The present disclosure relates to a novel absorbance-based colorimetric device system, and to methods of using the novel absorbance-based colorimetric device system.

This section introduces aspects that may help facilitate a better understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, these statements are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is or is not prior art.
Colorimetry is a widely used approach for measurement of the concentration of biological samples in a liquid. Colorimetry techniques have been developed to detect concentrations of glucose, protein, fatty acids, nucleic acids, etc. In colorimetry, the sample is mixed with a reagent that causes a color change in the sample-reagent mixture that is a function of the concentration of the sample. Conventional colorimetric analysis involves measuring the mixture absorbance at a specific wavelength using either a colorimeter, spectrophotometer, or microtiter plate reader. Miniaturization of this process has the benefits of reducing the quantity of the reagent as well as the sample needed, thus allowing for less invasive testing in clinical applications. The measurement time can also be significantly reduced due to the faster mixing process in miniaturized systems.
The Bradford assay is one of the most commonly used protein quantitation techniques. The technique involves mixing a protein-containing sample with the reagent dye Coomassie™ Brilliant Blue G-250. This reagent dye is known to exist in three ionic states: anionic, cationic, and neutral. The neutral and anionic states both react to the amino acids in the protein, the former by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions and the latter by electrostatic interactions. These reactions form protein-dye complexes that shift the absorbance spectrum of the mixture. The measured absorbance change is correlated with a set of standard concentrations to determine the protein concentration in the sample. The non-instantaneous nature of this protein-dye reaction means that there is likely a combined effect of the reaction and the mixing on the signal during the measurement timescale. In conventional Bradford assays that are conducted in macroscale cuvettes, the measurement requires on the order of 5 min for the reaction to be completed, due to the longer time for mixing in macroscale devices. Macroscale mixing can also lead to protein denaturation, and foaming with excessive vortexing. A quicker method of mixing that avoids denaturation, as is possible at the smaller length scales of micromixing techniques, can allow the reaction to be completed more rapidly.
Recent efforts have attempted high-throughput screening of sample concentration using absorbance-based colorimetry by fabricating miniaturized wells with higher density of wells per unit area than previously achieved; however, these techniques require complex machining to create precise wells at such high density. Furthermore, a key issue that must be addressed in these low-volume microwells is the thorough mixing of the samples. Several active micromixing approaches have been proposed in the literature, including ultrasonication, external vibration of T-junction microchannels, magnetohydrodynamic stirrers, and electro-osmotic flow in microchannels. Most of these approaches demand complex control schemes and additional manufacturing requirements. Multilaminar mixing is another approach that uses intricate patterns of channels to induce chaotic flows. This technique often requires longer flow lengths and still requires complex fabrication to create the complex flow patterns necessary for mixing.
Therefore, novel miniature micromixing devices to conduct rapid sample-dye reactions therefore to provide benefit for high-throughput microplate-based colorimetric analysis are still needed.

Absorbance-based colorimetric device system


Instead of monitoring the optical power coming out of a waveguide, a direct method of monitoring the optical power inside the waveguide without affecting device or system performance is provided. A waveguide comprises a p-i-n structure which induces a TPA-generated current and may be enhanced with reverse biasing the diode. The TPA current may be measured directly by probing metal contacts provided on the top surface of the waveguide, and may enable wafer-level testing. The p-i-n structures may be implemented at desired points throughout an integrated network, and thus allows probing of different devices for in-situ power monitor and failure analysis.

High-bandwidth, power efficient, and reliable optical links have potential to change the consumer electronics and server markets as Internet data traffic continues to grow exponentially over the years and electronic interconnects are reaching their limits to sustain such growth. Integrated optoelectronic technology can serve as critical enabler to allow personal computing devices to send and receive data at unprecedented rate. In recent years, many successes in optical-component research in the field of silicon photonics have made silicon-on-insulator (SOI) the most promising material-platform-of-choice for the future generations of integrated optoelectronic systems. A typical integrated optoelectronic system could include lasers, modulators, multiplexers/demultiplexers, photo-detectors, and other passive components such as filters and couplers.
Lasers are well known devices that emit light through stimulated emission and produce coherent light beams with a frequency spectrum ranging from infrared to ultraviolet and may be used in a vast array of applications. In an integrated photonic link, data is encoded from a laser source through a modulator and propagates through waveguides. In many applications, the optical data travels through several active and passive components on the same chip, and it is desirable to monitor the optical power at various stages of the system.
Currently, one standard way to monitor optical power inside a waveguide is to collect the light exiting the waveguide with an optical fiber or free-space objective. The optical power may be measured with an external power-meter. The actual power may be determined by assuming some pre-characterized losses, including input/output coupling losses and waveguide propagation loss.
All these loss characterizations are carefully measured and calibrated beforehand. For instance, propagation loss is usually measured via on-chip cutback method, which requires making several bend waveguides with various lengths on the same chip. One would measure the output power from each bended waveguide, and determine the propagation loss via a statistical fit.
The method described above would occupy precious wafer areas, and may only work with simple waveguide structures on a component-level. In an integrated photonic network setting, where many optical components are linked together on the same substrate, the above-mentioned method may not work well. For instance, in the case of a network failure, it is important to find the failing component in the integrated network. Since the above method only determines whether the network is failing, but not where the network is failing, an alternative power monitor scheme is desired.

Two-photon-absorption-based silicon waveguide photo-power monitor


An engine control system for a vehicle which controls the output of the engine in response to change in the accelerator depression detects the accelerator depression fluctuation rate and the vehicle speed fluctuation rate. The control system increases the change in the engine output for a given change in the accelerator depression when the accelerator depression fluctuation rate is large and the vehicle speed fluctuation rate is small and reduces the same when the change in the accelerator depression fluctuation rate is small and the vehicle speed fluctuation rate is large.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an engine control system for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been proposed an electric throttle system in which the throttle valve is mechanically disconnected from the accelerator pedal and is electrically driven by an actuator such as an electric motor in response to depression of the accelerator pedal. In an accelerator control system disclosed, for instance, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59(1984)-122745, when the change of amount of depression of the accelerator pedal is small, a throttle control gain is reduced so that the change of the throttle opening for a given change of the accelerator depression is reduced, thereby facilitating fine control of the vehicle speed, and when the change of the accelerator depression is large, the throttle control gain is increased so that the change of the throttle opening for a given change of the accelerator depression is increased, thereby ensuring a better acceleration performance conforming to the driver's will.
However since the running state is affected by the current of traffic, if the throttle control gain is changed simply according to the amount of change of the accelerator depression, stability in control and fuel economy will deteriorate.


An intervertebral implant may include a superior exterior surface, an inferior exterior surface, a first exterior lateral surface, and a second exterior lateral surface. The first and second exterior lateral surfaces may be substantially transverse to the superior and inferior exterior surfaces. The implant may further include a first curved end wall at a first longitudinal extremity of the body. The first curved end wall may include a bore configured to receive a first shaft of a tool. Additionally, the implant may include a second curved end wall at a second longitudinal extremity of the body and an elongated slot extending from a portion of the first curved end wall to a portion of the first exterior lateral surface.

A patient's spinal column includes twenty-six bones called vertebrae which protect the spinal cord. While the shape and/or size of each vertebra varies depending on the placement, loading, posture, and/or pathology within the spinal column, each vertebra is composed of cancellous bone, which is a spongy type of osseous tissue. The cancellous bone of each vertebra is then covered by a thin coating of cortical bone, which is a hard and dense type of osseous tissue. An intervertebral disc is positioned between each pair of adjacent vertebrae in the spinal column. Each disc forms a fibrocartilaginous joint between adjacent vertebrae so as to allow movement of the vertebrae. Beyond enabling relative motion between adjacent vertebrae, each disc acts as a shock absorber for the spinal column.
Each disc comprises a fibrous exterior surrounding an inner gel-like center, which together cooperate to distribute pressure evenly across each disc, which prevents the development of stress concentrations that might otherwise damage and/or impair the vertebrae of the spinal column. However, the discs may be subject to various injuries and/or disorders which may interfere with the disc's ability to adequately distribute pressure and protect the vertebrae. For example, disc herniation, degeneration, and infection may result in insufficient disc thickness and/or support to absorb and/or distribute forces imparted to the spinal column. Disc degeneration, for example, may result when the inner gel-like center begins to dehydrate, which may result in a degenerated disc having decreased thickness. This decreased thickness may limit the ability of the degenerated disc to absorb shock which, if left untreated, may result in pain and/or vertebral injury.
While pain medication, physical therapy, and other non-operative conditions may alleviate some symptoms, such interventions may not be sufficient for every patient. Accordingly, various procedures have been developed to surgically improve patient quality of life via abatement of pain and/or discomfort. One particularly advantageous procedure includes transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). TLIF may be performed via a minimally invasive technique, thus reducing trauma to the spinal column, and decreasing patient recovery times.
During TLIF, a medical professional may make a small (e.g., between about 1 inch and about 6 inches) incision along a patient's back. Next, one or more portions of the vertebral bone (such as, e.g., a facet joint of adjacent vertebral bodies) may be removed so as to access a disc between adjacent vertebrae. A medical professional then may partially remove the damaged and/or degenerated disc, leaving at least a portion of the disc intact to facilitate guiding an interbody device into the disc space. If necessary, bone graft (including, but not limited to, morselized bone) also may be placed within the disc space to promote fusion. Commonly, a medical professional may enlarge the disc space between adjacent vertebrae via a distraction process. Following removal of a portion of the disc and/or distraction of the disc space, an interbody device (e.g., implant) is positioned in the disc space between adjacent vertebrae. The interbody device may relieve pressure from pinched nerves and provide additional therapeutic effects. In some instances, a medical professional also may implant one or more bone screws and/or rods to provide additional support to the spinal column. Additionally, morselized bone may be placed along the sides of the spinal column to promote fusion.
When a TLIF procedure is performed according to a minimally invasive technique, however, direct vision of the disc space is not available. In addition, it may be difficult to visualize an interbody device during implantation. Accordingly, proper placement of an interbody device along the spinal column may be a difficult and tedious task, often requiring extensive skill and experience. Additionally, it is often the case that the available space (e.g., distance) between two adjacent vertebrae intended to receive an interbody device is smaller than the height of the interbody device chosen for insertion. In such cases, a medical professional may need to distract the disc space to prepare for insertion of the interbody device. Distraction, however, is often done with various tools and implements (e.g., rods, screws, etc.) which may interfere, impede, and/or block an interbody device's insertion and/or entrance into the disc space. Accordingly, it may be difficult to guide the interbody device into position between adjacent vertebrae that have been distracted by conventional methods. If distraction is not performed, however, it may be challenging to insert the interbody device so as to create sufficient space between (e.g., distract) adjacent vertebrae itself, while maintaining control. Further, during insertion of the interbody device, the interbody device may impact remaining portions of the disc and/or bone graft which may interfere with the proper placement of the interbody device.
Thus, there remains a need for improved interbody devices, associated systems, tools, and insertion methods.

Articulating intervertebral devices, related tools, systems, and methods


According to an embodiment, an object detecting apparatus includes a detecting unit and a non-linear processing unit. The detecting unit is configured to detect one or more object-candidate regions from a captured image. The non-linear processing unit is configured to input the entire captured image or a part of the captured image at least including the object-candidate region to a neural network having been trained to estimate the posture of an object in the object-candidate region and the distance to the object simultaneously, and output object information at least including information on the distance to the object, using an output from the neural network.

Conventionally, a technology has been available for detecting an object from a captured image captured with a monocular camera. Also, a technology has been known for estimating the distance to an object detected from a captured image, by giving some assumptions as constraints. Such conventional technologies are, however, incapable of estimating the distance to the object correctly when the assumptions do not apply.

Object detecting apparatus, object detecting method, and computer program product


A read sensor for a transducer is fabricated. The transducer has a field region and a sensor region corresponding to the sensor. A sensor stack is deposited. A hybrid mask including hard and field masks is provided. The hard mask includes a sensor portion covering the sensor region and a field portion covering the field region. The field mask covers the field portion of the hard mask. The field mask exposes the sensor portion of the hard mask and part of the sensor stack between the sensor and field regions. The sensor is defined from the sensor stack in a track width direction. Hard bias layer(s) are deposited. Part of the hard bias layer(s) resides on the field mask. Part of the hard bias layer(s) adjoining the sensor region is sealed. The field mask is lifted off. The transducer is planarized.

FIG. 1 depicts a conventional method 10 for fabricating a magnetoresistive sensor in magnetic recording technology applications. The method 10 typically commences after a conventional magnetoresistive or tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) stack has been deposited. The conventional read sensor stack typically includes an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer, a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer. In addition, seed and/or capping layers may be used. The conventional magnetoresistive stack resides on an underlayer, which may be a substrate.
The conventional method 10 commences by providing a conventional mask for the read sensor, via step 12. The mask provided is either a conventional hard mask or a conventional photoresist mask. The conventional photoresist mask covers the region from which the conventional magnetoresistive sensor is to be formed, as well as a portion of the transducer distal from the sensor termed the field region
The magnetoresistive structure is defined using the conventional mask, via step 14. Step 14 typically includes ion milling the transducer. Thus, the portion of the magnetoresistive stack exposed by the conventional mask is removed. The magnetoresistive structure being defined may be a magnetoresistive sensor for a read transducer.
The hard bias material(s), such as CoPt, are deposited, via step 16. In addition, seed and/or capping layers may be provided in step 16. The hard bias material(s) and other layers are deposited while the conventional hard mask is in place. In addition, a shallow mill may be performed as part of providing the hard bias structure. A capping layer may be deposited after the shallow ion mill is completed. The capping layer typically includes a noble metal such as Ru and/or Ta.
The conventional mask may then be removed, via step 18. For a conventional photoresist mask, step 18 may include performing a lift-off. For a hard mask, another process, such as ion milling may be used. A planarization such as a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is performed, via step 20. The stripe height of the sensor is then defined, via step 22. Note that in some instances, the stripe height may be defined in step 22 prior to the steps 12-20. An insulator such as aluminum oxide is deposited on the transducer, via step 24.
Although the conventional method 10 allows the conventional transducer to be fabricated, there are several drawbacks. The current trend in magnetic recording is to decreased track widths. The track width is approaching the sub-thirty micron range. At such low thicknesses, a conventional photoresist mask is consumed quickly in part because faceting of the photoresist mask may be significant at lower track widths. Thus, the desired track width may not be able to be achieved is a conventional photoresist mask is provided in step 12. If a conventional hard mask is used instead, the hard mask may only be removed by a CMP and/or ion milling. This process may be difficult particularly for large areas for which the CMP capability may be limited and ion milling may be less effective. Further, the hard mask material may be stressful. A hard mask under stress may cause delamination of the magnetoresistive sensor film, particularly during the planarization in step 20. Thus, the conventional method may not be capable of producing a read sensor at higher magnetic recording densities and the attendant lower track widths.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for improving the fabrication of a magnetic recording read transducer.

Method for fabricating a read sensor for a read transducer


A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first well region of the first conductivity type which is formed to extend from the surface of the semiconductor substrate toward the inside thereof, a pair of second well regions of a second conductivity which are formed to extend from the surface of the semiconductor substrate toward the inside thereof in such as manner as to sandwich the first well region therebetween, and a third well region of the second conductivity type which is formed under each of the first well region and the pair of second well regions in the semiconductor substrate. The third well region electrically connects the pair of second well regions to each other. The first well region has at least a portion thereof connected to the region of the semiconductor substrate in which the third well region is not formed.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising a MIS transistor having a triple-well structure and to a fabrication method therefor. More particularly, it aims at increasing latch-up breakdown voltage.
As semiconductor devices have been increasingly miniaturized with recent advances in semiconductor fabrication technologies, the arrangement pitch of transistors has been reduced rapidly. As a result, the resistance of a well has increased prominently so that the lowering of latch-up breakdown voltage has presented a problem. Specifically, since an implantation angle (tilt angle) of about 7° is used in the ion implantation of an impurity for forming a well, an implant mask (resist) becomes a barrier in a well in the vicinity of the mask so that an amount of the implanted impurity is reduced and the impurity concentration is thereby lowered. The influence of the lowered concentration is negligible when the width of the well is large but, when the width of the well becomes smaller as a result of miniaturization, the ratio of a region in which the mask as the barrier lowers the impurity concentration to the entire well relatively increases. Consequently, the impurity concentration of the entire well prominently lowers and the well resistance increases so that the latch-up breakdown voltage lowers.
To prevent this, a so-called triple-well structure has been used in a memory such as a DRAM (dynamic random access memory), in which a P-type semiconductor substrate having a P-well region and an N-well region is provided with an N-type region having the peak of the impurity concentration thereof at a position deeper than each of the P-well region and the N-well region such that the resistance of the N-well region is reduced and the latch-up breakdown voltage is increased (see, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. HEI 9-55483).
FIG. 17 is a plan view showing an example of the layout of a conventional memory cell portion. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G′ of FIG. 17.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Z-Z′ of FIG. 17.
As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, a plurality of N-well regions 11 and a plurality of P-well regions 12 are formed to be alternately arranged, each extending from a surface of a P-type semiconductor substrate 10 toward the inside thereof. Between the N-well regions 11 and the P-well regions 12 in the surface portion of the P-type semiconductor substrate 10, there are provided isolations 14 having an STI (shallow trench isolation) structure, though they (isolations 104) are not shown in FIG. 17. In addition, a Deep-N-well region 13 is formed in a portion of the P-type semiconductor substrate 10 under the N-well regions 11 and the P-well regions 12 (i.e., a twin-well structure). The Deep-N-well region 13 is formed in an entire region under the twin-Well structure and at a depth which does not affect the surface concentration of the twin-well structure, thereby providing electrical connection between the individual N-well regions 11.
As also shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, an N-type MIS (metal-insulator semiconductor) transistor (e.g., NMOS (N-channel metal oxide semiconductor) transistor) 15 is formed on each of the P-well regions 12, while a P-type MIS transistor (e.g., PMOS (P-channel metal oxide semiconductor) transistor) 16 is formed on each of the N-well regions 11. Specifically, the N-type MIS transistors 15 is composed of: a gate oxide film 17 formed on each of the P-well regions 12; a gate electrode 18 formed on the gate oxide film 17; insulating sidewalls 19 formed on the side surfaces of the gate electrode 18; and N-type source/drain regions 20 formed in the surface portion of the P-well region 12. On the other hand, the P-type MIS transistor 16 is composed of: a gate oxide film 21 formed on each of the N-well regions 11; a gate electrode 22 formed on the gate oxide film 21; insulating sidewalls 23 formed on the side surfaces of the gate electrode 22; and P-type source/drain regions 24 formed in the surface portion of the N-well region 11.
For latch-up prevention in an SRAM (statistic random access memory), a method which uses an N-well/source structure, not a triple-well structure, in an SRAM memory cell and silicidizes a substrate surface is adopted in the invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. HEI 10-56082 to provide electrical connection between a P region and an N region and thereby reduce a contact area for a reduction in layout size.

Semiconductor device having triple-well structure

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The disclosure provides a series of 2-oxoamides based on dipeptides and pseudodipeptides, which were synthesized and their activities toward two human intracellular phospholipases A2 (GIVA CPLA 2 and GVIA 1PLA 2) and one human secretory phospholipase A2 (GV sPLA 2) were evaluated. Derivatives containing a free carboxyl group are selective GIVA cPLA 2 inhibitors. A derivative based on the ethyl ester of an ether pseudodipeptide is the first 2-oxoamide, which preferentially inhibits GVIA iPLA 2. The effect of 2-oxoamides on the generation of arachidonic acid from RAW 264.7 macrophages was also studied. It was found that selective GIVA cPLA 2 inhibitors preferentially inhibited cellular arachidonic acid release; in which one pseudodipeptide gave an IC50 value of 2 μM.

Tissue injury and inflammation lead to the development of an evident facilitation in the sensitivity to moderately aversive stimuli, e.g. hyperalgesia. It has been long appreciated that this phenomenon is diminished by agents that block cyclooxygenase (COX) activity (Vane, Nat. New Biol., 231:232-235, 1971). While early work suggested that this action resulted from a peripheral effect (Ferreira, Nat. New Biol., 240:200-203, 1972), it was subsequently found that inhibition of spinal COX also led to reversal of the facilitated state (Yaksh, et al., "Acetylsalicilic Acid: New Uses for an Old Drug", pp. 137-152 (Barnet, et al., editors) Raven Press, 1982; Taiwo and Levine, J. Neurosci., 8:1346-1349, 1988). Consistent with this action, persistent small afferent input, as arises from tissue injury, was shown to evoke a significant spinal release of prostanoids in vivo in a mariner that was blocked by spinally-delivered COX inhibitors (Ramwell, et al., Am. J. Physiol., 211:998-1004, 1966; Yaksh, supra, 1982; Malmberg and Yaksh, Science, 257:1276-1279, 1992; Malmberg and Yaksh, J. Neurosci., 15:2768-2776, 1995; Ebersberger, et al., 1999, Samad et al., Nature, 410:471-475, 2001, and Yaksh, et al., J. Neurosci., 21:5847-5853, 2001). An important element of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis is phospholipase A2 (PLA2), as it is required to generate arachidonic acid, which is the substrate for COX-mediated prostanoid formation.
Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) constitutes a super-family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of the fatty acid ester from the sn-2 position of membrane phospholipids, yielding a free fatty acid and a lysophospholipid. Among the intracellular PLA2, are the cytosolic Group IVA PLA2 (GIVA PLA2, also referred to herein as cPLA2), which is generally considered a pro-inflammatory enzyme; the calcium-independent Group VIA PLA2 (GVIA PLA2, also referred to herein as iPLA2); and, secreted Group V PLA2 (sPLA2). GVIA PLA2 is actually a group of cytosolic enzymes ranging from 85 to 88 kDa and expressed as several distinct splice variants of the same gene, only two of which have been shown to be catalytically active (Group VIA-1 and VIA-2 PLA2, see Larsson, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 273: 207-214, 1998). The role of GVIA PLA2 in the inflammatory process is unclear, but this enzyme appears to be the primary PLA2 for basal metabolic functions within the cell, reportedly including membrane homeostasis (Balsinde, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 92:8527-8531, 1995; Balsinde, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272: 29317-29321, 1997; Balsinde, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272:16069-16072, 1997; Ramanadham, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 274:13915-13927, 1999; Birbes, et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 267:7118-7127, 2000; and Ma, et al., Lipids, 36:689-700, 2001.), insulin receptor signaling (Ramanadham, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 274: 13915-13927, 1999; Ma, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 276: 13198-13208, 2001) and calcium channel regulation (Guo, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 277: 32807-32814, 2002; Cummings, et al., Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol., 283: F492-498, 2002). GVIA, GIVA and GV PLA2 are all present and play active roles in central nervous system inflammatory processes (see, e.g., Sun, et al., J. Lipid Res., 45:205-213, 2004).
The GVIA PLA2 enzymes all contain a consensus lipase motif, Gly-Thr-Ser*-Thr-Gly, with the catalytic serine confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis (Larsson, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 273:207-14, 1998; Tang, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272: 8567-8575, 2002). Other residues critical for catalysis have yet to be confirmed, and while the mechanism by which it cleaves the sn-2 linkage has not been established, GVIA PLA2 is likely to be an hydrolase with a catalytic Ser/Asp dyad similar to Group IVA PLA2 (Dessen, et al., Cell 1999, 97: 349-360, 1999; Dessen, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1488:40-47, 2000; Phillips, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 278: 41326-41332, 2003). Constitutive mRNA and protein have been detected in the spinal cord for group IVA calcium-dependent PLA2 (Group IVA cPLA2) and Group VIA calcium-independent iPLA2 (Group VIA iPLA2) and secretory Group II and V sPLA2 forms (Lucas, et al., Br. J. Pharmacol., 144:940-952, 2005, Svensson et al., Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 42:553-555, 2005).
The discovery of a novel structural series of 2-oxoamides that inhibit Group IVA cPLA2 in vitro and in vivo (Kokotos, et al., J. Med. Chem., 45:2891-2893, 2002; Kokotos, et al., J. Med. Chem., 47:3615-3628, 2004) was recently reported. In that initial work, 2-oxoamides were observed to inhibit inflammation in the rat paw carrageenan-induced edema assay (Kokotos, et al., supra, 2004). Based upon the similarity of substrates, classes of common inhibitors, very limited sequence homology in the region of the catalytic serine, and similarities in the active sites of GIVA and GVIA PLA2, GIVA PLA2 may show cross-reactivity with GVIA PLA2. It has been difficult, however, to design selective inhibitors that can distinguish between these active sites in vivo. Thus, what is need in the art are selective Group IVA cPLA2 in vitro and in vivo inhibitors.

2-oxamide inhibitors of phospholipase A2 activity and cellular arachidonate release based on dipeptides and pseudopeptides

The Regents of the University of California


An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is capable of connecting a removable storage device that stores operation data controlling an operation of the image forming apparatus. When a shutdown instruction of the image forming apparatus is received from a user, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to execute an operation using the operation data stored in the removable storage device. In a case that it is determined that it is necessary to execute an operation using the operation data, the image forming apparatus stores the operation data stored in the removable storage device into an incorporated non-volatile storage unit and shots down, and then restart. After the restart is performed, it is controlled so that an operation using the operation data that has been stored in the incorporated non-volatile storage unit is executed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a removable storage device, and a method of controlling the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been image forming apparatuses that perform sufficient cooling or periodic cleaning for maintaining high-speed and high-precision printing quality.
Further, there have been image forming apparatuses comprising a hard disk drive (HDD) that serves as a rewritable storage device. Such an image forming apparatus stores, in the HDD, data for starting up an operating system (OS). The HDD is used not only at the time of start-up, but also at the time of temporary storage of image data or storage of user data. Moreover, there have been image forming apparatuses having a mechanism (removable mechanism) for enabling a user to remove a HDD from a main bode of the apparatus, for a case where highly confidential user data is stored in the HDD.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-262065 discloses a power supply control method of a HDD in an image forming apparatus including a HDD.
In the conventional image forming apparatus, there are following problems. When a user attempts to remove a removable storage device, if an image forming apparatus is performing processing with the use of data stored in the removable storage device, the user is unable to remove the removable storage device until the processing ends. If the processing is forcibly terminated, the storage device can be immediately removed. However, such a forcible termination of the processing causes another problem. For instance, in a case where processing such as cooling or cleaning is being performed, if the processing is forcibly terminated, performance of the image forming apparatus or quality of formed images deteriorates. Meanwhile, because the processing uses data stored in the storage device, the processing cannot be performed again after the storage device is removed.

Image forming apparatus and method of controlling the apparatus


Solids contained in waste water are separated and dewatered by a separator comprising a cylindrical strainer basket and a rotary screw disposed in said basket. The screw terminates short of an outlet end of the basket. Waste water introduced into the separator is advanced by the screw until a solids slug is formed between a discharge end of the screw and a solids discharge formed by a cylindrical tube extending forwardly from the basket. About seventy to ninety-five percent of the slug is contained in the basket and is pressed laterally against a wall of the basket to promote the removal of water. The terminal portion of the screw tapers in order to maximize the compaction of the solids slug.

The invention concerns a process and apparatus for the separation and dewatering of solids contained in waste waters in low concentrations of less than about 10%. Such solids may originate in animal intensive operations or in industrial processes for processing plants or animals or their parts, and mixed with fibers, for example, animal hairs or vegetable fibers.
In intensive animal husbandry the use of liquid manure removal has been found useful and is being used increasingly. A report of the Technological Institute of the Federal Research Institution for Agriculture, Braunschweig-Volkenrode, published in Grundl. Landtechnik, Vol. 37 (1987), No. 3, pg. 98-107, by K. Krause and R. Ahlers, describes the problem of liquid manure removal and the importance of the solid-liquid separation of the liquid manure, under the title of "Process Technology of the Separation of Liquid Manure". The advantages and disadvantages of individual devices are described and compared with each other.
One of the simplest machines for the separation of solids and liquids is the screw press or screw press separator wherein the screw turns and the housing interior become narrower toward the discharge for achieving a gradual compression of the solids being separated. The build up of the pressure by means of such narrowing is described in DE 26 36 372 and DE-OS 29 11 899. However, the operation of these arrangements in actual practice showed that all of the narrowing sections have a detrimental effect on the throughput, the field of application and the flexibility of the screw press separator. Whenever the quantity of the introduced suspension or its consistency varies, for example due to a variation of the content of fibrous solids, the solids are compressed in the narrowing (conical) areas, with the result that the press separator becomes clogged.
In DE-OS 27 00 542 and in DE 29 02 432 conical parts are eliminated from the screw press separator described. Only the passage through the housing wall to a strainer baskets of reduced diameter, so that this piece of the wall can build up a certain counter pressure. Although in this separator, with the narrowing that is to be considered ineffective, the uniform screw driven toward the discharge does dewater the suspension, there occurs no compression effect to obtain a high proportion of the dry substance, for example over 20% in pig liquid manure.
The object of the present invention is to broaden the field of application and improve the flexibility of the afore-described types of screw press separators, and increase the dry substance content of the solids.

Process for the dewatering of solids suspended in water and screw press separator therefor


Implantation apparatus for cold cathode plasma immersion ion implantation (C.sup.2 PI.sup.3) without a continuous plasma using very short high voltage, low duty cycle ionization pulses, in conjunction with a synchronously produced electron flow to neutralize positively charged wafer surfaces.

Modern electronic devices are based on semiconductor materials. A semiconductor has a crystalline structure in which very few electrons are mobile so that the intrinsic conductivity is too low to be useful as an electronic device. It is known to add small amounts of certain types of impurity to the crystal lattice to provide current carriers. The process of adding those impurities is known as "doping". The earliest technique for doping was accomplished by surrounding a semiconductor wafer with a gas comprising the dopants to be implanted and raising the temperature high enough to permit diffusion of the impurity atom into the lattice structure.
As the demand increased for more precise control over spatial uniformity and concentration of dopants, a device known as an ion implanter became the usual tool for adding the necessary impurity to a crystal. These implanters are large complex devices having very precise control of a dopant ion beam energy, position and scan rate. Very recently, for shallow junction formation, it has been recognized that the raster scan ion implanter has limitations at low energy beam conditions, under 10 KV, especially where dose and production rate, i.e. wafer throughput, requirements are high. Another method known as PI.sup.3 (Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation) is being studied because the dose rate is high at lower energy and the equipment is inexpensive. Prior PI.sup.3 methods employed a continuous plasma in the vacuum chamber.
In an earlier filed application, Ser. No. 844,353, dated Mar. 3, 1992, now abandoned, assigned to the same assignee, in which this inventor is a co-inventor, the PI.sup.3 concept is improved by use of variable duty cycle ion accelerating pulses in conjunction with a cylindrical target mounted on a plasma chamber wall. Although this earlier application was an improvement in shallow junction, low energy high current implantation, there are several problems with that approach. Even when the electrode behind the wafer was essentially completely shielded from ion bombardment, unintended impurities due to plasma etching were present in the chamber and were being implanted. Also, large particles were being formed in the plasma and on the wafer surface.
The object of this invention is to overcome the prior art PI.sup.3 contamination and particle problem and at the same time enable high yield manufacturing of shallow junction implantations without breakdown of any thin dielectric.
A secondary object is to provide inexpensive, high throughput apparatus for PI.sup.3 of a semiconductor, having adequate uniformity and implant dose control.

Plasma immersion ion implantation (PI.sup.3) apparatus


Pivotable jigs or tables facilitate inversion or reciprocation of one or more well plates relative to a dry DNA transfer sheet to effect deposit of DNA gene solution as spaced spots on the surface of the transfer media sequentially to produce after drying of the DNA gene solution spots transfer of the dry DNA material from the spots by forcible impact or rubbing pressure through a printing mechanism of minute dry DNA dots onto a test substrate such as a glass plate for subsequent analysis optically via fluorescent labels to determine the presence or absence of mutations and a further identification of the mutation itself.

Typically, the DNA is separated into individual genes and replicated many times in a number of 96 well plates (an industry standard) and minute pieces of DNA are positioned on an underlying substrate such as a chip from the DNA genes solubilized in a solution. After forming the DNA wet array and drying the DNA, the completed array is bathed in a solution of two or more fluoresces labeled total genomic tags, with the tags hybridizing to bind to a particular gene on the array by causing the fluoresces to fluoresce and by measuring the intensity of the signals, determinations may be made between the various features.
To date, the creation of such array is complicated, and while arrays have envisioned in terms of several thousand features per substrate area, such arrays are produced in terms of days rather than minutes. Further, while the well plates can store the individual genes within respective wells, over time the machine forming the wet arrays requires constant cleaning to deter contamination of the arrays. Once created, such gene chips are useful in testing for dozens of genetic diseases of different severity, and the test can be cheaply and quickly effected. Chips have been produced; however, significant energy is required to realize a practical chip.
Aeffymetrix, Inc. has recently disclosed an approach utilizing a glass slide as a substrate, about half the size of a postage stamp with thousands of distinct microscopic squares (features), each attesting for a specific DNA sequence. The features on the glass surface are covered with a compound containing chemical protecting groups that block further chemical reaction. Optically, collected protecting groups can be removed. A thin mask is then pulled over the chip containing holes to allow light to strike specific features, with the other features on the chip remaining protected. Subsequently, the chip is washed with a solution containing one of four DNA components called nucleotides (A, C, G or T). The DNA component washed solution binds only to the unprotected features. Each incoming nucleotide carries its own protecting group so that the washed features are reprotected. Sequentially, a new mask with different pattern of holes and optical (light) impingement removes the protecting groups at the different pattern of holes associated with a second group of features. In a multi-cycle process, chains of precisely ordered nucleotides are built onto each feature.
As may be appreciated, genes are made of two strands of DNA nucleotides of a specific order, bound to each other like the halves of a zipper. Nucleotide binding is governed by certain relationships. For instance, the nucleotide T always binds with that of A, but never with C or G, or with another T. Thus, a strand of nucleotides has a single complimentary strand which will match it and bind exactly. Thus, a chip (or other substrate) containing nucleotide strands of a given composition can find specific mutations in a person's genes. Man has approximately 80,000 genes. Therefore, a DNA gene array of closely spaced features or dots of microscopic size may be constituted by as many as 400,000 dots on a single substrate and capable of carrying all DNA's for several persons, or one person in redundancy.
In the production of the liquid DNA gene arrays, DNA is extracted typically from tissue cells grown in cultures, the DNA is fragmented into thousands of pieces which can be chemically labeled with a fluorescent compound. The pieces contain parts of genes or whole genes. Thus, each feature of a chip contains a nucleotide strand of a normal or mutant section of a known gene. Thus, all possible mutations of a gene can be detected by features on a single chip and all may be tested simultaneously. By use of an optical scanner, the features on the chip can be read for fluorescent color and intensity. Features containing fluorescently labeled DNA may provide signals fed to a computer as input data, with that data being analyzed to provide information as to whether the person providing the genes carries one or more mutations, and further the identification of the mutation itself.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a high throughput test system and components for ascertaining genetic mutations enhanced by the dry, orderly world of computer hardware in contrast to the wet and messy world of living tissue and of liquid DNA gene features applied to the slide by effecting a dry DNA transfer film to create in turn, a dry DNA analyzing array of features or spots on such slide.

Process and apparatus for forming a dry DNA transfer film, a transfer film product formed thereby and an analyzing process using the same


A chair situated upon a single wheel in such a relationship to achieve a low center of gravity. The chair is secured between parallel elongated handle members, extending from the front to the back of the chair which enables the safe transportation of a handicapped person and cargo by two other people over rugged terrain where conventional devices for handicapped individuals are unsuitable. The chair is convertible to a four-wheeled chair which makes it practical to use for camping trips in the wilderness.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for transporting a handicapped person. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus particularly suited for safely transporting handicapped persons over rugged terrain that has, in the past, been impassable in conventional wheelchair devices.
Today""s high-tech wheelchairs and motorized scooters provide autonomy to handicapped persons, which has simply been unavailable to previous generations. Further, with new laws governing wheelchair access, going in and out of structures is easier than ever. But it is still difficult to get outdoors where mud, dirt, rocks and steep slopes prevail.
In many wilderness situations involving roadless backcountry, off road accessibility issues arise for individuals confined to a wheelchair. For instance, terrain consisting of rough surfaces, rocky inclines, steep switchbacks, sidehills, snowy trails, while providing beautiful vistas and outdoor recreation for nondisabled individuals, makes these backcountry areas an unaccessible destination for the handicapped population.
Prior to the present invention, travel over topography impassable in a traditional wheelchair was simply not possible. Instead, handicapped individuals were limited to highly developed recreation settings for accessible outdoor recreation.
Conventional devices for transporting disabled individuals are unsuitable for use over rough terrain and wilderness travel. Use of all-terrain bikes and wheelchairs, three-wheeled units, and wheeled carts has been attempted with little success. Due to a high center of gravity, the conventional devices have prevented access to outdoor recreation facilities and programs involving rough, mountainous terrain due to safety concerns. More specifically, the multiple-wheeled devices and devices having a high center of gravity are prone to tipping over which could lead to serious injury or even fatal consequences in the backcountry and mountainous terrain.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved apparatus providing safe, comfortable, affordable and highly maneuverable (steerable) travel to enable handicapped individuals access to the great outdoors and mountainous terrain.
The present invention provides a mountain chair and a method for safely transporting disabled persons and cargo over difficult mountainous terrain. For the disabled person, the present invention provides new challenges and opportunities for personal growth, by removing barriers that previously existed, hereby providing unexpected freedom that can enhance a handicapped individual""s life, boost self-esteem and enable them to have an enjoyable wilderness experience. Moreover, backcountry travel can be therapy for some handicapped individuals, and a way of life for others.
Pursuant to the invention, the mountain chair includes a frame that encases a chair; a pair of elongated handle members that are mounted on opposite sides of and secured to the frame which function as safety rails; a wheel located below the chair; a footrest; and a means for stopping the mountain chair.
In an embodiment, the mountain chair includes a disc mounted to the wheel and at least one caliper mounted on a wheel frame, actuated by a lever located at an end of the elongated member.
In an embodiment, the wheel is slidably mounted on a rail, located below the chair. In a further embodiment, the wheel is an all terrain vehicle tire, rigidly mounted.
In an embodiment, the chair is constructed from plastic. In a further embodiment, the chair is bucket-shaped.
In an embodiment, the elongated handle members are removably attached and adjustable.
In an embodiment, an extendable back rest is attached to the frame.
In an embodiment, a pair of elongated handle member extensions are removably attached to a distal end portion of the elongated handle members.
The invention also provides a method for transporting handicapped and disabled persons safely over mountainous terrain comprising the steps of: placing a handicapped person in a mountain chair apparatus having a chair with a low center of gravity, a pair of elongated handle members extending forwardly and backwardly from the chair, the elongated handle members having a front end and a back end, and a wheel located below the chair; locating a first operator at the front end of the elongated handle members; gripping the front end of the elongated handle members by the first operator; gripping the back end of the elongated handle members by a second operator; lifting the mountain chair apparatus containing the handicapped person by having the first operator raise the front end of the elongated handle members with the mountain chair apparatus behind the first operator and the second operator raise the back end of the elongated handle members with the mountain chair apparatus in front of the second operator simultaneously; and leading the mountain chair apparatus by having the first operator walk forward and the second operator follow in the same direction.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises the step of braking the mountain chair apparatus by having one or more persons selected from the group consisting of the first operator, the second operator and the handicapped person, squeeze a lever for slowing or stopping the wheel.
It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide a mountain chair for transporting disabled individuals across mountainous terrain.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a mountain chair for transporting cargo across difficult and mountainous terrain.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a mountain chair with a low center of gravity to eliminate the tendency for tipping over and dangerous accidents while traveling up and down hills.
An additional advantage of the present invention is to provide a method for safely transporting a handicapped or disabled person over mountainous terrain.
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a mountain chair that is less likely to cause operator fatigue due to the positioning of the elongated members for maximum leverage.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in and will be apparent from the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.

Mountain chair apparatus and method for transporting a handicapped person over mountainous terrain


[Object] To propose a wireless communication apparatus capable of realizing separation of transmission signals and reception signals with a low power consumption and a small size.

Full-duplex wireless transmission, in which transmission and reception can be simultaneously performed, includes the frequency division duplex (FDD) system that performs bidirectional transmission using different frequency bands for transmission and reception, and the time division duplex (TDD) system that uses the same frequency band for transmission and reception but divides the transmission and reception at a regular time interval and alternates between them. In Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) Long Term Evolution (LTE), the cellular telephone standard, full-duplex wireless transmission by either the FDD system or the TDD system is used.
As a method of separating transmission signals and reception signals generally used in the RF front end of a UMTS LTE FDD transceiver, there is a system of connecting a power amplifier (PA) and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) with a duplexer. A duplexer is mainly manufactured using a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter or the like in order to separate transmission signals and reception signals with a frequency-selective filter. Since the manufacturing process of a duplexer differs from that of a transceiver chip, a duplexer cannot be mounted within an integrated transceiver chip.
Another system is one that uses a circulator. A circulator is a something that makes the advancing direction of a signal one way. However, since a circulator utilizes the non-reversibility of phase rotation produced in a wave travelling in ferrite on which a DC magnetic field is impressed from outside, this also cannot be mounted in an integrated transceiver chip.
The same non-reversibility of ferrite can be realized using a gyrator circuit of an electronic circuit. By using a gyrator circuit, it is possible to implement the function of separating transmission signals and reception signals in an integrated circuit. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses the gist of gyrator circuits functioning as a circulator in the case of satisfying predetermined conditions in a circuit in which they are cascade-connected with the same directionality in a loop.

Abstract: [Solution] Provided is a wireless communication apparatus including: a gyrator that includes at least four terminals; a single-phase differential converter that mutually converts single-phase signals and differential signals; a low-noise differential amplifier that amplifies reception signals that the gyrator outputs; and a differential power amplifier that amplifies transmission signals to be output to the gyrator. The gyrator transmits signals from a first terminal and a second terminal in the direction of a third terminal and a fourth terminal. Any of the single-phase differential converter, the low-noise amplifier, and the power amplifier are connected to the first terminal and second terminal, the third terminal and fourth terminal, the first terminal and third terminal, and the second terminal and fourth terminal of the gyrator.


The invention concerns a method for measuring the concentration of a substance or mixture of substances and/or determining the level in a fluid with intrinsic fluorescence, preferably fuel systems. The invention also refers to the optical device suitable for implementing the method, which comprises a unit which generates light for excitation of the sample; a unit of detection of the signal emitted by the sample and a unit of signal processing.

Fires and explosions in fuel tanks are one of the main causes of aircraft accidents. In these, the fuel usually contains dissolved air and therefore the fuel typically contains some dissolved oxygen. The air is also present in the free volume between the fuel level and the top of the tank. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the fuel decreases with pressure, and the cruising altitude (low pressure), the oxygen is degassed from the fuel. The fuel-air mixture in the free volume of the tank is susceptible to ignition during the flight, which may be caused by faults in equipment or external attacks. Fuel tank explosions are the result of deflagrations in the free volume when the overpressure of combustion generated exceeds the structural strength of the tank. The protection systems for aircraft fuel tanks are extremely necessary to eliminate or significantly reduce their exposure to flammable vapours.
Fuel tank inerting technology follows the precept of protection that consists of maintaining the oxygen concentration in the free volume below the deflagration limit, thus maintaining the safety of the tank throughout the flight.
For the design of modern aircraft, the American and European standards for the concentration of oxygen in the free volume require less than 9% for military aircraft and less than 12% for commercial aircraft (W. N. Cavage, Federal Aviation Administration, 2005, Report No.: DOT/FAA/AIR-05/25). The tank is deemed inert by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) when the average oxygen concentration within each tank compartment is 12% or less from sea level and up to 10,000 feet altitude, and increasing linearly from 12% to 10,000 feet to 14.5% at 40,000 feet; above that altitude the average oxygen concentration is also extrapolated linearly (European Aviation Safety Agency, Certification Specifications for Large Aeroplanes CS-25, Amendment 6, 2009 and Federal Aviation Administration: Part III Department of Transportation, Regulation 73 (140), 42444, 2008).
Several technologies for inerting fuel tanks have been developed in recent years, such as: explosion suppression foam, Halon quenching system, liquid nitrogen system, On Board Inert Gas Generation System, OBIGGS), etc. (C. Yan, B. Xueqin, L. Guiping, S. Bing, Z. Yu, L. Zixuan, Chin. J. Aeronaut., 2015, 28, 394-402).
The OBIGGS system is the most widely used on-board technology. On aircraft equipped with OBIGGS, fuel tanks are inerted with nitrogen enriched air (NEA) generated during the flight.
Inert gas (NEA) is produced with compressed air generated by the turbine itself (bleed air), which is passed through an air separation module (ASM), usually consisting of hollow fibre membranes. This module divides the air into a part rich in oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapour, which is discharged into the atmosphere, and another, rich in nitrogen, which is the NEA inert gas (R. Cherry, K. Warren, Federal Aviation Administration 1999; Report No.:DOT/FAA/AR-99/73 and W. M. Cavage, O. Kils, Federal Aviation Administration 2002; Report No.: DOT/FAA/AR-02/51). A sensor able to monitor the oxygen concentration in fuel systems or fuel tanks in real time would mean optimizing the functioning of OBBIGS, thereby reducing their wear and fuel consumption.
An established technology to estimate the concentration of oxygen in gases and liquids is electrochemical measurement. The sensor consists of an electrochemical cell having an anode and a cathode immersed in an electrolyte solution. The electrochemical cell is separated by a membrane from the gas or liquid sample whose oxygen concentration is to be measured. The oxygen diffuses from the sample across the membrane into the electrochemical cell to establish equilibrium, and this balance is proportional to the oxygen concentration. A change in the oxygen concentration in the electrolyte causes a change in its electrical properties, with a resulting change in the electric current through the system. The current is proportional to the concentration of oxygen in the electrolyte. The operating limits and the sensitivity of the sensor are defined by the electrolytes used. However, the common electrolytes are not suitable for extreme operating temperatures. In particular, they are not suitable for the low temperatures encountered in aviation applications. In addition, this method requires the use of metal parts inside the tank, which increases the risk of deflagration due to the possibility of sparks.
Another proposed technology in U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,710 (Gord et al.) relates to the measurement of dissolved oxygen in the fuel through the doping of fuel with a luminophore and the subsequent measurement of phosphorescence of this luminophore when excited by a pulse of laser light. The oxygen concentration is related to the lifetime of the radiation emitted by the luminophore. Such a method cannot, however, be seen as a viable and practical method for measuring oxygen concentrations in the fuel in aerospace applications, since the bulk doping in mass of fuels with such luminophores would be impractical.
More recently, oxygen sensors have been developed for aircraft fuel tanks, in which the oxygen concentration is monitored by means of a sensor containing a luminescent substance. Oxygen attenuates the luminescence of the substance and therefore the oxygen concentration can be determined by measuring the light emitted by the luminescent material.
Patent WO 03/046422 describes one such system in which the concentration of oxygen in an aircraft fuel tank is monitored using a material containing a luminescent ruthenium complex.
Patent US 2006/0171845A-1 describes the use of platinum(II) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin as the phosphorescent compound, which is incorporated in an amorphous fluorinated polymeric matrix and which is used for the detection of oxygen in an aircraft fuel tank. To be appropriate and feasible for use in aircraft fuel tanks the luminescent material must be capable of withstanding the low temperatures reached during the flight, for example−50° C. Moreover, it is desirable that the device is reliable and has a useful life of several years, properties that have not yet been demonstrated by any technology.
Finally, the materials used must be compatible with aviation requirements, in particular that the optical power does not exceed 5 mW/mm2 (with an intrinsic safety limit of 35 mW), as specified in the IEC 60079-28:2015 optical standard.
According to the above, there is a need to develop a method for measuring the concentration of oxygen in fuel systems which is capable of withstanding the full range of temperatures during the flight, is reliable, has a service life of several years, has no metal parts inside the fuel tank and can optimize the functioning of the OBBIGS system, thereby reducing wear and fuel consumption.
It has been found, with the method and device that implements the method of the present invention, that it is possible to assess the spatial distribution of the concentration of a substance or a mixture of several substances in a fluid. In particular, the present invention allows monitoring the concentration of oxygen in the aviation fuel tanks using luminescence intensity or the fluorescence lifetime of the fuel itself.
The operating principle of an optical sensor is based on the change of at least one optical property of a given probe (for example: absorption, luminescence, refraction index) in the presence of an analyte. This change is recorded in the device and provides qualitative information about the presence or absence of the analyte, as well as quantitative, allowing enabling the determination the concentration of that analyte. A response based on an optical change offers numerous advantages in sensors. Using very sensitive instrumentation such as luminescence, it is possible to determine very low concentrations of analyte. The response obtained is often rapid, reversible and easy to miniaturize.
An optical sensor can be defined as a device that reacts to an external signal (the analyte) by generating a measurable and reversible optical signal. The reversibility of the signal is an important parameter when it is desired to have continuous measurements, often in real time.
The operation of the optical sensors is based on the effect of the analyte on the processes of absorption, diffusion and light emission. Since electromagnetic radiation has several measurable properties such as wavelength, intensity, polarization and phase, it is possible to measure and relate any change that occurs in these properties with the analyte concentration that we intend to detect. Absorption and luminescence are the phenomena most commonly used in optical sensors. Luminescence measurements are more sensitive than those obtained by variation of absorption, reaching detection limits of approximately 10−15 mol dm−3. The intensity and temporal response of luminescence are the parameters generally used for the detection of a particular analyte, however other parameters can be explored, such as polarization and changes in the shape and position of the spectra.
Conventionally, the measurement of the level of a liquid in a container or tank is done through a buoyant float mechanically or magnetically coupled to an external gauge, an ultrasound or optical transducer that measures the level of liquid, or by using a capacitance sensor that monitors the change in dielectric constant between the plates of a condenser resulting from a change in the liquid level. These methods require, however, the use of metal parts inside the tank or container thereby increasing the risk of deflagration/explosion due to the possibility of sparks, which will depend on the nature of the substance or mixture composed of several substances of interest to be determined.
The use of optical fibre to detect the level in liquids is also well documented. The main advantages of this type of sensor for measuring the levels of a liquid are their passivity, meaning they do not contain moving mechanical parts, and their intrinsic dielectric properties, which means that there is no risk of sparks/deflagrations when used in liquid fuels, and virtually no electromagnetic interference. The most common settings use small prisms mounted at the end of two optical fibres, a conical fibre optic tip that in conical shape or a folded U-shaped optical fibre. In all cases, the probe or fibre optic sensor is suspended or designed to move inside the container. This sensor is potentially fragile and can be damaged by floating debris, vibration or dynamic effects during filling. The potential damage is increased by routine maintenance of the sensor due to biological or chemical scale build-up on the optical surface.
The fibre optic sensors described above are mainly used to measure the level of a liquid in a rudimentary way, that is, to detect whether the tank is empty, full or the level is at some intermediate point. Too large a number of such sensors are required for the continuous measurement of a liquid level, which makes them impractical for the continuous measurement of the level of a liquid in a tank.
Other sensors for measuring the level of a liquid use an optical fibre doped with a fluorescent probe. The main function is to absorb and re-emit light from a source of radiation present in the air. The light is refracted when a fluid of higher refraction index is present in the tank, thus causing the output signal to translate the fluid level. However, this doping of the optical fibre with a fluorescent probe generally, and depending on the liquid to be measured, suffers from leaching and will have to be renewed frequently.
The measurement of distances with active optical methods is well established, when radiation from a source of pulsed or frequency modulated radiation is detected after reflection by the target, which may be the surface of a liquid. The distance is determined from the time elapsed between excitation and detection, in the case of pulsed excitation, or from the resulting lag, in the case of frequency modulated excitation. This method is used to determine the level of liquid in a static tank. However, when the surface of the liquid is a poor reflector, either by absorbing virtually all the incident radiation, or by diffusing it in several directions, as happens with a stirred liquid, the method may be unsuitable and the return signal is erratic and/or too weak.
The measurement of the intrinsic fluorescence of the liquid after optical excitation by the radiation source makes it possible to overcome these problems, with the fluorescence signal from the liquid being measured, also by either of the two methods mentioned.

Device and method for measuring the spatial distribution of the concentration of compounds and mixtures thereof in a fluid and/or the level in a fluid

Abstract: The device and method by which it is implemented also allow the determination of the spatial distribution of the substance or mixture of liquid substances and/or the fluid level in a container. One of the main applications is the measurement of the concentration of oxygen in the fuel tank of aircrafts, based on the measurement of the intrinsic fluorescence of the fuel.


An emitting direction control apparatus for a lamp is provided with: a driver for deflecting an emitting direction for a lamp; and a controller that control the driver to perform a deflection. The controller includes an initialization function, for setting, at an initial position, a stepping motor that serves as a driving source for the driver. The initialization function detects a first current positional angle for the stepping motor; when the first current positional angle is greater than a reference angle, rotates the stepping motor in a bumping direction at a high speed until the reference angle is reached; after the reference angle has been reached, rotates the stepping motor to a bumped position an initial number of steps at a low speed; and after the bumped position has been reached, rotates the stepping motor in the reverse direction a predetermined number of steps and sets the stepping motor in the initial position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emitting direction control apparatus that changes the emitting direction of lamps like the headlamps of a vehicle, such as an automobile. Particularly, the present invention relates to an emitting direction control apparatus wherein a stepping motor is employed as a drive source of a drive mechanism that changes emitting directions.
2. Related Art
In order to ensure safe driving for automobiles, emitting direction control apparatuses have been provided that adjust the emitting directions of lamps, particularly headlamps, respectively in the vertical direction, and in the horizontal direction. The control apparatus for the vertical direction changes lighting axes of the headlamps vertically, so that these axes are in a predetermined direction, regardless of whether the inclination of the automobile is changed in accordance with the condition of loads or the condition of occupants in the automobile. The control apparatus for the horizontal direction changes the lighting axes of the headlamps in the traveling direction in accordance with a steering angle when an automobile is being driven along a curved road or around a corner in a road. Both control apparatuses include: a drive mechanism for changing the lighting axes of headlamps and a controller for controlling the drive mechanism; and based on the output of a sensor that detects the inclination of an automobile, or a steering angle, the controller permits the drive mechanism to appropriately change the lighting axes.
In these emitting direction control apparatuses, a stepping motor is employed as the driving source for the drive mechanism in order to control the lighting axes at each predetermined angle. The stepping motor is a motor that is rotated, step by step, at an angle that corresponds to the number of pulses of an input pulse signal, and to control the lighting axes at predetermined angle positions, the controller need only transmit, to the stepping motor, a number of pulse signals that correspond to the lighting axis angle of the adjustment. Further, the drive mechanism rotates a mechanism that reduces the speed of rotation of the stepping motor to change the lighting axis angles of the reflector of a lamp and a lamp body.
For an emitting direction control apparatus of this type, a so-called initialization is performed, wherein the stepping motor is set at a predesignated initial angular position (hereinafter referred to as an initial position) in order to very accurately control the lighting axis of the lamp. After the initialization has been performed, the stepping motor is rotated from the initial position, at an angle based on the number of steps, and the angle of the lighting axis is deflected. According to one method for performing the initialization, an angular sensor for detecting the lighting axis angle of a lamp is provided for the drive mechanism, the rotation position of the stepping motor is identified based on the output of the angular sensor, and the stepping motor is set at the initial position based on the rotation position. However, the angular position of the lighting axis detected by the angular sensor is a position obtained by reducing the rotational, angular velocity of the stepping motor. Further, while taking a detection error of the angular sensor, i.e., the resolution, into account, since the resolution is equivalent to about 100 steps, through the conversion of an angle into a single step of the stepping motor, it is extremely difficult for the stepping motor to be accurately set in the initial position when the angle of the angular axis is detected by the angular sensor.
According to another method used for initialization, the stepping motor is rotated in one direction, and is bumped to a maximum angular position (hereinafter this position is called a bumped position), which is a limiting position for the drive mechanism, whereat the lighting axis can be deflected in one direction. And the position whereto the stepping motor is rotated a predetermined number of steps from the bumped position is regarded as the initial position. According to this method, since the limiting position for the drive mechanism is uniquely defined, the initial position of the stepping motor can be precisely designated. This method is proposed in JP-A-2004-343987. Further, in JP-A-10-326505, a technique is proposed whereby initialization is performed by moving the stepping motor to the bumped position.
According to these initialization methods, when the stepping motor has been rotated to the bumped position in one direction, the stepping motor is reversely rotated a small angle by a repulsive force, the result of the bumping, and a rebound vibration occurs by repeating this phenomenon. This rebound vibration is gradually reduced as time elapses; however, a little time is required for the vibration to settle completely at "0", and because of this time (hereinafter called a rebound time), the initialization period for setting the initial position is required. Especially since the stepping motor is rotated rapidly in order to deflect the lighting axis at a high speed, the rebound vibration is remarkable, and the rebound time is extended and can not be ignored. According to the technique in JP-A-2004-343987, the stepping motor must be rotated in the reverse direction when the rebound is removed, and accordingly, the initialization period is extended. According to the technique in JP-A-10-326505, in order to resolve the rebound problem, in a state wherein rebound occurs, i.e., in a state wherein the stepping motor is rotated beyond the bumped position, the rotational speed of the motor is reduced and rebounding at the bumped position is suppressed, so that the rebounding period is shortened and the initialization period is reduced.
However, since the technique in JP-A-10-326505 is not one for removing rebound vibration, the rebounding period can not be "0", and the reduction during the initialization period is limited. Further, since the stepping motor is rotated at a high speed, the repulsive force produced by the rebounding is added as an impact force to the stepping motor. Thus, the stepping motor tends to be damaged and to be deteriorated, and its service life is shortened.

Emitting direction control apparatus for lamp


A vertical column assembly including an intermediate distribution frame enclosure with an internal structure. The vertical column assembly also includes side panels, door assemblies, and a top cover assembly. The internal structure is hidden by the side panels, the door assemblies, and the top cover assembly. The vertical column assembly encases the network equipment installed within the internal structure.

Large buildings typically employ a zone cabling layout for the Local Area Network (LAN). In this layout, end user devices are cabled through an Intermediate Distribution Frame (IDF) before connecting to the Main Distribution Frame (MDF). An IDF can be an open rack installed in a local telecommunication closet or an enclosure that is hidden within a drop ceiling or under a raised floor. An IDF may encase active equipment, therefore the IDF is required to allow for sufficient ventilation.
Some office environments lack a raised floor and drop ceiling, or have a drop ceiling with limited space, or have limited floor space to accommodate a telecommunications closet. It may also be preferable to have networking equipment installed in a more accessible area other than the floor or ceiling. Current solutions exist for housing and connecting cabling and active networking equipment within the office area or workspace. The current solutions include free standing cabinets or wall mounted cabinets. The free-standing cabinet and wall mount cabinets are bulky, do not isolate unwanted noise, and do not integrate well with the aesthetics or architectural design of an office interior.
Many office environments hide electrical cabling, plumbing, or other building infrastructure components within faux vertical columns. These columns are typically constructed of drywall or wood and may not allow easy access to the components inside. The current faux vertical columns are not designed to house active networking equipment due to a lack of ventilation and an access door.
It would be desirable to provide an enclosure that supports zone LAN cabling and active networking equipment that has a smaller footprint and a more disguised appearance than current free-standing cabinets and wall mounts cabinets. It would be desirable to provide a faux vertical column with ventilation, locking access doors, sound isolation, and standard mounting rails to employ an enclosed IDF within an office workspace.

Faux column intermediate distribution frame enclosure


The present invention is a washing apparatus suited for use in washing outside surfaces of vehicles. Fluid is conducted along a conduit that is mounted to a support structure so as to permit selected displacements thereof along a longitudinal axis of the conduit and selected rotations thereof about the longitudinal axis. The fluid conducted through the conduit can be conducted through at least one of a plurality of nozzles that are mounted to the conduit. The conduit is selectively reciprocated along the longitudinal axis by a first driving device. In addition, the conduit is rotated about the longitudinal axis by a second driving device. As the conduit is displaced both about and along the longitudinal axis, the fluid forced through the nozzle is directed toward the outside surface of an object to be washed.

This invention relates to a vehicle washing apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus having movable spray heads for washing a stationary vehicle.
Washing apparatus having movable spray heads rather than brushes has been proposed for washing the outer surfaces of vehicles. This type of washing apparatus has been better suited for removing dirt build-up in intricate vehicle recesses where equipment employing brushes is relatively ineffective. What might be called "brushless" car washes have heretofore been proposed, but cannot be considered high speed car washes for reasons like those in the example following.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,113 to Hodge shows a pair of side sprayers with each side sprayer having a double row of nozzles in spaced relationship along the linear length of the sprayer which parallels the length of a vehicle to be washed. Similarly, a top sprayer is equipped with a dual row of spray nozzles in a spaced relationship along the linear length of the sprayer array. Each sprayer is equipped with elements for oscillating the sprayer in a direction transverse to the linear length thereof. The vehicle undergoing a wash is moved along the length of the sprayer past the oscillating nozzles.
There is a present need for faster methods of washing vehicles, particularly for vehicle washing apparatus such as that shown in Hodge where the minimum wash time is at least the amount of time required to move the entire vehicle linearly past the oscillating sprayers. In addition, it is desirable that the number of moving parts be minimized thereby reducing maintenance costs. In addition to reducing the wash time, there is also a need for vehicle washing machine that efficiently utilizes water. Greater water efficiency allows vehicles to be washed with less water thereby reducing operating costs.


An endoscope system according to the present invention includes: a CMOS imaging element; a timing generator and an AFE unit that are provided on a board connected to a light receiving unit and reads pixel information by causing the pixel information to be output from a pixel designated as a target to be read in the CMOS imaging element; a control circuit that is provided on the board and controls a pixel information output process by a light receiving unit and a pixel information reading process by the timing generator and the AFE unit; and an abnormality determining unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the pixel information read by the timing generator and the AFE unit and outputs, to the control circuit, a notification signal for causing the control circuit to execute control on an occurrence of the abnormality.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus including an imaging unit that is able to output, as pixel information, an electric signal that has been photoelectrically converted from a pixel arbitrarily designated as a target to be read from among a plurality of pixels for imaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in the field of medicine, endoscope systems are used to observe inside organs of subjects. In an endoscope system, in general, an elongated flexible insertion portion is inserted into a body cavity of a subject, such as a patient, white light is irradiated onto body tissues in the body cavity through the insertion portion that has been inserted, and light reflected therefrom is received by an imaging unit at a distal end of the insertion portion, to capture an in-vivo image. The captured body image is displayed on a monitor of the endoscope system. A user, such as a doctor, observes inside the body cavity of the subject using the in-vivo image displayed on the monitor of the endoscope system.
In such an endoscope system, an imaging element is built in at the distal end of the insertion portion and transmits an electric signal that has been photoelectrically converted as an image signal to a signal processing device, and the signal processing device processes the transmitted signal, to thereby display an image captured by the imaging element and observe inside a body. The imaging element at the distal end of the insertion portion and the signal processing device are connected to each other by an assembled cable bundled of a plurality of signal lines in order to transmit the image signal, transmit a clock signal, and supply driving power to the imaging element (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-192358).


A deck panel assembly that includes a deck panel having an upper surface and a bottom surface and includes a first section, a second section, and an intermediate section defined between the first section and the second section. Each section includes at least one longitudinal extending rib portion. A pair of spaced apart support members connects the first section, the intermediate section, and the second section to each other, wherein the intermediate section is adapted to be removed from between the first section and the second section of said deck panel and from between the spaced apart support members, thereby defining an access port therein.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a deck panel and, more particularly, to a deck panel having a removable rib portion.
2. Description of Related Art
The construction of convention centers, arenas, office buildings, and other major structures normally uses deck panels assembled in a side-by-side and/or end-to-end relationship to facilitate the construction of a structural deck. FIGS. 1A-1C show a typical prior art deck panel 10 with a dove-tail shaped profile that includes a body 12 having a first end 14, a second end 16, an upper surface 18, and a bottom surface 20 and defining a plurality of longitudinal extending rib portions 22. Each rib portion 22 includes a section of two spaced apart ribs 24 on the upper surface 18 thereof and defining a first recess 26 therebetween. A second recess 28 is defined on the bottom surface 20 of each rib 24. The deck panel 10 may have any other profiles such as a keystone profile. Typically, as shown in FIG. 7, adjacent panels 10′, 10″, and 10′″ all of which correspond to deck panel 10 are joined together by lap joints L as shown, although other connecting arrangement lap joints can be used. In general, the upper surface 18 of the deck panel body 12 provides the floor or roof support and the bottom surface 20 provides the ceiling or the ceiling support. Typically, a plurality of these panels are connected together to form the structural deck supported by support structure B, which can be a purlin, beam, truss, or any supporting member or supporting wall, for example, extending traversely across each end of the panels as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,172,527, 6,357,191, 6,691,482, and 7,328,667. An access port is usually needed to access the electrical cables or other materials contained within areas positioned above the deck panel. Heretofore, access was provided through side entry of the panel through an opening or by cutting an unsightly hole or access port C as shown in FIG. 1A in the panel from underneath the panel or providing a removable panel such as the Epic WIDECK® Access Panels.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an access port that does not disrupt the strength of the deck panel structure. It is further desirable that the access port be large enough to effectively access all materials above the deck panel necessary to complete repairs. It is also desirable that the access port be easily removable and does not adversely affect the ornamental appearance of the deck panels.


A method and system of determining fiber diameter distribution of a fibrous media is disclosed. The method includes providing at least one digital image representative of the fibrous media, pre-processing the images, binarizing the images, generating virtual lines on the image, solving for fiber fringe points on each of generated line, solving for fiber center points as a mean of the fringe points, generating and growing measurement circles about the fiber center points, repositioning circles and center points to avoid fiber intersections, resizing the repositioned measurement circles to intersect the opposing fringes, and calculating fiber diameters and fiber spacing.

The present invention generally relates to methods and systems for characterizing filtration media so as to predict its key performance characteristics. The marketplace for filter products is driven today by the need to more efficient filters with increased dust holding capacity at lower pressure drop. The materials selection and construction of the filter media go a long way to determining eventual filter performance. Key parameters of the fibrous media are porosity and fiber diameter distribution. To optimize filter media performance, today's filter media is a combination of layers with different fiber diameter and/or porosity.
The enhanced performance of filter media is on the one hand achieved by combining different filter media layers, but on the other hand by optimizing the mixture of fiber diameters within one layer. Traditionally cellulose based papers are used as fibrous filters. Cellulose based papers derived from different varieties of wood offer various fiber sizes and shapes. Cellulose paper, however, is a natural product, with all its inherent fluctuation of properties and its limit of minimum fiber diameter. Another filter media material is synthetic non-woven media, which is a highly technical product offering many more parameters to control product quality and properties, e.g. smaller fibers. Consequently, a trend is developing to add synthetic media to or on top of cellulose or even shifting to fully synthetic filter media.
It is well known that the fiber diameter size predetermines particle collection efficiency. However, classical filtration theory does not account for fiber diameter distribution to calculate filtration media performance or pressure drop. As classical filtration theory is based on the single fiber approach, performance can only be predicted for an isolated single fiber diameter. The common approach to overcoming this issue by integrating over different classes of a distribution works for particle diameters, but not for fiber diameters, as "the flow field and collection efficiency associated with each fiber size are influenced by the presence of fibers of other sizes. As a practical matter, the effective fiber diameter, based on pressure drop measurement [ . . . ] is a reasonable approximation" (Hinds 1999).
A common way of determining the fiber diameter distribution in a filter media is to have an operator count the fiber diameters, for example as shown in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the filter media sample. This is a very tedious task and the quality of the measured result depends on the operator. Therefore, automatic image processing has been investigated. Pourdeyhimi and Dent (1999) derived fiber diameter distribution from images by an algorithm using the skeleton and distance transformed image. Talbot et al. (2000) determined fiber diameters by automatic image analysis of cross sectional SEM images fibers. To obtain the fiber cross sections, the fibers had first to be embedded in resin and then cross sections had to be cut. This method is still time consuming. Ghassemieh et al. (2002) applied Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) to SEM image date to obtain a fiber diameter distribution. Luzhansky (2003) presented an automatic image processing of SEM image based on an algorithm that first finds the pores in a segmented picture and then zigzags around the perimeter of a pore, jumping to the border of the adjacent pore and back by moving forward. Zibari et al. (2007) presented a method to obtain fiber diameter distribution based on binary images. To overcome the problem of methods being based on skeletons, they deleted the fiber intersections. Zibari et al. published (2008) another paper validating their method on simulated structures and comparing the result with data manually measured on SEM images of gold sputtered fibers.
Unfortunately, the past methods of determining the fiber diameter distribution of a filter media have disadvantages. Published or otherwise known methods either generate excessive amounts of data or are too sophisticated using techniques such as fast Fourier transforms (FFT) to allow for a quick and easy judgment of the quality of the fiber diameter sizing. None of the known image processing methods have been found satisfactory to be considered a practical standard way of accomplishing the task. As a result, even today filtration media fiber diameters are commonly counted (manually) by operators such as from SEM images or other known techniques.

Method and system of determining the fiber diameter distribution of a fibrous media


A sensor for measuring a physiological signal and a method for manufacturing such a sensor. Such a sensor includes a flexible substrate and at least one electrode, which has a signalling surface, which faces in the same direction as the first surface of the flexible substrate. In addition, the sensor includes a signal transmission conductor, which is connected electrically to the electrode. The signal transmission conductor is attached in a watertight manner to the second surface of the substrate. The sensor is reliable, economical to manufacture, and comfortable to the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sensor devices. In particular the invention relates to new sensor for measuring a physiological signal from the skin. Such sensor typically comprises a substrate, a signal electrode, and means from transmitting a signal electrically. In addition, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing sensor, to a heart rate belt, and to apparel.
2. Description of Background Art
Traditional heart-rate meter heart rate bands and heart rate belts generally comprise a body made of plastic, on the surface of which there are two local electrodes to be placed against the chest. Electronics for transmitting a heart rate signal, typically to a wristop device, are built into the plastic body. Conductors from the electrodes to the electronics also run inside the body, which is generally attached against the chest with the aid of a flexible band.
Because plastic heart rate bands are relatively thick and can feel uncomfortable in use, heart rate belts and sensor utilizing textile materials in particular have been developed recently. One such is disclosed in WO publication 2005/032366. In the solution depicted in it, the electrodes and transmission conductors are surfaced with a conductive material directly in the textile material. The transmission conductors can afterwards be coated with an insulating material, so that only the electrodes remain in contact with the skin and the quality of the signal improves. However, the laminate then remains on the surface of the product at the conductors, so that the breathability of these locations is reduced and they may feel uncomfortable against the skin.
WO publication 2002/071935 (FI 110915) discloses a heart rate sensor, in which there are electrodes containing conductive fibres, at the ends of which there is a moisture-retaining layer to improve the electrical contact of the electrodes with the skin. This solution also has a problem with the placing of the signal transmission conductors relative to the fibre material, particularly with creating both reliable contacts with the electrodes for them and good electrical insulation.
WO publication 2003/082103 discloses a heart rate sensor, with electrodes made by moulding through a textile material. The electrical conductors can be added to the mould, in order to attach them securely to the electrode moulding. However, the electrical conductors remain loose of the surface of the fabric and liable to mechanical stresses acting on them. They can also be attached as part of the textile with the aid of thermo-compression, but then a powerful interference signal may connect to them from the skin through the fabric.
US publication 2005/0043641 discloses a device intended to measure heart rate, which can be detachably attached to a flexible band, or piece of apparel, with the aid of hooks in it. Though it can be attached to many different pieces of apparel, it does not eliminate the problem of discomfort when using traditional heart rate bands.