An apparatus and method are disclosed for enhancing the operation of ESD protective circuits in a VLSI chip, having first and second CMOS devices therein which prevent damage due to ESD events, the first device being connected between a Vss contact and an I/O Pad contact and the second device being connected between a Vcc contact and the I/O Pad contact, and including diffusions in the chip that form a first diode which turns ON when negative ESD stresses develops between one of the first and second contacts and the I/O Pad contact, and which form a NPN transistor and a second diode that turn ON when positive ESD stresses develop between one of the first and second contacts and the I/O Pad contact, and additionally having the Vss and Vcc sources capacitively coupled.

With recent advances in the development of high density very large scale integration (VLSI) circuits, the dimensions of the devices continue to shrink resulting in a corresponding decrease in the gate oxide thicknesses in the CMOS devices. This decrease, relative to breakdown voltage, has resulted in the greater susceptibility of these devices to damage from the application of excessive voltages such as caused by an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. During an ESD event, charge is transferred between one or more pins of the integrated circuits and another conducting object in a short period of time, typically less than one microsecond. The charge transfer generates voltages that are large enough to break down insulating films, e.g., gate oxides on MOSFET devices, or that can dissipate sufficient energy to cause electrothermal failures in the devices. Such failures include contact spiking, silicon melting, or metal interconnect melting. Consequently, in order to deal with transient ESD pulses, an integrated circuit must incorporate protection circuits at every input and I/O pin. Various circuit structures for ESD protection can be found, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,019,888 to Scott et al; 5,182,220 to Ker et al; 5,218,222 to Roberts; and 5,329,143 to Chan; and in the literature in "Internal Chip ESD Phenomena Beyond the Protection Circuit", C. Duvvury, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol.35, No.12, Dec. 1988; "A Low-Voltage Triggering SCR for On-Chip ESD Protection at Output and Input Pads", A. Chatterjee, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol.12, No.1, Jan. 1991; and "ESD Protection in a Mixed Voltage Interface and Multi-Rail Disconnected Power Grid Environment in 0.50 - and 0.25-.mu.m Channel Length CMOS Technologies", S. Voldman, EOS/ESD Symposium Proceedings, pp. 125-134, 1994.
An example of an integrated circuit having such protection is shown in FIG. 1, which is a cross-sectional view of a conventional integrated circuit (IC) device 10 fabricated from a semiconductor substrate 12 of a first conductivity type, such as P-type conductivity, with various diffusions and circuit components formed thereon including those for protecting against ESD damage due to excessive stresses occurring between applied voltages Vss and Vcc and the voltage on an I/O Pad 15. Specifically, on the left side of the Pad, is a thin-oxide NMOS field-effect transistor (MOSFET) 26, composed of N+ regions, 18 and 20, and a gate electrode 22, with a thin oxide 24 therebetween, and having its outer N+ region 18 coupled to an adjacent outer P+ conductivity region 14, which is connected by a contact or bus 16 to a negative voltage source Vss. The inner N+ region 20 is also coupled to an adjacent P+ conductivity region 14 connected to negative voltage source Vss, This NMOS thick-field device 26 deals with either positive or negative ESD stresses developed between the Vss voltage on contact 16 and the voltage communicated from the Pad 15 to a Pad-connected contact 28 on inner N+ region 20. As illustrated in the Figure, the N+ diffusion regions, 18 and 20, and underlying P-type substrate 12 act as a bipolar device T1 when there is an excessive positive stress on the Pad contact 28 with respect to Vss, i.e., a parasitic lateral NPN transistor results, with its base at the substrate 12, its emitter at N+ area 18, and its collector at N+ area 20, which breaks down to offer protection to the other circuit devices. Specifically, junction breakdown occurs, typically at about 13 volts for a CMOS device, and the generated electrons are swept into the collector region 20. The generated holes injected into the base region 12 cause the substrate voltage to increase, forward biasing the emitter junction, and causing the transistor T1 to turn ON. As a consequence, injection of electrons from the emitter 18 into the base 12 is increased and those electrons reaching the collector base junction generate new electron hole pairs and current growth continues. This "positive feedback" causes the emitter-to-collector current to increase indefinitely resulting in damage to the device if the current is not somehow limited. When a negative stress on the Pad contact 28 with respect to Vss occurs, a forward biased diode Dl results between P+ region 14 and N+ region 20, through the substrate 12, that will turn ON to protect the other integrated devices.
On the other side of the Pad contact 28, and coupled thereto is a P-channel device comprised of an N-well 30 in the substrate 12 containing P+ regions 32 and 34 which have a gate electrode 36 disposed above and extending between them with a thin oxide 38 therebetween so as to form a thin-oxide PMOS field-effect transistor (MOSFET) 40. A contact or bus 42, coupled to an operating voltage source Vcc, connects outer P+ region 34 to an outer N+ region 44 also within the N-well 30. The inner P+ region 32 is coupled to Pad contact 28 and has an adjacent N+ conductivity region 44 connected to operating voltage source Vcc, with both regions 32 and 44 also within the N-well 30. The PMOS device 40 deals with either positive or negative ESD stresses developed between the Vcc voltage on contact 42 and the voltage on the Pad-connected contact 28. When an ESD stress is set up with respect to Vcc and contact 28, diodes D2 result between the P+ region 32 and the N+ regions 44, through the N-well 30. In particular, when there is an excessive positive stress on the Pad contact 28 with respect to Vcc, diodes D2 will turn ON, while when this ESD stress event is negative diodes D2 will suffer avalanche-breakdown. It will thus be seen that such a prior art construction while offering a degree of protection from ESD events still may suffer breakdown and damage.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an enhanced ESD protection performance apparatus and method to protect VLSI circuits and particularly CMOS devices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an enhanced ESD protection performance apparatus and method to protect VLSI circuits and particularly CMOS devices utilizing the addition of at least one capacitance in the line between the Vcc and Vss sources.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.


A mating arrow mounted slide and arrow rest cradle assembly for bowfishing and bowhunting utilizes an arrow shaft mounted slide that is releasably snapped into a cradle carried by the riser of a bow, in which the slide cradle combination provides a tight arrow rest as well as an anchoring mechanism for one end of a line when used for bowfishing. When the arrow is released the slide unsnaps from the cradle and moves in unison with the arrow as the arrow moves out of the bow.

It will be appreciated that one of the challenges in bowfishing is that one is typically bowfishing from an unstable platform such as a small boat, canoe or kayak. In this case appropriate positioning of the slide on the arrow is difficult as the platform is moving around. Moreover, one often leans over at an awkward angle from an embankment when bowfishing, again preventing positioning of the slide. The result is that when bowfishing one is typically firing the arrow at an unusual or unnatural shooting angle. This means that the arrow cannot easily be maintained against the bow riser and potentially result in misfiring.
Because of the instability of the platform, be it a canoe, kayak or the like or because of the awkward firing angle, oftentimes the little arm that hangs over the side of the bow riser and serves as a simple arrow rest is insufficient to maintain the arrow in the appropriate position against the riser. This is true when one leans around or moves around when taking a shot. The result is that when the arrow comes out of the simple arrow rest, the arrow and the fishing line can kick around so as to be dangerous, especially when one is trying to position himself for a shot from an awkward position. Thus the arrow will oftentimes come out of the arrow rest and if such occurs there is a serious risk of injury to either fisherman, hunter, other members of the party and potentially even the boat.
While in bowhunting and in bowfishing there are full containment rests, they have large annuli. The problem is that the arrow can slip around in the full containment rest which changes the rest point and changes the angle of the arrow.
Moreover, since the full containment rest lets one change the angle of the bow from vertical to as much as 30 degrees as one is bending over, these full containment arrow rests do not produce a reliable shot.
Thus, in addition the problem of safety of the arrow coming out of a simple arrow rest, there is also the problem of the arrow moving around in a full containment arrow rest which can cause the arrow to go off target.
By way of background, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,453 a slide is provided on an arrow to which is attached a fishing line. The purpose of a bowfishing slide is to make sure the string or line attached to the arrow to retrieve a fish stays in front of the handle so that when the arrow is released there is no chance of being caught up in the string.
It will be noted that the line or a string allows one to retrieve the arrow and fish or quarry that one is shooting at. It might be thought that one could simply use a traditional arrow and attach the string or line at the front of the arrow. However if one attaches the string at the front of the arrow it will cause the arrow to deflect sideways in flight. If however one attaches it at the rear of the arrow, the arrow is much more aerodynamically and hydrodynamically stable.
The problem however is that the string that is attached to the end of the arrow may come all the way back by the person's face as they are drawing the bow. When the string is flung forward after arrow release it can potentially come in contact with the person's face or hand or arm. From the above patent it can be seen that a slide is mounted on the arrow with the line attached, with the slide to always be in front of the bow handle. After release the slide moves forward and travels on the arrow, with the string or the line attached to the slide for retrieval. It is noted that the trailing edge of the arrow is provided with a stop that contacts the slide as the arrow moves away from the bow such that the arrow and the slide move forward in unison.
As will be appreciated the attachment of the line to the rearmost part of the arrow provides better aerodynamic stability than one would have if one did not have the slide.
The embodiment in the '453 patent has the slide positioned on the arrow ahead of the riser or bow handle so that line cannot get tangled in the hunter's or archer's hand or otherwise get tangled in elements of the bow. Thus, safety is provided because the line is always in front of the bow riser. However it is only with difficulty that this critical positioning can be maintained. This is because there is nothing to prevent the slide from sliding aft past the riser when the arrow is in place. Additionally, the '453 patent embodiment does not constrain the arrow, and allows for the arrow to be displaced from the riser as previously described.

Mating arrow mounted slide and arrow rest cradle assembly for bowfishing and bowhunting


The present invention provides a method for Agrobacterium-mediated gene introduction into a plant material, comprising:                1) treating the plant material, and then        2) infecting the plant material with an Agrobacterium, characterized in that a medium enriched in a metal salt containing copper ion is used in step 1) and/or 2). The present invention also provides a process for preparing a transformed plant characterized in that the gene introduction method of the present invention is used.

Agrobacterium-mediated gene introduction is a method for transforming plants through the use of a function of Agrobacterium. A soil bacterium Agrobacterium (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) functions in such a manner that the T-DNA forming a part of its Ti (tumor-inducing) plasmid involved in the pathogenicity of the Agrobacterium is integrated into the genome of a plant when it infects the plant. Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation is a method for introducing a desired gene into the genome of a plant through the use of the function of Agrobacterium described above by constructing a transforming plasmid in which the T-DNA region of the Ti plasmid is replaced by the gene desired to be introduced into the plant genome and then using Agrobacterium prepared to carry the transforming plasmid in place of the Ti plasmid.
Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation was originally developed mainly as a method for transforming dicotyledons because Agrobacterium were thought to infect only dicotyledons but not monocotyledons. Subsequently, various attempts for Agrobacterium-mediated gene introduction into monocotyledons were also made, and super-binary vectors having a part of the virulent genes of super-virulent Agrobacterium strains were developed and reported to be useful for stably transforming even monocotyledons such as rice and maize with relatively high efficiency (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 2,649,287; Japanese Patent No. 3,329,819; Hiei, Y., et al., (1994), The Plant Journal, Vol. 6, p. 271-282; and Ishida, Y., et al., (1996), Nature Biotechnology, Vol. 4, p. 745-750). Successful examples of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of monocotyledons such as wheat, barley and sorghum were also reported (e.g., see Cheng, M., et al., (1997), Plant Physiol., Vol. 115, p. 971-980; Tingay, S., et al., (1997), Plant J., Vol. 11, p. 1369-1376; and Zhao, Z-Y., et al., (2000), Plant Mol. Biol., Vol. 44, p. 789-798), and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation also began to be widely applied to monocotyledons.
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation generally has many advantageous features such as high efficiency, low copy number transgenes, transducibility of such a specific region as T-DNA without being fragmented, and short-term culture for obtaining transformants resulting in less mutation during culture. Thus, it is now widely used as the most useful means for transforming many plant species irrespective of whether they are dicotyledonous or monocotyledonous.
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is equally performed in all plants by contacting a material tissue with an Agrobacterium suspension, coculturing them and then selecting a transformed cell to produce a transformed plant, though the materials and the compositions of the culture media vary with plant species. Generally, the plant tissue used as a material is infected with Agrobacterium without any special treatment except for optional sterilization (e.g., see Rogers, S. G., et al., (1988), Method for Plant Molecular Biology, p. 423-436, CA: Academic Press Inc.; Visser, R. G. F., (1991), Plant Tissue Culture Manual, B5:1-9, Kluwer Academic Publishers; McCormick, S., (1991), Plant Tissue Culture Manual, B6:1-9, Kluwer Academic Publishers; and Lindsey, K., et al., (1991), Plant Tissue Culture Manual, B7:1-13, Kluwer Academic Publishers).
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation has been reported for many plant species, but has the disadvantage that the transformation efficiency widely varies with plant species, genotypes and material tissues (e.g., see Potrykus, I., et al., (1998), Agricultural Biotechnology, NY: Mercel Dekker Inc., p. 119-159). It is important to develop a technology enabling transformed plants to be stably obtained with high efficiency throughout the year because many transformed plants must be produced when a cultivar containing a practical gene is to be bred. Moreover, transformation methods independent of plant species and genotypes would be very useful for efficiently breeding practical cultivars. Development of transformation methods independent of material plant tissues would also be required for efficient transformation.
Thus, it is important to develop a method capable of improving gene transduction efficiency or transforming even plant species or genotypes involving difficulty in gene transduction. Many techniques for efficiently obtaining transformed plants have already been reported in various aspects such as the adaptation of the compositions of culture media, the alteration of marker genes, or promoters or the investigation of materials and treatment methods for materials. For example, treatment methods for materials by injuring tissues to improve infection efficiency or by centrifuging (e.g., see International Publication No. WO02/12520; Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 2000-342256) or heating (e.g., see Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 2000-342255; Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 2000-342253) plant tissues without injuring them have been reported. The present inventors previously found that pressurization of plant tissues is useful for improving gene transduction efficiency (with the results unpublished).
Among monocotyledons, maize had the disadvantage that the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation efficiency is lower than that of rice. Various attempts have already been made to improve the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation efficiency of maize (e.g., see Negrotto, D., et al., (2000), Plant Cell Reports, Vol. 19, p. 798-803; Zhao, Z-Y., et al., (2001), Mol. Breed., Vol. 8, p. 323-333; Frame, B. R., et al., (2002), Plant Physiol., Vol. 129, p. 13-22; and , Ishida, Y., et al., (2003), Plant Biotechnology, Vol. 14, p. 57-66). Various previous attempts to improve the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation efficiency of maize include selecting transformed cells on N6 basal medium (e.g., see Zhao, Z-Y., et al., (2001), Mol. Breed., Vol. 8, p. 323-333), adding silver nitrate and carbenicillin to culture media (e.g., see Zhao, Z-Y., et al., (2001), Mol. Breed., Vol. 8, p. 323-333; and , Ishida, Y., et al., (2003), Plant Biotechnology, Vol. 14, p. 57-66), adding cysteine to coculture media (e.g., see Frame, B. R., et al., (2002), Plant Physiol., Vol. 129, p. 13-22), etc., but the resulting effects are still low. Transformation methods with higher transformation efficiency would be desirable especially for major crops associated with low transformation efficiency such as maize not only when practical transformed plants are to be produced but also when the effect of a novel gene is to be tested.
Copper sulfate is contained as a minor salt in a wide variety of media. Normally, the concentration of copper sulfate in plant tissue culture media is 0.1 μM. Recent report shows that various effects were observed when adding copper sulfate at 50-fold to 500-fold higher concentrations than normal levels to media in tissue cultures and transformation tests of monocotyledons. Ghaemi et al. (see Ghaemi, M., et al., (1994), Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, Vol. 36, p. 355-359) reported that embryoid formation increases by culturing anthers of wheat in a medium containing 10 mg/l copper sulfate and 2.5-5 mg/l silver nitrate. Zhang et al. (see Zhang, S., et al., (1999), Plant Cell Reports, Vol. 18, p. 959-966) reported that the induction ratio of shoot meristematic cultures (SMCs) increases by culturing shoots having emerged from ripe seeds of barley in a medium containing 5 μM copper sulfate and 30 g/l maltose. They describe that maltose is effective for decreasing brown tissue and that copper sulfate is effective for promoting shoot growth when shoot meristematic cultures are induced. It was also reported that the regeneration ratio or the number of regenerated plants per callus increases in calli obtained by culturing immature embryos of barley (e.g., see Dahleen, L. S., (1995), Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, Vol. 43, p. 267-269; and, Cho, M-J., et al., (1998), Plant Science, Vol. 138, p. 229-244) and rice (e.g., see Sahrawat, A. K. and Chand, S., (1999), J. Plant Physiol., Vol. 154, p. 517-522) in media containing copper sulfate. It was also reported that green tissues having regeneration potential induced in media containing copper sulfate are suitable as materials for transformation (e.g., see Visser, R. G. F., (1991), Plant Tissue Culture Manual, B5:1-9, Kluwer Academic Publishers; and, McCormick, S., (1991), Plant Tissue Culture Manual, B6:1-9, Kluwer Academic Publishers).
Ishida et al. (see Ishida, Y., et al., (2003), Plant Biotechnology, Vol. 20, p. 57-66) investigated callus formation from immature embryos by culturing immature embryos of maize (cultivar: H99) inoculated and co-cultured with Agrobacterium, on media containing 1-100 μM copper sulfate. The callus formation improved in media containing 1-10 μM copper sulfate, but slightly.
As described above, previous reports showed that various effects were observed in tissue cultures of monocotyledons by adding high concentrations of copper sulfate to media. However, there has been no report on the effects of adding a metal salt containing copper ion on gene introduction efficiency and/or transformation efficiency.

Method for improving plant transformation efficiency by adding copper ion


Ionization gauge and method of operating same where the gauge may be of the Bayard-Alpert type and include a shield which completely encloses the electron source, the anode, and the collector electrode so that potentials external to the shield do not disturb the electric charge distribution within the shielded volume to thus stabilize the sensitivity of the gauge. The ionization gauge is further characterized by the following features which may be present either alone or in combination including: (a) the anode is provided with end caps which extend radially inward at least 25% of the radius of the anode but not more than 75% of the radius; (b) the ion collector has a diameter of not less than 0.015 in. and not more than 0.080 in.; (c) the ion collector extends at its free end at least through one of the partial end caps of the anode; (d) the electron source is not substantially longer axially than the region within the anode volume in which the electric field is predominantly directed radially inward and where the electron source is located substantially only adjacent to the foregoing region; (e) the anode is provided with a substantially uniformly transparent grid structure in the regions where the electrons enter the anode volume and where they exit from the anode volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vacuum gauges such as Bayard-Alpert (BA) ionization gauges and to systems and methods for operating and calibrating such gauges.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art and Summary of the Invention
The BA gauge is the simplest known non-magnetic means of measuring very low pressures and has been widely used worldwide essentially unchanged since being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,605,431 in 1952.
A BA gauge system consists of a BA gauge and controller circuitry. A prior art BA gauge consists of a heated cathode for emitting electrons, a cylindrical grid or anode for accelerating the emitted electrons to ionizing energy, a very small cross section collector electrode on axis for collecting the ions formed within the anode volume by collision of energetic electrons with gas molecules and a vacuum envelope surrounding the gauge electrodes and attaching to a vacuum system wherein an unknown gas pressure is to be measured. Controller circuitry consists of a means to apply suitable potentials to the anode, to the cathode and to the collector electrode, means for heating the cathode to provide a controlled electron emission current and means for measuring the collector current and means for calculating and displaying the indicated pressure.
To a first approximation, the ion current, i.sub.+, to the collector electrode is proportional to the electron emission current i.sub.-, and to the gas density in the gauge or at constant temperature to the gas pressure, P.sub.G, in the gauge. Thus, EQU i.sub.+ =Si.sub.- P.sub.G Eq. 1
where S is a constant of proportionality commonly called the gauge sensitivity.
S can be calculated by measuring i.sub.+ and i.sub.- when the gas pressure P.sub.GK in the gauge can be determined by other calibration means. Thus, EQU S=i.sub.+ /(i.sub.- P.sub.GK) Eq. 2 PA1 1. Calibrate the ionization gauge system in situ utilizing, for example, an expensive spinning rotor gauge. Such a solution is being actively promoted now by several spinning rotor gauge suppliers. The prior art gauge may change calibration at anytime, so frequent in situ calibration is required. This alternative provides the best accuracy but is extremely time consuming, inconvenient and costly. PA1 2. Send the ionization gauge system to a separate calibration facility and have the system calibrated--an expensive, time consuming alternative at best because the prior art gauge may change calibration anytime with use. This alternative enables the user to comply with certain governmental requirements but is unlikely to result in improved accuracy over the long term. PA1 3. Use the generic calibration data supplied by the manufacturer assuming it is accurate for the prior art BA gauge in use. This generic calibration data is typically obtained by measurements on one or more prototypes and consists of a fixed value of the sensitivity S for a given gas type and a list of the nominal applied electrode potentials.
where P.sub.GK is the known pressure in the gauge. The value of S thus determined can be utilized to calculate the value of an unknown gauge pressure P.sub.x which produces an ion current, i.sub.+x at the same value of i.sub.- used to determine S in Eq. 2 provided conditions in the gauge do not change. Thus, EQU P.sub.X =i.sub.+X /(i.sub.- S) Eq. 3
Very complex and costly non-BA gauges have been described which are claimed to provide excellent accuracy of measurement over a limited pressure range. However, these laboratory devices are entirely unsuitable for everyday use in research and industry and have yielded few clues if any as to how to improve the accuracy of the simple prior art BA gauge.
Numerous studies over the years have demonstrated conclusively that S is not constant in prior art BA gauges. For example, Poulter and Sutton at the National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom reported that a typical prior art BA gauge calibration "drifted at a rate of -1.4% per 100 operating hours when it was kept under vacuum but similar gauges exposed to atmospheric conditions showed sharp changes of up to 25% in their sensitivity", K. F. Poulter & C. M. Sutton, Vacuum, 31, 147-150 (1981). In another representative study, Tilford at the U.S. National Bureau of Standards reported that typical prior art nude BA gauges (BA gauges without vacuum envelopes) had sensitivities which varied from 70% to 110% of that specified by the manufacturer, C. R. Tilford, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A1(2), 152-162 (1983). In another study, repeated calibrations of seven prior art "broad range" BA gauges showed sensitivities varying from 52% to 67% of their specified values, C. R. Tilford, K. E. McCullogh, H. S. Woong, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 20(4), 1140-1143 (1982).
Ionization gauge systems must be calibrated against a primary or secondary pressure standard to be useful. Users of prior art BA gauge systems have been provided with three alternatives to secure required accuracy of vacuum measurement.
The huge majority of users opt for the last alternative because of the large expense and inconvenience of either of the other alternatives even though using generic calibration data provides vacuum measurements grossly in error.
What is needed is better means for providing generic calibration data that will yield more accurate vacuum measurements.
Many researchers have pointed out for years that S is not a constant but depends on gas species, electron energies, emission current, electric field distributions, gas density, kinetic energy of the gas molecules in the gauge, plus several other parameters. But from all this work there have been no solid clues on how to improve the accuracy of the prior art BA gauge and the inaccuracy remains the same as when the device was invented. From the vantage point achieved through computer simulation of electron and ion trajectories in a BA gauge, it is now possible to discern deficiencies in the prior art which help cause the observed large inaccuracies in prior art BA gauge systems.
It is well known that the performance of BA ionization gauges can be seriously affected by a phenomenon known as surface ion desorption. An effective way of minimizing this effect is by utilizing an anode which has minimum surface area. Thus, to minimize surface ionization inaccuracies all low pressure BA gauge designs utilize transparent grids with minimal surface area. When such open grids are used, energetic electrons are not confined to the anode volume but travel a significant fraction of their total path length outside the grid. These energetic electrons traveling outside the anode volume can impinge on exposed insulating surfaces and uncontrollably change the surface potential of the exposed insulator. Their trajectories may also be changed by uncontrolled potentials outside the anode volume. Utilizing computer simulation, one can determine if energetic charged particles will impact an exposed surface or if trajectories are influenced by potentials outside the anode volume for any given configuration of surfaces, potentials, energy and initial trajectory of the charged particles.
The total electric charge distribution in a BA gauge is the sum of the charge distribution on the surfaces exposed to impact by charged particles and the charge distribution due to free charges within the gauge volume. In prior art BA gauges, means have not been provided for adequately fixing the electric charge distribution in that region of the gauge accessible to energetic charged particles. Thus, the electric charge distribution can vary from measurement-to-measurement in the same gauge or from gauge-to-gauge at any given pressure. Thus, because the electric charge distribution which exists during calibration cannot be duplicated during use, inaccurate pressure indications result.
Applicants have found by computer simulation that seemingly trivial changes in the electrode geometry or in surface potentials in the gauge volume accessible to energetic charged particles can cause large changes in electron trajectories. It is well known that changes in electron trajectories cause changes in the radial position, r.sub.o, of ion formation resulting in changes in the angular momentum, m r.sub.o v.sub.T, of the ion, where m is the mass of the ion and v.sub.T is the tangential component of its velocity. Changes in angular momentum cause the probability of ion collection to change as is well known, thus causing the gauge sensitivity to change. Changes in gauge sensitivity cause measurement inaccuracies.
Prior art BA gauges can be categorized as to the manner in which and the degree to which the electric charge distribution on surfaces exposed to charged particle impact in the gauge are uncontrolled.

Ionization gauge and method of using and calibrating same


Example methods and apparatus to manage process control resources are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a selection of a first process control resource within a process control system to be associated with a logical container, the logical container including other process control resources that have a same user defined characteristic in common with the first process control resource, creating an entry within the logical container for the first process control resource by storing an identifier of the first process control resource in the logical container, and assigning the first process control resource to the logical container so that the identifier of the first process control resource links to process control information associated with the first process control resource.

Process control systems, like those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, typically include one or more process controllers and input/output (I/O) devices communicatively coupled to at least one host or operator workstation and to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses. The field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), perform process control functions within the process such as opening or closing valves and measuring process control parameters. The controllers receive signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices, process this information to implement a control routine, and generate control signals that are sent over the buses or other communication lines to the field devices to control the operation of the process. In this manner, the controllers may execute and coordinate control strategies or routines using the field devices via the buses and/or other communication links communicatively coupling the field devices.
Information from the field devices and the controllers may be made available to one or more applications (i.e., routines, programs, etc.) as runtime data executed by the operator workstation (e.g., a processor-based system) to enable an operator to perform desired functions with respect to the process. Some of these functions may include viewing the current state of the process (e.g., via a graphical user interface), evaluating the process, modifying the operation of the process (e.g., via a visual object diagram), etc. Many process control systems also include one or more application stations. Typically, these application stations are implemented using a personal computer, workstation, or the like that is communicatively coupled to the controllers, operator workstations, and other systems within the process control system via a local area network (LAN). Each application station may execute strategies, routines, or applications that perform campaign management functions, maintenance management functions, virtual control functions, diagnostic functions, real-time monitoring functions, safety-related functions, configuration functions, etc. within the process control system.
Application stations may include a plant asset manager to display information regarding field devices, controllers, and/or other process control components or resources. Frequently, plant asset managers organize information associated with field devices, controllers, and other process control components into a hierarchical structure that is based on the physical coupling of the field devices, controllers, and other process control components. Further, the hierarchical structure may be based on a physical location of the field devices, controllers, and other process control components. If process control personnel want to access a particular field device, the personnel have to navigate through the hierarchical structure. In some process control systems with many different areas or physical locations, tens of controllers, and thousands of field devices, navigating to a desired field device can be relatively difficult and time consuming.

Methods and apparatus to manage process control resources


A wringer for a sponge mop has two side plates each respectively mounted on a respective end of a U-shaped body. Two wringing rollers are mounted on the side plates for wringing. Each side plate has a reinforced piece provided therein to increase its rigidity and strength so that the wringer will not be deformed when wringing water out of the wet sponge.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wringer for a sponge mop which has reinforced pieces disposed in side plates thereof to prevent the wringer from deforming.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional sponge mop has a handle 80 securely mounted on a U-shaped wringer 81. The wringer 81 has two openings defined on the top face thereof. Two wringing rollers 82 are mounted one on each of two distal ends of the wringer 81. There are two linkages 84 passed through the openings. The lower end of the linkage 41 fastens a sponge 83. A width of the sponge 83 is large than a direction between the wringing rollers 82. The upper end of the linkage 41 are pivotally mounted on a lever 85. The lever 85 is pivotally mounted on the handle 80 at one end.
When removing water out from the wet sponge, the lever 85 is pivoted to drive upwards the linkages 84 and the sponge 83. The sponge 83, of which width is large than the gap of the side walls, will be pressed by the wringing roller 82, whereby water of the sponge is wrung out.
However, when wringing the wet sponge 83, a wringer 81 made of a plastic material will be expanded and deformed due to its low rigidity and strength, accordingly, water in the wet sponge 83 can not be wrung out fully. A wringer 81 made of steel has sufficient rigidity and strength to wring out water fully, but its cost of production is high due to a complex process.
Thus, a wringer for a sponge mop having reinforce pieces each located on each side plate of the winger tends to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problem.


A system for holding an indwelling catheter above the heart of a patient wearing one. When a patient has a central line placed, the catheter is sutured into the patient""s chest and the external portion of the catheter, the portion that remains outside the patient""s body, must be carefully protected and kept sterile; and it must also be carefully held above the level of the patient""s heart and the insertion point of the catheter so that the patient""s blood does not flow back into the catheter, potentially causing life-threatening clotting or infection. A sterilizable, disposable hanger, which is connectable to the port end (the external end) of the catheter, can be suspended from a necklace or neck cord by passing the neck cord through apertures in the hanger. This system allows a patient to hang the catheter from a neck cord. Using the hanger frees patients from using tape on their skin or pins in their clothing to hold their catheter in place.

People with medical conditions which require indwelling catheters (usually venous), chronic or acute, for the delivery of drugs find that these catheters are uncomfortable and difficult to maintain. Indwelling catheters allow medical professionals to deliver intravenous medications continuously or repeatedly without repeatedly puncturing a vein. For example, cancer patients who require continuous infusions of chemotherapeutic agents receive their medications through indwelling catheters. For the medical professional, these indwelling catheters are a necessary convenience. For the patient, these catheters are uncomfortable, difficult to keep clean and sterile, and easy to pull out. They also represent a significant risk of life-threatening systemic infection.
Chronic indwelling catheters are surgically inserted into a vein through the patient""s chest wall and are sutured to the patient""s skin to prevent the insertion end from slipping out. These catheters can be in place for months or even years at a time. Typically, the external port end of the catheter is looped and secured to the skin with tape or is pinned to the patient""s shirt, undergarment or bra. Movement and exercise are made difficult and uncomfortable if the clothing that the catheter is pinned to moves in relation to the insertion point of the catheter. Sometimes, the catheter is accidentally pulled out because the patient forgets to detach it from their clothing when undressing. Such problems occur even in acute such catheter use for a brief time.
Patients find that sleeping is especially uncomfortable with one of these catheters in place. These catheters are often pulled out during sleep. For example, if the catheter is pinned to a garment and the garment is not carefully adjusted when the patient rolls over during sleep, the catheter can easily be pulled out. Patients have difficulty sleeping because of worry over losing their catheters, soiling the bed sheets with blood, and risking infection. Patients who secure their catheters with tape may develop rashes or allergic reactions to the adhesive from the tape. Hirsute patients may be forced to either shave their chests or experience the pain of taped hair. Tape with less adhesive may lose its strength in hot weather when the patient perspires. Strongly adhesive surgical tape is uncomfortable to remove for daily treatments, especially after months of using tape in the same location.
The insertion point of these catheters is often the site of infection. Infection at the site of an indwelling catheter can follow the catheter directly into the bloodstream, creating life-threatening systemic infection. To prevent this serious infection, patients are charged with the responsibility of keeping the insertion point clean and sterile. The catheter itself must also be kept clean and the patient is often required to flush the catheter with saline. To further complicate the maintenance of these catheters, if the port end of the catheter falls below the insertion site or the level of the patient""s heart, venous backflow or siphon effect can occur. This backflow seriously increases the risk of infection and clotting.
Often, whether these catheters are taped to the patient""s chest or pinned to clothing, they are visible through shirts and clothing worn by the patient. The catheters are especially visible when taped to the most prominent area of the patient""s pectoral muscle or pinned to the undergarment, shirt or bra. Patients find these catheters to be unsightly and embarrassing, a visible reminder of their illness.
It is an object and feature of this invention, preferred forms of which are described in detail hereinafter, to overcome these disadvantages and drawbacks and to provide significant improvements in the care and maintenance of indwelling catheters not previously available.
It is an object and feature of this holding system to allow the external port end of the catheter to be suspended from the patient""s neck. This holding system allows patients to wear their catheters like jewelry. Using this holding system, patients can wear their catheters discretely so that they hang midline on the chest, like jewelry, instead of being pinned prominently on the patient""s undergarment, shirt or bra or taped prominently on the patient""s pectoral muscle.
It is an object and feature of this invention to keep the port end from dropping below the level of the insertion end and the level of the patient""s heart, and therefore reduce the risk of infection and clot-causing backflow or siphon effect. It is an object and feature of this invention to maintain the port end in a position carefully maintained by the length of the suspending element. It is also an object and feature of this invention to provide a sterile and sterilizable contact point between the catheter and holding system to help the patient fight infection.
This holding system, in a preferred form, also provides a holding system which does not require the use of uncomfortable, painful or rash-causing tape. It is an object and feature of this invention, to provide a holding system which allows patients to sleep without worrying so much that changing sleeping positions might rip the catheters from their chests. This holding system, in a preferred form, provides a holding system which allows patients to disrobe without worrying that changing clothes might rip the catheters from their chests.
It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a holding system which allows patients a greater range of motion. It is also an object and feature of this invention to reduce the patient""s worry that exercise or movement will cause their catheter to be pulled out. It is a further object and feature of this invention to provide that advertising or decorative materials can be attached to the holding system. For example, children can affix stickers or other decorative materials to a preferred form of this holding system.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this invention provides a holder system for comfortably and flexibly holding a port end of an indwelling catheter above a heart of a patient comprising: catheter cap means for releasably holding the port end of the indwelling catheter; hanging means for being suspended by a neck cord; wherein such hanging means comprises such catheter cap means and connection means for connecting with the neck cord. And it provides such system wherein such connector means comprises extension means, extending from a main body of such hanging means, for assisting connection with an eyeglass-holder neck cord. It also provides such a system wherein said connection means comprises an aperture and such system further comprises an adapter means for attaching with the neck cord and passing through such aperture means. Further it provides such system wherein such adapter means comprises a rigid bar portion suitable to pass through such aperture.
It further provides such system wherein such hanging means further comprises a divider means, between such aperture means and such catheter cap means, for assisting maintaining the sterility of the port end of the indwelling catheter. Further, it provides such system comprising suspending means for suspending such hanging means above the heart of the patient. It also provides such system wherein such suspending means comprises the neck cord. It also provides such system comprising a second such hanging means, wherein each such hanging means is suspended by the same such suspending means.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this invention provides a holder system for comfortably and flexibly holding a port end of an indwelling catheter above a heart of a patient comprising a catheter cap structured and arranged to releasably hold the port end of the indwelling catheter; a hanger structured and arranged to be suspended by a neck cord; wherein such hanger comprises: such catheter cap; and, at least one aperture structured and arranged to hold the neck cord. It further provides such system comprising an adapter structured and arranged to pass through such aperture. Also, it provides such system wherein such adapter is structured and arranged to attach to the neck cord. Even further, it provides such system wherein such hanger further comprises a divider between such aperture and such catheter cap structured and arranged to assist maintaining sterility of the port end of the indwelling catheter. It further comprises such system wherein such divider comprises a dome. Even further, it provides such system wherein such divider comprises a small hole structured and arranged to assist in preventing back air pressure on the catheter.
It also provides such system wherein such hanger further comprises indicia. Moreover, it provides such system wherein such hanger further comprises a hook. It also provides such system wherein such indicia is removably attached to such hanger by hanging such indicia from such hook. Further, it provides such system wherein such aperture comprises a sliding connection with the neck cord. Even further, it provides such system wherein such hanger comprises a anti-kinker to assist in preventing kinking in the indwelling catheter. Still further, it provides such system wherein such anti-kinker comprises a swivel connection between such catheter cap and such aperture. It also provides such system wherein such anti-kinker is structured and arranged to limit movement of such hanger with respect to the neck cord.
It also provides such system further comprising a suspender structured and arranged to suspend such hanger above the heart of the patient. Additionally, it provides such system wherein such suspender comprises the neck cord. In addition, it provides such system further comprising at least one second such hanger, wherein each such hanger is suspended by the same such suspender.
It also provides such system wherein such suspender further comprises an eye-glass holder adapter constructed and arranged to fit through such at least one aperture. Further, it provides such system wherein such eye-glass holder adapter comprises a rigid bar portion. Still further, it provides such system wherein such aperture comprises an internally convex curve structured and arranged to assist such aperture to move slidingly along the neck cord. And it provides such system wherein such aperture comprises a tunnel shape. Moreover, it provides such system wherein such hanger comprises at least two apertures.
Still further, it provides such system wherein such aperture comprises a ring. And it provides such system wherein such hanger comprises essentially a disposable plastic material. Further, it provides such system wherein such hanger comprises jewelry-grade metal. It also provides such system wherein: such aperture comprises a sliding connection with the neck cord; such hanger comprises an anti-kinker to assist in preventing kinking in the indwelling catheter; and such hanger comprises essentially a disposable plastic material. And it provides such system further comprising a suspender structured and arranged to suspend such hanger above the heart of the patient. And it provides such system wherein such suspender comprises an eye-glass holder adapter constructed and arranged to fit through such at least one aperture.
Even moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, this invention provides a holder system to comfortably and flexibly hold a port end of an indwelling catheter above a heart of a patient comprising: an indwelling catheter having a port end; a catheter cap structured and arranged to releasably hold such port end of such indwelling catheter; a hanger structured and arranged to be suspended by a neck cord; and a suspender structured and arranged to suspend such hanger above the heart of the patient, such suspender comprising the neck cord; wherein such hanger comprises such catheter cap, and at least one aperture structured and arranged to hold such suspender.

System for holding an indwelling catheter


A heads-up display (HUD) system is disclosed in various embodiments. The HUD system includes a window plate defining an opening to enable light emitting from HUD components to pass therethrough. The window plate includes an inner trough wall and an outer trough wall that cooperate to define a trough therebetween that at least partially surrounds the opening. A transparent cover is attached to the window plate and covers the opening. The cover has a perimeter and an overhang portion located along at least a portion of the perimeter. The opening has a center and the overhang portion extends further from the center than the inner trough wall to facilitate liquid traveling across the cover to enter the trough and inhibit the liquid from entering an interface between the cover and the window plate. The outer trough wall can have a raised profile relative to the cover to protect the cover.

Various automotive vehicles have a heads-up display (HUD) system. In a HUD system, a light source projects a light, which is reflected onto a windshield of the vehicle. The focal point of the light is out beyond the vehicle, enabling the driver of the vehicle to view the light on the windshield without changing focus while looking at the outside environment.


A scanner with a controller for controlling movement of a scanning module during scanner maintenance is provided. The scanner includes a housing, a transparent platform, and a scanning module installed inside the housing for scanning a document. The scanning module can move from a home position to a position corresponding to the document. The scanner also includes a driving device for driving the scanning module and for driving the scanning module back to the home position after the scanning module has scanned the document, and a controller for controlling the driving device. When the scanning module is at the home position, the controller can cause the driving device to drive the scanning module to a maintenance position and stop the scanning module at the maintenance position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanner, and more particularly, to a scanner having a controller for controlling movement of a scanning module during scanner maintenance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a prior art scanner 10. The scanner 10 comprises a housing 12, a transparent platform 14 installed on the housing 12 for a document 16 to be placed thereon, a track 18 installed inside the housing 12, and a scanning module 20 installed on and able to slide along the track 18 for scanning the document 16 and for generating corresponding image signals. The scanning module 20 further comprises a light-emitting device 24 (such as a fluorescent light) for projecting light onto the document 16. The scanning module 20 also comprises a driving device 26 (shown as dotted lines) for driving the scanning module 20 back and forth along the track 18.
Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. FIG. 2 is a top view diagram of the prior art scanner 10 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram along line 3—3 shown in FIG. 2. The scanner 10 also comprises a pair of hooks 22 installed inside the housing 12 and positioned at the same side as the home position. Whenever the scanning module 20 returns to the home position, the scanning module 20 always stays under the hooks 22. The scanning module 20 inlays itself into the hooks 22 from touching or even from destroying the transparent platform 14 during a delivery.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a partial bottom view diagram of the scanning module 20. The driving device 26 comprises a step motor (not shown) for turning an driving gear 28 around, a plurality of driven gears 30, 32 for transforming a high angular velocity of the driving gear 28 to a low angular velocity, a belt wheel 34, and a belt 36. The step motor turns the driving gear 28 around, which drives the driven gears 30, 32. The belt 36 of the driven gear 32 then spins the belt wheel 34 to drive the scanning module 20 to move back and forth along the track 18.
In general, the scanner 10 executes a setup process before it scans the document 16. After the scanner 10 has executed the setup process, the scanning module 20 stays at the home position under the hooks 22 (as shown in FIG. 3). When the scanner 10 is scanning the document 16, the driving device 26 drives the scanning module 20 to move along the track 18 from one end of the track 18 (home position) to the other end of the track 18 and drives the scanning module 20 to move backward along the track 18 until the scanning module 20 reaches the home position. If interrupted by a power failure or by an unexpected incident, the scanner 10 will still execute the setup process first after the power has recovered or the unexpected incident has been resolved. That is, no matter what position the scanning module 20 is in before the power interruption, the scanning module 20 will always move to the home position and stay there again after the scanner 10 has executed the setup process.
When a maintenance worker is about to disassemble the scanning module 20 from the scanner 10 or to repair some components inside the scanner 10, the maintenance worker has to push the scanning module 20 manually along the track 18 out from the hooks 22. However, because the gears 28, 30, 32 of the driving device 26 are designed as active driving elements (for the scanning module 20) and are hard to be driven passively, moving the scanning module 20 by hand is not always stable. Moving the scanning module 20 manually always reduces the accuracy of the scanning module 20 and even damages the driving device 26. Moreover, some driving devices of modern scanners are manufactured by a combination of worm gears and worm rods, so moving a scanning module of a scanner manually has become a difficult task.

Scanner with a controller for controlling movement of a scanning module during scanner maintenance


A catalyst system comprising a catalyst and a reductant is disclosed. The catalyst comprises a metal oxide catalyst support, a catalytic metal oxide, and a promoting metal. The catalytic metal oxide comprises gallium oxide, indium oxide or a combination of the two. The promoting metal comprises at least one of silver, cobalt, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, zinc, tin and bismuth. The catalyst comprises about 5 to about 31 mol % catalytic metal oxide and about 0.5 to about 9 mol % promoting metal. The reductant comprises a fluid hydrocarbon having at least 4 carbon atoms. Also disclosed is a process for reducing NOx to N2 using the disclosed catalyst system by mixing NOx with a reductant and passing the mixture through a catalyst of the disclosed catalyst system.

Solutions have long been sought to reduce the deleterious effects of air pollution caused by byproducts resulting from the high-temperature imperfect combustion of organic materials. When combustion occurs in the presence of excess air and at high temperatures, harmful byproducts, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), are created. NOx plays a major role in the formation of ground-level ozone that is associated with asthma and other respiratory ailments. NOx also contributes to soot, linked to a number of serious health effects, as well as acid rain and the deterioration of coastal estuaries. As a result, NOx emissions are subject to many regulatory provisions limiting the amount of NOx that may be present in effluent gas vented into the surrounding environment.
One known solution involves the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce NOx to nitrogen gas (N2) using ammonia (NH3) as a reductant. However, as ammonia's own hazardous consequences become better known, the use of NH3 in a SCR system presents additional environmental and other problems that must also be addressed.
As regulatory agencies continue to drive limits on NOx emission lower, other regulations are also driving down the permissible levels of NH3 that may be emitted into the atmosphere.


An image sensing apparatus for sensing an object and for transmitting the image information to a bus line as digitized data. The image sensing apparatus includes a solid state image sensor. The sensor has a plurality of light-receiving elements aligned in a matrix form and stores information charges produced by each light-receiving element in response to received light. A driver provides the solid state image sensor with a clock pulse and causes it to sequentially output the information charges stored in the individual light-receiving elements in accordance with the clock pulse. A signal processor produces image signals in a predetermined format in response to the information charges from the solid state image sensor. An A/D converter quantizes the image signals produced in the signal processor and produces image data corresponding to each light receiving element. An output interface outputs the image data from the A/D converter to the bus line. The output interface operates between a supply voltage and a first ground voltage. The solid state image sensor and the signal processor operate between the supply voltage and a second ground voltage. The second ground voltage has a lower potential than the first ground voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensing apparatus for digitizing image information of an original target and transmitting the information to computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some computer systems like personal computers and word processors are equipped with an image scanner, which scans an original target and reads the target's image information. Recently available are computer systems that include an electronic camera that senses a dynamic image as well as a three-dimensional image. The camera sends image data to the computer via a bus line. Such electronic cameras digitize image information and transmit the digitized data to computer systems.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional image sensing apparatus for digitizing image information and for outputting the digitized data (image data). A solid state image sensor 1 is constituted by a CCD (charge coupled device) having a plurality of light-receiving elements aligned in a matrix form and a plurality of shift registers corresponding to each light-receiving element. The sensor 1 stores information charges at each light-receiving element, which correspond to the image pattern of a subject. A CCD driver 2 produces a multi-phase clock pulse signal based on horizontal and vertical scan timing signals each synchronous with the horizontal and vertical scan timings. The CCD driver 2 provides the CCD 1 with the multi-phase clock pulse signal. This allows the CCD 1 to be driven in accordance the timing pulse based on the horizontal and vertical scan timing signals. The information charges stored in each light-receiving element are sequentially outputted via the corresponding shift register at a predetermined timing. Each information charge packet is converted to a voltage value in an output interface of the CCD 1. Then, sets of image signals, each of which corresponds to a line of light-receiving elements, are continuously outputted line by line.
A timing controller 3 includes a counter and a decoder. The timing controller 3 inputs a reference clock having a given period and produces timing signals of horizontal and vertical scanning period. When pursuant to the NTSC (National Television System Committee) standard, the timing controller 3 inputs a reference clock signal of 14.32 MHz. The timing controller then produces a horizontal timing signal by frequency-dividing the reference clock signal into 1/910 and produces a vertical timing signal by frequency-dividing the produced horizontal timing signal into 2/525.
A signal processor 4 shapes image signals from the CCD 1 into a predetermined format by performing a sample and hold operation, AGC (automatic gain control), etc. to the signals. For example, in the sample and hold operation, a reference level and a signal level are alternately outputted with a predetermined interval in between. Data corresponding to the difference between the reference level and the signal level is acquired as a sample. On the other hand, in the AGC operation, the gain to the image signal is adjusted so that the average level of the image signals on a screen is contained in a proper range.
An A/D converter 5 operates in synchronism with the drive timing of the CCD 1 and quantizes the image signals from the signal processor 4 pixel by pixel for producing digitized image data corresponding to each light-receiving element on the CCD 1. The image data is sent to a bus line from an output buffer and then transmitted to a computer system via the bus line. The above described circuits, which constitute an image sensing apparatus, are formed as integrated circuits and provided on a circuit board. The circuits are connected one another by wiring.
It has been proposed to manufacture a 3-chip image sensing apparatus which has a chip including an output buffer, the timing controller 3, the signal processor 4 and the A/D converter, a one-chip CCD 1 and a one-chip driver 2. In general, the digital-operating timing controller 3 and the digital-operating A/D converter 5 consist of MOS transistors, while the chiefly analog-operating signal processor 4 consists of bipolar transistors. This means that MOS transistors and bipolar transistors have to be formed on a single substrate to manufacture a one-chip device having the output buffer, the timing controller 3, the signal processor 4 and the A/D converter 5 thereon.
However, forming MOS transistors and bipolar transistors on a single substrate requires such a complicated procedure that normally all the circuits on the board are formed with MOS transistors. That is, the signal processor 4 is constituted by MOS transistors that are made to analog-operate. The signal processor 4 is integrated on a single semiconductor substrate with the timing controller 3, the A/D converter 5 and the output buffer, which are constituted by digital-operating MOS transistors.
An analog-operating MOS transistor has a better characteristic when it is constituted by an N channel-type transistor, in which electrons have great mobility in the channel area. In this case, the N-channel type MOS transistor needs to be formed in an electrically isolated P type diffusion area (P-well area). A substrate of N-type conductivity is generally utilized for this purpose. This allows the source of the MOS transistor to be short-circuited to the substrate for preventing back gate bias effect.
The signal processor 4, which receives signals from the CCD 1, is generally driven by a supply voltage of 5 V for a wider input dynamic range, while the bus line for transmitting image data is preferably driven by a supply voltage of 3.3 V for reducing the consumed power. One method for driving the bus line by a supply voltage of 3.3 V is to mount the signal processor 4 and the A/D converter 5 on a single chip and to output image data having a peak value of 5 V. This requires a level converter between the output buffer and the bus line.
Mounting the signal processor 4, the A/D converter 5 and the output buffer on a single chip eliminates the necessity of the level converter. It also enables outputting of image data with a peak value of 3.3 V by driving the chip with two separate supply voltages, for example, by driving the signal processor with a supply voltage of 5 V and driving the output buffer with a supply voltage of 3.3 V. Semiconductor substrates of N type conductivity are suitable for forming analog-operating MOS transistors. However, since supply voltage is applied to the substrate, a semiconductor substrate of N-type conductivity cannot have a plurality of different supply voltages. Thus, an integrated circuit device including the signal processor 4, timing controller 3 and the output buffer, which are mounted on a single chip, cannot be driven by two different supply voltages.

Highly-integrated image sensing apparatus producing digitized output


A cup holder includes a platform adapted to radially pivot outward from an inclined vehicle structure such that the platform when fully extended in the outward position is substantially horizontal. The platform includes a front wall portion and rear wall portion, and a retaining member connected between the front and rear wall portions forms an upper horizontal surface. A pair of side walls pivotally connected to the platform cooperate with the retaining member and platform to form a cavity for holding a beverage container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cup holders and, more particularly, to a cup holder which is stored within vehicle structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, many automotive vehicle manufactures provide the interior of each vehicle with a cup holder for supporting a beverage container. The cup holder provides a place to secure a beverage container during vehicle operation. Typically, cup holders are either stationary platforms mounted horizontally with respect to the vehicle in open view, or they are retractable or hidden from view and pulled out when needed. Previously, cup holders have been coupled with ash trays, glove compartment doors, or simply formed as cylindrical cavities in a vehicle console.
One problem with retractable and hidden cup holders is that the cup holder must have a substantially horizontal cup platform or base in order to prevent spillage. To accomplish this, the cup holder must be mounted horizontally within the vehicle structure. Mounting the cup holder in this manner requires a greater use of interior space and limits the location on a vehicle at which the cup holder may be mounted. Additionally, retractable cup holders are usually manually operated; i.e., the vehicle operator must physically grasp and pull open the cup holder.
Since space is at a premium on an automotive vehicle, and today's automotive vehicles have many unique inclined, angular or curved surfaces, there is a need in the art to have a cup holder which may be mounted within vehicle structure at a position other than horizontal and ejected outward into the vehicle compartment into a horizontal position. When not in use, the cup holder may be closed by pushing the cup holder back into the vehicle structure, thereby providing a cup holder having both functional and aesthetic features.


A low-voltage operational amplifier includes a differential amplifying stage, an output amplifying stage and a compensation stage. The differential amplifying stage amplifies a difference between a first signal and a second signal that constitute a differential pair using an input pair of NMOS transistors, and outputs an amplified first signal and an amplified second signal. The output amplifying stage amplifies a difference between the amplified first signal and the amplified second signal using an input pair of PMOS transistors, and outputs a first output signal and a second output signal that constitute a differential pair. The compensation stage receives the amplified first signal, the amplified second signal, the first output signal, and the second output signal, and reduces a settling time of the first output signal and the second output signal.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an operational amplifier and, more particularly, to a low-voltage operational amplifier and an operational amplifying method.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As techniques in a semiconductor manufacturing process are improved, the width between the semiconductor circuit lines is gradually decreased. Because the width between the semiconductor circuit lines becomes narrower, an integration degree of the semiconductor is improved and a production cost of the semiconductor is reduced. In addition, as the width between the semiconductor circuit lines gradually becomes narrower, a power-supply voltage that is applied to the semiconductor gradually becomes lower. For example, a semiconductor that has a 90 nm width between the semiconductor circuit lines generally needs a power-supply voltage that is not more than 1.2V. On the other hand, a semiconductor that has a 90 nm width between the semiconductor circuit lines occasionally needs a power-supply voltage that is not more than 1.0V. Therefore, a circuit that operates properly at a high power-supply voltage may not operate properly at a low power-supply voltage. Accordingly, a circuit that has a new structure is needed.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional operational amplifier that has a folded cascode structure.
The conventional operational amplifier usually includes a multi-stage structure in order to achieve a high gain. The conventional operation amplifier shown in FIG. 1 includes two stages 10 and 20 that each have a folded cascode structure.
The conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 1 achieves the high gain owing to the cascade connected stage. There are two cascade connected stages in each stage 10 and 20, and one such cascade stage 30 has four MOS transistors connected in series between a power-supply voltage VDD and a ground voltage VSS. A second cascade connected stage of four MOS transistors is in the first stage 10 and bias voltages BS1, BS2, and BS3 are fed to respective gates of corresponding transistors and a common mode feedback signal is connected to the gates of corresponding transistors whose drains are connected to the ground voltage VSS. The input signals IN+ and IN− are fed to an input pair of transistors that have their drains connected to a current source transistor that receives at its gate a bias voltage BS4. Outputs of the first stage 10 are fed to a pair of input transistors whose drains are commonly connected to a current source transistor whose gate receives the bias voltage BS4 and whose drain is connected to the ground voltage VSS. The second stage 20 employs the same structure as the first stage 10 with corresponding transistors receiving the bias voltages BS1, BS2, and BS3 and the common mode feedback signal CMFB. Outputs 40 the second stage 20 are at the same location as the outputs of the first stage 10, with the outputs OUT+ and OUT− of the first stage being coupled with respective capacitors. As is known, a common mode feedback signal decides a common mode voltage of an amplified first signal and an amplified second signal. Thus, the conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 1 does not efficiently obtain a large dynamic voltage margin at a relatively low power-supply voltage. In addition, a swing margin at the output terminal 40 of the second cascade stage 20 is limited at a low power-supply voltage.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating another conventional operational amplifier.
The conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 2 has a structure where a folded cascode stage 110 is connected to a common source stage 120. Therefore, the conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 2 can obtain a larger swing margin at an output terminal than the conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 1. In a folded cascode stage 110, four MOS transistors 130 are connected in series between a power-supply voltage VDD and a ground voltage VSS, as in FIG. 1. A second set of four MOS transistors are provided in the first stage 110 and respective gates of corresponding transistors receive bias voltages BS1, BS2, and BS3, as well as the common mode feedback signal CMFB. The input signals IN+ and IN− are fed to a transistor pair whose common drains are connected to a current source transistor that receives at a gate thereof a bias voltage BS4 and that has a drain connected to the ground voltage VSS. The common source stage 120 has a pair of input MOS transistors having respective gates receiving the output signals from the folded cascode stage 130. A transistor pair has its drains connected to the power-supply voltage VDD, sources connected to the input transistor pair, and gates receiving the bias voltage BS1. A current source transistor is connected between the common drains of the input transistor pair and the ground voltage VSS with the common mode feedback signal CMFB connected to the gate thereof, the outputs OUT+ and OUT− of the operational amplifier are taken from the common source stage 120 by being capacitor coupled from the outputs of the folded cascode stage 110. Thus, the conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 2 does not efficiently obtain a large dynamic voltage margin at a low power-supply voltage. In addition, the conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 2 achieves a relatively low gain compared with the other conventional operational amplifier of FIG. 1.
Accordingly, a low-voltage operational amplifier that can operate properly at a low power-supply voltage and that can have a high gain is needed.

Low-voltage operational amplifier and operational amplifying method


The present invention relates to a novel composite structure with enhanced toughness, which incorporates features mimicked from nacre (mother of pearl). The structure can be used in many industrial and clinical applications, including aeronautics (aircraft skin), the defense industry (armor materials); orthopedics and medical devices (tough, biocompatible coatings on prostheses) and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS; increased reliability for critical components).

Nacre from the shells of bivalves, also known as mother-of-pearl, is about three thousand times tougher than the fragile ceramic it is made of (aragonite, 95% by volume). This improvement in toughness is the result of an extremely well designed structure arranged over several, distinct length scales (hierarchical structure). Microscopic aragonite tablets are arranged as overlapping layers similar to a three dimensional brick wall, and having a nanometers thick layer of soft organic material acting as a mortar (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). Ceramic materials, including aragonite, have many attractive engineering qualities such as stiffness, hardness, wear resistance, and resistance to high temperatures. The main obstacle to a wider use of ceramics in engineering applications is their brittleness: they fail at very small deformations and in a catastrophic fashion, and they are fragile in tension.
Several attempts at mimicking nacre have been made, but to this day none can reach the degree of toughness improvement of nacre (see Clegg, W. J., et al. (1990) Nature 347: 455-457; Tang, Z. Y., et al. (2003) Abst. Papers Am. Chem. Soc. 226; 413-418; Sellinger, A. et al. (1998) Nature 394: 256-260 (1998); Dabbs, D. M. and Aksay, I. A. (2000) Ann. Rev. Phys. Chem. 51: 601-622; Mayer, G. (2006) Mat. Sci. Eng. C—Biomimetics Supramol. Syst. 26: 1261-1268; and Deville, S., et al. (2006) Science 311: 515-518).
The prior art demonstrates that there is a current and long-felt need for an improved composite material having properties similar to natural nacre or mother-of-pearl. Such composites can have uses in aeronautics, defensive material, orthopedics, and MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems).

Nacre composites, methods of synthesis, and methods of use


A turbocharger is disclosed for use with an engine. The turbocharger may include a housing at least partially defining a compressor shroud and a turbine shroud. The turbine shroud may form a volute having an inlet configured to receive exhaust from an exhaust manifold of the engine in a tangential direction. The volute may also include an axial channel disposed downstream of the inlet. The turbocharger may also include a turbine wheel disposed within the turbine shroud that may be configured to receive exhaust from the axial channel. The turbocharger may also include a compressor wheel disposed within the compressor shroud, and a shaft connecting the turbine wheel to the compressor wheel. The turbocharger may also include a nozzle ring disposed within the axial channel at a location upstream of the turbine wheel.

A turbocharged air induction system includes a turbocharger that compresses air flowing into the engine, thereby forcing more air into an associated combustion chamber. The increased supply of air allows for increased fueling, which may result in increased power. A turbocharged engine typically produces more power than the same engine without turbocharging.
An exemplary turbocharger is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0252790 to Lotterman et al. that published on Oct. 20, 2011. The '790 publication describes a turbocharger having an axial turbine with a spiraling volute passageway. The axial turbine receives a circumferential exhaust gas stream that drives a turbine wheel around an axis of rotation. The spiraling passageway accelerates the speed of the gas stream to supersonic speeds. The exhaust gas stream may have both an axial component and a circumferential component, and is ultimately released from the turbine in an axial direction.
Although the turbocharger of Lotterman et al, may provide accelerated airflow through the turbine, it may still be less than optimal. In particular, the turbocharger of Lotterman et al. directs a non-uniform and poorly guided axial flow through the turbine wheel for wide operating conditions. This poorly guided non-uniform flow may create high energy losses, reduced aerodynamic efficiencies, and increased mechanical or vibrational stresses (or strains) on the turbine during operation due to flow misalignment (high incidence) with the blades of the turbine at wide operating conditions. Also, the axial turbine stage shown in Lotterman et al. is a high reaction stage, which may lead to supersonic flows with higher aerodynamic losses (passage and secondary flows) in blade passages, as compared to low reaction stages at similar turbine stage loading conditions.
The disclosed turbocharger is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.


An elongated, somewhat flexible frame member generally bowed along its length is comprised of a forehead covering member having a pair of first and second orifices receivable of a pair of elastic bands for being removably secured on said frame member, and a first and second ear erection member having a sleeve along a longitudinal edge for being removably attached to the frame member. The ear erection members being of sufficient length to extend behind the neck of a wearer.

The present invention relates to a frame having removably secured thereon a forehead covering member and a pair of ear erection members that extends to cover the back of a neck, specifically to protect the perimeter along a hairline from being touched by a hot hair-styling devices during hair-styling procedures.

Frame-supported ear, forehead and neck guard


A system for ensuring the ability to start an internal combustion engine contained within a drive train of a vehicle includes, in addition to an actuation device, a torque transmission device contained in the drive train between the internal combustion engine and driven vehicle wheels, an enabling device that is operable by a person operating the vehicle and by means of which the operability of the starter is enabled for starting the internal combustion engine when the torque transmission between the internal combustion engine and the driven wheels of the vehicle is interrupted.

In vehicles equipped with an automatic clutch or a clutch controlled by an actuator device, the internal combustion engine for safety reasons may only be started if predetermined conditions are fulfilled. For example, the transmission must be in a neutral gear and/or the clutch must be disengaged. In addition, it may be required that the vehicle brake be actuated. In automatic transmissions, the enabling of the starter is typically linked to the selection lever being in the position N or P. The aforementioned measures ensure that the vehicle is not unintentionally set in motion when the internal combustion engine is started.
In order to enable the vehicle to be towed or pushed in any case when there is an error or a failure in the electronic controller of the actuation system for an automatic clutch, so-called emergency disengagement devices that may be activated by a person operating the vehicle are known in order to disengage the clutch and thereby also be able then to push or tow the vehicle if a gear is engaged in the transmission.
A problem of vehicles having an automatic or automated drive train may result from the fact that when there is an error in the clutch/transmission control or actuation device, the condition for enabling of the starter is no longer satisfied, so that the internal combustion engine cannot be started in order, for example, to be able to operate the heater or the air conditioner or also the alternator in case the vehicle breaks down.

System for ensuring the ability to start an internal combustion engine contained within a drive train

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Betelligungs KG


A simple, reliable and inexpensive ultra high pressure transducer includes a basic capacitive transducer, made of two closely spaced insulating plates whose opposed faces contain conductive layers, and one of which plates is a thin and flexible diaphragm of low mechanical hysteresis. In mechanical coupling proximity with this insulating diaphragm is a thick metal diaphragm which is a part of the ultra high pressure coupling component. The flexure of this thick metal diaphragm under ultra high pressures, which are applied only on the side opposite the insulating diaphragm, determines the magnitude of the deflection of both diaphragms, and, corresponding to the resultant output capacitance level, provides a measure of the ultra high pressure level.

Transducers for measuring ultra-high pressures, in the order of several hundred to several thousand atmospheres or more, are known, but they tend to be relatively massive and expensive.
For measuring lower pressures, in the order of 1,000 psi or less, reference is made to the capacitive pressure transducer assemblies and circuitry shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,668 granted Jun. 14, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,426, granted Aug. 16, 1983 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,419, granted Oct. 14, 1980, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In the transducers shown in these patents, a thin diaphragm of low hysteresis insulating material, such as glass, or a ceramic such as alumina, is employed; and when pressure is applied to the diaphragm it flexes toward an adjacent base member, normally of the same material, and conductive layers forming electrodes on the facing surfaces change their spacing, thereby varying the capacitance between the two conductive-layer electrodes. Circuitry included in the transducer converts the capacitance changes to an electrical signal varying linearly with the pressure changes. These pressure transducers are relatively inexpensive and have been widely used in automotive control and other applications.
Transducers for pressure ranges up to about 1000 psi have been made using substantially the arrangements shown in the above cited patents. However, at pressures substantially above 1,000 psi, corresponding to more than 60 or 70 atmospheres or bars, standard low pressure transducer configurations are not entirely practical, as the pressure seals and other components cannot handle the very high pressures.
An effective high pressure transducer, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and operable up to about 10,000 psi is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,607, granted Oct. 14, 1986. In that transducer the pressure is primarily absorbed by a relatively thick insulating diaphragm which is hermetically sealed outside of the high pressure fluid by means of a thin metal diaphragm which is substantially coextensive with and in contact with the thick insulating diaphragm, and welded or otherwise bonded to the fitting which includes the high pressure chamber connected to the source of high pressure fluid.
However, at the ultra-high pressures handled by the present transducer, the compressive strength of the ceramic insulating diaphragm may be inadequate; therefore, the type of high-pressure transducer based on the principles disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,607 may not be entirely suitable for ultra high pressures without significant improvement.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive ultra high pressure transducer.


A diallyl terephthalate prepolymer consisting essentially of diallyl terephthalate monomer units, having. (a) 10 or less of the monomer units in the carbon-carbon bonded molecular chain portion which is composed of the allyl groups of the monomer units, and either PA1 (b) an unsaturation in a range of from 40 to 70, as represented by an iodine value determined by the Wijs method, PA1 (c) a number-average molecular weight in a range of from 6,000 to 10,000 as polystyrene, and a weight-average molecular weight in a range of from 10,000 to 70,000 as polystyrene, both being determined by gel permeation chromatography, and PA1 (d) a melt viscosity in a range of from 30,000 to 90,000 CP at 170.degree. C., as determined by a Koka flow tester, or PA1 (b) an unsaturation in a range of from 50 to 80, as represented by an iodine value determined by the Wijs method, PA1 (c) a number-average molecular weight in a range of from 8,000 to 20,000 as polystyrene, and a weight-average molecular weight in a range of from 30,000 to 90,000 as polystyrene, both being determined by gel permeation chromatography, and PA1 (d) a melt viscosity in a range of from 20,000 to 90,000 CP at 130.degree. C., as determined by a Koka flow tester.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel diallyl terephthalate prepolymer (hereinafter referred to as "DAT-P") and a process for producing the same by polymerizing diallyl terephthalate (hereinafter referred to as "DAT").
2. Description of the Related Art
Resin made by polymerization of diallyl phthalate (hereinafter referred to as "DAP") as the monomer, which is an isomer of DAT, has been highly rated for its stable electrical properties in a high-temperature, high-moisture atmosphere, and has found wide use in forming materials, laminates, and decorative laminates and the like.
Nevertheless, there is a growing demand for a greater heat-resistance of this resin while preserving the desired properties thereof, to enable a wider use thereof in machines and electrical parts.
In the production of a DAP resin, polymerization is temporarily discontinued before the polymer is substantially gelled, and the polymer thus produced is separated from the system as a prepolymer, which is then further polymerized, after a polymerization initiator or filler is added thereto, into the final product. This is because the monomer has two double bonds in the molecule thereof and thus tends to be gelled, in the ordinary polymerization process, before it is sufficiently polymerized. For such an approach to be economically viable, it is essential to be able to produce the prepolymer in an efficient manner, but at present, the prepolymer production process is not fully developed, and a more efficient approach has been demanded by industry.
Polymerization of DAT as the monomer, which is highly symmetrical, has a potential for the production of heat-resistant polymers but has not been commercialized because the cured product of DAT-P produced by the currently available process is fragile and generally has unsatisfactory mechanical properties.
The prepolymer is usually prepared by bulk polymerization, which uses no solvent, or solution polymerization with the aid of a variety of solvents. Bulk-polymerized prepolymer has a minimum iodine value of about 80, even when polymerization is effected immediately before gellation starts, and the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) thereof determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) is very high. The inventors have found that a prepolymer having an excessively high iodine number and Mw, when cured, does not improve the product properties; the major drawbacks of the polymer of hardness and fragility remain, and the viscosity during the forming process is increased to no useful purpose.
Solution polymerization, with the aid of a solvent such as benzene or ethyl acetate, is also known. A solution-polymerized prepolymer has a lower iodine number than a bulk-polymerized prepolymer but still has the above drawbacks, because the number of the monomer units in the carbon-carbon bonded molecular chain portion, which is composed of the allyl group for the monomer units, is still large.
Another approach to the production of a prepolymer which can provide a cured product having a high heat resistance and mechanical strength is a copolymerization of DAT and an aromatic hydrocarbon compound having at least one hydrogen atom on the benzyl position of toluene or xylene, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 59-80409. Such an approach, however, needs special considerations for the process and reactor; e.g., the monomer, polymerization initiator, and aromatic hydrocarbon compound must be injected from specially designed nozzles while being stirred at a high speed. Furthermore, large quantities of polymerization initiator are needed, and recycle of the monomer in a copolarization process is very difficult, although not impossible.
Still another approach is a polymerization of a halogenated hydrocarbon compound or aldehyde derivative having a relatively high chain transfer constant. One of the major problems involved in this approach is the production of radicals from the solvent, which tend to be added to the allyl group to initiate telomerization and degrade the polymer properties.
Diallyl isophthalate resin is known for a high heat-resistance, and is already produced on a commercial scale, but this is impracticable as the monomer is very expensive.
Use of a special monomer, such as naphthalenedicarboxylic acid diallyl ester, has been disclosed, but this monomer is also impracticably expensive.
All of the approaches described above can be improved from the viewpoint of the productivity of the prepolymer.

Diallyl terephthalate prepolymer and process for producing seam


A system which irradiates light onto a liquid flow containing a biological particle, detects the light therefrom to collect biological information thereon, and sorts the biological particle based upon the biological information, comprises an optical detector for detecting the light from the biological particle; an imaging device for imaging the flow and a droplet split off the flow; means for calculating, based upon the image taken by the imaging device, a distance from a detection point where the optical detector detects the light from the biological particle to a lower end position of the flow, and an interval between adjacent droplets split off the flow, thereby calculating a time that the particle moves from the detection point to the lower end position, based upon the distance and the interval; and means for providing the flow with electrons of a predetermined polarity depending upon the feature of the biological particle, when the calculated time passes after the optical detector detects the light from the biological particle. Thus, the structure of the system for sorting the biological particles can be simplified and the sorting accuracy can be improved.

As the biotechnology has been developed, a flow cytometer is more commonly used in the fields of medicine and biology for automatic analysis and fractionation of cells or chromosomes (which are collectively referred to as "cells"). The flow cytometer forms a stream of the analyte cells within a flow channel performing as cell aligning means, and irradiates laser beam on the stream of the cells to detect information light scattered/emitted at the cells (i.e., forward- and side-scattered light, and fluorescent light). Also, it converts the information light into electrical signals to analyze the cells based upon the electrical signals, allowing high throughput of analyzed cells and extraction (sorting) of a particular group of cells, if necessary.
FIG. 16 is a schematic view of the flow cytometer, for illustrating a typical structure and operation thereof. In the flow cytometer 200 shown in the drawing, a liquid suspension 201 containing cells received in a container and a sheath fluid 202 received in another container are each guided into a funnel-shaped flow chamber (nozzle) 204 by air pumps 203. Within the flow chamber 204, the sheath fluid 202 forms a cylindrical laminar flow, i.e., a sheath flow, encompassing the liquid suspension 201 therein, in which a discrete one of the cells runs one-by-one along the central axis of the flow chamber 204. As closer to the bottom end of the flow chamber 204, the sheath flow runs faster, in which a laser beam 207 is irradiated from a laser beam source 205 and focused by a collective lens 206. Most of the cells in the liquid suspension 201 are fluorescently labeled with fluorescent material such as a fluorescent pigment and a fluorescent-labeled monoclonal antibody. Therefore, irradiation of the laser beam onto the cells generates the scattered light and the fluorescent light.
The scattered light passes through collective optics including a collective lens 208 and a beam block 209 to an optical detector 210 such as a photodiode designed for detecting the scattered light. In the meanwhile, a red-based fluorescent light is received by means of an optical detector 215, through another collective optics including a collective lens 211, a half-mirror 212, a collective lens 213 and a filter 214, also a green-based fluorescent light is received by means of an optical detector 218, through the half-mirror 212, a collective lens 216 and a filter 217. Photomultiplier tubes are typically utilized as the fluorescent detectors 215, 218 capable of detecting faint fluorescent light. A signal processing circuitry 219 receives various signals output from the detector 210 for the scattered light, the detector 215 for the red-based fluorescent light and the detector 218 for the green-based fluorescent light, and analyzes strength of the scattered light and the fluorescent lights, thereby to identify the analyte cell.
As illustrated in FIG. 17, the identification result is transmitted from the signal processing circuitry 219 to an electron charger 220. The electron charger 220 charges the liquid suspension 201 and the sheath fluid 202 with electrons of a predetermined polarity in accordance with the identification result of the cells, just before the identified cell reaches the break-off point. 221 at the bottom end of the sheath flow and a droplet containing the identified cell is formed, i.e., just before the identified cell reaches break-off point at the bottom end of the sheath flow to be the droplet. As the result, the droplet split off the sheath flow at the break-off point 221 is charged with the electrons of the predetermined polarity. The charged droplet falling downwardly is attracted and deflected between a pair of electrodes 222, 223 which are provided beneath the break-off point 221 and applied with potential of different polarity, so that the droplet is sorted into one of the collection tubes 224, 225 which are arranged below the electrodes 222, 223. (See, for example, Patent References 1-4.)
Patent Reference 1: JP 59-000643, A
Patent Reference 2: JP 59-184862, A
Patent Reference 3: JP 60-195436, A
Patent Reference 4: JP 03-503808, A

System and process for sorting biological particles