A numerical control device includes: a program analyzing unit analyzing a transition of a moving velocity of a machining head and a transition of a supply amount of a material supplied to a beam-irradiation position based on a machining program; a movement distance calculating unit calculating a first distance based on a result of analysis performed by the program analyzing unit, the first distance being a length of a first movement section to a first position at which addition of the material to the workpiece is started, the first movement section being a section through which the machining head is moved while the head is accelerated; and a condition command generating unit generating a supply command to increase the supply amount of the material per hour from zero to a command value according to a machining condition while the machining head is moved through the first movement section.

There has been known an additive manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a modeled object having a three-dimensional shape in a direct energy deposition (DED) technology. Some additive manufacturing apparatuses manufactures a modeled object by locally melting a material using a beam emitted from a machining head and adding the molten material to a workpiece.
In a case where an additive manufacturing apparatus is controlled by a numerical control device, a machining program to be inputted to the numerical control device is typically created by a computer aided manufacturing (CAM) device. The numerical control device obtains a movement path along which a machining head is to be moved, based on analysis of a machining program, and generates a movement command that is a group of interpolated points per unit time on the movement path. The numerical control device controls an operation mechanism owned by the additive manufacturing apparatus in accordance with the movement command. The numerical control device also generates a command according to a machining condition specified by the machining program. The numerical control device controls a beam source using a command according to the condition on beam output, and controls a material supply source using a command according to the condition on the supply amount of the material.
Error may be caused between the moving velocity of the irradiation position according to the command and the moving velocity of the actual irradiation position by the influence of processes for acceleration and deceleration in driving the operation mechanism or the influence of response performance of the operation mechanism. In this case, a change in the relation between the moving velocity of the irradiation position and the supply amount of the material with respect to a case where the irradiation position is moved at the moving velocity according to the command may affect the machining accuracy of the additive manufacturing apparatus. Such a phenomenon is likely to occur when the movement of the machining head is started and the addition of the material to a workpiece is started and when the movement of the machining head is stopped and the addition to the workpiece is terminated.
Patent Literature 1 teaches a manufacturing method including spraying a modeling liquid containing a photocurable compound and curing the modeling liquid by irradiation with a laser beam, in which runway paths are set such that the velocity of the machining head through a path along which the spraying is performed is a constant velocity. The runway path is a path along which the machining head is moved without any spraying of the modeling liquid, and set before and after the path along which the spraying is performed.

Numerical control device and method for controlling additive manufacturing apparatus


A portable exercise device for strengthening abdominal muscles is provided which can be operated by an individual exercising on a mattress and box spring, or the like combinaton, without requiring additional assistance during the exercise routine. The device may be easily unfolded for use, and following use, it may be refolded and conveniently stored. The device at one end is folded for securement between the mattress and the box spring, and unfolds and overlays the upper portion of the mattress for use by the individual. The device is adapted to fold and conform with the user's bent ankles, knees and hips, and these folds correspond to the fold lines for folding and unfolding the device. Foot securement means are employed to stabilize the user's feet, and this eliminates the need for assistance during the exercise program. The device at the opposite end lies on the mattress and includes a sheet material upon which the user rests, and the weight of the user on the sheet anchors the device on the mattress and prevents it from slipping or becoming displaced during use.

This invention relates to an exercise device for strengthening abdominal muscles, and more specifically to a device which may be employed by a user without requiring assistance. The device is primarily employed in conjunction with a mattress and box-spring, and combined with its foldable and portable structure, enables it to be readily used in the home with various mattress sizes, as well as under a door, etc., and also may be carried on trips for use outside the home such as in hotels, etc.
Strengthening the abdominal muscles, and hence the support of the lower back, results in fewer back problems and also improves posture and overall fitness. Usually, some assistance is required to hold the user's feet stationary while an abdominal exercise such as a sit-up exercise is being performed. Typical patents in this field include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,240,228; 3,134,592; 4,378,939; 4,508,335; 4,515,361; 4,550,907; 4,679,788; German patent 2,145,884; and Japan Patent 57-93354. The devices which are considered to produce the most effective results are those where the user can place both hands behind the head while securing the feet with some type of holding means and then performing a sit-up exercise. Preferably, an abdominal exercise device should accomplish the following: i. the user's knees and hips are bent or flexed; ii. the user's feet are anchored; iii. no irritation of the tail bone should occur; iv. the device should be inexpensive and portable; and, v. the abdominal exercise should be capable of being performed with a graded degree of difficulty.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,134,592; 4,515,361; and, 4,679,788 describe devices which can be used in conjunction with a mattress and box-spring, but the devices of these patents are not readily portable, or lightweight, and assembling and disassembling these devices would be time consuming. Also, these devices appear to require expensive components.
An exercise device is desired which can be used in the home and which can be readily assembled, or disassembled and stored. Also a portable device is desired which can be used away from the home in conjunction with a mattress and box-spring, or on a carpet, floor, etc., for example in a hotel.


An audio mixer (20) include a chassis (22) adapted to receive a docking tray assembly (24), which in turn is adapted to receive a computing device (26). The computing device functions to operate and control the audio mixer (20), and to this end includes a touch screen display (28). The docking tray assembly (24) includes formed tray (110) and, optionally, an adapter configured as a formed insert (112) that nests with the tray (110) to dock a computing device of a configuration different from the computing device docked directly with the tray (110).

In audio mixing, multiple recorded sounds are combined, typically into two-channel stereo. The sounds may originate from musical instruments, vocal sources, or other sources. In the mixing process, the source sounds or signals are typically manipulated, including the level, frequency content, dynamic characteristics, panoramic position, etc. Also, effects may be added to the sound, including reverb and delay effects.
Historically, audio mixing has been carried out in studios on relatively large sound boards and mixing consoles. More recently, digital audio work stations (DAWs) have been used with or without a personal computer. Nonetheless, the DAWs, whether or not computer-based, are not particularly portable. Moreover, the computer-based DAWs still require a board or other hardware device to receive the various audio inputs that are later manipulated and mixed. The present disclosure provides a portable audio mixer that seeks to address these limitations of existing DAWs and computer-based audio mixers.

Computing device docking tray for audio mixer


Appliances and methods are disclosed for testing operation of an acoustic device that generates beams of acoustic energy. An imaging array generates electrical signals in response to impinging receipt of acoustic energy. An acoustic-energy direction system is disposed to focus acoustic energy onto the imaging array. A controller is electrically coupled with the acoustic device and with the imaging array. The controller has instructions to generate an image on a display from electrical signals received by the controller from the imaging array. The electrical signals are received by the controller in response to generation of a beam of acoustic energy by the acoustic device. The beam of acoustic energy is directed towards the acoustic-energy direction system. The image provides a representation of the generated beam of acoustic energy.

This application relates generally to acoustic systems and probes. More specifically, this application relates to methods and appliances for testing acoustic system and/or probes.
Acoustic imaging is an important technique that may be used at different acoustic frequencies for varied applications that range from medical imaging to nondestructive testing of structures. The techniques generally rely on the fact that different structures have different acoustic impedances, allowing characterization of structures and their interfaces from information embodied by the different scattering patterns that result. While most applications use radiation reflected from structures, some techniques make use of information in transmitted patterns also.
Transmission of acoustic radiation towards a target and receipt of the scattered radiation may be managed by a modern acoustic-imaging system, which may take a variety of forms. For example, many modern systems are based on multiple-element array transducers that may have linear, curved-linear, phased-array or similar characteristics, and which may be embodied in an acoustic probe. Summing the contributions of the multiple transducer elements comprised by a transducer array allows images to be formed. The failure of a small number of elements in a given array, or a few defective receive channels in the acoustic system itself, may not be readily perceptible to users because of the averaging effect of summing many elements to form an acoustic beam. But the failure of even a small number of elements or receive channels can significantly degrade the performance of acoustic imaging systems, notably in certain modes of operation like those known as "Doppler" or "near-field" imaging modes.
While appliances have previously been developed to test acoustic systems and probes, they have been relatively complex, based on the direct electrical connection to probe elements or system channels. The development of two-dimensional "matrix array" probe technology has made the necessary reverse engineering of even a small number of probe and system models to support direct electrical-connection-based testing complex and expensive. Other solutions use an acoustic sensor to detect transmit energy emanating from a probe and to inject signals back into the ultrasound system for detection and display. Such solutions use a single sensor designed to sense elements in linear arrays, providing only a "signal" or "no signal" status relative to transmitted energy and require operator skill to scan a linear array probe for missing or nonfunctional elements.
There is thus a need in the art for convenient, inexpensive, and easy-to-use methods and appliances for evaluating ultrasonic probes and systems, both for acoustic power output as well as for other issues such as failed elements or channels, particularly to evaluate two-dimensional array probes and systems.

Testing of acoustic imaging systems or probes


A method includes indexing data and/or metadata in online virtual machines (VMs), offline VMs, virtual applications, and/or snapshots thereof on one or more host server(s) in a virtualization environment through a search architecture in the virtualization environment. The online VMs are VMs that are powered on, and the offline VMs are VMs that are powered off. The method also includes maintaining a database of the indexed data and/or metadata in the online VMs, the offline VMs, the virtual applications, and/or the snapshots thereof to enable a comprehensive search result to a search query through the search architecture. The database is associated with the search architecture.

Commercial search engines (e.g., Google®, Yahoo®) serve as windows to the world of information, and are utilized by people to obtain useful information of interest through searches performed therein. In the virtualization environment including virtual machines (VMs), a user may have to manage a large number of VMs and snapshots. When the user desires to find data inside a VM, it is highly likely that he/she may not recall the VM corresponding to the data. Therefore, the user may have to power ON every possible VM to check contents therein, which lends to an undesirable experience.

Comprehensive, relevant, and dynamic data searching in a virtualization environment


A device for making efficient use of the free time between speech transmissions and binary coded data transmissions, the device including a switch which will automatically output both the binary coded data and the outgoing speech signals to a telephone line and which will connect to the device, each of the incoming signals received from the telephone line. The device includes an outgoing transmission block and an incoming transmission block. The outgoing transmission block outputs speech signals or data signals selectively after mixing the signals with one of two tone signals of different frequencies. The incoming transmission block first identifies incoming signals by two bandpass filters and then, depending on the identity of the signals, selectively connects the incoming signals either to a speech restoration circuit or to a data restoration circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device which is designed to make efficient use of the free time between speech transmissions on a connected analog telephone line by also using the line for the transmission of binary coded data. The invention also relates to a switching device which, when binary coded data is to be transmitted along an analog telephone line at the same time as normal speech signals, will automatically output both the binary coded data and the outgoing speech signals to the telephone line while at the same time connecting each of the two types of incoming signals received from the telephone line to their appropriate lines. These type of technique would be particularly effective for the transmission of computer game programs and data using a single subscriber telephone.


A process is disclosed for simultaneously fabricating bipolar and complementary field effect transistors. The process includes the fabrication of buried layers 18 doped with both phosphorus and arsenic to permit a shorter diffusion time while simultaneously providing buried layers having low resistance and high diffusivity. The process enables fabrication of BiCMOS structures using only six masks prior to the contact mask.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to processes for manufacturing integrated circuits, and to a process for simultaneously fabricating bipolar and complementary field effect transistors ("BiCMOS") in a semiconductor substrate. More particularly, the invention relates to the fabrication of such devices having improved buried layers beneath N conductivity type wells in the epitaxial layer and to the fabrication of a completed BiCMOS structure using a minimal number of masks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bipolar and complementary metal conductor (CMOS) technologies have each been independently understood for many years. The ability to combine CMOS with bipolar on the same integrated circuit has raised new possibilities for very large scale integration. For example, bipolar output drivers may be employed with CMOS memories to provide more drive current. Because MOS slows down as temperature rises while bipolar speeds up, a CMOS bipolar combination may be employed to make devices less speed sensitive to temperature. Combining high performance bipolar devices with MOS transistors on the same integrated circuit allows a combination of the high-packing density of MOS devices with the high speed of bipolar and permits the integration of complex functions with high yields. The CMOS transistors with their inherently low power requirements have large noise margins, while the bipolar devices have an advantage in switching speed and greater current drive per unit area.
Accordingly, much effort has been devoted by process scientists and engineers toward methods of integrating bipolar and CMOS processes on a single wafer. Unfortunately, to date the resulting BiCMOS processes are generally not optimized for either the CMOS or the bipolar aspect, consisting instead of a brute force combination of the steps required to fabricate each type device. The result is often a lengthy and complicated process using a large number of masking operations, which is vulnerable to lower yields as a result of the complexity of the process. Typical prior art bipolar-CMOS processes are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,388 to Iwasaki; U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,847 to Sullivan; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,945 to Gray et al.

Method for simultaneously fabricating bipolar and complementary field effect transistors using a minimal number of masks


Embodiments of a method are provided for personalizing a memory card. The method comprises receiving one or more credentials. The method further comprises authenticating the one or more credentials. The method further comprises reserving a memory segment in the memory card based on the authentication, wherein one or more memory segments in the memory card are vacant. The method furthermore comprises writing the one or more credentials on to the memory segment.

Card-based authentication solutions are expensive in terms of licenses, administration (such as, personnel for monitoring, card issuance, and the like), infrastructure (such as, a third party application, a client middleware, a card management station, and the like), and maintenance (such as, replacing lost cards, issuing new certificates, revocation, and the like). Moreover, a decrease in productivity is observed due to a security mechanisms used by the authentication solutions that consume abundant time for an authentication process. Examples of such security mechanism include Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) with certificate validation, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and the like. Consequently, more time is required for a device to authenticate a user that uses a memory card versus the device to authenticate another user who manually inputs their username and password. Therefore, there is a need for an efficient and secure card-based authentication solution.

Secure authentication using memory cards


A forming aid to be mixed in a ceramic material for forming the ceramic material into a formed ceramic body of a desired shape, including at least one of a thermoplastic resin and a wax, and a mineral oil in an amount of 30-95% by volume with respect to an entire volume of the aid. Also disclosed is a process of producing a ceramic article from the formed ceramic body containing the aid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to aids used in the field of forming ceramics, ceramic bodies or pieces produced using such forming aids, and a process of forming ceramic articles or products with such aids. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a forming aid which contains mineral oil as a major component, and which is suitably used for forming a ceramic material into a desired shape. The invention is further concerned with formed ceramic bodies obtained by using such a forming aid, and a process of producing ceramic products (fired ceramic bodies) from such formed ceramic bodies.
2. Discussion of the Related Art and Problems Solved by the Invention
Silicon nitride, silicon carbide and other silicon ceramics, alumina and zirconia ceramics and similar ceramics are more stable at an elevated temperature (more resistant to heat and thermal stresses), and more resistant to oxidation corrosion and creep deformation, than metals. Active efforts have been made to utilize these excellent properties of such ceramic materials for engine parts such as turbocharger rotors.
In the art of fabricating such ceramic parts, there has been practiced a process which comprises: adding to a suitably prepared ceramic material an organic binder (forming aid) whose major component is a resin or wax, and kneading the ceramic material and the organic binder into a mixture; forming the mixture into a formed body of a desired shape; and heating the formed body so as to remove the binder and fire the formed body into a fired ceramic body, i.e., a desired ceramic product. An injection-molding process is suitably used for efficient, highly accurate production of parts having a complicated configuration, in particular, the rotors referred to above.
As the forming aids, the following organic binders are commonly used in the process indicated above: an organic binder which includes as a major component or components a thermoplastic resin such as polystyrene, polyethylene, co-polymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate, and atactic polypropylene; an organic binder whose major component or components consist of a wax such as paraffin wax and microcrystalline wax; an organic binder including a sublimable material as a major component; and an organic binder which includes two or more materials selected from among the preceding materials. For example, the use of atactic polypropylene and polyethylene as major components of an organic binder is proposed in Laid-Open Publication 49-114610 of Japanese Patent Application, and the use of an organic binder including a wax as a major component is proposed in Laid-Open Publication 58-223662 of Japanese Patent Application. Further, Laid-Open Publication 57-156365 of Japanese Patent Application discloses an organic binder which includes atactic polypropylene and a sublimable material as major components. While these various organic binders have been used in the art, the following requirements must be satisfied to provide flawless ceramic products:
a) high level of formability of a mixture of a ceramic material and an organic binder, to assure exact formation of the ceramic material to an intended shape without geometrical defects;
b) freedom from damage or defects of the formed ceramic piece or body during removal of the organic binder; and
c) sufficiently high homogeneity and density of the fired structure or product.
However, the conventionally used organic binders whose major components are selected from thermoplastic resins, waxes and sublimable materials do not necessarily satisfy all of the requirements indicated above. For example, an organic binder which is excellent in formability suffers from a drawback that it tends to cause cracking of the formed ceramic body during removal of the binder. If a thermoplastic resin is used in a relatively large amount, the formed ceramic body may be broken or damaged due to a pressure of gases which are produced in a large volume due to decomposition of the resin, that is, the resin tends to cause cracking of the ceramic body during removal of the binder. Therefore, a complete removal of the binder is difficult. In the case where a large amount of wax is used as a binder, the rate of removal of the wax is very low since the removal is effected by a viscous flow of the wax. In this case, the formed body tends to have a fairly high residual strain or permanent set, which may cause the formed body to crack during removal of the wax, and/or cause the fired body to have defects like marks or traces of flow of the wax. Stated in more detail, wax-based binders contained in a formed ceramic body will initiate solidication or curing accompanying a large degree of volumetric reduction, if and immediately after the formed ceramic body in an injection mold or other mold is rapidly cooled. For this reason, the ceramic body containing a binder wax is easily subject to a permanent set or residual strain, which may result in the formed body being cracked upon removal of the wax, or the fired ceramic body having the flow-mark like defects.
It is also recognized that any conventionally used binders mixed in a formed ceramic body must be removed from the ceramic body as slowly as possible, in order to protect the ceramic body from cracking during the removal of the binders. For instance, a formed ceramic body containing a conventional binder is heated at a rate as low as 1.degree.-3.degree.C./hr., to remove the binder from the ceramic body without cracking. Thus, the known process of fabricating ceramic products using the conventional binder suffers from a considerably low level of productivity.
In the light of the foregoing inconveniences experienced in the art, there has been a need to develop a binder (forming aid) which permits a ceramic body to be formed and fired into a desired ceramic article, without cracking or defects, and which can be easily and quickly removed from the ceramic body.

Forming aids for ceramic materials, ceramic bodies formed by using the aids, and process of producing ceramic products


A detector for detecting hot wheels or bearings on a railroad car includes an infrared sensor supported within a detector by a sensor housing. Elastic balls are disposed in the housing to absorb shocks generated by a train passing the detector.

A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to right of way sensors used for monitoring the temperatures of railroad cars, and more particularly to a support for heat sensors.
B. Description of the Prior Art
As railroad cars age, their wheels become prone to breakdowns due to overheated bearings or overheated rims caused by stuck brake shoes. Since the breakdown of car wheels can have very serious consequences, these wheels are monitored using wayside heat detectors disposed at regular intervals. These detectors are securely clamped to the rails and include temperatures sensors and sensitive for example to infrared radiation and optical means including an imaging lens for projecting an infrared image of a wheel bearing or rim onto the sensor as the car moves by the detector along the tracks. The sensor transforms the infrared image into electrical signal and sends them an electronic signal processor for analysis. Importantly, the sensor had to be protected from the damaging effect of vibration and shock generated by passing trains, which impaired the function of the heat detectors.

Resilient support for a railroad wheel heat sensor


The present invention relates to a valve arrangement for use in an extracorporeal blood circuit having at least one arterial blood line and at least one venous blood line, the valve arrangement having at least one first valve arranged in the arterial blood line, a second valve arranged in the venous blood line, a fourth valve arranged in a first arteriovenous connection line between the arterial blood line of the circuit and the venous blood line of the circuit, and a fifth valve arranged in a second arteriovenous connection line between the arterial blood line and the venous blood line; and/or a third valve arranged for establishing a fluid connection in a blood line between the arterial blood line and the venous blood line of the circuit; and/or a sixth valve arranged between a blood treatment device and an air venting device of the circuit.

Extracorporeal blood circuits for use in an extracorporeal treatment of body fluids such as blood are known from practice. Prior to their first use, such blood circuits are regularly filled with a liquid in order to displace air contained therein. After termination of the treatment, they are regularly filled with a fluid in order to return blood present in the extracorporeal blood circuit upon termination of the treatment back to the vascular system of the patient.
One object of the present invention is to propose a new valve arrangement enabling short-circuiting the arterial and the venous line of the extracorporeal blood circuit, filling the blood circuit and/or emptying the said. Additionally, corresponding methods are to be proposed.
Thus, according to the present invention, there is proposed a valve arrangement which is suited and/or provided and/or configured for its use in an extracorporeal blood circuit, comprising at least one arterial blood line and at least one venous blood line. The valve arrangement comprises at least one first valve which is arranged in the arterial blood line, a second valve which is arranged in the venous blood line, a fourth valve which is arranged in a first arteriovenous connection line between the arterial blood line of the extracorporeal blood circuit and the venous line of the extracorporeal blood circuit as well as a fifth valve which is arranged in a second arteriovenous connection line between the arterial blood line and the venous blood line.
Alternatively or additionally to the afore-mentioned valves, the valve arrangement according to the present invention comprises a third valve which is arranged for establishing a fluid connection in a blood line between the arterial blood line and the venous blood line of the extracorporeal blood circuit or which is arranged for establishing a fluid connection directly between the arterial blood line and the venous blood line, preferably without a tube element being connected there between.
In turn additionally to some or all of the aforementioned valves or instead of the same, the valve arrangement according to the present invention comprises a sixth valve which is arranged between a blood treatment device or means, respectively, and an air venting or deflating or air dumping means or device, respectively, of the extracorporeal blood circuit.
The blood tubing set according to the present invention as well as the blood cassette according to the present invention comprise at least one valve arrangement according to the present invention.
The treatment apparatus according to the present invention is provided for extracorporeally treating medical fluids, in particular blood. It comprises at least one controlling device or means, respectively, as well as actuators that are provided and configured for controlling or regulating at least one valve arrangement according to the present invention.
Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are each subject matter of the dependent claims.
Embodiments according to the present invention can comprise some or all of the following features in an arbitrary combination.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the blood treatment device is a blood filter.
In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the air venting device is a drip chamber or a venting site or a part thereof, respectively.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the arterial blood line of the extracorporeal blood circuit is a line conducting blood with higher oxygen content during the blood treatment (as compared to the venous blood line which is conducting blood with lower oxygen content).
In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the arterial blood line of the extracorporeal blood circuit is a line which, during the blood treatment, conducts blood from the patient whereas the venous blood line conducts blood to the patient.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the arterial blood line of the extracorporeal blood circuit is a line or patient line which, during the blood treatment, conducts blood between a patient connector and the blood filter. In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the venous blood line is a line or patient line which conducts blood between a drip chamber and a patient connector.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the first and/or the second arteriovenous blood line is designed as a fluid connection, for example, as a tube segment, a line or the like, allowing blood to flow through from an arterial blood line to a venous blood line of the extracorporeal blood circuit, respectively, independently from the direction in which the flow takes place.
In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the valve arrangement additionally comprises at least one ventilation valve for venting the blood circuit, in particular by establishing a connection between an interior of the extracorporeal blood circuit and an exterior thereof, e.g., the atmosphere.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, some or all of the afore-mentioned valves are active valves.
An active valve in the sense of the present invention is in certain embodiments according to the present invention a valve which is, in particular exclusively, provided for active actuation, independently from the actuation being performed manually or by means of appropriate devices or means, respectively. In these embodiments, an active valve thus differs from a valve opening or closing in a self-actuating or automatic, respectively, manner such as, e.g., a non-return valve.
An active valve in the sense of the present invention is in certain embodiments according to the present invention a valve which is, in particular exclusively, controlled or actuated by a device such as, e.g., a controller.
In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the valve arrangement comprises a device for controlling or regulating the valve function of all or some of the aforementioned valves.
In some embodiments according to the present invention of the valve arrangement, the valve arrangement is designed and provided for use with a non-occluding pump for conveying the fluid to be treated, in particular blood.
In certain embodiments according to the present invention of the valve arrangement, at least the first, the second, the fourth and the fifth valve are present in a common support material. A support material in the sense of the present invention is in certain embodiments a single element or component, respectively, a smallest non-destructively available unit, a blood cassette, an adaptor or a device or means, respectively, generally provided for connecting arterial and venous patient lines or connectors or the like.
In certain embodiments, the valve arrangement according to the present invention comprises at least one recirculation adaptor or is at least partially part of such a recirculation adaptor. In these embodiments, the recirculation adaptor comprises at least four valves, in particular, the first, the second, the fourth and the fifth valve. In certain embodiments, the recirculation adaptor further comprises the third valve.
In some embodiments according to the present invention of the valve arrangement, at least the third valve is designed as a phantom valve.
A "phantom valve" as used herein can be a component comprising an actuator surface (for example, an actuator membrane) reachable by means of an actuator which can fulfill the function of a valve. Examples for appropriate phantom valves can be derived from the applications of the present applicant DE 10 2009 024 664.6 which has been deposited at the German Patent and Trademark Office on Apr. 23, 2009, DE 10 2009 024 468.9 which has been deposited at the German Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 10, 2009 or DE 10 2009 012 632.5 which has been deposited at the German Patent and Trademark Office on Mar. 10, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby each fully incorporated by way of reference.
In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the valve arrangement comprises sensors for measuring the arterial pressure in front of the filter means, e.g., a dialyzer, ("pre filter pressure"), for measuring the venous pressure downstream the air venting device, e.g., an air separation chamber, ("pressure return"), for measuring the optical density, for detecting the air bubbles present in a blood line interior of the arterial or the venous blood line ("air bubble detector", or "ABD") and the like as well as arbitrary combinations thereof. The sensors can be present in or at the arterial and/or the venous blood line. They can be present in or at the arterial and/or the venous leg of the extracorporeal blood circuit. The sensors can be designed as multi-sensors for measuring/detecting several of the afore-mentioned parameters.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the valve arrangement comprises a device for controlling or regulating a flow difference which is generated by means of setting or operating a blood pump and/or a dialysate pump and/or appropriate means such as valves, throttles and the like, in particular in an intended manner.
In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the valve arrangement is designed in a blood cassette or is part of such a blood cassette or comprises such a blood cassette. Such a blood cassette can, for example, be designed as a cast part or an injection molded part. It can independently thereof be designed as a disposable.
In some embodiments according to the present invention of the valve arrangement, one, two or more valves are designed as being switchable as a segment of a rotatable or rotational element, respectively. Thereby, the respective rotatable elements can be designed as being actuable independently from each other or in a coupled manner, i.e. only in common.
In certain embodiments, the treatment apparatus according to the present invention is designed as an extracorporeal treatment apparatus, in particular as a dialyzing apparatus, particularly as a hemodialysis apparatus, a hemofiltration apparatus, a hemodiafiltration apparatus or as an apparatus for the adsorption, liver support therapy, apheresis, transfusion etc. It is particularly apt for use in methods in which the fluid is drawn from the patient and is returned back to the patient by means of different needles or accesses (the latter are known as double needle methods).
The object of the present invention is further solved by a method for handling an extracorporeal blood circuit, using a valve arrangement according to the present invention. The handling of the extracorporeal blood circuit can comprise or respectively consist of short-circuiting an arterial and a venous blood line of the extracorporeal blood circuit, filling the extracorporeal blood circuit and/or flushing sections or parts of the extracorporeal blood circuit while a flow disturbance is present or is not present in one of the blood lines of the extracorporeal blood circuit, as well as arbitrary combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the method for handling according to the present invention serves for short-circuiting an arterial blood line and a venous blood line of an extracorporeal blood circuit by means of a valve arrangement according to the present invention by connecting the arterial blood line with the venous blood line by means of opening the third valve.
In some embodiments, the method for handling according to the present invention serves for filling or priming an extracorporeal blood circuit or parts thereof by means of a valve arrangement according to the present invention when using an occluding blood pump. This method can comprise the following steps—solitarily or in an arbitrary combination: connecting the extracorporeal blood circuit with an occluding blood pump; connecting a dialysate circuit with a dialysate pump; filling the dialysate circuit with fluid; conveying a flow by means of the blood pump in a direction opposite to the usual flow direction of an extracorporeal blood treatment; conveying a flow across the membrane of a filter of a blood treatment apparatus by means of the dialysate pump, wherein the flow is larger than the flow conveyed or generated by the blood pump, while the first and the second valve are open; opening a ventilation valve; stopping the dialysate pump or setting a balancing system to neutral balance and closing the ventilation valve; circulating the fluid by means of the blood pump within the extracorporeal blood circuit in usual flow direction while the first and the second valve are still open; removing air from the extracorporeal blood circuit by means of an air separation chamber by setting a positive balance, i.e. by generating a flow generated by means of the dialysate pump of larger than zero, in the balancing system while the ventilation valve is open.
According to the present invention, in some embodiments of the present invention, a "usual" flow direction is understood as the usual flow direction of an extracorporeal blood treatment.
Thereby, the usual flow direction of an extracorporeal blood treatment can be the direction in which the blood is flowing extracorporeally most of the time.
The usual flow direction of an extracorporeal blood treatment can be the direction in which the blood is flowing extracorporeally from the arterial vascular access of the patient by means of the arterial patient line or blood line and to the venous vascular access of the patient by means of the venous patient or blood line in a double needle method.
Thereby, the flows QD (dialysate) and QB (blood) can preferably be determined such that venting a blood line between a filter of a blood treatment apparatus and the air separation chamber and the arterial blood line and the venous blood line is achieved at the same time.
Furthermore, the afore-mentioned steps of stopping the dialysate pump or setting a balancing systems to neutral balance and closing the ventilation valve, circulating and removing air can hereby be performed for several times.
In some embodiments, the flow QD is to be understood as the dialysate flow out of the dialysate compartment of the dialyzer through the membrane into the blood compartment of the dialyzer.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, QD is thus to be differed from the entire flow of the dialysate which is pumped into the dialysate compartment of the dialyzer by means of the dialysate pump.
In certain embodiments according to the present invention the flow of the dialysate in front of and behind the dialyzer is balanced (e.g., by means of known balancing chambers, not shown in the figures).
Appropriate devices or means, respectively, and/or methods or processes or proceedings, respectively, can be used for balancing.
Balancing during an extracorporeal blood treatment can be of interest or importance in particular in embodiments in which a defined amount of excess water is to be removed from the patient, for example, during a dialysis.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, a "neutral balance" is understood such that the pressures and flows in front of and behind the dialysate compartment and in the blood compartment are set such that no flow QD of the dialysate is pressed through the membrane. This can, for example, be performed by completely stopping the dialysate pump. Stopping or completely stopping is, however, not mandatorily required herefor.
Thus, in certain embodiments, the fluid flow to the patient at a neutral balance is as high as the fluid flow away from the patient. The patient's weight can thus—substantially or completely—remain constant.
In some embodiments of the present invention, a "positive balance" is in contrary defined such that a flow QD of the dialysate is larger than zero, i.e., QD>0. When QD>0, dialysate passes through the membrane into the blood compartment. In other words, the pressures and flows in the dialysate system in front of and behind the dialysate compartment and in the blood compartment are set such that a flow QD of the dialysate is forced or compelled, respectively, out of the dialysate compartment through the membrane into the blood compartment.
In certain embodiments, at a positive balance, the fluid flow to the patient is thus higher than the fluid flow away from the patient. Thus, at a positive balance, the patient can be supplied with liquid.
The desired "balance" can be set, e.g., according to a predetermined program by the blood treatment apparatus's control.
Independently from setting a positive or a neutral balance, in some embodiments according to the present invention, qualitative ratios between QD and QB can be or will be predetermined for the single rinsing procedures. Based on such a ratio, the "balance" can, but does not have to, be influenced under certain circumstances. In certain embodiments according to the present invention, setting the ratio between QD and QB can serve for setting certain flows in the arterial and/or the venous line and the valve arrangement according to the present invention (also referred to as a "rinsing adaptor").
According to the present invention, the method for handling can be or comprise filling the extracorporeal blood circuit or parts thereof when using a non-occluding blood pump. This method comprises at least one of the steps of: short-circuiting patient connectors; introducing or supplying, respectively, fluid from a dialysate circuit into the extracorporeal blood circuit by means of setting a positive balance; stopping the blood pump; closing a sixth valve, opening the first and the second valve as well as the ventilation valve; closing the third, fourth and fifth valve, if present; pressing fluid out of the dialysate compartment across the membrane of the filter onto the blood side of the filter; closing the first and the second valve; opening the sixth valve after having detected a fluid level in the air separation chamber; stopping the dialysate pump and/or setting the balancing system to a neutral balance; closing the ventilation valve; circulating the fluid within the extracorporeal blood circuit by means of the blood pump while the first and the second valve as well as the sixth valve are open; setting a positive balance in the balancing system (QD>0); opening the ventilation valve; and stopping the blood pump.
Some of these method steps can be performed for several times.
According to the present invention, the method for handling an extracorporeal blood circuit by means of the valve arrangement according to the present invention can be or comprise flushing an extracorporeal blood circuit or parts thereof by means of a valve arrangement according to the present invention, while no flow disturbance is present in one of the blood lines. The method then comprises at least one of the steps of: conveying a flow by means of the blood pump in a direction opposite to the usual flow direction while the blood lines are connected to the vascular access of the patient; conveying fluid by means of the dialysate pump out of the dialysate circuit with a flow being larger than the flow generated by means of the blood pump across the membrane of a filter of a blood treatment apparatus into the extracorporeal blood circuit; opening the first and the second valve, opening the sixth valve while the third, the fourth and the fifth valve and the ventilation valve are closed, as far as they are present; determining, by means of sensors, when or that the fluid displaces or has sufficiently displaced blood; controlling or regulating the blood return process according to the amount of the flow difference between the flow generated or conveyed by means of the dialysate pump and the flow generated or conveyed by means of the blood pump or by correspondingly switching the first and the second valve; stopping the non-occluding blood pump; switching the first and the second valve in order to induce or prompt, respectively, the blood return via a selected one of the blood lines.
According to the present invention, the method for handling an extracorporeal blood circuit can be or comprise flushing the extracorporeal blood circuit or parts thereof, while a flow disturbance is present in one of the blood lines. The method then comprises at least one of the steps of: conveying by means of the blood pump with a flow in a direction opposite to the usual flow direction, wherein the arterial blood line and/or the venous blood line are each connected with the respective vascular access of the patient; conveying fluid out of the dialysate circuit across the membrane of a filter of a blood treatment apparatus into the extracorporeal blood circuit by means of a dialysate pump with a flow that is larger than the flow generated by means of the blood pump; directing the entire flow to one of the two blood lines by correspondingly switching the first, the second, the third, the fourth and/or the fifth valve; switching the fifth valve and the sixth valve or adequately selecting the flow difference between the flow conveyed by means of the dialysate pump and the flow conveyed by means of the blood pump for achieving a flow through the arterial blood line or the venous blood line.
Moreover, in the method according to the present invention, a flow QD can be generated in the extracorporeal blood circuit by means of the dialysate pump while the blood pump does not convey or stagnates or is not overflown or flushed, respectively.
Furthermore, in certain embodiments of the method according to the present invention, the blood pump and the dialysate pump convey with the same pump flow rates wherein the blood pump preferably rotates or conveys, respectively, in reverse direction.
According to the present invention, the term "reverse" or "reverse direction", respectively, is in connection with the direction of conveyance of the blood pump and/or of the dialysate pump to be understood as a direction opposite to the direction of conveyance of the respective pump in which the respective pump is predominantly conveying during a proceeding blood treatment or a direction opposite to the usual direction of conveyance of a proceeding blood treatment.
In certain embodiments, the method according to the present invention further comprises setting a positive balance wherein the flow conveyed by means of the dialysate pump is larger than the flow conveyed by means of the blood pump when using a non-occluding blood pump and/or switching the flow paths by means of the first to fifth valves as well as the sixth valve in order to flush the non-blocked blood lines.
All advantages achievable by means of the valve arrangement according to the present invention may undiminishedly also be obtained by the method according to the present invention and vice versa.
The object according to the present invention is further solved by a digital storage means in connection with corresponding hardware suited and/or provided therefor, a computer program product and a computer program. All advantages achievable by means of the method according to the present invention may undiminishedly also be obtained by means of the digital storage means according to the present invention, the computer program product according to the present invention and/or the computer program according to the present invention.
The digital storage means which can particularly be a disk, a CD or a DVD, a USB flash drive, a flash card, a SD card etc., preferably comprises electrically readable control signals which can interact with a programmable computer system such that the execution of the technical steps of the method according to the present invention is prompted or induced, respectively.
Thereby, all, a few or some of the automatically performed steps of the method according to the present invention may be prompted. The latter also applies for the computer program product and the computer program.
The computer program product preferably comprises a program code stored on a machine-readable storage means for prompting the execution of the automatically performable steps of the method according to the present invention when the program product is run on a computer.
The term "machine-readable storage means" as used herein refers to a storage or data means, respectively, containing data or information that are interpretable by software and/or hardware. The storage means can be a data storage means such as a disk, a CD, DVD, a USB flash drive, a flash card, a SD card and the like.
The computer program comprises a program code for prompting the execution of the automatically performable steps of the method according to the present invention when running the program on a computer.
Certain embodiments according to the present invention comprise one or more of the following advantages.
The present invention provides a valve arrangement by means of which venting and/or flushing an extracorporeal blood circuit is possible in an advantageously simple and technically less complex manner. The valve arrangement according to the present invention can advantageously also be used for a non-occluding blood pump which has hitherto not been possible for such pumps in the field of extracorporeal blood treatments. Therewith, some of the methods mentioned above can now advantageously also be used with non-occluding blood pumps.
By means of the third valve, the separation of air out of the extracorporeal blood circuit can advantageously be performed or facilitated. During the treatment, air can penetrate into the extracorporeal blood circuit. This air is usually detected by the protective system (air bubble detector) and has to be removed from the extracorporeal blood circuit. In conventional tubing systems, this is achieved manually.
By means of automated ventilation such as is possible by means of the present invention, the effort required herefore can advantageously be minimized. In some embodiments according to the present invention, the safety of the system can be increased. This can in particular be the case when, for the purpose of venting, blood is decoupled from the patient's blood system by means of the valve block or the recirculation adaptor, respectively, preferably by correspondingly switching the third valve. Hereby, blood being present extracorporeally can be recirculated within the extracorporeal blood circuit such that air is directly guided into the air separation chamber without reaching the patient or having to be directed through the capillary filter of, e.g., a dialyzing apparatus. This can be of particular advantage as air easily "accumulates" in the capillary filter or is disintegrated to micro-bubbles. Therefore, the third valve advantageously offers the possibility to direct air bubbles present to the air separation chamber (e.g., the venous drip chamber) by means of internal circulation or recirculation in or opposite to the usual flow direction of an extracorporeal blood treatment.
The third valve can advantageously offer the possibility to recirculate the blood within the cassette while the patient is decoupled. Thereby, the patient can also be connected, if he wants to, which can advantageously save time and effort.
A recirculation within the extracorporeal blood circuit can offer the advantage that blood present extracorporeally can be further pumped across the filter in a case of, e.g., an access problem (e.g., in case of a high return pressure). In this way, in certain embodiments, it can advantageously be avoided that such an access problem will result in a stop of the flow through the extracorporeal blood circuit. This may advantageously allow for significantly reducing the risk of blood coagulation, for example, in the filter.
Furthermore, the present invention can in some of its embodiments advantageously contribute for enabling further circulation across the filter in alarm situations in which the blood pump would usually necessarily be stopped. In this way, it can advantageously be ensured for the patient not to suffer a loss of blood due to discarding the coagulated system, to achieve a more effective treatment time and to omit an optionally necessary change of the system.
When the third valve is opened for recirculation or internal circulation, respectively, in some embodiments according to the present invention, the sixth valve and, in case of air separation, the ventilation valve will be opened—if present, respectively. The first, the second, the fourth and the fifth valve should each be closed.
The sixth valve can advantageously be used for enabling filling or priming, respectively, both the arterial blood line and the venous blood line when using a non-occluding blood pump. Therefore, the arterial blood line is at first filled retrogradely, that means opposite to the usual flow direction, by means of the dialysate pump while the sixth valve is closed and, after opening the sixth valve, the venous blood line is filled anterogradely, that means in the usual flow direction, by means of the blood pump.
In case of an occluding blood pump, the sixth valve can advantageously be used for rinsing the arterial blood line upstream.
Besides the use described above, the sixth valve is analogously also used for flushing (blood return) the extracorporeal blood circuit.
The position of the sixth valve between the filter and the drip chamber can advantageously contribute for performing air separation, filling and emptying in an intended manner.
In case of need, the flow direction can advantageously be reversed or inversed, respectively, in the arterial and the venous blood line (flow reversion) by means of the first and the fourth as well as the second and the fifth valve. Thereby, the direction of the blood flow in the filter can be maintained. In this way, the counter flow principle can advantageously be maintained. Flow reversion can be of particular advantage in case of flow problems, e.g., by sucking the catheter. In certain embodiments according to the present invention, flow reversion can be induced by the dialyzing machine automatically or in a self-actuating manner (by means of corresponding devices). This may, for example, be the case if an insufficient flow is detected.
Additionally, the valve arrangement according to the present invention offers the possibility to prompt a blood return in case of a unilateral occlusion of a blood line and/or of a catheter or a needle.
The use of active valves such as provided in certain embodiments of the present invention can advantageously allow for maintaining the counter flow principle as well.
Moreover, active valves can advantageously contribute for enabling unilaterally flushing and/or unilaterally returning blood through the arterial ("access") blood line or the venous ("return") blood line of the tubing system. In this way, it can advantageously be possible to perform an automated diagnosis of the access problems (clotting/sucking the catheter) as a flow can advantageously be generated in one or even in both directions (in and opposite to the usual flow direction) in the two blood lines (the arterial and the venous blood line) in a respectively separate or independent manner.

Valve arrangement for use in an extracorporeal blood circuit and method


An antenna structure includes first and second antennas. The first antenna has a first geometry corresponding to a first frequency. The second antenna has a second geometry corresponding to a second frequency. The second antenna is proximal to the first antenna and utilizes electrical-magnetic properties of the first antenna to transceive signals at the second frequency.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless communication systems and more particularly to radio frequency (RF) transceivers and/or to antenna structures.
2. Description of Related Art
Communication systems are known to support wireless and wire lined communications between wireless and/or wire lined communication devices. Such communication systems range from national and/or international cellular telephone systems to the Internet to point-to-point in-home wireless networks. Each type of communication system is constructed, and hence operates, in accordance with one or more communication standards. For instance, wireless communication systems may operate in accordance with one or more standards including, but not limited to, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, advanced mobile phone services (AMPS), digital AMPS, global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), local multi-point distribution systems (LMDS), multi-channel-multi-point distribution systems (MMDS), radio frequency identification (RFID), and/or variations thereof.
Depending on the type of wireless communication system, a wireless communication device, such as a cellular telephone, two-way radio, personal digital assistant (PDA), personal computer (PC), laptop computer, home entertainment equipment, RFID reader RFID tag, et cetera communicates directly or indirectly with other wireless communication devices. For direct communications (also known as point-to-point communications), the participating wireless communication devices tune their receivers and transmitters to the same channel or channels (e.g., one of the plurality of radio frequency (RF) carriers of the wireless communication system or a particular RF frequency for some systems) and communicate over that channel(s). For indirect wireless communications, each wireless communication device communicates directly with an associated base station (e.g., for cellular services) and/or an associated access point (e.g., for an in-home or in-building wireless network) via an assigned channel. To complete a communication connection between the wireless communication devices, the associated base stations and/or associated access points communicate with each other directly, via a system controller, via the public switch telephone network, via the Internet, and/or via some other wide area network.
For each wireless communication device to participate in wireless communications, it includes a built-in radio transceiver (i.e., receiver and transmitter) or is coupled to an associated radio transceiver (e.g., a station for in-home and/or in-building wireless communication networks, RF modem, etc.). As is known, the receiver is coupled to the antenna and includes a low noise amplifier, one or more intermediate frequency stages, a filtering stage, and a data recovery stage. The low noise amplifier receives inbound RF signals via the antenna and amplifies then. The one or more intermediate frequency stages mix the amplified RF signals with one or more local oscillations to convert the amplified RF signal into baseband signals or intermediate frequency (IF) signals. The filtering stage filters the baseband signals or the IF signals to attenuate unwanted out of band signals to produce filtered signals. The data recovery stage recovers raw data from the filtered signals in accordance with the particular wireless communication standard.
As is also known, the transmitter includes a data modulation stage, one or more intermediate frequency stages, and a power amplifier. The data modulation stage converts raw data into baseband signals in accordance with a particular wireless communication standard. The one or more intermediate frequency stages mix the baseband signals with one or more local oscillations to produce RF signals. The power amplifier amplifies the RF signals prior to transmission via an antenna.
As is further known, a multi-mode transceiver is one that is compliant with more than one wireless communication standard. For example, a multi-mode transceiver may be compliant with IEEE 802.11a, b, or g and Bluetooth. For standards that utilize different frequency bands, the multi-mode transceiver typically includes separate RF front-ends (e.g., low noise amplifier, power amplifier, transmit receive switch, transformer balun, and/or antennas) for each frequency band. When one RF front-end is active, the other is inactive and vise versa. As such, one RF front-end is not leveraging the electrical and/or electro-magnetic properties of the other RF front-end.
Therefore, a need exists for a multiple mode RF transceiver and/or antenna structure that leverages electrical and/or electro-magnetic properties of other mode circuitry.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multiple mode RF transceiver and antenna structure


An apparatus and method for determining at least one downhole formation property is disclosed. The apparatus includes a probe and a pretest piston positionable in fluid communication with the formation, and a series of flowlines pressure gauges, and valves configured to selectively draw into the apparatus for measurement of one of formation fluid and mud. The method includes performing a first pretest to determine an estimated formation parameter; using the first pretest to design a second pretest and generate refined formation parameters whereby formation properties may be estimated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of oil and gas exploration. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for determining at least one property of a subsurface formation penetrated by a wellbore using a formation tester.
2. Background Art
Over the past several decades, highly sophisticated techniques have been developed for identifying and producing hydrocarbons, commonly referred to as oil and gas, from subsurface formations. These techniques facilitate the discovery, assessment, and production of hydrocarbons from subsurface formations.
When a subsurface formation containing an economically producible amount of hydrocarbons is believed to have been discovered, a borehole is typically drilled from the earth surface to the desired subsurface formation and tests are performed on the formation to determine whether the formation is likely to produce hydrocarbons of commercial value. Typically, tests performed on subsurface formations involve interrogating penetrated formations to determine whether hydrocarbons are actually present and to assess the amount of producible hydrocarbons therein. These preliminary tests are conducted using formation testing tools, often referred to as formation testers. Formation testers are typically lowered into a wellbore by a wireline cable, tubing, drill string, or the like, and may be used to determine various formation characteristics which assist in determining the quality, quantity, and conditions of the hydrocarbons or other fluids located therein. Other formation testers may form part of a drilling tool, such as a drill string, for the measurement of formation parameters during the drilling process.
Formation testers typically comprise slender tools adapted to be lowered into a borehole and positioned at a depth in the borehole adjacent to the subsurface formation for which data is desired. Once positioned in the borehole, these tools are placed in fluid communication with the formation to collect data from the formation. Typically, a probe, snorkel or other device is sealably engaged against the borehole wall to establish such fluid communication.
Formation testers are typically used to measure downhole parameters, such as wellbore pressures, formation pressures and formation mobilities, among others. They may also be used to collect samples from a formation so that the types of fluid contained in the formation and other fluid properties can be determined. The formation properties determined during a formation test are important factors in determining the commercial value of a well and the manner in which hydrocarbons may be recovered from the well.
The operation of formation testers may be more readily understood with reference to the structure of a conventional wireline formation tester shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. As shown in FIG. 1A, the wireline tester 100 is lowered from an oil rig 2 into an open wellbore 3 filled with a fluid commonly referred to in the industry as "mud." The wellbore is lined with a mudcake 4 deposited onto the wall of the wellbore during drilling operations. The wellbore penetrates a formation 5.
The operation of a conventional modular wireline formation tester having multiple interconnected modules is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,860,581 and 4,936,139 issued to Zimmerman et al. FIG. 2 depicts a graphical representation of a pressure trace over time measured by the formation tester during a conventional wireline formation testing operation used to determine parameters, such as formation pressure.
Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, in a conventional wireline formation testing operation, a formation tester 100 is lowered into a wellbore 3 by a wireline cable 6. After lowering the formation tester 100 to the desired position in the wellbore, pressure in the flowline 119 in the formation tester may be equalized to the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the wellbore by opening an equalization valve (not shown). A pressure sensor or gauge 120 is used to measure the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the wellbore. The measured pressure at this point is graphically depicted along line 103 in FIG. 2. The formation tester 100 may then be "set" by anchoring the tester in place with hydraulically actuated pistons, positioning the probe 112 against the sidewall of the wellbore to establish fluid communication with the formation, and closing the equalization valve to isolate the interior of the tool from the well fluids. The point at which a seal is made between the probe and the formation and fluid communication is established, referred to as the "tool set" point, is graphically depicted at 105 in FIG. 2. Fluid from the formation 5 is then drawn into the formation tester 100 by retracting a piston 118 in a pretest chamber 114 to create a pressure drop in the flowline 119 below the formation pressure. This volume expansion cycle, referred to as a "drawdown" cycle, is graphically illustrated along line 107 in FIG. 2.
When the piston 118 stops retracting (depicted at point 111 in FIG. 2), fluid from the formation continues to enter the probe 112 until, given a sufficient time, the pressure in the flowline 119 is the same as the pressure in the formation 5, depicted at 115 in FIG. 2. This cycle, referred to as a "build-up" cycle, is depicted along line 113 in FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the final build-up pressure at 115, frequently referred to as the "sandface" pressure, is usually assumed to be a good approximation to the formation pressure.
The shape of the curve and corresponding data generated by the pressure trace may be used to determine various formation characteristics. For example, pressures measured during drawdown (107 in FIG. 2) and build-up (113 in FIG. 2) may be used to determine formation mobility, that is the ratio of the formation permeability to the formation fluid viscosity. When the formation tester probe 112 is disengaged from the wellbore wall, the pressure in flowline 119 increases rapidly as the pressure in the flowline equilibrates with the wellbore pressure, shown as line 117 in FIG. 2. After the formation measurement cycle has been completed, the formation tester 100 may be disengaged and repositioned at a different depth and the formation test cycle repeated as desired.
During this type of test operation for a wireline-conveyed tool, pressure data collected downhole is typically communicated to the surface electronically via the wireline communication system. At the surface, an operator typically monitors the pressure in flowline 119 at a console and the wireline logging system records the pressure data in real time. Data recorded during the drawdown and buildup cycles of the test may be analyzed either at the well site computer in real time or later at a data processing center to determine crucial formation parameters, such as formation fluid pressure, the mud overbalance pressure, ie the difference between the wellbore pressure and the formation pressure, and the mobility of the formation.
Wireline formation testers allow high data rate communications for real-time monitoring and control of the test and tool through the use of wireline telemetry. This type of communication system enables field engineers to evaluate the quality of test measurements as they occur, and, if necessary, to take immediate actions to abort a test procedure and/or adjust the pretest parameters before attempting another measurement. For example, by observing the data as they are collected during the pretest drawdown, an engineer may have the option to change the initial pretest parameters, such as drawdown rate and drawdown volume, to better match them to the formation characteristics before attempting another test. Examples of prior art wireline formation testers and/or formation test methods are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,934,468 issued to Brieger; 4,860,581 and 4,936,139 issued to Zimmerman et al.; and 5,969,241 issued to Auzerais. These patents are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Formation testers may also be used during drilling operations. For example, one such downhole tool adapted for collecting data from a subsurface formation during drilling operations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,557 B1 issued to Ciglenec et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Various techniques have been developed for performing specialized formation testing operations, or pretests. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,095,745 and 5,233,866 both issued to DesBrandes describe a method for determining formation parameters by analyzing the point at which the pressure deviates from a linear draw down.
Despite the advances made in developing methods for performing pretests, there remains a need to eliminate delays and errors in the pretest process, and to improve the accuracy of the parameters derived from such tests. Because formation testing operations are used throughout drilling operations, the duration of the test and the absence of real-time communication with the tools are major constraints that must be considered. The problems associated with real-time communication for these operations are largely due to the current limitations of the telemetry typically used during drilling operations, such as mud-pulse telemetry. Limitations, such as uplink and downlink telemetry data rates for most logging while drilling or measurement while drilling tools, result in slow exchanges of information between the downhole tool and the surface. For example, a simple process of sending a pretest pressure trace to the surface, followed by an engineer sending a command downhole to retract the probe based on the data transmitted may result in substantial delays which tend to adversely impact drilling operations.
Delays also increase the possibility of tools becoming stuck in the wellbore. To reduce the possibility of sticking, drilling operation specifications based on prevailing formation and drilling conditions are often established to dictate how long a drill string may be immobilized in a given borehole. Under these specifications, the drill string may only be allowed to be immobile for a limited period of time to deploy a probe and perform a pressure measurement. Due to the limitations of the current real-time communications link between some tools and the surface, it may be desirable that the tool be able to perform almost all operations in an automatic mode.
Therefore, a method is desired that enables a formation tester to be used to perform formation test measurements downhole within a specified time period and that may be easily implemented using wireline or drilling tools resulting in minimal intervention from the surface system.

Method for measuring formation properties with a time-limited formation test


A method and system for conducting a subterranean operation that can include storing, via a rig controller, pre-determined characteristics of a piece of equipment, for supporting the subterranean operation, in a unique data record associated with the piece of equipment; scanning, via one or more sensors, the piece of equipment on a rig; determining, via the rig controller, actual characteristics of the piece of equipment in response to the scanning via the one or more sensors; comparing, via the rig controller, the actual characteristics to the pre-determined characteristics; and verifying whether or not the piece of equipment is an expected piece of equipment needed to support the subterranean operation based on the comparing.

Robots can reduce safety risks to personnel in various subterranean operations by operating in hazardous conditions and/or in dangerous locations, such as handling tubulars to make-up or break-up tubular strings. Tubular (or pipe) handling robots, such as Iron Roughnecks, automated catwalks, tubular elevators, and pipe handlers, can operate on and/or near a rig floor. For example, robotic systems can manage (or assist in management of) tubular (or other equipment) as they are manipulated on the rig (e.g., between storage areas and a wellbore). However, with increased use of robots on rigs, a decrease in the amount of human supervision and feedback can occur. Therefore, improvements in robotic systems are continually needed.


A bicycle disk brake rotor apparatus comprises a generally circular first rotor member and a generally circular first second rotor member. The first rotor member has a first fixing component structured to mount the first rotor member to a hub mounting member, and the first second rotor member has a first fixing component structured to mount the first second rotor member to the hub mounting member. The first rotor member is attached to a side of the first second rotor member, and the first second rotor member is formed of a material having greater braking wear resistance than the first rotor member.

The present invention is directed to bicycles and, more particularly, to a bicycle disk brake apparatus.
Conventional bicycle disk brake devices comprise a disk rotor that rotates with the bicycle wheel, and calipers with brake pads that frictionally contact the disk rotor to slow or stop the wheel. The disk rotor may be a metal member that comprises a mounting member and a ring-shaped rotor member fixed to the mounting member, wherein the mounting member is structured to be mounted to the bicycle wheel hub. Since bicycles are propelled by human power, reducing the weight of the bicycle components is an important objective of many bicycle manufacturers. This includes reducing the weight of disk brake devices. On the other hand, it is also desirable to resist rotor wear caused by friction with the brake pads while providing proper heat dissipation.
One example of a conventional disk rotor that is lightweight and has good heat dissipation and wear resistance is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Number 1-153826. That disk rotor comprises a stainless steel rotor braking face member joined by a metal interlayer to a rotor main body consisting of an aluminum alloy. Using aluminum for the rotor main body reduces weight and provides greater heat dissipation compared to rotors fabricated from stainless steel. To construct such rotors, the side of the braking face member that contacts the rotor main body is plated with nickel or the like, and then the braking face member is pressure welded to the rotor main body by holding the braking face member against the rotor main body for several hours at an elevated temperature and pressure. As a result, the rotor main body and braking face member are joined together, with an interlayer of a nickel aluminum metal formed between them. However, such rotors suffer from separation of the braking face member from the rotor main body despite the metal interlayer between them.

Bicycle disk brake apparatus with laminated components


An optical dilatometer includes a furnace, in which a sample may be laid on a sample carrier, and an optical system for measuring a length of the sample at different temperatures, windows for the passage of beams being provided on a sample chamber of the furnace. A light source and a collimator for generating a parallel beam path are situated on one side of the furnace, the length of the sample being detectable via a silhouette image by a sensor, situated on the diametrically opposite side of the furnace from the light source, and a lens system. This allows a simple length measurement without orientation of an optical system.

The present invention relates to an optical dilatometer, including a furnace, in which a sample may be laid on a sample carrier, and an optical system for measuring a length of the sample at different temperatures.
Dilatometers are measuring devices, which measure the linear thermal expansion of a sample as a function of the temperature. An optical dilatometer is known from European Patent Document EP 1 329 687, in which a holder for the sample is situated between two optical systems. The sample is enclosed by a tubular furnace body, so that corresponding temperature changes may act on the sample. For a measurement of the length change, a sample is laid in a furnace and one of the optical systems is pointed at one end of the sample and the other optical system is pointed at the other end of the sample. This orientation of the optical systems and/or the sample is comparatively complex.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a dilatometer which is easy to handle and has a simple construction.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a light source and a collimator for generating a parallel beam path are situated on one side of a furnace, and the length of a sample is detectable via a silhouette image by a sensor situated on the diametrically opposite side. The necessity of orienting the optical system or the sample is thus dispensed with, because the sample may be measured at any arbitrary point on the sample carrier.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a filter is provided on the receiver side which is only transparent to beams of a specific wavelength, which are emitted on a side of a light source. Interfering influences due to light or beams having another wavelength may thus be precluded relatively reliably.
A telecentric optical system may be situated on the receiver side. The silhouette image of the sample may be imaged on a sensor which may be implemented as a high-speed linear CCD sensor to automatically detect the sample length. For a rapid and simple measurement, the sensor may be connected to an A/D converter, which is connected to a controller for recognizing the boundary of the acquired image.
For especially precise measurement, the light source is formed by a high-power GaN LED, whose light has an especially constant wavelength. A diffuser may also be situated between the light source and the collimator.
To implement a uniform temperature profile, the sample chamber has a cylindrical shape, the sample carrier being situated radially centered in the sample chamber and between a top and bottom heating element. Windows transparent to the beam path are provided on diametrically opposite sides of the sample chamber.
An advantageous construction of the furnace results through a furnace body divided into a top part and a bottom part, the partition plane between the top part and the bottom part passing through the sample chamber between the top and bottom heating elements. As a result, the top part may be removed from the bottom part of the furnace body, because of which the sample chamber is easily accessible. It is also possible to charge the sample changer using robot technology very easily. The furnace body expediently has a cylindrical basic shape, whose axis is coincident with that of the sample chamber. The furnace is designed for operation under vacuum and protective gas. Corresponding precautions such as seal elements at the partition plane and the optical windows guarantee this type of operation.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.