A segmented computer network topology has a plurality of network hosts, which are coupled in a ring. A method of resetting the segmented computer network topology includes initiating a reset sequence having a flushing phase, a subsequent scrubber selection phase, a next subsequent slot identification phase and a next subsequent ring start-up phase. Selected packets received by the network hosts are flushed from the ring during the flushing phase. A single one of the network hosts is selected as a scrubber host during the scrubber selection phase. A unique slot identifier is assigned to each of the network hosts during the slot identification phase. A ring start-up packet is sent from the scrubber host to each of the other network hosts over the ring during the ring start-up phase.

The present invention relates to segmented network topologies and, more specifically, a reset sequence for a segmented network topology.
A segmented computer network is a network that is broken up into groups in order to contain broadcast traffic and improve performance. Segmented networks seamlessly provide access to resources located on different network hosts (or xe2x80x9cnodesxe2x80x9d) in each group using a shared communications bus. The nodes in each group are connected to one another through a single communications ring or a pair of counter-rotating rings, for example. In a standard segmented network, each node monitors activity on the ring. Messages are detected by all nodes on the ring, but are accepted (or stripped) by the node or nodes to which they are addressed. Segmented network performance is achieved by using point to point links rather than slower bused wires and by supporting concurrent communication on non-overlapping segments.
Initialization of a segmented computer network presents challenges not found in other more traditional bus architectures. The segmented nature of the network prevents information sent from a network participant (a node) from reaching the destination nodes at the same time, or within a boundary of time. Likewise, the status of other nodes in the network cannot be ascertained by a node at any particular time. Communications delays are highly dependent on network topology, network traffic, and node design. All of these factors may contribute to communications delay differences between different nodes. These communications delay differences make network initialization difficult. Thus, a reset sequence is desired for reliably initiating communications over a segmented communications network bus.
The present invention provides a method of resetting a segmented computer network topology having a plurality of network hosts, which are coupled in a ring. The method includes initiating a reset sequence having a flushing phase, a subsequent scrubber selection phase, a next subsequent slot identification phase and a next subsequent ring start-up phase. Selected packets received by the network hosts are flushed from the ring during the flushing phase. A single one of the network hosts is selected as a scrubber host during the scrubber selection phase. A unique slot identifier is assigned to each of the network hosts during the slot identification phase. A ring start-up packet is sent from the scrubber host to each of the other network hosts over the ring during the ring start-up phase.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a segmented computer network topology, which includes a segmented computer network and a plurality of network hosts which are coupled in a ring within the segmented computer network. The plurality of network hosts are adapted to implement a reset sequence having a first, reset flushing phase, a second, scrubber selection phase, a third, slot identification assignment phase and a fourth, ring start-up phase.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a segmented network host comprising a host identifier and first and second opposite ports. The segmented network host is adapted to execute a segmented network reset sequence including steps of: receiving a flushing reset packet through one of the first and second ports and responsively sending the flushing reset packet out the other of the first and second ports and responsively discarding selected additional packets received through at least one of the first and second ports; receiving scrubber selection packets through at least one of the first and second ports and responsively sending the scrubber selection packets out the other of the first and second ports, wherein each scrubber selection packet carries a host identifier variable; selecting the network host as a scrubber host or a non-scrubber host based on whether the unique host identifier of the network host has a predetermined relative magnitude as compared to the host identifier variables carried by the scrubber selection packets; assigning the host a slot identifier and sending a slot assignment packet carrying a slot identifier variable out one of the first and second ports, if the network host is selected as a scrubber host; receiving a slot assignment packet, which carries a slot identifier variable, through one of the first and second ports, assigning the network host a slot identifier based on the slot identifier variable, and sending the slot assignment packet out the other of the first and second ports, if the network host is selected as a non-scrubber host; and sending a ring start-up packet through one of the first and second ports if the network host is selected as a scrubber host or waiting to receive the ring start-up packet through one of the first and second ports if the network host is selected as a non-scrubber host.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a reset packet for use in a reset sequence of a segmented network topology. The reset packet includes a reset phase field, an extended unique identifier field and a slot assignment variable field. The reset phase field indicates whether the reset sequence is in a reset flushing phase, a scrubber selection phase, a slot identifier assignment phase or a ring start-up phase.

Reset sequence for segmented computer network topology


A reluctance machine includes a stator having N stator poles and a rotor having N rotor poles. Each stator pole has a stator winding, and the windings of the N stator poles are configured for excitation in a single phase. The current flow in the windings is controlled to support a constrained flux path across two air gaps provided by circumferentially adjacent rotor/stator pole pairs. The rotor may further be structurally configured to support that constrained flux path and preclude diagonal flux across the rotor.

Reluctance machines are well known in the art. These machines operate on the tendency of the machine's rotor to move to a position where the reluctance with respect to the stator is minimized (in other words, where the inductance is maximized). This position of minimized reluctance occurs where the rotor pole is aligned with an energized stator pole. When operated as a motor, energizing the stator pole generates a magnetic field attracting the closest rotor pole towards the stator pole. This magnetic attraction produces a torque causing the rotor to rotate and move towards the minimized reluctance position. Conversely, when operated as a generator, torque applied to the rotor is converted to electricity as the rotor pole moves away from the aligned position with respect to an energized stator pole.
The generation of magnetic flux requires electric current. The magnetization of a relatively larger are requires a relatively larger magnetization current. As the rotor moves, the magnetic flux varies. The existence of such a time varying magnetic flux initiates losses known in the art as "core loss" (eddy current loss and hysteretic loss). In order to minimize overall loss in a switched reluctance machine, it is desired to minimize the magnetized area of the rotor and stator cores. In a conventional switched reluctance machine, however, the design of the rotor and stator along with the design of the stator windings do not provide for an optimal magnetization pattern with respect to the core, and thus such a machine cannot achieve higher levels of efficiency. In this regard, the magnetic flux pattern in such prior art machines exhibits a characteristic long flux path which passes radially across the rotor between two simultaneously actuated stator poles and circumferentially around the stator back iron. While shorter flux paths may also be present from time to time as the rotor moves, it is the long flux path between the simultaneously actuated stator poles across the radius of the rotor which dominates the machine's efficiency calculation.
There is accordingly a need in the art for a switched reluctance machine that is configured to emphasize shorter magnetic flux paths.

Single phase switched reluctance machine with short flux path


Small form-factor, sensitive and efficient waveguide devices capable of nondispersive infrared gas or liquid sensing and photocatalysis are designed based on photonic integrated circuits. The devices comprise three-dimensional optical waveguiding structures and preferably integrated light sources and photodetectors.

The optical sensing and photocatalysis devices described here utilize the interaction between (a) at least one target substance, (b) light at specific wavelength(s), and in the case of photocatalysis (c) a photocatalyst, at or in proximity to the device structures. A device can be used as a gas or liquid sensor by measuring the absorption level of the optical output due to the optical excitation of the target substance. It can also be used as a means of photocatalysis to convert undesirable organic materials such as a toxic gas or a virus into (i) a modified substance whose removal or destruction is more manageable, through the reactions with radicals created through oxidation and reduction of the undesirable materials or (ii) a third substance such as water. The prior art for gas sensing devices and the prior art for photocatalysis devices are described.
Out of several techniques used for gas sensing such as metal-oxide, electrochemical, catalytic beads, a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor is attractive for potentially enhanced sensitivity and the ability to react specifically with the target substance. It is based on the emission of light with a specific wavelength into a target substance and measuring the absorption of the optical power. Since it operates at a specific wavelength where only a particular material has relatively high absorption, an NDIR sensor has the ability to specify the target substance as well. Unlike the cases of other gas sensors, an NDIR sensor has relatively long life time as well as a rapid response time because it is not subject to a chemical reaction. Further, since the measurement is based on photodetection, it generally has higher sensitivity than other types of sensors.
A sensor based on NDIR includes an optical emitter, a detector, and an optical waveguiding device. The absorption occurs when a target substance is present in the optical path between the emitter and the detector where the wavelength of the light matches at least one of the lines in the absorption spectrum of the target substance. As long as the specific wavelength has the absorption peaks dominantly at the target substance, the amount of the target substance can be measured based on the absorption level. In order to achieve a highly sensitive sensor so that the target substance can be detected even at low concentration, the waveguide is preferably designed to be long so that the amount of contact between the target substance and the waveguide is increased.
In prior art NDIR sensors, waveguides were used between the emitter and detector to guide emitted light to the detector while creating the contact area for the target substance to be measured. Wong (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,444,249, 5,747,808, 5,834,777) describes sensors that are based on the integration of waveguides with a light source and a photodiode, and have a gas inlet. The advantages of using waveguide devices include small form factor and low cost. These waveguides include an under-cladding layer, a core layer, and at least one over-cladding layer on a substrate that is typically silicon. Since the waveguides in most cases are fabricated utilizing lithographic processes with a silicon substrate, the size of the waveguide chips is limited by the size of the substrate wafer and the number of chips patterned on each wafer, and this size is typically on the order of a square millimeter to a square centimeter. The small form factor in the prior art meant that a small area was available for the target substance to be in contact with the waveguide and to be measured.
In other prior art, improved waveguide structures were described for the realization of higher sensitivity devices. O'Keefe (U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,067) describes a waveguide with a pair of gratings that act as a cavity so that light is confined within the cavity for effectively longer propagation before reaching the detector. Janz (U.S. Pat. No. 7,778,499) describes a waveguide where the over-cladding layer was eliminated in order to enhance the relative amount of its spatial mode field in the air where the target substance is present. Digonnet (U.S. Pat. No. 8,427,651) describes a hollow core waveguide for the effective light confinement within air. Yamashita (U.S. Pat. No. 8,542,957), Tao (U.S. Ser. No. 10/215,692) and Gylfason (U.S. Ser. No. 10/598,590) describe waveguide structures with partial substrate removal so that sensing of the target substance can be achieved both from the top of the over-cladding and the bottom of the under-cladding. Although improved performance is expected in these prior art cases, the improvement is limited because it uses only a single waveguide layer.
Juni (U.S. Pat. No. 8,135,246) taught a sensor based on stacking a plurality of single-layer waveguide devices with a plurality of emitters and detectors. With the use of angular offset from the adjacent layer of a waveguide chip, the effective contact to the target substance can be achieved. However, this is an expensive method as the cost increases with the number of single-layer waveguide devices.
The present embodiments include the formation of photocatalysis devices. A photocatalysis device is a well-known device that absorbs a specific-wavelength light whose energy level is comparable to the bandgap of the device material, and generates an electron-hole pair that leads to a chemical reaction. For example, titanium dioxide absorbs ultraviolet (UV) light to generate an electron-hole pair which, in the presence of water and oxygen, generates radicals that react with and mineralize undesirable organic compounds, such as the lipid membranes that envelope and protect viruses such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), allowing to pry apart the membranes and destroy the cells. In order for a photocatalytic device to be effective, the surface area where the photocatalyst (photocatalysis material) is exposed to said specific-wavelength light needs to be large.
Prior art by Kurihara (U.S. Pat. No. 7,683,005), Morito (U.S. Pat. No. 9,061,086), Lee (U.S. Pat. No. 9,744,257), Ozaki (U.S. Ser. No. 10/201,809), Kitazaki (U.S. Ser. No. 10/434,505) and Leung (U.S. Ser. No. 10/434,505) describe porous materials based on honeycomb structures, particles and fibers. The porous materials increase the effective surface area, however it works on a single surface so that the working area is limited by the area illuminated by said specific-wavelength light.
Mizuno (U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,329) and Li (U.S. Pat. No. 7,625,835) proposed waveguide structures where the outermost (over-cladding) layer comprises a photocatalytic material in order to create a photocatalytic effect. Said specific-wavelength light is guided inside their guiding layers as opposed to illuminating the surface of the photocatalytic material. In these cases, the illumination is not spatially limited. However, the photocatalytic reaction can only occur at one side of the surface as the waveguide structure is exposed to the target material only on one side. Erickson (U.S. Ser. No. 10/604,733) proposed a photocatalyst design with a plurality of waveguides with spaced relationship within the enclosure. In this case again, only the outermost layer of each waveguide comprises a photocatalytic material so that it reacts with the material within the same enclosure. This prior art can expect the efficiency increased with the plurality of waveguides. However, the spaced relationship within the enclosure limits the effective device size.

Optical sensing and photocatalysis devices based on three-dimensional waveguiding structures and method of using same

Abstract: Since the length of the waveguide scales with the number of waveguiding layers, a plurality of layers is used to design high-sensitivity sensors and high-efficiency photocatalysis devices.

Abstract: In one embodiment, titanium dioxide absorbs ultraviolet light to generate an electron-hole pair which, in the presence of water and oxygen, generates radicals that react with and mineralize undesirable organic compounds, such as the lipid membranes that envelope and protect viruses such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), allowing to pry apart the membranes and destroy the cells. Such photocatalysis devices can be used in airflow systems designed to circulate the air of essentially confined spaces through these devices to create air-disinfecting systems.


An ion implantation method includes: placing, in an atmosphere, a mask, which is used in conjunction with a tray for accommodating a substrate for a solar cell, at a first position covering a partial area on a surface of the substrate while maintaining the mask aligned relative to the substrate or at a second position distanced from the surface of the substrate; implanting, in a vacuum, ions in a first area on the surface of the substrate while the mask is placed at the first position; and implanting, in a vacuum, ions in a second area on the surface of the substrate while the mask is placed at the second position.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ion implantation method, a carrier, and an ion implantation device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solar cell is configured such that electron-hole pairs generated when a semiconductor material such as silicon absorbs light are subject to an electric field of the pn-junction formed in the solar cell so that electrons move to the n-type layer and protons move to the p-type layer and an electric current is retrieved in an external circuit accordingly. For formation of a pn-junction and a contact layer, it is necessary to process the material so that the concentration and type of impurities differ from one place to another. Ion implantation is used in such a process.
For example, there is known a device adapted to implant ions on the surface of a substrate multiple time in order to produce an impurity profile that improves the efficiency of a solar cell. In the first step, the device is evacuated and ions are implanted in the substrate. This is followed by placement of a mask on the substrate inside the device. The second step of ion implantation is subsequently performed.

Ion implantation method, carrier, and ion implantation device


Embodiments herein provide an analytics-based solution for recommending for the initial placement of one or more virtual desktop (VD) users in a multi-cloud environment and/or for the subsequent migration of one or more users in a multi-cloud environment. In one or more embodiments, a placement (initial or migratory) recommendation may be based one or more metrics related to the cloud deployment and user conditions/requirements. In one or more embodiments, a placement recommendation is based on assessing functionality requirements of a user or users and a correlation analysis with other functionality or functionalities as it relates to functionality that is available at specific cloud deployments. In one or more embodiments, the recommendation may alternatively or additionally be based upon latency analytics, in which end-to-end latency from the user to an application or applications may be considered as metric(s) in the recommendation determination.

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to virtual desktops.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use, such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Multi-cloud environments are increasingly becoming more pervasive as organizations seek to utilize the varying cost, security, and functionality profiles of different cloud models and locations. Virtual desktop (VD) environments are an example of a workload where the multi-cloud paradigm is being strongly adopted.
For example, organizations may decide to locate their main userbase in an on-premises or private cloud environment, and then may locate additional users or burst users (i.e., an increased set of users) in a public cloud environment. Such configuration may have a number of benefits. One benefit is that the core userbase is located on infrastructure that can be tightly controlled by the organization, whether it is security, usage, bandwidth, user rights, etc. Another benefit relates to the location of additional users, who may be highly transient and may only need an account for a brief period, on a public cloud environment. Typically, public cloud usage can be obtained and cancelled on-demand; thus, the organization can utilize such resources only when needed and thereby avoids purchasing equipment that is only temporarily used.
It should also be noted that an organization may have more than one private cloud environment. For example, as part of the growth of an organization it may develop with different private cloud networks as a result of design, geographic constraints, or other factors.
Given that an organization may have a multi-cloud system (whether different private clouds, public clouds, or both), organizational information technology (IT) staff may need to decide in which cloud to locate a particular user or users. Each user placement is a non-trivial decision since typically each location will have a specific technical profile and a specific cost profile. This decision become more complex as the functionality of clouds may not be identical. For example, certain clouds may support functionality that is not available in one or more other cloud environments and vice versa.
Given the cloud-specific, organization-specific, and user-specific nature the decision related to placement of a virtual desktop for a user, currently the decision has typically resulted in intuitive/instinctive or ad-hoc positioning of users in specific locations by IT personnel. However, like all such manual, non-analytic processes, they can be quite error prone.
Accordingly, it is highly desirable to find new, more rigorous and analytic ways to determine where to locate a virtual desktop for a user or users.

Systems and methods for virtual desktop user placement in a multi-cloud environment


A chemiluminescence-based detection system and method for counting blood cells by capturing and isolating target blood cells flowing through a microfluidic chip and detecting light emitted by the captured target blood cells.

Management of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic is one of the biggest medical and clinical challenges, in both developed and developing countries. Globally, over 40 million people are now living with HIV. In the management of HIV-infected subjects, absolute counts of CD4+ T cells per micro-liter of blood have been proven to be an essential biological indicator for HIV staging and treatment decisions. The immune system needs CD4 cells to function properly. The more CD4 cells in circulation, the stronger the immune system. Clinically, a CD4 count below 200 cells per micro-liter of blood establishes the diagnosis of AIDS.
Currently, the gold standard for CD4 counting is through flow cytometry. High throughput flow cytometry may not be applicable in resource-poor settings due to its demanding technical requirements and expensive costs. However, availability of portable, cheap CD4 counting using advanced technologies would increase the efficiency and accessibility of CD4 monitoring, and produce a tremendous clinical impact via timely diagnosis of new AIDS patients.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods, devices, and systems for chemiluminescence-based microfluidic cell counting

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York


A hollow disposable sleeve suction retractor. The sleeve suction retractor is an ergonomically shaped combination suction/retractor instrument for holding and retracting tissues, suctioning tissue pieces, blood and fluids and a surgical smoke plume from an electrosurgery device all at the same time. The suction sleeve retractor is comfortable to hold securely and allows a surgeon a clear line of sight on an area of tissue dissection. It can be used without the need for having another hand (e.g., surgeon's or an assistant, etc.) sponge or separate suction devices in a wound. It is economical to purchase and does not have to be sterilized or autoclaved since it disposable.

"Electrosurgery" is the application of a high-frequency electric current to biological tissue as a means to cut, coagulate, desiccate, or fulgurate tissue. Electrosurgery includes the ability to make precise cuts with limited blood loss. In electrosurgical procedures, tissue is heated by an electric current
Electrosurgery is performed using an electrosurgical generator, also referred to as a "power supply" or "waveform generator" and a hand piece including one or several electrodes, sometimes referred to as an "RF Knife" or a "Bovie," after the inventor.
"Electrocauterization" is a type of electrosurgery and includes the process of destroying tissue using heat conduction from a metal probe heated by electric current. The procedure is also used to stop bleeding from small vessels (larger vessels being ligated) or for cutting through soft tissue.
Electrosurgery and electrocauterization techniques are used in the treatment of cancers via electrodesiccation and curettage. Electrosurgery and electrocauterization techniques produce surgical smoke.
"Surgical smoke" generated from electrosurgery and electrocauterization techniques include carbonized tissue, blood, and virus aerosols. In addition, surgical smoke includes gases such as benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are known carcinogens. These gases also create an "acrid smell" in an operating room.
Another danger from surgical smoke comes from the particle content of the smoke. Particulate smoke posses serious health risks to surgical teams and is similar to second hand smoke from cigarettes.
Another danger from surgical smoke is the transmission of diseases. The AIDS epidemic has focused attention on the routes by which HIV virus may be transmitted. One potential exposure route is inhalation of blood-containing "aerosols" infected with the virus in the operating room. The potential hazard of blood aerosol generated by electrosurgery is from surgical tools capable of generating a wide distribution of particle sizes produced blood-containing particles in the respirable range. Surgical masks typically do not provide adequate respiratory protection against these aerosols produced in surgical smoke.
A "retractor" is a surgical instrument that is used to hold back underlying organs and tissues, so that body parts under the incision may be accessed. It is also used to separate the edges of a surgical incision or wound. Surgical retractors are available in many sizes, shapes, and styles. Surgical retractors are used in different surgical procedures. Retractors are used during operations to help doctors by moving tissue and organs away from the area upon which the surgery is to be performed.
Surgical retractors are very important because they determine the exposure of the operative field. A surgeon needs an exposure best as possible while inflicting a minimum of trauma to the surrounding tissue. The handles of the retractor may be hook shaped, notched, or ring shaped to give the holder a firm grip without tiring. The blades of the retractors are at a right angle to the shaft. The blades can be smooth, raked, or hooked.
Surgical retractors are non-hollow components made from materials that are sterilizable and autoclavable so they may be reused for multiple, successive surgical procedures. A common material used in the making of retractors is stainless steel. Stainless steel is preferred because of its strength and its ability to be sterilized.
However, there are several drawbacks of stainless steel retractors. Stainless steel instruments are expensive to purchase and time consuming to maintain. They become very slippery when they come into contact with blood and other body fluids which can lead to tissue damage during operation. Moreover, stainless steel is also thermally highly conductive which also results in tissue injury as it quickly absorbs heat from the tissue with which it comes in contact. Another disadvantage is that they have reflective surfaces which produce glare under the high level illumination which is very common during surgical procedures.
Generally, there are two types of retractors, self-retaining and hand-held. "Self-retaining" retractors do not need an assistant to hold them in place (e.g., a rib spreader, etc.). "Hand-held" retractors require an assistant to hold them. A hand-held retractor is held by its handle properly so as to produce maximum exposure of the surgical area, maximum leverage, and steady retraction.
During breast surgery and other soft tissue surgery a surgeon has to have fraction on the tissue edge being dissected. Tissue retractors hold tissue flaps away from the treatment site. This provide better visibility, reach and undisturbed working. However, when retractors known in the art used on breast tissues and other soft tissues, such tissues are likely to bleed, tear or rip when retracted.
"Suction" is the flow of a fluid into a partial vacuum, or region of low pressure. The pressure gradient between this region and the ambient pressure will propel matter toward the low pressure area. Typically during most surgeries, a drainage tube is inserted into the wound and attached to a suction device such as an external suction pump to remove subcutaneous fluid, blood and tissue.
There are several problems associated with suction tube devices. The heads on suction tubes often get clogged when larger pieces of tissue are sucked into the device. Suction tubes and devices are very difficult to keep clean and sanitary. They typically require cleaning with brushes and other instruments. They also must be sterilizable and autoclavable. Suction devices are very noisy, especially when multiple suction devices are used. Multiple suction devices contribute to noise pollution in an operating room.
During surgery on soft tissues a surgeon would typically use an electrosurgery device for cutting or dissecting, one or more retractors and one or more suction devices. The surgeon is typically assisted by one or more assistants (e.g., other surgeons, nurses, medical technicians, etc.)
The surgeon has to have fraction on the tissue edge being dissected. At the same time the surgeon is cutting usually with an electrosurgery device that produces a surgical smoke plume that requires a separate suction device held in the wound to evacuate the smoke. Another suction device is used to remove blood, fluids and tissue pieces.
When a wound is narrow or under a flap of tissue (e.g., near a breast nipple) it is very awkward for an assistant to hold a retractor, a separate suction device that effectively evacuates the smoke, and another for blood and irrigating fluids that does not get in the surgeon's line of site.
In a deeper wound it can be difficult for the surgeon to get fraction on the tissue due to the size of the surgeon's hands, the slippery surface of gloves on the one or more retractors or the bulk of sponges that are used to gain a friction hold on the surface of a slippery tissue.
Thus, it is desirable to solve some of the many problems associated with medical instruments used for surgery on soft tissues and other types of human tissues.


A blade for a measuring tape device may include a first end configured to extend from a housing of the measuring tape device through an aperture, a second end configured to be wound on a reel assembly within the housing, and a first cupped portion having a first amount of cupping over a selected portion of a longitudinal length of the blade. The first cupped portion may be defined by a curved portion extending from an apex of the curved portion toward lateral edges of the blade, and wings extending from each of the lateral edges toward the curved portion on each side of the apex. The curved portion includes a first radius proximate to the apex of the curved portion, and a second radius at a point spaced apart from the apex on both sides of the apex, the second radius being different than the first radius.

Measuring tapes have been around for a very long time, and are common measuring tools used in numerous contexts to obtain linear measurements. Measuring tapes can come in many forms and may be made of cloth, fiber glass, metal, plastic, or the like. The materials used are often dictated by the specific measuring application. For example, tailors and dressmakers typically use a flexible tape that can be easily manipulated between two hands to measure a distance therebetween. However, for construction or carpentry applications, a stiff and often metallic tape is preferred to allow the measuring tape to be extended between an a first location at which one end of the tape is anchored, and the location of the user at whose location the measuring tape is paid out from a reel assembly. The reel assembly may have a manual retracting mechanism or a self-retracting mechanism, typically depending upon the length of the measuring tape. For relatively short measuring tapes (e.g., 12 ft or 25 ft), self-retracting mechanisms are very common. For very long measuring tapes (e.g., larger than 100 ft), a manual retracting mechanism is typically employed.
For nearly a century, metallic tape ribbons with a curved (or cupped) and relatively stiff construction have been preferred for use in self-retracting measuring tapes. The metallic tape ribbon tends to be flexible enough to permit the metallic tape ribbon to be wound onto a spring loaded reel assembly, but stiff enough to have a relatively long standout. The cupping of the metallic tape ribbon further enhances the standout without negatively impacting the ability of the metallic tape ribbon to be wound onto the reel assembly. By employing an end hook at one end of the tape, the user may take advantage of the standout to pay out the measuring tape toward an anchor point on a medium that is to be measured and then conduct the measurement without having to physically move to the anchor point to affix the end hook and then move away to make the measurement. Given the time and energy that can be saved by this method of measurement, taking advantage of the standout characteristics of a self-retracting measuring tape is a very popular feature. So much so, in fact, that it is not uncommon to see a user make multiple attempts to utilize standout and catch a remote end of media being measured with the end hook, rather than simply moving to the remote end of the media to manually fix the end hook to the remote end. When the standout is poor, and the user has to use multiple attempts, or fails and must resort to moving to the remote end to affix the end hook, frustration may grow, and the user may seek out a measuring tape with better standout characteristics.
Invariably, each measuring tape will have a certain length that effectively defines the maximum standout that can be achieved before the tape bends and basically collapses. The measuring tape can no longer be extended reliably toward the anchor point once this collapse occurs. However, as noted above, many users would prefer to reattempt to affix the anchor point without moving, sometimes numerous times, than to physically move to the anchor point and attach the end hook to the anchor point. Thus, having a superior standout could be a powerfully attractive feature for a measuring tape.


The n image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, includes a heater including a substrate, and plural heat generating resistors formed on the substrate along a longitudinal direction thereof, and plural switching elements connected electrically between a power source and the plural heat generating resistors, wherein the plural heat generating resistors include at least two first heat generating resistors driven by a first switching element and at least a second heat generating resistor driven by a second switching element, and the second heat generating resistor is provided between the at least two first heat generating resistors in a direction of a shorter side of the substrate. In this manner there can be provided an image heating apparatus with a heater of an excellent durability, and a heater adapted for use in such apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image heating apparatus adapted for use as a heat fixing apparatus in a copying machine or a printer, and a heater adapted for use in such image heating apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a heat fixing apparatus for a copying machine or a printer, there is commercialized an apparatus of a configuration having, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. S63-313182, a flexible sleeve, a ceramic heater in contact with an internal surface of the flexible sleeve, and a pressure roller constituting a nip portion with the ceramic heater through the flexible sleeve, in which a recording material bearing a toner image is conveyed by the nip portion to heat fixing the toner image onto the recording material. Such heat fixing apparatus (called film heating type), having a very low heat capacity, has advantages of a quick warning up to a fixable temperature thereby providing a short print waiting time, and a low electric power consumption in a stand-by state waiting for a print command.
The flexible sleeve is made of polyimide or stainless steel. Also the ceramic heater is formed by printing a heat-generating resistor principally constituted of silver or palladium on a plate-shaped ceramic substrate excellent in heat resistance, thermal conductivity and electrical insulation such as of alumina or aluminum nitride. A temperature of the heater is controlled by controlling a current supply to the heat-generating resistor, based on a temperature detected by a thermistor maintained in contact with the ceramic heater.
Such fixing apparatus, though being excellent in the quick-starting property because of its low heat capacity, is associated with drawbacks because of such low heat capacity. In case the longitudinal length of the recording material is relatively short in comparison with the longitudinal length of the heater, an amount of heat taken away from the heater is different significantly, in the nip portion, between a sheet passing area passed by the recording material and a sheet non-passing area not passed by the recording material, so that the temperature of the sheet non-passing area, where the heat is not taken away by the recording material, is gradually elevated as the sheets are passed one by one. Thus there tends to result a temperature elevation phenomenon in the sheet non-passing area, which becomes more marked in the film heating system of low heat capacity. Since an excessive temperature elevation phenomenon in the sheet non-passing area causes a thermal deterioration of the components of the fixing apparatus thereby leading to a reduction in the service life of the apparatus, there have been proposed a heater configuration and a control method for the fixing apparatus for solving such drawbacks.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-162909 proposes a method of reducing the aforementioned temperature elevation in the sheet non-passing area, utilizing a heater 700 of a structure as shown in FIG. 12A. Also FIG. 13A shows a heater driving circuit 70.
A heater 700 shown in FIG. 12A is provided with plural heat generating patterns 701a, 701b having different heat generating areas in the longitudinal direction of a ceramic substrate 704, and also with current-supplying electrodes 702a, 702b and a common electrode 703 for independent current supplies to the heat-generating patterns.
A heater driving circuit 70 shown in FIG. 13A is an example of a driving circuit for controlling the current supply to the heater 700. A thermistor 50 is contacted with the heater 700 or provided in the vicinity thereof, and supplies a CPU 71 with a detection result of the temperature of the heater 700. The CPU 71 controls turn-on timings of triacs 72a, 72b so as to execute a desired temperature control, based on the temperature detection result by the thermistor 50. The CPU 71 is capable of determine a turn-on ratio of the triacs 72a, 72b and can execute the temperature control with a desired heat generation ratio. Also a safety element 60 (temperature fuse or thermo switch) for preventing an excessive temperature elevation of the heater 700 is provided serially in the current supply line and is contacted with the heater 700 or provided in the vicinity thereof, and such safety element 60 is activated in a thermal uncontrollable state of the heater 700 to cut off the power supply to the heater 700.
In the fixing apparatus equipped with the heater 700 of FIG. 12A and having a reference position of sheet passing at the center of the longitudinal direction, in case of fixing a recording material of a relatively large longitudinal length (hereinafter called large-sized sheet), a current is given between the electrodes 702b and 703 to heat the heat generating pattern 701b, and in case of fixing a recording material of a relatively small longitudinal length (hereinafter called small-sized sheet), a current is given between the electrodes 702a and 703 to heat the heat generating pattern 701a, thereby reducing the temperature evaluation in the sheet non-passing area.
Also Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-250337 proposes a similar heater configuration, in which three heat-generating patterns are independently activated as shown in FIG. 12B. In this case, a heater 800 is provided on a ceramic substrate 804, heat-generating patterns 801a, 801b, 801c, current-supplying electrodes 802a, 802b, 802c and a common electrode 803 and is driven by a heater driving circuit 75 shown in FIG. 13B, whereby each heat-generating pattern can be independently activated.
Also Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-177319 proposes a fixing apparatus employing a heater capable of forming an arc-shaped heat generation distribution by a multi-step heat generation control according to various sheet sizes, thereby suppressing the temperature elevation in the sheet non-passing area within a certain range while securing the fixing property.
A heater 900 shown in FIG. 12C is provided with plural heat generating patterns 901a, 901b having different heat generating distributions in the longitudinal direction of a ceramic substrate 904, and also with current-supplying electrodes 902a, 902b and a common electrode 903 for independent current supplies to the heat-generating patterns. The heat generating pattern 901a has a width which is widened in plural steps from an approximate center in the longitudinal direction toward end portions to reduce the resistance per unit length, thereby providing a convex heat generation distribution with a peak heat generation at the center of the longitudinal direction under a current supply, while the heat generating pattern 901b has a width which is made narrower from the approximate center in the longitudinal direction toward end portions to increase the resistance per unit length, thereby providing a concave heat generation distribution with a bottom heat generation at the center of the longitudinal direction under a current supply.
With the heater 900, a smooth slope can be obtained in the heat generation distribution in the longitudinal direction, by incorporating the heater 900 in a heater driving circuit 70 shown in FIG. 13A and executing a control with a turn-on ratio of the triacs 72a, 72b determined by a CPU 71. In the fixing apparatus equipped with such heater 900 and having a reference position of sheet passing at the center of the longitudinal direction, it is possible to control the temperature elevation in the sheet non-passing area and the fixing property at the same time in more strict manner, by selecting the turn-on ratio of the triacs 72a, 72b within a range from 10:10 to 10:0 according the longitudinal length of the recording material.
However, in such fixing apparatus of film heating type utilizing such ceramic heater, in so-called uncontrollable situation of the fixing apparatus caused for example by a failure of the triac therein, the heater may show an excessive temperature increase and the ceramic substrate may be cracked by a thermal stress applied to the heater before the safety element (temperature fuse or thermo switch) can function. Also depending on the manner of cracking of the ceramic substrate, a dielectric strength cannot be satisfied between a resistance circuit (AC) side (primary side) including the heat generating pattern and a temperature sensor circuit (DC) side (secondary side) for heater temperature detection and the secondary circuit may be destructed by a current leaking to the main body of the image forming apparatus equipped with the fixing apparatus.
A thermal stress σ applied to a cross section of the substrate is represented, in case the temperature distribution is symmetrical within the cross section of the substrate, by a linear thermal expansion coefficient ε and a Young's modulus E of the substrate and a temperature difference ΔT within the substrate, which is dependent on the thermal conductivity thereof, by a following equation:σ=ε·E·ΔT
However, in case the temperature distribution is asymmetrical, it no longer is simply proportional to the temperature difference ΔT because a bending moment is applied to the substrate, and the tensile stress generally becomes larger at the bending side of the substrate. A breakage occurs when such tensile stress exceeds the bending strength (breaking strength) of the substrate.
For example, in case of a heater bearing a heat-generating pattern along the longitudinal direction on a surface of an alumina substrate having a length of 370 mm, a width of 10 mm and a thickness of 1 mm, a largest thermal stress is known to occur in a cross section in the direction of width (shorter side) of the substrate. Therefore, the breakage of the heater by the thermal stress can be considered to depend largely on the temperature distribution in the direction of width (shorter side) of the substrate.
In a heater with prior plural drives, namely in a heater in which plural heat generating patterns are independently driven by plural triacs, in case of a thermal uncontrollable of the heater by a failure in a triac, the temperature distribution increases asymmetry in the cross section in the direction of width of the substrate, and a margin to the heater breakage is limited because of a strong tensile stress functioning at the same time.
For example, in the heater 700 shown in FIG. 12A, since the heat generating pattern 701a is formed in an asymmetric area with respect to an approximate center CL in the direction of width (shorter direction) of the substrate (hereinafter represented as approximate shorter side center of the substrate), a failure in the triac 72a shown in FIG. 13A induces a large asymmetry in the temperature distribution in the cross section in the direction of width of the substrate, thereby showing a limited margin for the breakage.
In the heater 800 shown in FIG. 12B, though the entire heat generating patterns are formed symmetrically with respect to the approximate shorter side center CL of the substrate, since each heat generating pattern can be driven independently, a failure in the triac 77a or 77b shown in FIG. 13B induces a large asymmetry in the temperature distribution, thereby showing a limited margin to the breakage.
Also in the heater 900 shown in FIG. 12C, though the entire heat generating patterns are formed symmetrically with respect to the approximate shorter side center CL of the substrate, a thermal uncontrollable in one of the heat generating patterns 901a, 901b induces a large asymmetry, thereby showing a limited margin to the breakage.

Image heating apparatus and heater therefor


A garden tool includes multiple of the following features: fishtail weeder/nail remover, trowel, nail remover, machete, saw, serrated blade, small-toothed saw, ergonomic handle, safety stop and attachment means for an elongated handle or cane. A rake attachment may also be attached to the elongated handle. The all-in-one tool: (i) saves space and money; (ii) is lightweight; (iii) minimizes the number of necessary tools; and (iv) is adjustable to accommodate user limitations (i.e., disabilities).

Tending to gardens normally requires a series of different tools designed to accomplish unique objectives (e.g., prune, dig, weed, etc.). The use of such a large number of tools is cumbersome and requires appropriate storage. Even with appropriate storage, often times tools are misplaced and not available when needed.
Thus, there is a need for an all-in-one type garden tool comprising multiple tools and features allowing the single garden tool to accomplish the objectives of the multiple individual tools now being used. Advantageously, the all-in-one tool should be safe to use and adaptable to gardening conditions.


Embodiments are directed to performing material balance analysis for tanks in a petroleum reservoir and to performing dual porosity material balance analysis. In one scenario, a computer system divides a reservoir into multiple tank blocks, where at least two tank blocks are adjacent. The adjacent tanks are connected at a tank block boundary so that materials are permitted to travel between the tank blocks. The computer system determines flow rate between adjacent tank blocks proportional to the difference in tank block pressures. Then, upon making this determination, the computer system determines material balance for at least some of the tank blocks in the reservoir through influx and efflux of material across the tank block boundary. The material balance includes a determined material balance for one of the adjacent tank blocks and a determined material balance for the other adjacent tank block.

Hydrocarbon reservoirs are exploited by drilling wells in a hydrocarbon bearing geologic formation. Both producing wells and injecting wells are typically used. The role of producing wells (producers) is to allow hydrocarbons to flow to the surface. Injecting wells (injectors) are drilled in order to maintain the reservoir pressure by injecting fluids (typically water or gas) to replace the produced fluids.
The key to a successful exploitation operation of a petroleum reservoir is to efficiently design and operate wells. In order to guide and optimize well operations, simulators are often used. The role of reservoir simulators is to forecast the production of wells in order to evaluate the possible outcomes of operational changes.
Reservoir simulators can be created in a variety of ways, but for the purpose of production optimization, it is desirable to take an approach that is both fast and accurate. The accuracy of the simulator is defined as the predictive power of the simulator: its ability to predict future well performance accurately and with a high level of confidence. The simulator's accuracy helps guarantee the economic success of the operational changes implemented. The speed of the simulator is defined as the time it takes to create or update a model and to perform a simulation. A fast simulator is desirable to update the model with new data in order to support daily operational decisions in a timely fashion.
The standard approach followed in the petroleum industry to model reservoirs is to use grid-based reservoir simulators. These simulators often rely on a finite volume discretization of the equations governing the motion of reservoir fluids. Alternate discretization methods, such as finite element methods, are also used from time to time. These methods all have in common that the primary unknowns solved during the computation are the fluid pressures of each fluid phase and the composition of each fluid component.
Classical grid-based reservoir simulation can be very accurate but is usually prohibitively slow. These models are large and require significant computer resources to run them. They are prohibitively slow for use in supporting day-to-day decisions related to production optimization. Grid-based reservoir simulation models are used primarily to support long-term field development decisions, such as the addition of new wells or changes to the exploitation strategy of the field.
Reservoir production can also be affected by material travel between reservoir tanks. To account for this travel of material, equations such as the general material balance equation (GMBE) may be used. The general material balance equation relies on the following assumptions: the reservoir follows an isothermal transformation and is at equilibrium at any point in time; the gas component can be in solution in the oil phase; the oil component can be volatile in the gas phase; and rock, water, and hydrocarbons are (slightly) compressible. While useful for general material balance determinations, the GMBE lacks the specificity to be applicable in specific multi-tank situations.


Provided are methods and systems for application program interface (API) management. An API management device may receive requests from client devices to submit an API and/or API update for implementation. The API management device may determine an operable status of the API and/or the API update by determining whether the API and/or the API update is configured and/or updated for implementation. The API and/or the API update may be determined to be configured and/or updated for implementation when the API and/or the API update does not violate one or more rules. The API management device, based on operable status, may allow or deny the request for implementation.

A user using an application programming interface (API) to build and/or update an application (e.g., source code, etc.) can experience problems such as improper, incomplete, and/or noncompliant implementations. Such problems can be the result of changes in version, state, stability, and/or the like associated with an API. Even though an API (e.g., source code, etc.) may properly execute (e.g., compile and/or pass a test suite), a user may be unable to determine changes in version, state, stability, and/or the like associated with an API, prior to committing the application to a repository or deploying the application in a system or network. As such, an application implemented according to the API may perform improperly, fail, and/or be prone to security risk. These and other shortcomings are addressed by the methods and systems set forth herein.

Methods and systems for application program interface management


A modular jack connector assembly comprising: (a) a dielectric housing having a front and rear orientation and defining at least one receptacle adapted for receiving a mating plug; and (b) a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing, each contact being secured to the housing at a rear portion thereof, each contact extending forward from the rear portion to a free end such that a portion of the contact electrically connects with a mating plug when the mating plug is received within the receptacle.

This invention relates generally to connectors for electronic communication devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to modular jacks for connecting to telecommunication lines.
A vast majority of communication devices, such as telephones, facsimile machines, modems and local area network (LAN) adapters, require a wire connection to a telecommunication line. To conveniently attach a telecommunication line to a communication device, standard connectors have been promulgated. The most popular of these connectors is known in the art as the RJ-xx series of connectors. Of the RJ-xx series of connectors, the RJ-11, the RJ-12 and RJ-45 connectors are widely used. The RJ-11 connector comprises a six-contact plug and a corresponding jack, while the RJ-45 connector comprises an eight-contact plug and a corresponding jack. The RJ-11 and RJ-45 connectors are standardized in the industrial world and have desirable attributes of both low cost and high reliability.
Detailed information regarding the RJ-xx series of connectors can be found at Title 47 (Telecommunications), Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter I (Federal Communications Commission), Subchapter B (Common Carrier Services), Part 68 (Connection of Terminal Equipment to the Telephone Network), Subpart F (Connectors), Section 68.500 (1992) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and referred to herein as xe2x80x9cRJ-standards.xe2x80x9d Among other parameters, the RJ-standards provide for contact configurations having a minimum normal force and particular dimensions.
Although the RJ-standards provide for reliable and standardized connections, the applicants have identified that the relatively stout connectors mandated by the RJ-standard lack sufficient compliance to accommodate normal misuse. Misuse occurs, for example, when a user inserts an RJ-11 plug into an RJ-45 jack. Such an occurrence is not uncommon since these connectors are often used by people unfamiliar with the differences between the various RJ connectors which resemble each other. Such misuse unfortunately results in the housing around the RJ-11 plug permanently deforming the outer contacts of the RJ-45 connector.
The applicants have also identified that the lack of compliance of RJ-standard contacts results in limited durability due to the permanent deformation of the contacts after repeated mating cycles. According to the RJ-standard, a connector is rated only for 750 mating cycles. Although such a number may seem adequate, it is quickly reached by many users who may connect and disconnect their portable computers or other communication devices several times a day, every day, for several years. Indeed, it is not uncommon for a user to put a connector through 2,000 mating cycles or more in the life of the communication device. Thus, the RJ-standard of 750 mating cycles is woefully inadequate.
Therefore, there is a need for a modular jack connection which allows for normal misuse and provides for greater durability. The present invention fulfills this need among others.


A pneumatic tire for motorcycles comprises a tread, a pair of sidewalls each toroidally extending from each side end of the tread, a carcass comprised of at least one cord ply arranged at a cord angle of 75.degree.90.degree. with respect to an equator of the tire, and a belt arranged between the tread and the carcass and comprised of at least two cord layers. In this tire, the belt is comprised of at least innermost cord layer located at a carcass side and at least one cord layer located at a tread side and comprised of a cord spirally wound in the circumferential direction of the tire so as to extend in the widthwise direction of the tire, in which a widthwise end of at least one cord layer located at the carcass side is located within a particular region to tread width and sidewall height.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pneumatic tire for motorcycles possessing good high-speed running stability, gripping property, ground contacting property and rigid feeling.
2. Related Art Statement
As this type of the tire, there are pneumatic radial tires for motorcycles comprising a carcass ply comprised of organic fiber cords arranged at a cord angle of 75.degree.-90.degree. with respect to an equator of the tire and a belt superimposed about an outer periphery of the carcass ply and comprised of a belt layer extending in the widthwise direction of the tire. The belt layer is formed by spirally winding a cord having a modulus of elasticity of not less than 600 kg/mm.sup.2, such as high modulus polyester fiber cord, polyvinyl alcohol fiber cord, rayon fiber cord, aromatic polyamide fiber cord or the like in the circumferential direction of the tire. In these tires, the bulging of the tread outward in the radial direction of the tire through centrifugal force during the high-speed running can be prevented by the hoop effect of the above belt formed by the spiral winding of the cord, so that the high-speed running stability is excellent. Furthermore, since the cords for the belt are aligned in the widthwise direction of the tire by spiral winding, the bending rigidity of the tread in the radial direction of the tire is small, and consequently the ground contacting property becomes excellent.
The radial tire provided with the belt of spirally wound cord layer has many merits as mentioned above, however, the bending rigidity in the radial direction of the tire is small owing to the belt structure itself, so that the laterally rigid feeling is lacking.
In order to enhance the lateral rigidity in the motorcycle tire, it is generally attempted to increase the number of plies constituting the carcass, or to extend the reinforcing member for the bead portion toward the tread end, or the like. However, in the former case, the rigidity as a whole of the tire including not only tread but also sidewall becomes high and particularly the rigidity of the sidewall becomes relatively high. It is unavoidable to degrade the gripping property and the steering property. In the later case, the rigidity of the sidewall becomes excessively high, so that there is a problem that the gripping property and the steering property are degraded in the cornering.

Pneumatic tires for motorcycles including a spirally wound belt cord layer


An excavator comprises a control architecture having one or more actuators and one or more controllers. The one or more controllers are programmed to execute instructions. The instructions determine if there is a request to operate the excavator boom and the excavating implement in automatics mode. The instructions also receive target design surface data representing a target design surface of an excavating operation. The instructions still further receive an implement angle representing an operating angle of the excavating implement relative to the target design surface. The instructions also determine whether the implement angle is within an activation angle, determine whether the implement angle is outside of a deactivation angle, activate the excavating implement in the automatics mode when the implement angle is within the activation angle and the deactivation angle, and deactivate when the implement angle is outside of the deactivation angle subsequent to the automatics mode activation.

The present disclosure relates to automatic controls in the use of excavators.
The operation of earthmoving excavators requires skill and experience from the operator in order to properly perform functions such as raking and excavation. Operators can benefit from machine-assisted automatics. Without surrendering control of the excavator, an operator may be assisted with the precision required in many excavator functions.

Excavator boom and excavating implement automatic state logic

Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC


A fuel battery includes unit cells, each of which includes a membrane electrode assembly having two gas diffusion layers. Gas passage forming bodies are stacked on an outer surface of each of the gas diffusion layers of each of the unit cells so that each of the unit cells includes a fuel gas passage and an oxidant gas passage. Each of the gas passage forming bodies includes water guide passages, each of which is located between adjacent ones of the gas passages. A communication passage is arranged between each of the gas passages and an adjacent one of the water guide passages to guide water from the gas passage to the water guide passage. The communication passage has a higher pressure loss than that of the gas passage.

The present invention relates to a fuel battery.
A fuel battery generally has a stack structure in which unit cells 12 (fuel battery cells), such as the one shown in FIG. 11, are stacked (refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-150801). Each unit cell 12 includes two frames 13 and 14. A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) 15 is arranged in a bonded portion of the frames 13 and 14. The membrane electrode assembly 15 includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 16 formed by an ion-exchange membrane, an electrode catalyst layer 17 located at an anode side, and an electrode catalyst layer 18 located at a cathode side. The periphery of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 16 is held between the frames 13 and 14.
A gas diffusion layer 19 located at the anode side is laminated on a surface of the electrode catalyst layer 17. A gas diffusion layer 20 located at the cathode side is laminated on a surface of the electrode catalyst layer 18. A first gas passage forming body 21 located at the anode side is stacked on a surface of the gas diffusion layer 19. A second gas passage forming body 22 located at the cathode side is stacked on a surface of the gas diffusion layer 20. A flat separator 23 is bonded to a surface of the first gas passage forming body 21. A flat separator 24 is bonded to a surface of the second gas passage forming body 22.
The first gas passage forming body 21 and the second gas passage forming body 22 have the same structure. Thus, the structure of the second gas passage forming body 22 will be described below. In FIGS. 11 and 12, the same reference numerals as the second gas passage forming body 22 are given to those components of the first gas passage forming body 21 having the same structure.
The second gas passage forming body 22 includes a flat plate material 25. A number of locations of the flat plate material 25 are cut and raised to form first projections 26a and second projections 26b. The first projections 26a and the second projections 26b, which form gas passages, are cut and raised to project toward the gas diffusion layer 20.
The second projections 26b are arranged in rows. A first projection 26a is located adjacent to a gap between two second projections 26b located next to each other in the same row. The first projections 26a and the second projections 26b contact the gas diffusion layer 20. This forms main passages h1, which serve as oxidant gas passages, between the flat plate material 25 and the gas diffusion layer 20. Adjacent ones of the main passages hl are in communication with each other through sub-passages h2 located between the first projections 26a and the second projections 26b.
The flat plate material 25 includes small third projections 27 projecting toward the separator 24. The third projections 27 are located at an upstream side with respect to the gas flow direction P in correspondence with the first and second projections 26a and 26b. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the third projections 27, which form water passages 28, are extruded to project toward the separator 24. The third projections 27 each contact the separator 24. This forms the water passages 28 between the flat plate material 25 and the separator 24. The depth of the water passages 28 is set within a range of, for example, 10 to 50 nm.
Each of the first projections 26a and the second projections 26b includes a communication hole 29 extending through the first or second projection 26a, 26b in a direction Q orthogonal to the gas flow direction P. That is, the first projections 26a and the second projections 26b each open at two locations, left and right sides as viewed from the gas flow direction P, to form the communication holes 29. The gas passages are in communication with the water passages 28 through the communication holes 29. The water passages 28 serve as a water guide layer.
As described above, the first gas passage forming body 21 has the same structure as the second gas passage forming body 22. However, the direction in which fuel gas flows in the gas passages formed by the first gas passage forming body 21 differs by 90 degrees from the direction in which oxidant gas flows in the gas passages formed by the second gas passage forming body 22. That is, the two directions are orthogonal.
In such a conventional fuel battery cell that has the above structure, when power is generated, that is, when the fuel gas (hydrogen) and the oxidant gas (oxygen) are respectively supplied to the anode side and the cathode side, electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen generates water in the electrode catalyst layer 18 and gas diffusion layer 20 located at the cathode side. To improve the efficiency of power generation, the fuel gas and the oxidant gas are each humidified by a humidifier and then supplied to the unit cell 12.
The water generated at the cathode side enters the gas diffusion layer 20 and the main passages h1 of the gas passage forming body 22 located at the cathode side. Some of the water generated at the cathode side is reversely diffused (permeated) through the membrane electrode assembly 15 to enter, as osmosis water, the gas diffusion layer 19 and the main passages h1 of the gas passage forming body 21 located at the anode side.
In the gas passages at the anode and cathode sides, the generated water and the osmosis water are discharged to the main passages h1 in this manner. Some of the water moves through the communication holes 29 to the water passages 28 (water guide layer) due to the capillary action of the water passages 28. The fluid pressure of gas moves the water in the water passages 28 toward the downstream side. Thus, the first gas passage forming body 21 and the second gas passage forming body 22, which are formed by porous bodies, each include a liquid-phase separation porous body passage, which is the water guide layer (water passage 28).


A new and distinct Leucanthemum plant named ‘Goldfinch’ characterized by showy, double daisy type inflorescences, yellow ray florets that stay yellow longer than others currently on the market, excellent bloom size, a low, compact habit, and excellent vigor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Leucanthemum and given the cultivar name 'Goldfinch'. Leucanthemum is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a controlled cross between unnamed, proprietary Leucanthemum×superbum seedlings. This was part of a controlled breeding program to get a long lasting yellow flowering Leucanthemum.
Compared to the seed parent, an unnamed proprietary seedling, the new cultivar is much shorter.
Compared to the pollen parent, an unnamed proprietary seedling, the new cultivar has yellow rather than white ray florets.
Compared to Leucanthemum×superbum Gold Rush™ 'Leukal' U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,204, the new cultivar has broader ray florets, a shorter habit, and the inflorescence is yellower.
Compared to Leucanthemum×superbum 'Banana Cream' PPAF CPBR4203, the new cultivar has more ray florets that are yellower and stay yellow longer.
This new Leucanthemum cultivar is distinguished as unique with its:                1. showy, double daisy type inflorescences,        2. yellow ray florets that stay yellow longer than others currently on the market,        3. excellent bloom size,        4. a low, compact habit, and        5. excellent vigor.
This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.


The present invention related to a saccharide-based cholera toxin detection sensor for detection of Vibrio cholerae and its use. More specifically, the present invention relates to a carbohydrate chip for detection of Vibrio cholerae, a method for detecting Vibrio cholerae using the same, and a method for preparing the same, where the carbohydrate chip comprises GM1 pentasaccharide, GM2 tetrasaccharide, asialo GM1 tetrasaccharide, GM3 trisaccharide, galactose-β 1,3-N-acetylgalactosamine, lactose, and sialic acid that are immobilized on the surface of a solid substrate.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a saccharide-based detection sensor and its use, which detection sensor is to detect the existence of Vibrio cholerae in a sample by detecting a cholerae toxin as a Vibrio cholerae detection marker. More particularly, the present invention relates to a carbohydrate chip for detection of Vibrio cholerae, a method for detecting Vibrio cholerae using the same, and a method for preparing the same, where GM1 pentasaccharide, GM2 pentasaccharide, asialo GM1 tetrasaccharide, GM3 trisaccharide, galactose-β 1,3-N-acetylgalactosamine, lactose, and sialic acid are immobilized on the surface of a solid substrate.
(b) Description of the Related Art
The present invention is directed to a technique for detecting pathogen Vibrio cholerae that causes cholera, by means of a micro array (chip) which can be used to analyze and detect the interactions of different organic molecules simultaneously from a small quantity of sample.
A representative pathogenic bacterium, Vibrio cholera is a Gram-negative bacterium with a single, polar flagellum and belongs to the gamma subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Vibrio cholerae is a bacterium causing cholera which still remains a pervasive threat in the Earth. Left untreated, cholera can be fatal with high death rate, averaging 40 to 50%. Hence, the detection and diagnosis of the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae is a field very critical to the welfare of the human beings, and many efforts have been made to establish it.
Vibrio cholerae releases a substance called "cholera toxin" which causes cholera disease (De Haan, L, Hirst, T R, 2004. Mol. Membr. Biol. 21: 77-92). Hence, the cholera toxin is used as a detection marker for Vibrio cholerae in the Vibrio Cholerae detection system.
More specifically, cholera toxin is a protein enterotoxin secreted by pathogen Vibrio cholerae that is the major causative agent of cholera and used as a detection marker of Vibrio cholerae. Cholera toxin consists of one A subunit and five B subunits. The toxin B subunits bind specifically to GM1 gangliosides on the surface of endothelial cells to help uptake of the toxin A subunit into cells. The toxin A subunit possesses enzymatic (ADP ribosyltransferase) activity involved in accumulation of cAMP in the cells (Fukuta, S, Magnani, J L, Twiddy, E M, Holmes, R K, Ginburg, V, 1998. Infect. Immun. 56: 1748-1753).
There have been developed many detection methods for Vibrio cholerae, mostly based on antibodies or DNA. Antibody-based techniques for detecting Vibrio cholerae include enzyme-linked immunoassorbent assay (ELISA), surface plasma resonance (SPR), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), microcantilever-based immunosensor, electrochemical immunosensor, and so forth. DNA-based techniques for detecting Vibrio cholerae include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real time PCR (RT-PCR), multiplex PCR, DNA probe hybridization, and so forth. These techniques are characterized by high sensitivity for detection of Vibrio cholerae but problematic in stability as a sensor for detecting Vibrio cholerae due to a decrease in activity caused by denaturation of antibodies and degradation of DNA by DNase. The antibody-based sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae has a disadvantage that it requires advanced techniques for immobilizing antibodies with orientation.
Accordingly, there have recently been developed saccharide-based sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae using the fact that cholera toxin secreted by Vibrio cholerae specifically binds to GM1 gangliosides on the surface of endothelial cells. The saccharide-based sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae are known to have some advantages over the existing antibody- or DNA-based sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae (Chen, H, Zheng, Y, Jiang, J-H, Wu, H-L, Shen, G-L, Yu, R-Q, 2008. Biosens. Bioelectron. 24: 684-689). Firstly, GM1 pentasaccharide has the higher structural stability than antibodies, so the sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae using GM1 pentasaccharide are superior in stability to the antibody-based sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae. Secondly, GM1 gangliosides have strong affinity to cholera toxin. Lastly, the combining process of GM1 gangliosides and cholera toxin occurs very rapidly.
Recent advances in saccharide-based sensors for detecting Vibrio cholerae have been reported. Some of the sensors are based on the GM1 gangliosides and their analogues immobilized on the surface coated with a lipid film such as a membrane and liposome functionally surface-treated with the saccharides, using a variety of analytical tools, such as surface plasmon resonance (Phillips, K S, Han, J H, Martinez, M, Wang, Z Z, Carter, D, Cheng, Q, 2006. Anal. Chem. 78: 596-603), fluorescent quenching (Song, X, Swanson, B I, 1999. Direct, Anal. Chem. 71: 2097-2107), resonant energy transfer (Ma, G Y, Cheng, Q, 2006. Langmuir 22: 6743-6745), and so forth. These methods are, however, disadvantageously inferior in detection sensitivity.
Some methods are based on the liposomes surface-treated with GM1-gangliosides and their analogues, which liposomes are processed to contain fluorescent reagents (Ho, J A, Wu, L C, Huang, M R, Lin, Y J, Baeumner, A J, Durst, R A, 2007. Anal. Chem. 79: 246-250), colorimetric markers (Ahn-Yoon, S, Decory, T R, Baeumner, A J, Durst, R A, 2003. Anal. Chem. 75: 2256-2261), enzyme (Alfonta, L, Singh, A K, Willner, I, 2001. Anal. Chem. 73: 91-102), electroactive species (Viswanathan, S, Wu, L C, Huang, M R, Ho, J A, 2006. Anal. Chem. 78: 1115-1121), etc. These sensors have high sensitivity in relation to the preceding methods, but the liposome-based sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae take long time in their fabrication due to complicity of steps and feature some problems in regard to low repeatability and poor stability.
Some studies have been made on the analysis of interactions between GM1 gangliosides and cholera toxin using a microarray based on GM1 gangliosides (Fang, Y, Frutos, A G, Lahiri, J, 2003. Langmuir 19: 1500-1505; Ngundi, M M, Taitt, C R, McMurry, S A, Kahne, D, Ligler, F S, 2006. Biosens. Bioelectron. 21: 1195-1201; and Zhang, J, Zhou, X, 2011. Biosens. Bioelectron. 28: 355-361). However, the analysis in the studies uses GM1 gangliosides and their analogues rather than their carbohydrate moiety as a capture probe, and the liposome used to immobilize the gangliosides has some problems, such as change of structure, non-uniform particle size, aggregation and fusion, and chemical instability, resulting in difficulty and poor repeatability of immobilization. Poor repeatability in the immobilization process may be a serious disadvantage to the sensor for detection of Vibrio cholerae.
To solve the problems with liposome used to immobilize gangliosides, the present invention has demonstrated that the carbohydrate chips in which the gangliosides-constituting carbohydrates are immobilized on a solid substrate through chemical modification and covalent bonding is applicable to the analysis of interactions between cholera toxin and carbohydrates constituting the gangliosides and the detection of Vibrio cholerae using cholera toxin. In addition, the present invention also uses GM2 tetrasaccharide, asialo GM1 tetrasaccharide, GM3 trisaccharide, galactose-β 1,3-N-acetylgalactosamine, lactose, and sialic acid, in combination with GM1 ganglioside mainly used in the conventional saccharide-based sensors for detection of Vibrio cholerae, thereby detecting a low concentration of cholera toxin which is a detection marker for Vibrio cholerae and even the cholera toxin actually produced by Vibrio cholerae.

Carbohydrate chip for detection of pathogen Vibrio cholerae and method of preparing the same


A fuel dispensing nozzle incorporating sight glass in the vicinity of its poppet valve, which a sight glass is sealingly engaged within the body cap, comprising a lens of either the magnifying or nonmagnifying type, to provide a ready viewing of any activation device within the poppet cavity, either in the form of spinner, or spheres, that are rotated or agitated, as when fuel under pressure is being delivered through the nozzle and to the fuel tank of a vehicle.

In earlier days, when gasoline pumps were initially installed for dispensing fuel to early model automobiles, one can remember the upper glass portion for such dispensers, and which usually included some type of ball valve, or the like, which would be moved under the pressure of the flowing fuel to provide an indication to the driver and vehicle occupants that gasoline was actually being dispensed, and could visually be observed in this manner.
Of more recent origin, other types of fuel flow indicators are available, and can be used a related purpose. For example, the gasoline dispensing pump, as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,287,985, provides a dial means upon its dispenser for providing figures relating to the quantities of gasoline being dispensed by the pump. In addition, a transparent cylinder was provided with this early pump, so that one may watch the flow of fuel therethrough. This is somewhat related to the style of gasoline pump as previously described, and which prevailed in the early days of vehicular travel.
The U.S. Pat. No. 1,730,127, to Davenport, shows an oil display pump, which also incorporated a sight tube, or chamber, and provided means to furnish a positive indication of the flow of oil therethrough, which may possibly have meant to be gasoline, through the elevation of the shown balls as the oil was being forced through the valve by means of its pump.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,014,691, to Morgan, discloses another form of liquid flow indicator. This indicator apparently incorporated a cone shaped cylindrical portion that was turned upon the exertion of the pressure of the flowing liquid against its rotor, so as to provide a visual display, as through its housing, or its associated cylindrical tube, of the flow of liquid, such as gasoline, through the operations of its pump.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 2,027,696, to Morgan, shows a sight glass similar to that as previously explained, but in this particular instance, apparently providing for a turning of a helical tube to furnish an indication of the flow of fuel through the dispensing apparatus during its actuation.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,231,907, to Harris, discloses a different form of indicating nozzle, which in this particular instance, affords a form of sight glass within the spout itself, rather than within its dispensing nozzle or mechanism.
A U.S. Pat. No. 2,387,805, to Olson, provides a visual fluid flow indicator, such as in a gasoline dispensing device, and which incorporates its own self-cleaning mechanism, in the form of indicator brushes. This device included hemispherical lenses or windows of glass as can be seen.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,587,839, to Grise, discloses an automatic shut-off valve and signal for hose nozzles. This particular device apparently is in the form of a bell means, similar to the earlier style of door bell, and which was clanged by means of the rotation of its associated striker, to indicate when fuel is flowing through the nozzle.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,847,969, to Woodruff, shows another form of fluid flow indicator, for use within a pipeline, and in this particular instance, there are disclosed a series of ball elements, or vaned sphere, to indicate fluid flow.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,891, to Barker, shows another form of fluid flow indicator. Obviously, as fuel flows through the body passage, of this indicator, it simply turns its associated impeller blades, for revolving of its integral ring. This device, as can be seen, incorporates a transparent dome for visual observance.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,821, Garrison, discloses an anti-spill filling hose nozzle. It incorporates a window pane within the structure of its nozzle apparently for observance purposes.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,809, to Seaborne, shows a milk flow indicator for a milking machine. This device likewise incorporates a form of cap-like member, which apparently is rotated when the milk encounters the grooves or spirals of the shank, to indicate milk flow. As can be seen, its container or bowl is transparent.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,095, to Thrasher, Jr., discloses an injector lubricating apparatus. This device apparently is for use within a lubricator, of the injection pipe type, and incorporates various transparent inserts, and also a cup, so that the ball can be seen in its movement as when lubricant is being forced through the apparatus.
A U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,982, to Fink, comprising the same inventor herein, discloses a porous flow restrictor, for a poppet, but is not meant to comprise any form of means for observing fluid flow.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,877, to Chang, discloses a rotary sight flow indicator. This device provides for a visual indication of fluid flow due to the housing being incorporated within a pipeline, with a view port providing an observation of the rotor assembly, as an indication of fluid flow.
Finally, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,577, to Campau, shows another form of fluid flow indicator. This device is a transparent coupling incorporated within a flow line, and has a series of balls rotated therein as a result of the channelized flow of fluid through its associated disc.
The current invention, on the other hand, incorporates a sight glass in association with the poppet structure of a fuel dispensing nozzle, and provides an actuation means therein, so that as fluid flows through the flow channel furnished through the nozzle, the activation means may be moved, to provide a visual observance that fuel is actually flowing through the nozzle, during its dispensing.

Sight glass incorporated into fuel dispensing nozzle


A photopolymerizable composition comprises a polymerizable compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated double bond and a photopolymerization initiator, wherein the photopolymerization initiator comprises an onium compound and an acridine derivative represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl, alkyl or alkoxy group. The composition has high sensitivity to actinic rays over a wide range of wavelength extending from ultraviolet to visible region and thus can be used for preparing a lithographic printing plate, a resin-letterpress plate, a resist or photomask for making a printed board, a monochromatic and colored sheet for transfer or color-development and a color-developing sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photopolymerizable composition and more specifically to a photopolymerizable composition which has high sensitivity and can be used for preparing a lithographic printing plate, a resin-letterpress plate, a resist or photomask for making a printed board, a monochromatic and colored sheet for transfer or color-development and a color-developing sheet.
2. Prior Art
There have conventionally been known a variety of photographic image-forming systems in which a hardenable organic component carrying an ethylenically unsaturated group is used for forming images. The organic component can undergoes an optically induced addition reaction of the ethylenically unsaturated groups, typically a polymerization or crosslinking reaction to cause hardening to thus give images.
As other photographic image-forming systems, there have also been known systems which comprise a combination of a leuco dye which can develop the color through an oxidation reaction or a reaction with an acid and a radical-generating agent which acts as an oxidizing agent or an acid. Examples of such systems are disclosed in, for instance, Phot. Sci. Eng., p. 598 (1961); and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,042,515 and 3,615,568.
Among these image-forming methods which comprise the use of a light-sensitive composition containing a hardenable organic component carrying an ethylenically unsaturated group, presently there has widely been well known a method which comprises duplicating images through a photographic technique using a light-sensitive composition comprising, for instance, a polymerizable ethylencally unsaturated compound, a photopolymerization initiator, a linear polymeric compound having a film-forming ability and a heat polymerization inhibitor. As described in, for instance, Japanese Patent Publication for Opposition Purpose (hereinafter referred to as "J.P. KOKOKU") Nos. Sho 35-5093 (=U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,022) and Sho 35-8495, the light-sensitive composition causes photopolymerization by irradiation of actinic light rays and is correspondingly made insoluble. Therefore, a desired photopolymerized images can be obtained by applying a light-sensitive composition in the form of a proper film, irradiating the light-sensitive layer with actinic light rays through a negative film carrying a desired image and then removing only the unexposed areas with a proper solvent (hereinafter referred to as simply "development"). The light-sensitive composition of this type is very useful as the light-sensitive layer of a presensitized plate for use in making a lithographic printing plate. Typical examples of photopolymerization initiators for these photopolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated compounds include benzyl, benzoin, benzoin ethyl ether, anthraquinone, acridine, phenazine, benzophenone and 2-ethylanthraquinone. However, these photopolymerization initiators are responsive to ultraviolet rays having short wavelengths, but have low sensitivity and further is not almost responsive to visible light rays such as argon ion laser rays having long wavelengths and thus have insufficient ability of initiating polymerization.
On the other hand, there has been forwarded the development of light-sensitive materials responsive to visible light rays and there have been proposed, for instance, a composite system comprising an photoreducible dye and an aliphatic amine as disclosed in J.P. KOKOKU No. Sho 44-20189; a composite system comprising a cyclic cis-.alpha.-dicarbonyl compound and a dye as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (hereinafter referred to as "J.P. KOKAI") No. Sho 48-84183; a system comprising a hexaaryl biimidazole, a radical generator and a dye as disclosed in J.P. KOKOKU No. Sho 45-37377; a system comprising a hexaaryl biimidazole and a p-dialkylaminobenzylideneacetone as disclosed in J.P. KOKAI Nos. Sho 47-2528 and Sho 54-155292 (=U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,162); and a system comprising a substituted triazine and a merocyanine dye as disclosed in J.P. KOKAI No. Sho 54-151024.
Recently, there has been investigated a method for forming images by using a laser and a laser facsimile or the like has already been put to practical use. For this reason, there has correspondingly been desired for the development of light-sensitive composition having high sensitivity applicable to these recently-developed methods, but any composition having sufficient sensitivity has not yet been developed.


Briefly, in accordance with one more embodiments, a substrate guided relay comprises a slab guide having an absorbing edge at a first end of the slab guide. An input coupler is disposed on a surface of the slab guide at an angle with respect to a first edge of the slab guide. An output coupler is disposed on the surface at a second end of the slab guide. Light rays that enter the slab guide toward the first end are absorbed by the absorbing edge, and light rays that enter the slab guide toward the output coupler exit the slab guide via the output coupler. The absorbing edge on the first edge of the slab guide allows the input coupler to be placed on the slab guide without regard to alignment of the input coupler with the first end of the slab guide.

A substrate guided relay may be utilized in a head-up display (HUD) system or the like to generate one or more copies of an input light and to homogenize the input light applied to the user's eye. Such a substrate guided relay generally may comprise an input coupler, a slab guide, and an output coupler. The input coupler is disposed at an angle with respect to the slab guide to internally reflect the input beam and to make multiple copies of the input beam by application of Brewster's formula to control the internal reflection of the copies of the input beam. However, alignment of the input coupler and the slab guide may be difficult. The surface bond of the input coupler on the slab guide controls alignment in a first direction since one surface of the input coupler abuts the surface of the slab guide, but alignment of the input coupler to the edges of the slab guide involves precision to achieve a sufficient amount of alignment.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, if considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.

Substrate guided relay having an absorbing edge to reduce alignment constraints