Two memory sub arrays are provided adjacent to a read/write circuit. An internal data line pair corresponding to the memory sub array located farther away is connected to the read/write circuit via a feed-through line pair (FLP) located at an upper layer above the memory sub array located closer. The internal data line pair for the memory sub array located closer is coupled to the read/write circuit. The number of bits of the internal data transfer can be increased by carrying out column selection simultaneously under the state where the word lines are selected simultaneously in the two memory sub arrays. The internal data transfer rate in a semiconductor memory device is increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory devices, and particularly to a semiconductor memory device that operates in synchronization with a clock signal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure to improve the internal data transfer rate of a logic-merged DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).
2. Description of the Background Art
In a semiconductor integrated circuit device in which a logic and a memory are formed on the same chip, the data bus width between the logic and the memory can be increased without restriction of the number and pitch of pin terminals. Increase of the data bus width between the logic and the memory allows more data bits to be transferred at one time. The data transfer rate can be improved significantly than the case where a discrete memory is used.
FIG. 33 schematically shows a structure of a conventional logic-merged DRAM. Referring to FIG. 33, the DRAM includes memory cell sub arrays MB#0-MB#m having a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns, and sense amplifier bands SA#0-SA#n provided corresponding to memory cell sub arrays MB#0-MB#m. In each of memory cell sub arrays MB#0-MB#m, a word line WL is arranged corresponding to a memory cell row. A bit line pair is arranged corresponding to a memory cell column. In FIG. 33, one bit line pair BLP, word line WL, and a memory cell MC arranged at the crossing thereof in memory cell sub array MB#0 are shown representatively.
Sense amplifier bands SA#0-SA#n each include sense amplifier circuits provided corresponding to columns of corresponding memory cell sub arrays, and column select gates provided corresponding to respective sense amplifier circuits. A sense amplifier band (SA#1, . . . ) arranged between the memory cell sub arrays are shared by adjacent memory cell sub arrays.
The DRAM further includes row decoders RD#0-RD#m provided corresponding to memory cell sub arrays MB#0-MB#m, respectively, to drive a word line corresponding to an addressed row to a selected state, column decoders CD#0-CD#n provided corresponding to sense amplifier bands SA#0-SA#, respectively to generate a column select signal selecting a sense amplifier circuit provided corresponding to an addressed column according to a column address signal, and internal data line pairs IOPs arranged extending in the column direction common to memory cell sub arrays MB#0-MB#m to transfer data with a sense amplifier circuit provided corresponding to selected columns. Internal data line pair IOP includes complementary data lines, and is arranged along a column direction extending over memory cell sub arrays MB#0-MB#m.
Internal data line pair IOP is coupled to a read/write circuit W/P. Read/write circuit W/P is coupled to an input/output circuit QDB that inputs/outputs data with respect to a logic circuit not shown.
As shown in FIG. 33, the internal data bus width can be increased by arranging internal data line pairs IOP along the column direction over memory cell sub arrays MB#0-MB#m. Therefore, the number of data bits transferred at one time can be increased.
FIG. 34 schematically shows a structure of the memory cell sub array and sense amplifier band. Referring to FIG. 34, memory cell sub array MB# includes word lines WL arranged corresponding to rows of memory cells MC, each word line connected to a corresponding row of memory cells MC, and a plurality of bit line pairs BLP arranged corresponding to columns of memory cells MC, each bit line pair connected to a corresponding column of memory cells. Bit line pair BLP includes complementary bit lines BL and /BL. Memory cell MC is arranged corresponding to the crossing of one of bit lines BL and/BL and a word line WL. In FIG. 34, a memory cell MC arranged corresponding to the crossing of bit line BL and word line WL is shown.
Sense amplifier band SA# includes a sense amplifier circuit SA provided corresponding to a bit line pair BLP, and a column select gate CG arranged corresponding to sense amplifier circuit SA and rendered conductive according to a column select signal CSL from a corresponding column decoder. In sense amplifier band SA#, four sense amplifier circuits SA#0-SA3 form one sense amplifier group SAG. In FIG. 34, three sense amplifier groups SAG0-SAG2 are shown. A column specific signal on column select lines CSL0-CSL3 is applied to column select gates CG0-CG3 provided corresponding to the four sense amplifier circuits SA0-SA3, respectively.
In the arrangement shown in FIG. 34, one sense amplifier circuit (column) is selected in respective sense amplifier group SAG0-SAG2, . . .
Internal data line pair IOP is arranged corresponding to sense amplifier groups SAG0-SAG2, . . . , respectively. Internal data line pair IOP includes complementary data lines I/O and I/O to transfer complementary data. Internal data lines I/O0, /I/O0-I/O2, /I/O2 are arranged corresponding to sense amplifier groups SAG0-SAG2, respectively. A selected sense amplifier circuit is connected to a corresponding pair of internal data lines I/O, /I/O.
In the arrangement shown in FIG. 34, the column select is 1-out-of-4 selection. 1/4 of memory cells are selected out of one row of memory cells. For example, since there are 512 sense amplifier circuits SA in the case where 512 bits of memory cells MC are arranged in one row, 128 internal data line pairs IOP are provided. Thus, 128 sense amplifier circuits (memory cell) are selected simultaneously and connected to corresponding internal data line pairs IOP according to column select lines CSL0-CSL3, so that memory cell data of 128 bits can be transferred at a time. In the shared sense amplifier structure, sense amplifiers are arranged at both sides of memory cell block MB# in the column direction. The number of sense amplifier circuits in one sense amplifier band is 64, and the sense amplifier bands at both sides of a selected memory cell block are activated simultaneously.
The data on internal data line pair IOP is coupled to read/write circuit W/P of FIG. 33. In a data readout operation, the data held in sense amplifier circuits SAi (i=0-3) on the selected columns are transferred in parallel to preamplifiers in read/write circuit W/P of FIG. 33 via internal data line pairs IOP. Then, the data are transferred to the logic circuit via input/output circuit QDB at a predetermined sequence in synchronization with a clock signal. In data transfer from input/output circuit QDB, the number of internal transfer bits is adjusted according to the data bus width between the logic circuit and the DRAM. Data of a bit width equal to the number of memory cells in one row can be transferred simultaneously at maximum.
FIG. 35 schematically shows an interconnection layer of a memory array portion. In FIG. 35, bit line BL (/BL) is formed of refractory metal such as tungsten or refractory metal silicide. Above bit line BL (/BL), column select line CSL and word line WL are formed of a first level aluminum interconnection (1Al) lines parallel to each other. Above column select line CSL and word line WL, internal data line I/O (/I/O) is formed of a second level aluminum interconnection (2Al) line. Internal data line I/O (/I/O) is arranged parallel to bit line BL. In the case where the line capacitance of bit lines BL and /BL is increased, the noise of an adjacent bit line is overlaid by capacitive coupling to degrade the operational margin of the sense amplifier during the sense operation, i.e., when amplifying small readout voltage (memory cell data) on bit line BL or /BL. Therefore, film thickness of bit lines BL and /BL must be reduced to reduce the capacitance between the bit lines. The pitch of bit lines BL and /BL becomes smaller than that of internal data lines I/O and /I/O, and the aspect ratio of the bit lines becomes large when the film thickness becomes greater. It therefore becomes difficult to carry out the etching process on the bit lines. Since bit lines BL and /BL are located below word line WL, column select line CSL and internal data lines I/O and /I/O, increase in the film thickness of bit lines BL and /BL causes a stepped portion of the overlying interconnection layer or word line WL and column select line CSL to become greater to induce the possibility of disconnection. Taking into consideration the above factors, the film thickness of bit lines BL and /BL is made as small as possible.
Internal data lines I/O and /I/O are formed of the second level aluminum interconnection lines. The second level aluminum interconnection lines are also used as a power supply line to transmit power supply voltage Vcc and ground voltage GND and as a signal line to transmit a signal over a relatively long distance. It is therefore necessary to set the impedance as low as possible. Accordingly, the film thickness of the second level aluminum interconnection (2Al) line is made thick. The pitch of internal data lines I/O and /I/O is set greater than the bit line pitch, and one pair of internal data lines IOP is provided for four sense amplifier circuits, for example, because of the following reasons.
Since the aspect ratio is increased when the film thickness is great, it will be difficult to carry out anisotropic etching precisely to pattern internal data lines I/O and /I/O. When the etching process is not carried out properly, the edge of an interconnection line may not be etched away to cause shorting with an adjacent aluminum interconnection line that is not yet etched. In the case of a large line capacitance, noise is overlaid on a data signal during data transfer due to capacitive coupling through the line capacitance. The amplitude of the complementary data signals becomes smaller, and the operational margin of the preamplifier is degraded.
In order to avoid these problems, the pitch of internal data lines I/O and /I/O is set sufficiently greater than the bit line pitch, for example, to 4 times the bit line pitch. Therefore, the data latched in sense amplifier circuit SA cannot be transferred at one time. Thus, it was difficult to increase the band width of data transfer with the logic circuit.

Logic-merged semiconductor memory having high internal data transfer rate


A probe apparatus is provided and includes a probe layer formed with a through-hole, a conductor, electrically coupled to test equipment, disposed on and insulated from a through-hole sidewall, a probe disposed within the through-hole to be spaced from the conductor and thereby movable upon application of an external force thereto and a compliant layer connected to the probe and sufficiently compliant to allow the probe to at least temporarily contact the conductor upon the application of the external force thereto.

Aspects of the present invention are directed to a probe apparatus, a method of assembling a probe apparatus and a method of operating a probe apparatus.
As electronic devices become increasingly small, their individual components become increasingly small as well. Device contact pitches, therefore, particularly in the areas of silicon carriers and other 3D technologies, continue to tighten and are, in many cases, on a scale of less than 50 microns. Current test probe technologies, however, do not typically extend to pitches of 50 microns or less and, thus, are often incompatible with many modern devices.
Rigid interposers have been proposed as a solution to this problem, but relatively small and non-compliant solder balls and the lack of flatness in the devices being tested make it unclear if this approach can be successful. Similar concerns apply to testing of carriers that require a "loopback" function to be tested. Currently, the proposed solutions to these problems involve temporarily soldering on the "loopback" but, in practice, this does not appear to be effective.

International Business Machines Corporation


HDDs including multiple heads driven by separate actuator spindles can read from or write to one or more platters simultaneously. Simultaneous active heads can be used to increase data rate or for other purposes. The multiple independently-actuated heads can access the same platter or different platters and may be moved across an associated platter surface in a number of different ways. However, multiple independently operating actuators may lead to mechanical coupling between the actuators. For example, as certain resonant frequencies, the movement of one actuator arm may cause unacceptable movement of another actuator arm within the HDD. This mechanical coupling can have detrimental effects on the HDD. The disclosed coupling observer and disable systems detect and mitigate detrimental effects of mechanical coupling between the independently operated actuators.

Storage capacities of hard disc drives (HDDs) have generally increased over time due in part to increases in areal density. Increases in HDD capacity driven by increased areal density, while reducing cost, can reduce effective input/output (I/O) performance (i.e., I/O access speed per unit capacity) if the read/write assembly remains substantially the same. For example, a relatively large write operation (e.g., a rebuild of a failed volume of a disc drive array) can take an unacceptable quantity of time at the aerial densities now found in HDDs.
One way to increase I/O performance is to utilize multiple actuator arms with associated read/write heads simultaneously, and independently running in parallel. Such parallelism can increase the rate of input/output operations (IOPS) and thereby improved I/O performance. Further, use of independently operating actuator arms and their associated read/write heads can provide improved read/write flexibility for a system designer. For example, an HDD can be configured with zones having different levels of throughput and capacity, and each of multiple read/write heads running in parallel can be operated in different modes to improve throughput in some zones while improving capacity (or another performance parameter) in other zones. However, multiple read/write heads running in parallel can cause coupling issues between the read/write heads, which may negatively affect HDD performance, including but not limited to introducing an unacceptable quantity of read/write errors.

Magnetic disk device having coupling observers for reducing coupling issues between independently running multi-actuators


The present invention relates generally to medical devices for electrode positioning during implantation procedures. A cardiac signal measuring device measures cardiac signals sensitive to inherent differences between cardiac tissue and blood using at least one electrode of a medical lead arranged at a distal tip of the medical lead and at least a second electrode arranged at a distance from the distal electrode and being connectable to the measuring unit. An analyzing module acquires cardiac signals measured during predetermined measurement sessions. The analyzing module determines at least one cardiac signal value based on the cardiac signals for each measurement session and analyzes changes of the cardiac signal values between different measurement sessions to determine a position of the electrode relative a tissue border. A maximum of the change of the cardiac signal values between two successive measurement sessions indicates that the electrode has reached the tissue border.

When delivering pacing stimulation to the left ventricle of the patient's heart, it is beneficial to provide the pacing in the endocardium so as to achieve synchronized heart beats as the activation time of the left ventricle is reduced compared to epicardial pacing. In both cases, it is the myocardial cells adjacent to the endo- and epicardium, respectively, which are stimulated, not the endocardium or epicardium.
The subendocardial muscle is a thin layer, about half a millimeter thick. A stimulation electrode should be placed close to this layer in order to take advantage of the positive effects of pacing the myocardial cells close to the endocardium. Placement of an endocardial lead via the left ventricle is characterized by an increased risk of thromboembolic events. Endocardial pacing of the left ventricle can be achieved by a transseptal pacing lead via intraventricular septum, eliminating the risk for thromboembolic events by lead exposure in the blood flow of the left ventricle.
However, placement of an intramural pacing electrode via septum for the purpose of endocardial stimulation should therefore be close to the endocardium to ensure similar performance to an activation fixation lead implanted from the endocardial side. When placing the pacing electrode via septum, it is thus very important that the position of the electrode relative to the septum can be determined with a high degree of accuracy.

Medical device for positioning of a lead


A printing device with a manual paper feeding function includes a manual paper feeding unit, a first paper size input unit that inputs a paper size by an operation and a second paper size input unit that detects a paper size of fed paper and inputs the detected paper size.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing device such as a copying machine, a Multi Function Peripheral (MFP) having multiple functions such as a copy function and a facsimile function and a printer device. In particular, the present invention relates to a printing device with a manual paper feeding function.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional printing device such as a copying machine includes a paper cassette and also a manual paper feeding unit. There are cases in which the printing device carries out a copying process by a manual paper feeding operation. In such a type of printing device with a manual paper feeding operation, to carry out a copying (printing) process onto paper fed from the manual paper feeding unit, in case the manual paper feeding operation is a multiple manual feeding operation, when a paper size recognized by the printing device is different from a paper size of the paper actually set in the manual paper feeding unit, a paper size error is displayed to urge the user to set a correct paper size. Meanwhile, in case the manual paper feeding operation is a single manual feeding, when the paper size recognized by the printing device is different from the paper size of the paper actually set in the manual paper feeding unit, the paper size error is ignored and the copying process is carried out.
A conventional printing device includes a first printing mode and a second printing mode. Under the first printing mode, a paper size of paper set on a manual paper feeding unit is designated from outside and a printing sequence is carried out in accordance with the designated paper size. Under the second printing mode, without designating the paper size from outside, the printer device measures the paper size and a printing sequence is carried out in accordance with the measured paper size. After the paper size is designated from outside, when the paper set on the manual paper feeding unit runs out, the printing device switches once to a size measuring mode. After the paper size is measured, the printing device switches to an appropriate paper size mode.
When carrying out the copying process onto the paper fed from the manual paper feeding unit, the paper size is detected. When the detected paper size corresponds with the paper size previously recognized by the printing device, papers are fed sequentially from the manual paper feeding unit to a printer unit at an interval corresponding to the detected paper size. That is, a printing sequence is carried out in accordance with the detected paper size. However, there are cases in which the paper size cannot be detected. For example, when the paper size is a nonstandard size, the paper size cannot be detected. In case a printing sequence of A4 size papers is in progress and the papers are fed sequentially at an interval corresponding to the A4 size papers, when nonstandard sized paper larger than the A4 size paper is fed during the printing sequence, a paper size error is displayed to urge the user to set the correct paper again. Therefore, even when the printing process can be continued with the nonstandard sized paper, the printing process is interrupted. As a result, there is a drawback of a decrease in printing efficiency which causes the user to feel troublesome. In case the paper size is unknown, the conventional printing device cannot deal with the drawback.

Printing device with manual paper feeding function


An electro-optic device may include a photonic chip including an insulator layer, and a semiconductor layer over the insulator layer and defining an optical grating coupler. The optical grating coupler may have a series of alternating curved ridges and valleys. The optical grating coupler has first and second sides and a medial portion. The medial portion has a medial grating period T based upon a targeting wavelength. One or more of the first and second sides have a side grating period different than T.

Integrated optical devices for directly processing optical signals have become of greater importance as optical fiber communications increasingly replace metallic cable and microwave transmission links. Integrated optical devices can advantageously be implemented as silicon on insulator (SOI) optical circuits having compact dimensions at relatively low cost. SOI optical circuits employ integrated waveguide structures formed in the silicon layer of the SOI substrate.
In some applications, optical gratings are formed in the SOI substrate or chip for input-output of the photonic signal. Typically, the optical grating is formed on a major surface of the substrate. Hence, the photonic signal path extends largely perpendicular to the SOI layer. When using the substrate in coupling applications, such as when coupling to an optical fiber, the optical fiber is typically mounted in near perpendicular fashion. The shape and pattern of the optical grating defines the wavelength response of the optical grating.

Electro-optic device with an optical grating coupler having a grating period variation and methods of formation thereof


A wind wheel including a first air plate, a second air plate, and a plurality of blades disposed between the first air plate and the second air plate. The first air plate includes a central part and an air inlet disposed in the central part; each two adjacent blades form an air duct. The plurality of blades each includes an inlet section next to the air inlet, an intermediate section, and an outlet section. The thickness of the intermediate section is greater than the thickness of the inlet section and the thickness of the outlet section.

The disclosure relates to a wind wheel and a blower comprising the same.
As shown in FIGS. 1-2, a conventional wind wheel includes a first air plate 1a, a second air plate 2a, and a plurality of blades 3a disposed between the first air plate 1a and the second air plate 2a. The air inlet 11a is disposed in the middle of the first air plate 1a. The plurality of blades 3a each include an inlet end 30a disposed near the air inlet, and an air duct 31a is formed between two adjacent blades 3a. Each of the blades 3a includes an inner flank 32a and an outer flank 33a. The outer diameter Da of every circle formed by the outer flank 33a of the blade 3a is constant, and the outer flank 33a of the blade 3a is perpendicular to the first air plate 1a and the second air plate 2a.
The above structure has the following defects. The thickness of the blade 3a from the inlet 3a1 to the outlet 3a2 of the air duct is constant, thus consuming a large amount of materials and causing relatively high production cost. In addition, the airflow has a strong impact on the inlet of the wind blade, which may cause loud noise and strong vibration of the whole machine.

Wind wheel and blower comprising the same


A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cells stacked together, and a pair of end plates provided at opposite ends the fuel cells in the stacking direction. Further, the fuel cell stack includes coupling members bridging between the end plates, holding mechanisms provided in side surfaces of the end plates and the coupling members for applying tension in a tightening direction, and fixing mechanisms for fixing the side surfaces of the end plates and the coupling members together. The holding mechanism has a pin member inserted into the side surface of the end plate and the coupling member. Further, the fixing mechanism has a screw for fixing the coupling member to the side surface of the end plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells stacked together and end plates provided at opposite ends of the fuel cells in the stacking direction. Each of the fuel cells includes a membrane electrode assembly and a separator stacked together. The membrane electrode assembly includes a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell employs an electrolyte membrane (electrolyte) comprising a polymer ion exchange membrane. The electrolyte membrane is interposed between an anode and a cathode to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The membrane electrode assembly is sandwiched between separators to form a unit of power generation cell (unit cell) for generating electricity. In use, generally, a predetermined number of such unit cells are stacked together to form a fuel cell stack.
In order to obtain the desired power generation performance and achieve the sealing function, a suitable tightening load needs to be applied to the fuel cell stack in the stacking direction.
In this regard, for example, in a fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-048850, as shown in FIG. 7, predetermined numbers of separators 1 and electrode units 2 are stacked together to form a stack body, and pressure plates 3a, 3b are provided at opposite ends of the stack body. Holding members 4 each having an L-shape in cross section are provided at respective corners of the pressure plates 3a, 3b. The holding members 4 are tightened to the pressure plates 3a, 3b using screws 5.
That is, a tightening load in the stacking direction is applied to the separators 1 and the electrode units 2 between the pressure plates 3a, 3b through the four holding members 4.
However, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-048850, the holding members 4 and the pressure plates 3a, 3b are tightened together simply by the screws 5 inserted through the holding members 4 and screwed into screw holes formed on sides of the pressure plates 3a, 3b.
In the structure, when a load is applied to the fuel cell from the outside, the outer shape of the stack body is deformed easily, and the desired tightening load in the stacking direction cannot be maintained. As a consequence, the tightening load applied to the stack body may become insufficient. Further, due to deformation in the outer shape of the stack body, the separators 1 and the electrode units 2 may move undesirably.


A hollow, tubular, elongated beam is made by roll-forming an elongated strip of sheet metal into a generally rectangular cross-section shape with its opposite edge portions overlapped to form a double ply beam wall along one side of the beam. The plies are adhesively secured together by an adhesive material inserted between them. The sheet metal is initially rolled into a U-shaped channel having a base and opposite walls. An integral, interior ledge is formed in, and extends along the length of, one of the channel walls. Then, the edge portion of the opposite channel wall is bent to form an inner ply that overlaps and closes the open channel, to form the tubular shape, with its free edge abutted against the ledge. Next, the free edge of said one channel wall is bent to form an outer ply around and overlapping the inner ply, with the abutted inner ply free edge and ledge serving as a support for the bending of the outer ply. The adhesive is inserted between the plies when the outer ply is bent.

This invention relates to a roll formed, sheet metal beam which is used, primarily, in a heavy-duty, load-bearing rack, such as the type of open-frame racks used for supporting pallets and the like.
A pallet rack or heavy-duty support frame is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,682 issued Aug. 2, 1988, for a "Tubular Rack Beam and Method of Making Same". By way of example, a rack frame is generally formed of a number of upright posts which are interconnected by horizontal beams. The beams form shelves upon which heavy loads may be positioned. For example, a loaded pallet or large, heavy containers, may be placed upon the horizontal beams and supported thereon using material handling equipment such as fork trucks or the like. Alternatively, slats or shelf forming boards may be positioned upon and extended between opposing beams to form shelf-like surfaces for supporting loads.
Typically, the vertical posts are made of square or rectangular in cross-section tubes formed of steel or the like sheet metal. The horizontal beams which interconnect the posts, also are usually formed of strips of sheet metal, such as steel, which are bent or roll formed into tubes. These tubes may be generally square or rectangular in cross-section or have a cross-section which generally approximates a square or rectangular cross-section. In the past, one form of beam was made of two channel long channels which were arranged with their legs interfitting. The two channels were welded together to form a unitary beam. In my above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,682, the beam is disclosed as being formed of two, generally channel shaped pieces, which are interlocked together frictionally or mechanically and, also, are secured together by an adhesive.
Another form of prior beam has been made of a single strip of sheet metal which was bent or roll formed into a tubular shape. The opposite edges of the strip were either overlapped and welded together or were bent into edge beads or flanges which were arranged adjacent one another and welded together.
The invention herein is particularly concerned with improving a single strip sheet metal type beam so as to improve its anticipated strength while simultaneously reducing the cost of manufacturing this beam. Since substantial quantities of this type of beam is used in industry, particularly in storage facilities in factories or in warehouses, an increase in the strength of such beams, which permits using a smaller cross-section or a thinner gage material, can substantially, reduce costs. Likewise, costs can be reduced by the elimination of the usual welding procedures.
Thus, this invention is concerned with improving the manufacture and construction of a tubular, sheet metal beam which is typically roll formed out of a long, single strip of sheet metal.


Techniques are disclosed relating to suspending execution of a processor thread while monitoring for a write to a specified memory location. An execution subsystem may be configured to perform a load instruction that causes the processor to retrieve data from a specified memory location and atomically begin monitoring for a write to the specified location. The load instruction may be a load-monitor instruction. The execution subsystem may be further configured to perform a wait instruction that causes the processor to suspend execution of a processor thread during at least a portion of an interval specified by the wait instruction and to resume execution of the processor thread at the end of the interval. The wait instruction may be a monitor-wait instruction. The processor may be further configured to resume execution of the processor thread in response to detecting a write to a memory location specified by a previous monitor instruction.

Technical Field
This disclosure relates to processors, and more specifically to atomic processor instructions and suspending execution of processor threads.
Description of the Related Art
In some processing environments, multiple processor threads may execute on a processor core. Processor "threads" may also be referred to as "strands" or "virtual processors." Different threads on a processor core may share processing resources, including memory. Similarly, in multi-core and/or multi-processor systems, threads running on different processor cores and/or different processors may share processing resources. Synchronization between processor threads may involve a shared memory location that is written by one thread to indicate that another waiting thread can begin or continue execution. In this case, the waiting thread may "spin" by executing a loop to repeatedly check the shared memory location for a write indicating that execution may continue. Spinning may be inefficient, however. Accordingly, it is desirable to pause, suspend, or modify execution of a waiting thread until a write to the shared memory location is detected.


An attached storage media link has a self-timed interface (STI) in which a clock signal clocks bit serial data onto a parallel, electrically conductive bus and the clock signal is transmitted on a separate line of the bus. The received data on each line of the bus is individually phase aligned with the clock signal, providing a high speed, cost effective interface to a direct access storage device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for transmitting digital data at high speeds via a parallel data bus, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus that provides a cost effective interface to a direct access storage device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such factors as noise and loading limit the useful length of parallel busses operating at high data rates. In the prior art, the length of the bus must be taken into account in the system design and the bus length must be precisely as specified. Manufacturing tolerances associated with physical communication link (chips, cables, cord wiring, connectors, etc.) and temperature and variations in power supply voltage also limit the data rates on prior art busses comprised of parallel conductors. Further, many prior art computer systems transfer data synchronously with respect to a processor clock, so that a change in processor clock rate may require a redesign of the data transfer bus.
In a current large computer system, the I/O element can require more than 100 channel functions (as the middle stage/level in a hierarchically arranged busing network) between the highest level internal bus (fastest) and the more numerous and slower I/O controllers. In many system configurations, it is typical for up to 80% of the channels to be used for data transmission paths to the direct access storage device (DASD) data base via DASD I/O controllers. These numerous channels/paths can be required for connectivity to the data base, performance (access rate to the data base) or both.
In prior art systems, the channel's function is to execute, cooperatively with the attached I/O controller, channel programs (lists of channel/controller commands) which have been set up by application or operating system programs in host storage. Typical commands are to initiate the transfer of data between storage and the DASD attached to the I/O controller. Current channel functions are thus designed to transmit this data at a maximum rate (e.g., 18 MB/S) consistent with current DASD I/O controller capabilities.

Self-timed parallel data bus interface to direct storage devices

International Business Machines Corporation


A navigation device stores road data in a storage part. The road data includes a consecutive connection of a plurality of links as a link queue, the plurality of links acquired by sectioning a road length into a plurality of pieces. The navigation device includes a guidance part that performs route search and guidance to a destination using the road data. The link queue includes a standard link for which, based on a sectioned link of a specific road stored in the storage part, information relating to the sectioned link is stored as road-related information in the storage part, and an invariance link for which the road-related information is not stored in the storage part if there is no difference in the road-related information compared to an adjacent link in the link queue. A navigation road data creating device is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to navigation devices that are capable of route search from a departure point to a destination using road data and navigation road data creating devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional navigation devices installed in vehicles such as automobiles, a technology is being disclosed, in which a route where it is possible to drive smoothly and travel speed is high in an actual drive is searched based on factors that may adversely affect ease of driving and the travel speed. For example, Japanese Patent Application; Publication No. JP-A-3894017 is referenced.
In the technology of Japanese Patent Application; Publication No. JP-A-3894017, a plurality of links having the same road attribute are extracted from a consecutive and the same line (i.e., a road length), the extracted plurality of links in one and the same road are combined and grouped, it is determined whether the group of links meet a condition to be determined as a high speed road, and high speed road information is created toward the group of links determined as the high speed road.

Navigation device and navigation road data creating device


A deposition apparatus includes a deposition source emitting a deposition material and an angle control member disposed on both sides of the deposition source and controlling an emission direction angle of the deposition material. The angle control member includes a housing having an internal space opened in an emission direction of the deposition material and a sliding member having a first end which is inserted into the internal space and a second end disposed on an emission path of the deposition material. The sliding member is movable forward and backward in the emission direction of the deposition material along the internal space. A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display which uses the deposition apparatus is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a deposition apparatus and a method for manufacturing an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display using the deposition apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a deposition apparatus that controls the emission direction of a deposition material using an angle control method, and a method for manufacturing an OLED display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among display devices, an organic light emitting display has a wide viewing angle, excellent contrast, and a fast response speed, and thus it has been in the limelight as the next-generation display device.
In general, the organic light emitting display has a structure in which an emission layer is inserted between an anode and a cathode so as to realize colors with a theory that light emission occurs from re-combination of holes and electrons emitted from the anode and the cathode in the emission layer. However, high efficient light emission cannot be acquired with such a structure, and intermediate layers such as an electron injection layer (EIL), an electron transport layer (ETL), a hole transport layer (HTL), and a hole injection layer (HIL) may be selectively additionally inserted between the respective electrodes and the emission layer.
In a flat panel display, such as an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a vacuum deposition method is used, and thus metal used as an organic material or an electrode forms a thin film on a flat plate by depositing the corresponding material in a vacuum condition. According to the vacuum deposition method, a substrate on which an organic film is grown is disposed in the vacuum chamber, a fine metal mask (FMM) having a pattern that is the same as a pattern of a thin film to be formed is attached, and the organic material is vaporized or sublimated using a deposition source unit and is thus deposited on the substrate.
During such a vacuum deposition method, a spray angle needs to be controlled according to a characteristic of the deposition material or a pattern of the mask, and the spray angle needs to be controlled so as not to be changed as time passes.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of an understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Depositing apparatus and method for manufacturing organic light emitting diode display using the same


In an implementation, when creating a report, a user is provided with one or more suggestions for the report, such as a suggested grouping category, based on what has been done in one or more previous reports.

Advances in technology have allowed many business processes to become automated. Such processes may be connected to activities such as operations, sales, marketing, governance, product development, and so forth. Some specific examples of processes include underwriting, loan origination, benefits administration, customer service, product change requests, complaint management, quality management, and many others.
These processes generate an enormous amount of data. In order to understand the data, reports which summarize, aggregate, and analyze the data are needed. A proper report can inform managers what products customers are buying, how long it takes to resolve issues, and forecast sales trends—just to name a few examples. However, creating a report is often a complex task.
For example, a user may create a data set for a report by issuing a direct query against the database where this data is stored. However, this technique generally requires that the user be very familiar with query language (e.g., SQL, DQL, XQuery, and the like) and also the underlying schema of the data. Further, when creating a report, the user generally starts from scratch and may not have any knowledge about what has been done previously. This can be very overwhelming, especially when the user is non-technical, is new, and must select data from a very large and complicated schema in order to create a report.
Therefore, there is a need to provide improved report creation techniques that allow non-technical users to easily create meaningful and useful reports.

Methods and systems for creating business-oriented report entities


The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester fiber with enhanced spinnability, and more specifically, to a method for manufacturing a wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester fiber including: pelletizing a resin manufactured by adding 1.08 equivalents to 1.12 equivalents of acetic anhydride to raw material monomers including hydroxy benzoic acid, hydroxy naphthoic acid, biphenol, terephthalic acid, and isophthalic acid, followed by solid-phase polycondensation, and melt-spinning under oil conditions in which winding-up improving oil is diluted to 0.5% to 2% and silicone spinning oil for high temperature is diluted to 0.5% to 2%, respectively, with water as a solvent.

A wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin is characterized by having a rigid molecule, forming a liquid crystal state without entanglement between molecules even in a molten state, and exhibiting a behavior in which the molecular chains are oriented in a flow direction by shearing force during molding. Due to a structure composed of layers including molecules oriented in the flow direction, the wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin has high strength, high elastic modulus, high heat resistance, and low coefficient of expansion. In addition, the wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin may have a specific chemical structure to provide excellent chemical resistance and low moisture absorption. In addition, a main chain of the wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin is composed of repeating units derived from a mesogenic monomer, and the rigid structure of the main chain increases a melting point and enhances strength and elasticity. Due to these characteristics, the wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin is widely used as materials for small precision molded products and electrical and electronic components.
This wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin is generally processed and used by injection molding. In addition to the materials for the small precision molded products or electrical and electronic components as described above, the wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin is required to be processed by extrusion spinning rather than injection molding in order to apply the wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin to various applications such as ropes, industrial safety gloves, industrial cables, sports goods, underwater cable coating, nets, belts for high heat transfer, felt for shrink proofing and calendar, lightweight interior and exterior composite materials for aviation/space and automobiles, and the like. However, the conventional wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester fiber obtained by fiberizing the conventional wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester resin, for example, the conventional wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester fiber including only repeating units derived from hydroxy benzoic acid and repeating units derived from hydroxy naphthoic acid, has a low melting temperature, such that a heat treatment reaching temperature cannot be sufficiently high. Further, when heat treatment is performed by raising a temperature using a conventional heating method, there is a problem that it is difficult to perform a high-temperature heat treatment since melt adhesion between fibers occurs. Since it is difficult to heat-treat the fiber at a high temperature, the conventional wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester fibers do not have sufficiently excellent strength, elongation, and elastic modulus, and the like, to be applied to various applications as described above, is expensive, and has limitations for use in general industrial purposes.
In order to solve the above-described problems, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2015-0079071 and No. 2015-0079072 disclose that strength, elongation, and elastic modulus are improved by polycondensing raw material monomers including hydroxy benzoic acid, hydroxy naphthoic acid, biphenol, terephthalic acid, and isophthalic acid to manufacture a wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester fiber.
However, in the case of products manufactured from the above-described cited patents, since the degree of polymerization does not increase to a sufficient level, melt viscosity is low and spinnability of the resin is poor at high temperature, and thus there is a problem to be used as an actual fiber. Accordingly, in the case of spinning with a small-scale laboratory spinning machine, spinning is partially possible, but in the case of spinning with a mass-production level spinning machine, it has been difficult to be practically commercialized since the spinning does not proceed properly. Further, since physical properties are not greatly improved in the heat treatment process, it is also required to further improve strength, elongation, and elastic modulus, and thus there is a still need to develop a lot of researches.

Method for manufacturing wholly aromatic liquid-crystalline polyester fiber with enhanced spinnability


In the fabrication of a free-standing miniaturized structure in a range of about 10 to 20 .mu.m thick, a method based on a sacrificial system includes the steps of selecting a substrate material, depositing on the substrate material a sacrificial layer of material and patterning the sacrificial layer to define a shape. A photoresist layer of material is deposited on the sacrificial layer and patterned by contrast-enhanced photolithography to form a photoresist mold. Upon the mold there is plated a metallic layer of material. The electroplated structure conforms to the resist profile and can have a thickness many times that of conventional polysilicon microstructures. The photoresist mold and the sacrificial layer are thereafter dissolved using etchants to form a free standing metallic structure in a range of about 10 to 20 .mu.m thick, with vertical to lateral aspect ratios of 9:1 to 10:1 or more.

The present invention relates generally to micromachining and microfabrication technology, and more particularly to the construction of integrated micro-miniature structures based on a departure from conventional thin-film polysilicon fabrication techniques.
Micro-technology encompasses a number of integrated microfabrication techniques derived from processes applicable to semiconductors and integrated circuits. These techniques include chemical etching, reactive ion etching, oxide etching, dry plasma etching, metallization, metal deposition, photolithography, thermal diffusion, ion implantation, and chemical vapor deposition. In recent years micromachining and microfabrication techniques have been used to advantage to provide a variety of active and passive microstructures in large quantities and at low cost. Among the many structures proposed are actuators and sensors, micro-motors and a variety of other devices including movable joints, levers, gears, sliders, springs and the like.
Historically, most of the surface-machined microstructures have been polysilicon-based. These structures are fabricated conventionally by chemical-vapor-deposited polycrystalline silicon films that are etched to produce structural layers on the order of 1-2 .mu.m thick. These minimal thicknesses represent an inherent limitation of polysilicon-based structures which reduces their effectiveness in some applications. For example, polysilicon microactuators have been produced that are capable of generating constant forces on the order of sub-micro Newtons and torques on the order of sub-nano Newton-Meters. These devices can be used to move small objects at Mhz frequencies. On the other hand, it would be desirable to move objects having a size of one cubic millimeter or more at acceleration rates as high as 100G. For that purpose, forces on the order of milli-Newtons will be required. The fabrication of microstructures at this level requires a design providing sufficient vertical or out-of-plane rigidity, yet very low mechanical stiffness in the direction of acceleration such that the energy available for moving an object is maximized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,346 proposes the construction of laterally driven resonant microactuator structures using polysilicon thin-film techniques in a sacrificial system. Fabrication is based on a four mask process wherein a 2 .mu.m thick layer of polysilicon is deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) over a sacrificial layer of phosphosilicate glass (PSG). Following appropriate patterning, the sacrificial layer is dissolved to yield a free standing actuator structure and suspension system. The suspension system includes a plurality of polysilicon beams that support the actuator for high frequency lateral movement in the plane of the structure. At a vertical thickness only 2 .mu.m, however, very small vertical stiffness, that is, stiffness normal to the desired direction of acceleration, is provided by the suspension beams. This low vertical stiffness causes large vertical movements which are not desirable. Fortunately, as thickness in a given direction increases, the mechanical stiffness in that direction increases as a function of the cube of the thickness. On the other hand, stiffness in the orthogonal direction increases only linearly.
Thus, in microstructure applications, particularly those having free standing structures, it would be desirable to increase vertical structural thickness. This will require fabrication methods that overcome the thickness limitations of conventional thin film deposition techniques. Moreover, due to constraints on structural thickness in the direction of acceleration, techniques enabling the fabrication of structures having high aspect ratios (i.e., the ratio of vertical to lateral thickness) will be required. Although various x-ray techniques have been proposed for generating structures having thicknesses on the order of 100 .mu.m, these thicknesses are much larger than necessary. Rather, it would be desirable to provide microstructures having vertical thicknesses on the order of 10 .mu.m at an aspect ratio of about 10:1.

Micro-miniature structures and method of fabrication thereof


A data storage disc rotatably mounted on a spin or spindle motor fastened to a base plate. An actuator assembly is fastened or otherwise coupled to base plate adjacent to data storage disc. The actuator assembly positions a transducer or head over a data surface of the disc. A cover above the base plate encloses the disc, the spin motor, and the actuator assembly between the cover and the base plate. A pass-through connector is positioned above and coupled to the base plate for routing electrical leads from the transducer through a preamplifier mounted above the pass through the pass-through connector to a printed circuited board located below an underside of the base plate. The cover has a surface thermally coupled to the preamplifier to conduct heat from the preamplifier.

This application relates generally to disc drives and more particularly to a disc drive cover configured to act as a heat sink for an electronic circuit within the disc drive.
Current disc drive designs utilize a preamplifier to amplify weak read signals produced by magnetoresistive read elements in the read/write heads. The preamplifier needs to be located near the heads to minimize signal loss in the leads between the heads and the preamplifier. Consequently, the preamplifier is mounted on the top or side of the actuator assembly that carries the read/write heads. Now, with drives getting very small, but carrying much greater data capacities, there is little room on an actuator assembly to mount the preamplifier. Therefore, the preamplifier has been moved to the flex bracket on the pass-through connector leading from the interior of the drive to the disc drive servo control printed circuit board typically mounted to the bottom of the disc drive. The preamplifier operation generates heat. Removal of this heat has previously not been a substantial problem because, with an actuator mounting of the preamplifier, the heat is dissipated by close contact with the actuator body. However, with the mounting of the preamplifier on the pass-through connector, reliance is made on the flow of air within the disc drive to remove this heat. With the focus on smaller and smaller drives with greater and greater data capacities, the capacity of the internal air flow to remove heat becomes critical.
Accordingly there is a need for a better, more efficient means to draw heat away from internal disc drive components such as preamplifiers and their printed circuit boards. The present invention provides a solution to this and other problems, and offers other advantages over the prior art.
The invention includes a disc drive that has a drive cover configured to act as a heat sink for electronic components within the disc drive on which the cover is placed. The electronic components may include a pre-amplifier and a printed circuit board, and the cover is formed to provide a heat transfer coupling between the electronic components and the cover, thus dissipating excess heat out of the closed environment of the disc drive through the cover.
One embodiment of the present invention is incorporated into a disc drive having a data storage disc rotatably mounted on a spin or spindle motor fastened to a base plate. An actuator assembly is fastened or otherwise coupled to base plate adjacent to the data storage disc. The actuator assembly positions a transducer or head over a data surface of the disc. A cover above the base plate encloses the disc, the spin motor, and the actuator assembly between the cover and the base plate. A pass-through connector is positioned in and closes an opening through the base plate. This connector routes electrical signals from the transducer through a preamplifier mounted above the pass-through connector to a printed circuited board located below an underside of the base plate. The cover has a surface thermally coupled to the preamplifier to conduct heat from the preamplifier. In one embodiment, the cover comprises a protrusion, which may be a dent defined by the cover, that has a lower surface that is in contact with the preamplifier. Another embodiment has the connector resiliently pushing the preamplifier against the dent in the cover such that the heat generated in the preamplifier is dissipated.
These and various other features as well as advantages which characterize the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.

Disc drive cover portion thermally coupled to a preamplifier


A method is disclosed for increasing systemic carotenoid levels in humans through oral consumption of tablets, capsules, food or beverage products containing microbial organisms capable of synthesizing carotenoid compounds. Carotenoid synthesis may occur in situ by microbial organisms colonizing the gut, or in food or beverage products where carotenoids accumulate and are subsequently consumed dietarily. The microbial organisms may be either transgenic—thus expressing genes in the carotenoid synthesis pathway derived from other microbial organisms, or they may comprise species or strains selected for natural synthesis of carotenoids. The central objective of the invention is to provide an improvement in human health through a novel method for supplying and delivering carotenoid compounds.

1. Field of the Invention
Carotenoids play a vital role in human health and nutrition. Physiological functions of carotenoids include a critical role in stem cell differentiation and concomitant growth and development. Carotenoids also play a substantial role in eye physiology, both in photo transduction and in helping to protect the retina from damage due to actinic light (for example, UV radiation). Carotenoids naturally accumulate in the macula lutea, the central region of the retina that contains the highest concentration of cone cells, which are responsible for high resolution vision. Other physiological functions include a vital immune system role through T and B cell differentiation and proliferation in response to pathogens. Carotenoids can also be efficient free radical scavengers and contribute to the oxidative stability of membranes and tissues.
Despite the importance of carotenoids in human health, mammalian cells do not synthesize most of these compounds. Mammals require dietary precursors for in vivo synthesis of key regulatory carotenoids such as retinoids. Hence, carotenoids must be present in the diet for proper health to be maintained.
Carotenoids are terpenoid compounds that are naturally synthesized in plants, microalgae, cyanobacteria, and well as some fungi and bacteria. Carotenoids can include xanthophylls, the molecules of which contain oxygen (for example, lutein and zeaxanthin) and carotenes, which are unoxygenated molecules such as α-carotene, β-carotene and lycopene.
Many different dietary carotenoids play a significant health role, among them the α-, β-, and γ-carotenes and β-cryptoxanthin, which can be converted to vitamin A in mammals. Vitamin A plays an essential role in photoreceptor function, in which light is converted to electrical signals. Since vitamin A levels depend upon an adequate intake of dietary carotenoids, poor diet can result in vitamin A deficiency with an accompanying suite of adverse health consequences.
In developing nations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, vitamin A deficiency can result in night blindness, and in severe cases, complete blindness. Up to half a million children in the developing world go blind each year from vitamin A deficiency, which is followed by death within a year for about half the children. Night blindness is also common in pregnant and nursing women who are vitamin A deficient. Vitamin A deficiency also correlates with a higher incidence of malaria, higher fatalities from infectious diseases, and growth stunting in infants and children. Since vitamin A levels derive from dietary intake of carotenoid compounds, there is a compelling need to improve the quantity, quality and availability of carotenoids in diet.
Although animals do not synthesize carotenoids, some microbial species have carotenoid synthesis pathways. Carotenoid synthesis genes have also been successfully transferred into microbial species that do not naturally produce the compounds. Microbial production of carotenoids, whether natural or transgenic, can be efficient enough to be used in industrial production. Many commercial facilities around the world culture microaglae microalgae for the purpose of harvesting carotenoids.
While the capacity of microbes to commercially produce carotenoids as bulk chemicals has been explored, with an extensive number of patents granted, the potential for using gut microbiota to synthesize carotenoids in situ as dietary inputs has not been grasped until very recently. While the intestinal bacterium Escherichia coli has been experimentally transformed with plasmid vectors carrying genes coding for carotenoids, in most cases, E. coli was used simply as a laboratory model to ascertain gene function and to study the biochemical pathways involved in compound synthesis, including the MVA and MEP pathways. The use of carotenoid-producing Escherichia strains to correct nutritional deficiencies or to boost systemic carotenoid or vitamin A levels has not been patented, as far as the investigator has been able to determine. This also holds true for other gut microbiota, such as lactic acid bacteria, as well for free-living carotenoid synthesizing microbes which might be adapted for probiotic use.
Lactic acid bacteria have an ancient history of safe human use in foods and food products, being the active microbial agents in the making of dairy products such as yogurts and cheeses, as well as numerous vegetable fermentations, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, olives and pickled cucumbers. Lactic acid bacteria carry the US-FDA designation of "generally regarded as safe," or GRAS. Lactic acid bacteria ingested in fermented foods or in capsule form can colonize the digestive tract, often resulting in improvement in digestive function, alleviation of diarrhea and other intestinal ailments and inflammations, improved immune function and may also contribute to the inhibition of some cancers. Because of the important health role played by lactic acid bacteria and other beneficial gut microbiota such as bifidobacteria, as well as certain yeasts and non-lactic acid bacteria, including E. coli, they are collectively known as "probiotics." The UN Food and Agriculture Organization defines probiotics as "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host."
Probiotics therefore constitute an excellent platform for synthesis and delivery of carotenoids, with the goal of boosting systemic carotenoid levels in the host and alleviating vitamin A deficiencies. This can be achieved either by selection of microbial strains naturally synthesizing carotenoids, or employing transgenic probiotic organisms that synthesize carotenes using genetic material taken from other microbes, or genetic material originally isolated from plants or other sources. In this conception, carotenoid-synthesizing probiotics can be delivered in the form of capsules containing live organisms, or in cultured foods such yogurts, cheeses and soy products, or in wine or beer or fermented cereals. The boost in carotenoid levels in the host can come from two sources: either the in situ synthesis of the compounds by probiotic organisms' colonizing the host's digestive tract which have been selected or transformed for carotenoid synthesis, or by accumulation of carotenoids in a food product, such as yogurt or cheese. The overall health benefits accruing to the host are multiple: the beneficial action of the organisms themselves in the host digestive system, the in situ synthesis of carotenoid compounds by these microbes, and the higher carotenoid content of the ingested food products.
2. Description of Prior Art
Inventions claiming use of carotenoid biosynthesis by microbes have almost exclusively focused on production of extractable chemicals for food, feed and pharmaceutical use as an end goal (Li et al. 2012; Das et al. 2007; Johnson & Shroeder, 1995; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,439,629; 5,466,599; 5,591,343; 6,783,951). There is an extensive body of literature describing the genes coding for carotenoid synthases and the genetic pathways involved (Takaichi, 2011; Cunningham & Gantt, 2007; Schmidt-Dannert. 2000). Consequently, there are many patents for genes coding for particular steps in carotenoid synthesis pathways, which often claim novelty based on the biological source of the gene (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,929,928; 7,064,196; 7,070,952; 7,202,067; 7,582,451; 7,585,659).
There is also an extensive body of literature on probiotic organisms and the health benefits accruing from consumption of these organisms (Sears, 2005; Sanders & Klaenhammer, 2001). Numerous patents exist defining a particular strain of probiotic organism along with its particular physiological or bioactive effects (U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,071,086; 8,168,171; 8,187,590; 8,192,978). Similarly, the use of particular strains and blends of different strains or species has been the subject of many patents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,060,050; 8,101,170; 8,124,070). The use of live microbes in food products or dietary supplements that also contain vitamins as separately added components has also been patented (U.S. Pat. No. 8,097,281). A U.S. patent has been granted for probiotic Bifodobacterium strains specifically selected for folic acid production, with intended human use (U.S. Pat. No. 8,168,171).
Foods and beverages using fermentative microorganisms have been known since antiquity. Many processes for producing yogurts, cheeses, sauerkraut, pickles, beers, wines and numerous other products have been published or patented. Some of the microorganisms traditionally used in fermentations naturally synthesize carotenoids, such as Lactobacillus plantarum, although carotenoid production is seldom taken into account or even mentioned in descriptions of the microbial species present (Yu et al. 2012). A study of the probiotic potential of 98 strains of L. plantarum isolated from cheeses did not cite carotenoid production at all (Zago et al. 2011). Nevertheless, the genetic alteration of L. plantarum to convert the native C30 carotenoids into C40 carotenoids with known benefit to humans was been proposed; but with the object of industrial production of carotenoids (Garrido-Fernandez, 2010). Similarly, yeasts naturally synthesizing carotenoids occur widely in nature and have also been modified to produce high yields of useful carotenoids, again with the goal of commercial carotenoid production (Lin et al. 2012; Moline et al. 2012; Frengova & Beshkova, 2009). Techniques for the culture of Rhodotorula yeasts on dairy whey ultrafiltrate, either alone or in combination with symbiotic bacteria, have been developed, but with the goal of industrial production (Frengova et al. 2004).
The use of live microbes specifically to produce or accumulate carotenoids in food or beverage products or in vivo in the human digestive tract for human health purposes has not been the subject of a patent, insofar as the inventor is aware. The first formal publication of this concept was an announcement by the Gates Foundation in November, 2011, awarding Grand Challenges Explorations grants to two projects seeking to alleviate vitamin A deficiency in developing nations via probiotic carotenoid synthesis (Gates Foundation GCE Round 7). The inventor of the present invention; who was a recipient of the above grant, filed a provisional patent application prior to the award announcement date. The full presentation of the invention is given below.

Methods of administering probiotic organisms that synthesize carotenoid compounds in situ to enhance human health and nutrition


A system and method for providing support to semiconductor wafer is provided. An embodiment comprises introducing a vacancy enhancing material during the formation of a semiconductor ingot prior to the semiconductor wafer being separated from the semiconductor ingot. The vacancy enhancing material forms vacancies at a high density within the semiconductor ingot, and the vacancies form bulk micro defects within the semiconductor wafer during high temperature processes such as annealing. These bulk micro defects help to provide support and strengthen the semiconductor wafer during subsequent processing and helps to reduce or eliminate a fingerprint overlay that may otherwise occur.

Generally, integrated circuits may be formed from a plurality of semiconductor devices within a semiconductor die. As a starting point for this process, the semiconductor devices may be formed through a series of manufacturing steps including oxidation, implantation, deposition, photolithography, etching, annealing, chemical mechanical polishing. Once the semiconductor devices have been formed, a series of conductive and dielectric layers may be deposited or otherwise formed over the semiconductor devices in order to connect the individual devices to each other and also to provide a connection between the individual devices and external devices so that the integrated circuit may be integrated for use by a consumer.
However, as the integrated circuits and their associated semiconductor devices are scaled down to smaller and smaller sizes in the rush of miniaturization, issues have arisen at all levels of production. Such issues have included everything from achieving heightened precision in photolithographic masks to ensuring that an adequate coverage occurs in high-aspect ratio vias during a deposition process. At each level of miniaturization, these issues have needed to be addressed in order for the miniaturization to continue to meet the demands for consumer products.
One such issue that may occur as devices are scaled down beyond the twenty nanometer process node is defects that can occur in the semiconductor wafer onto which the various semiconductor devices, conductive, and dielectric layers are formed in order to make the integrated circuit. In particular, semiconductor wafers have a tendency to warp or deflect during high temperature processes. At smaller and smaller processing nodes, even minor warping or deflecting of the semiconductor wafer can lead to misalignments as the various manufacturing processes are performed on the semiconductor wafer.
Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generally refer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures are drawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the embodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


For give a direct methanol fuel cell which secures the fuel supply to the catalyst layer, reliably discharge generated carbon dioxide gas, and has excellent electricity generation ability, at least a portion of the anode side flow path is divided by a film having water-repellency and gas permeability to a first flow path portion positioned at the membrane electrode assembly side and a second flow path portion positioned at the bottom side of the anode side flow path where a fuel mainly flows in the first flow path portion and carbon dioxide mainly flows in the second flow path portion.

With mobile electronic devices such as mobile phones, personal data assistants (PDA), laptop computers, and camcorders becoming more multi-functional, power consumption and usage time for these devices increased. To provide for these increases, high energy density is strongly desired for the batteries to be mounted on these devices. Currently, lithium secondary batteries are mainly used for those devices. However, the energy density of lithium secondary batteries are predicted to reach its limit at about 600 Wh/L in around the year 2006, and for replacement, polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) are expected to be in practical use earlier.
Among fuel cells, a direct methanol fuel cell (also simply referred to as DMFC hereinafter), is gaining attention and researches and developments are actively conducted for DMFC. In DMFC, a fuel, namely methanol or an aqueous methanol solution, is supplied to the inside of the cell without reforming the fuel to hydrogen, and oxidized at an electrode for acquiring electricity. Reasons for DMFC to gain attention may be the following, just to name a few: an organic fuel has a high theoretical energy density and is easy to store, and further, a direct methanol fuel cell system can be easily simplified.
A cell of a DMFC is structured to have the following: a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) obtained by sandwiching a polymer electrolyte membrane with an anode (fuel electrode) and a cathode (air electrode) each having a catalyst layer and a diffusion layer; and a pair of separators sandwiching both sides of the MEA. A fuel, namely methanol or an aqueous methanol solution, is supplied to an anode, and an air is supplied to a cathode to obtain electricity.
An electrode reaction in a DMFC is illustrated in the following:Anode: CH3OH+H2O→CO2+6H++6e−  (1)Cathode: (3/2)O2++6H++6e−→3H2O  (2)
The formulae (1) and (2) above show that in the anode, methanol and water are reacted to produce carbon dioxide, protons, and electrons; the protons reach the cathode via the polymer electrolyte membrane; and in the cathode, oxygen, the protons, and the electrons passed through the external circuit, are bonded to produce water.
However, there are some problems in practical usage of DMFC. One of the problems is related to discharge of the reaction product, i.e., the carbon dioxide gas. Carbon dioxide generated in the anode passes through the anode-side diffusion layer, reaches into the flow path of the separator, and finally is discharged to the outside via the flow path. At this time, the generated carbon dioxide partially remains in the diffusion layer to inhibit the fuel to diffuse into the catalyst layer, and gradually accumulates to create large bubbles. Then, the bubbles push the fuel out from the micropores of the diffusion layer, thereby causing the fuel supply for the catalyst layer to be insufficient, and a portion of unused fuel to be discharged to the outside. As a result, the electricity production might drop greatly at a high current density side.
As a method to solve such problems, there has been proposed to provide a liquid fuel flow path and an exhaust flow path independently (i.e., completely separated), as well as a diffusion layer which has liquid permeability but hardly permeates gas to face the liquid fuel flow path, and a diffusion layer having gas permeability to face the exhaust flow path in the anode side separator (i.e., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-175817).
However, the above conventional technique is yet to be improved, in terms of providing a direct methanol fuel cell having sufficient electricity production ability without reducing fuel usage efficiency.
According to the above technique, the problem in carbon dioxide gas discharge is possibly solved. However, since the completely separated fuel flow path and exhaust flow path are provided at the anode side separator, when the diffusion layer is low in fuel permeability, the fuel amount to be supplied to the region in the surface of the catalyst layer facing the exhaust flow path becomes insufficient, causing a decrease in the output.
Thus, to solve such conventional problems as mentioned in the above, the present invention aims to provide a direct methanol fuel cell with excellent electricity production ability in which the amount of the fuel supply for the catalyst layer is secured, and the produced carbon dioxide gas is further reliably discharged.


A very small memory cell utilizing only two squares at a major surface is provided which includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface and a trench disposed therein having a longitudinal axis, a storage capacitor having a storage node disposed within a given sidewall of the trench, a switching device coupled to the storage capacitor and having an elongated current carrying element disposed within the given sidewall with its longitudinal direction arranged parallel to that of the longitudinal axis of the trench and a control element disposed on the sidewall of the trench between the storage capacitor and the elongated current carrying element, and an electrically conductive line disposed on the major surface of the semiconductor substrate in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the trench and in contact with the control element of the switching device. Furthermore, two complete memory cells are formed at each trench-word line intersection with one cell formed on each side of the trench at each intersection.

Integrated semiconductor memory circuits, particularly those employing cells which include essentially a storage capacitor and a switch have achieved high memory cell densities. One of the simplest circuits for providing a small dynamic memory cell is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,286, filed July 14, 1967, by R. H. Dennard. Each cell employs a storage capacitor and a field effect transistor acting as a switch to selectively connect the capacitor to a bit/sense line.
In also commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,811,076 by W. M. Smith, and 3,841,926 by R. R. Garnache and W. M. Smith, both filed on Jan. 2, 1973, there is disclosed a one device field effect transistor memory cell of the type described in the hereinabove identified Dennard patent which utilizes a layer of doped polysilicon and an N+ diffusion region in a P type conductivity semiconductor substrate separated by a dielectric medium disposed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate for forming the storage capacitor of the cell. The polysilicon layer extends beyond the storage capacitor to act as a field shield between adjacent cells by applying a negative bias or fixed negative potential to the polysilicon layer. The N+ diffusion region of the storage capacitor is formed by using a doped segment of an insulating layer disposed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and outdiffusing the dopant into the substrate.
Although the cells described hereinabove do provide memories having a high density of cells in a planar or two dimensional arrangement, yet each cell does require a significant given area of semiconductor substrate surface. To reduce the size of the given surface area for each cell, structures have been made wherein a semiconductor device or a cell is formed in a three dimensional arrangement. In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,924, filed on Dec. 17, 1979 by R. R. Garnache and D. M. Kenney, there is disclosed a semiconductor device located within a groove or trench with a self-aligned conductive layer formed on a wall of the trench either directly or on a supporting insulating layer as an element of the device. A memory cell formed in a groove or trench is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,450, filed on Jan. 30, 1980, by D. R. Thomas, wherein there is disclosed a cell having a transistor disposed on a sidewall of a groove or trench with the storage node disposed below the transistor. Also U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,476, filed on Nov. 28, 1980, describes a vertical cell having the storage capacitor in a well or trench.
Furthermore, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,040, filed on Mar. 30, 1980, by I. T. Ho and J. Riseman, discloses a one device dynamic random access memory utilizing a trench having vertical sidewalls with the storage capacitor and the transfer device located within the trench, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,271,418, filed on Oct. 29, 1979, and 4,225,945, filed on June 6, 1977, and commonly assigned U.S. patent application having Ser. No. 793,401, filed on Oct. 31, 1985, by D. M. Kenney, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,337, and IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 27, No. 2, July 1984, pp. 1313 to 1320, by C. G. Jambotkar, teach a one device memory cell formed in a groove or trench with the storage node located at the bottom of the trench, the bit/sense line at the top of this structure and the transfer device on the sidewall of the trench.
Commonly assigned U.S. patent application having Ser. No. 858,787, filed on May 2, 1986, by B. F. Fitzgerald, K. Y. Nguyen and S. V. Nguyen, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,067, describes a dynamic memory cell wherein the switching device is located at the bottom of the trench, with the storage capacitor and the bit/sense line being formed along opposite sidewalls of the trench.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,962, filed Mar. 21, 1985, discloses a memory structure wherein a pair of cells are formed on a semiconductor substrate, each cell having a polysilicon storage node located on a sidewall of a trench opposite that of the other cell.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,786, filed on July 15, 1986, by R. R, Garnache and D. M. Kenney, discloses a memory circuit wherein each of the memory cells requires only two lithographic squares of the surface of a semiconductor substrate, wherein one lithographic square is defined by the intersection of two orthogonally arranged lithographic lines, each line being of a given width, e.g., less than a micron, as used in forming elements of devices in integrated semiconductor circuits. In the memory circuit of this patent, two memory cells are formed at the intersection of a trench and a bit/sense line. In the hereinabove cited prior art, none of the references except for the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,786 and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,962 disclose a very small memory cell which utilizes a semiconductor substrate surface area of less than four lithographic squares.

Two square memory cells having highly conductive word lines


An optical plug includes a connector body. The connector body defines a receiving hole with a opening, a hollow pusher extends from the connector body and surrounding the receiving hole; and a number of lenses are arranged in the receiving hole. The connector body includes a first side surface and a second side surface, the first side surface defines a reflecting groove and the reflecting groove includes a reflecting surface, an included angle between the reflecting groove surface and the first side surface is 135 degrees. A number of lenses arrange on the second side surface to receive signal reflecting by the reflecting surface; and two elastic shielding plates have fixed ends fixed to opposite sides of the pusher, and opposite free ends overlappable to cover the opening.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to optical technology and, particularly, to an optical plug, and a related optical signal coupling assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Optical signal coupling assemblies are preferred due to their high transmission speed and signal integrity, for use in data transmission between electronic devices. The optical signal coupling assembly includes two connectors, such as an optical plug and an optical receptacle, for allowing optical signal transmittance. When coupling the two connectors together, a lens in the plug is aligned with a corresponding lens in the receptacle to ensure the optical transmittance. However, the lenses are exposed to the air, and are easily contaminated. This decreases transmission efficiency and destroys the signal integrity.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an optical plug, an optical receptacle, and a related optical signal coupling assembly, which can overcome or at least alleviate the limitations described.

Optical plug and related optical signal coupling assembly


A self-heating group meal assembly and method of using same. In one embodiment, the assembly comprises a plurality of heating trays, each heating tray having a plurality of standoffs extending upwardly from the bottom thereof. The assembly also comprises a corresponding plurality of heater assemblies, each heater assembly being positioned within a tray on top of the standoffs so as to define a reservoir between itself and the bottom of its tray. Each heater assembly comprises a sturdy polymeric sheet of material shaped to define a plurality of pockets, an exothermic chemical heater material packaged into each of the pockets and a sheet of porous non-woven scrim attached to the bottom surface of the polymeric sheet and used to seal the pockets. The exothermic chemical heater material comprises a Mg-Fe alloy from which all activating electrolytes have been omitted to prevent inadvertent activation of the alloy in the event of water immersion. The assembly also comprises a corresponding plurality of institutional-size food pouches, each food pouch being placed directly on top of a heater assembly. A metering tube section is removably mounted in each tray, each tube section having an orifice aligned with its corresponding reservoir to provide activating solution thereto. The metering tube sections are separably connected to one another and are removably connectable to a collapsible activating solution container. A mixture of activating electrolytes and other ingredients are stored in the container. Just prior to use, water is added to the mixture of ingredients in the container, and the container is attached to the metering tube sections to permit the solution to be dispensed thereinto.

The present invention relates generally to self-heating meal assemblies and more particularly to a novel self-heating group meal assembly.
Self-heating meal assemblies of the type used, for example, by the military to heat rations of food for an individual are well-known.
One example of a self-heating meal assembly designed for use for an individual is described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,909, which issued Jun. 22, 1993, with inventors Pickard et al. In this patent, there is disclosed a self-heating individual meal assembly (also referred to as a "self-heating individual meal module") which includes a tub for holding a quantity of food to be heated. Below the tub is a tray containing an electrolytic-solution-activatable exothermic-chemical pad and a pouch containing an electrolytic solution. The tub is welded to the tray and is in contact with the pad. A pull-tab is attached to the pouch for opening the pouch so that the electrolytic solution inside the pouch can flow out to trigger the exothermic reaction in the pad so as to heat the tub containing the food. The tub and the tray are removably seated in a first paperboard carton which provides protection during storage and transportation and insulation during the heating process. The self-heating individual meal module may also include a second paperboard carton having removably seated inside a quantity of shelf-stable bread, a beverage powder, a dessert, accessories and eating utensils. The two paperboard cartons may be glued together to provide a complete single serve meal.
Another such self-heating meal assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,921, which issued Dec. 24, 1985, with inventor Benmussa. In this patent, there is disclosed a self-heating receptacle comprising a vessel for food to be heated, and below the vessel a sealed container containing two chemicals, e.g. quick lime and water. A sealed pouch within the container prevents one of the chemicals from contacting the other. A tearing filament secured to the pouch simultaneously opens the pouch and the container thereby triggering the exothermic reaction to heat said food vessel. The pouch is suspended by its ends above the bottom of the container and is surrounded by said other chemical. There is an outer housing in the bottom of which the container is disposed, the food vessel being disposed in the top of this housing. The container is hermetically sealed with a lid. The tearing filament extends across the lid below the bottom of the food vessel and emerges from between the housing and the food vessel in a portion that can be grasped by the user to pull on the tearing filament thereby both to open the pouch and to tear the lid.
While the above-described self-heating meal assemblies are generally well-suited for heating individual meal rations, they are not as well-suited for heating group meal rations, which are typically 12-36 times larger than individual meal rations. This is in large part due to the bulk of heating materials necessary to heat such large quantities of food. For example, measurements have shown that the heater to food weight ratio is typically 1:1 for packages utilizing quick lime as the solvent-actuable heating element and 1:8 for packages utilizing Mg-Fe as the solvent-actuable heating element. Consequently, to heat 26 pounds of food, one would typically require 26 pounds of quick lime or 3.5 pounds of Mg-Fe in addition to other packaging weights. These weights may be contrasted to current catering methods which use chafing trays and only a few ounces of a gelled alcohol.
Self-heating meal assemblies of the type described above also often encounter problems of shelf stability. More specifically, self-heating packages that use quick lime are known to slowly deactivate over time due to the hydroscopic nature of the material. Consequently, expensive steps, such as moisture barrier packaging, are often taken to hermetically contain the heater. Nevertheless, such techniques are not foolproof, and some moisture may still leak around necessary protuberances, such as pull tabs. Similarly, Mg-Fe heaters are typically packaged with salts and surfactants necessary for the heater to work, but these additives attract moisture and can slowly deactivate the heaters. More importantly, the safe transportation and storage of Mg-Fe heaters is problematic since the accidental water immersion of bulk packages could cause the heaters to react releasing flammable hydrogen gas.
Notwithstanding the above, there are many situations in which self-heating group-sized meal assemblies would be useful. For example, in military applications, it would be highly desirable to serve a meal to a large group without needing burners, fuel, heater cabinets or insulated carriers. In addition, there are also civilian applications including catering or meal service at group functions, particularly where fire codes do not permit open flames. Moreover, there are civilian applications for contingency operations in remote areas such as fire fighting or for disaster relief where there is no available food equipment or electric power.
In "Innovative Concepts for Self-Heating Meals," Activities Report and Minutes of Work Groups & Sub-Work Groups of the R&D Associates, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 35-39 (1992), published by the RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES for MILITARY FOOD and PACKAGING SYSTEMS, INC., San Antonio, Tex., Pickard et al. describe the following concept for a Self-Heating Group Meal (SHGM): "The SHGM is an adaptation of the current institutional pouch. This pouch is constructed of a trilaminate similar to a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) entree pouch. The institutional pouch typically holds 6.6 pounds of thermostabilized food, similar to a tray pack. This pouch is an excellent choice for chemical heating, because the packaging conducts heat well, the food cross-section is relatively thin, and there is no head space, so the pouch can be effectively heated on both sides.
"A polypropylene heating/serving tray has been configured for the pouch. The bottom of the tray holds six 30-gram heaters that require 12 oz. of water to activate. A typical meal would consist of a stack of four pouches and trays. Water is poured into a fold-out reservoir above the trays and is evenly distributed to the four trays through a tube. To conserve energy, the bottom tray sits on an insulating pad, and the entire meal is packaged in a plastic-lined, corrugated fiberboard box.
"To activate the SHGM, the box is opened exposing the reservoir. One canteen of water is poured into the reservoir and the box is re-closed. Preliminary testing has yielded remarkable time/temperature profiles that indicate this ration will heat-up the requisite 100.degree. F. from 40.degree. F. to 140.degree. F. in less than 30 minutes and will stay hot for 6 hours or more. Tests show that 6.6 pounds of water were heated from 50.degree. F. to 160.degree. F. in only 15 minutes.
"Because the SHGM is made from polymeric materials, the final package is expected to be very compact, light, and inexpensive. Reheating time and temperature can be controlled by design instead of by instruction. For example, a heater tray designed for chicken stew may have six 30 g pads. With regard to battlefield disposal, the polymeric materials can be burned or compacted to a small volume. The self-heating serving tray will also continue to keep the meal warm until the last soldier is served. Best of all, the pouches do not require can openers.
"Bulk packaging has been another consideration in the design. Cases (10.times.12.times.15 inches) will yield three levels of 16 cases on a standard 40.times.48 inch pallet. If the levels are designated for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a pallet will feed various sized groups from 18 soldiers for 16 days, to 288 soldiers for 1 day, which simplifies the logistics of field feeding."
One shortcoming that has been identified by the present inventors with the above-described self-heating group meal concept is the water delivery system comprising the fold-out reservoir and the single piece of continuous tubing connected thereto for delivery of water to the four heating trays. The present inventors have found the fold-out reservoir to be cumbersome and hard to use. In addition, the present inventors have found the single piece of tubing to be difficult to use since the tubing has to be positioned relative to the four trays so that four water outlet holes formed in the tubing are correspondingly aligned with the four trays. Moreover, because the single piece of tubing physically interconnects the four trays, one must cut the tubing between each pair of adjacent trays if one wishes to gain access to the contents of the lower tray of each pair.

Self-heating group meal assembly and method of using same

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


Techniques for generating an enhanced cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image using a trained model are provided. A CBCT image of a subject is received. a synthetic computed tomography (sCT) image corresponding to the CBCT image is generated, using a generative model. The generative model is trained in a generative adversarial network (GAN). The generative model is further trained to process the CBCT image as an input and provide the sCT image as an output. The sCT image is presented for medical analysis of the subject.

X-ray cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging has been employed in radiation therapy for patient setup and adaptive re-planning. Under some circumstances, CBCT imaging has also been employed for diagnostic purposes, such as dental imaging and planning of implants. Moreover, X-ray CBCT imaging has been employed in many imaging-related applications, such as micro-computed tomography. However, the image quality of a CBCT image may be rather low, as observed by medical physicists, doctors, and researchers. In general, CBCT images may contain different types of artefacts (including various types of noise or visualized structure in the reconstructed data that is not present in the real object under investigation).
Artefacts and noise in CBCT images can sabotage adaptive treatment re-planning, affect diagnosis, or make many other image processing steps difficult or even impossible (such as image segmentation). Since each artefact can be caused by one or more different factors, different methods may be used suppress different artefacts. For radiation therapy and other clinical applications, generally, besides CBCT images (which may be obtained daily), there may be one or more other computed tomography (CT) image datasets available together (such as the planning CT images). Generally, CT images have much higher image-quality with more accurate contrast or other information, and less artefacts. Although researchers have done many investigations and developed several related methods for the purpose of reducing artefacts in CBCT images, currently, there is no existing simple and efficient method which can suppress all or most general artefacts. Therefore, there exists a significant need to develop a novel, efficient and simple method to suppress and remove artefacts and noise in CBCT images.

Cone-beam CT image enhancement using generative adversarial networks