application systems, one or more service provider components create corresponding Web services that are registered to a service registry. Each service provider component exposes one or more services through registered actions that may be accessed by service requester components after the actions have been registered with a service broker. Service registry registrations may identify and/or describe relevant interface and access information for the component and/or its services. The service broker (also referred to as a "service registry", "property broker", etc.) makes the registered Web service available to the service requestor components.
A problem with existing systems occurs as a result of service provider components registering the actions they support with the service broker when they are initialized. Since it may be desirable to initialize service provider components on an "as needed" basis, a specific service provider component, and accordingly its constituent actions, may not be available at any given time. For example, it may be desirable for a system to operate such that a service provider component is not initialized until a request is issued for one of the actions it provides. However, this approach may result in performance problems at execution time when a first action request is issued for a service provider component, and that service provider component has not yet been initialized. In such a case, the requested action would not yet have been registered with the service broker, and the system would have to be paused while the service provider component is initialized, until the action has been registered by the service provider component, and the service broker can then process the action request from the service requester. During this pause while the service provider component initializes, delays may occur, e.g. the user may be prevented from controlling the cursor, the user interface may stop refreshing the screen (e.g. a new window for the requested service would be presented only as a white box), and so on. Such delays are frustrating and time consuming for the user, and it would be desirable to have a new system that eliminates them.

Creating and processing dynamic proxy actions for actions that are not yet registered with a client side broker

International Business Machines Corporation


A vapor/liquid separation apparatus for treating a flow of vapor/liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons and steam comprises a vertical drum with a side inlet to introduce hydrocarbon/steam mixtures, an overhead vapor outlet, and a lower section in communication with a cylindrical boot of less diameter than the drum, the boot comprising sufficient gas-liquid contact surface, e.g., that provided by one or more sheds, baffles and/or distillation trays, to provide at least a partial theoretical distillation stage, and a lower portion for receiving liquid from the drum, a lower outlet for removing the liquid, and an inlet for introducing a stripping gas, such as steam, hydrogen, light crackable hydrocarbon, and/or methane, below the distillation tray and preferably above the level of liquid in the boot.

Steam cracking, also referred to as pyrolysis, has long been used to crack various hydrocarbon feedstocks into olefins, preferably light olefins such as ethylene, propylene, and butenes. Conventional steam cracking utilizes a pyrolysis furnace which has two main sections: a convection section and a radiant section. The hydrocarbon feedstock typically enters the convection section of the furnace as a liquid (except for light feedstocks which enter as a vapor) wherein it is typically heated and vaporized by indirect contact with hot flue gas from the radiant section and by direct contact with steam. The vaporized feedstock and steam mixture is then introduced into the radiant section where the cracking takes place. The resulting products, including olefins, leave the pyrolysis furnace for further downstream processing, including quenching.
Conventional steam cracking systems have been effective for cracking high-quality feedstocks such as gas oil and naphtha. However, steam cracking economics sometimes favor cracking low cost heavy feedstock such as, by way of non-limiting examples, crude oil and atmospheric resid, also known as atmospheric pipestill bottoms. Crude oil and atmospheric resid contain high molecular weight, non-volatile components with boiling points in excess of 590° C. (1100° F.). The non-volatile, heavy ends of these feedstocks would lay down as coke in the convection section of conventional pyrolysis furnaces as the lighter components were vaporized. Only very low levels of non-volatiles can be tolerated in the convection section downstream of the point where the lighter components have fully vaporized.
Additionally, during transport some naphthas are contaminated with heavy crude oil containing non-volatile components. Conventional pyrolysis furnaces do not have the flexibility to process residues, crudes, or many residue or crude contaminated gas oils or naphthas which are contaminated with non-volatile components.
To address coking problems, U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,493, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses the use of an external vaporization drum for the crude oil feed and discloses the use of a first flash to remove naphtha as vapor and a second flash to remove vapors with a boiling point between 230 and 590° C. (450 and 1100° F.). The vapors are cracked in the pyrolysis furnace into olefins, and the separated liquids from the two flash tanks are removed, stripped with steam, and used as fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,709, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a process to minimize coke deposition. It describes preheating of heavy feedstock inside or outside a pyrolysis furnace to vaporize about 50% of the heavy feedstock with superheated steam and the removal of the residual, separated liquid. The vaporized hydrocarbons, which contain mostly light volatile hydrocarbons, are subjected to cracking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,634, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a process for inhibiting coke formation in a furnace by preheating the feedstock in the presence of a small, critical amount of hydrogen in the convection section. The presence of hydrogen in the convection section inhibits the polymerization reaction of the hydrocarbons thereby inhibiting coke formation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,443, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a process wherein the feedstock is first preheated and then withdrawn from a preheater in the convection section of the pyrolysis furnace. This preheated feedstock is then mixed with a predetermined amount of steam (the dilution steam) and is then introduced into a gas-liquid separator to separate and remove a required proportion of the non-volatiles as liquid from the separator. The separated vapor from the gas-liquid separator is returned to the pyrolysis furnace for heating and cracking.
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/188,461 filed Jul. 3, 2002, Patent Application Publication US 2004/0004022 A1, published Jan. 8, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an advantageously controlled process to optimize the cracking of volatile hydrocarbons contained in the heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks and to reduce and avoid coking problems. It provides a method to maintain a relatively constant ratio of vapor to liquid leaving the flash vessel by maintaining a relatively constant temperature of the stream entering the flash vessel. More specifically, the constant temperature of the flash stream is maintained by automatically adjusting the amount of a fluid stream mixed with the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock prior to the flash vessel. The fluid can be water.
Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/555,282, filed Mar. 22, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a process for cracking heavy hydrocarbon feedstock which mixes heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with a fluid, e.g., hydrocarbon or water, to form a mixture stream which is flashed to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase, the vapor phase being subsequently cracked to provide olefins, and the product effluent cooled in a transfer line exchanger, wherein the amount of fluid mixed with the feedstock is varied in accordance with a selected operating parameter of the process, e.g., temperature of the mixture stream before the mixture stream is flashed.
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/851,434, filed May 21, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/573,474, filed May 21, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference, describe a process to increase the non-volatile removal efficiency in a flash drum used in a steam cracking system, the flash drum having a lower boot comprising an inlet for introducing stripping steam, a ring distributor for recycle quench oil, anti-swirl baffles, and a grate.
The present inventors have recognized that in using a flash/separation vessel to separate heavy non-volatile hydrocarbons from the lighter volatile hydrocarbons which can be cracked in the pyrolysis furnace, it is important to maximize the non-volatile hydrocarbon removal efficiency. Otherwise, heavy, coke-forming non-volatile hydrocarbons could be entrained in the vapor phase and carried overhead into the furnace creating coking problems in the convection section.
In simple flash operations, moderate visbreaking of hydrocarbon liquid will occur upstream of the drum and poor gas/liquid mass transfer exists in the piping upstream of the drum, resulting in production of light hydrocarbons which enter the bottom of the drum. Such drum bottoms can contain significant amounts of light hydrocarbons, which are lost as feed to the radiant section of the steam cracking furnace. Thus a significant opportunity exists to improve process economics by reducing the amount of light hydrocarbons present in the bottoms of the flash drum.
The present invention provides an apparatus and process for the effective removal of non-volatile hydrocarbon liquid from the volatile hydrocarbon vapor in the flash drum that treats the heated feed from the convection section of a steam cracking furnace. The present invention significantly enhances the separation of non-volatile and volatile hydrocarbons in the flash drum by modifying the lower boot of the flash drum to promote contact between a stripping gas and liquid entering the boot, e.g., from the upper flash drum or as recycled quenched liquid, thereby providing additional vaporization of light hydrocarbons from a given amount of feedstock.


A biopsy system includes a biopsy device having a translating cutter for severing tissue samples and a vacuum control module. The vacuum control module is separate from the biopsy device. The vacuum control module includes a vacuum pump and vacuum canister, and is portable by a single hand. The vacuum canister and the vacuum control module have complimentary ports that are configured to couple upon insertion of the vacuum canister into the vacuum control module. The complimentary ports provide fluid communication between a vacuum pump in the vacuum control module and a reservoir in the vacuum canister. The biopsy device may be placed in fluid communication with the vacuum pump via the canister without the user having to separately connect any tubes with the canister or pump.

Some embodiments of the present invention relate in general to biopsy devices for obtaining tissue samples from within the body, and more particularly to a biopsy system including a lightweight, portable biopsy control module.
When a suspicious tissue mass is discovered in a patient's breast or another area through examination, ultrasound, MRI, X-ray imaging or the like, it may be necessary to perform a biopsy procedure to remove one or more samples of that tissue in order to determine whether the mass contains cancerous cells. A biopsy may be performed using an open or percutaneous method. Medical devices for obtaining tissue samples for subsequent sampling and/or testing are known in the biopsy art. For instance, a biopsy instrument now marketed under the tradename MAMMOTOME is commercially available from Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. for use in obtaining breast biopsy samples. This device generally retrieves multiple core biopsy samples from one insertion into breast tissue with vacuum assistance.
The following patent documents disclose various biopsy devices and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,862 issued Aug. 14, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,522 issued May 15, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,055 issued May 8, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,462 issued Sep. 19, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,544 issued Jul. 11, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,230 issued Jun. 20, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,316 issued Jan. 25, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,497 issued Dec. 28, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,469 issued Nov. 9, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,716 issued Oct. 12, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,164 issued Jul. 27, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,333 issued Jul. 7, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,086 issued Jun. 23, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,547 issued Jul. 22, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,822 issued Jun. 18, 1996; and US Patent Application 2003/0199753 published Oct. 23, 2003 to Hibner et al.
Some vacuum-assisted biopsy devices may employ a re-usable control module that includes a vacuum pump and other control apparatus. Such vacuum control modules may be relatively large and heavy, and may be mounted on wheels or on a wheeled platform so that they can be moved from room to room in a surgical area.
While a variety of biopsy systems have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used a biopsy system as described in the appended claims.

Biopsy system with vacuum control module


A cable tie comprises a band-shaped strap which has a fixed end, formed in the shape of a hook, and a free end, a locking head which is secured to the fixed end of the strap and through which the free end of the strap passes, and a locking ball which is disposed in the locking head so as to be movable forward and rearward, wherein the width between upper and lower portions of the fixed end of the strap is established to be slightly greater than the thickness of the bottom wall of the locking head, a release prevention tongue is cut in the upper portion of the fixed end of the strap and is integrated with the strap, a distal end of the release prevention tongue is bent downward, and the locking ball is guided in a rearward locking direction and is elastically supported upward.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a ball type cable tie having a release prevention tongue, and, more particularly, to a ball type cable tie having a release prevention tongue, wherein a release prevention tongue is formed on the upper portion of the fixed end of a strap which is coupled at the fixed end to a locking head, to doubly secure the locking head to the strap and to maintain the locking head in a reliably secured state, thereby decreasing a defective proportion of end products, and wherein a locking ball is guided in a rearward locking direction and pushed upward by elastic support action of the release prevention tongue which elastically operates, to prevent the locked state of the cable tie from being released and to maintain a tightly bundled state of the cable tie, thereby increasing the strength of the strap and improving the durability of the cable tie.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, cable ties are widely used to bundle elongate objects such as electric wires of an electronic apparatus, cables of a ship, etc. Among such cable ties, a ball type cable tie is most widely used, in which a locking ball is moved forward and rearward to lock a strap. A ball type cable tie is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,592. This ball type cable tie has a structure in which the free end of a strap, having been threaded through a locking head, pushes a locking ball in a rearward locking direction, and a protrusion is formed to prevent the locking ball from being moved forward and the strap from thus becoming unlocked. However, in this type of cable tie, since the locking head and the fixed end of the strap are coupled to each other through the introduction of a latching finger projecting at an angle from the lower portion of the fixed end into a window defined in the bottom wall of the locking head, in the case that the latching finger is not bent or is bent below a predetermined height when manufacturing the strap, the locking head can be easily released from the strap, which inconveniences a user. Also, if the protrusion is crushed by the locking ball which is moved forward due to excessive load, the locked state of the strap is likely to be released.
In order to cope with these problems, a ball lock cable tie having a strap aperture is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,596. In this ball lock cable tie, an aperture is defined in the upper portion of the fixed end of a strap so that a locking ball can deform the threaded portion of the strap in the aperture to increase the locking strength of the cable tie. Nevertheless, even in this ball lock cable tie, since the locking head and the fixed end of the strap are coupled to each other through the introduction of a latching finger projecting at an angle from the lower portion of the fixed end into a window defined in the bottom wall of the locking head, in the case that the latching finger is not bent or is bent below a predetermined height when manufacturing the strap, it is difficult to prevent the release of the locking head from the strap. Further, because the aperture is defined in the strap, the strength of the strap itself is decreased, as a result of which the strap cannot stand substantial tensile force and is likely to break.

Ball type cable tie having release prevention tongue


A wire feeding device configured to feed welding wire from a wire feeding source to a welding torch is provided with: an intermediate wire feeding source that is disposed between the wire feeding source and the welding torch and is configured to temporarily store the welding wire fed from the wire feeding source and to feed the stored welding wire to the welding torch; a first feeding part that feeds the welding wire at the wire feeding source to the intermediate wire feeding source; a second feeding part that feeds the welding wire stored in the intermediate wire feeding source to the welding torch; and a feed control unit that controls speed of feeding the welding wire by each of the first feeding part and the second feeding part.

An arc welding system of a consumable electrode type is provided with: a wire feeding device that feeds welding wire from a wire feeding source to a welding torch; and a power supply device. The wire feeding device of a push-pull type is provided with a push feeder that pushes out welding wire from a wire feeding source such as a wire reel, pack wire or the like to a welding torch, and a pull feeder that is located at an arm or the like of a welding robot and that pulls in the welding wire pushed out by the push feeder to feed it to the welding torch. Generally, the push feeder is torque-controlled, whereas the pull feeder is speed-controlled (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open, for example).
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-907, however, the push feeder being torque-controlled deteriorates the response for the wire feeding speed, so that the push side would not be able to follow any abrupt change in the feeding speed on the pull side, causing problems of, for example, slipping or buckling of the welding wire. This problem is particularly significant in large current welding which requires high-speed feeding of welding wire.
Moreover, torque adjustment is required on the push side in accordance with the state of the welding wire path and the wire diameter.
The present disclosure has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a wire feeding device and an arc welding device capable of stably feeding welding wire to a welding torch at a required speed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Wire feeding device and arc welding device


Provided are an apparatus and a method for seabed exploration using an unmanned remotely operated vehicle. The apparatus for seabed exploration of the present invention includes: an unmanned remotely operated vehicle connected with a ship 2 by a cable 1; a transponder of an acoustic positioning system mounted on the unmanned remotely operated vehicle; a pinger mounted on the unmanned remotely operated vehicle and outputting a signal that is received by a receiver of an echo sounder system mounted on the ship; a measuring device mounted on the unmanned remotely operated vehicle and sensing or measuring various information on the seabed where the unmanned remotely operated vehicle is positioned; and a sediment collecting device collecting sediments of the seafloor, when the unmanned remotely operated vehicle grounds on the seafloor.

Various types of apparatus for seabed exploration have been proposed to develop seabed resources or investigate seabed environment and most of them have a remotely operated vehicle, while most apparatuses for seabed exploration used for deep sea use unmanned remotely operated vehicle.
Manned remotely operated vehicles require a relatively large amount of manufacturing and operational cost and have a danger of causing human safety accidents, as compared with unmanned remotely operated vehicles.
Various types of unmanned remotely operated vehicles are recently used to explore the seabed and establish and develop seabed facilities for those reasons.
The unmanned remotely operated vehicles have a large difference in manufacturing and operational cost, in accordance with the types of cables connected with the ship (mother ship of the remotely operated vehicles).
When the ship and the unmanned remotely operated vehicle are connected by a communication cable, communication is possible between the ship and the unmanned remotely operated vehicle, such that underwater works become convenient.
However, a relatively large amount of cost is required, because a device for the communication between the ship and the unmanned remotely operated vehicle under the sea is required.
Further, the ship requires to be equipped with measuring device for remote control of investigation measuring device mounted in the unmanned remotely operated vehicle and the remote control measuring device is installed, such that there is a problem in that the working space becomes narrow.
When a cable, not the communication cable, is connected between the ship and the unmanned remotely operated vehicle, although communication is impossible between the ship and the unmanned remotely operated vehicle, the cost is very low, which is economically advantageous.
However, since communication is impossible between the unmanned remotely operated vehicle and the ship, it is possible to move the unmanned remotely operated vehicle by moving the ship, but it is impossible to control various devices in the unmanned remotely operated vehicle from the ship, such that there is considerable inconvenience in investigation work and it is difficult to ensure accuracy in the work.
Further, it is difficult to find the accurate position of the unmanned remotely operated vehicle (the latitudinal and longitudinal positions and the underwater depth) from the ship, such that the available field is limited (the unmanned remotely operated vehicle released under the sea is moved away from the released position by various causes, such as the current, such that the released position (latitudinal and longitudinal positions) and the released length of the cable are very different from the position of the unmanned remotely operated vehicle released under the sea (latitudinal and longitudinal positions) and the underwater depth.
In detail, for example, a gas hydrate, which is a pure energy source that may replace the fossil fuel in the twenty-first century, is a solid energy source formed by combining with water under low temperature and high pressure in the permafrost or the deep sea, and is similar in external shape to the dry ice and has a property of being burned by fire, such that it is also called a burning ice (the main component of the gas hydrate is methane gas).
Since methane gas is discharged when there is a gas hydrate described above in the seafloor, it is possible to check whether there is a gas hydrate by releasing an investigation apparatus and measuring the concentration of methane gas under the sea (the methane gas may be discharged to the sea by natural dissociation of the gas hydrate and manmade dissociation (development and production)). Further, the methane gas is also made by activity of submarine volcanoes or dissolution of organic substances near the coast (harbor).
However, it is required to be able to relatively accurately find the accurate position (latitudinal and longitudinal positions and underwater depth) of the investigation device, such as an unmanned remotely operated vehicle released under the sea, from the ship, in order to check whether there is a gas hydrate described above.
This is because it is required to position a device measuring the concentration of the methane gas, such as methane gas measuring device, close to the seafloor (at 1 m˜2 m above from the seafloor) in order to find there is a gas hydrate, for ensuring accuracy.
However, since it is impossible to find the position (latitudinal and longitudinal positions and underwater depth) of the unmanned remotely operated vehicle released under the sea by a cable, from the ship, it is impossible to investigate whether there is a gas hydrate through the cable.
On the other hand, the unmanned remotely operated vehicle released under the sea by the cable is not equipped with a device that collects seabed sediments, such that it is impossible to collect seabed sediments.

Apparatus and method for seabed exploration

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources


A distributed database architecture based on shared memory and multi-process includes a distributed database node. A system shared memory unit and a system process unit are built in a distributed database. The system shared memory unit includes a task stack information module and a shared cache module. A plurality of process tasks are built in the task stack information module. The process tasks include system information with various purposes in system process task information, and each system information corresponds to one process task. By using a system shared memory unit at a distributed database node, the number of user connections in the distributed database architecture does not have a corresponding relationship with the number of processes or threads. The number of processes or threads of the entire node does not increase as the number of user connections increases.

At present, application programs that require a substantial number of processes and functions to operate concurrently are basically realized by connecting middleware. The connection of middleware requires significant analysis and merging processing. User query requests are first analyzed and then distributed to corresponding stand-alone databases for processing, and the query results are first merged and then sent to the previous application program. As a result, the middleware has a performance bottleneck. In order to solve this problem, the middleware must also be designed into a distributed system, which leads to a distributed architecture system at each layer.
Distributed architecture complicates matters and presents numerous problems to systems managers and maintenance personnel and taxes resources. To further complicate matters, current database technologies already develop distributed architecture. A distributed database can thus increase the complexity of application development and, at the same time, significantly increase the number of connections capable of being supported. Although the distributed middleware and the distributed database can solve the problem of high concurrency, since both the middleware and database are distributed systems, they may greatly increase the circulation time of the followed requests and data in the application system, and lead to an increased response time. A feasible solution is to improve the concurrency support capability of the distributed database and remove the distributed middleware, to reduce circulation procedures and response time.
However, the support of a distributed database is necessary irrespective of the type of architecture the application program is based upon. At present, the support for the high concurrency necessarily requires the distributed database. The distributed database architecture in the prior art is implemented based on either independent multi-process or independent multi-thread. These two implementation mechanisms have several shortcomings. Multiple processes or threads are switched in a unit of time slice of the operating system, and the excessive processes or threads result in the substantial expense associated with switching, thereby causing serious performance degradation of the system.
By performing tests on current mainstream systems, such as the Linux system, it has been determined that, when the number of created processes or threads approaches 1,000 on a busy system, the speed of creating threads or processes, intuitively, is slower and slower. Therefore, the above distributed database node architecture based on multi-thread still has the following problems: (1) the abnormality of one connection of a node affects all other connections of the node; (2) one node is only capable of supporting thousands of connections and is difficult to support tens of thousands of connections; and (3) the multi-thread architecture cannot control resources used by a user, especially CPU resource. Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide an improved architecture of such a distributed database system.

Distributed database architecture based on shared memory and multi-process and implementation method thereof

GUIZHOU ESGYN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The invention provides a system, apparatus and method for interactively displaying a virtual three dimensional structure representing building information modeling (BIM) data. The displaying of the virtual structure provides a viewing perspective that simulates both internal and external lighting effects upon the virtual structure. Commands being communicated by a viewer of the virtual structure are processed in real time to direct navigation (location and direction) of a virtual camera that is located within the virtual three dimensional structure.

Building information model (BIM) data is designed to model the design (architecture) of a large structure such as of a building, house, bridge etc. BIM data is typically stored in a database of information regarding BIM elements and relationships between those BIM elements. BIM elements can be walls, roofs, windows, doors, floors, rooms etc. The relationships between elements can include a relationship defining that a door element and a window element are each located as a portion of a wall element, which is located adjacent to and above a particular floor element etc.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Interactive rendering of building information model data


A system and method for signature-based redundancy comparison provides for receiving, by a master part, an input signal and generating, by the master part, a binary output signal, generating a delayed input signal based on the input signal, generating a first output signature based on the binary output signal, and generating a delayed first output signature based on the first output signature. The system and method further comprise generating a delayed binary output signal based on the delayed input signal, generating, by a checker part, a delayed second output signature based on the delayed binary output signal, comparing the delayed first output signature with the delayed second output signature, and generating an error signal, where the state of the error signal is based upon the comparison.

Integration of functions inside an electronic control unit (ECU) is mainly concentrated around a safe microcontroller that plays a central role by hosting critical computation and control functions. As a result of sub-micron technologies it has become economically possible to integrate large-scale redundant structures (e.g., duplex-systems) inside ECUs, microcontrollers, and other types of integrated electronic and computational systems, whether or not such systems relate to safety-related computations and/or control functions. Typically, such systems form the basic hardware architecture upon which safety software rely (e.g., applications requiring the ISO 26262 ASIL D safety integrity level).
However, typical duplex systems require cycle-by-cycle hardware-based comparisons of every functional output, as well as complex, common-cause failure analyses based on delaying the redundant parts by one or more clock cycles, resulting in large power consumption and large chip area related to the integration of the duplex structures within a microcontroller, for example.
Furthermore, a consequence for large duplex systems is the cost of the delay stages for the inputs and outputs, as well as complex comparator logic. For instance, for a delay of 2 cycles, assuming 1000 inputs and 1000 outputs, the cost of the delay is 4000 flip-flops. In addition to the area required to integrate a large number of flip flops, power consumption becomes a limiting factor when extending such a system, as well as when operating at higher frequencies which typically requires a higher delay (i.e., a higher number of delay cycles).
It would be advantageous to provide solutions that reduce power consumption and area related to the integration of redundant-type structures inside high integrity electronic systems while retaining a high level of error detection provided by such redundant-structures. It is also of interest to provide redundant-structures that detect internal faults and faults at output-lines during normal operation.

System and method for signature-based redundancy comparison


When a rotation instruction is issued to replace MFP A by MFP B to be used, a management application of the MFP A obtains and stores network information of the MFP B, and exchanges setting value data of the MFP A with that of the MFP B. Further, if the network information of the MFP A is included in the exchanged setting value data, the management application of the MFP A changes the exchanged setting value data using the stored network information of the MFP B.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to performing, in a case where information processing apparatuses are rotated and used, setting control of setting value data.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an information processing apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP) is replaced by a new apparatus, it becomes necessary for the new apparatus to inherit setting values of the information processing apparatus and the setting values of applications, i.e., the setting value data. For example, a technique for distributing the setting values for realizing inheritance of the setting value data is widely known. More specifically, the apparatus is connected to a network or memory medium, and the setting value data of the information processing apparatus is then obtained or distributed.
On the other hand, when the information processing apparatus is replaced by a new apparatus, it also becomes necessary to change network settings with respect to the apparatuses which communicate with the information processing apparatus, in addition to the setting value data of the apparatus. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-108169 discusses a technique in which, when a terminal is replaced, the setting a network device which communicates with the terminal is automatically changed via a management server. Such a setting of the network device has filter setting information including a media access control (MAC) address.
However, the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-108169 assumes that the information processing apparatus is replaced by a new apparatus. If the information processing apparatus which has previously been in use is rotated and used, there are cases where the new apparatus cannot correctly inherit the setting value data. For example, it is assumed that two information processing apparatuses, in which the MAC address of the other apparatus is respectively set in MAC address filter information of each apparatus, are rotated and reinstalled. In such a case, if the new apparatus simply inherits the setting value data, the rotated information processing apparatuses cannot communicate with each other.
Further, a conventional technique which resets the MAC address filter information via a third party such as the management server does not consider changing the MAC address filter information of a plurality of devices at the same time. As a result, it is difficult to change the setting values in which the new information and the old information cross over, in consistency with each other.

Information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium setting filter information for permitting communication with another information processing apparatus


In one preferred aspect, a method is provided for inserting an instrument set having a tapered configuration into a patient. In another preferred aspect, a method is provided for inserting a cannula having an external threaded portion into bone. In yet another preferred aspect, a method is provided for forming and enlarging an opening in bone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a set of instruments having a distal tapered configuration for facilitating insertion of the instruments into a human body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cannulas are used in surgical procedures to access tissue of the human body. To assist in the insertion of the cannula into the tissue, an instrument such as a stylet is inserted into the cannula to function as a guide for the cannula. Typically, the stylet has a diameter less than the diameter of the cannula, creating a stepped transition between the cannula distal end and the stylet. One problem encountered when using a conventional cannula and stylet is that the stepped transition between the cannula and stylet impairs the insertion of the instruments into the surrounding tissue because of the increased resistance encountered upon moving the stepped transition against the surrounding tissue. Therefore, there exists a need for an instrument set having a reduced surface profile in the transition between the distal end of the cannula and the inner instrument when the inner instrument extends from the distal end of the cannula so as to facilitate insertion of the instrument set into a patient and minimize disruption to the tissue of the patient.
Another problem associated with conventional cannulated instrument sets is that the distal end of a stylet when inserted together with the cannula protrudes a distance from the distal end of the cannula that is insufficient to optimally guide the instrument set into the surgical site of a patient, or optimally penetrate the tissue. Therefore there exists a need for an instrument set that when used with a stylet, will provide the surgeon with increased guidance for inserting the instrument set into the surgical site of the patient while reducing the effort needed for the instrument set to penetrate the tissue.

Method for use of dilating stylet and cannula


A dual arch anterior dental impression tray includes a generally opened C-shaped mouthpiece and an insert. The mouthpiece having a left end, a right end, and a back side having a concave surface extending from the left end to the right end, the concave surface including a generally longitudinally extending curved groove, the left end and right end each include a connector. The insert including a front portion having a curved frame, the curved frame includes a left end and a right end, the curved frame fits snugly into the curved groove, the insert includes a mesh material extending from and within an area defined by the curved frame, the curved frame left end and right end each include a connector to connect with a respective mouthpiece connector.

Dental impression trays are formed as a solid shape that is anatomically shaped to fit over the patient's teeth. An impression material is then secured in the tray, often with an adhesive, before being placed inside the patient's mouth where they bite down on the impression material until it sets. The tray, with set impression material, is then removed from the patient's mouth and is used as a mould to form a model of the patient's dentition.
Dental impression trays can be single-arch trays, where they take an impression of either the upper or lower arch, or dual-arch trays, where they take an impression of both upper and lower arches simultaneously and a bite registration.
To make perfect impressions, moulds, and dental prostheses, the stability of a dual-arch tray is critical. Current bite trays lack this stability due to their construction material and/or design.

Reusable dual-arch anterior dental impression tray