The present patent incorporates major improvements and simplifications of 1976 U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,449 necessary to make the concept functional and useful on a large scale. The earlier patent listed many approaches to the several design problems believed to be necessary at the time of the earlier application, while this one reflects the extensive research and laboratory investigation to identify, validate and demonstrate the functionality of the various parts. In particular, the methods for producing the necessary nuclei for steam bubble production, the method of insuring bubble growth, the method of condensing the steam bubbles produced and methods for minimizing the release of air in large bubbles, and for dealing with those that are released are covered in detail. The first patent, with 50 claims listed many approaches to many problems, some of which were either misunderstood from an unsatisfactory literature or unnecessarily complicated. To an extent those have been eliminated, resulting in what appears to be the simplest embodiment of the concept.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved methods for the design of the various parts of a concept for building power-producing plants using the temperature difference between the warm surface waters of the tropical oceans, typically of the order of 27.degree. C. and the deep bottom waters which may approach the freezing point of salt water but generally are of a higher but useful temperature for condensing the steam bubbles produced. The general method of construction is to introduce the warm surface waters from a preferred depth below the surface, producing steam bubble nuclei, then forming steam bubbles of a desired size. These reduce the density of a rising column of seawater as in the old art of the air lift pump. The ALP, while functional, was poorly understood when this effort was undertaken. In the OTGHPP, The low--pressure steam filling the bubbles is condensed with the cold water pumped from lower ocean depths, the air released is eliminated and the resulting high density column of sea water is allowed to fall and exit through a suitably designed hydraulic turbine, producing shaftpower for driving a generator to produce electricity, or to drive other machines for on-site industrial uses. In its hydraulic aspects, the OTGHPP resembles the ALP, but thermodynamically the two concepts are dissimilar. The ALP requires power to produced compressed air to form the bubbles injected at its bottom, while the OTGHPP uses the heat of the warm ocean surface waters to produce voids in the form of steam bubbles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The earliest known suggestion for producing power from the temperature difference in the tropical oceans between warm surface waters and deep cold water, producing the necessary temperature difference was by Lord Rayleigh in the late 19th century. He suggested evaporating a suitable working fluid to produce a high-pressure vapor which them would produce power in an engine or turbine of suitable design, and condensing the working fluid with the cold water in surface condensers. The best known and probably the first significant effort to produce a large, useful machine was by Georges Claude, a French inventor and successful developer of a method for liquifying air, which made his ocean efforts financially possible. Claude was probably one of the best informed of the industrialists at the time in using evaporating and condensing liquids in closed systems. He knew the difficulties and costs of transferring heat as suggested by Rayleigh, so avoided that path, opting for an open cycle leading to his 1935 patent. His method was simple but the equipment extremely large and costly. But he persevered, even to the point of commissioning his friend Rateau, the inventor of the impulse steam turbine, to design and build for him a low-pressure turbine specifically for use in his system. His problems were not entirely with the cycle chosen. He was overwhelmed with the sea-going problems because the state of the art in what has become to be known as "Ocean Engineering" was virtually nil. His equipment came to disasters at the hand of the oceans. The basic technical fault as I have analyzed his work lay in the fact that he produced very low pressure, high volume steam by throttling. The greater the throttling or constant energy pressure drop, the less the available pressure drop for the steam to use in the turbines. Low pressure (at about, for instance, a pressure of say, 0.05 bar) has such a low density and high specific volume(about 0.037 kg m.sup.-1 and 26 m.sup.3 kg.sup.-1 respectively) that it is virtually useless in practical turbines. Then, of course, to produce such low pressure steam by throttling uses most of the initial thermodynamic potential, which is marginal at best because of the relatively small temperature difference between warm surface waters and deep cold waters of the tropical oceans. Claude is known to have produced only a few papers, none specific in the thermodynamics and may never have realized the enormity of these thermodynamically limiting problems. But he did not give up easily.
There have been efforts to produce a system using the closed cycle, as suggested by Rayleigh, i.e. the reverse of a refrigeration cycle, wherein a working fluid such as ammonia is evaporated outside tubing heated by warm seawater flowing in the tubes, and condensing the vapor in a conventional surface condenser. The most ambitious and complete of these was a multi-year effort in the first half of the 1970's undertaken by the National Science Foundation and finally terminated in the same program after it was transferred to the Department of Energy. While this multi-pronged effort (it included work on many problems, from sea-keeping of floating systems, anchoring at sea, to transmission of power in bottom-laid cables to name a few) it did not produce a cost-effective design, All of this work is, of course, available to future system developers. A summary of this work would be very extensive, but here is how I view it in retrospect, as one of the many participants. The best possible system devised used massive tubes in great numbers, preferably made of titanium to provide long-life. But titanium, unlike copper-bearing alloys usually used in marine condensers, provides no protection against marine fouling. As an aside, the marine bronzes of use in condensing achieve a measure of anti-fouling only by wasting of toxic copper ions, so their life is short. Also, copper is not compatible chemically with ammonia, the probable working fluid (refrigerant) of choice. To top this picture off, realize that if a very large system using titanium tubes (which does not corrode in sea water) could be justified on the basis of the cost of power produced, only 1 plant capable of powering, say a city of 50,000 people could be built each year, if all the titanium produced were dedicated to that one plant. If we tried to produce all the power used in the United States with such plants, we'd need 5,000 years to build them, based on present production of titanium. Not an optimistic finding at best.
With that background, I describe briefly the thinking that led to my 1976 patent, and how it was deficient in detail and finally, how I have revised the OTGHPP's design to make up for those deficiencies. They were based largely on impressions from an extensive cavitation literature, and engineering handbook accounts of devices on which my concept was patterned in part, the air lift pump (ALP) and the Taylor hydraulic air compressor (THAC). First, a description of the ALP, one not found so far as I have been able to find in the scientific or engineering literature, even those that proposed to tell you how make one If you thrust an open vertical pipe part-way down in water, with its lower end at a depth below the surface, S (for submergence), that end is at a pressure equivalent to the static head of water at that depth. If you then (at considerable cost in power) introduce air bubbles at the lower end, and if they do not all coalesce (as they want to do, unfortunately) then you produce a low-density "foam". This foam is supported by the pressure equivalent to the submergence S, and rises in the pipe. At the top the air bubbles break and the water has been pumped to a height depending on the ratio of densities in the water and the foam columns density. The pumping effect produced is, of course, subject to the hydraulic laws as found in Bernoulli's equation. If the velocity is high, much of the available pressure, the product of S and density, .rho., is used in accelerating the foam mixture.
The THAC is, in effect, an upsidedown ALP. Visualize the pipe of the ALP raised until its lower end is just submerged, and water is then poured in at the upper end at a rate sufficient to keep it full. Then if you insert the open end of a tube into the upper end of the large tube carrying water downard (which preferably may be reduced cross sectional area in the nature of a venturi to lower the pressure and so induce air), air will be forced from the small tube into the down-flowing stream. A bubble will be carried down with the falling water and will feel increased pressure. The bubbles's contents will be compressed as the pressure in the water column rises with depth. At least one successful THAC was been built and used for producing compressed air for mining. Before being used, the volume of the air was increased by heating in a stove through which the pipe carrying it passed. Good thinking.
But this device, which promised to be of such value at the time of conception of the OTGHPP, proved to be unworkable as originally concieved. It was expected that the steam bubbles in the pump column of the steam lift pump (SLP) would be broken at its top, the steam condensed and the air released removed pretty much as envisioned in the engineering literature of the THAC. Unfortunately, my experiments in the late 1970's showed that both the THAC and barometric condenser which were part of the original concept would probably be impractical in this application. Further experiments on model ALP's and THAC's convinced me that the system would be impractical if (a) the steam bubbles were allowed to escape and (b) in breaking the steam (and of course, air) bubbles, the air released would require an impossibly large and efficient THAC. Also required would be a very large and tall barometric condenser. Such a condenser would let a lot of the water fall without making power.
The present invention describes the design changes in the OTGHPP necessary to nucleate, grow, and condense steam bubble and remove the air unavoidably released from large bubbles, although hopefully to be minimized in one of the several design features shown. Finally, much of the work done early in developing the instant improvements was to make a practical, large-scale OTGHPP capable of producing the prodigious amounts of power needed by modem industrial societies. Certainly the size of the tropical oceans is sufficient to produce the desired power if useful (cost, size, etc) power plants can be built and maintained at sea.
Patents are meant to be monopolies favoring the inventor during their life-times so not all trade secrets must be revealed. Nevertheless, I anticipate releasing much of my research work to assist rapid commercial development. The work is documented in a large number of monographs in my patent notebooks on Ocean Thermal Gradient Hydraulic Power Plant (File OTEC._) and Apparatus for Rapidly Degassing and Decontaminating Liquids (File DEGAS.---). Results reported in the later series resulted in a patent dated May 12, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,945 to Beck, and referred to as Beck '98 from hereon, (hereby incorporated by reference). For simplicity in reading, I will avoid referring individually to these many monographs in preparing this patent application. But their existence may be implied with confidence by my readers. This application bears the file number OTEC.103 in the first of the two series.

Ocean thermal gradient hydraulic power plant


A laminated nonwoven fabric includes a first nonwoven fabric and a second nonwoven fabric. The first nonwoven fabric contains charged first fibers. The second nonwoven fabric contains second fibers, and is laminated on the first nonwoven fabric. A fiber diameter of the first fibers is larger than a fiber diameter of the second fibers.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a laminated nonwoven fabric, and particularly to a laminated nonwoven fabric used for a filter medium of an air purifier.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are cases where a nonwoven fabric to be charged is used as a filter medium of an air purifier (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2001-98453). Such a filter medium captures dust by using an electrostatic force (Coulomb force) generated between the filter medium and the dust sucked into the air purifier.

Laminated nonwoven fabric, air purifier, and manufacturing method of laminated nonwoven fabric

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Disclosed is system for controlling a dynamic hydraulic component, such as a hydraulic actuator or motor. The system allows for either zero, restricted or full fluid flow to the hydraulic component. This enables either no movement, slow, precise movements, or rapid, major movements of the component. The functionality of the system is accomplished using a multi-pilot system acting on a spool valve that has a pilot piston and at least one stop piston. The stop piston(s) can move to limit the movement of the pilot piston.

The invention is in the field of fluid control. More particularly, the invention is a multi-piston spool valve capable of controlling the flow of fluid to a dynamic hydraulic component, such as a hydraulic actuator or motor. The valve enables either zero, restricted or full fluid flow to the hydraulic component, thereby allowing multiple stages or levels of control of the component. A user of the invention is thereby provided with the ability to cause the controlled component to make rapid, major movements, or slower, more precise movements.
The valve""s functionality is achieved using a system of multiple pilot valves that act on associated pistons located within the valve. The valve""s spool is moved through the action of at least one pilot piston. One or more stop pistons are employed to limit the movement of the pilot piston(s).
The flow of fluid to a hydraulic actuator, hydraulic motor, or other dynamic hydraulic device is often controlled through the use of a pilot-operated spool valve. In most cases, the spool valve is used-solely to provide directional control whereby the controlled device either receives no flow, maximum flow in a first direction, or maximum flow in a reverse direction. To accomplish this functionality, the pilot acts to cause a maximum movement of the valve""s spool. Once the spool has moved fully in one direction, maximum fluid flow is enabled to the controlled hydraulic device. To cause the controlled hydraulic device to stop or reverse direction, a reverse movement of the valve""s spool is required. It should be noted that when maximum flow is enabled, the controlled device moves at its maximum speed.
There are some applications where a pilot-operated spool valve is employed to provide proportional control of a hydraulic component. In this type of application, it is usually desired to cause the controlled hydraulic component to move at speeds greater than zero but less than the component""s maximum speed. In some applications, proportional control is achieved using a spool-type servovalve.
One example of a servovalve designed to give a user proportional control of a dynamic hydraulic device is taught by Sloate in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,539. The Sloate servovalve makes use of an electric motor in combination with threadedly-engaged members to slowly cause the translation of the servovalve""s spool. However, the speed of operation of such a unit is severely limited. Sloate notes that changing the thread ratios employed in the device can change the speed of operation.
Proportional control of a hydraulic component enables precision control of the component. However, there are times when it would be desirable to have multi-speed control of a hydraulic device. This type of control would offer both simple directional control and precision proportional control of the hydraulic component.
A first example where multi-speed control is desirable is found when a hydraulic motor is connected to a winch. It is often advantageous to initially lift a load at a low-speed, giving one a chance to assess the security of the lifting harness, before lifting the load at full speed.
A second example may be found when a hydraulic motor is used to operate a cooling fan. A typical arrangement would employ a control valve that enables the fan to run at full speed, or not at all. There may be certain conditions or situations where one or more intermediate speeds are desirable.
A third example is presented in some marine steering systems, where a hydraulic actuator is connected to a rudder or water deflector. In this type of application, it is desirable during relatively high-speed operation of the vessel for the rudder or water deflector to move fairly slowly. This enables a precise steering control of the vessel. When traveling at a relatively low speed, such as during docking maneuvers, one needs to move the rudder or water deflector at a very high rate in order to obtain the necessary movements of the vessel in an appropriate amount of time. In addition, when the vessel is docked, it may be beneficial to rapidly move the rudder/water deflector to a predetermined storage position.
There are many other situations where multi-speed control of a hydraulic component would be advantageous. The situations would usually also require the control system to be relatively low in cost, extremely durable and highly reliable.
The invention is a multi-piston spool valve capable of controlling a dynamic hydraulic component, such as a hydraulic actuator or motor. The valve allows a user to enable either a zero, restricted or full fluid flow to the hydraulic component. When a restricted flow of fluid is enabled, the user can achieve slow, precise movements of the component. When full fluid flow is enabled, the user can cause major, maximum-speed movements of the controlled component.
The operation of the valve is accomplished using a system of pilot valves. The system comprises a primary pilot valve arrangement (primary pilot) and at least one secondary pilot valve (secondary pilot). The primary pilot is operatively connected to at least one pilot piston located in the spool valve. The spool is operatively connected to the pilot piston(s) whereby the pilot piston(s) function to cause a translation of said spool. The secondary pilot is operatively connected to at least one stop piston located in the spool valve. The stop piston(s) function to oppose/limit the full movement of the pilot piston(s).
When full fluid flow to the component is desired, the primary pilot directs pressurized fluid into a chamber in the spool valve that is located adjacent a pilot piston. The fluid then applies pressure on one end of said pilot piston. This causes the pilot piston, and the operatively-connected spool, to move. Without any opposition from the stop piston(s), the pilot piston and spool can move to their maximum extent. This results in an outlet port in the spool valve being fully uncovered, thereby enabling the maximum rate of fluid flow to the controlled hydraulic component.
When a restricted flow of fluid to the component is desired, the primary pilot and at least one secondary pilot are actuated. When only one secondary pilot is employed, the secondary pilot sends pressurized fluid into a chamber associated with a stop piston. This causes the stop piston to be positioned at a predetermined location. At the same time, the primary pilot acts in the same manner as previously described, sending pressurized fluid into a chamber in the spool valve and causing a pilot piston to move the spool. However, the movement of the pilot piston and the spool is stopped short by the stop piston. As a result, a fluid outlet in the spool valve that leads to the controlled component will be only partially uncovered, resulting in a restriction in the fluid flow path. This leads to an intermediate flow of pressurized fluid to the controlled hydraulic component.
When the spool valve includes multiple stop pistons, multiple secondary pilot valves (secondary pilots) are employed to control the movement of the stop pistons. The multiple stop pistons interact to provide multiple limit stops that affect a pilot piston""s allowed travel. When two stop pistons are employed, the spool valve will be capable of providing five levels or stages of fluid flow to the controlled hydraulic component.
A fluid flow control valve and system in accordance with the invention is relatively low in cost and requires a minimal number of solenoids to control the valve""s operation. The system""s simple design enables it to be highly reliable and extremely durable.


The clasp for a chain consists of three parts, of a casing bent to an U-shape, a plate-like locking member located between the flanks of the casing and pivotably supported by a pin. The locking member has at one of its ends a hook and at the opposite end an eyelet. The pin has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and is supported in the casing in a nonrotatable manner. A rectangular opening located in the locking member opens into a slot which forms a resiliently flexible tongue abutting the opening. A pivoting movement of the locking member within the casing liberates the insertion opening otherwise closed off by an edge area of the casing. Because the eyelet as well as the hook are located at the locking member, a pulling force of the chain will be directly transmitted by this part and accordingly, there is no danger that the clasp will open when subject to a pulling force.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clasp for a chain, including a casing, a locking member resiliently supported in the casing and movable from a closed into an open position, a spring member coupled to the locking member and operative to maintain the locking member in its closed position, which casing is a flat shaped article bent to a U-form, which locking member has the shape of a flat plate and is pivotable between the flank sections of the casing around a pin located at a central area of the casing, has one end formed to have the shape of a hook, the opening of which being closed off by an edge section of the casing, and has an eyelet provided at the end opposite of the hook, the locking member having further a projection projecting out of the casing and acting as operating member for inducing the opening movement of the hook.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Clasps for chains are available in numerous various designs. Best known and available worldwide is the so-called spring-ring clasp. This spring-ring clasp comprises a casing manufactured from a tube and bent to the shape of an open ring, in which casing a ring shaped closure member is supported resiliently. The drawback of this worldwide known clasp is that under certain circumstances it will open unintentionally if the chain is subjected to a pulling force. Moreover, this known clasp is relatively expensive to manufacture and can be operated, i.e. opened only by the aid of a fingernail.
A sheet metal snap hook is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,666. This sheet metal snap hook comprises a spiral spring which biasses the hook into its closing position and, moreover, is not provided with any operating member allowing an easy and safe blind operating of the snap hook when designed on a small scale, for instance, for use as snap hook for a jewelry chain. The jewelry clasp of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,393 comprises also a spiral biassing spring and is rather difficult to operate because a shoulder portion for pivoting its hook member must be given a pivoting pressing movement which again is rather difficult to induce if the clasp is designed in small dimensions as common by jewelry.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 2,544,147 discloses a clasp having a prong section biassed by a resilient portion into its closed position. The prong is operated by a lug for inducing a pivoting movement of the prong. Again, a pivoting movement must be made for operating the prong and, moreover, the prong is in no way protected against an obliquely attacking pulling force such that when subjected to a pulling force this clasp can open itself.
The French patent specification FR-PS No. 1.503.850 illustrates a clasp for, for instance, bracelets, chains etc. which has a pivotably supported double ended hook member. This hook member is not biassed into a closed position and, therefore, will open quite easily, specifically if the pulling force exerted thereon by e.g. a chain does not act exactly in the direction of the center axis of this clasp. Also, this clasp is rather difficult to operate blindly, for instance, when located at the neck of a bearer of a jewelry chain.


A process for flocculating filler particles in water is provided. The process comprises adding a flocculant to a mixture comprising filler particles and water, wherein the flocculant has a reduced specific viscosity (“RSV”) of from about 5 dL/g to about 16 dL/g, a viscosity average molecular weight of from about 1,200,000 to about 7,500,000, and a cationic charge of from about 5 mol % to about 50 mol %. Flocs formed by flocculation of the filler particles and the flocculant have a median particle size of from about 10 μm to about 150 μm. The filler is not precipitated calcium carbonate alone. The flocs provided by the process are useful in increasing ash content of a paper product.

The ash content of a paper product, i.e. inorganic substances in the paper product, generally comprises incombustible additives (e.g., papermaking fillers) added during papermaking industry production as well as incombustible substances in pulps. The ash content of a paper product can be measured in accordance with the method recorded in GB/T 742-2008 "Measurement of Ash Content of Papermaking Raw Material, Pulp, Paper and Paper Board" of National Standard of China.
The increase of the specific gravity of ash content of a paper product (especially papermaking fillers) can greatly reduce the papermaking cost.
CN101736656 A discloses a method of papermaking having an increased filler content, comprising the steps of: providing a blend of filler particles, at least one strength additive and cellulose fiber stock, treating the filler particles with a composition of matter, combining the filler particles with the cellulose fiber stock, treating the combination with at least one strength additive, and forming a paper board from the combination, wherein at least 10% of the filler particles are precipitated calcium carbonate and at least 10% of the filler particles are ground calcium carbonate, the cellulose fiber stock comprises a plurality of cellulose fibers and water, and the composition of matter enhances the performance of the strength additive in the paper board.
CN103038419A discloses a method of papermaking having an increased filler content, comprising the steps of: adding a first flocculant to an aqueous dispersion in an amount sufficient to mix uniformly in the dispersion without causing significant flocculation of the filler particles, adding a second flocculant to the dispersion after adding the first flocculant in an amount sufficient to initiate flocculation of the filler particles in the presence of the first flocculant, the second flocculant being of opposite charge to the first flocculant; combining the filler particles with the paper fiber stock; treating the combination with at least one strength additive selected from the group consisting of synthetic strength additives; and forming a paper mat from the combination, the paper fiber stock comprises a plurality of fibers and water, and the initiated flocculation enhances the performance of the strength additive in the paper mat, wherein the strength additive is not starch.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,088,213 B2 discloses a method of preparing a stable dispersion of flocculated filler particles having a specific particle size distribution for use in papermaking processes comprising a) providing an aqueous dispersion of filler particles; b) adding a first flocculating agent to the dispersion in an amount sufficient to mix uniformly in the dispersion without causing significant flocculation of the filler particles, the first flocculating agent being an anionic flocculant and has a reduced specific viscosity (RSV) of at least 10 dL/g, wherein there is no paper fiber present in the dispersion; c) adding a second flocculating agent to the dispersion after adding the first flocculating agent in an amount sufficient to initiate flocculation of the filler particles in the presence of the first flocculating agent, the second flocculating agent being of opposite charge to the first flocculating and being a cationic flocculant; and d) shearing the flocculated dispersion to provide a dispersion of filler flocs having the desired particle size; and e) carrying out steps a) to d) before adding the dispersion of filler flocs to paper fibers.

Papermaking process of increasing ash content of a paper product and a paper product obtained by the same


A livestock watering device includes a liquid supply tank having an access opening in its top and an outlet opening in its lower end. A removable lid hermetically closes the access opening and an automatic feed means transfers liquid through the outlet opening to a collecting vessel arranged therebeneath in response to liquid consumption from the vessel. An electric heating element is attached to the lid and extends into the tank and is immersed in the liquid therein. The heating element comprises a resistance heating foil inserted between two concentric tubes sealably connected together to electrically isolate the foil from the liquid in the tank. The tubes define a tubular structure having a first open end removably secured to the lid and a second open end spaced above the bottom of the tank whereby the liquid in the tank is heated by contact with the inner and outer surfaces of the tubular structure. A liquid replenishment opening covered by a removable closure is provided in the lid for enabling liquid to be poured into the tank through said tubular structure.

German Utility Model No. 6 902 052 discloses a watering device for piglings comprising a reservoir or supply tank which has a filling or inlet opening provided at the upper end of said tank and being adapted to be hermetically closed and an outlet opening at the lower end of said tank, said device further comprising a collecting vessel surrounding said outlet opening. The liquid contained in said supply tank can only flow therefrom and into said collecting vessel so long as said outlet opening is not covered by the liquid which has flowed out. Hence the liquid keeps flowing in an amount proportional to the amount of liquid drunk by the piglings. In order to maintain the liquid contained in said collecting vessel or watering trough in a warm condition, a heating means consisting of a closed container filled with hot water is provided beneath said collecting vessel. This heating vessel carries a connected side piece into which an immersion heater can be inserted.
This prior device has a drawback consisting in that before said liquid warms up sufficiently, it must remain in said collecting vessel for rather a long time. Consequently whenever the piglings are thirsty and drink a lot, cold liquid (be it water or milk) will follow so that the piglings may become cold, whereas if the piglings drink the liquid at a later time, then there is danger that the liquid will be spilled, soiled or polluted before it warms up sufficiently.
Furthermore, for achieving a good thermal transfer it is necessary that both the hot water vessel and the watering trough should be made of metal. However, metals corrode very quickly in the wet atmosphere of a pigsty.
What would be more advantageous as regards the transfer of heat would be a heating means projecting directly into said supply tank; such a measure meets, however, with difficulties as regards cleaning and sealing, particularly in the case of liquid tanks operating at below atmospheric pressure and adapted to be closed in a pressure-tight manner.
One object of the invention is to provide a watering and nursing device permitting a problemless heating-up of the liquid in the supply tank by simple means.


Described are single domain antibodies with a specificity for BACE1. More specifically, described are single variable-domain antibodies derived from camelids that bind to BACE1 and are capable of inhibiting the activity of BACE1. The antibodies can be used for research and medical applications. Specific applications include the use of BACE1-specific antibodies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease ("AD") is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of elderly patients worldwide and is the most common cause of nursing home admittance. AD is clinically characterized by progressive loss of memory, orientation, cognitive function, judgment and emotional stability. With increasing age, the risk of developing AD increases exponentially, so that by age 85, some 20% to 40% of the population is affected. Memory and cognitive function deteriorate rapidly within the first five years after diagnosis of mild to moderate impairment, and death due to disease complications is an inevitable outcome. Definitive diagnosis of AD can only be made post-mortem, based on histopathological examination of brain tissue from the patient. Two histological hallmarks of AD are the occurrence of neurofibrillar tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and of proteinaceous amyloid plaques, both within the cerebral cortex of AD patients. The amyloid plaques are composed mainly of a peptide of 37 to 43 amino acids designated "beta-amyloid," also referred to as "beta amyloid," "amyloid beta," "Aβ" or "Abeta." It is now clear that the Abeta peptide is derived from a type 1 integral membrane protein, termed "beta amyloid precursor protein" (also referred to as "APP") through two sequential proteolytic events. First, the APP is hydrolyzed at a site N-terminal of the transmembrane alpha helix by a specific proteolytic enzyme referred to as "beta-secretase" (the membrane-bound protease BACE1). The soluble N-terminal product of this cleavage event diffuses away from the membrane, leaving behind the membrane-associated C-terminal cleavage product, referred to as "C99." The protein C99 is then further hydrolyzed within the transmembrane alpha helix by a specific proteolytic enzyme referred to as "gamma-secretase." This second cleavage event liberates the Abeta peptide and leaves a membrane-associated "stub." The Abeta peptide thus generated is secreted from the cell into the extracellular matrix where it eventually forms the amyloid plaques associated with AD.
Despite intensive research during the last 100 years, prognosis of AD patients now is still quite the same as that of patients a century ago, since there is still no real cure available. There are two types of drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and used in clinics today to treat AD: Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitors and Memantine. There is ample evidence in the art that the amyloid beta peptide, the main component of the amyloid plaques that are specific to the AD etiology, has a key role in the development of AD disease. Therefore, one of the most favorite strategies to lower Aβ is to diminish its production by γ- and β-secretase inhibitors. One strategy was the development of gamma-secretase inhibitors; however, such inhibitors often result in serious side effects since gamma-secretase is involved in the proteolytic processing of at least 30 proteins.
Yet another attractive strategy is the development of BACE1 inhibitors. BACE1 is produced as a prepropeptide. The 21-amino acid signal peptide translocates the protease into the ER where the signal peptide is cleaved off and from where BACE1 is then directed to the cell surface. After its passage through the trans-Golgi network (TGN), part of BACE1 is targeted to the cell surface from where it is internalized into early endosomal compartments. BACE1 then either enters a direct recycling route to the cell surface or is targeted to late endosomal vesicles destined for the lysosomes or for the TGN. At the TGN, it might be retransported to the cell membrane. Given its long half-life and fast recycling rate, mature BACE1 may cycle multiple times between cell surface, endosomal system and TGN during the course of its lifespan. BACE1 inhibitory antibodies are described in US20060034848.

Single domain antibodies capable of modulating BACE activity

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN, K.U. LEUVEN R&D


An aircraft fueling nozzle has a body with a bearing sleeve mounted within the body. The nozzle has a poppet having a stem which is guided by the bearing sleeve. A seat is mounted in the nozzle body for forming a seal with the poppet head. The seat is retained in the body by a resilient lip which encompasses the seat projecting outward and interacts with an inwardly projecting lip on the body. The nozzle has a linkage for moving the poppet including an actuator located upstream of the bearing sleeve which is connected to an arm which overarches the bearing sleeve and is connected to the poppet. The actuator includes a crank which is connected to the arm and an actuator shaft which connects to the crank by interfitting splines. The nozzle further includes a swivel for rotatably coupling the nozzle body to a fuel supply. The swivel includes a replaceable annular bearing ring. The nozzle includes recesses for receiving the lugs of an aircraft fueling flange to secure the flange to the nozzle.

The invention pertains to a nozzle for use in aircraft fueling. More particularly, it pertains to the construction of a fueling nozzle which is rugged, compact, lightweight and easy to repair.
A typical aircraft fueling nozzle has a poppet type fluid control valve. The valve is adapted at an outlet end for connection to a fueling flange on an aircraft, and at an inlet end for connection to a fuel supply hose. The poppet has a head and a stem which rides in and is guided by a bearing sleeve that is attached to the valve body via one or more webs. The valve is actuated via a linkage comprising an arm rotatably connected to the valve stem, a crank rotatably connected to the arm and means for actuating the crank, such as a hand operated lever connected to the crank via a shaft.
In one common design, a single crank is used with two arms, one at either side of the crank and valve stem. The arms are connected to the crank via an axle pin and connected to the stem via a second axle pin extending through the stem. With the crank disposed adjacent the inlet end of the nozzle body, the arms extend downstream, toward the outlet end, where they are connected to an end of the valve stem upstream of the bearing sleeve. The valve stem extends through the bearing sleeve with the poppet head mounted at an end of the valve stem downstream of the bearing sleeve. The resulting nozzle is of such length as is necessary to accommodate the linkage, an area of the valve stem upstream of the bearing sleeve, the bearing sleeve itself and the poppet head. Enough length of stem must exist upstream of the bearing sleeve to give the valve a sufficient range of motion without the arm interfering with the bearing sleeve. Nozzles according to such construction have been criticized for high weight and difficulty in handling, resulting from the length of the nozzle.
To address such concerns, U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,924 to Albert W. Brown, discloses a nozzle which has a slot formed in the bearing sleeve and extending from the upstream end thereof. A corresponding slot is formed in the valve stem. The nozzle uses a single arm which extends into the slot in the valve stem, and is rotatably connected thereto by a pin which extends through the stem. When the linkage moves the valve, the arm can pass through the slot in the bearing sleeve. Accordingly, the necessary length of the nozzle is reduced.
In the Brown fueling nozzle, the crank is attached to the shaft via four bolts. To access the bolts for removing the crank, one must carefully insert a driver through the nozzle accessory port and one by one remove the bolts. Furthermore, to subsequently remove the stem and linkage, the poppet head must be removed from the stem, such as by removal of a cotter pin which extends through the head and the downstream end of the stem. Subsequently the stem and linkage may be extracted through the inlet port.
In the two-armed design, such as is used in a prior nozzle manufactured by the assignee of the applicant, the actuator shaft extends all the way through the housing. The crank is secured to the shaft via hexagonal interlocking features formed respectively on the shaft and on a shaft receiving bore through the crank. The arms are secured to the crank and also secured to the upstream end of the stem via axle pins having a head at one end of each pin and a cotter pin at the other end of each pin. The actuating lever is located at one end of the shaft and a cotter pin is inserted through the other end of the shaft. To remove the shaft, the cotter pin is removed and the shaft is extracted from the body and crank. Subsequently, as with the Brown nozzle, the linkage may be removed after separating the poppet head from the stem, with the head cotter pin being accessible when the poppet is in an open orientation.
In the prior product manufactured by the assignee of the applicant, the valve seat is supported and biased toward the head via an annular wave spring. To retain the seat in the nozzle when the poppet is in the open position, a retainer clip is provided to secure the nozzle to the body. The retainer clip has two outwardly projecting annular lips. The seat has an inwardly projecting annular lip as does the nozzle body. The clip is placed over the inwardly projecting annular lips so that the lips of the seat and the body are held between the lips of the clip with the lip of seat being downstream of the lip of the body. With the valve closed, the wave spring is compressed and the retainer clip does not engage the lips of the seat and body. However, as the valve is opened the seat gradually moves downstream with the valve until the seat lip engages the downstream retainer clip lip and the body lip engages the upstream retainer clip lip to restrict further movement. In order to replace the seat, the poppet head must be removed from the stem permitting access to the retainer clip which is removed using a special tool. With the clip removed the seat may be extracted by hand.
In the prior product manufactured by the assignee of the applicant, the nozzle has a connector for mating with a fueling flange of an aircraft. The fueling flange has an annular rim with three radially outwardly projecting lugs and three slots intermediate the lugs. The connector has three ramps interspaced with three slots which are configured to receive the fueling flange lugs. When the nozzle is mated with the fueling flange, the lugs pass through the slots as the flange depresses a spring-loaded lock plate. The flange is secured to the nozzle against rotation by pins which are attached to the nozzle body and extend into the slots on the fueling flange. When the lock plate is depressed, the connector may be rotated so that the lugs are secured beneath the ramps thereby firmly connecting the flange to the nozzle.


A centrifugal main fuel pump (10') for a gas turbine engine has a housing (18') in which a centrifugal impeller (12') is mounted for rotation. The impeller discharges flow to a collector (20') and diffuser (22'). A low flow diffuser (26) has its inlet opening positioned closely adjacent the outer periphery of the impeller. Proper design and placement of the low flow diffuser ensures that a high percentage of the fluid energy available in the high velocity flow adjacent the impeller outer periphery is recovered as pressure rise. The low flow diffuser produces adequate fuel flow at the pressure necessary for engine light-off while the first mentioned diffuser recovers a lower pressure rise but is adapted to supply higher engine fuel flow demand in the normal range of operation. A check valve (34) prevents flow from the low flow diffuser from returning to the impeller. The check valve opens to allow the first mentioned diffuser to supply fuel when its discharge pressure exceeds that of the low flow diffuser. The addition of the low flow diffuser to the centrifugal pump results in minimal additional parasitic power loss, cost and complexity.

Typically, gas turbine engine fuel controls utilize positive displacement pumps to supply fuel at the necessary high pressures. However, positive displacement pumps require close operating clearances and contain parts with highly stressed metal-to-metal contacts which wear rapidly in low lubricity fuel. In addition, the performance of positive displacement pumps may be adversely affected by the presence of contaminants.
While high speed centrifugal pumps are relatively insensitive to contaminants and are capable of generating the fuel pressures required for engine operation in their normal speed range, such pumps will not generate sufficient fuel pressure at engine light-off or cranking speed (which may typically be 10% to 20% of maximum engine speed). In order to overcome the aforementioned drawback centrifugal pumps have been combined with positive displacement pumps to form pumps capable of extending the lower range of operation. An example of such a combination pump is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,998. The major undesirable characteristic of a combination pump is that it must be relatively complex.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,375 offers a solution to the previously discussed problems by providing a fuel pump with two impeller elements, one for starting and one for normal operation. While the latter described arrangement may successfully pump fuel at the necessary pressures, it requires that the two impeller elements be mounted in separate chambers and interconnected by means such as a common drive shaft. Moreover, the chamber in which the starting impeller is located must be drained of fluid to eliminate fluid resistance during normal operation or alternatively, some form of clutch mechanism must be employed.

Centrifugal pump having low flow diffuser


A double-tube heat exchanger that is easy to produce, the entire part of which is smoothly bent so that the heat exchanger works as a part of piping, and that has high pressure resistance. In the cross-section perpendicular to the axis of an inner tube (1), there are bag-like or ballon-like bulged sections (7a) directing radially from the center, and openings of the bulged sections (7a) are closed and the head of each bulged section (7a) is in contact with the inner surface of an outer tube (2).

The present invention relates to a double-pipe heat exchanger for use as an EGR cooler, an oil cooler, or the like, the double-pipe heat exchanger being capable of smoothly bending along a pipeline of vehicles.
An EGR cooler is interposed on the way of piping of exhaust gas of an engine, and acts to cool the exhaust gas using cooling water. This EGR cooler is exemplified as below by a double-pipe heat exchanger disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-161871.
This double-pipe heat exchanger is in a double-pipe structure with an inner tube and an outer tube, in which structure a radiator fin is integrally formed by bending at the intermediate portion in an axial direction of the inner tube. That is, the inner tube has at the intermediate portion a multiple number of protrusions formed in a radial direction from the center in section thereof.
Conventionally, an EGR cooler is interposed at the linear portion on the way of piping for exhaust gas of an engine. Therefore, there have been such problems that the EGR cooler lacks flexibility in a position to be disposed, and the number of parts for connection thereof, for example, becomes big, thus inevitably resulting in higher manufacturing costs as a whole.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a double-pipe heat exchanger in simple structure capable of being easily bent conforming with a pipeline, and a manufacturing method thereof.

Double-pipe heat exchanger and manufacturing method thereof


A laser scanning microscope for laser scanning a sample is provided. The laser scanning microscope includes a scanner that is operated at a predefined scanning speed and that is configured to change a direction of illumination light generated to illuminate the sample. A detector is configured to detect light that is returned from the sample and an amplifier assembly is connected to the detector and is configured to amplify a detection signal that is generated by the detector. The amplifier assembly includes an adjustable capacitor and a capacitance of the adjustable capacitor is adjusted depending on the scanning speed of the scanner.

A confocal scanning microscope has a laser module which preferably includes a plurality of laser beam sources to generate illumination light with different wavelengths. The illumination light forms an illumination beam that is coupled into a scanning device. The scanning device includes a main color splitter, an xy-scanner, a scanning lens, and a microscope lens.
The scanning device guides the illumination beam via the scanning lens and the microscope lens to a sample that is placed on a microscope stage of the confocal scanning microscope. A measurement light beam that originates from the sample is directed via the main color splitter and a projection lens onto at least one confocal detection stop (detection pinhole) of at least one detection channel.
An image of the sample may be recorded by photomultiplier tubes or photomultipliers (PMTs) and amplifiers may be arranged downstream of the PMTs. The amplifiers have a predefined constant bandwidth. The effective bandwidth of the PMTs depends on the scanning speed. Therefore, the scanning speed is set to a maximum scanning speed which results in a large bandwidth.
For low scanning speeds, however, a large bandwidth is not required and has even a negative impact on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and hence on the image quality, since more noise is recorded.

Laser scanning microscope and amplifier assembly


A diagnostic ultrasound system is provided for displaying a color image of a motion of a tissue scans an ultrasonic pulse signal along a tomographic plane to acquire an electrical echo signal, extracts a Doppler signal from the echo signal, calculates velocity data concerning the motion of the tissue for respective sample points on the tomographic plane on the basis of the Doppler signal, and forms data of a B-mode tomographic image on the basis of the echo signal. The system comprises an element for setting a scale along which each of the velocity data over a measurable band of frequencies of the Doppler signal is assigned to each gradation data for color display, the measurable band of frequencies being limited by a pulse repetition frequency of the ultrasonic pulse signal and a given low-velocity band of the measurable frequency band being enhanced in the gradation data than a remaining velocity band of the measurable band, an element for converting the velocity data into the gradation data according to the scale, an element for blanking either one of the converted gradation data and the calculated velocity data at every sample point when each of them exceeds a specified threshold, and an element for displaying the velocity color image subjected to blanking and superimposed on the B-mode tomographic image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to diagnostic ultrasound system, or more particularly, to a diagnostic ultrasound system adaptable to tissue Doppler imaging based on an ultrasonic pulsed-wave Doppler technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, a diagnostic ultrasound system having a tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) feature has been disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-114059 (of which title of the invention is an xe2x80x9cultrasound color Doppler tomography systemxe2x80x9d) proposed by the present applicant. The diagnostic ultrasound system described in the unexamined patent publication has a feature that uses a pulsed-wave Doppler technique and a lowpass filter to detect the motion velocities of tissues including the cardiac muscle and vascular wall, compute various physical volumes relevant to motion on the basis of the motion velocities, and display the results of computation in appropriate modes in color. For detecting the motion velocity of a tissue, since the motion velocity of a tissue is markedly lower than a blood flow velocity, the pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) of transmitted ultrasonic pulsed waves (rate pulses) are lowered to enable measurement of super-low motion velocities of tissues.
Various modes are available for color display of the results of computation. In the invention described in the unexamined patent publication, two-dimensional color display has been proposed. As for the gradations for the color display, a procedure used for the blood flow imaging, which is implemented in a color Doppler system and shares concepts with tissue Doppler imaging, can be employed.
In the blood flow imaging, a band of Doppler shift frequencies fd ranging from xe2x88x92fr/2 to fr/2 (where, fr denotes a pulse repetition frequency of an ultrasonic pulsed wave) is rendered, as shown in FIG. 27, in 32 gradation (gray-scale)levels (fr/32 per level) with different color brightnesses or hues. In other words, a scale whose gradation levels associated with velocities (Doppler shifts) have a constantly progressive change is assigned to the whole band of Doppler shift frequencies ranging from xe2x88x92fr/2 to fr/2, thus defining a color-display gradation between red (yellow) to blue (light blue).
As mentioned above, one of the characteristics of tissue Doppler imaging lies in that pulse repetition frequencies (lower frame rates) of ultrasonic waves are set to lower values in order to enable measurement of ultra-low motion velocities of tissues. Owing to the characteristic of enabling measurement of an ultra-low motion velocity, the band of Doppler shift frequencies required for display images produced by tissue Doppler imaging is narrower than that required for display images produced by blood flow imaging of ranges, for example, from xe2x88x92fr/8 to fr/8.
Nevertheless, at present, the assignment of a color-display gradation adopted for blood flow imaging cannot help applying to tissue Doppler imaging as it is. As a result, the number of gradation levels assigned to a low-velocity band is quite limited. A tissue region to be observed; such as, the cardiac muscle appears, for example, in red of almost the same hue or brightness. It is therefore very hard to visually assess a difference in velocity in a low-velocity band image. Even if a difference in velocity smaller than fr/32 can be detected, since a displayed hue or brightness is unchanged, high-precision detectability is canceled out by poor displaying ability. There still exists an unsolved problem that the high-precision detectability cannot be exerted fully.
When tissue Doppler imaging is used for diagnosis, it should be discerned promptly whether the cardiac muscle or any other tissue region of interest is normal or abnormal. Using the conventional display technique, the levels of a color-display gradation are assigned uniformly between a low-velocity band and a high-velocity band. The displaying ability for the low-velocity band is, as described previously, poor. There is therefore difficulty in discerning whether a diagnostic region is normal or abnormal. Consequently, it takes too much time for diagnosis. Moreover, an examining physician is requested to have high expertise.
The present invention attempts to solve the aforesaid unsolved problems. The first object of the present invention is to improve the ability to display a low-velocity band image by making the most of the function relevant to measurements of motion concerning a low-velocity band which is available in tissue Doppler imaging.
The second object of the present invention is to achieve the first object and provide images that are produced by tissue Doppler imaging (hereinafter, TDI images) and facilitate easy discernment of whether a region of interest (hereinafter, ROI)is normal or abnormal.
For achieving the above objects, as one aspect of the invention, there is provided a diagnostic ultrasound system for displaying a color image of a motion of a tissue contained on a subject""s tomographic plane, comprising: an element for scanning an ultrasonic pulse signal along the tomographic plane so as to acquire an electrical echo signal corresponding to an ultrasonic signal reflected from the tomographic plane; an element for extracting a Doppler signal from the echo signal, the Doppler signal being Doppler-shifted by the motion of the tissue; an element for calculating velocity data concerning the motion of the tissue for respective sample points on the tomographic plane on the basis of the Doppler signal; an element for setting a scale along which each of the velocity data over a measurable band of frequencies of the Doppler signal is assigned to each gradation data for color display, the measureable band of frequencies being limited by a pulse repetition frequency of the ultrasonic pulse signal and a given low-velocity band of the measurable frequency band being enhanced in the gradation data than a remaining velocity band of the measurable band; an element for converting the velocity data into the gradation data according to the scale; and an element for displaying the color image using the gradation data provided by the velocity converting element.
Preferably, the extracting element comprises a low-pass filter for selectively extracting the Doppler signal. Still preferably, the scale is non-linear in a ratio between changes in the velocity data and changes in the gradation data. For example, the ratio in the given low-velocity band is higher than said ratio in the remaining velocity band. For example, the specified low-velocity band is any of xe2x88x92fr/8xe2x89xa6fdxe2x89xa6fr/8, xe2x88x92fr/12xe2x89xa6fdxe2x89xa6fr/12, and xe2x88x92fr/16xe2x89xa6fdxe2x89xa6fr/16, where fr represents the pulse repetition frequency of the ultrasonic pulse signal and fd represents a Doppler shift frequency. It is preferred that at least maximum data of the color code data is discontinuous in gradation levels from a series of remaining data of the color code data.
A diagnostic ultrasound system in accordance with the above aspect of the present invention is adaptable to tissue Doppler imaging. For this imaging technique, the cardiac muscle or any other region is scanned according to an ultrasonic pulsed-wave Doppler method. Echoes are then obtained, whereby a motion velocity is computed for each of sample points on a scanned tomographic plane. The motion velocity is visualized in two-dimensional color display mode. For the display, the slope of a scale of velocity data versus color-display gradation data to be assigned to a low-velocity band (for example,xe2x88x92fr/8xe2x89xa6fdxe2x89xa6fr/8) within a velocity range measurable by the ultrasonic pulsed-wave Doppler that is equivalent to a band of Doppler shifts; xe2x88x92fr/2xe2x89xa6fdxe2x89xa6 fr/2 (where fr denotes a pulse repetition frequency of an ultrasonic pulsed wave, and fd denotes a Doppler shift) is larger than that of the other velocity band. This results in an increase in display resolution for the low-velocity band. A minute change in low-velocity motion of the cardiac muscle is therefore visualized with high sensitivity as a change in multi-level gradation of color brightness degrees (luminances) or hues. Consequently, even if an attempt is made to upgrade the function relevant to measurements of low-velocity motion by specifying lower pulse repetition frequencies, the function will not be impaired. Moreover, a pixel rendering a velocity comparable to a maximum gradation level is displayed with such a hue as making the pixel discontinuous with the other pixels rendering lower velocities. The pixel rendering the velocity comparable to a maximum gradation level is therefore readily discernible. Thus, discernible efficiency improves.
As another aspect of the invention is provided by a diagnostic ultrasound system for displaying a color image of a motion of a tissue contained on a subject""s tomographic plane, the color image being superposed on a B-mode tomographic image of the subject""s tomographic plane, the system comprising: an element for scanning an ultrasonic pulse signal along the tomographic plane to acquire an electrical echo signal corresponding to a reflected ultrasonic signal from the tomographic plane; an element for extracting a Doppler signal from the echo signal, the Doppler signal being Doppler-shifted by the motion of the tissue; an element for calculating velocity data concerning the motion of the tissue for respective sample points on the tomographic plane on the basis of the Doppler signal; an element for forming data of the B-mode tomographic image on the basis of the echo signal; an element for blanking the velocity data at every sample point when each of the velocity data exceeds a specified threshold; and an element for displaying the color image by coloring the velocity data and by superimposing the velocity data subjected to blanking by the blanking element on the data of the B-mode tomographic image.
Still another aspect of the invention is provided by a diagnostic ultrasound system for displaying a color image of a motion of a tissue contained on a subject""s tomographic plane, the color being superposed on a B-mode tomographic image of the subject""s tomographic plane, the system comprising: an element for scanning an ultrasonic pulse signal along the tomographic plane to acquire an electrical echo signal corresponding to a reflected ultrasonic signal from the tomographic plane; an element for extracting a Doppler signal from the echo signal, the Doppler signal being Doppler-shifted by the motion of the tissue; an element for calculating velocity data concerning the motion of the tissue for respective sample points on the tomographic plane on the basis of the Doppler signal; an element for forming data of the B-mode tomographic image on the basis of the echo signal; an element for setting a scale along which each of the velocity data over a measurable band of frequencies of the Doppler signal is assigned to each gradation data for color display, said measurable band of frequencies being limited by a pulse repetition frequency of the ultrasonic pulse signal and a given low-velocity band of the measurable frequency band being enhanced in the gradation data than a remaining velocity band of the measurable band; an element for converting the velocity data into the gradation data according to the scale; an element for blanking either one of the converted gradation data and the calculated velocity data at every sample point when each of either one exceeds a specified threshold; and an element for displaying the color image by coloring the velocity data and by superimposing the velocity data subjected to blanking by the blanking element on the data of the B-mode tomographic image.
Preferably, the scale setting element is an element that sets the scale in which a ratio of changes in the gradation data to changes in the Doppler frequency is higher than a corresponding ratio for analysis of fluid motion within the subject and the velocity data larger than a reference velocity data corresponding to maximums of the gradation data are all assigned to the maximums. It is preferred that the diagnostic ultrasound system further comprises an element for setting the threshold independently of the scale. It is also preferred that the scale setting element is an element that automatically sets the threshold in connection with setting the scale.
In consequence, in the same way as explained above, an increase in display resolution for the low-velocity band is provided. In addition, sample points having velocities higher than the specified threshold on the tomographic plane dose not display the tissue Doppler image and, instead of it, display only the B-mode tomographic image as the background image hidden behind the tissue Doppler image. Properly specifying the threshold enables to exclude or minimize the meaningless (gradation-less) velocity color region of a tissue.


A copying machine including a first sheet original illuminating and conveying device for moving sheet originals and exposing the same to light, a second sheet original illuminating and conveying device for moving sheet originals disposed at a position which does not interfere with the first sheet original illuminating and conveying device and exposing the same to light, a device for controlling a sheet original so that one surface of the sheet original is exposed to light by the first sheet original illuminating and conveying device and so that the other surface of the sheet original is exposed to light by the second sheet original illuminating and conveying device, a main optical device for forming a first and a second optical path so as to enable one of the images of the sheet original conveyed by the first or the second sheet original illuminating and conveying device to be selectively exposed at an exposure position near a photosensitive medium, and a first movable mirror change-over device for selecting one of the two optical paths of the optical device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a both-side copying machine, and more particularly to a copying machine in which two slit exposure systems and sheet conveying means are provided and which is provided with a sheet-like original exposure device for conveying sheet originals so that one side of an original having information on the front and back sides thereof (hereinafter referred to as both-side original) is exposed to light in one exposure system while the other side of the both-side original is exposed to light in the other exposure system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of so-called both-side copying machines which can copy original images on both sides of a copy sheet (hereinafter referred to as both-side copying) have heretofore been proposed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,615 and some of them have been put into practice. However, any of these has not been sufficiently satisfactory in regard to the device for conveying both-sided originals so that the images on the both sides of a both-sided original are automatically opposed to an original illuminating station for exposure and in reality, the users of the copying machines have taken the trouble to manually change the surface to be illuminated each time. Accordingly, the both-side copying can be effected entirely automatically with respect to copy sheets, whereas the manual work of changing the surface to be illuminated from the front surface to the back surface (or from the back surface to the front surface) has been involved with respect to the sheet originals, and there is a problem that the users cannot carry out the copying operation entirely automatically. In this sense, technical advances in this field have been desired.


An assembly for effecting the condition of a mitral valve of a heart includes a mitral valve therapy device, a guide wire, and a guide tube. The mitral valve therapy device is configured to reshape the mitral valve annulus of the heart when placed within the coronary sinus adjacent the mitral valve annulus. The guide wire is configured to be fed into the coronary sinus of the heart adjacent the mitral valve annulus. The guide tube has a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end. The guide tube further includes a side port, intermediate the distal and proximal ends which communicates with the lumen. This permits the guide tube to be slidingly received on the guide wire with the guide wire extending from the distal end, through the lumen, and out the side port. In use, the guide tube is slid along the guide wire into the coronary sinus. The mitral valve therapy device is then delivered by the guide tube into the coronary sinus adjacent the mitral valve annulus.

The human heart generally includes four valves. Of these valves, a most critical one is known as the mitral valve. The mitral valve is located in the left atrial ventricular opening between the left atrium and left ventricle. The mitral valve is intended to prevent regurgitation of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium when the left ventricle contracts. In preventing blood regurgitation the mitral valve must be able to withstand considerable back pressure as the left ventricle contracts.
The valve cusps of the mitral valve are anchored to muscular wall of the heart by delicate but strong fibrous cords in order to support the cusps during left ventricular contraction. In a healthy mitral valve, the geometry of the mitral valve ensures that the cusps overlie each other to preclude regurgitation of the blood during left ventricular contraction.
The normal functioning of the mitral valve in preventing regurgitation can be impaired by dilated cardiomyopathy caused by disease or certain natural defects. For example, certain diseases may cause dilation of the mitral valve annulus. This can result in deformation of the mitral valve geometry to cause ineffective closure of the mitral valve during left ventricular contraction. Such ineffective closure results in leakage through the mitral valve and regurgitation. Diseases such as bacterial inflammations of the heart or heart failure can cause the aforementioned distortion or dilation of the mitral valve annulus. Needless to say, mitral valve regurgitation must not go uncorrected.
One method of repairing a mitral valve having impaired function is to completely replace the valve. This method has been found to be particularly suitable for replacing a mitral valve when one of the cusps has been severely damaged or deformed. While the replacement of the entire valve eliminates the immediate problem associated with a dilated mitral valve annulus, presently available prosthetic heart valves do not possess the same durability as natural heart valves.
Various other surgical procedures have been developed to correct the deformation of the mitral valve annulus and thus retain the intact natural heart valve function. These surgical techniques involve repairing the shape of the dilated or deformed valve annulus. Such techniques, generally known as annuloplasty, require surgically restricting the valve annulus to minimize dilation. Here, a prosthesis is typically sutured about the base of the valve leaflets to reshape the valve annulus and restrict the movement of the valve annulus during the opening and closing of the mitral valve.
Many different types of prostheses have been developed for use in such surgery. In general, prostheses are annular or partially annular shaped members which fit about the base of the valve annulus. The annular or partially annular shaped members may be formed from a rigid material, such as a metal, or from a flexible material.
While the prior art methods mentioned above have been able to achieve some success in treating mitral regurgitation, they have not been without problems and potential adverse consequences. For example, these procedures require open heart surgery. Such procedures are expensive, are extremely invasive requiring considerable recovery time, and pose the concomitant mortality risks associated with such procedures. Moreover, such open heart procedures are particularly stressful on patients with a comprised cardiac condition. Given these factors, such procedures are often reserved as a last resort and hence are employed late in the mitral regurgitation progression. Further, the effectiveness of such procedures is difficult to assess during the procedure and may not be known until a much later time. Hence, the ability to make adjustments to or changes in the prostheses to obtain optimum effectiveness is extremely limited. Later corrections, if made at all, require still another open heart surgery.
An improved therapy to treat mitral regurgitation without resorting to open heart surgery has recently been proposed. This is rendered possible by the realization that the coronary sinus of a heart is near to and at least partially encircles the mitral valve annulus and then extends into a venous system including the great cardiac vein. As used herein, the term "coronary sinus" is meant to refer to not only the coronary sinus itself but in addition, the venous system associated with the coronary sinus including the great cardiac vein. The therapy contemplates the use of a device introduced into the coronary sinus to reshape and advantageously effect the geometry of the mitral valve annulus.
The device includes a resilient member having a cross sectional dimension for being received within the coronary sinus of the heart and a longitudinal dimension having an unstressed arched configuration when placed in the coronary sinus. The device partially encircles and exerts an inward pressure on the mitral valve. The inward pressure constricts the mitral valve annulus, or at least a portion of it, to essentially restore the mitral valve geometry. This promotes effective valve sealing action and eliminates mitral regurgitation.
The device may be implanted in the coronary sinus using only percutaneous techniques similar to the techniques used to implant cardiac leads such as pacemaker leads. One proposed system for implanting the device includes an elongated introducer configured for being releasably coupled to the device. The introducer is preferably flexible to permit it to advance the device into the heart and into the coronary sinus through the coronary sinus ostium. To promote guidance, an elongated sheath is first advanced into the coronary sinus. Then, the device and introducer are moved through a lumen of the sheath until the device is in position within the coronary sinus. Because the device is formed of resilient material, it conforms to the curvatures of the lumen as it is advanced through the sheath. The sheath is then partially retracted to permit the device to assume its unstressed arched configuration. Once the device is properly positioned, the introducer is then decoupled from the device and retracted through the sheath. The procedure is then completed by the retraction of the sheath. As a result, the device is left within the coronary sinus to exert the inward pressure on the mitral valve to restore mitral valve geometry.
The foregoing therapy has many advantages over the traditional open heart surgery approach. Since the device, system and method may be employed in a comparatively noninvasive procedure, mitral valve regurgitation may be treated at an early stage in the mitral regurgitation progression. Further, the device may be placed with relative ease by any minimally invasive cardiologist. Still further, since the heart remains completely intact throughout the procedure, the effectiveness of the procedure may be readily determined. Moreover, should adjustments be deemed desirable, such adjustments may be made during the procedure and before the patient is sent to recovery.
Unfortunately, the human anatomy does impose some obstacles to this recently proposed procedure for treating mitral regurgitation. More specifically, the human heart includes a coronary artery which descends from the aorta. One branch of the coronary artery is the circumflex artery which, in turn, includes the left marginal branch of the circumflex artery. As used herein, the term "circumflex artery" is taken to include the circumflex artery itself or any branch therefrom. The circumflex artery extends distally generally along the coronary sinus but at a point proximal to the coronary artery, it passes under the coronary sinus. The circumflex artery supports blood flow important to the viability of the heart. Hence, reduction in this blood flow must be avoided. As a result, a device placed in the coronary sinus must not be permitted to extend within the coronary sinus beyond the crossover point of the circumflex artery and the coronary sinus to avoid constriction of the circumflex artery. This contemplates the need to know the location of the circumflex artery and coronary sinus crossover point. It also contemplates accurate positioning of the device within the coronary sinus to assure that the device does not extend over the circumflex artery.
The present invention addresses these issues. The present invention provides a therapy system and procedure which enables accurate positioning of the therapy device. This enables effective treatment while also avoiding the crossover of the circumflex artery with the coronary sinus. Further, the present invention enables the positioning of the device with relative ease.

Mitral valve therapy assembly and method


A system that may include a movable support module for supporting an object and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to: receive an estimated location of a movable support module that supports an object and temperature information about an actual or estimated temperature of at least a portion of the object support module; and calculate movable support module location information, in response to (a) the estimated location of the movable support module, (b) the temperature information, and (c) a mapping between (i) values of the temperature information, (ii) estimated locations of the movable support module, and (iii) location errors of the movable support module.

Objects such as wafers are manufactured by highly complicated manufacturing processes. These manufacturing processes should be monitored in order to ensure the quality of the wafers.
Monitoring process may include (a) using an inspection tool for performing an inspection process to detect potential defects, and (b) using a review tool for performing a review of the potential defects.
The inspection tool may illuminate the object by one or more beams of electrons, ions or by one or more beams of optical, ultraviolet, deep ultraviolet or extreme ultraviolet radiation. The review tool usually illuminates the objects using one or more electron beams or one or more an ion beams.
Each tool of the inspection tool and the review tool may scan the object (or only parts of the object) by introducing a mechanical movement between the object and either the optical or electron optics.
The mechanical movement is usually introduced by a movable support module that may be a mechanical stage. The mechanical stage may be an XYZ stage that is configured to support the object and to move the object along imaginary X axis, Y axis and Z axis.
The mechanical stage location is monitored by X axis and Y axis laser interferometers.
It has been found that laser interferometer based monitoring does not provide adequate compensation for mechanical stage movement inaccuracies.
There is a growing need to provide a method for reducing the location errors in an inspection or review tool.

Temperature sensitive location error compensation


End portions of face plates 21 and 22 of a hollow extruded frame member 20 are connected with a rib 24 and these end portions are welded to end portions of face plates 11 and 12 of a hollow extruded frame member 10 using friction stir welding. A visible outline of a connection portion of the end portion of the face plate 21 and the rib 24 is constituted by circular arcs 31 and 32 which are recessed in the hollow extruded frame member 20. A visible outline of a connection portion of the end portion of the face plate 22 and the rib 24 is constituted by circular arcs 33 and 34 which are recessed in the hollow extruded frame member 20. The diameter of the circular arc 31 (33) is smaller than the diameter of the circular arc 32 (34). Accordingly, a structural body having a light weight structure can be obtained.

The present invention relates to a structural body and to a hollow extruded frame member on which friction stir welding is carried out. For example, the invention relates to a railway vehicle, a building structure and others structures which are formed at least in part using aluminum alloy hollow extruded frame members that are joined using friction stir welding.
Friction stir welding is a method in which, by rotating a round rod (called xe2x80x9ca rotary toolxe2x80x9d), inserting the rotating rod into a welding portion, and moving the rotary tool along a welding line of a hollow extruded frame member, the welding portion is heated, softened and plastically fluidized and is solid-stately welded.
The rotary tool used in friction stir welding is comprised of a small diameter portion, which is inserted into the welding portion during welding, and a large diameter portion, which is positioned mainly outside of the welding portion during welding and is integrated with the small diameter portion of the rotary tool. The small diameter portion and the large diameter portion of the rotary tool have the same axis. A boundary between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion of the rotary tool is inserted a little into the welding portion during welding.
The above-stated technique is disclosed, for example, in Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 9-309164 (EP 0797043 A2).
One difference between friction stir welding and arc welding is that, in friction stir welding, insertion of the rotary tool into the welding portion causes a large load to be applied to the hollow extruded frame members during welding. This load acts mainly in the insertion direction (an axial center direction) of the rotary tool. In other words, this insertion force of the rotary tool acts directly on the hollow extruded frame members to be subjected to welding.
When a hollow extruded frame member, having two face plates and ribs for connecting the two face plates, is subjected to friction stir welding, the above-stated insertion force acts on the face plate in an area surrounding the welding portion and the rib for connecting the face plates, causing the joint portion to deform. As a result, it is necessary to take steps to prevent such a deformation of the joint portion.
A deformation prevention means is disclosed in the above-referenced Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 9-309164 (EP 0797043 A2). This deformation prevention means is based on the provision, in the area of the welding portion, of a vertical plate (called a longitudinal rib) for connecting the two face plates. This longitudinal rib, which serves as one of ribs for connecting the two face plates, is arranged with respect to the welding line so as to be disposed on an axial center of the rotary tool. With this method, since the longitudinal rib supports the above-stated insertion force, the deformation of the joint portion can be prevented.
However, since a large load acts concentrically on the longitudinal rib, a high stress is generated at the connection portion of the longitudinal rib with the face plate, at which point the generated stress concentration exists. As a result, there is fear that the force will be sufficient to destroy the longitudinal rib.
As one means for preventing damage to the longitudinal rib, there is a method in which a visible outline of the connection portion between the longitudinal rib and the face plate is formed with a circular arc having a large diameter, which connection portion is recessed inside of the hollow extruded frame member, causing the longitudinal rib and the face plate to be connected smoothly, so that the stress concentration on the connection portion between the longitudinal rib and the face plate is spaced out.
However, the larger the diameter of the above-stated circular arc is, the more the cross-sectional area of the joint portion increases, and, accordingly, the weight of the joint portion increases. For these reasons, in the above-stated method, there is a limitation on the light weight characteristic of the hollow extruded frame member. In other words, there is a limitation on the light weight characteristic of the structure of the structural body which is comprised of these hollow extruded frame members.
An object of the present invention is to provide a structural body and a hollow extruded frame member, in which a light weight structure in the form of a member having two face plates and ribs for connecting the two face plates can be attained.
The above-stated object can be attained by a structural body comprising a first member having two face plates in the form of sheets, the one of the two face plates and the other of the two face plates being connected by a rib, and a second member which is subjected to friction stir welding to a connection portion of the other of the two face plates of the first member and the rib. At least one visible outline of a connection portion of the rib and a respective one of the two face plates is comprised of a curved line which is recessed in a solid side of the first member, the curved line being constituted by a combination of two continuous circular arcs, and within the two circular arcs, the diameter of the circular arc joined to a side of the said face plate is smaller than the diameter of the circular arc joined to a side of the rib.

Structural body formed by friction stir welding of hollow extruded frame members


A seal support system for a mechanical seal includes a system vessel for containing barrier fluid. Closed loop pipe work connects the vessel to a mechanical seal with a device provided for feeding barrier fluid to the system vessel. A further vessel is provided that is able to be in fluid communication with the system vessel. The further vessel may be provided with an elastomeric membrane, which may be filled with a gas under pressure to an extent required to allow for the effect of the highest anticipated temperature which might occur in a particular application.

Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seal support systems for double mechanical seals and, in particular, for double mechanical seals.
Description of the Prior Art
A mechanical seal comprises a stationary seal face and a rotary seal face energized against each other and connected to the stationary housing of a pump and the corresponding rotary shaft respectively. The seal faces are held in their respective positions most commonly by metallic components such as a gland or shaft sleeve.
A double mechanical seal has two sets of stationary and rotary seal faces, an inboard set and an out board set. There is a cavity between the two sets of seal faces and the outside diameter of the outboard faces is exposed to atmosphere. The purpose of this cavity is so that barrier fluid may be piped from a seal support system at a pressure higher than that of the product. This helps to optimize the running conditions of the seal and improve overall reliability.
Many seal support systems include a vessel which becomes pressurized when it is completely sealed and is filled with a barrier fluid. This is due to the available volume of gas within the vessel becoming compressed. This compression provides the required barrier fluid pressure which ensures the optimum running of the seal.
In some situations, the compressed gas within the vessel can be lost. This can be due to a number of factors including escape to the atmosphere through fixtures and fittings or through gas absorption, where the gas is absorbed into the barrier fluid.
When this occurs, the seal support vessel becomes completely filled with water and there is no further room for thermal expansion of the barrier fluid. This can result in, under certain situations, such as rising temperatures, the internal pressure of the system rising exponentially, leading to the pressure exceeding the maximum working limit of the vessel and potential damage to the vessel.


Aspects of the disclosure relate to tracking user engagement with an interface. In one aspect, interaction of a user with a user interface can be detected and, in response to such interaction, it can be determined if the user interface was updated. In a scenario in which it is determined that the user interface was updated, an impression metric indicative of engagement of the user with the user interface can be updated. The updated metric can permit the tracking of user engagement.

A web-based impression can relate to viewing of a web page by a user, e.g., end-user. Assessment of web-based impressions is an integral part of web analytics—e.g., the discovery and conveyance of web-based information. Such assessment generally includes generation of a metric indicative of an impression associated with a web page. A commonly determined metric is Page View, which is utilized to indicate the event of a page-load and/or to count the number of times a web page has been viewed or otherwise consumed. Such a metric typically is updated in response to the web page being requested and accessed (e.g., loaded) from a host that can serve the content associated with the web page. However, since users typically only load a web page once during a viewing session, metrics such as Page View fail to capture more nuanced user behaviors that can occur after the web page is loaded. Accordingly, there is a need for more sophisticated methods and systems for tracking user engagement with a web page or related interface.


The piezo-electric device (9) which connects a glass (8) to a movement (3) of the timepiece (1) is arranged in such a way as to deform in flexion in response to an exciting signal applied to its electrodes. The attachment zones (9a,9b) of this device (9) to this glass (8) and respectively to this movement (3) are distinct one from the other when the timepiece (1) is looked at in a direction perpendicular to the planes of the principal faces of the device (9). Thanks to this arrangement, the sound produced by the displacement of the glass (8) when the exciting signal is applied to the electrodes of the piezo-electric device (9) is more intense than in a known timepiece.

Such a timepiece is described for example in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,498. It comprises in this case an annular member of a piezoelectric material having one face fixed to the movement and having the other face fixed to the heel of the glass.
When an alternating electric signal is applied to the electrodes arranged on the piezoelectric annular member, the thickness of the latter varies causing displacements of the glass and the production of an acoustic wave in the air surrounding the timepiece. The electro-acoustic transducer formed by the movement of the timepiece, by this annular member and by this glass functions thus as a loud-speaker.
When on the contrary an acoustic wave puts the glass under an alternating pressure, the displacements of this glass cause variations of the thickness of the piezoelectric annular member which provoke the appearance of an electric signal between the above-mentioned electrodes. In this case, the electro-acoustic transducer functions as a microphone.
In such a transducer, the amplitude of the displacements of the glass is clearly always identical to the variations of the thickness of the piezo-electric annular member.
As a result, when the transducer functions as a loudspeaker, the amplitude of the displacement of the glass is weak, so that the sound produced by these displacements will also be weak.
In a similar manner, when the transducer functions as a microphone, the amplitude of the electric signal produced in response to the displacements of the glass will also be weak.

Timepiece Comprising an electro-acoustic transducer


An airbag in an uninflated-and-spread form includes a rear-lower inflation portion and a front-upper inflation portion. The airbag is stored in a first vehicle seat. The vehicle seat adjacent to the first vehicle seat is a second vehicle seat. The front-upper inflation portion includes at least three bend portions, which are arranged in a flowing direction of inflation gas. A form between the uninflated-and-spread form and the storage form is a transitional form. In the transitional form, the bend portions are each bent relative to the adjacent bend portion and rolled toward the second vehicle seat relative to the rear-lower inflation portion such that the closer a bend portion is to the downstream end, the more inward the bend portion is located. In the transitional form, the upper end of the most upstream bend portion is connected to the upper end of the rear-lower inflation portion.

The present invention relates to a far-side airbag apparatus that, when an impact is applied to a side wall of a vehicle from the side, deploys and inflates an airbag forward and upward between two adjacent vehicle seats to protect an occupant seated in the seat farther from the side wall to which the impact has been applied. The present invention also relates to a method for folding the airbag of the far-side airbag apparatus.
Some vehicles that have two vehicle seats arranged in the vehicle width direction are equipped with far-side airbag apparatuses. A far-side airbag apparatus includes an airbag and a gas generator arranged in the airbag. The airbag and the gas generator are accommodated in one of the two vehicle seat, specifically, in a side portion that faces the adjacent vehicle seat. When spread to be flat without being filled with inflation gas, the airbag is in an uninflated-and-spread form of large dimensions, which is not suitable for storage. Thus, the airbag is folded typically by a method such as the roll-folding or the accordion-folding into a storage form, which is smaller in dimensions than the uninflated-and-spread form. The airbag in the storage form is then accommodated in the vehicle seat (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-195355).
In a vehicle equipped with a far-side airbag apparatus, when an impact is applied from the side to a side wall such as a side door, the gas generator discharges inflation gas. The inflation gas deploys and inflates the airbag forward and upward between two adjacent vehicle seats to a position above the headrests of the vehicle seats. If an occupant is sitting in the vehicle seat on the far side from the side wall to which the impact has been applied, the upper body of that occupant acts to lean toward the side wall due to inertia. Then, the airbag receives the upper body to protect it from the impact.
It is supposed that, of the two vehicle seats, the one that incorporates the airbag and the gas generator is referred to as a first vehicle seat, and the other is referred to as a second vehicle seat. As the deployment of the airbag of the conventional far-side airbag apparatus by the inflation gas progresses, the airbag is deployed and inflated forward and upward either toward the occupant seated in the first vehicle seat or toward the occupant seated in the second vehicle seat. Thus, during the deployment, the airbag may catch on the arm or the shoulder of one of the two occupants seated in the first and second vehicle seats, which may hinder the subsequent deployment and inflation of the airbag.

Far-side airbag apparatus and method for folding airbag