A GLP-1 derivative is provided including an amino acid sequence of GLP-1 (7-35) having deletion, substitution and/or addition of one or more amino acids and having Waa-(Xaa)n-Yaa (in which Waa is Arg or Lys, Xaa is Arg or Lys, n is an integer of 0 to 14, and Yaa is Arg, Arg-NH2, Lys, Lys-NH2 or Hse) added to the C-terminus of the peptide having a GLP-1 activity. These derivatives are highly absorbable via a mucous membrane. The GLP-1 derivative can be conferred with resistance to dipeptidyl peptidase IV by substituting amino acid 8 in its GLP-1 amino acid sequence with Ser, or with resistance to trypsin by substituting amino acids 26 and 34 with Gln and Asn, respectively.

GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) is known as an incretin hormone which is secreted from digestive tracts upon ingestion of food to act on the pancreas and stimulate insulin secretion. As a hormone exhibiting a similar action, there is GIP (Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide or Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide). This incretin effect is suggested to be absent or reduced inpatients with type 2 diabetes, compared with healthy persons, and this is considered as one of causes high blood glucose. For example, it is reported that inpatients with type 2 diabetes, blood GLP-1 level is lowered, while blood GIP level is normal. As a result of administering the incretin hormones to patients with type 2 diabetes, there is no difference upon the insulin secretion-stimulating activity of GLP-1 between the patients and healthy persons, while the insulin secretion-stimulating activity of GIP is significantly lower in the patients than healthy persons. Accordingly, the response of the patients with diabetes to GLP-1 is maintained; thus, a GLP-1 preparation compensating for its shortage can be expected to serve as a medicine for treatment of diabetes.
The action of GLP-1 on insulin secretion is characterized by glucose level dependent that GLP-1 does not stimulate insulin secretion in the blood glucose level of 110 mg/dL or less. That is, Administration of GLP-1 has clinical advantages that lower possibility of hypoglycemia, and suppress the excessive insulin secretion so that the exhaustion of the pancreas is is prevented. While A sulfonylurea, used mainly in treatment of type 2 diabetes, closes ATP-sensitive K+ channels continuously to promote insulin secretion it causes low blood glucose, exhaustion of the pancreas by excessive stimulation of β cells, and secondary failure in administration for a long period of time. Accordingly, the pharmacological characteristics of GLP-1 are very useful and different from those of the conventional medicine for diabetes.
GLP-1 also have the following characteristics: suppression of glucagon secretion, delay of gastric emptying, suppression of stomach acid secretin, action on the brain to suppress appetite, promotion of insulin synthesis in pancreatic β cells and proliferation of pancreatic β cells. Therefore, GLP-1 is considered not only effective for treatment of diabetes by antagonizing the cause of high blood glucose such as hyperglucagonemia in type 2 diabetes, but also effective for treatment of obesity.
However, as GLP-1 is the polypeptide made up of 30 or 31 amino acids, it is digested upon oral ingestion and decomposed by digestive enzyme in the digestive tract, and is thus not absorbed. The administration thereof by intravenous injection or subcutaneous injection of GLP-1 is attempted at present. Further, it is known that GLP-1 undergoes decomposition with dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) present in blood or tissues so that the half-life thereof in the living body is as very short as 1 to 2 minutes, thus giving rise to an obstacle to clinical applications.
To solve these problems, some researches and developments have been made. It is attempted to develop, for example, its derivative having an amino acid sequence substituted at position 8 which is hardly degradable to attain a longer half-life (Diabetologia 41: 271-278 (1998) and Biochem 40: 2860-2869 (2001)) and a sustained-release injection showing sustained subcutaneous absorption. An injection of lizard-derived, synthetic Exendin-4 having a GLP-1 like agonistic activity and a long half-life in blood (Am J Physiol 281: E155-E161 (2001)) is also developed. However, an administration route other than via an injection is desired for wide application of GLP-1 as a medicine for diabetes and in consideration of patients' burden and convenience.
As an administration method not using an invasive means such as an injection or a preparation for oral administration, use of a preparation for absorption through mucous membranes in the lung, oral cavity, nasal cavity, vagina, eye, rectum and the like is available. But a peptide such as GLP-1 upon being administered alone, is poor in absorption via a mucous membrane. Accordingly, a polymer such as peptide is formulated together with an absorption promoter. To secure sustained absorption of chemicals, the preparation makes use of a water-soluble or water-swelling binder, and is formulated in the form of film adhering to the skin layer, buccal tablets, ointment or troche. Many absorption promoters or binders have been examined and found to be effective in facilitating administration of chemicals via mucous membranes. However, as the absorption rate, in terms of bioavailability, of GLP-1 in buccal tablets containing 400 μg GLP-1 through a mucous membrane in the human oral cavity reported by Gutniak et al. ("Diabetes Care" 20: 1874-1879 (1997)), even by using the prior art described above, is 7% of the absorption of its intravenous injection or 47% of the absorption of its subcutaneous injection, and its absorptivity is not sufficient.
Dipeptidyl peptidase IV is known as an enzyme degradating of GLP-1, which is widely distributed not only in the kidney, liver, small intestine, salivary gland and various connecting tissues, but also in body fluid such as blood, urine and saliva and in a mucous membrane in the nasal cavity, and also possibly in other mucous membrane tissues.

GLP-1 derivative and preparation thereof absorbable via mucous membrane

Abstract: The absorption efficiency of the GLP-1 derivatives via mucous membranes can be further improved by preparing a composition using a charge-regulated fat emulsion regulated to be negatively charged thereon.


A differential gear apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first sun gear coupled to a first shaft to be rotated in conjunction with the first shaft, a second sun gear coupled to a second shaft to be rotated in conjunction with the second shaft, a first planetary gear meshed with the first sun gear, a second planetary gear rotated with the first planetary gear and meshed with the second sun gear, a carrier supporting the first and second planetary gears, and a housing supporting the second shaft upon rotation, wherein the sun gears and the planetary gears have profile shifted teeth of which addendum modifications are different at the positions in a flank width direction and a nut screwed on the mid way of the second shaft, and a through hole disposed at a position facing the nut are provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a differential gear apparatus provided with a planetary gear.
2. Description of the Related Art
A differential gear apparatus provided with a planetary gear is used for a steering apparatus of a vehicle. The differential gear apparatus for the steering apparatus has a sun gear having a first shaft that is connected to a steering wheel, three planetary gears meshed with the sun gear while orbiting around the sun gear and rotating on its axis, and an internal gear meshing with the planetary gears and mounted on a second shaft that is disposed coaxially with the first shaft and away from the sun gear, and a carrier rotatably fitted and mounted to the first shaft and supporting the planetary gears. The differential gear apparatus is constituted so as to rotate the second shaft through the first shaft, the sun gear, the planetary gears, the carrier, and the internal gear by the operation of the steering wheel and to operate a steering mechanism connected to the second shaft (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-122071 (1986)).
However, since a standard spur gear is used for the sun gear and the planetary gears disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-122071 (1986), there is a problem such that backlash of a mesh portion between the sun gear and the planetary gear is hardly adjusted. In addition, when an inversed input load in an axial direction is applied from a steering mechanism connected to a pair of right and left steering wheels to the second shaft, the inverted input load is directly applied to the mesh portion between the sun gear and the planetary gear. Therefore, there is a problem that the tooth of the mesh portion is easily damaged.
Further, the differential gear apparatus provided with the planetary gear is processed with a high degree of accuracy as compared to a general gear such as a spur gear or the like because the planetary gear orbits and rotates on its axis. However, the process with a high degree of accuracy is difficult to carry out and the cost of the planetary gear is relatively expensive. Accordingly, to provide three and more planetary gears leads to the high cost of the differential gear apparatus because the process with a high degree of accuracy is difficult to carry out and the cost of the planetary gear is relatively expensive. In addition, in the case that the carrier supporting planetary gears is provided with fitting holes for the planetary gears formed at three and more peripheral positions at even intervals, there is a problem that it is difficult to process the fitting holes with a high degree of accuracy at even intervals and the cost of the differential gear apparatus is relatively expensive.


A method of manufacturing a bicycle fork including forming a manufactured blank comprising a metallic steering spigot 11, two fork arms 13 and a pair of metallic axle mounts 14. Each fork arm 13 includes a hard foam core 19 at the lower straight portion of each fork arm 13 and a flexible foam core 22 at the upper end of each fork arm 13. Alternatively, a single flexible foam core having an internal pressurization may be advantageously used. The axle mounts 14 have a connection spigot 21 which is inserted into the free ends of each fork arm 13. A polymer impregnated flexible foam sheath 20 is laid around foam core 19, flexible foam core 22 or 37 and connection spigots 21. Subsequently, various polymer impregnated fiber reinforced sleeves 15, 16, 17, 18 are laid around the foam sleeve 20. The upper parts of the fork arms 13 are brought together to form a fork head 12 having a single steering spigot connection part 12a and fork arm transition parts 12b. Connection part 12a is introduced at least substantially into the lower end of the steering spigot 11. A pressure piston is inserted into the blank and, in a heatable mold, the blank is molded into its final shape upon application of bot heat and pressure, and then cured.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bicycle fork comprising a tubular steering spigot of metal, in particular of steel, a fork head consisting of fiber reinforced plastic and rotationally fixedly connected to the steering spigot, two fork arms which are formed in one piece with the fork head and which likewise comprise fiber reinforced plastic, and connection spigots of axle mounts of metal, in particular of steel, which are inserted in rotationally fixed manner into the free end of each of the fork arms, wherein the fork head and the fork arms have a plurality of sheaths of polymer impregnated fiber bundles which are laid around their axes and which consist either of only one group of fibers which extend parallel to one another and to the axis, or of two groups of fibers which extend parallel to one another and which can be arranged at an angle of up to 90.degree. to one another. Furthermore the invention relates to a bicycle fork made in accordance with this method.
It is already known from EP-A 0 127 553 to manufacture the tubes of a bicycle frame of sheaths or layers which are concentric to one another and which consist of polymer impregnated fiber arrangements. The fiber arrangements can be of differing construction in the individual sheaths and both sheaths with fibers extending parallel to the axis and to one another and also sheaths with fiber meshes and/or fiber fabrics can be provided. After the individual sheaths have been wound on top of one another the blanks are heated in suitable molds whereby the plastic impregnation first becomes liquid and then flows together with the plastic impregnations of the adjacent sheaths and subsequently hardens. The customary hardening temperatures lie around 20.degree. to 160.degree. C.
It has already become known (EP-A 0 230 839) to manufacture the fork head and the fork arms of bicycle forks of synthetic resin reinforced by textile material. The textile material which serves for the reinforcement consists at least partially of weaves arranged above one another and comprising fibers which extend in two different directions, with filaments or fibers which extend in the longitudinal direction being arranged between these weaves. The manufacture of the known bicycle fork proceeds in such a way that the fork head and the fork arms of resin reinforced with textile material are first manufactured in their final form including hardening and that the tubular steering spigot of metal and also the axle mounts are subsequently applied to the basic body of plastic. A firm bond between the metal and plastic parts which takes account of all possible loadings is however not achievable with the known method, or only with a high degree of complexity and expense so far as the assembly is concerned. As the receiving bores in the steering spigot and also in the lower ends of the fork arms generally have a circular cross-section the rotational securing of the metal and plastic parts relative to one another is in particular problematic.


An aspect according to the invention provides a method of producing an optical transmission component in which peel-off and a bubble are not generated within a keeping temperature range in a bonding agent with which a space between an optical function portion and an end face of an optical transmission line is filled while a holder portion for holding the optical transmission line such as an optical fiber and the optical function portion such as a lens array are integrally molded. An optical function array is disposed across the space from a fiber holder, and the optical function array including lenses and a lower-side holder portion are integrally molded by a transparent resin. Fiber cores are placed in V-shape grooves of the lower-side holder portion, and an upper-side holder portion is put on the fiber cores. End faces of the fiber cores face the space, and the space is filled with the bonding agent. When a linear expansion coefficient of the bonding agent is smaller (or larger) than the linear expansion coefficient of the connection portion that connects the optical function array and the lower-side holder portion, the bonding agent is cured at an atmosphere temperature higher than an upper limit (or lower than a lower limit) of a keeping temperature of the optical transmission component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical transmission component and a production method thereof, particularly to an optical transmission component and a method for producing the optical transmission component by assembling an optical transmission line such as an optical fiber and a holder having an optical function.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a conventional optical transmission component (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-107277). An optical transmission component 11 includes an optical connector 12 and a lens array 13. In the optical connector 12, cores 17 of an optical fiber array 16 (tape core) are sandwiched between an upper-side holder 14 and a lower-side holder 15, and end faces of the cores 17 are exposed to a front face thereof. In the lens array 13, a plurality of lenses 18 are formed in a front face thereof, a pitch between the lenses 18 is equal to a pitch between the cores 17. A backside of the lens array 13 is bonded to a front face of the optical fiber array 16 with a bonding agent such that optical axes of the lenses 18 are aligned with center axes of the cores 17.
In the optical transmission component 11 having the above-described configuration, during a production process, it is necessary that the backside of the lens array 13 be bonded to the front face of the optical connector 12 with the bonding agent while the optical axes of the lenses 18 are aligned with the center axes of the cores 17, which results in cost increase and time-consuming assembling work or alignment.
Therefore, the inventors have an idea that the lens array is integrally molded with the holder portion of the optical connector from the beginning. When the lens array is integral with the holder portion, it is not necessary to bond the lens array to the optical connector, so that the optical axes of the lenses can automatically be aligned with the center axes of the cores by positioning the cores in the holder portion of the optical connector.
However, when the lens array is integral with the holder portion, there is generated a new problem. When a space is formed between the backside of the lens array and the end face of the core, the light is reflected by the end face of the core or the backside of the lens array, or the light leaks from the space, which results in a decrease in optical coupling efficiency. Although the space between the backside of the lens array and the end face of the optical connector is filled with the bonding agent, peel-off of the bonding agent or a bubble (micro peel-off) is generated in the backside of the lens array due to curing shrinkage after filling of the bonding agent and a difference in thermal expansion coefficient among the lens array, the holder, the bonding agent after curing, and a fiber material. The light is scattered due to the peel-off and the bubble, and the optical coupling efficiency is largely decreased between the optical fibers. The investigation shows that a difference in linear expansion coefficient between a resin portion (connection member) connecting the lens array and the optical connector and the bonding agent with which the space between the lens array and the optical connector is filled has a large influence on the generation of the peel-off and bubble rather than the curing shrinkage of the bonding agent.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical transmission component and a production method thereof, wherein the peel-off and the bubble are not generated within a keeping temperature range in the bonding agent with which the space between the optical function portion and the end face of the optical transmission line is filled while the holder portion for holding the optical transmission line such as the optical fiber and the optical function portion such as the lens array are integrally molded.

Optical transmission component and production method thereof


An improved catadioptric imaging system is presented which produces a flat accessible final image, and is particularly effective at high speed in the deep ultraviolet spectral range. The lenses of the system are formed from a single glass type, fused silica. A first group of lenses serves as an aberration corrector group. A single focusing lens focuses light, transmitted through the corrector group, forming an intermediate image at a predetermined position within the system. A separate field lens is placed at the intermediate image point, and focuses the light transmitted thereto through a hole in the center of a spherical mirror. The light then travels through a separate thick lens element and is subsequently reflected by a planar mirror back through the thick lens and towards the concave reflective side of the spherical mirror. The spherical mirror thereafter reflects this incident light, focusing it through a hole in the center of the planar mirror and to a final imaging point outside of the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical imaging systems, and more particularly to a catadioptric imaging system which exhibits good performance at high speed, utilizing a single refractive material type best suited for broad-band ultraviolet applications.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In today's technologically oriented society, a demand has developed for ultra-accurate precision optical instruments and imaging systems. These systems are used in a multitude of applications and must often operate effectively and efficiently over a relatively broad spectral range. In order to accommodate optical functionality, very expensive precision lenses are often used in a variety of complex and functionally limited combinations. The success of these systems has been marginal and oftentimes includes a capital commitment which is effectively cost prohibitive.
A fundamental problem arises which prevents an all-refractive optical system from achieving a broad spectral range with good performance at high speed. That problem is secondary and tertiary color, which is a chromatic variation in focus. In order to compensate for this problem, and maintain an essentially constant focus over a broad ultraviolet range, at least three different types of optical glass normally have to be used, each with a special characteristic dispersion property.
Unfortunately, there is only one optimum optical material that transmits well deep into the ultraviolet, and that is fused silica. Other materials which transmit well, such as calcium fluoride and lithium fluoride, have very undesirable physical properties, such as being soft, difficult to polish, expensive, and susceptible to thermal shock. More importantly, the dispersion properties of calcium fluoride and lithium fluoride are not different enough from that of fused silica to be very useful for achromatising a lens design, and not different enough from each other to be very useful for correcting secondary and tertiary color.
In order to produce an operative broad-band deep-ultraviolet, all-refractive design, for a fast speed objective, an extremely large number of lens elements would be required. Even if this arrangement could be achieved, it is doubtful that the focus constancy could be maintained over a really broad spectral range. Additionally, it would be extremely difficult to correct chromatic variation of aberrations over this range.
An alternative to an all-refractive design is a catadioptric design, which utilizes both lenses and mirrors wherein most of the focusing power of the optical system is due to spherical mirrors. This arrangement greatly diminishes the work done by the lenses, and allows easier control of their color effects. Although a design involving only mirrors would be optimal (because it would work equally well at any wavelength), aspheric mirrors are very difficult to make to the requisite accuracy, and spherical mirrors invariably have three major design defects they are not capable of good performance at fast speeds; they have a large amount of obscuration; and, they produce a strongly curved image.
Prior art catadioptric imaging systems provide a partial solution to these problems, however, several critical tradeoffs are made. First, these systems ultimately produce a strongly curved final image, which is an undesirable quality in any optical system. Furthermore, these systems continue to be constructed using lenses formed from multiple refractive material types. As suggested above, this severely limits the broad-band ultraviolet imaging capabilities of the system. Additionally, a further significant design problem with the prior art catadioptric systems is that major obscurations are produced, which effectively reduce the amount of transmitted light amenable to the system in forming a final image.


A lens apparatus in which setting information for each function related to image-capturing with the lens apparatus can be changed only by special operations. The lens apparatus includes an optical device, memory for storing setting data, and a controller for controlling changing the data in the memory. The function settings defined for each subject of TV shooting cannot be easily changed. As such, the problem of accidentally activating unintended functions during the operation of switches on a drive unit can thus be prevented.

This application is related to co-pending application 11/098,269 filed on Apr. 4, 2005.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens apparatus, and to an image-capturing apparatus that includes the lens apparatus and a camera apparatus attached to the lens apparatus, and is used, for example, as a TV lens for TV shooting.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical apparatus for use in TV shooting includes a TV camera body and a TV lens, which is attached to the TV camera body. The TV lens is mainly composed of a lens body and a drive unit. The lens body includes an image-capturing optical system and a manual ring for manually operating the image-capturing optical system. A motor for electrically driving the manual ring, a control board, and a CPU are stored inside the drive unit, which is externally provided with various switches and operating members for electric control. TV shooting used to be normally performed by manual zoom control and manual iris control of a TV lens. However, since TV shooting is often performed by an electric servomotor these days, various functions are added to a drive unit (see Japanese Patent No. 03420542 (no corresponding foreign application)).
Examples of such added functions include a preset function for allowing the zoom to be motor-driven to a previously stored position with the press of a switch. Another example is a function for allowing the user to freely assign such a preset function to any of a plurality of switches on the drive unit.
To set such various functions, the optical apparatus includes function-setting means, a display panel to be used therefor, and memory means for storing setting information for each function related to image-capturing with a TV lens. An optical apparatus having function-setting means with easy and quick adjustability and excellent operability can thus be provided.
Such various functions expand the range of image-capturing capability and enable the camera operator to perform the most suitable camera work according to the shooting situation.
An optical apparatus including a TV camera body and TV lens for TV shooting is often shared among many camera operators, as it is normally owned by a broadcasting company or production company, not by an individual. Therefore, since settings are determined differently depending on the operator, an unintended function previously defined by another operator may be accidentally activated, for example, during the operation of switches on the drive unit.
There are an increasing number of cases where function settings are determined depending on the subject of TV shooting. For example, since a preset function that allows for quick framing is required in sports broadcasting, a preset function with quick movement is normally assigned to a switch on a drive unit of an optical apparatus owned by a department involved in sports shooting. On the other hand, since a preset function with relatively slow movement is used in drama shooting, a preset function with slow movement is normally assigned to a switch on a drive unit of an optical apparatus owned by a department involved in drama shooting. The above-described problem also arises when these settings are changed by individual camera operators.
Since setting information for each function related to image-capturing with a TV lens can be changed only by special operations, function settings defined for each subject of TV shooting cannot be easily changed. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent the problem of accidentally activating unintended functions during the operation of switches on the drive unit.

Lens apparatus with changeable image-capturing function setting


A multi-mode wireless device having a transceiver including a multi-mode transmitter and a multi-mode receiver. The transmitter can include a multi-mode transmit baseband portion configured to support all of the transmit modes. Similarly, the receiver can include a multi-mode baseband portion that is configured to support all of the receive modes. The transmitter can also include a frequency conversion stage that can convert the output from the transmit baseband portion to the desired transmit frequency. Multiple power amplifiers in parallel, each configured to support one or more of the operating modes, can selectively amplify the transmit signals. The receiver can include multiple low noise amplifiers (LNAs) in parallel, each configured to selectively amplify the received signals of one or more of the operating modes. The output of the LNAs can be coupled to a frequency conversion stage that downconverts the received signals and provides them to the baseband portion.

Conventional practice is to design a radio transceiver targeted to a particular standard. For example, a radio transceiver to be used in a device that operates using the Bluetooth™ communication protocol is typically sized and customized to the Bluetooth protocol, while a transceiver configured to operate in accordance with a wireless telephone communication standard is sized and customized for operation with the communication standard. Generally the same can be said for radio transceivers designed for use in devices that operate using the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.
Historically, a user that is interested in communicating in particular systems operates a distinct device dedicated to each of the communication protocols. The user is required to have multiple devices, with each device limited to communicating over a particular communication system using a particular communication protocol.
However, there is a trend in many applications that a communication device operates multiple communication protocol technologies, or operates multiple instances of the same communication protocol technology. Communication devices are continually shrinking in physical size and simultaneously increasing the ability to communicate over multiple communication systems each having a corresponding communication protocol. A multi-mode communication device can be configured to support communications over a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) as well as communications over a wide area network, such as a wireless telephone network. For example, a multi-mode communication device such as a cellular telephone device may include IEEE 802.11 WLAN and Bluetooth functionality along with GSM functionality.
The term WLAN typically refers to a class of wireless communication technology that operates at a distance up to 100 meters, and WPAN is commonly used to refer to a class of wireless communication technology that operates up to a distance of 10 meters. For simplicity, when used herein, the term WLAN is meant to encompass at least systems operating in accordance with standards such as IEEE 802.11/DS, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. The term WLAN should not be limited to these technologies as any other shorter-range wireless communication technology, particularly, but not limited to, those that do not require a license for operation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States (U.S.) and other similar unlicensed bands outside of the U.S.
Wireless telephone networks can operate according to a variety of communication standards and corresponding communication protocols. Wireless telephone systems include, but are not limited to, those systems operating in accordance with GSM, GPRS, EDGE, AMPS, CDMA and WCDMA standards.
The desire to increase the inter-operability of a wireless device with multiple distinct communication systems complicates the efforts to shrink the physical size of the device. The multiple communication systems that are supported by a multi-mode wireless communication device are typically assigned to different frequency bands and can have different operating bandwidths and communication protocols. The desire to support multiple wireless communication systems in a single multi-mode device requires the device include the elements configured to support the communication system. However, the addition of elements to a device is contrary to the desire to minimize the physical size of the device. It is desirable to provide a multi-mode wireless device that supports multiple communication standards, but allows for a minimal physical size.

Transmitter and receiver architecture for multi-mode wireless device


The present invention provides the porphyrin compound which is used for photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment for animals, and the photodynamic diagnostic and/or therapeutic agent for animals.

The present invention relates to a porphyrin compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof used for photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment of animals. The present invention also relates to a photodynamic diagnostic and/or therapeutic agent comprising the porphyrin compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, which is used for photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment, especially, of tumor in animals.
As a new method of treatment for cancer, photodynamic diagnosis and therapy (PDT: Photodynamic Therapy) has stepped into the limelight. It is a method in which a certain type of porphyrin derivatives is administered to a subject by, for example, intravenous injection to retain the porphyrin derivative in the target cancerous tissues in the subject, followed by laser irradiation to cause selective destruction of the cancerous tissues. The therapy utilizes the two properties of a porphyrin derivative, i.e., selectivity for cancerous tissues and photosensitivity.
The only porphyrin derivative currently used in PDT is porphymer sodium. Porphymer sodium is a mixture compound of 2- to 6-polymer comprising an ether and/or ester of hematoporphyrin derivative. Porphymer sodium is known to cause temporary photosensitivity as an undesirable side effect when administered to human body, and further, selective distribution to cancerous tissues is not sufficient for practical use, and therefore the problem of accumulation in normal tissues is confirmed.
Under the circumstances, a patient treated with porphymer sodium is required to stay in the dark for a long period of time until porphymer sodium is completely excreted from the body so that normal cells are not damaged by the photosensitizing action of porphymer sodium accumulated in normal tissues. However, since porphymer sodium shows a slow excretion rate from normal tissues, it sometimes causes photosensitivity to last for more than six weeks.
In addition, PDT using porphymer sodium has a problem with transmission of the light irradiated by laser through tissues. That is, porphymer sodium has a longest wavelength absorption end at 630 nm and a molar absorption coefficient is as small as 3,000. Since there are many components present in a living body which prevent the transmission of light, such as oxyhemoglobin and water, the light with wavelength of 630 nm exhibits a poor transmission through tissues, which cannot sufficiently reach to deep sites, thus, PDT using porphymer sodium is only intended for cancers developing in the surface layers of 5 to 10 mm depth. The wavelength which is least damaging by the light absorption to the components in a living body is in a range of 650 to 750 nm, therefore, photosensitizers for PDT having the longest wavelength absorption end within such range are most desirable.
Laser devices themselves also have problems. Dye lasers, which are most commonly used at present, have a poor stability in performance and therefore are difficult to handle in practical use. On the other hand, titanium-sapphire lasers enable to facilitate the practice of PDT considerably. However, these types of lasers are limited in the excitable wavelength to not less than 670 nm and not more than 600 nm, and therefore are not applicable to porphymer sodium which has an absorption wavelength of near 630 nm.
Recently, semiconductor lasers (670 nm), which are applicable to compounds exhibiting an absorption near 670 nm, have been developed, and quite recently OPO-YAG laser has been developed, which made it possible to cover almost all visible wavelengths.
As mentioned above, photosensitizers currently used for PDT have various defects and therefore development of new agents without such defects is strongly desired. In an attempt to overcome those problems, a prophyrin compound which is a single compound and exhibits its adsorption in a longer wavelength region (650-800 nm) has been proposed as a second generation agent for PDT.
Examples of such second generation agent includes amino-levulinic acid (ALA) which is a protoporphyrin precursor; asparthyl-chlorin e6 (Np e6) which is a chlorin derivative; benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD) and methatetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (m-THPC), both of which are new type of chlorin derivatives obtained by the structural conversion from hemoglobin-derived porphyrins.
In addition, the present inventors proposed chlorin derivatives and the analogues thereof, e.g., an alkoxyiminochlonyl aspartic acid derivative (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 5-97857 and 9-124652), confirming that these compounds are useful as photosensitizers for PDT.
On the contrary, in mammals"" case, suffering from cancer has been a great problem not only in human beings but in animals, especially, in pet animals which are breeding in a house. For treating the cancer of these pet animals, same treatments for human being such as administering anticancer agent or radiotherapy have been performed. Under these circumstances, the present inventors have studied to develop the effective therapeutic methods for treatment of cancer of pet animals and confirmed that among the alkoxyiminochlonyl aspartic acid derivatives, ethoxyiminochlonyl aspartic acid derivatives are useful as photosensitizers for PDT in animals.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a porphyrin compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof used for photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment of animal.
Furthermore, it is other object of the present invention to provide a photodynamic diagnostic agent and/or therapeutic agent comprising the porphyrin compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, especially for diagnosis and/or treatment of tumor in animals.
To solve the above-mentioned objects, one aspect of the present invention provides a porphyrin compound represented by the following formula (I):
wherein Asp represents a residue of aspartic acid, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, used for photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment of animals.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a porphyrin compound represented by the following formula (II):
wherein Asp represents a residue of aspartic acid, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, used for photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment of animals.
Still another aspect of the present invention provides a photosensitizer for the photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment containing the porphyrin compound represented by formula (I) or (II) as well as a mixture thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
More specific embodiment of the present invention, it is provided a photosensitizer for the photodynamic diagnosis and/or treatment of tumor of animals containing the porphyrin compound represented by formula (I) or (II), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient.


A scalable, inert munition data recorder cartridge. This inert cartridge allows users to record data from within a weapon system feed chute, breach, and extractor port. This cartridge is adaptable to any weapon system, packaging unit, environmental chamber, or other ammunition holding and storage device. Although the cartridge is designed to interface with a weapon and ammunition packaging based on its shape, it still functions as designed regardless of its location and application. This would allow the cartridge to be placed anywhere an actual live cartridge of ammunition could be placed.

Useful information about a weapon system and associated ammunition can be gathered with external visual observation of the weapon system in action, and the ammunition whether or not it is packaged.
Internally, weapon barrel sensors record chemical reactions that occur in milliseconds of elapsed time. The feed mechanism and loading chamber of the weapon are not, however, simply observed or characterized by available measurement techniques. The nature of the moving parts prevents a static measurement device from being placed within this part of the weapon.
To date, there does not exist a data recorder that is encased in an inert cartridge case, and which is capable of passing though the weapon chamber, taking measurements, and recording these measurements to an internal storage device, before it is ejected along with the cartridge case in which it is encased.
What is therefore needed is a data recorder that can further be packaged similarly to field ammunition, such that measurements could be taken from within the case during desired procedures and operations. As a standalone device, the data observer could be used to analyze ammunition free from its packaging and outside of a weapon environment. Prior to the advent of the present invention, the need for such an inert data recorder has heretofore remained unsatisfied.

Scalable, inert munition data recorder and method to characterize performance of a weapon system

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army


A feature amount generation unit 26a of an information processing unit 20-1 generates a feature amount indicating the relationship in spectral reflectance between two points, from spectral data of a multispectral image in an irradiation region of a common light source acquired by a multispectral camera 10. A recognition processing unit 27 performs recognition processing on a subject, on the basis of the feature amount generated by the feature amount generation unit 26a, with at least one of the two points regarded as a position in an image area of the subject that is a recognition target in the multispectral image. Therefore, the feature amount generation unit 26a can easily generate the feature amount robust against variation of the light source and appropriate for the subject. In addition, the authentication processing unit 27 can accurately perform the recognition processing even if the light source varies between registration of the subject and the recognition of the subject.

Conventionally, recognition of a subject has been performed with the color of the subject. For example, in Patent Document 1, light source information as spectral distribution information regarding a light source is acquired, color feature amount information independent from a light source environment is calculated on the basis of the light source information, and the presence of a desired subject is determined with the calculated color feature amount information. In addition, the light source information is acquired by capturing a subject having a known spectral reflectance, or by collating with a database indicating the correspondence between color distribution information regarding a specific area of an image and the spectral distribution information of the light source. Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, a difference image between an image captured with a probe light source lit up and an image captured without the probe light source lit up is generated to acquire light source information from the difference image.

Feature amount generation device, feature amount generating method, and information processing apparatus and information processing method


An aircraft turbomachine with a reduction gear has a first shaft and a second shaft having one same axis of rotation, the second shaft being rotationally driven by the first shaft via the reduction gear, the first shaft having elastically deformable means having bellows section(s) and being connected to the reduction gear by a connecting system likewise having elastically deformable means involving a hairpin or bellows section(s).

A turbomachine, such as a dual-flow turbojet engine, conventionally comprises an air inlet with a fan, the outlet airflow of which divides into an airflow that enters the engine and forms a hot flow or primary flow, and an airflow that flows around the engine and forms a cold flow or secondary flow.
The engine typically comprises from upstream to downstream, in the direction of gas flow, at least one compressor, a combustion chamber, at least one turbine, and an exhaust nozzle in which the combustion gases leaving the turbine and forming the primary flow are mixed with the secondary flow. A turbomachine may also be of the "double-body" type, which means that it comprises two rotors arranged coaxially. A first body is called a low pressure body and a second body is called a high pressure body. In this case, the engine is known to have, from upstream to downstream, a low-pressure compressor, a high-pressure compressor, the combustion chamber, a high-pressure turbine and a low-pressure turbine.
In the case of a turbomachine with reduction gear, the turbine shaft drives the fan shaft via the reduction gear, which is lubricated and housed in a lubrication enclosure. According to the reduction gear type used, planetary or epicyclic, the fan shaft will rotate in the same or opposite direction to the turbine shaft, and the fan shaft will rotate at a lower speed than that of the turbine shaft.
The turbine shaft, which is the low-pressure turbine shaft in the case of a double body turbomachine, is usually coupled to a shaft of the low-pressure compressor, which is itself coupled to an input shaft of the reduction gear. This input shaft passes through the reduction gear and meshes with a sun gear of the latter.
In order to ensure the proper functioning of this low-pressure shaft line and in particular of the reduction gear, it is necessary to transmit torque but, at the same time, to obtain a certain flexibility in the input shaft of the reduction gear so as not to disturb the operation of this shaft line and the internal elements of the reduction gear, but also to ensure proper alignment of the internal elements of the reduction gear.
The flexibility values of the input shaft can be very high and the solution originally envisaged was to make bellows on the shaft. However, in order to respect such high flexibility values, it would have been necessary to provide several adjacent bellows, which would have resulted in radial and axial dimensions too large and would prohibit its integration into the turbomachine.
A variant described in the document FR-A1-2 979 121 consists in making the input shaft more flexible by attaching it to its drive shaft by means of one or more flex coupling type fasteners. Each fasteners comprises two annular parts of L-shaped cross-section, the radial legs of which are spaced apart and fastened to each other by peripheral annular flanges. This solution is also radially cumbersome.
This invention provides a simple, effective and cost-effective solution to this problem by means of an optimised connection system between two shafts or shaft portions.

Aircraft turbomachine with reduction gear


A hand-held saw with a rigid saw frame is disclosed. The rigid frame of the hand-held saw allows a saw blade to remain highly tensioned during the cutting process. The rigid saw frame has a “C-shape,” is unbent, and contains openings that make up a truss-like structure, which distributes an external force that is focused on one portion of the saw frame across other portions of the saw frame.

1. Field
The present application generally relates to hand-held saws for cutting delicate designs on materials such as metal and wood. More particularly, the present application relates to a hand-held saw having a C-shaped frame for a tensioned blade, such as a coping saw or a fret saw, that allows a user to cut delicate designs accurately.
2. Related Art
When cutting with a hand-held saw, friction between the saw blade of the hand-held saw and the material being cut creates a resistance to any movement of the saw. To continue cutting, a user typically overcomes the resistance by exerting pressure on the hand-held saw and the saw blade. Since the saw blade is in contact with the material being cut, the force exerted by the user tends to bend the blade. A bent saw blade produces inaccurate cuts, and will eventually break if it is sufficiently bent.
A saw blade is typically coupled to a saw frame under tension in order to reduce the amount of bending, or flex, experienced by the blade. However, the tensioning of a saw blade creates an opposite pressure against the saw frame. Due to the elongated bow shape of the typical saw frame, this pressure tends to compress the side of the saw frame that is coupled to the blade. As the saw frame compresses, the distance between the distal and proximal ends of the saw frame is reduced, and the tensile force exerted on the saw blade is proportionately decreased. Thus, compression of the saw frame reduces blade tension, and is therefore undesirable.
The amount by which a saw frame compresses depends on the design and the material of the saw frame. A typical saw frame is made from a metal rod, bent into an elongated bow shape, commonly referred to as a "C-shape." FIG. A shows graphically one example of a hand-held saw made from a metal rod that is bent and flattened. The bending process introduces metal fatigue and internal deformities in the saw frame, and reduces the overall rigidity of the saw frame. Thus, saw frames produced by bending rely on, but do not take full advantage of, the inherent strength of the material employed.
Some hand-held saws address the problem of frame rigidity by using heavier metals, or by using additional amounts of metal, in their construction. Both of these practices increase the weight of the saw frame, which not only increases the overall weight of the resulting saw, but also upsets the weight balance of the saw frame in relation to the lighter saw blade. These results are undesirable. First, a heavier saw is more physically demanding of its user. Second, it is difficult for a user to position the saw blade of a frame-heavy saw to perform a delicate cut.


An adder-subtracter circuit being adapted to process two binary input numbers in order to generate the sum or the difference of the two processed numbers depending on the state of a subtract input signal. The circuit has the capability to feed back the result of the processing to itself in order to process one input number together with the result of a previous processing instead of the second binary number.

The present invention generally relates to an adder-subtracter circuit with bypass capability which can feed back the result to itself and is used for example in processors and more specifically in digital signal processors, and methods related thereto and used therewith.
The circuit usually is arranged in the data path and can perform adds and subtracts and can bypass the result to itself. The purpose of the bypassing operation can be to adjust the frequency of instruction executions. Especially the frequency of instruction executions can be adjusted to be equal to the frequency of the surrounding components of the processor in which the circuit is used.
One known circuit is depicted in FIG. 3. The known circuit includes a prefix type adder 24 of n bit, n in the described example being 4. The adder 24 for each bit has two n bit inputs a, b and two outputs p, g. The respective output pairs p[0]-g[0], p[1]-g[1], p[2]-g[2] and p[3]-g[3] of each bit are directed to a respective result XOR gate 23 which generates for each bit the result. In the following the bit position is indicated in brackets following the reference. If reference is made to several bit positions then the range of the corresponding bit positions is indicated in brackets. So the plurality of the result XOR gates 23[0], 23[1], 23[2], and 23[3] can be referenced as 23[3:0] and generate the n bit result r[3:0].
The circuit comprises for each bit a first input line d1 and a second input line d2 for inputting a respective bit of a first n bit operand and a second n bit operand respectively. The adder receives the first operand via the input lines d1[0], d1[1], d1[2] and d1[3] directly at the input a. The second operand is directed to one of two n bit inputs of a n bit selector 19. At the other input the selector 19 receives the output r[3:0] of the result XOR gates 23. The selector 19 is controlled by an input line instr_bypass and dependent on the state of this signal forwards the second operand or the result to the output of the selector. The single bits of output signal of the selector are received by first inputs of a plurality of subtract XOR gates 20[3:0] each comprising two inputs. The second inputs of the subtract XOR gates 20[3:0] are receiving an inverted subtract signal instr_sub. Dependent on the state of the subtract signal instr_sub the subtract XOR gates 20[3:0] invert the bits of the output of the selector 19 or not. The result is that the subtract signal instr_sub controls whether the output of the selector 19 is added to or subtracted from the first operand.
Furthermore the circuit comprises a carry_in input line through which a carry bit from a further adder-subtracter circuit can be inputted in order to cascade multiple adder-subtracter circuits. The input line carry_in would receive a carry_out signal of an adder-subtracter circuit processing next less significant bits. In the same way the adder 24 can output a carry_out signal for a further adder-subtracter circuit processing the next more significant bits.
The adder 24 used in the circuit generates its output signals p[3:0] and g[3:0] from it's input signals a[3:0] and b[3:0] by a network of logic gates, the generation of the signals p[3:0] requiring in most cases less gate stages and therefore a smaller time delay than the generation of the signals g[3:0]. Furthermore the external result XOR gates 23[3:0] and the subtract XOR gates 20[3:0] add to the critical path corresponding to the most time consuming data path.
This circuit has the disadvantage that the critical path comprises many gates and therefore reduces the maximum frequency of instruction executions.
The present invention solves the aforementioned exemplary problems, and/or other problems in the art, and provides an adder-subtracter circuit with a reduced number of gates in the critical path and therefore increased maximum frequency of instruction executions.


A computerized wagering game system includes a gaming module comprising gaming code which is operable when executed on to conduct a wagering game on which monetary value can be wagered, and a security module operable to perform at least one encryption function on information communicated via a network connection. The encryption functions include in various embodiments key management, authentication, or other encryption functions such as symmetric, asymmetric, hash, or message authentication code functions.

Computerized wagering games have largely replaced traditional mechanical wagering game machines such as slot machines, and are rapidly being adopted to implement computerized versions of games that are traditionally played live such as poker and blackjack. These computerized games provide many benefits to the game owner and to the gambler, including greater reliability than can be achieved with a mechanical game or human dealer, more variety, sound, and animation in presentation of a game, and a lower overall cost of production and management.
The elements of computerized wagering game systems are in many ways the same as the elements in the mechanical and table game counterparts in that they must be fair, they must provide sufficient feedback to the game player to make the game fun to play, and they must meet a variety of gaming regulations to ensure that both the machine owner and gamer are honest and fairly treated in implementing the game. Further, they must provide a gaming experience that is at least as attractive as the older mechanical gaming machine experience to the gamer, to ensure success in a competitive gaming market.
Computerized wagering games do not rely on the dealer or other game players to facilitate game play and to provide an entertaining game playing environment, but rely upon the presentation of the game and environment generated by the wagering game machine itself. Incorporation of audio and video features into wagering games to present the wagering game, to provide help, and to enhance the environment presented are therefore important elements in the attractiveness and commercial success of a computerized wagering game system. It is not uncommon for audio voices to provide instruction and help, and to provide commentary on the wagering game being played. Music and environmental effects are also played through speakers in some wagering game systems to enhance or complement a theme of the wagering game. These sounds typically accompany video presentation of the wagering game on a screen, which itself often includes animation, video, and three-dimensional graphics as part of presentation of the wagering game.
Modern wagering game system also typically employ a network connection enabling each wagering game machine to communicate with other computerized systems on the network. For example, a progressive area slot controller will coordinate the progressive slot jackpot and coordinate selection of a winner by communicating with each wagering game machine that is a part of the progressive jackpot pool. Computers are used for other purposes, such as for accounting, for tracking rates of game play, and for receiving service requests or malfunction notification. The wagering game machine can be the recipient of information, such as where configuration information like an audio volume level is sent or specified via the network connection. Software updates such as new multimedia files, new game code, operating system changes, and other such data can also be sent via the network connection to a wagering game machine.
But, because significant amounts of money are being wagered on the wagering game machines, the security of network communications is an important consideration. A cheat who is able to intercept or falsify messages on the network could conceivably change the operation or configuration of wagering game machines, as well as interfere with accounting for specific wagering game machines or progressive slot machine controllers.
It is therefore desirable to ensure secure communication between a wagering game machine and other computerized systems in a network.

Wagering game with encryption and authentication


A multi-plate clutch apparatus is provided and includes a multi-plate clutch disposed to occupy clutch and non-clutch positions at which rotation of an input shaft is and is not transmitted to an output shaft, respectively, a drive element disposed about the multi-plate clutch and configured to generate rotational energy and a linear actuator disposed to convert the rotational energy of the drive element to linear movement by which the multi-plate clutch is controllable to occupy one of the clutch and non-clutch positions.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a multi-plate clutch and, more particularly, to a multi-plate clutch of an aircraft.
Modern aircraft may include an airframe having an upper portion at which a main rotor is rotatably supported and a tail portion at which a tail rotor or propeller is rotatably supported. The airframe may be further configured to encompass an engine and a transmission by which the main rotor and the propeller are driven to rotate about respective rotational axes. The transmission may include an input shaft coupled to the engine, an output shaft coupled to the propeller and a clutch by which rotation of the input shaft is transmitted to the output shaft.
Typically, the clutch is operated by a complex set of controls that increase a weight and cost of the transmission and the aircraft as a whole. The controls frequently require their own power source and electrical systems, which exacts further costs to the aircraft design.


An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge for automatic measurement used in an automatic measuring device, capable of automatically performing measurement including heat treatment of a sample, and a measuring device using the cartridge.

An analyzer for automatically analyzing human blood and the like, and a cartridge for automatic measurement used by being set in the analyzing apparatus have been proposed (JP 11-316226 A). This cartridge includes a reaction vessel for performing a reaction, and a plurality of storage vessels for which a reagent used for the reaction is filled. Furthermore, in order to cope with the difference in a dilution factor of a sample to be required depending upon an analyzing item, a cartridge provided with a diluting well for diluting a predetermined amount of a sample to a desired dilution factor has been proposed (International publication No. 01/84152).
When an analysis is performed using the above-mentioned automatic measuring device, pretreatment of a sample may be required depending upon an analyzing item. For example, in the case of measuring a virus antigen in the blood, usually, (1) the destruction of virus particles, (2) the exposure and extraction of a virus antigen, (3) the deactivation of an antibody to a virus antigen contained in a sample, and the like are required, and for these purposes, heat treatment is performed. The heat treatment is generally performed at a high temperature of 60° C. or higher. Therefore, in a conventional automatic measuring device having only a temperature controlling part suitable for an enzyme reaction and the like at about 37° C., pretreatment cannot be performed at a high temperature.
For the above reason, under present circumstances, it is necessary for the operator to perform heat treatment in advance to the sample using another heating device (heat block, etc.), and thereafter, the necessity of providing the sample to an automatic measuring device is needed, which takes a considerable amount of labor and time. Thus, such a procedure cannot be considered as complete automation even with the automatic measuring device. Furthermore, even when using an automatic measuring device capable of measuring a plurality of different items to be analyzed at the same time, an analyzing item requiring heat treatment needs to be handled separately, which results inconvenient.

Cartridge for automatic measurement and measuring device using the same

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cartridge for use in measuring a component to be measured contained in a sample, comprising: at least a heat-treatment well for performing heat treatment of the sample; and a reaction well for reacting the component to be measured in the sample with a material specifically reacting therewith.

Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corporation


In a method of manufacturing a cold cathode field emission device, a cathode electrode 11, an insulating layer 12 and a gate electrode 13 are formed; an opening portion 14 is formed through the gate electrode 13 and the insulating layer 12 to expose the cathode electrode 11; a resist-material layer 20 covering the side wall of the opening portion 14, the gate electrode 13 and the insulating layer 12 is formed; the surface of the resist-material layer is modified to form a modified layer 21; an electron emitting portion 15 constituted of the thick-film-paste-material layer 22 is formed on the cathode electrode 11 positioned in the bottom portion of the opening portion 14; and then, the resist-material layer 20 is removed.

In the fields of displays for use in television receivers and information terminals, studies have been made for replacing conventionally mainstream cathode ray tubes (CRT) with flat-panel displays which are to comply with demands for a decrease in thickness, a decrease in weight, a larger screen and a high fineness. Such flat panel displays include a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescence display (ELD), a plasma display panel (PDP) and a cold cathode field emission display (FED). Of these, a liquid crystal display is widely used as a display for an information terminal. For applying the liquid crystal display to a floor-type television receiver, however, it still has problems to be solved concerning a higher brightness and an increase in size. In contrast, a cold cathode field emission display uses cold cathode field emission devices (to be sometimes referred to as "field emission device" hereinafter) capable of emitting electrons from a solid into a vacuum on the basis of a quantum tunnel effect without relying on thermal excitation, and it is of great interest from the viewpoints of a high brightness and a low power consumption.
FIGS. 33 and 34 shows a cold cathode field emission display to which the field emission devices are applied (to be sometimes referred to as "display" hereinafter). FIG. 33 is a schematic partial end view of the conventional display, and FIG. 34 is a schematic partial perspective view of the display when a cathode panel CP and an anode panel AP are disassembled.
The field emission device shown in FIG. 33 is a so-called Spindt-type field emission device having a conical electron emitting portion. Such a field emission device comprises a cathode electrode 111 formed on a supporting member 110, an insulating layer 112 formed on the supporting member 110 and the cathode electrode 111, a gate electrode 113 formed on the insulating layer 112, an opening portion 114 formed in the gate electrode 113 and the insulating layer 112 (a first opening portion 114A formed in the gate electrode 113 and a second opening portion 114B formed in the insulating layer 112), and a conical electron emitting portion 115A formed on the cathode electrode 111 positioned in the bottom portion of the second opening portion 114B. Generally, the cathode electrode 111 and the gate electrode 113 are formed in the form of a stripe each in directions in which the projection images of these two electrodes cross each other at right angles. Generally, a plurality of field emission devices are arranged in a region (corresponding to one pixel, and the region will be called an "overlapped region" or an "electron emitting region" hereinafter) where the projection images of the above two electrodes overlap. Further, generally, such electron emitting regions are arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix within an effective field (which works as an actual display portion) of a cathode panel CP.
An anode panel AP comprises a substrate 30, a phosphor layer 31 (31R, 31B and 31G) which is formed on the substrate 30 and has a predetermined pattern, and an anode electrode 33 formed thereon. One pixel is constituted of a group of the field emission devices formed in the overlapped region of the cathode electrode 111 and the gate electrode 113 on the cathode panel side and the phosphor layer 31 which is opposed to the above group of the field emission devices and is on the anode panel side. In the effective field, such pixels are arranged on the order of hundreds of thousands to several millions. On the substrate 30 between one phosphor layer 31 and another phosphor layer 31, a black matrix 32 is formed.
The anode panel AP and the cathode panel CP are arranged such that the electron emitting regions and the phosphor layers 31 are opposed to each other, and the anode panel AP and the cathode panel CP are bonded to each other in their circumferential portions through a frame 34, whereby the display is produced. In an ineffective field (ineffective field of the cathode panel CP in the example shown in the drawings) which surrounds the effective field and where a peripheral circuit for selecting pixels is formed, a through-hole 36 for vacuuming is provided, and a tip tube 37 is connected to the through-hole 36 and sealed after vacuuming. That is, a space surrounded by the anode panel AP, the cathode panel CP and the frame 34 is in a vacuum state.
A relatively negative voltage is applied to the cathode electrode 111 from an cathode-electrode control circuit 40, a relatively positive voltage is applied to the gate electrode 113 from a gate-electrode control circuit 41, and a positive voltage having a higher level than the voltage applied to the gate electrode 113 is applied to the anode electrode 33 from the anode-electrode control circuit 42. When such a display is used for displaying on its screen, a scanning signal is inputted to the cathode electrode 111 from the cathode-electrode control circuit 40, and a video signal is inputted to the gate electrode 113 from the gate-electrode control circuit 41. Due to an electric field generated when a voltage is applied between the cathode electrode 111 and the gate electrode 113, electrons are emitted from the electron emitting portion 115A on the basis of a quantum tunnel effect, and the electrons are attracted toward the anode electrode 33 and collide with the phosphor layer 31. As a result, the phosphor layer 31 is excited to emit light, and a desired image can be obtained. That is, the working of the display is controlled, in principle, by a voltage applied to the gate electrode 113 and a voltage applied to the electron emitting portion 115A through the cathode electrode 111.
The method of producing a Spindt-type field emission device will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 35A, 35B, 36A and 36B which are schematic end views of the supporting member 110 and the like constituting the cathode panel.
This method is in principle a method of forming the circular-cone-shaped electron emitting electrode 115A composed of a metal material by vertical vapor deposition. That is, vaporized particles perpendicularly enter the first opening portion 114A formed in the gate electrode 113. The amount of the vaporized particles which reach the bottom portion of the second opening portion 114B is gradually decreased by utilizing the shielding effect of an overhanging deposit formed around an opening edge portion of the first opening portion 114A, so that the electron emitting portion 115A as a circular-cone-shaped deposit is formed in a self-aligned manner. The method will be explained in which a peeling-off layer 116 is formed in advance on the insulating layer 112 and the gate electrode 113 for easing removal of an unnecessary overhanging deposit. In FIGS. 35A, 35B, 36A and 36B, only one electron emitting portion is illustrated.
[Step-10]
A conductive material layer composed, for example, of polysilicon for a cathode electrode is formed on a supporting member 110 composed, for example, of a glass substrate by a plasma-enhanced CVD method. Then, the conductive material layer for a cathode electrode is patterned by a lithographic method and a dry etching method, to form the cathode electrode 111 having a stripe form. Thereafter, an insulating layer 112 composed of SiO2 is formed on the entire surface by a CVD method.
[Step-20]
Then, the conductive material layer (for example, TiN layer) for a gate electrode is formed on the insulating layer 112 by a sputtering method. Then, the conductive material layer for a gate electrode is patterned by a lithographic method and a dry etching method, to form the stripe-shaped gate electrode 113. The cathode electrode 111 in the form of a stripe extends in a direction rightward and leftward to the paper surface of the drawing and the gate electrode 113 in the form of a stripe extends in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the drawing.
[Step-30]
Then, a resist layer is formed again, a first opening portion 114A is formed in the gate electrode 113 by etching and the second opening portion 114B is formed in the insulating layer 112 by etching, so as to expose the cathode electrode 111 in the bottom portion of the second opening portion 114B, and then, the resist layer is removed, whereby a structure shown in FIG. 35A can be obtained.
[Step-40]
As shown in FIG. 35B, a peeling-off layer 116 is then formed on the gate electrode 113 and the insulating layer 11 by oblique vapor deposition of nickel (Ni) while the supporting member 110 is turned. In this case, the incidence angle of vaporized particles relative to a normal of the supporting member 110 is set at a sufficiently large angle (for example, an incidence angle of 65° to 85°), whereby the peeling-off layer 116 can be formed on the insulating layer 112 and the gate electrode 113 almost without depositing any nickel in the bottom portion of the second opening portion 114B. The peeling-off layer 116 extends from the opening edge portion of the first opening portion 114A like eaves, whereby the diameter of the first opening portion 114A is substantially decreased.
[Step-50]
Then, an electrically conductive material such as molybdenum (Mo) is deposited on the entire surface by vertical vapor deposition (incidence angle 3° to 10°). During the above vapor deposition, as shown in FIG. 36A, as the conductive material layer 117 having an overhanging form grows on the peeling-off layer 116, the substantial diameter of the first opening portion 114A is gradually decreased, the vaporized particles which contributes to the deposition in the bottom portion of the second opening portion 114B gradually comes to be limited to particles which pass the central region of the first opening portion 114A. As a result, a circular-cone-shaped deposit is formed on the bottom portion of the second opening portion 114B, and the circular-cone-shaped deposit constitutes the electron emitting electrode 115A.
[Step-60]
Then, as shown in FIG. 36B, the peeling-off layer 116 is peeled off from the insulating layer 112 and the gate electrode 113 by a lift-off method, and the conductive material layer 117 above the insulating layer 112 and the gate electrode 113 is selectively removed. In this manner, a cathode panel CP having a plurality of the Spindt-type field emission devices can be obtained.
In the above display constitution, it is effective to sharpen the top end portion of the electron emitting portion for attaining a large current of emitted electrons at a low driving voltage, and from this viewpoint, the electron emitting portion 115A of the above Spindt-type field emission device can be said to have excellent performances. And, the above manufacturing method of a Spindt-type field emission device has an advantage that a circular-cone-shaped deposit can be formed as an electron emitting portion 115A in a self-aligned manner with regard to the opening portions 114A and 114B. However, the formation of the conical electron emitting portion 115A requires advanced processing techniques, and with an increase in the size of the display and with an increase in the area of the effective field, it is beginning to be difficult to form the electron emitting portions 115A uniformly all over the effective field since the number of the electron emitting portions 115A totals up to tens of millions in some cases.
There has been therefore proposed a so-called flat-type field emission device which uses a flat electron emitting portion exposed in a bottom portion of an opening portion without using the conical electron emitting portion. The electron emitting portion of the flat-type field emission device is formed on a cathode electrode positioned in the bottom portion of the opening portion, and it is composed of a material having a lower work function than a material constituting the cathode electrode for achieving a high current of emitted electrons even if the electron emitting portion is flat. In recent years, it has been proposed to use various types of carbon materials such as a carbon-nanotube as the above material.
In the manufacture of the above flat-type field emission device, a structure shown in FIG. 35A is obtained, and then a thick-film-paste-material layer 122 made, for example, of negative-type photosensitive paste containing carbon-nanotubes is formed on the entire surface including the inside of the opening portion 114 (see FIG. 37A). Then, the thick-film-paste-material layer 122 is exposed to exposure light (see FIG. 37B), further, followed by development, removal of an unnecessary portion of the thick-film-paste-material layer 122 and then firing of the remaining thick-film-paste-material layer 122, whereby an electron emitting portion 115 can be obtained (see FIG. 37C). Reference numeral 119 indicates an exposure mask.
Meanwhile, before the thick-film-paste-material layer 122 is exposed, the exposure mask 119 is aligned in relation to a reference marker (not shown) that is provided beforehand, so that the exposure mask 119 and the opening portion 114 are not out of position.
However, the supporting member 110 undergoes deformation, for example, due to a thermal history of the supporting member 110 or stresses of various layers (cathode electrode 111, insulating layer 112, gate electrode 113, etc.) formed on the supporting member 110. As a result, when the thick-film-paste-material layer 122 is exposed, an alignment failure actually takes place between the exposure mask 119 and the opening portion 114 in many places. When such a phenomenon occurs, the distance from the opening end portion of the first opening portion 114A formed in the gate electrode 113 to the electron emitting portion 115 positioned in the bottom portion of the second opening portion 114B varies, and as a result, the electron emissions from the electron emitting portions 115 vary, which causes display non-uniformity. In the worst case, part of the thick-film-paste-material layer 122 is left on the side wall of the opening portion 114, so that a short circuit is formed between the gate electrode 113 and the cathode electrode 111 by such a thick-film-paste-material layer 122.
One means that is thinkable to overcome the above problem is a method in which a resist-material layer 120 for covering the side wall of the opening portion 114, the gate electrode 113 and the insulating layer 112 is formed (see FIG. 38A) after the structure shown in FIG. 35A is obtained, a negative-type thick-film-paste-material layer 122 containing carbon-nanotubes is formed on the entire surface including the inside of the opening portion 114 (see FIG. 38B). In the above method, however, the resist-material layer 120 is dissolved by the thick-film-paste-material layer 122, which actually results in a state shown in FIG. 37A instead of bringing about a state shown in FIG. 38B, so that it is no longer significant to provide the resist-material layer 120.
Another method may be thinkable, in which a mask layer made of a material insusceptible to the thick-film-paste-material layer 122 is formed in place of the resist-material layer 120. That is, a mask layer made of a material insusceptible to the thick-film-paste-material layer 122 is formed on the entire surface including the inside of the opening portion 114, a resist layer is formed on the mask layer, an opening portion is formed through the resist layer positioned above the bottom portion of the opening portion, the mask layer is etched with using the resist layer as an etching mask, and then resist layer is removed, thereby to remove the mask layer from the bottom portion of the opening portion. However, this method is complicated and requires an additional cost.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of patterning a thick-film-paste-material layer with a resist material without any problem, a method of manufacturing a cold cathode field emission device in which an electron emitting portion made of a thick-film-paste-material can be formed with a resist material without any problem, and a method of manufacturing a cold cathode field emission display, to which the above method of manufacturing a cold cathode field emission device is applied.

Method of patterning a thick-film paste material layer, method of manufacturing cold- cathode field emission device, and method of manufacturing a cold-cathode field emission display


A blow-off device for live steam includes a filter for radioactive substances in order to increase operational safety in a nuclear power plant. The filter is preferably integrated in a housing of a muffler or sound absorber and is disposed on a slide which is movable along an axis under the effect of gravitational force and in particular also serves as a closure for an outlet opening of the muffler or sound absorber. A method of blowing off live steam is also provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention lies within the field of safety devices for nuclear power plants. The invention relates to a blow-off device for live steam from a nuclear power plant, in which the blow-off device is in communication with at least one live-steam line of the nuclear power plant. The invention also relates to a method of blowing off live steam from a live-steam line of a nuclear power plant.
In a nuclear power plant, steam generated in a reactor pressure vessel or in a steam generator is directed through a live-steam line to a turbine. The reactor pressure vessel and the steam generator are accommodated in a reactor building, which has a safety container surrounded by a protective casing. The turbine is located in a turbine building situated outside the reactor building. A line opening into the atmosphere branches off from the live-steam line upstream of a first stop fitting, as seen in the flow direction. Adjoining that line is a line section with a blow-off control valve and a blow-off stop valve, as well as a section with a safety valve, which is connected in parallel with those valves. The line sections that are connected in parallel open out in a common blow-out line. The blow-out line, possibly together with blow-out lines belonging to other steam generators of the nuclear power plant, leads into a muffler or sound absorber, which has an outlet opening to the atmosphere.
The live-steam line as well as a feedwater line pass through both the safety container and the protective casing of the reactor building. Barriers between a primary circuit leading through the reactor pressure vessel and the atmosphere are therefore valve cones of the safety valve and of the blow-off stop valve and, in the case of a pressurized water reactor, also heating tubes of the steam generator, which separate the primary circuit from a secondary circuit.
In the case of a pressurized water reactor, the steam generated in the steam generator is non-radioactive in normal operation. In the event of a serious incident, damage could occur to the heating tubes in the steam generator, even if that is highly unlikely. As a result, radioactive substances would pass out of the primary circuit of the pressurized water reactor into the live-steam line. In that case, the valve cones of the safety valve and of the blow-off stop valve, together with valve seats, would form a barrier between the primary circuit and the atmosphere.
Even though the technology of valve cones and valve seats has been and is being constantly improved, 100% tightness of the seats cannot be guaranteed, since the possibility of foreign bodies or contaminants being located on the valve seat cannot be ruled out, especially if blow-off has been effected beforehand through the affected valves under the conditions of a serious incident.

Blow-off device and method of blowing off live steam


A method for extending lifetime reliability of CMOS circuitry includes configuring a logic high supply rail, a logic low supply rail, and a virtual supply rail. In an intense recovery mode of operation, a first switching device is rendered nonconductive to isolate the virtual supply rail from the one of the logic high supply rail and the logic low supply rail, and the second switching device is rendered conductive so as to equalize the voltage on the virtual supply rail and the other of the logic high supply rail and the logic low supply rail. At least one device within the circuitry provides one of the logic high voltage and the logic low voltage to a gate terminal of an FET within the circuitry, with a source terminal of the FET coupled to the virtual supply rail, such that the FET is subjected to a reverse bias condition.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in lifetime reliability of semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to a method for extending lifetime reliability of digital logic devices through selective reversal of aging mechanisms.
Lifetime reliability has become one of the major concerns in microprocessor architectures implemented with deep submicron technologies. In particular, extreme scaling resulting in atomic-range dimensions, inter and intra-device variability, and escalating power densities have all contributed to this concern. At the device and circuit levels, many reliability models have been proposed and empirically validated by academia and industry. As such, the basic mechanisms of failures at a low level have been fairly well understood, and thus the models at that level have gained widespread acceptance. In particular, work lifetime reliability models for use with single-core architecture-level, cycle-accurate simulators have been introduced. Such models have focused on certain major failure mechanisms including, for example, electromigration (EM), negative bias temperature instability (NBTI), PBTI (positive bias temperature instability) and time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB).
With respect to improving lifetime reliability of semiconductor devices, existing efforts may be grouped into three general categories: sparing techniques, graceful degradation techniques, and voltage/frequency scaling techniques. In sparing techniques, spare resources are designed for one or more primary resources and deactivated at system deployment. When primary resources fail later during system lifetime, the spare resources are then activated and replace the failed resources in order to extend system lifetime. The sparing techniques cause less performance degradation due to failed resources. However, high area overhead of spare resources is a primary drawback of this approach.
In graceful degradation techniques, spare resources are not essential in order to extend system lifetime. Instead, when resource failing occurs, systems are reconfigured in such a way so as to isolate the failed resources from the systems and continue to be functional. As a result, graceful degradation techniques save overhead cost for spare resources, however system performance degrades throughout lifetime. Accordingly, graceful degradation techniques are limited to applications and business where the degradation of performance over time is acceptable, which unfortunately excludes most of the high-end computing.
Thirdly, voltage/frequency scaling techniques are often used for power and temperature reduction and are thus proposed for lifetime extension. The system lifetime is predicted based on applied workloads and the voltage/frequency of the systems is scaled with respect to lifetime prediction. While voltage/frequency scaling techniques enable aging of systems to be slowed down as needed, these techniques also result in performance degradation of the significant parts of the system or the entire systems. In addition, although reduced voltage/frequency diminishes the degree of stress conditions, these techniques are unable to actually remove stress conditions of aging mechanisms from semiconductor devices.
Still another existing technique, directed to reducing the leakage power during inactive intervals, is to use so-called "sleep" or "power down" modes in which, for logic devices configured from low-threshold transistors, high-threshold transistors serve as a footer or a header to cut leakage during the quiescence intervals. During a normal operation mode, the circuits achieve high performance, resulting from the use of low-threshold transistors. The headers and/or footers are activated so as to couple the circuits to Vdd and/or ground (more generally logic high and low voltage supply rails). In contrast, during the sleep mode, the high threshold footer or header transistors are deactivated to cut off leakage paths, thereby reducing the leakage currents by orders of magnitude. This technique, also known as "power gating," has been successfully used in embedded devices, such as systems on a chip (SOC). However, although power gating diminishes current flow and electric field across semiconductor devices (which results in a certain degree of stress reduction and increase in the lifetime of devices), it is unable to completely eliminate such stress conditions and/or stimulate the recovery effects of aging mechanisms.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for extending lifetime reliability of digital logic devices through reversal of aging mechanisms

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to human milk fortifiers comprising high protein content and long chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Use of such human milk fortifier improves the body adipose tissue distribution by increasing the subcutaneous adipose tissue mass, while at the same time not increasing visceral adipose tissue.

Human milk is generally recognized as an ideal feeding for most infants due to its overall nutritional composition. For preterm infants and/or infants small for gestational age (SGA), however, the milk of their own mother does not always meet their complete nutritional needs, even though the milk of mothers of preterm infants appears to be adapted to the specific needs of preterms, since initially these preterm and/or small for gestational age infants grow more rapidly than term infants. Although these preterm and/or small for gestational age infants still benefit from human milk, it is often desirable to supplement their human milk feedings with additional nutrients, especially proteins, and added energy. When preterm human milk is fortified with protein and energy, a preterm and/or small for gestational age infant's growth approaches the growth occurring in utero. Human milk fortifiers are commercially available as unit dose powders or in concentrated liquid form that can be added to human milk prior to feeding.
The growth patterns of SGA infants compensate for the growth retardation which they have developed in utero and this compensation by a sudden spurt of growth is known as "catch up growth". Although it is desirable to ensure that reduced growth is compensated, it is also important that catch up growth should not be excessive as there are indications that periods of very rapid and/or very extensive catch up growth, particularly during infancy, may be linked with a risk of future obesity.
WO 2005/063050 relates to a method of increasing lean body mass and reducing fat body mass in infants, said method comprising administration to an infant a nutritional formula comprising a source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) without impacting the total overall growth of the infant. This method is disclosed to be especially useful in preterm infants. WO 98/44917 relates to a method for enhancing the growth of preterm infants involving the administration of certain long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). It is preferred that the infants are administered an infant formula containing a combination of DHA and ARA. WO 2008/054208 relates to an infant formula for use in a method for preventing and/or treating visceral adiposity. WO 2007/039596 relates to a nutritional formulation comprising an n3 LC-PUFA, a prebiotic fibre and a probiotic bacterial strain to promote catch-up growth in young mammals whose growth has been retarded because the young mammal has been subjected to physical or mental stress.

Human milk fortifier with high protein and long chain poly unsaturated fatty acids for improving body adipose tissue distribution