A personal support device adapted for permitting a pregnant woman to lie on her stomach or abdomen even during the third trimester of pregnancy is formed of an inflatable mattress with an isolated section defined by a cylindrical wall. A portion of the outer membranae of the mattress extends into the isolated section to form a cavity for receiving and supporting the abdomen. Clearance holes in the cylindrical wall permit the isolated section to breathe, thereby permitting the cavity to expand and contract to maximize both the support and the comfort of the woman.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is generally related to devices for providing support during pregnancy and is specifically directed to an inflatable device for providing back support permitting a pregnant woman to lie on her stomach without back strain or discomfort.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There are many devices adapted for assisting in the comfort of women during pregnancy, particularly during the third trimester when prenatal discomfort is at its peak. For example, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 266,549, entitled: "Prenatal Support Pillow", issued to R. G. Lund, III, on Oct. 19, 1982 shows a device for providing lateral support permitting the pregnant woman to lie more comfortably on her side or in a lateral position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,057, also entitled: "Prenatal Support Pillow", issued to R. G. Lund, III, on Aug. 9, 1983 discloses a lateral support device for permitting lateral prenatal support while the pregnant woman lies on her side. U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,271, entitled: "Support Pillow Assembly", issued to: J. M. Bellavance on Sep. 9, 1997 shows a support pillow for cushioning the body of a person while the person is lying on her side on a mattress and includes an abdominal support pillow adapted to partially underlie the person's abdomen and a leg support pillow adapted to be positioned between the person's legs. The device is particularly useful as a prenatal support system for increasing comfort while lying in a lateral position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,035, entitled: "Maternity Care Bed", issued to L. Fenwick on Oct. 25, 1983 discloses an adjustable bed having three separate platforms for supporting the body of a pregnant woman while on her back during the final stages of pregnancy and through delivery.
All of these devices are useful in providing support and reducing strain and discomfort during pregnancy. However, all require that the pregnant woman lie in a lateral position or on her back. There are not any known devices which permit a pregnant woman to lie on her stomach or abdomen during pregnancy without discomfort or back strain. This is a significant problem for women who sleep while lying on their stomach, or who have back problems making lateral reclining positions difficult. It is a particularly acute problem for women who are confined to bed rest during the latter stages of pregnancy and are forced to stay on their back for long periods at a time. Many women would prefer to be able to rest or sleep while lying on their stomach or abdomen during the latter stages of pregnancy, but cannot because the known support devices only provide back or lateral support.


A stent-graft assembly having a thin-walled membrane and method of preparing the same are disclosed. In a first embodiment, the assembly comprises a stent, a coating and a porous membrane, wherein the membrane is less than 0.040 inch thick or less. Portions of the coating extend into the pores of the thin membrane to sealingly engage the membrane to achieve secure adhesion. In a second embodiment the coating and thin membrane bond to form a homogenous structure. In an alternative embodiment, the assembly comprises an inner and outer thin membrane bound to one another through the interstices of the support member and a coating at the proximal and distal regions. In any of the foregoing embodiments, the proximal and distal regions of the stent-graft assembly may comprise an additional coating, whereby layers of material are sealed, thereby minimizing thrombogenic potential of free ends of the assembly.

The present invention relates generally to endoluminal grafts for stenotic or diseased lumens and methods of making such grafts. More particularly, the invention includes a stent-graft assembly comprising a thin-walled graft component and methods of making the assembly.
A wide range of medical treatments have been previously developed using xe2x80x9cendoluminal prostheses,xe2x80x9d which terms are herein intended to mean medical devices which are adapted for temporary or permanent implantation within a body lumen, including both naturally occurring or artificially made lumens. Examples of lumens in which endoluminal prostheses may be implanted include, without limitation: arteries, such as those located within the coronary, mesentery, peripheral, or cerebral vasculature; veins; gastrointestinal tract; biliary tract; urethra; trachea; hepatic shunts; and fallopian tubes. Various types of endoluminal prostheses have also been developed, each providing a uniquely beneficial structure to modify the mechanics of the targeted luminal wall.
For example, various grafts, stents, and combination stent-graft prostheses have been previously disclosed for implantation within body lumens. More specifically regarding stents, various designs of these prostheses have been previously disclosed for providing artificial radial support to the wall tissue which forms the various lumens within the body, and often more specifically within the blood vessels of the body. An example of such a stent displaying optimal radial strength includes, but is not limited to, the stent disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,331 to Boneau, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. Stents of other designs are known in the art, and may also be suitable for use in the stent-graft assembly. Other example of stents include but are not limited to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,665 issued to Palmaz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,984 issued to Schatz, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,154 issued to Lau. Stents are used alone or in conjunction with grafts.
The use of an angioplasty balloon catheter is common in the art as a minimally invasive treatment to enlarge a stenotic or diseased blood vessel. This treatment is known as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, or PTA. To provide radial support to the treated vessel in order to prolong the positive effects of PTA, a stent may be implanted in conjunction with the procedure. Under this procedure, the stent may be collapsed to an insertion diameter and inserted into a body lumen at a site remote from the diseased vessel. The stent may then be delivered to the desired site of treatment within the affected lumen and deployed to its desired diameter for treatment. Although the stents listed above are balloon expandable, stents which rely on other modes of deployment such as self-expansion, may be used to make a device according to the present invention. Because the procedure requires insertion of the stent at a site remote from the site of treatment, the device must be guided through the potentially tortuous conduit of the body lumen to the treatment site. Therefore, the stent must be capable of being reduced to a small insertion diameter and must be flexible.
During an angioplasty procedure, atheromatous plaques undergo fissuring, thereby creating a thrombogenic environment in the lumen. Excessive scarring may also occur following the procedure, potentially resulting in reocclusion of the treated lumen. Attempts to address these problems include providing a suitable surface within the lumen for more controlled healing to occur in addition to the support provided by a stent. These attempts include providing a lining or covering in conjunction with an implanted stent. A stent with such a lining or covering is known in the art as a stent-graft.
The graft component, or membrane, of a stent-graft may prevent excessive tissue prolapse or protrusion of tissue growth through the interstices of the stent while allowing limited tissue in-growth to occur to enhance the implantation. The surface of the graft material at the same time may minimize thrombosis, prevent scarring from occluding the lumen, prevent embolic events and minimize the contact between the fissured plaque and the hematological elements in the bloodstream.
A combination stent-graft may serve other objectives, such as delivering therapeutic agents via the assembly, excluding aneurysms or other malformations, occluding a side branch of a lumen without sacrificing perforator branches, conferring radiopacity on the device, and others. Various designs to achieve these objectives include stents partially or completely coated or covered with materials, some of which are impregnated with therapeutic agents, radiopaque elements, or other features designed to achieve the particular objectives of the device.
A graft component may be combined with a stent in order to achieve some or all of the foregoing objectives. However, adding a graft layer to the stent increases the challenges of delivering a stent via a catheter by increasing the crossing profile, or diameter, of the device, and by decreasing the flexibility of the device. Because the angioplasty process requires the insertion of the device into a body lumen at a site remote from the site of treatment and the guiding of the device the body lumen to the treatment site, it is required that the device be both capable of being collapsed to a relatively small diameter and be quite flexible. Moreover, flexibility and a desirable insertion diameter must be achieved without sacrificing the treatment objectives of the assembly, which include, at a minimum, radial strength. Therefore, an objective of a combination stent and graft is achieving the advantages of both a stent and a graft without significantly increasing the crossing profile of the device or significantly decreasing the flexibility of the device.
Various methods of manufacturing graft devices alone have been disclosed in the art. One such method for manufacturing a graft is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,373, issued to Shannon et al. The disclosed method comprises reinforcing an extruded flouropolymer tube with a second flouropolymer tube. The second tube is prepared by winding fluoropolymer tape around the exterior of a mandrel and heating it to form a tube. The graft may then be mounted on an anchoring mechanism such as a stent or other fixation device.
Another example of a graft is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,073, issued to Robinson. The graft disclosed therein comprises multiple layers of segmented polyether-polyurethane which form multiple zones having varying porosities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,786, issued to Banas, discloses a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft which has a reinforcing structure integrally bound to the graft. The reinforcing structure may be in the form of a rib which is sintered or otherwise integrally bound to the graft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,960, issued to Moret de Rocheprise, discloses a process for the manufacture of a thin-walled tube of fluorinated resin tape. The method includes winding the tape around a mandrel and sintering the tape. While still on the mandrel, the tube is rolled to elongate the tube, to reduce the thickness of the tube, and to facilitate removal of the tube from the mandrel. The patent discloses that the tubes obtained can be used particularly as sheaths for the lining of metal tubes.
There are also numerous examples of combination stent-grafts disclosed in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,747 issued to Dereume discloses a stent to which a graft is attached. The graft component is produced by extruding polymer in solution into fibers from a spinnerette onto a rotating mandrel. A stent may be placed over the fibers while on the mandrel and then an additional layer of fibers spun onto the stent. The layer or layers of fibers may be bonded to the stent and/or one another by heat or by adhesives.
PCT Application WO 95/05132 discloses a stent around which a thin film of PTFE has been wrapped circumferentially one time and overlapped upon itself to form a seam. The stent may be alternatively or additionally placed to cover the interior of the stent. Fluorinated ethylene propylene is used as an adhesive to affix the graft to the stent.
A specific example of a coated stent is disclosed by Pinchuk in European Patent Application EP 0 797 963 A2. The objectives of Pinchuk""s invention include both increasing the hoop strength and decreasing the thrombogenic potential of a criss-crossed wire stent or a zig-zag stent. Pinchuk""s application also discloses covering the coated stent in the manner disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,653,747 issued to Dereume, discussed above.
An example of a stent and tubular graft is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,882 issued to Gaterud, et al. Gaterud discloses an expandable stent mounted on a balloon and a graft mounted over the stent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,917 issued to Lee discusses a flexible and expandable inner tube upon which separate ring scaffold members are mounted, and a flexible and expandable outer tube enclosing the inner tube and scaffold members. The rings may be secured to the inner liner with an adhesive layer. Alternatively, the liners may be adhered to each other with the rings trapped between the layers. Lee discloses that the luminal surface of the device may be coated with various pharmacological agents.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,282,823 and 5,443,496, both issued to Schwartz, et al. disclose a stent with a polymeric film extending between the stent elements, and strain relief means in the form of cuts in the film to allow the stent to fully expand and conform to the interior of the lumen. The thin polymeric film is applied to the stent while in solution and dried. Once dried, cuts are made in the film to provide strain relief means.
Another assembly includes a stent embedded in a plastic sleeve or stitched or glued to a nylon sleeve, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,771, issued to Gianturco. Other prior art devices requiring stitching of the graft to the stent are disclosed in European Patent Application EP 0 686 379 A2, which teaches a perforate tubular frame having a fabric liner stitched to the frame, and World Intellectual Property Organization Application Number WO 96/21404 which indicates that the graft be stitched to the stent, and possibly to loops or eyelets which are part of the stent structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,113 issued to Tartaglia teaches a stent with a sheet of polymeric film wrapped around the exterior. Tartaglia teaches that the film is attached to the stent at one end by an adhesive, by a hook and notch arrangement, or by dry heat sealing. The polymer can also be attached to the stent by wrapping the film circumferentially around the stent and attaching the polymer film to itself to form a sleeve around the stent by heating and melting the film to itself, adhesive bonding, solvent bonding, or by mechanical fastening, such as by a clip. The film may be loaded or coated with a therapeutic agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,788, issued to Pinchuk, discloses a process of melt-attaching a graft to a stent by disposing a layer of material between the stent and graft which has a lower melting point than the graft, and heating the assembly to the melting point of the low-melting point material. Pinchuk also teaches adhering a textile graft to a stent by coating a stent with vulcanizing silicone rubber adhesive and curing the adhesive. Pinchuk discloses a similar stent-graft assembly in European Patent Application EP 0 689 805 A2 and teaches that the graft member can be bonded to the stent member thermally or by the use of adhesive agents.
Similarly, World Intellectual Property Organization Application No. WO 95/05132 discloses a stent with and inner and/or an outer liner wrapped around the stent to form a seam, with the liner(s) affixed using an adhesive or melt-attached using a layer of a material with a lower melting point.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,559, issued to Hachtman, et al., discloses a multiple layer stent-graft assembly comprising a first layer defining a hollow tubular construction, a second layer having a self-expanding braided mesh construction and a layer of polymeric material disposed between the first and second layers. The polymeric material may be adhered by two-sided adhesive tape. The self-expanding braided mesh, the tubular material, or both may be larger in diameter in the distal regions than in the medial region.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,287, issued to Lukic, discloses methods which result in a covered stent, the covering adhered via a lifting medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,241, issued to Bley, et al. teaches that a hydrophilic polymer layer may be laminated, embedded, coated, extruded, incorporated, or molded around an expandable mesh stent while the stent is in its collapsed condition, and the stent and graft permitted to expand upon hydration.
European Patent Application No. EP 0 775 472 A2 discloses a PTFE-covered stent. The stent can be covered by diagonally winding an expanded PTFE tape under tension around an at least partially expanded stent.
Challenges arising in the art which none of the prior art adequately addresses include achieving a stent-graft assembly of sufficiently small crossing profile and which is sufficiently flexible. Other challenges include minimizing, if not eliminating, migration of the stent, graft or stent-graft; minimizing, if not eliminating, delamination of the stent and graft material; and minimizing thrombogenic potential, vessel reocclusion and tissue prolapse following deployment. Shortcomings associated with the prior art include: assemblies with undesirably large crossing profiles; assemblies with insufficient flexibility; inadequate adhering of coatings and coverings to stents; inadequate adhering of coatings to coverings; failure to shield the injured vascular surface; failure to prevent tissue ingrowth from occluding the lumen; failure to minimize the embolization of particles loosely adherent to the vessel wall (especially during device placement and deployment); and increased thrombogenic potential arising from delamination of the stent and graft material.
The present invention and its varied embodiments address several problems associated with the prior art. It is a first objective of this invention to provide an improved stent-graft assembly for the repair and support of a body lumen. It is a second objective of this invention to provide an improved stent-graft assembly with ample radial strength and minimal thrombogenic potential without appreciably increasing the profile of the device over that of the stent alone. Further, the decreased profile following deployment may reduce the thrombogenic potential of the device. It is a further objective of this invention to provide a thin-walled stent-graft with both ample radial strength and ample flexibility.
It is a further objective of this invention to solve the problem in the prior art of inadequate adhesion between the stent and graft material.
An additional objective of this invention is to balance the need for some tissue in-growth against the need to minimize thrombogenic potential and excessive cell growth through the interstices of the stent. This objective is achieved by providing a non-thrombogenic, thin-walled stent-graft assembly which is a smoother device, especially in regions where the prior art stent-graft has a tendency to fray, delaminate, or exhibit a scissoring effect. This objective is also achieved by providing a thin-walled stent-graft assembly which shields the injured vascular surface, controls excessive tissue in-growth through the stent, and minimizes the embolization of particles loosely adherent to the vessel wall especially during placement and deployment of the device. The device can also be used to control the luminal protrusion of dissection planes created during PTA or spontaneous fissuring.
A stent-graft assembly according to the present invention first comprises a generally cylindrical stent which comprises at least one support member. Some or all of the support member or members comprise a coating which substantially encapsulates the coated support member or members. Further, the stent-graft includes an ultra-thin membrane or covering which is attached to the coating.
In one embodiment, the proximal and distal regions of the stent-graft have an additional coating over the first coating and the membrane. In an alternative embodiment, the proximal and distal regions of the stent may be left completely uncoated and uncovered if needed for the particular medical application of the device.
The thin membrane may be either on the inner or the outer surface of the stent or both. The material used for the membrane comprises an ultra-thin polymer. In use, the membrane may have varying degrees of distensibility depending upon the desired application of the device. The membrane is bound to the coating either as a result of defining a homogeneous material with the coating or as a result of extensions of the coating into the pores of the membrane and the resulting interlocking engagement between the coating extensions and the pores of the membrane to form a composite. An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a stent with either a continuous membrane or more than one membrane on the interior and on the exterior of the stent, the membranes bound to one another through the interstices of the stent. The membrane(s) may be sintered or otherwise bound to itself or to one another. The invention also contemplates the use of a coating at the proximal and distal regions of the stent, which substantially encapsulates the assembly at the proximal and distal regions.
The method according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises helically wrapping ultra-thin polymeric tape around a mandrel, adjusting the angle of orientation of the tape to the mandrel depending upon the desired distensibility of the membrane and allowing adjacent edges of the helical wrapping to overlap somewhat; sintering the tape to itself over the mandrel to produce a thin tube; removing the thin tube from the mandrel; coating a stent with a polymer; covering and/or lining the coated stent with the thin tube; introducing a solvent to attach the coating to the membrane; curing the assembly to drive off remaining solvent.
The method according to an alternative embodiment comprises winding the polymeric tape around the mandrel to form two layers, in each layer reversing the angle of orientation of the tape to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel to form a bias ply, and then following the remaining steps of the method described above. In any given embodiment, the angle of orientation of the tape to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel, dependent on the width of tape and diameter of the mandrel, can be varied depending upon the desired distensibility of the graft component of the device. The sintering parameters can also be varied to affect the distensibility of the device. Further, pressure may be utilized in conjunction with sintering to improve the adherence of the tape. And finally, the amount of overlap between adjacent edges of tape can be varied depending upon the particular indication for the device.
In yet a further embodiment of a method according to the invention, a thin-walled stent-graft assembly, having inner and outer membranes, can be fabricated utilizing pressure and heat.
In any of the methods according to the particular embodiment, the extent that the coating and membrane cover the stent can be varied. And the manner in which the membrane is wrapped about the mandrel, specifically, helically or otherwise. Also according to the particular embodiment, the proximal and distal regions of the stent-graft assembly may be coated a second or multiple times to seal the resulting layers of stent, coating and membrane, and to substantially increase bond strength due to the increased surface area of the encapsulation of the stent strut.

Stent-graft assembly with thin-walled graft component and method of manufacture


Parking brake actuator is an overrunning single directional clutch which provides for infinite locking positions.

Most motor vehicles have a manually operated parking brake which is operated by either a hand lever or a foot pedal. This disclosure will relate to a foot operated parking brake, but it is recognized that the invention described could also be applied to a hand park brake. The parking brake actuator is connected to the foot pedal and to a cable which, in turn, is connected to the parking brake itself. The parking brake actuator sets the parking brake by pulling on the cable in response to someone pushing on the foot pedal. The actuator applies tension to the cable to set the brake. Releasing the tension in the cable releases the parking brake. Typically, the actuator is released either through a foot pedal or through a hand lever.
Typically, a parking brake actuator is either a ratchet-pawl mechanism, or a spring or tension spring-clutch mechanism.
The ratchet-pawl mechanism and the tension spring-clutch mechanism used for parking brake actuators have a number of drawbacks. Because a pawl and a ratchet are dependent upon tooth spacing for engagement, the operator must overtension the brake cable to avoid cable slack when setting the brake. Noise is also an issue as the pawl moves over the ratchet or sector gear as the operator sets the brake. The spring-clutch drawback is the large amount of tolerance in the mechanism resulting in a wide spread of tension on the brake cable. Breakage of the binding ends of the torsion spring is also a problem. Both of these actuators use several separate components to release the brake.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Overrunning clutch parking brake actuator


A method and system of allocating data for subsequent retrieval. The method and system optionally including allocating data to a plurality of devices for storage, associating the data with the device providing the storage thereof, and providing retrieval information to facilitate retrieval of the data as function of the devices associated with the storage thereof. The method and system may further include features for controlling information associated with the allocated and/or features for associated one or more pieces of metadata to control access to allocated data once retrieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and systems of allocating data for subsequent retrieval.
2. Background Art
Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing technologies may be grouped into categories based on the methods used for content identification, caching, and delivery. A first category of P2P technology may be characterized by a central index showing the locations (IP address) of content files shared on a segment of the network. When a data source is identified, a direct transfer of the entire file from one peer to another is facilitated by the network software.
A second category of P2P technology may be characterized by the content indices being distributed among a group of interconnected "super nodes" on the network. Often, an Internet subscriber hosting a super node on his/her computer would be unaware of it. Similar to the first generation P2P technology, when a data source is identified, a direct transfer of the entire file from one peer to another is facilitated by the network software. Many of the P2P applications currently in use (in particular those based on the so-called "FastTrack" protocol) are of this type.
Media on demand (MOD) systems may be characterized by centralized storage and one-to-one downstream transport. In a typical media distribution system, such as a video-on-demand system or music download service, the files may be distributed to individual subscribers from a centralized file-server (centralized storage). The file-server may be located on the cable operator's internal network (upstream from the video headend or CMTS) or network backbone. When a customer desires a media selection, the media may be routed from the file server to the subscriber via the CMTS or video headend. Thus the "last mile" transport burden is placed entirely on the downstream channel (one-to-one transport).
P2P systems may be characterized by media storage on subscriber devices connected to the access network. First and second generation technologies mimic the conventional MOD architecture on a small scale with files being served from a subscriber's home computer. In order to be transferred to another broadband user anywhere on the Internet, a file must be uploaded from the source subscriber's computer over the access network, transit the Internet, and be downloaded over the access network to the downloading subscriber. This may place a heavy burden on the upstream access network exacerbated by one-to-one content delivery. Connection times used by first and second generation P2P systems can be of long duration, sometimes persisting for days on an unmonitored computer running a P2P application. For example, if a high-speed data subscriber is provisioned with a 500 Kbps upstream data rate, it would take nearly 4.5 hours to transfer a 1 Gbyte media file to another subscriber.

Method and system of allocating data for subsequent retrieval


A slap wrist device includes a bottom strip having top and bottom surfaces with at least the top surface of thermoplastic material, a middle strip having top and bottom surfaces and of or coated with a thermoplastic material, and a top strip having top and bottom surfaces, at least the bottom surface being of thermoplastic material. A bistable spring is disposed between the bottom and middle strips, and a light emitting and elongated flexible light transmitting element is disposed between the top and middle strips. The bottom and middle strips are sealed together by high frequency (HF) welding along substantially their entire peripheries, and the top and middle strips are sealed together by HF welding along at least the majority of their peripheries. A battery casing, with or without an external safety light, or a fabric bag, may be mounted to an end of the device.

Products called "slap wrist devices" are known for mounting watches, pen holders, and storage containers, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,727,189 and 8,752,740, and published U.S. patent applications 2003/0155389, 2012/0087216, and 2013/0044215. While such products typically use the term "wrist" they are not in any way restricted to use only on that body part, but can be used on other human body parts, pet body parts, backpacks, bicycles, or a wide variety of other devices.
One particularly desirable slap wrist device is that shown in Chinese Utility Model 202302948 published Jul. 4, 2012, and in a commercial product sold under that Utility Model (and referenced herein as "the prior art lighted product"), which utilize a light transmitting element. The prior art lighted product provides a highly desirable visibility to anyone wearing or using it, for aesthetic or novelty purposes, but especially for safety purposes at night and in low light situations. While the prior art lighted product is successful in performing its ultimate safety-enhancing function, it has a number of drawbacks, including labor-intensive manufacturing procedures, and limited functionality if the product gets wet from environmental conditions, or is on a user's body part when the user is sweating.
According to the present invention, a light transmitting slap wrist device is provided that has significant advantages over the prior art lighted product including ease of manufacture, resistance to moisture, ability to access the light emitting and transmitting components, and enhanced versatility.
The prior art lighted product utilizes a woven fabric breathable strip which cooperates with a low friction middle strip to sandwich a bistable ribbon spring between them. The middle strip and an upper strip sandwich a light emitting and elongated light transmitting flexible element between them. The bottom, middle, and top strips are stitched together around their peripheries to provide a closed element. Since the top strip is flexible a button actuator for the light emitting and transmitting flexible element may be activated, or deactivated, from the exterior of the product, and an opening is provided for removal of the battery for replacement.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a light transmitting slap wrist device is provided which has numerous advantages over the prior art lighted product. In particular, either the upper, middle, and bottom strips are made of a thermoplastic material, or have at least a partial coating of thermoplastic material, and are sealed together around their peripheries using plastic welding. While a number of different plastic welding techniques could be utilized, including ultrasonic welding and friction welding, High Frequency (HF) welding is preferred. In HF welding electromagnetic waves at a frequency of about 27.12 MHz efficiently, quickly, and with minimal labor, permanently attach the peripheries of the strips together. Desirably, one end edge of the top and middle strips are not attached so that—using a pull tab or the like—the light emitting and transmitting element (or at least a portion thereof) therebetween may be accessed. The device according to the invention has enhanced moisture resistance, is much more easily and quickly manufactured, and has enhanced functionality and versatility, compared with the prior art lighted product.
According to other aspects of the present invention, a slap wrist device is provided wherein an external battery casing connects the components together at one end thereof. The battery casing includes an LED immediately adjacent but not embedded in a high clarity translucent or transparent thermoplastic polymeric material (such as thermoplastic polyurethane, commonly known as "TPU"), circuitry, a battery, and an actuator. As another alternative, a fabric bag or like container can be provided at one end of the device, the bag not only encompassing the battery and circuitry, but also having additional interior space in which accessory devices can be stored (such as keys or identification if the slap wrist device is used while a human is exercising, or on a pet's collar). Still further, a safety light (with one or more LEDs, an incandescent bulb, halogen bulb, or the like) can be mounted on an external battery casing.
Also according to the invention, a device is provided comprising: A bottom strip having top and bottom surfaces, at least the top surface of thermoplastic material at least around the periphery thereof. A top strip having top and bottom surfaces, at least the bottom surface of thermoplastic material at least around the periphery thereof. A light emitting and elongated flexible light transmitting element disposed between the top and bottom strips, and wherein the bottom and top strips are sealed together by plastic (e. g. HF) welding along substantially the entire peripheries thereof. And a battery casing mounted at one end of the strips, the battery casing mounting a battery, electrical switch, and circuitry, therein and thereon.
The battery may comprise a rechargeable battery, and the circuitry may include a charging port which facilitates charging of the battery, and a battery indicator. An external safety light may be mounted on top of the battery casing, the external safety light operatively connected to the battery, and desirably the external safety light is at least partially rotatable with respect to the battery casing and includes at least one LED as its light source.
According to a still other aspect of the invention a device is provided as described in the previous two paragraphs only instead of a battery casing and external safety light, an openable and closeable bag is mounted at one end of the strips. The bag contains a battery and circuitry therein, and has sufficient additional interior space for readily removably containing other objects (such as keys and an ID).
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an easy to manufacture, moisture resistant, and versatile light transmitting slap wrist device, with enhanced versatility and functionality; and related other devices. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from a detailed description of the drawings, and from the appended claims.


A test signal generating apparatus for a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a fuse control unit that generates a plurality of fuse enable signals in response to a clock and a power-up signal, and a plurality of test mode fuses that individually output test mode fuse signals so as to generate test signals in response to the fuse enable signals after a test mode is completed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a test signal generating apparatus in a semiconductor integrated circuit and method for generating the test signal, and in particular, to a test signal generating apparatus in a semiconductor integrated circuit and method for generating the test signal having an increased area margin.
2. Related Art
Generally, in order to produce a semiconductor integrated circuit, a test should be performed for measuring a difference between a simulation result upon design and an operation of a real product. At present, various kinds of tests are performed so as to reduce an error rate of the semiconductor integrated circuit. The tests are performed on the basis of external commands and addresses. Accordingly, the semiconductor integrated circuit needs a test signal generating apparatus that generates a plurality of test signals from the commands and the addresses. The test signals generated by the test signal generating apparatus are used to change the operation in a prescribed area. At this time, some of the test signals should be continuously generated after the test is completed. Accordingly, in order to continuously generate the test signals, the general test signal generating apparatus includes test fuse circuit units corresponding to the number of test signals to be generated.
The fuse circuit unit provided in the general semiconductor integrated circuit is controlled by, for example, a laser or the like. However, the use of the fuse circuit unit that is artificially controlled by the laser makes it difficult to reduce the area of the test signal generating apparatus.
Further, in order to implement the fuse circuit unit, an upper portion of the fuse circuit unit should be empty. Therefore, it is difficult to integrate elements in a laminate shape. This also causes the reduction of the area margin of the semiconductor integrated circuit. In addition, although a few fuse circuit units among many fuse circuit units are actually used by artificial control, according to the related art, one fuse circuit unit is inefficiently prepared for one test signal.

Apparatus and method for generating test signals after a test mode is completed


This patent discloses a document holder for a computer monitor. The document holder may include a panel. Attached to the panel may be a bottom extension, a top extension, a left side extension, fasteners having a top arm and a bottom, and a panel movement mechanism configured to permit a user to pitch the panel back and forth and to move the panel up and down. The bottom extension, the top extension, and the left side extension may be moved in and out of slots and positioned to accommodate larger or smaller articles. The fasteners may secure the document holder to the computer monitor.

1. Field of Endeavor
The information disclosed in this patent relates a moveable support to hold material in position to be viewed during use of a computer and other transcription devices.
2. Background Information
Personal computers have become essential to society. Just about everyone has one and uses one. Its been said that without personal computers, our present society would exist in a completely different form.
In its most basic form, personal computers coordinate an exchange of information. Information from the user, information from many documents the user may be reading, and information from the Internet and other computers all may be entered into a personal computer, processed, and sent out of that computer. The documents the user may be reading typically are scattered around the desk supporting the computer in a clutter whose organization is known only to the user.
When most people tire of having their papers scattered around their desk and of the neck and back pain that comes from straining to read them, they may purchase a document holder. Document holders are accessories to computer monitors that help keep the documents positioned properly while a user is working from them. Holding the documents in a proper position helps the user to avoid neck and back pain and save space on that user's desk.
Some document holders rest on a desk, but a problem with these is that they may take up needed desk space. These document holders typically hold a single sheet of paper. A problem with these single sheet document holders is that they require you to change documents twice as frequently since they are unable to hold two papers side-by-side.
What is needed is a device to overcome these and other needs.


An egg yolk fortified with exogenous soybean lysophosphatidylcholine contained in exogenous soybean lysophospholipids is employed as an emulsification agent in oil and water emulsions, particularly in emulsions which are sterilized. The agent may be obtained by hydrolyzing phospholipids derived from soybeans with phospholipase A2, deactivating the phospholipase A2 with a proteolytic enzyme and then inactivating the proteolytic enzyme by heat-treatment at a temperature of from 80.degree. C. to 90.degree. C., and then, egg yolk is fortified by combining and homogenizing the so-obtained lysophospholipids, or exogenous phospholipids containing lysophosphatidylcholine otherwise obtained, with egg yolk.

The invention concerns a heat-stable oil-in-water emulsion and a process for its preparation. Great Britain Complete Patent Specification No. 1 525 929 concerns a water-in-oil emulsion with a phospholipoprotein containing material (for example egg yolk) modified by phospholipase A (PLA). This emulsion is stable, i.e., when exposed for 30 min. to 100.degree. C. Although this emulsion is effectively heat-stable, the great disadvantage is that the egg yolk is enzymatically modified, and secondly, the suppression of any residual activity of PLA by proteases is not possible since the proteolytic enzymes would modify the egg yolk proteins and PLA alone can only be inactivated at a very high temperature (160.degree. C.).

Heat-stable oil and water emulsion and preparation thereof


A semiconductor integrated circuit contains a plurality of programmable circuits each including a plurality of fuses and a first transistor which has a gate subjected to an address decoded signal, a drain connected to first ends of the fuses, and a source connected to a common precharge node. The address decoded signal results from decoding a first portion of an address signal for access to memory cells. The sources of the first transistors in the respective programmable circuits are connected to the common precharge node. A plurality of second transistors have gates subjected to a second portion of the address signal, sources connected to a first power supply line, and drains connected to second ends of the fuses in each of the programmable circuits respectively. The second portion of the address signal differs from the first portion of the address signal. A third transistor has a gate subjected to a precharge control signal, a source connected to a second power supply line, and a drain connected to the common precharge node.

This invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit including a redundancy circuit.
During the fabrication of semiconductor memories, there is a chance that one or more memory cells go defective. Some semiconductor memories feature a redundancy, including ordinary memory cells and redundant or spare memory cells. When an ordinary memory cell goes defective, the defective memory cell is replaced by a redundant (spare) memory cell. This replacement is executed by a redundancy circuit.
As will be explained later, a prior art semiconductor integrated circuit including a redundancy circuit has some problems.

Semiconductor integrated circuit containing redundant memory element

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A robotic deburring process that automatically, accurately, and efficiently removes burrs from a workpiece. The robotic deburring process uses CAM location data to establish deburring trajectory, physics based machining models to predict burr type and size, and force control functions to compensate inaccuracies due of inaccuracies of robots arms.

The present disclosure relates to a robotic deburring process and, in particular, to the use of data to automate the robotic deburring process.
Burrs are small pieces of deformed material left on the edges of a workpiece during the finishing operation. Burr formation is a complicated process, which involves large plastic deformation of the workpiece material. The type of burr formed and its characteristics depend on many factors including, but not limited to, the machining process, tool properties, coolant properties, and workpiece material. In general, there are four basic types of burrs, the Poisson burr, roll-over burr, tear burr, and cut-off burr. Each type of burr requires a different deburring operation to effectively remove the burr.
Robot systems have become common in industry due to their low cost, flexibility, and versatility. But only very few robots have been adopted in high-value added material removal applications, such as deburring and polishing. The main issues with the use of robots in high-value added applications include: lack of absolute accuracy of the robot, insufficient stiffness of robot arm during machining, and time-consuming, expert-dependent programming processes.

Automatic process planning for robotic deburring operations


The invention relates to a seamless hybrid gasket and the method of making the same. The gasket includes a unitary polymer construction and an insert for enhanced pressure resistance, reduced stress to seal, improved thermal cycling performance and structural support.

Gaskets having both polymer (PTFE) and metal components have been known and used for many years. These types of gaskets are acceptable for many gasket applications. Typically, a corrugated metal insert is combined with polymer layers, tapes, or the like to form a gasket able to seal with lower bolt loads, provide improved thermal cycling, and withstand increased pressure resistance.
Conventional prior art gaskets will often have polymer rings sandwiched around a corrugated metal insert. The rings are attached to the insert and/or to each other by some form of adhesive. This sandwich-type construction has historically meant that the gasket has seams at the inside diameter (ID) and/or outside diameter (OD) of the gasket. All of the layers of the gasket, including the metal and adhesive layers, are exposed at the inside diameter and outside diameter of the gasket. Problems with these types of gaskets include corrosion or degradation of the various components of the gasket that may occur as a result of the exposure of the metal and/or adhesive to the process temperature and media in the system in which the gasket is used. Many industries including semiconductor, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals cannot tolerate the potential for process contamination that exists with the metal and/or the adhesive being in contact with their process media. In applications above the softening or melt point of an adhesive (˜200° F.) a typical failure mode or limitation is that the adhesive is corroded away, and the gasket seal may fail or require re-torquing as a result of the reduced bulk of the gasket. These higher temperatures may also result in blow-out failures when the adhesive is melted or softened.
If an insert is exposed, or is eventually exposed, to the environment, media, or other conditions in the system that the gasket is placed, prior art gasket construction requires the use of metal inserts that are chemically compatible with the process being sealed. For many corrosive chemical applications where the tightness, pressure resistance and resiliency of this type of gasket is required, exotic alloy inserts such as hastalloy, titanium, and other similar products are required. The resulting gaskets are very expensive and the required adhesive layers will still suffer from the same thermal degradation or chemical corrosion as described above. Both of these limitations may limit or prevent the use of the gasket design and the resultant performance benefits. Also, while exotic alloy inserts may allow the use of these gaskets in harsh chemical applications, there is no means of making this design suitable for use in applications like semiconductors, food and beverage, or specialty chemicals where contamination from the adhesive is the limiting factor.
FIG. 1 illustrates one prior art gasket that was developed to minimize the limitations of the earlier style corrugated insert gasket stated above. In this construction methodology, the gasket includes a single polymer ring that has a slit in it that extends around the outside diameter from the outside diameter toward the inside diameter. The slit does not extend all the way through the polymer ring to the inside diameter. A metal insert is positioned in the pocket that is formed by the slit of the polymer ring. The metal insert may or may not have an outside diameter essentially the same as the polymer ring. This gasket design effectively isolates the corrugated insert at the ID from the process media thus eliminating one of the limitations with the original gasket design. Whether or not the metal insert is directly exposed to the outside diameter of the gasket, the general conditions in a plant or a system where the gasket is used may still attack or thermally degrade the adhesive and/or the metal insert via the slit in the outside diameter of the gasket. Additionally, application for this improved gasket in PTFE lined piping systems can be negated because of static electricity discharge between the exposed metallic OD of this gasket construction to the bolts that secure the flange together. Also, because glue or some form of adhesive is still required with this design, the gasket's use within piping systems or vessels where any type of contamination is undesired is still restricted. The manufacturing technology and throughput with this pocket style gasket stated above is very expensive, very labor intensive, and stringent quality control measures must be employed to insure that the slit never extends all the way to the ID. If this were to happen and go unchecked, this gasket could fail catastrophically in chemical services that are not compatible with the insert metallurgy.
Accordingly, despite the advancements made with the ID protection envelope detailed above, there remains a need for a completely seamless metallic or corrugated metallic insert gasket that does not contain any seams at the ID or OD and a cost effective method to create such a gasket which does not rely upon careful slitting of the envelope material that is placed around the insert. A seamless corrugated/metallic insert gasket would ideally prohibit or lessen the ability of a corrosive agent to attack or degrade any structure of the gasket. A seamless corrugated/metallic insert gasket and a method for making the same, in accordance with the present invention, would effectively address one or more of the foregoing or other drawbacks associated with prior art gaskets.
Another prior art PTFE gasket is the "Task-Line" type gasket where a perforated stainless steel (SS) insert is encapsulated within a full density (hard) PTFE matrix. This gasket is made using molds whereby PTFE resin is charged into the mold, the insert is then added, and more PTFE resin is added on top of that. The PTFE resin and insert are compressed under extreme pressure at elevated temperatures above the PTFE melt point temperature. The PTFE resin therefore forms a hard, solid mass encapsulating the insert. The finished gasket is very hard (the PTFE is at full density, about 2.2 gm/cc), there are virtually no recovery/resiliency advantages with this design, and creep of the virgin PTFE remains very problematic.
Accordingly, there is a need for a finished gasket with any desired PTFE "skin" density between an expanded PTFE density (typically about 0.6 gm/cc) and the theoretical "full density" of PTFE (about 2.2 gm/cc). In the prior art Task-Line gasket above, the PTFE resin is melted above the PTFE sintering temperature and flows/compacts together around the insert. There is needed the beneficial physical properties of the lower density expanded, porous or microcellular PTFE. An approximate 0.6 gm/cc density PTFE "skin" or facings around the insert are desirable for flange surface adaptability (conformability) and low stress to seal, while higher "skin" densities are desirable when the flange surfaces do not require a highly compressible facing material or cut-through resistance at higher stresses. The use of various expanded, porous, or microcellular PTFE components allows the final gasket to have much improved creep resistance over the Task-Line (virgin, hard) PTFE gasket. Also, improved gasket resiliency/springback is a major performance advantage of any corrugated insert PTFE gasket with soft PTFE facings. The hard PTFE skin of the Task-Line gasket negates any benefit of a corrugated insert, and thus there are no known commercial Task-Line products with a corrugated insert.

Seamless corrugated insert gasket and method of forming the same


A material transfer unit is described that includes a truck, a hopper configured for mounting proximate a rear of the truck, and a conveyor comprising a catch section, a head section and a conveyor belt extending therebetween. The catch section is configured for placement under the hopper and the head section is configured for placement proximate a front of the truck. The head section is further configured for movement with respect to the truck for placement of transferred material.

This invention relates generally to handling of bulk materials, and more specifically to a truck mounted material transfer unit.
Bulk material handling machines, for example, material transferring units that handle materials utilized in the surfacing of roadways, are typically capable of transferring only onboard material. In addition, these transferring units typically do not provide a capability to elevate and redistribute material into locations that are generally inaccessible to standard trucks. Further, such bulk material handling machines are typically of such a size that they cannot be legally driven along a roadway.

Truck mounted bulk material transfer unit


A cementitious composite includes a structure layer, a cementitious material, a water-impermeable sealing layer, and a containment layer. The structure layer has a first side and an opposing second side. The structure layer defines a plurality of open spaces. The cementitious material includes a plurality of cementitious particles disposed within the plurality of open spaces of the structure layer. The water-impermeable sealing layer is disposed along the first side of the structure layer. The containment layer is disposed along the opposing second side of the structure layer. The containment layer is positioned to prevent the plurality of cementitious particles from migrating out of the structure layer through the containment layer.

The present application relates to composite materials, including textile- and fiber-reinforced cementitious composites. Specifically, the present application relates to a flexible pre-fabricated textile and fiber reinforced cementitious composite capable of in-situ hydration (i.e. in place, on location, on a construction site, etc.). In-situ hydration allows for a liquid to be topically applied and react with a volume of cementitious material within the composite. This reaction occurs while the composite is in position and does not disturb the pre-fabricated nature of the composite. Such a cementitious composite material allows cementitious material to set and harden within the composite without requiring traditional mixing procedures.
Traditional textile-reinforced composites typically include at least one layer of a two-dimensional textile and a layer of concrete to form a laminated composite. Such laminated composites may exhibit excellent in-plane properties but poor inter-laminar properties due to a lack of reinforcement in the thickness direction (i.e. a direction orthogonal to a surface of the composite) or weak bonding of the layers. This deficiency exposes the composite to the possibility of damage or delamination when experiencing inter-laminar stresses. While traditional composites include plain weave fabrics or multiple layers of fabric to improve performance, these systems may still fail easily under loading.
Other cementitious composites include woven or knitted three-dimensional textiles configured to entrap cementitious material between two layers. Such woven or knitted three-dimensional textiles may not independently function to secure cementitious materials for in-situ hydration. These woven or knitted layers may need to be formed between other layers before they can entrap cementitious materials.

Nonwoven cementitious composite for in-situ hydration


Pull-out guide system for drawers, having a basic-structure rail, a drawer rail and, if appropriate, having a center rail arranged between these two rails. The load of the drawer is transmitted by way of a first rolling-contact body and at least one second rolling-contact body, and the first rolling-contact body has a smaller diameter than the at least one second rolling-contact body. The drawer rail is designed such that, when the drawer is in the closed state, the first rolling-contact body is subjected to loading by the drawer rail and, when the drawer is opened, the first rolling-contact body is relieved of the loading of the drawer rail.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pull-out guide system for drawers with a carcass rail, a drawer rail and optionally with a middle rail arranged between these two rails, wherein the load of the drawer is transmitted by a first and at least one second rolling element.
2. Related Art
Pull-out guides of this type are usually arranged on both side walls of a furniture body and make it possible for the drawer or shelf base to run smoothly while at the same time bearing a high load. In addition to smooth running, lateral stability for the drawer or the individual parts of the pull-out guide are also relevant so that tilting of the drawer is largely prevented. When the drawer is in a closed position, in particular when bearing a high load, the foremost rolling elements or castors or the foremost region of a carriage arranged between the rails are subjected to a substantial stress. If plastic rollers are used as rolling elements, then these rollers can deform and thereby adversely impact the running behaviour of the pull-out guide.


An embodiment includes an apparatus, comprising: a chamber; a main disk that is rotatably disposed in a chamber and configured to receive a substrate; a gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas to the chamber; a gas collector unit including a gas exhaust channel separate from the main disk and vertically lower than the main disk; and a skirt unit disposed on a peripheral portion of the main disk and configured to reduce turbulence of the process gas flowing to the gas collector unit.

Embodiments relate to a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus and a method of manufacturing a light-emitting diode (LED) device using the same, and more particularly, to a CVD apparatus including a gas collector unit, and a method of manufacturing an LED device using the same.
An LED device (LED chip) may be manufactured by depositing various kinds of semiconductor layers on a substrate. The semiconductor layers may be deposited by loading the substrate into a chamber of a CVD apparatus and supplying process gases to the chamber. During the depositing of the semiconductor layers, parasitic materials unused among the process gases may be deposited within the chamber, without being exhausted to the outside of the chamber.

Chemical vapor deposition apparatus and method of manufacturing light-emitting diode device using the same


An imaging system for inspection of a sample includes an illumination module, which irradiates a surface of the sample with pulsed optical radiation. A mechanical scanner translates at least one of the sample and part of the imaging system so as to scan an area irradiated by the pulsed optical radiation over the surface in order to irradiate successive, partially overlapping frames on the surface by respective successive pulses of the pulsed radiation. A collection module collects the optical radiation scattered from the surface so as to capture a sequence of images of the irradiated frames. A system controller varies a configuration of the imaging system in alternation between at least first and second different optical configurations in synchronization with the pulsed optical radiation.

Optical inspection is commonly used in semiconductor device manufacturing to detect defects on the surface of a wafer, such as contaminant particles, scratches and unremoved portions of material layers. Defects can cause device failures, thus substantially reducing the process yield. Therefore, careful inspection is required to verify the cleanliness and quality both of unpatterned wafers and of patterned wafers at various stages of the manufacturing process.
A common method for inspecting semiconductor wafers is to scan a laser beam over the wafer surface and measure the light scattered from each point on which the beam is incident. An exemplary inspection system, based on dark-field scattering detection, is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/511,092, cited above. Other optical inspection systems are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,366,690, 6,271,916, 6,538,730, 6,392,793 and 5,909,276, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.
In some applications, the optical inspection system uses two different light beams. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,476, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system and method in which two patterns of illumination are formed independently on a photosensitive screen by means of light of two different wavelengths. The patterns are formed in the same manner, and each results from irradiation of the screen with light derived from a coherent source and consisting of two interfering beams, one of which is constituted by light scattered from the surface under inspection and imaged on to the screen. A video signal is derived from the screen representing the spatial variations in the sum of the intensities in the two patterns.
Another inspection system comprising dual-beam illumination is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,924, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. The system comprises an illuminator comprising a dual peak wavelength tube, which is a light source emitting two different colors of light. Each colored light has a narrow wavelength range, with a peak wavelength at a respective one of two complementary colors. The system comprises supporting means for supporting a substrate having a surface on which predetermined patterns are finely formed. The surface is illuminated at a predetermined angle with the light emanating from the illuminator, with the surface functioning as a diffraction grating. The system determines whether the pattern surface on the substrate is deformed due to defocusing as a result of said light being diffracted by the finely patterned surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,569, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a dual-beam laser inspection system comprising a scanner, which repetitively scans a line with first and second angularly displaced, synchronized scans. The system processes data received from each of the dual scanning beams in parallel, thereby reducing the data processing rate in comparison to a single-beam laser inspection apparatus operating at the same inspection rate.

Optical inspection with alternating configurations


A process and system to machine and in particular to grind eyeglass lenses, with at least one machining tool, a grinding disk, a rotatable holder for an eyeglass lens blank, a unit to control machining in accordance with predetermined optical values and/or a predetermined circumferential contour of the eyeglass lens, a CNC-controlled handling unit for exactly positioned insertion of an eyeglass lens blank in the holder, a control unit for the handling unit, and an input device for the decentration values for the predetermined circumferential contour in reference to the optical axis of the eyeglass lens. The utilization of the handling unit eliminates the difficult and time-consuming manual centering of the eyeglass lens blank. Multiple eyeglass lens grinding machines can be loaded by the handling unit.

The invention relates to a process and a system for machining and in particular for grinding the circumferential edge of eyeglass lenses with a machining tool, and in particular a grinding disk, a rotatable holder for an eyeglass lens blank and a device to control machining in accordance with a predetermined circumferential contour for the eyeglass lens.
Eyeglass edging machines are known in the art and in their simplest form may include a device to control grinding in accordance with a predetermined circumferential contour for the eyeglass lens represented by the shape of a template mounted on the rotatable holder and corresponding to the shape of the eyeglass frame opening into which the shaped eyeglass lens is to be inserted. If eyeglass lenses made of silicate glass are machined, diamond-coated grinding disks are used as a rule, while milling tools are often used to machine plastic lenses.
CNC-controlled eyeglass edging machines are also already known and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,684 or in European published unexamined patent specification 0 363 281. CNC-controlled eyeglass lens grinding machines, which grind the optical surfaces in addition, are described in European Patent Specification 0 061 918 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,695 (published after the priority filing date of the present application).
In the CNC-controlled eyeglass lens edging machines, the circumferential contour of the eyeglass lens is available in the form of a data set which is used to control the grinding procedure in such a way that the predetermined circumferential contour of the eyeglass lens will be created.
Common to the purely mechanical and the CNC-controlled eyeglass lens grinding machines is the requirement that the insertion of the eyeglass lens blank in the holder is effected manually, which is time-consuming and which requires a certain degree of skill.
Before the eyeglass lens blank can be mounted in the rotatable holder of a conventional eyeglass lens grinding machine, the eyeglass lens blank must be fitted with a sucker or holder block, which must be positioned in accordance with the decentration values determined by the optician for the predetermined circumferential contour with reference to the optical axis of the eyeglass lens and which serves to exactly position the eyeglass lens blank in the rotatable holder and to make a connection with the rotatable holder resistant to relative rotation.
If the eyeglass lens exhibits a cylindrical or prismatic grind, then the axial orientation is also to be taken into consideration when applying the sucker or holder block and when inserting the lens blank in the rotatable holder of the eyeglass lens edging machine.
A further difficulty arises when eyeglass lenses are in the form of multi-focal lenses, since in this case the location of the close vision section with reference to the optical axis of the distant vision section must be taken into consideration.
To apply a sucker or holder block a device is used with which the eyeglass lens blank is initially oriented in accordance with the optical values, the decentration values and/or the axial orientation; then the sucker or holder block is attached to the pre-positioned eyeglass lens blank. A device of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,448.
It is quite apparent that this procedure is time-consuming and requires great professional skill, so that these activities can be carried out only by trained opticians. Due to the time-consuming positioning and blocking of each eyeglass lens blank, however, the output of the conventional eyeglass lens grinding machine, particularly if it is a CNC-controlled type, is low.
A loading unit at a CNC-controlled eyeglass lens edging machine known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,637 (published after the priority filing date of the present application) is suited only for loading exactly along the optical axis, so that the decentration values must be taken into account in the processing control program, whereby the calculation work is increased quite considerably and a very high-performance computer is required. The axial orientation where a cylindrical grind or prismatic grind is present and the location of a close vision section cannot be taken into consideration at all when using such a loading unit.

Process and system to machine and in particular to grind the optical surfaces and/or circumferential edge of eyeglass lenses


A package comprising a container for holding a first substance, and a product insert for holding a second substance, at least partially inserted info said container, and where the first product and the second product can be allowed to merge by external manipulation of said package. Packaged products and methods are also provided.

Aseptic prefilled packages are commercially available and commonly used in the medical, cosmetic and food industries as well as in applications outside of this field. Aseptic packages provide a hermetic barrier between the product contained therein and the exterior of the package to minimize or avoid environmental exposure, exposure to contaminants, and permeation of gasses and moisture.
In various applications it is desired to deliver the contents of the aseptic package outside of the package and such packages will be equipped with a fluid transport device for such purpose. Also, in some applications it is desired that the aseptic package will function as a dispenser of the contents therein, and to do so the aseptic dispensing package is equipped with a fluid transport device in the form of an exit port furnished with the applicable applicator such as a nozzle, spout, dropper, spray-head, topical applicator, ocular or ear applicator cannula, needle, micro-needles, or an adaptor (including connector, fitting, tube, hose or sealing member) to connect to the desired applicator or device. In a common arrangement the applicator is confined with in the aseptic package such that it is exposed to the product contained in the package but protected from the surroundings by the same barrier and to the similar extent as the product. The applicator is commonly either an integral feature of the package formed in the process of making the container, or inserted into the package either during the process of forming the package, before filling the package, or after filling the package. Aseptic packages are further commonly equipped with means for breaking the integrity of the aseptic package to expose the applicator, preferably without getting the applicator contaminated by the user hands or the exterior side of the package. A number of manufacturing methods have been developed over the year to form, fill and seal the package on a single piece of equipment.
Examples of aseptic dispensing packages include BottlePak® aseptic container products line by Rommelag® from Waiblingen, Germany. BottlePak®) utilize a blow-fill-seal process to form fill and seal a package in a single machine in aseptic conditions (hereafter some times referred to as "BFS" process). BFS method generally comprise the following steps: a) Extruding—a plastic parison, extruded from polymer, is accepted by the opened blow mold and cut below the die of the parison head, b) Molding—the main mold closes and simultaneously seals the bottom. The special mandrel unit settles onto the neck area and forms the parison into a container using compressed air or vacuum, c) Filling—by the way of the special mandrel unit, the product precisely measured by the dosing unit is filled into the container, d) Sealing—after the special mandrel unit retracts, the head muld closes and forms the required seal by vacuum, e) Mold Opening—with the opening of the blow mold, the containers exits from the machine and the cycle repeats itself. BottlePak® containers are sometimes equipped with a twist off portion that, when twisted off, expose an applicator which was integrally formed with the package. Such BottlePak® products include single dose eye drops ampoules with a pointy dropper tip or small parenteral containers with Luer-Lock connector (see more at http://www.rommelag.com/en05_applications/05_other_pharmaceutical.html). Some BottlePak® products comprise an insert which is inserted into the package post-filling and prior to sealing in proximity to the twist-off feature, such that upon twist off of the breakable portion of the package, the insert is exposed and facilitates the dispensing of the product contained in the package (here after "Blow-Fill-insert-Seal" process or "BFIS"). Examples of such products include an approximately 3 ml bellows-structure squeezable container comprising a stainless steel canula insert for hypodermic administration. Another example of BottlePak® BFIS product is a 1 Litter infusion bottle comprising a rubber septum to which an infusion set can be connected via a spike. The above manufacturing method is taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,192,549, 7,004,213, 5,836,922, 5,687,550.
Similar BFS and BFIS products to the BottlePak® products are available from Weller® (Elgin, Ill.) http://www.weiler-bfs.com/asep-tech_systems/applications.html.
Further aseptic packages similar in form and function to BFS and BFIS unit dose containers are manufactured by Form-Fill-Seal process ("FFS") and are available from Sarong, Italy (www.sarong.it) and Unifil from Villafranca Di Medolla, Italy (www.unifil.it). FFS method forms the individual packages from continuous film strips which are thermoformed, partly sealed, filled, and then sealed on a single piece of equipment. An insert can be introduced to the package after the forming step and prior to the sealing step (pre or post filling) or after sealing the package.
Similar aseptic packages are manufactured by injection molding of a strip of several packages or individual packages which are filled from the back side (i.e. not the dispensing side) and sealed in subsequent steps. An insert can be incorporated in the package during or post the injection molding step. Such packages and equipment for making such packages are available from Lameplast® Rovereto di Novi, Italy (www.lameplast.it), and Sanner Plastic Technology from Bensheim, Germany (www.sanner.de).
If sterility of the product is desired it can be achieved by either performing the production in aseptic and sterile conditions using pre-sterilized raw-materials, components and substances, or by sterilizing the product after production or after a certain production step, or by a combination of the above approaches.
In some applications it is desired that an aseptic package will Include more than one substance compartment such that the plurality of compartments could be mixed to form a product prior to dispensing. In non-aseptic applications several methods could be applied to open a number of compartments or separate packages and to introduce the content of one package or compartment to another to formulate a product. For example hair-dye products such as Just-For-Men from www.justformen.com come in a retail package containing two bottles where the contents of said packages need to be mixed prior to application. One of said bottles comprise enough free space to receive the content of the second package such that the procedure of preparing the product is a) to remove the closures from both bottles, b) pour the content of the smaller bottle into the larger bottle, c) agitate, and dispense. While the method is practical, simple and does not require any dedicated package design or additional equipment, such a method will not be acceptable for applications where aseptic conditions are to be maintained until and during application (dispensing).
Several patents disclose caps for mixing a substance stored in the cap with the content of the container to which said cap is mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 7,464,811 teaches a mixing cap comprising an apertured inner tube threadably-engagable to the mouth of a bottle, and an outer housing cooperatively-engaged to the inner tube and slidably-restricted thereover via a flange arrangement. Preloaded ingredients contained within the outer housing may be introduced or discharged into the bottle by simply depressing the outer housing over the inner tube, thereby permitting the ingredients to flow through the apertures of the inner tube and into the liquid contents of the bottle. The combined ingredients and liquid within the bottle may subsequently be shaken without fear or risk of leakage or spillage. This mixing solution as well as many of the mixing caps known in the art suffer from two main disadvantages: a) the substance in the cap is not guarded at the same level of isolation from the environment as the product in the container, and b) in the procedure of merging the contents of the cap and the container the aseptic integrity of the package in breached (in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 7,464,811 the slideable part of the cap slides down to include an external portion of the cap in the sealed product space.
Various solutions have been developed for aseptically mixing the products of two compartments of a package. One advantage of such packages is that they provide longer shelf life and/or are more tolerable to storage conditions where the combination of the products of the two compartments suffer from accelerated deterioration or is sensitive to conditions such as temperature or exposure to light, or to avoid interaction between a substance in the first compartment with a substance in the second compartment. In other applications the products of the two compartments react as a desired step of the application and must be maintained separately such that the reaction occurs only before, during or immediately after the application (dispensing).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,200 to Fontana discloses a bottle for two-component extemporaneous products, of the type that comprises: a container for a first component, which is provided with an upper mouth; a reservoir for containing a second component, which is inserted substantially coaxially in the mouth, is open upward and has a bottom constituted by a diaphragm; a perforator, which can be inserted in the reservoir and is adapted to pierce the diaphragm in order to mix the two components; and a removable cap for closing the container in an upward region; the cap comprises a lower annular portion that is fixed to the container and an upper cylindrical portion that cooperates with the perforator and is rigidly coupled to the annular portion at an intermediate weakened region suitable to act as sealing means, a downward pressure on the cylindrical portion being adapted to disengage it from the annular portion and to make the perforator slide in the reservoir in order to pierce the underlying diaphragm. Various alternative approaches are disclosed in prior art including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,968,872, 5,029,718, 5,543,097, 5,884,759, 6,148,996, 6,435,341 differing to some extent by the mechanism details, steps, and actions needed to cause two compartments to mix. The inventor of the current invention believes that those prior art approaches suffer from some common drawbacks:                a) Seal Quality—the seal between the first compartment and the second compartment, and the seal between at least one of the compartments and the environment is achieved either by press-fit or through at least portions by thin molded plastic wall. As used herein, the term press-fit seal in this patent refers to a seal caused by forcing two semi elastic components against each other such that a deformation is caused to a circumferential contact line between said two components to prevent migration of substance through this contact line. A surface stress remains along this contact line due to the elasticity of the components that maintain the seal even if reasonable pressure or force is biasing against that function of the seal. The term molded plastic component refers to components manufactured by either injection molding or blow molding or similar methods or by methods incorporating one of those methods. The wall of molded components have limited moisture barrier properties and therefore where the product in the one compartment is water or a solution and the product in the other compartment is super-dry powder or solid in other forms which needs to maintain in super dry conditions, molded components can not provide the required barrier for an extended time. The same drawback exists with press fit seals.        b) Another disadvantage of the prior art is that it can not support aseptic delivery (i.e dispensing, application, administration, etc). Because these packages are designed to be aerated as the content is expelled. Alternatively, though not proposed by their inventors, the packages in the prior art could be squeezed to cause the content to expel without air penetrating the package. The drawback there is that the arrangements in those different approaches would not allow an efficient expression rate of the content since those arrangements occupy or stiffen a substantial portion of the package that could not be squeezed.
The drawbacks listed above are partly overcome by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,203,535, 5,176,634 and 6,996,951, 4,602,910, 5,462,526, 5,287,961, 4,961,495, 4,608,043, 5,425,447, 3,749,620, 6,017,598, 3,074,544, 3,608,709, 3,847,279, all of which disclose a film package comprising at least a first and a second compartment separated from each other by a frangible seal (some times referred to as peelable seal) such that under the presence of pressure in at least one of said two compartments the frangible seal separates causing the content of the two compartments to mix. In particular Smith's U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,634 teaches a flexible container is provided for the storage and mixing together of diluents and medicaments. The container incorporates multiple compartments, separated by frangible seals, in which the diluents and medicaments are stored. The seals are ruptured by manipulation of the container to thereby mix the contents together for delivery through a standard IV arrangement to a patient. The express ratio of such packages is high as there is not much resistance or obstacles to prevent the package from efficiently collapsing. The seal is formed by a weld between two walls of said film package with substantial weld-width resulting in good moisture barrier properties. While these approaches overcome some of the drawback of the prior art they lack the ergonomic properties that the rigid containers of the first group of prior art listed above. For several applications flexible packages do not meet the common form of presentation, for example in the field of infusion containers the European Market is customary to semi rigid bottles rather than the infusion bags which are more common in other parts of the world.
US Patent Application Publication No. 20060276755 teaches a valved medicament delivery device including a housing having a chamber including coaxially aligned inlet and outlet, a medicament cartridge located within the chamber having a passage therethrough and membranes sealing the passage having a burst pressure of less than 10 atmospheres, a manually actuatable fluid delivery device having an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber and a manually actuated valve located between the outlet of the fluid delivery device and the chamber inlet for delivery of fluid under pressure to the valve. The medicament delivery device of this invention may be utilized to deliver a controlled unit dose of a medicament on demand by first pressurizing a pressure chamber in the pressure delivery device upstream of the valve, then opening the valve to open the membranes and express the medicament through the chamber outlet. In this patent the second compartment with the second substance is external to the syringe with the first substance thus the mixing of the two compartments occurs when the environment is no longer inherently aseptic. In addition this patent teaches a method of first mixing the first substance and the second substance but instead the dispensing occurs simultaneously with mixing.
It is therefore an intention of the present application to provide a multi-compartment chamber which can provide high barrier properties between said compartments, have good expression rate, yet allow for the ergonomics of a molded package and could be manufactured in a method that reduces contamination risks.

Packaged products, inserts and compartments for aseptic mixing of substances, along with methods for use therewith


Methods and devices for a low complex inter-channel difference estimation are provided. A method for the estimation of inter-channel differences (ICDs), comprises applying a transformation from a time domain to a frequency domain to a plurality of audio channel signals, calculating a plurality of ICD values for the ICDs between at least one of the plurality of audio channel signals and a reference audio channel signal over a predetermined frequency range, each ICD value being calculated over a portion of the predetermined frequency range, calculating, for each of the plurality of ICD values, a weighted ICD value by multiplying each of the plurality of ICD values with a corresponding frequency-dependent weighting factor, and calculating an ICD range value for the predetermined frequency range by adding the plurality of weighted ICD values.

Parametric multi-channel audio coding is described in Faller, C., Baumgarte, F.: "Efficient representation of spatial audio using perceptual parametrization", Proc. IEEE Workshop on Appl. of Sig. Proc. to Audio and Acoust., October 2001, pp. 199-202. Downmixed audio signals may be upmixed to synthesize multi-channel audio signals, using spatial cues to generate more output audio channels than downmixed audio signals. Usually, the downmixed audio signals are generated by superposition of a plurality of audio channel signals of a multi-channel audio signal, for example a stereo audio signal. The downmixed audio signals are waveform coded and put into an audio bitstream together with auxiliary data relating to the spatial cues. The decoder uses the auxiliary data to synthesize the multi-channel audio signals based on the waveform coded audio channels.
There are several spatial cues or parameters that may be used for synthesizing multi-channel audio signals. First, the inter-channel level difference (ILD) indicates a difference between the levels of audio signals on two channels to be compared. Second, the inter-channel time difference (ITD) indicates the difference in arrival time of sound between the ears of a human listener. The ITD value is important for the localization of sound, as it provides a cue to identify the direction or angle of incidence of the sound source relative to the ears of the listener. Third, the inter-channel phase difference (IPD) specifies the relative phase difference between the two channels to be compared. A subband IPD value may be used as an estimate of the subband ITD value. Finally, inter-channel coherence (ICC) is defined as the normalized inter-channel cross-correlation after a phase alignment according to the ITD or IPD. The ICC value may be used to estimate the width of a sound source.
ILD, ITD, IPD and ICC are important parameters for spatial multi-channel coding/decoding, in particular for stereo audio signals and especially binaural audio signals. ITD may for example cover the range of audible delays between −1.5 milliseconds (ms) to 1.5 ms. IPD may cover the full range of phase differences between −π and π. ICC may cover the range of correlation and may be specified in a percentage value between 0 and 1 or other correlation factors between −1 and +1. In current parametric stereo coding schemes, ILD, ITD, IPD and ICC are usually estimated in the frequency domain. For every subband, ILD, ITD, IPD and ICC are calculated, quantized, included in the parameter section of an audio bitstream and transmitted.
Due to restrictions in bitrates for parametric audio coding schemes there are sometimes not enough bits in the parameter section of the audio bitstream to transmit all of the values of the spatial coding parameters. For example, the document U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0153408 A1 discloses an audio encoder wherein combined cue codes are generated for a plurality of audio channels to be included as side information into a downmixed audio bitstream. The document U.S. Pat. No. 8,054,981 B2 discloses a method for spatial audio coding using a quantization rule associated with the relation of levels of an energy measure of an audio channel and the energy measure of a plurality of audio channels.

Method for inter-channel difference estimation and spatial audio coding device


Disclosed herein are a controller device, a communication system and a controlling method for transmitting commands for designating two modes used in a setup comprising a controller device and a plurality of target devices reserved by the controller device, the devices being interconnected by a data bus for transmitting data in a predetermined communication format, one of the two modes allowing the target devices to communicate with one another, the other mode inhibiting the reserved target devices from thus communicating. Also disclosed are a communication system and a controlling method for varying between such two modes a standby time that must elapse before a command can be accepted following a bus reset, one mode permitting communication between the reserved target devices, the other mode inhibiting such intercommunication.

The present invention relates to a controller device, a communication system and a controlling method for transmitting commands for designating two modes used in a setup including a controller device and a plurality of target devices reserved by the controller device, the devices being interconnected by a data bus for transmitting data in a predetermined communication format, one of the two modes allowing the target devices to communicate with one another, the other mode inhibiting the reserved target devices from thus communicating. More particularly, the invention relates to a communication system and a controlling method for varying between such two modes a standby time that must elapse before a command can be accepted following a bus reset, one mode permitting communication between the reserved target devices, the other mode inhibiting such intercommunication.

Controller device and communications system for transmitting reserve commands from a controller to target devices


A dead stop type projection window assembly includes a free-standing frame and at least one independent insert window. The free-standing frame includes a top member, a base member spaced below the top member, at least two mullions vertically extending between the top member and the base member and spaced apart to form an insert window opening therebetween, and a stop extending along a perimeter of the insert window opening. The insert window is secured to the free-standing frame at the insert window opening. The free-standing frame further includes at least one preformed seal member engaging the insert window to seal closed the window frame opening with a wind/water tight seal. The preformed gasket can extend from the stop to the insert window and/or can extend from at least one of the mullions to the insert window.

The new construction and replacement window industry has been manufacturing or outsourcing projection windows such as, for example but not limited to, bay and bow windows for many years. These bay and bow windows can be designed in different ways. The most common type of bay/bow window is a vinyl mulled or capped bay/bow window. Another type of bay/bow window which is commonly supplied by specialized outsourcing companies is a "dead stop" type bay and bow window.
The dead stop type bay/bow windows are particularly good for companies who outsource these specialty window products because the insert windows can be installed by anyone after the frame is built. Additionally, the dead stop type bay/bow windows are universal in that any manufacturer's standard windows can be installed into the frame as the insert windows. However, some manufacturers may decide to build this type of frame in house too, due to the products exceptional qualities over the vinyl mulled or capped type bay/bow windows. The vinyl mulled or capped type bay/bow window designs require the frame to be finished/sealed during or after the insert windows are installed into the frame. These types of designs typically have shortcomings.
A dead Stop type bay/bow window has individual insert windows that are each installed against an exterior and/or interior stop(s) of a frame. To seal the insert windows to the frame and the overall assembly against wind and water infiltration, the insert windows are caulked or other sealants are used to create a seal. Typically, sealants are first applied to the dead stops and then the insert windows pushed into the sealant and against the dead stops (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The sealant can also be applied after installation of the insert windows or applied both before and after installation of the insert windows. The preferred and most common method is to apply sealant to the dead stops beforehand, install the insert windows against the dead stops, clean off the squeezed out sealant on the exterior side of the frame, and then finally apply one last uniform bead of sealant on the exterior side of the frame after installation of the insert windows.
These current method(s) do a sufficient job of sealing the insert windows into the frame if done correctly. However, caulking and other sealants have drawbacks. The most notable drawbacks being that sealants can attract dirt, change color, suffer degradation, and require maintenance when exposed to the environment over time. Additionally, caulking and other sealants need to be applied correctly, are messy, and take a lot of time to clean and manipulate. Furthermore, caulking and other sealants are often not applied thoroughly enough or are not applied in the right areas which can lead to sealing issues for the completed bay/bow window in the field. To combat these application issues, installers must be trained and retained to control against field sealant failures.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved dead stop type projection windows and/or methods for installing insert windows into window frames of dead stop type projection windows.

Dead stop type projection windows with seal members for insert windows


The invention enables color characteristics to always be enhanced in both reflection mode display and transmission mode display in the transreflective type liquid crystal device. The present invention provides a liquid crystal device including a color filter formed on one substrate of a pair of substrates with interposition of a liquid crystal. The color filter includes a dividing material 14 to divide the surface of the substrate into plural regions, a reflection layer formed in each region, a color pixel and a protective layer formed on the reflection layer. The thickness of the reflection layer is significantly different within the divided region, and a high transmission region having a transmittance of 50% or less is formed in the reflection layer formed to be thinner than the reference thickness. When the color pixel is formed with a thick film corresponding to the high transmission region, a bright display becomes possible in the reflection mode display, and a transreflective type liquid crystal device is obtained with enhanced color characteristics in both transmission mode display and reflection mode display.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate employed in a display. In particular, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal device, an electronic appliance using the substrate, and a method for manufacturing thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid crystal devices have recently been used for electronic appliances, such as cellular phones and portable type personal computers. A related art liquid crystal device includes a so-called reflection type display mode liquid crystal device that includes a light reflection layer (reflection layer) disposed on the inner or outer surface of a substrate that is disposed opposite to the observation side relative to the liquid crystal layer. An incident light from the observation side is reflected by the reflection layer, and the reflected light is utilized as a display light source. Another related art device is a so-called transmission display mode liquid crystal device in which an illumination device, or a so-called back-light, is disposed at the opposed side to the observation side relative to the liquid crystal layer. The illumination device is used as a display light source. Another related art liquid crystal device is a so-called transreflective display mode liquid crystal device in which the display mode can be appropriately switched from the transmittance mode display to the reflection mode display, or vice versa, by providing a half mirror having both light reflection characteristics and light transmission characteristics as a light reflection layer (reflection layer). The liquid crystal device has recently been used for color display, on the other hand, by providing color pixels such as R (red), green (G), B (blue) pixels, or C (cyan), M (magenta) or Y (yellow) pixels, in the display region of the liquid crystal device.

Display substrate having non-uniform reflectivity in a high transmittance region and non-uniform reflectivity in a high reflectivity region, liquid crystal device using display substrate, electronic appliances comprising liquid crystal device, and method of manufacturing thereof