The present invention is a method of treating foam for improving wettability. The method includes treating foam with reactive species which interact to produce reaction products. The reaction products are then removed from foam. Finally, after removing reaction products the foam is treated with reactive species which interact to produce additional reaction products.

The present invention relates to open cell foam used as ink reservoirs in ink printing pens. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus whereby pressure is varied between plasma treatment cycles to produce an outdiffusion of reaction products from the foam. This outdiffusion together with the indiffusion of reactants into the foam to provides more uniform surface treatment throughout the interior surfaces of the foam thereby increasing foam bulk wettability characteristics.
Ink jet printers employ ink reservoirs to supply a printhead with ink. An ink reservoir consists of foam housed within a pen cartridge, the foam having been permeated with ink. The foam absorbs and retains the ink, thereby enabling a printer to control the rate at which ink flows to the printhead.
The process of ink jet printing requires that a continual supply of ink be available to the printhead. In thermal ink jet printers, the printhead comprises a plurality of tiny nozzles formed in a nozzle plate. Underneath each nozzle is a firing chamber which is commonly feed with ink from a plenum connected to the ink reservoir. A microprocessor in the printer provides a signal that directs the expulsion of ink through a nozzle so that the ink forms a droplet. The trajectory of the droplet is such that the droplet strikes the paper at a precise target. The precision required in ink jet printing makes the ink reservoir's ability to efficiently, reliably, and predictably supply ink to the printhead nozzles critical.
Therefore, the foam within the ink reservoir must effectively retain ink to prevent unintentional seepage of the ink out of the printhead nozzles. This unintentional seepage of ink from the cartridge is sometimes referred to as "drool" which, in the case of multi-color printing, can result in inadvertent color mixing if ink emanating from a nozzle associated with one color is pulled into a nozzle associated with another color. This inadvertent color mixing results in a reduction of the output image quality. Additionally, the foam must supply ink as required by the printhead. Lastly, the foam must accomplish these goals without adversely effecting the quality of the ink.
As manufactured, most organic polymer based foam is unable to meet these goals. Untreated polyurethane foam is hydrophobic and therefore does not readily absorb aqueous based inks. One method used to prepare foam to serve as an ink reservoir involves prewetting the foam prior to loading it with ink. Prewetting the foam reduces its hydrophobicity so that the foam absorbs rather than repels the ink. A method for prewetting foam is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,117 entitled "Addition Of Alcohol To Prewet Solutions To Enhance And Accelerate Wetting To Hydrophobic Foams For Application To Ink Jet Pens " to Evans et al assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.
Plasmas have been used to modify the surface structure of polymer solids as discussed in "Techniques and Applications of Plasma Chemistry", edited by John R. Hollahan and Alexis Bell, published by John Wiley and Sons, 1974. These surface modifications brought about by exposure to a plasma include changes to the surface wettability, molecular weight of a surface layer and the chemical composition of the surface. However, as pointed out by Hollahan the effects of the plasma treatment are confined to the surface layer and therefore the bulk properties of the material remain unchanged. (See page 117).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,756 entitled "Method Of Forning Surface Treated Applicators" to Kamen discloses a method whereby a plasma surface treatment of cosmetic applicators such as mascara brushes, makeup brushes and sponge like applicators to improve the hold, wettability, pickup, laydown, release, and application. The plasma treatment process is described as a grafting process whereby a substrate layer is grafted to the cosmetic applicator surface. The cosmetic applicator is used to apply paint, powder, make-up or nail enamel to a surface.
Reticulated or open cell foam has some very unusual attributes which make it not well suited to the plasma treatment techniques previously used for improving wettability. For example, open cell foam has an interior which is a dense matrix structure with confined passages deep within the foam. The surface area of the foam is therefore very large for a given unit mass. Frequently, the foam used in ink storage applications is compressed using thermal compression techniques such as felting. Highly felted foam tends to have a structure that is more dense and more confined than unfelted foam which further adds to the problem of treating surfaces deep within the foam matrix.
Previously used surface treatment techniques are not well suited for treating foam which has confined passages deep within the foam. One problem associated with plasma treatment of foam is that there is limited radical generation inside of the foam. Radicals are generated mainly by collision processes with electrons, ions, or other species. The confined passages within the foam provide a smaller mean free path than the mean free path required to form radicals. The very small mean free path makes it much more likely the electrons, ions and other species will collide with a foam surface near the periphery of the foam than deep inside the interior of the foam. Therefore, within the foam matrix there are few of these excited elements from which to form radicals.
Another problem associated with plasma treatment of foam is that there is little diffusion of radicals into the foam. Since the mean free path of radicals is larger than the foam passage dimensions, radicals rarely reach the interior of the foam without first colliding with, and gettered by the peripheral surfaces of the foam 12. Finally, there is little diffusion of reaction products out of the foam. This limited outdiffusion of reaction products from the foam 12 results in higher concentrations of reaction products which slow the reaction rate of radicals within the foam 12. Therefore, conventional plasma treatment of foam treats only surfaces along the periphery of the foam and provides little improvement to wettability characteristics of interior surfaces of the foam matrix.
There is a continuing need for improved methods for improving the wettability characteristics of the foam interior surfaces. This treatment should be capable of treating not only the surfaces near the periphery of the foam but also surfaces deep within the dense matrix of the foam. This treatment should increase the wettability throughout the interior surfaces or foam bulk to prevent areas of increased capillary or capillary gradient which can result in the stranding of ink within the foam. Finally, this treatment should be cost effective to reduce the overall manufacturing costs of the ink cartridge.

Method and apparatus for improving wettability of foam


A pulse-controlled camera has a single motor capable of conducting a drive of a photo-taking lens and a drive of opening and closing of shutter blades at a high speed with a high reliability and a high precision in a compact structure, in which mechanical errors in machining and assembling may be electrically adjusted and which can facilitate automatic assembling. The pulse-controlled camera comprises a basic reciprocating member which is rotated in a forward direction or in a backward direction with respect to a home position by a pulse motor. The forward rotation of the basic, reciprocating member from the home position also rotates a lens feeding member through a ratchet base plate in the forward direction, so that a cam action of the lens feeding member feeds a lens holding frame up o a position corresponding to a measured distance value. Then the basic reciprocating member rotates in the backward direction while leaving the ratchet plate at the position, passes the home position, and rotates a shutter blade opening and closing lever by an engaging pin thereof to open the shutter blades. The home position of the basic reciprocating member is set based on a timing when a home position signal generating portion interrupts a beam for detection of a photo interrupter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pulse-controlled camera of a type in which a basic reciprocating member is successively rotated in a forward direction and in a backward direction by a forward and backward rotational drive force of a a pulse motor. A feeding operation of a photo-taking lens is carried out by the forward rotation of the basic reciprocating member and a shutter mechanism is operated, by the backward rotation to follow. A method for setting a control reference position of the pulse-controlled camera, and to a method for adjusting mechanical errors in production of the pulse-controlled camera are also provided.
2. Description of the Related Art
The pulse-controlled camera of such a type is well known for example as disclosed in Japanese
Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 62-220939, which was assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 62-220939 discloses a technique in which a blade opening and closing ring (reference numeral 13 in the publication) or a drive gear (reference numeral 42 in the publication), which correspond to a basic reciprocating member in the present, invention, are capable of reciprocating. A reference position of the blade opening and closing ring 13, which corresponds to a home position in the present invention, is set as a signal corresponding to an-off motion of a position switch (reference numeral 25 in the publication) comprising a leaf switch, and the blade opening and closing ring 13 is successively rotated in the forward direction and in the backward direction from the reference position to carry out the feeding operation of the photo-taking lens and the exposure operation.
It is necessary in the pulse-controlled camera arranged as above that the blade opening and closing ring 13 is correctly located at the reference position or returned thereto before start of the photo-taking operation or after completion thereof in order to maintain high precision. Such a technique, that is, a technique in which a specific moving member is forced to return to the reference position to maintain the high precision of the camera, is also disclosed for example in Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 60-235125.
The Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 60-235125 discloses a technique in which, in a shutter device for camera having a step motor (reference numeral 2 in the publication), opening or closing a sector (reference numeral 1 3 in the publication) as a shutter blade, the reference position return detecting means (reference numeral in the publication) is preliminarily provided for detecting that the shutter blade 1 is located at the reference position. The detecting means 3 is used to detect whether the shutter blade 1 is located at the reference position before and after the exposure operation, and if the shutter blade 1 is not located at the reference position then the step motor 2 is rotated in the backward direction to force the shutter blade 2 to return to the reference position, thereby preventing the shutter blade 2 from being left in an open state.
It is normal to make an effort to shorten an overall time necessary for sequence operation as much as possible in case of a camera of a type in which a photo-taking sequence including a feeding operation of the photo-taking lens, an opening and closing operation of the shutter blade, as well as a film feed operation is systematically carried out by making use of a drive force of a motor.
For example Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 62-257136 discloses such a technique. The technique as disclosed in the Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 62-257136 concerns a compact pulse motor increased in operation speed in which a pulse rate of motor control upon opening and closing of shutter blades is made greater than that upon feeding of a photo-taking lens.
The technique as disclosed in the first Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 62-220939 presented various disadvantages. For example, corrosion proceeding or elastic degradation (so-called setting) occurs due to aged deterioration of the elastic leaf because the leaf switch 25 generates the on-off signal by a mechanical operation, whereby occurrence of such abnormal phenomena causes negative effects on the on-off operation and an external factor such as vibrations may make the on-off operation of the switch insecure.
A further problem is that a photographer cannot recognize such abnormal events and continues taking photographs in a qualitatively degraded condition after that.
There are various problems caused in view of production when the leaf switch 25 is employed.
In detail, an actual production causes errors within a tolerance in each of the mechanisms such as the photo-taking lens feeding mechanism and the shutter mechanism. It is usual that errors present in one mechanism are different from those in other mechanisms. In order that the blade opening and closing ring 13 is correctly combined with the photo-taking lens feeding mechanism and the shutter mechanism, having different errors from each other, a final position setting operation of the position switch 25 must be manually adjusted for each camera by trial and error.
The manual operation with adjustment, however, would be a major factor to increase the production cost on the one hand and a cause to impede the automatic assembling of a camera on the other hand.
The technique as disclosed in Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 60-235125 can be successfully applied to a pulse-controlled camera of a type in which only the shutter device is controlled and driven by a single step motor. However, this device cannot be applied there as is to a pulse-controlled camera of a type in which the photo-taking lens feeding operation and the shutter blade opening and closing operation are successively carried out by a forward motion and a backward motion of a single basic reciprocating member and the basic reciprocating member is driven by a single step motor, as in the present invention.
The failure of the application of this device here is caused by mechanical errors such as tolerance occurring in the production of mechanical parts and in assembling thereof.
The mechanical errors in machining are inevitably made in production of the moving member as the mechanical part, the sensor means for detecting a displacement amount and a stop position of the mechanical moving member. Such errors caused could allow appearance of sensor means which cannot detect the reference position of the moving member in a pulse width of the drive pulses.
If the sensor means, having such detection precision, is used to detect the reference position of the moving member as in the present invention, the moving member would fail to be correctly set at the reference position thereof in the technique as disclosed in Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 60-235125.
If the sensor means, having such detection precision, is used together with the technique as disclosed in Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 60-235125 arranging to secure the detection of the reference position of the moving member in any circumstance, the reference position of the moving member must be formed in width of at least one pulse or more. Such an arrangement, however, can permit detection about whether the moving member is located in the proximity of the reference position, but cannot permit detection about whether the moving member is correctly located at the reference position.
It should be understood that it is difficult to apply the technique as disclosed in Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 60-235125 having such an antinomic problem as described to the pulse-controlled camera as in the present invention, simply as it is.
A simple increase in pulse rate of motor control may not be sufficient in precision to increase the operation speed of the photo-taking sequence to a high speed.
For example, in a camera conducting the exposure control using shutter blades also serving as a stop, has a stop aperture formed by forcedly stopping the opening operation of the shutter blades in the middle thereof, so that the setting precision of timing to stop the opening operation of the shutter blades and the dispersion of mechanical operation delay are directly related to the precision in forming the aperture.
In this case, as the opening speed of the shutter blades becomes slower, the setting precision of the stop timing increases and the dispersion of the mechanical operation delay becomes smaller. Thus, the low opening speed of the shutter blades would be advantageous in view of the precision.
Accordingly, the shortening of the operation time must be considered taking into account the operation precision of the photo-taking sequence. The technique as disclosed in Japanese Laying-open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 62-257136 as described above lacks such consideration, and, therefore, the technique cannot be applied to the pulse-controlled camera as in the present invention, as it is.
If a camera is operated at a high precision, another problem would occur in relation with the production cost.
Since the mechanical means to conduct the lens feeding operation and the opening and closing operation of the stop and shutter blades are made by combining mechanical members, it is usual that production errors and assembling errors are made in machining and assembling of the mechanical members.
If the operation precision of camera is maintained at a high precision by suppressing errors in production as much as possible by increasing the machining precision of the mechanical members and the assembling precision thereof, the production cost would be extremely increased. Therefore, a novel method is desired to appear to enable the high precision of camera while preventing the increase in production cost.

Pulse-controlled camera, method for setting control reference position thereof, and method for adjusting mechanical errors in production thereof


A flooring member comprising: a structural member having one or more ducts extending along a length of the flooring member, each of the one or more ducts forming a hollow cavity extending along a length of each duct, the one or more ducts being integrally formed with the flooring member.

There is an ongoing effort in many industries to lighten the weight of articles. In many instances, this is achieved by the selection of materials that have a lower density, thinner section thicknesses or both, as compared with prior materials or structures. As a result, there is a potential for the weakening of structures, and the consequent need for stiffening or other structural reinforcement.
One particular ongoing effort may be found in the transportation industry. The transportation industry continuously makes attempts to improve commercial vehicles through light-weighting efforts and cost-savings plans. As a result, commercial vehicles, such as transportation trucks, are frequently modified to include lighter and cheaper materials. For example, commercial vehicles may implement a lightweight aluminum-based modular flooring to provide a uniform flooring across multiple vehicle platforms while also providing a simplified assembly process.
However, often times it is difficult for the lighter and cheaper materials used to meet industry requirements. For example, transportation vehicles may require flooring in the cargo container that meets specific load requirements or cross-sectional shapes to ensure cargo being transported is sufficiently supported. Furthermore, the flooring may require minimum insulation characteristics if the shipping container is insulated and configured to carry perishable items, such as food or biomedical items. Additionally, transportation vehicles may be required to support a weight of one or more fork trucks (i.e., a fork-lift) for loading and unloading the vehicles. As a result of the demanding requirements identified above, often times light-weighting efforts and cost-savings plans fail due to extensive design and validation time needed before an alternative solution may be implemented. Furthermore, because the alternative materials frequently used require unique reinforcement to meet the above-mentioned standards, the cost often saved on the base material is often exceeded by the additional of one or more structural reinforcements.
Examples of commercial vehicle flooring are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,703,948; 6,699,554; and 8,696,048; and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2013/0313857; and 2017/0028998, all of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. It would be attractive to have an alternative flooring structure that meets one or more of the requirements identified above. What is needed is a composite flooring structure that meets that necessary load bearing requirements in commercial transportation. It would be attractive to have a flooring structure that is tunable and easily customizable to meet varying industry demands. What is needed it a flooring structural configured to include one or more reinforcement modifiers without drastically increasing the overall flooring cost. It would be attractive to have a flooring structure that easily replaces structures currently used in the transportation industry. What is needed is a modular composite flooring structure that meets the current industry demands and is easily interchangeable. It would be attractive to have a flooring structure that is customizable based on a specific type of transportation. What is needed is a composite flooring system having one or more cavities configured to receive a structural reinforcing material, insulation material, or both to meet specific transportation requirements based on the goods being transported.


Compositions comprising LSF compositions and treatment regiments comprising administration of LSF containing compositions are disclosed. Compositions and/or regiments may optionally include the administration of vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants. Methods for using these compositions and treatment regimens for treating subjects for diseases, including diseases associated with inflammation and/or oxidative stress, are provided. Various methods for use of the LSF compositions for inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in various cells, tissues, and/or conditions are also provided.

Pulmonary edema is a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This fluid collects in the numerous air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The most common cause of pulmonary edema is heart problems, but fluid can accumulate for other reasons, including pneumonia, exposure to certain toxins and medications, and exercising or living at high elevations.
Pulmonary edema that develops suddenly (acute) is a medical emergency requiring immediate care, and can sometimes prove fatal. Treatment for pulmonary edema varies depending on the cause, but generally includes supplemental oxygen and medications, and may require both acute treatments along with ambulatory treatment for the underlying problem.
Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses are key features of pulmonary edema and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). Neutrophils and hemosiderophages (macrophages that have ingested and digested red blood cells) are present in high numbers in the lungs of animals suffering from EIPH, indicating an influx of inflammatory cells. Similarly, hypoxia has been highly implicated
Pulmonary edema is of particular concern in elite athletes. For example, EIPH is an endemic production disease form of pulmonary edema of racing and other high-intensity exercise horses, which occurs when blood enters the air passages of a horse's lung, which may lead to the impairment of lung function. EIPH or "bleeding" has been a recognized condition in racing horses for at least three hundred years, and has been reported to occur in a variety of race horse breeds including racing Thoroughbreds (both flat racing and steeple chasing or jump racing), American Quarter Horses (incidence of 50-75%), Standardbreds (incidence of 40-60%), Arabians, and Appaloosas. EIPH has also been reported in eventers, jumpers, polo ponies, endurance horses, draft horses that pull competitively, and horses taking part in Western speed events such as reining, cutting and barrel racing. Virtually all horses that are subjected to intense exercise bleed into the lungs, and these episodes of bleeding often commence as soon as these horses enter training, making EIPH a major welfare and economic concern to both veterinarians, and those involved in the racing and sport horse industries. Healing occurs, but complete restoration of pulmonary function in the affected area often does not occur. Repeated episodes of intense exercise can result in repeated episodes of pulmonary hemorrhage, and cumulative damage to the affected lung tissue can occur such as e.g., fibrosis and/or scaring and consolidation of alveoli. These chronic changes occur, particularly in the dorso-caudal lobes of the lung, and such changes can eventually curtail the performance of the horse.
Preventative/ameliorative/curative/restorative measures for EIPH affected horses have also been sought for several hundred years. For many years, the treatment of choice for prevention of EIPH in the race horse has been pre-race treatment with the diuretic furosamide (Lasix®). However, the exact mechanism of action of furosamide in prevention of EIPH is unknown, although many theories have been postulated over the years, its effectiveness is in question, and its use in racing is illegal in all countries with the exceptions of the U.S. and Canada. The treatment of choice for EIPH, after the fact, is usually rest (mandatory in many racing jurisdictions) and often in conjunction with antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection and/or the use of anti-inflammatory medication.
More recently, (following the research of West et al. J. Appl. Physiol. 1993, 75: 1097-1109 related to the relationship of EIPH and increased pulmonary artery pressure) attempts at treating EIPH via nitric oxide administration have been tried, e.g., by Perry (U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,548). Perry describes administration of nitric oxide through continuous insufflation of the nitric oxide to the horse during the exercise period. Alternatively, the horse is treated with insufflation of nitric oxide prior to the exercise event and then is given an intramuscular injection of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, e.g., ZAPRINAST. The treatment during exercise as described by Perry is both cumbersome and problematic for the racing animal and has never gained widespread acceptance. Likewise, systemic treatment of the racing animal with phosphodiesterase inhibitors opens the door for unwanted side effects and requires regulatory scrutiny.
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a class of enzymes that remove acetyl groups (O═C≦CH3) from an ε-N-acetyl lysine amino acid on a histone, allowing the histones to wrap the DNA more tightly. Together with the acetylpolyamine amidohydrolases and the acetoin utilization proteins, the histone deacetylases form an ancient protein superfamily known as the histone deacetylase superfamily. HDACs are classified in four classes depending on sequence homology to the yeast original enzymes and domain organization. The Class I HDACs are HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, and HDAC8. The Class IIA HDACs are HDAC4, HDAC5, HDAC7, and HDAC9. The Class IIB HDACs are HDAC6 and HDAC10. Class III HDACs include the sirtuin proteins (SIRT1-7). The HDAC11 is the Class IV HDAC. HDACs in Classes I, II, and IV (HDACs1-11) are metal-dependant HDACs. By modulating the acetylation status of histones, histone deacetylase inhibitors alter the transcription of genes involved in cell growth, maturation, survival and apoptosis, among other processes. In addition to histones, HDACs have many non-histone protein substrates which have a role in regulation of gene expression, cell proliferation, cell migration, cell death, and angiogenesis.
The organosulfur compound L-sulforaphane (LSF) is obtained from cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cabbages) when hydrolytic conversion of glucoraphanin to sulforaphane through the action of physical damage to the plant occurs either by the action of plant-derived myrosinase (intracellular broccoli thioglucosidase), or by the microbiota of the human colon. Approximately, 60-80% of glucoraphanin is converted to sulforaphane, with most broccoli varieties possessing between 0.1 and 30 μmol/g of glucoraphanin.
LSF is known to have potent antioxidant effects by activation of the Nrf2-ARE detoxification pathway. Nrf2 is a CNC (cap 'n' collar) bZIP (basic region leucine zipper) group of transcription factors which is broadly expressed in a variety of tissues. Quiescent Nrf2 localizes in the cytoplasm and is rapidly turned over through a specific ubiquitin-26S proteasome pathway controlled by the Keap1/Cul3-independent ubiquitin ligase (E3). Nrf2 is activated in response to a range of oxidative and electrophilic stimuli including ROS, heavy metals and certain disease processes. Upon activation, Nrf2 mediates antioxidant response by the induction of a broad range of genes including phase 2 enzymes, such as NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1, and antioxidant proteins, such as SOD and catalase. Both genetic and biochemical studies have implicated the Nrf2 signaling pathway in the defense against a wide range of chemical toxicity, cancer and chronic diseases in which oxidative stress is involved. LSF has been shown to protect against oxidative stress and apoptosis by the induction of Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response.
Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve upon the state of the art.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide methods of treating and/or preventing diseases associated with inflammation. In one aspect, the methods of treating and/or preventing diseases associated with inflammation involve providing or administering an effective amount of L-sulforaphane to a subject in need thereof. The L-sulforaphane may be combined with other components, including, for example, antioxidant or anti-inflammatory compounds. In a particular embodiment, L-sulforaphane can be administered or provided in combination with one or more of hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, N-acetylcysteine, L-proline, glycine, and taurine.
It is a further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention to provide methods of treating and/or preventing pulmonary edema, including for example EIPH. In one aspect, the methods of treating and/or preventing pulmonary edema involve providing or administering an effective amount of L-sulforaphane to a subject in need thereof. The L-sulforaphane may be combined with other components, including, for example, antioxidant or anti-inflammatory compounds. In one embodiment, the methods involve providing or administering a nasal spray.
It is a further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention to provide compositions and methods for inhibiting HDACs. In one aspect the compositions and methods provide specific inhibition of Class I HDACs, and in particular embodiments specific inhibition of HDAC8.
It is a further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention to provide compositions and methods for altering gene expression in a cell, tissue, or subject, including by increasing lysine acetylation, and/or increasing or decreasing gene expression in cells or tissues contacted with an LSF containing composition. These methods may be used for improving cell viability and/or treating or preventing oxidative stress in an individual or cell.

Compositions for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects and improved respiratory function by specific histone deacetylase inhibition


An electrical connector includes an insulative housing with a number of passageways, a number of electrical contacts received in the passageways and a number of solder balls disposed on the electrical contacts respectively. The electrical contact or together with the insulative housing form a retention feature for pre-setting the solder balls thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to an electrical connector with solder balls secured to the contacts thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Central processing unit (CPU) sockets are used to transmit signals between a CPU and a printed circuit board in computer device. Generally, the CPU socket comprises an insulative housing and a plurality of conductive terminals. Each of the conductive terminals electrically connects with the printed circuit board through surface mounting technology (SMT) by pre-setting solder balls on one end thereof.
Chinese patent issue No. 2610515Y issued to Lotes on Apr. 7, 2004 discloses one type of electrical connector which includes an insulative housing 12 and a number of electrical contacts 14. The insulative housing 12 defines a number of straight passageways 120 for receiving the electrical contacts 14 therein and a projection 122 is disposed in a lower end of the passageways 120. The electrical contact 14 is configured to a U shaped configuration and has a pair of solder ends at a lower end thereof for receiving a solder ball. The electrical contacts are used to pre-set the solder balls before surface mounting to the PCB.
Chinese patent issue No. 2872630Y issued to Lotes on Feb. 21, 2007 discloses another type of electrical connector for pre-setting solder balls. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing 1 with passageways 10 therein and a plurality of electrical contacts 2 received in the passageways 10. The insulative housing 1 defines a number of solder ball receiving portions 12. Bottom end 21 of the contact 2 and side wall 14 of the solder receiving portion 12 jointly define a receiving space 16 for the solder ball 3 moveably received therein. The solder balls are hold by the side wall 14 and the bottom end 21 of the contact 2 whereby to be pre-set on the electrical connector.
The above electrical connectors are two schemes to locate the solder balls thereon before surface mounting to the PCB. The present invention provides a different method to locate and connect the solder ball.

Electrical connector with improved feature for securing solder ball thereon


A device for preparing a wire for installation in a headrest entertainment system for a vehicle includes a wire wrapper for facilitating feeding of the wire including a plurality of connectors through a headrest post. The wire wrapper includes a heat shrink tubing covering the connectors. The wire wrapper includes a braided sleeving covering the connectors. A stiff wire is attached to the wire near an end of the heat shrink tubing. A stiff wire is attached to the wire near an end of the braided sleeving.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for preparing wires, and more particularly to methods and devices for preparing wires for installation in a headrest entertainment system for a vehicle.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An entertainment system for a vehicle, such as a headrest entertainment system, is popular because passengers can enjoy audio and video entertainment on the road. The headrest entertainment system includes, for example, a media unit with a display, and a media player. The media player can be formed in the media unit or other parts of the vehicle.
The media unit can be electrically connected to a media player in another headrest, for example, a DVD player, via connectors attached to, for example, a wire harness and/or a distribution box. The connectors are formed at the end of a wire(s), which run from the media unit. The wire(s), including connectors are fed through headrest supports and the connectors are connected to the wire harness or distribution box. However, since the connectors formed at the end of the wire(s) are loosely organized, it is difficult to feed the wire(s) through the headrest supports when installing the media unit.
Thus, a need exists for a wire organizing method which facilitates feeding of wires through the headrest supports, seats of a vehicle and/or other parts of the vehicle.

Methods and devices for preparing wires for installation in a headrest entertainment system


An article processing method is generally provided, namely, a method in furtherance of the formation of a split or splittable article pack. Spaced apart article groups are formed from a stream of articles. Each panel of panels of a supply of panels is passed through a processing station for execution of a processing step so as to establish a stream of processed panels. A processed panel of the stream of processed panels is associated with an article group of the spaced apart article groups so as to form a splittable article pack. The splittable article pack may be bundled for subsequent splitting, or split via in-line processing and discrete sub-packs having origins in the split splittable article pack bundled.

There continues to be increasing pressure to maintain and preferably increase profits for consumer goods and the like. With the advent and expansion of "super stores," and continuing vitality and efforts of merchandise clubs and the like, further supply side pressures exist.
It remains advantageous to minimize merchandise handling, i.e., resource reliance in getting merchandise from a producer to a store shelf. Retail or shelf-ready packages, e.g., article packs, are believed supremely advantageous as there exist minimal, if any, preparation in transition from shipping to retail display. Moreover, there exists increasing competition for merchandise shelf space, and greater emphasis in connection to the merchandise display hierarchy. Further still, an increasing trend to down size display packages has created challenges for combined shipping-display packages with regard to palletization, namely, maintaining the integrity of the palletized product in distribution. Thus, there generally exists an ongoing tension between merchandise transport/supply needs on the one hand, and merchandise display needs on the other hand.
Efforts to date have yielded a variety of article packs, e.g., container package or case assemblies. Generally well known are container package assemblies characterized by either a traditional carton enclosures to provide a bundling for or containment of grouped articles, or those characterized by film wrapping to provide the bundling for or containment of grouped articles.
As to the former, such carton approach appears commonly practiced in connection to, for example, cylindrical articles such as cans. Paper/card board holders or wrapper forming blanks are and have been well know for such purposes, with adaptations provided in furtherance of splitting, subdividing or accessing the package contents provided.
For example, Dunning (U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,988) discloses a paper board holder formed of a blank characterized by a transverse weakened line of separation. In as much as a single package of six articles may be displayed (FIG. 1 or FIG. 6), a bifurcation of the holder about the transverse weakened line of separation permits the display and offering of two subunits of the packaged articles.
Moreover, as is well known with regard to beverage cans and the like, a twenty-four article pack case, for example, may be adapted to be readily divisible or "splittable" into two twelve article packs and those in turn "splittable" into two six article packs (see e.g., the teachings of Werth (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,249,738, 5,299,733, 5,579,911, & 5,645,163), and/or the carton may be adapted such that the contents thereof are easily accessed by a consumer (see e.g., Brown (U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,570)).
Likewise, a variety of lidded article packs or packages, characterized by one or more discrete or individual trays, are known in the context of traditional carton enclosures for containing grouped and/or bundled articles, for instance, those exemplified by the teachings of Zimmermann et al. (U.S. Publ. No. US 2011/0083986), Nueber et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,431), and Kuhn et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,017) wherein a lid, cover, hood, etc., for cooperative engagement with a tray or article base, is readily removed from the article pack or package assembly, or modified, in furtherance of in-store display of the trayed articles or the separate article trays of the multi-bundle pack. Finally, boxed article packs, such as trayed article groups, are also known, see e.g., Anderson et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2005/0139502 A1, FIGS. 14-17), as are more traditional crate style structures which are suitable for shipping as well as product display, see e.g., Gessler (U.S. Pat. No. 7,604,114 B2).
As to the latter, film wrapping approaches appear widely practiced, with grouped articles, alone or in combination with a base (e.g., a panel such as a pad, tray blank/tray, etc.) so as to form an article pack, with a film wrapper thereabout the combination shrunken to thus define a bundled article pack or package. While single bundle packages or packs are known, see e.g., Bansal et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,892 B2), attention is directed to heretofore known multi-bundle article packs or packages.
For instance, Anderson et al., i.e., one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,887,717, 6,182,422, 6,499,596, 6,588,594, 6,874,633, & 7,370,761 B2, and U.S. Pub. Nos. 2003/0155266 A1 & 2005/0139502 A1, generally disclose film wrapped container package assemblies characterized by containers arranged upon a pair of discrete trays and overlain with a top panel, e.g., a pad. A variety of tray styles are disclosed, namely, those including zero to four sidewalls, e.g., three walled/sided tray, a four-sided tray which permits proper viewing/access to container, and a tray with no sidewalls, i.e., a pad. Moreover, a variety of side-by-side tray arrangements are shown for the multi-bundle film wrapped packs, as are head-to-head, back-to-back, and front-to-back relationships for and between the discrete trays of the film wrapped container package. While the adjacently paired trays are generally held in abutting engagement via the film wrapper, it is likewise known to reversibly unite the adjacently paired trays, via adhesive or the like, in advance of film wrapping. In any event, upon film wrapper removal, each tray of the adjacently paired trays is readily and individually handled for store/shelf display.
Continuing in the context of film wrapped article packs or packages, and generally departing from previously described separate or discrete bundles of the multi-bundle pack, reference is made to Cerveny et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,845,494 B2). A film enclosure or package for gathering bottles of first and second bottle groupings is generally provided. A base panel having first and second portions delimited by a folding line is provided for the receipt of the first and second bottle groupings, with a carrying handle further included and disposed vertically along the fold line thereof. Via a transversal precut in the film wrapper, pivoting of the base portions about the fold line permits access to the handle (FIG. 5) so as to form a handled bundle, i.e., twin pack, (FIG. 6) for improved handling.
While numerous container package assemblies have been noted, including split or splittable shelf-ready packages, attention is next briefly directed to packaging processes/systems for such packages, e.g., to tray packing-shrink wrapping packaging machines. Characteristic of such machines or processing lines are an infeed section or station, a metering or collation section, a tray forming and loading section, an optional stacking section, a film wrapping section and a wrap shrinking section. Further functional particulars are summarized by Neagle et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,336), incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
In connection to processing, no doubt numerous improvements have been made. Considerable attention has been and continues to be directed to making packing processes/machines more flexible and adjustable to accommodate different size articles and different size batches (i.e., a collated group or grouping of articles), while nonetheless limiting downtime for line adaptation/part change-out, and improving, or at least maintaining, overall throughput (i.e., the number of processed articles as a function of run time).
Presumably, productivity increases may be realized via a change in operation from a single line process to a dual line process (see e.g., Neagle et al., FIGS. 1 & 2). Notionally, articles are processed in two parallel lanes to form two distinct final packages, i.e., one "dual" lane machine is intended to function as two single lane machines). Generally, having been selectively collated, an article batch is divided in-line to produce two sub-batches which proceed for simultaneous processing through tray forming and loading operations etc. In as much as Neagle et al. contemplate provisions for a tandem blank from a magazine of tandem blanks, the tandem blank is split (FIG. 6) in advance of tray forming and loading (FIG. 3) wherein parallel processing of the previously bifurcated spaced apart batch collated products commences in furtherance of outputting single packages (i.e., packages comprising single bundles or collated groups).
In as much as dual infeed systems are known and may be commercially available, shortcomings are noted. For example, complications oftentimes quickly arise in connection to simultaneous processing/synchronous operations which quickly break down and thus result in substandard article pack formation. Moreover, in the context of versatile multi-function/purpose lines for increased throughput, the downtime associated with line conversion/adaptation remains an issue.
Thus, in light of the foregoing, it is believed that improvements remain warranted in the context of a cost effective, versatile low bulk article pack or package which is capable of handling a plurality of articles and which may be readily transitioned into a shelf-ready package or packages without much fanfare. In addition to providing a substantial consumer view of the merchandise and relatively free access thereto and therefrom, the article pack or packs should include sufficient area or areas to carry and/or display product related indicia inuring to the benefit of all parties to the transaction, i.e., consumers, merchandisers, distributors, manufacturers, etc., more particularly, an area or areas which are readily provided with one or more data or information fields during the package production and/or formation process remains advantageous. Further still, with regard to the production of such package assemblies, minimizing processing downtime for line adaptations, and increasing overall article throughput for such lines in connection to the processing of articles into one or more collated batches which in turn may be bundled as circumstances warrant continue to be not insubstantial considerations with regard to advancement of the art.


Composite inorganic particles and compositions containing silica particles are disclosed. Methods of making silica particles and methods of using composite inorganic particles are also disclosed.

In various applications, metal oxide particles containing metal phosphate are highly desired. For example, coatings having metal phosphate materials may be applied to a variety of substrates for a variety of purposes such as corrosion resistance against harsh chemical environments at elevated temperatures, as fiber coatings to provide toughening of high temperature composites, as coatings for bio-active surfaces for implants, and, in general, for surface modification of a substrate to obtain desirable electrical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties.
Efforts continue in the art to develop particles, such as metal oxide particles containing metal phosphate, having optimum properties so that the particles may be utilized in a variety of applications.
There is a need in the art for metal oxide particles containing metal phosphate that are stable in a dispersion or suspension. Moreover, there is a need in the art for metal oxide particles containing metal phosphate that are relatively small and/or uniform in size.

Composite metal oxide particles and methods of making and using the same


Devices, systems and methods for monitoring medication are provided. A medication monitoring device according to one implementation includes a container configured to store a plurality of medication pills and a gating device connected at an opening of the container. The gating device is configured to electronically monitor the release of at least one of the medication pills. A system and method for monitoring the administration of medication to a patient are also provided. The system, according to one embodiment, comprises the medication monitoring device and a medication management server in communication with the medication monitoring device via a communication network.

Medication is prescribed for patients who may have various types of illnesses or medical conditions. Medication can have many different forms and can be administered to patients in a number of ways. For example, some medication may have a solid form, while other medication may be in the form of liquid, cream, vapor, etc. For solid medication (e.g., pills, tablets, capsules, etc.), a patient may use a pill organizer, also referred to as a pill box or pill container. Pill organizers are used to help patients maintain a proper schedule for taking one or more pills. Many pill organizers may have a total of seven separate compartments, where each compartment may have a square or rectangular shape and may represent a specific day of the week.
When a pill organizer is used and medication is correctly placed in the different compartments for a week, it can be easier for the patient to find out if a dosage has been taken for each day. If it is seen that the compartment is empty for a particular day, then the patient knows that he/she has already taken the medication. Otherwise, if medication is remaining in the compartment, then the patient knows that the medication has not yet been taken and can then take it as prescribed. Therefore, the pill organizer can help the patient reduce errors associated with the administration of the medication. Particularly, the pill organizer can reassure that the medication is taken at the correct times throughout the week without missing a day and without overmedicating. Although a pill organizer can be a useful tool for keeping a patient on a regular medication schedule, there may be times when additional monitoring is needed.

System and method for monitoring and dispensing doses of medication


A method and apparatus for accurately determining a blood parameter that is calculated by measuring the transmittance of light through tissue having blood flowing therein is disclosed. A plurality of transmittance of light measurements are obtained for each transmittance of light parameter. The arithmetic mean of each transmittance of light parameter is calculated from the plurality of measurements. The arithmetic means are used to calculate the blood parameter from known formulations.

It is known that various blood parameters may be calculated by measuring the transmittance of light at different wavelengths through tissue having blood flowing therein. Examples of such blood parameters include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, glucose, and oxygen concentrations. Accurate information on these blood parameters may be important for a variety of reasons. For example, in the operating room, up-to-date information regarding oxygen saturation can be used to signal changing physiological factors, the malfunction of anaesthesia equipment, or physician error. Similarly, in the intensive care unit, oxygen saturation information can be used to confirm the provision of proper patient ventilation and allow the patient to be withdrawn from a ventilator at an optimal rate.
The non-invasive technique of measuring the transmittance of light in order to formulate blood parameter information is desirable in many applications for reasons of operator convenience and patient comfort. One well-known technique is pulse transmittance oximetry. This technique generally involves measuring the transmittance of light through body tissue at two different wavelengths. Typically, the two wavelengths are in the red and infrared regions. The measurements are made at both systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. In one known formulation, the arterial oxygen saturation ratio in given by the formula: ##EQU1## where R.sub.OS is the oxygen saturation ratio, R.sub.L is the transmittance of light at the red wavelength through the body tissue at systolic pressure, R.sub.H is the transmittance of light at the red wavelength through the body tissue at diastolic pressure, IR.sub.L is the transmittance of light at the infrared wavelength through the body tissue at systolic pressure, and IR.sub.H is the transmittance of light at the infrared wavelength through the body tissue at diastolic pressure. The actual value of oxygen saturation may be ascertained from the R.sub.OS value using empirically derived calibration curves. The precise description of the method and apparatus for measuring the transmittance of light is not part of the present invention and so is described only generally. Reference to U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,646 entitled "Feedback-Controlled Method and Apparatus for Processing Signals Used in Oximetry" to Cheung et al. is recommended for a detailed description of pulse transmittance oximetry.
Moreover, although only a formulation for the oxygen saturation ratio is given above, formulations for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other blood parameters based upon measurements of the transmittance of light are known in the art. The present invention is equally applicable to those formulations and although the following description of the preferred embodiment relates to pulse transmittance oximetry, it should not be construed to be limiting the scope of the present invention.
As seen in the equation for R.sub.OS, four parameters must be measured: R.sub.L, R.sub.H, IR.sub.L, and IR.sub.H. In any measurement technique where a physical parameter must be measured, random noise errors may arise. Noise errors in measured parameters contribute to inaccuracies in the calculated values based upon the measured parameters; in this case, error in the oxygen saturation ratio R.sub.OS. In order to more accurately calculate oxygen saturation ratios, various methods have been utilized in the prior art.
One well known and easy to implement method is averaging. In this method, multiple calculated values of R.sub.OS are averaged to provide a "smoothed" final value. Because the value of R.sub.OS is obtained as a quotient of measured parameters, it has been found that post calculation averaging does not provide optimum noise elimination. An improvement is to average only certain values of R.sub.OS. In particular, "outliers" are eliminated from the values of R.sub.OS before the average is taken. Outliers are values for R.sub.OS that are outside a predetermined range from the past history of R.sub.OS values. Again, it has been found that even with this improvement, optimum noise elimination is not obtained.
The present invention is directed towards providing an improved method of eliminating random noise error.

Method and apparatus for improving the accuracy of pulse transmittance oximeter


The invention pertains to a measurement system for measuring displacement of a moveable object relative to a base in at least a first direction of measurement, the moveable object having at least one reference part that is moveable in a plane of movement relative to the base, the actual movements of the reference part being within an area of said plane of movement that is bounded by a closed contour having a shape. The measurement system comprises a sensor head that operatively communicates with a planar element. The sensor head is mounted onto the base and the planar element being mounted onto the reference part of the moveable object or the other way around, wherein the planar element has a shape that is essentially identical to the shape of the closed contour.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and a measurement system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, such as a mask, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist).
In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
Known lithographic apparatus comprise moveable components and objects, such as a substrate holder or table, which holds the substrate during exposure or a reticle stage. In many cases, the displacements of such moveable objects relative to a base have to be measured. Conventionally, interferometers and/or capacitive sensors are used for monitoring the displacement of the movable objects. Both systems have their disadvantages.
Interferometers are used for their accuracy, but are very expensive equipment. They also require the presence of high quality mirrors that have to be arranged very accurately onto the moveable object. The mirrors also have to be arranged under various angles, which makes the moveable object even more complex to produce. Also, interferometers require an extreme stable measurement environment with regard to composition, temperature, pressure, and turbulence.
Capacitive sensors, on the other hand, have a small range over which they can used, and their accuracy is not always sufficient. Moreover, they require a small distance between the sensor and the object to which the distance has to be measured.

Lithographic apparatus, measurement system, and device manufacturing method


An integrated circuit, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes a first device under test (DUT) module coupled to a first ring oscillator module and a second DUT module coupled to a second ring oscillator module. The first DUT module is biased such that interface traps are generated during a first mode. The generated interface traps result in a decrease in a first drive current of the first DUT module. The second device under test module is biased to maintain a reference drive current during the first mode. The operating frequency of the first ring oscillator module, during a second mode, is a function of the first drive current. The operating frequency of the second ring oscillator module, during the second mode, is a function of the reference drive current. The integrated circuit may also include a comparator module for generating an output signal as a function of a difference between the operating frequency of the first and second ring oscillator modules.

Conventional integrated circuits suffer from numerous reliability and degradation issues. For deep submicron (DSM) designs issues such as hot carrier injection (HCI), time dependant dielectric breakdown (TDDB), negative bias thermal instability (NBTI) and the like, increasingly affect performance of integrated circuits.
In order to increase the performance of an integrated circuit various operating parameters, such as the supply voltage, operating frequency, back bias (e.g., threshold voltage), and/or the like, may be changed. However, there is typically a tradeoff between performance and lifetime of the integrated circuit. Changing the operating parameters to achieve increased performance typically results in an increase in stresses, such as negative bias thermal instability (NBTI). The tradeoff between performance and lifetime may be optimized if NBTI in the integrated circuit can be measured.

System and method for measuring negative bias thermal instability with a ring oscillator


The embodiments herein discloses a composition and method for the synthesis of an effervescence producing tablet for reducing and eliminating a mouth odor and oral staining caused by ingested beverages and food. The method comprises mixing excipients, disintegrating agents, flavor and sweetener in a V-blender. The lubricant is added V-blender to obtain a mixture. The mixture is compressed on tablet press equipment with a round tooling. The tablets are packaged in a foil pouch. The “excipients” in the effervescent tablet composition are malic acid, sorbitol, potassium bi-carbonate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium chloride, sodium carbonate and magnesium oxide. The malic acid react with potassium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate to form an effervescence reaction to induce tablet disintegration, provide a pleasant sensation in the mouth, and to clean a wine stain in the mouth.

Technical Field
The embodiments herein generally relate to a field of health care products. The embodiment herein particularly relate to an oral care tablet. The embodiments herein more particularly relate to an effervescent tablet for eliminating oral cavity discoloration and bad odor.
Description of the Related Art
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and has salivary glands. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium which provides the lining to the inner portion of the mouth. The oral cavity consists of two regions. They are the vestibule and the oral cavity proper. The vestibule is the area between the teeth, lips and cheeks. The oral cavity is bounded at the sides and in front by the alveolar process (comprising the teeth) and at the back by the isthmus of the fauces. The floor of the oral cavity has tongue. Mucous membrane lines the sides and under surface of the tongue to the gum lining the inner aspect of the jaw mandible. The secretions are received from the submaxillary and sublingual salivary gland.
Oral and maxillofacial pathology is also termed as dental disease or oral pathology or mouth disease that are referred to disease of the mouth, jaws and related structures such as salivary glands, temporomandibular joints, facial muscles and periodontal skin. Mouth is full of bacteria. These bacteria along with mucus, food particles and ingested beverages form a sticky, colorless "plaque" on teeth. Plaque that is not removed by cleaning or brushing, hardens and forms "tartar". Only a professional cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist can removes tartar.
In absence of oral hygiene, the problems such as gingivitis, periodontitis, bad breadth, discoloration of oral cavity/teeth arise. The food particles or the beverages remain in the mouth, promoting microbial growth between teeth around the gums and on the tongue. This causes bad breadth.
The peripheral growth stimuli for harmful oral bacteria are residual food and food sugars coupled with the natural moisture and temperature condition of the mouth. Under such conditions these stimuli provide for explosive growth of harmful bacteria. These oral bacteria secrete acidic residues which further worsen the oral health. The oral bacteria induce dental caries and periodontal disease.
Decaying food particles or remains of beverages which are trapped between teeth, gum area and on the tooth enamel, are inconvenient or difficult to remove. This further contributes to higher levels of acidity in mouth and poor health of teeth, dental caries and induce periodontal disease.
Red wine is a tasty mix of natural dyes, acids and tannins. These three ingredients work together to etch and stain teeth. The red wine staining teeth is mostly a coating of dyed saliva. There are long-term dulling effects from a chronic diet of dark acidic wines. The acids in the wine actually affect the tooth enamel. Hence it is not recommended to brush immediately after drinking wine. The softened teeth enamel gets eroded by brushing. Further it has been reported that the remains of wine, after drinking causes tooth erosion. As the wine is extremely acidic in nature. The acids present in the wine erode tooth enamel, and creates rough spots or grooves on tooth surface. This leaves the teeth open to stains from other food or drinks.
Compounds designed to clean the oral cavity and provide fresh breath are well known. Generically such compounds fall into two grouping, dentifrices and mouth washes. The other compounds are generally described as breath mints or breathe freshener which may be delivered in gums. Further liquids, sprays or small pill like shapes are not considered oral cavity cleaners.
Mouthwashes are over the counter solutions containing varying amounts of alcohol. Alcohol is used in mouthwash preparation as a solvent in which other additions such as anti-microbial agents, flavouring oils, color additives, fluoride and astringents are dissolved and caused to react in water based solution. For many such additives agents, alcohol is preferred. Also the alcohol is chemically and economically accepted.
Utilizing alcohol in an oral hygiene preparation have many detrimental effects depending upon the user. Besides generating potential medical and health problems, its inclusion in oral hygiene products also presents potential social implications for some users. The medical implications of using alcohol in an oral hygiene preparation are validated by providing an explicit warning label on alcohol based mouthwashes along with the corrective actions to be taken in case of two much mouth wash is ingested.
Hence there is a need for a composition comprising an orally usable medicinal component and effervescent component. Also there is a need to synthesize an oral administrable composition which dissolves in the oral cavity. Further there is a need to synthesize an oral tablet for cleaning oral palate/oral cavity and breathe freshening.
The above mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.

Effervescent tablet for elimination of red wine discoloration, offensive odour of mouth and cleaning the palate


Methods for recovering high-resolution images from an analog video interface by autonomously correcting for phase errors between a synchronized clock signal to a sampling analog-to-digital converter and the input video signal. A global phase adjustment first detects video transitions in the sampled video data stream in order to determine and then select the optimum clock phase over entire video frames for rendering the pixels of the video input. This corrects for long-term phase errors, such as those from timing tolerances in circuit components and timing tolerances in the video input. A local phase adjustment selects the samples used for rendering individual pixels according to an algorithm that avoids the selection of samples that may be located within video transition regions. This corrects for short-term phase errors, such as those from jitter and phase drift on the sample clock.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates generally to the field of rendering the luminance values for the pixels of a display from an analog video signal. More specifically, the present invention relates to techniques for correctly rendering display pixels from an analog source for a high-resolution image without compromising the image resolution and without introducing dynamic display anomalies.
2. Background Art
Although analog interfaces have traditionally been employed for transmitting video to display systems, the quality of high-resolution images, particularly of computer-generated images, can be degraded when transmitted over an analog interface. Although image quality can be preserved by employing a digital interface, an analog interface is often required or preferred for reasons of cost and/or compatibility.
In order to display images from an analog video signal on a flat-panel display, such as an AMLCD-based display, the analog video input must be periodically sampled and converted into digital values with an Analog-to-Digital (A-to-D) converter circuit. The clock input to the A-to-D converter is generated from a Phase-Locked-Loop (PLL) circuit that synchronizes this clock to the horizontal synchronization signal in the analog video input. The video input is generally passed through an analog low-pass filter prior to the A-to-D conversion in order to attenuate higher frequency components in the video signal. Sometimes a low-pass digital FIR filter is also employed on the sampled digital data stream to further limit the spatial bandwidth of the displayed image. Although such a limitation in the spatial bandwidth may be acceptable when displaying images from some video sources, this can significantly reduce the sharpness of the displayed image.
Analog interfaces have recently been employed to display high-resolution computer-generated images. In these applications the video signal includes legitimate high-frequency components, including edges with transitions in brightness and/or color that occur over the distance of a single pixel or that may be precisely aligned with the boundary between adjacent pixels. An attenuation of these higher frequencies then compromises image quality by extending the spatial regions over which these video transitions occur.
It is theoretically possible to recover a high-resolution image from an analog input by deriving the amplitude level for each pixel of the input signal with a single sample from the A-to-D converter. Ideally, each of these samples would then occur very near the center of the time-period during which the video amplitude level is stable for the input pixel, but this requires a precise and consistent timing alignment between the sampling clock and the analog video input. However, the individual circuit components in the PLL have unit-to-unit variations in their propagation delay times, additional variations with temperature, and changes that result from the aging of the components over their lifetime. All of these tolerances can combine to cause a significant misalignment between the phase of the sampling clock and the video input. The video input has a specified time-delay from horizontal sync to the start of the first pixel, and this time-delay must, of course, also include a tolerance. Moreover, the sampling clock generated by the PLL circuitry also has inherent jitter and an inherent phase drift over the horizontal cycle time.
The combination of all these tolerances can result in a phase error between the input video signal and the sampling clock that is large enough so that a pixel could be rendered by a sample that occurs during the transition time between pixels, instead of during the stable time-period of the pixel. If the jitter on the sampling clock is then comparable in magnitude to the video transition time (i.e., to the signal rise and fall times), a pixel could be rendered with significantly different values on different display refresh cycles. This can result in very objectionable dynamic artifacts whereby individual pixels, and groups of pixels, will periodically change their brightness level and/or their color as the phase relationship between the video input and the sampling clock changes. Although the severity of these dynamic display artifacts could be reduced by low-pass filtering, it has already been noted that this would lower image quality by decreasing image sharpness.
A variable delay can be included in the circuit path of one of the two inputs to the phase comparator of the PLL circuit (or it can be put in series with the sample clock) in order to adjust the average phase offset between the input video signal and the sample clock. This adjustment could correct for long-term phase errors, such as out-of-tolerance components, but not for short-term phase changes, such as jitter and drift on the sample clock. A variable delay circuit can be implemented, for example, by passing a signal through a low-pass filter (to increase the rise and fall time) followed by an analog comparator circuit. By changing the value of a threshold voltage at the other input to the comparator, the delay time of a signal transition through this circuit can be adjusted, thereby controlling the phase offset between the sample clock and the video input.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,005 (Morel et al.) shows a variable delay in the horizontal sync input to the phase detector of a PLL (designated in their FIG. 8 as a "LAG CIRCUIT") in order to adjust the phase of the A-to-D sample clock by means of a feedback loop that detects the relative phase of the video transitions. As previously noted, this approach only provides for an adjustment of the average phase offset over the long term and it does not address the issues of phase jitter and drift on the sample clock. The Morel invention also employs a mix of both analog and digital in the circuit path of the feedback loop, and the analog components contribute to a significant tolerance range on the resulting, albeit controlled, phase offset. Thus, for applications that require a precise phase alignment, this circuit may require a calibration procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,910 (Clark) employs a "delay generator" circuit, but it does not use this to adjust the phase of the sample clock. The Clark invention does not address the issues of aligning the phase of the sample clock to the input pixels of the analog video signal or of achieving any specific phase alignment to the horizontal sync. Instead, it discloses a method for achieving a consistent phase alignment to the horizontal sync over the multiple horizontal cycles of the video signal.
A circuit that would accurately render high-resolution images from an analog video signal without introducing dynamic display artifacts and that would automatically adjust for both short-term and long-term phase errors between the sample clock and the video input would be of great benefit. It would also be beneficial if this circuit did not require any calibration adjustments. It would be of additional benefit if this were an exclusively digital circuit instead of a mix of analog and digital, as this would provide a more cost-effective circuit.

Phase-tolerant pixel rendering of high-resolution analog video


The present invention relates to a lighting device, in particular a headlamp for vehicles, at least comprising an array of light sources, consisting of first and second light sources being mounted within the same flat or curved plane, and a projecting optical system arranged to project light emitted by the light sources in a forward direction of the lighting device. At least one shifting element is arranged in front of said first light sources. The shifting element generates real or virtual emission positions of the light of said first light sources shifted towards or away from the projecting optical system with respect to emission positions of said second light sources. With the proposed lighting device, in addition to the main lighting function of illumination, a pattern or signature can be projected at one or several additional image planes. The lighting device thus e.g. allows the additional projection of branding or safety patterns.

The present invention relates to a lighting device, in particular to a headlamp for vehicles, at least comprising an array of light sources and a projecting optical system arranged to project light emitted by the light sources in a forward direction of the lighting device.
Future headlight systems for automotive front-lighting will contain intelligent dynamic functionalities of which some are already known on the market as cornering light, adaptive high beam and pixelated light, or adaptive front-lighting system (AFS). These lighting systems are enabled by one or more matrix LED arrays (LED: light emitting diode). Optical separation of the light point sources of the LED array into separate elements is required to create well-defined distinguishable patterns for the above mentioned applications. Next to individual addressing, also combinations of individual elements of the matrix array can be made as to create the required beam pattern.
At present there is a need to provide headlamps for motor vehicles which in addition to the main lighting function of illumination of the road for vision reasons also allows to project a signature at a closer distance on the road. Such a signature may for example provide other persons like pedestrians, bikers or other car drivers with visual information, e.g. information about the car type/logo, a safety warning, etc.
FIG. 1 exemplary shows the situation when projecting light with a headlamp comprising a LED matrix array. The LED matrix array 1 is mounted in a plane called the object plane. FIG. 1 in this example only shows two LEDs 2 of such a LED matrix array. A projection lens 3 is used to image this object plane to an image plane 4 in the far-field, e.g. at 25 or 50 meters distance (see FIG. 1B). As a consequence, the image will not appear sharp at a near-by distance of e.g. 5 or 10 meters (near-by image plane 5). A sharp image in this near-by image plane 5 would require another position of the projection lens 3 as indicated in FIG. 1A. This however would prohibit a sharp projection in the far-field image plane 4. In order to project a safety feature like a warning sign or a brand image like an icon at a near-by distance in addition to the far-field projection of the main beam, typically a separate optical system of light source and projection lens would be required. It is however often not possible or desired to accommodate such an extra system in the front of a car.
DE 10 2012 025 354 A1 describes a headlamp comprising such a double functionality. In addition to the common light projection for illumination, light or shadow spots are projected at a closer distance on the road. The distance of these spots can be varied depending on the velocity of the car. For generating light spots or shadow spots the use of an additional lens or light shade arrangement in front of the glow filament light source of the headlamp is proposed. Alternatively the document proposes to include an additional light source like a laser for generating the light spots.

Lighting device with multiple-focus mode


A Storage Mapping Driver (SMD) that provides a system and method for determining the application host storage locations of file data so that the file data can be later backed up directly from its storage media. The application host location of the file data is sent to the backup host either just prior to a backup or as the information is obtained. In this way the backup host is capable of backing up the files without reference to systems on the application host such as the file system manager and the volume manager. The SMD invokes the file system manager and/or the volume manager to read a file to be backed up in order to obtain a file map. If the host system does not have a file system manager and/or a volume manager, a backup file system manager is provided, which is invoked by the SMD to read a file to obtain a file map for use during a backup. The file system manager, volume manager and/or backup file system manager communicates with a disk device driver, which in turn reads the application host storage data of the file. The application host storage data includes one or more disk media names and one or more application host disk addresses of the file to be backed up. Once the disk device driver reads the entire file, the application host storage data is stored and the backup host can backup the file from the storage media to a backup media using only the application host storage data to identify the file.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to backing-up data in a Storage Area Network (SAN) and more particularly to mapping logical files to application host disks in data backup systems.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the prior art a volume is an application host location where a group of one or more files are stored. A file system refers to the structure and arrangements of the files on a computer, a system of computers, or within a portion of a volume. A volume may contain multiple file systems and a file system may span multiple volumes. A file system manager sets up and manages the file system. A volume manager sets up and manages the volumes.
A backup object includes an object identified in a backup class of a program. The backup object may be a tablespace, file, or volume. A backup client is an application on the application host that builds a data map of the objects that comprise the backup data source. The data map associates a file system's logical objects with locations of file or volume data on application host disks. Files and volumes are logical objects managed by file system managers and volume managers.
The data map includes lists of the extent of each storage (to be referred to as storage extents or Storage Extent Descriptors (SEDs)) that identify an absolute disk address, a count of the number of blocks that follow, and a device name. The backup client on the application host then transmits that map to a backup server running on a second host. A block has an address known to the file system by its block number. A block number is the ordinal of the block relative to the start of the file system, which in turn is the start of the volume associated with the file system. This block address is called a volume-relative address because it is computed from the beginning of the volume.
A SAN in a distributed environment often includes numerous computers connected to various storage devices so that any one of the computers can access any one of the disk or tape drives. Such devices include Symmetrix produced by EMC of Hopkinton, Mass.
The SAN leads to a desirable ability to reduce backup overhead on the application host computer by delegating the work of data backup and by reducing manual administrative operations. Commonly, an application host computer delegates to a back up host the task of backing up and storing the data of the application host to the storage devices. In this way, the task of moving data from disk to offline media can be performed without interrupting operations of the application host.
One disadvantage of prior art methods for building maps of logical objects is that such methods are very limited in scope because they are tailored to specific file systems and depend significantly on individual operating systems. For example, a technique arranged between Legato and Hewlett Packard (HP) is highly specific to the HP systems. Further, Legato's original prototype was implemented in the Solaris Unix File System (UFS) and required that Legato have access to the UFS source code. Thus, the prior art does not provide a mapping method that can be used efficiently with different operating systems, file systems and volume managers.
Another disadvantage of prior art backup systems includes the requirement that the backup host access the file system and/or volume manager on the application host during the backup process, thereby slowing down the backup and the application running on the application host.
Therefore what is needed is a system and method that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

Mapping driver for use in data backup systems


A current source circuit has a current mirror circuit and a correct ion circuit. The current mirror circuit includes first to fourth transistors. The bases of the first and second transistors are commonly connected to each other. A collector of the third transistor is connected to a common base of the first and second transistors. An emitter of the third transistor is connected to an emitter of the fourth transistor. A base of the fourth transistor is connected to the collector of the first transistor. The correction circuit includes fifth to eighth transistors. The base of the fifth and sixth transistors are commonly connected to each other. An emitter of the seventh transistor is connected to the common base of the fifth and sixth transistors. A collector of the seventh transistor is connected to an emitter of the eighth transistor. A base of the eighth transistor is connected to the collector of the second transistor.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit using bipolar transistors and, more particularly, a current source circuit which is improved in respect of the variation in the input/output current ratio due to the dispersions of elements and the change in ambient temperature.
FIG. 1 shows the constitutional arrangement of a conventional synchronous detection circuit as an example of a semiconductor integrated circuit provided with a current source circuit.
In this synchronous detection circuit, an input signal VIN superimposed on a DC bias voltage VB is supplied to the base of an NPN transistor Q1. Further, two pairs of NPN transistors Q2, Q3 and Q4, Q5 arranged in such a manner that the emitters of the transistors in the respective pairs are connected to each other are controlled in synchronism with switch control signals SW1, SW2 supplied to the bases of the respective transistors, whereby, from the common collectors of the transistors Q3, Q5, a detection output signal OUT is derived.
In this case, used as a load to the transistors Q2, Q3, Q4 and Q5 is a current mirror circuit (current source circuit) 10 comprised of PNP transistors Q6, Q7, Q8 and Q9, an NPN transistor Q10, and resistors R1, R2 and R3.
In this current mirror circuit 10, the emitter of the transistor Q6 is connected to a voltage node 11 through the resistor R1. A positive DC bias voltage VA is supplied to the node 11. The collector of the transistor Q6 is connected to a current input terminal 12. Also connected to this current input terminal 12 are the respective collectors of the transistor Q2, Q4. The emitter of the transistor Q7 is connected to the voltage node 11 through the resistor R2. The base of the transistor Q7 is connected commonly to the base of the transistor Q6, and the collector thereof is connected to a current output terminal 13. Also connected to this current output terminal 13 are the respective collectors of the transistors Q3, Q5. The emitter of the transistor Q9 is connected to the voltage node 11 through the resistor R3. The base and collector of the transistor Q9 are connected to the common bases of the transistors Q6 and Q7. The transistor Q9 and the resistor R3 are provided for preventing the current mirror circuit 10 from oscillating.
The collector of the transistor Q10 is connected to the common base of the transistors Q6 and Q7. The emitter of the transistor Q10 is connected to the emitter of the transistor Q8. The base of the transistor Q8 is connected to the collector of the transistor Q6, while the collector of the transistor Q8 is connected to a voltage node 14 which is supplied with the earth voltage.
Further, the circuit consisting of NPN transistors Q11, Q12, Q13 and Q14, resistors R4 and R5, and constant-current sources I1, I2, I3 and I4 feeds the common emitter of the transistors Q2, Q3 and the common emitter of the transistors Q4, Q5 with a current corresponding to the input signal VIN or a current corresponding to the constant voltage generated by a constant-voltage generation circuit to be described later, the circuit being constituted as follows:
That is, the bases of the transistors Q11, Q12 are connected to the emitter of the transistor Q1. The collector of the transistor Q11 is connected to a node N1 which is supplied with the constant voltage, while the emitter thereof is connected through the constant-current source 11 to the voltage node 14 placed at the earth voltage. The collector of the transistor Q12 is connected to the common emitter of the transistors Q2, Q3, while the emitter thereof is connected to the voltage node 14 through the constant-current source I2. The bases of the transistors Q13, Q14 are connected to the node N1. The collector of the transistor Q13 is connected to the common emitter of the transistors Q4, Q5, while the emitter thereof is connected to the voltage node 14 through the constant-current source I3. The collector of the transistor Q14 is connected to the emitter of the transistor Q1, while the emitter thereof is connected to the voltage node 14 through the constant-current source I4.
Further, between the emitters of the transistors Q12, Q13, the resistor R4 is connected, while between the emitters of the transistors Q11, Q14, the resistor R5 is connected.
The circuit consisting of PNP transistors Q15, Q16, Q17, NPN transistors Q18, Q19, and a resistor R6 constitutes a constant-voltage generation circuit. That is, the emitter of the transistor Q15 is connected to the voltage node 11 through the resistor R6. The emitter of the transistor Q16 is connected to the voltage node 11, while the base thereof is connected to the base of the transistor Q15. Further, the base and collector of the transistor Q16 are short-circuited to each other. The collector and base of the transistor Q18 are connected to the collector of the transistor Q15. Further, a common connection node N2 between the collector and base of the transistor Q18 is connected to the base of the transistor Q10. The emitter of the transistor Q17 is connected to the emitter of the transistor Q18.
The collector of the transistor Q19 is connected to the collector of the transistor Q16. Further, the bases of the transistors Q17, Q19 are commonly connected to each other, and, to these commonly connected bases, a DC bias voltage VB is supplied. The collector of the transistor Q17 is connected to the voltage node 14, and the emitter of the transistor Q19 is connected to the node N1.
By the way, in a current mirror circuit in general, there is provided means for correcting the error in the input/output current ratio which is caused by the base currents of transistors etc.; and, in the case of the current mirror circuit 10 shown in FIG. 1, the transistors Q8 and Q10 are provided for correcting the error in the input/output current ratio due to the base current of the transistors Q6, Q7 and the base-collector current of the transistor Q9, and further, a current of a value corresponding to the currents which cause the error is made to flow to the earth voltage node through the transistor Q8.
However, the base current itself of the correcting transistor Q8 joins to the collector current of the transistor Q6; and thus, the base current causes an error in the input/output current ratio of the current mirror circuit.
Due to this, in the circuit shown in FIG. 1, a correction circuit 20 is further provided to correct the error due to the base current of the transistor Q8.
This correction circuit 20 is comprised of PNP transistors Q20, Q21, and a resistor R7. That is, the emitter of the transistor Q20 is connected to the voltage node 11 through the resistor R7, while the base thereof is connected to the common base of the transistors Q6, Q7 in the current mirror circuit 10. The emitter of the transistor Q21 is connected to the collector of the transistor Q20, the base thereof is connected to the collector of the transistor Q7 in the current mirror circuit 10, and the collector thereof is connected to the voltage node 14.
In the correction circuit 20, the transistor Q20 constitutes a current mirror together with the transistor Q6 in the current mirror circuit 10. Further, by setting the value of the resistor R7 so that the base currents of the transistors Q8 and Q21 may become equal to each other, the sum of the collector current of the transistor Q6 and the base current of the transistor Q8 and the sum of the collector current of the transistor Q7 and the base current of the transistor Q21 are equalized to each other. By so doing, the error in the input/output current ratio caused by the base current of the transistor Q8 is corrected.
By the way, in the conventional circuit shown in FIG. 1, the value of the base current of the transistor Q8 becomes 1/hfe (wherein hfe stands for the current amplification factor) times as large as the total sum of the base current of the transistor Q6, the base current of the transistor Q7, the base current and collector current of the transistor Q9, and the base current of the transistor Q20. The correction for the base current of the transistor Q8 is made by only the base current (which is 1/hfe times as large as the collector current of the transistor Q20) of the transistor Q21.
Due to this, even if the value of the base current of the transistor Q21 is set or adjusted under a certain condition, an unbalance is caused between the base currents of the transistors Q8 and Q21 in some cases due to the dispersions of the elements and the variation in ambient temperature. As a result, there arises the problem that the values of the currents which flow to the node 13 at which the detection output signal OUT is derived and to the node N3 which is paired with the node 13 and is the common collector node of the transistors Q2, Q4 are varied due to the dispersions of the elements and the variation in the ambient temperature, as a result of which the input/output current ratio comes to vary.
Further, so far, the potential at the node N3 paired with the node at which the detection output signal OUT is derived is determined by the VB+VBE (Q17)+VBE (Q18)-VBE (Q10)-VBE (Q8), wherein VBE (Qi) (i=1, 2 . . . ) stands for the base-emitter voltages of the respective transistors. However, the potential at the node at which the detection output signal OUT is obtained is not determined unconditionally, becoming indeterminate. Due to this, there has also been caused the problem that the values of the emitter-collector voltages VCE of the transistors Q6 and Q7 become different from each other; and, by the influence of the early effect, the collector currents of the transistors Q6 and Q7 become unbalanced.