A combinatorial pipettor device for the collection of a sample adapted for use with different size microtiter plates. The device comprises an upper plate having first and second halves, each half independently movable between an upper and a lower position, and a lower plate having tip connectors for the attachment of collecting tips. Also included are sample collector members having proximal ends and distal ends and a mechanism for moving at least one half of the upper plate between the upper and lower positions. Proximal ends of the sample collector members are held by the upper plate and distal ends of the sample collector members are engagable with the lower plate such that when at least one half of the upper plate is moved from the upper to the lower position, the corresponding sample collector members are lowered, thereby facilitating collection of a sample into a tip attached to one of the connectors.

Magnetic particles are used for a variety of separation, purification, and isolation techniques in connection with chemical or biological molecules. In those techniques, a magnetic particle is coupled to a molecule capable of forming a specific binding ("affinity binding") with a molecule in a biological sample, which is to be isolated, purified or separated. The biological sample is then brought into contact with the magnetic particle and those biological molecules which bind to the magnetic particles are then isolated by application of a magnetic field.
Magnetic microparticles or nanoparticles are used to bind DNA molecules, proteins, cells, and sometimes subcellular fragments. In recent years, magnetic microparticles have been used as solid phase for chemical synthesis. Microparticles are in the size of 0.5-10 micron while nanoparticles are 0.05-0.3 micron.
Various devices and methods have been developed in order to separate and transfer magnetic particles. Generally, the available methods fall under two categories. In the first method, a specialized magnetic suspension vessel is contacted with a magnet, and particles move towards the magnet, thus becoming attached to the side of the vessel. The remaining liquid is removed out of the vessel via decantation or aspiration.
In the second method, cylindrical magnetic rods covered with protective plastic sleeves or tips are brought into direct contact with a magnetic suspension. Particles are captured on the rod while the liquid remains in vessel. The rod with captured particles is moved into another vessel. When the magnet is withdrawn out of the protective sleeve, particles detach from the tip into the vessel.
The second method is advantageous with respect to the first, since a stronger magnetic field is applied directly on the particles, and therefore, nearly all of the particles are captured. Another advantage is that since the particles are readily transferred to a second vessel, removal of liquid in the source vessel is not needed, and one step has been saved.
Patent No. EP 0787296 to Tuunanen describes a magnetic rod device for the separation of microparticles. The tip of the device is shaped like a cone for transferring particles from large volumes into smaller volumes. The device, however, is only useful for separating one sample at a time.
U.S Pat. No. 6,409,925 to Gombinsky et al. describes a system of magnetic rod devices wherein each device in the system is independently controlled. Thus, any desired combination of magnetic rods can be operated. The magnets in this system are operated via pneumatic forces that are automatically controlled. The system permits transfer of specific combinations of magnetic particles and thus it can be used for combinatorial chemical synthesis. A magnetic plate is provided beneath the microtiter plates for facilitating separation of the magnetic particles from the tip into liquid in the well.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,810 to Korpela describes a similar rod device for capturing and releasing magnetic microparticles. The magnets in this device are operated via springs. An extendible membrane is provided as well as means for joining and separating the magnet with the first side of the membrane such that in operation the magnet is releasably pressed against the first side of the membrane, thereby stretching the membrane so that microparticles become fixed, by magnetic attraction, to the second side of the membrane. When the magnet is separated from the first side of the membrane, the particles become released from the second side.
In all of the aforementioned references, the magnetic rod moves inside of a static tube either electrically, pneumatically, or manually. The protective sleeve or tip covering the magnet is attached to the end of the static tube, and is detached or released from the tube by an outside mechanism, usually a manual arm attached to the outside surface of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,806 to Telimaa et al. relates to a multi-cylinder pipette comprising 16 4.5 mm spaced channels. The pipette is thus suitable only for use with a plate comprising 16×24, or 384 wells.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,244 to Allen et al. relates to a uniformly expandable multi-channel pipettor having a plurality of tip fittings whose spacing can be adjusted so that the spacing between each adjacent tip fitting is substantially identical. The device is known as the Equalizer 384 ™ by Matrix, and it allows the user to switch between microtiter plates of different sizes. The tip fittings are attached one to another by a linkage such as a pantographic linkage. The spacing is limited by an adjustable, slidable stop. Uniformly increasing and decreasing the spacing is accomplished by pulling and pushing a rod attached to one tip fitting. However, the Equalizer is a highly complicated device, and it is very expensive.
A disadvantage of prior art devices is that they cannot be used with microtiter plates of different sizes, only with one-size plates. Pipettor devices with eight connectors are for use with 96-well plates and pipettor devices with sixteen connectors are for use with 384-well plates. Patent EP 0787296 allows for the transfer of particles between microtiter plates having different sizes, but this is with the use of a single magnetic rod, and thus it cannot be used in combinatorial applications.
In light of the above, it would be desirable to provide a combinatorial device for the separation and transfer of magnetic particles or liquids that can be used with microtiter plates of different well sizes, and that would allow the user to determine the exact combination of samples that are to be separated and transferred.


In accordance with one embodiment, a servicing watercraft that may be safely secured to a serviced watercraft. The servicing watercraft comprises at least one auxiliary section that may be positioned to either a) increase the effective width of the servicing watercraft thus reducing rolling motion while the servicing watercraft is stationary or in operation, OR b) decrease the width of the servicing watercraft thus reducing drag while the watercraft is moving through the water. Furthermore, the auxiliary section(s) help the servicing watercraft to be positioned in an optimum location adjacent to the serviced watercraft as to avoid impact from accidently dropped cargo or shipping containers from the serviced watercraft.

Watercraft that provide services to other watercraft at berth, at anchorage, or underway include, for example, bunkering (fueling) tankers/barges, supply vessels/barges, and emissions control vessels/barges. A servicing watercraft is traditionally positioned side-by-side with a serviced watercraft. Once the two watercraft are secured together, services or operations may begin.
In the case of fueling operations or bunkering operations, operations consist of attaching at least one hose from the servicing watercraft to the serviced watercraft so that fuel and/or oil may be transferred. In the case of supply operations, operations consist for transferring materials and/or supplies between the two watercraft. In the case of emissions control watercraft, operations consist of attaching at least one hose to draw exhaust gas from a serviced watercraft through the hose to an emissions treatment system located on a servicing watercraft to remove contaminants from the exhaust gas before release into the atmosphere.
However, I have encountered four problems that frequently arise during these operations. These problems are described below:
Problem 1: In the case where a servicing watercraft is positioned side-by-side with a serviced watercraft which is a cargo ship in this example, there is a danger that cargo may accidentally fall off the serviced watercraft and impact the servicing watercraft that is operating below. This is a potential danger to the servicing watercraft and personnel. Cargo can weigh more than 65,000 pounds and can fall a distance exceeding 75 feet. Falling cargo has been known to sink servicing watercraft operating alongside.
The superstructure of serviced watercraft typically contains crew's quarters, wheelhouse/bridge, fuel connections, oil connections, and exhaust pipes. On cargo ships, the cargo sections typically occupy the space immediately fore and/or aft of the superstructure. If a servicing watercraft is secured side-by-side with the serviced watercraft near the superstructure of a serviced watercraft, then any part of the servicing watercraft that extends either before or aft the superstructure of the serviced watercraft is in danger of being impacted by falling cargo such as shipping containers from above.
Inserting a spacer between a servicing watercraft and a serviced watercraft in an attempt to place the servicing watercraft a safe distance away from the serviced watercraft does not solve the problem. In the case when the serviced vessel is a containership, when a shipping container falls from the serviced watercraft, it will likely fall away from the vessel, not vertically straight down. When a shipping container falls, it usually impacts the water more than fifteen feet from the side of the serviced watercraft. This means that a spacer is only effective if the shipping container were to fall directly down the side of the serviced watercraft, which rarely happens. The most common cause for a shipping container falling from a serviced watercraft is when another container within the same row of containers is knocked sideways thus starting a chain reaction, knocking container to container, which eventually results in a container being knocked overboard. The sideways force from being knocked over provides the momentum to launch the container away from the vessel. By the time the container reaches the water, its sideways momentum has carried it more than fifteen feet away from the side of the serviced watercraft. Therefore, a disadvantage of using a spacer is that it does not appreciably reduce the danger of cargo falling onto the servicing watercraft unless the spacer dimension is greater than about 50 feet. Even if the spacer dimension is sufficient to prevent the cargo from impacting the servicing vessel, it still impacts the spacer, which is still a significant problem and can still indirectly cause damage or injury.
Another disadvantage of using a spacer is that it increases the distance between servicing watercraft and serviced watercraft by a significant distance. In the case of an emissions control barge, the arm or crane would then be required to accommodate this additional reach. The arms on emissions control barges already have difficulty reaching the center of the vessel where the exhaust pipes are located at the top of the superstructure, especially on wider vessels. The reach of an arm is typically one of the major limiting physical factors on an emissions control barge. Therefore, the additional reach imposed by the spacer significantly reduces the reach capability of the arm, with the resulting disadvantage that the servicing watercraft may not being able to service larger vessels. The same disadvantage applies to fuel, oil, and supply servicing watercraft that use a crane to support the transfer hose, thus the crane may not be able to reach across the spacer.
Yet another disadvantage of using a spacer is that it requires that the spacer must be stored, moved, transported, and manipulated into position. A spacer has a disadvantage of increased cost from storage fees for the spacer when not in use. A further disadvantage is the additional cost that is incurred when a spacer requires more than one tugboat to position the spacer alongside a servicing watercraft. A further disadvantage is the additional time required to move, transport, and position a spacer which increases costs and increases the amount of time it takes to connect to a serviced vessel.
Yet another disadvantage using a spacer is that it causes a servicing watercraft to be positioned further into the channel by an additional amount equal to the width of the spacer. This additional width can interfere with the navigation of passing vessels, especially in narrow channels.
Problem 2: Another problem experienced when servicing watercraft are secured to serviced watercraft is excessive relative movement between the watercraft. In an example of an emission control watercraft, a servicing watercraft may have a tall tower and an arm mounted on top of the tower where it is very important that the servicing watercraft be as stable as possible in the water to limit the amount of translation at the top of the tower and arm. A tower on an emissions control watercraft may be about 100 feet tall and an arm on top of the tower may be about 125 feet. In this example, the distance from the center of rotation of the servicing watercraft to the tip of the arm would be about 160 feet. The translational motion of the end of the arm would be approximately 3 feet per degree of rolling motion of the watercraft, which is significant. Thus, even a small amount of rolling motion of the servicing watercraft can translate into a significantly large translational movement at the far end of the tower and arm. Too much relative motion between the watercraft could result in damage to connecting equipment or collision between some aspect of the serviced watercraft and the tower and/or arm of servicing watercraft. Furthermore, too much relative motion could also result in damaging the connection device or connecting ducting, especially considering that the serviced watercraft may be moving independently as well, thereby increasing the potential relative motion.
The amount of rolling motion associated with a watercraft is inversely proportional to the width of the watercraft. For example, in the case of a long and slender watercraft, the watercraft will tend to roll in about the axis of the longitudinal direction. A wider watercraft experiences less rolling motion. Therefore, watercraft such as such as those typically used for emissions control will roll significantly along the longitudinal axis because these watercrafts are typically several times longer than they are wide.
The rolling motion of typical watercraft is a significant problem in waters that have large swells, wakes, or waves such as is the case outside of a harbor or outside of a breakwater. Typical watercraft therefore have a disadvantage of not being able to service vessels outside of a harbor, outside of a breakwater, or in locations within a harbor that have larger swells or narrow channels in which passing vessels cause significant water movement.
Simply building a wider watercraft does not adequately solve the problem. One disadvantage of increasing the dimensions of a watercraft is increased cost due to increased amount of materials required. Another disadvantage of a wider watercraft is that it is harder to push the watercraft through the water due to drag. Typically, a slender hull shape is the most advantageous in terms of reducing resistance (drag) through the water. This increased resistance (drag) results in a disadvantage of increased fuel costs. Yet another disadvantage of increasing the width of a watercraft is that it may difficult to navigate through narrow channels. Yet another disadvantage of a wider watercraft is that the width of the watercraft may protrude into a narrow waterway too much while in operation thus interfering with the navigation of other passing vessels.
Yet another disadvantage of a wider watercraft is that, in the case of an emissions control watercraft, a wider watercraft translates to a longer reach to the center of the watercraft for connection to the exhaust pipes, which would limit the width of the serviced watercraft that could be reached. When both watercrafts are positioned side-by-side, as in the examples of an emissions control watercraft or a fueling/bunker watercraft, an arm is used by the servicing watercraft to reach the serviced watercraft. Typically, the arm or crane is located along the centerline of the servicing watercraft in order that a serviced watercraft may be reached from either the port side or starboard side of the servicing watercraft. The arm is therefore required to span half the width of the servicing watercraft before entering the space of the serviced watercraft. Therefore, a wider servicing watercraft imposes a reach deficit equal to half the width of the servicing watercraft. Thus, a disadvantage a servicing watercraft built with additional width is reduced net arm reach, resulting in a limitation of the width of serviced watercraft that can be served.
Problem 3: A servicing watercraft usually needs to be placed adjacent to the superstructure (house) of a serviced watercraft because the superstructure of the serviced watercraft is typically directly above the engine room, thus this is where fuel connections, supply cranes, and exhaust pipes are typically located. On many vessels, the superstructure is located near the stern (rear) of the vessel. This is most frequently true on non-containerships such as bulk carriers, tankers, Roll on/Roll off (RoRo's), and auto carriers. If a serviced watercraft is lightly loaded and therefore sits high in the water, the stern (the run) has a sharp rake (a rounded incline from perpendicular) and there is not a vertical flat area (sheer strakes) where the vessel can securely come alongside for coupling. In response to this situation, a large floating fender (a large inflated balloon-like bumper) has been used to fill the irregular gap between a servicing vessel and a non-vertical side of a serviced vessel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,400A by Yamaguchi Minoru and Kobayashi Takashi, dated Aug. 17, 1960, and assigned to Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd, is an example of this approach. These floating fenders are typically referred to in the industry as "Yokohamas". However, a disadvantage of this common approach that it is inconvenient, complicated, time-consuming, and requires constant attention as vessel cargo is loaded and unloaded. Another disadvantage of this approach is that a serviced vessel may rise even further during the operation due to cargo unloading and/or reduction in ballast, the amount vertical flat area available may become critically limited and/or the gap between the vessels may become excessively large, which may create an unsafe coupling situation.
Problem 4: Frequently two servicing watercrafts need to be positioned near the same location on the same serviced vessel at the same time. One of many examples of this is when an emissions control barge is operating and a bunkering (fueling) barge arrives and must also be positioned next to the superstructure. Since both servicing vessels cannot be side-by-side with the serviced vessel in the same location at the same time, the emissions control barge is forced to disconnect and be moved elsewhere until the bunkering (fueling) operations have completed. One disadvantage of this is that the pollution control barge cannot reduce pollution during the time that the bunkering barge is in use. Another disadvantage is that the emissions control barge is wasting energy and manpower during the time that the bunkering barge is in use, which is costly.

Device and method for securing a watercraft


A method of controlling a motorized window treatment provides for continued operation of the motorized window treatment during an overload condition, a low-line condition, or an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. The motorized window treatment is driven by an electronic drive unit having a motor, a motor drive circuit, a rotational position sensor, a controller, and a memory for storing the command. The controller stores the present position of the motorized window treatment in the memory each time the rotational position of the motor changes by a predetermined angle, such that a plurality of positions are stored in the memory. When the controller is reset due to an overload condition or ESD event, the controller recalls the desired position from the memory, determines the present position, and continues to drive the motor drive circuit in response to the command and the present position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling a motorized window treatment, and more specifically, a method of controlling a motorized roller shade through a disruptive event, such as a motor overload condition, a low-line condition, or an electrostatic discharge event, which may cause a controller controlling the movement of the motorized roller shade to reset.
2. Description of the Related Art
Motorized window treatments typically include a flexible fabric or other means for covering a window in order to block or limit the daylight entering a space and to provide privacy. The motorized window treatments may comprise roller shades, Roman shades, or draperies. The motorized window treatments include a motor drive for movement of the fabric in front of the window to control the amount of the window that is covered by the fabric. For example, a motorized roller shade includes a flexible shade fabric wound onto an elongated roller tube with an electronic drive unit installed in the roller tube. The electronic drive unit includes a motor, such as a direct-current (DC) motor, which is operable to rotate the roller tube upon being energized by a DC voltage.
In order to provide for advanced control of the roller shade, the electronic drive unit preferably comprises a microprocessor or other processing means. The microprocessor is operable to control the rotational speed of the roller tube, to store a fully open position (i.e., an open limit) and a fully closed position (i.e., a closed limit), and to recall a preset position of the shade fabric. The microprocessor keeps track of the position of the shade fabric by counting the rotations of the motor and determines when the shade fabric has moved to a desired position. The microprocessor preferably receives power from a DC voltage supplied by an internal power supply in the electronic drive unit.
Motor overload conditions, low-line conditions, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) events may cause the DC voltage of the internal power supply of the electronic drive unit to drop below the voltage level required by the microprocessor to remain operational, and thus, may cause the microprocessor to reset. For example, the motor may suddenly draw a large amount of current if the electronic drive unit is driving the motor, but the shade fabric is unexpectedly prevented from moving. A transitory large current drawn from the power supply of the electronic drive unit may cause the DC voltage to drop below the regulated level and thus cause the microprocessor to reset. As used herein, an overload condition of a motor is defined as an event that causes the motor to suddenly draw a much larger amount of current. A motor may draw, for example, approximately 800 mA to 1.5 A during normal operation, and approximately 2 A to 10 A during an overload condition.
Further, the shade fabric of roller shades may accumulate electrical charge during movement. The electric charge on the shade fabric may be accidentally connected to the microprocessor and other control circuitry of the electronic drive unit, i.e., an ESD event, which may cause the microprocessor to reset. Also, if the voltage received by the internal power supply drops below the required input voltage of the power supply (i.e., the drop-out voltage), the DC voltage supplied by the internal power supply may drop below the regulated level.
If the microprocessor resets during movement of the roller shade, the position information maintained by the microprocessor may become inaccurate, which could also prevent the microprocessor from moving the shade fabric. Thus, there is a need for a method of controlling a motorized window treatment, in which the microprocessor is operable to control the motorized window treatment with minimal interruption of the movement of the window treatment fabric or loss of the desired final position of the window treatment fabric in the occurrence of an overload condition, a low-line condition, or an ESD event.

Method of controlling a motorized window treatment


A mold machining method for computer numerical control includes steps of establishing a 3D pattern; performing an initial machining process on a mold material by the 3D pattern; calculating a total machining area corresponding to the 3D pattern; dividing the 3D pattern into a plurality of precise machining regions according to the total machining area and a predetermined machining area and enabling a boundary line between every two adjacent precise machining regions to be corresponding to a crest line of the 3D pattern; and performing a precise machining process on each of the precise machining regions and changing a cutting tool at the boundary line between every two adjacent precise machining regions.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to a mold machining method and a mold machining system and, more particularly, to a mold machining method and a mold machining system for computer numerical control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a computer numerical control (CNC) system can be used to form a 3D pattern on a plastic injection mold. In the CNC system, numerical control (NC) instructions are inputted into a memory of a numerical control system and compiled by the computer and then a 2D or 3D file is transmitted to a driver for driving a motor to cut a surface of a mold, so as to form a 3D pattern with different depths and curved surfaces on the surface of the mold.
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a CNC machining process of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional CNC machining process performs step S100 first to establish a 3D pattern by computer aided design (CAD) software. Afterward, step S102 is performed to plan machining process by computer aided manufacturing (CAM) software. Step S104 is then performed to rough machine a mold material by a CNC machine. Finally, step S106 is performed to fine machine the mold material by the CNC machine. However, the conventional CNC machining process always has the following problems.
1) If only one cutting tool is used to machine a mold with a 3D pattern larger than 10000 mm2, there will be obvious cutting marks formed on the mold due to worn cutting tool such that the appearance of a product made by the mold will not have uniform gloss;
2) After changing the worn cutting tool by a new cutting tool, the appearance of a product made by the mold will have obvious tool marks and will not have uniform gloss;
3) After machining the mold, the mold has to be polished manually due to uneven surface without high gloss such that crest lines of the 3D pattern may deform and refraction angles may be disordered; and
4) After machining the mold, the mold has to be sprayed with paint or sand so as to modify tool marks such that the labor hour and cost will increase due to secondary processing and the appearance of a product made by the mold will not have high gloss.

Mold machining method and mold machining system for computer numerical control


A method for forming a high flow insufflation needle stylet having distal, intermediate and proximal sections includes providing a flat sheet of metal and forming pilot holes in the sheet proximate opposed edges of the sheet. A profile of a flat pattern of the stylet is formed. The flat pattern has a proximal end, a distal end and a pair of substantially longitudinal edges. At least one support tab is positioned between the flat pattern and the sheet. The intermediate and the proximal sections of the stylet are progressively formed into a partial cylindrical shape with the proximal end being open and the longitudinal edges in the intermediate and proximal sections being positioned between about 90° and 180° apart. The distal section is progressively formed into a substantially cylindrical shape having a closed distal end. The stylet is trimmed from the sheet by cutting the at least one support tab.

The advantages of less invasive methods of abdominal surgery have been well documented. Reduced infection rates, decreased patient trauma and faster healing times have all been associated with the use of laparoscopic procedures, in which small surgical instruments are introduced into the abdominal cavity through the working channel of a trocar or other access device inserted through the abdominal wall muscle.
During these procedures, the abdominal cavity remains essentially a closed system. In order to improve visibility and increase working space for surgeons, it is preferable to distend the abdominal wall. This is usually accomplished through gas insufflation, in which carbon dioxide or another gas is introduced into the abdominal cavity to distend the abdominal wall and increase the volume of the abdominal cavity
Insufflation is typically accomplished using needle assemblies having a hollow cylindrical configuration. A needle having a sharpened distal tip is forced through the abdominal wall to provide access to the abdominal cavity through an insufflation channel. Once the sharpened tip is within the abdominal cavity, care must be taken to avoid puncturing internal organs. For this reason an obturator or stylet has been provided with the insufflation needle. As soon as the needle penetrates the abdominal wall, a blunt tip of the obturator moves beyond the sharpened tip of the needle to inhibit the further penetration of tissue.
During the insufflation process, it is desirable to maximize the flow of gases into the abdominal cavity to reduce the inflation time. Often, a patient will require as much as three liters of insufflation gas. With a typical insufflation flow rate of 600 milliliters per minute, this volume will require five minutes to fully insufflate the cavity. Even a slight reduction in the period of insufflation could significantly reduce operational procedure time and therefore result in a significant cost savings to the hospital and patient.
It is also important to ensure rapid protection of internal organs from the sharp needle tip following penetration of the abdominal wall. Typically, insufflation needle stylets or obturators are biased from a proximal position, wherein the sharpened tip is unprotected to facilitate penetration of the abdominal wall, to a distal position where the sharpened tip is isolated to prevent damage to the interior organs. A fast transition from the proximal position to the distal position increases the safety of the insufflation needle.
An insufflation needle assembly that promotes both rapid insufflation and fast transition of the obturator to isolate the sharp tip of the needle has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,160 to Taylor, Johnson and Hilal. In the '160 patent, an insufflation needle apparatus is disclosed in which the obturator is formed from a metal tube that is machined to remove portions of the obturator wall. Removing portions of the obturator wall reduces the mass of the obturator, resulting in a faster transition time and thus better protecting internal organs from inadvertent puncture wounds. Also, removing portions of the obturator wall increases the cross-sectional area of the insufflation channel, resulting in an increased insufflation rate.
The needle assembly of the '160 patent provides benefits in terms of safety and efficiency, but the costs associated with machining the metal obturator portion of the assembly also increases the cost of the assembly. Thus, a method of manufacturing the obturator that is more cost-efficient would result in significant savings to hospitals and patients, while maintaining the safety and efficiency of assemblies having reduced obturator wall portions.

Method for manufacturing high flow insufflation needle stylet


The present invention encompasses methods, and kits for the isolation and expansion of T regulatory cells having the CD45RA+ phenotype, including such cells from human umbilical cord blood.

Naturally arising CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells (Treg) can restrict or alter most types of immune responses (Sakaguchi, 2004, Annu. Rev. Immunol., 22: 531-562). Initially, Treg cells were described to be critical for the control of autoimmunity (Sakaguchi, et al., 1995, J. Immunol., 155: 1151-1164; Shevach, 2000, Annu. Rev. Immunol., 18: 423-449), and were found on adoptive transfer to prevent experimental autoimmune diseases. More recently, Treg have been shown to suppress allogeneic immune responses, and can prevent transplant rejection (Hall, et al., 1998, J. Immunol., 161: 5147-5156; Wood, et al., 2003, Nat. Rev. Immunol., 3: 199-210). In addition, these cells can restrain anti-tumor (Peng L, et al., 2002, J. Immunol., 169: 4811-4821; Gallimore, et al., 2002, Immunology, 107: 5-9), and anti-microbial immune responses (Belkaid Y, et al., 2002, Nature, 420: 502-507). Thus, CD4+CD25+ Treg appear to be central control elements of immunoregulation, and understanding their biology is important to efforts aimed at therapeutically manipulating immune responses.
Treg cells are best characterized in mice where they constitute 5-10% of lymph node and spleen CD4+ T-cell populations. They are generated both through central thymic developmental mechanisms in pathogen free mice, and also arise by poorly defined peripheral generation or expansion mechanisms (Apostolou, et al., 2002, Nat. Immunol., 3: 756-763; Shevach et al., 2002, Nat. Rev. Immunol., 2: 389-400). To date, Treg cells have primarily been defined by co-expression of CD4+ and CD25+ antigens on fresh isolation. CD25 as well as other markers of murine Treg, CTLA4 (CD 152) and GITR (Glucocorticoid Induced TNF-like Receptor), are all activation antigens on conventional T cells, and therefore are not specific. FoxP3, a nuclear protein thought to function as a transcriptional repressor, is a newer marker considered to be more specific for Treg cells (Ramsdell, et al., 2003, Curr. Opin. Immunol., 15: 718-24). It was demonstrated that after activation (T cell receptor based, antigen-specific or anti-CD3), Treg cells can non-specifically suppress proliferation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The mechanism of suppression is unclear, and in vitro, appears to require cell-cell contact. A functional result of suppression is impaired production of IL-2 (Thornton, et al., 1998, J. Exp. Med., 188: 287-296; Shevach, et al., 2001, Immunol. Rev., 182: 58-67). In vivo, the suppression mechanism is more controversial with some studies demonstrating dependence on immunosuppressive cytokines (Asseman, et al., 1999, J. Exp. Med., 190: 995-1004), which are not required for in vitro suppression.
Studies in mouse models of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have shown that fresh or culture expanded CD4+CD25+ cells can delay or prevent disease (Taylor et al., 2002, Blood, 99: 3493-3499′ Hoffmann, et al., 2002, J. Exp. Med., 196: 389-399; Cohen, et al., 2002, J. Exp. Med., 196: 401-406). Previous studies have demonstrated that Treg polyclonally expanded ex vivo for 10 days with anti-CD3 plus IL-2, can be effective in preventing graft versus host disease (GVHD; Taylor, et al., 2002, Blood, 99: 3493-3499). Ex vivo expansion of Treg cells with irradiated allogeneic APCs plus exogenous IL-2 is also effective at suppressing GVHD (Cohen, et al., 2002, J. Exp. Med., 196: 401-406). In some model systems, Treg cells can prevent GVHD and still allow for graft versus leukemia (GVL) effects (Edinger, et al., 2003, Nat. Med., 9: 1144-1150; Jones, et al., 2003, Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant, 9: 243-56; Trenado, et al., 2003, J. Clin. Invest., 112: 1688-96). In addition, studies in mouse models of autoimmune disease have demonstrated that culture expanded antigen specific (transgenic TCR) CD4+CD25+ cells can prevent or even treat diabetes (Tang, et al., 2004, J. Exp. Med., 199: 1455-1465). Consequently, Treg cells have a role in clinical immunosuppressive therapy in transplantation, provided human Treg cells can be isolated and expanded in culture to generate sufficient numbers for in vivo infusion.
While the murine data are very promising, there still remains a practical problem of isolating pure Treg from human blood. In young mice, CD4+CD25+ cells are moderately abundant and the CD25+ subset is readily apparent. In humans the CD25+ cells are not as discrete of a population, as there exists a large and overlapping population of CD25-dim cells. It is possible that the co-purification of conventional T cells with Treg is the basis for the modest or variable suppressor activity observed in studies of human CD4+CD25+ cells (Baecher-Allan, et al., 2004, Semin. Immunol., 16: 89-98). FACS cell sorting of the highest 1.7% of CD25+ expressors (CD25high cells) has been reported to enable suppressor cell isolation (Baecher-Allan, et al., 2001, J. Immunol., 167: 1245-1253). A stringent magnetic bead based approach was required to isolate populations of adult blood derived Treg cells pure enough for CD4+CD25+ cells to generate potent suppressor cell lines. Even so, strongly suppressive cell lines could only be generated in a subset (approximately one third) of donors, and potency correlated with cell line purity (Godfrey, et. al., 2004, Blood, 104: 453-461). FACS sorting of CD25high cells (top 2.1%) has been reported to enable more consistent suppressor cell line generation from adult blood (Hoffmann, et al., 2004, Blood. 104: 895-903).
Purification of Treg cells from adult blood is possible, but difficult. Previous attempts using magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) purification to isolate Treg cells from adult blood that are sufficiently pure for consistent suppressor activity have resulted in variability in cell function. This variability is largely due to the presence of CD25-dim memory cells which overlap with Treg cells. Use of a cell sorter has facilitated the isolation of Treg cells (Baecher-Allan, et al., 2001, J. Immunol., 167: 1245-1253), and enabled the generation of suppressor cell lines from adult blood (Hoffmann, et al., 2004, Blood, 104: 895-903). However, even sorted populations of adult blood derived CD25+ cells (top 2.9%) were found in one report to contain a mix of conventional and regulatory T cells on cloning and functional analysis (Levings, et. al., 2002, J. Exp. Med., 196: 1335-1346).
About 20% of of the CD4+CD25+ adult blood cells express CD45RA. This antigen is not expected to be expressed on suppressor cells, as they have been described in several reports to be CD45RO positive (generally mutually exclusive expression, except for transiently during activation of naïve cells). However, the isolation of these cells was much better than the CD45RA− cells for generating suppressor cell lines (12/12 cell lines isolated by this method were found to be potent suppressors). On naïve T cells the CD45RA splice variant is expressed on the T cell surface. Once a T cell differentiates into a memory cell, it usually expresses the CD45RO isoform (U.S. Publication No. 20050196386).
Cord blood has previously been shown to contain CD4+CD25+ cells by fluorescence activated cells sorting (FACS) (Paganelli, et. al., 1994, Cell Immunol., 155: 486-489; Ng, et al., 2001, Blood 98: 2736-2744; Wing, et al., 2002, Immunology 106: 190-199). However, there is minimal data reported on the function of these cells. One report has inferred suppressive function based on LDA frequency analysis (Ng, et al., 2001, Blood 98: 2736-2744). The only report evaluating functional activity of freshly isolated CD4+CD25+ cells, revealed no suppression of antigen specific responses. In addition, there was no increased antigen specific reactivity of CD4+ cells after CD25+ cell depletion. However, modest suppression was noted in anti-CD3 based T-cell co-culture assays, (60% at 1/1 responder/suppressor cell ratio) (Wing, et al., 2003, Eur. J. Immunol., 33: 579-587). Thus, previous studies indicated that most cord blood derived CD25+ cells were not yet mature enough to be suppressive (Wing K, et al., 2003, Eur. J. Immunol. 33: 579-587).
Accordingly, until the present invention, the properties and benefits of Treg cells were recognized, but method to isolate and generate sufficient numbers of potent suppressor cells were unknown. Therefore, a recognized need for methods to isolate and expand Treg cells existed. The present invention meets this need.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods for the isolation and expansion of cord blood derived T regulatory cells

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


An automatic screwdriver is capable of generating an impact force on a screw that is being tightened or loosened. An action rod is disposed eccentrically in conjunction with a short helical spring. The eccentric position of the action rod is corrected by engagement with an annular flange within the main body of the handle upon rearward movement thereof which causes movement of the action rod into a slot in an impact rod resulting in an impact force which is imparted to a head tip.

A screwdriver is a handy and helpful tool for use in tightening or loosening a screw. The conventional screwdriver is generally made up of a handle and a shank having a head tip for turning a screw. Among several kinds of screwdrivers in existence today, the best-known screwdrivers include the screwdriver with a cross-shaped head tip for turning a Phillips screw that has two slots crossing at the center of the screw head, and the screwdriver with a slotted head tip that fits into the slot in the head of a slotted screw.
The prior art screwdrivers described above are generally defective in design in that they are often helpless and even useless in turning a screw which has been fastened excessively tight. It is therefore, a common practice that a hammer is used to strike the head tip of the screw at work. Such a maneuver works at times in view of the fact that the combined effects of the striking force of the hammer and the torsional force of the screwdriver work to cause the screw to turn. However, if an excessive force is used in an attempt to turn such a tightly fastened screw as described above, the slotted head of the screw is bound to be damaged severely. In addition, it often requires an utmost skill to loosen a tightly fastened screw with one hand holding the hammer used to strike the head tip of the screwdriver and with another hand holding the screwdriver in action.

Tong-Ben Village, Tai-Ping Hsiang, Taichung


A medical adsorbent which produces minimal side-effects such as constipation, has excellent adsorption for ionic organic compounds such as causative substances of uremia, exhibits adequate adsorption performance at low doses and avoids adsorption of high-molecular compounds necessary for the body, such as enzymes and polysaccharides. The medical adsorbent comprises activated carbon obtained by carbonizing a spherical phenol resin in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of 400-1000° C., activating the carbonized spherical phenol resin at a temperature of 800-1000° C., washing it with dilute hydrochloric acid, heat treating it at a temperature of 150-1000° C. in a mixed gas comprising oxygen and nitrogen and then sorting it; the activated carbon has an area to weight ratio of 500-2000 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.2-1.0 mL/g and a packing density of 0.5-0.75 g/mL.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical adsorbent for oral administration comprising activated carbon obtained using a spherical phenol resin as the starting material.
2. Background Art
Medicinal carbon listed in the Japanese Pharmacopeia has conventionally been used for treatment of acute toxicant or drug poisoning and gastrointestinal disease. Such medicinal carbon is usually activated carbon powder obtained using wood or the like as the main starting material, and a curative effect is exhibited because the medicinal carbon adsorbs harmful substances in the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted out of the body while retaining the harmful substances.
Incidentally, since the aforementioned activated carbon powder used as medicinal carbon is simply pulverized, the shapes of the individual particles are non-uniform and therefore the enteric flow property is poor, such that side-effects such as constipation occur after ingestion. Activated carbon is also unsatisfactory because it is generally highly hydrophobic and unsuited for adsorption of ionic organic compounds such as arginine and putrescine, as typical causative substances of uremia or their precursors.
Among attempts to solve these problems there have been disclosed anti-nephrosis agents comprising activated carbon obtained from materials which are resin compounds in spherical or other shapes formed from wood or petroleum- or coal-based pitches and the like as starting materials (for example, Patent Document 1). This activated carbon is prepared using petroleum-based hydrocarbons (pitch) as the starting material and is adjusted to a relatively uniform particle size and then subjected to carbonization and activation. There has also been disclosed an adsorbent for oral administration wherein it is attempted to render the particle sizes of the activated carbon itself relatively uniform while also adjusting the distribution of the pore volume, etc. in the activated carbon (see Patent Document 2). Such medicinal activated carbon which has been obtained with relatively uniform particle sizes and improved enteric flow properties, and activated carbon with enhanced adsorption properties by adjustment of the pores, is administered to a great number of mild chronic renal insufficiency patients.
Medicinal activated carbon must be able to rapidly and efficiently adsorb causative substances of uremia or their precursors. With existing medicinal activated carbon, however, it has been difficult to reduce the particle sizes while maintaining spherical shapes. Also, adjustment of the pores of conventional medicinal activated carbon has been less than satisfactory while the adsorption performance is not always sufficient, and therefore higher daily doses of administration are required. In particular, because chronic renal insufficiency patients are restricted in their intake of water, it has been a major grievance for patients to swallow their doses with small amounts of water.
In addition, the gastrointestinal organs such as the stomach and small intestines are an environment in which various different substances are mixed including compounds-essential to physiological function such as sugars, proteins, and enzymes secreted by the intestinal walls. Medicinal activated carbon therefore preferably has a selective adsorption function which inhibits adsorption of compounds which are essential to physiological function while adsorbing causative substances of uremia.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI No. 6-135841 (page 2)
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-308785 (pages 2-6)

Medical adsorbent and process for production of the same


The invention relates to a system for analyzing and managing at least one lender owned life insurance policy on behalf of a lender to improve loan profitability, achieve investment results from the COLI, and to prevent investment loss as a result of adverse tax law changes. The system tracks mortgage balances, applies vesting schedules, determines appropriate face amounts, policy loan amounts and/or cash withdrawals to maximize return on investment for the lender. The system also reacts to adverse changes in the tax laws by adjusting the form of the insurance policy to a term policy with an increased face value and terminating the policy. Termination of the policy involves additional cash withdrawals which are used to pay back policy loans. The system further illustrates past and future performance of the policy based upon assumptions of tax law changes. Finally, the system monitors and administers the MCPP program on an ongoing basis.

Mortgage Customer Protection Plan.TM. (MCPP) is a life insurance plan that allows financial organizations, such as banks ("lenders"), to provide free mortgage insurance to its customers ("borrowers"). Using MCPP.TM., the lender takes out insurance on the borrower(s) seeking the mortgage. Often, the mortgage will be applied for jointly (e.g., married couples) or with a co-signor. The lender pays the life insurance premiums and is the beneficiary. In the case of death of one of the borrowers, the lender can use the death benefits from the insurance policy to offset the remaining mortgage balance for the surviving borrower(s). Using MCPP.TM., the lender can provide this benefit without any direct cost to the borrower. The lender can fund MCPP entirely by the revenues gained from the cash build-up of the insurance policies and the tax-benefits associated with such policies.
A number of life insurance plans are available to lenders to increase lender revenues, thus increasing the number and quality of lender services and decreasing the need to profit from the average customer. These plans, however, are complicated, subject to strict federal regulations, and offer little or no benefit to the borrowers or public at large. Further, none of these plans relate to insuring customer mortgages.
One such plan is known as Corporate-Owned Life Insurance (COLI). COLI plans generally work as follows: a company buys life insurance on workers and retirees naming the corporation as beneficiary; the cash value of the policy then builds as an asset. Since COLI is life insurance, the interest on amounts borrowed from the life insurance plan are tax-deductible. In addition, the actual build-up of cash in the life insurance policy also is not taxable. Upon the death of the insured, the death benefits are not taxable as well.
Despite these advantages, COLI has many drawbacks. Congress recently placed limits on the amount of interest that can be deducted from borrowing from the plan. Moreover, pending federal legislation if enacted may prevent lenders from deducting any interest on policy loans from the plan. In addition, only the cash value of the policy with the loans deducted are allowed to be reported on the balance sheets for accounting purposes, which can often affect corporate net worth.
Another life insurance plan available to lenders is Bank-Owned Life Insurance (BOLI). BOLI is often used to fund health care liabilities for lender employees. Under a BOLI plan, a lender purchases insurance on a group of employees. The group can be all full time employees or a group of managers, e.g., assistant vice presidents and above. The lender pays the premium(s) and owns the cash value of the polices. The lender is also the beneficiary of the insurance. The employees may or may not receive any of the insurance benefits directly depending upon the discretion of the financial organization. The coverage does not replace or interfere with any other insurance provided by the lender, e.g., group term life insurance and so forth.
The lender earns income from the policies from two sources. The first is from the growth of the cash value of the policy. The cash value is the monetary value of the policy if surrendered. It is also the value which is counted as an asset by the lender. The cash value increases each year as interest is added by the insurance company. The second source of income comes from the insurance proceeds paid to the lender when an employee dies. The payment of insurance proceeds and the earnings from the cash value are income tax-free (unless surrendered).
Similar to COLI, the traditional BOLI plan has inherent drawbacks which makes it unattractive to the banking industry. In particular, lenders are not comfortable making a large premium payment to a carrier that would go into the general account or portfolio of the carrier. If the carrier has a credit difficulty or an impediment to making payments, the lender becomes the general creditor of the carrier. Thus there is a problem with maintaining control over the lenders' transferred assets. Further, given the long-term nature of the plan, lenders were concerned with the long-term credit worthiness of the insurance carriers and the delay in cash flow (since it is predicated on the death of an employee). Another problem with traditional BOLI products is that lenders can only lend 15% of shareholder equity to a single entity, and only 25% total of a lender's shareholder equity can be used for life insurance. Thus, if a favored carrier of the lender has existing insurance products, the premium amount the lender could pay to the carrier would be limited. Finally, the plan fails to provide an after-tax interest gain exceeding straightforward and vastly less complicated investments such as Treasury Bills.
In addition to the above mentioned problems with traditional life insurance plans, COLI and BOLI are both subject to strict governmental regulations. Both plans must adhere to the insurable interest laws of the applicable State. Moreover, both plans are regulated through federal guidelines established by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC"), and OCC Banking Circular 249 (the "Circular").
The OCC provides federal regulatory oversight for a national lender's purchase of life insurance policies. The Circular provides general guidelines for national lenders to use in determining whether they may purchase a particular life insurance product. Under the Circular, a national lender may purchase life insurance only for a purpose incidental to the business of banking, and not as an investment. A life insurance policy is considered to be purchased and held for non-investment purposes if it satisfies either of two tests. Test A applies if a lender purchases life insurance to indemnify itself against the death of an individual, i.e., key-person insurance. Test B applies when the lender purchases life insurance in conjunction with providing certain employee compensation or benefits, or when the insurance constitutes all or part of the benefit. Both tests involve complicated and strict compliance rules. For example, based upon reasonable actuarial benefit and financial assumptions, test B requires that the present value of the projected cash flow from the policy must not substantially exceed the present value of the projected cost of the associated compensation or benefit program liabilities. Accordingly, lenders are required to operate within strict parameters and are subject to heavy regulatory oversight.
Finally, both COLI and BOLI provide only indirect benefits to the bank employees which are insured by these plans by reducing a bank's health benefits costs, thereby providing better health benefits to the employees at reduced rates. These plans do not offer any direct benefits to the insured, or the public at large.
MCPP.TM. offers the same benefits as COLI and BOLI without the above-mentioned drawbacks. MCPP.TM. is an insurance policy on borrowers for which the lender pays the premiums and is the beneficiary. All or part of the proceeds, in the event of a death of a borrower with an outstanding mortgage, will be used to offset all or part of the mortgage balance. This benefit is provided without any direct cost to the borrower, in order to create business advantages through increased mortgage activity and persistency. The death benefits from the policies are not taxable income to the lender, therefore the cash value growth of the insurance is tax deferred. Accordingly, MCPP has favorable tax consequences when used as an investment.
Corporate owned life insurance (COLI) is often used for financing corporate benefit liabilities. The rate of return of a COLI investment is increased if the employer borrows against the cash value of the insurance policy. This allows the employer access to a significant portion of the value of the policy before the death of the insured employee. If a large portion of the cash value of the policy is borrowed and used to pay the premiums and/or interest on outstanding loans, substantial returns on investment can be achieved with minimal cash outlays. A similar result can be achieved with MCPP, in addition to the significant business advantages that MCPP provides.
More importantly, MCPP is not subject to federal oversight. The Circular permits a lender to insure mortgage borrowers, but is silent with respect to any regulatory requirements such as limits on policy coverage amounts or premium payments.
Additional advantages of MCPP to a lender is a relatively low rate plan on the insurance, increased market share through the offering of free or low-cost mortgage insurance, elimination of current credit losses, increased per capita advertising efficiency since the conversion rate for buyers is higher (e.g., for every 100 mortgage applications, a higher number of applicants will choose to borrow money from a lender offering free or low-cost mortgage insurance), and leverage to promote those mortgage products and terms which are most profitable to the lender (e.g., balloon mortgages versus fixed-rate mortgages).
The problems associated with implementing and administering a MCPP plan according to the needs of a particular financial organization are considerable. For example, there are problems associated with determining the insurable interest for each policy. Insurable interest is the amount of death benefits the financial organization could take out for each borrower. Insurable interest differs from state to state, and involves significant calculations factoring in such variables as mortgage amount, premium costs and interest on the premium costs. Moreover, even a small lender could easily provide mortgages for 50,000 borrowers. To calculate the insurable interest for each borrower would be nearly impossible without a readily implementable computer program that accounts for the state to state differences.
Yet another problem is the size and sheer volume of administrative functions associated with the ongoing management of the MCPP plan. These administrative functions include paying premiums for large numbers of borrowers ("mortgage pools"), and determining the premiums required for maintaining death benefits equal to the insurable interest on a periodic basis for accounting and tax purposes. Developing a programmatic approach to these administrative functions is critical to the ability to effectuate MCPP efficiently, economically and accurately.
Another problem revolves around the tax benefits provided by MCPP. Under current tax laws, the interest paid on policy loans, for a leveraged MCPP arrangement, is tax deductible. In the event that the tax laws change such that interest paid on policy loans are no longer tax deductible, however, a MCPP policy efficiently, economically and accurately with outstanding policy loans becomes a net loss investment. Therefore, companies are hesitant to use MCPP policies with borrowing of cash value due to the possibility of a tax law change. One known method for reducing losses from a MCPP if the tax laws change is to convert the outstanding cash value in the policy to a paid up insurance policy of a lesser face value. The interest on the loans, however, must still be paid as long as the policy is in force. A program and method is needed to reduce such losses without causing an administrative and accounting nightmare.
MCPP offers lenders and the public significant benefits. The MCPP plan, however, is new and only recently introduced to the insurance and banking industry. Consequently, no attention has been paid to developing computer software and computer hardware systems for handling the above-enumerated problems associated with the MCPP plan in order to minimize actuarial, management and accounting time and costs and to render such a plan feasible for large numbers of mortgages.

System and method for implementing and administering lender-owned credit life insurance policies


A method for determining an amount of moisture on a surface of a substrate includes a step of transmitting a transmitter signal to generate a wave. The transmitter signal has a first phase. The wave is propagated to vibrate the surface. Vibrations in the surface are detected and converted into a receiver signal. The receiver signal has a second phase different than the first phase. The method includes the step of sensing the temperature of the substrate. The amount of moisture on the surface is computed based on a phase shift between the transmitter signal and the receiver signal that has been compensated to account for surface temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for sensing an amount of moisture on a surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods for sensing an amount of moisture on a surface are known in the art. One such method is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,415 (the '415 patent). To sense moisture on the surface of a window, the method of the '415 patent includes a step of transmitting a transmitter signal having a first phase to generate a wave. The method continues with a step of propagating the wave along the window to a receiver to vibrate the window. The method next includes a step of converting the wave into a receiver signal having a second phase. Since the amount of moisture on the window corresponds to variation in the second phase relative to the first phase, the method of the '415 patent includes a step of comparing the first phase to the second phase. Once compared, the method includes a step of comparing the difference between the first phase and the second phase to a threshold value. The threshold value represents a minimum amount of moisture on the windshield necessary to enable the wiper system. The method further includes a step of actuating a wiper system to remove the moisture from the surface if the difference between the first phase and the second phase exceeds the threshold value.
Although the sensing system of the '415 patent can provide an approximation of moisture on the surface, it lacks the ability to finely sense the amount of moisture on the surface because it does not incorporate the ability to compensate for factors that affect phase shift other than moisture by accounting for factors other than moisture. An example of such a factor is the temperature of the window. If not properly incorporated in the moisture estimation system calculation, the temperature of the window may cause either a "false positive" for moisture on the surface and needlessly operate the wipers or a "false negative" and not operate the wipers when there is moisture on the surface. Hence, there remains an opportunity for a method of determining the amount of moisture on the surface that compensates for the temperature of the surface in determining the amount of moisture on the surface and thus yields a more robust system.

Method of sensing an amount of moisture on a surface of a substrate with temperature compensation


This invention is a component craps stick for manipulating dice in a gaming casino, formed as a three-component detachable assembly of a rattan hook, a rattan shaft and a pinewood handle. The rattan components may be removed and replaced when they deteriorate or break due to flexural fatigue in extensive casino use. The three-component configuration is a distinct improvement over currently used single-piece rattan craps sticks which must be totally replaced when any part deteriorates or breaks.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to craps sticks which are used in casinos to manipulate dice in crap games, such as hooking-up, retrieving and pulling the two dice after each throw.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently existing craps sticks are made from a single piece of rattan, bent to a hook shape at the small end. Because of primitive working, these sticks appear crude. Due to the properties of rattan, the following types of deterioration occur and limit stick life:                a. hook unbending and straightening out;        b. shaft (between hook and handle) subjected to constant bending in normal use, lacks flexibility and breaks due to fatigue failure;        c. handle at the free end exhibits splinters.When any deterioration takes place, the one-piece stick cannot be repaired. It must be discarded and replaced.
A U.S. patent search was conducted in this art, resulting in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,226,152 (1917) to Weslow
D493680 (2004) to Raymond
D367903 (1996) to Hurlbert
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,576 (1996) to DuVivier
D459959 (2002) to Fetterman et al
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,557 (2002) to Martinez
U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,494 (1986) to Huppert
U.S. Pat. No. 3,017,186 (1962) to Ascardi
None of these patents related to the gaming casino application.


A perfluorooligoether iodide is prepared by exposing a perfluoropolyether carboxylic iodide to UV light.

In the past, methods for preparing perfluoroalkyl iodides by telomerization of tetrafluoroethylene with trifluoromethyl iodide or by deriving from alcohols were commercially used in practice.
However, no commercially acceptable methods have been developed for the preparation of perfluorooligoether iodides of the following general formula (II): ##STR1## wherein Rf is a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and letter n is an integer of from 0 to 100, which are useful intermediates for the synthesis of fluoro resins, fluoro rubbers, and fluoro surfactants.
In the prior art, perfluorooligoether iodides are prepared as shown by the following reaction scheme by starting with a perfluorooligoether carboxylic fluoride of the following formula (III), subjecting the reactant to hydrolysis to form a perfluorooligoether carboxylic acid, reacting it with silver oxide to form a perfluorooligoether carboxylic silver salt, and subjecting the salt to pyrolysis in the presence of iodine to thereby form a perfluorooligoether iodide of formula (II) (see Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 441/1988). ##STR2##
However, several problems must be solved before this process can be commercially practiced. The end product, perfluorooligoether iodide is recovered only in yields of about 70 to 85%. The intermediate or silver salt is often a solid which is difficult to handle. The use of expensive silver necessitates silver recovery from a commercial standpoint. The overall process involves three steps, during which toxic hydrogen fluoride evolves. Pyrolysis reaction must be carried out before the end product can be obtained. Also, economical problems arise from the use of expensive reactants and increased installation cost.
There is a need for the commercially advantageous manufacture of perfluoropolyether while overcoming the above-mentioned problems.

Preparation of perfluorooligoether iodides


The present invention relates to a fuel injection arrangement for a diesel type engine configured to use carbonaceous aqueous slurry fuels. The fuel injection arrangement includes an injector nozzle for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber; a pump chamber housing a fuel pumping element for generating a pressurised fuel flow to the injector nozzle along an injection path between the pumping element and the injector nozzle; and a check valve connected to a fuel supply for regulating and supplying fuel to the injection path via a check valve outlet. A region immediately downstream of the check valve outlet defines an outlet region and the check valve is arranged to expose the outlet region to the pressurised fuel flow to facilitate flushing of the outlet region during fuel flow between the pumping element and the injector nozzle.

The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
Current injection technology for conventional diesel and heavy fuel oil in diesel type engines employs pressure atomisation of relatively low viscosity fuel. For heavy fuel oils the fuel viscosity is controlled to 5-20 mPa·s by heating (up to 165 t) before it enters the engine high pressure injection pumps. Low pressure fuel is provided at relatively constant pressure (approximately 10-30 bar) to the fuel system. Fuel supply is typically controlled by either a plunger-type fuel pump or by a number of spring loaded check valves.
In response to the rising cost of conventional diesel fuel, an emerging technology is to replace conventional diesel fuel with carbonaceous aqueous slurry fuels which are relatively abundant and low cost. One such carbonaceous slurry fuel is exemplified in International Patent Publication No. WO2015048843, the contents of which will be understood to be incorporated into this specification by this reference.
Carbonaceous aqueous slurry fuels typically comprise an aqueous colloidal suspension of finely ground carbonaceous particles. The properties of the slurry fuels are therefore significantly different to conventional heavy fuel oils, in particular having higher viscosity and a tendency to destabilise and settle to form sludge. Whilst the formation of sludge more frequently occurs during periods of flow stagnation, sludge can also form during dynamic flow conditions and particularly where a flow path undergoes a sharp change in area or where the flow path favours the establishment of a stable eddy or a zone of stable recirculating flow. These conditions can permit carbonaceous particles to become statically deposited within the fuel system and lead to sludge formation. The production, transportation, storage and use of these fuels therefore cause a number of technical problems which have previously discouraged commercialisation.
In response to these problems, previous diesel engines adapted for carbonaceous aqueous slurry fuels have reconfigured certain conventional diesel engines components for improved performance with slurry fuels. One such example is provided in International Patent Publication No. WO2013142921 which teaches an improved atomiser injector for use with a particulate slurry fuel. Another example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,469 which relates to a conventional diesel fuel pump used to hydraulically drive a shuttle piston in a coal-water slurry fuel injector assembly. The shuttle piston arrangement isolates the fuel pump from the slurry fuel which is incompatible for use in the fuel pump due to the sludge-forming and abrasive nature of slurry fuel.
Notwithstanding these previous improvements, a significant problem which remains is the formation of sludge in the region around the fuel inlet check valve which introduces the slurry fuel to the fuel pathway between the fuel pump and the atomiser nozzle. The settling of carbonaceous particulate and the formation of sludge in this region can lead to blocking or jamming of the check valve. Moreover, the formation of sludge or particulate deposits can periodically shed or mobilise resulting in blocking of the smaller downstream ducts, ports or the atomiser nozzle orifices. The formation of sludge in the region of the fuel inlet check valve can cause the valve to become clogged with compacted sludge leading to unreliable valve seating as well as sludge formation in ducting between the check valve and the pump-to-nozzle fuel pathway. In addition to potentially causing blockages and valve malfunctions upstream of the atomiser nozzle, agglomerated slurry fuel injected into the combustion chamber can cause ignition delay and incomplete combustion which leads to reduced engine performance, an increase in undesirable CO and hydrocarbon emissions, accelerated piston ring and cylinder wear, ring hamming and an overall reduction in engine longevity. Many of these problems can also occur when using emulsion fuels such as those produced from tar-like heavy fuel oil fractions due to the coalescence of the tar viscous droplets and the formation of tar deposits.
Previous attempts to address this issue have involved increasing the water content of the fuel to reduce its viscosity. However this results in a reduction in fuel specific energy resulting in reduced engine efficiency. Furthermore, diluted slurry fuel has a tendency to settle during storage.
Engines configured for use with carbonaceous slurry or emulsion fuels can be utilised in a variety of applications including land or water based power generators as well as mobile applications such as engines for locomotives or ships. As compared to engines configured for use with fuels having relatively high sulphur content, engines configured for use with carbonaceous slurry fuels do not require scrubbers in order to adhere to increasing sulphur emission regulations. In addition, carbonaceous slurry fuel engines emit lower nitrogen oxides due, in part, to lower peak combustion temperatures due to the cooling effect of the slurry. Furthermore, such engines are likely to emit lower unburned hydrocarbons. As such, engines configured for use with carbonaceous slurry fuels are becoming increasingly desirable.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved fuel injector arrangement for a diesel type engine configured to use carbonaceous aqueous slurry fuels that tends to reduce the formation of sludge in the region of the fuel inlet check valve thereby reducing the risk of blockages caused by the build-up and release of compacted sludge between the fuel inlet check valve and the pump-to-nozzle fuel pathway.

Injector arrangement for diesel engines using slurry or emulsion fuels

COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION


The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating atopic dermatitis comprising 2-amino-1,9-dimethylpurin-6-one or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt as an active ingredient. And also, the present invention provides a cosmetic composition for improving atopic dermatitis comprising 2-amino-1,9-dimethylpurin-6-one or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt; and a food (i.e., a functional food) for preventing or improving atopic dermatitis comprising 2-amino-1,9-dimethylpurin-6-one or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt.

Atopic dermatitis is one of the chronic skin diseases, accompanied by dry skin, keratinization, itching, etc. 0.5 to 1% of the total populations, especially 5 to 10% of children, suffer from atopic dermatitis, and the patients thereof are increasing recently. In the sites affected by atopic dermatitis, the infiltration of immune-related cells, such as macrophages, mast cells, Th lymphocytes, etc., is significantly increased. The serum IgE level is highly increased in the atopic dermatitis patients, because the number of Th2 cells is increased and thus the Th2 cell-secreted cytokines such as IL-6 stimulate B lymphocytes, thereby promoting the IgE secretion. Therefore, atopic dermatitis is classified into a Th2-type skin disease, which is related to immune system abnormalities. Although atopic dermatitis causes a lot of economic damage along with physical and mental suffering to the patient, the specific remedy for treating atopic dermatitis was not yet reported. Drugs such as steroids, antihistamines, etc. are currently used as a therapeutic agent against atopic dermatitis. However, because the long-term use of these drugs induces serious side effects, there is a need for an alternative drug.
Cordyceps is one of the insect-parasitic fungi and belongs to the genus Cordyceps. It is known that about 300 species are currently distributed around the world. Cordyceps invades insect larvae, pupae, adults, etc., to kill the insect, and then forms fruit bodies and fruits using it as a host. Cordyceps, which has been known as a secret medicine for eternal youth and long life in China, is being widely used as an herbal medicine for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, hepatic disease such as jaundice, etc. Recently, extensive researches on the immune enhancing effect thereof are underway. There are literatures reporting that a C. sinensis extract, a C. militaris extract, and cordycepin (the major component of Cordyceps) function as an anti-inflammatory agent, in addition to as an immune regulator.
C. bassiana, a kind of Cordyceps, is an insect-parasitic fungus belonging to the order Lepidoptera. C. bassiana was firstly found in China and has been also found in Korea. Beauveria bassiana, one of the forms emerging during the life cycle of C. bassiana, has been used in the treatment of neurological disorders, cancer, skin infections, wounds, etc., from long time ago in China and Korea (Donguibogam). However, there has been no information on the efficacies of the fruit body of C. bassiana.
Meanwhile, Korean patent no. 10-1013061 has disclosed that a C. bassiana extract is useful for preventing and treating skin itching and atopic dermatitis. And also, Korean patent no. 10-1079221 has disclosed an improved process for preparing a C. bassiana extract, the process of which involves hot-water extraction of C. bassiana. In addition, there have been disclosed an anti-atopic functional cosmetic soap composition, an anti-atopic functional cosmetic composition, an anti-atopic functional food composition, and an anti-atopic functional ice cream composition (Korean patent no. 10-1104408, Korean patent publication nos. 10-2010-0122356, 10-2010-0122357, and 10-2010-0122359).

Composition comprising purine derivatives or salt thereof for preventing or treating atopic dermatitis


A surveying system comprises an object to be measured having a retro-reflector and a surveying instrument main body for emitting a distance measuring light and performing a measurement based on a reflected distance measuring light, wherein the surveying instrument main body comprises a distance measuring light projecting module, a photodetector, a measuring unit, an optical axis deflector which has a reference optical axis and deflects a distance measuring optical axis, a projecting direction detecting module which detects a deflection angle and a deflection angle direction of the distance measuring optical axis, and an arithmetic control module, and wherein the arithmetic control module is configured to control the optical axis deflector, to perform a two-dimensional scan with the distance measuring light, to detect the deflection angle direction of the distance measuring light at a moment of detecting a photodetecting signal by the projecting direction detecting module, and to move an approximate center of the two-dimensional scan in the detected deflection angle direction.

The present invention relates to a surveying system having a tracking function and a searching function.
As a surveying system having a tracking function, there is a total station. The total station sights an object to be measured by a telescope with high magnification which also serves as a distance measuring optical system, performs a measurement and further horizontally rotates/vertically rotates the telescope, sequentially sights different objects to be measured and performs a measurement per each of the different objects to be measured. Alternatively, the total station follows up a movement of the object to be measured, horizontally rotates/vertically rotates the telescope, sights the object to be measured, and performs a measurement while tracking the object to be measured.
However, a magnification of the telescope is high, a field angle is as very narrow as approximately 2°, and an inertia of the telescope itself is large. For this reason, at a time of changing the object to be measured, it is difficult to rotate the telescope at a high speed, rapidly capture the object to be measured and sight the object to be measured. Further, in a case where the object to be measured moves and the object to be measured is to be tracked, the telescope cannot follow up the movement, and the object to be measured may go out of a visual field of the telescope in a case where the movement of the object to be measured is rapid. When the object to be measured once goes out of the visual field, the telescope with a large inertia is rotated and the object to be measured is searched, but since the field angle of the telescope is narrow, it takes much time to capture the object to be measured, which causes a deterioration in a workability of the measurement.


An elongated body, has internally formed a plenum chamber opening to one face of the body. A pair of side brushes mounted on the face projected outwardly thereof and being spaced laterally from each other and extending over the major length of the body. A pair of longitudinally opposed end brushes spanned transversely across the body face from one side brush to the other project outwardly of the one face in the direction of the side brushes and form with the side brushes a vacuum chamber. The tips of the side brushes are formed of bristles of a length in excess of the length of bristles formed by the side brushes, and are engageable with laterally opposed longitudinally extending opposite side edges of planar ceiling fan blades. The side brushes are spaced from each other a distance generally equal to the lateral width of the ceiling fan blades. Locking plates fixed to the body project outwardly from opposite ends of the body longitudinally outside of the end brushes and in contact therewith such that the ceiling fan brush is effectively locked by the locking plates to the opposite side edges of the fan blade to facilitate dust removal from the surface of the fan blade enveloped by the ray of side brushes and end brushes while mechanically guiding the ceiling fan brush during travel longitudinally over the surface of the ceiling fan blade from one end to another.

Ceiling fan blades need to be cleaned regularly because dust and grime that attaches to the blades slows down the rotation of the fan blades and may cause the fan to break down prematurely. Ceiling fan blades have proven to be difficult to clean. Typically, a person is required to stand on a chair or a ladder to reach the fan. Since the fan blades rotate easily, the person cleaning the fan blades must use one hand to hold a given fan blade, while the other hand attempts to clean the fan blade with a cloth rag or the like. The person cannot be immediately under the fan while the blades are being cleaned, because the resultant, loosened dust falls directly into the face and hair of that person.
It is therefore a primary object of the invention to provide an improved ceiling fan brush, which may be readily attached to any vacuum cleaner via a vacuum cleaner hose or a vacuum cleaner extension wand, which may be readily coupled to the extension wand and removed therefrom, which may be positioned at different angular positions relative to the axis of the wand to facilitate cleaning of the respective top and bottom surfaces of the ceiling fan blades, which locks to the edges of the blade, which collects the loosened dust, which prevents the loosened dust from falling downwardly from the blade during cleaning, and whose vacuum brush head may be locked in different angular positions relative to an extension wand to which it is attached.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an adjustable angle tube vacuum connector which has particular application to a ceiling fan vacuum brush head, but may be employed with other vacuum cleaner attachments such as a round brush.

Ceiling fan brush and adjustable angle tube vacuum connector for same


The clamps of the present invention are initially placed apart with a specific separation to properly hold the garments in the constant rate of expansion (CRE) machine. The test method preferably uses panties that have been prepared according to specific test criteria and the CRE machine pre-programmed with specific parameters including the preload and the initial rate of extension. Before testing commences, the midpoint of an individual panty is placed at the center of the clamps. After a pre-determined resistance is sensed by the CRE machine, the rate of extension and the load instantly increase to test the panty's percent of elongation and modulus. This method is repeated for several styles and sizes of panties to obtain accurate, consistent elongation and modulus measurements for each style and size. These measurements thus categorize all of the measured styles and sizes into a standardized panty support classification system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a standardized method of testing and classifying undergarment control. More particularly, the present invention relates to a standardized method of testing undergarment control using a clamp mechanism in a commercially available machine and a resultant standardized classification of undergarment control.
2. Description of the Related Art
Undergarments, specifically women's panties, are advertised with respect to the level of support they provide to the wearer. The three general classifications used to describe the level of support for women's panties are light, moderate and firm support. Women purchase these garments with the belief that the product will perform in accordance with its advertised level of support. Underlying their decision to purchase a panty of a particular support level, is the belief that the panty has been tested to perform as advertised. However, there does not exist a standard method to test the level of support that women's undergarments, specifically panties, provide to the wearer. Thus, there does not exist a standard classification system of undergarment control.
Undergarment manufacturers may test the level of support of the component materials that are assembled to make the garments. However, these materials are tested only before the materials are assembled and sewn together as a completed garment, such as a panty. There is no further machine testing to determine the level of support that the finished garment provides.
Currently, women's undergarment manufacturers test the support of panties by using an empirical method. Testers put their two fists in the hole openings for the legs and move their arms apart. Based on the level of resistance to stretching that the tester senses, the panty is classified as a light, moderate or firm support garment. This sort of empirical testing method is not scientific, consistent or repeatable. The tester may place his/her fists at different locations inside different panties during successive tests. The tester may also use different forces to separate his/her arms while testing the same panty or different panties. Further, the tester may not use a constant rate of expansion as his/her arms open with the same panty or with different panties. Also, the tester may fatigue during the testing of a number of panties and thereby improperly report a higher level of resistance than he/she would have reported during earlier testing of the same panty or of different panties. These variables prevent accurate standardized measurement and classification of the support levels of panties. Essentially, the human element in the test makes the current test method unreliable.
A need therefore exists for a standardized testing method to accurately determine the level of support of panties and a standardized classification system for the level of support provided in such panties.

Method and system for standardized classification of undergarments


A mattress includes features that improve support and comfort. The mattress may include one or more of a head section positioned to support a user's head, a torso section coupled with the head section via a first multi-plane bond, and a foot section coupled with the torso section via a second multi-plane bond. The foot section may be retractable, and the torso section may include a cross-linked foam part and a seat ledge. The seat ledge is positioned to define a catch point for the user upon articulation of the mattress.

The invention relates to patient care mattress or support surface features and, more particularly, to mattress features that provide better user support and comfort.
There are existing mattress designs purportedly suited for hospitals or other patient care facilities or patient home use. The various mattress sections are typically constructed to accommodate different parts of a user's body, as at least head section, chest/torso section, and leg/foot section. In this manner, the mattress is more comfortable by providing tailored support areas.
In order to connect the various mattress sections, it is typical to use some type of adhesive or stitching across a straight butt joint. Such joints, however, are prone to failure over time, particularly when used with an articulating bed frame. As straight butt joints are lined up over each other, in the various layers, or even in one layer, once the joint starts to give, the whole joint and successive joints are susceptible to failing.
Additionally, when a patient articulates the bed frame, the patient may experience a feeling of sliding to the point of discomfort. This sliding is due to the fact that when seated, a great deal of a patient's weight is on the buttocks, which causes the foam to depress, allowing the patient to slide.
Still further, when seated on an edge of the mattress, the conventional construction is unable to prevent the patient from bottoming out on the frame (see FIG. 5). Often the edges of the frame allow for only a thin layer of foam, which exaggerates the problem, as thin layers of conventional foam bottom out easily. This drawback also renders the mattress less comfortable.

Mattress with features for improved support and comfort


The present disclosure concerns machine tools and more specifically compensation of variations which may occur within a multi-axis machine tool during a cutting process. An example embodiment includes a method of machining a workpiece using a machine tool comprising a machining head and a workpiece holder moveable relative to each another the method comprising: performing a first machining operation on a workpiece mounted to the workpiece holder according to a first programmed series of movements of the machining head relative to the workpiece holder, the first machining operation having a first maximum machining tolerance; performing a second machining operation on the workpiece according to a second programmed series of movements of the machining head relative to the workpiece holder, the second machining operation having a second maximum machining tolerance; performing a measurement operation to determine a position of an artefact on the machine tool; calculating an offset relative to a corresponding previously stored position of the artefact; and applying the offset to the second programmed series of movements prior to performing the second machining operation, wherein the second maximum machining tolerance is smaller than the first maximum machining tolerance.

Machining centres are machine tools augmented by other systems such as automatic tool changers, tool magazines or carousels, computer numerical control (CNC) capability, coolant systems, and enclosures. Thermally induced error ('thermal growth') is a major source of inaccuracy arising within machining centres. Such errors can arise due to heat generation in and around the machine structure, which may result in growth and tilt of the machine tool spindle and various other structural components of the machine tool relative to one another. This can give rise to a relative misalignment between the spindle and a workpiece. If not corrected, such misalignment will impact the fidelity between the actual machined workpiece and the intended workpiece structure as designed.
Thermal growth is typically controlled through the use of lubrication. The use of coolants can be problematic because the required ancillary components, such as chillers, contribute to low reliability and up-time of the machining centre. The machine tool itself may be designed to minimise the effects of heat generation within the machine structure, and control the gradient and change of environmentally encountered temperatures. To this effect, some machining centres utilise a temperature-controlled oil shower applied around the spindle area, where significant thermal growth is typically found. These are both examples of error avoidance techniques which may significantly increase the cost of constructing, installing and operating a machining centre.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,284 B1 discloses an error compensation technique, as opposed to an error avoidance technique, where real-time error correction is carried out based on a model of thermal effects occurring within the machine. However, such techniques require the installation of multiple sensitive thermal and position sensors within/on the machining centre, and maintenance of these sensors can prove problematic and time consuming. The machine characterisation associated with such techniques is also very time consuming as the model must be built up from a series of sensitive measurements. Further, the model may not be accurate or remain accurate for an intended period of time, which will result in an incorrect compensation being applied and loss of fidelity between the actual machined workpiece and the intended workpiece structure as designed.

Machining error compensation using artefact based offsets