Methods of increasing the capture efficiency of a microfluidic device for a target reagent, without additional complications to the design of existing microfluidic devices, and more particularly methods of increasing the capture efficiency of a microfluidic device for magnetic microbeads within a microfluidic channel using sequentially switched electroosmotic flows.

Research in the field of microfluidics has led to the development of tools that enable biochemical assays to be conducted on portable devices with faster response times compared to experiments on a laboratory scale. Microfluidic devices have potential applications in the development of diagnostic devices, such as for immunoassays that help detect biomolecules, cells, and pathogens in throughput screening, and are attractive due to advantages of miniaturization, automation, and integration.
Magnetic microbeads have been utilized with microfluidic devices. Some devices have employed either a permanent magnet or an electromagnet to capture and transport the magnetic microbeads within a microfluidic device. Magnetic microbeads are often entrained within fluid flowing through a channel in the microfluidic device, and are used to capture a component of interest on the beads from the surrounding fluid. Once the component of interest is captured on the bead, the beads are captured using a magnetic field. The captured beads can be moved to a region of the microfluidic device where the component of interest can be detected or where the component of interest can be released from the beads to undergo further processing.
The magnetic microbeads can be carried in a pressure or electrokinetically driven fluid. Electrokinetically driven flows, such as electroosmotic flow, have advantages in microfluidics as electroosmotic flow does not require mechanical pumps to drive the flow. Electroosmotic flow is driven by an external electric field. The electric field in a microchannel of the microfluidic device is achieved by placing electrodes in the inlet and outlet of the microchannel, e.g. the inlet and outlet reservoirs of the microchannel, and applying a voltage potential across them. The flow rate is in direct proportion to the applied electric field. The component of interest that is captured by the magnetic microbeads experiences minimal disturbance during the manipulation process by an external magnetic field. Additionally, the manipulation of a component of interest using magnetic microbeads is effective because the magnetic interactions are not generally affected by surface charges, pH, ionic concentrations, or temperature. Magnetic labeling is more robust than other labeling methods, such as fluorescent labeling, because the magnetic property of a particle cannot be quenched at normal working temperatures.
However, reduced capture efficiency of microfluidic devices for magnetic microbeads affects the sensitivity of the microfluidic devices to capture and/or detect target reagents from dilute samples. Additionally, imperfect magnetic microbead retention leads to the loss of samples and expensive reagents. While several studies have attempted to develop novel techniques for capturing magnetic microbeads using different channel and/or magnetic field configurations, very few studies have focused on the techniques to improve the capture efficiency of microfluidic devices for magnetic microbeads without additional complications in the flow path and/or magnetic field configurations. Some devices and models rely on elaborate magnetic fields to improve the capture efficiency, adding additional complications to the designs of these devices. Other devices and models rely on very low flow rates for successful magnetic microbead separation. However, such low flow rates are not conducive for high throughput microfluidic devices.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for novel methods that improve the increasing the capture efficiency of microfluidic devices for magnetic microbeads and other target reagents without additional complications to the design of existing microfluidic devices.

Enhanced capture of magnetic microbeads in microfluidic devices using sequentially switched electroosmotic flow


Various apparatuses and methods that facilitate dual flush capability are presented. In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes a dual flush mechanism configured to provide for a dual flush capability in a toilet. The dual flush mechanism can include a basket structure. A gasket can be attached to the dual flush mechanism. The gasket can form a seal between the dual flush mechanism and a flush orifice of a flush valve.

Most toilets in the United States feature a single flush capability that typically uses more water than is needed to flush urine and tissue. This translates into a colossal waste of water each year. Also, typical flush valves that include a flapper preclude the use of other flush technologies without significant effort needed to remove a toilet tank, remove an existing flush valve, and install a new style flush valve, or result in limited fit or function.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Adaptation of flush valve for dual flush capability


In the sieve drum device, a screen cover is not arranged, as customary, horizontally with sieve drums located, for example, in side-by-side relationship, but rather concentrically surrounds the respective sieve drum in the region covered by the material. In order to facilitate cleaning of the screen cover, the cover is swingable swung about a joint arranged on an axis in parallel to the sieve drum axis.

This invention relates to a sieve drum device for the flow-through heat treatment of a gas-permeable length of material, especially textile material, said device having a substantially closed housing, the inner space of which is subdivided by a wall into a treatment chamber and a fan chamber; at least one sieve drum which is under a suction draft which is covered in the peripheral zone not blanketed by the material and which is rotatably mounted in the treatment chamber as a conveying element; and a fan in the fan chamber at the end face side associated with this sieve drum, this fan blowing a treatment gas suctioned out of the sieve drum, after heating by means of an associated heating unit, again back into the treatment chamber via a perforated screen cover concentrically surrounding the sieve drum. The device including means for effecting movement of the perforated screen cover.
A similar device is known from DOS 3,006,758. A screen cover concentrically surrounding the sieve drum has the advantage that the air flowing to the sieve drum is not only dammed up by the screen cover, but it is also caused to blow more uniformly over the periphery onto the sieve drum. However, this construction has the disadvantage that, if any material to be treated should jam up on the sieve drum, a knot could be formed perhaps in the narrowed space between the screen cover and the sieve drum and then untangling of this know would hardly be possible. Also, cleaning of the screen cover is feasible only under conditions that are made difficult because the screen cover surrounds the sieve drum closely all around and thus cleaning utensils cannot reach the underside of the screen cover.


A permanent magnet rotating electric machine includes: a stator including: a stator core having teeth, and an armature winding wound around each of the teeth to configure the multiple phases; and a rotor including a rotor core, and permanent magnets provided in order around the rotor core. The rotor is arranged to be spaced apart from the stator with an air gap therebetween. Each of the permanent magnets has a curved surface opposed to the stator and is configured to satisfy the following relationship:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a permanent magnet rotating electric machine, and more particularly to a motor for use in an electric power steering device for automobile, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related-art permanent magnet rotating electric machine, a torque pulsation called a cogging torque occurs due to an interaction between a stator core and a permanent magnet. Since the cogging torque causes vibration, it is strongly desired to decrease the cogging torque. Therefore, various techniques for decreasing the cogging torque have been proposed, and the configuration of permanent magnet to decrease the cogging torque has been examined. For example, as one example of a motor having twelve permanent magnets and nine magnetic poles, the curved surface of permanent magnet opposed to a stator is like a circular arc, the value of the radius of a rotor divided by the curvature of the surface of permanent magnet opposed to the stator is set to the value for decreasing the cogging torque (e.g., refer to JP-A-2005-341688, page 3-4, FIGS. 3 and 4). Also, a permanent magnet motor in which the number of poles is 6 and the number of teeth is 18 has the center of outer diameter eccentric so that the outer diameter of permanent magnet passing the outside contour may be smaller than the outer diameter of adjacent permanent magnet passing the vertex of contour, and the surface shape of the rotor is like a petal (e.g., refer to JP-A-2000-350393, page 3, FIG. 1).
In the related-art permanent magnet rotating electric machine, though the cogging torque can be decreased by making the curved surface of permanent magnet opposed to the stator like a circular arc, there is a problem that the height of the end portion of permanent magnet in the peripheral direction is smaller, whereby the irreversible demagnetization at the end portion of permanent magnet in the peripheral direction is likely to occur. When the permanent magnet rotating electric machine operates at the high temperature, there is another problem that the irreversible demagnetization is more likely to occur because the coercive force of permanent magnet is decreased. If the irreversible demagnetization occurs, the torque is decreased, and the cogging torque and the torque ripple are increased because the magnetic flux produced by the permanent magnet is different from at the time of design, causing the vibration or noise. Therefore, if it is used for the electric power steering device for automobile, the good steering feeling can not be obtained.

Permanent magnet rotating electric machine and electric power steering device using the same

Abstract: 0.65  ≤            Rm      ×      h                                      1              W                    (                              h                                                                          1                    +          g                )              ≤  1.37                where Rm denotes a radius of curvature of the curved surface, h1 denotes a thickness of a central portion of the permanent magnet in the peripheral direction, W denotes a width of the permanent magnet in the peripheral direction, and g denotes an air gap length of the air gap.


The subject relates to a cross-neutralizing antibody comprising at least one polyspecific binding site that binds to alpha-toxin (Hla) and at least one of the bi-component toxins of Staphylococcus aureus, its medical and diagnostic use, method of producing the antibody, including an isolated nucleotide sequence, plasmids and host cells as used in the production of the antibody; and further an isolated conformational epitope recognized by a specific cross-neutralizing antibody.

Staphylococcus aureus, an important human pathogen, expresses a multitude of secreted toxins (exotoxins) that can kill several different cell types, including erythrocytes, neutrophil granulocytes and other immune cells, as well as epithelial cells of the lung or skin. Moreover, most of these toxins activate immune cells and act as potent pro-inflammatory signals.
A prominent member of S. aureus cytotoxins is alpha hemolysin (Ha), which exerts cytolytic function on human lung epithelial and endothelial cells, lymphocytes and macrophages. It is also able to lyse rabbit red blood cells (RBCs) but much less toxic to human RBCs. Hla is considered to be the key virulence factor in S. aureus pneumonia pathogenesis and responsible for tissue damage via lysis of pulmonary epithelial cells and recruiting immune cells in mass quantity. The recruited phagocytic cells, mainly neutrophil granulocytes become targets for other cytotoxins produced by S. aureus during disease. The most potent toxins are the bi-component cytolysins, or leukocidins, formed by one S (slow eluted), and one F (fast eluted) component. The gamma hemolysin (Hlg) gene products—universally expressed by all S. aureus strains—can form two toxins: HlgAB and HlgCB (subunit B is the F-component), both are highly potent in killing human immune cells: PMNs, lymphocytes and macrophages. The former one is also a very potent hemolysin for human RBCs.
The Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL), also called LukSF is the best characterized of the bi-component toxins. It is carried by phage derived genetic elements, and produced by approximately 5-10% of S. aureus strains isolated from patients, however, the rate of PVL-expressing strains is reported to be 50-93% in skin and soft tissue infections, depending on the type of disease (Lina, Clin Infect Dis, 1999:1128). LukED (LukD is the F-component) is a less potent leukocidin, but confirmed to be present in the majority of clinical S. aureus isolates (Shukla, J Clin Microbiol, 2010:3582). Initially, its role was implicated in skin infections only, but being the least characterized among the bi-component toxins, its contribution to other types of S. aureus infections can not be excluded. LukED has recently been reported to be involved in bloodstream infection in a murine model of S. aureus infection (Alonzo, Mol Microbiol, 2012:423). These two gene pairs share significant homology with each other (68-82% amino acid identity), while the recently identified leukocidin LukGH (LukG is the F-component) has a lower homology, with 33-40% identity (Ventura, PloS ONE, 2010:e11634; DuMont, Mol Microbiol, 2011:814).
The crystal structure of Hla, LukS, LukF, HlgA and HlgB have been determined, and revealed some structural homology, in spite of the low level of amino acid homology between Hla and the bi-component toxin subunits with 16-28% amino acid identity (Galdiero, Protein Sci, 2004:1503; Pedelacq, Structure, 1999:277; Menestrina, FEBS Letters, 2003:54). All these toxins form a ring-like structure formed by oligomerized subunits, leading to pore formation within the cell membrane and subsequent cytolysis. In case of Hla, the pore has been shown to be heptameric, but for the bi-component toxins, hexameric (Comai, Mol Microbiol, 2002:1251), heptameric and octameric (Yamashita, PNAS, 2011:17314) heterooligomers have been reported, leading to a debate within the scientific community (reviewed in detail by Kaneko, Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 2004:981)
The different F- and S-components of this toxin family can form not only cognate pairs (these are: LukS-LukF, LukE-LukD, HlgC-HlgB, HlgA-HlgB and LukH-LukG), but also non-cognate pairs, many of those pairs reported by Gravet et al. (Gravet, FEBS Letters, 1998:202) and by Dalla Serra et al. for gamma hemolysins and LukS (Dalla Serra, J Chem Inf Model, 2005:1539) Due to the redundancy and promiscuous nature of this toxin family, inactivating one single component is unlikely to be effective to fight S. aureus infections. This notion is supported by observations reported in the literature when neutralization of a single bi-component toxin only partially affected the phenotype (e.g. Ventura, PloS ONE, 2010:e11634; Malachowa, PloS ONE, 2011:e18617). Animal studies showed a differential impact of the various bi-component toxins on the survival, depending on the model employed or the species used for in vivo experiments. The most prominent reduction in disease severity was observed when multiple toxins were deleted, e.g. as in a rabbit model of infection using a knock-out strain of S. aureus where the agr quorum sensing system, a global regulator of toxin expression was inactivated (Kobayashi, J Infect Dis, 2011:204). Therefore, it is expected that antibody cocktails neutralizing more toxins offer a significant advantage over mAbs against single toxins. However, monoclonal antibody (mAb) cocktails comprising of more than three components are challenging to be developed.
The likelihood of finding single antibodies that cross-react between alpha hemolysin and any of the bi-component toxins was considered to be low, based on the low (<30%) sequence homology between Hla and bi-component toxins. The chance of finding single antibodies cross-reactive among S- and F-components is expected to be higher, due to the higher level of sequence homology, with the exception of LukGH. It has been described that hyperimmune serum from animals immunized with LukS can recognize HlgC, however, this is due to the presence of different specificities in the polyclonal serum. Laventie et al. (Laventie, PNAS, 2011:16404) described a bi-specific neutralizing antibody against LukS and HlgC. This type of antibody however cannot form avid interaction due to the single binding sites on the cognate antigen. The cross-reactivity of such bi-specific mAbs is normally limited to two specificities, i.e. it does not offer the potential of broad cross-neutralization. In summary, no cross-reactive mAbs against different bi-component S. aureus toxins or against alpha hemolysin and any of the bi-component toxins have been reported to date.


A method for driving a voice coil of a loudspeaker may include providing a magnetic circuit having an air gap, providing a voice coil suspended in the air gap, and applying an audio signal to the voice coil to move it along a travelling axis. The voice coil comprises a main voice coil section, and a pair of auxiliary voice coil sections arranged along the travelling axis with auxiliary voice coil sections arranged respectively on either side of the main voice coil section. Applying an audio signal comprises continuously coupling a main driving signal based on the audio signal to the main voice coil and selectively coupling an auxiliary driving signal based on the audio signal to the pair of auxiliary voice coil sections. The disclosed embodiments further relate to a voice coil driving system and a loudspeaker comprising a voice coil driving system.

Referring to FIG. 1a-1b, a loudspeaker 50 in the art is illustrated. The loudspeaker 50 is equipped with a voice coil 1 comprising a plurality of coil windings. The coil windings are powered by a driving power, such that the voice coil 1 reciprocally actuates the diaphragm 7 which generates an acoustic sound signal.
The coil windings are partially disposed within an air gap 3 of a magnetic circuit 2, where regions having the highest magnetic flux density are located. When the coil windings are powered, they interact with the magnetic field of the magnetic circuit 2 to produce an electromotive force for translating the voice coil 1. However, only the windings of the voice coil 1 substantially disposed within the gap 3 provide a substantial force to reciprocally translate the voice coil 1. While the windings of the voice coil outside the air gap 3 do not contribute to the generation of significant electromotive force, these windings are powered and, as a result, contribute to voice coil heating, which can be a major limiting factor in loudspeaker design.

Loudspeaker with dynamically controlled pairs of voice coil sections


An adaptive data slicer which functions to adapt to changes in the properties of a signal input thereto by producing a near optimal slicing threshold in accordance with the input signal for use in a decision circuit. The slicing level is considered optimal when its use in the decision circuit minimizes the bit error probability. The data slicer utilizes two peak detectors, a maximum peak detector for detecting the highest levels of the input signal and a minimum peak detector for detecting the lowest levels of the input signal.

The present invention relates generally to data communication systems and more particularly relates to an adaptive data slicer circuit based on peak detectors having dynamic selection of operating parameters.
Data slicers, well known in the electrical arts, are commonly used in communications receivers to recover the digital data at the output of a demodulator. For example, in a frequency shift keying (FSK) receiver, such as that used in a communications system constructed in accordance with the Bluetooth specification, a common realization of the demodulator is as a frequency discriminator operating at some intermediate frequency (IF). The discriminator functions to recover the original baseband signal from the IF signal.
In the typical system, the signal at the output of the demodulator can be represented as a combination of (1) the original baseband signal used to convey the data transmitted by the transmitter; (2) additive noise and interference contributed by the wireless channel; and (3) the distortion caused by the actual circuitry the signal passes through. At the output of the demodulator, a decision circuit known as a xe2x80x98data slicerxe2x80x99 is typically used to convert the baseband signal into a stream of data bits. It is the goal of the data slicer to perform this conversion such that the content of the data bits match closely as possible the content of the original transmitted data.
In addition to reproducing the transmitted data with a minimum bit error rate (BER), the data slicer should be able to overcome variations in the properties or characteristics of the signal. Such variations may be due to receiving signals from multiple transmitters and may include variations in modulation factors and carrier frequency errors such as drift. Thus, it is desirable to have a data slicer whose slicing threshold (which is used to compare the baseband signal with) is determined adaptively and is not fixed at a predetermined level. The optimum slicing threshold level should be determined independently for each received packet and should be adapted throughout reception of the packet to compensate for possible frequency droop during its transmission.
As described above, the frequency offset and other parameters of the received signal in a communications system could have an effect on the DC level of the recovered baseband signal at the output of the demodulator (e.g., at the output of a FM discriminator). Consequently, the optimal slicing threshold is not fixed and typically varies over time. Depending on the application, it is preferable and sometimes necessary, for the slicing circuit to be sufficiently dynamic and adaptive to determine the optimum threshold for data slicing for each packet received, usually at the beginning of the packet during the preamble.
With the advent today, however, of wireless communications systems employing packets having a shortened length and shortened time slots, this becomes difficult to achieve with prior art slicing circuits. For example, the packets used in the Bluetooth protocol comprise a short 4-bit preamble and are transmitted using a spread spectrum frequency hopping scheme wherein the slot times are 625 xcexcsec. The high hopping rate, short slot times and short preamble dictate that the data slicer be able to very quickly adapt the slicing decision threshold used to generate the received digital data.
On the other hand, in order to minimize the BER in the recovery of the payload contents of the packet, the slicing threshold should remain close to optimal with minimal variations thereto. This, however, creates conflicting requirements for the time constants associated with the determination of the slicing threshold. On the one hand, it is desirable to have quick adaptation of the slicing threshold during packet acquisition (i.e., during the preamble, etc.) and on the other hand it is desirable to have slow adaptation of the slicing threshold during reception of the payload in order to minimize the BER.
For example, in the Bluetooth protocol, the payload is preceded by an access code that is able to tolerate a higher BER. It is desirable, therefore, to determine the optimal slicing threshold level during reception of the access code even though the BER may be relatively high. After a valid access code is detected, it is desirable if the slicer could utilize longer time constants thus yielding a more stable slicing level during the reception of the payload portion of the packet.
Several examples of prior art adaptive slicing circuits will now be presented. A block diagram illustrating a first prior art data slicer circuit that utilizes a RC combination for smoothing the input voltage is shown in FIG. 1. The data slicer, generally referenced 10, comprises a slicing comparator 16 and a RC combination made up of resistor 12 having a value R and capacitor 14 having a value C. In operation, the RC functions to smooth the input voltage VIN such that an average of the voltage over time is input to the inverting terminal of the op amp. The principle is that over time, the capacitor functions to smooth the input voltage. Over time, the voltage across the capacitor represents the average of the input voltage and is used as the threshold or slicing voltage for determining the output data. The slicing comparator functions to compare the input voltage to the average voltage developed across the capacitor. If the input voltage is greater, a xe2x80x981xe2x80x99 is output and if the input voltage is lower, a xe2x80x980xe2x80x99 is output.
A disadvantage of this data slicer circuit is that is cannot quickly adapt to packets having a relatively short length. Optimum performance is achieved only when the circuit is configured to adapt slowly and using long packets having substantially equal numbers of 0""s and 1""s. The performance of the circuit severely degrades with short packets that may contain long sequences of 0""s or 1""s. In such a circuit, the use of a fast time constant for C results in degraded performance in terms of BER and may result in the loss of synchronization.
A block diagram illustrating a second prior art data slicer circuit that utilizes a DC blocking capacitor is shown in FIG. 2. The data slicer, generally referenced comprises a slicing comparator 26 (hard limiter or 1 bit A/D), capacitor 22 having a value C and a resistor 24 having a value R. In operation, the capacitor cancels the DC level since the voltage across the capacitor is subtracted from the input voltage. The input voltage across the resistor now swings through zero. To generate the output data, the voltage across R is compared with the slicing voltage that can comprise a voltage fixed at ground level. Since the capacitor functions to cancel the DC, any fluctuations represent peaks of the signal. The slicing comparator outputs a xe2x80x981xe2x80x99 for voltage swings above ground and a xe2x80x980xe2x80x99 for swings lower than ground.
The disadvantages of this circuit are similar to those of the first prior art slicer described above. The circuit cannot quickly adapt to packets having a relatively short length. High performance is achieved only with slow adaptation, i.e., long time constant for C, and when using long packets having substantially equal numbers of 0""s and 1""s. The performance of the circuit severely degrades with short packets that may contain long sequences of 0""s or 1""s. In such a circuit, the use of a fast time constant for C results in degraded performance in terms of BER and may result in the loss of synchronization.
A block diagram illustrating a third prior art data slicer circuit that utilizes two diodes in parallel is shown in FIG. 3. The data slicer, generally referenced 30, comprises a slicing comparator 38, diodes 32, 34 and capacitor 36 having a value C. In operation, the capacitor is charged and discharged through the diodes so that its voltage tracks the average of the peaks of the input signal. For optimal operation of the circuit, the peak to peak voltage of the input signal is preferably two times the diode drop (i.e., 1.2 VP-P for 0.6 V silicon diodes). Thus, the amplitude of the input signal is adjusted so as to have a direct relationship with the forward biasing voltages of the diodes.
A disadvantage of this circuit is that the performance of the circuit (measured in BER versus Eb/No or SNR) is degraded with variations in the peak to peak voltage of the input signal.
Consider the case where the input signal comprises the output of an FM discriminator. In this case, the variations in the peak to peak of the output voltage may be caused by variations in the modulation index, variations in the gain of the discriminator and by additive noise introduced by the channel and/or the receiver circuitry itself.
Even in the case where such variations do not occur and in the absence of additive noise, however, a degradation of performance can occur due to the data itself being transmitted. In other words, the peaks recovered in the baseband circuitry (i.e., by the discriminator) vary in accordance with the data transmitted due to the ISI inherent in the signal. In all three prior art data slicing schemes presented above, optimum circuit operation is achieved only when the data being transmitted consists of a substantially equal number of 0""s and 1""s. In addition, optimum performance is only achieved after long periods of time and when the circuits are configured with a relatively long time constant. A long time constant is achieved by using a relatively large capacitance in all three circuits 10, 20, 30. Thus, the prior art circuits perform well only in cases where the packets or messages being sent are relatively long and the contents comprise nearly equal numbers of 0""s and 1""s.
In cases where the packets sent are relatively short and the number of 0""s and 1""s are not necessarily equal, the prior art circuit""s BER performance is severely degraded. The circuit of FIG. 3, however, has reasonable performance degradation even when these conditions are not satisfied. For example, the relatively short preamble and short packet lengths of the transmission signals specified by the Bluetooth protocol do not permit the use of large time constants in the data slicer. The use of large time constants would help smooth out the slicing voltage input to the slicing comparator. Their use, however, with short packets such as used in the Bluetooth protocol is precluded due to the degradation of performance.
An adaptive data slicer may also be realized digitally using digital sampling and processing. When integrated together with the transceiver on a single integrated circuit, however, such a data slicer would likely consume relatively large amounts of current, take up large areas of silicon and may possibly be a source of noise when high data rates, e.g., 1 Mbps of Bluetooth, are used.
The present invention is an adaptive data slicer which functions to adapt to a changing input signal by producing the optimal slicing threshold for use in a decision circuit. The data slicer utilizes two peak detectors: (1) a maximum peak detector for detecting the highest levels of the input signal typically corresponding to sequences of 1""s in the transmitted data and (2) a minimum peak detector for detecting the lowest levels of the input signal typically corresponding to sequences of 0""s in the transmitted data. The peak detector outputs are averaged to obtain the optimal slicing threshold. This threshold is then used to determine the received digital data.
The data slicer incorporates adaptation circuitry that is operative to dynamically adjust the discharge rate of the holding circuits in the two peak detectors. A discharge processor functions to generate a control signal used to control the discharge rate, i.e., time constants or discharging current, of both peak detectors. The maximum peak detector is discharged to ground while the minimum peak detector is discharged to the supply voltage.
The control signal is generated in accordance with a particular function chosen to exhibit desired discharge properties. The input to the function is the difference between the two peak detector output signals. Thus, the data slicer is able to quickly adapt to varying signal parameters or conditions while maintaining enhanced performance. The function may be chosen to provide any desired discharge characteristics. Note that both linear and non-linear functions may be used with the invention.
A simplified example of a discharge processor is presented wherein the discharge rate is accelerated by a predefined amount when the two peaks detector output signals deviate more than a certain threshold. In addition, discharge is disabled when the two peaks detector output signals deviate below a certain threshold.
The benefits of the adaptive data slicer presented herein include (1) enabling its analog implementation within an integrated RF transceiver without the use of digital processing and the drawbacks associated therewith, (2) the required silicon area and current consumption in realizing the adaptive data slicer is quite reasonable, (3) high performance (i.e., low BER) for a received signal exhibiting variations in signal properties, and (4) substantially no packet loss due to the failure of the data slicer to adapt to changes in the input signal.
The adaptive data slicer is applicable to numerous types of communications systems. In particular, the present invention is applicable for use in communication systems employing FSK modulation. In particular, the invention is applicable for use in an FSK receiver constructed in accordance with the Bluetooth specification or DECT compatible communication systems. The signal input to the adaptive data slicer would, in this case, comprise the output of the FM discriminator portion of the receiver or the output of any other type of demodulator.
There is thus provided in accordance with the present invention an adaptive data slicer for generating digital data from an input signal comprising a maximum peak detector for detecting the highest levels of the input signal and for generating a maximum peak detection signal therefrom, a minimum peak detector for detecting the lowest levels of the input signal and for generating a minimum peak detection signal therefrom, a first discharge circuit adapted to discharge the maximum peak detector signal to ground in accordance with one or more discharge control signals, a second discharge circuit adapted to discharge the minimum peak detector signal to a supply voltage in accordance with the one or more discharge control signals, a processor adapted to generate the one or more discharge control signals in accordance with a function of the maximum peak detection signal and the minimum peak detection signal, averaging means for generating an averaged signal representing the average of the maximum peak detection signal and the minimum peak detection signal and decision means for comparing the input signal with the averaged signal so as to generate a xe2x80x981xe2x80x99 when the input signal is greater than the averaged signal and to generate a xe2x80x980xe2x80x99 when the input signal is less than the averaged signal.
There is also provided in accordance with the present invention a method for adaptively data slicing an input signal and generating digital data therefrom, the method comprising the steps of detecting the highest levels of the input signal and generating a maximum peak detection signal therefrom, detecting the lowest levels of the input signal and generating a minimum peak detection signal therefrom, discharging the maximum peak detector signal to ground in accordance with a first function whose input includes the maximum peak detection signal and the minimum peak detection signal, discharging the minimum peak detector signal to a supply voltage in accordance with a second function whose input includes the maximum peak detection signal and the minimum peak detection signal, generating an average signal representing the average of the maximum peak detection signal and the minimum peak detection signal and comparing the input signal with the averaged signal so as to generate a xe2x80x981xe2x80x99 when the input signal is greater than the averaged signal and to generate a xe2x80x980xe2x80x99 when the input signal is less than the averaged signal.
There is further provided in accordance with the present invention a Frequency Modulation (FM) communications receiver comprising a receiver front end for converting a signal received from a channel to an Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal, an IF filter coupled to the receiver front end and adapted to filter the IF signal, an FM demodulator adapted to convert the output of the IF filter to a baseband signal, a baseband filter coupled to the FM demodulator and adapted to filter the baseband signal and an adaptive data slicer comprising means for detecting the highest and lowest levels of the baseband signal and generating a maximum peak signal and minimum peak signal, respectively, averaging means for generating an averaged signal representing the average of the maximum peak detection signal and the minimum peak detection signal, decision means for comparing the baseband signal with the averaged signal so as to generate a xe2x80x981xe2x80x99 when the baseband signal is greater than the averaged signal and to generate a xe2x80x980xe2x80x99 when the baseband signal is less than the averaged signal and means for discharging the maximum peak signal to ground and the minimum peak signal to a supply voltage in accordance with a function of the maximum peak signal and the minimum peak signal.


A liquid treatment apparatus comprising a gas distribution network in a water impound; a device for introducing treating gas into the network; a source of cleaning agent; a device for intermittently introducing the cleaning agent into the network alone or in admixture with the treating gas; a plurality of synthetic thermoplastic or thermoset resin plenums; a plurality of a least ten diffusion elements sealingly engaged and in communication with the plenums for receiving the treating gas and cleaning agent, the elements having air diffusion pores extending therethrough, but being free of through-holes other than air diffusion pores, the pores defining paths for discharge of the treating gas and cleaning agent and which exhibit an increase in dynamic wet pressure and/or bubble release pressure as a result of deposition of foulants; retaining ring engaging the diffusion elements about their peripheries for securing the elements to the plenums; sealing device adjacent the peripheries of the diffusion elements for preventing leakage of air from the plenums past the peripheries of the elements; and measuring device for monitoring the operation of the liquid treatment apparatus by measuring changes in operating parameters of the apparatus that indicate dynamic wet pressure changes across the diffusion elements with sufficient precision for initiating the flow of cleaning agent with sufficient frequency for maintaining the dynamic wet pressure across the diffusion elements in a range not to exceed about 25 inches of water gauge above a base condition of the elements.

The aeration of waste liquid media, including for example domestic sewage and industrial waste waters, is an old art. The activated sludge process, which includes aeration of liquors containing domestic sewage, has been in continuous use for about sixty years.
The liquid media treated in such aeration processes very commonly contain organic and/or inorganic foulants such as for example relatively insoluble salts which are responsible for the hardness of the water, and living and non-living organic residues which contribute to the formation of scales and slimes. Upon aeration of these media with submerged aeration devices, there is a tendency for the foulants to progressively foul such devices at the point of release of oxygen-containing gas into the liquid media, closing up or otherwise modifying the openings through which the oxygen-containing gas is released into the media with various undesirable results.
Such fouling can impair the uniformity of gas distribution from aeration devices, especially when such devices are of the area discharge type, such as for example the flat porous ceramic plates which were used to discharge air into sewage liquors in early activated sludge plants. Also, fouling can in certain circumstances increase the pressure differential required to drive oxygen-containing gas through the aeration devices at a given flow rate, thus either reducing the flow of oxygen available, and therefore the oxygen transfer rate of the aeration system, and/or increasing the amount of power consumed in maintaining the desired rate of flow, thus substantially increasing the energy requirements and cost of the process.
Since these fouling phenomena are often progressive in nature they can eventually lead to a complete or near complete disablement of the aerating devices if permitted to continue long enough. Accordingly, it is a goal of the present invention to provide methods and apparatuses for effectively monitoring the status of the aeration devices while in operation, and particularly, the dynamic wet pressure of operating aeration devices.

Aeration system apparatus with source of in situ cleaning agent and pressure monitoring connection for submerged diffuser


A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array including a number of memory cells coupled to a selected bit line, a bit line selection unit configured to select and precharge the selected bit line, and a potential control unit configured to control a voltage level of the precharged bit line in response to a voltage level corresponding to a value of program data.

Exemplary embodiments relate to a nonvolatile memory device and a method of programming the same and, more particularly, to a nonvolatile memory device and a method of programming the same, which are capable of reducing the time for performing a program operation.
Semiconductor memory devices may be classified into random access memory (RAM) devices, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM) which are volatile (i.e., data stored in the memory devices are lost after a lapse of a certain time) and are fast in a rate of data input and output, and nonvolatile memory devices which retain data once the data are stored therein.
In the nonvolatile memory devices, there has been an increasing demand for flash memory devices which enable the electrical input and output of data. The flash memory device can be electrically erased at high speed even without removing a circuit from a board. The flash memory device is advantageous in that it does not require the refresh function of retaining data and it has a low manufacturing cost per memory because the structure of a memory cell is simple.
The flash memory devices are typically classified into a NOR type and a NAND type. The NOR type flash memory is disadvantageous in terms of high integration because it requires one contact for two cells, but is advantageous in terms of high speed because it has a high cell current. The NAND type flash memory is disadvantageous in terms of high speed because it has a low cell current, but is advantageous in terms of high integration because a plurality of cells shares one contact. Accordingly, the NAND type flash memory devices have been in the spot-light as the next-generation memory devices with a rapid increase in the use of digital devices, such as MP3 players, digital cameras, mobile terminals, and auxiliary storage devices.
Recently, to further increase the degree of integration of the flash memory devices, active research is being carried out on a multi-bit cell capable of storing plural data in a single memory cell. This type of a memory cell is called a multi-level cell (MLC). A memory cell capable of storing a single bit is called a single level cell (SLC).
The MLC has been developed to store data of 2 bits, and an MLC capable of storing data of 4 bits or 8 bits is being developed. In the flash memory devices, distributions of the threshold voltages are subdivided with an increase in the number of bits. In general, the performance of the flash memory device may be better as the width of a distribution of the threshold voltages becomes narrower.
In general, in an MLC capable of storing data of 2 bits, when a program operation is performed, a least significant bit (LSB) data program operation is first performed and a most significant bit (MSB) data program operation is then performed. Furthermore, in an MLC capable of storing data of 4 bits or more (e.g., 8 bits or 16 bits), the number of program operations is increased in proportion to the number of bits. Accordingly, an MLC capable of storing many pieces of data is disadvantageous in that the time for performing a program operation is increased.

Nonvolatile memory device and method of programming the same


A wire line cable in which composite rods are spaced apart and axially disposed between a flexible, elongated, membrane which can be pressurized and a flexible outer protective sheath surrounding but separate from the membrane.

It has become relatively common within the last few years to drill wells in the search for oil and gas and the like with a portion of the wellbore deviating from the usual vertical orientation. The deviation may extend for a considerable distance at a substantial angle from the horizontal and then return to the usual vertical orientation. In drilling such wells, a device known as a whip stock is set at spaced intervals along the wellbore as the drilling progresses to cause the wellbore to deviate from the vertical until the desired, relatively horizontal deviation angle is attained. The wellbore is then drilled for as much as several thousand feet along the deviation angle and may be returned to the vertical orientation by setting the whip stock at spaced intervals as previously mentioned.
As is well known in the art of drilling wells, there are many well tools including such as well logging tools that are generally run into the wellbore on a wireline and/or cable to perform various operations therein. Such tools depend upon the force of gravity to permit positioning of the well tools at the desired formation in the wellbore.
Logging for vertical wells is performed using steel wireline cables to transport the logging tools. The weight of the tool forces the tool and line down to the bottom of the hole. In deep horizontal wells and in highly deviated wells, the force vector component pushing the tool down the hole is insufficient to overcome the frictional forces of the tool and line rubbing on the walls of the hole and alternate methods must be used. One of the current methods for logging deviated and horizontal wells is to use the drill pipe to transport the logging tool. This method however is time consuming and expensive. In addition, the high mass of magnetic material can interfere with some logging instruments.
In recent years, coiled steel tubing has been used to log horizontal holes and deviated wells. Steel tubing is limited to diameters on the order of 1.5 inches and wall thicknesses to around 0.1 inches in order to permit spooling. This small size limits the available bending stiffness to resist buckling and tensile strength required to pull the tubing out of the hole. The tensile strength limitation establishes a critical depth for the steel tubing beyond which it cannot be used since the weight of the tubing exceeds its own strength. The strength factor limitation prohibits coiled tubing from logging some extended reach wells.
It has become essential to provide some means of forcing wireline actuated tools through horizontal wells and highly deviated wells particularly when such wells are of substantial depth.

Well process using a composite rod-stiffened pressurized cable


A hydraulic linear drive, particularly a hydraulic transmission actuator, having a piston/cylinder unit, in which an actuating piston longitudinally displaceably arranged in the cylinder housing divided into at least two pressure chambers which can be acted upon by hydraulic oil by way of control conduits. A piston rod is connected with the actuating piston, and a sealing element is arranged on the actuating piston to seal off the two pressure chambers from one another. The actuating piston has a two-piece construction and consists of a first and a second piston part between whose facing faces, a sealing element is arranged.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic linear drive, particularly a hydraulic transmission actuator, in which an actuating piston longitudinally displaceably arranged in the cylinder housing in the cylinder space into at least two pressure chambers which can be acted upon by hydraulic oil by way of control conduits, and having a piston rod connected with the actuating piston, as well as having a sealing element arranged on the actuating piston, by means of which sealing element, the at least two pressure chambers are sealed off from one another.
Hydraulic linear drives are used, for example, in the case of automated standard transmissions, for the synchronization of the transmission gears (see, for example, Johannes Loomann, "Zahnradgetriebe", 2nd Edition, pg, 156, and on).
In the case of the hydraulic linear drives of the above-mentioned type, the dual piston bounded by two pressure chambers is in each case pushed toward the left or right as a result of correspondingly being acted upon by pressure. In many of the application cases, the two pressure chambers are sealed off by sealing elements arranged on the outer circumference of the piston.
Particularly in the case of hydraulic transmission actuators, high actuating forces are applied during the synchronization of the transmission gears-and require a reliable and durable sealing-off or separation of the two pressure chambers.

Hydraulic linear drive, particularly a hydraulic transmission actuator

Dr. Ing. H.C.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft


An attachable organizer-caddy system, the system involving: a first planar sheet having a front surface and a rear surface; a second planar sheet having a front surface and a rear surface; and a third planar sheet having a front surface and a rear surface, the second planar sheet rear surface capable of coupling with the first planar sheet front surface by way of at least one of at least one coupling strip and at least one partition, whereby at least one primary compartment is provided therebetween for facilitating disposition of at least one informational item and at least one related item, and the third planar sheet rear surface capable of coupling with the second planar sheet front surface by way of at least one of the at least one coupling strip and the at least one partition, whereby at least one secondary compartment is provided therebetween for facilitating disposition of at least one informational item and at least one related item. The system further includes an auxiliary accessory holder for use in a vehicle, such as an automobile.

For most people, seniors in particular, medical service is typically provided by a primary physician, at least one specialist, and a dentist. For future appointments, patients are given appointment cards and, as needed, laboratory order sheets, such as for blood work, e.g., a "blood lab order sheet," several weeks or even months in advance of the appointment. Over time, patients, such as seniors, may often misplace, lose track of, or even accidentally discard these appointment cards and laboratory order sheets. Although many health service providers, such as medical and dental offices, typically telephone the patient with a reminder one day prior to the scheduled appointment, this reminder telephone call typically occurs after the patient has already consumed breakfast, i.e., at a time which is too late to engage in the requisite fasting prior to performing a blood test. Further, if a blood lab order sheet is lost, the appointment must be rescheduled; and a new blood lab order sheet issued to the patient. Additionally, other items that arc also often misplaced, in a senior lifestyle, are sunglasses, prescription eyeglasses, reading glasses, keys, and the like. In an attempt to address some senior concerns, the related art includes a number of organizers having a card display and a variety of object-holding devices that are mounted on a vertical surface.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,547 to Fogel involves a display device that includes a solid member having predetermined dimensions and at least one planar upper surface. The planar surface has a plurality of slots extending fully across the planar surface. The slots have a width and depth suitable for holding a substantially self-supporting flat object at a substantially vertical orientation. The Fogel device also includes a support for elevating the planar surface at an incline, preferably from 5° to 30° from the horizontal plane. A plurality of these display devices can be connected to each other or juxtaposed, in modular fashion, along their sides or portions thereof. The Fogel device displays photographs and a variety of cards that tire placed into slots in a base which inclines such that each row is higher than the adjacent row. However, cards and photography must be manually removed from the Fogel device in order to be completely read or completely viewed. In addition, the plurality of rows of cards or photographs creates undue bulkiness in the Fogel device.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,813 to Golovan involves an apparatus for holding relatively small items having a generally flexible planar base, an attachment structure for attaching the base to a vertical surface, such as a refrigerator door or the like, at least one storage and/or display compartment, and at least one fastener for releasably attaching the compartments to the base. The Golovan apparatus allows a user to detach and carry along the detachable compartment to a desired destination. In addition, the Golovan apparatus may be utilized for organizing and/or visibly displaying relatively lightweight and thin materials, such as cards, theatrical tickets, photographs, sketches, etc., without puncturing or adversely affecting the integrity of the material. The Golovan apparatus has a transparent flexible planar base with a magnetic element for attachment to a vertical surface with a corresponding magnetic element. The base is a transparent, flexible sheet to which compartments for holding cards of varying types and sizes are attached and detached by way of snap fasteners. However, reading information on the cards at a comfortable distance may be difficult for many users, such as seniors, thereby necessitating manual removal of the cards from the Golovan apparatus in order to see them. To insert or remove cards, individual holding compartments must be manually detached. Further, the base is attachable to magnetic surfaces only which limits the use of the Golovan apparatus.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,853 to O'Mara involves a flexible magnetized holder with pockets for accessories, such as pens, tissues, or the like, which allows for convenient placement on, and removal from, ferromagnetic surfaces, such as locker doors and refrigerator doors. The O'Mara holder includes a flexible fabric material, a flexible sheet, of non-ferrous material having permanently magnetized particles dispersed throughout the sheet, and a structure for mounting the fabric material to the magnetic sheet for forming a pocket. In particular, the O'Mara holder is a pen and pencil accessory holder having a planar base to which a flexible, envelope-like device is magnetically attached. The envelope-like device of the O'Mara holder is divided into pockets into which objects are inserted from the top of each pocket. However, the function of this envelope-like device of the O'Mara holder is limited primarily to storage; and the envelope-like device of the O'Mara holder does not have a readable display.
While these related art apparatuses involve a card display and a variety of object-holding features that are intended for connection to a vertical surface, these related art apparatuses are limited in their functionality and fail to address most senior concerns.

Attachable organizer-caddy apparatus, system, kit, and methods


The invention relates to a method and device for operating and/or testing memory units, which make it possible to conduct a time-saving test of semiconductor memories during running operation. The inventive method for testing memory units having storage locations provides that, for the storage locations, a first item of test information is formed according to a variable parameter assigned to the respective storage location and according to the contents of the respective storage location.

Memory units for binary signals are among the most important functional units of digital information processing systems. They are used for example as program and data memory units in digital computers, measuring devices, as code converters and generally for producing combinational logic circuits. A digital memory unit is an arrangement of a plurality of storage locations, which are organized so that every storage location can be accessed from outside. In what is known as a word-organized memory unit all the bits of a word can be addressed simultaneously and read or input in parallel. In the case of a k-bit word therefore, all the k bits of a word are considered to be a storage location. Unless-otherwise stated, a storage location below always refers to a k-bit long word. When only one bit is addressed at a time, it is referred to as bit organization.
The former application DE 100 37 992 describes an online test concept, with which hardware is tested in blocks at regular intervals during operation. Time intervals are predefined for this, in which the hardware is tested in cycles and then the original state is restored, before functional operation is continued. The described concept for example allows online testing of state machines (FSM=Finite State Machine) and what is known as random logic.


Apparatus and method for effecting single sideband suppressed carrier modulation suitable for small, hand-held, high-frequency cellular radio transmitters such as those used at 900 mHz. A local oscillator generates a signal at 0.8 the frequency of the desired carrier. The generated frequency is counted down to produce an IF that is 0.2 the frequency of the desired carrier and the IF is mixed with the baseband signal to produce a modulated IF. The modulated IF is then mixed with the first generated signal to generate the modulated carrier signal. Advantageously, all of the foregoing components can be provided on the same integrated circuit chip.

A radio frequency carrier may be generated by using a local oscillator operating at the carrier frequency or by using two local oscillators and a mixer to generate the desired carrier frequency as the sum of the two local oscillator frequencies. The first scheme is sometimes referred to as "direct" up-conversion while the latter scheme is sometimes referred to as "double" up-conversion. In double up-conversion one of the local oscillators generates an intermediate frequency (IF) and the other local oscillator generates a frequency which is that of the radio frequency (RF) carrier minus the IF frequency. The mixer generates both sum and difference frequencies. The unwanted frequency, usually the difference frequency, is filtered out.
In either of the conversion arrangements, single sideband suppressed carrier operation requires that the baseband signal be derived from balanced amplifers and applied to two mixers in phase quadrature so that the carrier may be suppressed. After modulation, the desired RF sideband signal is power amplified and transmitted from an antenna. Unwanted sidebands are attenuated by suitable filters. Because the RF power is large compared to the power of the local oscillator, a small fraction of the signal from the antenna fed back to the local oscillator may have sufficient strength to cause the local oscillator to malfunction. In hand-held radios at 900 mHz, for example, sufficient shielding is almost impossible to achieve. Moreover, single sideband suppressed carrier systems dictate that the carrier frequency power level be at least 30 Db down from the power level of the desired sideband. Any leakage of the local oscillator to the output of the modulator package must therefore be controlled. Such leakage may be troublesome if, when the output power is desired to be attenuated, the leakage power remains constant.
In addition, a quadrature coding scheme requires that 90 degree phase-shifted signals be accurately generated. R-C networks for achieving an accurate 90 degree phase shift are difficult to achieve with the usual production run accuracy available in integrated circuits. Accordingly, such R-C networks must be fabricated as off-chip devices so that component tolerances can more accurately be controlled. It would be desirable to provide a modulation arrangement requiring only one local oscillator with all components being capable of being implemented on a single chip.

Modulator having oscillator for generating IF and RF signals by division and up-conversion


An X-ray optical system with an X-ray source, an element that focuses the X-rays and an element that reflects them. In order to generate parallel X-radiation with small beam cross-section and high photon density, the X-radiation of the X-ray source is directed with its focusing element to the convex, parabolic and reflecting surface of the reflecting element. The X-ray optical system is useful for X-ray analysis, e.g., in X-ray diffractometry, reflectometry and/or fluorescence analysis.

The invention relates to an X-ray optics arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1. It may be particularly advantageously employed in the X-ray analysis, e.g. with the X-ray diffraction measurement, reflectometry and/or fluoro-chemical analysis.
In the X-ray analysis, the most various applications require X-radiation having a high intensity, i.e. in particular a high photon flux density. This can be achieved by focussing X-ray beams. However, in many cases it is more favourably to allow X-radiation having a very small divergence to be employed as a parallel X-radiation in the best case.
In the X-ray analysis it may also be required to provide the X-radiation in a monochromatic manner, however, in order to be able carrying out particular analyses.
Moreover, in the X-ray analysis it is desired to achieve a high surface sensitivity of the X-radiation with respect to surfaces to be analyzed or in fluidic samples which are present on substrate carriers. In such cases the X-radiation is preferably directed in a grazing manner, i.e. with relatively small angles of incidence up to a maximum of few degrees of angles of incidence and few tenth of degrees of angles of incidence, respectively, i.e. in the proximity of the critical angle of total reflection upon a sample surface and an appropriate substrate surface, respectively, and consequently the radiation cross section of the radiation is projected upon the sample surface according to 1/sin xcex8. It is desired to further increase the photon flux density per surface on the projection surface and to concentrate toward a smaller projection surface, respectively. The surface intensity and therefore the photon flux density as well are allowed to be increased by great focussing of parallel and approximately parallel X-ray beams as being well known, and consequently each locally detectable measuring signal of a sample can also be increased. In particular, the spatial resolution of the measuring signals, i.e. the greatest possible accurate coordination of the measuring signals to the measuring point provides high requirements with respect to the measuring set-up.
Usually, appropriately small dimensioned shutters are arranged in the beam path of the X-radiation such that only one portion of the X-radiation is allowed to pass through the shutter aperture towards the measuring point, and thus a locally defined coordination of the measuring signal with respect to the measuring point will be achieved. Of course, the use of such shutters causes intensity losses of the X-radiation which cannot be used for the measurement. The measuring accuracy suffers therefrom, and an increase of the required measuring time has to be accepted, respectively, which is not desired for many cases of application and also makes measurements impossible, respectively.
The mentioned drawbacks could not be completely eliminated with X-ray optics structures as well in which multilayer systems having period thicknesses adapted to concave curvatures are used which are described in DE 44 43 853 A1, for example, and it did not succeed in reducing the beam cross section of the X-radiation so far such that the intensity fall-offs due to the required shutters occur admittedly in a decreased form as always.
Miniaturizing greatly proceeds in particular in the semiconductor technology, and the step from the microrange into the nanorange requires ways from the analytics to allow the particular elements and compounds to be analyzed with a high measuring accuracy simultaneously with high spatial resolution in a short period.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an X-ray optics arrangement by means of which parallel, however, at least approximately parallel X-radiation having small beam cross sections and a respective high photon flux density can be provided.
According to the invention this object is solved with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and improvements of the invention can be achieved with the features indicated in the subordinate claims.
In the X-ray optics arrangement according to the invention usual X-ray optics components are used such as a suitable X-ray source, an X-ray focussing element and an X-ray reflecting element. Then, the X-radiation of the X-ray source is directed upon the focussing element wherein it can be a matter of an element achieving a lens effect, however, more favourably of an respective shaped reflector. The X-radiation foccussed by this element is directed upon an X-radiation reflecting element which reflecting surface is formed in a convex and parabolic manner.
Because of this surface form of the reflecting element the focussing (compression) of the X-radiation and its parallel alignment having a neglectable divergence is allowed to be simultaneously obtained which can be directed upon appropriately arranged and aligned surfaces of a sample and a substrate, respectively.
Depending on the form of the focussing element the convergent X-radiation can be generated with punctual, elliptical or line shaped cross sections wherein the surface contour of the element reflecting the X-radiation as well is adapted to this geometry, of course. With respect to line shaped beam cross sections the focussing and the reflecting elements are allowed to have a cylindrical symmetry.
For many cases of application the function of the employed shutter changes, and it serves to suppress diffused light. If shutters are required in the individual case as always in order to increase the spatial resolution, however, a substantially smaller portion of the X-ray intensity will be shuttered out by the shutters since the photon flux density in the appropriately compressed X-radiation is considerably higher than being the case with well-known solutions. Thus, an intensity gain which is greater than 2 can be achieved.
At least the surface of the reflecting element is allowed to comprise an individual reflecting layer, however, or a multilayer system which is more favourably in many cases.
If one individual reflecting layer or a reflecting element is merely used which consists of an appropriately suitable material, the X-radiation from the focussing element can be directed upon the reflecting element with an angle of xe2x89xa6than the critical angle "THgr"C of the total reflection, and the desired effect can be achieved.
In many cases, it is more favourably to use a gradient multilayer system, however, in which considering the different angles of incidence of X-rays, the individual layers of the multilayer system comprise an appropriately adapted thickness distribution by means of which the respective angles of incidence "THgr"i with a predeterminable wavelength of X-radiation meet the BRAGG relationship on each surface element of the reflecting element. The gradient layers comprise a double layer thickness varying over the length.
As a result, a further increase of the photon flux density and also an improved monochromaticity of the X-radiation can be achieved. The adjacent individual layers of each multilayer system comprise different X-ray optics refractive indices.
A greatest possible high compression of X-radiation can be achieved when the focal points F of the focussing and reflecting elements coincide with each other, however, and are arranged at least in the proximity to each other.
When the focussing element images the X-ray source into a line focus, it is further advantageous to select the parabolic form of the reflecting element to be cylindrically symmetric in order to achieve a line shaped parallel radiation.
In addition to the already mentioned advantages with the X-ray optics arrangement according to the invention a higher spatial resolution of the measuring signals can be achieved also at small angles of incidence of X-radiation since the projection surface on the sample will be reduced with approximately the same photon number.
Generally, with the invention the signal-to-noise ratio can also be improved since an additional monochromator is located in the beam path with the reflecting element.
In addition to the shortening of the measuring time the dynamic range of the measurement can be increased as well which e.g. allows to rise the information content of a measured oscilloscope pattern since diffraction orders eventually covered by background signals can be detected.
By means of a translational motion and/or a horizontal-swing about particular distances and angles of the focussing and/or reflecting elements the X-radiation can be directed upon defined small measuring points/measuring surfaces.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.


2-Methallyloxyphenol is produced selectively in good yield, high purity and without having to separate and recycle large amounts of catechol, in the reaction of methallyl chloride with catechol, by forming a substantially non-aqueous mixture of an alkali metal catecholate and a molar excess of methallyl chloride perferably in a polar organic solvent in which the methallyl chloride is substantially insoluble, agitating the mixture to produce a two-phase system comprising an organic first phase containing product 2-methallyloxyphenol dissolved in methallyl chloride and a polar second phase containing unreacted catecholate, and recovering product 2-methallyloxyphenol from the first plase. The presence of a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium catalyst in the reaction mixture further reduces undesired ring-alkylated by-products.

The monoether 2-methallyloxyphenol (MOP) is useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of benzofuranyl insecticides as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,170. As also described in the patent, MOP is commonly produced by the reaction of methallyl chloride (MAC) with catechol (also known as "pyrocatechol"). However, significant amounts of undesired diether, 1,2-dimethallyloxybenzene, are also obtained. Furthermore, secondary (ring) alkylation reactions also occur, characterized by direct substitution of the methallyl radical onto the aromatic nucleus to form 3-methallylcatechol and/or 4-methallylcatechol. The formation of diether and 4-alkylated derivatives reduces the yield of the desired monoether (MOP) and results in a mixture of compounds from which it is difficult and expensive to isolate the monoether.
Formation of undesirable amounts of by-products is commonly controlled by the use of a large excess of catechol and by limiting catechol conversion. However, this process is inefficient and uneconomical because it requires recovery and recycling of large proportions of the catechol charge, typically about 50%. In another process, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,985, methallyl chloride is reacted with catechol in the presence of a basic agent and a catalyst, using a stirred, two-phase liquid reaction medium comprising water and a water-immiscible, inert organic solvent. The catalyst is a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium derivative. The preferred organic solvent is anisole, although methallyl chloride can act as both the reactant and the water-immiscible solvent. Despite the benefit of selective mono-etherification, the reaction is complicated by the aqueous phase because unreacted catechol collects therein as well as in the anisole phase and must be extracted for later recovery and recycling. Moreover, some of the catechol remains in the product MOP, thereby requiring further purification.

Two phase process for preparing 2-methallyloxyphenol from catechol


A locking device for connectors of printed wired boards, the connectors being of EURODIN (DIN41612C/R) type, which device prevents the disconnection of two coupled connectors, consisting of a rectangular elongated plate in plastic material having four tenons at its corners in relief over said plate, the tenons inserting in end recesses of the connectors when the plate is overlapped to two coupled connectors, the plate further having two resilient end arms, perpendicular to the plate and extending in the same direction as the tenons, each arm having a locking tooth which hooks to the lower side of the connector pair when the plate is overlapped to the coupled connector pair.

In modern electronic systems, it is sometimes necessary to connect a pair of printed circuit boards in edge to edge alignment. One board is provided with a male connector for coupling with a corresponding female connector of the other board. Thus, the two boards are aligned each to the other in the same plane and connected together at a first edge. The connectors coupling together the two boards are typically of standard type, are located at such first edge and have an inserting direction perpendicular to the edge direction and parallel to the plane of the boards. One of the printed circuit boards may be, for example, an adapting board serving to couple the other printed circuit board to, again by way of example, a back panel. The connector for connection to the back panel is located at a second edge of the adapting board, opposite and parallel to the first one, and the inserting direction of this connector, for coupling to the back panel, is identical to the previous one.
It is known that, due to the friction and contact pressure exerted by electrical contacts, the insertion and disconnection operations involve a force acting on the connectors. Therefore, if a board pair of the exemplary type (that is, consisting of a printed circuit board coupled to a printed circuit adapting board) is pulled out of its housing, a pull has to be exerted on the first board to pull it out. Hence, there is the risk that the adapting board will remain inserted in the housing and disconnect itself from the first board while remaining connected to the back panel. Thereafter, the removal of the adapting board, for maintenance, testing or repairing, is difficult, if not impossible.
The present invention overcomes this problem and provides a locking device for printed circuit board connectors which is simple, inexpensive and reliable. Moreover this device may be used with standard connectors, in standard environment for such connectors, which standard is very restrictive in terms of encumbrance and space available among contiguous connectors. The locking device of the invention is further of advantage because it directly acts on the connectors, without interference with other elements and without imposing constraints additional to those imposed by the standards in the use of printed circuit boards and in the allocation thereon of electronic components.

Locking device for connectors of printed circuit boards


A router has N1 local signal input terminals for connection to respective local signal sources for supplying respective local input signals, a local output interface including M1 local signal output terminals, and an input expansion terminal. A signal received at any one of the N1 local signal input terminals can be routed selectively to any one or more of the M1 local signal output terminals and a signal received at the input expansion terminal can be routed selectively to any one or more of the M1 local signal output terminals. An input signal received at a local signal input terminal is delayed relative to an input signal received at the input expansion terminal by a selectively adjustable amount to achieve a predetermined time relationship between the input signals at the local output interface.

This invention relates to a spatially distributed routing switch.
The AES3 (AES standard for digital audio engineering-serial transmission format for two-channel linearly represented digital audio data) serial data stream developed by the Audio Engineering Society is composed of frames. Each AES3 frame represents one two-channel audio sample and is composed of two subframes, each of 32 bits. The sample rate is typically 48 kHz or 96 kHz (corresponding to sample periods of about 20 μs and about 10 μs respectively) and sample rates as high as 192 kHz (about 5 μs) are becoming more common.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/661,844 discloses a routing switch designed for routing signals encoded as AES3 serial data streams. The routing switch comprises multiple routers each having a plurality of signal inputs, a plurality of signal outputs, an expansion input, an expansion output, and a switch core for selectively routing a signal received at any one of the signal inputs to any one or more of the outputs and for routing a signal received at the expansion input to any one or more of the signal outputs. The expansion output of each router is connected to the expansion inputs of the other routers. Consequently, each input signal of each router is available to each output of each router.
In a proposed implementation of the routing switch described in patent application Ser. No. 09/661,844, each router has 256 signal inputs, each receiving a signal encoded as an AES3 serial data stream, and is composed of four router modules each having 64 signal outputs, so that the router serves a total of 256 signal outputs. In general, fewer than 256 of the data streams received at the signal inputs of the router module will convey information that is to be routed to a signal output of the router, and the data streams that do not convey useful information may be AES3 silence.
In the proposed implementation of the routing switch, the 256 data streams received at the signal inputs of each router are supplied to the expansion output of the router in time interleaved format. The composite data stream received at the expansion input of a router, i.e. the data stream composed of multiple AES3 data streams, is demultiplexed and a selected data stream may be routed to any signal output of the router.
In an application of the routing switch, input data streams received at signal inputs of two or more routers may be used to create an audio image of multiple data streams outputted by one of the routers. In order for the output data streams to be image accurate, the input data streams must have the same sample rate and the sample clocks must be aligned in time to within less than one sample period. Loss of time alignment by as little as one sample period (about 10 μs for a 96 kHz sample rate) can lead to perceptible degradation of the audio image. When the several routers are in relatively close physical proximity (e.g closer than 100 m), it is possible to use a common master clock and cables of equal length to ensure that the sample clocks are of the same frequency and are time aligned across the signal sources.
The global positioning system (GPS) employs a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth and each emitting a signal coded in accordance with a pseudo random digital code. The pseudo random code signal allows two terrestrial GPS receivers, no matter their relative positions, to measure lapse of time relative to a common time origin with a precision of 1 ns.


A pressure reducing valve (1) is mounted directly on a high pressure (300 bar) gas cylinder (23). and handwheel (20) is opened gas is available at outlet (4) at a maximum pressure of 200 bar. When a special filling adaptor (24) is inserted in the outlet (4) the cylinder can be refilled to its maximum pressure of 300 bar. The special filling adaptor (24) has a seal (25) which inhibits gas flow from a chamber (28) via a passage (22) to the surrounding atmosphere. This, in turn, inhibits a piston (8) moving downwardly to close the inlet (3) of the pressure reducing valve (1) as would be the case in normal service.

Industrial gasses are conventionally supplied in cylinders at up to 200 bar. More recently cylinders have been designed which can accommodate gas in excess of 300 bar. Although there are considerable advantages in using the new cylinders many customers do not have pressure regulators capable of handling pressures above 200 bar.
Pressure reducing valves capable of reducing pressure from 300 bar to 200 bar are well known and it would be possible to provide customers with cylinders reducing valve. This would avoid the necessity for the customer to buy new pressure reducing valves. However, the refilling of such cylinders would entail removing the pressure reducing valve, filling the cylinder through the conventional cylinder valve, closing the conventional cylinder valve and refitting the pressure reducing valve. This is a time consuming operation.


A configuration for a cryo-catheter which optimizes both the catheter's outer diameter and the size of the catheter's internal refrigerant flow path is described. Specifically, the inner dimensions of the cryo-catheter are configured to accommodate a pre-selected flow of refrigerant into the catheter's distal tip, and a return flow of refrigerant from the distal tip. The return flow is established in the void spaces between a refrigerant supply line and the inner wall of the catheter body. The available void space varies along the catheter length and depends on the presence/absence of various catheter accessories (i.e. pull wires, pressure tubes, etc.) which typically only extend through a portion of the catheter length. The disclosed configuration ensures that the cryo-catheter does not operate in a refrigerant limited condition, maintains the refrigerant as a liquid in the supply tube, and maintains the return line pressure at about 1 atmosphere.

Cryoablation has been successfully used in various medical procedures to destroy or deactivate selected tissues. In this context, it has been determined that cryoablation procedures can be particularly effective for curing heart arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation. It is believed that at least one-third of all atrial fibrillations originate near the ostia of the pulmonary veins, and that the optimal treatment technique is to treat these focal areas through the creation of circumferential lesions around the ostia of these veins.
Typically, to cryoablate selected tissue in and around the heart in a non-invasive procedure, a cryo-catheter Is employed. In this regard, tissue in and around the heart is typically accessed from a peripheral artery such as the femoral or brachial artery. From the peripheral artery, the distal end of the catheter must navigate through the curves and bends of a narrow and tortuous vascular tree to reach a targeted area. In some cases, an introducer sheath is first inserted into the vasculature to establish a mechanical pathway to the treatment site. This allows the cryo-catheter to pass within the sheath from the peripheral artery to the treatment site. To be successful in locating the distal tip of a cryo-catheter at a treatment site, it is important that the catheter be flexible and have a relatively small outside diameter. On the other hand, modern cryo-catheters typically require the incorporation of a number of sophisticated, internal catheter systems that must all somehow fit within the thin, low profile catheter. These systems often include a first passageway to deliver a refrigerant from an extracorporeal location to the distal tip for expansion at the distal tip. A second passageway is also required to evacuate the expanded refrigerant from the tip.
In addition to the internal systems described above, various monitoring systems are often employed to measure tip temperature, tip pressure and electrical signals from the heart (i.e. EKG signals). These systems often require pressure tubes, wires, sensors, electrode bands and other monitoring components. Lastly, but perhaps equally important, modern cryo-catheters often include internal systems to articulate the distal tip of the catheter. These articulation systems can be used to steer the cryo-catheter during its journey through the vasculature and to manipulate the distal tip of the catheter into contact with selected tissue at a treatment site. For this purpose, these articulation systems typically include pull wires, sheath springs, deflection support structures such as springs, and other peripheral components. Thus, all of these system components need to somehow fit within a low profile cryo-catheter while still leaving sufficient room along the entire length of the catheter to deliver an ample quantity of refrigerant to the distal tip and evacuate expanded refrigerant from the tip.
With the above in mind, for a typical medical procedure, cryoablation begins at temperatures below approximately minus twenty degrees Centigrade (−20° C.). For the effective cryoablation of tissue, however, much colder temperatures are preferable. With this goal in mind, various fluid refrigerants (e.g. nitrous oxide N2O) have normal boiling point temperatures (i.e. the boiling point temperature at 1 atmosphere pressure) as low as minus eighty eight degrees Centigrade (−88° C). An important consideration in this regard is the fact that the temperature at which a refrigerant boils is dependant on the pressure that the refrigerant is experiencing. Specifically, for a refrigerant such as nitrous oxide, the boiling temperature increases with increases in boiling pressure.
A low ablation temperature, however, is typically not sufficient to efficiently cryoablate tissue. Specifically, it is also necessary that there is a sufficient refrigeration potential to effectively freeze tissue. In order for a system to both attain and maintain a suitable cryoablation temperature, while providing the necessary refrigeration potential to effect cryoablation of tissue, several physical factors need to be considered.
In this regard, it is well known that when a fluid boils (i.e. changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state) a significant amount of heat is transferred to the fluid from its surroundings. With this in mind, consider a liquid that is not boiling, but which is under a condition of pressure and temperature wherein effective evaporation of the liquid ceases. A liquid in such condition is commonly referred to as being "fully saturated." It will then happen, as the pressure on the saturated liquid is reduced, the liquid tends to boil and extract heat from its surroundings. Initially, the heat that is transferred to the fluid is generally referred to as latent heat. More specifically, this latent heat is the heat that is required to change a fluid from a liquid to a gas, without any change in temperature. For some fluids, this latent heat transfer can be considerable. In this context, the refrigeration potential is a measure of the capacity of a system to extract energy from its surroundings at a fixed temperature.
An important consideration for the design of any refrigeration system is the fact that heat transfer is proportional to the difference in temperatures (ΔT) between the refrigerant and the body that is being cooled. Importantly, heat transfer is also proportional to the amount of surface area of the body being cooled (A) that is in contact with the refrigerant. In addition to the above considerations (i.e. ΔT and A); when the refrigerant is a fluid, the refrigeration potential of the refrigerant fluid is also a function of its mass flow rate. Specifically, the faster a heat-exchanging fluid refrigerant can be replaced (i.e. the higher its mass flow rate), the higher the refrigeration potential will be. This notion, however, has it limits.
As is well known, the mass flow rate of a fluid through a duct/tube results from a pressure differential on the fluid. More specifically, it can be shown that as a pressure differential starts to increase on a refrigerant fluid in a system, the resultant increase in the mass flow rate of the fluid will also increase the refrigeration potential of the system. This increased flow rate, however, creates additional increases in the return pressure (i.e. back pressure) that will result in a detrimental increase in the boiling point temperature of the refrigerant. Thus, for relatively low mass flow rates, increases in the mass flow rate of the refrigerant will cause lower temperatures. Refrigerant flow in this range is said to be "refrigeration limited." On the other hand, for relatively high mass flow rates, increases in the mass flow rate actually cause the temperature of the refrigerant to rise. Flow in this range is said to be "surface area limited." Because a cryo-catheter refrigeration system is least efficient at higher temperatures, operation under "refrigeration limited" conditions is generally avoided.
From the above discussion, it can be appreciated that a cryo-catheter refrigeration system must be capable of performing three basic functions. First, it must deliver the refrigerant to the distal tip of the cryo-catheter in a liquid state so that the liquid can boil at the tip and absorb latent heat. Second, the system must evacuate the expanded refrigerant and maintain the pressure where the refrigerant boils at a preselected pressure to ensure that the refrigerant boils at a low temperature. Lastly, the system must perform the first two functions at a sufficient refrigerant mass flow rate to generate the necessary refrigeration potential to efficiently cryoablate tissue. It is to be further appreciated that the satisfaction of these three requirements is highly dependent on the size of the flow passages and expansion chambers used to deliver the refrigerant to the cryo-catheter's distal tip and evacuate the expanded refrigerant from the tip.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cryo-catheter configuration which optimizes both the catheter's outer diameter and the size of the catheter's internal refrigerant flow path. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cryo-catheter configuration that ensures that the cryo-catheter does not operate in a refrigerant limited condition. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a configuration for a cryo-catheter that cooperates to maintain a refrigerant in a liquid state as it transits through a supply tube and simultaneously maintains the pressure in a refrigerant return line at about 1 atmosphere. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cryo-catheter configuration which is easy to assemble, relatively simple to implement, and comparatively cost effective.


A device for determining the amount or concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample and a flow rate of the fluid sample in a channel is provided. The device includes a chamber including a channel and an opening the channel in fluid communication with the opening. The device further includes a wicking component positioned adjacent to the opening configured to receive an amount of fluid from the channel. The device may further include an analyte sensor positioned on the wicking component, the analyte sensor configured to detect an analyte in fluid in contact with the analyte sensor, wherein the wicking component is configured to contact the amount of fluid with the analyte sensor. Alternatively the device may include at least one pair of electrodes configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid in the channel.

Most sensors for microfluidic and lab-on-chip systems operate with volumes and flow rates that are optimized for sensors. At very low volumes and flow rates (which can vary depending on the sensor type but typically at or below 1 μL and 20 μL/min, respectively), measurements from the sensors become inaccurate due to several confounding issues that include, but are certainly not limited to, the following: analyte depletion of the sample, electromagnetic interferences, increased impedance between the electrodes, low signal-to-noise ratio, and inconsistent flow rates.
The analyte depletion of the sample is a challenge since electrochemical sensors are especially sensitive to the local fluctuations of an analyte, which can cause false low readings. Enzymatic-based biosensors typically consume the analyte of interest to produce a byproduct (or mediator) that can be detected with an electrode. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, glucose sensors commonly use glucose oxidase (GOx) to catalyze glucose and produce hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide can be sensed directly by an electrode when an electric potential is applied (e.g., 0.6 V). In the process, however, glucose is converted to gluconolactone, and the amount of glucose in the sample will reduce over time. Analyte consumption is not a problem for large sample volumes (e.g., greater than 100 μL) or single-use systems. However, when the sample volume is small, the analyte will deplete quickly over time, and the concentration will appear to decrease if a fresh solution is not delivered to the sensor.
Similarly, inconsistent flow rates create a challenge for sensors since the analyte supply rate fluctuates the apparent local concentration. As a result, continuous monitoring systems require high flow rates (e.g., greater than 20 μL/min) and large volumes to sustain accurate analyte levels. Such high flow rates are simply not possible for some biofluids (e.g., sweat, tears, etc.) with very small supply rates (e.g., less than 2 μL/min).
The other problems listed (signal-to-noise, electromagnetic interferences, and increased impedance) are difficult to overcome for any sensor (even beyond electrochemical sensors). These issues are challenging, especially for wearable sweat sensing devices, where the flow rate is 0.1-10 nL/min/gland resulting in a low volume of fluid over time. A need exists for improved methods and systems for sensors with low flow rates or low sample volumes to provide accurate flow rates, fluid dispensing, and/or sensing modalities.
The objects and advantages of the disclosed invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed descriptions and drawings.

Discrete volume dispensing system flow rate and analyte sensor


A cooling structure which includes a substrate, at least one heat generating member fixed on the substrate, a heat radiating member provided above the heat generating member, and an elastic heat transfer sheet provided between the heat generating member and the heat radiating member for conducting heat generated in the heat generating member to the heat radiating member, with either the heat radiating member being formed with grooves at least on the part opposite the heat generating member, or the at least one heat generating member being formed with grooves on the upper portion thereof, or the elastic heat transfer sheet being formed with grooves on either one of the surface opposite the heat generating member or the surface opposite the heat radiating member.

The invention relates to a cooling structure.
An example of prior art cooling structures for cooling electronic components is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,211. In the structure disclosed, a silicone rubber sheet 32 is inserted between a piston 15 and chips 11 to absorb the gap if the chips 11 are mounted on a substrate 12 with an inclination. In order to absorb such gap, the thickness of the silicone rubber sheet 32 should be increased , which increases thermal resistance, and this results in deteriorated heat radiation efficiency.
An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a cooling structure free from the above-mentioned disadvantage.