A method for converting a digital image to an analog-simulative film-like digital image is described wherein input pixel values (designated X) from the original digital image are converted to film-like output values (designated Y) wherein Y=AX.sup.p +B. The input values X, which range from X.sub.min to X.sub.max, are divided into consecutive intervals wherein different values of A, p, and B are applied for each interval. Most preferably, three intervals are defined so as to correspond to low, medium, and high light/radiation response intervals on film. In a low light/radiation region wherein X<X.sub.1, A is generally chosen to be less than 1 to provide range compression at the low end of the input dynamic range, and p is generally chosen to be greater than 1 to provide increasing light response. In a high light/radiation region wherein X>X.sub.2, p is generally chosen to be less than 1 to provide range compression. In the intermediate medium light/radiation region, p is preferably chosen to be approximately 1 to provide a response which is linear with respect to the input, but A is preferably chosen to be greater than 1 to provide range expansion. An image formed in accordance with the resulting output values Y provides an exceedingly good representation of a filmed radiographic image, and may be printed on translucent film for use and analysis in the same manner as a filmed radiographic image produced by analog methods. Additionally, the output values Y can be made to even more accurately mimic the response of film if the aforementioned conversion is expanded in accordance with ##EQU1##. wherein M is an integer value greater than 1.

The classic radiographic or "X-ray" image is obtained by situating the object to be imaged between an X-ray emitter and an X-ray detector made of photographic film. Emitted X-rays pass through the object to expose the film, with the degree of film exposure at the various points on the film largely being determined by the attenuation of the object along the path of the X-rays.
It is proposed to utilize solid-state digital X-ray detectors, e.g., an array of photodiodes, in place of film detectors. After the X-ray exposure is terminated, the charges generated on the various points of the detector are read and processed to generate a digital image of the object in electronic form, rather than an analog image on photographic film. Digital imaging is advantageous because the image can later be electronically transmitted to other locations, subjected to diagnostic algorithms to determine properties of the object, and so on.
However, digital images present problems when printed for analysis by radiologists. Because the characteristics of the digital detectors are significantly different from those of film, the images look quite different from analog film images, even when printed on transparent film. This is due to the differing exposure response curves of digital and film detectors. As an example, the digital image data generated by a detector may be linearly proportional to the received radiation (or nearly so), whereas film has a non-linear response to radiation. As a result, the contrast in digital images is not as great as that with radiographic film. To avoid error, radiologists analyzing digital images must keep these differences between analog and digital X-ray images prominently in mind when making such analyses. Therefore, there has been a need for a means of "translating" digital images into analog-simulative digital images which mimic the results of standard prior filmed images, and which may be printed on transparent film so that they resemble filmed radiographic images. This would allow the use of light boxes and other tools commonly in use for analysis of analog filmed images.

Digital-to-film radiographic image conversion


The invention pertains to sonar receive arrays. More particularly, the invention pertains to a process for calibrating the amplitude, position and phase angle of an array of underwater receive hydrophones with respect to one another. The process requires projecting an acoustic test signal at a known frequency from a towed underwater acoustic projector toward an array of towed, underwater, interconnected, receive hydrophones; detecting and determining the response of the receive hydrophones to said test signal by signal processing means; and calibrating at least one parameter for the operation of the receive hydrophones resulting from the response. Calibrated parameters include the amplitude, position and phase angle of the receive hydrophones relative to one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to sonar receive arrays. More particularly, the invention pertains to a process for calibrating the amplitude, position and phase angle of signals received from an array of underwater hydrophones with respect to one another. The array is linear and the hydrophones are distributed along the length thereof. Still more particularly, the invention pertains to the in situ measurement and calibration of various parameters which must be determined in order to calibrate and improve the performance of a towed array of receive hydrophones while the array is being towed through an underwater environment. The system operates by monitoring the responses of discrete hydrophones to generated acoustic test signals from a towed, stationary projector source.
2. Description of the Related Art
The gathering of data in an acoustic environment by means of an array of electrically interconnected hydrophones is important for commercial and military purposes. It is well known in the field of sonar systems to pull a submersible towed body behind a water craft. The towed body has one or more acoustic projectors associated with it. The towed body in turn draws behind it one or more flexible towed arrays of waterborne, signal receiving, hydrophone sensors. Such sensors are useful for detecting the position of underwater sonar target contacts.
Towed arrays of hydrophones are well known in the art. Such are long, continuous, neutrally buoyant hose lines, often several hundred meters long, which periodically contain numerous hydrophone receivers. Typically, these elongate arrays have a number of hydrophone elements in modules, along with their associated electronics and control leads, contained within the hose-shaped structure that extends through the water. In order to gather data in an ocean environment, one end of a linear hydrophone array is coupled to a navigating vessel, via the intermediate towed body. The individual hydrophones cooperate or interact to provide a beam, which may be steered to determine the bearing from the array of various acoustic targets. The hydrophones are connected to suitable electronics on the towing vessel which indicates the bearing of an identified underwater target. Exemplary towed arrays are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,554,650 and 5,412,621. In locating submerged bodies, sonar is either used passively, through reception of signals sent through water, or actively wherein a pulse of sound is sent into the water by a sonar projector. The sound is then reflected back from the target and detected by the hydrophone arrays as an echo. This echo is received as mechanical energy by an acoustic transducer, converted into electrical energy, and read by a computer on the vessel to pinpoint the location of objects within the water. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,860, elongated, hose-like towed arrays of hydrophones attached to the rear end of towed bodies are commonly used for the acoustic sensing of moving objects within the ocean.
Over a period of time, the detection capabilities of individual hydrophones in towed array may unpredictably vary. Consequently, to accurately interpret information provided by the array, calibration must be performed. In the prior art, various techniques are available for calibrating sections of a hydrophone array. In one approach to calibrating an acoustic array, the responses of individual hydrophones may be monitored, hydrophone by hydrophone, to determine their respective sensitivities to a test signal. However, due to the very large number of discrete hydrophones in an array, which may have a very long length, such calibration technique is extremely tedious. In addition, such calibration would have to be performed at a shore installation, so that changes in hydrophone characteristics occurring after deployment of the array at sea would not be possible. In another calibration approach, the sensitivity of individual hydrophones of an array are indirectly determined, while the array is deployed, by monitoring an acoustic source which is not located at or focused on any individual hydrophone. In this approach, multipath effects interfere with sensitivity measurements. In order to employ a towed array to determine the bearing of an acoustic source, it is necessary to know the positions of the respective hydrophones of the array in relation to one another. For such calibration, a calibration or test signal of selected frequency is projected to the array so that it is received simultaneously by every hydrophone of the array section. In cases where multiple hydrophones input an acoustic channel, the gross or collective response of the hydrophones to test signal includes the individual responses of defective hydrophones.
It is common practice in the art to assume that all of the hydrophones lie on the same line, at known distances along the array. However, such assumption is often invalid, such as when the towing vessel is unable to maintain a straight track through the ocean, or when a portion of the array sinks to a lower depth than another portion thereof. If the above assumption becomes inaccurate, the beamforming capability suffers and target bearing detection by means of the array may become unacceptably inaccurate. It would be desirable to directly calibrate individual hydrophones of a towed array during array deployment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,394, discloses one transportable calibration technique. U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,123 discloses an apparatus for determining the value of parameters of an interconnected array of acoustic sensor elements which includes a cart for successively bringing a projector into a closely spaced relationship with each of the sensor elements included in a length of the array. U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,585 discloses a device for determining the configuration of elongated, underwater arrays as they are drawn through the water, which comprises a collar adapted to fit around a portion of the array having sufficient hydrodynamic drag to remain substantially stationary in the water relative to the linear movement of the array as it is drawn through the collar. The use of such additional structures is disadvantageous.
Accordingly the invention provides a system which permits the inexpensive, expeditious and accurate determination of the characteristic underwater configuration of a towed acoustic array and which permits calibration and performance tests on each hydrophone in such underwater towed arrays.
This invention provides an improved system by which the detection capabilities of respective hydrophones lying along a towed array may be calibrated while the array is deployed in acoustic data gathering operations in deep water by calibrating each of the amplitude, position and phase angle of data received from the hydrophones relative to one another. The system uses an already in place projector of an active sonar system and hence does not require additional equipment.

Place calibration of sonar receive array


An extrudable composition comprised of waste polyolefins and an alkali metal bicarbonate salt/solid, saturated fatty acid foaming agent system, and a method for extruding such extrudable composition wherein the fatty acid/bicarbonate foaming agent system foams the waste polyolefins during the extrusion to produce end products which have qualities closely simulating natural lumber suitable for use as construction materials.

The invention is directed to an extrudable compound, an extrusion method using primarily waste polyolefin starting materials, and articles manufactured through such processes which simulate conventional outdoor construction lumber.
There are many advantages to recycling waste plastics both economical and ecological. Discarded waste plastics are available at comparatively negligible costs since they are essentially garbage. Furthermore, the present invention provides an economic incentive to remove waste plastics, which ordinarily are not completely bio-degradable, from the environment.
Waste polyolefins and other waste plastics are different from plastics fresh off a plastic manufacturer's production line because these materials have served their intended use, been discarded and exposed, often for lengthy periods, to the environment. This relatively lengthy exposure to the elements produces changes in the physical and chemical properties of the plastics. Generally, waste plastics have lower tensile strength and relatively poorer flex and thermal properties when compared to new plastics fresh off the production line.
Since waste polyolefins are not completely biodegradable, they have life cycles which are much longer than conventional wooden building materials. In addition, construction materials made from waste polyolefins have chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical and fame resistance properties superior to counterpart natural lumber products.
Surprisingly, only limited attempts have been made to develop lumber-substitute construction products from waste polyolefins. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,866 teaches construction material made from waste thermoplastic resins and other non-plastic fillers. The non-plastic fillers are coated or encapsulated with a recycled polyethylene or polypropylene wax. Because of the complexity of the process disclosed and the limited improvement provided by the wax encapsulated materials over natural materials, the products made from this disclosure have very narrow practical application.
Maczko, J., A System to Mold Mixed, Contaminated Plastics into Wood, Metal and Concrete Replacements, RECYCLING-PLAS II, Conference of Plastics Institute of America, Jun. 18-19, 1987, Washington, D.C., describes the ET-1 process for producing substitute construction materials from waste plastics. The described method is claimed to be able to transform mass waste plastics directly into a large range of molded end products without presorting of any kind, and without the need for inserting any additives to the intermediate resin.
The ET-1 process melts resins in a short-screw extruder, then forces the heated extrudate into a series of linear molds which are then mounted onto a turret. The heated molds cool as the turret rotates them through a water filled tank. The end products are air-ejected from open ends of the molds.
The ET-1 end product is essentially a solid with randomly spaced voids. It has a typical specific gravity slightly higher than 1.0 gm/cc, making it heavier than most natural timber products (ordinarily, wood floats on water because it has a density less than that of water). The length of the end products are limited by the size of the mold into which the extruder can inject and fill with resin. Practically, as construction material, these end products are generally difficult to cut, saw, nail or drill holes into.
Accordingly, there is a need for a recycled waste plastic material which has qualities closely resembling natural lumber such as consistency, texture and density which will be readily accepted by the construction industry as a replacement for wood. Such materials can be used by architects, construction engineers and manual construction laborers by applying heir currently known skills to the use of such recycled waste plastic products.
Known extrusion methods have not been able to satisfactorily convert waste plastics into products that have uniform dimension due to variations in the feed composition, and the end products produced, undesirably and unpredictably, vary in size, configuration and thickness. The need therefore exists for an extrusion process which produces end products derived from waste plastics with substantially uniform dimensions conforming to conventional construction standards of any desired length.

Extrusion method and apparatus for recycling waste plastics and construction materials therefrom


A food or drink product with a disinfection property of Helicobacter pylori and/or a protection property against infection with H. pylori, comprising as the effective ingredient Lactobacillus gasseri OLL 2716 (FERM BP-6999) with a high disinfection potency of H. pylori.

The present invention relates to Lactobacillus gasseri (sometimes referred to as L. gasseri hereinafter) with an effect on the disinfection of Helicobacter pylori (sometimes referred to as H. pylori hereinafter) and/or the protection against infection with H. pylori, and a food or drink product containing the lactic acid bacterium.
Since the discovery of H. pylori as a bacterium living in stomach in 1983 by Warren et al. [Lancet, I. 1273 (1983)], attention has been focused on the relation with chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Recently, it has been evidenced that gastric gland cancer occurs in mongolian gerbil infected with H. pylori, with no administration of any carcinogenic substance [Watanabe et al., Gastroenterology, 115; 642 (1988)] and the relation of H. pylori with gastric cancer has also been suggested as one etiological bacterium thereof.
Meanwhile, it is increasingly indicated that the disinfection of H. pylori in H. pylori-positive patients with digestive ulcer can suppress the recurrence of digestive ulcer and therefore, active disinfection therapy of H. pylori has been practiced in European counties and the U.S. As to the method for disinfecting H. pylori, a combination method of antibiotics (xcex2-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracyclines and the like) and antiulcerative agents is general; for example, a combination therapy of three drugs, namely two types of antibiotics (clarithromycin-metronidazole or amoxycilin) and a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) suppressing the secretion of gastric acid, is clinically practiced. However, the most serious drawback of the administration of drugs such as antibiotics for the purpose of the disinfection therapy is the increase of the frequency of the occurrence of drug-resistant H. pylori and the occurrence of severe side effects such as diarrhea and allergy and the like, due to the multiple combination of high-dose drugs.
For the purpose of the disinfection of H. pylori in stomach in place of antibiotics, examinations have been made about the method comprising administering lactoferrin (Japanese Patent Laid-open 130164/1998), the method using specific antibodies recovered by the immunization of chicken with the urease and flagellum of H. pylori as antigens (Japanese Patent Laid-open 287585/1998), and the methods comprising administering the viable bacteria of specific individual bacterial strains of Lactobacillus brevis and/or Lactobacillus salivarius (Japanese Patent Laid-open 241173/1997) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (Japanese Patent Laid-open 98782/1994), as methods using lactic acid bacteria. However, no satisfactory method has been reported yet.
On the other hand, since lactic acid bacteria generate preferable flavorful substances and have abilities to generate antibacterial substances such as lactic acid and bacteriocin, lactic acid bacteria are extremely safe microorganisms on traditional diets in the form of fermented milk and the like worldwide. Accordingly, it can be said that the disinfection of H. pylori utilizing the antibacterial action of lactic acid bacteria is a simple and effective method with no occurrence of side effects.
In the existing inventions, however, the selection of lactic acid bacterial strains, particularly Lactobacillus brevis and/or Lactobacillus salivarius (Japanese Patent Laid-open 241173/1997) has been carried out, not only with no consideration of the characteristic property of stomach environment (with resistance to the environment at low pH) as the target site of H. pylori but also with no attention paid on the properties (the survival, flavor, physical properties of the lactic acid bacterial strains) as food products prepared by using such lactic acid bacterial strains, such as fermented milk. Additionally, a report tells that Lactobacillus acidophilus used at a clinical test was consequently ineffective [Bazzoli et al., Gastroenterology, 102, No.4, A38, (1992)]. Alternatively, the results of a clinical test using the culture supernatant of the bacterial strain L. acidophilus La1 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open 98782/1994 indicate a possibility of the disinfection of H. pylori but never demonstrate that the effect might be sustained [Michetti et al., Gastroenterology, 108, No. 4, A166, (1995)]. As described above, the existing lactic acid bacteria have currently more rooms to be modified so as to prepare the intended composition for the disinfection of H. pylori.
In such current status of the industry demanding the establishment of a system for the disinfection of H. pylori/the protection against infection with H. pylori in respect to anti-gastritis and anti-gastric ulcer, the present inventors have again drawn their attention toward lactic acid bacteria from the standpoints of safety profile and oral intake and have intended to develop a system for the disinfection of H. pylori/the protection against infection with H. pylori by using lactic acid bacteria.
More specifically, the problems to be solved by the invention are to select a lactic acid bacterial strain with high survival and a great colonization property in stomach, an apparent anti-H. pylori activity in animal model experiments and marked properties (the survival, flavor and physical properties of the lactic acid bacterial strain) for use in food products such as fermented milk and provide a new food or drink product, inexpensive and daily ingestible, using the lactic acid bacterial strain, for the purpose of the disinfection of H. pylori and the protection against infection with H. pylori.

Abstract: The food or drink product prepared by using the lactic acid bacterium, such as acid milk and the like, is suitable for long-term ingestion as a food or drink product with a disinfection property of H. pylori and/or a protection property against infection with H. pylori.


A dog food composition of improved palatability to dogs is disclosed as well as a method of generally enhancing the palatability of dried or intermediate moisture dog food compositions having a moisture content of less than about 50% by weight of the composition by adding thereto a palatability enhancing amount of 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol, preferably in an amount of between about 0.0001 to 0.001% by weight of the composition.

This invention generally relates to a food composition having increased palatability to dogs and specifically relates to the use of a palatability enhancing amount of 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol on the dog food composition to provide the improvement in palatability.
Dried animal or pet foods are widely marketed for pets such as cats and dogs. Generally, commercially sold dried pet food products have a relatively low moisture content of less than about 12% by weight and provide excellent nutrition. The lower moisture content permits a higher degree of nutritional balancing of ingredients. Typically, these dried pet food products are expanded or puffed products produced by extrusion techniques.
Extrusion cooking processes for the production of dry pet foods have been a significant factor in the growth of this market segment because of the better cooking achieved with this type of process, and better mixing of ingredients, as well as the desirable texture achieved with a puffed or expanded product. Dry products produced by this type of process are generally well accepted by the animal, but they are significantly lower in palatability than canned or high moisture products that typically contain meat and have a moisture content above 50% by weight. Therefore, although a dry product for dogs is extremely convenient to use by the pet owner and exceptionally nutritious, a need has continually existed for additives or ingredients that can be included in the food product to increase palatability of the product to dogs without reducing the nutritive properties of the product.
One solution to the problem of reduced palatability of dried dog foods is to increase the moisture content to a point where the dog will more readily accept it but to a point that is below the level of moisture at which canning or sterilization of the product is required for maximum bacteriological stability. This has been satisfactorily achieved in the so-called intermediate moisture pet foods wherein the moisture content of the product is typically between 15-45% by weight and the water activity thereof is controlled to provide bacteriological and mycotic stability. Typical food products wherein sugar solutions and water soluble solids are used to provide bacteriological stability are characterized in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,202,514, 3,482,985; 3,515,838; 3,615,652; and 3,653,908. Other preservatives suitable for food use that are bactericidal in nature may also be used to stabilize the product bacteriologically.
While these intermediate moisture type products are more palatable to dogs than those of the low moisture type, they are not as palatable as the high moisture products. In addition, the intermediate moisture type products suffer from the deficiency that the preservative system needed for this type of product often depresses palatability below that obtained for the same product without the preservative. Furthermore, ingredient formulation becomes exceptionally critical in these intermediate moisture and dry products and formulations typically cannot be altered by the use of ingredients of equal nutritive properties unless it can be determined that the alternative ingredient does not depress palatability. Since each ingredient used must be evaluated not only for its nutritive properties but also for its relative effect on palatability, the formulation of the intermediate moisture type product is complex. The flexibility in formulation that a pet food manufacturer would like to have is consequently reduced. The need for palatability enhancing additives for dog foods has, therefore, not been obviated by the introduction of intermediate moisture type products.
The present invention represents a significant improvement in enhancing the palatability of dog food compositions by applying a palatability enhancing amount of 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3ol to the dog food composition.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a dog food composition that is more palatable to dogs than conventional dog food compositions.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of enhancing the palatability of a dog food material of the dry or intermediate moisture type.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for the enhancement of palatability of a dog food material that is generally useful and easy to apply on a commercial scale.

Dog food compositions of improved palatability to dogs


An electrical insulating bushing and a method of fabrication with an electrical device having a cabinet with an outer wall and a bushing-receiving aperture in the wall. The bushing includes an elongated body surrounding a central conductor with an annular mounting flange at a mid portion of the insulator body. An interface collar is received in the aperture of the cabinet and is welded to the cabinet wall. Thereafter, the bushing is inserted in the interface collar and is joined thereto with an adhesive. A gasket ring is positioned between the bushing flange and the interface collar prior to the adhesive joinder thereof, so as to augment the fluid-tight seal therebetween.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to high voltage electrical equipment enclosed in a metallic housing and having insulating bushings for high voltage electrical connections extending through the housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of high voltage electrical equipment in use today have outer metallic structures which serve as a rugged shipping container and which protect the internal components of the electrical device. Due to inefficiencies of practical electrical components, heat is generated within the metallic structure. Accordingly, some means of providing cooling for components internal to the structure must be provided. Of interest here are liquid-filled and gas-filled electrical devices in which the electrical components are totally immersed in a fluid (herein, a non-air fluid) comprising the electrically insulating heat conducting medium. Fluid cooling media are preferred over air-filled equipment, since fluid-cooled devices can be made substantially smaller. It has been found convenient to fashion the outer metallic container as a pressure vessel to provide adequate leak-free containment of the dielectric cooling fluid disposed therein.
High voltage electrical devices, particularly those commonly employed in the electrical power industry, have average life expectancies of several decades. When properly installed, electrical devices of the type referred to herein typically require little or no maintenance during their operating life. Accordingly, in order to prevent unnecessarily premature maintenance operations, an outer metallic structure must be leak-free. This is particularly critical for fluid-filled electrical equipment in which the outer metallic structure is filled with a dielectric gas such as sulphur hexafluoride. In the past, considerable attention has been paid to gaskets of removable doors and the like, and to the leak-free integrity of welding operations used to construct the outer metal closures.
Practical electrical devices must have provision for connecting the internal components thereof to external electrical systems, such as a power distribution system, for example. Electrical components operated at higher voltages require special design considerations for high voltage conductors which pass through a ground plane, such as a side wall of a metal closure. In order to reduce electrical stress at points of close spacing between the high voltage electrical conductor and the grounded closure, electrical insulating bushings are employed to provide an increased dielectric strength. The bushings, typically made of porcelain or an epoxy material, have significant mass and require substantial physical support from the metal closure so as to withstand mechanical stresses due to the weight of the bushing and also the weight of the relatively massive electrical conductors which are fastened to the ends of the bushing so as to receive mechanical support therefrom.
Two modes of mechanically securing a bushing to a metal closure are in popular use today. In a first mode, the bushing is bolted to the metal closure and gasket rings are compressed between the bushing and the wall of the metal closure to provide a fluid-tight seal. In a second type of bushing construction, a metallic flange, is wedded to the bushing insulation body. For example, one type of bushing in use today has a plug-cast epoxy body which is molded around the radially interior portion of an annular metal mounting ring, resembling an annular disk. The radially exterior portions of the mounting ring are left uncovered by the bushing body and provide a convenient flange for welding to the wall of a metal closure. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such welding is performed at a relatively close spacing to the molded epoxy body and precautions must be observed to prevent damage to the bushing body caused by the heat of the welding operation. Such welded bushing flanges provide an alternative method to bolted gaskets, and are preferred in certain types of electrical installations today, such as those applications having a gas composition such as sulfur hexafluoride as an insulating medium.
Although precautions are taken during welding, such as providing a heat sink at the radially inner portions of the welding collar, immediately adjacent the dielectric bushing body, deficiencies in the fluid-tight seals of such welded bushing constructions have been observed in long term tests. Even if elaborate precautions are taken during the welding operation, it is possible that the fluid-tight seal between the dielectric bushing body and the metallic welding flange will be compromised during construction of the device. Due to the very long life expectancy of electrical equipment and the relatively high pressures of the dielectric gases which must be contained by the bushings as well as the metal closure, even relatively minor, so called "fine" leaks assume a critical importance. For the purposes herein, a "fine" leak is on of the order of one millionth of a cubic centimeter- atmosphere per second. The epoxy - metal interface of such welded bushings, it is observed, frequently exhibits insidious fine leaks. Significant resources are expended today in testing and returning to the manufacturing facility, bushings found to have fine leaks. In order to improve the economies of operation, it is desirable to provide a bushing which is inherently reliable in its ability to remain leak-free even with respect to fine leaks, over relatively long periods of time.
Occasionally, a number of electrical insulating bushings must be welded to the outer surface of a metal closure, in a high density, closely spaced array. The bushings, when placed close to one another, present difficulties to a manufacturer of electrical equipment in that it is difficult to orient the welding equipment in an optimum manner. For example, bushings having welding flanges formed therewith are inserted through a closure wall, with the welding flange being pressed against portions of the closure wall surrounding a bushing-receiving aperture. Next, the outer periphery of the welding flange is welded to the outer surface of the metal closure. It is generally desirable to orient a welding electrode or the like source of welding heat at a 45.degree. angle to the surface of the metal closure. The welding equipment is preferably revolved in a circle concentric with that of the bushing. However, when the bushings are closely spaced together, and extend significant distances outwardly beyond the wall of the metal closure, adjacent bushings tend to obstruct the welding equipment, and the desired 45.degree. orientation is not possible. This results in time consuming adjustments necessary to complete the welding operation.

Electrical insulating bushing assembly, kit for providing same, and method of installing same


A power resistor having much improved heat dissipation ability to an underlying heatsink because a step or protuberance is provided that cooperates with the mounting bolt or screw to largely nullify the effects of molding-caused camber or curvature.

For years, a certain type of power package--having synthetic resin (plastic) surrounding a mounting hole--has been popular for electronic components such as power semiconductors and power resistors. Examples include the Motorola "Full Pak" power semiconductors and Caddock MP816, MP850, and MP930 power resistors. In this type of package, the active element and its support structure are often located in close heat-dissipating relationship to the bottom (mounting surface) of the device and thus to an external heatsink on which the device is mounted. Mounting to the external heatsink is typically effected by a single bolt (screw).
There is always a need for increased power ratings in electronic or electrical devices, especially where the increased power ratings may be achieved at substantially no cost. Accordingly, it would be a distinct benefit to the industry if power resistor devices of the type indicated could--at little or no cost--be so constructed as to have higher power ratings.

Heatsink-mountable power resistor having improved heat-transfer interface with the heatsink


A method includes parsing a regular pathway expression into fragments including an anchored fragment and at least one other fragment. A number of the fragments is based on at least a length limitation of the regular pathway expression. The method includes generating an operator directed acyclic graph (DAG) including non-operator nodes, operator nodes, and a root based on at least the anchored fragment. The method includes removing, from the operator DAG, at least one of the non-operator nodes and connecting a first operator node to a second operator node of the operator nodes. The first operator node includes an edge into the at least one removed non-operator node, and the second operator node includes an edge from the at least one removed node. The method includes executing the operator DAG on a graph database to return a pathway set comprising at least one pathway that satisfies the regular pathway expression.

Communication networks have migrated from using specialized networking equipment executing on dedicated hardware, like routers, firewalls, and gateways, to software defined networks (SDNs) executing as virtualized network functions (VNF) in a cloud infrastructure. Network control is directly programmable and the underlying infrastructure is virtualized and abstracted from network services and functions. The ensemble of entities that may comprise a service—VNFs, VNF components (VFCs), virtual machines (VMs), and physical hardware—may dynamically change as the system continues to operate. The complex and dynamic nature of virtualized SDNs makes inventory management a challenging task. An inventory database may facilitate the creation of SDN applications using a modeling language to achieve model-driven networking.
Traditional graph query languages may not be designed to query a layered network inventory for discovering connectivity between nodes. For example, Gremlin or SPARQL may not be designed to return pathways of varying length, such as searches for a pathway of length not greater than 5, because 5 traversal steps return only pathways of length 5 and "zero or more" steps do not restrict the length. Languages that may support pathways of varying length, such as Cypher, do not provide the ability to add constraints that refer to the extracted pathways. For example, such languages provide inadequate solutions for finding pairs of nodes that are connected via routers of some other time (e.g., a certain pathway does not exist between them).
Further, the output of preexisting query languages are such that an additional query cannot be posed on the results of an original query. For example, some common query languages output a graph, while others may output a tuple of values, upon which an additional query cannot be applied. That is, preexisting query languages do not treat pathways as first-class citizens.
In practical network management, typical queries in a network inventory may relate to finding specific nodes, to the connectivity between nodes in some layer, to hosting relationships between nodes on different layers, or to discovery of induced pathways. Current query languages may not allow clear expression of such queries because such queries do not treat pathways as first-class citizens of the language. That is, such query languages are not closed under composition.
There is a need for a technology that facilitates temporal modeling of communication networks, including the types of network elements and the connections therebetween, in such a way that enables querying of that model to enable troubleshooting and creating of SDN applications, including queries for discovering pathways in the network, manipulating pathways, and time-travel queries.
This disclosure is directed to solving one or more of the problems in the existing technology.

Database evaluation of anchored length-limited path expressions


There is provided a microwave transmission device including two or more antennas impedance-matched with a contact target having a predetermined dielectric constant. When the impedance matching is achieved, microwaves for tumor detection between the two or more antennas are transmitted via the contact target.

The present disclosure relates to a microwave transmission device and a microwave transmission system.
For example, a tumor such as cancer can be detected by capturing an image of a target region through X-rays or nuclear magnetic resonance and analyzing the captured image. On the other hand, because an X-ray device and a nuclear magnetic resonance device are large devices and the support of a professional is necessary to operate the device, a simpler tumor detection device is necessary.
Recently, tumor detection devices using microwaves have attracted attention as tumor detection devices simpler than the X-ray device and the nuclear magnetic resonance device. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2010-505573, technology for detecting a tumor according to a difference between dielectric constants of a normal part and a tumorous part by placing a needle antenna in a biological tissue and measuring a dielectric constant of the biological tissue has been proposed.

Microwave transmission device and microwave transmission system


A portable or personal water filtration apparatus comprising upstream and downstream removable reservoirs and a back-washable filter interposed therebetween. The back-washable filter comprises an upstream housing and a downstream housing, inside of which are fitted a membrane cartridge and a slidable plunger. The downstream housing is rotatable relative to the upstream housing between two or more positions, including, for example, an open flow position, a closed flow position, and a back-wash position. In the back-wash position, the downstream housing and plunger are axially extendable relative to the upstream housing and membrane cartridge in order to obtain a charge of clean water in the plunger that may then be forced backward through the filter by returning the plunger to its starting position. This dislodges accumulated debris from the membrane and reverses the slowing of flow observed through repeated use of the filter.

Access to clean water is a problem faced by many regions of the world. Water is often treated to remove contaminants before it is consumed. Water filters are commonly used for this purpose.
In developing countries, potable water is often unavailable or difficult to obtain.
People who camp may want a water filter that is portable and easy to use because water is heavy and bulky to carry. Victims of disasters may require filtration devices if sources of treated water are not readily available; the devices need to be stored, transported, and distributed. These scenarios highlight the need for a cheap, portable, and easy-to-use filtration device to provide clean water for these types of applications.
A common problem with existing water filters is that it is difficult to generate sufficient pressure to drive or draw water through the filter. Typically, water filters rely on gravity, incorporate pumps, or require a user's lung power to drive water through the filter. However, each of these means of pressurization has drawbacks. In many parts of the world, pumps are prohibitively expensive or present maintenance challenges. Using gravity to generate pressure requires significant vertical distances to build up head pressure, or else the flow rate is inconveniently slow. It is challenging or impossible for many users, such as children and the elderly, to create sufficient pressure to use a filter with just their lung power. For this reason, a water treatment system with an easier means of generating pressure is needed.
An additional problem with water filtration systems is that the filters are easily blocked with debris and must be cleaned. After a period of use, many filters lose efficiency. Particulate matter filtered out of untreated water might have accumulated and clogged the filter. Efficiency may be restored by periodic back-washing, a process of driving water through the filter in the direction countercurrent to the normal filtering mode to dislodge particles accumulated in the filter and flush them away. Typical cleaning processes involve back-washing the filter by generating pressure in this countercurrent direction with a separate pump or bulb system, or disassembling the system and manually cleaning the filter. Cleaning a filter is often a complex operation and these complexities can be difficult for many users.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specifications and a study of the drawings.

Fluid treatment apparatus and method of using same


The image communication apparatus of the present invention compares the capacity of data received from a communication line with the capacity of existing memory of the image communication apparatus and determines the presence or absence of any expanded memory in the image communication apparatus when the capacity of the received data exceeds the capacity of the existing memory. Then, when the expanded memory is present, the image communication apparatus compares the capacity of the expanded memory with the capacity of the received data and stores the received data in the expanded memory when the capacity of the expanded memory exceeds the capacity of the received data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus and a method of storing data thereof capable of rewriting a program stored in memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
A facsimile apparatus is conventionally known, which receives a new program from an external facsimile apparatus or external personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC") through a telephone line and upgrades the apparatus by replacing a program stored inside the apparatus by the new program.
However, such a facsimile apparatus has a problem that in the case where the capacity of the new program exceeds the capacity of memory inside the apparatus, it is impossible to store the new program in memory inside the apparatus or rewrite the program inside the apparatus.

Image communication apparatus and data storage method


Disclosed is a trochoid pump for transferring high-viscosity liquids under high pressure. The trochoid pump includes an idler coupled to an inner through-hole inside a housing to be rotated, a rotor inserted into an inside of the idler, and a shaft configured to rotate the rotor, wherein the idler is provided with an inner toothed groove, into which the rotor is inserted and which has a plurality of projecting teeth, and recessed grooves, which are recessed with a predetermined depth along an outer circumferential surface thereof in a circumferential direction. Unlike an existing gear pump or trochoid pump, the trochoid pump for transferring high-viscosity liquids can reduce a viscous friction force, and can reduce the driving power.

In general, a trochoid pump is a representative displacement pump in which the flow rate is in proportion to the rotating speed of a motor.
The trochoid pump is composed of a rotor connected to a driving shaft of a motor to transfer a rotating force, and an idler coupled to the rotor to be rotated by driving of the rotor. In the trochoid pump, the rotor and the idler are eccentrically provided with a predetermined gap between them to move liquids
Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0964517 discloses "oil pump rotor". This patent relates to an oil pump having a trochoid screw thread, which is provided with an inner rotor having outer teeth formed thereon and an outer rotor having inner teeth formed thereon to be engaged with the outer teeth of the inner rotor.
FIG. 1 illustrates a trochoid pump in the related art. The trochoid pump has an external appearance that is similar to that of a gear pump, and is manufactured using the characteristics of a geometric trochoid curve. Unlike the gear pump, the number of inner gear teeth of a rotor is set to be different from the number of outer gear teeth of an idler essentially by one, and the inner gear teeth of the rotor that come in contact with the outer gear teeth of the idler are engaged with the outer gear teeth of the idler while pushing and rotating the outer gear teeth of the idler. Accordingly, the volume between the inner gear teeth of the rotor and the outer gear teeth of the idler is changed to repeat charging and discharging of the transferred liquids.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a trochoid pump is disclosed, in which the number of outer gear teeth of the idler is 9, and the number of inner gear teeth of the rotor is 8.
On the other hand, the trochoid pump in the related art has the problems that it is required to increase its size and weight in order to transfer the high-viscosity liquids that are gradually increased under high pressure, and thus a large-capacity motor for driving the pump is required to lower the efficiency.
Accordingly, there has keenly been a need for a high-efficiency pump that is miniaturized and light-weighted to transfer high-viscosity liquids using a small-capacity motor.

Trochoid pump for transferring high-viscosity liquid under high pressure


An eyeglass frame includes a pair of rims in which a corresponding pair of bifocal lenses are mounted, and a pair of temples connected to the respective rims. Each of the temples includes a joint secured to a corresponding one of the rims, a leg having one end connected to the joint and the other end resting behind a wearer's ear, and a mechanism for enabling pivotal movement between the joint and the leg in a vertical plane so as to permit movement of the bifocal lenses between a normal position and an elevated or reading position. The mechanism is so constructed as to decrease the distance between a first point at which the joint is connected to the rim and a second point at which the joint is connected to the leg when the lenses are moved from their normal to elevated position.

The present invention generally relates to eyeglasses with vertically adjustable multifocal lenses and more particularly, to a mechanism for providing vertical angle adjustability between the lenses and temples of eyeglasses.
One such mechanism is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,048 issued to Negishi, the inventor of the present application. In the patent to Negishi, each temple is composed of a joint secured to a rim in which a bifocal lens is mounted, a bend for resting behind the ear of a wearer, and a leg having one end unitarily connected to the bend and the other end pivotally connected to the joint. When the lenses are in a normal position, the joints and the legs are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the temples, with the lenses oriented substantially perpendicular to the temples. To move the lenses to an elevated or reading position, the joints together with the rims are downwardly pivoted or bent relative to the legs. At this time, the legs are slightly upwardly pivoted about the ears of the wearer. Simultaneously, a pair of nose pads are upwardly pivoted to accommodate inclination of the legs. A problem with this arrangement is that when the lenses are moved to their elevated position, the eyeglass frame is subjected to downward displacement. As this occurs, the plane of the eyeglass lenses becomes to be at an improper angle with respect to a line of sight therethrough.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vertical plane adjusting mechanism adapted to be incorporated into an eyeglass frame and designed to permit two or more focal fields of lenses to be moved to the most comfortable and accurate position of use and also, firmly holding the eyeglass frame against the nose of a wearer when the eyeglass lenses are moved to an elevated position.

Integral vertical plane adjusting mechanism for an eyeglass frame with multifocal lenses


The elemental composition of a material exposed to hot gasses and subjected to wear is determined. Atoms of an elemental species not appearing in this material are implanted in a surface at a depth based on the maximum allowable wear. The exhaust gasses are spectroscopically monitored to determine the exposure of these atoms when the maximum allowable wear is reached.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,736 to Boncoeur et al is concerned with testing welded work pieces by optical spectroscopy wherein a wire or film of a tracer element diffuses within a work piece when it is in a liquid state, and the presence of the tracer in plasma above the weld zone is continuously detected by spectroscopy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,196 to Hamilton et al discloses a sensing device which monitors the distance to a selected wearing cutting surface of a tool and the distance to a selected non-wearing surface of the tool. U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,797 to Begin is likewise concerned with a worn tool detector system in which input signals from a sensor in the form of an analogue waveform exhibiting periodic impulses exceeding the average amplitude thereof are analyzed as the tool wears.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,185 to Plahmer describes a machine condition diagnostic system wherein machine components are labelled with wear indicator materials. The lubricant is examined and the presence of a particular indicator in abnormal amounts directs attention to a precise location in need of repair or replacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,150 to Amano et al provides a thermal barrier coating which allows nondestructive testing to determine whether the coating has a thickness sufficient for thermal barrier effect.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


A circuit is for providing frequency hopping in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system. A microprocessor determines the frequency to be transmitted in a particular broadcast frame. A dual port random access member (RAM) provides an interface between the microprocessor and a time division multiplex bus so that the time slots are mapped to addresses in the memory. A plurality of transceivers coupled to the bus transmits and receives at different designated frequencies, the transceivers being chosen for particular users during a particular broadcast frame based on the location in the memory chosen by the microprocessor.

This application relates to Time Division Multiple Access (MA) systems.
In a typical TDMA system for mobile phone applications, the cellular base station includes radio channel unit that transmit to add receive from a plurality of users. Therefore, each unit will transmit and receive an "air" or "broadcast" frame comprising multiple time slots. h the AT&T Intelliverse.sup.TM system supposing GSM stands, the radio channel unit are divided into a channel control unit and a plurality of transceivers which are coupled together by a transmit-receive (TRX) bus. Each transceiver typically serves eight users, and an add frame includes eight time slots.
In both systems, it may be necessary to verify the frequency for trasmission and reception between the base station and a particular user, also down to the industry as "frequency hopping". Thus, a decision is made by the radio channel unit or channel control unit before each frame is transmitted as to which frequency should be utilized for a particular user. If the frequency vibration is implemented at the radio frequency (RF) stage in the transceivers, fast frequency synthesizers are needed since a time slot in an air flame is typically only 577 microseconds for GSM systems. Use of such synthesizers tends to be expensive.
It would be more economical to implement the frequency changes at the baseband stage of the be station.

Frequency hopping in digital cellular networks


In a process and a device for measuring the rate of rotation of a rotating part which is completely enclosed by a housing, the current signal which is generated by the rotating part is subjected to two Fourier transforms after corresponding signal processing in digital form. The rate of rotation is determined from the spectrum obtained after the second Fourier transform. The rate of rotation is determined from the time pertaining to the maximum of the spectrum which is directly proportional to the rate of rotation.

The present invention relates to a process and a device for detecting revolution of a rotating element, and in particular to such a process and device in which the rate of rotation of a rotating part enclosed by a housing is measured.
To determine the rate of rotation of rotating parts, markings which are generally arranged at the rotating part are sensed by an inductive transmitter or an optical sensor. When such marks pass by the stationary transmitter, voltage pulses are generated, the rate of rotation being calculated from the repetition rate of these voltage pulses.
It is not possible to calculate the rate of rotation in this way in the case of rotating parts which are completely enclosed by a housing. For example, in electric fuel pumps which are completely encapsulated, no rotatable parts are guided outward which would make it possible to determine the rate of rotation in a simple manner. For this reason, signals dependent on the rate of rotation have been analyzed in laboratory tests for determining the rate of rotation, e.g.: the oscillation acceleration on the electric fuel pump housing, fluctuations in pressure on the suction side or the pressure side, fluctuations in current in the electric supply lines, fluctuations in the magnetic field outside the electric fuel pumps which are caused by the rotating armature segments with the respective current-carrying alternations.
These signals were determined, for example, by separate sensors and processed in a subsequent evaluating arrangement. Determining the rate of rotation by measuring the intervals between individual oscillations has not proven reliable in the above-mentioned laboratory tests.

Process and device for detecting revolutions of a rotating element by twice fourier transform


A retractable ball return system having a rebounding surface that is retractable on a roll back into a reel assembly housing, which housing is mountable above a garage door opening or in an open space such as a gymnasium. The rebounding apparatus includes an integrated cable support structure, which is securable at its lower corners to attachment members mounted to the garage door frame. The door frame attachments have a plurality of different connection points which allow the rebounding surface to be secured at different degrees of angle, from angling forward to angling back, or centered in the middle for a perpendicular setting. Once connected, the support cable is retracted, either manually or mechanically, to pull the cable taught, to allow for a strong support structure. The rebounding surface is also then retracted until it has a desired tension level to allow the rebounding surface to be used with different balls as well as to adjust the different performance levels with the same ball.

Ball rebounder or bounce back devices for returning or rebounding game balls such as lacrosse, tennis and baseballs have long been available. Most rebounder or bounce-back devices are portable and are designed to be set up in a yard area, and generally consist of an elastic or tensioned netting or screen which serves as the bounce back surface and is secured in a lightweight metal frame. Although effective for returning or rebounding balls when forcibly thrust into contact with the bounce back surface, such rebounding devices have several inherent drawbacks.
In particular, while sports and game balls are available in many different sizes, weights, and densities, the bounce back surface in most known ball rebounder devices is only suited for use with certain types of sporting balls. Yard-deployed rebounders are also cumbersome to move or break down, and require a significant amount of time to deploy and then store again after each use. As a result, such devices are often left out in the yard even when not in use, where in addition to being generally unsightly, they are obstruent with respect to other uses of the yard and to performing maintenance of the yard, not to mention killing the grass underneath the apparatus. Also, if left outdoors unprotected over long periods, continual subjection to elements such as the wind, rain, and sun will cause the materials to prematurely wear out or lose their original performance. Even if stored in a garage or shed, the bounce back frame takes up an inordinate amount of space and is clumsy to store, and often ends up leaning or falling on and possibly damaging other stored items such as vehicles, windows, and the like.
An alternative to conventional freestanding yard bounce back devices is to temporarily secure a net or screen over an open space such as a garage door opening. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,246 issued to Byrne, which discloses a reel hung sports net, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,784 issued to Redlich et al., which discloses a sports net that is secured over a garage door opening frame by a plurality of eye bolts, screw hooks, and adjustable straps. U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,334 issued to McNamara discloses a hockey target backdrop which can be raised and lowered between a folded storage position and an unfolded use position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,068 issued to Pollon et al. also discloses a retractable sports practice target which is securable to a garage door frame. U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,776 issued to Fenwick discloses a sports practice target having a plurality of target holes for collecting projectiles as they contact the target, and adapted to be supported from the lower edge of a garage door when raised. Finally, U.S. Patent Appln. Pub. 2002/0151387 filed by Henson also discloses a sports target apparatus which is removably connectable to a support structure such as a garage door opening.
These sports nets or targets while presumably suited for their particular purposes also have inherent disadvantages. A first problem is encountered in adjusting and maintaining a sufficient tension on the rebounding surface so that it is taut enough to provide the desired bounce back effect, as compared to non-tensioned nets in which case balls thrown at the net will simply be absorbed into the net. A second problem is the ability to easily adjust the angle of the bounce back screen or net depending upon the intended use, such as to simulate a fly ball or a ground ball or simply to rebound a ball back to the user. The rebounding device should also be easy to set up for use and stored when not in use without requiring tedious manual securing and unsecuring of the screen in the opening.
Recognizing the deficiencies associated with existing ball bounce back or return devices, the present inventor has now developed a retractable ball rebounding or return device that is simple and easy to set up for use and to break down and store when finished, that requires a minimum number of connections, that enables the angle of the rebounding surface and therefore the angle of return of balls thrown or directed at the rebounding surface to be easily adjusted, and that allows the tension of the rebounding surface to be easily varied so the device can be used with a wide range of sporting balls and practice scenarios, including indoor or outdoor settings.

Retractable garage door ball bounce back system


A method for introducing an active compound into a soft hydrated contact lens comprising the steps of: providing a hypotonic aqueous solution having an osmolarity value less than 150 mOsm and an effective quantity of that active compound, immersing the soft contact lens in the aqueous hypotonic solution, subjecting the contact lens immersed in the aqueous hypotonic solution to mechanical vibrations having a power greater than 100 mW for a predetermined time.

The use of contact lenses among the population is very widespread. In particular, there are known so-called "soft" contact lenses which, with respect to the other types of contact lens (rigid or semi-rigid), afford a greater level of comfort when worn by the user.
This advantageous characteristic is provided by the high hydrophilic capacities of the polymer materials of which the contact lenses are realized. Such polymer materials, being capable of retaining a relevant quantity of water, allows greater compatibility between the lens and eye, as well as a greater deformability of the lens which allows it to better adapt to the surface of the eye.
More specifically, soft contact lenses may be constructed from polymers which have a large number of hydrophilic functional groups, for example, hydroxyls, which are capable of forming weak dipolar bonds (hydrogen bonds) with the water molecules. As a result of these characteristics, soft contact lens can contain a proportion of water by weight of from 25% to 75% with respect to the total weight of the contact lens, forming a hydrogel in which a solid matrix, which defines the structural portion of the lens and is constituted by the polymer material, is immersed in a liquid component which is uniformly distributed in the solid matrix.
Known examples of polymer materials used in the construction of the solid component of soft contact lenses are constituted by HEMA-based polymers (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) or by silicone polymers.
In addition, the liquid component is typically formed by an aqueous solution of sodium chloride at 0.9% by weight, which is known as "physiological solution", which reproduces, at least in terms of the sodium chloride content, the composition of the natural lachrymal film which superficially covers the cornea of the eye. In this manner, the contact lens is more compatible with the surrounding ocular environment and the presence thereof on the surface of the eye is less irritating for the user.
In fact, it is known that one of the greatest disadvantages arising from the use of contact lenses, including soft contact lenses, is represented by the sensation of ocular dryness which is caused by the reduction or by the breaking of the lachrymal film. This fact typically involves a sensation of irritation and intolerance which often compels the user to take off the lenses and which, over time, may also result in changes to the lachrymal functionality and to other pathological dysfunctions causing detriment of the eye (such as, for example, inflammations at the cornea or conjunctiva).
In order to overcome, at least partially, this disadvantage, it is known to use external solutions which are administered in drops directly to the eye, to which the contact lens is applied.
Those external solutions may be formed by simple physiological solutions, as defined above, or, in a more effective version, by aqueous solutions which are generally and generically known as "lachrymal substitutes".
Those solutions have particular physical, chemical and rheological characteristics as well as biocompatibility characteristics which are capable of reproducing to the greatest possible extent the properties of the natural lachrymal fluid.
In particular, lachrymal substitutes have specific viscoelastic properties, in particular a prominent pseudo-plastic behaviour (with viscosity of the solution which decreases with an increase of the shear stress applied), as well as hydrophilic, muco-adhesive (in order to remain attached for the longest possible time to the mucinase component of the lachrymal film), mucomimetic (in order to simulate in the best manner possible the behaviour of the lachrymal film) and wettability properties, in addition, naturally, to general compatibility with the tissues of the eye.
Those particular properties are conferred on lachrymal substitutes by specific compounds, generally polymers, such as polysaccharides, polyvinyl alcohols, derivatives of cellulose, having a molecular weight which is relatively high, in the order of hundreds of thousands Dalton.
However, the beneficial action of those external solutions is limited over time, so that it may be necessary to carry out those operations several times per day, which operation is inconvenient and very unwelcome to the users.
A second technical solution to the problem mentioned above which is described in EP1861069, in the name of the Applicant, provides for the production of a soft contact lens in which a lachrymal substitute is incorporated therein.
In that case, the liquid component of the contact lens is not formed by a simple physiological solution but, instead, by a lachrymal substitute as defined above. This type of contact lens is obtained by immersing a dry semifinished product, which does not have any water at the inner side thereof and which is formed by the solid component of the contact lens, in an aqueous solution which also contains, in addition to 0.9% sodium chloride, an effective quantity, typically from 0.1% to 0.3% by weight, of an active compound which is capable of conferring on the solution adequate viscoelastic characteristics in addition to muco-adhesive and mucomimetic properties. In particular, that compound is preferably hyaluronic acid or a sodium salt thereof, or a galactoxyloglucan which is extracted from tamarind seeds (TSP), those polymers conferring on the aqueous solution the properties required in terms of muco-adhesion, muco-mimetic nature and pseudo-plasticity.
The contact lenses produced according to EP1861069, once they are applied to the eye, release a fraction of the lachrymal substitute contained therein, substantially improving the sensation of comfort of the user.
In this manner, however, the content of active compound which characterizes the liquid component of the contact lens, so as to allow the definition thereof as a lachrymal substitute, progressively tends to decrease, so that the contact lens, application after application, becomes less and less comfortable.
That loss over time of the excellent initial performance levels in terms of comfort, suggests the provision for contact lenses of this type of relatively frequent replacement, for example, weekly replacement or, even better, daily replacement.
In order to counteract the phenomenon of the loss of active compound of the liquid component of the contact lens in successive applications, EP1861069 suggests the use of a preserving solution, defined as a solution which is suitable for conserving the soft contact lenses between an application to the eye and the subsequent application (also known as "care solutions"), which is formed by physiological solution supplemented, in addition to a disinfectant agent, by an effective quantity of the active compound already present in the soft contact lens, for example, hyaluronic acid or TSP. In this manner, a fraction of active compound is absorbed in the external superficial layers of the contact lens, partially restoring the quantity of active compound previously released in the eye.
The efficacy of that expedient, however, is greatly limited by the fact that the absorption of the active compound within the contact lens is opposed by the difficulty which the polymers with a high molecular weight have in being introduced inside the lens, in particular when the lens is a lens which is already hydrated. In fact, the mean diameters of the pores of the solid component of the lens are in the order of magnitude of the molecules of active compound, so that the mere exchange by diffusion determined by the difference in concentration of active compound between the external solution with respect to the contact lens and the liquid component present inside the lens is generally insufficient to diffuse the polymer in a substantially uniform manner inside the contact lens.
Consequently, therefore, as anticipated above, the active compound is absorbed only at the external superficial layers of the lens, without extending into deep, in this manner preventing the introduction into the lens of additional polymer and therefore limiting the quantity of active compound incorporated in the contact lens.
In different application fields, it is further known to use a soft contact lens acting as a therapeutic carrier, in particular as a device which is capable of slowly releasing over time one or more medicaments at the surface of the eye. In this case, the aqueous solution comprising the medicament to be released in the eye is introduced in the body of the contact lens during the production step of the lens (at the reticulation step of the polymer which forms the body of the lens or also at the hydration step of the lens).
In that case, the simple immersion of the lens in an aqueous solution comprising the medicament is also not sufficiently effective to restore the medicament which is released by the contact lens in the eye.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide a method which allows the effective introduction into hydrated soft contact lenses of an active compound, in particular an active compound which is selected from a lubricating agent and a medicament to be released in a controlled manner inside the eye.

Method for introducing an active compound into a soft hydrated contact lens


Oral dosage forms for poorly soluble amine drugs are provided. Such dosage forms include an ionizable compound such as an organic acid, an amphiphilic polymer and a release rate-controlling membrane. Such dosage forms allow for the consistent release of the active agent in both gastric pH conditions and in the intestine. Methods of making such dosage forms are also provided.

It is well understood that solubility of therapeutic agents in physiological fluids is a prerequisite for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and that weak bases are soluble in gastric pH. Poorly soluble basic active compounds tend to dissolve in the stomach but may precipitate at a higher pH, as in the intestine, or result in dangerously high Cmax levels of the active compound.
Several strategies have been adopted in an attempt to address such problems. These include (a) co-administration of an ionizable compound that promotes solubility in situ in the intestine and (b) use of a sustained release coat to protect the poorly soluble basic drug from rapid dissolution in the stomach.
However, such attempts have not been entirely successful and have a tendency (a) for acid compounds to react with the drug substance or base resulting in the formation of salts; (b) for acid interaction to result in other types of incompatibility between the dosage form and the active agent; and (c) when released intact in the gastrointestinal tract to create hyperacidity which may cause gastric upset, or after long term use, ulceration.

Extended-release oral dosage forms for poorly soluble amine drugs


A power generation device converts vibrational energy into electric power using a vibrational power generation element in which an electret is provided on one substrate of substrates configured to be relatively movable while maintaining a mutually facing state, and supplies the electric power. A vibrational power generation element has the same configuration as the vibrational power generation element and converts vibrational energy into electric power. The vibrational power generation element is connected to a light-emitting diode via a bridge-type full wave rectifier circuit constituted by diodes, a smoothing circuit constituted by a capacitor, and a light-emitting diode drive circuit. A power generation state of the power generation device using the vibrational power generation element and the like is displayed by blinking of the light-emitting diode.

Due to recent trends in energy conservation, environmental energy that does not depend on fossil fuels or the like is routinely attracting attention. Energy generated based on sunlight, wind power, or the like is widely known as environmental energy that has become routine. However, in addition thereto, vibrational energy, thermal energy, electromagnetic waves, osmotic pressure, bioenergy, and the like can also be mentioned.
As a power generation device configured to generate electric power using the above-described environmental energy, a power generation device configured to generate electric power by using vibrational energy has been developed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). As a means for confirming whether or not power generation is being performed in a power generation device using environmental energy, for example, it is conceivable to directly measure an output of a power generation element with a measuring instrument such as a tester or an oscilloscope. In this case, because the output impedance of the power generation element is high, it is necessary to establish a connection via an impedance conversion circuit in order to use a tester or the like (see, for example, Patent Literature 2).


Example compact modular electron beam units are provided that can be used to generate electron beams using field emitter elements. A modular electron beam unit may comprise an electron beam source including a base portion, at least one field emitter element coupled to the base portion, the field emitter element including a field emitter tip, at least one gate electrode and a membrane window disposed over the at least one gate electrode.

Field emitter arrays (FEAs) are versatile cold cathodes. However, they have not found widespread adoption in demanding device applications due to, among other things, the sensitivity of field-emitted currents to emitter tip radii spread (spatial non-uniformity) and to fluctuation of the work function (caused by gas adsorption and desorption at the tip surface (temporal non-uniformity)). Other issues include tip damage or burn-out from Joule heating due to micro-plasma explosion.


A process and apparatus are disclosed for the deposition of a layer of a first material onto a substrate of a second material. Powder particles of the first material are entrained into a carrier gas flow to form a powder beam directed to impinge on the substrate. This defines a powder beam footprint region at the substrate. The powder beam and the substrate are moved relative to each other to move the powder beam footprint relative to the substrate, thereby to deposit the layer of the first material. A laser is operated to cause direct, local heating of at least one of a forward substrate region and a powder beam footprint region. The laser beam direction is defined with reference to a plane coincident with or tangential to a surface of the substrate at the center of the laser beam footprint in terms of an elevation angle from the plane to the laser beam direction and in terms of an acute azimuthal angle from the movement direction to the laser beam direction. The elevation angle is 80° or less and the azimuthal angle is ±60° or less. In the apparatus, there are provided at least three laser sources arrayed around the powder beam footprint, the angular spacing between the laser sources being 120° or less.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processes for the deposition of coatings on substrates, to apparatus for carrying out such processes and to products manufactured using such processes. The invention has particular, but not necessarily exclusive, application to modifications of known cold gas dynamic spraying processes.
Related Art
Cold gas dynamic spraying (typically known as "cold spraying" and referred to as such in the remainder of this specification) is a known process involving the entrainment of powder particles of a first material in a fast flowing stream of gas (typically a non-oxidising gas) and allowing the particles to impinge on a substrate formed of a second material. In this specification, the flowing powder particles are referred to as a "powder beam". Under suitable conditions, the particles from the powder beam adhere to the substrate to form a coating layer on the substrate. The particles adhere to the substrate through plastic deformation and bonding. It is to be noted that neither the particles nor the substrate melt in this process (although some nanoscale local melting may be allowed). This is advantageous for many materials, since macroscopic melting can deleteriously affect the materials properties of the coating and/or the substrate.
In US 2006/0133947, a cold spraying process is modified by the use of a laser to provide heating. The intention in US 2006/0133947 is to improve the density of the coating. The powder particles have a diameter in the range 5-50 μm. Larger particle sizes typically cannot be accelerated to suitable speeds. Smaller particle sizes, whilst able to be accelerated to high speeds, tend to be swept away from the surface of the substrate due to a bow shock layer above the surface. The particles are accelerated to speeds in the range 850-1200 m/s. The preferred carrier gas in US 2006/0133947 is helium, because it allows the highest speeds to be obtained of any suitable gas. A laser is used to provide heating to increase the density of the coating after deposition. The laser may be moved with respect to the substrate, behind the powder beam applied to the substrate, in order to provide in situ heat treatment to the coating soon after the coating is deposited. There is no disclosure in US 2006/0133947 of heating the substrate directly using the laser.
GB-A-2439934 discloses a cold spray process in which it is intended to heat the powder particles in the gas stream. This is said to be achieved by both heating the gas and by directing a laser along the powder beam. The present inventors consider that it is doubtful that the powder particles are heated to a significant extent using the laser, considering the very short typical time of flight of the powder particles in view of the very high speeds required for cold spraying. However, GB-A-2439934 also discloses that the laser heats the substrate at the point at which the powder particles impact the substrate, giving rise to the effect of improved bonding between the powder particles and the substrate. There is no discussion in GB-A-2439934 of the power distribution of the laser beam.
US 2010/0068410 discloses a cold spray process in which a laser is directed to coincide with the point of impact of the particle beam, to provide local heating at that point. The stated aim of US 2010/0068410 is to manage the energy of the particles, so that they arrive at the substrate with just enough energy to adhere to the substrate and are then heated by the laser to fuse with the substrate. US 2010/0068410 also suggests that heating of the gas stream may be advantageous, in order to reduce the power requirements of the laser.
Christoulis et al (2010) [D. K. Christoulis, S. Guetta, E. Irissou, V. Guipont, M. H. Berger, M. Jeandin, J.-G. Legoux, C. Moreau, S. Costil, M. Boustie, Y. Ichikawa and K. Ogawa "Cold-Spraying Coupled to Nano-Pulsed Nd-YaG Laser Surface Pre-treatment" Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, Volume 19, Number 5, 1062-1073, 2010] disclose work on cold spraying of Al powder onto Al substrates. The carrier gas was nitrogen and the inlet gas temperature was 350° C. The Al substrates were subjected to laser ablation treatment using two Q-switched Nd-YAG lasers operating at a wavelength of 1.064 μm with an average power output of 40 W each (270 mJ per pulse with an adjustable frequency up to 150 Hz) and a pulse duration of about 10 ns. The laser beam was directed to the substrate so that the laser beam passed over the substrate milliseconds prior to the cold spray jet of particles.
Kulmala and Vuoristo (2008) [M. Kulmala and P. Vuoristo "Influence of process conditions in laser-assisted low-pressure cold spraying" Surface and Coatings Technology, Volume 202, Issue 18, 15 Jun. 2008, Pages 4503-4508] disclose cold spraying processes in which copper and nickel powders were sprayed with additions of alumina powder onto carbon steel substrates. The carrier gas was air, heated to 445° C. for copper and 650° C. for nickel. A 6 kW continuous wave laser was directed to heat the location at which the powder beam reached the substrate surface. The process described by this document is a low pressure process (gas pressure 6 bar). Incorporation of ceramic particles (alumina powder) into the powder beam assists in compaction of the deposited layer by mechanical means. The use of air as the carrier gas tends to cause at least partial oxidation of particles in the powder beam, further reducing the quality of the deposited layer.


Methods and apparatus for gathering image information from nanostructures includes a composite waveguide of conductive nanoparticles in a dielectric medium. The waveguide is irradiated with preferably coherent blue light to form a slow surface wave. The evanescent wave that is the “tail” of the surface wave exists outside the waveguide contiguous to its surface. The nanostructures are located to encounter the evanescent wave. The slowing of the wave that occurs in the waveguide reduces the wave's speed and wavelength sufficiently such that nanostructures can be imaged. Upon encountering the evanescent wave, the nanostructures radiate. This radiation causes a backward scattering from the structures and a forward perturbation of the wavefront of the surface wave. From the scattering and perturbation information about the physical characteristics of the nanostructures sufficient to form an image is derived.

There has been considerable interest in understanding and developing nanostructures, but this has been hampered by limitations on observation that these structures impose by nature of their size.
Whereas in the past, various microscopy techniques have been sufficient to detect defects of a surface at the nanostructure level, or the mere presence of a nanostructure, these have been inadequate to provide characteristics of the nanostructure such as would permit development of images or details of physical features, such as dimensions, shape and other characteristics.
One daunting difficulty in characterizing nanostructures based on observation has been the wavelength of light. At 488 nm., even blue light has a wavelength in free space (or air) that is too long for use in imaging objects where those objects have dimensions that may range from just a few nm. to several times the wavelength of the light. Ultraviolet light degrades too readily under most conditions to afford a reasonable alternative. In microscopy it is known to locate a specimen in a drop of liquid and to bring the object lens of the microscope into contact with the liquid to take advantage of the reduction in the speed of light that occurs within the liquid and the commensurate reduction in wavelength of the light impingent on the specimen. This technique is not suitable for imaging nanostructures. First, the reduction in wavelength is not sufficient to permit imaging of specimens or structures having dimensions of just a few nm. Second, nanostructures within a liquid are likely to have their observable characteristics and their observable motion altered or distorted. This may occur by the liquid pressure, by dissolving, by chemical reaction or by other interactions of the liquid and the nanostructure. To substantially reduce wavelength, blue light at 488 nm. would need to be used in a medium such as diamond. This would slow the speed of the light by a factor of two, consequently reducing the wavelength by half. Again, this is both impractical and insufficient. The nanostructures being examined cannot be situated in a diamond medium, and halving the 488 nm. wavelength is still not a sufficient reduction. For effective imaging of nanostructures a reduction of the 488 nm. wavelength of blue light by a factor of ten would be desirable.
In Plasmonics-A Route to Nanoscale Optical Devices, Advanced Materials, 13, No. 19, Oct. 13, 2001 (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH), Maier et al. teach using gold nanoparticles with diameters between 30 and 50 nm., spaced "a few tens of nanometers apart," as building blocks for "plasmon waveguides." This publication is incorporated herein by reference. The speed of wave propagation at the center of the operating band along the series of spaced nanoscale spheres of Maier et al. is 1/10 the free-space speed of the electromagnetic radiation employed. Consequently, the wavelength is 1/10 that of the free-space wavelength. Maier et al. do not suggest using the speed reduction for light wavelength reduction enabling examination of nanostructures. Rather, Maier et al. suggest optical wave guides fashioned into optical path "Ls," "Ts" and switches for use in optical circuitry, so slowing the speed of light is not an objective. And, in fact, Maier et al. mention they are seeking the fastest such propagation velocity, whereas we desire the slowest. Maier et al. do not suggest suspension of particles in a dielectric medium.


An adjustable, composite polarizer can include first and second plate polarizers and an adjusting apparatus. The adjusting apparatus can adjust a pitch angle and a roll angle for the first and second plate polarizers while maintaining a predetermined, minimal distance between those plates. In this configuration, the adjustable, composite polarizer can provide mirror symmetric polarization with respect to an incident plane while providing the flexibility of any polarization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polarizer within an inspection system and in particular to a composite polarizer having a plurality of plate polarizers, each plate polarizer having a predetermined pitch angle and roll angle to provide a desired polarization.
2. Related Art
In general, using a polarizer in the imaging or collection path of a wafer inspection tool can take advantage of the distinctly different polarized scattered light from a wafer surface and from defects to significantly improve detection sensitivity. In a conventional wafer inspection tool, a linear polarizer with a unified polarization across the entire imaging aperture is typically used in the collection path. Note that a linear polarizer can be a reflective polarizer in which an incoming beam is split into a transmitted beam and a reflected beam with perpendicular polarization states, or an absorptive polarizer in which one of the two perpendicular polarizations is absorbed and the other one is transmitted. Reflective polarizers generally have much higher efficiency but need a larger free space because of the large incident angle. Absorptive polarizers are more compact since it can operates at a normal incident angle, but are much less efficient than reflective polarizers because of absorption loss.
Another type of polarizer used in wafer inspection is a linear polarizing cube with a single unified polarization. Notably, this linear polarizing cube has an adjustable polarizer angle, but the polarization is at a constant angle over the entire imaging aperture. Therefore, a linear polarizing cube cannot achieve a maximum signal to noise ratio (SNR). In one embodiment to achieve improved SNR, a linear polarizing cube can be cut diagonally from opposite corners and then reconnected to form the cube. By having multiple reconnected polarizing cubes available in a wafer inspection system, it is possible to have multiple reconnected polarizing cubes of which polarizations are at different pre-determined angles, wherein switching between the reconnected cubes can provide different polarizations. Such a system is complex and bulky, and polarization angles can only be adjusted in a set of discrete steps but not continuously, which makes it difficult to optimize for maximum SNR.
A so-called "pizza pie" polarizer has been used for wafer inspection, wherein this polarizer is formed with multiple absorptive linear polarizers (each shaped like a pizza pie piece) to provide a circularly symmetric polarization arrangement. These linear polarizers have either polarization aligned in a radial direction or in a tangential direction. One of the disadvantages of the conventional "pizza pie" polarizers is the low efficiency due to the use of absorptive polarizers.
Unfortunately, a need still exists for a polarizer that has adjustable polarization angles while remaining mirror symmetric with a plane, e.g. the incident plane of a wafer inspection system with oblique illumination.

Composite polarizer with adjustable polarization angles


An optical probe (and method) for measuring a surface in an environment containing a first substance, includes a light source for transmitting a light onto an area of the surface to obtain a measurement, a source of the first substance including one of a fluid and a gas for displacing a second substance from an area of the surface receiving the light, and a measuring device for receiving the light being reflected from the surface and for determining a measurement of the surface based upon the reflected light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical measurements in a controlled environment. In particular, the present invention relates to an air coupled probe for optical film measurements in a moist aqueous environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical film thickness measurements are performed routinely in the semiconductor fabrication and machining processes to control film deposition and removal processes. In particular, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is used in semiconductor fabrication. In the CMP process, wafers containing thin films are polished in an aqueous environment to planarize the surface. The CMP process is often performed as a multistep process during which the wafers being polished are kept wet. It is desirable to measure the thickness of the material so that the wafers are not over polished and so that surface planarity may be gauged. Presently, the wafers are first removed from the polishing tool, cleaned and dried before film measurements may be made. Thus, there is a significant delay between the polishing operation and the measurement of the results of the polishing operation.
There is also excessive handling of the wafers between the polishing tool and the measurement area which results in significant cost.
It is desirable to measure the film thickness as soon as possible after the polishing process. However, this has not been practical to measure the film thickness immediately after the polishing process, because the wafer is placed in a rinsing tank and rinsed with water. It is very difficult to obtain an accurate thin film measurement in this environment.
Optical measurements are most easily performed in air. In other words, the optical beam used to make the measurement should pass through air directly to the surface film being measured.

Method and apparatus for optical film measurements in a controlled environment

International Business Machines Corporation


A fault interrupter is provided that includes a high-speed disconnect in series with an interrupter wherein the circuit opening is via the interrupter and the circuit making is via the disconnect. A stored energy disconnect operating mechanism operates the disconnect between ground, open and closed positions and also charges the interrupter mechanism during a slow opening of the disconnect without fully charging the disconnect operating mechanism. Thus, the required operating forces to open the disconnect and charge the interrupter mechanism are reduced. During a manual opening, the disconnect operating mechanism trips open the interrupter, then only partially charges to begin opening the disconnect before releasing the stored energy. Continued operation of the disconnect operating mechanism slowly drives the disconnect open while charging the interrupter mechanism and closing the interrupter. The interrupter mechanism remains charged during operation of the disconnect between the open and ground positions by the disconnect operating mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fault interrupter including a high-speed disconnect in series with an interrupter and more particularly to an arrangement wherein after the interrupter is tripped open, the interrupter mechanism is recharged and the interrupter is closed during a slow opening operation of the disconnect.
2. Description of Related Art
Various operating mechanisms for electrical switches and circuit interrupters provide multiple operational states at an output corresponding to the desired operational states of the switch controlled by the mechanism. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,293 and copending application Serial No. 08/713,938 filed in the names of E. W. Rogers et al. on Sep. 13, 1996 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,009) disclose a useful compact operating mechanism that utilizes latch members that cooperate with an output lever to define three operating positions, the latch members functioning to stop and hold the output lever to define the operating positions. These arrangements operate a disconnect in series with an interrupter, the interrupter being tripped open before the disconnect is opened, and the interrupter mechanism being recharged during the closing operation as the disconnect mechanism is recharged and before the disconnect is closed.
An interrupter with disconnect is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,030,481 and 3,116,391. Upon opening operation, the interrupter is initially tripped open, then the disconnect is opened either by motor mechanism or manual drive, and the interrupter mechanism is charged during the blade opening.
A manual switch operator for operating a vacuum interrupter and a series connected disconnect between two operating positions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. 4,484,046. The arrangement on closing, closes the disconnect switch before the vacuum interrupter, and on opening, opens the vacuum interrupter before the disconnect. An additional solenoid switch operator is coupled to the interconnection provisions between the manual switch operator and the vacuum interrupter for opening the vacuum interrupter through solenoid action. While this arrangement may be useful, it does not provide a compact operating mechanism for sequencing the operation of an interrupter with a disconnect in three operating positions. Further, the arrangement includes expansive linkages and toggle joints which are not desirable, not only from a mechanical design standpoint but also from the perspective of minimizing the size of switchgear modules that house the operator and the electrical components.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,102 discloses a quick-make quick-break mechanism for operating a switch between open and closed positions. Other operating mechanisms are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,845,433; 4,293,834; 5,140,117; and 5,224,590.

Fault interrupter and operating mechanism therefor