A system and method for managing business intelligence data is described. In some example embodiments, the system extracts data and metadata from a business intelligence file, generates a data bundle of the data and metadata, generates an application bundle based on the data bundle, and generates an interactive document using the data bundle and application bundle.

Business intelligence (BI) involves the collecting, maintaining, and organizing of information for an enterprise, such as for a company. An enterprise produces vast amounts of information, and uses a BI system to analyze the data, produce documents using the data, and so on. For example, a typical BI system may communicate with a data store of BI data in order to generate documents using BI data, such as charts, graphs, and so on.
The document could be a BI document, a report, a dashboard, and so on. The term report may refer to a document including information automatically retrieved (i.e., in response to computer executable instructions) from a data source (e.g., a database, a data warehouse, semi-structured file, and so on), where the information is structured in accordance with a report schema, or specification, that specifies the form in which the information should be aggregated, filtered, presented, and so on. A dashboard is similar to as report, and often is a single page, showing a graphical presentation of current and past values of key measures of an enterprise, among other things.

Extracting data from business intelligence files


The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices that may enhance the reliability with which data can be stored in and read from a memory. Some implementations include a method of compressing a sequence of read data values into a bit-tuple of a predefined length to enable soft information decoding systems that use less power and/or less memory. In some implementations, the bit-tuple of a predefined length is produced using M single-bit buffer locations, where M corresponds to the predefined length of the bit-tuple. Some implementations utilize a collection of characterization vectors that include soft information values associated with the possible permutations of the bit-tuples. In turn, a sequence of bit-tuples is converted into a sequence of soft information values by retrieving a particular characterization vector, and selecting a respective soft information value from that characterization vector for each bit-tuple in the sequence.

Semiconductor memory devices, including flash memory devices, typically utilize memory cells to store data as an electrical value, such as an electrical charge or a voltage. A flash memory cell, for example, includes a single transistor with a floating gate that is used to store a charge representative of one or more data values. Increases in storage density have been facilitated in various ways, including increasing the density of memory cells, enabled by reductions in the minimum feature sizes of the semiconductor manufacturing processes used to manufacture flash memory devices, and transitioning from single-level flash memory cells to multi-level flash memory cells, so that two or more bits can be stored by each flash memory cell.
A drawback of increasing storage density is that the stored data is more prone to being stored and/or read erroneously. Error control coding ("ECC") has been utilized to limit the number of uncorrectable errors that are introduced by pseudo-random fluctuations, defects in the storage medium, operating conditions, device history, and/or write-read circuitry, etc. Error control methods using soft information are particularly promising because soft information decoding may improve the error detection and correction capability of a particular error control code, and thus the capacity of the system. However, the utilization of soft information decoding has a number of previously irresolvable drawbacks. For example, soft information decoding implementations tend to introduce undesirable delays (i.e., latencies), have relatively large semiconductor footprints, and are generally power and memory intensive.

Compressing data from multiple reads for error control management in memory systems


To provide a sputtering apparatus that enables oblique film forming by arranging a target and a substrate so as to allow sputtered particles emitted from the target to obliquely enter the substrate selectively, and can form a magnetic film having high uniaxial magnetic anisotropy uniformly and compactly. A sputtering apparatus includes a cathode having a sputtering target supporting surface, the cathode being provided with a rotation axis about which the sputtering target supporting surface rotates, and a stage having a substrate supporting surface, the stage being provided with a rotation axis about which the substrate supporting surface rotates, and the sputtering apparatus is constituted such that the sputtering target supporting surface and the substrate supporting surface face to each other, and are rotatable independently about respective rotation axes. Further, it is constituted such that a shield plate is arranged between the sputtering target supporting surface and the substrate supporting surface, and is rotatable independently from the cathode and the stage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a film forming method by sputtering and a sputtering apparatus thereof.
2. Related Background Art
In these years, high frequency wave applications of an magnetic element have been enlarged in read/write heads, microinductors and micro transformer and the like, and a magnetic thin film having good high-frequency characteristics in a GHz band is needed. Accordingly, research and development relating to these are actively carried out. In order to use a magnetic thin film in a high-frequency band, it is necessary to increase an electrical resistance of the thin film, thereby reducing an eddy-current loss, and increasing a resonant frequency. Methods for increasing the resonant frequency include increasing the anisotropic magnetic field Hk or saturation magnetization Ms, but increasing Hk and Ms at the same time is generally difficult, and they are in a relation of trade-off. However, in recent years, by allowing sputtered particles to enter obliquely a substrate and to be oriented using a sputtering method or an ion beam method, it becomes possible to increase a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy based on the shape effect of crystals, and to increase Hk, too, while maintaining a high Ms.
The oblique film forming broadens on and on the application range, and, as a production method of performing obliquely oriented deposition by causing sputtered particles to enter a substrate obliquely, there is such a film forming structure of a substrate passing type that a substrate passes through the target foreside performing the sputtering operation (Patent Document 1). There is also a method which rotates and controls a substrate holder alone to grow a film obliquely (Patent Document 2).
[Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,961
[Patent Document 2] JP-A No. 6-144990

Film forming method by sputtering and sputtering apparatus thereof


A method and apparatus for measuring particulates in a combustion gas is accomplished by dividing the combustion gas into a first and second sample gas. The first sample gas is filtered to remove particulates to create a reference gas sample. A combustion furnace can heat both the reference gas sample and the sample gas to oxidize any particulates in the sample gas. A gas analyzer that is connected to the furnace can detect the gas components in, respectively, the reference gas sample and the sample gas, and a comparison of the detected results can determine the concentration of particulates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous real time analysis of particulate matter in gases and, more particularly, for the quantitative determination of particulates in an exhaust gas from a diesel engine.
2. Description of Related Art
The analysis of particulates in gases has usually required the collection of the particulates in a filter and a subsequent weighing of the particulates by a precise weight balance. For example, in an appointed volume of a high temperature exhaust gas discharged from a diesel engine, the exhaust gases have been introduced into a gas passageway to collect particulates by means of a collecting filter positioned in the gas passageway. The filter is then weighed with a precision balance and, knowing the previous weight of the filter without the particulate material, a determination can be made of the quantity of particulates that exist in the predetermined volume of the exhaust gas. This provides a quantitative analysis on the basis of a difference between the filter weight before collection of the particulates and the filter weight after collecting the particulates.
However, problems have occurred in these procedures, since water s frequently a by-product in the combustion gas of the diesel engine, and as water can be absorbed on the filter to provide an error in measurement. That is, the weight of the water will be mistaken for particulate material. A solution to this problem has been to soak the filter at constant temperature and humidity for several hours prior to use so that the weight of the filter and the water both before and after collecting the particulates will be the same. Additional problems, however, exist in that a volatile HC component known as sof (soluble organic fraction), soluble in the usual organic solvents, C components called dry soot, sulfate, and the like, are frequently contained in the particulates and the sof components must be extracted with organic solvents, while the sulfate particulates must be extracted with distilled water or by an eluting solution for use in an ion chromatography. As can be readily determined, it takes a long time period to complete such a measurement and to resolve the problems. This also requires a fairly high skill level in the work staff with potentials for errors so that individual operators can provide different analytical results.
In addition, the filter in which the particulates have been collected must be removed from the gas passageway. Thus, a disadvantage occurs in that a continuous measurement, or a real time measurement, cannot be effectively obtained. Thus, the ability to measure the different particulates that would occur under different load levels on the engine becomes difficult to measure.
Attempts have been made to provide particulate mass monitors for detecting the change of mass when the particulates are collected on the filter, such as a change of the residence frequency of a pipe and the like. Additionally, a Hertridge-type smoke meter, in which light is incident upon the particulates to measure a transmittance of the light, has also been developed as an alternative method of continuously measuring the particulates in diesel engine combustion gases.
Problems still remain, however, in such methods, such as the sof components cannot be measured distinctly from the dry soot, and these alternative methods are insufficient to the more commonly used method of collecting by means of a filter and weighing the filter on a weight balance. Accordingly, the prior art is still seeking to improve the methods and systems for measuring particulates in a gas combustion source.

Method and apparatus for real time measurement of particulate matter in combustion gases


Non-contact magnetic, optical or RF control elements can be used to control various operational aspects, or parameters of a gas detector. The detector can be placed in a low current, or sleep, mode wherein the operational life-time is not reduced by the duration of the sleep mode. Instructions can be coupled to the detector magnetically, optically, or via RF to alter set points or other operating parameters. Information as to bump tests can also be coupled to the detector.

Maintenance free gas detectors are popular in part because they do not need to be turned off and on, they are permanently activated. There is a need for maintenance free gas detectors to last longer on a single battery, but without creating the requirement to have a user turn the unit off and on when needed.
There are multiple problems with using a manual method (like a button) of turning the detector off and on to extend battery life. Users may forget to activate the gas detector and become at risk because their gas detector will not warn them of a dangerous gas level. Additionally, a manual power control switch would give the user the ability to turn off the detector to prevent it from alarming if they know they will be around gas, placing themselves and their co-workers at risk.
Other methods of turning detectors off and on, such as using the existing docking stations would require decisions to be made at the docking station, which can also result in safety risks, and require operator training. Turning the detector off with a docking station also requires costly equipment and may not be an acceptable commercial solution for certain parts of the market, specifically the contractor workforce.
Additionally, there are many situations in which it is beneficial to be able to transfer instructions or data to a portable gas detector to alter its configuration, behavior or state. Generally, expensive and complex circuits, that must be powered, are used to implement such functions.
In yet another circumstance, portable gas detectors are required to be bump tested regularly in order to ensure proper operation. However, bump testing is not intuitive with today's gas detectors. Some manufacturers only support a proper bump test with an expensive docking station, where a series of button presses is required to invoke the bump test. This requires training and is inherently mistake prone.
A low cost alternative to this is to place detectors into a plastic bag and fill the bag with gas, but this doesn't provide the compliance records that safety auditors look for. Ideally, a bump test should be as simple as possible to execute, and it must provide the proper compliance records for auditing purposes. This is very difficult to implement on a gas detector with a single button, which is why the bump test operation is usually controlled and initiated by the docking station. The problem with an exclusively dock initiated bump station is the added cost, size, electrical requirements and complexity of using traditional docking stations for bump tests.
There is thus a continuing need to improve ease of and varieties of control of portable gas detectors.


A damper device includes an inner part having a cylindrical shape; an outer part including an annular space with a bottom to rotatably or relatively rotatably house the inner part from one cylinder end side; and a viscous fluid filled in the annular space. An outer side of the inner part is formed with a circular groove to fit an outside seal ring. Also, an inner side of the inner part is formed with a circular step surface positioned closer to the one cylinder end side than the circular groove, and positioning an inside seal ring. A depth of the circular groove has a dimension approximately half a thickness of the inner part at a portion forming the circular groove.

As for a damper wherein relative to a case having an annular space, a cylindrical rotor is rotatably housed in the annular space, and a resistance to a rotation of the rotor is provided by the viscous fluid filled in the annular space, there are dampers shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.
However, in the damper in the Patent Document 1, an O-ring which seals between an outer side of the rotor and the case, and an O-ring which seals between an inner side of the rotor and the case are positioned to overlap on an imaginary line segment perpendicular to a center axis of the rotation of the rotor to cause difficulty in minimizing an external diameter of the damper.
On the other hand, in the damper in the Patent Document 2, in order to hold the O-ring sealing between the outer side of the rotor and the case, there is required a cap. Also, a seal portion by the O-ring in the rotor does not have a structure allowing the external diameter of the damper to be minimized.


The invention provides a method for washing, with a water-based system, reusable molds for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The water-based washing system comprises an ethoxylated silicone polyether surfactant. The water-based system of the invention can effectively wash away silicone-containing components and other components of a lens formulation left behind on the molding surfaces of a reusable mold, after removing a silicone hydrogel contact lens cast molded in the reusable mold.

In recent years, soft silicone hydrogel contact lenses become more and more popular because of their high oxygen permeability and comfort. However, all commercially available silicone hydrogel contact lenses are produced according to a conventional cast molding technique involving use of disposable plastic molds and a mixture of monomers in the presence or absence of macromers. However, disposable plastic molds inherently have unavoidable dimensional variations, because, during injection-molding of plastic molds, fluctuations in the dimensions of molds can occur as a result of fluctuations in the production process (temperatures, pressures, material properties), and also because the resultant molds may undergo non-uniformly shrinking after the injection molding. These dimensional changes in the mold may lead to fluctuations in the parameters of contact lenses to be produced (peak refractive index, diameter, basic curve, central thickness etc.) and to a low fidelity in duplicating complex lens design.
Such disadvantages encountered in a conventional cast-molding technique can be overcome by using the so-called Lightstream Technology™ (CIBA Vision), as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,508,317, 5,789,464, 5,849,810, and 6,800,225, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. The Lightstream Technology™ involves (1) a lens-forming composition which is typically a solution of one or more substantially purified prepolymer with ethylenically unsaturated groups and which generally is substantially free of monomers and crosslinking agents with a small molecular weight, (2) reusable molds produced in high precision, (3) curing under a spatial limitation of actinic radiation (e.g., UV); and washing and reusing the reusable molds. Lenses produced according to the Lightstream Technology™ can have high consistency and high fidelity to the original lens design, because of use of reusable, high precision molds. In addition, contact lenses with high quality can be produced at relatively lower cost due to the short curing time and a high production yield.
But, the Lightstream Technology™ has not been applied to make silicone hydrogel contact lenses. One potential issue in the manufacture of silicone hydrogel contact lenses based on Lightstream Technology™ is that the silicone-containing components of a lens formulation left behind on the mold surface may not be water soluble and an organic solvent may have to be used to wash the reusable molds. However, use of organic solvents can be costly and is not environmentally friendly. A water-based mold washing system is desirable. Therefore, there is still a need for a method for washing, with a water-based system, reusable molds for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses according to the Lightstream Technology™.

Method for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses


The portability of a mechanical key and a locking/unlocking key having the mechanical key is improved. The mechanical key is housed in a portable device in such a manner that a key plate is folded into two at a portion formed with an inner groove. Thus, the housing space for housing the mechanical key can be reduced and the portable device can be made smaller. Accordingly, the portability of the locking/unlocking key can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical key which mechanically locks and unlocks a locking/unlocking device by inserting a key plate into a key cylinder of the locking/unlocking device for operation, and a locking/unlocking key having the mechanical key.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2004-218371 describes a locking/unlocking system constructed such that when a driver carries a locking/unlocking key and approaches the door of a driver's seat, mutual communication is done between a portable device of the locking/unlocking key and a vehicle, and upon establishment of the mutual communication, a door lock as a locking/unlocking device is unlocked.
In the above locking/unlocking system, when the driver moves away from the vehicle, mutual communication between the portable device and the vehicle is unestablished so that the door is locked. The driver can lock and unlock the door without touching the vehicle. The convenience for a driver can be improved.
An emergency mechanical key is housed in the portable device of the locking/unlocking key used for this locking/unlocking system in case that mutual communication between the portable device and the vehicle cannot be done due to failure or battery exhaustion of the portable device (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2005-290905).
When the locking/unlocking operation by mutual communication of the portable device cannot be done, the driver inserts a key plate of the mechanical key into a key cylinder provided in a door for turning operation and can mechanically lock and unlock a door.
The emergency mechanical key is required to be housed in the portable device. The size (length) of the locking/unlocking key depends on the length in the longitudinal direction of the mechanical key. In this regard, the design of the portable device is limited. The locking/unlocking key is hard to be made thinner and smaller thereby, the portability thereof is not good.
A mechanical key which is singly used without being housed in the portable device is also required to be made thinner and smaller to improve the portability.

Mechanical key and locking/unlocking key


A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate including: a plurality of light-receptive portions that are arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally; a vertical transfer portion that transfers signal electric charge read out from the light-receptive portions in a vertical direction; a horizontal transfer portion that transfers the signal electric charge transferred by the vertical transfer portion in a horizontal direction; a barrier region adjacent to the horizontal transfer portion, the barrier region letting only surplus electric charge of the horizontal transfer portion pass therethough; a drain region adjacent to the barrier region, into which the surplus electric charge passing through the barrier region is discharged; and an insulation film adjacent to the drain region. A portion of the drain region is located beneath the insulation film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device, and more particularly relates to a charge coupled device (CCD) type solid-state imaging device and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, demands for solid-state imaging devices have been increasing as imaging devices for digital still cameras and digital video cameras. Further, since there is a request for portable terminal devices such as a cellphone additionally to have a camera function, the demands for solid-state imaging devices have been increasing also for the imaging devices of such portable terminal devices. Furthermore, in order to obtain a high quality image, the number of pixels in a solid-state imaging device has been increased year by year. In addition, in line with the request for lower power consumption of digital still cameras, digital video cameras and portable terminal devices, solid-state imaging devices with lower power consumption also have been demanded.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 to 8, a conventional solid-state imaging device is described below. Firstly, the schematic configuration of the conventional solid-state imaging device is described. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a conventional CCD type solid-state imaging device. As shown in FIG. 5, the CCD type solid-state imaging device has a semiconductor substrate 101. The semiconductor substrate 101 is provided with a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged light-receptive portions 102, a vertical transfer portion (vertical CCD) 103 arranged along each column of the light-receptive portions 102 in the vertical direction and a horizontal transfer portion (horizontal CCD) 104 provided adjacent to the final row of the light-receptive portions 102. The light-receptive portions 102 are photodiodes, which store electric charge in accordance with the intensity of the received light. One light-receptive portion 102 and a part of the adjacent vertical CCD 103 make up one pixel 108.
As shown by arrows of FIG. 5, electric charge stored in the light-receptive portions 102 is read out and transferred in the vertical direction by the vertical CCD 103. The electric charge transferred by the vertical CCD 103 is transferred by the horizontal CCD 104 in the horizontal direction, is amplified by an amplifier 105 and is output to the outside.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a drain region 107 is provided across a barrier region 106 on the side of the horizontal CCD 104 that is not adjacent to the vertical CCD 103 (see JP H10(1998)-50975 A, for example). The barrier region 106 is a potential barrier, which lets only surplus electric charge of the horizontal CCD pass therethrough. Therefore, the surplus of the electric charge transferred to the horizontal CCD 104 is discharged to the drain region 107.
Next, specific configurations of the vertical CCD 103, the horizontal CCD 104 and the drain region 107 are described below, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a part of the conventional CCD type solid-state imaging device of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 shows the configuration of a part of the conventional CCD type solid-state imaging device in cross section. The cross section of FIG. 7 is taken along the line A-A′ of FIG. 6, which illustrates the lines appearing in the cross section only.
As shown in FIG. 6, each of the vertical CCD 103 and the horizontal CCD 104 is configured with a channel region 109 serving as a transfer path of the electric charge and a two-layered transfer electrode. Herein, in FIG. 6, a transfer electrode in the first layer is illustrated with hatching. More specifically, the vertical CCD 103 is made up of a portion 109a of the channel region 109 extending in the vertical direction, a first-layer vertical transfer electrode 112 and a second-layer vertical transfer electrode 113. The vertical CCD 103 is four-phase driven. The horizontal CCD 104 is made up of a portion 109b of the channel region 109 extending in the horizontal direction, a first-layer horizontal transfer electrode 110 and a second-layer horizontal transfer electrode 111. The horizontal CCD 104 is two-phase driven.
As shown in FIG. 7, the semiconductor substrate 101 is a n-type silicon substrate, on which a p-type well 114 is formed. The channel region 109 is formed on the p-type well 114. The channel region 109, the barrier region 106 and the drain region 107 are n-type diffusion layers, and a gate insulation film 115 is formed on these regions. Further, on the side opposite to the channel region 109 with reference to the drain region 107, an insulation film 116 is formed to have a larger thickness than that of the gate insulation film 115. Herein, the insulation film 116 is omitted in FIGS. 5 and 6. The insulation film 116 functions as isolation from a peripheral circuit such as a protective circuit (not illustrated), and the insulation film 116 actually is formed so as to surround the whole major portion including the plurality of light-receptive portions 102, the vertical CCD 103, the horizontal CCD 104, the barrier region 106, the drain region 107 and the like.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the horizontal transfer electrodes 110 and 111 are formed so as to overlap with the barrier region 106, the drain region 107 and the insulation film 116 along the vertical direction. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal transfer electrode 110 (and 111) is covered with an insulation film 119. Voltage is applied to the horizontal transfer electrode 110 via a contact 117 provided in the insulation film 119 and an aluminum wiring 118 provided on the contact 117. The contact 117 is provided at a position overlapping with the insulation film 116 serving as isolation. This is because, if the contact 117 is formed at a region overlapping with the gate insulation film 115, the application of voltage might cause dielectric breakdown in the gate insulation film 115.
Now referring to FIG. 8, a method of manufacturing the conventional solid-state imaging device shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is described below. FIG. 8 shows the manufacturing method of the conventional solid-state imaging device in cross section, in which FIGS. 8A to 8E show a series of major manufacturing steps. Herein, FIG. 8 shows major manufacturing steps concerning a cross-sectional portion taken along the line A-A′ of FIG. 6, and these drawings illustrate lines appearing on the cross section only.
Firstly, as shown in FIG. 8A, a silicon oxide film (SiO2) 120 and a silicon nitride film (SiN) 121 are formed successively on the top of a semiconductor substrate 101. Following this, a resist pattern (not illustrated) having an aperture corresponding to the formation region of an insulation film 116 serving as isolation is formed. Etching is applied thereto so as to remove a part of the silicon nitride film 121.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the insulation film 116 serving as isolation is formed by local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS). More specifically, thermal oxidation is performed so as to grow a portion of the silicon oxide film 120 that is not covered with the silicon nitride film 121, so that the insulation film 116 serving as isolation is formed. At this time, a portion of the silicon oxide film 120 that is covered with the silicon nitride film 121 becomes a gate insulation film 115. After that, the resist pattern is removed, and a p-type impurity (e.g., arsenic) is ion-implanted to the semiconductor substrate 101, whereby a p-type well 114 is formed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, after the silicon nitride film 121 is completely removed, a resist pattern 122 having an aperture corresponding to the formation region of a drain region 107 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 101. At this time, the insulation film 116 serving as isolation is covered with the resist pattern 122. Following this, phosphorus (P) as impurity is ion-implanted, whereby the drain region 107 is formed. The ion-implantation in this step is performed under the conditions of the implantation energy (acceleration voltage) of 170 keV and the dose of 1.0×1013 ions/cm2, for example. Thereafter, the resist pattern 122 is removed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8D, a channel region 109 and a barrier region 106 are formed, and thereafter a first-layer horizontal transfer electrode 110 is formed. More specifically, the channel region 109 and the barrier region 106 are formed as follows. Firstly, a resist pattern having apertures corresponding to the formation regions of the channel region 109 and the barrier region 106 is formed, followed by ion-implantation of an n-type impurity (e.g., phosphors). Then, after this resist pattern is removed, a new resist pattern having an aperture corresponding to the formation region of the barrier region 106 only is formed, followed by ion-implantation of a p-type impurity (e.g., boron). The first-layer horizontal transfer electrode 110 can be formed by deposition of a polysilicon film, formation of a resist pattern and etching.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8E, a silicon oxide film 119a is formed on the first-layer horizontal transfer electrode 110 by thermal oxidation. Following this, although not illustrated, a second-layer horizontal transfer electrode 111 is formed using polysilicon. Next, a silicon oxide film 119b is formed, and then a contact 117 and an aluminum wiring 118 are formed successively, whereby a solid-state imaging device can be obtained.
In the above-stated solid-state imaging device, as the number of pixels is increased, the number of the horizontal transfer electrodes is increased, so that the surplus electric charge amount is increased as well. Therefore, the discharging capability of the surplus electric charge by the drain region 107 should be improved. It can be considered that the discharging capability of the surplus electric charge by the drain region 107 can be improved by increasing an impurity density of the drain region 107, i.e., by increasing the dose of the ion-implantation for the drain region 107.
However, when the dose is increased, a semiconductor region (e.g., a source/drain region of a MOS transistor constituting a peripheral circuit such as a protective circuit), which can be formed by the same process as that for the drain region 107 before increasing the dose, has to be formed by a different process, and therefore the cost for a solid-state imaging device will be increased. Further, as the dose is increased, the dielectric breakdown strength (withstand voltage) of the gate insulation film 115 will be degraded. Therefore, there is a limit to the improvement of the discharging capability by increasing the impurity density of the drain region 107. For that reason, the capability of discharging surplus electric charge by the drain region 107 has been improved by enlarging the area of the drain region 107, more specifically, by enlarging the drain region 107 in the vertical direction.
However, when the drain region 107 is enlarged in the vertical direction (the lateral direction on the sheet of FIG. 7), the area of the drain region 107 contacting with the gate insulation film 115 increases accordingly, thus increasing a load capacity at the drain region 107. Further, the distance L (see FIG. 7) from the end of the drain region 107 on the horizontal CCD side to the contact 117 as a voltage application point also increases. As a result, power consumption at the drain region 107 will increase, which makes it difficult to satisfy the request of low power consumption for digital still cameras and the like.
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solid-state imaging device that suppresses an increase in power consumption at a drain region and to provide a method for manufacturing such a solid-state imaging device.

Solid-state imaging device and manufacturing method for the same


A data driver drives a data signal on a channel, and a current mode driver drives a varying current on the channel to reduce crosstalk.

Signal interconnects in electronic systems are commonly subjected to signal crosstalk. Signal crosstalk, or "crosstalk," is caused when a signal on one channel or conductor couples signal energy to another channel or conductor. In the past, attempts to reduce crosstalk have included modifying the characteristics of channels and conductors through mechanical layout techniques and materials modification. Layout techniques include adding guard traces and increasing distances between conductors. Materials modifications include using different materials in the manufacture of printed circuit boards, integrated circuit packages, and the like.

Crosstalk reduction method, apparatus, and system


The present invention relates to a method of isolating hematopoietic stem cells from adipose tissue. The method yields a notably high number of CD34+, ALDHbr and/or ABCG2-expressing cells, comprising hematopoietic stem cells, permitting the use of the cells with no or minimal expansion.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are stem cells that form blood and immune cells and are ultimately responsible for the constant renewal of blood in an organism throughout the lifetime of the organism. HSCs have been the focus of research for many decades and are now routinely used for many therapeutic applications, including treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, inherited blood disorders, and HSC rescue after extensive chemotherapy regimens, among others.
HSCs are the best characterized example of a multipotential stem cell existing in tissues of an adult organism. In seminal studies by Trentin and colleagues (Trentin, 1965, Cardiovasc. Res. Cent. Bull 4:38-4; Till & McCulloch, 1961, Rad. Res. 14:213-222) lethally-irradiated mice died because they failed to replenish their circulating blood cells. However, transplantation of bone marrow cells from syngeneic donor animals rescued the host animal. The donor cells were responsible for repopulating all of the circulating blood cells. More recently, it has been shown that the cells responsible for reconstituting hematopoiesis in humans receiving a bone marrow transplant reside in a subset of cells expressing the CD34 antigen (CD34+) (Berenson et al., 1991, Blood 77:1717-1722). In other words, CD34+ cells comprise hematopoietic stem cells. Other methods of identifying and isolating populations enriched for hematopoietic stem cells that do not rely on cell surface immunophenotypes have been pursued. Primitive human hematopoietic progenitors have been isolated based on aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity (Storms et al., 1999, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96:9118-9123; Hess et al., 2004, Blood 104:1648-1655)). In addition, engraftment in humans is highly correlated with the number of cells infused having ALDH activity (ALDHbr) and low side scatter (SSClo) (Fallon et al., 2003, Br. J. Haematol. 122:99-108).
A wealth of elegant studies have demonstrated that donation of a finite number of undifferentiated hematopoietic stem cells is capable of regenerating each of the eight or more different blood cell lineages in a host animal. This large body of work has provided the basis for bone marrow transplantation, a widely accepted therapeutic modality for cancer and inborn errors of metabolism. Thus, hematopoietic stem cells remain present in normal human bone marrow throughout life; they are not limited to the neonatal period.
There are currently three major sources of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) used for the purpose of bone marrow transplantation: adult bone marrow, adult peripheral blood, and the mononuclear fraction of umbilical cord blood following child birth. Cells isolated for the purpose of transplantation are typically isolated from the bone marrow or peripheral blood of adults. Disadvantageously, however, CD34+ cells are extremely rare in adult bone marrow (˜1-2%), requiring a significant volume of marrow to be obtained to generate a sufficient quantity of HSCs to engraft an adult. The procedure to obtain bone marrow is a lengthy and unpleasant procedure for the marrow donor, requiring extended hospitalizations to allow for bone marrow recovery. Isolation of CD34+ or ALDHbr cells from peripheral blood, typically requiring multiple cytapheresis sessions, is less unpleasant for the donor, however, it requires pre-inoculation of the donor with cytokines to mobilize the HSCs to the peripheral blood. Despite the mobilization, the number of CD34+ or ALDHbr cells, and consequently, HSCs, in peripheral blood is still typically quite low.
Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is somewhat more enriched for CD34+ cells, compared to bone marrow or mobilized peripheral blood (Wang et al., 1997, Blood 89:3919-3924), but the small volume of blood available in an umbilical cord limits the absolute number of engraftable HSCs that can be recovered, making UCB less useful than originally anticipated. In theory, one could provide a sufficient number of HSCs by pooling multiple umbilical cord blood samples, however, pooling is frowned on in clinical practice. Thus, cord blood-derived CD34+ cells are limited in their utility in adults because the consequential low numbers of HSCs isolated are too few to successfully engraft a full-grown adult. Expansion protocols have been studied to try and increase the cell numbers. Typically, however HSC expansion is accompanied by substantial differentiation, which is not always desirable.
There is a growing body of evidence that hematopoietic progenitors may not be limited to the bone marrow microenvironment. Investigators at University of Calgary have examined neuronal stem cells, which routinely differentiate along neuronal cell lineage pathways. When these cells were transplanted into lethally-irradiated hosts, the investigators detected the presence of donor cell markers in newly-produced myeloid and lymphoid cells (Bjornson, 1999, Science 283:534-537). Investigators at Baylor College of Medicine have performed similar studies using satellite cells isolated from murine skeletal muscle (Jackson et al., 1999, PNAS 96:14482-14486). When these muscle-derived cells were transplanted into lethally-irradiated hosts, the investigators detected the presence of the muscle gene markers in all blood cell lineages. Together, these studies indicate that neuronal and muscle tissues contain stem cells capable of hematopoietic differentiation. This suggests that sites other than the bone marrow may provide a renewable source of hematopoietic progenitors with potential application to human disease therapy (Quesenberry et al., 1999, J. Neurotrauma 16:661-666: Scheffler et al., 1999, Trends Neurosci 22:348-357; Svendsen & Smith, 1999, Trends Neurosci 22:357-364).
More recently, adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells have been shown to successfully reconstitute major hematopoietic lineages in lethally-irradiated mice (Cousin et al., 2003, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 301:1016-1022 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0067218). Mesenchymal stromal stem cells, isolated from adipose tissue, have also been co-infused with CD34+ cells, isolated from mobilized peripheral blood, and were found to facilitate successful engraftment of the CD34+ cells (Kim et al., 2005, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 329(1):25-31).
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0033834 discloses an isolated adipose-derived stromal cell that has been differentiated to express at least one characteristic of a hematopoietic progenitor cell. Also disclosed are adipose-derived stromal cells that are de-differentiated into fully functional pleuripotent stem cells that can then be differentiated into hematopoietic cell lineages.
Despite the work summarized above, there remains a need for an abundant source of hematopoietic stem cells for use in therapeutic and other applications. The present invention addresses and meets these needs.

Isolation and purification of hematopoietic stem cells from post-liposuction lipoaspirates


A shaped medical article of a polymeric substrate is extrusion coated with a composition which includes a bioactive agent dispersed in a matrix polymer. Preferred bioactive agents are temperature sensitive agents which undergo thermal decomposition at a temperature above the processing temperature of the matrix polymer. Preferred matrix polymers have a melting point of about 100.degree. C. or lower.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to biomedical devices, and more specifically relates to a method for coating a substrate with an antithrombogenic and/or an anti-infective agent.
2. Background of the Invention
Extensive investigations have been undertaken over many years to find materials that will be biologically and chemically stable toward body fluids. This area of research has become increasingly important with the development of various objects and articles which must be in contact with blood, such as artificial organs, vascular grafts, probes, cannulas, catheters and the like.
Synthetic plastics have come to the fore as preferred materials for such articles. However, these materials have the major drawback of being thrombogenic. In addition, devices such as catheters provide a pathway for entrance of microorganisms into the body and thus often are a source of infection. Accordingly, much effort has been directed toward methods to render plastic medical devices antithrombogenic and anti-infective.
Thrombogenicity has conventionally been counteracted by the use of anticoagulants such as heparin. Various procedures for attachment of heparin to otherwise thrombogenic polymeric surfaces have been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,564 to Solomon et al. discloses coating a polymeric article with an amine-rich surface and covalently conjugating aidehyde-actuated heparin to the amino groups thereof. Leininger et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,344 discloses a method in which a polymeric surface is chemically modified to include a chloromethyl group. Amination of the chloromethyl group provides a quarternary ammonium halide. Reaction of the halide with sodium heparin results in ionic bonding of the heparin to the surface.
A related approach has been described by Eriksson et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,123. An article having a plastic surface is heated to near or above its softening point in an aqueous solution of a cationic surface active agent, such as a long chain alkylamine or alkylenediamine hydrohalide. The solution is preacidified to a pH of 7.0 or lower. Subsequent digestion of the plastic article with an aqueous solution-of heparin results in an article having about 0.12 International Unit of heparin thereon. Improvements in the surface active agent method are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,781 to Eriksson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,467 to Williams et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,870 to Hu et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,402 to Solomon et al.
Attempts to solve the problem of infection have likewise been directed toward adherence of an antibacterial agent to the plastic article. Shepard et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,921, discloses dipping a catheter into a syrup containing a hydrophilic polymer and absorbing an antibiotic into the hydrophilic coating. Shepard et al. teach that most antibiotics are not sufficiently heat stable to be added to the syrup during the dipping step.
Fox et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,028, teaches infection resistant plastic medical articles, such as vascular grafts, having incorporated antimicrobial agents, such as silver sulfadiazine and pipericillin. The articles are prepared by dipping procedures.
Mustacich et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,795, discloses medical devices of permeable polymers including a releasably incorporated coating of a carboxylate antimicrobial agent. The device is made by a dipping process.
PCT published application no. WO 86/02561 teaches a medical device of a hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer having up to 1% chlorhexidine base coated thereon or incorporated therein.
McGary et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,660 discloses a method for preparing a polyurethane article having coated thereon a layer of polyurethane alloy containing a dispersed complex of a quaternary salt with either an antithrombogenic agent or an antibiotic. The method includes dipping the article in a solvent solution of the alloy.
Although all of the above disclosures have addressed the problems of infection and thrombogenesis during use of medical articles, satisfactory solutions have not yet been disclosed, particularly for medical articles, such as a catheter, to be introduced and advanced through body passages. In particular, there is a need for a method for preparation of medical articles coated with temperature sensitive materials which avoids dipping procedures using potentially toxic solvents. The present invention fulfills this need.

Method for rendering a substrate surface antithrombogenic and/or anti-infective


A unitary rub strip comprises a casing having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface; a unitary rub strip is formed integral with the casing proximate the inner surface, wherein the unitary rub strip comprises a modified structure within the casing configured to abrade responsive to an interaction with a rotating element.

The present disclosure is directed to an integrated rub-strip for attritable engine applications.
Attritable or expendable propulsion systems have a short lifespan relative to typical flight applications. The attritable engine is utilized for a limited lifespan and disposed. The attritable gas turbine engine may not even be operated through a full operational cycle. The attritable gas turbine engine may only perform start-up, and operational load before being decommissioned.
Since the operational modes of the attritable gas turbine engine may be significantly less than the conventional gas turbine engine, the attritable engine does not need to meet the same durability or safety requirements as the conventional gas turbine engine. Conventional gas turbine engine manufacturing techniques deployed for attritable engines can be more costly and more complex than needed. Since conventional manufacturing techniques can be more costly, additive manufacturing techniques may be deployed in substitute to reduce cost and complexity of the attritable gas turbine engine.
Rub-strips are used to ensure a specific clearance between a rotating assembly and casing/housing. Conventionally, a material is applied to the casing in a form of treatment. The rub strip material is abraded by the rotating blade tips during operation. Installation of a rub strip can be labor intensive as well as creating additional part count for the attritable turbine engine.
What is needed is a rub strip that can reduce part count for attritable engine systems and thus reduce cost.

Additive manufactured integrated rub-strip for attritable engine applications


The invention discloses an internal combustion engine in which the open housing oil pressure pump (1) is closed by securing it directly onto the cylinder head (5), the moving elements of the pump being fixed to the camshaft (20) by means of an axial abutment (29). Sealing is assured on the one hand by means of an O ring (25) between the pump (1) and the head (5), on the other hand by means of a lip seal (45) and a breather (51). The axial play (44), also affecting the sealing, is maintained at the desired amount by means of the levelled washer (47). The application is to all engines for which reduction in weight, volume and maintenance cost is sought.

In the usual engines, the pressure pump serving to circulate oil in the different elements to be lubricated is constituted by an independent mechanical assembly with a closed casing, driven either directly by the crankshaft or indirectly by the latter by appropriate means such as gearing or a synchronous belt.

Internal combustion engine with oil pump mounted on the camshaft


A server computer connectable to a network and having a plurality of processors (20, 30, 40) arranged to provide a service to one or more client computers connected to the network. The service Involves the provision of blocks of information to a client computer (50), and the processors have access to a data storage (120) in which data for the blocks of information is stored. Each processor in the server has block retrieval means (80), employed in response to a request from a client computer (50) for a particular block of information from that processor, to retrieve data from the data storage (120) to construct a file representing the requested block of information, the file including references to subsequent blocks of information requestable by the client (50). Additionally, load determining means (100) periodically determines activity data for the processor for inclusion In a load distribution record maintained for all of the processors of the server. Decision means (90) is then used which, for each reference to a subsequent block of information in the file constructed by the block retrieval means (80), determines, based on the load distribution record, which processor should service a request from the client computer (50) for that subsequent block of information, and includes an address for that processor in the file constructed by the block retrieval means (80). The file is then sent to the client computer (50).. In preferred embodiments, the service being provided is the World Wide Web (WWW) service, and the technique Is employed on a parallel Web server providing Web pages to clients over the Internet.

There is increasing demand for high-powered server computers for networks in general, and in particular for the Internet. The Internet is a giant network made up of many smaller networks interlinked through the use of devices such as bridges and gateways. In theory, any computer connected to the Internet is capable of exchanging information with any other computer that is connected to the Internet. However, since computers often contain sensitive information, many computers and networks have security schemes that restrict the exchange of information among computers to various degrees.
Since the Internet represents a very powerful structure through which to disseminate information, a number of services have evolved which make use of the Internet to pass information from one computer to another. Examples of these services are FTP, News, Gopher, and the World Wide Web (or WWW as it will be referred to hereafter).
The WWW is one of the more well known, and most quickly expanding, of these services. The WWW supported by the Internet is capable of combining technologies such as voice, video and text, and presenting them in an on-demand, interactive fashion to anyone connected to the Internet. In essence, the WWW allows anyone connected to the Internet with a computer that has the appropriate software and hardware configuration to retrieve any HyperMedia document that has been made available anywhere on the Internet. The HyperMedia document is received as a file representing a block of information, and within that file are hyperlinks to other documents (or blocks of information) which may, for example, contain texts, sounds, images or movies.
As the computer receiving the HyperMedia document constructs the document for display to the user, it may use some of these hyperlinks in order to receive other files necessary to complete the display. For instance, hyperlinks may be used to access image files which are to be displayed as part of the document. Once the document has been constructed by the client computer and displayed to the user, the user may have the opportunity to select hyperlinks, for example by using a mouse or other input device to select a word or image on the screen, in order to request the document referenced by that Hyperlink.
As more and more people have started to use Internet services such as WWW, so the demands on the server computers has increased. In order to cope with these demands, parallel computers have started to be used as servers, these computers having a plurality of processors arranged to provide the service. By use of the multiple processors, very high volumes of server requests can be handled. An example of such a parallel computer is the IBM RISC System/6000 SP machines (IBM and RISC System/6000 are registered Trade Marks of International Business Machines Corporation).
However, a problem that arises in use of such parallel servers is that of balancing the incoming client traffic across the processors that are collaborating in the parallel system to serve documents (such as Web pages in WWW) and run service-based applications. With existing Load-Balancing mechanisms, there can be times when one particular processor becomes the focus of a large amount of traffic for a period of time. The technical term for this is that the processor gets "toasted" . In this condition, the processor is overwhelmed by client requests, and grinds to a virtual halt, taking up to several minutes to service one request.
It is hence an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism to alleviate unbalanced load across the processors, thereby helping to avert this toasting effect.

Method of load balancing across the processors of a server


Steel fiber reinforced concrete with very high flexural strength. A concrete composition is used with a compressive strength P of at least 80 N/mm.sup.2. Mixed in the concrete are fibers made by a cold work hardening cross-section reduction operation, having a length-to-thickness ratio ranging from 60 to 120, and with a grappling form. The tensile strength T of the steel is in a proportion with respect to the compressive strength P according to the formula T/P>17.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to reinforced concrete, and more particularly to a steel fiber reinforced concrete with increased flexural strength, and to steel fibers for use therein.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Steel fibers for the reinforcement of concrete are generally known. Such fibers are introduced into a mixture for the preparation of concrete and well mixed until they are equally distributed in the mixture. After hardening of the concrete, they act as a reinforcement that strengthens the concrete.
With a view to being adapted to mixing and for reinforcement, steel fibers have in general a thickness in the range of 0.3 to 1.2 millimeters, most usually in the range from 0.5 to 1 millimeter. They have generally a length-to-thickness ratio in the range from 30 to 150, most usually in the range from 50 to 100. They have generally a tensile strength in the range from 500 to 1600 Newtons per square millimeter, most usually from 900 to 1300 N/mm.sup.2. When less than 500 N/mm.sup.2, then the fibers exhibit too low a resistance to deformation at rupture of the concrete, such that the concrete would then exhibit a brittle behaviour at rupture. Conversely, when more than 1300 N/mm.sup.2, the brittle behaviour of the concrete is sufficiently avoided, but the increased tensile strength of the steel does not further increase the flexural strength of the concrete.
The reinforcing effect of the steel fibers manifests itself specifically in the increase of the flexural strength of the concrete. The flexural strength is the tensile strength of the concrete at rupture of the beam, in a concrete beam under flexural loading and at the location where the maximal tension appears. The so-called modulus of rupture is representative of the flexural strength. The modulus of the rupture is the value .delta. obtained by the formula: EQU .delta.=P.times.L.times.B/H.sup.2,
in which:
L=the span length between the two supporting points of a test beam that is loaded in flexure by means of a load that for one half-load acts at a distance of one-third of the span length from one supporting point, and for the other half-load acts at a distance of one-third of the span length from the other supporting point; PA1 B=the breadth of that test beam; PA1 H=the height of that test beam; and PA1 P=the sum of the above-mentioned half-loads, at rupture. PA1 B=a constant that depends on the degree of anchoring and on the orientation of the fibers in the concrete, and that, in first approximation, is independent of the tensile strength of the steel of the fiber; PA1 p=the percentage by volume of fibers in the concrete; and PA1 L/D=the length-to-diameter ratio of the fiber used.
The value obtained by this formula corresponds in fact to the tension at rupture in the part of the beam in the region under tension which is the most distant from the neutral plane, calculated as if that rupture would still be located in the linear part of the stress/strain curve. Due to the presence of the fibers, however, the concrete still does not show a brittle rupture after the first crack, but the stress/strain curve raises further in a non-linear manner towards a maximum, with the result that the concrete shows a post-crack resistance that is considerably higher than the first-crack resistance. In this way, the fibers produce a considerably higher increase of the flexural strength, as observed via the modulus of rupture.
It is known that the flexural strength produced by the metal fibers is given, in first approximation, by the formula: EQU F=B.times.p.times.L/D (1)
in which:
It is known to use fibers with grappling form, that is, fibers with a shape that differs from the straight shape with constant cross-section over the length, in order to obtain a degree of anchoring of the fibers that is as high as possible. There are, for instance, fibers that are provided with incurvations or undulations, either over the whole or part of their length, or only at the extremities, such as hook-shaped incurvations. Similarly, there are fibers of which the cross-section profile changes over the length, such as thickenings, alternating with thinner parts, or a flattened profile that alternates with a round profile, either over the whole length, or only at the extremities, such as thickenings in the form of a nail head at each of the extremities. These deformations can be used alone or in combination with each other. The increase of the degree of anchoring can be obtained by the use of such fibers with grappling form, and can further be obtained or increased by the roughening of the fiber surface.
Besides the improvement of the degree of anchoring, it is also known that an L/D-ratio should be chosen that is as high as possible, at any rate more than 50. However, when the fibers are made by a cold work-hardening cross-section reduction operation, such as by cold rolling or drawing or elongating, and a ratio is taken above about 120 to 130, then, using an acceptable length of 2.5 to 10 centimeters for the mixing, the diameter unfortunately becomes too small for still being economically acceptable. The manufacturing cost of the fiber per kilogram increases as the fiber is thinner. One can not indefinitely raise the L/D-ratio, as there is a such a limitation.
When willing to further drive up the flexural strength of the concrete, using such an optimalized fiber for efficiency, one should then be willing, according to formula (1), to introduce in the concrete a portion p of fibers that is as high as possible. Again there is also a practical limitation, determined by the mixability of the fibers. The higher indeed the L/D-ratio, the more difficult to mix the fibers together in the concrete without danger of balling-up. This means that a higher L/D-ratio corresponds to a lower maximum percentage in volume that can be mixed in the concrete. The limit of mixability can be determined by experiment, as for example shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,377, by the approximative formula : EQU p.times.(L/D).sup.1.5 =maximum 1100,
wherein this maximum value can be increased to a certain extent by special measures taken to improve the mixability, such as introducing the fibers in a form where they are glued together, as known from the above U.S. patent.

Steel fiber reinforced concrete with high flexural strength


An example method for mapping data can include: generating a user interface configured to enable a user to create a data element of a mapping specification, wherein the mapping specification includes a spreadsheet having a plurality of data fields; allowing for dragging of the data element onto the user interface and multi-selection of the data element with other data elements; allowing for dropping of the data element into a desired location of the user interface and the multi-selection of the data element; storing the data element in a temporary schema independent from a database schema of the data warehouse; and enabling the user to associate the data element with one or more physical data elements in the database schema.

Data mapping is the process of creating data element mappings between two or more distinct data models. Data mapping can be used as a first step for data integration tasks including data transformation between a data source and a target, identification of data relationships as part of data lineage analysis, and consolidation of multiple databases into a single database. By way of example, a company that wants to transmit and receive purchases and invoices with other companies can use data mapping to create data maps from a company's data to standardized messages for items such as purchase orders and invoices.
A high volume of data typically involves multiple data analysts in different mapping tasks. When multiple mapping tasks are performed in parallel, collaboration between the data analysts is important to reduce or avoid mapping conflicts.


A packet relay system includes a first packet relay device and a second packet relay device. One of the first packet relay device and the second packet relay device relays a packet based on a first priority level of the first packet relay device and on a second priority level of the second packet relay device, the first priority level is higher than the second priority level, when the first packet relay device recovers from an error state, the first packet relay device transmits a first notification, the first notification notifies the second packet relay device of the first priority level, based on the first notification, the second packet relay device changes the second priority level to a third priority level that is higher than the first priority level, and the second packet relay device changes the third priority level to the second priority level after receiving path information.

As a protocol to make a packet relay device such as a router device and a layer 3 (L3) switch redundant, a virtual router redundancy protocol (VRRP) is known. In the VRRP, priority levels are respectively set to a plurality of packet relay devices that belong to the same group. A packet relay device to which the highest priority level is set is called, for example, a master or an active system. Such a packet relay device becomes in an operation state and relays a data packet.
In addition, a packet relay device other than the master is called, for example, a slave, a standby system or a backup. The slave packet relay device is in a standby state. The state of the slave packet relay device becomes from the standby state to an operation state, and the slave packet relay device functions as a master when failure occurs in the master packet relay device. When there are a plurality of slave packet relay devices, order of transition to a master is determined depending on the set priority level. As described above, relay of a data packet, which has been performed in the master packet relay device, is performed in the packet relay device that has transitioned from the slave to the master. As the related art, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-310903 has been discussed.

Packet relay system, packet relay method, and packet relay device


Premature ejaculation by a male human patient is treated by administration of paroxetine.

Premature ejaculation is a sexual dysfunction that has been variously estimated to effect up to 75 percent of the population (Kinsey et al., 1949, p. 580; Masters and Johnson 1967, 1971 and 1973). Regardless of the figures in the literature and the definition of premature ejaculation, this problem has remained substantially unchanged in the past twenty years regardless of the psychological, biochemical, pharmacological and clinical psychiatric literature. The term "premature ejaculation" includes congenital premature ejaculation as well as primary premature ejaculation where the male ejaculates extremely rapidly, e.g., prior to penetration with coitus or within ten to twenty strokes after intromission, so as to adversely affect the sexual relationship between the involved partners. The psychoanalytical definition of ejaculation, in less than one minute, also suffices for these purposes as well as the Masters and Johnson definition where the male ejaculates 50 percent of the time more rapidly than the female is able to have an orgasm if she has no orgasmic dysfunction of her own. Premature ejaculation by any of the foregoing definitions can be treated by the method of the invention.
Premature ejaculation is a considerable factor in sexual as well as marital discord. It is estimated that this factor is present in at least about 20 percent of clinical cases. However, heretofore an effective, relatively inexpensive treatment that can be administered by any practicing physician without specialized knowledge has not been available.
The use of fluoxetine hydrochloride (Prozac.RTM.) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,448 to Crenshaw and Wiesner. It has now been found, however, that similar treatment at a relatively lower dose of active ingredient can be achieved by practicing the present invention.


Processing of data packets is controlled in a system using identifiers assigned locally in the system for each data packet, where each data packet is received at an entry point in the system. Each data packet can be processed along a directed graph data structure based on the identifiers, where the directed graph data structure provides a network pipeline to forward the data packets. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Many processing-based applications are becoming cloud-based. Typically, the term "cloud" refers to data processing on a number of virtual servers as opposed to directly on physical machines. A cloud could span across a wide area network (WAN). WAN is also commonly referred to the public Internet or sometimes also a network of leased optic fiber links that inter-connect multiple branch offices of an Enterprise. Or alternately, a cloud could be entirely resident within a private datacenter within an internal local area network. Datacenters of clouds, meaning datacenters that host virtual compute or services, can also provide services for network traffic management from one location on a network to another location on the network or across networks spanning far flung locations over WAN (or Internet). In addition, the term "cloud computing" refers to the software and services executed for users by these servers virtually (over a hypervisor), and typically the user is unaware of the physical location of the servers or datacenter. Further, the datacenter may be a distributed entity. Cloud computing can provide shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand over the associated networks.
Associated with a network of a cloud are devices and software to perform functions for the network. Examples of such functions are switching, routing, establishing secured tunnels (VPN) etc. Such functions can be facilitated by virtual processes. A virtualized network function, or VNF, is responsible for handling specific network functions that would run in one or more virtual machines (a virtual machine being a self-contained operating environment that behaves as if it is a separate computer) on top of a hardware networking infrastructure. The hardware networking infrastructure can include routers, switches, servers, cloud computing systems, and more. VNFs can move individual network functions out of dedicated hardware devices into software that can run on commodity hardware. Many VNF deployments can be realized as cloud-based deployments.
Edge cloud is a new computing paradigm for distributed computing, which is being deployed to address issues with typical cloud computing that is performed by a centralized cloud. Such centralized clouds are constrained to address network latencies, which are critical in modern real-time applications. In addition, Internet bandwidth, associated with centralized cloud computing, is physically limited. A key concept for implementing edge cloud networking is to distribute processing across multiple small clouds to enable ultra-low latency response times, high throughput, and a highly flexible cloud platform. Because it is not in a centralized data center, the physical footprint requirements and type of hardware used in an edge cloud platform are different from traditional cloud platforms.
IoT is a network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and actuators, which are enabled to connect and exchange data allowing for direct integration of devices in the physical world into computer-based systems. One of the requirements for IoT communications in 5G LTE is a roundtrip latency between 1 and 4 milliseconds, depending on the application. In any communication through a mobile provider, data packets are not simply forwarded, but often are processed through a set of virtual network functions (VNFs) executed by the provider. However, execution of each VNF uses CPU cycles, and hence adds to the accumulated round-trip (RTT) latency. In addition to transporting data packets from a user equipment (UE), for real-time applications it is a challenge to accomplish such transport with 1 to 4 millisecond RTT latency as required by 5G. Today, the typical RTT is about 20 milliseconds.
Various approaches are being considered that are directed to attaining an RTT latency of under 4 milliseconds, including services, that is, including VNFs that run in the infrastructure of such approaches. Clouds are evolving into distributed Mesh structures in one approach. Deployment of edge networks may reduce such latency associated with reducing distance. In many approaches, micro-services, which allow in-place upgrades and modularity that is reusable and extensible, are preferred. A micro-service architecture will structure an application as a collection of loosely-coupled services, each of which implements a unique capability, and is called a micro-service. A bunch of micro-services can be put together to form an application or a software service. Operationally, a micro-service architecture can enable continuous delivery and deployment of large, complex applications and can enable an organization to evolve its technology stack by replacing individual micro-services or adding new ones.
VNFs in a data plane, which will need ultra low latency, may span physical nodes at a processing location, where the physical nodes can include hardware that is heterogeneous. VNF micro-services can pay a latency penalty, if spread across nodes within a cluster at a location, such as at an edge cloud.

Method and apparatus for virtual network functions and packet forwarding


A foot and ankle therapeutic compression device in which at least a pair of foot compression bands extend outwardly from opposite sides of a central region which engages the bottom of the foot and at least a pair of ankle bands extend rearwardly from the central region, and in which the pairs of foot and ankle compression bands are tightened and anchored in tightened condition by VELCRO hook and loop surfaces.

This invention relates to a foot and ankle therapeutic compression device capable of applying an adjustable, sustainable, essentially non-elastic compression.
Elastic and non-elastic bandaging, elastic anklets and elastic stockings are widely employed in support and compression therapy of the foot and ankle. Most suffer varying degrees of shortcomings, including ineffectiveness, difficulties in application and removal, lack of controlled adjustability, loss of compression and discomfort.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,215,687, 5,120,300 and 5,254,122 relate to therapeutic compression devices capable of applying therapeutic compression to the body, particularly the limbs, in which the wearer applies non-elastic therapeutic compression band by band, and the wearer can tighten the compression bands to apply firm, comfortable and controlled non-elastic pressure. This type of non-elastic compression has been clinically proven to be superior to elastic compression.
In recent years, physicians have been increasingly aware of the value of foot and ankle compression in improving blood fluid returns for reducing edema and speeding healing.

Foot and ankle therapeutic compression device


A kinetic assay procedure is provided which permits measurement of endotoxin concentration in the range from 0.005 EU/ml to 50 EU/ml. The assay procedure relies on a single reagent substrate composition comprising Limulus amebocyte lysate and a chromogenic substrate. This assay procedure is easily automated and it provides substantial improvement in both range and sensitivity over previously available endotoxin assays.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns the determination of endotoxin in fluids using a Limulus amebocyte lysate based assay.
2. Description of Related Art
The coagulation phenomena of the pro-clotting enzyme of the amebocyte lysate from the blood of the horseshoe crab by bacterial endotoxin has been known and reported for many years, see, for example Levin, J. and Bangs, F. B., "Clottable Protein in Limulus: Its Localization and Kinetics of its Coagulation by Endotoxin," Thomb. Diath. Heamortz. 19, pg. 186 (1968). The clotting mechanism has been subject to in-depth studies such as the study by Nakamura, S. et al., "Amino Acid Sequence Studies on the Fragments Produced from Horseshoe Crab Coagulogen during Gel Formation: Homologies with Primate Fibrinopeptide B", Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication, 72(3), p. 902 (1976).
The coagulation of Limulus amebocyte lysate, hereinafter LAL, involves the endotoxin activation of a pro-clotting enzyme in the presence of divalent cations, e.g. Ca.sup.++, Mg.sup.++, Sr.sup.++ or Mn.sup.++, with the resulting activated enzyme cleaving a clotting protein (coagulogen) at the C-carboxyls of contained glycine and arginine units. The cleaved units of the coagulogen remain attached by disulfide bridges and undergo polymerization to effect a clot. In addition to these known components of the amebocyte lysate, there are many other proteins and a known inhibitor of a lipoprotein nature. The mechanism of modulation of the coagulation reaction by the inhibitor and other proteins has not yet been determined.
Because of the coagulation characteristic of LAL in the presence of bacterial endotoxin (pyrogen), LAL formulations have become commercially important reagents for use in endotoxin assays for quality control in the manufacture of various fluids of pharmaceutical or medical interest which are normally administered parenterally. Such fluids include water for injection; water for irrigation; lipid emulsions for intravenous feeding; aqueous emulsions of vegetable oil; salt solutions, e.g. parenterally administered sodium chloride solutions including sodium chloride for injection USP, sodium chloride for irrigation USP, sodium chloride for inhalation, and lactated Ringer's solution; and blood derivatives, e.g., normal serum albumin, plasma protein fraction and anti-hemophilic factor USP, immune globulin, Rho(D) immune globulin and antihuman globulin serum.
The formulation of LAL reagents and the improvement in LAL procedures has progressed to the point that an LAL assay is the most sensitive and practical endotoxin test that is known. The LAL assay can detect, with the formation of a clot, as little as 10.sup.-12 grams/ml of endotoxin. A Health Industries Association Study [Dabah, et al., "HIMA Collaborative Study for the Pyrogenicity Evaluation of a Reference Endotoxin by the USP Rabbit Test", HIMA Document No. 7, vol. 1 (May, 1979)] showed that the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) rabbit pyrogen assay can detect approximately 10.sup.-9 grams/ml of endotoxin. Therefore, the LAL assay is approximately 100 times as sensitive as the USP rabbit pyrogen assay. In addition to its advantage of sensitivity, the LAL assay is simpler to perform and can be completed in approximately one hour as opposed to three hours for the rabbit assay.
The assay of endotoxin detected by clotting of LAL is essentially a kinetic assay. Endotoxin activates the clotting enzyme, the clotting enzyme cleaves the coagulogen, and the cleaved coagulation aggregates to form a gel. More endotoxin results in more rapid accumulation of cleaved coagulogen and in faster gel formation, and so the time required to form the gel is less when more endotoxin is present. In other words, the endotoxin concentration is inversely related to the gelling time in the assay.
There are difficulties associated with precise determination of clotting time, as required by this assay methodology. Aggregation, flocculation and clotting are successive stages in a complex physical phenomenon involving a multiplicity of physical forces and probably multiple components. The boundaries between the stages are not clearly marked, but rather they are subjectively established and can differ when established by different observers. LAL is a chemically complex mixture, and apparently small changes in composition can have profound effects on the course of the complex coagulation phenomenon. Finally, an assay based on the subjective determination of gel formation is inherently difficult to automate. An alternative assay methodology was developed to overcome some of the difficulties associated with accurately determining gel formation and the associated endotoxin concentration.
The use of chromogenic substrates has become a means to both study and clinically monitor various enzymes and inhibitors in the complex coagulation processes of man. An extensive list of enzyme specific substrates are commercially available for measuring enzymes such as trypsin, thrombin, thromboplastin, plasmin, Kalikrein, Urokinase, and plasminogen. These synthetic substrates provide the investigator with an important tool to monitor the hemostatic state of certain aspects of the coagulation process in vitro.
Iwanaga, et al., "Chromogenic Substrates for Horseshoe Crab Clotting Enzyme: Its application for the Assay of Bacterial Endotoxin", Hemostasis 7:183-188 (1978), report that synthetic substrates can be used to measure the level of endotoxin activated pro-clotting enzyme in LAL prepared from the blood of both the Japanese (Tachypleus tridentatus) and the American (Limulus polyphemus) horseshoe crabs. One advantage of chromogenic substrates in an LAL assay relative to a conventional LAL gelation test is that the amount of activated clotting enzyme can be quantified. The use of certain synthetic peptide-type substrates in LAL assay to measure bacterial endotoxins quantitatively has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,264. The disclosure of the patent teaches a peptide substrate with a structure consisting of L-amino acids in the sequence R.sub.1 -gly-arg-R.sub.2 where R.sub.1 represents an N-blocked amino acid and R.sub.2 is a group which can be released by enzymatic hydrolysis to yield a colored compound, HR.sub.2.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,241, discloses an improved chromogenic peptide substrate for use in LAL-type assays. This improved substrate differs most significantly from the previous substrate in that the gly moiety is replaced in the sequence by ala or cys.
During an LAL-type assay using one of these substrates, the pro-clotting enzyme (a serine protease) in the LAL is activated by endotoxin and cleaves the peptide chain on the carboxyl side of arginine so as to release the chromogenic group and form a marker compound which can be easily read by means such as spectrophotometry.
A number of drawbacks to the LAL assay remain, despite numerous modifications designed to improve quantitation, sensitivity, speed, and precision. Foremost among these is the limited range of sensitivity (about 1 order of magnitude) with either the turbidimetric or the chromogenic fixed incubation time (endpoint method). A second drawback to endpoint methods is the requirement that an operator must end or read the reaction at a precise time. In the chromogenic test, acid must be added to stop the test. The optical density can be read in a spectrophotometer at any time thereafter. In the endpoint turbidimetric method, the reaction cannot be stopped without destroying the turbidity but must be read immediately after a specific incubation period.
An alternative approach to improving the LAL-type assay was to improve the precision of measuring the coagulation phenomenon. This was done by focusing on the increase in turbidity of the assay solution as aggregation proceeded, rather than waiting for gelation (Young, et al., (1972) J. Clin. Invest., 51:1790-1797). The kinetic turbidimetric LAL assay provides several potential improvements over endpoint methodology. The kinetic turbidimetric method uses a single reagent and does not require operator attention after initiation of the test, thus precision, speed, and accuracy are all improved. Most importantly, the range of the test could be increased from 1 to greater than 5 orders of magnitude. Unfortunately, turbidity determinations made with a spectrophotometer use the decrease in transmitted light caused by physical blocking, and thus Beer's law does not apply. Particle size and number, and reflected and refracted light all affect measurement to various degrees. Though elegant electronic filtering coupled with computer smoothing of data have been successfully developed and used for interpreting kinetic turbidity results (Novitsky, et al., p. 189-196, and Remillard, et al., pp. 197-210, both in Watson, et al., "Detection of Bacterial Endotoxins with the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate Test," Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, 1987), these methods are available only on specialized optical readers. In addition, some products must be diluted extensively to be assayed at all with the kinetic turbidimetric method.

Kinetic assay for endotoxin using limulus amebocyte lysate and chromogenic substrate


A Coriolis flow meter includes first and second pickoff sensors, cabling coupled to the first and second pickoff sensors, and a signal injection device coupled to the cabling. The signal injection device is configured to generate one or more reference signals, with the one or more reference signals being substantially identical in phase, and communicate the one or more reference signals into the cabling and the first and second pickoff sensors. The Coriolis flow meter further includes a signal conditioning circuit coupled to the cabling. The signal conditioning circuit is configured to receive first and second response signals from the cabling and the first and second pickoff sensors in response to the one or more reference signals and determine a signal difference between first and second response signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Coriolis flow meter and method for determining a signal difference in cabling and first and second pickoff sensors.
2. Statement of the Problem
Vibrating conduit sensors, such as Coriolis mass flow meters, typically operate by detecting motion of a vibrating conduit that contains a flowing material. Properties associated with the material in the conduit, such as mass flow, density and the like, can be determined by processing measurement signals received from motion transducers associated with the conduit. The vibration modes of the vibrating material-filled system generally are affected by the combined mass, stiffness and damping characteristics of the containing conduit and the material contained therein.
A typical Coriolis mass flow meter includes one or more conduits that are connected inline in a pipeline or other transport system and convey material, e.g., fluids, slurries and the like, in the system. Each conduit may be viewed as having a set of natural vibration modes including, for example, simple bending, torsional, radial, and coupled modes. In a typical Coriolis mass flow measurement application, a conduit is excited in one or more vibration modes as a material flows through the conduit, and motion of the conduit is measured at points spaced along the conduit. Excitation is typically provided by an actuator, e.g., an electromechanical device, such as a voice coil-type driver, that perturbs the conduit in a periodic fashion. Mass flow rate may be determined by measuring time delay or phase differences between motions at the transducer locations. Two such transducers (or pickoff sensors) are typically employed in order to measure a vibrational response of the flow conduit or conduits, and are typically located at positions upstream and downstream of the actuator. The two pickoff sensors are connected to electronic instrumentation by cabling, such as two independent pairs of wires. The instrumentation receives signals from the two pickoff sensors and processes the signals in order to derive a mass flow rate measurement.
When the flow conduit or conduits of a Coriolis flow meter are empty, then the phase difference between the two pickoff signals is ideally zero. In contrast, during normal operation, the flow through the flow meter induces a phase shift between the two pick off signals due to the Coriolis effect. The phase shift is directly proportional to the material flow through the conduits. Therefore, by making an accurate measurement of the signal difference, the flow meter can accurately measure the mass flow rate.
Determining the signal difference between signals from the pickoff sensors is an important operation of the flow meter instrumentation. This signal determination must be accurately performed even though the cabling between the sensors and the instrumentation affects the measurement signals. All cabling includes inherent and distributed inductance, capacitance, and resistance characteristics. In addition, the pickoff sensors can have inherent characteristics that further affect the signal difference. Each pickoff signal must travel through the cabling and therefore the accuracy of the signal can be reduced before the signal reaches the measuring instrumentation of the flow meter.
Typical flow meter cabling can vary in length according to the environment and installation. A meter cabling can extend up to 1,000 feet. The distributed cable parameters, such as the inherent inductance, capacitance, and resistance, will introduce some signal difference onto a sinusoidal signal traveling through the cabling. As a result, at the end of the cable, two independent measurement signals traveling through the cable can experience a signal difference introduced by the cable if the signals do not experience the exact same cable parameters. Since the measuring instrumentation relates signal difference to mass flow, the cabling and sensor system adds an unwanted error term to the flow measurement.
In addition to mismatch between the two cable pairs, the distributed cabling and sensor system parameters will vary with temperature. This temperature variation can require a zeroing operation, such as when a flow meter is installed or when the ambient temperature changes by more that a certain amount. During a zeroing operation (i.e., under no-flow conditions), the instrumentation captures the signal difference generated by the system (including pickoff mismatch, cabling mismatch, instrumentation mismatch) and subtracts this offset from all subsequent phase measurements. However, a one-time zeroing does not guarantee proper operation, as the cabling/sensor system characteristics can and will change over time.
Prior art flow meters do not autonomously and continuously compensate for signal differences due to the inherent characteristics of cabling and pickoff sensors. Prior art flow meters do not perform compensation outside of the meter electronics.


An MMC converter linked to a HVDC system and a sub-module are proposed. The sub-module includes: first and second power semiconductor switches serially connected in the same direction, each including a semiconductor switch and a diode connected in anti-parallel to the semiconductor switch; a capacitor parallelly connected to the first and second power semiconductor switches serially connected; a first terminal connected to a first node between the first and second power semiconductor switches; a second terminal connected to a second node between the second power semiconductor switch and the capacitor; a third power semiconductor switch of which a side is connected to the second node, the third power semiconductor switch including a semiconductor switch and a diode connected in anti-parallel to the semiconductor switch; and a third terminal connected to a terminal of an AC grid system and connected to the other side of the third power semiconductor switch.

A high voltage direct current (HVDC) system converts AC power produced in power plants into DC power and transmits the power to receiving ends where the power is converted again into AC power to supply to a load. The HVDC system is capable of efficient and economical power transmission through voltage boosting and has advantages such as enabling connection of heterogeneous systems and long-distance, high-efficiency power transmission.
This HVDC system may be linked to the MMC converter. The conventional MMC converter is composed of one or more phase modules 1 as shown in FIG. 1. Each of these phase modules 1 is composed of a plurality of sub-modules 2 connected in series to each other.
The conventional sub-module 2 is configured to be a half-bridge circuit composed of two power semiconductor switches 21 connected in series to each other and a capacitor 22 connected in parallel thereto, as shown in FIG. 2a, or a full-bridge circuit composed of a pair of two power semiconductor switches 21 connected in series to each other and a capacitor 22 connected in parallel thereto as shown in FIG. 2b. Two terminals X1 and X2 are provided in each of the sub-modules 2 so that the upper and lower sub-modules are connected to each other in series through the two terminals X1 and X2.
Each phase module 1 is connected to each of terminals L1, L2, and L3 for connecting to an AC grid system. The upper converter arm 1a and the lower converter arm 1b are distinguished on the basis of each terminal L1, L2 and L3. The second terminal X2 of the lowermost sub-module of the upper converter arm 1a and the first terminal X1 of the uppermost sub-module of the lower converter arm 1b may be connected to any one of the terminals L1, L2, and L3 of the AC grid system. The AC grid system may for example be a three-phase AC power system.
In the conventional MMC converter, a sub-module 2 constituting the upper converter arm 1a and the lower converter arm 1b is provided with at least one redundant sub-module 3 having the same form as the sub-module 2, for redundancy operation of the sub-module 2. The redundant sub-module 3 is to replace a sub-module in which a failure occurs among a plurality of sub-modules 2 in operation, and is input and operated instead of a sub-module in which the failure occurs.
However, since the redundant sub-module 3 of the related art may not be commonly applied to the upper converter arm 1a and the lower converter arm 1b, there is a problem in that separate redundant sub-modules 3 are needed to be respectively provided for the upper converter arm 1a and the lower converter arm 1b, thereby causing the inconvenience and increasing the cost.


An implantable device includes an electrode lead body and at least one stimulating electrode contact disposed on or within the electrode lead body, the lead body being configured and arranged to be self anchoring within body tissue. In addition, the invention is directed to methods of making and using such self anchoring implantable devices.

Implantable electrical stimulation devices have proven therapeutic in a variety of diseases and disorders. For example, pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators have proven effective in the treatment of cardiac conditions. Spinal cord stimulation systems have been used as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes. Deep brain stimulation has also been useful for treating refractory chronic pain syndromes and has been applied to treat movement disorders and epilepsy. Peripheral nerve stimulation has been used to treat chronic pain syndrome and incontinence, with a number of other applications under investigation. Functional electrical stimulation systems have been applied to restore some functionality to paralyzed extremities in spinal cord injury patients.
One disadvantage of these devices is that the electrode lead may migrate within the body. Migration may result in failure of the therapy or cause unwanted side effects. For example, some nerves are located next to or within muscles that may cause movement of the lead or catheter. Actuation of limbs may exert unequal pressures which can also cause migration.
The problem of migration may be particularly severe in cases of leads having a single electrode contact. Once the electrode contact has migrated away from its intended location in close proximity to its nerve target, the patient may have to use much higher electrical stimulation amplitudes to stimulate the nerve. In so doing, the patient may over stimulate the nerve endings resulting in pain and possibly even unwanted contraction of underlying muscle. In addition to these undesirable effects, the increased distance between the electrode contact and the nerve target may also result in an increase in the frequency the patient may have to charge the stimulation device to meet the energy demands of the higher amplitudes. This combination of side effects, painful skin over stimulation, undesirable muscle spasms, and/or frequent charging of the stimulation device may result in disuse of the therapy by the patient. Therefore, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation