In a layout designing method for an LSI by a CMOS standard cell method, layout cells (standard layout patterns) which respectively correspond to logical function units are selected from a library. In this selection, the respective layout cells are selected from the library as patterns which are divided into p-type layout cells and n-type layout cells. The p-type layout cells and the n-type layout cells are arranged in accordance with a predetermined logical circuit diagram. Interconnection patterns for interconnecting the p-type layout cells and for interconnecting the n-type layout cells are arranged in accordance with the logical circuit diagram. An excessive interconnection region can be minimized, and efficient interconnections can be achieved. Therefore, an occupied plane area can be reduced in the layout design.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a layout designing method for a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and particularly to an improvement of a layout designing method for an LSI by a CMOS standard cell method.
2. Description of the Background Art
According to a recent general classifying method, LSIs may be classified into custom LSIs and semicustom LSIs based on an LSI layout design. The custom LSIs may be defined as LSIs of which whole constructions or internal blocks are designed specially for intended particular LSIs. The semicustom LSIs may be defined as LSIs which are designed using libraries in which layout patterns already designed as common circuits are registered. According to this definition, a standard cell method can be classified into a designing method for a semicustom LSI.
In the standard cell method, standard circuit block cells are designed in advance and registered in a cell library for the use in the design of LSIs, and this method is one kind of designing method for the semicustom LSIs. Each circuit block cell is disposed by means of an automatic arranging and interconnecting program of a CAD system. The standard cells which are standard circuit block cells registered in the library usually have layout patterns in which logical circuits such as simple logical gates and flip-flops are designed in advance. Once designed, these standard layout patterns are registered in a data base after their correct operations are verified by simulation and/or experiment. Thereby, the cell library is formed. These standard layout patterns have configurations in which heights are constant and widths are variable. As described above, in the layout design of the LSI by the standard cell method, standard layout patterns are selected from the library and interconnections between the layout patterns are formed by the CAD system.
A prior art example of the layout designing method for the LSIs by the CMOS standard cell method is disclosed in "Principles of CMOS VLSI Design; A System Perspective", Neil H. E. Weste et al., pp 193-195. The prior art method for designing an LSI layout by the CMOS standard cell method will be described below with reference to the figures.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a conventional method for designing the LSI layout by the standard cell method. Referring to FIG. 7, a predetermined logical circuit diagram to be designed is first entered in a CAD system. Here, the layout designing method will be further described with respect to a logical circuit diagram which is shown in FIG. 8 as an example of the entered logical circuit diagram.
In the logical circuit diagram shown in FIG. 8, data is entered from I1-I6 appropriately processed and the data is output from OUT. Tables 1 and 2 are truth tables related to this logical circuit diagram.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ I4 I2 I3 Q .sup.-- Q ______________________________________ 0 0 0 unchanged 0 0 1 0 1 0 ______________________________________ 0 1 1 0 1 ______________________________________ 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 ______________________________________ 1 1 1 inhibited ______________________________________
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ I6 I1 I5 OUT ______________________________________ 0 * 0 .sup.-- Q 1 1 1 0 * Q 1 * 1 ______________________________________
In Table 1, a term "unchanged" indicates a state in which an output state does not change. A term "inhibited" indicates inhibition of input of this combination. In Table 2, a sign "*" indicates 1 or 0. "Q" and "Q" indicate that outputs in the truth table shown as the table 1 are output as they are.
The entered logical circuit diagram is formed of circuit blocks G1-G5. An internal logical circuit diagram of the circuit block G2 is shown in FIG. 9. The internal logical circuit diagram of the circuit block G5 is shown in FIG. 10. The logical circuit diagram in FIG. 8 is shown at a logical gate level in FIG. 11. Further, the logical circuit diagram in FIG. 11 is shown as a circuit diagram at a transistor level in FIG. 12.
When the logical circuit diagram shown in FIG. 8 is entered in the CAD system, the logical circuit diagram is divided into logical function units, i.e., the circuit blocks G1-G5. These circuit blocks G1-G5 have been previously designed as standard circuit block cells, and have been registered in a cell library of the CAD system as layout patterns which correspond to respective circuit block cells. Therefore, the standard cells respectively corresponding to the logical function units, i.e., circuit blocks G1-G5 can be selected as the layout cells from the library.
The layout cells corresponding to the circuit blocks G1, G2, G3 (G4) and G5 are shown in FIGS. 13A, 14A, 15A and 16A, respectively. Circuit diagrams at the transistor level corresponding to these circuit blocks G1, G2, G3 (G4) and G5 are shown in FIGS. 13B, 14B, 15B and 16B, respectively.
Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B, the circuit block G1 is formed of p-channel MOS transistors T11, T12 and T13 and n-channel MOS transistors T14, T15 and T16. The respective MOS transistors are interconnected through first interconnections. Input terminals A and B as well as an output terminal O are disposed at an upper (second) interconnection which is connected to the first interconnection through a through hole. A layout cell corresponding to the circuit block G1 is a standard layout cell having a logical function of an AND gate.
Referring to FIGS. 14A and 14B, the circuit block G2 is formed of p-channel MOS transistors T31, T32, T35 and T36 as well as n-channel MOS transistors T33, T34, T37 and T38. P-regions, n-regions and gate electrode interconnections of the respective MOS transistors are connected together by the first interconnections through contact holes. These first interconnections are connected to upper second interconnections via through holes. Input terminals R and S as well as output terminals Q and Q are disposed at the second interconnections. In the figure, a power supply interconnection V.sub.DD is disposed above the p-channel MOS transistors T31, T32, T35 and T36. In the figure, a ground interconnection GND is disposed below the n-channel MOS transistors T33, T34, T37 and T38. In this manner, a standard layout cell of the circuit block G2, i.e., flip-flop gate is formed.
FIG. 15A shows a standard layout cells of the circuit blocks G3 and G4, i.e., OR gates, Referring to FIGS. 15A and 15B, the circuit blocks G3 and G4 are formed of p-channel MOS transistors T21, T22 and T23 as well as n-channel MOS transistors T24, T25 and T26. Similarly to the layout cells of the circuit blocks G1 and G2, p-regions, n-regions and gate electrode interconnections of respective MOS transistor are interconnected by first interconnections through contact holes, and second interconnections are connected to the first interconnections via through holes. The second interconnections are provided with input terminals A and B as well as an output terminal O.
Referring to FIGS. 16A and 16B, the circuit block G5, i.e., a selector circuit is formed of p-channel MOS transistors T41, T42, T43, T44, T49, T51 and T52 as well as n-channel MOS transistors T45, T46, T47, T48, T50, T53 and T54. P-channel regions, n-channel regions and gate electrode interconnections of the respective MOS transistors are connected by first interconnections through contact holes, and second interconnections are connected to the first interconnections via through holes. Input terminals A, SA and B as well as an output terminal O are provided in the second interconnections.
As described above, in the layout cell of each of the circuit blocks G1-G5, the input terminals and the output terminal(s) are disposed at the upper and lower sides of each layout cell in the figure. Further, as can be seen in FIGS. 13A, 14A, 15A and 16A, each layout cell has the configuration in which the height h is constant and the lateral width is variable. This configuration of the layout cell is determined to meet a demand for easier arrangement of the layout cells and easier interconnections of the layout cells in the layout designing for the LSI.
These layout cells are arranged in accordance with the logical circuit diagram shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 17A shows an arrangement of the layout cells.
These layout cells are arranged in accordance with the logical circuit diagram shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 17A shows an arrangement of the layout cells. The layout cells of the circuit blocks G2, G3 and G4 are disposed in an upper side in the figure, and the layout cells of the circuit blocks G1 and G5 are disposed at the lower side in the figure. A region 1000 between a group of the layout cells disposed at the upper side and a group of the layout cells disposed at the lower side is used for interconnections between the layout cells.
Second interconnections between the layout cells are formed as shown in FIG. 17B. A pattern of the second interconnections has a configuration in which each second interconnection provided with an input terminal or an output terminal of each layout cell extends through the region 1000 between the upper and lower layout groups.
Thereafter, first interconnections between the layout cells are formed, as shown in FIG. 17C. A pattern of the first interconnections is formed such that the pattern of the second interconnections which has been formed as shown in FIG. 17B may be connected to the first interconnections via through holes. The patterns of these first and second interconnections are formed in accordance with the logical circuit diagram shown in FIG. 8 by an automatic arranging and interconnecting program of the CAD system.
Finally, as shown in FIG. 17D, compaction is executed for compacting the interconnection region 1000 between the upper layout cell group and the lower layout cell group. In this manner, the layout design of the LSI is performed by the standard cell method.
Since the layout designing method by the conventional standard cell method is performed as described above, even layout cells located in the same row are interconnected using the interconnection region 1000. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17D, an interconnection 305 between the layout cells of the circuit blocks G2 and G4 which are located in the same row is disposed using the interconnection region 1000 between the upper layout cell group and the lower layout cell group. The interconnection region 1000 is also used by an interconnection 309 between the layout cells of the circuit blocks G2 and G3 which are located in the upper layout cell group. This increases lengths of the interconnections, and thus reduces an operation speed of the LSI thus designed.

Layout designing method for a semiconductor integrated circuit device


The present invention generally relates to methods and apparatuses for amplifying nucleic acid sequences using immobilized DNA polymerase. More particularly, it relates to methods and apparatuses useful for amplifying target nucleic acid sequences by forming a plurality of reaction regions in which polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can occur, positioning immobilized DNA polymerase in a specific reaction region, and circulating DNA through the reaction regions. The present invention provides those methods and apparatuses that allow simple separation and recovery of the DNA polymerase after the amplification, that can be operated not only with thermostable DNA polymerases but also with non-thermostable DNA polymerases, and that are simpler in their designs and processes so that they can be readily integrated into complex devices such as Lab-on-a-chip.

Nucleic acid sequence amplification technology has a wide application in bioscience, genetic engineering, and medical science for research and development and diagnostic purposes. In particular, the nucleic acid sequence amplification technology using PCR (hereafter referred to as "PCR amplification technology") has been most widely utilized. Details of the PCR amplification technology have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,202; 4,683,195; 4,800,159; and 4,965,188.
Various apparatuses and methods incorporating automated PCR amplification processes have been developed and used for fast and efficient amplification of a variety of genetic samples. The basic working principle of such technology is as follows.
In the commercialized PCR amplification technology, a sample is prepared to contain a template DNA to be amplified, a pair of oligonucleotide primers complementary to a specific sequence of each single strand of the template DNA, a thermostable DNA polymerase, and deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTP). A specific portion of the nucleic acid sequence of the template DNA is then amplified by repeating a temperature cycle that sequentially changes the temperature of the sample. Typically, the temperature cycle consists of three or two temperature steps, and the amplification processes during the temperature cycle occur in the following manner. The first step is the denaturation step in which the sample is heated to a high temperature and double stranded DNA molecules become separated into single stranded DNA molecules. The second step is the annealing step in which the sample is cooled to a low temperature and the single stranded DNA molecules formed in the first step bind to the primers, forming partially double stranded DNA-primer complexes. The last step is the polymerization step in which the sample is maintained at a suitable temperature and the primers in the DNA-primer complexes are extended by the action of the DNA polymerase, generating new single stranded DNA molecules that are complementary to each of the template DNA strands. The target nucleic acid sequences as selected by the sequences of the two primers are replicated during each cycle consisting of the above three steps. Typically, several millions or higher number of copies of the target nucleic acid sequences can be produced by repeating the temperature cycles for about 20 to 40 times.
The temperature of the denaturation step is typically 90˜94° C. The temperature of the annealing step is controlled appropriately according to the melting temperatures (Tm) of the primers used, and it typically ranges from 40 to 60° C. It is typical to set the temperature of the polymerization step to 72° C. and use a three-step temperature cycle, since the most frequently used Taq DNA polymerase (a thermostable DNA polymerase extracted from Thermus aquaticus) has its optimal activity at that temperature. A two-step temperature cycle in which the polymerization temperature is set to the same as the annealing temperature, can also be used since the Taq DNA polymerase has its polymerase activity in a broad temperature range.
The prior nucleic acid sequence amplification methods have a number of drawbacks as they operate to change the temperature of the whole sample including DNA polymerase according to the three- or two-step temperature cycle.
Firstly, since DNA polymerase is included in the sample in the prior nucleic acid amplification methods, it is not simple to remove the DNA polymerase for purification of the sample after the amplification reaction, and also difficult to reuse the used enzyme.
Secondly, the prior nucleic acid sequence amplification methods can only use thermostable DNA polymerases such as Taq DNA polymerase. This is because the prior apparatuses have the process of heating the whole sample to a high temperature.
Thirdly, it is difficult to incorporate the prior nucleic acid sequence amplification method into a complex device such as Lab-on-a-chip, a miniaturized device that can perform multiple reactions and processes within a chip either simultaneously or sequentially. The prior nucleic acid sequence amplification method is disadvantageous for miniaturization since it requires processes of changing the temperature of the whole sample, thereby having a complex design and processes. Moreover, it is difficult to incorporate the prior method into a complex device in which rapid temperature change is not desirable.
Among various possibilities, a method useful for resolving the problems described above is one using immobilized DNA polymerase. By the term "immobilized enzyme" is meant an enzyme that is physically or chemically bound to a supporting material with its enzyme activity preserved. There are generally a number of advantages of using immobilized enzymes. Firstly, the sample purification process can be simplified since the enzyme can be readily separated and recovered from the reaction solution by removing the supporting material to which the enzyme is immobilized. Secondly, the cost can be reduced since the recovered immobilized enzyme can be reused. Thirdly, the efficiency of the reaction processes can be improved since multiple reaction processes comprising the enzyme reaction(s) can be simplified. In addition, immobilization of the enzyme may result in incidental effects such as improvement of the physical stability of the enzyme or change in the reaction conditions of the enzyme, which in turn may improve the applicability of the enzyme. Therefore, one can expect that the problems associated with the prior nucleic acid amplification methods described above can possibly be resolved by using immobilized DNA polymerase.
However, no method using an immobilized enzyme has been known yet in the prior art to solve the above problems. This is mainly due to two reasons: difficulty in preserving the activity of the immobilized enzyme and development of processes suitable for using the immobilized enzyme. Firstly, various methods has been reported for immobilization of enzymes, but no method has been reported yet for preparation of the immobilized DNA polymerase having high enough activity to produce detectable amount of reaction products in the PCR process. Therefore, in order to realize a nucleic acid amplification method and an apparatus thereof, a method should be developed first to prepare an immobilized DNA polymerase with its activity highly preserved. Secondly, even if an immobilized DNA polymerase preserving a high activity can be used, the prior methods of the temperature cycle type have limitations. For instance, non-thermostable DNA polymerases cannot be used in the prior temperature cycle type methods because the prior methods require a step of heating the whole sample to a high temperature. Moreover, in the prior methods, the polymerization reaction by DNA polymerase can occur only in one temperature step, namely the polymerization step. That is, the polymerization reaction can only occur for a partial period of the total reaction time. The temporal efficiency of the prior methods is thus limited by the speed of changing the temperature during the temperature cycle. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new nucleic acid sequence amplification method and an apparatus thereof that are not of the prior temperature cycle type in which temperature of the whole sample is changed sequentially, but that are of a different type in which the advantages of using the immobilized DNA polymerase can be incorporated.

Method and apparatus for amplification of nucleic acid sequences using immobilized DNA polymerase


A method for acquiring image data from a plurality of slice locations in a subject with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. The method includes directing the MRI system to perform a pulse sequence that includes performing a contrast preparation module configured to generate contrast-encoded longitudinal magnetization and an image encoding module configured to acquire image data from multiple slice locations substantially simultaneously. The contrast preparation module generally includes tipping longitudinal magnetization into the transverse plane to produce transverse magnetization, generating contrast-prepared transverse magnetization by establishing an image contrast in the transverse magnetization, and tipping the contrast-prepared magnetization back along the longitudinal axis to produce the contrast-encoded longitudinal magnetization.

The field of the invention is systems and methods for magnetic resonance imaging ("MRI"). More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for rapid whole brain MRI.
In the last two decades, MRI techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging ("fMRI") and diffusion weighted imaging ("DWI"), either for neuronal fiber tractography or for diffusion weighted diagnosis, such as in stroke, have revolutionized the ability of clinicians and scientists to investigate the human brain. These techniques mostly rely on echo planar imaging ("EPI") or spiral sampling techniques for spatial encoding of the magnetic resonance image because of their fast scan times.
With contemporary scanner hardware, a single EPI or spiral image of a two-dimensional imaging slice can be obtained in tens of milliseconds and can be repeated at adjacent slice locations for coverage of a desired imaging volume, typically requiring on the order of 2-6 seconds for whole brain imaging, depending on the slice thickness and inter-slice gaps, if any. More specifically, an imaging slice of a desired thickness, such as a millimeter to a few millimeters, along one direction is excited with a frequency-selective radio frequency ("RF") pulse. Subsequently, the image of this slice is encoded in the plane orthogonal to the slice direction with an EPI, spiral, gradient and spin echo ("GRASE"), fast or turbo spin echo, or other analogous ultra-fast imaging techniques, which use spatial encoding through phase modulation induced by magnetic field gradients. These approaches allow the plane perpendicular to the slice-selection direction to be spatially encoded after the single, slice-selective excitation. Thus, these methods are commonly referred to as "single-shot" techniques. In the aforementioned imaging techniques, slice excitation is followed by the formation of multiple echoes to generate a single echo train that encodes the two-dimensional image. The rapid two-dimensional image acquisition following the slice excitation is repeated in other locations so as to generate a "multi-slice" image of the entire desired imaging volume, such as the whole human brain.
Since its initial application, scan time volume coverage for ultra-fast imaging techniques, such as those described above, has not substantially decreased. For example, nearly all the successful efforts to shorten EPI acquisition times have targeted reducing the number of refocused echoes needed for spatial encoding to form an image, by means of method such as partial Fourier imaging, parallel imaging, or sparse data sampling techniques. Although these approaches decrease scan time for spatial encoding, they do not necessarily reduce the time required for image acquisitions by a significant amount. This is because a physiological contrast preparation period, such as for neuronal activity or water diffusion, must precede the spatial encoding period for each slice. Notably, this contrast preparation period can equal or exceed the time employed for collecting the EPI echo train.
Three-dimensional echo volume imaging ("EVI") extends the EPI principle to three dimensions, and eliminates the separate slice excitations, thereby avoiding the need to repeat the contrast preparation period. Thus, EVI allows for a single contrast preparation period to be followed with a three-dimensional volume coverage in a single echo train. However, this approach has severe limitations in spatial resolution and image quality due to the longer echo trains needed to fully encode the volumetric spatial information in the relatively short acquisition period. Thus, these EVI techniques suffer from distortions and blurring on two of the three image axes, as well as a loss in signal-to-noise ratio ("SNR"). Multi-shot three-dimensional techniques, such as those based on EPI, that have produced high quality images overcome this limitation, albeit at the expense of longer acquisition times than can be achieved with EVI or single-shot three-dimensional GRASE sequences. Echo shifting approaches, such as principles of echo shifting using a Train of observations ("PRESTO"), increase volume coverage efficiency by taking advantage of echo time delays to apply additional RF pulses; however, these techniques are SNR limited and run into restrictions at higher magnetic fields when T2 and T2* become inherently short.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method for rapidly imaging a significant imaging volume, such as the whole human brain, without the loss of spatial resolution and image quality, including signal-to-noise ratio, contrary to existing methods such as those mentioned above.

Method for rapid whole brain magnetic resonance imaging with contrast preparation


A system for matching the hydrocarbon reservoir inflow with the outflow of an artificial lift system utilizes an apparatus which makes real time fluid level determinations and inputs the observed fluid levels into a processor which controls the speed of a motor which operates a subsurface pump, so as to increase hydrocarbon production. The apparatus which makes real time fluid determinations is installed such that a gas emission port and a pressure wave receiving port are placed within the tubing-casing annulus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to producing a liquid from a well such as a gas well, an oil well, or water well while maintaining the fluid level in the tubing-casing annulus at a desired level through the interaction of a real-time fluid level detection device with a variable frequency controller connected to an electrical motor operating a subsurface pump. The integration of a real-time fluid level detection device together with a variable frequency controller allows the optimization of well bore inflow with the well outflow provided by the artificial lift system. As an added benefit, the present invention provides for the rapid and relatively easy determination of the fluid level in the tubing-casing annulus, as well as providing a history of the fluid levels and performance history of the artificial lift equipment. The system may be utilized to monitor and record the observed fluid flow, gas flow, the casing pressure, and the tubing pressure. The system may also determine the best fluid level for maximum inflow given the existing well mechanical condition and the reservoir dynamics, such as influence from injection wells or other producing wells.
2. Description of Practices in the Art
It is known that fluids are replenished into a particular well bore at different rates even in the same formation or well field. Such replenishment is impacted by, among other things, the section of reservoir exposed to perforations or slots, any formation damage adjacent to the well bore, and/or the extent of reservoir heterogeneities adjacent to the well bore. Moreover, fluid replenishment into a particular well bore may change over time as a result of changes in reservoir properties resulting from cumulative production, stimulation or reservoir management practices. When a fluid reservoir is initially produced, there may be sufficient reservoir energy to produce the fluids to the ground surface, i.e., the pressure of the fluid reservoir is greater than the hydrostatic pressure exerted by a fluid column which extends from the ground surface to the depth of the reservoir. However, once the reservoir energy depletes to where the reservoir pressure is less than the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column, some form of artificial lift system is required to bring the reservoir fluids to the ground surface. Such artificial lift systems may include subsurface pumps which are typically installed at the depth of the producing reservoir.
One commonly known artificial lift system utilizes a plurality of rods connected in an end-to-end configuration forming a "rod string." The rod string is set within a plurality of tubing joints which are likewise connected in an end-to-end configuration forming the "tubing string," with the reservoir fluids primarily produced up the tubing string. The rod string is utilized to operate a pump set at the bottom of the tubing string. The most commonly used subsurface pump has a plunger which reciprocates up and down within a barrel, where the plunger is connected to the rod string and the rod string is reciprocated by a pumping unit set at the ground surface. Another type of subsurface pump, a progressive cavity pump, has a rotor which is rotated within a stator by the rod string, where the rod string is rotated at the ground surface by an electrical motor coupled to a gear reducer. Electric submersible pumps are also used, where the motor is located downhole and coupled directly to a centrifugal pump. In these installations, no rod string is required. However, the capacities of each of these artificial lift systems—reciprocating rod pumps, progressive cavity pumps, and downhole centrifugal pumps—is capable of being adjusted by utilizing a variable frequency drive to change the speed of the electrical motor operating the system.
With each subsurface pumping system, a dynamic equilibrium is reached where the inflow rate of the reservoir and the outflow rate generated by the artificial lift system are essentially equivalent, except for gas produced through the casing-tubing annulus. However, the inflow rate from the reservoir into the well bore depends upon any backpressure maintained on the reservoir through the well bore. Such backpressure may be imposed by the surface production equipment into which the well produces. Backpressure is also imposed by any standing fluid level within the well bore in the tubing-casing annulus. Ideally, backpressure and the fluid level within the tubing-casing annulus are maintained at a minimum to maximize the pressure differential from the reservoir into the well bore and thus maximize fluid flow into the well bore. However, achieving this maximum inflow requires a corresponding matching outflow to reach a dynamic equilibrium. In other words, to achieve maximum production from a well, the well outflow rate generated by the artificial lift system must match the maximum inflow rate produced from the reservoir to minimize the backpressure exerted by the fluid level.
The preceding discussion suggests that the subsurface pump should be run constantly and/or at a high capacity to keep the level in the well bore as low as possible thus maximizing production. However, this option may be less than ideal because if the outflow produced by the artificial lift equipment exceeds the inflow, several negative results may occur. First, running the pump constantly or at too great a speed may be inefficient because, some of the time, the well may be "pumped off" leaving little fluid in the well bore to be pumped, resulting in wasted energy. Second, running pumping equipment when a well is in a pumped off condition can damage the equipment, resulting in costly repairs. Third, paraffin build up is more pronounced when a well is allowed to pump dry. In a pumped off condition gases are drawn into the well bore, which expand and cool. As the gases cool, paraffin build up is promoted as the hydrocarbons begin plate out on the surfaces of the well bore.
Achieving equilibrium between inflow and outflow is further complicated by changing conditions within the reservoir, which result in changes in inflow performance. Such changes may result from, among other things, the initiation or suspension of a reservoir pressure maintenance program utilizing either gas or water injection, stimulating the well to remove reservoir damage near the well bore, or stimulating injection wells to increase injection rates. The reservoir conditions may also be impacted by the addition of new wells producing from the reservoir or changing production rates in existing wells. Thus, matching inflow performance of the reservoir with the outflow of the artificial lift system can present a moving target and an artificial lift system which maintains a constant outflow is not a preferred solution for a well subject to changes in its inflow performance.
A variety of methods are known for adjusting the outflow performance of an artificial lift system. Systems which utilize reciprocating rod pumps may have adjustments made to the outflow performance by changing the speed of rod reciprocation, changing the length of the pump stroke, or changing the diameter of the subsurface pump. Changing pumping speed and pump stroke for rod pumped wells usually can be accomplished by making adjustments in surface equipment, however changing the pump diameter requires pulling the rod string, pump, and often the tubing string. Changing the speed of rod reciprocation can be done by causing the surface pumping unit to run faster by either changing the sheave size between the prime mover and gear box, or by changing the operational speed of the pumping unit motor. Changing the sheave size requires the shutting down of the pumping unit and can be an involved process requiring a construction crew.
Changing the operational speed of the motor may be accomplished through the use of a variable speed drive unit, or variable frequency drive ("VFD"). If a VFD is combined with a processing unit, various input parameters, including observed fluid levels, may be utilized to arrive at a pumping speed, and thus a particular outflow capacity, which is in dynamic equilibrium with the reservoir inflow performance. Such systems may be used not only with reciprocating rod pumps, but also with rod-operated progressive cavity pumps and downhole submersible pumps.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,836, invented by the present inventors, proposed an initial solution to the problem of reaching dynamic equilibrium between reservoir inflow performance and the outflow performance of the artificial lift equipment. The '836 patent is incorporated herein by reference. The '836 patent discloses a method of determining the well fluid level for purposes of adjusting the subsurface pumping time, including controlling pumping time with timers. It is known to use timers to control the pump duty cycle. A timer may be programmed to run the well nearly perfectly if one could determine the duration of the on cycle and off cycle which maintains a dynamic equilibrium between the inflow to the well bore and the outflow generated by the artificial lift equipment.
If real time fluid level information can be obtained, deciding when or how fast to run the pump is relatively straightforward and production can be optimized. Real time fluid level determinations, particularly for deep well systems, have been realized by the implementation of downhole instrumentation such as load cells, transducers or similar devices which acquire downhole pressures (thus fluid levels) and transmit the information to the surface via various means. Unfortunately, these real time downhole systems have been costly and complex to install, unreliable in operation, and costly to repair or service. Although the implementation details will not be discussed here, it is worth noting that these systems, when operating correctly, have proven that significant gains in well production are available when control strategies applying real time fluid level measurement are utilized.
As an alternative to systems which measure downhole pressure, are those systems which utilize acoustic energy to ascertain the depth of the fluid level by generating an acoustic wave at the surface and detecting the return signal to calculate the depth to fluid. One such system uses a one-shot measurement. The one-shot measurement will use a sonic event, such as firing a shotgun shell, to generate the acoustic signal. Another system utilizes charges from a nitrogen tank to generate sonic events. However, in either of the foregoing systems the production of the well must be shut down before initiating the sonic event and monitoring the corresponding return signals.


A dynamic postural balance training system includes a base frame, a support frame which extends upwards from the base frame, a roll motion frame which is coupled to the upper portion of the support frame by a first shaft so as to be rotatable to the left or the right, and a pitch motion frame which is coupled to the roll motion frame by a second shaft so as to be rotatable forwards or rearwards. The system also includes a pelvis fastening unit which is disposed inside the pitch motion frame and which expands to fix the pelvis of the user in place, a connector which extends downwards from the pitch motion frame, and a foot fastening unit which is coupled to the lower end of the connector and expands to fix the feet of the user in place.

Generally, dynamic postural balance training systems which enable a user to conduct dynamic postural balance training are used for the old and the infirm, that is, those who are not able to move about freely, or hemiplegic patients who have a problem in keeping the balance between the left-side and right-side muscles. The user can do postural balance exercises or remedial exercises using such a dynamic postural balance training system.
A representative example of dynamic postural balance training systems was proposed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0026527, which was filed by the applicant of the present invention. This conventional dynamic postural balance training system includes a base frame; a support frame which extends upwards from the base frame; a roll motion frame which is coupled to an upper end of the support frame by a first shaft so as to be rotatable to the left or the right; a pitch motion frame which is coupled to the roll motion frame by a second shaft so as to be rotatable forwards or rearwards; a connector which extends downwards from the pitch motion frame; and a footrest unit which is provided on a lower end of the connector.
However, in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0026527 filed by the applicant of the present invention, a monitor that enables a user to monitor information about exercise conditions when the user is conducting dynamic postural balance training is not provided. Furthermore, although other conventional dynamic postural balance training systems provided with monitors were introduced, they are configured such that a monitor is fixed to a frame. Hence, if a user who has been rotated to the left or right looks at the monitor, he or she will see it as if it is tilted at a predetermined angle, thus making it inconvenient for the user to monitor exercise condition information displayed on the monitor.
Furthermore, the conventional dynamic postural balance training systems are problematic in that depending on the body type of a user, in other words, the size or shape of the pelvis and feet of the user, it may be difficult to stably fix the pelvis and feet of the user. Moreover, when the pelvis and feet of the user are fixed for a long time, the user may feel pressure and discomfort.

System for dynamically training postural balance

INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION FOUNDATION CHONBUK NATIONAL UNIVERSITY


A signal transmission structure is provided. The signal transmission structure includes a circuit board, a coaxial cable connector, and a conductive layer; the aforementioned circuit board includes at least one alignment through hole, a signal pad, and a signal trace connected to the signal pad. Additionally, the signal pad and the signal trace are disposed on a surface of the circuit board. In addition, the alignment through hole passes through the circuit board. The coaxial cable connector is located on a surface of the circuit board. The coaxial cable connector has a signal pin and at least an alignment pin, and the alignment pin is inserted into the alignment through hole. The conductive layer is located between one end of the signal pin and the signal pad, and the signal pin is electrically connected to the signal pad via the conductive layer.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to signal transmission structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a signal transmission structure which comprises a circuit board and a coaxial cable connector.
2. Description of Related Art
On the large-scale printed circuit board (PCB) and the packaging substrate, the signal lines between two nodes or between two ends are electrically connected while maintaining a consistent wire width, so that the characteristic impedance of the signal wire can be maintained constant while the electric signal is transmitted via the signal lines. And, especially in transmitting the high-speed and high-frequency signals, the two ends require a better impedance-matching design to reduce the reflection resulted from the impedance mismatch; that is, to reduce the insertion loss and relatively increase the return loss when the signal is transmitting, so as to reduce negative impact upon the quality of transmitting signal.
FIG. 1A is a top view of a conventional upright SMA (Sub-Minature type A) connector assembled to a circuit board, and FIG. 1B is the top view of the circuit board in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C and FIG. 1D are the cross-sectional views of line A-A′ and line B-B′ of FIG. 1A, respectively. Referring to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1D, the conventional circuit board 100 has a signal through hole 100a and a plurality of alignment Through holes 100b; wherein, the signal through hole 100a and these alignment through holes 100b all extend through the conventional circuit board 100. Additionally, the conventional circuit board 100 also has a plurality of alignment hole pads 116, a signal hole pad 112, and a signal trace 114 connected to one of the signal hole pads 112 on a surface thereof. The signal hole pad 112 surrounds the signal through hole 100a, and the alignment hole pads 116 surround the alignment through holes 100b respectively. Additionally, the conventional circuit board 100 also has a internal reference plane 120 (FIGS. 1C, 1D), which can be a ground plane or a power plane; wherein, these alignment hole pads 116 are electrically connected to the internal reference plane 120.
The conventional upright SMA connector 200 is also a coaxial cable connector, and the conventional upright SMA connector 200 is disposed on the circuit board 100. The conventional upright SMA connector 200 has a signal pin 210 and a plurality of alignment pins 220, wherein the signal pin 210 is inserted into and soldered to the signal through hole 100a, and the signal pin 210 is electrically connected to the signal hole pad 112. Therefore, the signal from the conventional upright SMA connector 200 can transmit to the signal trace 114 via the signal pin 210 and the signal hole pad 112 in sequence. Additionally, these alignment pins 220 are inserted into and soldered to the signal through holes 100b, and these alignment pins 220 are electrically connected to these alignment hole pads 116. Using the same method, these alignment pins 220 can be electrically connected to the internal reference plane 120 via these alignment hole pads 116.
The relatively larger signal pin 210 (the diameter of the signal pin 210 is 1 mm, for example as seen in FIG. 1C) requires a relatively larger signal hole pad 112 on the circuit board 100, however, the relatively larger signal hole pad 112 may induce relatively serious parasitic capacitance effect. In other words, the transmission quality may be diminished due to the derived high capacitance of the signal pin 210 when the signal is transmitted from the signal pin 210 to the signal hole pad 112. Additionally, as the extending part of the signal pin 210 passing through the circuit board 100 creates parasitic capacitance, the quality of the signal transmission may further diminish. Note that the quality of the signal transmission may be more seriously degraded when the signal transmitted byte signal pin 210 is of high-frequency signal.

Signal transmission structure having alignment hole for coaxial cable connector


A retaining device includes bearing units (1111, 1112, 1121 1122) that float-mount a flat screen (2000) and that are preferably each provided with at least one elastic-positioning element (11210) and a vibration damping element (11220). The elastic-positioning element preferably includes a cylinder-shaped hard rubber spacer element (11211). The vibration-damping element (11220) preferably includes a damper with an annular plate-shaped housing and a gel filling (11221). Vibrations and shocks are introduced substantially centrally into the vibration-damping element via a tappet (11224). The retaining device is advantageously used in an electronic display device to float-mount a flat screen, configured e.g. as an LCD display unit, in combination with a touch screen as a contact-sensitive unit.

Flat screens, e.g., LCD monitors, and devices equipped with flat screens have been enabled for portable use. However, problems may arise especially with respect to the mechanical stability of the flat screen. These problems may be further aggravated if the device is used, for example, in an industrial environment, where ambient conditions may be particularly severe. Furthermore, the weight of a display device equipped with a flat screen may be increased by additional components, such as touch sensitive input units, e.g., a touch screen. As a result, the device is more sensitive to shocks and vibrations. Furthermore, particularly a display device equipped with a touch screen may be subject to special mechanical loads under some circumstances. These mechanical loads may include local pressure forces applied, for instance, to the surface of the touch screen, and thus to the flat screen behind it, by users who are inexperienced in the use of the screen.

Retaining device for the floating mounting of a flat screen and electronic display device comprising a flat screen and a retaining device


A photoelectric conversion element includes, in the following order: a substrate; a lower electrode containing titanium nitride; an organic layer including a photoelectric conversion layer; and an upper electrode containing a transparent electrode material.

A solid-state imaging apparatus (a so-called CCD sensor or CMOS sensor) is widely known as an image sensor used in a digital still camera, a digital video camera, a cell-phone camera, an endoscopic camera and the like. In the solid-state imaging apparatus, photodiode-containing pixels are arranged on a semiconductor substrate such as silicon chip, and signal charges corresponding to photoelectrons generated in the photodiode of each pixel are acquired through a CCD or CMOS reading circuit.
In the solid-state imaging apparatus, not only photodiodes but also signal reading circuits and multilayer interconnections connected thereto are formed in each pixel on a semiconductor substrate. Therefore, the progress of pixel miniaturization is accompanied by a problem of causing a phenomenon that the circuit/interconnection region occupying in one pixel is relatively increased to decrease the light-receiving area of the photodiode, that is, "reduction in the aperture ratio". The reduction in the aperture ratio leads to a decrease in the light sensitivity during imaging.
To solve such a problem, JP-B-1-34509 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined published Japanese patent application") has proposed a so-called stacked solid-state imaging apparatus where a photoelectric conversion layer is stacked above a semiconductor substrate having formed thereon respective circuits and interconnections and the aperture ratio is thereby increased. For example, the imaging apparatus has a configuration such that a large number of photoelectric conversion elements each containing a pixel electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer formed on the pixel electrode and a counter electrode formed on the photoelectric conversion layer are arranged on a plane parallel to the semiconductor substrate. Incidentally, the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are sometimes referred to as a lower electrode and an upper electrode, respectively. In the photoelectric conversion element, an exciton generated in the photoelectric conversion layer upon application of a bias voltage between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is dissociated into electrons and holes, and signals in proportion to electron or hole charges moved to the pixel electrode according to the bias voltage are acquired through a CCD or CMOS reading circuit provided in the semiconductor substrate.
The photoelectric conversion element is a device where an electric charge is produced in a photoelectric conversion layer according to light incident from the side of a transparent electrode having light transmittance out of a pair of electrodes and the produced electric charge is read as a signal charge from an electrode. As for such a photoelectric conversion element, those described in JP-A-2008-72090 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-2007-273945 are known.
In JP-A-2008-72090 and JP-A-2007-273945, the photoelectric conversion layer is composed of an organic semiconductor, making it possible to form a thin photoelectric conversion layer while ensuring a large absorption coefficient, whereby less diffusion of an electric charge into the adjacent pixel and reduction in the optical color mixing and electrical color mixing (crosstalk) can be achieved.
JP-A-2008-72090 describes a photoelectric conversion element where a pixel electrode is produced on a transparent substrate such as glass and a transparent electrically conductive oxide (TCO) is used for the material of the pixel electrode.

Photoelectric conversion element and imaging device


An environmental barrier coating, comprising a substrate containing silicon; an environmental barrier layer applied to said substrate; said environmental barrier layer comprising a rare earth composition.

The disclosure relates to an article comprising a substrate containing silicon and an environmental barrier coating (EBC) which functions as a protective environmental barrier coating and inhibits the formation of gaseous species of Si, particularly Si(OH)x when the article is exposed to a high temperature, aqueous (steam) environment.
Ceramic materials containing silicon and metal alloys containing silicon have been proposed for structures used in high temperature applications as, for example, gas turbine engines, heat exchangers, internal combustion engines, and the like. A particular useful application for these materials is for use in gas turbine engines which operate at high temperatures in steam-laden environments.
It has been found that these silicon containing structures can recess and lose mass as a result of formation of volatile silicon species, particularly Si(OH)x and SiO when exposed to high temperature, steam-laden environments.
It is believed that the process involves oxidation of the silicon containing structure to form silica on the surface followed by reaction of the silica with steam to form volatile species of silicon such as Si(OH)x. Naturally it would be highly desirable to provide an external barrier coating for silicon containing substrates which would inhibit the formation of volatile silicon species, Si(OH)x and SiO, and thereby reduce recession and mass loss.

Environmental barrier coating for enhanced resistance to attack by molten silicate deposits


A cutting insert which includes a holder that contains a pocket and a hard insert that has a rake surface. The hard insert is contained within the pocket so as to present a cutting edge. The cutting insert also includes a chipbreaker which comprises a plate with a bottom surface. The chipbreaker is attached to the cutting insert (or optionally to the holder) so that the plate is spaced above the rake surface of the hard insert a first distance forming a conduit for passage of the chips away from the cutting insert. The conduit is defined at least in part by the rake surface of the cutting insert and the bottom surface of the chipbreaker plate.

The invention pertains to a chipbreaker for use in conjunction with a metal cutting insert, as well as the combination of the chipbreaker and the metalcutting insert
A cutting tool assembly for metal working (e.g., turning, milling and boring applications) typically comprises a shank, a head portion and one or more cutting inserts. The workpiece or cutting tool assembly is rotated in a chuck. The cutting insert contacts the workpiece and a part of the workpiece is generally removed as rolls, coils or stringers of metal. Sometimes, the roll or stringer of metal will not break so as to become very long, and possibly, become tangled together. Such a long coil is known in this art as a bird's nest. Unfortunately, this long tight curl, i.e., bird's nest, is in the work area and may become entangled with the chuck holding the work piece. The long tight coil may also become entangled with the lead screw on the lathe and cutting tool assembly. Such a long tight coil of metal if permitted to exist may decrease the useful life of the cutting tool assembly or damage the surface of the workpiece.
Further, for example, if the machine tool operator must stop the lathe and remove the coil or roll of metal from the vicinity of the workpiece and the cutting tool, there is a loss in production of the machine tool operator which results in an increase in the cost of production of the workpiece. If there is a long roll or coil of metal in the work area, the work area is less safe for the machine tool operator than if the metal removed from the workpiece is broken into small chips.
A side effect of breaking the coil of metal from the workpiece into smaller segments, i.e., chips, is a better finish on the completed workpiece since the metal coil does not work in between the cutting edge of the cutting insert and the workpiece.
Further, if the metal removed from the workpiece is one continuous coil or stringer, the metal is not useful for being recycled and melted in a furnace. For example, one barrel of broken ships from the metallic workpiece is equal in weight to about twenty to thirty barrels of unbroken chips. It is easier to bale one barrel of broken chips than it is to bale twenty to thirty barrels of unbroken chips. In a melting furnace the temperature is in the range of thirty-two hundred to thirty-three hundred degrees fahrenheit (3200.degree. F.-3300.degree. F.). If the chips are not baled, the chips burn and vaporize and the metal is lost. Therefore, it is necessary to bale the chips for efficient recycling.
It is very apparent that there are some significant advantages to breaking the long coil into smaller segments or chips. These advantages pertain to the overall efficiency of the performance of the cutting tool assembly, the quality of the surface finish of the workpiece, the safety of the operator, and the enhancement of the recycling of the chips.
Referring to the chipbreaker itself, there are two basic categories of chipbreakers. The first category pertains to a chipbreaker which is an integral part of the cutting insert. The second category pertains to a chipbreaker that is mechanically, but releasably, held on the top or rake face of the cutting insert. Both categories of chipbreakers function in basically the same fashion in that the metal coil is deflected from the cutting insert into the surface of the chipbreaker which causes the coil to curl back towards the workpiece. Curling of the coil causes it to work harden, and thus, break into a short segment (or chip) shortly after curling. The result is that a long coil of metal is not formed as a result of the metal removal process, but instead, shorter more manageable chips are formed from the metal removal process.
It can thus be appreciated that a chipbreaker, which functions to break the coil of metal into small segments (or chip), is an important feature of the overall metal removal process. By providing an effective chipbreaker, one lengthens the useful life of the cutting insert, enhances the productivity of the machine tool operator, makes the workplace safer for the operator, produces a better surface finish on the workpiece, and assists in the effective baling and subsequent melting of the metal removed from the workpiece.

Detachable chipbreaker for a cutting insert


A sliding lens cap includes a slide plate formed with a slide track unit, and a fixing member adapted to be mounted on a projector adjacent to a lens unit of the projector and in sliding engagement with the slide plate at the slide track unit to permit slidable retention of the slide plate on the projector and to permit movement of the slide plate between covering and uncovering positions relative to the lens unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lens cap, more particularly to a sliding lens cap for a lens unit of a projector.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional lens cap 10 for covering and uncovering a lens unit 101 of a projector 100 is connected by a cord 11 to a housing of the projector 100 so that the lens cap 10 can be prevented from being misplaced when the lens cap 10 is removed from the lens unit 101. When operating the projector 100, the lens cap 10 is removed from the lens unit 101 and is suspended from the housing by the cord 11. After using the projector 100, the lens cap 10 is replaced on the lens unit 101 to cover the same. To retain the lens cap 10 covering the lens unit 101, the lens cap 10 is provided with an engaging mechanism to engage removably a periphery of the lens unit 101 such that a force is required to disengage the lens cap 10 from the lens unit 101, which results in inconvenience. Moreover, if an operator forgot to remove the lens cap 10 before operating the projector 100, the lens cap 10 will be subjected to a strong light from the projector 100 that can melt the lens cap 10.

Sliding lens cap for a lens unit of a projector


The invention relates to an adapter (22) for the articulated connection of a connecting element (86, 102, 120) at the end of a wiper arm to a connector element (18) of a wiper blade (10), in particular in the flat bar method of construction, wherein the adapter (22) has a base element (24). According to the invention, the base element (24) has two lateral walls (30) which, at the end faces thereof facing away from the wiper arm, are connected by an end cap (26), and in the region of the upper edges (64) thereof are connected to each other by a crosspiece (32) and also by a hub (34). A resilient tongue (38) extends from the crosspiece (32) to the end face on the wiper arm side, and has at the free end thereof an outwardly protruding button (40). Furthermore, guide profiles (50) are provided on the longitudinal edges of the lateral walls (30) facing towards the wiper strip (16).

The invention relates to an adapter for the connection of a connecting element at the end of a wiper arm to a connector element of a wiper blade.
The German patent publication DE 20 2005 021 307 U1 discloses a connecting device for the articulated connection of a wiper blade of flat bar construction, which connecting device is suitable for different wiper arms. The connecting device comprises at least one single-part or multi-part connector element which is fastened fixedly, but releasably, to a supporting element in the form of spring rails. An adapter is provided between each wiper arm and the wiper blade, said adapter having on the one hand connecting options for the connector element and on the other hand connecting options for one of the wiper arms or for connecting elements, which are fixedly connected to the respective wiper arm or are integrally formed with the same. A joint, the joint axis of which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is disposed between one of the connecting elements and an adapter, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the connector element or is connected between a part of the adapter connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the connector element and a part of the adapter connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the connecting element. As a result, there are three different adapters for three different connecting elements of the wiper arms.
The connecting device is suitable for a wiper arm with a hook-shaped end or connecting element or an end or connecting element having a lateral bearing pin and a bridge corresponding to a known sidelock principle, or a wiper arm with an end or connecting element, in which the wiper arm runs substantially rectilinearly above the wiper blade and is connected to the connector element according to the toplock principle.
Another connecting device for the articulated connection of a wiper blade to a wiper arm is known from the German patent publication DE 103 47 637 A1. In this case, a connector element in the form of a sheet-metal claw has a central longitudinal web which faces away from the supporting element of the wiper blade and into which a transversely running pivot spindle is inserted in a rotationally fixed manner. An adapter with bearing openings which are arranged in lateral spring tongues is mounted pivotably on the pivot spindle, which projects in a floating manner on both sides of the longitudinal web. The adapter, which is manufactured from plastic, surrounds the sheet-metal claw from the outside and is clipped by means of latching elements and retaining elements into a connecting element which is open toward the wiper blade and is fixedly connected to the wiper arm. The adapter is on the one hand guided laterally on the sheet-metal claw by means of inner guide webs and on the other hand is inserted at the side walls thereof in a play-free manner in the connecting element. For this purpose, use is made of a button which is provided at the end of a spring tongue in a cover wall of the adapter and, in the fitted state, latches into a matching latching hole in a cover wall of the connecting element.

Adapter for the articulated connection of a connecting element at the end of a wiper arm to a connector element of a wiper blade


This disclosure provides a flexible substrate, a production method of a flexible substrate, and a display apparatus. The flexible substrate comprises a flexible base and a flexible thin film, and the flexible thin film adheres to the flexible base. The flexible thin film is used to absorb and store heat when the temperature of the flexible base is higher than a first threshold temperature and to release heat when the temperature of the flexible base is lower than a second threshold temperature so as to adjust the temperature of the flexible base.

With the development of display techniques, flexible displays are more and more favored by users. A flexible display apparatus, which is produced from a soft material, is a deformable and bendable display. In the existing flexible displays such as OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes), etc., polyimide or another organic flexible material is often used as a flexible substrate, and a display device is produced on this substrate.

Flexible substrate, production method of flexible substrate, and display apparatus

BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


This specification relates to the field of molecular biology and provides a novel method and reagent for preserving and protecting the ribonucleic acid (RNA) content of tissue samples from degradation prior to RNA isolation. This preservation may be accomplished without ultra-low temperature storage or disruption of the tissue.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of molecular biology and provides a novel method and reagent for preserving and protecting the ribonucleic acid (RNA) content of tissue or cell samples from degradation prior to RNA isolation.
2. Description of Related Art
Obtaining high quality, intact RNA is the first and often the most critical step in performing many fundamental molecular biology experiments. Intact RNA is required for quantitative and qualitative analysis of RNA expression by Northern blot hybridization, nuclease protection assays, and RT-PCR.
There are many published reports which describe methods to isolate intact RNA from fresh (or quick frozen) cells or tissues. Most of these techniques utilize a rapid cell disruption step in which the tissue is dispersed in a powerful protein denaturation solution containing a chaotropic agent (e.g., guanidinium or lithium salt). This rapid disruption of cell membranes and inactivation of endogenous ribonuclease is critical to prevent the RNA from being degraded.
To obtain high quality RNA it is necessary to minimize the activity of RNase liberated during cell lysis. This is normally accomplished by using isolation methods that disrupt tissues and inactivate or inhibit RNases simultaneously. For specimens low in endogenous ribonuclease, isolation protocols commonly use extraction buffers contain detergents to solubilize membranes, and inhibitors of RNase such as placental ribonuclease inhibitor or vanadyl-ribonucleoside complexes. RNA isolation from more challenging samples, such as intact tissues or cells high in endogenous ribonuclease, requires a more aggressive approach. In these cases, the tissue or cells are quickly homogenized in a powerful protein denaturant (usually guanidinium isothiocyanate), to irreversibly inactivate nucleases and solubilize cell membranes. If a tissue sample can not be promptly homogenized, it must be rapidly frozen by immersion in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -80.degree. C. Samples frozen in this manner must never be thawed prior to RNA isolation or the RNA will be rapidly degraded by RNase liberated during the cell lysis that occurs during freezing. The tissue must be immersed in a pool of liquid nitrogen and ground to a fine powder using mortar and pestle. Once powdered, the still-frozen tissue is homogenized in RNA extraction buffer. In the laboratory, quick freezing of samples in order to delay RNA extraction carries the penalty of a substantial increase in hands-on processing time. Processing multiple samples with liquid nitrogen and mortar and pestle is extremely laborious.
Quick freezing is even less convenient outside of the laboratory environment, but is still considered a necessity by those in the field. Scientists in the field collecting specimens for analysis do not have access to a high-speed homogenizer. They are forced to carry a supply of liquid nitrogen or dry ice large enough to store samples until they can be transferred to an ultra-low temperature freezer. Similarly, RNA extracted from human biopsy samples is usually partly or mostly degraded because pathologists do not routinely flash freeze specimens to preserve RNA.
There have been attempts to isolate RNA from archival samples that have not been prepared by the flash-freezing methodology. For example, Esser et al., 1995 claim the isolation of full length RNA from cells fixed with 5% acetic acid, 95% ethanol, with RNase inhibitors. However, in this paper, isolated cells in suspension were fixed in acetic acid/ethanol solution at -20.degree. C. and then held at 4.degree. C. for a relatively short time. Unfortunately, testing by the Inventor has shown that the Esser et al. 95% ethanol/5% acetic acid solution does not meet the performance standards required by the present invention. RNA recovered from both tissue samples and spleen cells in suspension kept at 4.degree. C. for 20 hours appeared partially degraded, while RNA isolated from tissues stored at ambient temperature was completely degraded. Experiments reported in Esser et al. show that the method results in loss of RNA, due to leakage from the cells caused by ethanol. Using that method, 70% of the RNA is lost immediately upon fixation, and after 1 hour, 80% of the RNA is gone. Further, in a test where tissue samples and spleen cells were stored in the 95% ethanol/5% acetic acid solution at 25.degree. C. overnight, the RNA of both the cell and tissue samples was completely degraded. Data is shown in FIG. 1.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,571 reports a cell preservative solution comprising a water-miscible alcohol in an amount sufficient to fix mammalian cells, an anti-clumping agent and a buffering agent. At least one paper, Dimulescu et al., reports the apparent use of this fixative to preserve cervical cancer cells and cord blood lymphocytes prior to RNA isolation.
A large body of literature suggests that ethanol and acetone combinations are the best known fixatives for future recovery of nucleic acids from archival tissue. Yet, in view of the studies of the inventors, such ethanol/acetone mixture does not provide all of the desired characteristics of an RNA preservation medium. The mixtures do not protect RNA at ambient temperature, does not allow for the preservation of RNA in solid, multi-cell samples, and are also flammable, which makes it intrinsically less attractive as a general use reagent.
Some peripherally related art exists that deals with aspects of preserving or recovering RNA from fixed or preserved tissue samples. These reports include numerous evaluations of the suitability of histological fixatives to maximize the signal obtained by in situ hybridization to detect (not recover) RNA in tissue samples (for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,196,182 and 5,260,048). Other reports detail methods to recover fragmented RNA from fixed tissues for limited molecular analysis by PCR.TM. (Koopman et al., Foss et al., Stanta et al., Houze et al.). To recover this fragmented RNA, samples are typically treated with proteinase K to degrade the structural components of the tissue, then the RNA is extracted with a guanidinium-based solution. The RNA recovered from fixed tissue is of extremely poor quality, averaging in size of about 200 bases (Stanta 1991). This is probably due to a number of factors including the action of endogenous RNase and cross-linking of the RNA in the intracellular matrix during fixation. Since the RNA is mostly degraded, it can not be used for northern analysis or nuclease protection assays. It can be used in RT-PCR, but only for amplification of very small fragments.
The use of ammonium sulfate to precipitate proteins out of solution is known, but the use of ammonium sulfate to preserve RNA does not, to the Inventor's knowledge, appear in the art. Two reports describe the use of ammonium sulfate to investigate the folding and activity of mammalian ribonuclease A (Allewell et al. and Lin et al.). Allewell et al. investigated the effects of ammonium sulfate on the folding and activity of RNase A. At pH 5.5, the activity of ribonuclease A is suppressed to approximately 10% of the untreated control level across a broad range of ammonium sulfate concentration. This suppression of activity was expected by the authors. It appears to be due to a saltinduced denaturation of the protein. Unfortunately, even 10% RNase activity would substantially degrade the RNA of a sample over time. Therefore, this inhibition is not sufficient to protect RNA in many applications. When the ammonium sulfate is at pH 7.0, the activity of RNase A is suppressed at low concentrations as expected, but unexpectedly rises to 110% of the level of the untreated control at higher concentrations (3M). The authors theorize that the combination of the neutral pH and the high salt concentration forces a refolding of the protein into an alternate, highly active configuration. However, the Allewell et al. group were examining the activity of pure RNase A in solution, rather than in a cellular sample containing many Rnases.
In view of the above, there is a need for methods and reagents that allow one to preserve and recover high quality, intact RNA from tissue samples stored at near ambient or ambient temperature.

Methods and reagents for preserving RNA in cell and tissue samples


Systems and methods for securing a battery within a battery compartment are provided. The battery is coupled to at least one latch such that the latch is slidably engageable with a latch receiving undercut in the battery compartment. The latch slides into engagement with the undercut after electrical contacts on the battery have connected with electrical contacts in the battery compartment. The secure latch mechanism facilitates maintaining a constant force between the electrical contacts while mitigating contact chatter and stress on a battery cover.

The present invention generally relates to portable electronic devices. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for securing a battery to a portable electronic device.
Small, portable batteries provide electric power to portable electronic and electrical devices such as radios, lap top computers, car alarms, garage door openers, smoke alarms, telephones, pagers, television and video controllers, electronic game controllers, and other devices. Batteries are typically contained within a compartment or chamber covered by a moveable door or panel. Such doors prevent batteries from being displaced from electrical contacts and prevent dirt from entering the battery compartment.
For example, a conventional mobile terminal includes a battery compartment and a cover to house one or more standard batteries. The cover has a latch hook engageable with a latch slot located in the battery compartment. However, such a fastening structure could easily result in break away of the cover and thus, the battery, from the compartment, particularly under external force, such as an accidental dropping of the mobile terminal.
Another disadvantage with the conventional battery compartments is battery contact chatter. Contact chatter can be caused by external vibration or shock on a closed contact. High speed processors require zero contact chatter. If the chatter occurs at a critical time, the results can often be devastating. For example, chatter can cause a system to lock up or reboot, which in turn, causes data loss. As an additional example, if a memory write takes place during a power interruption, memory corruption can occur, and checksums may be incorrectly computed or not be written at all.
Accordingly, there is a need for a secure battery system in which electrical contacts between the battery and the device are reliable and continuous under various conditions, including an accidental drop or vibration of the device.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
Systems and methods for securing a battery within a battery compartment within a portable electronic device are provided. The battery is coupled to at least one latch such that the latch is slidably engageable with a latch receiving undercut in the battery compartment. The latch slides into engagement with the undercut after electrical contacts on the battery have connected with electrical contacts in the battery compartment. Additionally, battery contacts are rigidly secured (e.g., welded) to a battery well rather than to a printed circuit board or top housing. Thus, relative motion of portable electronic device during impact does not separate spring contacts in the device from the battery contacts. The secure latch mechanism coupled with the rigid structure of the battery contacts facilitates maintaining a constant force between the electrical contacts while mitigating contact chatter and stress on a battery cover.


According to one embodiment, a phrase similarity is reduced when a common genre characteristic word is included in a program of interest interested by a user and a similar phrase program including the same phrase. A genre similarity is increased when a common genre characteristic word is included in the program of interest and a similar genre program including the same genre as the program of interest. The similar phrase program is presented based on the phrase similarity, and the similar genre program is presented based on the genre similarity.

As television broadcasting, there are various forms such as terrestrial broadcasting, broadcasting satellite (BS) broadcasting, communications satellite (CS) broadcasting, cable television, and Internet broadcasting, and many programs are being provided to viewers. As one of techniques for searching for a program that a viewer desires to view, there is a similar program search.
As one of similar program search methods, a method of extracting words from electronic program guide (EPG) information of a program designated by a user, searching for EPG information of all programs using the words, and deciding a program similar to a designated program based on an appearance frequency of each word has been proposed. A technique of allocating the types of genres allocated to each of azimuth directions on an XY plane centering on an original point, arranging similar programs according to the genre, and presenting the similar programs to a user has been also known.
When the phrase-based similar program search is performed on program information having a genre, programs of the same genre are searched as similar programs. However, it is difficult to search for programs which differ in a genre but are high in similarity.
A technique of presenting a similar program based on a phrase and a similar program based on a genre in parallel has been proposed. However, this technique has the following problems. That is, programs having high similarity may be concentrated to a similar genre program output side. Further, when granularity of a genre of a program designated by a user is coarse (for example, a genre name "horticulture•pets•handicrafts"), programs of a very similar genre may be output to a similar phrase output side, and program of a different genre may be output to a similar genre program output side.

Similar content search device and computer-readable storage medium


The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a semiconductor package having the same. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a backside dielectric layer, a plurality of first backside under ball metal (UBM) pads and a first backside UBM plane. The backside dielectric layer is disposed adjacent to a backside surface of the semiconductor substrate. The first backside UBM pads are disposed on the backside dielectric layer. The first backside UBM plane is disposed on the backside dielectric layer, and has a plurality of through holes. The first backside UBM pads are located within the through holes, and a gap is between the first backside UBM plane and the first backside UBM pads. Whereby, the cost for forming the first backside UBM pads and the first backside UBM plane is relatively low.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a semiconductor package having the same, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having an UBM plane, and a semiconductor package having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional semiconductor device (e.g. a die or an interposer), at least one ground plane or power plane is formed on a redistribution layer (RDL) that is embedded in a plurality of dielectric layers on the front surface or the backside surface of a semiconductor substrate. The disadvantage of the conventional semiconductor device is that the cost for forming the ground plane or the power plane is relatively high.

Semiconductor device and semiconductor package having the same

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.


The present invention provides a means to integrate planar coils on silicon, while providing a high inductance. This high inductance is achieved through a special back- and front sided shielding of a material. In many applications, high-value inductors are a necessity. In particular, this holds for applications in power management. In these applications, the inductors are at least 5 of the order of 1 μH, and must have an equivalent series resistance of less than 0.1Ω. For this reason, those inductors are always bulky components, of a typical size of 2×2×1 mm 3, which make a fully integrated solution impossible. On the other hand, integrated inductors, which can monolithically be integrated, do exist. However, these inductors suffer either from low inductance values, or 10 very-high DC resistance values.

In many applications, high-value inductors are a necessity. In particular, this holds for applications in power management. In these applications, the inductors are at least of the order of 1 pH, and must have an equivalent series resistance of less than 0.1Ω. For this reason, those inductors are always bulky components, of a typical size of 2×2×1 mm3, which make a fully integrated solution impossible.
On the other hand, integrated inductors, which can monolithically be integrated, do exist. However, these inductors suffer either from low inductance values, or very high DC resistance values.
US2006157798 discloses a way to mount both an RF circuit including an inductor formed therein and a digital circuit on a single chip. MOSFETs are formed on a semiconductor substrate in regions isolated by an element isolation film. A plurality of low-permittivity insulator rods including a low-permittivity insulator embedded therein and penetrating a first interlevel dielectric film to reach the internal of the silicon substrate is disposed in the RF circuit area. An inductor is formed on the interlevel dielectric film in the RF circuit area by using multi-layered interconnects. A high-permeability isolation region in which a composite material including a mixture of high-permeability material and a low-permittivity material is formed in the region of the core of the inductor and periphery thereof.
JP08017656 discloses a magnetic shielding method and magnetic shielding film forming method of a semiconductor device. The purpose is to minimize the external magnetic effect from inductor conductors formed on a semiconductor substrate. Two inductor conductors are formed on the adjacent positions on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The inductor conductors are respectively covered with magnetic bodies. In such a constitution, the magnetic fluxes generated by respective inductor conductors are distributed using the magnetic bodies respectively covering said conductors as the magnetic paths so that the magnetic fluxes of the magnetic bodies will be hardly dissipated externally thereby enabling the magnetic effect of respective inductor conductors on any external elements as well as the magnetic coupling with mutual inductor conductors to be avoided.
US2006080531 discloses an implementation of a technology, described herein, for facilitating the protection of computer-executable instructions, such as software. At least one implementation, described herein, may generate integrity signatures of one or more program modules which are sets of computer-executable instructions-based upon a trace of activity during execution of such modules and/or near-replicas of such modules. With at least one implementation, described herein, the execution context of an execution instance of a program module is considered when generating the integrity signatures. With at least one implementation, described herein, a determination may be made about whether a module is unaltered by comparing integrity signatures. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent.
US2003034867 discloses a coil and coil system which is provided for integration in a microelecronic circuit. The coil is placed inside an oxide layer of a chip, and the oxide layer is placed on the surface of a substrate. The coil comprises one or more windings, whereby the winding(s) is/are formed by at least segments of two conductor tracks, which are each provided in spatially separated metallization levels, and by via-contacts which connect these conductor track(s) and/or conductor track segments. In order to be able to produce high-quality coils, a coil is produced with the largest possible coil cross-section, whereby a standard metalization, especially a standard metalization using copper, can, however, be used for producing the oil. To this end, the via contacts are formed from a stack of two ore more via elements arranged one above the other. Parts of the metallization levels can be located between the via elements.
US2003184426 discloses an inductor element having a high quality factor, wherein the inductor element includes an inductor helically formed on a semiconductor substrate and a magnetic material film on a surface of the inductor for inducing magnetic flux generated by the inductor. The magnetic material film preferably includes a first magnetic material film disposed on a lower surface of the inductor, between the substrate and the inductor, and a second magnetic material film disposed on an upper surface of the inductor. The magnetic material film may be patterned according to a direction along which the magnetic flux flows, for example, radial. Since the magnetic material film induces the magnetic flux proceeding toward the upper part and lower part of the inductor, the effect of the magnetic flux generated in the inductor on external circuits may be reduced and the efficiency of the inductor may be enhanced.
Thus there is a need for improved planar coils, not suffering from one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks.
The present invention seeks to provide such an improved coil, not suffering from the one or more drawbacks and disadvantages, which coil further has a high inductance.