A passive electrical transponder may be encoded with a code corresponding to medical information, and the transponder directly transplanted in a patient's underarm area. Medical devices may also carry transponders to identify them for use with the system of the present invention. The code may be accessed with an electromagnetic hand held reader which is brought into proximity of the transponder. The medical information may itself be directly encoded into the transponder, or a code used which is then keyed to a corresponding data entry in a data bank or computerized data base accessible over telecommunication lines. With this invention, medical information may be reliably and confidentially recorded, maintained, and accessed with minimal patient involvement in order to achieve a high degree of reliability and accuracy. Also, medical information relating to patients and medical devices may be centrally collected over an extended time period and analyzed to generate recall notices, provide generalized health information and improve health care for all participants.

Over the years, there have been many devices proposed for use in recording and associating medical information with an individual. Most commonly, this medical information includes the basic information necessary for emergency treatment such as blood type, allergic drug reactions, closest relative, any on-going medications, and other similar kinds of data. In the prior art, various kinds of fill-in-the-blank cards, tags, labels and the like are available for use. These may stored in a wallet, worn as a bracelet or necklace, associated with a shoe or other article of clothing, or otherwise associated or attached to an individual. These prior art devices have met with limited success, for various reasons.
One drawback encountered with these prior art devices is the limited amount of information which may be conveniently recorded and carried. Secondly, the information is typically recorded by the individual himself and is therefore subject to mistake and/or error due to the fact that the individual is rarely medically trained. Therefore, the medical information must first be obtained from a doctor or other trained medical personnel and errors may develop through merely communicating this information to the individual. For the same reason, not all of the more pertinent information may be recorded as it may not be known or appreciated by the individual. Similarly, updating the information occurs only haphazardly, subject to the whim of the individual. There may also be problems encountered in retrieving this information at the time of its need. The location of the data must first be ascertained, and then the data correctly read from the card or other means used to record the data. Unhappily, an individual's own handwriting may be sufficiently bad to prevent the reading of data even after location of the data card. Additionally, the data entry on the card may have been obliterated or otherwise obscured. All of these difficulties represent drawbacks in the various approaches in the prior art which have limited the widespread adoption and use of these prior art devices.
With the advance of technology, other problems and lost opportunities are increasingly experienced. The increasing sophistication of health care, in many cases relying on specialists who diagnose and treat patients upon referral from a general practitioner, develop information which is almost never routinely entered by an individual in any self kept medical data history. This specialized medical information is routinely available only in the specialist's files or records which is generally separated from that of the general practitioner. Information such as laboratory test results, specific diagnoses or prescriptions, and other related data thus becomes routinely unavailable except upon further inquiry from a knowing source. It is not believed that there is a standardized methodology for collecting all of this information in a single repository such as at the general practitioner's office.
This becomes increasingly important with the advent of science, proliferation of specialists, and increasing mobility of our civilized nations populations. Unless uncommon care is taken by an individual, his medical records are often remote from and even lost from use at the time of need. Not only is this important for routine examinations and consultations for medical problems, but increasingly so for emergency situations. This phenomenon diminishes the value of any self kept records including medical data information cards which, at most, is what emergency medical personnel may expect to find prior to administering any emergency medical treatment.
The inventors herein are also aware of a passive electrical transponder which has been used in the prior art to mark or identify inventory items and even livestock with an identifying number or code for inventory purposes. The passive electrical transponder is quite small, generally comprising a cylinder 2 mm in diameter by 11 mm in length, and its code may be conveniently read by an electromagnetic hand held reader. In operation, the hand held reader is brought into proximity of the transponder and emits a low frequency magnetic field to activate the passive transponder and thereby cause it to transmit its encoded data to the reader. With this particular commercial device, no battery or other source of electrical power is included in the passive transponder which helps contribute to its small size. One of the patents which have issued which describes these commercially available passive transponders and hand held readers is U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,826, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. In this patent, the patentee suggests that the primary object of the device is for identifying an object, animal or person. However, the inventors herein are not aware of any usage presently made of this device for identifying humans. Furthermore, this device is presently used to merely identify an object or the like for inventory purposes, and such application would not seem to be particularly adaptable for use with humans as much less intrusive and convenient means are already available for such purposes, including driver's licenses, and other forms of "identification".
The inventors herein are also the inventors of the combination of a passive transponder and surgically implantable implants as disclosed and claimed in one of the parent applications and patent mentioned above. This good and valuable invention provides a ready means for identifying a particular prosthesis, including details relating to its manufacturer, date of manufacture, model number, and other desired data. This invention provides a ready means for complying with the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 and its reporting and record keeping requirements. This information and tracking is generally performed by a medical practitioner, in many cases the same practitioner who surgically implanted the prosthesis, and the data relating thereto maintained in the medical practitioners files. There is no system or methodology for reporting and recording this data, and updating it, in a centralized data bank which could be extremely useful for statistical analysis to track failure rates or otherwise form the basis for recommended action with respect to the existing user population. Additionally, the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 mandates reporting and record keeping requirements for medical devices beyond those which are surgically implanted. Examples of these include infusion pumps. Currently, there are over 250 makes and models of mechanical infusion pumps to deliver nutrition, drugs, hormones, and fluids to patients. Morphine pumps are used to deliver chronic pain relief. Food infusion pumps deliver nutrients to post operative patients as well as the premature, disabled, and elderly. Drug infusion pumps are used for treatment of a wide variety of clinical disorders including Aids, hemophilia, and diabetes. Should the infusion device leak, under or over infuse, or otherwise malfunction, the patient can suffer dire consequences and even die. Ventilators are another example of devices common in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and home health care applications. Again, if the ventilator should malfunction, the patient could suffer dire consequences. Various kinds of monitors including pulse oximeters and apnea (CO.sub.2) monitors are devices used very commonly in hospitals and even in home care situations to monitor critical respiratory parameters. If these devices fail to properly monitor and appropriately warn, a patient could suffer dire consequences. The Tokos systems to prevent premature birth are another example of a monitoring system used in home health care. All of these various devices are subject to FDA adverse event reporting, warning notices, manufacturer recalls, etc. Identification and tracking of these devices and their use with patients has become mandatory as a result of the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990.
The reporting requirements mandated require the owner of these various devices to keep detailed records of every patient who has ever used a particular piece of equipment. Accordingly, if an infusion pump is used in a hospital setting by 100 different patients over its useful life, the hospital must maintain these records. Proper sterilization, maintenance, and re-calibration testing records must also be scrupulously maintained. These reporting and tracking requirements represent a significant burden of administrative effort not presently funded or staffed by hospitals and will impact the cost of health care.
In a novel and unique approach, the inventors herein have succeeded in conceiving of the use of the passive transponder for direct implantation in a human with the transponder being encoded to correspond to appropriate medical information in one of several ways. In practice, the passive transponder would be encoded and would then be implanted directly into a human in a conveniently accessible location, such as under the arm in the armpit. Because of its small size, it would be unobtrusive and barely even noticeable to the patient. At the same time, the transponder could be encoded in one of several ways to provide ready and complete access to a wide variety of medical information. Furthermore, the medical information will have been verified and stored by trained medical professionals such that its accuracy can be relied upon even in emergency situations.
With presently commercially available devices, the transponder may be encoded with up to sixty-four binary bits of data. This memory size is expected to be increased as the passive transponder is further developed and improved over time. With this memory size, much information could be directly encoded and stored in the transponder itself. With at least one commercial device, there are three different ways to encode information into the transponder. The first of these is to encode the information at the time that the chip is manufactured. Ordinarily, if encoding is performed at this time, then a unique number would be encoded into the transponder and it could then be used to access data stored in a data bank, as explained more completely herein. Secondly, the memory chip may be encoded after manufacture, but prior to sealing the chip into the transponder envelope. If the chip were to be encoded at this stage, then custom encoding could be achieved which could be medical information associated with any particular patient. Thirdly, the chip could be manufactured and sealed in the transponder envelope without encoding, and perhaps even implanted in the patient. Encoding could then take place through a read/write operation with the electromagnetic reader as described herein. If encoded in this manner, custom encoding could be utilized to directly encode the transponder with medical information corresponding to the particular patient. With any of the three methods for encoding the transponder, a unique identifier may be utilized and the identifier used to access data in a remote data bank.
The encoded information contained in the passive transponder could be used to access a data bank which would be immediately available, for example over telephone lines, such that trained medical personnel could readily obtain the medical information on an emergency basis. With the remote data bank option, the amount of data which may be stored is virtually unlimited, the data bank may be updated or changed as the patient's information changed, and all of this data entry, alteration, and accessing would be handled by trained personnel in order to provide reliable medical data for the safety and benefit of the patient, as well as for reduced legal liability.
In addition to medical data relating to individual patients, data relating to medical devices and their use with patients may also be readily recorded and tracked using the transponder methodology. As noted in the parent application and patent mentioned above, transponders may be associated with surgically implantable prostheses. Data relating to these implants may be regularly collected and transmitted to a central data base which can record and track the data. Statistical analyses may be readily performed on the data at the data base in a secure manner through various methodologies and the results provided to various interested individuals and organizations with access limited by an audit or oversight commission. Furthermore, the transponder methodology may also be extended to non-implanted medical devices such as the infusion pumps, ventilators, and monitors mentioned above. Indeed, for purposes of the present invention, a medical "device" may be presumed to include any sort or manner of object, thing, or other assemblage which is related to health care. Other examples include transplanted tissue such as organs, skin, etc., heart valves, pace makers, and any other medical device, appliance, or thing which would provide usefulness to a patient over an extended period of time such as several years. Further examples include implants comprised of other mammalian tissue, cells, or composite devices such as genically engineered cells incorporated directly into an implantable device. Cornea transplants and blood vessel grafts are still further examples.
The wealth of medical data which is presently available, and its increasing amount and complexity, is creating a strain on the present medical data collection and recording systems which creates a long felt need for the present invention. One of the sad experiences of the world is the proliferation of the Aids virus for many years without detection due in large part to the lack of a centralized medical information data base through which statistical analysis could have identified this disturbing epidemic at a stage much earlier than that experienced. Societal concerns as to confidentiality can be satisfied through a "blue ribbon" international audit and oversight commission which could control access to the data base as well as the various statistical analyses which could prove highly beneficial for tracking various kinds of medical devices as well as the health condition of the many individuals who participate in the data base system of the present invention. There are many encoding schemes which are presently available so as to limit the access of any third party user who desires to access an individuals data for treatment or who wishes to update medical data for any particular patient after an examination, laboratory tests, or the like. For example, the data base could be segmented and separate look up tables provided to match particular patient i.d.'s with their individual data base entries. Any statistical analysis or other processing of the data base information could be performed without any access to the individual patient i.d. or look up table information to thereby preserve confidentiality and yet generate highly valuable statistical information relating to any data recorded in the data base. This applies both to patient information as well as medical device information. For third party users, access to the data base can be very "user friendly" such as by telecommunication over any telephone using a modem as is well known in the art. A computer or other input/output device could be used, with the proper i.d. information both to gain access to the data base as well as any individual patient records kept in the data base. Depending upon the desires of the patients, access may be as restricted or open as he desires, within limits. Furthermore, provision may be made for changing the accessibility of patient data over the life of the patient.
As is well known, there may be tremendous legal liability which could result from reliance on inaccurate data. This inaccurate data could result in any one of the many ways discussed above in connection with the prior art attempts to solve this problem. With the present invention the legal liability would be effectively minimized and could also be isolated and controlled for insurance purposes with those who are trained and skilled in handling this kind of data. With these advantages, it is expected that many medical personnel will welcome the adoption and implementation of the present invention.
While the principal advantages and features of the present invention have been described above, a more complete and thorough understanding of the invention may be attained by referring to the drawing and description of the preferred embodiment which follow.

Medical information transponder implant and tracking system


An integrated circuit structure is provided including a substrate, a low voltage device and a high voltage device. The low voltage device has a first beeline distance from a first epitaxial structure to an adjacent gate stack; and the high voltage structure has a second beeline distance from a second epitaxial structure to an adjacent gate stack. The second beeline distance of the high voltage device is greater than the first beeline distance of the low voltage device, so that the leakage current in the high voltage device may be decreased under high voltage operation. Further, a method for manufacturing the integrated circuit structure also provides herein.

Integrated circuit structures are small electronic components that are fabricated and integrated in a semiconductor wafer. Using a variety of fabrication operations, the integrated circuit structures are made and connected to form integrated circuits on the semiconductor wafer. The integrated circuits are capable of performing functions in operations of an electronic device.
In the electronic device, it is often desired to produce a semiconductor chip with various integrated circuit structures (e.g. a core device and an input-output (I/O) device) according to the requirements in processing speed and power. For example, the I/O device may usually need to sustain a high voltage in the operation. However, the leakage current increases with the high voltage operation. Accordingly, improvements in integrated circuit structures and methods for fabricating the integrated circuit structures continue to be sought.

Integrated circuit structure and method for manufacturing thereof

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A medical diagnostic ultrasound transducer system has at least a first and a second set of transducer layers of an element. Each set has one or more transducer layers with independent electrical access. A transmit event through a first set of transducer layers with broadband electrical signals generates acoustic signals containing at least two different frequency bands, and a receive event through a second and different set of transducer layers receives multiple tissue harmonic signals to generate a wide bandwidth response. Fundamental signals can be reduced with a pulse inversion technique through a second transmit event of inverted pulses, a second receive event and superposition of signals from the two receive events.

In medical diagnostic ultrasound harmonic imaging, acoustic energy is transmitted at a fundamental frequency. Echoes generated by propagation and/or reflections at a harmonic of the transmitted frequency are received. For example, a transducer generates acoustic energy in a band of frequencies centered at 2 MHz. The same transducer is used to receive the echo signals at a harmonic band of frequencies centered at the second harmonic of 4 MHz. The transducer may have a limited bandwidth, so the harmonic signals are positioned at a high end of the bandwidth. Given this bandwidth limitation, the received signals are generally narrow-band and may have weaker signal strength.

Medical diagnostic ultrasound transducer system for harmonics


A device for removing a tissue portion and cauterizing surrounding tissue, includes a pair of cutting jaws having a heat-insulated inner surface defining a chamber for retaining tissue cut by the jaws. The device includes actuating means for pivoting the cutting jaws between opened and closed positions, and a control means for directing cauterizing current to the jaws when the jaws in a closed position, to thereby cauterize tissue surrounding the jaws.

This invention relates to tissue sampling and removal devices, and more particularly, to biopsy and/or resecting devices which are used to obtain a tissue sample or portion, and cauterize surrounding tissue while the tissue portion is protected from the cauterization process.
Various types of tissue sampling and removal devices are shown in the prior art. For example, the following United States patents, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose forceps having jaws in the form of a spoon or cup-shaped element with a cutting edge about the periphery for both severing a tissue specimen and retaining the specimen within the jaws after they are closed: 3,895,636 (Schmidt); 4,522,206 (Whipple et al.); 4,785,825 (Romaniuk et al.); 4,815,476 (Clossick); 4,817,630 (Schintgen et al.); 4,881,550 (Kothe); 4,887,612 (Esser et al.); 4,953,559 (Salerno); and 5,052,402 (Bencini et al.).
Devices of the type disclosed in the foregoing patents exemplify sample or exploratory excision forceps, which are introduced into the human body, pinch or cut off a tissue sample and hold the sample on removing the forceps. The tissue sample is then placed on a corresponding substrate, for further analysis.
After the tissue sample is excised, bleeding usually occurs at the excision site. Various methods and devices can be used to cause the bleeding to stop, such as application of pressure, suturing or cauterization. A number of the foregoing methods and means for causing the bleeding to cease requires post-excision procedures, which requires the insertion of other instruments into the body at the excision site.
Utilizing the device of this invention, excision of tissue, retaining of the tissue and cauterization of the excision cite can be carried out with a single instrument, with cauterization taking place immediately after excision and without damage to the excised tissue. This expedites the entire procedure and ensures that cauterization will take place exactly at the excision cite. There is no damage to the excised tissue, since it is protected within an insulated chamber formed in the jaws of the biopsy device. The cauterization is accomplished by passing an electric current through the biopsy jaws, after excision has taken place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,559 discloses electrically conductive cup-shaped members, which in their open position, function as a dipole for detecting electrical heart signals. These cup-shaped members also are insulated from each other through an insulating body and pin. However, this device does not disclose the use of an interior insulating surface of the cup-shaped members to protect a specimen from cauterizing current. Moreover, although the devices disclosed in Schmidt, Whipple et al. and Kothe utilize an arrangement of overlapping cutting edges, they as well do not utilize an interior insulated specimen retaining cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,115 (Peterson) discloses an apparatus for electrical singe cutting of a thin material such as hair or paper. The Peterson device includes a tubular portion comprised of an insulating ceramic material which has a slot having stationary lined edges which are heated by electrical current to singe material within the slot. The Peterson device is not a tissue sampling device, and does not disclose a pair of jaws having insulated interiors.
Accordingly, a need exists for a device to obtain a tissue specimen to be used in variety of applications, while permitting the tissue surrounding the specimen to be cauterized without subjecting the specimen to the cauterization process.


The present invention relates to a process for preparing low-viscosity reaction products of polyisocyanates containing activated groups which react, with polymerization, with ethylenically unsaturated compounds on exposure to actinic radiation.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing low-viscosity reaction products of polyisocyanates containing activated groups ethylenically unsaturated which react, with polymerization, on exposure to actinic radiation, to a process for preparing them and also to their use in coating materials.
The curing of coating systems which carry activated double bonds by actinic radiation, such as UV light, IR radiation or else electron beams, is known and is established in industry. It is one of the most rapid curing methods in coating technology. Coating compositions based on this principle are thus referred to as radiation- or actinically curing or curable systems.
Because of the environmental and economic requirements imposed on modern coating systems, that they should use as little organic solvents as possible, or none at all, for adjusting the viscosity, there is a desire to use coatings raw materials which are already of low viscosity. Known for this purpose for a long time have been polyisocyanates with an allophanate structure as are described, inter alia, in EP-A 0 682 012.
In industry these substances are prepared by reacting a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol with large amounts of excess aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic diisocyanate (cf. GB-A 994 890, EP-A 0 000 194 or EP-A 0 712 840). This is followed by removal of unreacted diisocyanate by means of distillation under reduced pressure. According to DE-A 198 60 041 this procedure can also be carried out with OH-functional compounds having activated double bonds, such as hydroxyalkyl acrylates, although difficulties occur in relation to the preparation of particularly low-monomer-content products. Since the distillation step has to take place at temperatures up to 135° C., in order to be able to lower the residual isocyanate content sufficiently (<0.5% by weight of residual monomer), it is possible for double bonds to react, with polymerization, under thermal initiation, even during the purification process, meaning that ideal products are no longer obtained.
The preparation of low-monomer-content, allophanate-containing, polyurethane-based, radiation-curing binders is described in EP-A 0 867 457 and US-A 5 739 251. These binders, however, do not carry activated double bonds but instead carry unreactive allyl ether groups (structure R—O—CH2—CH═CH2). It is therefore necessary to add reactive diluents (low molecular weight esters of acrylic acid), which introduce the required UV reactivity.
There has also been no paucity of attempts to prepare allophanates indirectly, from isocyanate derivatives, other than urethanes and isocyanates. For instance, EP-A 0 825 211 describes a process for synthesizing allophanate structures from oxadiazinetriones, although no mention is made there of radiation-curing derivatives containing activated double bonds. Transposition to the particular circumstances of radiation-curing systems is described in WO 2004/033522.
Another route is the opening of uretidiones (cf. Proceedings of the International Waterborne, High-Solids, and Powder Coatings Symposium 2001, 28th, 405-419, and also US-A 2003 0153713) to give allophanate structures, which have also been already successfully transposed to radiation-curing systems (WO 2005/092942).
Both routes require high-grade base materials as starting material and lead only to an allophanate product which is rich in by-products.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,024 describes the preparation of low-viscosity radiation-curing allophanates by reacting hydroxy-functional monomers which carry activated double bonds with isocyanate groups of allophanate-modified isocyanurate polyisocyanates. The radicals attached via the allophanate groups are saturated, and so any possible higher functionality is foregone.
EP-B 694 531 describes a multi-stage process for preparing hydrophilicized allophanates containing radiation-curing groups. In that case, however, first an NCO- and acrylate-functional urethane is prepared, which is hydrophilicized and subsequently allophanatized following addition of a further NCO- and acrylate-functional urethane. As the process temperature for the allophanatization, temperatures of 100-110° C. are specified.
Finally, a process was presented in EP-A 1 645 582 that leads, starting from simple diisocyanates, through reaction with hydroxy-functional acrylates, without distillation of the products, to low-viscosity allophanates. A disadvantage of this process, however, is that a satisfactory reaction rate is achievable only with ammonium salts that are difficult to obtain. Additionally, the viscosities of the products described are not as low as, for example, the viscosities of the allophanates obtainable by the process described in EP-A 0 825 211.
It was therefore the object of the present invention to provide a process with which allophanates of lower viscosity—as described in EP-A 1 645 582—and crosslinkable by actinic radiation (radiation-curing allophanates) are provided which are obtainable with more easily accessible base materials.
Starting from EP-A 1 645 582 it has now been found that particularly low-viscosity radiation-curing allophanates of this kind are preparable by using, as the catalyst, zinc octoate in combination with a tertiary amine. EP-A 1 645 582 describes only the use of only one component as a catalyst. EP-A 1 645 582 also does not describe that through the combination of the two compounds it is possible to lower the viscosity by a multiple, despite the fact that EP-A 1 645 582 likewise deals with the problem of low-viscosity allophanates.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for preparing low-viscosity allophanates containing actinically curable groups


A system for controlling an electrical device that includes an enclosure and an optical signal.

The present application relates to a system for controlling an electrical device.
Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical system 10 includes a control panel 20 that utilizes a digital computer (or otherwise) to provide effective control of many associated electrical devices. The centralized control panel 20 determines the effects on the entire system 10, or a portion of the system 10, for enabling or disabling an electrical device 24. For example, such associated electrical devices may include motors, pumps, generators, fans, valves, generators, switches, lights, etc. One type of control panel 20 is generally known as a programmable logic controller, such as those sold by Allen Bradley. The control panel 20 typically provides a low voltage, such as 0-24 volts (approximately), to a pilot relay 32. The pilot relay 32 is attached to the exterior of the a contactor housing 26, normally within a pilot relay housing 30, which is typically further located within a motor control center. The pilot relay 32 is electrically interconnected to a contactor 22 which switches on (e.g., starts or otherwise energizes) and off (e.g., stops or otherwise de-energizes) a remotely located associated electrical device 24, such as a motor. The interconnection of the pilot relay 32 to the contactor 22 is typically by a high voltage (or current) connection, such as for example, 120 volts (or approximately). The contactor 22 may alternatively be any type of control device, such as for example, a relay, switch, or starter. The contactor 22 is electrically connected to the electrical device 24 by three power cables 28a, 28b, and 28c for a three-phase electrical device. One, two, or three power cables are used for different types of devices.
The system shown in FIG. 1 is the traditional system for interconnecting a pilot relay to a contactor and has several disadvantages. Initially, an opening is drilled or otherwise opened in the side of the contactor housing 26 and the pilot relay housing 30 is typically threaded onto the contactor housing. The 120 volt wires controlling the contactor 22 are "fished" through the opening in the side of the contactor housing 26 and interconnected to the pilot relay 32 within the pilot relay housing 30, which is difficult and time consuming if the available space is limited. The pilot relay housing 30 is secured, typically with a nut, to the contactor housing 26. The wire(s) from the digital control panel 20 are likewise connected to the pilot relay 32 for controlling the pilot relay 32.
The size of the pilot relay and accordingly the pilot relay housing tends to be rather large because of the relatively large size of the relay necessary to switch 120 volts to the contactor for control. Unfortunately, the relatively large size of the pilot relay housing requires space that may not be readily available, especially in a crowded motor control center. Over an extended time period because of the mechanical nature of a relay, especially in unclean environments, the pilot relay have a tendency to fail or otherwise make unreliable connections. For example, the contacts of the relay may corrode or otherwise the relay may provide surges in current which are unacceptable for reliable operation of the electrical device.

System for controlling an electrical device


A method of driving a liquid ejection head includes preparing a liquid ejection head including first and second flow paths, and a piezoelectric element, a first step of applying a first voltage, which expands the second flow path, to the piezoelectric element while a meniscus of a liquid recessed from an orifice toward the second flow path is formed in a first flow path to move the meniscus to the second flow path, a second step of applying a second voltage, which contracts the second flow path, to the piezoelectric element while the meniscus that moves toward the first flow path is positioned in the second flow path to move the liquid to the first flow path, and a third step of applying a third voltage, which expands the second flow path, to the piezoelectric element to eject the liquid from the orifice after the liquid projects from the orifice.

A liquid ejection head mounted on a liquid ejection apparatus, such as an inkjet printing apparatus, includes an actuator, such as a piezoelectric element, as a generator of energy for ejecting droplets. Such a liquid ejection head is advantageous in that it can eject various types of droplets (ink, for example).
In recent years, liquid ejection apparatuses have been used for diverse purposes, including commercial printing performed by a print on demand (POD) technique. In order to meet the demand for high-speed printing required in commercial printing or the like, an increase in the number of droplets ejected per unit time is required by the liquid ejection head. To this end, the liquid ejection head needs to be driven at high frequencies.
If a liquid that the liquid ejection head ejects on a recordable medium contains a large amount of water, the recordable medium may be deformed (suffer from curling, cockling, or other defects). To prevent such deformation of the recordable medium, using a highly viscous liquid that contains a small amount of water is desirable as the liquid that the liquid ejection head ejects.
However, a highly viscous liquid does not flow easily. Thus, a highly viscous liquid flows slowly in a liquid ejection head that ejects the highly viscous liquid. After the liquid ejection head ejects droplets of the liquid, it takes time to refill the liquid ejection head with the liquid.
In the case of driving the liquid ejection head at high frequencies, there is a need to quickly refill the liquid ejection head with a liquid. If a highly viscous liquid is used here, the liquid ejection head may not be sufficiently refilled with the liquid. If the liquid ejection head is not sufficiently refilled with the liquid, the liquid ejection head may fail to eject droplets.
PTL 1 discloses a technique for quickly refilling a liquid ejection head with a liquid. The liquid ejection head includes individual liquid chambers each connected to an orifice through which droplets are ejected, a common liquid chamber that supplies the liquid to the individual liquid chambers, and a communication portion that allows the common liquid chamber and the individual liquid chambers to communicate with one another.
In the communication portion of the liquid ejection head, multiple triangular prism members each having three sidewalls are vertically disposed. In each prism member, one of the sidewalls faces a corresponding individual liquid chamber and a ridge formed by the other two sidewalls is directed toward the common liquid chamber. Accordingly, the gap between the multiple prism members is narrow on the individual liquid chamber side and wide on the common liquid chamber side.
In this liquid ejection head, the prism members in the communication portion regulate the direction of the liquid flowing from the common liquid chamber to the individual liquid chambers. For this reason, the liquid easily flows from the common liquid chamber to the individual liquid chambers, while the liquid negligibly flows from the individual liquid chambers to the common liquid chamber. Since the liquid ejection head is refilled with the liquid by making the liquid flow from the common liquid chamber to the individual liquid chambers, the liquid ejection head can be quickly refilled with the liquid.
In order that liquid ejection heads can be used for further different applications, liquid ejection heads are required to accept a liquid with a higher viscosity or to be driven at higher frequencies. Specifically, liquid ejection heads are required to eject droplets with a viscosity of 40 cP at a frequency of 50 kHz. In this case, it is difficult for even the liquid ejection head disclosed in PTL 1 to be fully refilled with a liquid flowing from the common liquid chamber to the individual liquid chambers.

Method of driving liquid ejection head and liquid ejection apparatus


An ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer array, with an array of transducer elements that transmits an ultrasound signal and receives a set of echoes generated in response to the ultrasound signal traversing a flowing structure. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a beamformer that beamforms the set of echoes, generating a beamformed signal. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a pre-processor that performs basebanding, averaging and decimation of the beamformed signal and determines an autocorrelation of the basebanded, averaged and decimated beamformed signal. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a velocity processor that generates an axial velocity component signal and a lateral velocity component signal based on the autocorrelation. The axial and lateral velocity components indicate a direction and a speed of the flowing structure in the field of view.

Ultrasound imaging provides a real-time image with information about the interior of an object or subject such as an organ, a blood vessel, etc., and/or the flow inside a blood vessel.
Color flow mapping (CFM) is an approach used to estimate and visualize the flow inside blood vessels. CFM can be realized efficiently and made feasible using a low-cost velocity estimator. Unfortunately, CFM can only show the relative blood flow information of whether the flow is towards or away from the transducer. Hence, it does not show the absolute flow direction nor absolute velocities, and it is operator dependent.
Vector flow imaging (VFI) is another approach used to estimate and visualize the flow inside a blood vessel. VFI ultrasound imaging can simultaneously show both the absolute flow direction and the absolute velocity. However, VFI velocity estimators have had significantly higher "computational requirements" and hence more computational resources to realize images with similar resolution and frame-rate as CFM.
As used herein, the term "computational requirement" includes the number of operations in computing a given function. As used herein, the term "operation" includes at least a real-valued multiply-accumulate operation, a real-valued multiply-add, a real-valued multiply or a real-valued addition/subtraction operation.
This need for more computational resources for implementing VFI may add cost to a new ultrasound imaging system, relative to a new ultrasound imaging system without VFI capabilities, and/or prohibit VFI from being implemented on an existing ultrasound imaging system.

Velocity estimation for vector flow imaging (VFI) in ultrasound


An intraocular lens (IOL) for implantation within a capsular bag of a patient's eye comprises an optical structure and a haptic structure. The optical structure comprises a planar member, a plano convex member, and a fluid optical element defined between the planar member and the plano convex member. The fluid optical element has an optical power. The haptic structure couples the planar member and the plano convex member together at a peripheral portion of the optical structure. The haptic structure comprises a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid optical element and a peripheral structure for interfacing to the lens capsule. Shape changes of the lens capsule cause one or more of volume or shape changes to the fluid optical element in correspondence to deformations in the planar member to modify the optical power of the fluid optical element.

The present disclosure relates to medical devices and methods. In particular, the present disclosure relates to accommodating intraocular lenses (hereinafter "AIOLs").
Cataracts can affect a large percentage of the worldwide adult population with clouding of the native crystalline lens and resulting loss of vision. Patients with cataracts can be treated by native lens removal and surgical implantation of a synthetic intraocular lens (IOL). Worldwide, there are millions of IOL implantation procedures performed annually. In the US, there are 3.5 million cataract procedures performed, while worldwide there are over 20 million annual procedures performed.
Although IOL implantation can effective at restoring vision, the prior IOLs provide less than ideal results in at least some instances. Many prior IOLs are not able to change focus as a natural lens would (known as accommodation). Also, the eyes receiving prior AIOLs can have at least some refractive error after implantation, such that glasses can be helpful with distance vision. Although prior IOLs can be effective in providing good far vision, patients in many cases need to wear glasses for intermediate and near vision. Although prior Multi-focal IOLs that address this drawback have been proposed, the prior multi-focal IOLs can be less than ideal. Although multi-focal IOLs generally perform well for reading and distance vision, in at least some instances prior multi-focal IOLs may cause significant glare, halos, and visual artifacts in at least some instances.
Although accommodating IOLs have been proposed to provide accommodative optical power in response to the distance at which a patient views an object, the prior AIOLs can be less than ideal in at least some respects. For example, prior AIOLs can provide less than ideal amounts of accommodation after implantation, and may provide less than ideal refractive correction of the eye. Also, the amount of accommodation of the prior AIOLs can decrease after implantation in at least some instances. At least some of the prior AIOLs can be somewhat larger than would be ideal when inserted through an incision of the eye, and may require the incision to be somewhat larger than would be ideal. Also, work in relation to embodiments suggests that at least some of the prior AIOLs can be somewhat less stable when placed in the eye than would be ideal in at least some instances.
Improved implantable intraocular lenses that accommodate with the natural focusing response of the eye that overcome at least some of the above deficiencies would be desirable. Ideally, such improved AIOLs would provide increased amounts of accommodation when implanted, provide refractive stability, introduce few if any perceptible visual artifacts, and allow the optical power of the eye to change from far vision to near vision in response to the distance of the object viewed by the patient.


An inflatable sail comprising an inflatable enclosure having opposed flexible walls. The enclosure has a sail shape when the enclosure is inflated with an inflation medium. The walls are movable toward each other when the enclosure is deflated. A porous conduit is within the enclosure between the walls and is communicable with the exterior of the enclosure so that inflation medium can be removed from the enclosure through the conduit. The opposed walls are joined together at a plurality of regions to form a plurality of spaced batten pockets which extend from the leech of the sail across the roach.

My patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,961 discloses an inflatable sail which provides many advantages. Generally, an inflatable sail includes an inflatable enclosure having opposed flexible walls. The enclosure has a sail shape when the enclosure is inflated with an inflation medium. The walls are movable toward each other when the enclosure is deflated. An inflatable sail is believed to provide more power than conventional fabric sails.
An air pump is used to inflate and deflate the inflatable sail. During deflation, the walls of the sail tend to come together and seal off the opening through which the inflation medium is being evacuated thereby trapping air in the sail. Kinks or folds in the sail can also inhibit evacuation of inflation medium from the sail.
To increase the area of a noninflatable sail, it is known to provide the sail with a roach. To stabilize the roach, it is desirable to utilize battens which extend from the leech of the sail across the roach. It would also be desirable to increase the area of an inflatable sail.


An optical system includes: a first optical element; a first movable frame; a holding frame; a voice coil motor; a first position detection unit configured to detect information related to a position of the first movable frame with respect to the holding frame and generate a first position signal; a determination unit configured to determine whether the first position signal is normal; and a drive control unit configured to perform, when the determination unit determines that the first position signal is normal, first drive control for driving the first movable frame by controlling, based on the first position signal, a current allowed to flow in the coil or configured to perform, when the determination unit determines that the first position signal is not normal, second drive control for driving the first movable frame by flowing a current with a predetermined value in the coil.

The present disclosure relates to an optical system and an endoscope system.
An endoscope system in which an endoscope is introduced into a living body and a diagnosis of the living body is carried out by observing an image of an object captured by the endoscope has been widely used. In the endoscope system, a deep depth of field is needed in order to avoid an obstacle to diagnosis and treatment performed by a physician, such as a doctor or a nurse. In recent years, because the depth of field is decreased due to high pixelation of an image sensor, there is a proposed endoscope system in which autofocus (hereinafter, also referred to as autofocus (AF)) is performed, thereby focusing on the object. As an actuator used to perform autofocus, voice coil motors (VCM) are usually used.
As a typical problem of endoscopes, even if a driving unit that performs AF is out of control during treatment, there is a need to maintain the resolution enough to continue the treatment without pulling out the endoscope from the subject. For example, because a position detection device that detects the position of a moving lens is electrically weak and may possibly be failed due to temperature, humidity, or the like, a countermeasure against a failure of the position detection device is needed. As a technique of performing such a countermeasure, there is a proposed technique that includes an absolute position detection sensor that detects an absolute value of the position of a moving lens and a relative position detection sensor that detects an amount of displacement of the moving lens; that detects, by using a detection result of each sensor, whether abnormality is present in the relative position detection sensor; and that determines, if abnormality is present in the relative position detection sensor, the position of the moving lens based on the detection results obtained from the absolute position detection sensor (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 5384320).

Optical system having voice coil motor for moving a lens and sensor for detecting position of lens and endoscope system having the optical system


An optimum printing mode, which makes total printing through-put maximum, is selected by providing control programs comprising monitoring means 4 for monitoring printing condition of the printer, comparative means 5 for determining the printing mode which makes the printing time minimum by comparing the printing mode at the moment of the printer 30 obtained by the monitoring means 4 with the printing mode of the subsequent data to be printed based on information relating to a necessary time for switching the printing mode, difference of printing time necessary for one page with respective of the printing modes each other, and the number of pages to be printed, and others, switching means 6 for switching whether the optimization of the printing mode determined by the monitoring means 4 and the comparative means 45 is performed or not and selective means 7 for selecting the printing mode based on the result determined by the comparative means 5 or setting by the switching means 6, to printing controlling portion for controlling the printer, and the printing is performed.

The present invention relates to technology for controlling printing, particularly to technology effective by applying to controlling a printer, which has plural printing modes, for printing various printing information transmitted from a host computer.
In accordance with current change of information to increase variation and intellectual level, for instance, as described in "Nikkei Electronics" published by Nikkei BP Co. July 17, 1995, p 75.about.100, printers connected to computers have changed to be multifunctional, for instance, a printer capable of printing both color and monochromatic, and printing on both one plane and two planes has been practically used.
In using the multifunctional printer, conventionally, the printing mode of the printer has to be changed in accordance with printing information such as command/data, and the like, transmitted from the host computer. For instance, when printing sequence of color printing differs from that of monochromatic printing with the printer capable of both color printing and monochromatic printing, paper staying in the printer during printing operation must be removed once from the printer for changing the printing mode.
Therefore, the monochromatic printing and the color printing could not be performed continuously, and a technical problem, such as decreasing the printing efficiency by stopping the printing operation when changing the monochromatic printing with the color printing, was remained. That means, when a total through-put (the number of printed papers per unit time) is decreased by changing the printing mode, there are some cases of not so effective if the printing operation is performed with the printing mode just as instructed from the host computer. For instance, if the printing is performed in accordance with the printing mode of each of the pages sequentially when monochromatic pages and color pages must be printed continuously alternating each from other per one page, the continuous printing becomes impossible and the time necessary for printing is increased, because the operations for changing the printing mode per page and for removing paper staying in the printer are necessary.
As a countermeasure for the above case, for instance, a method for improving the through-put by dividing the printing to a printer for solely monochromatic printing and another printer for solely color printing can be considered. However, another technical problem such as increasing printing cost more than its necessity is generated, because two printers, the one is for solely monochromatic printing and the other is for solely color printing, becomes necessary, and an extra operation for dividing the printing data is required.

Method for controlling printing and printing controlling apparatus therefor


A telephone handset is described having an array of personal service buttons thereon employed by the user to carry out microprocessor controlled communication with a personal services facility. In an access mode of operation, by depressing one button, the handset will carry out dialing followed by an automatic protocol interaction and a subsequent transmission of account code specific to the user. The program then enters an interactive mode wherein the pushbuttons of the handset can be used for A VRS activity. Programming of the handset can be carried out by the dealer or at the user facility itself through the utilization of a small simple keypad which is coupled to the handset for that purpose. When combined with a security console, a priority protocol is established wherein security related signals are given precedence over handset activity.

The telecommunications industry has evolved from the provision of conventional telephonic services to a continuously and rapidly expanding range of communication services. Telecopier communication has become commonplace on a world-wide basis as well as personal computer based messaging networks. The relative simplicity of telephonic communication has led to the development of sales and service organizations wherein the conventional retail point of sale at a store or the like has been supplanted by a telephone operator or order taker and the ubiquitous personal credit card. Generally, the activities of the telephone order taker increasingly have been lessened or supported in the interest of time-based efficiency by Automatic Voice Response Systems (A VRS) wherein computer controlled, menu-driven voice communication is developed with the customer. With these developing communication activities, the point of sale is moved from a retail store to a communications center, and, in effect, to the home.
Customization of the home telephone service has commenced to occur. For example, home security systems are provided wherein the outputs of intrusion sensors as well as medical or similar emergency alarms are transmitted telephonically to centralized monitoring services with the use of auto-dialing or with dial dedicated telephone numbers such as "911". Services and sales organizations now seek to further improve these home communications techniques through the development of more efficient interaction between the home user and the personal services entity. This calls for simplicity in initiating communication, as well as to the automation, where feasible, of customer specific information, including the elimination of as many steps and procedures as possible on the part of the customer in concluding a transaction. The number of services available with this automated or semi-automated communications approach are extensive in scope incorporating, for example, travel services, banking, stock brokerage functions, retail sale operations in conjunction with television programs and the like.
A need for simplicity in the carrying out of communication particularly becomes apparent in such fields as "up and about" and "latchkey" monitoring. With the former service, elderly or disabled people living alone or in a secluded region dial a monitoring center at an appointed time during the day. A software based system functions to alert monitoring personnel for human intervention in the absence of such an incoming call. The latter, "latchkey" service monitors the arrival of a child at an empty home following school. A similar response action takes place in the absence of an incoming fall from the child within a preselected window of time. The procedure for placing such calls should be quite simple. The caller should not be required to recall a telephone number to be dialed, nor be called upon to carry out the physical act of dialing. Further, information concerning the call and caller needs to be conveyed without effort.

Personal services telephone handset and system


For realizing high speed one time programmable memory, bit line is multi-divided for reducing capacitance, so that the bit line is quickly charged when reading and multi-stage sense amps are used for connecting divided bit line, wherein the multi-stage sense amps are composed of a first dynamic circuit serving as a local sense amp for reading the memory cell, a second dynamic circuit serving as a segment sense amp for reading the local sense amp, and a tri-state inverter serving as an amplify circuit of a global sense amp for reading the segment sense amp. When reading data, a voltage difference in the bit line is converted to a time difference for differentiating high data (programmed) and low data (unprogrammed) by the multi-stage sense amps. And buffered data path is connected to the global sense amp for realizing fast data transfer. Additionally, alternative circuits and memory cell structures are described.

OTP (One-Time Programmable) read only memory is used in integrated circuits for a variety of applications including nonvolatile memory applications. They may be used as a single memory cell, or in arrays of memory cells to provide unique chip identifications and to set operating parameters such as clock multipliers and voltage levels for devices such as microcontrollers and microprocessors, and also high-density memory applications for various applications. They may also be used to configure, customize, and repair a chip after testing, in order to repair a controller's cache memory array. One-time programmable memories are typically implemented using charge storage, fuse, or anti-fuse approaches. Charge storage approaches have typically involved defining a bit value based on charge stored on an insulated metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) type gate structure. Such charge storage approaches, however, are not practicable with current and deep sub-micron technologies that feature very thin gate oxide because of the high gate leakage current that prevents a long retention time of the information. And other type of OTP memory is capacitor type, wherein oxide breakdown is used to program the capacitor type memory cells, as published, U.S. Pat. No. 7,102,951 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,700,151.
In FIG. 1A, a memory cell 100 comprises an NMOS transistor 102, a high voltage device 104, and a sense circuit 105 (depicted by broken line) formed from a program/sense NMOS transistor 106 and a sense amplifier 108. The MOS memory cell device 102 has two terminals, one coupled to VSENSE/VPROG terminal 112, and the other coupled to the high voltage device 104. The memory cell 100 is used in a MOS logic circuit operating with a VDD (supply) voltage of about 1.2 V. Accordingly, the voltage supply terminal 112 (VSENSE/VPROG) is set at about 1.2 V during sensing (reading) and in excess of about 3 V during programming. The high voltage device 104 is positioned between the memory cell 102 and the sense amplifier 105 to protectively shield it from the high programming voltage. The program/sense transistor 106 is an NMOS transistor with the sense amplifier 108 coupled at its drain.
When programming the memory cell, a PROG/SENSE control signal 116 is input at the gate of the program/sense transistor 106 to turn it on. And when the memory cell is to be sensed, the PROG/SENSE control signal 116 is turned off. During programming when the high VPROG voltage 112 is applied at the voltage supply terminal, both the high voltage device and program/sense transistor 106 are "on" thereby causing the high program voltage to be applied across the memory cell 102, which is initially open. A current path is provided from the memory cell 102 to ground through the high voltage device 104 and program/sense transistor 106. Thus, as the memory cell breaks down, current is tunneled through it until its resistance is sufficiently reduced (i.e., until it is "blown"). During sensing, on the other hand, the lower VDD voltage is applied at the memory cell voltage supply terminal 112, and the program/sense transistor 106 is turned off, which forces current passing through the memory cell (if it has been blown) to flow substantially into the sense amplifier 108.
However, the VSENSE/VPROG terminal 112 as a common electrode is heavily loaded, when the memory array is increased. Hence, the common electrode 112 should flow very high current when the memory array is big, which causes a data pattern sensitivity. For example, maximum current should be flown through the common node, when all the memory cells are programmed to "1" (blown), while no current should be flown when programming all "0" (not blown). This means that the common electrode 112 may be dropped by high current when programming all "1", which may increase programming time to break down the oxide, because programming voltage has been changed with all "1" programming when the memory array is increased. Furthermore, a resistance after blowing may be different depending on data pattern. In order to increase density with OTP memory, pattern sensitivity should be reduced.
And in FIG. 1B, another prior art is illustrated as published, U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,547, wherein memory cells are connected to multiple word lines 153, 173, 174 and 175, and multiple bit lines 154 and 156, and a common plate line 155 is connected to multiple memory cells as well. The OTP (one time programmable) memory circuit 150 includes a sense amp 176 for programming and reading data which is stored in the memory cell including a capacitor 152 as a one-time programmable storage element and a pass transistor 151 as an access device. The capacitor 152 is destroyed or not for storing a data. However, the common plate line may cause data pattern sensitivity when programming all "1" (blown) or all "0" (not blown). Furthermore, the common plate line 155 is raised to high voltage for programming a selected row 153, but other rows 173, 174 and 175 are not selected, such that gate oxide of unselected pass transistors are overstressed after the selected capacitor is destroyed, because unselected word lines 173, 174 and 175 keep low while the common plate line 155 is asserted to high voltage 3V, for instance. Hence, gate oxide of unselected memory cell may be destroyed during programming. In order to avoid overstress, additional biased transistor is added, as published, U.S. Pat. No. 6,927,997, but additional transistor increases cell area. Furthermore, the local bit line 154 is heavily loaded with conventional sensing scheme which includes differential amplifier, so that charging time of the local bit line is slow, which is one of obstacles for achieving fast read operation.
In this respect, there is still a need for improving the read only memory, which realizes fast random access. In the present invention, bit line is multi-divided for reducing parasitic capacitance, so that the bit line is quickly charged when reading and multi-stage sense amps are used for reading the divided bit lines. When programming the OTP memory, in particular, the multi-stage sense amps serve as a detector circuit, such that the detector circuit detects whether the capacitor is blown or not, and generates a feedback signal after the capacitor is blown. Thus, the feedback signal is used to cut off a current path from the capacitor to the bit line. Thereby voltage drop of a plate of the capacitor is reduced during program, which realizes more uniform programming with less voltage drop of the plate.
The memory cell can be formed on the surface of the wafer. And the steps in the process flow should be compatible within the current CMOS manufacturing environment. Alternatively, the memory cell can be formed from thin film polysilicon layer, because the lightly loaded bit line can be quickly discharged by the memory cell even though the thin film pass transistor can flow relatively low current. In doing so, multi-stacked memory is realized with thin film transistor, which can increase the density within the conventional CMOS process with additional process steps, because the conventional CMOS process is reached to a scaling limit for fabricating transistors on a surface of a wafer. In addition, a body-tied TFT (Thin Film Transistor) transistor can be used as the thin film transistor for alleviating self heating problem of short channel TFT.

One-time programmable read-only memory with a time-domain sensing scheme


A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a first impurity diffusion region having a first doping concentration and at least one second impurity diffusion region having a second doping concentration different from the first doping concentration, the at least one second impurity region being surrounded by the first impurity diffusion region; at least one electrode facing the first impurity diffusion region and the at least one second impurity diffusion region; and at least one insulating layer between the first impurity diffusion region and the at least one electrode, and between the at least one second impurity diffusion region and the at least one electrode.

The inventive concept generally relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to semiconductor devices which may include metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors.
As multi-functional and compact devices are frequently used in electronic apparatuses, highly integrated system-large scale integrated circuits (LSIs) have been developed. In a process of manufacturing a logic integrated circuit (IC)-based system LSI, devices, such as a memory device, a high voltage transistor or a logic IC, are formed on the same substrate, and thus, a highly integrated system LSI additionally includes a storage function and a power management function. Along with the miniaturization of system LSIs, sizes of logic ICs included therein have also been reduced according to a size scaling rule for IC devices.
In addition, devices having a relatively high well doping concentration are needed according to the scaling of IC devices, and also, when forming such devices, a MOS capacitor that is used as a varactor may also be formed to implement a system on chip (SOC). However, when a MOS capacitor is formed on a substrate having a relatively high well doping concentration, a minimum capacitance (Cmin) may increase in a depletion operational state when a depletion layer is formed at an interface between an insulating layer and a semiconductor in the MOS capacitor. As a result, a range between a maximum capacitance (Cmax) and the minimum capacitance (Cmin), which determines a tuning range of the MOS capacitor, becomes narrow, and thus, the tunability of a the MOS capacitor may deteriorate.


Provided are improved systems and methods for spread spectrum communication employing hybrid Eb/No and pilot-based finger lock determination for RAKE receivers. Finger lock thresholds are periodically set using an extended time-averaged Eb/No traffic signal estimate for each finger mapped to an Ec/No pilot level, where the extended time-averaged Eb/No estimate is inversely proportional to the mapped Ec/No level, thus, decreasing the required Ec/No level when the Eb/No estimate increases and increasing the required Ec/No level when the Eb/No estimate decreases. Existing pilot-based finger lock algorithms may be used with the Ec/No threshold set using the extended time-averaged Eb/No estimate. When pilot signals are weak but traffic signals remain strong, fingers will remain locked to increase the combiner output signal-to-noise ratio.

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a spread-spectrum communication technology that has become increasingly popular in mobile wireless communications systems, e.g., digital cellular radio systems. In a CDMA system, the time and frequency domains are simultaneously shared by all users as a base station simultaneously transmits distinct information signals to multiple subscriber mobile stations over a single frequency band. CDMA systems have a number of advantages over other multiple access systems, e.g., Frequency Division Multiple Access and Time Division Multiple Access, such as increased spectral efficiency and, as discussed below, the ability to mitigate the effects of signal fading using path diversity techniques.
Prior to transmission, a CDMA base station multiplies the individual information signal intended for each of the mobile stations by a unique signature sequence, referred to as a pseudorandom noise (PN) sequence. This PN sequence can be formed by multiplying a long pseudorandom noise sequence with a time offset which is used to differentiate the various base stations in the network, together with a short code unique to each mobile station, for example, the Walsh codes. The multiplication of the information signal by the signature sequence spreads the spectrum of the signal by increasing the rate of transmission from the bit rate to the chip rate. The spread spectrum signals for all subscriber mobile stations are then transmitted simultaneously by the base station. Upon receipt, each mobile station de-spreads the received spread spectrum signal by multiplying the received signal by the mobile station's assigned unique signature sequence. The result is then integrated to isolate the information signal intended for the particular mobile station from the other signals intended for other mobile stations. The signals intended for the other mobile stations appear as noise. The structure and operation of CDMA systems are well known. See, e.g., Andrew J. Viterbi, CDMA: Principles of Spread Spectrum Communication, Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1995; Marvin K. Simon, Jim K. Omura, Robert A. Scholtz, and Barry K. Levitt, Spread Spectrum Communications Handbook, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.
One advantage of CDMA systems over other multiple-access telecommunications systems is the ability of CDMA systems to exploit path diversity of the incoming radio-frequency (RF) signal. The CDMA signal, including a pilot signal and traffic signals between a base station and mobile stations, is communicated from a transmitter to a receiver via a channel including several independent paths, referred to as multiple signals or "multipaths". Each multipath represents a distinct route that the information signal takes between the transmitter and receiver. The transmitted signal thus appears at the receiver as a plurality of multipath signals or multipaths. Each multipath may arrive at the receiver with an arbitrary timing delay, and each multipath may have a different signal strength at any time due to signal fading.
CDMA systems employ "RAKE" receivers in mobile units and base stations to exploit this path diversity. RAKE receivers estimate the timing delay introduced by each of one or more multipaths in comparison with some reference, e.g., line-of-sight delay, and then use the estimated timing delay to receive the multipaths which have the highest signal strength. A typical RAKE receiver includes a plurality of RAKE branches or "fingers", typically two to six fingers. Each finger is an independent receiver unit, often referred to as a correlator, which assembles and demodulates one received multipath which is assigned to the finger. A RAKE receiver also includes a separate "searcher" which searches out different signal components of an information signal that was transmitted using the assigned signature sequence of the receiver, and detects the phases of the different signal components. The timing of each finger is controlled such that it is correlated with a particular multipath which arrived at the receiver with a slightly different delay, as was found by the searcher in its receipt of the information signal. Thus, each finger is "assigned" to a particular multipath by controlling its timing to coincide with arrival of the multipath. The demodulated output from each finger, representing one multipath, is then combined into a high-quality output signal which combines the energy received from each multipath that was demodulated. The implementation of RAKE receivers is generally known for both forward and reverse CDMA channels. See, e.g., R. Price and P. E. Green, Jr., A Communication Technique for Multipath Channels, 46 Proc. Inst. Rad. Eng. 555-70 (March 1958); G. Cooper and C. McGillem, Modern Communications and Spread Spectrum, Chapter 12, McGraw-Hill, NY, 1986.
Finger lock algorithms are used to determine if signals of correlators of fingers in the RAKE should be used in a RAKE receiver combiner. Finger lock algorithms are based on various estimates of signal qualities. Typical finger lock algorithms are based simply on the pilot signal strength, such as an estimate of the ratio of pilot energy determined for pilot signal chips to interference received at the mobile station (Ec/Io) and measured by a finger, which indirectly is an estimate of the pilot energy determined for pilot signal chips to interference transmitted at the base station (Ec/Ior). For example, the Ec/Io of each finger in a RAKE receiver is estimated and used to determine if the finger should be used in combining. The determination of whether to use the finger or not is based upon a signal quality threshold. If the estimate Ec/Io of a finger is above the threshold, the finger is locked, meaning the signal on that finger path is used in the combiner. If the estimate Ec/Io of a finger is below the threshold, the finger is unlocked and the combiner will not use the data from the finger.
The threshold is determined to prevent adding noise to the combined signal. Thus, the threshold is typically established based upon a desired signal strength above a noise level. The result being that signal data is combined from any finger which can help to increase the combined SNR. If no signal exists on a path, having the finger locked would reduce the output SNR of the combiner. However, if a signal exists on an unlocked finger, the information would be lost to the combiner, reducing the output SNR of the combiner. One or more threshold values may be used for a logical decision to lock or unlock a finger. If a single threshold value is used, a finger is locked if its signal strength is estimated to be above the threshold and unlocked if below the threshold. To prevent a finger from fluctuating between lock and unlock status, two thresholds may be used, where a lock threshold is set greater than an unlock threshold and the finger remains in the current lock or unlock status between the two thresholds. For instance, if the finger is in an unlock position, the finger is not locked until the signal strength estimate reaches the higher lock threshold, and once the finger is locked, the finger is not unlocked until the signal strength estimate drops to the lower unlock threshold.
However, the signal strengths of pilot and traffic signals between a base station and mobile stations may vary and the ratio of the pilot signal strength to traffic signal strengths may vary. For example, the signal strengths of a pilot channel may remain constant, but the signal strengths of traffic channels may change based upon forward link power control bits sent by a mobile station to maintain a particular level of service at the mobile station. Thus, the forward traffic channel gain (FTCG) at the base station may constantly change. Similar signal strength of traffic channels vary when Fast Forward Power Control (FFPC) is enabled or with certain IS-2000 Forward Radio Configurations. For example, the pilot signal may be weak, but the traffic channel may be very strong and could contribute to the output SNR of a RAKE receiver combiner. Use of power measurement report messages (PMRM) in IS-95 could also result in strong traffic channel transmission signals in weak signal conditions. Thus, even in situations when a pilot signal strength may be very weak, significant and sufficient signals may be available on some multipaths due to forward power control which could improve demodulating forward link data. Further, typical RAKE receiver finger lock algorithms which are based on pilot strength estimates and thresholds set according to pilot strength estimates may result in fingers being unlocked when information on at least some multipaths could be used by a RAKE receiver combiner to increase output SNR.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system and method for improved finger lock status determination for RAKE receiver combiners, particularly for use with fast forward power control systems.

Apparatus and method for hybrid traffic and pilot signal quality determination of finger lock status of rake receiver correlators


A high-flow and high-impact polyolefin resin composition comprises: about 5 to 96% by weight of an isotactic polypropylene-based resin; about 1 to 15% by weight of a low molecular weight atactic polypropylene resin having weight average molecular weight of about 10,000 to 100,000 g/mol; about 1 to 20% by weight of an ultra-high molecular weight atactic polypropylene resin having weight average molecular weight of about 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 g/mol; about 1 to 40% by weight of an inorganic filler; and about 1 to 20% by weight of a rubber.

Polypropylene can be classified into atactic, syndiotactic, and isotactic propylene according to its three-dimensional structure. In general, commercially available polypropylene is isotactic polypropylene, and has excellent mechanical properties due to its high crystallinity, but has the shortcoming of reduced impact resistance.
Accordingly, adding rubber such as ethylene-α-olefin copolymer can improve impact resistance. However, the poor compatibility of the rubber with polypropylene may lead to a whitening phenomenon under external pressure or impact, and this may lead to inferior appearance.
Conventionally, a polypropylene resin composition is used, which is manufactured using propylene polymer having weight average molecular weight of about 10,000 to 100,000 g/mol, and it has excellent fluidity. When the content of the low molecular weight polypropylene resin is relatively high, the appearance may be excellent, but it suffers from reduced impact resistance.
Further, a polypropylene resin composition is used, which is manufactured using atactic polypropylene having weight average molecular weight of about 20,000 to 200,000 g/mol, but there is a limit to how much one can improve its impact resistance due to its low weight average molecular weight.
Thus, there is a need for a polyolefin resin that can improve polypropylene's mechanical properties and also enhance its impact resistance.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancing the understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

High-flow and high-impact polyolefin resin composition


An adapter is provided for a solenoid of a valve. The adapter provides a radial seal and enables manually bleeding by rotating the solenoid. The adapter includes two primary components with a one-way locking engagement between them that can be manually reversed for service of the adapter and the solenoid.

Solenoid valves are commonly used to control fluid flow through a fluid system, such as an irrigation system. A typical solenoid valve includes an inlet, an outlet and valve seat in between them. A diaphragm engages the valve seat to prevent flow through the valve and is moved off the valve seat to permit flow through the valve. A pressure chamber is located on the side of the diaphragm opposite the valve seat. Fluid from the inlet side of the valve seat flows into the pressure chamber, such as through a hole in the diaphragm. The fluid builds up in the pressure chamber causing the diaphragm to close against the valve seat. To open the valve, the solenoid is energized to open a vent passage from the pressure chamber to the outlet side of the valve seat to release fluid pressure in the pressure chamber so that the inlet pressure of the fluid can raise the diaphragm off the valve seat. To close the valve, the solenoid is deenergized so that the pressure chamber can become pressurized to overcome the inlet pressure, forcing the diaphragm on to the valve seat.
The vent passage includes a valve seat that is opened and closed by a plunger of the solenoid. The valve seat is typically located in a solenoid bowl on the valve. The solenoid bowl includes internal threading that mates with external threading on the solenoid. So, the solenoid is threaded into the solenoid bowl to mount the solenoid.
There are instances where it is desired to manually open the valve, such as, for example, to manually operate the flow system in the event the solenoid has become defective or to clean out the valve. One common method is to unscrew the solenoid to lift the plunger off the valve seat in the solenoid bowl. This opens the vent passage that, in turn, opens the valve as described above.
Some solenoids, however, as designed, are not good candidates for this type of manual operation. For example, there are some solenoids that use a face seal instead of a radial seal. Thus, unscrewing of the solenoid does not immediately create the separation required to internally bleed the pressure chamber. For example, in some solenoids, there is no plunger retainer so the solenoid spring will bias the plunger out further and further as the solenoid is unscrewed. Thus, for manually bleeding, the solenoid will need to be unscrewed to a point where there is no sealing provided to prevent leaking between the solenoid and solenoid bowl (e.g., the face seal is broke).
Further, there is potential for the face seal to be displaced by friction and/or fluid pressure. When attempting to screw the solenoid back in place, a displaced O-ring can be damaged and permanently ruin the seal forcing replacement or resulting in a non-closing valve.


A planar light device (30) for emitting light beams, including a light guide plate (31) having a plurality of diffraction grating units (33). The light guide plate includes a light-emitting surface (313), an opposite bottom surface, and a light incident surface (311) disposed therebetween. A light source (32) is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface. The diffraction grating units cover the bottom surface of the light guide plate. Each diffraction grating unit is divided into a first part (A) and a second part (B), the first and second parts having different alignment directions from each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to planar light devices for liquid crystal display (LCD) devices.
2. Description of Prior Art
In general, an LCD device has the advantages of thinness, light weight, and low power consumption. For this reason, LCD devices are widely utilized in various types of electronic equipment, from pocket calculators to large-scale office automation equipment.
Conventionally, planar light devices are designed for use in an LCD device for backlighting purposes. The core element of the planar light device is a light guide plate (LGP). The LGP is generally a rectangular, transparent substrate. The LGP generally includes a light incident surface, a light-emitting surface and a bottom surface. Light emitted by a light source is guided to the light-emitting surface, then emits uniformly from the light-emitting surface. A plurality of dot patterns is disposed on the bottom surface, for making light emitted from the LGP more uniform. Such dot patterns for an LGP are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,294.
However, one problem with this kind of LGP is that a mirror image of the dot patterns can be see from the light-emitting surface, resulting in decreased brightness and uniformity of the LGP. In order to solve this problem, two diffusing sheets are generally added onto the light-emitting surface of the LGP, for attenuating the mirror image and improving a uniformity of light emitted from the LGP. However, this solution increases the cost of the planar light device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,667 issued to Ochiai discloses an LGP utilizing the phenomenon of diffraction based on wave optics of light. Referring to FIG. 5, the LGP 2 is disposed within a planar surface illuminator 1. The LGP 2 has a diffraction grating 3 printed or worked on a bottom surface 2b thereof, and a light incident surface (not labeled) adjacent to a fluorescent tube 4. A ratio of a width of a grating part 3 relative to a width of an adjacent non-grating part 3′ progressively increases with increasing distance away from the light incident surface. This enhances a uniformity of light intensity at a top surface 2a of the LGP 2.
However, the LGP 2 encounters certain problems as follows:
First, the uniformity of brightness of the LGP 2 is generally not satisfactory. This is because the lines of the diffraction grating 3 on the bottom surface 2b are parallel to each other, and parallel to the fluorescent tube 4. Thus, the diffraction grating 3 substantially diffracts the light rays emitted by the fluorescent tube 4, whereupon the diffracted light rays emit from the top surface 2a in a first direction which is orthogonal to the alignment of the diffraction grating 3. Other light rays are incident on the diffraction grating 3 in a second direction being parallel to the alignment thereof, and are diffracted only a little if at all, whereupon the diffracted light rays emit from the top surface 2a in substantially the second direction. Thus, only a little of the total light emits from the top surface 2a in the second direction. This results in a view angle problem; i.e., the light intensity of the LGP 2 in the second direction is far less than the light intensity in the first direction.
Second, the diffraction generated on the bottom surface 2b is inefficient. This is because there is a plurality of non-grating parts 3′ on the bottom surface 2b of the LGP 2 interspersed among the diffraction gratings 3. The non-grating parts 3′ cannot diffract light rays impinging thereon, thus decreasing an overall brightness of the LGP 2.


According to various embodiments, there is provided a device including a processor configured to control a robotic system to autonomously position a transducer at a plurality of locations adjacent a subject's skull and to autonomously locate a window on the subject's skull within which an artery can be located, from which artery a signal can be returned to the transducer, the signal having an energy level exceeding a predefined threshold.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) affect millions of patients each year worldwide. Cerebral hemodynamic dysfunction is common following TBI, potentially resulting in catastrophic neurologic sequelae, including long-term disability and even death. Current diagnosis and management methods are limited to hospital settings (transcranial Doppler ultrasonography—TCD, CT, MRI, etc.). Accordingly, there is a need for developing a medical device that can provide clinical utility of hospital-based assessment methods outside of a hospital for rapid and reliable assessment using disruptive innovations in TCD ultrasonography.
Various sensory modalities are currently used in major hospitals for the assessment of cerebral hemodynamics within the Circle of Willis arteries of the brain, including TCD ultrasound, transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS), phased arrays, and functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). These modalities emit energy capable of penetrating windows in the skull. Acquiring the cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) signals using such sensory modalities, however, requires the placement of a transducer within a specific region of the skull thin enough for the ultrasound waves to penetrate. For example, it is known that a thin skull region often exists superior to the patient's zygomatic arch (transtemporal). Other windows often exist at the suboccipital, transorbital, submandibular portions of the skull. The location of these narrow windows, however, varies significantly from person to person based on facial features, and even race or gender. This variation makes insonating—exposing to ultrasound—the desired blood vessel difficult. This difficulty has often restricted TCD use, and other modalities, to major hospitals who engage expert sonographers to operate the device.
TCD specifically has been widely used clinically since the 1980s to measure CBFV within the major conducting arteries and veins of the brain (Circle of Willis). It is currently used in the diagnosis and monitoring a number of neurologic conditions, including the assessment of arteries after a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) for vasospasm, aiding preventative care in children with sickle cell anemia, and risk assessment in embolic stroke patients. TCD utilizes the Doppler effect by emitting ultrasound frequencies typically between 1.6 MHz and 4 MHz and measuring the shift in frequency upon reflection from non-stationary tissue (red blood cells), which are converted to velocity. Depth information within the biologic tissue is controlled by time delays between emitting and receiving of the ultrasound waves.
Fully automating TCD use would not only remove the need for an expert technician but also open the technology up to a broader range of clinical indications. As such, there is a need for developing a portable, fully automated system to determine appropriate window locations.
Existing semi-automated diagnosis methods typically use two degree of freedom robotic mechanisms that can only reorient the TCD probe with pan and tilt rotations, emitting energy into the skull and then analyzing the return signals, but are otherwise unable to traverse portions of the skull in X and Y directions. All existing semi-automated methods require a knowledgeable user to place the robotic mechanism on an existing window. If such an existing mechanism is not placed on an existing window, useful data will not be returned. Some existing two degree of freedom mechanisms will not always find a signal, when they do, it often takes a trained technician to determine the location of appropriate windows and the best signals. Further, some existing mechanisms are not capable of constructing a map of blood vessels in the brain. As such, there exists a need to develop a fully automated robotic system that does not require user feedback to locate appropriate windows and is capable of constructing a map of blood vessels in the brain more quickly than current solutions.

Systems and methods for detecting neurological conditions