A communication system is described in which a mobile communication device receives MDT configuration requests from a base station or radio network controller to initiate an MDT measurement session for obtaining measurement data and location related data for identifying a location to which said measurement data relates. The mobile communication device checks a user consent indicator in memory and only provides the location related data if the user consent indicator indicates that a user of the mobile communication device consents to the provision the location related data.

In existing mobile (cellular) communication systems, network operators typically seek to optimise their network coverage based on measurements compiled during so called drive tests. Specifically, an operator can have a technician drive a vehicle around the network using specialist equipment to measure performance from a subscriber's perspective. The equipment typically comprises a special test mobile communications device and a wideband scanner, connected to data logging and analysis equipment such as a portable computer. Some drive test equipment is configured for remote operation, thereby allowing equipment to be placed in fleet vehicles (such as taxis, buses, delivery vehicles or the like), for automatic data collection.
Drive tests provide a good source of RF data, in association with related geographic positional information that can be used to identify and resolve coverage problems or the like. However, measurements can be time-consuming, expensive to perform, and often do not accurately represent the experience of a real pedestrian user, such as a user in a building or at a significant distance from a road. Moreover, with the extensive geographical coverage of mobile communication networks, drive tests can result in significant emissions of CO2 with the well known associated environmental issues.
Accordingly, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) proposed the development of automated solutions, including the involvement of mobile communication devices (User Equipment (UE)) in the field, in order to minimise operator costs, and the environmental impacts, of network deployment and operation. Studies carried out in response to this proposal demonstrated the feasibility of implementing procedures for minimising the need for drive tests (referred to herein as 'Minimisation of Drive Tests' or 'MDT' procedures, but also known as 'management of UE based network performance measurements'), in which the UE takes measurements for use by the network to improve network optimisation and efficiency. More specifically, these studies demonstrated the feasibility of using control plane solutions for acquiring the measurements from devices. This information, together with information available in the radio access network can then be used for coverage optimisation purposes.
In current proposals for MDT procedures, a MDT capable UE is initially configured to perform MDT measurements by the network. On configuration, the MDT capable UE sends detailed user location information comprising, for example, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) data (if available) and/or Radio Frequency fingerprints, along with the reported UE measurements, when requested to do so by the network. This detailed user location information is particularly useful for MDT as it allows an operator accurately to associate the geographical location of the user, within a particular radio cell, with the associated radio measurements; thereby allowing network coverage issues (e.g. coverage holes) to be located accurately.

Network entity, communication device, mobile communication device and method thereof


An apparatus for mixing air streams in a duct or plenum of a heating, ventilating or air conditioning system is within a rectangular frame and comprises a centrally located square solid sided pyramid shaped deflector surrounded by four sets of air directing vanes, two long sets and two short sets, in rectangular apertures. The vanes divide oncoming air streams which pass through the rectangular apertures, along the vane's curved cross-sections, and are discharged at the vane's discharge angle toward the base of the pyramid shaped deflector. The pyramid shaped deflector divides the remaining oncoming air streams along each of its solid sides and directs the air streams into the mixing region. The divided air streams interface and mix in a region located around the pyramid shaped deflector's base to evenly temper air streams in a heating, ventilating or air conditioning system and distribute the mixed air uniformly across the downstream plenum or duct.

Without the use of an air mixing device to prevent the stratification of air streams in a heating, ventilating or air conditioning system which utilizes both fresh and return air, many undesirable results are likely to occur. Examples include coil freeze ups caused by fresh air at a temperature below freezing, the circulation of unevenly tempered air such that some areas of a building receive warmer or cooler air than others, and the creation of non-uniform air stream velocities which prevent the efficient performance of downstream filters and coils. While other devices to prevent the stratification of air streams are available on the market, none do so in the same novel, effective, and efficient way as my invention.
One objective of my invention is to eliminate the stratification of air streams typically caused by the simultaneous introduction of fresh and return air into a heating, ventilating or air conditioning system. Elimination of stratification is achieved by properly mixing air streams of different temperatures such that one evenly tempered air stream is produced. My invention will produce an air stream within a range of 6 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or 3.33 degrees Celsius (C) standard deviation from the theoretical exact mixing temperature. Another objective is to distribute the mixed air streams more uniformly across the containing ductwork downstream of the mixer. Uniform air velocities entering filters and heating or cooling coils allow these components to operate more efficiently and minimize pressure losses in the system.


A printed circuit board (11) is provided with a conductive pattern (P, R) and a through hole (H) thereon. Respective images of the conductive pattern and a through hole are photoelectrically read with an image reader (20). The conductive pattern image is magnified in size to obtain a magnified pattern image (PI.sub.m), while the hole image is magnified at different magnification factors to obtain magnified hole images (HI.sub.n, HI.sub.n-i). A ring image (RP) is defined by the difference of the magnified hole images. The overlapped region (WR) on which the ring image and the magnified pattern image overlap each other is then calculated, and a defect or an opening of the conductive pattern is detected by calculating the aperture angle (.theta.) of the overlapped image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for inspecting an electrically-conductive pattern on a printed board, and more particularly to an improvement in inspecting a printed circuit board for positional discrepancy between a wiring pattern and a through hole which may be a mini-via hole.
2. Description of Background Arts
As small electronic elements having high performance have been brought to the field of electronic engineering, printed circuit boards on which fine electrically-conductive patterns are formed at a high density have been utilized for mounting and interconnecting these electronic elements. The fine conductive patterns can be obtained by making the width of wiring patterns narrow and by decreasing the diameter of through holes. In particular, through holes having a diameter of 0.1 mm of 0.5 mm are now utilized in multi-layer boards in place of conventional through holes having diameter of 0.8 mm, and the former are known as mini-via holes.
As the diameter of through holes becomes small, various new techniques are required such as in the areas of plating treatment, drilling and reliability testing of the
In general, the accuracy in drilling is inferior to that in photoetching process, and therefore, the through holes are often formed at positions deviated form target positions on conductive patterns. However, slight deviation of the through holes from the target positions causes substantially no problem in the electronic reliability of the printed circuit board in the case where the diameter of the through holes is about 0.8 mm, because relatively large lands are provided around the target positions for accepting the through holes.
On the other hands, the diameter of the lands are made small in proportion to the reduction of the diameter of the through holes in the lands by drilling. Accordingly, positional deviation of the through holes from the lands often affects the electronic reliability of the printed circuit board, and inspection of the circuit board for the positional deviations of the through holes becomes important.
The inspection of printed boards for positional deviation of through holes requires two approaches, one of which is electronic inspection and the other is visual inspection. A conventional apparatus for visual inspection detects light which leaks from cracks in a metal plate. The conventional apparatus does not satisfactorily inspect a multi-layer printed board in which relatively large number of layers are laminated. Furthermore, the conventional apparatus is not effective in detecting pattern breaks which are caused by positional discrepancy between through holes and conductive patterns.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an example of such pattern breaks. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the positional relationship between a land R and a through hole H. The center point O of the through hole H in FIG. 1 is located directly on the center point of the land R. Therefore, the pattern in FIG. 1 is non-defective. On the other hand, the center point O of the through holes H in FIG. 2 deviates from that of the land R, and part of the through hole H projects into the exterior of the land R. The size of the projecting part can be expressed by the aperture angle .theta.. That is, the pattern is defective when the aperture angle .theta. is larger than a predetermined threshold angle.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the positional relationship between a linear part PL of a wiring pattern and a through hole H. The center point O of the through hole H in FIG. 3 is located at the center line CL of the linear part PL, and the pattern is non-defective. On the other hand, the center point O in FIG. 4 is deviated from the center line CL. Part of the through hole H projects into the exterior of the linear part PL. The size of the projecting part is also expressed by the aperture angle .theta.. The pattern is defective when the aperture angle .theta. is larger than a threshold angle.
Therefore, the detection of the aperture angle .theta. is effective in determining whether the pattern breaks are allowable, and the same has been performed in conventional techniques by observing the pattern break with human eyes and a magnifying lens. Such visual observation is very time consuming, and inspection accuracy depends on the skill of an inspector. Consequently, it has been desired to develop an automated technique for inspecting printed boards.
An automatic inspection technique cannot be established without establishing a method of accurately reading the respective images of through holes and wiring patterns. However, since the opening edges of through holes have indentations or inclinations at which the optical reflection property is not constant, it has been difficult to binalize the respective images of through holes and lands.

Method of and apparatus for inspecting conductive pattern on printed board


Patterned magnetic media are described in which the servo sectors include at least two PES offset segments that can be used for the position error signal (PES) and identification of local track position. The two PES offset segments deviate from the track centerline in opposite directions. The lengths of the offset PES offset segments are systematically varied in a repeating pattern to provide a unique servo signal pattern for each track in a local group of adjacent tracks. The locally unique servo sector pattern allows the servo system to use the pattern of the signals generated from the offset and non-offset segments to determine the local track position, which is similar to information provided by the low order Gray code bits in prior art designs. Therefore, the number of bits in the track ID code can be reduced.

Commercial magnetic disk drive areal densities now exceed 300 Gbits/sq. in., and track densities can be greater than 250,000 tracks per inch. Advanced servo techniques are required to further improve disk drive performance. At the needed track densities, the heads (sensors) must stay centered on the narrow tracks to within a tolerance on the order of a few nanometers as the disk rotates under the heads at thousands of rpm. The servo fields, which encode positional information, are permanently written onto the disk during the manufacturing process. The servo information is processed by an electronics control system that adjusts the physical position of the actuator on which the heads are mounted.
The process by which the position information is written onto the disks is referred to as servo writing. Conventionally servo writing has been performed by a dedicated device called a servowriter that is distinct from the disk drive itself. Another approach is have the disk drive heads write the servo information, which is called self-servo writing.
Conventional magnetic disks have continuous thin films in which the magnetic transitions are recorded, but one technique for improving areal densities is to pattern the films into discrete track media (DTM) in which the tracks are formed from continuous strips (concentric rings) of magnetic material separated by small gaps where the magnetic material has been removed. More recently bit-patterned media (BPM) have been proposed that use nanometer scale magnetic islands or dots arranged in tracks on the recording surface. Concentrically patterned BPM can be considered to be interchangeable with DTM in the following specification. DTM and BPM place constraints on servo pattern design, because arbitrary features may not be compatible with the appropriate fabrication methods. Required servo patterns may be more complex than the data patterns. For example, planarization constraints might require that all pre-patterned features are constructed of grooves and lands with common dimensions (i.e., servo patterns have the same land and groove dimensions as data tracks). The planarization constraint allows grooves to vary in orientation and absolute position, provided land and groove dimensions are generally fixed.
Patterned media is typically fabricated using nanoimprint lithography (NIL), which mechanically deforms the imprint resist to create patterns. A master template is used to fabricate a plurality of stamper tools that are then used for imprinting the substrates for the patterned media. The required servo patterns must be included in the master template. One method of fabricating patterned media templates grows self-assembly structures on top of a lithographically-defined template. For example e-beam lithography can be used to pattern holes for a master mold substrate. After the e-beam patterning, block copolymer self-assembly can be used to improve the uniformity of the e-beam dots and to fill-in missing dots. Self-assembled structure on the templates imposes constraints on the features that can be formed by filling in the gaps and minimizes the energy of the system. For example, asymmetric features, such as low order Gray code bits, may be incompatible with the constraints of self-assembly structures.
The servo data on the disk provides several fundamental functions and is conventionally arranged in distinct fields that are arranged in sequence in each servo sector along the direction of the track. First, it supplies a synchronizing timing mark (known as the Servo Track Mark (STM) or Servo Address Mark (SAM)). Next is a 10-30 bit digital field, which provides an integer track-ID (TID) number and additional information to identify the physical servo sector number. The TID is typically written in Gray code as the presence or absence of recorded dibits. During seek operations, when the head is rapidly moving across tracks, the head can typically only read a portion of the Gray-code in each TID. The Gray-code is constructed so that pieces of the TID, in effect, can be combined from adjacent tracks to give an approximate track location during a seek. The servo field also includes a position error field, which provides the fractional-track Position Error Signal (PES). During read or write operations the drive's servo control system uses the PES servo information recorded on the disk surface as feedback to maintain the head in a generally centered position over the target data track. The conventional PES pattern is called a quad-burst pattern in which the bursts are identical sets of high frequency magnetic flux transitions. Unlike the track-ID (TID) field number, the PES bursts do not encode numerical information. In contrast to the TID, it is the position of the bursts that provide information on where the head is relative to the centerlines of adjacent tracks. The quad-burst pattern is repeated for each set of two tracks, so only local (fractional) information is provided. Each servo wedge has four (A,B,C,D) sequential slots reserved for PES bursts. Each track has a centered PES burst in only one of the four slots. Thus, when the head is centered over a selected track, it will detect the strongest signal from a burst centered on the selected track, but it will also detect a weaker signal from bursts on the adjacent tracks. For example, when the head is centered over a track with a burst in the A-position, it might also detect a subsequent weak B-burst on the adjacent track on the right and then a weak D-burst from the adjacent track on the left. When the head passes over the PES pattern, the bursts that are within range generate an analog signal (waveform) that indicates the fractional position of the head over the disk and is used as feedback to adjust the position of the head. As the term "servo wedge" suggests, the downtrack dimension of the servo sectors increases toward the OD, because the linear velocity increases from the ID to the OD. This allows servo frequency to be keep constant. However, no information about the relative position of the track (the track ID) is encoded in the PES prior art.
Published US patent application 20100165512 by Albrecht et al. (Jul. 1, 2010) describes a method for forming a master pattern for patterned media, including features to support servo patterns. Block copolymer self-assembly is used to facilitate the formation of a track pattern with narrower tracks. The tracks include regions within each servo sector where the tracks are offset radially by a fraction of a track pitch, e.g. one half track. As one example, the offset portion of servo sector is self-written with A and B patterns on alternating tracks and a non-offset portion is self-written with C and D patterns on alternating tracks. The A-D patterns are magnetized in a self-servo writing operation, wherein the write head writes a burst (e.g., typically square wave) of alternating magnetization polarities.
Published US patent application 20100128583 by Albrecht; et al. (May 27, 2010) describes a servo writing method for patterned-media magnetic recording disk that uses a special position error signal (PES) alignment pattern located in each servo sector. The servo sectors include a synchronization (sync) field and a PES field that may include burst fields (A-D). The A-B fields are shown as being radially shifted by one-half track from the dots in fields C-D. The set of radial offsets for all of the servo sectors is used to modify or fine tune the gross feedforward correction signal that is applied during the servo writing process. This enables the servowriter write head to then precisely follow a track centerline so that the discrete islands in the PES fields can be magnetized according to the desired pattern.
Published US patent application 20090166321 by Albrecht, et al. (Jul. 2, 2009) describes formation of servo patterns for magnetic media that include self-assembly structures. The servo pattern is defined through lithographic processes while the data pattern is defined by a combination of lithographic processes and self-assembly. The servo regions may each include a sync field and plurality of burst fields (A-D), which in FIG. 3 are shown as including offset portions with the islands (dots) for the A and B bursts being generally positioned one half track offset from the respective track centerline. The A and B bursts are offset one track width from each other as well as being sequentially separated.
Published US patent application 20090097160 by Yamamoto (Apr. 16, 2009) describes a magnetic recording disk with pre-patterned servo sectors, wherein each data bit is stored in a magnetically isolated data island on the disk. The servo sectors include a synchronization pattern of generally radially directed discrete magnetized marks, and first and second position error signal (PES) fields of generally radially directed discrete magnetized stripes. Each stripe in each of the two fields comprises a plurality of radially spaced discrete servo islands, each island having a radial width of approximately Tp, where Tp is the radial spacing of the track centerlines. In each field, the servo islands in alternating stripes in the along-the-track direction are shifted radially by approximately Tp. In the first PES field, the islands are centered at the midline between two adjacent track centerlines, and in the second PES field the islands are centered at a track centerline. All of the servo islands in the two PES fields have the same magnetization direction.
Published US patent application 20090168229 by Albrecht; et al. describes a method of fabricating servo sectors of a patterned storage media with two arrays of discrete islands in a servo sector. The first array defines at least two burst fields. The second array also defines at least two burst fields. The second array is formed with a track-wise offset (i.e., an offset in the radial direction) from the first array. The offset between the first array and the second array may be about a half track offset, but the amount of offset between the arrays may vary depending on design preferences. Another step of the method comprises performing a servo writing process to define the polarity of the islands in the arrays. The servo writing process is performed by circumferentially writing one or more rows of islands to define the servo pattern in the servo sector. The servo pattern may be burst fields, sync fields, etc. The servo pattern generated by the servo writing process allows a quadrature signal to be generated when a read/write head passes over a track of the patterned storage media.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,082 to Karl Belser (Nov. 4, 2003) a servo sector format for patterned media is described that includes a first patterned servo timing mark, a patterned Gray code, a plurality of PES burst separators (where no data can be written), and a second patterned servo timing mark. The first patterned servo timing mark indicates the start of a servo sector. A plurality of servo burst fields are written magnetically between the plurality of PES burst separators, and are used to determine at least one position error signal. The servo sector format further includes magnetically written Gray code positioned after the second servo timing mark. The patterned Gray code is used in addressing the tracks located on the surface of a disk when the magnetically written Gray code is self-written.

Patterned media with structured PES servo segments encoding local track position


A routing service method in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) system uses a stand-alone gateway interworking with disparate central office lines. The stand-alone gateway checks whether a call service can be provided over the Internet with reference to an internal database having periodically updated call service state information in response to a call service request from a calling private branch exchange (PBX) connected to the stand-alone gateway via a central office line. If the call service cannot be provided over the Internet, the stand-alone gateway transmits a call service request, together with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) rerouting control request, to the calling PBX. The calling PBX transfers the call to a called party over the PSTN in response to the PSTN rerouting control request.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) system and, in particular, to a routing service method in a VoIP system using a stand-alone gateway.
2. Related Art
VoIP is a novel communication service that delivers voice information over the Internet rather than over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). A major advantage of VoIP telephony is that it avoids the tolls charged by ordinary telephone service, including domestic/international calls, because VoIP is implemented in a packet-based network. VoIP sends video information, as well as audio information, using International Telecommunications Union-Telecommunications standardization sector (ITU-T) H.323.
A VoIP system includes the Internet. The Internet is connected to gateways and personal computers (PCs). The gateways are connected to respective PSTNs that are in turn connected to telephones. The telephones and the PCs are endpoints that can communicate in voice (mandatory), with pictures (optional), and with data (optional) in one-to-one conversations or conferences. These terminals can carry out real-time bi-directional communications with the gateways or other terminals. The gateways enable terminals (e.g., the PCs) connected to the Internet, which is a packet-based network, or terminals (e.g., the telephones) connected to the PSTNs or to the integrated services digital network (ISDN), to make real-time bi-directional communications. For example, the gateways send voice and fax data received from the PSTNs to the Internet after real-time compression and protocol conversion.
Such gateways are usually categorized into three types according to installation and usage: a built-in type that is inserted in the form of a card in a key telephone system (KTS) or a private branch exchange (PBX); a server type installed in a platform like window network terminal (NT); and a stand-alone type independent of other terminals. Stand-alone gateways are divided into trunk and ear and mouth (TANDEM) types and stand-alone types according to their functionalities. A stand-alone gateway with the TANDEM functionality supports interworking between disparate central office (CO) lines. The TANDEM stand-alone gateway is connected to a PBX and/or a KTS via an internal T1/E1 interface, a loop start trunk interface, and a subscriber line circuit (SLC) interface. A stand-alone gateway with the stand-alone functionality is connected directly to a plurality of telephones.
As to a routing service, when attempting a VoIP call in a VoIP system using stand-alone gateways upon origination of a VoIP call from a caller, the VoIP call is transferred to a local stand-alone gateway via a calling PBX. The local stand-alone gateway routes the VoIP call to a called party via a route which is chosen as the best one. The route runs from the caller to the called party through the calling PBX, the local stand-alone gateway, the Internet, a remote stand-alone gateway, and a called PBX.
If the local stand-alone gateway senses that the route is not available for the call service due to, for example, link-down of the remote stand-alone gateway, it chooses the second best route. The route runs from the caller to the called party through the calling PBX, the local stand-alone gateway, a PSTN central office (CO) line, a PSTN, a PSTN, and the called PBX. If the best route is not available, the local stand-alone gateway takes a roundabout route through the PSTNs in order to route the call to the called party. In order to take the roundabout route via the CO line, the local stand-alone gateway and the remote stand-alone gateway should have CO line interfaces.
To offer such a roundabout route call service over a legacy network, the CO line should be prepared just in case. Preservation of the CO line for access to a legacy network, such as the PSTN, is a redundancy from the VoIP system's perspective. As a result, the line interfaces of the stand-alone VoIP system are or become less flexible.

Routing service method in voice over internet protocol system


The present invention relates to a three dimensional preconcentrator and inlet heater. The preconcentrator consists of a substrate with passageways, a conductive material coated to the top and the bottom of the substrate and an adsorbent coating covering the entire substrate. This substrate is suspended in a holding frame by a connecting bridge. The preconcentrator may also include a resistor and a proportional-integral-differential controller. The device may be used inline with a detector and can be retrofitted to existing devices. An array of preconcentrators may also be formed. The invention also relates to methods of use of the preconcentrator and methods of manufacture. A method of use includes contacting an analyte and a preconcentrator, allowing the analyte to adsorb to the preconcentrator and then desorbing the analyte. A method of manufacture involves applying the adsorbent coating by misted chemical deposition.

In analytical chemistry, preconcentrators have been used for many years to collect molecules that are present in low concentrations. Analytical instruments may not be able to detect molecules in such low concentrations. Preconcentrators accumulate and concentrate one or more chemical species of interest over time, so that the analytical instruments can detect the molecule. Thus, preconcentrators increase the sensitivity of analytical techniques such as, e.g., gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS).
Preconcentrators are particularly useful to aid in the detection of trace compounds such as drugs, explosives, and other toxic agents. As these compounds are typically found in the field, battery-powered portable detectors have been developed.
The key feature of a preconcentrator is the ability to adsorb an analyte and then release it at a specific temperature. To adsorb the analyte, special materials called adsorbent resins have been developed. Adsorbent resins are typically high surface area powders and the nature of the analyte determines the choice of resin.
Existing preconcentrators usually consist of an adsorbent 'slug' inside a tube. The sample passes through the tube and analytes adsorb onto the slug. When enough analyte has accumulated, the slug is heated to release a concentrated 'plume' of analyte into the detector for techniques such as e.g. IMS. These preconcentrators have a low surface area to volume ratio, requiring a long time to accumulate a sufficient quantity of analyte. Furthermore, due to a pressure drop across the preconcentrator, inline use with existing detectors may require changing the internal air handling. Such changes can be difficult, expensive and even preclude retrofitting of preconcentrators to an existing device. The slug is also large requiring a fair amount of time and energy to release the analyte. This energy consumption poses a particular problem when preconcentrators are used in portable detection systems as it lowers the battery life.
For portable systems, micro-machined preconcentrators have been designed. Typical inline micro-machined preconcentrators consist of a thin film serpentine structure with an adsorbent coating on top. The structure can have thickness in the order of microns and consequently is quite fragile. The heating element is external to the device, limiting thermal efficiency. A break in the structure, which also serves as the heating track, will ordinarily cause complete failure.
The surface area of such concentrators is essentially the surface area of the top of the structure, as the thickness is negligible. As a result, such devices have a relative low surface area to which the analyte adsorbs. Furthermore, because of their low surface area it takes a longer time to preconcentrate the analyte. Once sufficient analyte has accumulated, current is passed through the structure and causes desorption. Since the heating of the preconcentrator is often not uniform, additional time and energy are required to desorb the analyte. Furthermore, due to the non-uniform heating, it is difficult to accurately control desorption of the analyte.
Micro-machined preconcentrators may be mounted inline to the detector or externally. In an external preconcentrator, the preconcentrator located inside a chamber and the analyte enters through an inlet port and leaves through an outlet port. Such preconcentrators are disadvantageous in that they add complexity to the apparatus and thus hinder further miniaturization.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,428 to Kant discloses systems and methods of ion mobility spectrometry. The system may contain a preconcentrator whose temperature is modulated between two temperatures. The preconcentrator has permeable organic membranes or thin metal foils. Consequently, the preconcentrator has low surface area and is quite fragile.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,378 to Manginelli et al. is illustrative of a micro-machined external preconcentrator. The preconcentrator contains a substrate with a suspended membrane, which serves to support two resistive heating elements on top of which an adsorbent coating is deposited. Again, this preconcentrator does not maximize the surface area.
During the manufacture of a micro-machined preconcentrator, preconcentration material is placed on the device. One way to deposit the preconcentration material is to use ink jet deposition. This process employs about 70,000 individual drops and is slow and serial. Ink jet deposition lacks resolution to create ultra-small geometries and when complex features have to be printed, it can be prohibitively expensive.
There remains a need for a preconcentrator that does not create a large pressure drop, requires little energy to heat, can be micro-machined and improves the preconcentration abilities. There also remains a need for a cheap, efficient, and accurate method of manufacture of a micro-machined preconcentrator.

3D miniature preconcentrator and inlet sample heater


This disclosure relates to an accessory to a bathing system, e.g., a bathtub with a step-through access, to provide a bather of restricted mobility roll-in capability to shower. It features a ramp i.e., an inclined surface, which in this invention is fixed in position to furnish roll-in access to the tub. Associated devices cooperate to locate and secure the ramp in the access, More specifically, an insert having opposed legs and a base engages grooves on the sides of the access. In one embodiment, a splash shield extends upright from the ramp to divert shower water back into the tub.

It is generally recognized that there is an increasing proportion of senior citizens in the general population. Major concerns of these seniors include the selection of a retirement residence for independent living, and within that residence, the choice of bathing facilities that can be adapted to the changing needs of the senior, so that the resident may continue to occupy the dwelling unit as long as possible before being required by physical limitations to move to an extended care facility.
Bathtubs and shower enclosures designed to address the changing needs of seniors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,996,729 and 5,090,068 but these bathing systems are not convertable from a bath to a step-in shower and do not provide roll-in access for a wheeled shower chair. The bathing tub of U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,358 also addresses this need.


A screening process for ferroelectric memory devices that provides a greater degree of confidence in the mechanical and thermal stability of the ferroelectric material than prior art screening processes. A correspondingly higher degree of confidence in the reliability of the screened part results.

This invention relates to ferroelectric memory devices and more particularly to screening processes for ferroelectric memories. The term ferroelectric is used to describe both a type of behavior and the group of substances exhibiting that behavior. Most solids undergo a rearrangement of electrical charge when a voltage is placed across the material. All the positive charges effectively shift slightly in one direction and the negative charges in the other. In ordinary materials, the charges will "relax" back to their original places when the voltage is removed. Ferroelectrics make up a special group of materials which can maintain the charge separation, or dipole, without an applied voltage. Furthermore, this dipole arrangement can be reversed by applying an electric field.
To better illustrate the properties of ferroelectrics, the unit cell of the ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3) serves as an example. A unit cell is a geometric figure illustrating how the grouping of atoms which make up a solid are arranged relative to each other. The unit cell structure for a given solid is repeated throughout that solid.
The unit cell 4 for barium titanate shown in FIG. 1A has a cube structure. A barium (Ba.sup.2+) atom 6 is located at each of the eight corners of the cube. At the center of each cube face, is located an oxygen atom (O.sup.2-) 8. The radius of the six oxygen atoms project in toward the center of the cube leaving a octahedral space in the interior of the cube. In the approximate center of the unit cell, is located the titanium atom (Ti.sup.4+) 10.
When the barium titanate is heated above its Curie temperature of 120.degree. C., the unit cell is cubic and axes 12 shown by the dashed lines are of equal length. The Ti ion fits within the octahedral space and is centered within the cube as seen in FIG. 1A. However, when the barium titanate is cooled below 120.degree. C., the unit cell contracts. This Ti ion is now slightly larger than the octahedral space created by the oxygen ions. As a result, the Ti ion shifts to one side or the other of center within the interior space of the cube. The Ti ion can move in any of the six directions shown: vertically along axis 12z, horizontally along axis 12x, or in and out along axis 12y. In FIG. 1B, the Ti ion is located slightly below center and in FIG. 1C the Ti ion is located slightly above center.
The titanium ion has a plus four positive charge. Therefore, when the Ti ion is located slightly above center as in FIG. 1B, the top half of the cell is slightly positively charged when compared to the bottom half of the cell, a dipole is formed. The structure of FIG. 1B has a dipole of opposite polarity to that of FIG. 1A. Unit cells having dipoles aligned in a common direction are called domain. The BaTiO.sub.3 material of this example thus has six randomly possible domains.
FIG. 2 shows how these randomly oriented dipoles can be aligned in a common direction by applying an electrical force. Assume a crystal of barium titanate containing an equal number of positive and negative domains. Upon increasing the field (E) in the positive direction, the positive domains grow at the expense of the negative domains. The polarization (P) increases sharply (see OA) and reaches a saturation value (BC) when all of the domains are aligned in the direction of the field. The crystal now has a "single domain" structure. When the field E is again reduced to zero, a few domains remain aligned. At zero field in a definite value of polarization can be measured, and this is called the remanent polarization P.sub.r (OD). To reverse the remanent polarization, it is necessary to apply an electric field in the opposite (negative) direction. The field required for this purpose is called the coercive field, E.sub.c (OF). With further increase of field in the negative direction, uniform alignment of the dipoles again is reached, but this time in the direction opposite to the previous one (GH).
The polarization properties of ferroelectrics as represented by the hysteresis loop of FIG. 2 make ferroelectric films useful in the construction of certain nonvolatile memory devices. FIG. 3 shows such a ferroelectric memory device in cross section. The memory device shows a single memory cell in which a ferroelectric material 40 is located between a top electrode 42 and a bottom electrode 44, forming a capacitor. In the device of FIG. 3 the ferroelectric comprises lead zirconate titanate (PZT) but other ferroelectrics may be used. Ferroelectric 40 has been polarized to either a first (positive) polarity or second (negative) polarity depending upon the desired contents of the memory cell. When the cell had previously been polarized to a positive polarity, and the drive line 46 is pulsed high, a small displacement current flows and the bitline is pulled up to a small voltage and the cell reads a binary "zero". When the cell had been previously polarized to a negative polarity and the drive line 46 is pulsed high, a large displacement current flows and the bitline is pulled up to a higher voltage and the cell reads a binary "one". The difference in voltage is used to indicate a binary one or binary zero. Note that the polarity of the cell may be changed by the read process. Therefore, like a DRAM cell, the memory cell must be rewritten once it is read.
In the example immediately above, for the cell storing a binary one to be reliably read, the bitline voltage generated by the cell must be sufficiently greater than that expected from a cell storing a binary zero to distinguish the two states. The magnitude of the bitline voltage is a direct function on the magnitude of the remanent polarization.
To ensure the reliability of memory devices manufactured using ferroelectric materials, the devices are put through a preshipment screening procedure. Those devices having material and electrical defects are thereby discarded before shipping. Parts remaining after completion of screening procedures are then qualified for use for a given number of read cycles and a given maximum operating operating temperature.

Screening processes for ferroelectric memory devices


Method and system are disclosed for a programmable state machine controller in a parallel processing system. The programmable state machine controller includes a set of control registers configured to serve a set of application specific engines; a set of task engines configured to access a plurality of application resources in parallel; one or more processors configured to: receive multiple requests from the set of application specific engines, determine availability of the set of task engines and the plurality of application resources being requested, assign the set of task engines to serve the set of application specific engines based on the availability of the set of task engines and the availability of the plurality of application resources being requested, and serve the multiple requests from the set of application specific engines in parallel.

FIG. 1A illustrates a conventional software state machine in a parallel processing system. As shown in FIG. 1A, the conventional software state machine may include four states, namely erase 102, suspend erase 104, read 106, and resume erase 108. The software state machine transitions from one state to another state upon certain state transition conditions are met. For example upon observing a first set of transition conditions, the software state machine may transition from erase 102 to suspend erase 104. Similarly, upon observing a second set of transition conditions, the software state machine may transition from suspend erase 104 to read 106. At the state read 106, the software state machine may stay in this state to execute a series of reads, and until the series of reads are completed (which can be a third set of transition conditions), then the software state machine may transition from read 106 to resume erase 108. In state resume erase 108, upon observing a fourth set of transition conditions, the software state machine may return to the state erase 102.
FIG. 1B illustrates an implementation of the conventional software state machine of FIG. 1A in a parallel processing system. In the approach shown in FIG. 1B, a CPU and its associated components are dedicated to implement each software state of FIG. 1A. In this example, CPU1 112 and its associated components can be dedicated to implement the function (i.e. software state) erase 102; CPU2 116 and its associated components can be dedicated to implement the function (i.e. software state) suspend erase 104; CPU3 118 and its associated components can be dedicated to implement the function (i.e. software state) read 106; and CPU4 120 and its associated components can be dedicated to implement the function (i.e. software state) resume erase 108; and so on. The associated components of a CPU, such as CPU1 112, may include a plurality of first-in-first-out random access memories or registers (shown as 113a to 113z) and a plurality of hardware components (shown as 115a to 115z). In addition, the CPUs are communicated with each other through inter-processor communication (IPC) units, such as IPC1, IPC2, IPC3, and IPC4.
There are at least two drawbacks associated with the software state machine shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. First, although CPUs may operate independent of each other, however, the inter-processor communications among the CPUs, typically through software interrupts, adds inefficiencies to the system and thus adversely impacts the performance of the system. As the number of CPUs increase in the system, the performance benefit of the additional CPUs are less significant as the performance benefits of the additional CPUs are lost in the inefficiencies of inter-processor communications. Second, since each CPU in the software state machine of FIG. 1B is dedicated to implement a particular function, when one CPU is performing a particular function, such as an erase operation or a read operation, the other CPUs are typically idle, which may further introduce inefficiencies to the system.
FIG. 1C illustrates a conventional hardware state machine. Similar to FIG. 1A, the hardware state machine includes states erase 102, suspend erase 104, read 106, and resume read 108. In the conventional hardware state machine shown in FIG. 1C, the hardware states and the transitions among the hardware states are typically implemented with application specific hardware or dedicated CPUs and their associated components. There are at least two drawbacks with the conventional hardware state machine. First, since the implementation of the hardware states and the transitions among the hardware states are fixed in application specific hardware or dedicated CPUs and their associated components, if there is a mistake in the implementation, the entire system needs to be manufactured to include the fixes, which can be extremely costly and may cause months of delay to the development of the system. Second, since the implementation of the hardware states and the transitions among the hardware states are fixed in application specific hardware or dedicated CPUs and their associated components, this implementation prevents the option of adding another state to the hardware state machine, in the event when there is a need to add a new function to the system or to temporarily add a new state to the system for debugging purposes.
Therefore, there is a need for methods and systems that address the issues of the conventional state machines described above. Specifically, there is a need for programmable state machine controller in a parallel processing system.

Programmable state machine controller in a parallel processing system


Chunks are stored in a container of a data store, where the chunks are produced by dividing input data as part of a deduplication process. In response to determining that the size of the container has reached a predefined size threshold, at least one of the chunks in the container is moved to another container.

As capabilities of computer systems have increased, the amount of data that is generated and computationally managed in enterprises (companies, educational organizations, government agencies, and so forth) has rapidly increased. Data may be in the form of emails received by employees of the enterprises, where emails can often include relatively large attachments. Moreover, computer users routinely generate large numbers of files such as text documents, multimedia presentations, and other types of data objects that have to be stored and managed.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A charge-pump includes a first charge-pump sub-circuit having a control terminal that communicates with a first bias voltage line. A first charge-pump mirror sub-circuit regulates current on the control terminal. A first capacitance and a first ripple reducing sub-circuit communicate with the first bias voltage line. A second charge-pump sub-circuit and a second charge-pump mirror sub-circuit communicate with a second bias voltage line. A second capacitance and a second ripple reducing sub-circuit communicate with the second bias voltage line. An output communicates with the first and second charge-pump sub-circuits.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Radio frequency (RF) communications channels are established by wireless communications devices in a wireless network. Receiving devices for high speed data communications channels typically include a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit that locks onto the phase of a received data stream.
Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary PLL 10 includes a phase detector (PD) 12, a charge-pump 14, a loop filter 16, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 18, and a frequency divider 20. The VCO 18 generates an output signal that is divided by the frequency divider 20 and fed back to the PD 12. The PD 12 detects a phase difference between a reference frequency signal 22 (such as the received data stream) and the feedback or divided output signal 24. The PD 12 generally generates UP and DOWN phase difference signals 30, 32. UP signals indicate positive differences between the reference signal and the output signal and DOWN signals represent negative differences.
The charge-pump 14 receives the phase difference signals 30, 32 and generates an output signal that is used to adjust the output of the VCO 18. Performance of the charge-pump 14 is typically characterized by switching speed and phase offset. Phase offset refers to the voltage generated by the charge-pump 14 when the phase of the reference signal 22 and the feedback signal 24 are the same. The phase offset of the charge-pump 14 may be zero.
The output 34 of the charge-pump 14 is filtered by the loop filter 16. The loop filter 16 may include a capacitance-based integrating circuit, although other types of filters may be used. The desired frequency for the output signal 28 of the VCO 18 may be different than the frequency of the reference signal 22. The frequency divider 20 adjusts the frequency of the output signal 28 based on the ratio of the desired output frequency to the reference frequency.


A composition for alleviating, preventing, or treating hyperoxia-induced lung injury, the composition including the WKYMVm peptide as an active ingredient is described. The composition has an effect of increasing FPR2 activation and ERK phosphorylation, and also has an effect of improving alveolarization and angiogenesis in hyperoxia-induced lung injury models, and thus the composition is anticipated to be usefully used for the alleviation, prevention, or treatment of hyperoxia-induced lung injury, particularly bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a multifactorial chronic lung disease that occurs as a major complication of premature infants due to prolonged mechanical ventilation, the main features of bronchopulmonary dysplasia are increased inflammation, the inhibition of angiogenesis, damaged alveoli, and the like, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia causes the high mortality rate of premature babies, but despite long studies on bronchopulmonary dysplasia, it is impossible to treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Formyl-peptide receptor type 2 (FPR2), which is a G-protein coupled receptor, is known to be expressed in various types of cells. The earliest discovered functions of FPR2 include inflammation control in immune cells such as white blood cells and various contributions to cellular metabolism. FPR2 is known to not only perform anti-inflammatory functions, but also mediate cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in endothelial cells. FPR2 activation is known to increase cytoplasmic calcium levels that induce cell signaling, such as the ERK pathway, and to increase chemotaxis, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis in order to maintain tissue homeostasis in damaged tissues in a manner dependent on specific cell types and microenvironment.
Meanwhile, WKYMVm (Trp-Lys-Tyr-Met-Val-D-Met, a synthetic peptide) (SEQ ID NO: 1), which is a synthetic peptide identified by screening peptide libraries, is known as a potent agonist of FPR2 that activates leukocytes. In previous studies, it was confirmed that WKYMVm (SEQ ID NO: 1) increased cell survival and migration through FPR2, and increased angiogenesis in endothelial cells in vitro. In addition, in in vivo studies, it was confirmed that WKYMVm (SEQ ID NO: 1) promoted angiogenesis and tissue repair.
Previous studies have shown that lipoxin A4 and resolvin D1, which bind to FPR2, improve alveolar damage caused by bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonatal mice (Martin C R, Zaman M M, Gilkey C, Salguero M V, Hasturk H, et al. (2014) PLoS One 9: e98773.), but an effect of WKYMVm (SEQ ID NO: 1) on lung damage due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia has not been known. In addition, the use of WKYMVm (SEQ ID NO: 1) in the treatment of hyperoxia-induced lung injury has not yet been adequately studied.

Composition for preventing or treating hyperoxia-induced lung injury comprising WKYMVm peptide as an active ingredient

PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION


The present disclosure relates to a pharmaceutical composition for combination therapy for preventing or treating cancer, which contains a first pharmaceutical ingredient containing a drug conjugate wherein an anticancer agent is bound at one end of an amphiphilic peptide represented by SEQ ID NO 1 and a poloxamer; and a second pharmaceutical ingredient containing an anti-PD-L1 antibody; as active ingredients. The pharmaceutical composition significantly inhibits cancer growth in in-vivo experiments and exhibits an effect of significantly enhancing immunotherapeutic effect by activating immune cells in cancerous tissues.

Colorectal cancer has no symptom in the early stage, and symptomatic cases are often impossible to treat because the cancer has already progressed severely. Although complete treatment can be anticipated if it is found at an early stage, the risk is very high if detected later due to metastasis to parts difficult to excise, such as the lungs, liver, lymph nodes, peritoneum, etc.
In addition, colorectal cancer has high recurrence rate. It is known that the recurrence rate is about 70% in 12-24 months after surgery, and 90% in 3-5 years after surgery. In addition, since colorectal cancer shows the highest prevalence rate among cancers, development of treatment methods is imminent.
Although various therapeutic agents for treating cancers such as colorectal cancer have been developed recently, they have problems that clinical effectiveness cannot be expected or long-term treatment is difficult due to side effects.
Recently, Immune checkpoint blockade with antibodies inhibiting the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, is the most promising approach for cancer immunotherapy. However, these therapeutic agents are costly for their efficient effects and it is reported that autoimmune diseases occur when they are used at high doses to increase the therapeutic effect due to excessively enhanced immune function. Accordingly, there still is a need for an improved drug for treating colorectal cancer.

Pharmaceutical composition for combination therapy for preventing or treating cancer containing tumor-specific drug conjugate and anti-PD-L1 antibody as active ingredients

Abstract: In particular, the pharmaceutical composition for combination therapy according to the present disclosure has superior tumor accumulation efficiency and selectivity as compared to existing anticancer agents, and is very stable with little toxicity to normal tissues other than cancerous tissues.

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


A grinding material or product which may be utilized in different forms and comprises laminated layers which interlock with each other when laminated to provide greater tensile strength. Layers of the basic material are formed by sandwiching abrasive particles between two layers of pre-bonded carded fiber. One sheet of a layer is initially passed through an adhesive and later spread in a controlled fashion with abrasive particles. A second sheet of the carded fiber is passed together with the first sheet through a pair of nip rolls which compress the two sheets together with the abrasive particles therebetween and provide a first layer of adhered sheets with the abrasive particles therebetween.. Subsequently, the resulting layer may be cut into sections and a plurality laminated together for a desired thickness. In the lamination step, sufficient pressure is applied that the abrasive particles of each layer will enter the interstices of the abrasive particles of adjacent layers and form an interlocking relationship therebetween which significantly increases the tensile strength of the material by virtue of such interlocking of the abrasive particles.

Abrasive materials of the type to which this invention is directed may consist of a textile substance or fabric of the same, a filler consisting of cutting and polishing abrasive grains or powders and a binder which will bind the filler particles to the textile substance. This combination is disclosed as used to form buffing and polishing wheels is disclosed in early U.S. Pat. No. 334,671, but without abrasive particles.
A typical abrasive material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,738 which discloses an abrasive article comprising a fibrous web formed from a plurality of carded fibrous membranes where the individual fibers are stated to be interwoven and forming interstices therebetween. The interstices are abrasive grains and are bonded to the web with a suitable adhesive.
Generally speaking abrasive or polishing tools of the type to which this invention relates includes a layer of fibrous body impregnated with a binder or adhesive. The layers may then be laminated together to form a disc as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,121,496. The various layers are formed of a carded fiber impregnated with a binder, and then a plurality or multiplicity of layers are laminated to form the finished product.
In forming the product of U.S. Pat. No. 2,121,496 the bonded layers of carded fiber are laminated to form a product of predetermined dimension.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,738 discloses an abrasive material in which abrasive particles are bonded in the spaces between carded fibres. The resulting layers are bonded together to form the resulting product. The methods by which the initial abrasive article is formed are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,055,410 and 2,055,411 and also other methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,055,410 and 2,055,411. The disclosures of which are incorporated herein as examples of prior art.
Abrasive tools as known in the prior art have a limited tensile strength. Grinding discs as shown in the prior art have a limited resistance to flying apart at high speeds of rotation.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and improved abrasive tool having a greater tensile strength. In particular, the present invention provides an abrasive tool of high tensile strength which will permit greater speeds of rotation.
An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved method of making abrasive materials and new and improved abrasive articles which are useful for grinding and polishing wheels, grinding rods and sticks and deburring wheels and points.

Northeast Abrasives Diamond and Tools Corporation


An electric circuit for a microscope includes a lock-in amplifier. The lock-in amplifier has an input for an input signal, an input for a reference signal, an output for an output signal and a bandwidth filter configured such that a low bandwidth frequency value and/or a high bandwidth frequency value is variably settable. A dynamic bandwidth controller is configured to receive at least one parameter of a current setting of the microscope as an input, and to control the low bandwidth frequency value and/or the high bandwidth frequency value of the lock-in amplifier as a function of the at least one parameter of the current setting of the microscope.

Recently, coherent Raman scattering microscopy (CRSM) has gained a lot of importance and usage for performing chemical imaging of biological/pharmaceutical/food science-related specimen. The advantage of CRSM over traditional Raman microscopy is the higher speed of imaging. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), coherent Stokes Raman scattering (CSRS), Raman-induced Kerr-effect scattering (RIKES) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) constitute various CRSM techniques.
The technique of CRSM consists of two pulsed (with frequencies ranging typically from 1-100 MHz) optical fields with pulse widths ranging from 100 fs-20 ps of different wavelengths routed through a confocal microscope system and tightly focused on a sample of interest. The beam routing and the focusing optics are made such that the two optical fields overlap spatially and temporally at the sample. For SRS or heterodyned-RIKES imaging, one of the two beams is either intensity modulated or frequency modulated or polarization modulated with a specific frequency Ω, typically in kHz to MHz range, before it interacts with the other optical field in the sample.
For SRS and RIKES imaging, one detects the initially unmodulated light beam and using a lock-in [1-2, 5] or an envelope detection technique [6], the modulation of intensity is extracted and displayed as an image. Due to the interaction with the sample, a third light field, in case of CARS and CSRS, is detected and displayed as an image [7-9]. In all the above CRSM techniques, the signal is strong only when the frequency difference between the incident fields matches a vibrational resonance frequency in the sample.
Among the various coherent Raman imaging techniques, SRS imaging has gained popularity in the recent times because of the absence of non-resonant background in the images. In the following, it is concentrated exclusively on SRS imaging methodology. However, the conclusions derived are directly applicable to CRSM, CARS, CSRS and RIKES imaging. It is simply a matter of using appropriate polarization elements, detection units, and optical filters to extract these signals and these are well known and described in the existing literature.
A typical SRS microscope system 20 is depicted in FIG. 1. Two pulsed laser sources (Laser 1 and Laser 2) generate the so called "Stokes" and the "pump" beams for SRS imaging, respectively (see FIG. 2, window 100, where an intensity is shown over time t). Typically, the laser source with smaller wavelength is designated as the "pump" and the laser with longer wavelength is designated as the "Stokes" beam in the CRSM literature. One of the beams (Laser 1) is amplitude modulated with the help of a modulator 3, e.g. an AOM (acousto-optic modulator) or EOM (electro-optic modulator), and combined collinearly with the second laser source (Laser 2) using a dichroic 4. The modulator 3 is driven by a RF drive 9 providing a RF frequency signal.
The temporal overlap of the two laser sources is ensured with the help of a preferably variable—optical delay stage 5. The combined beams travel through a scanning-device or laser-scanning (confocal) microscope 6 and interact with the sample under test at the focus of a microscope objective (not shown). Behind the sample the beam of Laser 1 is blocked by a blocking filter 11.
Due to the interaction with the sample, the light of Laser 2 acquires a tiny amplitude modulation whose frequency corresponds to the modulation frequency of the light of Laser 1 (see FIG. 2, window 200).
When both the beams hit the sample, the light of the Laser 2 could gain or lose energy depending on its relative (to the light of the Laser 1) wavelength. If the wavelength of Laser 2 is smaller than the wavelength of Laser 1, i.e. λLaser2<λLaser2, there is an intensity loss ISRL, otherwise a gain ISRG.
This miniscule gain or loss in Laser 2 is detected with the help of a sensitive detector 7 and signal extraction electronics 8. The latter electronic unit can comprise a lock-in amplifier/mixer; the SRS signal is demodulated using the RF drive frequency of the modulator 3 as the local oscillator. The resultant signal is routed for image display, storage or analysis 10.
It has been demonstrated that using appropriate detector and low-noise electronics it is possible to make SRS imaging sensitive enough for real-time imaging (25 frames-per-second) [3].
A lock-in amplifier is an important component of the detection electronics required for extraction of modulated SRS signals. Although the SRS detection has been implemented using envelope detection electronics [6], use of a lock-in detection provides flexible detection bandwidth (implies, varied laser scan frequencies) and higher signal linearity.
A basic lock-in amplifier 300, as shown in FIG. 3, comprises an electronic mixer 301 which takes as its input an amplitude modulated signal s and a reference clock signal r. It provides as an output the demodulated signal of s at the reference frequency provided by r. In addition, commercially available lock-in amplifiers can provide some amount of signal amplification 303 and filtering 302 at the input and/or output ports. The frequency bandwidth of the extracted signal o depends on the bandwidth setting BW of the filter 302 at the output stage of the mixer. This bandwidth setting typically ranges from a few tenths of Hz to multiple MHz (or equivalently, a few tens of seconds to a few nanoseconds).
In an SRS imaging session, one usually changes various image acquisition parameters to obtain a good image or an image which comprises the part/parts of the imaged object which is/are of interest for the user of the microscope. For example, since the Raman signals are much weaker in the fingerprint-region (500 cm−1-1800 cm−1), one would need to increase the pixel dwell-time and perform slow scanning for obtaining good SRS image. Other acquisition parameters which could be modified based on the imaging requirements include laser-scan/stage-scan speed, objective magnification, objective numerical aperture, image scan format (pixel size), image scan width (physical image size), pixel dwell time, zoom, etc. Changing any of these values would lead to a different bandwidth of the modulated signal. If the lock-in time-constant is fixed, varying these parameters could deteriorate image quality.

Dynamic lock-in detection bandwidth for SRS imaging


This invention relates to aerosol paint and coating compositions comprising non-aqueous dispersions.

Pressurized paints, more commonly referred to as aerosol paints, have traditionally been high in volatile organic content (VOC) due to both the resin systems used in the paint and the propellant systems used to expel the resin from the container. Newer VOC regulations throughout the United States of America and the world have forced manufacturers to develop alternative aerosol paint formulations which have lower VOC's. In particular, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD-California), in 1990 and 1991, adopted stringent regulations regarding the allowable levels of volatile organic content in aerosol paints and coatings. For non-flat (gloss) paint products, the acceptable VOC content, expressed as a percent of volatile organic content by weight of product is 65%.
Some manufacturers, such as Page (U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,661) have attempted to formulate acceptable aerosol coating products using water as an ingredient. The present invention represents a major development in aerosol paint formulation. The present invention uses a non-aqueous dispersion as a principal resin in an aerosol paint formulation. The present invention results in a coating composition which is VOC compliant (using the BAAQMD standards), has good in-can stability and better performance properties than aqueous-based aerosol compositions. The present invention solves one of the problems associated with other attempts to formulate lower VOC aerosol products; namely, paint viscosity so high that the products will not spray in an acceptable fashion.
Non-aqueous dispersions (AND's) are well known in the non-aerosol coatings art and typically consist of dispersions of addition polymers in a relatively non-polar non-aqueous liquid containing a steric stabilizing agent having dual affinity to both the dispersing and the dispersed media. For example, U.S. Pat. No 3,198,759 teaches dispersions of addition polymers in a hydrocarbon medium. The hydrocarbon medium contains one or more aliphatic hydrocarbons containing dissolved therein an alkyd formed by either the direct esterification of a drying oil fatty acid with a dicarboxylic acid and a polyhydric alcohol or the indirect esterification of a drying oil by first alcoholization with a polyhydric alcohol and second esterification with a polybasic acid. European Patent Application 0 310 331 A2 teaches a non-aqueous dispersion of a soluble low molecular weight non-alkyd polymer which is attached or adsorbed onto a second non-soluble alkyd-free polymer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,957 teaches non-aqueous dispersions based on crosslinked acrylic polymer particles dispersed in a non-aqueous medium having a polymeric dispersion stabilizer. The polymeric dispersion stabilizer can be an alkyd which is formed by the self condensation of 12-hydroxystearic acid followed by a capping reaction with glycidyl methacrylate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,099 teaches non-aqueous dispersions of crosslinked polymer particles in a non-aqueous medium having an amphipathic steric stabilizing agent. The steric stabilizing agent can be a graft copolymer obtained by reacting a low molecular weight carboxyl group terminated condensate of linseed oil fatty acids and 12-hydroxystearic acid with acrylic copolymers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,977 teaches non-aqueous dispersions of an acrylonitrile copolymer in a liquid butadiene homopolymer or copolymer in a non-polar organic hydrocarbon liquid.
Previous work by Rao et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,716 has shown that selecting alkyds which have specific properties for use as the steric stabilizing media for an AND can lead to high solids, low VOC stable NAD's which exhibit acceptable viscosities when used as non-aerosol paints and coatings. In the present invention, we have found a means for producing aerosol paint compositions using NAD's. The particular NAD's which are acceptable for use herein utilize either conventional alkyds or the alkyds taught by Rao et al. as the steric stabilizing media. These NAD's have excellent stability, filterability, gloss, low grit, viscosity and tack-free and dry hard times when formulated as air dry coating compositions. We have now been able to incorporate these NAD's into aerosol compositions to achieve a level of performance not previously associated with lower VOC aerosol paints. The NAD's used in this invention air dry faster than the alkyds used to make the NAD; consequently, they represent an improvement over traditional alkyd-based aerosol paints, as well.
The NAD's used herein utilize either conventional, traditional alkyds or the alkyds taught by Rao et al. as the dispersing media and steric stabilizer. These NAD's require a specific selection process wherein certain critical parameters, described fully below, must be observed in order to produce a NAD with a viscosity sufficiently low so as to be useful in the production of a stable, high performance, low VOC aerosol coating. Selection of the remainder of the aerosol coating, the propellant, and even the valve and actuator components is also important to produce a stable, lower VOC aerosol paint composition with acceptable spraying characteristics.

Aerosol compositions containing non-aqueous dispersions


A skin expansion system (1) for reducing a wound surrounded by tissue, the skin expansion system (1) comprising; an elastically deformable tie (5) intended to extend between the tissues surrounding the wound in such a way that tension in the tie (5) produces traction along the tissues surrounding the wound in order to bring said tissues closer together, the tie (5) having first (5a) and second opposing ends, a tensioner (10) suitable for maintaining tension in the tie (5), in which the tie (5) is suitable for suturing the wound by passing directly through the tissues surrounding the wound in at least two suturing points, the tie being made from a biocompatible material and comprising a suture needle (6) rigidly connected to the first end (5a).

Harris I, "Gradual closure of fasciotomy wounds using a vessel loop shoelace", Injury 1993; 24(8): 565-6,        Asgari M M, Spinelli H M, "The vessel loop shoelace technique for closure of fasciotomy wounds", Ann Plast Surg 1999; 43: 225-9,        Bashir A H, "Wound closure by skin traction: an application of tissue expansion", Br J Plast Surg 1987; 40(6): 582-7,        Bulstrode C J, "A simple method for closing fasciotomies", Ann R Col Surg Engl 1985; 67(2): 119-20,        Almekinders L C, "Gradual closure of fasciotomy", Orthop Rev 1991; 20(1): 82-4,        Monnier J, "Extension tissulaire uni-axiale dans la couverture des pertes de substance des membres" (Uniaxial tissular extension in the coverage of limb substance loss), Annal chir plast 52 (2007): 577-581.
This technique uses elastic properties of the skin in particular, and consists in applying progressive tension on two edges of the skin around the wound when a direct suture is impossible due to loss of substance, excessive tension between the two skin edges or during discharge aponevrotomies made in the case of a compartment syndrome. A compartment syndrome is defined as a neuromuscular complaint that can lead to necrosis, related to an increase in the intratissular pressure in an inextensible muscular compartment. It is secondary to trauma or ischemia. The only way of reducing the pressure in the compartment is to open it widely. This action is done is vascular surgery or orthopaedic surgery and can save the muscle concerned and its function, but it causes a large skin gap equivalent to a loss of substance.
Therefore the invention is applicable to the treatment of a long wound with a surface area of between 100 cm2 and 500 cm2 and for example resulting from a aponevrotomy operation or ablation of a skin tumour. The invention is also applicable to the treatment of a smaller wound, for example with an area of less than 100 cm2, for example resulting from a post-operational disunion.
The principle of external tissular extension is to apply progressive traction on the two skin edges to bring them together and ideally to bring them into contact such that the wound is completely closed. The skin expansion system is put into place at the end of the operation. The progressive traction is generally applied immediately after the operation (second day after the operation) and is continued for about fifteen days. Traction is increased at the patient's bed every forty-eight hours. The skin expansion system is removed without anaesthetic.
At the present time, this technique is applied using standard equipment not used in the way it was intended, and particularly by:                a silicone loop as an elastically deformable tie intended to extend between the tissues surrounding the wound such that a tension in the tie creates traction along the tissues surrounding the wound to bring said tissues towards each other, the silicon loop is then not used as it was intended which is per-operational marking of vascular or noble structures (ureter, bile duct),        staples usually used for closing the skin at the end of an operation,        a tensioner adapted to maintain tension in the tie.
The tie in this known skin expansion system passes in sequence through the staples, anchored through the tissues surrounding the wound. The tie is then held in tension by the tensioner, for example in the form of a cleat on one or several staples.
However, although very widespread and ethical because it is used in a rescue situation in which there is no alternative solution, the skin extension technique making use of medical equipment designed for other purposes often has disappointing results.
In particular, the known skin expansion system is long and complex to implement due to the need to start by anchoring staples along the tissues surrounding the wound. Furthermore, in this known skin expansion system, traction on the tissues surrounding the wound is applied through staples and depends on the anchorage of each staple. Despite the care taken in anchoring staples, they do not allow controlled traction, particularly along an appropriate direction. Therefore the known skin expansion system cannot apply uniform traction along the tissues surrounding the wound. There is then a risk of damage or even necrosis of the tissues, at least locally and particular at the locations at which tension is highest. Furthermore, staples diverted from their normal use do not have any particular mechanical properties and there is a risk of them tearing out.
Other examples of a skin expansion system according to the preamble of claim 1 are described in documents US 2012/0016384 and US 2003/0092969. However, due to the envisaged anchors, these skin expansion systems create a serious risk of damaging or even tearing tissues surrounding the wound.
The invention aims to mitigate the problems mentioned above.