A sampling port includes an elongated flexible support tube having an interior surface bounding a first passageway extending between a first end and an opposing second end, the first passageway being closed at the first end of the support tube and open at the second end of the support tube. An elongated flexible sampling tube has an interior surface bounding a second passageway extending between a first end and an opposing second end, the second passageway being open at the first end of the sampling tube, at least a portion of the sampling tube adjacently extending along the length of the support tube and being connected to the support tube. A flange encircles and radially outwardly projecting from the support tube and the sampling tube at a location spaced apart from the first end of the support tube and the first end of the sampling tube.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tube ports and sampling ports, and container systems that incorporate such ports.
2. The Relevant Technology
Ports are a necessary feature of bioreactors for delivering controlled volumes of gas, liquid, or other material to growth media containing cells; for extracting matter out of the bioreactor; and for inserting probes, such as a temperature probe, to monitor conditions within the bioreactor. Conventional ports comprise tubular metal or hard plastic stems that are permanently attachable to the bioreactor container. Various tubes or probes are then attached to the ports or are passed through the ports. In all embodiments, great care is taken so that no leaking or contamination occurs at the ports.
Although conventional ports are useful for their intended purpose as detailed above, they have a number of shortcomings. For example, because conventional ports typically are made of metal or hard plastic, the ports are typically rigid and inflexible. Because of this inflexibility, it can be difficult to establish a seal around tubes or other structures that are passed through the ports. As a result, an unwanted dead space can be formed between the ports and the structures passing therethrough.
Furthermore, the inflexibility of conventional ports can cause problems when used with flexible containers. An advantage of using flexible containers is that the containers can be folded up for transport or storage when not in use, making the stored containers more compact, easier to handle, and requiring less room to store. Rigid ports decrease the flexibility of the containers and increase the risk that the ports could damage the containers when the containers are folded around the ports.
Sampling from bioreactors typically occurs by simply connecting a sampling tube to a corresponding port and withdrawing the sample therefrom. This sampling technique typically withdraws the sample fluid from the perimeter of the container. Such a sample, however, may be misrepresentative of the typically more homogeneous fluid that is contained close to the center of the container.
Accordingly, what are needed are improved ports that overcome one or more of the above problems or other shortcomings known in the art.

Sampling ports and related container systems


A method for controlling appliances includes a wearing step, a swinging step and a controlling step. The control device is attached to a movable part of a user's body and the user swings the movable part to generate and send a control signal to the appliance so as to activate and control the appliance. The method is also helpful for rehabilitation to disable people.

A conventional method for controlling appliances such as television, air conditioner and DVD player is completed by operation of a remote controller which generally is portable and includes multiple function key pads. The user holds the controller and presses the key pads by fingers. However, these actions are difficult for those users whose hands or fingers are injured. Because the conventional controllers cannot be worn to a part of the user's body so that the hand injured people cannot use them.
The present invention intends to provide a method for controlling appliances by swinging the control device attached on the user's movable part to generate control signals which are received by the appliances and activate the appliances.

Method for controlling appliances by swing motion


A parking meter includes an access control device to uniquely identify a vehicle based on wireless communication with the vehicle; and a plurality of power connections to distribute electricity to charge in parallel a plurality of battery sets in the vehicle. The battery sets may form an exterior body of the vehicle.

The present disclosure relates to rapid recharging circuits and recharging stations for electric vehicles.
Battery electric vehicles were developed more than a century ago, yet the usage of plug-in battery electric vehicles is still limited to some short distance, low speed transportation such as golf carts, commuting carts in big buildings and manufacturing facilities, and handicap vehicles. Although many different models of electric cars have been developed, none of them have achieved the market acceptance of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.
However, recent awareness of human activity's impacts on environment pollution has propelled the need to develop green vehicle alternatives to gasoline-powered vehicles such as electric vehicles.
One issue with electric vehicles is the battery capacity/weight. Currently, most electric cars offer a range of 50-60 miles before they need to be recharged. However, most garages or parking meters do not offer power plugs to recharge these cars.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,418 discloses a structure for charging an electric vehicle at a parking location and facilitating billing for the charging energy utilized and the parking time. The structure includes a charging and parking meter at a parking space for receiving a charge card and into which a charging plug from an electric vehicle may be placed, structure for reading the charge card placed in the meter and for locking the plug in place, and a central processor unit for determining the charging energy used and parking time and for storing billing data relative thereto at a remote location, for periodic removal to facilitate billing. The parking meter permits charging of an electric vehicle at a parking location in response to use of a charge card and stores charging and parking information for subsequent retrieval to facilitate billing to the owner of the charge card.


A lock includes a main body, a shining device, and a switch; the main body has a holding portion on one side thereof, which is formed with a through hole; the shining device is held in the holding portion of the main body, and it includes a power source, and a light emitting element; the light emitting element is held in the through hole of the holding portion of the main body such that light emitted from it will travel outside the main body; the switch is connected to the shining device for turning on/off the power for the light emitting element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shining lock, which will shine for allowing the users to see clearly while unlocking it in the dark.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Using locks can prevent thievery, and make people feel secure. Various kinds of locks are available that serve different purposes. There are two major kinds of locks, key-operated ones and combination locks. And, many improvements have been made on locks to make it difficult for unauthorized persons to unlock the locks. No matter which kind of lock is used, there have to be enough lighting provided to the user in unlocking, otherwise it will be difficult for the user to find the keyhole of a key-operated lock/the numbers of the buttons of a combination lock.


A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first pad allocated to receive a row address, a second pad allocated to discriminate a first input/output mode and a second input/output mode, a detector configured to generate a detection signal in response to logic levels of the first and second pads, and a column address controller configured to deassert a column address to a logic low level in response to a deasserted detection signal. The semiconductor integrated circuit may selectively support one of first and second memory capacities and one of the first and second input/output modes using the logic levels of the first and second pads.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit, and more particularly, to a semiconductor integrated circuit.
2. Related Art
A semiconductor integrated circuit may be manufactured is with various memory capacities and input/output modes.
A conventional semiconductor integrated circuit such as, for example, DRAM may be configured as X8—512M, X16—512M, and X16—256M.
X8—512M is a 512 Mb DRAM with eight input/output data terminals DQ0 to DQ7. Similarly, X16—512M 512 Mb DRAM with 16 input/output terminals DQ0 to DQ15, and X16—256M is a 256 Mb DRAM with 16 input/output terminals DQ0 to DQ15.
According to a specification of the semiconductor integrated circuit as shown in FIG. 1, X8—512M uses row addresses A0 to A13 and column addresses A0 to A9, X16—512M uses row addresses A0 to A12 and column addresses A0 to A9, and X16—256M uses row addresses A0 to A12 and column addresses A0 to A8.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the number of column addresses is reduced by one bit, half of the X16—512 Mb DRAM may be operated as X16—256M.
A conventional semiconductor integrated circuit includes a pad IOX8 to select either a X8 or X16 input/output mode.
Referring to FIG. 2, X8—512M fixes the pad IOX8 to a logic high level, and X16—512M and X16—256M fix the pad IOX8 to a logic low level.
Furthermore, since X8—512M uses a row address A13, X8—512M controls the corresponding pad to receive the row address A13 from outside. Since X16—512M and X16—256M do not use the row address A13, X16—512M and X16—256M float the corresponding pad.
The conventional semiconductor integrated circuit uses a fuse circuit provided therein, in order to support various products such as X8—512M, X16—512M, and X16—256M. In particular, the fuse circuit is used to support 256 Mb DRAM using 512 Mb DRAM. That is, the type of a product may be defined by blowing a fuse of the fuse circuit or not.
However, the fuse cannot be restored to the original state after it is blown. That is, only 256 Mb of 512 Mb may be used after the corresponding fuse is blown.
Therefore, since the conventional semiconductor integrated circuit decides a memory capacity through a fuse, it is difficult to change the quantity of products shipped to deal with changing demand.
Whether or not to blow a fuse is determined during a probe test. In this state, it is difficult to estimate the demand, that is, determine whether to use 256 Mb or 512 Mb. Furthermore, the fuse may cause problems during a blowing process, thereby reducing the reliability of the semiconductor memory integrated circuit.


In normal operation, a control or regulating device controls vehicle rear wheel steering in accordance with freely-selectable specifications. If a malfunction of the control or regulating device is detected, the latter becomes inoperative immediately. A piston-cylinder unit drivingly connected to the front wheel steering and a piston-cylinder unit drivingly connected to the rear wheel steering are simultaneously positively coupled to one another, with the result that the rear wheel steering is actuated positively via the front wheel steering.

The invention relates to a supplementary rear-wheel steering for motor vehicles having a control or regulating device which actuates the steering of the rear wheels as a function of the steering angle of the manually-controlled front steering wheels (main steering) by means of a servomotor, servo-assisted by a double-acting piston-cylinder unit and as a function of further parameters (e.g. transverse acceleration, and/or travelling speed of the vehicle, and/or by comparison of set and actual values of the rear wheel steering angle).
Supplementary rear-wheel steering systems of this general kind are in principle known from Japanese Published Specification 62-199 568.
To facilitate maneuvering operations, the rear wheels can be deflected in the opposite direction to the front wheels during very low travelling speeds in order to reduce the turning circle of a vehicle.
At higher travelling speeds, provision is made to deflect the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels but with a clearly smaller steering angle, in order to increase the slip angle of the rear wheels at the very beginning of cornering and thereby improve directional stability.
It is in addition fundamentally known to control the supplementary rear-wheel steering as a function of additional parameters in order, for example, to automatically mitigate effects of side winds or also swerving movements of the vehicle.
In the case of such highly developed supplementary rear-wheel steering systems, a computer control is very often necessary. However, in the case of a malfunction of the computer, it must be possible to make a switch to a computer-independent emergency control function for the rear-wheel steering. In this connection, the automatic return of the rear wheels to their neutral central position as soon as a malfunction of the computer is detected has been envisaged.
However, this concept has the considerable disadvantage that an extremely critical driving situation may occur in certain circumstances, if the returning of the rear wheels is effected in driving situations within the threshold region of the controllability of the vehicle. Furthermore, the driver may be dangerously surprised, by a sudden returning of the previously deflected rear wheels to the central position even in driving situations which are not dangerous per se.
It is therefore the object of the invention to create a supplementary rear-wheel steering which, in the event of a failure or a malfunction of the computer-controlled control (regulating device) guarantees particularly high driving safety in a manner which is simple in terms of construction.
This object is achieved by having a steering linkage element of the rear wheel steering coupled to a further double-acting hydraulic piston-cylinder unit and by having the piston-cylinder units of the front wheel steering and of the rear-wheel steering identical with respect to their swept volumes. Two separate lines are arranged between the two piston-cylinder units to connect the chambers of the two piston-cylinder units directly to one another. A further connection is established between the two lines by a valve which is open only while the control or regulating device is operating correctly and in the case of control malfunction, the valve closes and couples the piston-cylinder unit of the rear-wheel steering to the piston-cylinder unit of the front-wheel steering, while the servomotor of the rear wheel steering simultaneously switches over to a self-locking-free state.
The invention is based on the general idea of effecting a hydraulic positive coupling between front wheel and rear wheel steering in the event of an error detection in the system of the regulating control. At the same time, the fact that the swept volumes of the two piston-cylinder units are the same, ensures that the rear wheel steering can be actuated over the maximum possible steering range of the rear wheels when the piston of the further piston-cylinder unit, associated with the main steering, is moved from one extreme position to the other.
A particular advantage of the invention consists in the fact that when the positive coupling between front-wheel and rear-wheel steering comes into effect, an independent steering movement of the rear wheels, which would under certain circumstances be extremely unexpected, does not take place. Rather, the rear wheels are from then on only steered together with the front wheels.
If the positive coupling between front-wheel steering and rear-wheel steering takes place at a time at which exact synchronism between front wheels and rear wheels does not exist and, accordingly, the vehicle could only follow a straight road by running as it were askew (where the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is slightly oblique to the driving direction), then synchronism is obtained by having two bypasses of the front-wheel steering being actuated in such a way that the piston of the further piston-cylinder unit reaches an extreme position.
Here, it is necessary to steer to the left if, in straight-ahead travel while askew, the longitudinal axis of the vehicle points to the right in the driving direction. In the opposite case, it is necessary to steer to the right. If the driver does not take account of this, complete synchronism can be enforced by steering strongly in one direction and then strongly in the other direction in succession. The front and rear wheels thereupon each simultaneously assume their neutral central position, i.e. a slip-free straight-ahead travel. Then the longitudinal axis of the vehicle will lie in the driving direction.
The servo-motor can have its output and input be set to the unpressurized condition by means of valves which connect the inputs and outputs to a reservoir and which switch over automatically upon error detection in the regulating control so as to be freely moveable, i.e., in a self-locking free state.
It is also advantageous to keep the two piston-cylinder units and the line system between the latter permanently under pressure in order to be able to detect immediately any leaks by means of continuously operating pressure transducers located in these lines.
Additional auxiliary control of the servo-motor controlling rear-wheel steering is obtained by applying pressure or venting of the servo-motor when malfunction conditions do not exist.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Supplementary rear-wheel steering for motor vehicles


The present invention relates to a flow balancer for an evaporator, comprising: a permeable assembly comprising at least one gas- and fluid-permeable plate and located above a heat exchange tube bundle of the evaporator; a sealing assembly disposed on a periphery of the permeable assembly and constructed to be nonpermeable to gas and fluid; and a mounting assembly constructed to support the permeable assembly and the sealing assembly. The present invention also relates to an evaporator comprising the flow balancer. The flow balancer of the present invention has the advantages of simple structure and convenient manufacturing and mounting, can balance the pressure distribution above the heat exchange tube bundle, and can achieve a more even distribution of the refrigerant liquid level in the length direction of the heat exchange tube bundle.

It is known that a flooded evaporator is provided with one or more tube bundles or heat exchange tubes for guiding water, and the refrigerant exchanges heat with water in the tube bundle when flowing through the flooded evaporator. However, in an existing flooded evaporator, the refrigerant usually carries a large amount of liquid due to low pressure at the suction inlet, leading to a reduced Liquid Carryover (LCO) Limit of the evaporator. In addition, uneven pressure distribution may be formed above the bundle or the heat exchange tube, resulting in uneven refrigerant liquid level distribution in the length direction of the tube bundle or the heat exchange tube, and increasing the amount of refrigerant required for covering all the heat exchange tubes.
To avoid the above problems, a commonly adopted measure in the art is to increase the size of the evaporator. However, this increases the costs of the evaporator, and cannot solve the problem of uneven refrigerant liquid level in the length direction of the heat exchange tube.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved evaporator to solve at least one of the above problems.

Flow balancer and evaporator having the same


A target containing an indium oxide and a tin oxide is used and sputtered particles from the target are transported by a forced gas flow of a sputter gas onto an organic substrate and deposited on the organic substrate while applying a DC bias voltage or an RF bias voltage to the organic substrate. The organic substrate is close to the target so that it is positively acted on by plasma. Thus, an ITO transparent conductive film having a resistivity of 10−3 ohm.cm or less is formed on the organic substrate. The formed ITO transparent conductive film has a ratio of 1:1 or more and 4:1 or less between the peak intensity the (222) plane and the peak intensity of the (400) plane of the indium tin oxide in X-ray diffraction.

Aspects of the invention relates to transparent conductive films consisting of an oxide of indium and tin (ITO) and processes for forming them, particularly to transparent conductive films with very low resistivity formed on organic substrates without heating the substrates and processes for forming them.
Indium tin oxide (ITO) is widely used for transparent electrodes in various display devices such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays as well as transparent electrodes in touch panels.
ITO transparent conductive films are usually formed on glass substrates and provided with low resistivity by heating the substrates. For example, an ITO transparent conductive film with high crystallinity and low resistivity can be prepared by forming an ITO film by reactive DC magnetron sputtering using a sintered ITO as a target while heating the substrate to a temperature of 300° C. or more. Alternatively, an ITO transparent conductive film with low resistivity can be prepared by using an In—Sn alloy as a target and depositing a suboxide of In, InO and Sn on a substrate by reactive DC magnetron sputtering followed by a heat treatment at 170-180° C. in the atmosphere.
Thus, ITO must be crystallized and the substrate must be heated to at least 160° C. or more in order to obtain a transparent conductive film having a resistivity of 10−3 ohm.cm or less, e.g. on the order of 10−4 ohm.cm. If an ITO film is deposited without heating the substrate, the film shows a mixed amorphous/microcrystalline phase with a high resistivity on the order of 10−3 ohm.cm.
In the field of liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, it has been proposed to replace glass substrates by organic substrates such as plastic substrates or plastic films, taking into account weight, thickness reduction and ability to be handled. Transparent electrodes for touch panels must also be formed on plastic films. However, it is difficult to heat these organic substrates such as plastic substrates and plastic films because they are vulnerable to heat. Thus, a major issue is to find a method for forming an ITO film with low resistivity on a heat-vulnerable organic substrate.
A method for forming an ITO transparent conductive film on a plastic film by reactive sputtering applying a bias voltage has been proposed (see e.g. JPA SHO 62-222518). According to this method described in publication document 1, an ITO transparent conductive film is formed on a transparent plastic film substrate by reactive sputtering while applying a bias voltage between the transparent conductive film and the ground for accelerating ions in the direction of the substrate, whereby a transparent conductive film with high transparency and adhesion and improved wear resistance can be stably prepared.
The so-called gas flow sputtering has been proposed as a method for forming various films without damaging substrates (see e.g. JPB HEI 2-14427 and JPA 2001-140066). The gas flow sputtering method is a transport sputtering method wherein sputtered particles generated in the anode are transported by an atmospheric gas flow toward the substrate, and JPA 2001-140066 discloses a method for forming a thin film by providing a exhaust port for discharging a sputtering gas in the direction perpendicular to the center axis of the target and placing a substrate on the side of the exhaust port in order to protect the substrate against the influence of plasma and high-energy particles.
However, the method of JPA SHO 62-222518 is essentially an extension of the prior art described above, and the resulting transparent conductive film does not have a low enough resistivity because the substrate is not heated, and therefore, it is difficult to achieve a transparent conductive film having a resistivity of, e.g., 10−3 ohm.cm or less.
In the gas flow sputtering method disclosed in patent JPB HEI 2-14427 or in JPA 2001-140066, the protection of the substrate against damages is stressed, but the characteristics of the deposited films are not always sufficiently considered. Especially, there is no report about the application of gas flow sputtering for forming an ITO transparent conductive film, or about the film characteristics of the deposited ITO transparent conductive films. In fact, the inventors tried to form an ITO transparent conductive film by the method described in patent JPA SHO 62-222518 or in JPB HEI 2-14427, but failed to deposit an ITO transparent conductive film on the order of 10−4 ohm.cm.
The present invention was proposed in view of the actual situation of the art for the purpose of providing a transparent conductive film having an unprecedented low resistivity formed on an organic substrate without heating the substrate as well as a process for forming it.

Transparent conductive films and processes for forming them

Sony Chemical & Information Device Corporation


Embodiments provide systems and methods for identifying and mitigating outlier network activity. In embodiments, network activity by a plurality of users may be monitored and, based on the monitoring, a plurality of data sets may be compiled. Each of the plurality data sets may include information representative of activity by the plurality of users. A network model representative of at least a portion of the network activity may be constructed based on one or more of the plurality of data sets. The network model may be evaluated against a set of rules to produce outputs that include at least one of: a set of classifications, a set of link metrics, and a set of communities. Decision engine logic may be executed against the outputs to identify outlier network activity. In response to identifying outlier network activity, operations to mitigate the identified outlier network activity may be executed.

Previous attempts to develop outlier network activity detection systems have been based on rules driven and static analysis models. These systems are not updated frequently based on final outcomes, resulting in an inefficient system that is unable to effectively distinguish normal behavior from outlier behavior due to an inability to truly "learn" new patterns in outlier activity. For example, systems that utilize simple threshold detection schemes suffer from problems associated with how the thresholds should be set. If the thresholds are set too high, some outlier network activity may not be detected, and if the thresholds are set too low, the system may generate a lot of false positive indications of outlier network activity, such as flagging network activity as outlier network activity when it is not. Additionally, although thresholds utilized by these systems may be periodically updated, such as once a year, these adjustments are often insufficient with respect to solving the above-described deficiencies. For example, if outlier network activity remained static such that patterns of activity associated with outlier network activity were constant, these threshold detection systems may eventually converge on a set of thresholds that accurately detect all outlier network activity. However, outlier network activities evolve over time as the network users change their behaviors in an attempt to circumvent detection. Thus, systems implementing simple threshold detection schemes are always behind the curve with respect to new and emerging outlier network activities, which may go undetected by those systems for a prolonged period of time. Systems that suffer from the above-identified inefficiencies with respect to accurately identifying outlier activity may fail to meet regulatory expectations and may also fail to identify and report spurious behaviors in a timely manner.

Systems and methods for identifying and mitigating outlier network activity


A cosmetic treatment apparatus comprises a discharge lamp, a capacitor, and a current controller. The capacitor supplies an electric current for the discharge lamp. The current controller controls the electric current flowing from the capacitor to the discharge lamp. In a first stage of the cosmetic treatment, the current controller performs a constant current control operation. In this operation, the current flowing to the lamp does not vary with variations of the capacitor voltage. In the end stage of the treatment, the current is lower, and it decreases with the capacitor voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cosmetic treatment apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cosmetic treatment apparatus for removing skin blemishes (i.e., blotches, freckles, wrinkles) and hair using a light beam.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A cosmetic treatment apparatus using a light beam is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2892642. This device utilizes a halogen lamp and ozone produced by an electric discharge to effect cosmetic treatment such as removal of skin blemishes and hair.


A device for closing a left atrial appendage of a patient comprising a containment member having a first configuration for passage into the left atrial appendage and a second larger configuration, and a wire movable into the containment member in situ to expand the containment member in the left atrial appendage to the second configuration.

1. Technical Field
This application relates to a closure device and more particularly to a device for closing the left atrial appendage of the heart.
2. Background of Related Art
The atrial appendage is a small muscular pouch or cavity attached to the atrium of the heart. The left atrial appendage (LAA) is connected to the wall of the left atrium between the mitral valve and the left pulmonary vein. In proper functioning, the left atrial appendage contracts with the rest of the left atrium during a heart cycle, ensuring regular flow of blood.
Atrial fibrillation is the irregular and randomized contraction of the atrium working independently of the ventricles. This resulting rapid and chaotic heartbeat produces irregular and turbulent blood flow in the vascular system, resulting in the left atrial appendage not contracting regularly with the left atrium. Consequently, the blood can become stagnant and pool in the appendage, resulting in blood clot formation in the appendage. If the blood clot enters the left ventricle it can enter the cerebral vascular system and cause embolic stroke, resulting in disability and even death.
One approach to treatment is the administration of medications to break up the blood clots. However, these blood thinning medications are expensive, increase the risk of bleeding and could have adverse side effects. Another approach is to perform invasive surgery to close off the appendage to contain the blood clot within the appendage. Such invasive open heart surgery is time consuming, traumatic to the patient, increases patient risk and recovery time, and increases costs as extended hospital stays are required.
It is therefore recognized that a minimally invasive approach to closing off the appendage to prevent the migration of blood clots into the ventricle and cranial circulation would be beneficial. These devices, however, need to meet several criteria.
Such minimally invasive devices need to be collapsible to a small enough dimension to enable delivery through a small incision while being expandable to a sufficiently large dimension with sufficient stability to ensure sealing of the appendage is maintained. These devices also need to be atraumatic to ensure the appendage wall isn't perforated which would cause blood leakage into the chest cavity. Further, the size of the appendage can vary among patients and therefore the devices need to be expandable to the appropriate size to close off the appendage. Insufficient expansion comparative to the appendage size could leave a gap large enough for blood clot migration; over expansion could damage the appendage wall.
There have been several attempts in the prior art to provide minimally invasive appendage closure devices. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,689, a capture loop or clip is placed around the appendage to hold the appendage closed. These devices can be traumatic to the vascular structure. The Amplatzer occluder marketed by AGA Medical, provides for stent like expansion within a balloon. However, the diameter of expansion is not controllable and the collapsed configuration is relatively large, disadvantageously increasing the profile for insertion. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,144, an occluding member having an outer rim and a thin mesh barrier to provide a seal is placed at the opening of the appendage. Radially extending shape memory members extend from the shaft to anchor the device. An expandable anchoring member is also disclosed. In another embodiment, an occlusive coil having a random configuration is placed in the appendage to induce clot. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,551,303 and 6,652,555 disclose a membrane placed across the ostium of the atrial appendage to prevent blood from entering. Various mechanisms such as shape memory prongs, anchors, springs and struts function to retain the membrane. These devices, however, suffer from various deficiencies and fail to satisfy the size, stability and versatility criteria enumerated above.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved closure device for the left atrial appendage which will effectively block blood clot migration, remain securely retained within the appendage, have a reduced delivery profile to minimize the surgical incision and facilitate passage through the vascular system, and accommodate appendages of different lengths and diameters.

Closure device for left atrial appendage


A dispersion compensating fiber and module are described for controlling residual dispersion in a dispersion compensated system. The dispersion compensating fiber is designed with dispersion curve having an inflection point at a wavelength near the optical transmission operating wavelength region. The dispersion curve, having an inflection point near the operating wavelength region, produces a relative dispersion slope that closely matches the relative dispersion slope of the transmission fiber over a relatively wide bandwidth surrounding the operating wavelength region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements to optical fiber, and more particularly to advantageous aspects of a dispersion-compensating fiber and associated module for controlling residual dispersion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an optical telecommunication transmission system, as an optical signal travels along an optical fiber over several kilometers, the optical signal pulse begins to spread, potentially overlapping into an adjacent pulse time slot. This phenomenon, known as wavelength dispersion, can seriously affect the integrity of the signal if not corrected before detection. More recently, the development of high speed/high bit rate systems, such as a 40 Gbit/s (DWDM), requires even greater control of dispersion compensation.
A recently developed class of optical fibers known as dispersion-compensating fiber (DCF), have steeply sloped, negative dispersion characteristics. One use for DCF is to undo the pulse spreading which occurs in fibers of positive dispersion. This is achieved by concatenating segments of fiber with positive and negative dispersion. For example, the dispersion characteristics of a DCF can be optimized to match those of already existing optical fiber links fabricated from standard single-mode fibers (SSMF) for operation over broad wavelength regions. This technique is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/596,454, filed on Jun. 19, 2000, assigned to the assignee of the present application, the drawings and disclosure of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Conventional DCF""s typically have a dispersion versus wavelength curve, such as curve 100 shown in FIG. 1, which has a relatively large curvature. Typical transmission fibers such as standard single mode fiber (SMF), LEAF(trademark), and Truewave(trademark) fibers are more linear with positive slope. As a result, the residual dispersion curve, after compensation of the SMF with the DCF also has curvature, as shown in curve 200 of FIG. 2. This curvature is unacceptable for next-generation transmission systems. For example, for a 40 Gbit/s system operating over 800 km, the residual dispersion must be kept within a 15 ps/nm window, but as seen in FIG. 2, compensation fiber consistent with curve 200 is within 15 ps/nm for wavelengths only from about 1545 nm to 1595 nm.
The dispersion, as well as the dispersion slope, of a positive dispersion transmission fiber can be compensated over a range of wavelengths by matching the relative dispersion slope (RDS) of the DCF to that of the transmission fiber, where RDS is the ratio of dispersion slope (S) to dispersion (D):
RDS=S/D
By using a combination of two different DCFs, very accurate control of the RDS can be achieved. However, matching the RDS of DCF to that of the transmission fiber compensates for dispersion at only one wavelength and there remains significant dispersion, referred to as residual dispersion, for wavelengths surrounding that one wavelength. The residual dispersion curve is especially problematic for ultra long distance 10 Gbit/s systems or long distance 40 Gbit/s systems. This curvature is mainly due to the curvature of the DCF dispersion curve. Thus, matching only RDS is insufficient to compensate for dispersion over a specified bandwidth.
Another type of dispersion compensation is to carefully match the RDS of DCF to that of SMF. In place of RDS, the dispersion slope compensation ratio (DSCR), which is the ratio of RDS of DCF to transmission fibers is employed:
DSCR=SDCF/DDCFxc3x97SSMF/DSMF
However, DSCR (and therefore RDS) is not a good measure for wideband compensation, and does not guarantee an acceptable solution for dispersion compensation over a relatively wide bandwidth.
In the past, less attention was focused on compensating the dispersion slope (the variation of dispersion with wavelength), as it was viewed as a second order effect. However, with the introduction of new transmission fibers (e.g., the Corning(copyright); LEAF(trademark); and Lucent.(copyright). Truewave(trademark) optical fibers) which are optimized for wideband WDM systems, the impact of relative dispersion slope has become more significant. This is because, in general, as RDS increases, the curvature and therefore the residual dispersion also increases. With these new fibers, the relative dispersion slope can be two or more times greater than that of a conventional single mode fiber, such as the Corning(copyright) SMF-28(trademark) fiber. Therefore, as deployment of these new optical fibers progresses, there is a need for a cost-effective dispersion slope compensator to obtain accurate dispersion compensation over a relatively wide bandwidth.
The above-described issues and others are addressed by aspects of various embodiments of the present invention. One aspect of the present invention addresses a dispersion compensating module (DCM) and dispersion compensating fiber (DCF) for use in the DCM for controlling residual dispersion in a transmission system. The dispersion compensating fiber is designed with a dispersion curve having an inflection point at a wavelength near the optical transmission operating wavelengths. The dispersion curve, having an inflection point near the operating wavelength, produces a relative dispersion slope that closely matches the relative dispersion slope of the transmission fiber over a relatively wide bandwidth, around 40 nm or more, surrounding the operating wavelength range as addressed in greater detail below.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Dispersion compensating module and fiber for control of residual dispersion


A system and method of demultiplexing Provider Backbone Bridging Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) service instances. The method is used when monitoring service instances between a first bridge port and a second bridge port by exchanging CFM frames over each service instance. The CFM frame is received by the second bridge port where the complete ESP—3-tuple is demultiplexed. The CCM frames may be demultiplexed by a Full Traffic Engineering Service Instance Multiplex Entity which demultiplexes both the source address value and destination address value of the CCM frames.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering defines how to support provisioning systems that explicitly select traffic engineered paths within Provider Backbone Bridge Networks by allowing a network operator to disable unknown destination address forwarding and source address learning. In addition, Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering extends the operation of Connectivity Fault Management to support provisioned paths.
PBB-TE defines point-to-point and point-to-multipoint service instances. A point-to-point PBB-TE service instance consists of two unidirectional point-to-point basic connectivity units called Ethernet Switched Paths (ESPs), one for each direction. A point-to-multipoint service instance consists of a downstream multicast point-to-multipoint ESP and "n" upstream point-to-point ESPs.
Maintenance Association End Points (MEPs) are used to monitor PBB-TE service instances. A point-to-point PBB-TE service instance is monitored by a pair of MEPs configured on the bridge ports that are connected by the PBB-TE point-to-point service instance. A point-to-multipoint PBB-TE service instance is monitored by "n" plus one MEPs looted on the bridge ports that are connected by the point-to-multipoint PBB-TE service instance. MEPs monitor the associated PBB-TE service instance by exchanging periodic Continuity Check Messages (CCMs) over the PBB-TE service instance.
On receipt of a CCM frame, a B-component of a Backbone Edge Bridge (BEB) relays the frame as a normal service frame to a Customer Backbone Port (CBP), which is the bridge port where the PBB-TE service instances are terminated. The CBP then demultiplexes the frames by a Backbone VLAN Identifier (B-VID). The CBP then recognizes that it is a CCM frame by an Equal OpCode Demultiplexer. The frame is passed on to a PBB-TE specific demultiplexer which checks the Backbone Source MAC Address (B-SA) and separates the CCMs that belong to the monitored PBB-TE service instance and forwards the CCM to the MEP Continuity Check Receiver.
FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of B-VID assignment restriction in an existing PBB-TE service instance. The system includes a first ESP 10, a second ESP 12, a first BEB 14, a second BEB 16, and a third BEB 18. FIG. 1 illustrates several shortcomings of the existing system. ESPs 10 and 12 share the same B-SA, but they have a different Backbone Destination MAC Address (B-DA). In general, the allocation of the ESP 3-tuples should allow the independent selection of B-VIDs for the two ESP because the ESP 3-tuples already differ in the B-DA. However, the existing system unnecessarily requires the allocation of different B-VIDs for the two ESPs (i.e., B-VID1≠B-VID2) because the CBP on the BEB 16 cannot distinguish between the CCM frames of the two incoming ESPs due to the common B-SA. This problem may occur when a point-to-multipoint PBB-TE service instance and a parallel point-to-point PBB-TE service instance is provisioned.
The problem with the existing solution is that it restricts the B-VID assignment of ESPs that connect the same two CBPs unnecessarily. In particular, a multicast point-to-multipoint ESP cannot have the same B-VID as a point-to-point ESP from the root to any of the leaves, or two parallel ESPs cannot share a B-VID even if their B-DA differ.

System and method of demultiplexing provider backbone bridging traffic engineering instances


A tubular filter with porous silicon carbide for filtering particles of soot out of the exhaust gas of a diesel engine is mounted between two holders in a gas duct where one of the holders is spring loaded and the other has a bore that communicates with a bore connecting with the inside of the filter. The holders have surfaces facing the filter that are concavely spherical. The filter ends are provided with matching convexly spherical surfaces and they are directly on the filter ends or on an intermediate piece tightly seated on the filter end. The spherical surfaces are not necessary at the spring loaded holder and for some embodiments the holder can have a convexly spherical surface. The placing of the filter in a duct does not always permit the holders to be exactly opposite each other, but the filter mounting can be accommodated to somewhat offset holders because the gas tightness of the compression joints remain tight when the position of the filter is slightly oblique in the duct. The same tightness is preserved if for some reason the ends of the tubular filter are in planes that are not quite parallel to each other.

A filter of the above-mentioned kind is described and illustrated in German patent application P 41 30 630.9-45 and in a PCT application filed Sep. 9, 1991 which will shortly be published. That filter consists of porous silicon carbide, its shape is that of the tube or pipe and it serves for filtering soot-containing diesel engine exhaust gases, which penetrate through the porous tubular walls into the inside of the filter and are led away through the end surfaces of the closed pipe.
Such a filter needs to be mounted by two holders at its respective ends in such a way that particles in the fluid or gaseous phase do not penetrate through unsealed locations between holders and filter. The imperviousness of sealing must not be impaired either by thermal change in the material, caused for example by hot exhaust gases, or through manufacturing or mounting-imposed tolerances, or even from angular deviation from the intended construction design required by the available locations for mounting devices.

Shock resistant and temperature-strain resistant mounting for tubular particle filters


A storage locker constructed of recyclable thermoplastic that utilizes insertion tabs and sockets molded into the sides, top, bottom, front and side panels for permanent interlocking without the need of conventional fasteners. The storage locker is assembled on site by inserting the tabs of the appropriate panel into the socket receptacles of an adjoining panel. Assembly of a basic locker requires snap attachment of the side walls to the top and bottom panel. A front frame, preassembly with a hinged door panel, is snap attached to the structure to complete the assembly wherein the structure is available for mounting directly to a wall. For a stand alone locker assembly, a perforated rear panel is available for attachment to the rear of the locker by use of locker pins. The rear panel provides aeration and allows various hook placement for hanging items. Shelves are available in either fixed or adjustable disposition. Sides, top, and bottom panels include provisions for attaching additional lockers in a stacked or gang configuration.

In the United States, storage lockers of the prior art can be found in most any school where they are provided for storage of books, clothing, and the like personal effects of attending students. Lockers can also be found in bus stations, airports, and in dressing rooms of most every professional sports organization. Actual use of a locker is limited only by one's imagination.
One problem with lockers of the prior art, to which this invention addresses, is the predominant use of steel. Conventional lockers are constructed of stamped steel that is painted and then assembled by use of numerous fasteners such as screws, rivets, nuts and bolts. The end product is a rectangular box with right angled edges leaving a fixture having little or no aesthetic appeal. Further, as elaborated below, the steel locker is affected by humidity, has sharp edges, is noisy in operation, easily vandalized, and can be used in only certain environments.
For example, placement of a steel locker in a high humidity room, such as a gymnasium dressing room, will quickly uncover flaws in the coating of the steel leading to unattractive rust. Even if the locker panel is properly coated, fasteners used for assembly are notorious for scaring the locker finish propagating the locker demise.
To save weight, steel locker construction demands that the panels are made from thin sheet metal. Thin sheet metal produces sharp edges that are dangerous to handle during shipping and assembly. Thin sheet metal is noisy in operation as the metal is susceptible to vibration and the hollow structure can create an echo chamber. In schools where lockers typically line the hallways, simultaneous opening and closing of multiple locker doors can create an unbearable noise level leading to class disruption. Further, thin steel metal panels are also prone to vandalism and once a door is kicked or punched with sufficient strength to dent the sheet metal, the locker can be rendered dysfunctional.
Finally, use of a steel locker in a corrosive environment is an expensive proposition due to the need for specialty coatings to prevent corrosion. Simply substituting plastic as the preferred material of construction will fail if prior art teachings are replicated. In addition, plastic fasteners such as screws, nuts, or rivets cannot duplicate the strength of metal fasteners and use of such presents a locker of questionable shear strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,363 issued to Andersson et al., attempted to resolve at least a portion of the problem by disclosing a sheet metal locker that is assembled without screws or rivets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,293 issued to St-Germain et al., disclosed a metal storage locker having a door formed into a semi-circle providing resistance to vandalism.
U.S. Pat. 4,447,099 issued to French et al., disclosed a prefabricated light gauge sheet storage locker for use in a bedroom which simulates lockers used by professional sporting organization. The problems remain with all the aforementioned art due to the use of steel for material of construction.
Therefore, what is lacking in the art is a locker having all the strength of a steel locker without steel construction. Namely, a locker constructed of plastic components whose major components snap together to form a construction with durability greater than steel yet providing an aesthetically pleasing locker for residential application.


In a method for manufacturing a magnetic field sensing element including an electrode layer overlying a second antiferrogmagnetic layer and a first free magnetic layer where the electrode layer exposes a portion of the second magnetic layer, a portion of the second antiferromagnetic layer not covered with the electrode layer and a portion of the first free magnetic layer are removed using the electrode layer as a mask after laminating each layer to form a bottom type spin-valve thin film magnetic element, thereby enabling the first free magnetic layer to be endowed with a sufficient exchange coupling magnetic field by substantially eliminating the tapered portion of the remaining second antiferromagnetic layer thereby enabling the magnetization of the second free magnetic layer to be put into a single domain state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic field sensing element whose electrical resistance changes in relation to the direction of magnetization of a free magnetic layer that is affected by both the direction of pinned magnetization of a pinned magnetic layer and an external magnetic field. The present invention more particularly relates to a method for manufacturing a magnetic field sensing element that is able to increase a longitudinal bias magnetic field and allows magnetization of the free magnetic layer to align in a direction for appropriately intersecting magnetization of the free magnetic layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetoresistive magnetic field sensing element is categorized as an AMR (Anisotropic Magnetoresistive) head when it includes an element that exhibits a magnetoresistive effect, and a GMR (Giant Magnetoresistive) head when it includes an element that exhibits a giant magnetoresistive effect. The AMR head has a monolayer structure in which the element exhibiting the magnetoresistive effect is composed of a magnetic material. The GMR head has, on the other hand, is a multilayer structure in which the element includes a plurality of laminated materials. While the giant magetoresistance effect can be generated by several different structures, a spin-valve type thin film magnetic element is commonly used because it has a high rate of change of magnetoresistivity against a weak external magnetic field.
FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of our exemplary conventional spin-valve type thin film magnetic element as seen from the side facing a recording medium.
The spin-valve type thin film magnetic element shown in FIG. 15 is a so-called bottom type single spin-valve type thin film magnetic element that includes one layer each of an antiferromagnetic layer, pinned magnetic layer, non-magnetic layer and free magnetic layer.
The spin-valve type thin film magnetic element shown in FIG. 15 is composed of, from the bottom to the top, an underlayer 6, an antiferromagnetic layer 1, a pinned magnetic layer 2, a non-magnetic layer 3, a multilayer film 9 composed of a free magnetic layer 4 and protective layer 7, a pair of hard bias layers (permanent magnetic layers) 5 formed on both side faces of the multilayer film 9, and a pair of electrode layers 8 formed on hard bias layers 5. A track width Tw is determined by the width on the surface of the multilayer film 9.
Usually, a Fexe2x80x94Mn or Nixe2x80x94Mn alloy film is used for the antiferromagnetic layer 1, a Nixe2x80x94Fe alloy film is used for the pinned magnetic layer 2 and free magnetic layer 4, a Cu film is used for the non-magnetic layer 3, a Coxe2x80x94Pt film is used for the hard bias layers 5, a Cr or W film is used for the electrode layers 8, and a Ta film is used for the underlayer 6 and protective layer 7.
As shown in FIG. 15, the pinned magnetic layer 2 is magnetized as a single magnetic domain in the Y-direction (the direction of a leak magnetic field from a recording medium: height direction) by an exchange coupling magnetic field with the antiferromagnetic layer 1, and magnetization of the free magnetic layer 4 is aligned in the X-direction (track width direction) under the affect of the bias magnetic field from the hard bias layers 5.
In other words, magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer 2 and magnetization of the free magnetic layer 4 are adjusted to be approximately perpendicular to each other.
A sense current flows from the electrode layers 8 to the pinned magnetic layer 2, non-magnetic layer 3 and free magnetic layer 4 in this spin-valve type thin film magnetic element. The direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer 4 changes from the X-direction to the Y-direction when the leaking magnetic field from the recording medium is applied in the Y-direction. Electrical resistance changes in relation to the variation of the magnetization direction in the free magnetic layer 4 and the direction of pinned magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer 2 (referred to as a magnetoresistive effect). The leaking magnetic field from the recording medium is sensed by voltage changes based on this changes of electrical resistance.
The spin-valve type thin film magnetic element as shown in FIG. 15 is however, incompatible with high density recording. While magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer 2 is fixed in the Y-direction as a single magnetic domain, as described above, the hard bias layers 5, magnetized in the X-direction, are provided at both sides of the pinned magnetic layer 2. Consequently, magnetization at each side edge of the pinned magnetic layer 2 is particularly affected by the bias magnetic field from the hard bias layers 5, thereby making it difficult to fix the direction of magnetization in the Y-direction.
Accordingly, the direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer 4, being in a single magnetic domain state by the influence of magnetization of the hard bias layers 5 in the X-direction, and the direction of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer 2 is not perpendicular in the vicinity of the side edges of the multilayer film 9. Furthermore, magnetization in the vicinity of the side edges of the free magnetic layer 4 is fixed by the strong magnetization from the hard bias layers 5 and is likely to be insensitive to the external magnetic field. As a result, a dead zone having a poor regenerative sensitivity is formed in the vicinity of the side edges of the multilayer film 9.
Although the central portion of the multilayer film 9 substantially contributes to regeneration of the recording medium so as to serve as a sensitive zone manifesting the magnetoresistive effect (a practical track width), it has been difficult to accurately determine the width of the sensitive zone due to irregularity of the dead zone. Therefore, it also becomes difficult to properly comply with narrowing of the track width for high density recording that will be required in the near future.
FIG. 16 shows an improved spin-valve type thin film magnetic element provided for solving the foregoing problems. FIG. 16 also shows a manufacturing process thereof. The same reference numerals as in FIG. 15 denote the same layers.
A part of each side 4a of the free magnetic layer 4 is removed in this spin-valve type thin film magnetic element, and an ferromagnetic layer 13 is formed at each removed part. Second antiferromagnetic layers 10, and electrodes 8 are continuously deposited on the ferromagnetic layers 13 using a lift-off resist 12. The second antiferromagnetic layer 10 is made of an antiferromagnetic material. The ferromagnetic layer 13 is made of, for example, a NiFe alloy film.
In the spin-valve type thin film magnetic element shown in FIG. 16, a longitudinal bias magnetic field is applied by a so-called exchange bias method. An exchange coupling magnetic field is generated between the second antiferromagnetic layer 10 and ferromagnetic layer 13 by the exchange bias method. Accordingly, the longitudinal bias magnetic field in the X-direction is applied to the free magnetic layer 4 by a ferromagnetic coupling between the ferromagnetic layer 13 and free magnetic layer 4.
Use of the exchange bias method can eliminate the dead zone as seen in the spin-valve type thin film magnetic element shown in FIG. 15. Accordingly, the track width can be accurately and easily determined for high density recording that will be required in the near future.
The spin-valve type thin film magnetic element as shown in FIG. 16, however, also has the following problems. Since the tip portions 10a and 10a of the second antiferromagnetic layers 10, deposited by using the lift-off resist layer 12, are tapered, as shown in FIG. 16, the exchange coupling magnetic field generated between each tip portion 10a and ferromagnetic layer 13 becomes extremely small. Particularly, the exchange coupling magnetic field is not generated at all when the thickness of the tip portion 10a is smaller than 50 xc3x85. Accordingly, a sufficient longitudinal bias magnetic field is not supplied to the free magnetic layer 4 in the region located under the tapered tip portion 10a. Thus, the free magnetic layer 4 lying under the track width Tw can only be put into the single magnetic domain state owing to the weak bias magnetic field, causing with great difficulty the generation of Barkhausen noise. In addition, magnetization at each side edge of the free magnetic layer 4, formed under the tip portion 10a, is readily fluctuated since it is not strongly pinned in the track width direction, thereby arising a side-reading problem.
In the method for controlling magnetization of the free magnetic layer 4 by the exchange bias method, the exchange coupling magnetic field is generated in two steps. First, an exchange coupling magnetic field is generated between the first antiferromagnetic layer 1 and pinned magnetic layer 2 and, second, another exchange coupling magnetic field is generated between the second antiferromagnetic layer 10 and ferromagnetic layer 13. Consequently, magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer 2 and magnetization of the free magnetic layer 4 cannot be directed so as to intersect with each other, unless the heat treatment temperature, and the magnitude and direction of the applied magnetic field are properly adjusted.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a magnetic field sensing element that is able to generate a large longitudinal bias magnetic field by eliminating tapered tip portions of the second antiferromagnetic layer, so as to properly direct magnetization of the free magnetic layer and magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer in a direction to intersect with each other.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a magnetic field sensing element comprising the following steps.
(a) A laminate is formed by sequentially laminating a first antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, a non-magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer comprising a first free magnetic layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer and a second free-magnetic layer laminated in this order from the bottom, and a second antiferromagnetic layer.
(b) An exchange coupling magnetic field is generated between the first and second antiferromagnetic layers by applying a heat treatment at a first heat treatment temperature, while applying a first magnetic field to the laminate in the direction perpendicular to a track width direction. As a result, the direction of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer and the direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer are fixed in the perpendicular direction with each other, while allowing the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer to be larger than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the second antiferromagnetic layer.
(c) The element is heat treated at a second heat treatment temperature higher than the first heat treatment temperature, while applying, a second magnetic field in the track width direction, that is larger than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the second antiferromagnetic layer in step (b), and smaller than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer. As a result, the free magnetic layer is endowed with a longitudinal bias magnetic field in a direction that intersects the direction of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer.
(d) A pair of electrode layers are formed on the laminate at a given distance apart from each other.
(e) Finally, the laminate, exposed between a pair of the electrodes, is removed up to midway of the second free magnetic layer.
In the present invention a so-called ferrimagnetic structure is formed by inserting the non-magnetic intermediate layer between the two free magnetic layers in step (a). The ferrimagnetic structure comprises antiparallel orientations of magnetization of the first free magnetic layer and second free magnetic layer. The magnetization may be made more stabilized by forming the ferrimagnetic structure.
According to the method described above, a portion of the second antiferromagnetic layer not covered with the electrode layer, as well as a part of the free magnetic layer, are removed using the electrode formed in the step (d) as a mask. This manufacturing method permits the tip portion of the second antiferromagnetic layer to be less tapered as compared with an antiferromagnetic layer manufactured by the conventional method. Further, by forming the free magnetic layer as a ferromagnetic structure, a sufficient longitudinal bias magnetic field to be supplied from the second antiferromagnetic layer to the free magnetic layer. Consequently, the free magnetic layer can be properly put into a single magnetic domain state to suppress side reading.
According to the present invention, the track width may be narrowed, while facilitating the single magnetic domain structure of the free magnetic layer in response to the high density recording expected in the near future. Furthermore, a magnetic field sensing element is provided that is able to properly suppress Barkhausen noise.
The directions of magnetization of the free magnetic layer and pinned magnetic layer can be adjusted so as to intersect with each other by methods (b) and (c) in the present invention.
In step (b), an exchange coupling magnetic field is generated in the first antiferromagnetic layer and second antiferromagnetic layer by applying a heat treatment at a first heat treatment temperature, in order to fix the directions of magnetization of the first antiferromagnetic layer and second antiferromagnetic layer in the direction of a first applied magnetic field applied (the height direction). The magnitude of the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer is adjusted to be higher than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the second antiferromagnetic layer. This relation between the intensities described above can be attained by forming a so-called bottom type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element structure in which the first antiferromagnetic layer is formed under the second antiferromagnetic layer, or by appropriately adjusting the composition ratio of the first antiferromagnetic layer.
In step (c), a second magnetic field, which is larger than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the second antiferromagnetic layer in step (b) and smaller than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer, is applied in the track width direction. The heat treatment temperature (the second heat treatment temperature) is adjusted to be higher than the first heat treatment temperature.
Magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer is not changed in this step, because the magnitude of the second magnetic field is smaller than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer in step (b), and remains to be fixed in the direction (height direction) perpendicular to the track width direction.
Magnetization of the free magnetic layer fluctuates, on the other hand, in the track width direction with the direction of the applied magnetic field, since the magnitude of the second magnetic field is larger than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the second antiferromagnetic layer in step (b). Magnetization of the free magnetic layer is properly aligned in the track width direction due to the generated exchange coupling magnetic field from the second antiferromagnetic layer that is larger than that generated in step (b) as a result of a higher heat treatment temperature than the first heat treatment temperature.
According to the method for manufacturing the magnetic field sensing element in the present invention, the tip portion of the second antiferromagnetic layer is less tapered than the conventional ones, and a large longitudinal bias magnetic field is supplied to the free magnetic layer by forming the free magnetic layer to have a ferrimagnetic structure to facilitate the single magnetic domain structure of the free magnetic layer, thereby enabling magnetization of the free magnetic layer to be adjusted to properly intersect magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer.
The spin-valve type thin film magnetic element is manufactured by forming a laminate comprising the first antiferromagnetic layer, pinned magnetic layer, non-magnetic layer, free magnetic layer and second antiferromagnetic layer on a substrate, followed by heat treating the laminate. Therefore, the surface of each layer formed between the substrate and second antiferromagnetic layer never contacts ambient air when forming the laminate. Accordingly, cleaning by ion milling and inverse sputtering of a surface is not required, as is the case when the surface contacts ambient air. Accordingly, the magnetic field sensing element can be easily manufactured with good reproducibility. Furthermore, eliminating the need of cleaning of the surface of each layer by ion milling or inverse sputtering provides an excellent manufacturing method free from troubles arising from the cleaning process, such as contamination by re-adsorption, and adverse effects on generation of the exchange coupling magnetic field due to distortion of surface crystallinity.
A pair of the electrodes to be formed in step (d) may be formed on the second antiferromagnetic layer in step (a), and step (e) may be applied next to step (c) in the present invention.
It is preferable in the present invention to form the electrodes using a lift-off resist layer. The magnetic field sensing element compatible with narrowing the track width for high density recording may be manufactured by properly adjusting the dimension of the track width formed on the lower face of the lift-off resist layer.
The laminate may be removed up to midway of the non-magnetic layer in step (e) in the present invention. Eliminating the laminate permits a large longitudinal bias magnetic field to be applied to the free magnetic layer having a ferrimagnetic structure located under the second ferromagnetic layer to allow the free magnetic layer to be in a single magnetic domain state. In addition, the non-magnetic intermediate layer serves as a back layer, and can acquire large xcex94MR (magnetoresistivity), enabling a magnetic field sensing element to be compatible with the high density recording expected in the near future.
The first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer are preferably formed using an antiferromagnetic material containing Mn and at least one element comprising Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Os, Au, Ag, Cr, Ni, Ne, Ar, Xe and Kr in the present invention.
In the present invention, a CoFeNi alloy is used for at least one and, preferably, both the first and second free magnetic layers in order to improve the material for the first and second free magnetic layers, and to increase an antiparallel coupling force between the first and second free magnetic layers. Consequently, the side edges of the first and second free magnetic layers, located at both sides in the track width direction, are prevented from fluctuating against the external magnetic field. This properly suppresses side-reading through a synergetic effect of an exchange coupling magnetic field acting between the first antiferromagnetic layer and second free magnetic layer. Including Co in the CoFeNi alloy enhances the antiparallel coupling force.
When the laminate comprises a film lamination structure of non-magnetic layer/first free magnetic layer/non-magnetic intermediate layer/second free magnetic layer, the CoFeNi alloy preferably comprises about 9 at % to about 17 at % of Fe and about 0.5 at % to about 10 at % of Ni, with a balance of Co. It is preferred that the Fe content not be larger than about 17 at %, since magnetic distortion becomes larger than xe2x88x923xc3x9710xe2x88x926 and soft magnetic properties are deteriorated. It is also preferred that the Fe content not be less than about 9 at % since magnetic distortion becomes larger than 3xc3x9710xe2x88x926, which also causes deterioration of the soft magnetic properties. It is also preferred that the Ni content not be larger than about 10 at %, since magnetic distortion becomes larger than 3xc3x9710xe2x88x926, while causing decrease of magnetoresistance (xcex94R) and magnetoresistivity (xcex94R/R) due to diffusion of Ni between the non-magnetic layer and free magnetic layers.
It is preferred that the Ni content not be smaller than about 0.5 at % since the magnetic distortion shifts to the negative side from xe2x88x923xc3x9710xe2x88x926.
A coercive force of 790 (A/m) or less may be obtained within the composition range described above.
When the laminate film comprises non-magnetic layer/intermediate layer (a CoFe alloy)/first free magnetic layer/non-magnetic intermediate layer/free magnetic layer, it is also preferable in the present invention that the CoFeNi alloy comprises about 7 at % to about 15 at % of Fe, and about 5 at % to about 15 at % of Ni with a balance of Co. It is preferred that the Fe content not be larger than about 15 at % since magnetic distortion shifts to negative side from xe2x88x923xc3x9710xe2x88x926 to deteriorate soft magnetic properties. It is also preferred that the Fe content not be smaller than about 7 at % since magnetic distortion becomes larger than 3xc3x9710xe2x88x926, which causes deterioration of the soft magnetic properties. It is also preferred that the Ni content not be larger than about 15 at % since magnetic distortion becomes larger than 3xc3x9710xe2x88x926. It is also preferred that the Ni content not be smaller than about 5 at % since magnetic distortion shifts to negative side from xe2x88x923xc3x9710xe2x88x926.
A coercive force of about 790 (A/m) or less may be obtained within the composition range described above.
The Fe content is slightly decreased and Ni content is slightly increased in the CoFeNi alloy as compared with the film construction in which the intermediate layer is not inserted between the first free magnetic layer and non-magnetic layer, since the intermediate layer comprising CoFe or Co has negative magnetic distortion.
The film construction in which the intermediate layer comprising CoFe alloy or Co is inserted between the non-magnetic layer and first free magnetic layer is preferable since diffusion of metallic element between the first free magnetic layer and non-magnetic layer can be more effectively prevented.
It is preferable in the present invention that both the first and second free magnetic layers are formed of the CoFeNi alloy.
The heat treatment temperature in steps (b) and (c), and the preferable composition ranges of the first and second antiferromagnetic layers will be described hereinafter.
In the present invention the first heat treatment temperature is about 220xc2x0 C. to about 245xc2x0 C., and the second treatment temperature is preferably about 250xc2x0 C. to about 270xc2x0 C.
In the present invention, m, representing the composition ratio, is preferably in the range of about 46 at %xe2x89xa6mxe2x89xa6about 53.5 at %, when the antiferromagnetic layer comprises an alloy represented by XmMn100-m, where X in the formula is at least one element from the group Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru and Os.
It is preferred that the composition ratio m not be less than about 46 at % or more than about 53.5 at %, since the exchange coupling magnetic field becomes smaller than 1.58xc3x97104 A/m even after the first heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 245xc2x0 C. This is because the crystal lattice of the X-Mn alloy is hardly arranged as a L10 type ordered lattice and will fail in manifesting antiferromagnetic properties, or will fail in generating a unidirectional exchange coupling magnetic field.
An exchange coupling magnetic field of about 3.16xc3x97104 A/m may be obtained after the second heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 270xc2x0 C. in the composition range as described above.
The preferable composition ratio m of the X-Mn alloy is within the range of about 48.5 at % to about 52.7 at %, because in this composition range, an exchange coupling magnetic field of more than about 4.74xc3x97104 A/m may be obtained after the first heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 245xc2x0 C.
In one embodiment, the antiferromagnetic layer of the bottom type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element is represented by PtmMn100-m-nZn, where Z is at least one element from the group of Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru and Os. The subscripts m and n indicate the composition ratio and are preferably in the range of about 46 at %xe2x89xa6m+nxe2x89xa6about 53.5 at % and about 0.2 at %xe2x89xa6nxe2x89xa6about 40 at %. In this composition range, an exchange coupling magnetic field of about 1.58xc3x97104 A/m may be obtained by the first heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 245xc2x0 C. The preferable range of the composition ratio m+n is about 48.5 at % to about 52.7 at %.
It is preferred that n not be less than about 0.2 at % since ordering of the crystal lattice of the antiferromagnetic layer is not enhanced, or an effect for increasing the exchange coupling magnetic field is not fully exhibited. It is also preferred that n not exceeding about 40 at % because the exchange coupling magnetic field decreases.
In another embodiment, the antiferromagnetic layer of the bottom type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element is represented by PtqMn100-q-jLj, where L is at least one element from the group of Au, Ag, Cr, Ni, Ne, Ar, Xe and Kr. The subscripts q and j represent the composition ratios are preferably in the ranges of about 46 at %xe2x89xa6q+jxe2x89xa6about 53.5 at % and about 0.2 at %xe2x89xa6jxe2x89xa6about 10 at %.
It is preferred that the ratio q+j not be less than about 46 at % nor more than about 53.5 at %, since the exchange coupling magnetic field becomes 1.58xc3x97104 A/m or less even after the first heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 245xc2x0 C. More preferably the range of q+j is 48.5 at % to about 52.7.
It is preferred that j not be less than about 0.2 at % because the uniaxial exchange magnetic coupling magnetic field is not fully manifested by adding the element L, while if the ratio j exceeds about 10 at % the uniaxial exchange magnetic coupling magnetic field decreases.
When the antiferromagnetic layer of the top type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element includes an alloy represented by XmMn100-m, where X is at least one element from the group of Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru and Os)m representing the composition ratio and is preferably in the range of about 49 at %xe2x89xa6mxe2x89xa6about 55.5 at %.
It is preferred that m not be less than about 49 at % nor more than about 55.5 at %, since the exchange coupling magnetic field becomes 1.58xc3x97104 A/m even after the second heat treatment at a second heat treatment temperature of about 270xc2x0 C. This is because the crystal lattice of the X-Mn alloy is not arranged as a L10 type ordered lattice will fail in exhibiting antiferromagnetic properties, or will fail in manifesting the uniaxial exchange coupling magnetic field.
It is evident that the antiferromagnetic layer of the top type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element has a lower exchange coupling magnetic field than the antiferromagnetic layer of the bottom type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element in either composition ratio in the range described above, when the element is heat treated, for example, at about 245xc2x0 C. In other words, the exchange coupling magnetic field of the antiferromagnetic layer of the bottom type element can be made higher than that of the antiferromagnetic field of the top type element even after the first heat treatment.
The more preferable range of the ratio m is about 49.5 at % to about 54.5 at %, because an exchange coupling magnetic field about of 3.16xc3x97104 A/m can be obtained by a heat treatment at about 270xc2x0 C. The exchange coupling magnetic field of the antiferromagnetic layer of the bottom type element becomes larger than that of the antiferromagnetic layer of the top type element by applying a heat treatment at about 245xc2x0 C.
In one embodiment, the antiferromagnetic layer of the top type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element is represented by PtmMn100-m-nZn, where z is at least one element from the group of Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru and Os and m and n, representing the composition ratios, are preferably in the range of about 49 at %xe2x89xa6m+nxe2x89xa6about 55.5 at % and about 0.2 at %xe2x89xa6nxe2x89xa6about 40 at %.
It is preferred that the composition ratio m+n not exceed about 55.5 at % since the exchange coupling magnetic field becomes 1.58xc3x97104 A/m or less. More preferably the ratio m+n is about 49.5 at % to about 54.5 at %.
It is also preferred that the ratio n not be less than about 0.2 at %, since ordering the crystal lattice of the antiferromagnetic field is not enhanced, or increasing the exchange coupling magnetic field is not fully manifested. It is also preferred that the ratio n not exceed about 40 at %, because the exchange coupling magnetic field decreases.
In another embodiment, the antiferromagnetic layer of the top type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element is represented by PtqMn100-q-jLj, where L is at least one element from the group Au, Ag, Cr, Ni, Ne, Ar, Xe and Kr. The subscripts q and j represent the composition ratio and are preferably in the ranges of about 49 at %xe2x89xa6q+jxe2x89xa6about 55.5 at % and about 0.2 at %xe2x89xa6jxe2x89xa6about 10 at %.
It is preferred that the ratio q+j not be less than about 49 at % nor more than about 55.5 at % since the exchange coupling magnetic field becomes 1.58xc3x97104 A/m or less even by applying the second heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 270xc2x0 C. The preferable range of q+j is about 49.5 at % to about 54.5 at %.
It is also preferred that the ratio j not be less than about 0.2 at % since the uniaxial exchange coupling magnetic field is not sufficiently improved. It is further preferred that the ratio j not exceed about 10 at % since the uniaxial exchange coupling magnetic field decreases.
The composition of the first antiferromagnetic layer may be the same as the composition of the second antiferromagnetic layer in the present invention. Such antiferromagnetic layers preferably have the following composition ratio.
In one embodiment, the first and second antiferromagnetic layers comprise an alloy represented by XmMn100-m, where X is at least one element from the group of Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru and Os. The subscript m represents the composition ratio of each of the first and second antiferromagnetic layers and is preferably in the range of about 49 at %xe2x89xa6mxe2x89xa6about 53.5 at %.
Consequently, the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer can be made as large as about 1.58xc3x97104 A/m, or more, while allowing the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer to be larger than the exchange coupling magnetic field of the second antiferromagnetic layer by applying the first heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 245xc2x0 C.
The exchange coupling magnetic field of the second antiferromagnetic layer can be also made to be about 1.58xc3x97104 A/m or more by applying the second heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature of about 270xc2x0 C.
In a more preferable composition ratio m ranges from about 49.5 to about 52.7 at %. Most preferably, the upper limit of m is about 51.2 at % or less. These composition ranges permit the exchange coupling magnetic field of the first antiferromagnetic layer at about 245xc2x0 C. to be larger, while making the difference between the exchange coupling magnetic fields of the first and second antiferromagnetic layers to be large, thereby enabling the directions of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer and free magnetic layer to be readily controlled.
In another embodiment, the first and second antiferromagnetic layers are represented by PtmMn100-m-nZn, where Z is at least one element from the group of Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru and Os. The subscripts m and n represent the composition ratio and are preferably in the ranges of about 49 at %xe2x89xa6m+nxe2x89xa6about 53.5 at % and about 0.2 at %xe2x89xa6nxe2x89xa6about 40 at % and, more preferably, the range of m is about 49.5 at % to about 52.7 at % and, most preferably, the upper limit is about 51.2 at % or less.
It is preferred that n not be less than about 0.2 at % since the effect for improving the uniaxial exchange coupling magnetic field is not fully manifested. It is also preferred that the ratio n not exceed about 40 at % since the uniaxial exchange coupling magnetic field decreases.
In yet another embodiment, the first and second antiferromagnetic layers are represented by PtqMn100-q-jLj, where L is at least one element from the group of Au, Ag, Cr, Ni, Ne, Ar, Xe and Kr. The subscripts q and j represent the composition ratios and are preferably in the ranges of about 49 at %xe2x89xa6q+jxe2x89xa6about 53.5 at % and about 0.2 at %xe2x89xa6jxe2x89xa6about 10 at % and, more preferably, the range of q is about 49.5 at % to about 52.7 at % and, most preferably, the upper limit is about 51.2 at % or less.
It is preferred that j be less than about 0.2 at % since the effect for improving the uniaxial exchange coupling magnetic field is not fully manifested. It is also preferred that the ratio j not exceed about 10 at % since the uniaxial exchange coupling magnetic field decreases.
The difference between the exchange coupling magnetic fields of the first and second antiferromagnetic layers may become more evident by allowing the composition of the first antiferromagnetic layer to be different from the composition of the second antiferromagnetic layer within the composition ranges as described above in the bottom type spin-valve type thin film magnetic element. This can be carried out by, for example, making the Mn concentration of the first antiferromagnetic layer to be larger than the Mn concentration in the second antiferromagnetic layer. As a result, magnetization of the free magnetic layer may be more certainly perpendicular to magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer after the second heat treatment. Many combinations for making the difference in the exchange coupling magnetic fields may be selected to improve the degree of freedom for designing the spin-valve type thin film magnetic element.

Method for manufacturing exchange bias type magnetic field sensing element


The present invention is directed to an endoscopic stent delivery device. The device includes an endoscope having an elongate shaft including a proximal end, a distal end, an outer wall and a longitudinal working channel through the elongate shaft defining an inner wall of the elongate shaft; a stent juxtaposingly disposed to a distal portion of the inner wall; and an inner tubular member slidably disposed within the working channel and having a stent holding member engaging an interior portion of the stent for releasably securing the stent to the distal portion of the inner wall. The device may further include a viewing device disposed at the distal end of the endoscope and/or an illuminating device disposed at the distal end of the endoscope.

An intraluminary stent is a medical device used in the treatment of diseased bodily lumens, such as in the coronary or peripheral vasculature, esophagus, trachea, bronchi colon, biliary tract, urinary tract, prostate, brain, as well as in a variety of other applications in the body. Contemporary endoscopy practitioners increasingly often require visualization of the damaged vessel while delivering the stent. In some cases an endoscope and a stent delivery catheter are separately advanced to the damaged vessel to allow for visualization of the delivery of the stent from the stent delivery catheter. Such a procedure has size limitation, especially for smaller bodily lumens, as both the endoscope and the stent delivery catheter must be navigated to the damaged vessel.
To avoid the need or disadvantage of intraluminally advancing two separate and independent devices, endoscopes and stent delivery systems have been combined. One technique may have a stent disposed within a stent delivery catheter and an endoscope which is slidable within an inner tube of the catheter. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0184224 A1 to Angel and U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,413 to Mikus et al. describe stent delivery systems having a catheter holding a stent between two tubes of the catheter and an endoscope being positioned within the inner shaft of the catheter. The combining of a stent delivery catheter and an endoscope in such a manner, however, limits the diameter of the contracted or loaded stent to a diameter larger than that of the endoscope. In other words, the overall profile of the delivery system is constrained by the size of the endoscope.
Another technique used to avoid the need for separately advancing independent endoscopes and stent delivery catheters, is to have a stent constrained within a stent delivery catheter where the stent delivery catheter is slidably disposed within a lumen of the endoscope. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2002/0143387 A1 to Soetikno et al.; 2004/0098105 A1 to Stinson et al.; 2005/0090889 A1 to Yanuma et al. and 2005/0125050 A1 to Carter et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,231 Mikus et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,194 to Mikus et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,570 to Stinson et al. describe a stent delivery catheter having a stent disposed between two tubes where the catheter is fittable through a working channel of an endoscope. Again, the overall profile of the endoscope is limited to a relatively large size as the endoscope must be sized for accenting the stent delivery catheter.
Other approaches include the endoscopic systems as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,873 to Ouchi and U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,389 to Geitz, and International PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2005/122953 A2 to Selden. Ouchi describes an endoscope having a mesh stent disposed within the endoscope. The stent has includes rings or tubes at both ends of the stent where the rings or tubes restrict the diameter of the stent ends. A pusher tube within the endoscope is described as being pushed to engage the ring or tube at the distal end of the stent to radially contract the stent and to urge the contracted stent out from a working channel of the endoscope. Such a system makes stent placement difficult as the stent is pushed away from the distal end of the endoscope. Further, the need of rings or tubes at the ends of the stent which are smaller in diameter than the diameter of the expanded stent, limits the use of such a stent as the smaller ends of the stent will tend to restrict flow through the stent. Geitz describes an endoscope having a distal cap. A stent may be disposed over the distal cap and held there via an overlying sheath. For delivery the sheath is removed to deploy the stent. Selden describes a stent radially compressed against the sidewall of the distal portion of an endoscope. The stent is pushed out of the endoscope by a slidable release disposed within the endoscope that engages over the proximal end of the stent. The stent of Seldon is a highly flared stent with outwardly flared ends. Again the pushing of the stent out of the endoscope is problematic as accurate stent placement is difficult. Further, the device of Seldon is apparently limited to a particular stent design, i.e., a highly flared configuration with only the very terminal end portions of the stent being engageable with the wall to the endoscope such that the longitudinal expanse of the stent does not engage the wall of the endoscope as the stent is being pushed out of the endoscope.
Thus, despite the efforts of the prior art, there is a need for an improved endoscopic stent delivery system. In particular, there is a need for an endoscopic stent delivery system which allows for accurate placement and delivery of the stent and which is not limited or constrained to particular stent designs or sizes as with the prior art devices.

Endoscope with preloaded or preloadable stent


A system and method are employed to construct an association network to visualize relationships between variables of a data set. The relationships characterized by the association network may include symmetric or asymmetric measures of association between variables learned from the data. The association network includes nodes, which represent variables, and edges, which represent associations between variables. As a result, the association network helps a user to visualize useful information from data according to the determined measure of association.

With the advent of the Internet, and especially electronic commerce ("e-commerce") over the Internet, the use of data analysis tools, has increased. In e-commerce and other Internet and non-Internet applications, databases are generated and maintained that have large amounts of information. Such information can be analyzed, or "mined," to learn additional information regarding customers, users, products, etc.
Data mining (also known as Knowledge Discovery in Databases—KDD) has been defined as "The nontrivial extraction of implicit, previously unknown, and potentially useful information from data." It uses machine learning, statistical and visualization techniques to discover and present knowledge in a form that is easily comprehensible to humans. A—known type of data visualization technique is a dependency network. Briefly stated, a dependency network is a graphical representation of probabilistic relationships, such as may be a collection of regressions or classifications of among variables in a domain. Dependency networks are particularly useful in visualizing data because several computationally efficient algorithms exist for learning both the structure and probabilities of a dependency network from data. In addition, dependency networks are well suited to the task of predicting preferences and are generally useful for probabilistic inference.
Various other data analysis tools exist from which one may leverage the data already contained in databases to learn new insights regarding the data by uncovering useful patterns, relationships, or correlations.
It is usually desirable for a data analyst to visualize the relationships and patterns underlying the data. Existing exploratory data analysis techniques include plotting data for subsets of variables, and various clustering methods. However, inasmuch as the data analyst desires to have as many tools at his or her disposal as possible, new visualization techniques for displaying the relationships and patterns underlying data are always welcome.

Data visualization using association networks


A method for a roulette game played by at least one player and a roulette wheel and ball to cooperate with the roulette wheel to indicate a winning number may include the steps of: providing a first area to provide a winning number only based on the winning number indicated by the ball in the roulette wheel in a first operation of the ball and roulette wheel; providing a second area defining a group of winning numbers to provide the player to advance to a second operation of the ball and roulette wheel which would provide another chance for a winning number.

Roulette is one of the most popular and well-known casino games steeped in tradition and excitement. In such game, a wheel with colored and numbered areas, e.g., depressions, delineated cages, etc., is spun on its vertical axis after which a ball is introduced upon the moving rotating wheel surface until the ball ultimately comes to rest upon one of such numbered areas.
It is well recognized that as the wheel slows in speed and the movement of the ball moving and/or bouncing along the wheel's surface slows as well, observers, e.g., those bettors playing the game, have a better idea, that is, heightened odds, of choosing which of the numbered or colored areas the ball will ultimately come to rest upon thus determining the winner. The casino employee, dealer or croupier overseeing the table normally controls the movement when no more bets may be placed on the outcome of where the ball will rest and this call or decision is made on the basis of experience and judgment and preferably before the wheel slows to a point where the players can see where or which area of the wheel the ball is going to ultimately rest upon. In other words, the dealer or croupier that is overseeing the table has to not only judge when to terminate further betting based on the speed of the rotating wheel and to some extent the speed and other ball movement, but the croupier must also rule as to whether or not any of the players, i.e., bettors, have improperly placed or withdrawn bets after the "No More Bets" verbal announcement is made. The croupier thus has to observe the ball, the wheel, their relative speeds and movements as well as simultaneously observe whether any bets were made, withdrawn or modified after the "No More Bets" announcement was made.
Another feature of a casino style roulette table is that there is a designated betting area generally rectangular in shape and with a defined perimeter and divided with generally square or rectangular betting areas corresponding to the roulette wheel's numbers and colors and on which betting areas the players place chips in order to register their bets on the outcome of the wheel spin. The players sit adjacent to this betting area while the croupier generally sits or stands across from the players and the wheel at the other tableside. Players may place, modify or remove chips at any time prior to the "No More Bets" call by either having the croupier do so or by actually moving their hands across the periphery of the betting area and manipulating the chips into or away from the individual betting areas. Obviously, the croupier has to closely monitor these player actions and be sure no betting takes place after the "No More Bets" call.