The present invention is provided to enhance security of a volume hologram by recording therein individualized information such as information of character, numerical character, picture pattern, biometric matter and/or the like by irradiating laser light to the volume hologram thereby modifying the same physically or chemically, and is related to a laser marking hologram comprising a volume hologram layer 2 including interference fringes recorded therein, wherein the volume hologram layer 2 includes information of character, numerical character, picture pattern, biometric matter, and/or the like recorded therein having a contrast between an irradiated portion and a non-irradiated portion thereof provided by selectively irradiating laser light 10 to the volume hologram layer 2 in a manner to modify 11 the irradiated portion.

The present invention relates to a laser marking hologram and a hologram-oriented laser marking method, and particularly to a hologram excellent in security and a method for obtaining such a hologram, the hologram having individualized information additionally recorded therein such as information of character, numerical character, picture pattern, biometric matter (fingerprint, face, blood vessel, and the like) and/or the like by irradiating laser light to a volume hologram thereby modifying the same.
Recently, attention has been directed to a laser engraving method for directly engraving personal information into a card or the like. The laser engraving technique effectively contributes to constructing a model of a reliable society system improved in safety and durability concerning prevention of alteration and/or falsification of a card face. It marks personal information, face photograph or the like deeply into an inside of a card by engraving based on a property change of a card material itself to thereby complicate counterfeiting, alteration and the like, thereby enabling realization of a high level security in conjunction with various IC card systems.
Meanwhile, the present applicant has developed and placed on the market, a volume hologram transfer foil capable of realizing a high level security by transferring a volume hologram, which is apparent concerning an original or imitation at a glance, onto a card. Such a hologram is mass-produced at a high-speed with an identical picture pattern, by using a hologram master, laser for recording, a hologram photosensitive material, and the like.
On the other hand, it has been known, in a relief hologram having a reflective layer on a backside, to apply marking to the hologram by selectively irradiating laser light to break the reflective layer, from a Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 and the like:
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-11-305667
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2002-29185
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-61-72748
[Patent Document 4]
JP-A-2001-96913
It is typical to modify a card surface layer by an optical processing technique such as using laser light, thereby writing personal information by a black/white contrast. However, it is impossible to cause the card to have visible security by this technique only, because it is difficult to distinguish the written information from those recorded by printing, ink jet and the like at a glance.
On the other hand, while volume holograms are produced by the above-mentioned mass-production scheme, it has been difficult to record individualized information since they have no reflective layers like those of relief holograms. Further, even when a method for recording some personal information is realized in a mass-production process such as based on projection or drawing by laser light, ultraviolet light, white light or the like, it will be impossible to attain an excellent quality in all mass-produced products due to a yield ratio thereof.
Moreover, since mass-produced products including media or carriers and holograms, respectively, each have the same picture pattern in the hologram, it becomes impossible to distinguish a true product from a counterfeit one because a hologram of one product can be detached by some way from a medium of the same product and then redeployed onto a medium of another product.

Laser marking hologram having a volume hologram with interference fringes using selective irradiation


Hybrid agents for enhancing in vivo diagnostic imaging of body organs and tissues, and methods of preparing and using the same.

The techniques of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) encompass the detection of certain atomic nuclei utilizing magnetic fields and radio-frequency radiation. MRI is similar in some respects to x-ray computed tomography (CT) in providing a cross-sectional display of the body organ anatomy with excellent resolution of soft tissue detail. In current use, the images produced constitute a map of the distribution density of protons and/or their relaxation times in organs and tissues. The MRI technique is advantageously non-invasive as it avoids the use of ionizing radiation.
While the phenomenon of MRI was discovered in 1945, it is only relatively recently that it has found application as a means of mapping the internal structure of the body as a result of the original suggestion of Lauterbur (Nature, 242, 190-191, 1973). The lack of any known hazard associated with the level of the magnetic and radio-frequency fields that are employed renders it possible to make repeated scans on vulnerable individuals. Additionally, any scan plane can readily be selected including transverse, coronal, and sagittal sections.
In a MRI experiment, the nuclei under study in a sample (e.g. protons) are irradiated with the appropriate radio-frequency (RF) energy in a highly uniform magnetic field. These nuclei as they relax subsequently emit RF radiation at a sharp resonant frequency. The emitted frequency (RF) of the nuclei depends on the applied magnetic field.
According to known principles, nuclei with appropriate spin when placed in an applied magnetic field [B, expressed generally in units of gauss or tesla (10.sup.4 gauss)] align in the direction of the field. In the case of protons, these nuclei precess at a frequency f=42.6 MHz at a field strength of 1 Tesla. At this frequency, an RF pulse of radiation will excite the nuclei and can be considered to tip the nuclei out of the field direction, the extent of this rotation being determined by the pulse duration and energy. After the RF pulse, the nuclei "relax" or return to equilibrium with the magnetic field, emitting radiation at the resonant frequency. The decay of the signal is characterized by two relaxation times, i.e., T.sub.1, the spin-lattice relaxation time or longitudinal relaxation time, that is, time taken by the nuclei to return to equilibrium along the direction of the externally applied magnetic field, and T.sub.2, the spin-spin relaxation time associated with the dephasing of the initially coherent precession of individual proton spins. These relaxation times have been established for various fluids, organs and tissues in different species of mammals.
It is believed that MRI has a greater potential than CT for the selective examination of tissue characteristics in view of the fact that in CT, the x-ray attenuation coefficients alone determine image contrast whereas at least four separate variables (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, nuclear spin density and flow) may contribute to the MRI signal. For example, it has been shown (Damadian, Science, 171, 1151, 1971) that the values of the T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 relaxation in tissues are generally longer by about a factor of two (2) in excised specimens of neoplastic tissue compared with the host tissue.
By reason of its sensitivity to subtle biochemical differences between organs and/or tissues, it is believed that MRI may be capable of differentiating tissue types and in detecting diseases which induce biochemical changes that may not be detected by x-ray or CT which are only sensitive to differences in the electron density of tissue.
Continuing efforts are being made to develop imaging agents for enhancing the images obtained through the use of x-ray techniques as well as MRI techniques. Improved x-ray contrast agents for intravascular and central nervous system visualization are likewise being developed. As is known, for the current triiodobenzene ionic and nonionic x-ray contrast media, the iodine in the molecule provides opacification to the x-rays. The remainder of the molecule provides the framework for the transport of the iodine atoms through the biological system under analysis. However, the structural arrangement of the molecule is important in providing stability, solubility and biological safety in various organs. A stable carbon-iodine bond is achieved in most compounds by attaching the iodine molecules to an aromatic nucleus. An enhanced degree of solubility as well as safety is conferred on the molecule by the addition of suitable solubilizing and detoxifying groups.
Several of the features that are desirable for intravascular and central nervous system x-ray contrast agents are often incompatible so that all such agents represent compromises. In searching for the best compromise, the controlling factors are pharmacological inertness, i.e., invivo safety, and high water solubility. Thus, the ideal intravascular or central nervous system agent represents a compromise in an attempt to obtain the following criteria:
1. Maximum opacification to x-rays; PA1 2. Pharmacological inertness; PA1 3. High water solubility; PA1 4. Stability; PA1 5. Selective excretion; PA1 6. Low viscosity; and PA1 7. Minimal osmotic effects. PA1 [chelate]-linker-[iodinated moiety] Formula 1 PA1 [chelate]-linker-[iodinated moiety]-linker[chelate] Formula 2 PA1 [iodinated moiety]-linker-[chelate]-linker-[iodinated moiety] Formula 3 PA1 R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.1-10 mono- or poly-hydroxyalkyl and C.sub.1-10 mono- or poly-alkoxyalkyl; PA1 R.sub.5 is selected from the group consisting of cations such as sodium, potassium, meglumine and quaternary ammonium compounds such as NH.sub.4.sup.+ ; PA1 X is a ligand chelating site selected from the group consisting of --CO.sub.2.sup.-, CH.sub.2 S.sup.-, --PO.sub.3.sup.-, --CONHCH.sub.2 CHOHCH.sub.2 OH, --CONHOH, --CONHCH.sub.2 CO.sub.2.sup.-, phenolate and Y; PA1 Y is selected from the group consisting of ##STR3## Q is selected from the group consisting of biomolecules and polyhydroxyl compounds such as carbohydrates or polylysines; PA1 M.sup.z+ is a heavy metal ion selected from the group consisting of Bi, Gd, Ba, Gd, Mn, Cu, Cr, Fe, Co, Er, Ni, Eu, Dy, Sc, Ti, V, Mo, Tc, Ru, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Tb, Ho, Tm and Yb having a valence z of 2+, 3+ or 4+; PA1 n is a whole number less than eleven; m is an integer less than eleven.

Iodo-phenylated chelates for magnetic resonance imaging


A method of generating protein-induced pluripotent stem cells by delivering bacterial!y expressed reprogramming proteins into nuclei of starting somatic cells using the QQ-protein transduction technique, repeating several cell reprogramming cycles for creating reprogrammed protein-induced pluripotent stem cells, moving the reprogrammed cells into a feeder-free medium for expansion, and expanding and passaging the reprogrammed cells in a whole dish for generating homogeneous piPS cells. Also provided are the piPCS cells formed using this method and uses thereof.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are stem cells derived from an embryo. With the present state of technology, the creation of a human embryonic stem cell line requires the destruction of a human embryo, raising a controversial ethical issue for human ES cell research. ES cells are distinguished from other types of cells by two distinctive properties: pluripotency and unlimited self-renewal. Under defined conditions, ES cells are capable of renewing themselves indefinitely, allowing ES cells to be employed as useful tools for both research and regenerative medicine, since we can produce limitless ES cells for continued research or clinical use. ES cells are also able to differentiate into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm, include more than 220 cell types in the adult body. Pluripotency distinguishes ES cells from adult stem cells found in adult tissues; while ES cells can generate all cell types in the body, adult stem cells are multipotent and can only produce a limited number of cell types within this tissue type.
ES cell therapies can be used for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement for injury or disease treatments, such as blood, immune-system and different diseases related genetic diseases, cancers, cardio-vascular disease, juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, wound healing, rheumatoid arthritis, baldness, deafness, blindness, amyotrophic lateral-sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injuries. Besides the ethical concerns of stem cell therapy, there is a technical problem of graft-versus-host disease associated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Since the ES cells used for regeneration medicine are from human embryos, immuno-rejection will be always a major problem when transplantation of the ES cells is performed to individual patients for disease treatment. Other potential uses of ES cells include investigation of early human development, study of genetic disease, in vitro systems for toxicology testing and drug screening.
The process for culturing ES cells is quite burdensome. Human ES cells are isolated by transferring the inner cell mass into a plastic laboratory culture dish. The inner surface of the culture dish is typically coated with a feeder layer: mouse embryonic skin cells that have been treated so they will not divide, but provide ES cells a sticky surface attaching to. Feeder cells also release nutrients into the culture medium. Researchers have devised ways to grow embryonic stem cells without mouse feeder cells. This is a significant scientific advance because of the risk that viruses or other macromolecules in the mouse cells may be transmitted to the human cells.
The process for ES cell expansion is also quite time consuming. ES cells form colonies. Usually, the ES cell expansion is first to select individual ES cell colonies and then expand the selected colonies. This significantly slows down the ES cell expansion and may cause higher mutational rate if the selected colonies contain genetic mutations.
In 2006, Shinya Yamanaka and colleagues showed that introduction of four transcription genes: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc using retroviruses into mouse fibroblasts could generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), which display pluripotency. This is a revolutionary discovery since for the first time it is shown that somatic cells can be reprogrammed back to ES-like cells. The iPS cells are believed to be identical to natural ES cells in many aspects, such as the expression of certain stem cell genes and proteins, chromatin methylation patterns, doubling time, embryoid body formation, teratoma formation, viable chimera formation, the unlimited self-new property and differentiability. However, the full extent of their relation to natural pluripotent stem cells is still being assessed.
It is believed that iPS cell technology is less ethically controversial, since this technology allows for generation of pluripotent stem cells without human embryo. This technology may also enable generation of patient specific ES cell lines that could potentially be used for cell replacement therapies to treat various human diseases and allows the generation of ES cell lines from patients with a variety of genetic diseases and will provide invaluable models to study those diseases and for drug screening.
In 2007, several groups showed that the iPS cells generated from mouse fibroblasts via four-gene retroviral delivery produced viable chimera. These groups used Nanog for detection of iPS cells, indicating that Nanog is a major determinant of cellular pluripotency. However, c-Myc is oncogenic and 20% of the chimeric mice developed cancer. In a later study, Yamanaka reported iPSCs could be generated without c-Myc. The process takes longer and is not as efficient, but the resulting chimeras didn't develop cancer.
Also in 2007, iPS cells were generated from human somatic cells, representing a milestone for iPS cell technology. However, the viral transfection systems used inserted the genes at random locations in the host's genome and created major concerns for potential therapeutic applications of these iPSCs, because the created cells might be prone to form tumors. To overcome these dangers, an adenovirus was used to transport the requisite four genes into the genomes of skin and liver cells of mice, resulting in cells identical to embryonic stem cells. Since the adenovirus does not combine any of its own genes with the targeted host, the danger of creating tumors is eliminated, although this method has not yet been tested on human cells. Yamanaka and several other labs have since demonstrated reprogramming can be accomplished via plasmid without any virus transfection system at all, although at very low efficiencies.
In May 2009, two reports by Ding's and Kim's labs reported that both mouse and human iPS cells (piPSCs) were generated by direct delivery of four proteins, which were coded by the four reprogramming genes, thus eliminating the need for viruses or genetic modification of human somatic cells. A recent report further showed that iPSCs could be generated using mRNAs to generate mRNA-induced iPS cells (riPSCs). This solved one of the most challenging safety hurdles associated with personalized stem cell-based medicine and enables scientists to make piPS cells without genetically altering them. Because the proteins do eventually degrade, there should be no trace of their existence in the cells by the time they would be used for experiments or therapies, representing a major breakthrough in the iPS cell technology.
Despite intense worldwide research efforts, the current iPS cell technology still suffers FOUR major problems: 1. Inefficiency; 2. Time consumption; 3. Complex and expensive; and 4. Quality problem.
The current iPS cells technology only converts 0.001-1% somatic cells into iPS cells. For gene delivery using virus vectors, the conversion efficiency from somatic cells to iPS cells could reach 0.1-1%, depending on different starting somatic cells. Using embryonic fibroblast as the starting cells, the conversion efficiency reaches ˜1%; however, using adult somatic cells, the conversion efficiency is <0.1%. For gene delivery using non-virus means, this conversion efficiency is <0.1%. The conversion efficiency for human protein-induced iPS cells is extremely low which only reaches 0.001%.
Additionally, the current iPS cell technology, including both gene delivery and protein delivery, usually takes 4-8 weeks to complete reprogramming of human somatic cells into iPS cells and requires many cycles of gene transfection or protein delivery. This makes the current iPS cell technology a complicated and expensive technology. Furthermore, the quality of iPS cells generated by the current iPS cell technology is questionable in terms of resembling human ES cells. These major technical problems block the translation of iPS cells from its human clinical applications.
The main reason that causes these major problems of the current iPS cell technology is due to the technical challenges of gene delivery and protein delivery, which suffer low efficiency and hard to control stoichiometry of the delivered genes with multiple gene/protein delivery. For iPS cell generation, one has to deliver four genes or four proteins simultaneously into nuclei of somatic cells to turn on the intracellular auto-regulatory circuits that initiates the "stem gene expressions" and silences the "somatic gene expressions", thus somatic cells can be converted into embryonic stem-like cells.
It is common knowledge that the current gene delivery technology, including both virus vector and non-virus approaches, suffers low efficiency problem for four-gene delivery simultaneously. In addition, there is no guaranty that all four genes are delivered inside cells at an equal stoichiometry. In most cases, the four-gene delivery is random, depending on different delivery vehicles used. To solve this problem, an alternative approach has been developed that inserts all four genes into one virus vector with different linkers between each gene. In this case, only one virus vector is required to be delivered into somatic cells for iPS cell generation, enhanced the delivery efficiency. However, even with this approach, a maximum of iPS cell conversion efficiency is achieved only ˜1% for adult somatic cells and could reach <5% for embryonic somatic cells.
In addition to low efficiency of gene delivery, this approach also suffers another problem: time consuming. Once the reprogramming genes have been delivered, they traffic randomly inside cells and only a small fraction of the genes can reach to nuclei. However, only those somatic cells that have the delivery genes located inside nuclei can be reprogrammed to generate iPS cells. This further significantly reduced the iPS cell conversion efficiency, in order to solve this problem, repeated gene transfection has been performed to enhance the random probability of nuclear incorporation of delivered genes, which is time consuming. It takes 7-14 days for the delivered genes to start expressions and ˜30 days to observe non-iPS cell colony formation. To complete reprogramming, it usually takes 4-8 weeks to generate iPS cells from human adult somatic cells.
For protein-induced cell reprogramming, one has to deliver proteins into the nuclei of fibroblasts. Both Ding's and Kim's labs engineered the reprogramming proteins by adding a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP, 9R-11R) into the C-terminus. Although the CPP-fusion method delivers the reprogramming proteins into the cells, several major drawbacks of the CPP-based protein delivery do exist:                (1) The CPP-fusion has a high risk of altering the properties/functions of reprogramming proteins.        (2) The CPP has low protein delivery efficiency.        (3) The CPP-delivered proteins are sensitive to intracellular proteases since CPP is peptide based, causing degradation of the delivered proteins.        (4) The CPP does not have a targeting capability to nuclei for proteins to initiate reprogramming.
Once the proteins are inside cytosol, the intracellular proteases will first try to degrade them if they are not folded properly. For those proteins that survived intracellular protease degradation, they will randomly collide with different intracellular compartments and only a very small fraction of proteins can reach nuclei to initiate protein-induced reprogramming. To enhance the probability of nuclei location of the reprogramming proteins, both Ding's and Kim's lab adopted a repeated circles (7-10 cycles) of protein delivery.
These major drawbacks cause extremely low efficiency of somatic cell conversion into iPS cells (<0.005%). In addition, it also took a long time for protein initiated reprogramming of fibroblast cells into iPS cells. In Ding's paper, it took 5 weeks to observe iPS cell colony formation from mouse embryonic fibroblast, which is much easy to reprogram into iPS cells as compared with human adult fibroblast. When human newborn fibroblasts were used by Kim et al to generate iPS cells, it took 8 weeks to observe iPS cell colony.
As discussed above, lack of delivery efficiency, lack of nuclear targeting/random nature of intracellular trafficking and long process of the current gene and protein delivery technology make it very hard to control the quality of the generate iPS cells. This is demonstrated by several recent reports, indicating that the newly generated iPS cells display distinct patterns of gene expression from those of human ES cells. However, the iPS cells display a very similar gene expression pattern as human ES cells after 50-60 passages. Based on this results, a continue reprogramming concept has been proposed during continue passage of iPS cells. Unfortunately, it was also observed that at later passages (50-60 passages), the iPS cells display major chromosomal changes as compared with the starting somatic cells, making it impossible to use these IPS cells for human clinical application.
It would therefore be beneficial to develop an iPS cell technology that can generate high-quality iPS cells from human adult somatic cells within a few days at near 100% conversion efficiency.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Protein-induced pluripotent cell technology and uses thereof


A method of fabricating a semiconductor device in which a plurality of conductive lines having a fine pitch and a uniform thickness can be formed is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of first conductive patterns in a insulation layer as closed curves, forming a plurality of mask patterns on the insulation layer, the mask patterns exposing end portions of each of the first conductive patterns, and forming a plurality of second conductive patterns in the insulation layer as lines by removing the end portions of each of the first conductive patterns.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, and, more particularly, to a method of fabricating a semiconductor device in which conductive lines are buried in a semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the integration density of semiconductor devices increases, the pitch of patterns in semiconductor devices is becoming increasingly smaller. However, due to limits in the resolution of lithography, it is difficult to form micro-patterns such as line-and-space patterns.
In order to address this difficulty, methods of forming micro-patterns using spacer patterns as masks have been developed. These methods typically involve forming dummy patterns, forming spacer patterns on both sides of each of the dummy patterns and forming micro-patterns using the spacer patterns as masks. These techniques require many additional processing steps, however, and thus result in more expensive fabrication of the semiconductor devices. Consequently, a need remains for a simpler and less expensive method of forming semiconductor devices having fine pattern pitch.

Method of fabricating semiconductor device


A method and system for communicating via peer to peer messages is disclosed. A method includes advertising availability of the peripheral via wireless messaging for a first period of time; triggering a message send event; determining a destination node; connecting to the destination node via wireless messaging; sending the message to the destination node; and entering a low power state for a second period of time, wherein the second period of time is longer than the first period of time.

Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of electronics. In particular, the present disclosure relates to indoor localization.
Localization is an increasingly popular use case of mobile electronic devices. In outdoor usage, global navigation satellite systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) are used to determine the location of an electronic device. When mapping software is used in conjunction with the global navigation satellite signals, a user is able to determine his position and determine a course to a destination. However, signals from global navigation satellite systems may not operate properly in indoor locations. To determine a user's location, other systems are used.

Integrated wireless beacon in fire alarm devices for indoor localization


The purpose of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact that can be manufactured efficiently from narrow metal strips and an electrical connector for LANs etc. which uses such a contact.. Electrical connector 10 includes an insulation housing 20 with one pair of compartments 21 and 22. A pair of electrical contacts 31 and 32 have tab contact sections 33 which extend through the rear wall of housing 20 into compartments 21 and 22. The tab contact sections 33a-33b, and 33c-33d of contacts 31 and 32 respectively are separate and parallel with respect to each other. They are connected at coupling sections 35, 36 and each has a connection terminal 37 and 38. The outer sections of coupling sections 35 and 36 are twisted in the fabrication process so that the tab contact sections of both contacts 31 and 32 are reversed up or down with respect to each other so that the tab contact sections 33a-33d are disposed in the same plane in compartments 21, 22.

In offices, homes, automobiles and in other locations or equipment which use advanced electronics, one or more central processing unit devices (CPU) or microprocessors (MPU) are employed. Local area networks (LAN) are used to interconnect these processors and related peripheral devices.
In order to interconnect the peripheral devices and the LAN data bus, a large number of I/O (input-output) connectors are used. One example of this type of I/O connector is that described in Japanese Patent Application No. 407169 [1990]. This type of connector is explained briefly below with reference to FIG. 5.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the data bus of LAN 100 has two main paths or conductors 101 and 102 and, in this instance, CPU 103 is connected to it. Peripheral devices 104 and 105 are selectively connected to bus conductors 101, 102 via I/O connectors 106 and 107, respectively.
The I/O connectors 106, 107 used with this LAN 100 could be configured as shown, for example, in FIG. 5B. Data bus 100 is configured with conductors 101, 102 in the form of shielded cable 110. Plug connectors 120, 130 are connected at fixed positions to the cables. Although not shown in the figure, each plug connector 120, 130 has two receptacle contacts and each is connected to signal conductors 101, 102 of the shielded cable 110. These plug connectors 120, 130 can be inserted into the plug connector compartments 141, 142 of the cap connector 140. Latch arms 121, 131 formed on each of the plug connectors 120, 130, latch with and are fixed in the latch sections (not shown in the figure) in the inner walls of the compartments 141, 142 of the cap connector 140. The latches may be formed, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication NO. 3-50622 [1992].
A pair of mutually linked contacts 150, 160 includes two pairs of tab contact sections 151, 152 and 161, 162 which extend into compartments 141, 142 from the rear of cap connector 140. Each of the contacts 150, 160 have connection terminals 154, 164 extending downward from the central portion of the coupling sections 153, 163 which connect the tab contacts. These connection terminals 154, 164 are connected to peripheral devices 104, 105 by, for example, being soldered to a printed circuit board. Of course, if necessary, the insulation housing 145 of cap connector 140 can be fixed to the above noted circuit board by a screw or other such mounting hardware.
In the I/O connector system shown in FIG. 5B, the shielded conductive wires 101, 102 form the continuous data bus 100 in FIG. 5A by connecting with the shielded conductors 101, 102 of plug connectors 120, 130 via the contacts 150, 160 of cap connector 140. It is also easy to see how it is possible to simultaneously use connection terminals 154, 164 of the contacts 150, 160 of cap connector 140 to configure a tap or shunt in order to connect peripheral devices 104, 105 with data bus 100.
Electrical contacts for electrical connectors are generally manufactured by a process of stamping metal sheets usually made of a copper alloy. With prior techniques, in order to obtain the contacts 150, 160 described above with a process of stamping them from strips of metal sheets, a large metal strip of sufficient width has to be used to stamp out the tab portions 151, 152 (161, 162), the coupling sections 153 (163), and the connection terminals 154 (164). Subsequently the connection terminal section 154 (164) is twisted along with the main section to form the final contact 150 (160). However, as is evident in FIG. 5, when forming contact 150 (160) this stamping process when used with previous technology has the disadvantage of requiring the scrapping of a large portion of the metal strip and consequent high cost caused by this poor efficiency in the utilization of materials.
Consequently, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact that can be manufactured efficiently and inexpensively using extremely narrow metal strips and forming the contacts from these metal strips with the previously noted stamping process.
Furthermore, an additional purpose of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can be used effectively with LANs such as described above where multiple electrical contacts such as described above are utilized.

Electrical contact and electrical connector using such contact


The invention relates to an electric lamp (100) whose light source reaches a very high temperature during operation. It mainly relates to a lamp provided with a double envelope such that a fracture or a crack of the outer envelope (2) does not prevent the lamp (100) from functioning. The lamp is therefore provided with a safety cut-out wire (5) which allows the opening of the conduction path of the lamp in case of a fracture. To this end a safety-switch portion (6) is inserted in the safety cut-out wire (5). This portion is made of a material which opens the conduction path as soon as the safety-switch portion (6) comes into contact with air.

The invention relates to an electric lamp comprising:
a light source provided with a light-transmitting chamber,
a first and a second conductive wire connected to a first and a second end of the light source, respectively, thus forming a conduction path with the light source,
an outer sealed envelope formed from a light-transmitting material and surrounding said chamber and said conductive wires, the environment between the outer envelope and said chamber being substantially without oxygen.
Such a lamp is described in the UK patent application GB 2,272,569. It provides a tungsten lamp which has a light-transmitting filament chamber enclosing a filament, said filament chamber being enclosed within an outer envelope. The lamp described in the prior art comprises a light source consisting in the filament chamber enclosing the tungsten filament. During lamp operation, the temperature of the light source increases strongly and could ignite any item in its neighborhood. In the event of a fracture of the outer envelope of the lamp proposed by the prior art, the light source does not necessarily stop functioning. Thus, there is a high probability that the light source at a very high temperature will ignite an external item touching it.
It is an object of the invention to provide a lamp whose light source will stop functioning as soon as the outer envelope of the lamp breaks, thus offering a high degree of safety to any external user.
To this end, the lamp described in the introduction is provided with at least a portion of at least a conductive wire, hereinafter referred to as a safety cut-out wire, made of a material which reacts chemically when in contact with air, causing the conduction path to open.
In normal operation, a conduction path is established along the first conductive wire, the light source, and the second conductive wire. The space between the outer envelope and the light source chamber is very poor in oxygen and may be vacuum or filled with a gas which does not react with any component inside the lamp. The portion of the safety cut-out wire is made of a material which reacts as soon as it is in contact with air and is chemically transformed in such a way that the conduction path is rapidly broken and the light source no longer functions. An advantage of a lamp according to the invention is that it offers a good protection against a possible ignition of an external item through contact with the light source when the outer envelope is broken or cracked. Fuses are described in the lamp of the prior art. They are connected to opposite ends of the filament to limit the magnitude and duration of an electrical arc across a break in the filament. These fuse wires are designed to melt and break the electrical contact in the event of an arc. The safety cut-out wire introduced by the invention deals with a different problem than do these fuse wires. The safety cut-out wire is not a protection against an electrical arc which may arise across a break in the filament and does not melt at high temperatures.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material of said portion of the safety cut-out wire burns out when in contact with air at a temperature reached owing to radiation heat from the light source during operation.
Indeed, a light source in operation reaches very high temperatures and, as a consequence, so may the conductive wires when placed in the vicinity of the light source. Many commonly used materials burns out in a few seconds in oxygen at such a temperature level. Thus the protection provided by the safety cut-out wire can be implemented in a simple way by using common and inexpensive materials. Besides, in another embodiment of the invention, the safety cut-out wire may also be heated by the Joule effect due to a current circulating in the conductive wires.


There is disclosed herein a bipolar transistor structure having a self aligned extended silicide base contact. The contact extends to the position of a base contact window located outside the perimeter of the isolation island on a contact pad formed over the field oxide. This allows the size of the isolation island to be kept smaller and allows a smaller extrinsic base region to be formed. The base contact is formed of titanium and titanium silicide where the titanium/silicide boundary is self aligned with the edge of the device isolation island. The silicide is formed by reacting the titanium which completely covers the exposed epitaxial silicon inside the isolation island. An anisotropically etched oxide sidewall spacer insulates the silicide from the sidewall of the silicide-covered, polysilicon emitter contact.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to integrated circuits and bipolar transistors formed therein, and relates more particularly to a structure for a bipolar transistor having its base contact outside the isolation region and having a self-aligned emitter-base spacer thereby reducing the transistor cell size and improving the transistor's electrical characteristics.
Parasitic and inherent capacitances and resistances in integrated circuit structures are the principal limiting factors on switching speed and cutoff frequency. Some of these capacitances and resistances are parasitic, i.e., present only because of the integrated structure of the transistor. Others are inherently present because of the junction nature of a transistor and its peculiar geometry. For example, any transistor has a base spreading resistance caused by the long narrow path of current in the base to the emitter and collector junctions. In addition there is a parasitic resistance caused by the contact structure from the external base terminal to the base region of the transistor in the semiconductor lattice. Further, there is an emitter capacitance and a collector capacitance both of which arise from the presence of PN junctions in the device. The emitter and collector capacitances are the sum of the diffusion capacitances and the space charge capacitances across the emitter-base and base-collector junctions respectively. The areas of these junctions affect the value of these capacitances with larger areas causing larger capacitances. Therefore smaller transistors have smaller parasitic capacitances.
When a high frequency switching waveform is applied across the base-emitter junction of a swtching transistor, the emitter and collector capacitors tend to shunt the high frequency components for which these capacitances represent very low impedances. That is, when the switching waveform changes states, the capacitors tend to act as momentary shorts. When a transistor changes states from off to on or vice versa, the base current causes elimination of excess minority carrier charge stored in the base to cut the transistor off or causes storage of minority carrier charge to drive the transistor into saturation. Because of the low impedances of the emitter and collector junction capacitances, this base current is temporarily shunted therby diverting it from these functions. This diversion of the base current into these capacitors occurs until they are charges up, at which time the base current can commence charge storage or elimination of stored excess minority carrier charge. These charge storage or charge elimination events must occur before the transistor can change states from off to on or vice versa. Because there is no immediate change in state when the input waveform across the base-emitter junction changes state, there is no immediate change in the collector current. The collector current will not change until such time as the parasitic and inherent capacitors charge up and the charge in the base begins to change. This charging or discharging rate of the base is established by the sizes of the various capacitors and by the magnitude of the base spreading resistance through which the charging currents flow. The charging or discharging rate is the principal limitation on the switching speed of the transistor.
To maximize switching speed, the values of the capacitances must be minimized and the base spreading resistance must be kept low to provide a low RC time constant.
Workers in the art have devised processing techniques to yield transistor structures which have lower base spreading resistances than commonly found in prior bipolar transistor structures. Such an advance is described in a co-pending patent application entitled "Self Aligned Silicide Base Contact For A Bipolar Transistor", Ser. No. 629,039, filed Jul. 9, 1984. There the base spreading resistance was reduced by reducing the length of the path which current between the emitter and base had to travel. This reduction in path was caused by use of a self aligned base and emitter contacts of silicide separated by self aligned, thin oxide spacer insulator regions thereby eliminating the clearances between the base and emitter contacts that formarly had to be observed under the design rules for mask alignment tolerances in processes using separate base and emitter masks.
Although this process and structure lowers the base spreading resistance, it does not lower the parasitic and inherent emitter and collector capacitances associated with the integrated transistor structure.
The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the magnitude of parasitic and inherent capacitances associated with the integrated bipolar transistor structures previously known.

Method of forming self aligned extended base contact for a bipolar transistor having reduced cell size


A respirator 10 includes a compressible filter element 12, a filter element retainer 14, and a face piece 16. The respirator is unique in that the filter element 12 compresses when installed in the retainer 14, allowing a friction fit to be maintained between the filter element 12 and retainer 14. The friction fit enables the filter element 12 to be readily replaced when its service life has expired.

In the respirator art, many techniques have been used to attach filter elements to respirators. A common technique uses threads to attach the filter element to a corresponding threaded fitting on the body of the respirator; see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,222,488, 5,063,926, 5,036,844, 5,022,901, 4,548,626, and 4,422,861. The filter elements typically possess helical or advancing spiral threads that mate with a tapped collar or socket that receives the filter element's threaded portion. Rotating the filter element in the appropriate direction allows the filter element to be attached to or removed from the respirator.
In another technique disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,803, a bellows is used to fasten a filter element to a respirator. The bellows, together with a rigid band, form a rigid cuff that receives the filter element. The cuff is continued in an elastic sleeve, which surrounds the filter element in a gas-tight manner. To change the filter element, the sleeve is first folded back to the level of the cuff, allowing the filter element to be removed. During assembly, the filter element is inserted into the cuff, and the sleeve is then folded back over the filter element.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,078,132 and 5,033,465 disclose a respirator that uses edge seals to secure a filter element to an elastomeric face piece of the respirator. The filter element includes bonded activated carbon granules, and the edge seals are disposed between the filter element and the elastomeric face piece and are made of a suitable adhesive material such as a hot-melt adhesive, a hot-melt foam adhesive, or a latex adhesive.
A foam mask shell used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,508 for placing a filter element in a respirator. The foam mask shell possesses a collar that defines an opening for receiving the filter element. The filter element has an extension with an outside dimension approximately equal to the inside dimension of the cylindrical passage through the collar. To mount the filter element, its extension is inserted into the opening where it makes a relatively tight friction fit. When the extension is inserted into the opening, the latter expands due to flexibility of the foam material in the mask shell. To replace a filter element, it is grasped and twisted back and forth while pulling it away from the mask shell.
Insert molding is used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,306 to permanently secure a bonded absorbent filter element to a respirator face piece.
A plug-in frame is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,771 to secure a filter cartridge in a chamber of the respirator. The filter cartridge is disposed in the chamber by seals that bear tightly against the cartridge to hold it in place. The filter cartridge can be fitted to the respirator by sliding it through an opening in the plug-in frame.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,604 locking tongues are employed on a filter retainer to hold a replaceable filter element in an abutting relationship to the respirator frame. The filter member can be replaced by snapping off the filter retaining member from the frame.
A further technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,837, where the respirator is provided with a guide ring for engaging a filter housing. The guide ring is carried by a sleeve portion that defines an opening through which the gasses pass. The filter housing is slidable on the guide ring from a retracted stand-by position to an extended use position. A bellows located between the filter element and the respirator, permits movement of the filter element between its retracted stand-by position and its extended use position.
Sundstrom Safety AB of Lidingo, Sweden markets a respirator under the designation SR-62, which uses an elastomeric rubber filter retainer for accommodating a filter element. The filter element comprises a gas and vapor or particulate filter in a rigid injection molded plastic cartridge. To insert the filter element into the retainer, the retainer is stretched over the periphery of the filter element.
Although the above-discussed respirators use various techniques for securing a filter element to a respirator, these techniques have a number of drawbacks. For example, the filter elements that are threaded to the respirator typically include a housing or canister into which the filter material is retained. The cartridge's cylindrical geometry typically requires using the filter element as an appendage or external cartridge on the respirator which can interfere with a wearer's vision. Further, the threaded cartridges employ many parts which can add to the total volume of the filter element and overall weight of the respirator. In other types of designs, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,078,132, 5,033,465, and 4,790,306, the filter elements are not able to be readily replaced, and thus when the service life of the filter element has met its limit, the whole respirator is discarded as waste. In the model SR-62 respirator sold by Sundstrom, the filter element is replaceable; however, the retainer lacks physical strength relative to the filter element, and thus, like placing a rubber tire on a wheel, a number of manual manipulations are needed to place the filter element in the elastomeric rubber retainer. In addition, elastomeric materials can be relatively expensive and more difficult to process. Many of the other respirators discussed above possess the drawback of using fairly complicated systems for mounting the filter element to the respirator.

Respirator having a compressible press fir filter element


A farrowing pen is provided for accommmodating and confirming a sow or the like within a given space wherein the confined sow is permitted limited movement within the space without causing accidental injury or death to her piglets. At least one of the elongated side walls of the pen is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced elements. The elements are mounted for adjustment to selected positions relative to the remainder of the side wall to provide maximum nursing space for the piglets.

Farrowing pens, or crates, have been utilized for many years in an effort to reduce the incidents of accidental injury or killing of the piglets by being laid or stepped upon by the sow when the latter changes position within the pen during and after farrowing. Such prior pens, or crates, because of inherent structural design were beset with one or more of the following shortcomings: (a) they were incapable of properly confining sows of varying sizes and shapes; (b) they failed to provide adequate nursing space for the piglets; (c) one or more piglets were susceptible to becoming trapped for prolong periods of time or crushed to death between a wall of the pen and the confined sow; (d) cleaning of the pen was a frustrating and time consuming operation; (e) confinement of the sow within the pen was such that the sow was susceptible to injuring herself when changing position; and (f) the dimensions of the piglet access opening to the compartment in which the sow was confined could not be varied without requiring substantial disassembly of the pen.


A wet settling machine having a jig screen has the separating liquid mechanically pulsed and the energy of the pulsations is stored in and released from sealed air chambers which open downwardly into the settling liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for processing coal or other minerals, particularly for processing fine granulations, in a wet settling machine having a jig screen on which, preferably, a throughput feldspar bed is arranged and which is periodically pulsed with a separating liquid, and to a settling machine for implementation of the method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In processing technology it is known to process mineral mixtures, particularly coal, with wet settling machines, whereby a pulsation of a separating liquid is effected by mechanical means such as membranes. Settling machines of this type have the disadvantage that they must be constructed very stable and very heavy in order to be able to withstand the considerable mechanical loads on the movable parts, particularly in the case of great throughput.

Operating method and settling machine for processing coal


A method of forming a transistor is described. In one embodiment the method includes: forming a channel of a transistor in a surface of a substrate; forming a dielectric stack including a first oxide layer overlying the surface of the substrate, a middle layer comprising nitride overlying the first oxide layer and a second oxide layer overlying the middle layer; forming over the dielectric stack a mask exposing source and drain (S/D) regions of the transistor; etching the dielectric stack through the mask to thin the dielectric stack by removing the second oxide layer and at least a first portion of the middle layer in S/D regions of the transistor; and implanting dopants into S/D regions of the transistor through the thinned dielectric stack to form a lightly-doped drain (LDD) adjacent to the channel of the transistor. Other embodiments are also described.

For many applications, such as system-on-chip (SOC) architecture, it is desirable to integrate logic devices and interface circuits based upon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect transistors and non-volatile memory (NVM) devices on a single chip or substrate. MOS transistors are typically fabricated using a standard or baseline complimentary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process flows. NVM devices can include silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) based transistors, including charge-trapping gate stacks in which a stored or trapped charge changes a threshold voltage of the non-volatile memory transistor to store information as a logic 1 or 0. The integration of these dissimilar transistors in SOC architecture is challenging and becomes even more problematic as the transistors are scaled to smaller geometries.

Methods to integrate SONOS into CMOS flow


An expendable plug is shown for use in a well bore tool for controlling the flow of well bore fluids from a production zone to the well surface. The plug is located within a tubular housing which is made up in a well tubing string having an internal bore with a predetermined minimum internal diameter. The plug initially closes off the internal bore of the tubing string at a selected location. An actuator is triggered by an appropriate signal to expend the plug of expendable material, and to remove the plug from the internal bore of the tubing string, whereby fluids in the surrounding earthen formation are allowed to flow up the tubing string to the well surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to well tools for selectively plugging tubing strings extending within a well bore and to hydraulically-operated well bore devices, such as well packers, to permit pressure buildup therein necessary for operating such devices, and to a method for subsequently opening such tubing strings and devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While drilling and producing wells for the recovery of petroleum and other subsurface deposits, it is often necessary to close off or plug a tubular conduit, such as a string of tubing extending from the well surface to a subterranean location, at a chosen point along the length of conduit so that pressure may be built up within the conduit above that point. Subsequently, it is necessary to be able to re-open the conduit for flow therethrough. For example, it may be necessary to pack-off the annulus between the tubing and a surrounding casing or well bore. This is typically done with a packer which is made up into and forms a part of the tubing string. Many such packers are set hydraulically by application of fluid pressure through the tubing. A plug apparatus is used to permit sufficient pressure to be built up within the tubing string to set the packer. Such packers are typically designed so that once set, they may be held or retained in the set condition without the continued application of fluid pressure through the tubing. Thus, the plug used to close off the tubing during setting of the packer may then be released so that fluid may be circulated through the tubing.
Flow control devices of the type under consideration also have applicability and utility in situations prior to formation perforation. For example, it may be desirable to create an underbalance adjacent the formation to be produced so that when the formation is perforated, flow is immediately initiated into the tubing, avoiding potential fouling of the newly created flow paths into the formation.
A variety of bridging and blanking plugs are shown in the prior art for plugging off the bore of a well conduit, usually the production tubing string, for various purposes. Although certain of these plugs are designed to be permanently installed, they are usually of the type which are designed to be retrieved when the purpose for which the plug has been installed has been accomplished. Retrievable plugs generally employ some form of releasable anchoring device by which the plug may be secured to the internal bore of the well pipe and which may then be released to enable the plug to be withdrawn. Typically, a seating nipple is made up in the tubing string which includes an internal profile adapted to receive locating collets, or the like, on the plug body. Typical seating nipples are shown, for example, on pages 28-36 of the Baker Oil Tools 1989 Flow Control Systems catalogue. Seating nipples of the type shown allow, for example, the location of various wireline flow control devices within the internal bore of a tubing string.
One disadvantage of the prior art arrangement was that the seating nipple presented a restriction in the internal diameter of the tubing string. Also, the prior art plugs were often retrieved on a wireline and the retrieval operation was complicated in the case of deviated well bores.

Method and apparatus for controlling the flow of well bore fluids


In particle counting apparatus such as a hematology parameter measurement apparatus for performing multiple measurements on one blood sample, first and second impedance transducers, each including inner and outer electrodes, are provided for selective hydraulic connection to a probe head including one set of pressure ports and a further inner electrode. The first and second transducers are respectively immersed in first and second dilutions of the sample. Measurements on each dilution are made in a conventional manner. The inner electrodes are connected in parallel as are the outer electrodes so that small liquid passageways may be provided between the transducers and the probe head while maintaining a low impedance in the liquid path. Means are provided for selecting the sequence of operations and are provided to increase the throughput of samples for which multiple measurements are made.

The present invention relates to particle counters of the impedance measurement type and more specifically to multiple probes in a hematology parameter measurement apparatus.
In the well-known liquid particle counter of the impedance measurement type, discussed here in the context of a hematology parameter measurement apparatus, a transducer may take the form of a conduit having an aperture in one wall and be provided with both an inner electrode within the conduit and an outer electrode. The transducer is immersed in a liquid sample and liquid is aspirated through the aperture into the probe. As particles pass through the aperture, the impedance between the inner and outer electrode increases, producing counting pulses. An example of such an apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,066 to Henry R. Angel and James W. Hennessey, issued Nov. 18, 1975. This patent is now assigned to the assignee herein, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference. In the use of the apparatus disclosed therein and apparatus of other manufacturers intended for the same purpose, one transducer probe is provided for sequential counts of red and white blood cells. In blood cell counting, a blood sample is taken and a first dilution thereof having a ratio on the order of magnitude of 1:250 and a second dilution having a ratio to the original sample on the order of magnitude of 1:62,500 are respectively used for white blood cell counts and red blood cell counts. Lysing reagent is added to the white blood cell count sample to destroy red blood cells. Red blood cell count and white blood cell count dilutions may be measured in pairs for a plurality of patients, or red blood cell count samples and white blood cell count samples may be grouped. Due to the presence of lysing reagent in white blood cell count samples, it is necessary to rinse the transducer probe before running a red blood cell count following a white blood cell count. Thus, the instrument operator has the choice of separating the running of red blood cell counts and white blood cell counts for each patient, or to do both counts for one patient at a time. In the latter situation, a rinse must be performed before each red blood cell count measurement.
While prior art systems have been provided with separate sets of transducers for performing red blood cell counts and white blood cell counts, most notably the Coulter Counter.sup.R Models, such systems have been, in comparison to other hematology cell counting systems marketed to hematology laboratories, complex and expensive. Other multiple probe systems have been disclosed in the prior art such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,464, issued May 13, 1969 to W. H. Coulter, et al. These systems have not provided for counts performed on a different dillution through each transducer aperture.

Hematology cell counting apparatus incorporating multiple transducers for sequential operation


A locking surgical tool handle system. The invention includes a surgical tool handle that has an elongated body portion with a pistol-type grip. The front end of the handle body has a tool retaining structure comprising a contoured engagement face and a moveable tension bar with an engagement end. Projections on the engagement end of the tension bar fit within a receiving channel of a surgical tool, such as a broach or rasp. A locking mechanism is provided within the handle body, and is implemented with pivotable links attached to the tension bar. The locking mechanism has an unlocked position in which the engagement end of the tension bar is spaced away from the engagement face of the handle body, and an over-center locked position in which the engagement end of the tension bar is retracted toward the handle body. When the tool handle is placed in its locked position, the engagement end of the tension bar pulls an attached tool into tight contact with the engagement face of the handle body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical instruments, and more particularly to a locking surgical tool handle system.
2. Related Art
The use of prosthetic implants to replace the natural joints of a body, either as a result of disease or injury to the natural joint, is becoming more and more commonplace. For example, in the replacement of a hip joint, it is very often necessary to replace the natural femoral head with a prosthetic stem fixed within the femur and provide an accurately located and securely held prosthetic head in place of the natural femoral head. The prosthetic stem may be of a press-fit type, or a cemented type.
The procedure for implanting a prosthetic stem includes the use of a broach or rasp, usually as the last step in preparing the proximal femoral shaft for the reception of the prosthetic stem. The purpose of the broach or rasp is to provide contouring of the proximal femoral shaft to the gross geometry of the prosthetic stem, thereby assuring accurate location and good fit. The configuration of the broach or rasp is made to emulate that of the prosthetic stem (and its cement mantle, when used) to enable the attainment of the desired stem shape.
In order to facilitate utilization of such a broach or rasp, it has been suggested that the handle of the instrument be selectively detachable from the instrument tool so that the location of the tool within the femoral shaft can be gauged precisely and used as a means of determining the subsequent location of the prosthetic stem. Further, if the handle is detachable, the tool may be used for location of a trial neck attachment to assure that the length of the reconstructed prosthesis is accurate, and for milling of the femoral calcar (through an opening in the tool) to assure that the bone surface is flat and in line with the face of the tool.
A number of handles for use with releasable broaches or rasps have been proposed in the past. Examples are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,306,550; 4,583,270; 4,587,964; 4,601,289; and 4,765,328. However, these existing handles exhibit a number of problems. Several fail to achieve a tight fit between the tool and handle. A tight fit is necessary to permit good control of the tool during a surgical procedure. Many of the existing handles suffer a high rate of failure between the attachment peg or other interfacial locking component between the handle and tool. A few of the existing designs simply cannot withstand repeated impacts necessary during insertion and removal of a broach or rasp. Lastly, a number of the designs are nonergonomic, which makes use difficult during a surgical procedure.
It is therefore desirable to provide an ergonomic handle that attaches to cutting tools used during surgery, and in particular, that attaches to rasps and broaches used to fashion the intramedullary canal of the femur during a hip replacement procedure. It is also desirable to provide a design that incorporates proper balance, rigid construction, secure locking of a tool to the handle, quick release to facilitate usage during surgery, and rugged design that survives through repeated impacts during insertion and removal of a tool in surgery.
The present invention provides a locking surgical tool handle that meets these goals.


A cooling system for a sheet-fed printing unit, including at least one fan and a cooling element such as a chilled water coil. The printing unit includes a plurality of ink cylinders, a blanket cylinder, an impression cylinder, and one or more transfer cylinders. A source directs radiant energy onto substrate being printed to cure ink thereon. The radiant energy may be directed at substrates on the impression or transfer cylinders. In response to the radiant energy, the impression or transfer cylinders become heated and transfer heat to the substrate, which distorts as a result. The fan generates an airflow toward an impression or transfer cylinder. The airflow is within a predetermined temperature range and of a sufficient magnitude to maintain the impression or transfer cylinder within a critical temperature range to prevent or minimize substrate distortion.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sheet-fed printing presses and, in particular, this invention relates to an apparatus and a method to cool printing press cylinders, such as impression cylinders and transfer cylinders, and substrates being printed thereon.
2. Background of the Invention
Sheet-fed printing presses use such processes as lithographic, flexographic, and gravure printing to transfer images to a substrate such as plastic or paper. The sheet substrate is usually conveyed through the printing press by a series of rotating transfer and impression cylinders (collectively transfer elements). The image is usually transferred by depositing liquid or paste ink onto the substrate from a blanket cylinder, raised image plate, or gravure cylinder to the impression cylinder while the substrate is positioned between surfaces of the blanket cylinder and the impression cylinder. After being printed, the image of liquid or paste ink (or coating) may be dried or cured by radiant energy. The radiant energy is usually directed at the newly printed substrate while the substrate is positioned over the surface of the impression or transfer cylinder. Thus, both the substrate and printing cylinders absorb heat. Some of the heat cures the ink and raises the temperature of the substrate, which is conveyed away from the radiation site. Some of the heat absorbed by the printing cylinders is dissipated by radiation. However some of the heat absorbed by the printing press cylinders raises the temperatures of these elements and is then transferred to substrates. The heated substrates respond to this heat transfer by distortion (e.g., expansion and contraction).
The typical finished printed image is actually a mosaic of several component images deposited sequentially by multiple printing units. Thus, each printing unit adds to the final image. For example, an image with a blue background on white paper and with red lettering requires exact spaces left blank for the red lettering. Each component image must be transferred to an exact position on the substrate. For example, between about 133 and 600 lines per inch are from common registration criteria. If the substrate expands or contracts during the printing process, a phenomenon known as thermal distortion occurs and component images are not transferred to exact positions. When this occurs the finished product is often blurred or distorted. The above-mentioned substrate distortion, therefore, is a result of substrate heat absorption via the curing process and of printing press cylinders operated at temperatures above a critical temperature range.
Thus far, cylinders in printing units have been maintained within desired temperature ranges by utilizing cool air ducted into the press from an external air conditioning unit. Maintaining the cylinder temperatures by this method is expensive, inefficient, and often ineffective. These prior art temperature control systems require large amounts of energy to cool air from ambient temperatures, to often as low as 35 degrees F. Moreover and due to space constraints within the printing press, the ducts often cannot be installed so as to direct cool air to all printing surfaces, which are being operated at elevated temperatures. Because these ducted systems often fail to cool all printing cylinders, the final product is frequently flawed by thermal distortion.
There is then a need for an apparatus and a method for quickly and efficiently maintaining printing cylinders within temperature ranges which will not cause substrate distortion. There is a particular need for an apparatus and a method to economically and effectively maintain printing press cylinders at temperatures (e.g., below 100 degrees F) to insure that an optimum quality printed product is achieved.
This invention substantially meets the aforementioned needs of the industry by providing a printing system, the printing system including a blanket cylinder, transfer elements such as impression (printing) cylinders and~transfer cylinders, and a unit for directing an airflow at the impression. The present airflow temperature range may be a temperature, which will effectively prevent the substrate from being thermally distorted beyond a specified limit. The effective airflow temperature may also be below a maximum acceptable temperature of the transfer element. Under certain circumstances, the present effective airflow temperature may be between slightly above 32 degrees F. (e.g., 34 degrees F.) and 120 degrees F.; between 40 degrees F. and 75 degrees F., or between 50 degrees F. and 55 degrees F.
The cooling unit may include at least one fan and at least one cooling coil, the cooling coil positioned to cool air directed by the fan at the transfer element. The cooling coil may convey a coolant such as a chilled liquid or a compressible gas. The cooling unit may further include a temperature sensor in electrical communication with the fan for measuring a transfer element temperature. The sensor may be an infrared, noncontact sensor. The present invention may further include a control unit in electrical communication with the sensor, the fan, and a pump or valve. The control unit activates the fan and the pump or valve when the transfer element is heated to a designated temperature, the designated temperature detected by the sensor. The pump or valve then circulates coolant through the cooling coil.
There is further provided a process for maintaining a transfer element within a designated temperature range, the process including providing a cooling system and directing an airflow at the transfer element. The cooling system may include at least one fan and a cooling coil. The airflow may be cooled by the cooling coil and generated by the fan. The cooling coil may convey a refrigerant such as chilled water or a compressible gas.
There is yet further provided a process of installing a cooling unit for a printing cylinder, the process including providing the cooling unit and positioning the cooling unit so as to direct an airflow at a transfer element. The cooling unit may include at least one fan, a cooling coil, and a pump or valve. The fan may generate an airflow, which is cooled by the cooling coil and directed at the transfer element. The pump may circulate a cooling fluid through the coiling coil.
An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus to maintain a transfer element within a temperature range effective to ensure that substrate distortion is within allowable limits.
Another object of this invention is to retrofit a printing assembly with an apparatus to maintain transfer elements therein within an effective or desired temperature range.
It is an advantage of this invention that transfer element temperatures can be maintained within desired temperature ranges with less energy than was previously possible.
It is another advantage of this invention that each transfer element can be maintained within a desired temperature range notwithstanding space limitations within the printing press unit.
It is yet another advantage of this invention that each transfer element can be maintained within a desired temperature range without the expense and effort previously required to install air ducts.
Additional objects, advantages, and features of various embodiments of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of various embodiments of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.


A scanner module with a single image information reading device is provided to read both sides of an original. The scanner module mainly comprises: a paper feeding device, and a paper output device for providing an I/O path for the original. The paper feeding device is connected to a scan station. The scan station comprises a glass window and a pinch roller which locates against the glass window. Beneath the glass window, there is an image information reading device. Under the guidance of the pinch roller, an original will be conveyed progressively from the paper feeding device and through the glass window for the image information reading device to read the first side of the original. The original will be inverted while passing through an inversion device. At the mouth of the inversion device, there is a document sensor. When the original leaves the inversion device, the sensor will generate a control signal to the pinch roller and enable the pinch roller to rotate in an opposite direction. The inverted original will be guided through the glass window with the guidance of the pinch roller. Consequently, the image information reading device can read the other side of the original.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a double side scanner module, especially to a double side scanner module that applies only a single image information reading device for reading both sides of an original.
B. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional scanner or facsimile machine can only scan one side of an original. If a user wants to scan two sides of an original, he has to manually turn over the original to the other side and scan the original once again. A scanner that usually provides the function of double side scanning is a copy machine. An U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,077, xe2x80x9cMulti-Mode Scannerxe2x80x9d by James C, Stoffel disclosed a scanner which is capable of scan either one side or two sides of an original using only a single Charge Coupled Device (CCD). Stoffel""s scanner can scan one side of the original for each pass. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the original 12 is placed in a paper tray 13. When scanning, the original 12 passes an inversion section 18 to a scan station 14. A pinch roller 17 with a document sensor (not shown) can detect the original when it advances through the document sensor. When the document sensor detects a front end of the original, the CCD 11 starts to read the image of the original passes thereon. Thus, when the original 12 is completely passing the scan station 14, the CCD 11 also completes reading the first side of the original. Then, the original is progressively conveyed to another inversion section 15 to have the scanned side turned upside down. Then, the inverted original 12 is returned to the paper tray 13. Since the original 12 has been inverted, thus the other side of the original 12 can be scanned following the same procedure again. If the user only wants to scan only one side of the original, the original 12 can be placed on the sheet table 19. Then, the CCD 11 which is mounted on a pair of shafts 16 can read the image information of the original progressively while being driven along the sheet table 19.
One of the disadvantages for Stoffel""s invention is that the inversion path is too long. Consequently, it takes a long time to scan two sides of an original. Moreover, the structure taught by Stoffel is also quite complicated. It will be difficult to adopt the invention of Stoffel to a flatbed scanner or a facsimile machine, so as to automatically read the images on the two sides of an original.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a scanner module which can use only a single image information reading device to read the images on the two sides of an original.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple-structured scanner module, so as to reduce the size of a scanner or a facsimile machine, and further reduce the manufacture cost.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a scanner module which is adaptable to various still image reading device using only a single image information reading device to read images on both sides of an original.
In accordance with invention, a scanner module with a single image information reading device is provided to read both sides of an original. The scanner module mainly comprises: a paper feeding device, and a paper output device for providing an I/O path for the original. Moreover, the paper output device and the paper feeding device are disposed at the same side for the convenience of operation. The paper feeding device is connected to a scan station. The scan station comprises a glass window and a pinch roller which locates against the glass window. Beneath the glass window, there is an image information reading device. Under the guidance of the pinch roller, an original will be conveyed progressively from the paper feeding device and through the glass window for the image information reading device to read the first side of the original.
The other side of the scan station is connected to an inversion device. When the original is guided through the inversion device, the two sides of the original will be switched. At the mouth of the inversion device, there is a document sensor. When the original leaves the inversion device, the sensor will generate a control signal to the pinch roller and enable the pinch roller to rotate in an opposite direction. The inverted original will be guided through the glass window with the guidance of the pinch roller. Consequently, the image information reading device can read the other side of the original. Finally, the original will be guided towards the paper output device for the user to pick up.


An agricultural implement includes a primary frame, having a front and rear, a pair of opposed secondary frames each having an inboard end and an outboard end and each operably supporting a bank of ground driven wheel rakes, coupled to the primary frame near the rear and a positioning assembly to pivotally deploy or retract the secondary frames. The positioning assembly includes a deployment slide mounted on the primary frame and a pair of opposed fixed length spreader bars connecting the deployment slide to the outboard end of the secondary frames. An equalizing assembly dynamically couples the secondary frames by coupling the spreader bars, to a dancer on the primary frame. The implement also has an adjustable rear wheel spacing mechanism, employing a pair of interacting screws.

The present invention relates to agricultural implements and, in particular, the present invention relates to towable folding wheel rakes useful to form windrows from cut forage.
For many years it has been a typical agricultural process to cut forage, allow some drying to occur, rake it into piles where some additional drying occurs, collect and store it at a desirable moisture content, and subsequently feed such stored, dried forage to livestock. Weather conditions between the time of cutting and collecting play a major role in determining the resulting quality of the product of this agricultural process. In modern times, as farms have grown dramatically in area and the work force reduced in number, the process has been altered to employ power equipment to rake the drying cut forage into long, continuous windrows, which also encourages drying. The windrows may or may not be formed into bales prior to collection. Weather continues to be a major determinant of the overall outcome and the capability to rapidly rake a large field area in a short time is often critical.
Most modern power equipment for raking cut forage employs rotating tined wheels and most particularly banks of rotating tined wheels which are moved through a field of cut forage to form windrows. These banks of wheel rakes and more importantly multiple banks of wheel rakes can be quite wide to reduce the number of passes and thereby decrease the time required to rake a field. Wide rakes thereby provide a time and cost savings to agriculture and enhance the opportunity to perform the raking process so as to best utilize favorable weather conditions. Wide rakes, however, are a challenge to transport between fields.
in response to the transport challenge, wide rakes which fold to facilitate transport over highways and through fence gates have become popular in recent years. Peeters in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,199,252 and 5,305,509 discloses an exemplary folding hay rake. The Peeters rake involves a towable primary transport frame with right and left secondary frames pivotally deployed from the rear end of the primary frame by action of a telescoping extension assembly. Each of the secondary frames has a bank of wheel rakes.
However, a drawback of such folding rake units can be observed when only one of the two deployed rake banks encounters extreme resistance during the raking of a field. Such resistance might be encountered, by way of example, in the form of an obstruction or an excessively large clump of cut forage. The unevenly encountered resistance results in a temporary delay of one of the rake banks. The primary frame then accumulates stress, resiliently twists or bends slightly in response, and the implement temporarily follows an unintended pathway through the field. Once the uneven delaying resistance has been passed, the two opposed rake banks again provide equal stress to the primary frame, relieving the temporary twist or bend on the primary frame and the implement begins to resume its intended pathway behind the tow vehicle. However, a fishtail pathway has occurred and must be accommodated on a subsequent pass by the tow vehicle operator.
Typically, the tow vehicle operator will increase the overlap of the subsequent pass through the field and optionally reduce the towing speed in response to the fishtail pathway. Both of these responses fail to utilize the potential efficiency of a wide raking implement. Additionally, the stress on the implement framing is undesirable in that the useful life of implement is reduced and the frequency of breakdowns is increased.
Increasing the frame members sizes to stiffen the implement frame is an unacceptable solution to this problem because of increased manufacturing cost and increased implement weight. A more expensive implement which requires more fuel input to a larger tow vehicle for operation due to increased weight again fails to exploit the potential efficiency of wide folding rakes.
The present invention provides an ingenious solution to reduce fishtailing and detrimental uneven frame stress. The present invention is compatible with the use of relatively fine frame members on the agricultural implement, which tends to minimize the implement's weight and does not result in excessive increases in manufacturing costs. The agricultural implement of this invention therefore allows better exploitation of the potential efficiency of a wide folding wheel rake. Further, other aspects of the present invention provide versatility and fine adjustments in forage raking operations.

Folding hay rake with stabilizing support assembly


A subsea wellhead assembly is provided. The subsea wellhead assembly comprises a tubing head structure with a tree above the tubing head structure, and a recoverable module attached to the tubing head structure below said tree, the recoverable module comprising at least one valve and at least one sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a subsea wellhead assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
In the event of a problem in the operation of a subsea well, after the well has been secured, it may be necessary to remove to the topside not only a tree, but also a tubing head structure and its associated equipment. Known subsea wellhead assemblies contain an integrated tree and tubing head structure.


A method for producing a piston for internal combustion engines, where the piston includes a circumferential trapezoid annular groove for receiving trapezoid rings with small axial dimensions the groove having a groove base with adjoining surfaces and groove flanks. The groove base with adjoining surfaces is created in a first method step by machining using a cutting steel tool and the groove flanks are created in a further method step. Also disclosed are a piston produced according to the method and a cutting steel tool.

The disclosure relates to a trapezoid ring, the production of a groove for the trapezoid ring in the piston, and an assembly, including a piston having a trapezoid ring of this kind.
Trapezoid rings for pistons, which are inserted into corresponding grooves in the ring zone of the piston, are known, e.g. from EP 0 398 993 B1 (DE 689 19 074 T2), DE 41 19 908 A1, DE 11 2011 100 377 T5, DE 10 2007 057 840 A1, DE 196 16 474 A1, and DE 30 345 19 C2 or DE 944 761. However, the trapezoid annular grooves disclosed in the abovementioned documents are not suitable for receiving trapezoid rings having a small axial overall height, and this leads to a relatively large extent of the piston in a direction parallel to the piston stroke axis.
DE 43 41 386 C2 discloses a seal unit for pistons of internal combustion engines having an annular groove arranged in the fire land of the piston, the annular groove having an upper groove flank of conical design for receiving a piston ring designed with a corresponding flank. Here, the piston ring rests on the upper region of the piston, that facing the combustion chamber, leading to increased wear of the piston ring.
Owing to the overall height hitherto used for trapezoid rings, it is problematic, especially under series production conditions, to produce a trapezoid groove which decreases in axial height from the outside in the direction of the piston stroke axis. On the other hand, however, there is the requirement for a small height of trapezoid rings in order in that way to reduce the piston height.

Machining process for trapezoid rings with small axial dimensions, used in pistons of internal combustion engines


An organic light-emitting display device includes a substrate; a gate electrode disposed on the substrate, the gate electrode including a first portion of a metal oxide layer and a metal layer; a pixel electrode disposed on the substrate and including a second portion of the metal oxide layer; a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer disposed on the gate insulating layer and including a channel region, and first and second regions disposed outside the channel region; a first electrode connected to the first region; a second electrode connected to the second region and the pixel electrode; an ohmic contact layer disposed between the first region and the first electrode and between the second region and the second electrode; a pixel defining layer including an opening exposing the pixel electrode; an organic light-emitting layer disposed on the pixel electrode; and an opposite electrode covering the organic light-emitting layer.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relates to an organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to an organic light-emitting display device including a bottom gate type thin film transistor that can be easily manufactured, and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thin film transistors have been used as switching or driving devices of flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays or organic light-emitting display devices. Thin film transistors can be classified into top gate types and bottom gate types according to the position of the gate electrode. Top gate type thin film transistors are widely used in flat panel displays including organic light-emitting display devices.
Organic light-emitting display devices are self-emitting display devices that include an organic light-emitting layer between a pixel electrode and an opposite electrode. Organic light-emitting display devices have advantages such as a wide viewing angle, good contrast, and rapid response speed, and thus, have been highlighted as next generation display devices.
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device including a conventional top gate type thin film transistor. Referring to FIG. 1, the organic light-emitting display device includes, on a substrate 10, a buffer layer 11, a semiconductor layer 21, an inter-insulating layer 12, a gate electrode 22, a gate insulating layer 13, source and drain electrodes 23 and 24, a passivation layer 14, a pixel defining layer 15, a pixel electrode 27, an organic light-emitting layer 28, and an opposite electrode 29.
In order to manufacture the organic light-emitting display device, first, the buffer layer 11 and an amorphous silicon layer are sequentially deposited on the substrate 10, the amorphous silicon layer is crystallized into a polycrystalline silicon layer, and the polycrystalline silicon layer is patterned in a predetermined shape using a first mask. Then, the patterned polycrystalline silicon layer is ionically doped using a second mask so that source and drain regions are defined in the patterned polycrystalline silicon layer to thereby form the semiconductor layer 21.
Next, the inter-insulating layer 12 and a conductive material forming the gate electrode 22 are deposited on the buffer layer 11 and the semiconductor layer 21, and the conductive material is patterned in a predetermined shape using a third mask to form the gate electrode 22.
After forming the gate electrode 22, the gate insulating layer 13 is deposited on the gate electrode 22. Then, contact holes 25 are formed in the inter-insulating layer 12 and the gate insulating layer 13 using a fourth mask in order to electrically connect the source and drain electrodes 23 and 24 to the semiconductor layer 21.
After forming the contact holes 25, a source/drain electrode material is deposited on the gate insulating layer 13 and patterned in a predetermined shape using a fifth mask to form the source and drain electrodes 23 and 24.
After forming the source and drain electrodes 23 and 24, the passivation layer 14 is deposited on the source and drain electrodes 23 and 24 and the gate insulating layer 13, and a via hole 26 is formed in the passivation layer 14 using a sixth mask in order to electrically connect one of the source and drain electrodes 23 and 24 to the pixel electrode 27.
After forming the via hole 26, a conductive material is deposited on the passivation layer 14 and patterned using a seventh mask to form the pixel electrode 27.
After forming the pixel electrode 27, the pixel defining layer 15 is deposited on the passivation layer 14 and the pixel electrode 27, and patterned using an eighth mask so that the pixel electrode 27 is partially exposed. When a spacer (not shown) is further disposed on the pixel defining layer 15, the spacer is deposited and patterned using another mask (ninth mask).
The organic light-emitting layer 28 is deposited on an exposed portion of the pixel electrode 27 using a shadow mask or an open mask, and the opposite electrode 29 is then deposited on the organic light-emitting layer 28 using an open mask.
As described above, when manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device including a conventional top gate type thin film transistor, numerous mask processes are required for patterning, and each mask process involves a series of procedures including providing a photoresist coating, exposing the layer to be patterned to light, and developing the exposed layer. Thus, the manufacturing method is complicated, thus increasing manufacturing costs.


A method for forming electrodes on a semiconductor includes introducing at least one reactive oxidizing gas selected from the group consisting of ozone, atomic oxygen, nitrogen dioxide, oxygen ion and oxygen plasma to an oxide semiconductor surface and depositing electrode material on the oxide semiconductor surface without exposing the surface to the outside atmosphere.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming electrodes on an oxide semiconductor wherein the electrical properties of the surface of the oxide semiconductor are improved by preventing formation of junctions between the oxide and electrode material being accompanied by desorption of oxygen from the oxide.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are two conventional methods used for forming junctions between oxide semiconductor and electrode material on the semiconductor. One method is used to form a junction with bulk oxide semiconductor, and consists of using acid or the like to chemical etch the oxide surface, placing the sample in a vacuum chamber and depositing the electrode material. The other method is used when a junction is to be formed with a thin film of oxide semiconductor, and consists of forming the oxide semiconductor in an oxide film forming apparatus, and then, without subjecting the oxide surface to any particular treatment, moving the sample into an electrode deposition apparatus to form the electrodes. An advantage of these methods is that they facilitate the formation of junctions between oxides and electrode material without the use of special techniques.
However, a major drawback with each of the above methods is that prior to the deposition of electrode material, the oxide surface is exposed to the atmosphere, and as a result the electrical properties of the oxide surface are degraded by carbon dioxide and other such substances in the atmosphere. Thus, the functions of devices using such junctions between oxide semiconductors and electrode material fabricated by the above conventional methods are considerably inferior to devices using junctions between conventional semiconductor and electrode material.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus that enables electrodes having superior electrical properties to be formed on oxide semiconductor.

Method for forming electrode on semiconductor

Agency of Industrial Science & Technology, Ministry of International Trade & Industry