A useful energy product created by a process where a chemical species flow passes through a macroscopic artificial dielectric structure for a gas-permeable susceptor having (a) first regions in the structure that are primarily transparent to applied electromagnetic energy and (b) second regions in the structure that are not primarily transparent to applied electromagnetic energy.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a useful energy product created by a process where a chemical species flow passes through a macroscopic artificial dielectric structure for a gas-permeable susceptor consisting of first regions in the structure that are primarily transparent to applied electromagnetic energy and second regions in the structure that are not primarily transparent to applied electromagnetic energy.
2. Prior Art
The scope of this current invention is a device for thermal treatment of chemical species that employs 1) alternate cavity and susceptor geometries for providing more homogeneous interactions of applied electromagnetic energy in the volume of the susceptor regardless of the flow rate and diameter of the exhaust duct width, 2) heat transfer methods to improve the overall heat efficiency of the device, 3) a susceptor structure that has reflectivity as principle mode of interaction with applied electromagnetic energy, which allows for energy to penetrate a susceptor, 4) composite susceptor materials, 5) a simple method of controlling the temperature versus energy concentration in the susceptor, and 6) field concentrators to concentrate the energy density of the applied electromagnetic energy.
Cavity geometries in these devices affect the optical properties of the electromagnetic energy within the susceptor. Electromagnetic energy, whether ultraviolet, infrared, microwave or radio frequencies, exhibits the same optical properties as the visible spectrum when interacting with geometric shapes and surfaces that are similar to a lens. The electromagnetic energy in a susceptor can either converge or diverge due to the geometric shape of the susceptor following the same principles as optical lenses. Additionally, the modes of propagation of the electromagnetic energy are dependent upon the cavities geometry. These modes effect the distribution of electromagnetic energy in the cavity. These modes are different for cylindrical and rectangular cavities (see, e.g., Handbook of Microwave Engineering).
Electromagnetic energy that is incident perpendicular to the perimeter of the circular cross-section of a cylindrical susceptor will converge initially, concentrating the energy within the cross-section. This concentration will cause the material inside the susceptor to absorb more energy than the material near the surface, changing the dielectric properties of the material inside the cross-section. This concentration of energy can make the material, which is located in the susceptor's interior, between the center and the perimeter, to absorb more energy, thereby reducing the depth of penetration of the material due to the susceptor's geometry.
The optical properties of rectangular cavities and planar surfaces are different. Rectangular cavities with a susceptor having a rectangular geometry and planar surfaces will follow the optical properties of a flat surface. A flat surface does not concentrate or disperse energy as do curved surfaces, such as convex and concave surfaces. With a flat surface of incidence for applied electromagnetic energy, the absorption of electromagnetic energy in a susceptor is due only to the properties of the materials and is not influenced by energy, which is concentrated by curved geometries. Incident energy on susceptors with flat surfaces will not be concentrated within a structure with homogeneous material, and the depth of penetration will be influenced by the incident energy's power, the electric fields and magnetic fields inside the susceptor. Conversely, incident energy on susceptors with curved geometry can be concentrated within a susceptor with homogeneous materials, and the depth of penetration of the energy will be influenced by the ability of the curved surface to concentrate energy inside the susceptor.
The overall energy efficiency of such devices for thermal treatment of chemical species can be improved with a better heat transfer process to capture the energy that is lost from cooling the tube that is the source for the applied electromagnetic energy. In industrial microwave drying operations, the heat produced from cooling the magnetrons with air is applied to the articles that are being dried with the microwaves. This synergistic drying, which uses hot air and microwaves, increases the energy efficiency of the drying process.
Alternative composite materials and susceptor structures can be used to facilitate the thermal treatment of chemical species. These composite materials and susceptor structures are known as artificial dielectrics.
Artificial dielectric structures date back to the 1940s. Artificial dielectrics were used as lenses to focus radio waves for communication. Artificial dielectrics use conductive metal plates, rods, spheres and discs (second phase material) which are embedded in matrices of low dielectric constants and low dielectric losses to increase the index of refraction, thus reducing size of a lens to achieve the desired optical properties. The second phase material reflects the energy and uses diffuse reflection to transmit electromagnetic energy. These plates, rods, spheres, and discs can be arranged in a lattice structure to produce an isotropic or an anisotropic structure.
When conductive elements are embedded in a low dielectric constant and low dielectric loss matrix, the effect of these on the matrix material's dielectric loss factor is negligible and the dielectric constant of the composite lens is increased. However, these above effects are limited and influenced by the size, shape, conductivity and volume fraction of the material embedded in a matrix of low dielectric loss, low dielectric constant of the material as well as the wavelength of the incident radiation. The dielectric strength and complex dielectric constant of the matrix material plays important additional roles in the design of artificial dielectric lenses. On the other hand, selection of matrix materials with different dielectric properties and incorporation of second phase materials such as semiconductors, ferroelectrics, ferromagnetics, antiferroelectrics, antiferromagnetics, dielectrics with higher dielectric losses, and dielectrics with conductive losses that produce absorption of microwave energy, produce heat in an artificial dielectric.
Lossy artificial dielectrics were demonstrated by the 1950s and subsequently used at the microwave frequencies to sinter ceramic articles, in food packaging for heating foodstuffs, in browning apparatuses for foodstuffs, in consumer products, and to render adhesives flowable for bonding applications.
The structure of the artificial dielectrics determines the electromagnetic properties. When the volume fraction of the second phase materials inside the artificial dielectric reaches a certain level, the artificial dielectric will reflect incident electromagnetic energy, shielding the artificial dielectric from absorbing electromagnetic energy. The volume fraction of the second phase material at which the artificial dielectric shields electromagnetic energy is dependent on the second phase material's reflectivity, the shape of the second phase material, and the temperature. By controlling the amount of reflection, the susceptor's reflectivity can be used to control the susceptor's temperature.
Reflectivity has been used to produce structures that have a self-limiting temperature. Producing reflectivity in dielectrics is explained in Von Hipple's Dielectrics and Waves. Using such principles, devices have been designed to have self-limiting temperatures. Self-limiting temperatures have also been theorized for materials with Curie temperatures. The reflectivity of electromagnetic energy is related to a material's conductivity. Metals are electrically conductive at room temperatures and reflective of electromagnetic energy. Semiconductors and ionic conductors have low moderate conductivity at room temperature. At elevated temperatures semiconductors and ionic conductors have increased conductivity, and these materials will become reflective to electromagnetic energy at elevated temperatures. The amount of reflectivity of a material at elevated temperature will also be dependent upon the wavelength of incident electromagnetic energy.
The artificial dielectrics structure can be used to produce diffuse reflection, or scattering, inside a susceptor. The second phase materials either can be reflective materials at room temperature, such as a metal, or can become reflective at elevated temperatures due to 1) increasing conductivity, such as semiconductors and ionic conductors and/or 2) exceeding the Curie temperature, such as ferroelectrics and ferromagnetics. This diffuse reflection may also be used to control the temperature of a given susceptor that uses the artificial dielectric structure.
Regardless of the structure of a susceptor and its materials of construction, applied energy must be applied to penetrate the structure and material or materials of construction for volumetric interaction between the susceptor and the applied energy.
Other considerations must be given to the structure of a susceptor in a device for thermal treatment of chemical species. Honeycombs, foams, packed material and woven structures, which are constructed of a material that either has an increased dielectric conductivity at elevated temperatures or has a Curie temperature below the operating temperature could become reflective. If the material becomes reflective, then the susceptor's structure either could a) act as waveguides with dimensions that would not allow the applied energy to penetrate because the applied energy would be below the cut-off frequency for the susceptor's structure or b) shield the electromagnetic energy from penetrating into the susceptor. The Handbook of Microwave Engineering Handbook explains waveguide theory in more detail. For example, granular suscepting structures employed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,358 for treatment of gases exemplify conditions where the susceptor's structure may not allow for incident electromagnetic energy penetrate the volume of the susceptor.
It seems to appear that the authors of U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,358 preferably embody granular absorbing material in the range of about 5 mm to 10 mm with a layer thickness, which is preferably 100 mm to 300 mm. One of the preferred absorbing materials is Sic in granular form. Silicon carbide, a semi-conducting ceramic, has a moderate penetration depth of approximately 10 cm at room temperature. And, depending upon the purity of the Sic, the depth of penetration can be less then 2 cm at room temperature. At elevated temperatures, silicon carbide becomes more conductive, thus having an even lower penetration depth. If one assumes that the granules in U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,358 are spherical, then the 10 mm spheres of the Sic would most likely pack inside the cylindrical cavity in what is known as the close-packed cubic structure. The close-packed cubic Sic structure would have a void volume of only 26%. The largest void space in this granular pack of 10 mm Sic spheres in the close-packed cubic structure would be occupied by what is known as an octahedral site. The octahedral site is the void space between six spheres—four spheres touching in one plane, one on the top of and one on the bottom of the void space formed between the four-spheres touching in one plane. The void diameter of the octahedral site at the largest diameter would be about 6 mm. With an open space of the 6 mm in width and the device in U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,358 operating at approximately 900° C., where the dielectric conductivity of Sic is greatly increased in comparison to the dielectric conductivity at room temperature, one can question the ability of the microwave energy at 2.45 GHz and wavelength of approximately 13 cm to propagate through the close-pack cubic structure of the Sic granules and heat a volume of Sic with a depth of the particles being between 100 mm to 300 mm. Does the packed Sic spheres at the operating temperature of 900° C. act as a collection of small waveguides that have dimensions below the cut off frequency for the applied electromagnetic radiation? If so, the susceptor's structure will not allow for the applied energy to penetrate into the entire volume of Sic granules. This type of structure would shield electromagnetic energy as exemplified in common practice by windows of household microwave cooking ovens. Or, does the packing of Sic spheres at an operating temperature of 900° C. have a finite depth of penetration that neither allows for the volumetric heating of the entire mass of Sic granules nor has electromagnetic energy throughout the volume of the Sic mass to interact with gaseous species for possible enhanced reactions? This latter argument for a finite depth of penetration in this susceptor arrangement would most likely heat a finite volume of Sic granules near the surface of the incident applied radiation, then heat would be thermally conducted through the Sic to the remaining volume of Sic granules since Sic is a very thermally conductive material. One could argue that a greater power level of applied electromagnetic energy could be incident on the Sic granules in an attempt to heat the entire volume, however depth of penetration can become less at increased levels of applied power. The greater power level will cause the depth of penetration to migrate to the surface where the applied electromagnetic energy is initially incident upon, when the Sic material becomes more conductive at elevated temperature. The increased conductivity can cause the material to become reflective to the applied energy.
Other suscepting structures such as honeycombs, foams and woven structures can have similar concerns about the depth of penetrations as mentioned above. These structures, when made of semiconducting, conducting, ferromagnetic, ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials, can have shallow depths of penetration. Graphite, carbon black, magnetite (Fe3O4), MnO2 are materials that have depths of penetration less than 1 mm at room temperature. When suscepting structures, such as honeycombs, foams and weaves are coated with these material, the structures either will have shallow penetration depths or will act as waveguides that have dimensions that are below the cutoff frequency regardless of a) the bulk material or materials that makes up the substrate for the coating and b) the design of the susceptor's structure. Consequently, a susceptor must be properly designs for volumetric interaction with the electromagnetic energy, taking into consideration the materials of construction, the structure and the effects of coatings.


A clamp-on ultrasonic flow measuring device for determining volume and/or mass flow rate of a medium in a containment. The clamp-on ultrasonic measuring device is of low temperature sensitivity. To this end, the coupling element, through which the ultrasonic measuring signals are coupled into, and/or out of, the containment, has at least two element portions, which are embodied and/or arranged in such a manner that the predetermined in-coupling angle into the containment and/or the predetermined out-coupling angle out of the containment are/is approximately constant over an extended temperature range.

Ultrasonic flow measuring devices are applied often in process and automation technology. They make possible contactless determination of the volume and/or mass flow rate of a medium in a pipeline.
Known ultrasonic flow measuring devices work either by the Doppler principle or the travel-time-difference principle. In the case of the travel-time-difference principle, the different travel times of the ultrasonic measuring signals in the direction of flow, and counter to the direction of flow, of the medium are exploited. To this end, the ultrasonic measuring signals are alternatingly issued, respectively received, in the direction of flow, and counter to the direction of flow, of the medium. On the basis of the travel-time-difference of the ultrasonic measuring signals, the flow velocity can be determined, and, with that and known diameter of the pipe, the volume flow rate of the medium, or, with known density, the mass flow rate of the medium.
In the case of the Doppler principle, ultrasonic measuring signals of predetermined frequency are coupled into the flowing medium. The ultrasonic measuring signals reflected in the medium are evaluated. On the basis of a frequency shift occurring between the ultrasonic measuring signal which was coupled into the medium and the reflected ultrasonic measuring signal, likewise the flow velocity of the medium, or the volume and/or mass flow rate, can be determined.
The use of flow measuring devices working according to the Doppler principle is only possible, when present in the medium are air bubbles or impurities, on which the ultrasonic measuring signals are reflected. Thus, use of ultrasonic flow measuring devices using the Doppler principle is rather limited, compared to ultrasonic flow measuring devices using the travel-time-difference principle.
With respect to types of measuring devices, a distinction is drawn between ultrasonic flow measuring pickups, which are inserted into the pipeline, and clamp-on flow measuring devices, where the ultrasonic transducers are pressed onto the pipeline externally by means of a clamp connection. Clamp-on flow measuring devices are described, for example, in EP 0 686 255 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,478 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,593.
In the case of the two types of ultrasonic flow measuring devices, the ultrasonic measuring signals are radiated at a predetermined angle into, and/or received from, the pipeline, or measuring tube, as the case may be, containing the flowing medium. In order to achieve an optimum impedance matching, the ultrasonic measuring signals are coupled into, or out of, the pipeline via a lead-in member, or a coupling wedge, as the case may be. Principal component of an ultrasonic transducer is at least one piezoelectric element, which produces and/or receives the ultrasonic measuring signals.
The ultrasonic measuring signals produced in a piezoelectric element are led via the coupling wedge, or lead-in member, as the case may be, and, in the case of a clamp-on flow measuring device, through the pipe wall, into the liquid medium. Since the velocities of sound in a liquid and in plastic differ from one another, the ultrasonic waves are refracted at the transition from one medium into the other. The angle of refraction at the transition from one medium into another medium is dependent on the ratio of the velocities of sound cm, cn in the two media n, m.
Mathematically, Snell's law can preferably be expressed according to the following formula:cn/sin αn=cm/sin αm=const.  (1)where:cn is the velocity of sound e.g. in the coupling wedge made, for example, of plastic;cm is the velocity of sound e.g. in the medium, which is, for example, water;αn is the angle between the sound path and the normal to the bounding surface of the coupling wedge at the point where the ultrasonic measuring signal passes through the bounding surface; andαm is the angle between the sound path and the normal to the bounding surface of the medium at the point where the ultrasonic measuring signal passes through the bounding surface.
With coupling wedges, or lead-in members, of plastic, among other things, a good impedance matching can be achieved; however, the velocity of sound in plastic has a relatively strong temperature dependence. Typically, the velocity of sound in plastic changes from about 2500 m/s at 25° C. to about 2200 m/s at 130° C. In addition to the change of travel time of ultrasonic measuring signals in the plastic of the coupling wedge brought about by temperature, the direction of propagation of the ultrasonic measuring signals in the flowing medium also changes. Both changes, in the case of an ultrasonic flow measuring device operating according to the travel time difference method, naturally act unfavorably on the accuracy of measurement. Added to this is the fact that the propagation velocity exhibits, in certain media, likewise a strong temperature dependence.
For coping with the temperature dependence of the coupling wedges, it is known from WO 02/39069 A2 to construct the coupling element out of a plurality of segments in the form of circular arcs. Preferably, the segments are made of metal. The individual segments are arranged separated from one another and they extend from a contact plane, which faces the piezoelectric element, out to a base plate, which is connected with the pipe wall. The length of the individual segments is, in such case, so measured, that the ultrasonic measuring signals are radiated and received at a predetermined angle at the base plate. This embodiment is, however, relatively complex.

Device for determination and/or monitoring of the volumetric and/or mass flow of a medium and having coupling element including two element portions


A construction toy set includes a number of pieces of different shapes and colors which are configured to allow a user to construct a desired object or model by connecting selected pieces to one another. One of the pieces is a first joint piece constructed to connect two other pieces of the set for relative rotational movement about an axis of the piece. The joint piece has a body formed of two parts that are joined to one another for relative rotation about the joint piece axis, and each part is configured to connect to another piece of the set. The set also includes a second joint piece constructed to connect two other pieces of the set for relative rotational movement about two orthogonal axes of the piece. The bodies of the joint pieces emit a pleasant click sound when the parts of the bodies are turned by the user.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toys, particularly construction toy sets for toddlers or young children.
Discussion of the Known Art
Construction toy sets for toddlers and young children usually include pieces or blocks that can fit with one another to create a static model or object, e.g., a house, a building, and the like. Typically, the finished object is not one with which the child can actively play or interact, however, other than by disassembling it and arranging the pieces or blocks to create a different object. Toy sets that allow for greater interaction between a child and an assembled object are aimed mostly at older players. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,962 (Apr. 2, 2013), U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,040 (Dec. 23, 1986), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,724 (Aug. 19, 1980).
U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,970 (Jun. 5, 2006) discloses a toy construction system comprised of a multitude of interconnecting members including a rotatable connector/spinner device. The spinner device is made so that when other members of the system are joined to the device, the members can turn or rotate about an axis of the device.
Notwithstanding the known art, there is a need for a construction toy set for toddlers and young children that provides sensory stimulation in terms of touch, feel, and sound, both when the child is assembling pieces of a desired object, and when he or she plays with the object once assembled. There is also a need for a construction toy set for toddlers and young children that stimulates creativity by encouraging the child to build an object using particular shapes and features of different pieces that are provided with the set.

Manipulatable construction toy set for toddlers, young children and others


A system for making extensional measurements on a sample includes an armature, a motor drive shaft, a moveable cylinder, and a fixed cylinder. The motor drive shaft is attached to the armature. The moveable cylinder is mounted on the armature. The sample is stretched between the moveable cylinder and fixed cylinder by the rotation of the moveable cylinder around the axis of the fixed cylinder and rotation of the moveable cylinder about its own axis. The resistance of the sample produces a torque on the moveable cylinder and the fixed cylinder. The torque is measured on the moveable cylinder or on a transducer shaft attached to the fixed cylinder. The system is adaptable to a commercial rotational rheometer.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for polymer melt characterization and elastomer testing using a rheometer. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for measuring the extensional properties of a polymer melt or elastomer sample on a rotational rheometer.
2. Background Information
Extensional measurement instruments are used to measure the viscosity and stress relaxation of samples including polymers, elastomers, and rubber compounds. These instruments are also useful in optimizing the throughput of material processing operations. These operations include fiber spinning, film blowing, blow molding, and sheet casting. Extensional measurement instruments are referred to as extensional rheometers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,413 to Sentmanat (the '413 patent) describes different extensional rheometers that have been developed in the prior art.
Dedicated extensional rheometers, however, are cost prohibitive, difficult to use, and have limited utility. As a result, fixtures have been developed that allow extensional measurements to be made using commercial rotational rheometers. The '413 patent describes an extensional rheometer fixture. This fixture includes a drive shaft connected to an armature. The armature is further connected to a torque shaft, and two rotatable drums are mounted in the armature. One end of a sample is connected to each drum. Both drums are rotated, stretching the sample. The torque in the fixture caused by the stretching of the sample is measured.
One problem with the fixture described in the '413 patent is the effect that the friction in the bearings of both drums and the friction in the gearing mechanism of both drums have on the measurement of torque. Because of this friction, the torque cannot be measured directly. Instead, the torque on the sample must be calculated from the measured torque and the effects of the friction.
In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a substantial need exists for systems and methods that can advantageously allow extensional measurements to be made more directly using commercial rotational rheometers.

Polymer melt and elastomer extension fixture


A key including a retractable shaft mounted pivotably with respect to a case forming an operating head of the key, between a retracted position in which the shaft extends in a substantially longitudinal direction inside a housing of the case, and a deployed position in which the shaft extends outside the case. The shaft has a first end forming a heel by which the shaft is pivoted about a vertical pivot axis orthogonal to the axis of the shaft. The key includes a drive mechanism for driving the shaft toward one of the retracted position or the deployed operating position. The drive mechanism includes a resiliently deformable element, which exerts a resilient force to return the shaft toward the retracted or deployed position, according to the angular position of the shaft with respect to an intermediate position of the shaft between the deployed position and the retracted position.

More specifically, the invention proposes a key, particularly for an automobile, of the type having a retractable shaft which is mounted pivotably with respect to a case forming the operating head of the key, between a retracted position in which the shaft extends in a substantially longitudinal direction inside a housing of the case, and a deployed operating position in which the shaft extends outside the case, of the type in which the shaft has a first end forming a heel by means of which the shaft is pivoted with respect to the case about a vertical pivot axis orthogonal to the axis of the shaft, and of the type which has means for driving the shaft toward its retracted position or toward its deployed position.
The assembly formed by the shaft and the head of the key is relatively bulky when the shaft extends outside the head of the key.
Moreover, when the key is placed in the pocket of a garment, there is a risk that the shaft will cause premature wear of the pocket, or even create a hole, which is highly detrimental.
To mitigate this drawback, means have been proposed for retracting the shaft into the case forming the head of the key.
Document DE-A-39.02.537 describes a key having a retractable shaft, in which the movement of the shaft from its retracted position toward its deployed operating position is automatic.
The shaft is mounted pivotably in the case by means of a pivot element in which the means for locking the shaft in position are arranged, together with the means for driving the shaft toward its deployed position.
The pivoting of the shaft in this way therefore makes it necessary to use a large number of components, which are also relatively bulky.
These components occupy a considerable volume inside the case of the head, and they greatly reduce the inner volume of the case in which it is possible to position an electronic device, such as a device for remotely controlling the locking of the vehicle doors.

Retractable insert key comprising insert driving means


An optical triangulation sensor for distance measurement is described herein. In accordance with one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a light source for the generation of structured light, an optical reception device, at least one attachment element and a carrier with a first groove on a lateral surface of the carrier, wherein the light source and/or optical reception device is at least partially arranged in the first groove and is held in place on the carrier by the attachment element.

In the recent years, robots are increasingly being used in the household sector, for example for cleaning or for monitoring a home or other premises. Autonomous robots have, inter alia, sensors that allow them to detect obstacles (e.g. walls, furniture, persons etc.) and to thus survey their surroundings. This enables the robot to appropriately react to obstacles. The obstacles can be identified, for example, by a sensor system (crash sensors) that react when the robot collides with an obstacle. When the robot detects such an obstacle it can turn around or select a different path to its destination. Such a course of action is not sufficient in the case of more demanding tasks. If the robot, for example, is to plan a path from one room of a home into another room of that home, then it must be capable of detecting objects located at a greater distance. The robot can, for example, detect objects optically without contacting them. When detecting objects by means of optical triangulation, the achievable accuracy depends highly on the geometrical arrangement of the individual sensor components in relation to each other. Even a small displacement of a transmitter unit (e.g. the light source) or of a reception unit (e.g. the camera) can lead to measurement errors. This applies both to the manufacture, as well as to the operation of the sensors. When in operation, for example, temperature variations and the resulting thermal expansion can lead to the displacement of individual sensor components and thereby to a falsification of the measurement results. From the prior art, solutions are known that are aimed at preventing the measurement results from being falsified in this manner. This is generally carried out by arranging the sensor components in relation to each other as precisely as possible. Achieving such a precise arrangement can only be done by means of very small tolerances during manufacturing and at a corresponding cost. Measurement errors, nevertheless, can result from variations in temperature.
The disclosure provides an apparatus for distant optical measurement having high repeat accuracy and which is easy to manufacture.
The present disclosure provides an optical triangulation sensor a and a mobile robot having the features and structures recited herein. Various embodiments and further developments of the present disclosure are further recited herein.

Optical triangulation sensor for distance measurement


The present application provides systems and methods for quickly determining the shortest route from one arbitrary point in the ocean X to another Y. Specifically, the present application discloses a routing method that accepts two arbitrary points on the ocean and dynamically finds the shortest route between them that avoids a known set of “obstacles”. According to an exemplary embodiment, each of these obstacles is a spherical polygon defined by its vertexes, with the adjacent pairs of vertexes connected to each other by bordering great-circle segments.

The present exemplary embodiment relates to determining shortest oceanic routes. It finds particular application in conjunction with routing a ship from one arbitrary point in the ocean X to another Y, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
A problem exists with the routing of a ship from one arbitrary point in the ocean X to another Y. The goal of routing a ship between arbitrary points is to quickly find the shortest route that does not run aground. In oceanic routing, the ocean is treated as a continuum. As such, it is not possible to make a list of all the possible values for various points X and Y in the ocean, together with a shortest route for each pair. Instead, the shortest route must be computed quickly once X and Y are discovered.
Our abstract Earth is a perfect sphere, has unit radius, and is cluttered with "obstacles" including land masses, coral reefs, shallow water depths, and the like. Each obstacle is represented by a polygon described by vertex points in clockwise order. All obstacles on Earth can be seen in their entirety by an observer located outside the Earth, and the word "clockwise" should be understood to be from the viewpoint of such an observer. These polygons (the interiors, to be precise) must be avoided in the process of getting from point X to point Y, hence the term obstacle. Points, like X and Y, that are the subject of shortest route calculations will be referred to as "location points", such as "initial location point X" and "destination location point Y".
Each pair of adjacent vertexes (i,j) on the border of an obstacle is connected by a segment of a great circle; this segment is the shortest distance between the two vertexes. Such great circle segments always have a length that is less than π, and will be referred to simply as "segments" in the following. The vertexes of the polygons are all assumed to be distinct, and it is also assumed that the polygons do not intersect or touch one another. It takes roughly 1000 vertexes to describe all of the obstacles on the Earth with sufficient detail for routing decisions.
For vertex i, the notations i.next and i.previous are utilized for the next and previous vertex as the obstacle is traversed in clockwise order. Thus, point Y is "visible" from point X (or vice versa—the relationship is symmetric) if there is some segment (X,Y) connecting X to Y that does not include an interior point from any obstacle. That segment will be unique unless X and Y are antipodes.
The motivation for the present application relates to the resupply of US Naval ships at sea (a kind of Traveling Salesman problem). In those scenarios, thousands of shortest-route calculations must be done in a time insensible to a human, so speed in finding the shortest route is of the essence.
The present application provides a method and system that quickly determines the shortest oceanic route between X and Y, using an oceanic routing system including a computing device configured to execute instructions to calculate the shortest oceanic route from an initial location point X to a destination location point Y.

Method and system for determining shortest oceanic routes

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A light output device and manufacturing method in which an array of LEDs is embedded in an encapsulation layer. An array of cavities (or regions of different refractive index) is formed in the encapsulation layer. The cavities/regions have a density or size that is dependent on their proximity to the light emitting diode locations, in order to reduce hot spots (local high light intensity areas) and thereby render the light output more uniform over the area of the device.

One known example of this type of lighting device is a so-called "LED in glass" device. An example is shown in FIG. 1. Typically a glass plate is used, with a transparent conductive coating (for example ITO) forming electrodes. The conductive coating is patterned in order to make the electrodes that are connected to a semiconductor LED device. The assembly is completed by laminating the glass, with the LEDs 4 inside a thermoplastic layer (for example polyvinyl butyral, PVB) or an organic resin layer.
FIG. 2 shows the known LED in glass structure in cross section. The device comprises glass plates 1 and 2. Between the glass plates are (semi-) transparent electrodes 3a and 3b (for example formed using ITO or thin conductive wires), and an LED 4 connected to the transparent electrodes 3a and 3b. A layer of electrically insulating material 5 is provided between glass plates 1 and 2 (conventionally PVB or UV resin).
Applications of this type of device are shelves, showcases, facades, office partitions, wall cladding, and decorative lighting. The lighting device can be used for illumination of other objects, for display of an image, or simply for decorative purposes.
Top emitting LEDs can be used, and these have a spot light source output. Side emitting LEDs can also be used, the light output then being coupled to the output from scattering centres in the resin.
To make the spot output more uniform, it is known to apply a reflector or other light shield over the LED, to act as a mask for reducing the local light output intensity. This adds complexity to the manufacture of the device so that there remain difficulties in providing a desired output from the discrete light sources, in terms of illumination direction and illumination spot size, and in a way which does not significantly increase the manufacturing cost.
There is also a desire to create luminescent sheets, preferably thin, with significant flexibility. This enables a wider variety of uses for the product and can also save on expensive moulding procedures in the manufacturing process. An optically transparent material is required with flexibility at the desired thickness of around 1-10 mm.
One example is to place LEDs within a wire grid that is embedded in silicone or other polymer. This design replaces costly Printed Circuit Boards PCBs or glass substrate arrangements. The wire grid, however, does not allow for a small tolerance in the alignment of the LED devices, by virtue of its non-rigid nature.
In order to mask the LED hot spots for LEDs formed in such a grid structure, optical structures (which may simply comprise reflective white paint) can be provided over the LED grid as mentioned above.
An alternative approach is to embed light scattering particles into the polymer structure (which acts as a light guide). The shape or concentration, and the absorption, reflection and transmission properties of these particles, influences how they alter the light output characteristics.
The main drawback of these techniques is that the position of the particles or the optical structures and their scattering properties are determined in the manufacturing process of the system and do not take into account the position of the light sources. This requires a costly alignment of the optics with respect to the light sources. The required optical structures or scattering particles that are used to mask the hot spots require a level of alignment in the range 10-100 micrometers with respect to the LED position. Thus, the accurate alignment of optical structures or particles with respect to the LEDs presents problems.
Prior art document WO2010/129815A2 describes light guide system in which light sources are embedded within the body of a light guide, which light guide comprises light deflecting particles. Said particles may be small bubbles or regions with a different refractive index. The concentration of the light deflecting particles can be varied based on the location of the embedded light sources in order to obtain a desired light emanation pattern. The prior art document is silent about methods to realise such concentration variations.
The present invention aims at providing a light output device of the type described in the previous paragraph, which can produced in a practical manner.

Light output device and method of manufacture


The invention relates to conductive flaky pigments for which a flaky substrate has been coated with an electrically conductive layer, characterized in that the conductive layer comprises a metal oxide pigment layer which is interspersed with carbon black particles and which has at the same time been doped with additional metal oxide particles.

The invention relates to conductive flaky pigments for which a flaky substrate has been coated with an electrically conductive layer.
In many areas of industry there is a demand for conductive pigments, for example, for producing electrically conductive, antistatic or electromagnetically shielding plastics, antistatic polymers, paints, coatings, fibers, moldings or the like.
To produce conductive pigments having black or grey shades or metallic effects, large amounts of conductive carbon black are used. In addition, there are a number of metals and oxidic materials, for example, antimony-doped tin dioxide or tin-doped indium oxide, which can be used as such or else as coatings on other pigments or fillers.
However, the pigments thus obtained usually have conductivity values which do not meet the high requirements. Antimony-doped tin dioxide or other conductive metal oxide materials are frequently only of limited usefulness on account of their high specific density. Blends with plastics frequently make the components too heavy, depending on the mixing ratio. For this reason, it would be desirable to have lightweight, conductive pigments, especially in colors other than black.
There is also a demand for pearl luster pigments of improved conductivity.

Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung


A device, system, and method for evaluating compliance with a hand hygiene standard using acceleration measurements of the hand or wrist. The method is based on the scalar quantities vigor and/or rocking angle.

Inadequate hand hygiene is widely recognized as contributing to the spread of infectious diseases in health care, food preparation, recreational cruising, and other enterprises. Until the invention described here, no method or apparatus has been described that quantifies hand hygiene activity in a way that permits the evaluation of whether the activity meets a pre-determined standard of hand hygiene.

System, device, and method for measurement of hand hygiene technique


A method for manufacturing a memory device having a metal nanocrystal charge storage structure. A substrate is provided and a first layer of dielectric material is grown on the substrate. A layer of metal oxide having a first heat of formation is formed on the first layer of dielectric material. A metal layer having a second heat of formation is formed on the metal oxide layer. The second heat of formation is greater than the first heat of formation. The metal oxide layer and the metal layer are annealed which causes the metal layer to reduce the metal oxide layer to metallic form, which then agglomerates to form metal islands. The metal layer becomes oxidized thereby embedding the metal islands within an oxide layer to form a nanocrystal layer. A control oxide is formed over the nanocrystal layer and a gate electrode is formed on the control oxide.

Memory devices are used in a variety of electronic systems including computers, cellular phones, pagers, personal digital assistants, avionic systems, automotive systems, industrial control systems, appliances, etc. Depending on the particular system configuration, the memory devices may be either non-volatile or volatile. A non-volatile memory device retains the data or instructions when the device is turned off or power is removed. A volatile memory device, on the other hand, does not retain the stored data or instructions when the device is turned off. Flash memory has become an important type of non-volatile memory because it is less expensive to manufacture and has a higher device density than most other types of memory devices. In addition, Flash memory is electrically erasable and has a life span of up to one million write cycles.
As semiconductor device manufacturers shrink memory devices such as Flash memories and Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAM's), the charge storage area in these devices decreases resulting in fewer stored electrons. One technique for increasing the number of stored electrons has been to incorporate nanocrystals in the charge storage region of a memory device. FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art memory device 10 having a layer of nanocrystal material disposed in the charge storage region. What is shown in FIG. 1 is a semiconductor substrate 12 on which a gate structure 14 is formed. Gate structure 14 includes a gate conductor 22 disposed on a dielectric stack comprising a tunnel oxide layer 16, a metal nanocrystal layer 18, and a control oxide layer 20. Source and drain regions 24 and 26, respectively, are formed in the portions of substrate 12 adjacent gate structure 14. Metal nanocrystal layer 18 is formed by depositing a thin metal layer on tunnel oxide layer 16 and annealing the metal at high temperatures to cause the metal to agglomerate. Each metal agglomerate is a nanocrystal. The thin metal layer from which the nanocrystals are formed is typically gold, platinum silicide, silver, or nickel.
A drawback with this procedure is that the agglomeration process is random, thus there is a large variation in the size and spacial distribution of the nanocrystals. In addition, the mean size of the nanocrystal is sensitive to the local temperature and metal film thickness, making it difficult to control their size distribution on large diameter semiconductor wafers. Because the threshold voltage (Vt) is dependent on the size of the nanocrystals, a large variation in nanocrystal size results in a large variation in the threshold voltage across the semiconductor wafer. Another drawback is that formation of the control oxide layer oxidizes the nanocrystals, which degrades their charge storage capacities. Other drawbacks of using the agglomeration process include the cost and complexity of using metals such as gold, platinum silicide, silver, and nickel to form the thin metal layer and the inability of the control oxide to sufficiently fill the spaces between small dimension nanocrystals.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a method for manufacturing a charge storage structure having nanocrystals with a uniform size and that limits the oxidation of the nanocrystals. It would be of further advantage for the structure and method to be cost and time efficient and compatible with memory device manufacturing processes.

Method for manufacturing a memory device having a nanocrystal charge storage region


A multilayer electronic device may include a plurality of dielectric layers and a signal path having an input and an output. An inductor may include a conductive layer formed on one of the plurality of dielectric layers and may be electrically connected at a first location with the signal path and electrically connected at a second location with at least one of the signal path or a ground. The inductor may include an outer perimeter that includes a first straight edge facing outward in a first direction and a second straight edge parallel to the first straight edge and facing outward in the first direction. The second straight edge may be offset from the first straight edge by an offset distance that is less than about 500 microns and less than about 90% of a first width of the inductor in the first direction at the first straight edge.

Multilayer electronic devices often include inductors. For example, multilayer filters often include one or more inductors that are designed to provide specific inductance values. However, precision control over the inductance of such inductors can be difficult to achieve as it involves precisely controlling the dimensions of the inductor.
Filtering of high frequency signals, such as high frequency radio signal communication, has recently increased in popularity. The demand for increased data transmission speed for wireless connectivity has driven demand for high frequency components, including those configured to operate at high frequencies, including 5G spectrum frequencies. High frequency applications often require inductors having very low, yet precise inductance values. Achieving smaller inductance values requires smaller inductors, further increasing the difficulty associated with precisely controlling the inductance values. As such, a multilayer filter including a high precision inductor would be welcomed in the art.

Multilayer electronic device including a high precision inductor


The chemical compound 3,4-dimethyl-2,5,6-tris(p-sulfonatophenyl)-1-phosphanorbernadiene, a process for the preparation thereof and a process for the hydroformylation of olefinically unsaturated compounds with the use of catalysts which contain the aforementioned chemical compound.

Complex compounds which contain, as a central atom, a metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements (IUPAC version) and, as ligands, P(III) compounds, phosphines, or phosphites, as well as possibly other groups capable of complex formation, have recently been gaining increased importance as catalysts. The reaction, performed industrially on a large scale, of olefins with synthesis gas to give aldehydes (hydroformylation) is carried out in the presence of catalyst systems which are composed of cobalt and, in particular, rhodium and triphenylphosphine. Catalysts based on phosphine-containing complex compounds have also proven themselves useful for the reaction of methanol with synthesis gas to give higher alcohols, in particular ethanol and propanol (homologization). The ligands are primarily present in excess in the cases mentioned, so that the catalyst system is composed of a complex compound and free ligand. In accordance with the solubility of the catalysts in organic media, the reactions are carried out in a homogeneous phase.
The reaction can also be carried out in a heterogeneous reaction system; an advantage of this process variant is the simple and mild separation of the catalyst, which is present in aqueous solution, from the water-insoluble reaction product. This principle is employed by, for example, the process described in DE-C2 27 00 904 for the addition of hydrogen cyanide to an unsaturated organic compound having at least one ethylenic double bond. For the preparation of aldehydes by reaction of olefins with carbon monoxide and hydrogen, according to the process of DE-C2 26 27 354, rhodium in metallic form, or in the form of compounds thereof, is used together with a water-soluble phosphine, e.g. the alkali metal salt of triphenylphosphine-trisulfonic acid ("TPPTS") as a catalyst.
The known two-phase processes have proven themselves very effective on an industrial scale. Nevertheless, efforts are being expended to improve the process even further. Thus, attempts are being made to increase and prolong the activity of the catalysts by modifying the complex ligands to reduce further the specific catalyst requirements--both rhodium and ligand--and hence the production costs. Economic grounds are also decisive for working towards a marked reduction of the phosphine/rhodium ratio. Furthermore, attempts are being made to develop specially adapted ligand systems which solve individual problems. As an example, the additional improvement in selectivity with respect to the formation of unbranched aldehydes can be mentioned. However, the opposite aim, the construction of branched-chain products, can also be of interest with respect to enantioselective syntheses. In this regard, it should be noted that several million tons of hydroformylation products are prepared annually, so that even a small change in selectivity in one direction or the other has economically significant consequences.

3,4-dimethyl-2,5,6-tris(p-sulfonatophenyl)-1-phosphanorbornadiene, process for the preparation thereof and process for the hydroformylation of olefinnically unsaturated compounds


A spray machine having a driven rotor unit which carries, at its periphery, a plurality of bushings that are open at both sides. The bushings are arranged such that their axes point in a direction with at least one directional component parallel to an axis of the rotor unit. The bushings include a filling opening (6) at a filling arrangement (20), a pressurized air inlet opening (5), and an ejection opening (3) which is located opposite to the pressurized air inlet opening (5) relative to a direction of the bushing axes. Each of the openings are arranged so that, when the rotor unit rotates, the openings of the bushings pass over the openings. Sealing plate arrangements are provided so that the surface pressure between the sealing plate arrangements and the rotor unit in an area including the filling opening is lower than the surface pressure of the sealing plate arrangements to the rotor unit in an area including the pressurized air inlet opening and the ejection opening.

The present invention is directed to a spray machine which comprises a driven rotor unit which rotor unit carries at its periphery a multitude of bushings which are open at both sides and which are arranged with their axes pointing in a direction with at least one direction component parallel to an axis of said rotor and comprising, stationary with respect to a machine frame, a filling opening at a filling arrangement, a pressurized air inlet opening, an ejection opening being located opposite to said pressurized air inlet opening considered in direction of said axes of said bushings, whereby all said openings are so arranged that when said rotor unit rotates, the openings of said bushings pass over said openings, and further comprising, stationary with respect to said machine frame, at both sides of said rotor unit, sealing plate arrangements.
Such spray machines are known.
In the area of the filling opening where the spray medium is filled into the bushings of the rotor, in the area of the pressurized air inlet where ejecting pressurized air acts from one side onto the spray medium filled bushings and in the area of the ejection opening, where pressurized air driven spray medium is ejected out of the bushing into a respective conveying line, sealing is necessary between the machine rotor unit and the machine stator. This is also true in the area of the filling opening if one wants to prevent contamination of the surrounding of the machine when ejecting dusty medium. It is customary to realize such sealings by means of stationary sealing plate arrangements.
It is further customary to bias the upper and the lower sealing plate arrangements with a surface pressure and substantially uniformly towards the end faces of the rotor unit. This to ensure the required seal. Such requirements are governed by the increased sealing necessity in the area of the pressurized air inlet and in the area of the ejection opening. Thereby, considerable friction forces act on the rotor unit and the respective torque has to be generated by a driving motor driving the rotor unit. Therefore powerful and bulky drive motors are required to drive the rotor unit of the spray machine.
In FIG. 1 there is schematically shown a concrete spray machine which works according to the rotor principle. Concrete is filled into a hopper 1. Below the hopper 1 a rotor 8 rotates, driven around an axis A. The rotor comprises, similar to a revolver, a multitude of receptacle bushings 7 to receive concrete. At the bottom of hopper 1 there is provided a stationary filling opening 6 so that sequentially the bushings 7, brought into alignment with the opening 6 as the rotor rotates, are filled. The bushings 7, which are respectively brought into alignment with the filling opening 6, are closed at their bottom by means of a stationary sealing plate 9.
On the side of the hopper 1 there is further provided a conduit 4 for pressurized air which is brought via an opening 5 for pressurized air into operational connection with a respective bushing 7 rotated into alignment with said opening 5. In this ejection position, aligned with the opening 5 for pressurized air, the respective bushing 7 is also aligned with an ejection opening 3 at its bottom, which opening 3 is provided in the sealing plate 9. The sealing plate 9 closes, on one hand in filling position, the respective bushing 7 at its bottom and establishes, on the other hand, for ejecting the concrete filled in the respective bushing 7, tightness around the ejection opening 3. An upper sealing plate 10 acts on the upper side of the rotor 8.
The ejection opening 3 propagates via a bent section 11 into a conveying conduit which is not shown in the figure. A conveying pipe 13 for pressurized conveyor air abuts into the curved section 11. A driven stirring arrangement 15 acts within hopper 1.
Such a concrete spray machine works according to the so-called "low density jet principle" at which the medium to be ejected, concrete, practically floats within the pressurized air which is fed by conduit 13. Thereby, the concrete is conveyed along the conveying conduit connected to the bent section 11. Along this conveying conduit water and possibly further additives are controllably added to the spray medium.


An emulsion-derived particle comprises a lattice of polymeric strands cross-linked by means of a cross-linking agent, and interstitial openings adjacent and around the strands. Functional groups are provided on the lattice and proteins and/or modified proteins can react with these, thereby to be bonded to the lattice and hence immobilized.

Particles containing immobilised enzymes are typically used for biocatalysis and for diagnostics, among other applications. However, particles of which the Applicant is aware suffer from drawbacks such as inadequate surface area for sufficient enzyme immobilisation. It is thus an object of this invention to provide particles whereby this drawback is at least alleviated, and a process for producing such particles that have a high binding capacity for proteins and can immobilise the proteins.


A flexible magnetic holder capable of coupling to a metallic surface having a pocket open on its top and one side for storing materials which can be readily inserted and removed from the holder.

The present invention relates to flexible holders and more particularly to flexible magnetized holders having pockets.
Magnetized holders while highly desirable have certain drawbacks that can limit their usefulness. Generally, the foremost drawback is that the magnet necessary to adhere the holder to a metallic surface, is bulky and not easily moved from one surface to another. In addition, to keep material within the holder, a magnet proportional to the weight of the material must be used. Thus, larger magnets must be used for higher weight material.
Attempts have been made to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings. However, the attempts have met with only limited success due to the fact that permanent magnets are not flexible and surfaces are not always regular to allow for total adhesion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,684 relates to a holder device having a permanent magnet mounted on one side thereof. The holder device is broken into compartments and a permanent magnet is made to be mounted in a housing which is permanently affixed to a stationary object.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,054 relates to a portable and foldable magnetic tool holder. The holder includes magnetic bars which are positioned in the interior of the holder. The magnets as positioned are used to adhere the tool holder to a metallic surface and for adhesion of metallic tools within the holder.
Other attempts have been made in an effort to obtain flexible magnetized holders. These efforts require that the magnetic material be adjacent the metallic surface. In addition, the holders have defined specific pockets for holding specific items.
The present invention provides a flexible magnetic holder that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. Specifically, the present invention provides a lightweight, flexible magnetic holder having a magnet which is included within the holder. This magnet may be removable or permanent depending on the intended use of the holder.


This invention relates to a three dimensional bioengineered sphincter such as a bioengineered internal anal sphincter (IAS) and three-dimensional physiological models of smooth muscle cells. The invention also related to methods for generating a bioengineered sphincter and smooth muscle rings in culture. In addition, the invention provides for methods of using a bioengineered sphincter or bioengineered smooth muscle ring to identify agents that modify contractile force and relaxation in smooth muscle cells.

Sphincter malfunction results from sluggish contractile response of the skeletal and smooth muscle of the sphincter. In the basal state, the smooth muscle of the sphincter remains in a state of tonic contraction and closure to serve as a one-way valve to regulate flow through the opening controlled by the sphincter. Skeletal muscle sphincters are under voluntary control while smooth muscle sphincters are controlled by complex interactions between extrinsic nerves from the central nervous system (CNS) and intrinsic control by the enteric nervous system and the myogenic properties of specialized smooth muscle cells.
Sphincteric smooth muscles represent tonic muscles that remain contracted at rest and have small amplitude, slow contraction and slow relaxation response, while non-sphincteric smooth muscle represent phasic muscle that shows a wide range of contractile activity varying from a fully relaxed basal state to a large-amplitude rapid contraction and rapid relaxation response (Goyal et al., The Gastrointestinal System, Motility and Circulation, in Handbook of Physiology, J. D. Wood and S. G. Schultz, Editors. 1989, The American Physiological Society: Bethesda. p. 865-908). It has been reported that tonic muscle may have lower levels of myosin light chain kinase and myosin light chain phosphatase than phasic muscle (Horowitz et al., Physiological Reviews, 76(4): p. 967-1003, 1996). The main contractile proteins are actin and myosin. The actin-binding proteins, such as tropomyosin, calponin and caldesmon, play a role in the thin filament based regulation of smooth muscle contractility (Reviewed in Chalovich, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 55(2): 95-148, 1992).
Tissue culture was developed in the early 1900's as a technique for studying the behavior of animal cells in vitro. Advances in technology have led to the use of tissue culture for studying many areas of cellular function including intracellular activity, intracellular flux, environmental interaction, cell-cell interaction, and genetics. (Freshney, Culture of Animal Cells. New York: Wiley-Liss Inc, 1994) However, two-dimensional cell culture provides few options to study contractile force production as a cellular function. Furthermore, cells which are propagated and tested two-dimensionally are not exposed to cellular and environmental cues that may play a role in differentiation and the establishment of normal physiological function. Isolation of single cells and cell suspensions has enabled biochemical and mechanical measurements at the cellular level and has advanced the understanding of smooth muscle function. (Bitar et al., Am J Physiol. 260: G537-G542, 1991) Yet, cell suspensions also lack the potential for cell-cell interactions and cell-matrix interactions which are provided by three-dimensional tissues. (Freshney, Culture of Animal Cells. New York: Wiley-Liss Inc, 1994) It is well known that physiological functions of tissues are retained when the three-dimensional structure is kept intact. (Hungerford et al., Developmental Biology 178: 375-392, 1996) Isolated tissues and organ preparations, such as muscle strips, provide researchers with a three-dimensional tissue that may be subjected to controlled changes in perfusion, oxygen availability, and agonist-induced stimulation (Glavind et al., Am J Physiol. 265: G792-G798, 1993; Glavind et al., Am J Physiol. 272: G1075-G1082, 1997; Knudsen et al., Am J Physiol. 269: G232-G239, 1995). Despite the obvious advantages of tissue/organ explants, many limitations remain. Explanted tissues are composed of several different cell types, for example, muscle strips from the internal anal sphincter may be comprised of smooth muscle, and any combination of mucosal, epithelial, and/or neuronal cells. In addition, explanted tissues do not survive indefinitely and are usually only viable for up to four hours after isolation. This short-term viability prevents long-term investigation, and requires the explants be prepared de novo for each experiment. Damage to the tissue and/or release of material from damaged erythrocytes occurring during dissection also inhibits the ability to produce normal functionality and environmental conditions. Lastly, tissue/organ explants must be placed in a cold (usually 4° Celsius) buffer or bath to prevent rapid degradation.
Due to the limitations of investigating explant, tissue engineering has emerged as a valuable tool that applies the principles of engineering and life sciences toward the development of biological models with characteristics similar to those observed in vivo. Specific cell types can be isolated and bioengineered to yield a homogenous tissue. In addition, bioengineered tissues can be maintained in culture for long periods of time under physiological conditions. Advances in tissue engineering have been clinically applied to restore, maintain, and improve tissue function (Edelman, Circ Res. 85: 1115-1117, 1999; Valdivia, Curj 1: 6-11, 2001).

Three dimensional bioengineered smooth muscle tissue and sphincters and methods therefor

The Regents of The University of Michigan


A positioning system having a plurality of transponder modules each located at a known location for receiving an electromagnetic signal and emitting a light signal, at least one transceiver module for emitting an electromagnetic signal and receiving the light signal, and apparatus processing the received light signal to determine a position of the at least one transceiver module.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus, and method for establishing the position of a moving platform.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A positioning reference system (PRS) is a component of an elevator control system that provides fast and accurate position measurement of an elevator car in a hoistway. Some PRSs make use of vision based systems, such as charge couple devices (CCD) attached to a moving platform, in conjunction with visual indicators attached to fixed positions along a hoistway. Under such a scenario, the vision system observes the visual indicators, typically passive reflectors, identifies the location of the visual indicator, and computes a position of the movable platform therefrom.
Unfortunately, the signal to noise (S/N) ratio of CCD based vision systems employing passive reflectors can be substantially degraded due to opaque materials in the air, on the CCD lens, and/or on the passive reflectors. Such a degraded S/N ratio can lead to degradation of positioning performance of the CCD based PRSs in a worst case scenario. Use of a high intensity light illumination source for the visual indicator can form a satisfactory solution for preventing such performance degradation. Another solution involves the utilization of active reflectors, specifically reflectors which do not necessarily passively reflect light but which actively perform as a light source and are comprised, for example, of light omitting diodes (LEDs) instead of passive reflectors as noted above. Use of active reflectors is often times preferable as an active reflector can provide the necessary signal to noise ratio by controlling the intensity of the light emitted. Specifically in instances wherein power is available where the active reflectors are to be located, use of active reflectors forms methodology by which the S/N ratio may be increased to suitable levels for allowing accurate positioning of the movable platform.
However, there exist several critical problems associated with active reflector based CCD systems. First, the lifespan of an active reflector is limited as the longest lifespan of existing light sources is at most ten years. Increases in the ten year lifespan may be achieved by turning on and off the light sources comprising the active reflectors such that each light source is illuminated for only a few milliseconds out of every ten milliseconds. However, in the case of active reflectors, the only opportunity to turn off the active reflectors is when the elevator is not serving passengers, a duration of which cannot be clearly ascertained. In addition, turning on and off active reflectors in the above-noted fashion requires additional control/signal wirings which in turn increase the cost of installation.
Second, in order to endow a PRS with the capability of not requiring a correction run, the active reflectors are preferably encoded. Such encoding usually results in higher cost and less robust operation. These facts, coupled with the limited lifespan of active reflectors, leads to a high maintenance cost as well as a high material and installation cost.
What is therefore needed is a PRS which incorporates active reflectors in such a manner as to allow for a substantially longer lifespan of operation, while providing low cost installation and maintenance.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Roll-calling mechanism based vision system for elevator positioning


An alignment assembly comprises an outer bushing received in an aperture of a work piece, and an eccentric bushing received in a passage of the inner bushing and rotated to align a passage of the eccentric bushing with passages of other work pieces and/or alignment assemblies. An alignment assembly comprises an outer bushing received in an aperture of a work piece, inner bushing received in a passage of the outer bushing, and an eccentric bushing received in a passage of the inner bushing and rotated to align a passage of the eccentric bushing with passages of other work pieces and/or alignment assemblies mounted in other work pieces. Flanges and/or ends may be machined to accommodate off-center passages. The bushings may be secured via cold work expansion.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure is generally related to bushings, and more particularly to bushings suitable to cold-expansion.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a large number of applications where two or more parts must be joined. In many instances, the parts include apertures which must be aligned within some acceptable tolerance in order to join the parts, for example, using structure such as a pin received through the apertures. However, when the parts are assembled, the apertures may be misaligned with respect to one another for any of a variety of reasons.
One example of this problem is the assembly of a commercial airliner. The components of a commercial airliner are typically manufactured at a large number of different sites in a variety of different countries. The components may be assembled into subassemblies at these sites, or at other sites. The components and/or subassemblies are assembled into a final product at a site that is typically different from the site at which the components and/or subassemblies were produced. Thus, for example, a vertical fin or stabilizer may be manufactured at a first location, while a section of the body of the aircraft to which the vertical stabilizer will be attached is manufactured at a second location. The coupling of the vertical stabilizer to the section of the aircraft may occur at a third location.
The assembly or coupling may require an exceptionally high degree of tolerance or fit to meet the pertinent engineering specifications. This is a particular problem, for example, where the parts are manufactured at different locations. For example, environmental factors such as temperature and/or humidity may vary from location to location. Thus, a part manufactured within a defined tolerance at one location, may be out of tolerance when transported to another location. Additionally, or alternatively, parts manufactured to the same specifications at two different locations may not fit together. Even where the parts are manufactured within defined tolerances, the dimensional variations that are within the acceptable tolerance may add up (i.e., tolerance stack-up) when the parts are assembled. Since the parts are at different locations, it may not be possible to check the fit until final assembly. Even the fact that different sets of measurement tools will be employed at the different sites may hinder a successful assembly.
One approach to sizing apertures includes inserting a bushing into the aperture, securing the bushing in the aperture via cold expansion of the bushing. An expansion tool is used to exert a radially outwardly directed force to create a tight interference fit between the bushing and a sidewall of the aperture. A reaming or other machining operation is typically performed on the bushing to bring the aperture of the bushing within a desired tolerance.
The alignment problem discussed above may be further exacerbated where parts or attachment points follow a contour. Such is the situation with a set of lugs on the vertical stabilizer and the corresponding set of lugs found on the section of the aircraft to which the stabilizer is attached. The lugs of both sets generally follow the contour or camber associated with an airfoil such as the vertical stabilizer.
Present bushing-based approaches fail to adequately address the misalignment problem discussed above. A standard, inexpensive approach to addressing misalignment problems that employs a minimum number of parts would be highly desirable.

Method and apparatus employing eccentric bushing


Methods and apparatus are provided whereby a single person can test exterior lights of a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a controller coupled to the lights for turning light groups ON and OFF in a predetermined sequence in response to a START TEST signal and vehicle safe-status. Vehicle status sensors are provided for reporting to the controller the status of predetermined vehicle elements whose safe status is a prerequisite for testing the lights. A user actuated switch coupled to the controller provides the START TEST signal. Vehicle safe-status desirably includes transmission in PARK and motor OFF. An internal memory coupled to the controller stores data on prior tests and prompts the user that another test is needed. Prompts are also desirably provided to tell the user what changes need to be made to achieve safe-status for the test. Post test, the vehicle desirably returns to its prior state.

The proper functioning of some lights and indicators on a vehicle, e.g., most interior lights and indicators can be tested by one person sitting in the vehicle and operating the light switches or checking to see whether the warning lights or other indicators illuminate when the ignition is first turned on. For some exterior lights, such as the head lights, tail lights, parking lights, emergency flashers and turn signals, proper operation can be tested by a single individual by turning on the appropriate light switch, exiting the vehicle, observing the functioning of the lights, re-entering the vehicle and turning those lights' off. This process of SWITCH-ON/EXIT/OBSERVE/RETURN/SWITCH-OFF must be repeated separately for each light group and light function, thus requiring the user to exit and re-enter the vehicle a half a dozen or more times even for a simple passenger car system. With more complex vehicles having more complex exterior light arrangements, even more SWITCH-ON/EXIT/OBSERVE/RETURN/SWITCH-OFF cycles may be needed.
Some lights such as the brake lights and back-up lights cannot be safely tested by a single person without mirrors or other reflective surfaces arrange at the appropriate location because the person must be or should be in the car to energize the lights and therefore cannot or should not exit while the light is supposed to be on to verify that it is functioning properly. For example, the user must depress the brake pedal to energize the brake lights. Similarly, it is generally unsafe to place the vehicle in reverse gear to activate the back-up lights and then exit while leaving it in gear. Generally two people are used to test the brake lights, back-up lights and similar user operated light functions. Thus, a need continues to exist for a system and method that allows a single person to verify the proper functioning of vehicle lights, especially exterior lights while the vehicle remains in a safe state.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a means and method whereby vehicle lights automatically turn on and off in an appropriate sequence without requiring the user to constantly exit and enter the vehicle during the test or without requiring the presence of two people or elaborate reflector systems or placing the vehicle in an unsafe state. In addition, it is desirable that the user be prompted to perform the test at regular intervals. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.


A write circuit in a magnetic disc drive writes data to a magnetic disc based on a write signal received. The write circuit includes a magnetic write head, an H-switch, and a headroom assistance circuit. The headroom assistance circuit includes a voltage divider, a capacitor, and a charging circuit for charging and discharging the capacitor based on the write signals so that increased voltage appears across the magnetic recording write head during switching of the current polarity by the H-switch.

The present invention relates to a write circuit for a disc drive. More particularly, the present invention relates to a headroom assistance circuit for an H-switch in a write circuit.
A magnetic disc, for use in a computer disc drive, is a flat circular platter with a magnetic surface on which data can be stored by selective polarization of portions of the magnetic surface. The presence or absence of polarity transitions between the polarized portions represents particular binary values. The magnetic surface of the disc may be magnetized permanently with north/south or south/north orientation by applying a magnetic field near the disc.
In a disc drive, the magnetic field for magnetizing the disc is created by a miniature horseshoe magnet which is suspended above the magnetically coated disc. The horseshoe magnet consists of a magnetic material surrounded by a conductive coil. The magnetic field is created by passing a current through the coil. The direction of the magnetic field is determined by the direction of the current through the coil. Thus, by changing the direction of the current through the coil, the host system can change the orientation of the magnetic field stored on the disc.
The density of the data stored on the disc is affected by how quickly the host system can change the direction of the current through the coil. Since the coil is basically an inductor, the rate of change of the current is approximated by the following equation: ##EQU1## Where V is the voltage across the coil, L is the inductance of the coil, and di/dt is the rate of change of current through the coil with respect to time. Thus, it can be seen that the rate of change of current through the coil is dependent on the voltage across the coil.
The current through the coil and the voltage across the coil are typically controlled by an H-switch connected to the magnetic write head. The H-switch consists of four transistors and various bias resistors. The transistors and resistors are balanced around the magnetic write head such that one transistor's emitter and another's collector are connected on each side of the magnetic write head. Depending upon the voltage applied to the H-switch, current flows from the emitter of one transistor through the magnetic write head and into the collector of another transistor on the opposite side of the magnetic write head. When the voltage applied to the H-switch is reversed, the current flows through a different pair of transistors in the opposite direction through the magnetic write head. The amount of voltage which can be placed across the magnetic write head is determined by the voltage supply available to the H-switch.
Present desktop computers provide a 5 volt supply which is sufficient to maintain a quick rate of change for the write head current. However, portable computers require write circuits which use lower voltages. When lower voltage supplies are used with present H-switch technology, the time needed for current changes (rise time) is greater, which degrades overwrite performance at higher data rates. Thus, the performance of computers is restricted by current H-switch technology.

Capacitor assisted low voltage write circuit


Computer users may integrate any annotation, including ink, highlighter, text-based notes and audio, directly into a Web-based document (WBD) displayed by a Web browser. This integration enables others to view the personalized annotated WBD, which retains its original active links and properties, over the Internet without the need for specialized software. Annotations are integrated into WBDs by freezing the WBD, overlaying an image file containing the annotations onto the WBD, and enabling browser events to pass through the image layer. Annotations may also be integrated into WBDs by using component object technology. By collecting and organizing annotated WBDs, users can be provided with an intuitive Web-based interface for accessing, viewing and searching the annotated WBDs. Users may annotate blank WBDs, effectively converting their Web browsers into online notebooks/scrapbooks. Users may also be provided with many interface techniques, such as dog-ears and its associated navigation tools, splitting pages, turning pages, selecting and copying various portions of a WBD (including shaking out a copy), and marking menus suited for right-handed or left-handed users.

Standard desktop word processing applications enable computer users to create and edit text-based documents. To provide computer users with more flexibility in the editing and markup of these documents, software utilities exist that integrate electronic sticky notes and users' on screen drawing directly into the document. This type of document annotation enables users to mark and view documents on screen as if the documents were in front of them on paper.
However, the current annotation system requires users to annotate documents compatible with specific word processing applications that lack portability. For example, if a user wanted to send another person an annotated document, the user would have to e-mail the document as an attachment and hope the recipient has the same application software to view the document.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple method and system of annotating and collecting Web-based documents. There is a need for the integration of any type of annotation, including text, ink, highlighter and audio, directly into Web-based documents, such that any person with a Web browser may view the annotations, with or without the software used to create the annotations. There is also a need for a method and system of annotating and collecting blank Web-based documents, effectively converting a Web browser into an online notebook/scrapbook.

System and method for annotating web-based document


The invention provides a method for printing wallpaper onto a web of media. The method uses an on-demand printer having a cabinet in which is located a media path. The path extends from a media loading area to a winding area. A printhead is located in the media path. The cabinet houses a processor which accepts operator inputs from one or more input devices that communicate with the processor to capture data from an operator regarding a specification for an operator's requirements. The processor establishes a pattern or a configuration for the printer according to the data.

The size of the wallpaper market in the United States, Japan and Europe offers strong opportunities for innovation and competition. The retail wall covering market in the United States in 1997 was USD $1.1 billion and the market in the United States is estimated at over US 1.5 billion today. The wholesale wallpaper market in Japan in 1999 was JPY $158.96 billion. The UK wall coverings market was £186 m in 2000 and is expected to grow to £197 m in 2004.
Wallpapers are a leading form of interior design product for home improvement and for commercial applications such as in offices, hotels and halls. About 70 million rolls of wallpaper are sold each year in the United States through thousands of retail and design stores. In Japan, around 280 million rolls of wallpaper are sold each year.
The wallpaper industry currently operates around an inventory based model where wallpaper is printed in centralized printing plants using large and expensive printing presses. Printed rolls are distributed to a point of sale where wallpaper designs are selected by consumers and purchased subject to availability. Inventory based sales are hindered by the size and content of the inventory.
The present invention seeks to transform the way wallpaper is currently manufactured, distributed and sold. The invention provides for convenient, low cost, high quality products coupled with a dramatically expanded range of designs and widths which may be offered by virtue of the present invention.


A chromatic converter for altimetry is disclosed which is intended to produce a real image of a predefined observation zone of a sample surface that is representative of the local height of this sample. This chromatic converter comprises: a device for illuminating the sample comprising a source of polychromatic light and arranged to cover all of the observation zone by means of N incident beams defining object points of the sample, an Offner autocollimator comprising a Mangin mirror for introducing axial chromatism into each of the N incident beams before they arrive at the sample surface to be reflected as N respective reflected beams, N filtering holes associated with the N respective reflected beams to convert them into filtered beams of low spectral width, intended to form image spots constituting the real image, and at least one polarization device making it possible to polarize the N incident beams and the N reflected beams.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of the three-dimensional digitization, in real time and without contact, of objects industrially manufactured or designed in research laboratories, and relates in particular to the so-called "chromatic confocal" optical apparatuses.
More specifically, the invention relates to a chromatic converter for altimetry which generates a real image of the measurement field containing a sample, by converting the local height of its surface into wavelength.
The device comprises a polychromatic light source and an optical device intended to transform the light emitted by the source into numerous parallel polarized beams provided with essentially axial chromatism. The reflection of these beams on the sample to be studied is then analyzed by an analysis device in order to know the local height of the surface of the sample.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices that make it possible to know the height of a surface have already been disclosed, for example in the patent EP 0950168B1. The apparatus described digitizes slices of the surface of a sample, then performs a three-dimensional reconstruction of the surface using computer means. For this, the sample is lit by a chromatic beam, and placed on a plate that can be moved horizontally along x and y axes. For a given y position, the apparatus measures the wavelength reflected by the surface for a series of x coordinates, which makes it possible to deduce there from the height z of the sample by virtue of the chromatic coding.
The major drawback of this analysis technique lies in the time it takes to digitize an image, which is very long. This is due to two factors: (i) the measurement which is performed point-by-point, and (ii) the plate which has to be moved during acquisitions.
The chromatic confocal device presented in the patent application FR 2950441A1 makes it possible to measure the height of a surface more quickly.
For this, a number of independent measurement pathways simultaneously determine the height of a number of points of the surface, such that a fraction of the observation zone is probed at one time.
More specifically, each beam reflected by a point of the surface is scattered by a spectral analysis device, in such a way that each spectrum obtained occupies all or part of a row of pixels of a photodetector. The number of points of the surface that can be analyzed simultaneously is therefore limited.
As an example, the holder of this patent specifies that the device makes it possible to divide up a 2048-pixel photoelectric detector between 10 measurement pathways.
To obtain the entire measurement of the observation zone, an internal scanning device is added to the apparatus. This device consists, for example, of a rotating mirror which deflects the beams from the measurement pathways to different points of the surface of the sample to be studied. By virtue of the internal scanning device, the acquisitions are performed without moving the sample.
This internal scanning method in a confocal device makes it possible to enhance the speed of acquisition of the measurements, but insufficiently.
Furthermore, the fact that each measurement pathway is independent creates a significant increase in the cost of the apparatus, because the optical elements and the spectral analysis devices are multiplied.
Moreover, the juxtaposing of the measurement pathways notably increases the size of the machine. To limit this drawback, the apparatus is divided up into two blocks linked by optical fibers in order to have a measurement head of reasonable dimensions, but this does nothing to resolve the problem linked to the overall bulk of the device.
It appears from the above that the current systems are ill-suited to industrial constraints, whether in terms of cost, bulk, and above all in terms of speed of analysis of the samples studied.
The patent application FR 2707018 A1 discloses an enhanced three-dimensional digitization device that makes it possible to cover an extended observation zone rapidly. More specifically, this device comprises a disk pierced with a multitude of holes and driven in rotation to create and displace secondary light sources, from a single light source, in order to scan all of the observation zone.


The use of leukotrienes and other products of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway to enhance bacterial defense and treat infections is described. The products are especially useful when administered to the lungs for the treatment of pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections. The products may be administered for treatment or prophylactic purposes and may be administered concomitantly with antibiotics to combat infection.

A. Pulmonary Host Defense and the Pathogenesis of Pneumonia
In view of the constant challenge to the respiratory tract from inhaled or aspirated microbes, and the deleterious consequences of unchecked infection, an efficient system of pulmonary antimicrobial defense is obviously important to health. Microbes which elude the mechanical defenses offered by the upper respiratory tract and airways reach the alveoli. Here, the alveolar macrophage normally serves as the defender of mucosal sterility, patrolling the alveolar surface and clearing organisms by phagocytosis and intracellular killing. M. Lohmann-Matthes et al., Eur. Respir. J. 7:1678-1689 (1994)!. If the microbial load exceeds the local clearance capacity of the resident alveolar macrophages, the macrophages can elaborate chemotactic factors which recruit circulating neutrophils to the airspaces and activate their phagocytic and microbicidal activities.
Although phagocytic cells are capable by themselves of microbial ingestion, the efficiency of this process is enhanced by the presence of various soluble molecules (opsonins) which coat the organisms and mediate their attachment to surface receptors on the phagocyte. These opsonins include immunoglobin as well as factors which coat microbes nonspecifically, such as the complement fragment C3b, surfactant protein A, and fibronectin. Likewise, phagocytosis and intracellular killing are further augmented by a variety of activating agents, including colony stimulating factors, chemokines, and lipids. Unfortunately, qualitative or quantitative impairment of any component of these defenses can compromise bacterial clearance and predispose to pneumonia. See, e.g., J Langermans et al., J. Immunol. Methods 174:185-194 (1994)!.
B. Significance of Bacterial Pneumonia
In industrialized nations, pneumonia is associated with greater morbidity and mortality than any other type of infection. Overall, it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. In adults greater than 65 years of age, it is the fourth most common reason for hospitalization. Among hospital-acquired infections, pneumonia is the second most common in incidence and the most commonly fatal.
Bacteria are the etiologic pathogens in a substantial proportion of community-acquired pneumonias and in the great majority of nosocomial pneumonias. Frequently, enteric Gram-negative organisms are the etiologic microbes responsible for both types of pneumonia. Gram-negative pneumonias are generally thought to result from microaspiration of oral secretions, and are therefore particularly likely in individuals demonstrating oropharyngeal colonization with these organisms. This is especially common in hospitalized patients, particularly those in intensive care units, but also occurs in alcoholics, patients with underlying systemic illness or impairments in host defense, and those with chronic pulmonary disease. S. Nelson et al., Clin. Chest Med. 16:1-12 (1995)!.
C. Antibiotic Therapy
Due to the widespread use and frequent over-prescribing of antimicrobial agents, there is an increasing incidence of microbes acquiring drug-resistance. In other words, organisms typically susceptible (i.e., inhibited or killed) to a particular antimicrobial agent are no longer susceptible. This is especially important with regard to the use of antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections.
Acquired drug resistance is usually caused by a mutation within the genome of the microbe or by the acquisition of a plasmid. For example, one of the major mechanisms of resistance to the .beta.-lactam antibiotics, including penicillins, is the production of .beta.-lactamases. Moreover, resistance to one member of a class of agents (e.g., the aminopenicillin ampicillin) can result in complete cross-resistance to other members of that class (e.g., the aminopenicillin amoxicillin).
Antibiotic pressure in certain patient populations (e.g., patients with underlying systemic illness or impairments in host defense) has contributed to the development of infections with multi-drug resistant organisms, the eradication of which is increasingly difficult. One factor contributing to antibiotic pressure is the widespread use of antibiotics in the hospital setting, especially in the critical care units. Indeed, physicians are frequently forced to utilize antibiotic regimens comprising multiple agents to combat such infections or to use broad-spectrum agents (e.g., Primaxin.RTM., Merck) generally reserved for the most serious infections.
What is needed is a means for enhancing pulmonary defense capabilities that either requires no antibiotics or can be used to augment antibiotic treatment. The enhancement means should be efficacious in the treatment and prevention of bacterial pneumonia in those patients who are especially susceptible thereto, should have a rapid onset of action, and should not elicit immunological reactions in the recipient.

Administration of products of the 5-lipoxygenase metabolic pathway to enhance antimicrobial defense