A compact and inexpensive illuminating light source apparatus for a photographic printer, which is designed so that infrared rays emitted from a lamp are reused without dissipating as heat, thereby considerably improving the light source efficiency, and that color and other characteristics are not affected by replacement of the lamp, and further that the apparatus is easy to produce and simple in arrangement. All the components of light that is emitted from a filament (FM) of a lamp (S) are reflected by a total internal reflection reflector (R1) having a paraboloid of revolution, and the resulting parallel beam of light is perpendicularly incident on an infrared reflecting plate (RP). The visible light component in the incident light passes through the infrared reflecting plate (RP) and is used to print a film. The infrared component is reflected by the infrared reflecting plate (RP) so as to return to the filament (FM) of the lamp (S), traveling backwards along the optical path. Accordingly, the heating efficiency of the lamp (S) improves to such an extent that the greater part of the electric energy can be appropriated for visible light, which is useful for printing. Thus, it becomes possible to realize a high-intensity visible light emitting light source even with a lamp of relatively low electric power consumption.

The present invention relates to an illuminating light source apparatus for a photographic printer. More particularly, the present invention relates to an illuminating light source apparatus which enables an improvement in the light source efficiency of a photographic printer, and consequently allows an increase in the quantity of light usable for the printing process.
In a photographic printer (hereinafter referred to as simply "printer"), as shown in FIG. 4, light that is emitted from a lamp S is converted into a parallel or convergent beam of light by a reflector R and the light is then diffused through a first diffuser D1, a mirror box M, and a second diffuser D2, thereby producing diffused light that is required as a printer light source. Then, the diffused light is applied to a film F to print an enlarged image of the film F on photographic paper P through a lens L, whereby blemish or dust on the image recorded on the film F is made inconspicuous.
A conventional light source for a printer has a structure such as that shown, for example, in the sectional view of FIG. 5. The reflector R has a reflecting multilayer film ML deposited on the inner surface of a glass substrate G. The reflecting multilayer film ML has such spectral transmittance characteristics that, among light that is emitted from the lamp S, only a light component in and near the visible region, which is useful for printing, is reflected, as shown by the solid lines in the figure, whereas infrared radiation, which makes up most of the light emitted from the lamp S, is transmitted and thus removed. FIG. 6 shows an example of such spectral transmittance characteristics of the reflecting multilayer film ML.
A reflecting mirror that separates and removes the infrared component from light emitted from a light source lamp as described above is called "cold mirror". Arrangements in which such a cold mirror is disposed behind or in front of a light source lamp have been proposed in Japanese Utility Model Application Post-Examination Publication Nos. 49-26665 and 50-2016, and Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 59-79236.
The reason why infrared rays among light rays emitted from the lamp S are not used for photographic printing is that, if infrared rays are absorbed by the film F and consequently the temperature of the film F rises, the density of dyestuffs constituting the image of the film F undesirably reduces. This phenomenon is sometimes called "thermotropy". Owing to the phenomenon, when a multiplicity of prints are produced from the same film image, the hue of the finished prints gradually changes. This is unfavorable for color prints, in which importance is attached to the stability of color tone. It is necessary in order to suppress such phenomenon to cut off infrared rays so that no heat will be generated from illuminating light that is applied to the film F. With regard to the spectral sensitivities for three colors of color photographic paper P, the spectral sensitivity for red covers a considerable part of the infrared region. On the other hand, the spectral sensitivity of a photodetector for measuring light passing through the film F, which is used for exposure control, does not cover the infrared region. Accordingly, if exposure control is effected with the spectral sensitivity difference between them left as it is, it is impossible to detect that the color photographic paper P is being exposed to infrared rays which cannot be detected with the photodetector. Therefore, exposure control cannot accurately be effected. In order to allow the spectral characteristics of the color photographic paper P and the photodetector to match each other, it is necessary to exclude infrared rays from the illuminating light source. For the above-described reasons, the infrared component is separated and removed by the cold mirror ML, etc.
In the conventional printer light source in which the infrared component is separated and removed from light emitted from the lamp S by using the cold mirror ML, as described above, the infrared radiation, which accounts for 80% or more of the energy emitted from the lamp S, is all dissipated as thermal energy. With regard to the remaining visible light also, only a part of it is used for printing. The transmitted infrared rays are absorbed by an infrared absorbing object (not shown) which is present around the reflector R, and thus escape in the form of heat. Accordingly, a fan for cooling the object around the reflector R is also required. For this reason, the conventional printer light source has been unavoidably large in size and costly.
The present applicant has proposed some techniques concerning diffusers in order to improve the light source efficiency, which has heretofore been inferior as described above, in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) Nos. 1-298337 and 2-278243, and Japanese Patent Application No. 6-66049.
Incidentally, there has been proposed a halogen lamp with an infrared reflecting film, in which, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 7, infrared rays emitted from a filament FM of a lamp S are reflected back to the filament FM by an infrared ray reflecting film RL provided on the inner surface of a glass tube which constitutes the lamp S, thereby utilizing the reflected infrared rays for heating the filament FM (see "Nikkei Electronics", Jun. 24, 1991, P.145). The proposed arrangement enables infrared rays emitted from the lamp to be reduced by about 40%, and also makes it possible to reduce the consumed electric power by about 15%.
However, if a light source that employs such a halogen lamp with an infrared reflecting film is applied to a photographic printer, the following problems arise:
(1) The infrared reflecting film must be deposited on the inner surface of the tube of the lamp, and it is extremely difficult to produce a reflecting film having precise spectral characteristics on such a curved surface by vapor deposition, and it is also difficult to obtain the required spectral characteristics with satisfactory accuracy. PA1 (2) Since the infrared reflecting film is formed on the inner surface of the tube of the lamp, it is an integral part of the lamp itself. Consequently, when the lamp is to be replaced with a new one because its lifetime has expired, the infrared reflecting film must also be replaced together with the lamp. Thus, since the lamp which is to be replaced is per se costly, the lamp and the infrared reflecting film constitute in combination an expensive expendable article. Strictly speaking, the spectral characteristics of the reflecting film of the lamp replacing the old one are different from those of the former reflecting film. Therefore, the color components of light rays emitted from the old and new lamps are also different from each other.
Particularly, the problem (2) is fatal to a printer light source which needs to replace the lamp frequently.

Illuminating light source apparatus for photographic printer


An aerial drop cable comprises a jacket surrounding a cavity containing a least one loosely housed optical fiber and a pair of reinforcing members composed of a plurality of high modulus fibers such as polybenzoxazole (PBO) fibers. The cross-sectional area of the reinforcing members is larger than the cross-sectional area of the cavity so that the optical fiber disposed in the cavity is protected from lateral compressive forces. By utilizing reinforcing members which are composed of PBO fibers, the diameter of the reinforcing members is reduced as compared with conventional reinforcing members composed of aramid, metal or glass thereby providing a substantial reduction in the amount of jacketing material and the weight of the cable. Further, the bending strain of the cable utilizing PBO reinforcing members is substantially reduced for an equivalent bending radius as compared with cables utilizing conventional reinforcing members due to the smaller diameter of the reinforcing members. Therefore, the bending radius of the cable is reduced providing greater flexibility for routing the cable.

The present invention relates to an aerial drop cable with reduced weight and improved specific strength. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical fiber aerial drop cable including reinforcement strength members containing high modulus materials such as poly(p-phenylene-2,6-bezobisoxazole) or carbon fibers disposed on opposites sides of a central cavity containing one or more loose optical fibers wherein the strength members protect the optical fibers from compressive loads.
With the advent of new technologies and lower prices, the introduction of fiber optic installation in residential homes or xe2x80x9cFiber-To-The-Homexe2x80x9d (FTTH) is coming closer to reality. In a passive optical network, small optical cables containing only a few fibers will be deployed directly onto customer premises for providing video, data and voice connections with superior quality and bandwidth. The optical cables need to be designed with appropriate materials so that long term fiber and cable reliability are obtained at a cost that is acceptable for the distribution market.
Conventional copper cables have limited data transmission bandwidth and are subject to electromagnetic interference. Conventional optical fiber cables are designed for different applications and thus, do not have the features which are required for FTTH applications such as compatibility with existing hardware, self-support over large distances, and low flammability. In the past, plastic compounds which are typically used in copper drop cables have not been selected to ensure reliability for fiber optic telecommunication cables. For example, the carbon black content and U.V. absorption requirements for copper drop cables are far lower than the requirements for fiber optic cables. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) jacketing compounds for copper drop cables contain only 0.5% carbon black by weight, whereas Bellcore GR-20 Issue 2 standards require 2.6%xc2x10.25% carbon black and an ultraviolet (U.V.) absorption coefficient of at least 400 at 375 nm. A high U.V. absorption coefficient is required to ensure U.V. resistance and a long service lifetime for the more expensive fiber optic cables and to protect light sensitive fibers from U.V. radiation when thin jackets are used. Additionally, materials that are non-reactive with optical fiber performance and/or fiber coating reliability must be selected. Use of traditional phthalate plasticized PVC materials can result in plasticizer migration to the fiber coatings which can result in a decrease in coating adhesion (as measured by coating strip force) and possible coating delamination resulting in catastrophic fiber failure.
Unlike copper drop cables, the presence of water and hydrogen in fiber optic drop cables is a significant concern. In particular, the presence of water or hydrogen in fiber optic drop cables can result in attenuation increases. Therefore, the fiber optic drop cables must be designed to prevent water ingression into the cable and the fiber optic drop cables must utilize materials that do not generate or release hydrogen.
Conventional aerial drop cables may be reinforced by metallic materials such as steel or copper, or non-conductive materials such as carbon fibers, aramid fibers, or glass reinforced epoxy rods. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,225 discloses an optical cable which utilizes a pair of steel or carbon fiber reinforcing wires disposed on opposite sides of a bore housing optical fibers in order to provide longitudinal support and protection against a crushing force applied to the optical cable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,225 discloses an optical cable which utilizes a pair of reinforcing members such as steel wire or carbon fiber disposed on opposite sides of a bore housing optical fibers in order to provide longitudinal support and protection against a crushing force applied to the optical cable. U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,352 discloses a fiber optic micro cable which includes reinforcing members manufactured of metal wire or non-conductive materials such as fiberglass, reinforced plastic or other dielectric materials. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,053 discloses an aerial service wire which utilizes a pair of strength members composed of a fibrous stranded material such as fiberglass or aramid fibers which are impregnated with a plastic material.
Aramid reinforced rods provide a high modulus and tenacity (e.g., Kevlar(copyright) aramid fiber manufactured by Du Pont Corporation has a modulus of 120 GPa and a tenacity of 24 g/D). Although aramid fibers are relatively expensive, aramid reinforced rods provide a higher modulus and lower weight than glass reinforced rods. Currently, aramid is the highest specific modulus material which is commercially available and utilized for reinforcement of composite strength members in dielectric cables.
The self-support span length of an aerial drop cable is very sensitive to the size and weight of the cable. As a result, attempts to achieve a longer span length by increasing the size of a reinforcement member (e.g., glass reinforced epoxy) may be compromised by increases in the cable weight and size. In particular, conventional cable materials may have a density greater than 1.2 g/cc which requires the use of heavier reinforcing members due to the higher cable weight. Moreover, the higher density increases the overall cable weight and cost and decreases cable flexibility. Accordingly, in order to maintain the cable elongation in a limited range, which is critical for fiber long term reliability, the only way to achieve long span requirements is by using higher modulus materials in the reinforcing members.
In view of the disadvantages of conventional aerial drop cables, it is an object of the present invention to provide an aerial drop cable using all dielectric components with reduced weight and size in order to increase span length and decrease ice and wind loading.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aerial drop cable with reduced bending strain for improved cable routability.
The present invention is adapted to achieve the foregoing objects. In accomplishing these objects, the present invention provides an aerial drop cable comprising a jacket surrounding a cavity containing a least one loosely housed optical fiber and a pair of reinforcing members composed of a high modulus material.
According to the present invention, the jacket comprises a central portion in which the cavity is disposed and two end portions in which the reinforcing members are disposed. In order to protect the optical fiber within the cavity from lateral compressive forces, the vertical thickness of the central portion of the cavity is smaller than the vertical thickness of the end portions and the cross-sectional area of the reinforcing members is larger than the cross-sectional area of the central cavity. As a result, when a lateral compressive force is applied to the aerial drop cable, the compressive force is absorbed by the end portions of the jacket and the reinforcing members. Further, by loosely housing the optical fiber in the cavity, the optical fiber is provided with freedom of movement and thus, is less prone to the bending losses introduced by stresses imposed on the cable in an outside environment.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing members are composed of polybenzoxazole (PBO) fibers. As a result, the diameter of the PBO reinforcing members is reduced as compared with conventional reinforcing members composed of aramid, metal or glass thereby providing a substantial reduction in the amount of jacketing material and the weight of the cable. Further, the bending strain of the cable utilizing PBO reinforcing members is substantially reduced for an equivalent bending radius as compared with cables utilizing conventional reinforcing members due to the smaller diameter of the reinforcing members- Therefore, the bending radius of the cable is reduced providing greater flexibility for routing the cable indoors.

Optical drop cable for aerial installation


A clamp (42) is mounted on a hollow rib (18) of a panel assembly (142). The clamp (42) includes a first clamping member (46) and a separate second clamping member (82). The first clamping member (42) includes a first section (50) that is disposed beyond a top wall (30) of the rib (18), and that includes an arcuately-shaped recess (58). The second clamping member (82) includes a convex, arcuately-shaped distal end (90) that is disposed within the recess (58) of the first clamping member (42) to allow the second clamping member (82) to pivot relative to the first clamping member (46) at least generally about the distal end (90) to secure the clamp (42) to the rib (18). An attachment (150) may be mounted on the clamp (42).

Many structures utilize a roofing and/or siding surface that is defined by a panel assembly having a plurality of interconnected metal panels. Various configurations of metal panels are available for panel assemblies. One known metal panel configuration includes a raised trapezoidal rib having a hollow interior and that extends in a longitudinal dimension along the panel, as well as a pair of raised sides that are spaced in a lateral dimension. Appropriately interconnecting one side of one panel with one side of another panel defines another raised rib for the resulting panel assembly. There is oftentimes a need/desire to mount one or more attachments of various types to a particular roofing and/or siding surface. It would be desirable to have a clamp that could be installed on a panel assembly having panels of the above-noted type and to which an attachment could be mounted.

Multi-piece attachment mounting clamp for trapezoidal rib profile panels


Provided herein are methods for treating nephrolithiasis and protecting the urothelium and inner lining of the kidney from thermal damage during lithotripsy by use of a thermosensitive bio-adhesive hydrogel. The described method dramatically improved the efficiency and effectiveness of stone clearance compared to conventional techniques while providing protection to the urothelium from potentially damaging temperature spikes.

Nephrolithiasis, commonly known as kidney stones, is a common urological pathology, affecting approximately 9% of adults in the United States. The gold standard outcome for the treatment of stones is stone-free status, defined as elimination of all stone fragments based on a post-operative CT scan. Residual fragments, even those less than 2 mm in size, are associated with stone recurrence. Flexible ureteroscopy serves as a viable first-line therapy for the treatment of stones less than 15 mm; however, after laser lithotripsy, and despite meticulous basketing of stone fragments, 40-45% of patients have stone remnants as the stone baskets are not designed to remove fragments smaller than 2 mm. In addition, there are smaller stone particles (known as "dust" that are commonly <250μ) that tend to congregate in the most dependent portion of the kidney. There is discussion in the literature to eliminate these residual fragments by means of aspiration, or by use of autologous blood to bind fragments together into a clot large enough to be evacuated using a stone basket, or by use of certain gel compositions (Cloutier et al. Urolithiasis. 2014 October; 42(5):441-444; Hein et al. J Urol. 2016; 196(6):1772-1777). However, outside of the autologous clot approach, such methods have not been clinically tested.
The advent of higher-powered lasers for fragmenting renal calculi has resulted in concerns over temperature spikes inside the collecting system of the kidney. Indeed, the superpulse Thulium fiber laser can lead to temperatures within the collecting system well in excess of the 44° C. threshold for tissue injury. To date, there has been no mechanism provided to mitigate this situation other than using a ureteral access sheath during the procedure to promote rapid flow of cooling irrigation fluid; however, the sheath adds to the cost of the procedure and has been associated with splitting of the ureter in upwards of 20% of cases in which it has been deployed (Loftus, CS, Monga, M. et al. JE: 34: 932, 2020).
Although certain poloxamer gel compositions have demonstrated the ability to protect non-targeted tissues from microwave-related thermal damage, use of a poloxamer-based gel to protect tissue directly exposed to high energy lasers used for lithotripsy has not been shown (Moreland et al. Cardiovasc. Intervent. Radiol. 38:722-730(2015); see also Johnson, Int. J. of Hyperthem. 31:551-559 (2015)).
Thus, there remains a pressing need for an effective method for removal of small stone fragments which contemporary flexible stone baskets fail to extract, as well as a method to protect the patient from potential harm from excessive temperatures or renal backflow.

Thermosensitive bio-adhesive hydrogel for removal of ureteral and renal stones

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


There is provided a method for improving optical purity of an amine compound of the formula I: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 indicates a phenyl group which may be substituted or an aralkyl group having 7 to 10 carbon atoms which may be substituted, and R.sup.2 indicates an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which is characterized by contacting a cutlture of a microorganism belonging to Arthrobacter having an ability to preferentially metabolize one optical isomer based on an asymmetric carbon atom to which an amino group bonds in the amine compound of the formula I or a treated product thereof with the amine compound of the formula I.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for improving optical purity of an amine compound.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optically active amine compound such as optically active .alpha.-methylbenzylamine is known as a useful reagent for optical resolution and is produced from the corresponding. racemic amine compound by an enantio-selective conversion with certain microorganisms (JP63-237796A(Laid-Open), JP1-174398A(Laid-Open), JP6-253891A (Laid-Open)).
However, the microorganisms were only suitable for limited specific compounds having a specific structure and they were suitable for conversion of the diluted amine compounds. Therefore, a further microorganism that can be used not only for the conversion of a diverse amine compound but also for the conversion of the amine compound of a higher concentration has been desired.

Method for improving optical purity of an amine compound


Embodiments relate to a method for controlling a vehicle using driver authorization, to an on-vehicle terminal, to a biometric identity card, to a biometric identification system, and to a method for providing a vehicle occupant protection function using the biometric identification card and the terminal. According to one embodiment, a vehicle occupant protection and tracking function is provided such that a smart key function is provided to perform driver authorization and vehicle control operation using a biometric identity card, a chauffeur service provision status is informed through communications between a terminal such as a mobile phone and the biometric identity card, and the vehicle is tracked upon receiving the information on the chauffeur service provision status. According to one embodiment, driver authorization and the vehicle control operation are controlled using a biometric identity card to prevent the vehicle theft, and the chauffeur service provision status is indicated to enable chauffeur identification and vehicle tracking.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
In the past, vehicle management companies such as taxi companies, car rental agencies, chauffeur service companies, truck driving agencies, manage the vehicle management in a manner that of assigning each driver to a corresponding driver, respectively.
However, there is the disadvantage that the vehicle management companies may be on in a defenseless state, since any person, who has a vehicle-key, can get into the vehicle and operate to drive even if the person is not assigned from the vehicle management company.

Method for controlling a vehicle using driver authentication, vehicle terminal, biometric identity card, biometric identification system, and method for providing a vehicle occupant protection and tracking function using the biometric identification card and the terminal


Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices wherein a selected layer is implanted with heavy ions in a pattern having dimensions of a via structure to be formed in a first layer of interlayer dielectric. In a first embodiment, the ions are implanted in an etch stop layer formed between a first and second layer of interlayer dielectric. In a second embodiment, the ions are implanted in the second layer of interlayer dielectric. Selective etch processes form a trench structure in the second layer of interlayer dielectric and form a via structure in the first layer of interlayer dielectric. The via structure and trench structure are filled with a conductive material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method of manufacturing high density, high performance semiconductor devices that have dual damascene interconnects. More specifically, this invention relates to a method of manufacturing high density, high performance semiconductor devices that have dual damascene interconnects using a phantom implant mask.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The increased demand for higher performance semiconductor devices has required more complex process technologies and materials to be utilized in the manufacture of semiconductor integrated devices. One way to increase the performance of a semiconductor integrated device such as a microprocessor is to reduce the gate width of the field effect transistors in the device in order to achieve high internal clock speed for the microprocessor. The reduced gate widths have increased the performance significantly, however, the interconnect structure of the microprocessor has proved to be a roadblock to further increase in performance. This is because as increased performance is required, more transistors need to be manufactured in the semiconductor integrated device. These added transistors require more wiring in the interconnect structure. The increased density of the wiring can result in a decrease in performance relating to RC delays. To counteract the degradation in performance due to the RC delays, additional layers in which interconnects are formed are manufactured in order to separate the wiring in both the vertical and horizontal directions. These requirements have necessitated the development of novel approaches in the methods of forming interconnections that not only integrate fine geometry definition but also can be efficiently implemented into the manufacturing process.
One method if forming a trench is a method known as the damascene process, which comprises forming a trench by masking and etching techniques and subsequent filling of the trench with the desired conductive material. The damascene process is a useful method for attaining the fine geometry metallization required for advanced semiconductor devices. A dual damascene process is a two step sequential mask/etch process to form a two level structure such as a via connected to a metal line above the via.
Current dual damascene processing technology entails depositing a triple layer sandwich consisting of a thick layer of a dielectric material, an etch stop material having a high etch selectivity to the dielectric layer, and a second thick layer of a dielectric material. The two level structure is formed by masking and etching through the top layer of dielectric material stopping on the layer of etch stop material, etching the etch stop material only, then performing a second masking and etching process with the second masking being an oversize masking. The second etch process is to the dielectric material underlying the lower layer of dielectric material.
A problem with the current damascene process is the number of defects associated with the metal etch back process associated with damascene processing. The problem is the residual metal particles that may be left after the metal etch back that can short out the circuit. A single damascene process is used to etch trenches in an insulating dielectric material. A conductive material is deposited into these trenches and the excess polished using a chemical mechanical process. This method shows dramatic reduction of defects, however, this method is time consuming.
Therefore, what is needed is a method of forming the via structure and the trench structure together.

Method to manufacture dual damascene using a phantom implant mask


A bearing apparatus for a driving wheel of a vehicle has a wheel hub (1), a constant velocity universal joint (3) and a double row rolling bearing (2) assembled as a unit. The wheel hub (1) and the outer joint member (14) of the constant velocity universal joint (3) are fitted to each other. At least one of the inner raceway surface (1a) of the double row rolling bearing (2) is formed on the wheel hub. A hardened irregular portion (5) is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the wheel hub (1). The wheel hub 1 and the outer joint member (14) are integrally connected via plastic deformation of a fitting portion (17b) of the outer joint member. The hardened irregular portion (5) bites into the surface of the fitting (17b). A connected portion of the wheel hub and outer joint member has a plastic deformed connection mechanism having an axial pull-out proof force more than 160 kN.

The driving wheels such as rear wheels of a FR (Front engine/Rear drive) vehicle, front wheels of a FF (Front engine/Front drive) vehicle and all wheels of a 4WD (4-wheel Drive) vehicle are supported by a suspension system via a wheel bearing apparatus. In recent years, there is a tendency to assemble the wheel hub, the constant velocity universal joint and the double row rolling bearing as a unit in order to reduce the weight and the size of the wheel bearing apparatus.
FIG. 14 is a longitudinal cross-section view of a prior art vehicle driving wheel bearing apparatus in which a wheel hub 50, a double row rolling bearing 60 and a constant velocity universal joint 70 are assembled as a unit. The wheel hub 50 is formed integrally with a wheel mounting flange 51 to mount a wheel (not shown). Hub bolts 52 to secure the wheel are equidistantly arranged along the periphery of the flange 51.
The double row rolling bearing 60 has an outer member 61, an inner member 62 and double row rolling elements 63 and 63. The outer member 61 has an integrally formed flange 64 to be mounted on a body of a vehicle (not shown) and double row outer raceway surfaces 61a and 61a formed on the inner surface. The inner member 62 has the wheel hub 50 and an outer joint member 71. The inner member 62 is formed with double row inner raceway surfaces 50a and 71a arranged respectively opposite to the outer raceway surfaces 61a and 61a of the outer member 61. The inner raceway surface 50a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub 50. The other raceway surface 71a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the outer joint member 71 of the constant velocity universal joint 70. The double row rolling elements 63 and 63 are arranged between the outer raceway surfaces 61a and 61a and the inner raceway surfaces 50a and 71a. The rolling elements 63 and 63 are rotatably held by cages 65 and 65. Seals 66 and 67 are arranged at the ends of the double row rolling bearing 60 in order to prevent leakage of grease contained within the bearing and also to prevent ingress of rain water or dusts.
The constant velocity universal joint 70 has the outer joint member 71, a joint inner ring, a cage and torque transmission balls (not shown). The outer joint member 71 has a cup shaped mouth portion 72, a shaft portion 73 axially extending from the mouth portion 72, and axially extending curved track grooves 72a. The track grooves 72a are formed on the inner surface of the mouth portion 72.
The wheel hub 50 is formed with hardened irregular portion 53 on the inner circumferential surface. The wheel hub 50 and the outer joint member 71 are mutually connected by fitting the shaft portion 73 of the outer joint member 71 into the wheel hub 50. The fitting portion of the outer joint member 71 is radially outwardly expanded to cause plastic deformation of the outer joint member 71. This causes the hardened irregular portion 53 to bite into the outer circumferential surface at the fitting portion of the outer joint member 71 (see pages 4 and 5 and FIG. 1 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 18605/2001).
This type of connection structure, via the plastic deformation, can prevent loosening and abrasion of the fitted portion and thus can improve the durability and the driving stability. In addition, since the connection, via the plastic deformation, has both functions of torque transmission and connection of the wheel hub and the outer joint member, it is possible to achieve weight and size reduction of the apparatus.
In this type of wheel bearing apparatus, it is difficult to confirm the state of the connection between the wheel hub 50 and the outer joint member 71 due to the plastic deformation connection. Thus, the confirmation of the strength and endurance of the connected portion is carried out by a breakdown test via sampling inspection. Thus, it is desirable to further improve the quality and reliability of the connected portion.
For solving this problem, the applicant has proposed a vehicle wheel bearing apparatus shown in FIG. 13. In this bearing apparatus a hardened irregular portion 53 is formed on a radially outwardly arranged member (in this case the wheel hub 50′) at the fitted portion of the wheel hub 50′ and the outer joint member 71′. The wheel hub 50′ and the outer joint member 71′ integrally connected via plastic deformation of a radially inwardly arranged member (in this case the outer joint member 71′) by radially outwardly expanding the radially inwardly arranged member. This causes the hardened irregular portion of the radially outwardly arranged member to bite into the surface of the radially inwardly arranged member. The members are axially secured, via a caulked portion 74, formed by plastically deforming the end of the radially inwardly arranged member 71′ (see pages 3 and 4, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 89301/2003).
However, such a bearing apparatus requires the caulking step or a retaining ring mount step in addition to the connecting step of the wheel hub 50′ and the outer joint member 71′ via plastic deformation. In recent years, the art has required not only compactness and light weightness of the bearing apparatus but an improvement of quality, reliability as well as low manufacturing cost.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bearing apparatus for a wheel of vehicle


The present invention relates to condensation products of silicic acid derivatives usable especially in optical waveguides and particularly to a condensation product obtained by condensing a silane diol compound (A) of the general formula (1): R12Si(OR2)2 (1) wherein R1 represents a group having at least one aromatic group and having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, and R2 represents hydrogen (H which may also be a heavy hydrogen D), with a modified silane compound (B) of the general formula (2): R3Si(OR4)3 (2) wherein R3 represents an organic group having at least one C═C double bond; and R4 represents a group of CnH2n+1 (n=a number of 1 or 2), in the molar ratio 1.1 to 1.4:1 [(A):(B)], and to a process for producing the same condensation product, as well as to an optical waveguide device fabricated using the same condensation product.

Characteristics that materials for optical waveguides are required to have are less light absorption and low polarization dependency in the near infrared region used in the optical communications, refractive index-adjustability, excellent patterning capacity for waveguides, less increment of optical loss attributed to moisture absorption, and high productivity. Quartz-based materials hitherto have been used as materials for optical waveguides. The quartz-based materials show less light absorption in the near infrared region, but have a problem in poor productivity, since the manufacturing of optical waveguides from these materials requires a lot of steps which undesirably include a sintering step at high temperatures.
To overcome this problem, a variety of polymer materials have been developed. For example, JP-A-5-1148 (Patent Registration No. 2851019) discloses fluorinated polyimide usable as an optical material for optical waveguides. Fluorinated polyimide-based materials, however, have a problem in polarization dependency since fluorinated polyimide has many phenyl groups in the molecule, and thus has polarization dependency attributed to the orientation of the phenyl groups, although having less CH groups in the molecule and thus showing less light absorption in the near infrared region. Moreover, the use of the fluorinated polyimide-based materials for optical waveguides undesirably needs a baking step at a high temperature, which leads to cracking due to a stress attributed to the difference in linear expansion coefficient between a substrate and a film thereon, and the reactive ion etching is needed for patterning, which increases the number of manufacturing steps, resulting in poor productivity. Further disadvantages of fluorinated polymers:                bad adhesion properties (Substrate/Polymer) of fluorinated materials        especially polyimides: high thermal expansion coefficient        lower glass-temperature Tg (polymers tend to crystallize, when the fluorine content exceeds a certain amount)
Japanese Patent Registration No. 3445485 discloses a thermooptic device comprising a specified silicone material. However, silicone-based materials also suffer from the following problem: A silicone-based material is cured by reacting the remaining hydroxyl groups or alkoxy groups, accompanied by the formation of water or alcohol. As a result, it becomes impossible to increase the thickness of the resulting film, which limits the kinds of devices obtained from such a material. Moreover, reactive ion etching is needed for patterning, which increases the number of manufacturing steps, resulting also in a poor productivity.
Further, organic/inorganic hybrid materials having organic reactive groups and siloxane backbones are reported as materials which show less light absorption in the near infrared region and less polarization dependency, and which can be patterned by photolithography and also form less by-products (cf. WO 01/04186 A1).
According to the materials disclosed in this publication, the hydroxyl groups of Ar2Si(OH)2 are reacted (alkoxylation) with the alkoxy groups of RSi(OR′)3 in the ratio 1:1, and the resultant resinous product is blended with a photopolymerization initiator to obtain a resin composition which can be patterned by photolithography. This material shows less polarization dependency, because, if phenyl groups are contained in the molecules of the material, such phenyl groups are not oriented on the straight chain. In addition, this material has more excellent properties compared to optical waveguide material, since by-products such as water, alcohol or the like are not formed when the organic reactive groups thereof are cured. However, this material still has problems in water- and moisture-absorption, because of residual alkoxy groups remaining after reaction of the hydroxyl groups of Ar2Si(OH)2 with the alkoxy groups of RSi(OR′)3 in a ratio 1:1.
As has been discussed above, there is no polymer material available that displays all the required properties in good balance in state of the present art.

Condensation products of silicic acid derivatives and optical waveguide devices using the same

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.


A magnetically anisotropic magnet substrate is coated with a triple layer of nickel plating preferably followed by a chromate layer. The layer of nickel plating includes an inner layer of a non-bright nickel plating, followed by an intermediate nickel-strike layer, followed by an outer layer of a semi-bright nickel plating. The inner layer contains much less sulfur than the other two layers, whereby the resulting difference in electromotive force provides a localized battery that permits the outer layers to be sacrificed without permitting the inner layer to be destroyed. One embodiment adds a copper under-layer below the nickel plating.

The present invention relates to an improved surface treatment for an iron-based permanent magnet including rare-earth elements and, more particularly, to a permanent magnet having high resistance to mechanical, thermal and/or chemical attack, and also having excellent magnetic properties.
Permanent magnet materials are very important electric and/or electronic materials which are incorporated in various items such as consumer electronic equipment used in homes, motor vehicles and peripheral terminal devices for computers.
Recently, the tendency to reduce in size and to enhance the efficiency of the equipment in which permanent magnets are used has necessitated a further improvement in the characteristics of the permanent magnet materials employed.
A new type of high efficiency magnet, which does not include highly expensive samarium and cobalt, is the R--Fe--B type (where R is one element or a mixture of rare-earth elements including yttrium).
This type of magnet exhibits an extremely high energy product, or (BH) max, of 25 MGOe or more. It includes light rare-earth elements such as Nd and/or Pr and Fe as its main constituent element.
A sintered magnet of Nd--Fe--B is disclosed in European Laid Open Patent Application 0101552 A.
A bulk magnet of Nd--Fe--B type made from rapidly quenched metal flakes (Rapidly Quenched Type of Magnet, hereinafter) is disclosed in European Laid Open Patent Application 0108474 A.
Although these magnets have magnetic anisotropy and a high energy product of 25 MGOe or more, they are inferior to the previous samarium-cobalt type of magnets with respect to corrosion resistance, because they include rare earth elements and iron, both of which are easily oxidized to cause, for example, red rust on their surface. The efficiency of the magnet and the uniformity of magnetic properties decrease when this magnet corrodes.
In order to prevent corrosion of these Nd--Fe--B type of magnets, various methods have been proposed to produce a corrosion resistive layer on their surfaces.
The idea of coating a resin layer on a surface of magnet material is disclosed in Japan Laid Open Patent Application 6377104. Unfortunately, however, the protective layer of resin is generally inferior to a metal plating layer. Because the resin layer is mechanically weaker than a metal plating layer, a scratch is easily made on the resin layer during handling when the resin coated magnet is being inserted into electric equipment. The scratched portion of the resin layer becomes a starting point through which the magnet and the magnet material can be attacked. Even if the resin remains intact, it is inferior to a metal plating layer, because the resin layer is very hygroscopic. It is thus preferable to coat the surface of a magnet body with a metal plating film.
A nickel-plated layer is superior to an oxygen-resist resin layer because the nickel layer itself is mechanically stronger and much less hygroscopic than a layer of resin.
However, it is a problem that a nickel-plated layer typically has many pin holes in contrast to an oxygen-resist resin layer. Because of these pin holes, a magnet body covered by the nickel layer is exposed to corrosion over time by water penetrating through the pin holes to the magnet body, even though the nickel layer itself is not hygroscopic.
The reliability of the corrosion resistive film is reduced if it cannot prevent attack on the substrate through pin-holes. When the substrate is attacked through pin-holes, corroded portions are produced on a magnet body under the protective film, even though a visual inspection indicates that the corrosion resistive film still seems to cover the surface of the magnet. It is important to compensate for the defects in the corrosion resistive metal film to protect the magnet surface.

Surface treatment for iron-based permanent magnet including rare-earth element


A system and method for vehicle compartment item presence indication senses an item within a vehicle compartment and notifies a user if the item is expected or unexpected within the compartment based on a vehicle state. Should the item be expected in a compartment during a phase of flight where the compartment is expected to contain items, there is no abnormal indication. However, if a compartment is expected to be empty during a specific phase of flight and the sensors indicate an item is present, the system will alert the user to the unexpected item.

Passenger vehicle (including aircraft, train, bus, ship, etc.) operators may receive complaints from passengers when they inadvertently leave items onboard an aircraft. An item left within an overhead bin may be difficult to recall after a long journey or late at night. A crewmember may be tasked with opening each compartment door within a galley to inventory galley contents. A cleaner may be tasked with opening each compartment door within a lavatory for lavatory inventory.
Similarly, in certain countries, crewmembers and maintenance personal may be required to perform maintenance and or security inspections of closed compartments before each operation. This process requires critical down time. Additionally, latched compartments incur a significantly larger frequency of cycles due to the inspections resulting in premature latch and door failure.
Therefore, a need remains for a system and related method which may overcome these limitations and provide a novel solution to determining if an item is within a compartment.

Compartment content notification and inspection device and method


There are provided a susceptor having a recessed wafer mounting section, in which a semiconductor wafer is mounted and which is configured to include a circular bottom portion and a side wall portion, on an upper surface, a reaction chamber in which the susceptor is provided, an imaging unit that is provided above the reaction chamber and images the semiconductor wafer and the wafer mounting section, and an image analysis unit that analyzes the deviation of the semiconductor wafer from the wafer mounting section on the basis of an image captured by the imaging unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a semiconductor manufacturing method and in particular, to an imaging device imaging a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that grows a crystal layer on a surface of a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including the imaging device, and a semiconductor manufacturing method.
2. Background Art
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus generates a substrate by performing chemical vapor deposition or heat treatment at high temperature on a semiconductor wafer and growing crystals on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. In this case, the semiconductor wafer is generally mounted in a mounting member called a susceptor. The susceptor has a wafer mounting section called a pocket, and the semiconductor wafer is mounted in the wafer mounting section. In addition, by the rotation of the susceptor during deposition, the semiconductor wafer mounted in the susceptor is also rotated. As a result, a uniform crystal layer is formed on the entire wafer surface.
For this reason, it is necessary to pay attention so that the semiconductor wafer is completely seated in the water mounting section during the deposition.
JP-A-2010-199586 discloses a technique of maintaining a semiconductor wafer at a predetermined temperature using a near-infrared emission source and a control system, measuring thermal radiation using a pyrometer, calculating the amplitude of fluctuation of the measurement result of the thermal radiation, estimating that the position of the semiconductor wafer is inappropriate when the amplitude exceeds a predetermined maximum value, and identifying the inappropriate position.
However, the amplitude of fluctuation of the thermal radiation is influenced by the material, of the susceptor or the semiconductor wafer and the like. Therefore, in the method disclosed in JP-A-2010-199586, there is a limit on the accuracy of the deviation that can be detected.

Imaging device, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and semiconductor manufacturing method


An improved baffle (24) for directing the light discharged from a deuterium lamp includes a plate-like member configured as a cylindrical segment (25), an aperture (27) provided through a central portion (26) of the member, and a flattened portion (26) about the aperture. The flattened portion is of such size and has a surface of such reflectivity as to substantially eliminate interference ring(s) of discontinuous light intensity from the light output of the lamp. A deuterium employing the improved baffle affords the advantage of markedly-increased light intensity, as compared with prior art baffles, at selected wavelengths.

Deuterium lamps produce broad-band ultraviolet radiation by maintaining a stable electric arc in a deuterium atmosphere. The spectral distribution of this radiation has a continuous range that extends from 160 to 400 nm. This continuous and stable characteristic of the arc makes deuterium lamps a useful source of ultraviolet light for analytical instruments, including spectrophotometers, liquid chromatography detectors, medical analyzers, pollution analyzers, calorimeters, densitometers, and the like.
Basically, deuterium lamps have a cathode and an anode arranged within an evacuated glass envelope that contains deuterium gas. A small restricting orifice is positioned in front of the anode to restrict the flow of current. When operated, a stream of thermoelectrons flows from the cathode toward the anode, thereby forming a "ball of fire" adjacent the anode. This "ball of fire" produces light in the ultraviolet range.
To this end, it has been known to provide a baffle adjacent the anode to shape and direct the light output from the lamp. Heretofore, this baffle was in the shape of a cylindrical segment, with a spherical recess positioned adjacent the aperture. Moreover, the surface of this baffle that faced the "ball of fire" was highly polished and highly reflective.
The particulars of such prior art lamps are shown and described in a catalog, "Deuterium Lamps and Power Supplies for UV Analytical Instruments", Imaging & Sensing Technology Corporation, Horseheads, New York 14845 (undated) and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,669. The aggregate disclosures of these two references are hereby incorporated by reference with respect to the background and operation of such deuterium lamps. In the '669 patent, the baffle of interest is indicated at 28, and is described as being a "opening limit plate" welded to focusing electrode 26. Upon information and belief, the shape and surface configuration of such prior art baffles contributed to the formation of certain undesirable interference rings in the output light pattern of such prior art lamps.
Accordingly, it would generally be desirable to eliminate such interference ring(s) from the output light pattern of a deuterium lamp, and to have the light intensity vary as a substantially-continuous inverse function of the distance from the centerline of the aperture.

Baffle for eliminating interference ring(s) from the output light pattern of a deuterium lamp


An object image displaying system according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes: a plurality of cameras which image a plurality of imaging areas respectively to create image data representing the image areas; and a server which is connected to the plural cameras, wherein the server includes: an identifying unit which identifies a position at which an object exists as a identified position; a selecting unit which selects selected image data which corresponds to the identified position out of the image data created by the plural cameras; and a display control unit which controls a display unit to display the selected image data.

An organization such as a corporation (office and factory), a hospital and a store makes a rule by which a party concerned can grasp a situation (presence) of an object, such as person and substance, related to the party concerned to make work efficiency improved.
It is assumed that the object is a person, for example, an employee of the above mentioned organization. Then, it is also assumed that the party concerned is a superior of the employee or another employee working for the same department for which the employee works. In this case, the employee gives the party concerned a message on destination of the employee or leaves a memo on a message board, when the employee is going out of one room to other destination room.
However, giving a message or leaving a memo causes the following problems.
As the first problem, presence of the object is not updated automatically. For example, it is assumed that the object is a person (for example, employee). In this case, the employee has to update his presence on his own initiative, when he is going out of one room to other destination room. In case that the object is a substance, the party concerned, who is related to the substance, has to update presence of the object on own initiative.
As the second problem, situation may be different in some cases, while the object exists at the same location. For example, it is assumed that the object is a person (for example, employee), and a room where the employee stays is divided into a plurality of departments whose businesses are different each other. In this case, the employee enters into a different situation (works different business) while the employee is in the same location (room), when the employee moves from one department to other department to work business of the other department. In case that the object is a substance, the object enters into a different situation while the object is in the same location (room), when the object is moved from a department, in which a certain process for the object is carried out, to a department where next process is carried out. Even if the object stays in the same location (room), the party concerned cannot grasp a situation, in which the object moves around in the room, such as for telephoning and arguing orally.
It is desired to represent precisely the situation (presence) which cannot be represented by the conventional use of message and memo.
Here, technology in relation to management of the object will be described in the following.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-325129 discloses a presence information providing system.
The presence information providing system includes a wireless terminal apparatus, a plurality of wireless base stations and a presence server. A plurality of wireless base stations are arranged in predetermined locations and carries out wireless communication with the wireless terminal apparatus. The presence server stores and manages presence information, and provides a terminal apparatus, which issues a request for presence information, with the presence information related to a requested terminal apparatus in response to the request for presence information.
The wireless terminal apparatus includes a receiving power measuring means and a measurement result reporting means. The receiving power measuring means measures receiving power of wireless communication with the wireless base station at a present location. The measurement result reporting means reports a measurement result, which is measured by the receiving power measuring means, to the presence server.
The presence server includes a storage means, a location estimating means and a location name reporting means. The storage means stores and manages a location and a location name in association with the measurement result on the receiving power. When the location estimating means receives the measurement result at the present location from the measurement result reporting means, the location estimating means estimates a location corresponding to the measurement result, based on a stored content in the storage means. The location name reporting means reads the location name corresponding to the location, which the location estimating means estimates, from the storage means and reports the location name to the wireless terminal apparatus.
The wireless terminal apparatus includes a display means and an update reporting means. When the display means receives the location name from the location name reporting means, the display means displays the location name as the present location name. When the update reporting means detects update on the present location name which the display means displays, the update reporting means reports the update on the location name to the presence server.
The presence server includes a storage control means. When the storage control means receives the update on the location name related to the present location name, the storage control means controls the storage means to change the present location name, which the storage means stores, to new present location name based on the update.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-57706 discloses a presence information providing system.
The presence information providing system includes a schedule managing server, a presence managing server and a user terminal. The schedule managing server is connected to communication network and manages user's schedule information. The presence managing server is connected to the communication network and manages user's presence information at least. The user terminal is connected to the communication network and sends message information, based on presence information on a destination user.
The schedule managing server includes a schedule managing unit. The schedule managing unit manages schedule information of user who possesses the user terminal.
The presence managing server includes a profile information managing unit, a profile information acquiring unit, a schedule information acquiring unit, a next possible communication extracting unit and a presence updating unit. The profile information managing unit manages profile information which includes information necessary for acquiring the user's schedule information at least. In case that the profile information acquiring unit checks the presence information and consequently, finds that the presence information indicates the user terminal to be unable to communicate, the profile information acquiring unit acquires the profile information on the user who possesses the user terminal. The schedule information acquiring unit acquires the schedule information stored in the schedule managing server via the communication network, based on the profile information. The next possible communication extracting unit extracts the next possible communication time, which indicates time when the user terminal impossible to communicate at present time will be possible to communicate, based on the schedule information which the schedule information acquiring unit acquires. The presence updating unit updates the presence information of the user terminal, based on the next possible communication time.
The user terminal includes a presence information requesting unit and a display unit. The presence information requesting unit requests the presence information, which includes the next possible communication time, to the presence control server. The display unit displays the presence information which includes the next possible communication time.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-214934 discloses a presence information processing terminal.
The presence information processing terminal can communicate with other communication terminal via a network. The presence information processing terminal includes an imaging means and a sending means. The imaging means images neighborhood of the presence information processing terminal. The sending means sends a picture, which the imaging means images, to other communication terminal, as the presence information which indicates whether user of the presence information processing terminal exists around the presence information processing terminal.


Disclosed herein are energy harvesting devices and methods of making and use thereof. The energy harvesting devices can efficiently harvest energy for motions at a frequency of 5 Hz or less.

Advances in piezoelectric or triboelectric materials have enabled high-frequency platforms for mechanical energy harvesting (>10 Hz); however, virtually all human motions occur below 5 Hz and therefore limits application of these harvesting platforms to human motions. To overcome this, new device platforms need to be developed with the capability to operate at high mechanical conversion efficiencies and harvest energy simultaneously through full duration of low-frequency human motions. The devices and methods described herein address these and other needs.

Energy harvesting devices and methods of making and use thereof


A method of producing a molded article including the step of inserting an expandable and contractible hollow elastic pressing member (2) inside a hollow molded article placed in a drying mold (8) and feeding a fluid in the elastic pressing member (2) to expand the pressing member (2) thereby to press the molded article toward the inner surface of the drying mold (8), wherein the molded article is pressed onto the inner surface of the drying mold (8) by the elastic member (2) in the expanded state while exchanging the fluid in the elastic pressing member (2).

In the production of hollow, pulp-molded articles, a molded article prepared by papermaking is dried by placing the molded article in a drying mold, inserting a baglike expandable and contractible elastic pressing member inside the molded article, and feeding a fluid in the elastic pressing member to expand the pressing member within the molded article thereby pressing the molded article toward the inner surface of the drying mold.
According to this method of producing molded articles, because the elastic pressing member expands and contracts repeatedly in a drying mold of high temperature, it deteriorates significantly and needs to be replaced frequently. It has therefore been demanded to develop a method and an apparatus of producing a molded article with which molded articles can be produced in a stable manner over an extended period of time without involving frequent replacement of the pressing member.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for producing a molded article which enable stable production of a molded article over a long period of time.


A swing prism endoscope with an actuating mechanism that comprises a control element that oscillates in between proximal and distal ends of the endoscope and is coupled to a distally mounted swing prism, a control surface with a variable profile, and an engaging element that contacts the control surface and moves relative to the control surface while contacting the control surface causing the control element to oscillate. The distally mounted swing prism that alters the viewing angle of the endoscope between a forward direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope and a side direction that is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope.

Variable direction of view endoscopes allow the user to change the endoscopic viewing direction without having to change the position of the endoscope itself. Variable direction of view endoscopes come in two general classes: rigid and flexible. Such endoscopes are useful when the user wants to see structures which are beside or behind the tip of the endoscope but can not easily move the endoscope shaft because of anatomical constraints or constraints imposed by other surgical instruments in the operative field.
Variable direction endoscopy is desirable because it affords surgeons greater flexibility in their procedural approach. Increased viewing mobility improves the quality of diagnoses, as in cystoscopy for example, where a typical diagnostic screening involves inspecting the interior surface of the bladder for lesions or tumors. The ability to look laterally and retrograde is important when doing this type of diagnosis because it makes it possible to visually cover the entire bladder surface, including the entrance region near the bladder neck. In ear-nose-throat and neurosurgical procedures, variable viewing is desired because the procedures are delicate, and the entrance ports are small. It is therefore not possible to manipulate the endoscope significantly without injuring the patient. The ability to look sideways and backwards is important however during and after tumor resection when it is necessary to keep track of tumor fragments, which if not caught can nucleate new tumors. Laparoscopy, another surgical discipline, imposes fewer maneuvering constraints but still benefits markedly from variable direction viewing because it allows surgeons to get better observation angles during a procedure and increases diagnostic capabilities. Also, because of the greater viewing versatility, variable direction of view endoscopes can minimize conflicts with other tools and can simplify surgical planning by their ability to achieve standard viewing angles from nonstandard positions, allowing the surgeon to keep the endoscope "off to the side" but still get the desired view.
A fundamental feature of variable direction endoscopy is that it generally makes it possible for surgeons to eliminate "blind movements." A blind movement is the process of moving an instrument inside a patient without being able to see where the instrument is heading. This can occur when it is necessary to advance a fixed-angle side viewing endoscope in its length direction without being able to see what is ahead of the scope, or when a surgical tool has to be manipulated at the boundary of the endoscopic field of view.
Generally, rigid scopes are easier for surgeons to control than flexible scopes. This is because there is a rigid connection between the tip of the endoscope and the surgeon's hand. When the surgeon moves her hand, the movement of the proximal end of the scope translates directly to the distal end of the scope, and it is easy for the user to develop a mental picture of how the scope tip moves based on her hand movement. This is not true of flexible endoscopes where the dynamic relationship between the distal and proximal ends of the scope is not always obvious. For this reason, use of flexible endoscopes often requires substantial training, and therefore many surgeons prefer rigid scopes if the situation permits.
Rigid and flexible scopes are typically designed for different applications, and they are not interchangeable. While flexible scopes have been widely adopted in the medical marketplace, rigid variable direction of view scopes have yet to establish themselves. A number of rigid variable direction of view endoscopes have been presented over the years, all with the goal of providing the surgeon with improved viewing mobility over traditional fixed-angle endoscopes. They have achieved this goal, but unfortunately their drawbacks have outweighed their advantages. For a given diameter the image quality delivered by a rigid variable direction of view endoscope is generally not as good as that delivered by a fixed-angle endoscope because some of the optical channel must be sacrificed in favor of the actuation mechanism, which also limits the field of view. The actuation mechanism adds complexity and cost to the design, manufacturing and assembly processes. The added mechanical complexity in turn reduces robustness and makes sterilization more difficult. Further, making variable direction of view endoscopes ergonomic and user-friendly is challenging. In several surgical disciplines, especially laparoscopy, it is necessary for the surgeon to be able to hold the endoscope flat across the patient's body in order to access certain parts of the anatomy. This practice requires that the endoscope have a minimal handle which is generally symmetric about the main axis of the endoscope. Therefore, gun-grip type handles are not suitable for surgical applications.
Another significant problem with current variable direction of view endoscopes (flexible or rigid with flex tip) is disorientation. As the endoscopic line of sight is changed, the user faces two difficulties. The first is keeping track of where the endoscope is "looking." With a rigid fixed-angle endoscope it is relatively easy for the user to extrapolate the endoscopic viewing direction from the position of the endoscope shaft. This is not the case when the viewing direction is regularly changed relative to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope; the user quickly loses track of spatial orientation within the anatomy being observed. The second difficulty is keeping track of what is "up" in the endoscopic image. Depending on the view-changing mechanism, the image will rotate relative to the surroundings, and the user frequently loses orientation. This disorientation is often not correctable, especially in variable direction of view scopes which have distal imagers and no facility for changing image orientation.
Given the difficulties of variable direction endoscopes, it is common for surgeons to utilize rigid endoscopes with fixed viewing angles. Surgeons rely heavily on knowing that a certain endoscope provides a 30 or 45 degree viewing angle. This preference for using multiple fixed angle endoscopes is due in part to the fact that a surgeon knows that for a particular endoscope they can dependably know what the anatomy should look like.
What is desired, therefore, is a variable direction of view endoscope with an actuation mechanism that reduces the complexity and cost of the device while also providing a device that is robust and provides for ease of sterilization. What is further desired is an actuation mechanism that minimizes the amount of optical channel that is sacrificed for the mechanism. What is also desired is a variable view endoscope that is ergonomic to improve the handling and ease of use of the device. What is still further desired is a variable view endoscope that assists the surgeon in maintaining spatial orientation when altering the viewing angle.


This disclosure relates generally to a container and tube set and methods for fluid delivery, and particularly an integrated container and tube set suitable for use with an endoscope to supply liquids and/or gases to the endoscope. The integrated container and tubes may include a container (e.g., water reservoir) containing a fluid and a gas, and a plurality of tubes integrally formed with the container. The integrated container may include an irrigation supply tube having a first lumen in fluid communication with the fluid, a lens wash supply tube having a second lumen in fluid communication with the fluid, a gas supply tube having a third lumen in operative communication with the gas, and an optional alternative gas supply tube having a fourth lumen in fluid communication with the gas. The lens wash supply tube and the gas supply tube may be formed as a single, multi-lumen tube.

Conventionally, endoscope devices have been widely used for performing diagnostic and/or therapeutic treatments. Such endoscope devices sometimes include a fluid capability, or the like, configured to feed fluid to the end of the endoscope for insufflating the inside of the patient at the target site. Lens wash provides a liquid such as sterilized water at relatively high pressure to spray across and clear the camera lens of debris. The water source for lens wash and irrigation typically has included one or more fluid reservoirs with tubing and cap assemblies that creates the plumbing circuit in connection with the endoscope channels and valving to accomplish the gas and water functions described. Such tubing and cap assemblies are available in various configurations, which typically involve a water bottle, a cap fitted for the specific bottle, and an array of tubing that is extendable through openings in the cap. The tubing typically is arranged to accommodate a specific configuration of endoscope fittings and valving.
It is with these considerations in mind that the improvements of the present disclosure may be useful.

Integrated container and tube set for fluid delivery with an endoscope


A method for patterning biomaterials is presented. The biomaterials exhibit biological activity after patterning. The use of bio-compatible imaging materials and solvents allows conventional lithographic patterning methods to be applied to patterning biomolecules. The method allows deposition of multiple layers without subsequent layers affecting earlier laid deposits and can pattern multiple different biomolecules on a single surface.

Tremendous advances have recently been made in the field of bioelectronics. Biosensors, biological microelectromechanical systems (bio-MEMs) and microfluidic devices are revolutionizing biological and medical research. Similarly, the development of biomolecular arrays and regenerative therapies are enabling unprecedented studies in fundamental biology and applications in tissue engineering, respectively.
The ability to define multiple biomolecules on a single surface while retaining their functionality is integral to the development of, for example, bio-devices, for biomolecule microarrays and in tissue engineering. Consequently, multicomponent patterning of biomolecules has become an active area of research. Patterning techniques for single component patterning have been extensively developed. However, multicomponent patterning introduces unique challenges, which have yet to be satisfactorily addressed. Multicomponent protein patterning requires the ability to define multiple biomolecules on a single substrate while avoiding nonspecific binding and retaining biomolecule integrity. All of these issues must be addressed in evaluating a patterning method.
Techniques using photolithography, soft-lithography, dip-pen lithography, and spot-arraying have all been explored and represent the principal advances in the field of multicomponent protein patterning. Photolithography is a mature patterning technique that is promising for biomolecule applications as it allows for high-resolution and precise alignment, and is a high-throughput process. The greatest disadvantage of photolithography is that it traditionally requires harsh photoresists and developers as well as heating, which often leads to denaturation of delicate biomolecules. Many clever strategies have been developed to circumvent these requirements. However, these strategies are necessarily specialized and lack universal applicability.
Soft-lithography is an inexpensive and parallel patterning process, which also has the ability to produce three-dimensional structures. However, due to the elastomeric nature of the stamps, mechanical deformation necessarily occurs and results in pattern deformation. Furthermore, soft-lithography is limited by lack of registration capabilities. Dip-pen lithography offers the ability to precisely place nanoscale arrays of proteins; though, by nature, this technique proves to be prohibitively time-consuming. Spot-arraying techniques, including ink-jet printing, are able to generate arrays with spot sizes close to 100 μm. Although this can be a very cost-effective method, resolution is too low to be practical for many applications.
Conventional lithographic patterning methods are attractive for this application, but the fact that they require the use of organic solvents and imaging materials, which are in general damaging to fragile biomolecules, is considered a technical bottleneck. Preserving the integrity of proteins during the patterning process and non-specific binding remain significant challenges to be overcome. In particular, the issue of binding multiple proteins to a single surface has yet to be satisfactorily addressed, despite substantial research on the subject. Based on the foregoing, there exists an ongoing and unmet need for a method of patterning biomaterials, and in particular making multiple overlaid patterns of biomaterials.

Patterning of biomaterials using fluorinated materials and fluorinated solvents


A multidirectional windsock style decoy may include a body bag having a decoy head hole along a front end, a wind entry hole along a side, and an interior housing. A stay open collar may keep the wind entry hole open. The decoy may further include a back support having a top side, a bottom side, a front face and a back side a decoy head having a back side. The back side of the decoy head may connect to the front face of the back support. The decoy head may close off the decoy head hole. At least one side support may connect to the top side and the bottom side of the back support. The side support may extend out towards the stay open collar. A stake may be connected to the body bag and secured in place at a particular height off the ground.

The present invention relates to windsock decoys and, more particularly, to windsock decoys faced other than parallel to the wind.
Currently, windsock decoy spreads all look unnatural in that the decoys all face into the wind in the same direction unlike a natural flock of waterfowl that face in various directions. These windsock decoys, which all point in the same direction, appear unnatural to the large flocks of geese being lured and they become wary of the lines of decoys. The decoy head is generally placed above the wind entry hole of a body bag.
As can be seen, there is a need for a windsock decoy that positions in various directions other than just parallel with the wind creating a more natural appearance of a flock of feeding birds.


A dry-phase triglycerides test strip that can be stored at room or elevated temperatures for several months without significant degradation in its effectiveness. The test strip includes a test membrane which receives plasma and forms a colored response in proportion to concentration of triglycerides in the plasma. The test membrane is impregnated with an aqueous solution containing lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and 4-aminoantipyrine (4AAP). The inventors have found that by reducing the pH of the impregnating solution to less than that of the recommended pH range for one of the key components (viz., less than pH 6.0), overall stability of the test strips was dramatically improved. The improvement in storage capability of these triglycerides test strips represents not just a difference in degree, but a difference in kind.

The level of certain analytes in blood and other body fluids can predict disease or risk thereof. For example, the amounts of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood are a significant indicator of risk of coronary heart disease ("CHD"). Excess triglycerides in plasma is called "hypertriglyceridemia," and is linked to the occurrence of atherosclerosis and CHD in some people. Elevated triglycerides may be a consequence of other disease, such as untreated diabetes mellitus. Like cholesterol, increases in triglyceride levels can be detected by plasma measurements.
A number of enzymatic methods have been developed for determining triglycerides in plasma or serum. One method involves the following reaction pathway.

Dry-phase test strips are known which rely upon the above reaction pathway and which include the reagents necessary for reaction loaded into their reaction or test membranes. In these test strips, blood cells are separated from plasma, and the resulting plasma is then passed into one or more test membranes. Color is produced in the test membrane and is read by reflectance photometry and correlated to concentration of triglycerides. In a dry-phase test system, all of the reagents to carry out the color producing reaction are typically loaded into a single test membrane. Thus, the pH of the aqueous solution used to load the reagents in the test membrane must be compatible with all reagents.
In the above pathway, the reagents 4-aminoantipyrine (4AAP) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) are critical. Commercially available LPL is typically derived from pseudomonas. LPL starts the reaction above by hydrolyzing the triglycerides into their component fatty acid and glycerol molecules as shown above. LPL typically requires a pH range of 6–9 for its activity. On the other hand, the Trinder reagent 4AAP, which is responsible for color formation as shown in the last step of the above pathway, is not stable in alkaline environments. Generally speaking, the lower the pH, the more stable is 4AAP. Thus, there is a delicate balance of maintaining the pH of the impregnating solution high enough to maintain the activity of LPL on the one hand, and maintaining the pH low enough to maintain the stability of the 4AAP on the other hand. Stability of triglyceride strips is a problem, and the best commercially available triglycerides test strips known to applicants require storage at 4° C. to maintain their stability for even a couple of months. In these prior art test strips, the test membrane is impregnated with a solution whose pH is maintained at pH 6.2–6.7 . Further, an aqueous Klucel Citrate foundation is mixed separately and added to the impregnating solution, and the foundation's pH is also maintained at pH 6.2–6.7.
Prior art FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate that, prior art triglycerides test strips made by the assignee of the present invention are not stable for a significant length of time above room temperature. To generate the graphs shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a control set of prior art test strips was stored at 4° C., whereas other prior art test strips were stored at 25° C., 35° C. and 45° C., respectively. Triglycerides concentration in whole blood samples was measured at various time intervals using the refrigerated strips as a control and the other strips stored at elevated temperatures. The ratio of the concentration of triglycerides measured from strips stored at 4° C. versus the strips stored at 25° C., 35° C. and 45° C. are plotted in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 2 includes samples known to have a higher concentration of triglycerides than the samples plotted in FIG. 1. As can be appreciated, serious degradation in test result occurs within 4 weeks of storage for the strips stored at 35° C. and 45° C. For the strips stored at 25° C., the results are stable for a longer duration, but begin to degrade after 20 weeks of storage as shown.
It can be appreciated that test strips may spend several weeks in storage at the manufacturer's facility before they are transported. During transportation, if the strips are shipped without being refrigerated, the temperatures to which they are exposed can be quite high, up to 45° C. As can be appreciated, prior art triglycerides test strips cannot withstand such high temperatures during transportation. Thus, it would be desirable to enhance the stability of triglyceride test strips at room temperatures and elevated temperatures such that they can be shipped with other non-refrigerated items and stored in a room temperature environment.

Test strip for determining concentration of triglycerides


A dry, front-flush, pressure measuring transducer, which enables reliable measurements over a large temperature range. The transducer includes: a process connection made of a stainless steel and serving for securing the pressure measuring transducer to a measuring site; and a pressure sensor module, including a holder of stainless steel, into which a metal separating diaphragm is set front-flushly by means of a purely metal connection. A pressure to be measured acts on the separating diaphragm during measurement operation. The holder is set front-flushly by means of a purely metal connection into the process connection. The pressure sensor module further includes a titanium disk which is carried by the holder. A sapphire carrier with integrated silicon sensors is secured to the titanium disk. The titanium disk forms the separating diaphragm or it is physically connected with the separating diaphragm in such a manner that a deflection of the separating diaphragm effects a corresponding deflection of the titanium disk.

In a large number of industrial applications, pressure measuring transducers are exposed to drastic, sometimes very abrupt, fluctuations in temperature. Additionally, in certain industries, e.g. in the pharmaceutical industry, there are very high hygienic requirements. Normally in these industries, cleaning processes are used, in which the pressure sensors can be exposed to severe fluctuations in temperature. Examples of such cleaning processes are the so-called Cleaning in Place (CIP) or Sterilization in Place (SIP) processes, in which the containers are cleaned or sterilized without first removing the measuring devices or transducers. In such cases, for example, a spray head is arranged in the container for delivering cleaning chemicals and water or steam, and for rinsing, washing, or boiling the container as needed. Depending on the application, temperatures can range from e.g. −20° C. up to 200° C., for example.
Such a broad temperature range creates problems with respect to accuracy of the pressure measuring transducers. Pressure measuring transducers are usually assembled from various components of different materials, whose different thermal expansion as a function of temperature can lead to stressing, warping, and in the worst case, even deformation of the components.
Today, a number of pressure measuring transducers have diaphragm seals, which transfer a pressure to be measured, acting on a separating diaphragm, via a pressure-transferring liquid, to a pressure-sensitive, measuring element. Pressure-transferring liquids have coefficients of thermal expansion which work in such a way that the volume of the liquid contained in the pressure measuring transducer changes with the temperature. This leads to measurement errors. Furthermore, pressure-transferring liquids are never, or only reluctantly, used in certain applications in which there are high safety and/or hygiene requirements, because the danger exists that the liquid can leak out, if the pressure measuring transducer is damaged. In these applications, so-called "dry pressure transducers," i.e. such that do without a pressure-transferring liquid, are preferably used.
Today, semiconductor pressure transducers are preferably used. An especially preferred example is represented by sapphire carriers having integrated silicon sensors, e.g. silicon strain resistors or resistor bridge circuits. Such sensors are known from "Silicon on Sapphire" technology (SOS technology). They offer the advantage that they can be used at very low and also at very high temperatures.
In traditional silicon technology, the silicon sensors are placed on silicon carriers, and e.g. isolated by PN-junctions. However, this isolation is only effective at temperatures below approximately 150° C. In contrast, pressure sensors assembled with SOS technology offer the advantage that sapphire is a dielectric, which guarantees a good isolation of the integrated sensors at temperatures of up to 350° C.
Sapphire is mechanically highly stable, and has a crystal structure, which is compatible with that of silicon.
Sapphire carriers with integrated silicon sensors can be used in a very broad temperature range, and can also withstand sudden, drastic fluctuations in temperature. However, problems occur when, e.g., these pressure sensors are used in a measuring transducer made of stainless steel. Sapphire has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 8×10−6/K, as contrasted with that of stainless steel, which is 16×10−6/K.
Today, there are pressure measuring transducers, in which silicon sensors placed on sapphire are mounted on a separating diaphragm made of titanium. Titanium has a coefficient of thermal expansion which corresponds to that of sapphire. Titanium provides very high-value, but is also a very expensive material.
Another requirement of pressure measuring transducers, especially those in applications with high hygienic demands, is that of front-flushness. This means that the pressure measuring transducer must terminate in a plane facing the process, and especially may have no gaps, cavities and/or undercuts, into which the medium contained at the measuring site, and whose pressure is to be measured, can penetrate.


A body thickness estimation unit estimates a body thickness of a subject for each pixel of a radiographic image including a primary ray component and a scattered ray component, on the basis of the radiographic image. A bone part pixel value acquisition unit acquires a bone part pixel value which is a pixel value of a bone region of the subject, on the basis of the radiographic image. An information acquisition unit acquires bone mineral information indicating a bone mineral content of the bone region for each pixel of the bone region on the basis of imaging conditions in a case in which the radiographic image has been acquired, the body thickness for each pixel, and the bone part pixel value.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a bone mineral information acquisition apparatus, a bone mineral information acquisition method, and a bone mineral information acquisition program that acquire bone mineral information using a radiographic image including a bone.
Related Art
Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been known as a representative bone mineral quantitation method used to diagnose bone density in a bone disease such as osteoporosis. The DXA method calculates bone mineral content from the pixel values of radiographic images obtained by imaging with radiations having two types of energy levels, using the fact that radiation which is incident on the human body and is transmitted through the human body is attenuated by a mass attenuation coefficient μ (cm2/g) depending on a substance (for example, bone) forming the human body, the density ρ (g/cm3) of the substance, and the thickness t (cm) of the substance.
In addition, a radiography apparatus has been known which comprises two radiation detectors that include a plurality of pixels accumulating charge corresponding to emitted radiation and are provided so as to be stacked. Further, a technique has been known which measures the bone mineral content of a subject using each electric signal corresponding to the amount of radiation emitted to each radiation detector in this type of radiography apparatus (see JP2018-015453A).
However, in a case in which radiographic images are acquired, scattered rays are generated due to the scattering of radiation in the subject. In the DXA method, the subject is irradiated with radiation such that the influence of scattered rays is reduced. In order to acquire bone mineral information using the DXA method, a dedicated apparatus for irradiating the subject with radiation is required as described above. Therefore, it is difficult to use the existing facilities. In addition, since the DXA method calculates bone mineral content for each bone, it is difficult to evaluate bone mineral information for each part of the bone.

Bone mineral information acquisition apparatus, bone mineral information acquisition method, and bone mineral information acquisition program


A dishwasher retaining net is provided including a net having a plurality of cords integrally coupled to define a plurality of free ends. A plurality of hook units are each fixedly coupled to an associated one of the free ends of the net. By this structure, the hooks are adapted to releasably engage a dishwasher rack such that the net encompasses dishes within the dishwasher rack for maintaining the orientation thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dish retainers and more particularly pertains to a new dishwasher retainer net for maintaining dishes within a dishwasher in a stationary orientation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of dish retainers is known in the prior art. More specifically, dish retainers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art dish retainers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,008; U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,843; U.S. Pat. Des. No. 338,750; U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,826; U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,019; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,806.
In these respects, the dishwasher retainer net according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of maintaining dishes within a dishwasher in a stationary orientation.


A tubing hanger landing system includes a tubing hanger running tool, a locking flowline to lock the tubing hanger running tool into a tubing hanger, and a lower body shear joint comprising a recovery valve. The recovery valve includes a valve body with a functional port, an operational port, a bi-directional port, and a relief port, and a valve piston positioned within the valve body and movable between an operational position and a relief position within the valve body. The functional port enables pressure to be communicated to the valve piston to move the valve piston from the operational position to the relief position, and, in the relief position, the valve piston provides fluid communication through a relief flowpath between the bi-directional port and the relief port to release pressure from the locking flowline.

In subsea hydrocarbon drilling operations, a blowout preventer ("BOP") is used to form a pressure-tight seal at the top of a well and prevent the escape of formation fluids. A ram BOP achieves pressure control through the operation of ram blocks. The ram blocks are grouped in opposing pairs and are forced together during operation. Certain types of ram BOPs employ ram blocks designed to shear through pipe in the wellbore (e.g., drillpipe, a liner, or a casing string), hang the pipe off on the ram blocks, and seal the wellbore.
In some instances, a shear joint and tubing hanger running tool ("THRT") are coupled to a tubing hanger below the BOP rams. Thus, when the ram blocks are brought together to shear a pipe in the wellbore, communication (e.g., hydraulic) is cut between the surface rig and the lower body shear joint, THRT, and tubing hanger. However, well operators may desire to recover the shear joint and THRT to the surface to successfully complete installation of a Christmas tree on the wellhead.
The shear joint and THRT may be recovered by installing a shear joint recovery tool over the cut pipe and making up to the shear joint. Through hydraulic lines tied back to the surface, pressure is applied to unlock the THRT from the tubing hanger, enabling the THRT to be retrieved to the surface. However, in certain situations the shear joint recovery tool cannot be installed over the cut pipe because the pipe may be too deformed, which does not allow proper installation of the shear joint recovery tool. The shear joint and THRT may also be recovered by using a hotstab to apply pressure directly into the shear joint, unlocking the THRT from the tubing hanger. However, using a hotstab to apply pressure requires the removal of the drilling riser and the BOP, which can be difficult and time consuming.


A spinal interbody implant includes a shaft extending along and rotatable about a central axis. The shaft includes a first threaded region. The implant further includes a first link having a first end with first gear teeth. The first end of the first link is fixed at a first point relative to the central axis such that the first gear teeth engage the first threaded region.

Intervertebral implants are commonly used in spinal surgery, such as in interbody fusion procedures, in which an implant (e.g., a spacer or cage) is placed in the disc space between two vertebrae to be fused together. At least a portion of the disc is typically removed before the implant is positioned in the intervertebral space, and the implant may be supplemented with bone graft material to promote fusion of the vertebrae. Interbody fusion procedures may also be performed in conjunction with other types of fixation, such as pedicle screw fixation, to provide additional stability, particularly while the vertebrae fuse together.
Some such intervertebral implants often have an initially contracted configuration, such that they have a low profile in the superior-inferior direction, in order to ease insertion into the intervertebral space. Such expandable implants can then be expanded in the superior-inferior direction after implantation, so as to securely engage and stabilize the vertebrae on both sides of the intervertebral space.

Expandable interbody implant with teeth driven linkages