A method for eliminating then on-MG component in RARE imaging that does not require a poor slice profile or discarding a substantial number of echoes (FIG. 2). This method relies upon the observation that the magnetization in each component is determined by the phase at one half of the echo time before the first refocusing pulse. A ninety degree pulse applied at this time will rotate one of the components to the longitudinal axis where it will be invisible in the subsequent sequence, (b RF). If the phase of the ninety degree pulse is the same as that of the refocusing pulses, then it will be the non-MG component that is eliminated. The combination of the tailored RF train and this ninety degree pulse permits acquisition of data from the very first echo without artifact (FIGS. 2, 4).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to diffusion imaging using a magnetic resonance imaging device and, more particularly, to a technique for modifying the RARE sequence to eliminate artifacts which relate to the strong sensitivity of multiple spin echo sequences to the phase of the prepared magnetization so that RARE may be used for diffusion and T2* imaging.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent advancements in scanner hardware and pulse sequence design have made possible single excitation images of excellent quality based on multiple spin echo sequences (MSES) such as RARE and GRASE. These sequences are an attractive alternative to echoplanar imaging because they suffer much less from chemical shift artifact and distortion than echoplanar. Echoplanar imaging is frequently used for forms of functional imaging in which a preparation sensitive to physiology is applied prior to the echoplanar readout. Such an approach can, in principle, also be used to prepare MSES.
Those preparation schemes that affect longitudinal magnetization, such as magnetization transfer saturation, arterial spin tagging, inversion recovery and saturation recovery, do not affect image quality and consequently work well with MSES. However, preparation schemes that alter transverse magnetization such as T2, diffusion, and T2* preparation can result in severely degraded images because they introduce unknown phase shifts in the transverse magnetization due to motion, chemical shift or magnetic field inhomogeneity. Most MSES rely on the amplitude stability of the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence which depends upon the Meiboom-Gill (MG) phase condition so any changes in the phase of the transverse magnetization caused by preparation will result in rapid attenuation and modulation of the echo amplitudes causing signal loss and blurring in the images.
For T2 preparation, phase errors will only occur if the timing of the sequence is inaccurate or subject motion in the presence of the relatively weak crusher gradients causes phase errors. Accurate timing and moderately cooperative subjects will probably be sufficient to obtain good quality T2 prepared images. T2 weighting can also be obtained by appropriate phase encode order.
On the other hand, T2* preparation will only be successful if all spins have the same chemical shift and the shim is outstanding. Though T2* weighted images will always exhibit signal loss in voxels where the static magnetic field gradient is very large, T2* prepared MSES images will also show severe signal loss or blurring in regions where the static magnetic field offset is large. This extra sensitivity to shim makes conventional T2* prepared MSES imaging unattractive.
Phase errors due to motion in the presence of large magnetic field gradients are the reason for the extreme motion sensitivity of multi-shot diffusion imaging. Single-shot echoplanar imaging is frequently used for diffusion imaging to avoid these motion induced errors. However, if a phase sensitive MSES is employed for diffusion imaging, severe signal loss and attenuation will occur.
The phase sensitivity of the CPMG sequence is clearly undesirable for these applications, so ways to avoid this sensitivity must be sought. The simplest approach is to ensure that the refocusing flip angle is exactly 180xc2x0. A MSES with exactly 180xc2x0 refocusing pulses is completely insensitive to phase but very small deviations from 180xc2x0 are sufficient to introduce artifacts. These artifacts are caused by the presence of multiple stimulated and spin echo pathways to produce signal contribution at the echo time. For magnetization satisfying the MG phase condition, these pathways add constructively and eventually achieve a temporary steady state echo amplitude. If magnetization is 90xc2x0 from the MG phase, then the pathways interact destructively causing signal amplitude decay and oscillation. In most practical applications, including multi-slice imaging where the flip angle is not uniform across the slice, the flip angle cannot be made close enough to 180xc2x0 to eliminate signals from these other pathways. In long echo train applications, such as single shot imaging, it is also desirable to lower the refocusing flip angle to minimize the power deposition in the subject. The favorable properties of reduced flip angle CPMG sequences have been described by Alsop in an article entitled xe2x80x9cThe Sensitivity of Low Flip Angle RARE Imaging, xe2x80x9d Magn. Reson. Med., Vol 37, pp. 176-184 (1997) and by J. Hennig in an article entitled xe2x80x9cMultiecho Imaging Sequences with Low Refocusing Flip Angles,xe2x80x9d J. Magn. Reson., Vol. 78, pp. 397-407 (1988).
C. S. Poon et al. in an article entitled xe2x80x9cPractical T2 Quantitation for Clinical Applications,xe2x80x9d JMRI, Vol. 2, pp. 541-553 (1992) proposed crusher gradient schemes that can eliminate all but the primary refocused component. Unfortunately, these schemes require a large crusher amplitude that increases linearly with echo number. The added time required to apply the crusher gradients generally becomes unacceptable after only a handful of echoes. Several investigators have reported such sequences using crusher amplitudes that are too weak to fully dephase an individual voxel. These sequences employed non-selective refocusing pulses very close to 180xc2x0 so the unwanted signal components are very weak. The quality of images obtained with slice selective or reduced flip angle refocusing pulses and these weaker crusher gradients would have to be evaluated. This spoiling approach has been employed to acquire. single-shot GRASE diffusion images. Because very few spin echoes and many gradient echoes were employed, the sensitivity to chemical shift and susceptibility artifacts was comparable to echoplanar. The highest quality GRASE images tend to employ many more radio frequency (RF) pulses and only a few gradient echoes. Spoiling of the CPMG sequence in this way will also cause the echo amplitudes to decrease rapidly with echo number if the refocusing pulse is reduced significantly from 180 degrees so reduction of the refocusing flip angle to lower power deposition is not possible.
A number of modifications to the CPMG sequence have been proposed to reduce errors in T2 quantification or artifacts in multiple echo images by modulating the phase of the refocusing pulses. Some of these sequences can be interpreted as employing composite 180xc2x0 pulses which are more insensitive to RF amplitude errors. Though these sequences work well for a few echoes when the flip angle is already near 180xc2x0, they begin to fail if the amplitude of the RF is reduced more significantly. They also usually increase the echo spacing and make single shot imaging more difficult. A two excitation method for producing phase insensitive images has also been proposed. Since the source of the phase uncertainty in diffusion imaging, motion, is not reproducible from excitation to excitation, the two shot method is not applicable.
An alternate approach to eliminating phase sensitivity of MSES sequences by crushing only some of the many stimulated and spin echo pathways has been presented by Norris et al. This approach was designed to overcome hardware limitations that precluded the precise timing and control necessary to achieve the MG phase condition. Modern clinical hardware can now readily achieve the MG condition because RARE has become an essential clinical tool. For the special applications of diffusion and T2* prepared RARE imaging, however, this approach is still very important. A limitation of the method is the large number of echoes which must be discarded before the signal is sufficiently stable to begin phase encoding.
A refinement of the Norris et al. method is desired that permits acquisition of data from the very first echo for acquisition of diffusion images. The present invention has been developed to meet this need in the art.
The present invention relates to a modification of Multiple Spin Echo Sequences (MSES), such as RARE, Fast Spin Echo, and GRASE, which makes image quality unaffected by the initial phase of the spins. This modification makes it possible to acquire images with diffusion or T2* contrast with a MSES. Diffusion imaging has been shown to be highly accurate at the detection of acute stroke and T2* imaging can be useful for detection of hemorrhage and the imaging of certain tissues after the administration of contrast agents. The images resulting from this modified MSES sequence are free from the spatial distortion artifacts which plague the single excitation echoplanar images most widely used for diffusion imaging today.
In accordance with the invention, additional dephasing gradients and RF pulses are used to eliminate phase errors that are normally associated with diffusion and T2* single-shot MSES imaging. Following standard diffusion or T2* sequences which leave the spins pointing along the plane perpendicular to the scanner magnetic field, a MSES imaging sequence is performed with several modifications which together comprise the invention. In particular, the invention comprises the steps of:
applying a first dephasing magnetic field gradient to the sample to generate a magnetization;
applying a first radio frequency pulse to the sample which rotates the magnetization by approximately 90xc2x0, the first radio frequency pulse having a phase which is the same as a phase of refocusing pulses of a spin echo sequence to be applied to the sample;
applying at least one spin echo sequence whereby a first refocusing pulse of each spin echo sequence occurs at a time after said first radio frequency pulse which is half a time duration between successive refocusing pulses of the spin echo sequence, each spin echo sequence including:
a second dephasing magnetic field gradient applied to the sample along the same direction as the first dephasing gradient,
a data acquisition period for acquiring data representative of the sample, and
a second radio frequency pulse having a sign opposite the first radio frequency pulse; and
generating an image of the sample from the data acquired during each data acquisition period.

Phase insensitive preparation of single-shot rare for diffusion imaging

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


A bidirectional flow fluid control valve having increased flow capacity in a flow down condition, a flow up condition or, preferably, in both flow conditions. The valve has a curved surface on the top portion of the valve plug or on the inner annular surface of the body web below the valve seat. Preferably, the valve has curved surfaces in both locations. A variety of radii of curvature at those locations have been found to increase flow capacity. Adjacent the curved portions of the valve plug surface or the body web inner annular surface, uncurved portions may be employed.

This invention relates to fluid control valves and particularly to such valves used to control the flow of fluid in pipeline and processing systems.
Conventional fluid control valves made of a standard construction include a flow passageway, a valve seat with a thru hole in the passageway, and a valve plug having a square-edged top portion on one side of the valve seat. Such conventional valves also have an uncurved body web below the thru hole and on the other side of the valve seat.
In a downflow valve, fluid flow is through the valve flow passageway from the valve plug side, down the thru hole in the valve seat and by the body web. In an upflow valve, fluid flow is from the body web up the thru hole in the valve seat and by the valve plug.
It is desired to increase the flow capacity of such control valves. It is further desired to provide a fluid control valve having increased flow capacity in either flow direction through the valve, as compared to conventional control valves.


A method of processing an electromagnetic signal received and contained completely within the bounds of a two dimensional signal detection array, is comprised of (a) determining a position of the signal in a large window on the detector array, (b) reducing the dimensions of the window by a predetermined ratio with the position of the signal at the center thereof, (c) locating the position of the signal in the reduced size window (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until the window is a predetermined number of pixels in size, and (e) continuously monitoring the presence and location of the signal.

Communications in space requires the acquisition and tracking of an electromagnetic signal source by a signal receiver. Such systems can also be used to track stars, beacons, satellites, etc. While such systems typically use light as the electromagnetic signal to be tracked, it will be understood that, signals outside the frequency bands of visible light could be tracked, such as X-ray signal sources, etc., assuming an appropriate signal detector is used for the frequencies of interest. While optical signals will be described herein, this should be construed to include other signals having the characteristics of a beam that can be completely imaged within the bounds of an appropriate detector array.
An optical acquisition and tracking system is described in the paper "Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking For Optical Space Communications", by G. Baister and P. V. Gatenby, Electronics & Communication Engineering Journal, December 1994, pages 271-280. This system uses gimbals to point an optical detector array in coarse and fine pointing loops, and an electronic quadrant detector to define the position of the signal on the array and provide signals which are used to control the gimbals.
The quadrant detector achieves high precision only within a restricted field of view, requiring precise adjustment of the system optics, and precise alignment of the acquisition and tracking system to the user terminal. Long-term stability of all adjustments and alignments are critical, and offset tracking from the optical boresight by an arbitrary angle is not possible.
Detection of an optical signal by a charge coupled device (CCD) array, and processing though a Fourier transform of the resulting signal has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,287 issued Aug. 30, 1994 to Wilkins, for determining atmospheric turbulence and angle of arrival changes in a laser communications signal. This system obtains, from the Fourier processed signal, an airy disk (a bright spot at the center of diffraction rings), to determine the signal location. The system is directed to a communication link having at least one end within the atmosphere, which diffuses and distorts the signals. The signals which it processes are typically strong and reliable. It cannot determine the location of a signal source to the precision typically required in systems permanently operated above the atmosphere, which signals can be extremely weak, and cannot tolerate variations in those signals with the tolerances typically obtained in atmosphere-corrected signals. Due to the nature of the system, it is difficult to track and acquire weak signals.


The invention provides a method for producing a partition wall for a color filter having: forming a photosensitive resin layer containing a radical polymerizable monomer, a photopolymerization initiator, a binder and a colorant on at least one surface of a substrate; and exposing the photosensitive resin layer to light at an illumination intensity of 50 mW/cm2 or more in a pattern shape and developing the photosensitive resin layer to form a partition wall that separates color pixel portions, wherein liquid droplets are applied to form the color pixel portions. The invention further provides a substrate having the partition wall for a color filter, a color filter for display element having the substrate and color pixel portions, a method for producing the color filter, and a display device having the color filter for a display element and a method for producing the display device.

A color filter for a display device has a configuration in which, for example, dot-like images with red (R), green (G), blue (B) colors or the like are arranged in a matrix shape, and the dot-like images are separated from one another by separation walls such as a black matrix or the like.
Conventionally, known methods for producing color filters include (1) a dying method, (2) a printing method, (3) a method in which a colored pattern image (colored resist method; for example, see Patent Document 1) is formed by coating, exposing and developing a colored photosensitive resin solution, (4) a method in which pattern images formed on a temporary support are sequentially transferred onto an end or temporary substrate, and (5) a method in which a colored photosensitive layer is previously formed by coating a colored photosensitive resin liquid on a temporary support, and the colored photosensitive layer is transferred onto an end or temporary substrate, and is then exposed and developed to form a colored pattern image (transfer method) (for example, see Patent Document 2). Further, methods using an inkjet method have also been known (for example, see Patent Document 3).
Among these methods, the colored resist method enables forming a color filter with high positional accuracy, but is not favorable in terms of cost because of large losses with respect to the coating of the photosensitive resin liquid. Further, although the inkjet method is favorable in terms of cost because of small losses with respect to the resin liquid, the inkjet method is apt to cause difficulties in obtaining pixels with high positional accuracy.
In order to address the above problems, a method has been proposed in which a black matrix is formed by a color resist method, and thereafter, colored patterns (pixels) such as R, G, B, or the like are formed utilizing an inkjet method. However, in the cross-sectional shape of the black matrix thus obtained, the top ends or edge portions thereof apart from the substrate surface above the substrate tend to change to a round and gentle inclined shape during production processes after development, so that when inks with various colors are impinged onto spaces between the black matrix, the inks travel over the black matrix formed previously to cause color mixing of pixels adjacent to one another, resulting a in reduction in display quality when the color mixing is caused.
With regard to these phenomena, there are disclosures relating to a method for providing properties of mutual repellency to a black matrix and ink applied thereto, and a method for enhancing ink wetting properties in areas encompassed by a black matrix (for example, Patent Documents 4-6).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 1-152449;    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 61-99102;    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 8-227012;    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 6-347637;    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 7-35915; and    Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 10-142418.

Method for producing partition wall for color filter, substrate with partition wall for color filter, color filter for display element, and display device


Disclosed are a semiconductor package device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor package device. The semiconductor package has a semiconductor chip including a plurality of bonding pads having a microscopic size and aligned at a minute interval, a planar layer formed on the semiconductor chip so as to expose the bonding pads, metal patterns formed on the planar layer and having a size larger than a size of the bonding pads in such a manner that at least some parts of the metal patterns are connected to the bonding pads and a seed metal layer interposed between the planar layer and the metal patterns. When the bonding pads have microscopic size and aligned at a minute interval, a wire-bonding process is carried out by using the metal patterns having the size larger than the size of the bonding pads and covering the bonding pad region, as a connection part to the bonding pads. Thus, the bonding pad region is reduced by 50 to 80% so that the number of chips in the semiconductor chip is increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor package and a method for fabricating the same, and more particularly to a semiconductor package and a method for fabricating the same capable of minimizing a bonding pad area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As generally known in the art, chips are formed on a wafer by performing a thin film growing process with respect to the wafer and are separated from each other by sawing the wafer. A shielding process or a molding process is carried out in order to prevent the chip from being contaminated by moisture and impurities. A lead for connecting the chip to an external circuit is attached to the chip so that a semiconductor chip package is completed.
Among semiconductor chip packages, chip-sized semiconductor packages, in which chips occupy most of the space in the semiconductor chip packages, are commercialized as micro devices. The chip-sized semiconductor packages can increase density on a circuit board and-integration degree of various integrated circuits, such as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit).
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional LOC (lead on chip) type semiconductor package.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional semiconductor package includes a substrate 12 having a contact hole (not shown) and a wire 15 for filling the contact hole, a semiconductor chip 10 having a plurality of bonding pad 11, an adhesive tape 14 interposed between the substrate 12 and the semiconductor chip 10, a bonding wire 13 for connecting the bonding pads 11 to one end of the wire 15, and a conductive ball (solder ball) 17 attached to the other end of the wire 15.
To fabricate the conventional semiconductor package having the above construction, the semiconductor chip 10 is first attached to an upper surface of the substrate 12 by using the adhesive tape 14. Then, the bonding pads 11 of the semiconductor chip 10 are electrically connected to the wire 15 of the substrate 12 through the bonding wire 13.
After that, the bonding wires 13 and the semiconductor chip 10 are covered with a molding member to prevent moisture and impurities from penetrating into the bonding wires 13 and the semiconductor chip 10. Then, the solder ball 17 is attached to the wire 15 of the substrate 12 so as to make an electric connection to an exterior, thereby completing the semiconductor package.
In a high-functional DRAM, such as a DDR or a DDR-2 which is an advanced memory device as compared with an SRAM, a chip has various functions, so it is required to increase a number of bonding pads. In addition, since there is a tendency to reduce a size of the chip, it is more required to fabricate the bonding pad in a microscopic size, so a packaging process including a wire-bonding step may become more difficult, thereby lowering the reliability of the packaging process.

Semiconductor package device and method for fabricating the same


The interval Λ between each stripe of interference fringe generated in a conventional n-type contact layer is determined by a function (f(λ)=λ(n2−neq2)−1/2/2) wherein λ, n, and neq represent luminous wavelength λ of lights radiated from a light emitting part 104, refractive index n of the n-type contact layer, and equivalent refractive index neq of the n-type contact layer in guided wave mode, respectively. The remaining thickness δ of the n-type contact layer 102 at the concave part D which is formed at the back surface of the crystal growth substrate may be about Λ/2. When at least one portion of the n-type contact layer which is formed right beneath the laser cavity remains with about δ in thickness, the n-type contact layer arranged even right beneath the laser cavity can maintain excellent contact to a negative electrode. As a result, effective light confinement enables to adequately suppress ripples in FFP owing to lights leaked into the n-type contact layer, to thereby provide a semiconductor laser which oscillates stable lights.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an edge-emitting type semiconductor laser in which a laser cavity and so on are formed by depositing plural number of semiconductor layers on a crystal growth substrate. The present invention is aimed to obtain a semiconductor laser having a completed far field pattern (FFP) of output light (beam) and output characteristic of high convergence.
So a semiconductor laser fabricated in the present invention is remarkably useful in a field of, for example, information input/output processing equipment, information calculation processing equipment, communication equipment, and a laser material processing equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
[Non-patent Document 1]
SHARP Technical Journal No. 9, No. 77, "Transverse Modes of Ridge-Geometry Violet Laser Diodes"
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Laid-open No. H10-308560
As disclosed in the above described non-patent document 1, as specific problems of semiconductor lasers, satellite peaks in vertical light distribution and pronounced ripples in the vertical far field patterns (FFPs) are found.
FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of a semiconductor laser, which explains the phenomenon of ripples occurred in the far field pattern (FFP). The ripples in the far field pattern (FFP) may also occur owing to lights leaked into and transmitted in an n-type contact layer functioning as a secondary (quasi) waveguide. Such lights which generate the ripples in the far field pattern (FFP), as disclosed in the above non-patent document 1, form interference fringes in the n-type contact layer and are radiated to the outside of the layer with lights radiated from a main waveguide (active layer+guide layer).
The conventional technique disclosed in the above non-patent document 1 is aimed to suppress the ripples in the far field pattern (FFP) by forming the n-type clad layer to have at least 0.8 μm or more in thickness.
Also, the above identified related patent document 1 discloses a concave part structure formed on the back surface of a crystal growth substrate of a light-emitting semiconductor device, external quantum efficiency, endurance and productivity of the device, and prima facie effectivity of the aspects can be recognized. The patent document 1, however, fails to disclose the optimum range of a specific thickness of a semiconductor layer as the above mentioned non-patent document 1 discloses. Accordingly, the patent document 1 never suggests a concrete and effective method or process for excluding the ripples occurred in the far field pattern (FFP), with respect to an n-type contact layer in a semiconductor laser. In short, the patent document 1 never provides a concrete and effective method or process for excluding the ripples occurred in the FFP in a semiconductor laser.
As explained above, even if a semiconductor laser is manufactured in faithful accordance with the method disclosed in the patent document 1 as a trial, there is no guarantee of obtaining the semiconductor laser which has no ripples in the FFP. Accordingly, it is quite difficult to obtain a semiconductor laser which has no ripples in the FFP and oscillates light in stable condition from the prior technique disclosed in the patent document 1.
When a contact layer formed at the lower part of a laser cavity is not removed, lights are leaked from that part (the contact layer), and that prevents the device from effectively oscillating a stable laser. When the contact layer formed at the lower part of the laser cavity is moved, electrical connection between the laser cavity and a negative electrode cannot be optimum, that prevents the device from providing an excellent distribution of electric current density. Accordingly, a device which oscillates a stable laser effectively cannot be obtained.
In the meantime, as described in the non-patent document 1, some of the ripples in the FFP may be suppressed by forming an n-type clad layer to have thickness of at least 0.8 μm or more.
By employing the method disclosed in the non-patent document 1, however, unless the n-type clad layer has thickness at least from 0.8 μm to 1 μm, although it depends on condition such as compositions of each semiconductor layers, e.g., an active layer, an optical guide layer and an n-type clad layer, the interference fringe (ripples in FFP) in the n-type contact layer cannot be suppressed sufficiently. Consequently, productivity of an n-type clad layer in its crystal growth process is poor in the conventional art shown in the non-patent document 1.
Because an extremely general method in which a peak intensity of the interference fringe is weakened in accordance with thickness of the n-type clad layer is employed in the non-patent document 1, the peak intensity of the interference fringe, which is occurred by lights leaked into the n-type clad layer, may be weakened, but it cannot be disappeared completely by employing the conventional method disclosed in the non-patent document 1.
And from the viewpoints of radiation effect, inner quantum efficiency, and threshold voltage which are related with a laser cavity, forming the n-type clad layer to have thickness as much as described above is not preferable with respect to the structure for a semiconductor laser.
As other method for confining lights, forming an n-type AlGaN layer in place of the n-type clad layer made of n-GaN may be employed. According to this method, because refractive index of AlGaN is relatively small, lights may be confined in a laser cavity.
However, a problem persists in even employing such a method. Because of inner stress which is generated between semiconductor layers owing to difference of lattice constants, forming a thicker film for confining lights becomes extremely difficult, and that makes it almost impossible to manufacture a semiconductor laser.
Alternatively, other method in which the refractive index of the n-type clad layer is suppressed by doping other impurities may be applied. But when so much amount of impurities are doped that the refractive index of the n-type clad layer remarkably changes, crystallity of the n-type clad layer and semiconductor layers deposited thereon may be remarkably deteriorated, which tends to become an outstanding problem. Accordingly, it becomes almost impossible to manufacture a semiconductor laser.


A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory array having nonvolatile memory cells. The memory device also includes a page buffer coupled to the memory array through first and second common bit lines and configured to map a set of first to third bit data to threshold voltage levels of a pair of first and second memory cells. The memory device also includes a row decoder configured to control a word line of a selected memory cell of the memory array. The page buffer includes a switch, a first latch block, a second latch block, a dumping block, and an output block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and, more particularly, to a multi-level nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including multi-level memory cells and corresponding page buffers.
A claim of priority is made to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-15795, filed on Feb. 17, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-volatile semiconductor memory devices have many distinguishing characteristics. One such characteristic includes the ability to preserve stored data even in the event of power loss to the semiconductor memory device. Furthermore, semiconductor memory devices include a number of memory cells. To this end, various types of memory cells appropriate for non-volatile semiconductor memory devices are known. One such memory cell is a transistor type memory cell.
FIG. 1 illustrates a transistor type memory cell MC. In general, the transistor type memory cell MC includes a number of components. For example, these components include a current path formed between a source S and a drain D on a semiconductor substrate. The components also include a floating gate FG formed between a dielectric oxide DOX and a gate oxide GOX. Furthermore, the components include a control gate CG.
Each component of the cell MC may perform one or more functions. For example, the floating gate FG traps electrons. These trapped electrons establish a threshold voltage of the memory cell MC. This established threshold voltage may be used in performing various operations on the cell MC. For example, when a non-volatile semiconductor memory device performs a read operation, the threshold voltage of the memory cell MC is detected and, thus, stored data is checked.
Typically, a transistor memory cell MC stores one of two data values. The two data values, as illustrated in FIG. 2, are determined by a threshold voltage that is set to one of two levels. For example, data is read as "1" when the threshold voltage of the memory cell MC is lower than a reference voltage VM, and data is read as "0" when the threshold voltage of the memory cell MC is higher than the reference voltage VM.
Due to the increase in demand for high integration density on semiconductor memory devices, efforts are being made towards increasing the amount of data that may be stored in a memory cell. To this end, semiconductor memory manufacturers have developed a 4-level memory cell.
FIG. 4 illustrates a 4-level memory cell. The illustrated 4-level memory cell can be programmed with one of four threshold voltage levels. As a result, the 4-level memory cell can store any one of four types of data, each data corresponding to a threshold voltage level. Therefore, a non-volatile semiconductor memory device having 4-level memory cells (hereinafter referred to as a "4-level non-volatile semiconductor memory device") has a data storage capacity that is twice that of a non-volatile semiconductor memory device having 2-level memory cells (hereinafter referred to as a "2-level non-volatile semiconductor memory device").
While the 4-level non-volatile semiconductor device has twice the data storage capacity of a 2-level non-volatile semiconductor device, it has several shortcomings. For example, in a 4-level memory cell, the margin of a threshold voltage between neighboring levels is very narrow (typically about 0.67 V.) Such a narrow margin between threshold voltages may lead to problems. For example, the stored voltage in each memory cell that represents a stored data value may change due to the leakage of electrons or the like. Accordingly, the stored voltage may cross over the threshold voltage range of that data value to a neighboring level threshold voltage that corresponds to a different data value. This crossing over of the threshold voltage in a memory cell to a neighboring level may cause the value of the data stored in a memory cell to be read incorrectly. Therefore, the reliability of a 4-level non-volatile semiconductor device may be reduced.
The present disclosure is directed towards overcoming one or more of the problems associated with the 4-level non-volatile semiconductor device.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having multi-level memory cells and page buffer used therefor


Methods and apparatuses presented herein advantageously enable more accurate RSSI measurements by waking up a mobile device from a low-power mode in certain pre-designated situations. These situations include detecting certain trends in RSSI values, detecting changes in transmit power, or detecting motion. The trigger which causes the mobile device to enter the active mode from the low power mode may differ in varying examples.

Radio Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) measurements in wireless communications systems are useful for a variety of reasons. RSSI measurements may be used in optimizing transmit levels for improved reception, conserving power due to transmit, and keeping transmit power low so as to avoid interference. Furthermore, RSSI can be used in ranging applications to make estimations on the distance between a transmitter and a receiver as the radio signal strength received typically decreases with increased distance from the transmitter.
When used for power control, a receiver can send commands to a transmitter if the RSSI gets too low or too high. The transmitter can then make any necessary adjustments to the transmit power. However, when RSSI is used in ranging applications, the transmit power must either be fixed or the relative changes known to make a range estimate. This is because the RSSI received is typically proportional to the transmitted power.
Because of multi-path interference (reflections), motion of receiver and transmitter, and a variety of other factors, a single RSSI measurement is usually not accurate. One way to improve accuracy is to take multiple RSSI samples and average them. Another way to reduce errors due to multi-path is take the RSSI samples at different frequencies. Multi-Frequency systems (hopped or other-wise) already change frequencies to optimize reception for this very reason. By taking RSSI measurements at each frequency and averaging these, one can get a better estimate of range as the individual measurements may have different results depending on frequency.
Many wireless devices have both an "active mode" and a "low power mode" (also referred to herein as "reduced power mode") of operation. In low power mode, the wireless device reduces operation in some manner to conserve power. In active mode, taking multiple RSSI samples as desired does not present a problem because the measurements are a small burden relative to the power intensive time consuming process of maintaining an active link. The term "active mode" includes the full power mode of operation of the device, but may also refer to any mode of operation in which the device consumes more power than the "low power mode".
However, when a wireless system goes into low power mode, unnecessary operations are canceled in order to reduce power. The system cannot always be RSSI sampling as this takes time and power. RSSI averaging is essential in frequency hopped systems as any given channel may be significantly worse than the overall path loss due to distance. Typically the system will wake-up, take a measurement and go back to sleep. For example, if the system requires 100 samples in its average, there can be a very long settling time to a step change on the average RSSI value in low-power mode compared to the active mode settling time (and faster sample rate) if the time between wakeups is long. There will also be long delays while a change in transmit power is integrated into the RSSI estimate. For example, in a system where the system averages a pre-determined number of measured RSSI values to determine an accurate RSSI value, the settling time is the time it would take all of the samples to be flushed through the averaging filter once a change in RSSI has been detected (e.g., due to movement of the mobile device). In low-power mode, the settling time is relatively long due to the increased length of time between measurements. In contrast, the settling time for the averaging filter is much faster in active mode where RSSI measurements are made with increased frequency. In a further embodiment, the settling time may be the time it takes for the mobile device to retrieve/measure a pre-determined number of RSSI measurements. In this case, the settling time is much longer for the low-power mode than the active mode for the same reasons.
In the prior art, one way to reduce the settling time has been to reduce the number of RSSI samples averaged. However, while this speeds up the process, it also means that the average value will be fairly inaccurate due to the reasons that motivated averaging in the first place. Another solution is to reduce the time between low-power samplings. However, the power savings of low power mode is based on duty cycling, where the duty cycle is the ratio of time to time between wake-ups. Thus, reducing sample time undesirably increases power consumption during the low-power state.
As a result, improved methods and apparatuses are needed for RSSI measurements.

Decreasing RSSI settling time in low-power mode systems


This invention is intended to produce isobutanol with excellent productivity via a fermentation process. A reaction in which NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase generates NADPH from NADP is used as a source of NADPH for the reaction of converting 2-acetolactate into 2,3-dihydroxy-isovalerate in the isobutanol biosynthesis pathway.

Isobutanol is also referred to as 2-methylpropan-1-ol or 2-methylpropyl alcohol, and it is extensively utilized in the chemical engineering field. Isobutanol has heretofore been produced via a so-called fermentation process. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a recombinant microorganism prepared by substituting at least one of the genes associated with the isobutanol biosynthesis pathway with a gene originating from an organism other than the host microorganism and a method for producing isobutanol utilizing such recombinant microorganism. Genes introduced into host microorganisms are the acetolactate synthase gene, the acetohydroxy acid reductoisomerase gene, the acetohydroxy acid dehydratase gene, the branched chain keto acid decarboxylase gene, and the branched chain alcohol dehydrogenase gene. Examples of host microorganisms that are employed include Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Lactobacillus plantarum.
Patent Document 2 discloses a recombinant microorganism with a metabolic pathway modified so as to be capable of producing an alcohol having 3 to 5 carbon atoms. Patent Document 2 also discloses the introduction of a mutant ketol acid reductoisomerase gene resulting from an increase in NADH dependence or modification of coenzyme specificity from NADPH specificity to NADP specificity into such recombinant microorganism. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a mutant ketol acid reductoisomerase gene capable of binding to NADH. Techniques of both Patent Documents 2 and 3 are intended to increase NADPH and to decrease NADH in the isobutanol biosynthesis pathway, thereby improving the isobutanol yield.
None of Patent Documents 1 to 3 are sufficient in terms of the isobutanol yield, and further improvement in the isobutanol yield has been desired in the production of isobutanol via a fermentation process.

Method for producing isobutanol and recombinant microorganism capable of producing isobutanol


An electronic device of the present invention includes at least one electrode (Au electrode 65) and an organic molecule layer (semiconductor layer 14) formed adjacent to the electrode, and in which charge transfers between the layer and the electrode. The organic molecule layer includes a plurality of first organic molecules containing a conjugated π electron that composes a π conjugate plane (64). A plurality of second organic molecules is bonded chemically to a surface of the electrode at an interface between the electrode and the organic molecule layer. The second organic molecule contains a conjugated π electron that composes a π conjugate plane (67a). The second organic molecule is a molecule having a structure in which the π conjugate plane (67a) and the surface of the electrode form an angle within a predetermined range when the second organic molecule is bonded chemically to the surface of the electrode.

Conventional electronic devices employing inorganic materials use physical properties of bulk materials, typically as crystalline silicon. When the scale of miniaturization reaches the utmost limit, it becomes impossible to obtain the bulk properties and difficult to obtain a desired function. On the other hand, organic materials can assign a function to one molecule and expand them into the device element size, and thereby they can exhibit the desired function.
Organic materials include various compounds having a base of a carbon skeleton. Among them, it was verified that organic molecules with conductivity exhibit diverse electric properties derived from their molecular structures, and proposals have been made for application on various organic electronic devices, such as thin film transistors, sensors, organic LEDs, capacitors, batteries, bio-functional devices, and lasers.
Thin film transistors (hereinafter also referred to as "TFTs") currently are expected to be useful drive elements for devices, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays. TFTs normally are formed of inorganic semiconductor materials, such as amorphous silicon and low-temperature polysilicon. Forming a semiconductor layer of a TFT by organic molecules enables reducing manufacturing costs and enlarging panel areas.
However, the organic semiconductors already been reported to have problems, such as having lower carrier mobility than those of inorganic semiconductors and causing high driving voltage when applied to device elements. For this reason, research has been carried out to improve the carrier mobility of organic semiconductors and to lower the driving voltage of device elements that employ organic semiconductors.
In most organic electronic devices that employ conductive organic molecules, sufficient device characteristics expected from the properties of conductive organic molecules can not be obtained. One possible factor is considered to be insufficient connectivity between electrodes and conductive organic molecules. As one of the methods to improve their electric connectivity, a method for easy charge transfer from an electrode to an organic semiconductor by disposing an organic layer (an electron transport layer or a positive hole transport layer) between the electrode and the organic semiconductor layer and for lowering the driving voltage of an organic TFT has been disclosed (JP10 (1998)-125924 A). A method of coating an electrode by any of a metal film, a conductive polymer film or a monomolecular film chemically bonded to the electrode for the purpose of reducing connection resistance between a conductive organic thin film and the electrode is disclosed (JP2003-309307).
The method described in JP10 (1998)-125924 A, however, requires a step, such as patterning, to form the organic layer at a predetermined position because the organic layer (the electron transport layer or the positive hole transport layer) is disposed as an intermediate layer independent from the electrode and the semiconductor layer. In addition, conventional techniques did not achieve sufficient improvement in electric connectivity between an electrode and an organic molecule layer, and thus a wide range of variations was found in the obtained characteristics in some cases.

Electronic device, process for producing the same and electronic equipment making use thereof


A method of assembling a captive panel fastener to a printed circuit board comprises the steps of placing an axially-extending shank of a captive fastener retainer through a mounting hole in a printed circuit board, soldering the retainer to the printed circuit board, cooling the retainer, and then affixing a retractable screw assembly including a plastic screw cap to the retainer by snap attachment of the screw cap to an outside surface of the retainer.

There are cases in which panel fasteners of the hybrid type, that is fasteners in which the screw portion has a molded-on plastic cap for ease of manual operation, are required to be soldered to a printed circuit board. A problem arises, however, due to the soldering temperature required to affix the retainer portion of the panel fastener to the PCB because the soldering heat has an adverse effect on the materials used in the plastic portion of the panel fastener. This problem not only arises with regard to soldering to PCBs but may also arise in other situations where attachment of the retainer to a base panel requires elevated temperatures. There is therefore a need in the art to provide a hybrid-type panel fastener that may be soldered or applied to a base panel by heating without adversely affecting its plastic portion.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of attaching a captive panel fastener to a circuit board


A plurality of containers on which untightened threaded caps are deposited are transported in a circular path synchronously with a cap tightening device for each container. The devices have a substantial vertical reciprocable non-rotatable shaft on which a cylindrical member is rotatable and a cylindrical housing is mounted to and is axially adjustable on the member. A spool of magnetic metal is rotatable on the shaft and is adapted for engaging a cap to turn and tighten it. Magnetizable and magnetized elements are arranged with the housing concentrically to the spool. While being transported the housings of the devices engage a stationary driver which turns the housings consecutively so the spools turn by virtue of magnetic coupling between the magnetic elements and the spool.

The invention disclosed herein pertains to a device for turning threaded caps onto the threaded necks of containers with a controlled maximum torsional force.
Capping devices for applying threaded caps on the necks of prethreaded containers are generally well known. To assure that the threaded cap is not applied too tightly to the container, most advanced capping devices incorporate a magnetic clutch comprised of a hysteresis ring composed of low magnetic reluctance material, such as that known by the trademark Hysterloy, fastened to a rotationally driven part and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed within a circle within the ring and magnetically coupled to a member that engages with the cap such that when a certain torsional force is reached the hysteresis ring slips relative to the magnets to thereby limit the transmitted torsional force that is applied to the cap. A hysteresis clutch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,609, for example.
In some production lines using prior art capping devices, containers with caps loosely applied are loaded onto a conveyor, such as a rotating turntable or linear conveyor, for being transported while the cap of the container is engaged by a cap tightener device which moves synchronously with the container. Typically, the device is mounted to a shaft which is driven rotationally for imparting a torsional force to the device for it to tighten the cap. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that every cap tightener device is mounted on a shaft which must be driven rotationally for the cap tightener to turn the cap and besides a camming mechanism is required for lowering and raising the rotating shaft and the device to grip the cap and to withdraw it from the cap. This results in an unduly complicated and expensive capping machine.

Device for tightening caps on containers


The present invention provides novel calcium channel antagonists, and methods of treating disease sates using the novel antagonists.

Calcium is an important signaling molecule for many normal physiological processes in the human body. These include electrical signaling in the nervous system, as well as controlling heart and smooth muscle contraction, and hormone release. The entry of calcium into cells is regulated by a diverse set of proteins called calcium channels.
A fundamental role of Ca2+ channels is to translate an electrical signal on the surface membrane into a chemical signal within the cytoplasm, which, in turn, activates many important intracellular processes including contraction, secretion, neurotransmission and regulation of enzymatic activities and gene expression. Tsien et al., (1988), Trends Neurosci., vol. 11, pp. 431-438. Continuing studies have revealed that there are multiple types of Ca2+ currents as defined by physiological and pharmacological criteria. See, e.g., Catterall, W. A., (2000) Annul Rev. Cell Dev. Biol., 16:521-55; Llinas et al, (1992) Trends Neurosci, 15; 351-55; Hess, P. (1990) Ann. Rev. Neurosci. 56:337; Bean, B. P. (1989) Ann. Rev. Physiol. 51:367-384; and Tsien et al. (1988) Trends Neurosci. 11:431-38. In addition to exhibiting distinct kinetic properties, different Ca2+ channel types can be localized on different regions of a cell and have complex morphology. The calcium in nerve cells plays an important role in delivering signals between nerve cells. Voltage activated calcium channels play important roles including neuroexcitation, neurotransmission and hormone secretion, and regulation of gene transcription through Ca-dependent transcription factors.
Voltage dependent calcium channels have been classified by their electrophysiological and pharmacological properties (McCleskey, E. W. et al. Curr Topics Membr (1991) 39:295-326, and Dunlap, K. et al. Trends Neurosci (1995) 18:89-98). Voltage-gated calcium channels can be divided into Low Voltage Activated calcium channels (LVA), that are activated at a lower voltage, and High Voltage Activated (HVA) calcium channels, that are activated at a higher voltage with respect to typical resting membrane potentials. HVA channels are currently known to comprise at least three groups of channels, known as L-, N- and P/Q-type channels. These channels have been distinguished from one another electrophysiologically as well as biochemically on the basis of their pharmacology and ligand binding properties. The L-, N-, P/Q-type channels activate at more positive potentials (high voltage activated) and display diverse kinetics and voltage-dependent properties. To date, only one class of low-threshold calcium channels is known, the T-type calcium channels. These channels are so called because they carry a transient current with a low voltage of activation and rapid inactivation. (Ertel and Ertel (1997) Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 18:37-42.). In general, T-type calcium channels are involved in the generation of low threshold spikes to produce burst firing (Huguenard, J. R., Annul Rev. Physiol., 329-348, 1996).
Three genes are known to encode pore forming subunits of T-type calcium channels; CACNA1G (alpha1G, Cav3.1), CACNA1H (alpha1H, Cav3.2), and CACNA1I (alpha1I, Cav3.3) (see Perez-Reyes, Physiol Rev. 2003 83:117-61).
T-type calcium channels are located in the nervous system, cardiac & vascular smooth muscle; as well as a variety of endocrine cell types (see Perez-Reyes, Physiol Rev. 2003 83:117-61). Generally, T-type channels are believed to be involved in electrical pacemaker activity, low-threshold calcium spikes, neuronal oscillations and resonance (Perez-Reyes, Physiol Rev. 2003 83:117-61). The functional roles for T-type calcium channels in neurons include, membrane depolarization, calcium entry and burst firing. (White et al. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:6802-6806). Functionally unique calcium channels allow for temporal and spatial control of intracellular calcium and support regulation of cellular activity.
T-type calcium channels have more negative activation ranges and inactivate more rapidly than other calcium channels. When the range of membrane potentials for activation and inactivation overlap, T-type calcium channels can undergo rapid cycling between open, inactivated, and closed states, giving rise to continuous calcium influx in a range of negative membrane potentials where HVA channels are not normally activated. The membrane depolarizing influence of T-type calcium channel activation can become regenerative and produce calcium action potentials and oscillations.
In addition to the variety of normal physiological functions mediated by calcium channels, they are also implicated in a number of human disorders. For example, changes to calcium influx into neuronal cells may be implicated in conditions such as epilepsy, stroke, brain trauma, Alzheimer's disease, multiinfarct dementia, other classes of dementia, Korsakoff's disease, neuropathy caused by a viral infection of the brain or spinal cord (e.g., human immunodeficiency viruses, etc.), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, convulsions, seizures, Huntington's disease, amnesia, pain transmission, cardiac pacemaker activity or damage to the nervous system resulting from reduced oxygen supply, poison or other toxic substances (Goldin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,928). Other pathological conditions associated with elevated intracellular free calcium levels include muscular dystrophy and hypertension (Steinhardt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,004).
Low threshold spikes and rebound burst firing characteristic of T-type calcium currents is prominent in neurons from inferior olive, thalamus, hippocampus, lateral habenular cells, dorsal horn neurons, sensory neurons (DRG, nodose), cholinergic forebrain neurons, hippocampal intraneurons, CA1, CA3 dentate gyros pyramidal cells, basal forebrain neurons, amygdala neurons (Talley et al., J. Neurosci., 19: 1895-1911, 1999) and neurons in the thalamus (Suzaki and Rogawski, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:7228-7232, 1998). As well, T-type channels are prominent in the some and dendrites of neurons that reveal robust Ca dependent burst firing behaviors such as the thalamic relay neurons and cerebellar Purkinje cells (Huguenard, J. R., Annul Rev. Physiol., 329-348, 1996). Consequently, improper functioning of these T-type calcium channels has been implicated in arrhythmias, chronic peripheral pain, inappropriate pain transmission in the central nervous system.
The reduction of in vivo hyperalgesic responses to thermal or mechanical stimuli induced by chemical agents (i.e. reducing agents, capsaicin) or experimental nerve injury (i.e. chronic constriction injury; spinal nerve ligation) by known T-type calcium channel antagonists mibefradil and/or ethosuximide suggests a role of the T-type calcium channels in peripheral nerve pain signaling (Todorovic, Neuron, 2001, 31:75-85; Todorovic and Lingle, J. Neurophysiol. 79:240-252, 1998, Flatters S J, Bennett G J. Pain. 2004 109:150-61; Dogrul et al; Pain. 2003 105:159-68; Matthews and Dickenson. Eur J Pharmacol. 2001 415:141-9). Furthermore, intrathecal administration of antisense oligonucleotides to alphalH (Cav3.2) T-type calcium channels in rodents has recently been shown to selectively inhibit the functional expression of T-type calcium currents in sensory neurons and reverse hyperalgesic, and allodynic, responses induced by experimental nerve injury (Bourinet et al EMBO J. 2005 24:315-24). Gene knockout of alpha1G (Cav3.1) T-type channels in mouse CNS is reported to increase the perception of visceral pain (Kim et al. Science. 2003 302:117-9).
T-type calcium channels promote oscillatory behavior, which has important consequences for epilepsy. The ability of a cell to fire low threshold spikes is critical in the genesis of oscillatory behavior and increased burst firing (groups of action potentials separated by about 50-100 ms). T-type calcium channels are believed to play a vital role in absence epilepsy, a type of generalized non-convulsive seizure. The evidence that voltage-gated calcium currents contribute to the epileptogenic discharge, including seizure maintenance and propagation includes: 1) a specific enhancement of T-type currents in the reticular thalamic (nRT) neurons which are hypothesized to be involved in the genesis of epileptic seizures in a rat genetic model for absence epilepsy (Tsakiridou et al., J. Neurosci., 15: 3110-3117, 1995); 2) antiepileptics against absence petit mal epilepsy (ethosuximide and dimethadione) have been shown at physiologically relevant doses to partially depress T-type currents in thalamic neurons (Courter et al., Ann. Neurol., 25:582-93, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,706 and references cited therein), and; 3) T-type calcium channels underlie the intrinsic bursting properties of particular neurons that are hypothesized to be involved in epilepsy (nRT, thalarnic relay and hippocampal pyramidal cells) (Huguenard).
The T-type calcium channels have been implicated in thalamic oscillations and cortical synchrony, and their involvement has been directly implicated in the generation of cortical spike waves that are thought to underlie absence epilepsy and the onset of sleep (McCormick and Bal, Annul Rev. Neurosci., 20: 185-215, 1997). Oscillations of neural networks are critical in normal brain function such during sleep-wave cycles. It is widely recognized that the thalamus is intimately involved in cortical rhythmogenesis. Thalamic neurons most frequently exhibit tonic firing (regularly spaced spontaneous firing) in awake animals, whereas phasic burst firing is typical of slow-wave sleep and may account for the accompanying spindling in the cortical EEG. The shift to burst firing occurs as a result of activation of a low threshold Ca2+ spike which is stimulated by synaptically mediated inhibition (i.e., activated upon hyperpolarization of the RP). The reciprocal connections between pyramidal neurons in deeper layers of the neocortex, cortical relay neurons in the thalamus, and their respective inhibitory interneurons are believed to form the elementary pacemaking circuit.
Tremor can be controlled through the basal ganglia and the thalamus, regions in which T-type calcium channels are strongly expressed (Talley et al J Neurosci. 1999 19:1895-911). T-type calcium channels have been implicated in the pathophysiology of tremor since the anti-epileptic drug ethosuximide is used for treating tremor, in particular, tremor associated with Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, or cerebellar disease (U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,867; D. A. Prince).
It is well documented that cortisol is the precursor for glucocorticoids and prolonged exposure to glucocorticoids causes breakdown of peripheral tissue protein, increased glucose production by the liver and mobilization of lipid from the fat depots. Furthermore, individuals suffering from anxiety and stress produce abnormally high levels of glucocorticoids. Consequently, drugs that would regulate these levels would aid in the treatment of stress disorders. In this regard, the observations (Enyeart et al., Mol. Endocrinol., 7:1031-1040, 1993) that T-type channels in adrenal zone fasciculata cells of the adrenal cortex modulate cortisol secretion will greatly aid in the identification of such a therapeutic candidate.
T-type calcium channels may also be involved sperm production. Sertoli cells secrete a number of proteins including transport proteins, hormones and growth factors, enzymes which regulate germinal cell development and other biological processes related to reproduction (Griswold, Int. Rev. Cytol., 133-156, 1988). While the role of T-type calcium channels remains to be fully elucidated, it is believed that they may be important in the release of nutrients, inhibin B, and/or plasminogen activator and thus may impact sperm production. According to researchers, the inhibition of T-type calcium channels in sperm during gamete interaction inhibits zona pellucida-dependent Ca2+ elevations and inhibits acrosome reactions, thus directly linking sperm T-type calcium channels to fertilization.
In view of the above, pharmacological modulation of T-type calcium channel function is very important and therapeutic moieties capable of modulating T-type currents may find utility in the practice of medicine, i.e., calcium channel blockers for the treatment of pain, epilepsy, hypertension, and angina pectoris etc. Compounds identified thereby may be candidates for use in the treatment of disorders and conditions associated with T-channel activity in humans and animals. Such activities include, but are not limited to, those involving a role in muscle excitability, secretion and pacemaker activity, Ca2+ dependent burst firing, neuronal oscillations, and potentiation of synaptic signals, for improving arterial compliance in systolic hypertension, or improving vascular tone, such as by decreasing vascular welling, in peripheral circulatory disease, and others. Other disorders include, but are not limited to hypertension; cardiovascular disorders (e.g. myocardial infarct, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure and angina pectoris); neurological disorders (e.g. epilepsy, pain, schizophrenia, depression and sleep); peripheral muscle disorders; respiratory disorders; and endocrine disorders. The present invention meets these and other needs in the art.


An elevator having a power feeding apparatus effective for reducing the installation space for the elevator is disclosed.

The present invention relates to an elevator having an electric power feeding apparatus.
In order to reduce the space for installing an elevator, it is known to the skilled in the art that a driving mechanism for the elevator is installed together in the counter weight and the machinery house to be provided for accommodating the driving mechanism is eliminated. Examples related to this technology are disclosed in the articles, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 6-255959 (1994), Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 7-137963 (1995), Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 7-137964 (1995), Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 9-124259 (1997) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 2000-255932 (2000).
Further, what is known publicly include several technologies such as the electric power to be consumed at the car of the elevator is supplied via electrical contact by the electric power supply elements composed of electro-conduction materials or is supplied via contact-less electric feeder by coils and/or transformers. According to those electric power-feeding technologies, it will be appreciated that electric power can be supplied to the car without power feeding cables. Several examples of those technologies are disclosed in the articles, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 57-112275 (1982) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 5-294568 (1993).
In case that a driving mechanism for the elevator is mounted on to the counter weight, it is preferable to supply the electric power to the counter weight without using the electric power feeding cable in order to reduce further the space occupied by the installation of the elevator. As for the technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 57-112275 (1982) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Number 5-294568 (1993), there found the following problems in applying them to the electric power feeding to the counter weight because they are directed for the application for feeding the electric power to the car.
The car and the counter weight are coupled and linked together by a rope, and thus, the positioning accuracy for the counter weight makes lower due to the extension of the rope when attempting to adjust the position of the car. Therefore, the relative position between the power transmission part and the power receiving part of the electric power feeding apparatus may be out of alignment due to the extension of the rope in relative to the electric power feeding to the counter weight. As a result, there are such problems that the efficiency in electric power feeding may be reduced or the electric power feeding itself may be made disabled.
As described above, it is difficult to apply the prior art technologies directly to the electric power feeding to the counter weight due to its low reliability. Thus, even in installing a driving mechanism onto the counter weight, it is required to supply the electric power separately to the counter weight, which leads to a limited amount of reduction in the space occupied by the elevator. In case of applying the prior art technologies, the power transmission part and the power generation apparatus for supplying the electric power, which is to be transferred from the power transmission part to the power receiving part, to the power transmission part are installed within the hoist way inevitably. Thus, the reduction of the space occupied by the elevator may be limited due to the power transmission part and the power generation apparatus.

Abstract: The dimension of the power transmission part disposed at the hoist way and the dimension of the power receiving part mounted on the counter weight, each measured in the direction along which the counter weight moves are made different from each other.


A method supplies a dynamic vector map of properties within a region or a unified suite of quantification functionality for property functions, such as density functions, conduction functions (e.g., thermal conduction, electrical conduction, atomic or subatomic mass conduction, macromolecular mass conduction), defined on, defined in or defining a three-dimensional space, which functions may optionally vary in time. At least two services assisting in the definition of the map or suite, even in a dynamic modality, are selected from: (a) computation of the volume of the region where the density lies above or below a specified threshold, or between two specified values; (b) computation of the integral of the density; (c) estimation of the rate of change of the density with respect to time, optionally restricted to a specified region; (d) estimation of the local or global failure of conservation represented by changes with time in the density; (e) estimation of the local or global rate at which material with a changing density is passing through a specified surface (e.g., boundary); and (f) separation of the density of a material with a changing density, given an implemented transport model, into “free” and “bound” densities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of characterizing the properties of a field, particularly to the characterization of properties within a field relating to mass transfer or material movement. The characterization of field properties is related to fields such as localized absorption/adsorption of materials to surfaces or volumes, especially in the delivery of bioactive materials to in vivo tissue during therapeutic treatments.
2. Background of the Art
It is a routine procedure in image processing to "segment" a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) image. This can be performed, for example, on 1) a photograph of a slice of biological material, or 2) a scan by computer-aided tomography (CAT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sonogram, or seismology recordation systems, where the data resembles a stack of slices. Many ways of gathering such data exist in various areas of technology, such as, for example, scanning data from individual components in an image to provide distinct layers with related data (e.g., only single colors, only ranges of optical density, etc.).
The image provided in such segmenting comprises a rectangular array of points with specified intensity, density or color values, the points being called "pixels" in 2D and "voxels" in 3D. The objective of the segmentation procedure is to classify these points into classes of materials so that information can be read into or from the image. In a specialized technological field, such as in medical applications, for example, "bone", "muscle", "blood", or "tumor" may be assigned to different points and ultimately areas of the image. In geology, the classes might be "granite", "shale", "water", etc., and so on for other sciences. The typical starting point for classification of the image is the value attached to a specific point. For example, bone absorbs X-rays more than any other tissue, so that one can fix a threshold value T according to the scaling of a particular Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) image and use "opacity greater than I" as a test for attaching the label "bone" to a point. A "segment" is then either a) the class of points so classified, or b) a connected component of this class. For example, it can be useful in medical applications to recognize the left kidney and the right kidney as separate segments of the body. Various methods also exist for correcting errors and noise in the image. For example, an isolated voxel with a value associated with muscle, surrounded by voxels classifiable as bone, should usually be labeled as bone also.
There exists also a large range of software to assist humans in segmentation, allowing them to draw curves around a region so that the regions can be recognized as separate. For example, where a region presses closely against another region with similarly associated values (such as a bone touching a bone), single values alone would be inadequate for classifying points. Despite such software assistance, this region recognition technology is labor intensive, especially in 3D where the classification is usually done slice by slice. Therefore, improved automation is a continuing area of vigorous research. We assume herein that it is desirable that segmentation includes not only a labeling of grid points by segments, but also that some descriptive geometric information such as bounding areas such as its bounding box (the smallest rectangular region with sides parallel to the x, y and z axes that contains every point of it) or a list of boxes in some scheme such as an octree division of the grid is provided, so that between all of these components of the segmentation labeling system, all of the points of the segment are included and identified (classified). Such additional data allow iteration over a shorter sequence of grid points than the whole set, when points outside the segment will contribute nothing to the intended result of the classification within the segmentation. Where such data are not delivered with the segmentation, they can be rapidly constructed for the entire segment list by a single run-through of the grid. Therefore, we assume that they are available.
Once 3D segmentation is achieved, it allows volumetry, the defining and/or measuring of the volume of a segment, which is proportional to the number of voxels labeled as belonging to it. This can be important either in static images, such as a geological or body scan where it answers questions like "How much ore is present?" or "is the liver enlarged?" or in a sequence of 3D images, such as a record of a beating heart, where the change in volume of the left ventricle can assist in quantifying what fraction of the blood is expelled into the aorta, and thus how effectively the heart is functioning as a pump. As a point is either In or Out of a segment (it is or is not blood, muscle, granite, etc.), volumetry techniques have developed for this two-valued context. The present invention addresses the computation of quantities appropriate to, and by methods appropriate to, continuous-valued variables such as a density or concentration.

Method for dynamic characterization of density fields in a compound structure


A composite lithium compound having a mixed crystalline structure is provided. Such compound can be formed by heating a lithium, iron, phosphorous and carbon mixed compound with another metal compound together. The resulting mixed metal crystal can exhibit superior electrical property and is a better cathode material for lithium secondary batteries.

Lithium secondary batteries are widely used in various devices such laptops, cameras, camcorders, PDAs, cell phones, iPods and other portable electronic devices. These batteries are also growing in popularity for defense, automotive and aerospace applications because of their high energy density.
Lithium phosphate-based cathode materials for secondary battery have long been known in the battery industry. People have used metal intercalation compound to improve the electrical property of lithium phosphate. One popular intercalation compound is lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4). Because of its non-toxicity, excellent thermal stability, safety characteristics and good electrochemical performance, there is a growing demand for rechargeable lithium secondary batteries with LiFePO4 as the cathode material.
LiFePO4 has its problems as a cathode material, however. Compared with other cathode materials such as lithium cobaltate, lithium nicklate, and lithium magnate, LiFePO4 has much lower conductance and electrical density. The current invention solves the problem by producing a mixed crystal structure to significantly enhance the electrical properties of LiFePO4.
A mixed crystal can sometimes be referred to as a solid solution. It is a crystal containing a second constituent, which fits into and is distributed in the lattice of the host crystal. See IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology 2nd Edition (1997). Mixed crystals have been used in semiconductors for enhancing light output in light emitting diodes (LEDs). They have also been used to produce sodium-based electrolyte for galvanic elements. The current invention is the first time that a mixed crystal has been successfully prepared for lithium metal intercalation compounds such as LiFePO4. It is also the first time that a mixed crystalline structure has been used as a cathode material for lithium secondary batteries. The new cathode material disclosed in the present invention has significantly better electrical properties than traditional LiFePO4 cathode materials.

Composite compound with mixed crystalline structure


A calculation processing unit controls temperature of a Peltier device based on a slope of a waveform obtained by subtracting a waveform of a B-arm monitoring signal from a waveform of an A-arm monitoring signal and a value obtained by subtracting a value B of the B-arm monitoring signal from a value A of the A-arm monitoring signal. Similarly, the calculation processing unit controls a phase of the A-arm and a phase of the B-arm. An A-arm side micro-controller controls temperature of an A-arm side heater 22 based on the value of the A-arm monitoring signal, and controls the phase of the A-arm. A B-arm side micro-controller controls temperature of a B-arm side heater based on the value B of the B-arm monitoring signal, and controls the phase of the B-arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase control apparatus to demodulate a signal light beam that is differential-quadrature-phase-shift-keying (DQPSK)-modulated and an optical DQPSK receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a receiver having the configuration as shown in FIG. 16 is known as an optical DQPSK receiver 10 that receives a signal light beam that is differential-quadrature-phase-shift-keying-modulated (for example, International Patent Application Publication No. 2004-516743). In the optical receiver 10, a DQPSK signal input is branched into two. The branched light beams are provided respectively to delay interferometers 11 and 12. Each of the delay interferometers 11 and 12 is adapted to differ the optical path lengths of two optical waveguides from each other that are Mach-Zehnder-type optical waveguides formed on, for example, a silica substrate or an indium phosphide substrate, thereby generating a relative delay time difference corresponding to at least an integral multiple of one symbol that is DQPSK-modulated between light beams propagating the optical waveguides.
The interference operating point of the delay interferometer 11 is defined to be π/4 by a delaying unit 13 formed on one of the optical waveguides. The interference operating point of the delay interferometer 12 is defined to be −π/4 by a delaying unit 14 formed on another one of the optical waveguides. Complementary two outputs that are output from a coupler at the output-stage of the delay interferometer 11 are received by a differential optical receiving circuit 15 including a pair of optical detectors and an amplifier. The differential optical receiving circuit 15 demodulates an electric signal A corresponding to a signal D1 input into a transmitter not shown.
Similarly to the above, complementary two outputs that are output from a coupler at the output-stage of the delay interferometer 12 are also received by a differential optical receiving circuit 16 including a pair of optical detectors and an amplifier. The differential optical receiving circuit 16 demodulates an electric signal B corresponding to a signal D2 input into a transmitter not shown. The electric signals A and B that have been demodulated are newly created as more stable electric signals respectively by clock data recovery (CDR) circuits 17 and 18. Synchronization process of frames and creation of frames such as synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), synchronous optical network (SONET), or oracle technology network (OTN) and error correction are executed by a framer circuit/forward error correction (FEC) decoding circuit 19.
For such an optical DQPSK receiver, it is important that optical phase differences between the optical waveguides of the delay interferometers 11 and 12 are respectively set accurately to be π/4 and −π/4. Such an optical DQPSK receiver is known that a heater is provided to each of one optical waveguide of one delay interferometer and one optical waveguide of the other delay interferometer, to adjust independently the temperature of each of the heaters, thereby adjusting the optical phase difference between the optical waveguides of the delay interferometers 11 and 12 (for example, International Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 03/063515).
When an optical DQPSK receiver is actually used, at the time of, for example, starting up of the receiver, switching of optical signals, or fluctuation of external conditions such as the environmental temperature, the optical phase difference between the optical waveguides of each of the delay interferometers needs to be adjusted to a desired state in a short time. However, in International Patent Application Publication No. 2004-516743, it is not disclosed that how the optical phase difference between the optical waveguides of each of the delay interferometers is controlled. In International Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 03/063515, it is not disclosed that how the temperature of each heater is controlled.
Therefore, in the above conventional receivers, the adjustment of the optical phase difference can not be completed in a short time because the optical phase difference and the temperature of each of the heaters are adjusted in a trial-and-error manner. That is, the optical receivers disclosed in the above patent literatures are still in development stages and are not suitable for practical use. The optical receiver disclosed in International Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 03/063515 has a problem that the optical phase difference between the optical waveguides can not be fully controlled because the range of temperature adjustment by a heater is narrow.

Phase control apparatus and optical DQPSK receiver


Methods and apparatus are presented for determining position a GNSS rover antenna from single-frequency observations of GNSS signals collected at the antenna over multiple epochs and from correction data for at least one of the epochs. Coded raw data prepared from the single-frequency observations in a binary format are obtained and decoded to obtain decoded raw data. The decoded raw data are used to construct multiple epochs of measurement data of time, range and phase. Correction data are obtained for at least one of the epochs. The measurement data are processed with the correction data in a realtime kinematic positioning engine to obtain a position estimate for each of a plurality of epochs.

In recent years there has been a penetration of consumer and professional GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technologies into the same markets. Consumer-grade devices are seeking better accuracy at the lowest price. Professional-grade solutions are seeking price/size/consumption reduction keeping ultimate positioning performance. The battle is on to achieve sub-meter positioning performance for post-processed and real-time GIS (Geographic Information System/s).
Today, GIS handhelds represent a significant GIS market. In terms of accuracy, there is a very wide choice, ranging from a few-meter real-time solutions (low-end GIS) to centimeter-level, post-processed and real-time solutions (high-end GIS).
Typical high-end GIS players are Trimble GeoExplorer 6000 Series, Topcon GRS-1, and Ashtech MobileMapper 100. All of them include their own professional GNSS inside (usually GPS+GLONASS, L1 or L1&L2), good quality internal antenna (usually L1-only; sometimes L1&L2), the possibility to connect high-grade, external L1 or L1&L2 antenna, built-in GSM module & antenna, possibility to support high-rate raw data output for post-processing, and the RTK rover function.
Having such a device, end users can get a full spectrum of accuracies (from meter up to centimeter) by selecting the proper antenna, recording raw data and running post-processing at the office or activating the RTK function, etc.
But these are expensive devices ($3000+ depending on options), which makes them suitable only for some applications and circumstances.
All of the low-end GIS devices use consumer-grade L1 GPS (and SBAS) chips. Here the obvious leader is the SiRF Star III chip. Typical low-end GIS players are Topcon FC-25A, Ashtech MobileMapper 10, Spectra Precision Nomad, Trimble Juno series, Magellan eXplorist Pro 10 and some others. All of them deliver a few meter-level, real-time accuracy using an internal SiRF chip (i.e. 3rd party consumer GPS) as search&tracking&position engine. This means that the difference in real-time performance between units is only defined by the difference of quality in the design of the internal antenna.
These are quite inexpensive units ($400+ depending on options), which can be used in the widest range of GIS applications all over the world.
Thus, there is a strong differentiation between low-end and high-end GIS solutions as for the accuracy and the price.
At the same time, there exists the so-called medium-end GIS market, which requires meter-level, real-time and sub-meter level post-processing accuracies.
This niche can potentially be occupied by both low- and high-end devices. It is quite clear what needs to be done when moving from high- to medium-end: Reducing the price! It is clear but not so easy to do because pricing for professional solutions is also driven by capabilities other than GNSS positioning (e.g. data capacity, ruggedness, connectivity, etc).
There are lots of consumer-grade handheld devices available on the market. Generally they are fitted with a consumer GNSS chipset (e.g. SiRF, Ublox, etc.), a low-cost internal antenna element and a powerful application processor to run different user applications. More and more of these devices have large touch screens, built-in GSM modules and the possibility to connect a higher grade, external GNSS antenna. Such a configuration is ideal for a wide variety of GIS jobs. What needs to be improved in these devices is just the chip performance to deliver an accurate enough (differential) position!
To date, we do not see consumer-grade devices with such an advanced position engine. Today, the primary market for such chips is still PNDs (Portable Navigation Devices) where sub-ten meter position is usually enough for most applications. Improving position accuracy is not required, while ultra-high sensitivity, indoor tracking with minimum size and power consumption and low cost are still the primary requirements for such chips.

GNSS signal processing methods and apparatus


A dwell time calculation table (51a) showing a correspondence relation between a CID gas pressure inside a collision cell (31) and a dwell time for data collection is stored in a processing condition parameter memory (51) of a controller (50). In the table (51a), as the CID gas pressure becomes higher, the dwell time becomes longer. When an instruction to execute an MRM measurement mode is given, the controller (50) determines the dwell time in accordance with the currently set CID gas pressure, and controls a data collector (41) to accumulate detection signals from an ion detector (34) during the determined dwell time and obtain the accumulated value. If the CID gas pressure inside the collision cell (31) is high, a decrease in ion speed becomes remarkable, and the rising of the ion intensity becomes slow. However, if the dwell time becomes long, influences of the slow rising on the accumulated value are relatively reduced, and the accuracy of the accumulated value is enhanced. Accordingly, the quantitative accuracy can be enhanced.

A method called an MS/MS analysis (also called a tandem analysis) is known as one of the mass spectrometric analysis techniques for identification and structural analyses of substances having large molecular weights. A tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (also called a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer) having a relatively simple and inexpensive structure is one of the widely used mass spectrometers capable of performing the MS/MS analysis.
As disclosed in Patent Literature 1, generally in the tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer, quadrupole mass filters are provided respectively before and after (i.e. at the front stage and rear stage of) a collision cell for dissociating ions, where precursor ions are selected by the front-stage quadrupole mass filter from among a variety of ions originating from a target compound, and product ions are separated by the rear-stage quadrupole mass filter in accordance with their mass-to-charge-ratios. The collision cell has a box-like, relatively tight-sealed structure, and a CID gas such as argon and nitrogen is introduced into the collision cell. The precursor ions selected by the front-stage quadrupole mass filter are introduced into the collision cell endowed with appropriate collision energy, and collide with the CID gas inside the collision cell. As a result, collision-induced dissociation occurs, and the product ions are produced.
The dissociation efficiency of ions inside the collision cell depends on the amount of collision energy of the ions, the CID gas pressure inside the collision cell, and the like. Hence, the detection sensitivity of the product ions that have passed through the rear-stage quadrupole mass filter also depends on the amount of collision energy and the CID gas pressure.
In the tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer, a measurement in a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode is performed in many cases, in order to perform quantitative determination on a known compound with high accuracy and sensitivity. In the MRM measurement mode, for both the front-stage and rear-stage quadrupole mass filters, the mass-to-charge-ratios of the ions that pass through the filters are fixed. Hence, in conventional tandem quadrupole mass spectrometers, the CID gas pressure inside the collision cell is set to a value (normally, at several mTorr) that is determined in advance by a manufacturer such that the detection sensitivity is as high as possible in the MRM measurement mode. Of course, the CID gas supply pressure can be manually adjusted by a user, whereby a measurement can be performed with higher sensitivity than that under such a preset condition as described above, with regard to, for example, a specific compound.
In general, as the CID gas pressure inside the collision cell becomes higher, ions become more likely to contact the CID gas, and hence the dissociation efficiency of the ions becomes higher. However, the kinetic energy of the ions is attenuated by the collision with the CID gas, and hence the flight speed of the ions as a whole decreases. In the case of the MRM measurement mode, dissociation of precursor ions having a given mass-to-charge-ratio and selection and detection of product ions having a given mass-to-charge-ratio are performed for a certain amount of time, and hence the decrease in ion flight speed in the collision cell as described above is considered to have relatively small influences on the ion intensity. However, in actuality, even in the MRM measurement mode, if the CID gas pressure is raised, the ion intensity obviously decreases compared with the case where the CID gas pressure is low. As a result, there arises a problem that a sufficiently high peak cannot be obtained on a mass chromatogram at a mass-to-charge-ratio corresponding to a target compound and that the quantitative accuracy thus decreases.
Moreover, a wide variety of measurement modes other than the MRM measurement mode described above are prepared for the tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer. Examples of the other measurement modes include: measurement modes in which both the front-stage and rear-stage quadrupole mass filters perform ion selection (a precursor ion scan measurement mode, a product ion scan measurement mode, a neutral loss scan measurement mode, and the like); and measurement modes in which one of the front-stage and rear-stage quadrupole mass filters does not perform ion selection (namely, all ions pass through the filter intact) while the other of the front-stage and rear-stage quadrupole mass filters performs a mass scan. In general, in all measurement modes except for measurement modes in which CID is not performed inside the collision cell, the CID gas pressure inside the collision cell is set to a value that is determined in advance by the manufacturer such that the detection sensitivity is as high as possible in the MRM measurement mode, as described above.
However, under such control, in the precursor ion scan measurement mode and the neutral loss scan measurement mode in which the front-stage quadrupole mass filter performs a scan over a predetermined mass-to-charge-ratio range, a mass-to-charge-ratio deviation of a target ion peak on a mass spectrum (MS/MS spectrum), which results from the decrease in ion flight speed inside the collision cell as described above, tends to become large. The degree of the decrease in ion flight speed inside the collision cell also depends on the ion size (which normally corresponds to the mass-to-charge-ratio). Hence, the degree of the mass-to-charge-ratio deviation on the mass spectrum is not always constant, and it is not easy to obtain the amount of deviation and correct the deviation. Moreover, variation in flight speed increases even among ions having the same mass-to-charge-ratio, and this causes a problem that the peak width becomes large on the mass spectrum, resulting in a decrease in mass resolution.
Furthermore, the MRM measurement mode is used in many cases for a simultaneous multicomponent analysis by a liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer or a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, and the number of pairs of a precursor ion and a product ion to be detected simultaneously in parallel increases if the number of measurement target compounds increases. To deal with this, it is necessary to make high-speed switching of the mass-to-charge-ratio of ions that are allowed to pass through the front-stage quadrupole mass filter. As a result, such influences of the decrease in ion intensity as described above become further remarkable. On the other hand, even though the number of measurement target compounds is decreased in order to perform a measurement on each compound with high sensitivity, the improvement in sensitivity is limited.


A tape dispenser includes a main member, on which a tape roll mount, a cutter and a movable shield are provided, wherein the shield is moved to cover or expose the cutter, and at least a flexible arm is projected from the shield directly. The flexible arm has a suspended end urging a bottom wall of the main member. The flexible arm is compressed when the shield is moved to expose the cutter, and the compressed flexible arm may return the shield to cover the cutter automatically.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tape dispenser, and more particularly to a tape dispenser with cutter shield.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional tape dispensers are provided with means to protect user from hurt by cutter. Typically, such means include a movable cutter or a movable shield. The movable cutter is received in the dispenser in a normal condition and moves out when user wants to cut the tape off only. The movable shield covers the cutter in a normal condition and moves off the cutter when user wants to cut the tape off.
Both of the movable cutter and movable shield are provided with a spring member to return the cutter or shield. The spring member usually is an independent element, which means it needs more steps to assemble the spring member on the tape dispenser.