The present technology pertains to a method and system for assessing risks associated with facilities, based on using natural language processing. For example, a method can include receiving a natural language input comprising at least one raw text document associated with a facility and generating a plurality of segmented sentences from the raw text documents. The plurality of segmented sentences can be provided as inputs to a machine learning model trained to classify an input segmented sentence over a pre-defined lexicon of pharmaceutical terminology. Each segmented sentence can be classified into one or more classes given by the pre-defined lexicon of pharmaceutical terminology. A secondary classification can be performed for each classified segmented sentence to generate a production issue label based on an analysis of the classified segmented sentence. From the secondary classifications for the classified segmented sentences, at least one production category score for the facility can be generated.

Assessing the risks inherent in facilities, and the networks they are embedded in, is a challenging task. Pharmaceutical supply chains, for instance, have information about issues in production facilities spread across different types of documents from different sources. As individual production facilities are used to make different products for different companies, collating available data into something relevant for a particular facility or particular supply chain is a massive challenge. Without this information, companies, governments, and organizations are blind to some of the risks in manufacturing some of society's most essential products.

Method for assessing facility risks with natural language processing


A power amplification apparatus receiving in input an enable signal (En) and an input square wave signal (C) is described. The apparatus comprises a device (6) receiving the input square wave signal (C) and the enable signal (En) and which produces a new enable signal (Ens) of the apparatus which is synchronized with a rise or down front of the input square wave signal (C), so that an output square wave signal (Vo) of the apparatus, which is normally shifted of a certain period fraction with respect to the square wave signal (C) in input to the apparatus, has the first (Ti) and the last (Tf) pulses which have a duration equal to a period fraction of the output square wave signal (Vo).

The present invention relates to a power amplification apparatus, particularly to an apparatus for amplifying audio signals.
The typical tendency to the reduction of the power consumption and of the weights and encumbrances of the heat dissipators has induced to require power audio amplifiers with a higher efficiency than the class-AB amplifiers from the apparatus constructors.
Class-D audio amplifiers have been proposed for satisfying such request, which comprise a DC-AC converter producing a pulse width modulated output signal (PWM); such signal in turn drives power switches driving a load provided with a passive filter for restoring the amplified audio signal.
A single output amplifier with analog input and PWM output (class-D amplifier) is described in the article xe2x80x9cAnalysis of a quality class-D amplifierxe2x80x9d, F. A. Himmelstoss, et al., I.E.E.E. Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 42, No. 3, August 1996.
The more and more wide interest toward the digital processing of the signals has induced to provide power amplifiers with analog or digital input.
A particular class of such power amplifier is that of the audio switching amplifiers wherein the output of the power PWM block amplifier 1 is separated from a load 2 (generally a loudspeaker) by means of a LC low-pass filter 3, as shown in FIG. 1. When the amplifier is turned on by means of the signal En, in absence of input audio signal, the voltage signal detected before the LC filter 3 is a square wave with a duty-cycle of 50%, that is the square wave signal of the modulator PWM which has been amplified. The voltage signal Vout which is in output from the LC filter 3, which in running state has a waveform schematically formed by a triangular wave with a void middle value, in the period Ti following the turning on has a non-void middle value which causes a noise audible to the loudspeaker, as shown in FIG. 2. An equal result is achieved during the turning off of the amplifier, in the period Tf. The wideness of such noise also is not constant but it depends on the instant of application of the turning on signal.
A solution actually used for eliminating such noises is to interpose between the LC low-pass filter 3 and the loudspeaker a relay 4 suitably driven by means of a signal Enrelais which is activated after a certain time period Ton from the turning on and is deactivated at a time Toff before the turning off of the device, so that the loudspeaker is excluded in the periods interested from the transient, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
In view of the state of the art described, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power amplification apparatus which reduces the noises due to the turning on and turning off transients of the amplifier in a economic way.
According to the present invention, such object is attained by a power amplification apparatus receiving in input an enable signal and an input square wave signal, characterized by comprising a device which receives said input square wave signal and said enable signal and which produces a new enable signal for said apparatus which is synchronized with a rise or down front of the input square wave signal, so that an output square wave signal of said apparatus, which is normally shifted of a certain period fraction with respect to the square wave signal in input to the apparatus, has the first and the last pulses which have a duration equal to a period fraction of said output square wave signal.


The process and apparatus introduce a carrier gas into a vacuum evaporation chamber, evaporate a film forming material from a evaporation source and deposit the evaporated film forming material on a substrate in sheet form to form a stimulable phosphor layer, thereby producing a evaporated phosphor sheet having a stimulable phosphor layer formed on the substrate. The stimulable phosphor layer is formed with substantially all areas of the evaporation source except opening for evaporation being masked to block movement of heat toward the substrate. The evaporated phosphor sheet includes the substrate and a CsBr:Eu evaporated stimulable phosphor layer deposited on the substrate. A maximum intensity of instantaneous light emission from the stimulable phosphor layer at 640 nm upon excitation by uv radiation is lower than a maximum intensity of the instantaneous light emission at 440 nm.

This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for producing evaporated phosphor sheets and more particularly to a process and an apparatus for producing evaporated phosphor sheets with a protective measure being so taken that the heat of radiation from sections of evaporating film forming materials will affect neither the substrate on which a film is being deposited nor any other parts, thereby ensuring that the phosphor sheet as produced will not have been subjected to thermal history. The invention also relates to the evaporated phosphor sheet thus obtained by means of such process and apparatus. There are known a class of phosphors which accumulate a portion of applied radiations (e.g. x-rays, α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays, electron beams and uv radiation) and which, upon stimulation by exciting light such as visible light, give off photostimulated luminescence in proportion to the accumulated energy of radiation. Such phosphors, called stimulable phosphors, are employed in medical and various other applications.
An exemplary application is a radiation image information recording and reproducing system which employs a stimulable phosphor sheet having a layer formed of the stimulable phosphor. The layer is hereunder referred to as the phosphor layer and the stimulable phosphor sheet is hereunder referred to simply as a phosphor sheet. The phosphor sheet is sometimes called a radiation image transforming panel but in the following description, the term "phosphor sheet" is used throughout. The radiation image information recording and reproducing system has already been commercialized by various companies including Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. which has marketed FCR (Fuji Computed Radiography, trade name).
In the system, radiation image information about the subject such as the human body is recorded on the phosphor sheet (more specifically, the phosphor layer) and thereafter the phosphor sheet is scanned two-dimensionally with exciting light such as laser light to produce photostimulated luminescence which, in turn, is read photoelectrically to yield an image signal and an image reproduced on the basis of the image signal is output as a visible image, typically on a recording material such as a photosensitive material or to a display device such as CRT. After reading has been finished, the residual image is erased from the phosphor sheet for subsequent cyclic use.
The phosphor sheet is typically produced by a process comprising the steps of preparing a coating solution having the particles of a stimulable phosphor dispersed in a solvent containing a binder, etc., applying the coating solution to a support in sheet form that is made of glass, resin, etc. and drying the applied coating to form a phosphor layer.
Phosphor sheets are also known that are made by forming a phosphor layer on a support through methods of physical vapor deposition (vapor-phase film formation) such as vacuum evaporation and sputtering.
The phosphor layer formed on the support by physical vapor deposition has excellent characteristics. First, it contains less impurities since it is formed under vacuum; in addition, it is substantially free of any substances other than the stimulable phosphor, as exemplified by the binder, so it has high uniformity in performance and still assures very high luminous efficiency.
Vacuum evaporation involves evaporating film forming materials from evaporation sources in a vacuum chamber and depositing a phosphor layer on a substrate's surface.
The phosphor layer of the phosphor sheet is very thick, ranging from about 200 μm through a typical value of about 500 μm up to sometimes more than 1000 μm. In order to ensure that such thick phosphor layers are deposited uniformly, columns of good shape need to be formed by adopting the approach of introducing a gas and, in addition, uniform film thickness must be assured by thickness measurement so as to provide better x-ray characteristics.
A problem with the approach of introducing a gas technique is that the percentage of the evaporated particles of the film forming materials that arrive at the substrate (i.e., the percent deposition on the substrate) decreases as the number of gas molecules in the vacuum chamber increases. This difficulty may be dealt with by shortening the distance between the substrate and the source of vaporization of the film forming material within the vacuum chamber (namely, by bringing the two members closer to each other than in the prior art).
However, this approach of shortening the distance between the substrate and the source of vaporization of the film forming material gives rise to another problem that has been absent from the prior art, that is, the heat of radiation from the evaporation source causes excessive heating of the substrate. As is well known, the x-ray characteristics of stimulable phosphors (and phosphor sheets employing them) can potentially deteriorate if they are subjected to thermal history, so excessive heating of the substrate is by no means preferred.

Process and apparatus for producing evaporated phosphor sheets and an evaporated phosphor sheet produced by means of such process and apparatus


A hitless switching system includes a sending apparatus and a receiving apparatus. The sending apparatus includes: a distributing part for dividing an original signal into a plurality of signals; and a transmitting part for transmitting the divided signals over one or a plurality of transmission lines with redundancy. The receiving apparatus includes: a phase difference detection part for detecting phase differences between signals sent from the sending apparatus; a phase difference absorbing part for absorbing phase differences detected by the phase difference detection part; selectors each of which selects one signal from a plurality of signals; and a restoring part for restoring the original signal from the signals output from the selectors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hitless switching system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hitless switching system for switching between signals transmitted over a plurality of routes in a synchronous digital transmission network including a plurality of nodes that have multiplexing/demultiplexing capability or cross connect capability.
2. Description of the Related Art
For realizing hitless switching, a signal is branched into two signals in the sending side, and the branched signals are sent over two different routes. Branched signals are the same. Then, in the receiving side, one signal is switched to another signal within one bit after aligning phases between the signals.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a transmission system for explaining a conventional hitless switching technology. The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a sending side apparatus and a receiving side apparatus. The sending side apparatus includes an indicator providing part 11, a branch part 12, a first sending interface 13, a second sending interface 14. The receiving side apparatus includes a first receiving interface 15, a second receiving interface 16, a first elastic store memory 17, a second elastic store memory 18, a phase control part 19, and a selector 20. The indicator providing part 11 receives a signal 101 to be switched with no bit error, and a signal 102 that is switched with no bit error is output from the selector 20.
The signal 101 is provided with an indicator used for phase control in the indicator providing part 11. Then, the signal 101 is input into the branch part 12. After that, the signal 101 is branched into the first sending interface 13 and the second sending interface 14. Branched signals are the same. According to this process, sending data is sent to different two routes.
The signal input into the first receiving interface 15 is stored in the first elastic store memory 17. The signal input into the second receiving interface 16 is stored in the second elastic store memory 18.
Phases for reading the signals stored in the first elastic store memory 17 and the second elastic store memory 18 are aligned by the phase control part 19. Then, the signals are received by the selector 20. The selector 20 performs switching within one bit. In the switching, it is decided whether the selector 20 receives a signal from the first elastic store memory 17 or receives a signal from the second elastic store memory 18.
According to this process, hitless switching is realized between signals transmitted over different two routes.
The phase aligning between signals transmitted over different two routes are performed in the following way. The signals are temporarily stored in the elastic store memories. Then, phase difference between the signals is detected by using a specific pattern (indicator) that has been inserted into J1 byte multi-frame or H4 byte multi-frame in each signal at the sending side, wherein each of the J1 byte multi-frame and the H4 byte multi-frame exists in POH in synchronous digital hierarchy defined in ITU-T G.707. By detecting the phase difference, the phases of the signals are aligned for reading from the elastic store memories.
As a technology relating to aligning phases, there is a virtual concatenation technology. In the virtual concatenation, an original signal is divided into a plurality of virtual concatenation signals in the sending side. Then, phases are aligned between signals that are transmitted over the same route or over different routes. After that, the original signal is restored.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a transmission system for explaining the virtual concatenation technology. The system shown in FIG. 2 includes a sending side apparatus and a receiving side apparatus. The sending side apparatus includes a distributing part 31, indicator providing parts 321˜32n, sending interfaces 331˜33n. The receiving side apparatus includes receiving interfaces 341˜34n, elastic store memories 351˜35n, a phase control part 36, and a restoring part 37. The distributing part 31 receives a signal 201 to which virtual concatenation is to be applied. The signal 201 is divided and transmitted. Then, a restored signal 202 is output from the restoring part 37.
The signal 201 is divided into a plurality of virtual concatenation signals in the distributing part 31. Then, an indicator used for phase control is provided to each virtual concatenation signal in the indicator providing parts 321˜32n. After that, the virtual concatenation signals are input into the sending interfaces 331˜33n so as to be transmitted over the same route or different routes.
The virtual concatenation signals received by the receiving interfaces 341˜34n are stored in the elastic store memories 351˜35n.
Phases for reading the virtual concatenation signals stored in the elastic store memories 351˜35n are aligned by the phase control part 36. Then, the virtual concatenation signals are input into the restoring part 37 so that the original signal is restored.
According to this process, virtual concatenation transmission is realized by dividing and restoring the original signal.
The phase aligning between the virtual concatenation signals is performed in the following way. The virtual concatenation signals which are transmitted over the same route or the different routes are temporarily stored in the elastic store memories. Then, phase difference between signals are detected by using a specific pattern (indicator) that has been inserted, at the sending side, into the H4 byte multi-frame in POH of each signal, wherein the H4 byte multi-frame is defined in ITU-T G.707. By detecting the phase difference, the phases of the signals are aligned when reading from the elastic store memories.
In the conventional hitless switching, the size of the original signal to be switched with no bit error is VC-3 (50 Mbit/s), VC-4 (150 Mbit/s) or VC-4-Xc (150×X Mbit/s (X=4, 16, 64, 256)) that is contiguous concatenation that are defined in ITU-T G.707. However, hitless switching for signals of intermediate bandwidth other than VC-3, VC-4 and VC-4-Xc (X=4, 16, 64, 256) has not been realized, so that efficient use of transmission bandwidth has not been realized.
In the conventional hitless switching, if the J1 byte multi-frame is used for detecting phase difference between signals transmitted over different two routes, there is a problem since the J1 byte is defined as a path trace byte used for uniquely detecting a path in the synchronous digital hierarchy in ITU-T G.707. Thus, if hitless switching is performed by using the J1 byte, the path trace can not be realized, so that the hitless switching and the path trace can not be compatible.
Hypothetically, by connecting the conventional hitless switching and virtual concatenation serially, hitless switching for intermediate bandwidth other than VC-3, VC-4, VC-4-Xc (X=4, 16, 64, 256) can be realized. However, in this case, it is necessary to provide a part for detecting phase difference for hitless switching and a part for detecting phase difference for virtual concatenation, in addition, it is necessary to provide elastic store memories for hitless switching and elastic store memories for virtual concatenation. There is a problem in that the configuration of the system becomes complicated and delay increases.
Further in this case, if the H4 byte multi-frame in POH is used for detecting the phase difference, there is a problem in that the H4 byte multi-frame used for hitless switching overwrites the H4 byte multi-frame used for virtual concatenation since the H4 byte is defined as a byte used for detecting phase difference for realizing virtual concatenation. Therefore, in this case, the original signal can not be restored from the divided virtual concatenation signals, so that the hitless switching and the virtual concatenation can not be compatible.
In addition, in the case in which conventional hitless switching and virtual concatenation are connected serially, if J1 byte multi-frame is used for detecting phase difference between signals transmitted over two different routes, there is a problem in that path trace can not be performed for virtual concatenation signals since the J1 byte used for hitless switching overwrites the J1 byte used for path trace. Thus, there is a problem in that the hitless switching and path trace can not be compatible.

Hitless switching system and transmission apparatus

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


The complex is intended for carrying out research in the X-ray range at several analytical devices 5 simultaneously. The complex comprises a source 1 of divergent X-rays, for example an X-ray tube and x-ray lenses 2 for radiation transporting toward the analytical devices 5 and the apparatus of these devices. The X-ray lenses 2 form the x-rays into quasi-parallel beams. Usage of the X-ray lenses provides for the scientists in the analytical devices the requisite brightness, being not less than in the complexes where the radiation source is a synchrotron.

The complexes for carrying out the mentioned researches and simultaneously testing on several analytical devices are known (see: Synchrotron Radiation. Ed. by K. Kunts. Moscow, "Mir", 1981, pp. 80–89 [1]). A radiation source, common for all analytical devices, is used in such complexes. The said source represents a synchrotron, or a storage ring in more modern complexes. The synchrotron radiation, emerging from the synchrotron or the storage ring, is transported to the analytical devices (work stations). A spectral band, needed for carrying out the particular researches or tests, is extracted from the quite broadband synchrotron radiation (in the case, the suggested invention is related to, this band is in the X-ray range). The components of the apparatus of each analytical device is defined by its specialization in one or another type of researches and tests.
However, it is known, that the synchrotron radiation sources, including the storage rings, represent very complicated major constructions, which cost reaches hundreds of millions of dollars. So, the storage rings, which radiation spectrum includes the X-ray range, are of not less than 50 m diameter ([1], p. 80).
When the said synchrotron radiation sources are in use, taking into account the huge sizes of the said constructions, the most complicated problem is the maintenance of the tolerable vacuum level, both in the synchrotron radiation transporting channels (open to the accumulator) to the analytical devices, distanced from the ring periphery on tens meters, and in the experimental volume of each analytical device. The vacuum deterioration in any analytical device can put out of action the device not only in the accumulator itself, but as well in all devices, connected with it ([1], p. 80).
The X-rays extracting and forming some beams according to the number of the analytical devices from the narrow directed beam emerging from the synchrotron or the storage ring, which must be realized in the vacuum, represent a serious task, which can be solved by means of the system of the grazing mirrors and the crystals. When using the channels of the mentioned extent, the special steps should be taken to ensure the control and maintenance of the position of each formed beam, which width in a vertical plane is unities of mrad. So, if at the distance of 40 m the beam is displaced no more than at 10 mm, one or two orders of the intensity are lost, depending on the aperture of the analytical device ([1], p. 85).
For the synchrotrons and the storage rings of the said sizes it is difficult as well to solve the problem of the radiation shielding of both the staff, working with a synchrotron or an accelerator, and the research staff of the analytical devices.
At least, the complexes on the basis of the synchrotrons or the storage rings are so expensive, that only few governments can finance their building. Therefore there are only very few of them, and for the last decades the governments must unite to build such complexes. The European center of synchrotron radiation is an example of such complexes (Grenoble, France).
In spite of the noted disadvantages the sources of a synchrotron radiation, nowadays they are practically unique type of the sources, making possible to obtain a spectral plane of the narrow directed radiation, being enough for the research and test aims, in the required working range simultaneously for some analytical devices.
Therefore it is very important to create a complex, available for scientists and engineers, where a high brightness of a radiation on the input aperture of the analytical devices at the usage of the cheap sources can be obtained.
The suggested invention provides the creation of a complex, being free of the said disadvantages (huge sizes, very high price, the problems of the vacuum maintenance, providing the radiation safety, some beams forming and controlling when a radiation is transported to the analytical devices).


The present invention provides an aqueous opaque coating formulation comprising (A) and aqueous solvent; (B) an inorganic material; and (C) a chelating polymer which comprises units derived from one or more aminocarboxylate compounds or their salts, one or more other polymerizable monomers, one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers and, optionally, one or more crosslinking monomers. For example, the aminocarboxylate compounds or their salts may be one or more of iminodiacetic acid (IDA), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), ethylenediamine triacetic acid (ED3A) and ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), or their salts. Suitable polymerizable monomers may be one or more of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), allyl glycidyl ether (AGE), vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC), allyl bromide, and their derivatives. The inorganic material may be a pigment, such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) or cadmium sulfide (CdS), or an extender or filler, such as talc (Mg3Si4O10(OH)2), calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or mica, or even combinations thereof.

It is often desirable to modify or enhance the appearance of various types of substrates by obscuring the surface of such substrates, such as wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, gypsum board (i.e., drywall or sheetrock), paper, fiber, and other, which are used for many purposes, such as flooring, interior and exterior walls, ceilings, roofs, architectural trims, motor vehicle bodies, containers, casings, piping, etc. The ability of opaque aqueous coating formulations, such as paints, primers, mastic sealants, and other opaque coatings, to obscure the color, appearance or pattern of the surface of a substrate, to which it is applied to form an opaque dried film, is sometimes referred to as hiding power or tint strength. Various inorganic materials comprising metal cations are used to impart various characteristics to the dried films resulting from application of aqueous opaque coating formulations. For example, pigments are added to provide opaqueness, tint strength, and even colors, to the formulations and dried films. Extenders (also known as fillers), on the other hand, are generally used to adjust the hardness, rheological properties and other characteristics of the dried films formed from the aqueous opaque coating formulations. In most such formulations, the tint strength of the dried film resulting from application of such formulations is strongly dependent on the type and quality of inorganic material used. Different types of inorganic pigments impart different colors for the dried film. Examples of inorganic pigments include titanium dioxide (TiO2, white), zinc oxide (ZnO, white), cobalt(II) stannate (Co2SnO4, blue), cadmium selenide (CdSe, red), cadmium sulfide (CdS, yellow), calcium copper silicate (CaCuSi4O10, blue), and hydrated chromium(III) oxide (Cr2O3, green). Extenders (fillers) that may typically be used in opaque coating formulations include, for example, talc (Mg3Si4O10(OH)2), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), nepheline syenite (characterized as having a high ratio of (Na2O+K2O)/SiO2+(Na2O+K2O)/Al2O3), barium sulfate (BaSO4), hydrous kaolin (Al2Si2O5(OH)4), mullite (Al2SiO5), pyrophyllite (Al2Si4O10(OH)2), kyanite (Al2OSiO4), sillimanite (Al2SiO5), attapulgite ((Mg,Al)5Si8O20.4H2O), and mica, among many others. Use of the aforesaid inorganic materials in coating formulations results in the presence of one or more metal cations in the coating formulation, including, without limitation, Ca2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, Sr2+, V2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Al3+, Zr2+, Co2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, TiO2+, Pb2+, Y3+, Pd2+, Ni2+, VO2+, Cu2+, Ga3+, Ti3+, Hg2+, Sc3+, Th4+, In3+, Fe3+, V3+ and combinations thereof.
Presently, for example, TiO2 is the predominant white inorganic pigment used in the paint industry due to its high refractive index and superior light scattering capabilities, which imparts whiteness, brightness, opacity, light scattering and light stability. TiO2 is often among the most expensive ingredients in a paint formulation and, therefore, there is significant interest in a technology that improves the effective utilization of TiO2 in aqueous coating compositions by reducing the required level of TiO2 while maintaining or improving opacity and other paint properties. One known way of accomplishing this is by employing TiO2 particles having an optimal average particle size and particle size distribution for scattering light. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,960, in which the optimal particle size and spacing are stated as 200 to 250 nanometers, and a few particle diameters, respectively.
Furthermore, it is well understood that when the constituent particles of the inorganic materials are agglomerated or aggregated, they provide less opacity and tint strength than when fully dispersed. Thus, another known way of improving the tint strength performance of paint containing inorganic materials is by dispersing the particles as well as possible in the paint formulation. One way of accomplishing this for TiO2 particles, for example, is to improve the mechanisms for latex polymer adsorption onto the surface of TiO2 particles, thereby forming composite particles. In this area, the development of a wide variety of functional latexes for promoting the formation of latex polymer-pigment composite particles with improved hiding efficiencies has been reported. Aqueous compositions containing carboxylic acids functional groups are, in general, ineffective at promoting adsorption of latex particles onto the surfaces of inorganic particles, and have been associated with poor paint properties including poor water resistance properties, reduced scrub resistance and undesirable viscosity drift.
Another route has been to use polymeric latex particles having at least one phosphate containing compound, to promote adsorption of the polymeric latex particles onto the TiO2 particles, as described in U.S Pat. No. 5,385,960 which discloses aqueous dispersions of such composite particles. U.S. Pat. No. 7,179,531 also discloses aqueous dispersions of composite particles containing TiO2, but here multistage polymer particles also containing dihydrogen phosphate functional groups are adsorbed to the TiO2 particles.
Although latexes containing phosphate functional groups have provided paints with improved hiding performance, this approach is associated with polymerization process complexities in addition, some phosphate-containing latex polymers are known to exhibit undesirable increase in viscosity due to aggregation as a result of the "bridging" of two TiO2 particles by a single polymeric latex particle.
More recently, it has been recognized that acrylic polymers having chelating functionality are useful for binding metal ions in various applications. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,773 teaches preparation of water soluble polymers having chelating functionality which are useful as water treatment agents for inhibiting calcium and magnesium scale formation. These polymers are formed by grafting water soluble chelating monomers onto water soluble polymers having aliphatic polymeric backbones. Diethylenetriamine, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and other polyalkylene polyamine polyacetic acids are identified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,773 as examples suitable chelating monomers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,142 teaches film-forming polymers which contain acetoacetate functionality and are further reacted with amino functional silane to produce self-crosslinking, ambient curing, film-forming polymers suitable for various uses including coatings and sealants for wood, glass and concrete.
U.S Patent Application No. 2008/0262192 describes water-soluble polymers having a high chelating performance and clay dispersancy that are suitable for use as detergents, water treatment agents and dispersants. These polymers are made by polymerizing an amino group-containing allyl monomer derived from adding an amine compound, such as iminodiacetic acid (IDA), to an allyl monomer, such as allyl glycidyl ether (AGE), with other polymerizable monomers including, without limitation, unsaturated monocarboxylic acid monomers.
Most recently, vinyl aminocarboxylate monomers have been found useful for providing amine-based chelating functionality. Vinyl aminocarboxylate monomers are an entire class of polymerizable acrylic monomers having amine-based chelating functionality and which are polymerizable along with ethylenically unsaturated monomers typically used to produce various types of acrylic monomers. This is related to the technology described in the aforementioned U.S Patent Application No. 2008/00262192 where an AGE-IDA vinyl aminocarboxylate monomer is described and incorporated into carboxylic acid-based copolymers. Polymers comprising polymerized units derived from such vinyl aminocarboxylate monomers have been identified as effective chelating agents and, therefore, are expected to be useful in various possible applications. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0109823 (U.S. Ser. Nos. 61/553626, 61/553,642, 61/553,658) describe other vinyl aminocarboxylate monomers, including vinyl aminocarboxylate monomers produced from reactions between (IDA), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), or salts thereof, and a vinyl epoxy benzene monomer, or between ethylenediamine triacetic acid (ED3A) or its salt, and polymerizable vinyl monomer such as vinyl epoxy benzene, allylglicidyl ether, or glycidyl(meth)acrylate, for example. Also disclosed are polymers having chelating functionality which comprise polymerized units derived from aminocarboxylate monomers produced from reactions between ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), or its salt, and a polymerizable vinyl monomer such as vinyl epoxy benzene, allylglicidyl ether, or glycidyl(meth)acrylate. Thus, there has been a continuing need to improve the effective utilization of inorganic materials, such as titanium dioxide, in aqueous coating compositions and thereby to improve the opacity and other performance properties of coating compositions.
The present invention addresses the desire to maximize hiding efficiency of paint formulations containing inorganic materials, by providing aqueous dispersions of composite particles containing inorganic particles and polymeric latex particles, wherein the polymeric latex particles contain aminocarboxylic functional groups to promote adsorption of the polymeric latex particles on the surfaces of pigment surfaces. Specifically, the presence of the aminocarboxylic functional groups provides the latex with "chelant-like" capabilities, hence providing improved binding to inorganic materials in opaque coating formulations.

Coating compositions having chelant functionality


A document dispensing system comprising an operational program data transfer device and a document dispenser having a document variables data input terminal, a document printer, a digital data input port coupled to the operational program data transfer device, an operational program storage device, a reprogram storage device, and a digital controller programmed to store new operational program data in the operational program storage device and to control the document printer in accordance with the document variables data and the new operational program data. A replacement document dispenser operational program is downloaded from the data transfer device to the operational program data storage device via the digital data input port.

The present invention relates to document dispensing systems and, more particularly, to document dispensing systems including a digital controller which controls the operation of the dispenser according to a predetermined operational program.
Conventional digitally controlled document dispensers and document dispensing systems operate according to a software program stored in an integrated circuit memory installed in the dispenser electronics. A particular document dispenser may become inadequate or obsolete as a particular dispenser operator's needs change. An inadequate or obsolete dispenser must either be replaced or physically modified to update its operating characteristics. Replacement or physical modification of document dispensers is a labor intensive and time consuming process because it is necessary for a technician to visit each dispenser. Thus, according to the conventional dispenser arrangement, the advantages of updating or modifying a particular dispenser or group of dispensers are often outweighed by the costs involved in performing the update or modification. The imbalance between cost and advantage is particularly acute in document dispensing systems employing a plurality of document dispensers. As a result, many dispensers will not be updated or modified even if an advantageous modification is available. Further, in dispensing systems employing a plurality of document dispensers, it may often only be cost effective to modify or update a portion of the dispensers in the group because of the limitations of the conventional modification and updating process. The resulting lack of dispensing system uniformity is likely to lead to confusion and inefficient system management. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which the operating characteristics of a single document dispenser, or a group of document dispensers, can be updated and modified at a reduced cost and with an minimal amount of manual labor.

Document dispenser operational program downloading


Embodiments relate to an image sensor that may include transistors, a first dielectric, a crystalline semiconductor layer on and/or over the first dielectric, a photodiode, a dummy region, via contacts, and a second dielectric. A photodiode may be formed by implanting impurity ions into a crystalline semiconductor layer to correspond the pixel region. A dummy region may be formed in the crystalline semiconductor layer excepting a region for the photodiode. Via contacts may penetrate the dummy region, and may be connected to the first metal interconnections. A second dielectric may include a plurality of second metal interconnections on and/or over the crystalline semiconductor layer. The plurality of second metal interconnections may electrically connect the via contacts to the photodiode.

An image sensor may be a semiconductor device that may convert an optical image into an electric signal. An image sensor may be classified as at least one of a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor and a complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) image sensor (CIS).
A CIS may include a photodiode and a MOS transistor formed in a unit pixel, and may obtain an image by sequentially detecting electrical signals of unit pixels in a switching manner. In a CIS, a photodiode region may convert a light signal to an electrical signal, and a transistor may process the electrical signal. A photodiode region and a transistor may be horizontally arranged on and/or over a semiconductor substrate. In a horizontal type CIS according to the related art, a photodiode and a transistor may be horizontally formed adjacent to each other on and/or over a substrate. Therefore, an additional region for forming a photodiode may be required.

Image sensor and method for manufacturing the same


A producing method of producing a solid state pickup device is provided. Imaging elements are formed on a wafer in a matrix form. Each of the imaging elements has a light receiving surface and plural contact points. Receiving surface border portions are formed on a glass plate to protrude therefrom in a matrix form by etching. The receiving surface border portions are attached to the wafer to surround the light receiving surface in each of the receiving surface border portions. The light receiving surface is spaced from the glass plate. The glass plate is diced outside respectively the receiving surface border portions, to form shield glass for covering the light receiving surface. The wafer is diced for each of the imaging elements, to obtain the solid state pickup device having the shield glass and one of the imaging elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a producing method of a solid state pickup device, and attaching method and device for the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a producing method of a solid state pickup device which can be assembled with high precision in positioning even without using a package, and attaching method and device for the same.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A solid state pickup element such as a CCD sensor is generally contained in a package with wiring, and used as a solid state pickup device. If there occurs offsetting between the solid state pickup element and a prism with respect to a path of the incident light, a signal is incorrectly generated due to a difference between an in-focus position of the light and an incident position of the solid state pickup element.
JP-A 9-074523 discloses a method of fixedly attaching the solid state pickup device to prevent offsetting in the position. The solid state pickup device is mounted on a base plate. A prism is opposed to the solid state pickup device in a path of passage of the light. Four support pins are fixed on, and project from, a prism case. Ends of the support pins are inserted in through holes at four corners of the base plate. The pin ends are attached to the through holes by soldering, to connect the support pins with the base plate.
JP-A 2000-350105 discloses a construction for reducing an error in the positioning in the connection between the support pins and the base plate.
However, there is a problem in a low precision in the positioning in those known techniques. This is because of the support pins used between the prism case and the base plate for positioning the solid state pickup device, or because of the support pins and the connection members used between a prism block and a base for attachment of the solid state pickup device.
JP-A 2001-028431 discloses a construction in which cutouts are formed in corners or edge portions of a package for fixing the solid state pickup element. Projections of a positioning mechanism are engaged with cutouts of the package, for positioning the package.
JP-A 2000-134528 discloses a method of positioning the solid state pickup element by monitoring an output of the solid state pickup element. However, this has a shortcoming in complexity and difficulty in the adjustment.
The solid state pickup device must be positioned and fixed in the camera. It is likely that degradation in the quality occurs due to unevenness in the sensitivity typically when there is no precise coincidence between an optical axis of the lens and that of the solid state pickup element as designed.
Thus, the prior art has a problem in high complexity in the positioning, because high precision is required in the positioning of the solid state pickup element in a package, and positioning the package relative to a lens block in a lens barrel.
In general, a package is used as a reference of positioning the solid state pickup element relative to the lens block in a camera with the solid state pickup element. However, there is no known technique of effectively simplifying, and heightening precision in, positioning of the solid state pickup element in a package, or positioning the package relative to the lens block in a lens barrel.

Producing method of solid state pickup device, and attaching method and device for the same


Embodiments of the invention include methods of tissue/wound treatment and associated devices and systems, including devices for breaching bio-films contained in and around wounds, devices for maximizing moisture vapor transmission rate, and tissue dressings with added barrier features for permeable surfaces.

Dressings that deliver therapeutic gas to wounds, can be optimized to address conditions that warrant the need to enhance the penetration of the gases into the tissue, to prevent excess moisture from accumulating at the wound site, and to preserve the gas in the reservoir.
Some wounds can be problematic with limited vascular access from underneath to deliver needed nutrients, repair and infection fighting components to the wounds as well as further localized complications that can limit access for topical treatments such as the development of bio-films, dead tissues and variations in tissue depth, shape and local fluid viscosity.
A subset of wounds consist of collaborative communities or organisms (e.g., anaerobic and aerobic bacteria), where various microbes exist where they would not otherwise be able to but for other microbes. For example, aerobic oxygen consuming microbes can proliferate over a surface allowing oxygen sensitive organisms to thrive underneath where more hypoxic conditions can be established (and to a certain extent encased), allowing anaerobes to flourish. In these cases the biofilms act as a barrier so that such that oxygen or any gas in the environment external to the wound cannot reach the target tissue, fluids or cells passively by diffusion.
Some wounds have dead and decaying tissue covering, surrounding or throughout the wounds which also acts as a barrier so that such that oxygen or any metabolic or therapeutic gas in the environment external to the wound cannot get to the target tissue and cells.
Sometimes wound topography varies considerably, where some portions can have a depth that may be minimally impacted by diffusional process from the surface, limiting any metabolic or therapeutic gas in the environment external to the wound from getting to the target tissue and cells.
Other problems exist in that skin or wounds can over time become a source of excess moisture and moisture vapor. When a film or dressing is placed over the wound or skin, excess moisture must be moved away from the wound to prevent maceration of these tissues. Moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) through dressings has been an important feature of wound dressings allowing moisture to essentially evaporate as vapor through thin films, foams and microfibers into the surrounding ambient air. The rate of transmission however is dependent upon the external humidity. The drier the ambient air, the greater the diffusion gradient across the film or dressing, and the higher the MVTR. MVTR may be governed by Fick's Law: MVTR=K×ΔP.1 Unfortunately in humid environments the effective MVTR is much lower than that reported in the literature based upon drier laboratory conditions. 1 http://www.pqri.org/pdfs/whitepaper.pdf
For reservoir based gas delivery devices that provide therapeutic gas to a tissue through permeable, porous or perforated surfaces, there is a potential to lose a fraction of the reservoir contents while removing it from the package and securing it onto or into the target tissue. In this case, there is a need for protecting these surfaces from releasing gases contained within or behind prior to delivery to the target tissue.

Systems and methods for enhancing gas and vapor transfer for tissue treatment devices


A non-volatile SRAM cell comprises a first inverter, a second inverter, a first access transistor, a second access transistor, and a variable resistive element. The first inverter voltage is supplied by a first differential supply. The second inverter voltage is supplied by a second differential supply. The variable resistive element coupling with a third access transistor in series is coupled to the first output node. The non-volatile SRAM cell operates in a restore operation comprising a dual supply initialization phase and a pulse-overwrite phase. During the dual supply initialization phase, the first differential supply increases before the second differential supply so as to initialize the first output node to a logic state. During the pulse-overwrite phase, the third access transistor is turned on for a switch period in order to discharge/charge the first output node.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to a static random access memory cell; in particular, to a non-volatile static random access memory using a 7T1R cell with initialization and pulse overwrite.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to reduce required power consumption, minimizing the size of the integrated circuit memory devices in semiconductors is still the direction to strive for. Memory devices in semiconductors include static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM). A DRAM memory cell only has one transistor and a capacitor, which provides high integrability. However, since DRAM required refresh operation, high power consumption and slow speed makes DRAM a memory choice limited to mostly computer memories. On the other hand, SRAM cell has bistability, which means with the appropriate power, SRAM can continuously maintain the original state. SRAM can operate in high speed under low power consumption, such that computers mostly use a lot of cache SRAM. Other applications include embedded memory, and network device memory.
Conventional structures of common SRAM cells include six transistors (6T). Please refer to FIG. 1 as a circuit diagram of a conventional 6T static random access memory cell. The conventional 6T static random access memory cell 1 includes a first inverter 11, a second inverter 12, a first access transistor M5, and a second access transistor M6. The first inverter 11 includes a first pull-up transistor M1 and a first pull-down transistor M3, whereas the second inverter 12 includes a second pull-up transistor M2 and a second pull-down transistor M4. The first pull-up transistor M1 has a source terminal and the second pull-up transistor M2 has a source terminal cooperatively coupled to a voltage supply VDD. The first pull-down transistor M3 has a source terminal and the second pull-down transistor M4 has a source terminal cooperatively coupled to a low voltage supply VSS. The first pull-down transistor M3 has a drain terminal and the first pull-up transistor M1 has a drain terminal cooperatively coupled to form a first output node Q of the first inverter 11. The second pull-down transistor M4 has a drain terminal and the second pull-up transistor M2 has a drain terminal cooperatively coupled to form a second output node QB of the second inverter 12.
The first access transistor M5 has a gate terminal coupled to a word line WL, a source terminal coupled to the first output node Q, and a drain terminal coupled to a first bit line BL. The second access transistor M6 has a gate terminal coupled to the word line WL, a source terminal coupled to the second output node QB, and a drain terminal coupled to a second bit line BLB.
Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 2 is a signal diagram of the conventional 6T static random access memory cell while data are being written thereon. Conventional 6T static random access memory cell 1 must fix the first bit line BL and the second bit line BLB to a group of fixed voltage when data are being written, such that data stored in the first output node Q and the second output node QB are forced to flip.
Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 3 is a signal diagram of the conventional 6T static random access memory cell while data are being read therefrom. Conventional 6T static random access memory cell 1 must pull the electric potential of word line WL to "1" (refer to the T3-T4 interval as shown in FIG. 3) when data is being read, which is different from writing, the electric potential of the first bit line BL must pull up and be equal to the second bit line BLB before the electric potential of the word line WL pulls up to "1", and the first bit line BL and the second bit line BLB must have equal electric potentials such as "1" as shown in FIG. 3. When the first bit line BL is equal to the second bit line BLB and floating, the word line WL then provides on signals. The conventional 6T static random access memory cell uses the storage values of the first output node Q and the second output node QB and, via the first access transistor M5 and the second access transistor M6, generates charge sharing and voltage division respectively with the first bit line BL and the second bit line BLB, such that difference in electric potential is induced between the first bit line BL and the second bit line BLB. As shown in FIG. 3, the electric potential signal of the first bit line BL is affected, thus voltage is reduced. Successively, an external signal amplifier (not shown in the figures) amplifies differences in signals and reads out the voltage value as "0" or "1".
Furthermore, non-volatile SRAM stores data in a non-volatile element. The stored data still remains when the power supply is turned off. Usually, the non-volatile element can be a resistive storage device, such as phase change material (PCM), magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), or memristor etc. which have been utilized in the phase change random-access memory (PCRAM), the resistive random-access memory (RRAM) or the magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM). Then non-volatile SRAM can completely eliminate SRAM leakage during standby.

Non-volatile static random access memory using a 7T1R cell with initialization and pulse overwrite


A computer-readable storage medium that stores a control program for a client apparatus connectable to a repeater storing execute permission information on a plurality of codes included in an application program received from a server, the control program causing the client apparatus to execute a process including receiving the application program and the execute permission information from the repeater, updating the execute permission information received from the repeater based on evaluation information on the application program received from the repeater, and executing the application program based on the execute permission information updated based on the evaluation information.

Smart phones which are mobile terminals having the usual capabilities of a personal computer are prevailing. With enriched 3G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), hot spots and the like, smart phones are usable in a rich environment which permits the smart phones to be easily connectable to a network. There are three kinds of applications that may run on smart phones, namely, a native application, a Web application, and a Hybrid Mobile Application.
The native application is a specialized application or special-purpose application for a terminal that executes the application. Because this native application may freely handle local resources and devices of a terminal, it has to be installed in the terminal to be specialized therefor, so that a developer has to create a custom-designed application for each terminal. The Web application runs on a browser, and does not have to be installed in a terminal, so that execution of the Web application does not depend on a terminal or an OS (Operating System). However, the Web application runs on a Web server, not a terminal, in principle, the feasible operation of local resources is limited to a file operation or the like using the File API of JavaScript (registered trademark) as compared to the native application. The Hybrid Mobile Application may be created in a development environment such as PhoneGap or WAC (Wholesale Applications Community), and, unlike the Web application, may be executed without depending on an OS. In addition, like the native application, the Hybrid Mobile Application may freely access local resources or devices.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-163269 discloses an example of related art.

Medium for storing control program, client apparatus, and control method for client apparatus


A photolithographic rinse solution includes deionized water, and a surfactant, the surfactant including a cyclic amine group and at least one non-amine cyclic group joined to or fused with the cyclic amine group, wherein the cyclic amine group includes a ring having a carbon number of 4 to 6, and the non-amine cyclic group includes a ring having a carbon number of 5 to 8.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a photolithographic rinse solution and methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
High speed and/or low voltage semiconductor devices have been desirable for high speed and lower power consumption electronic devices. The semiconductor devices have become more highly integrated. Microfabrication techniques such as photolithographic techniques have been developed for improving the integration degree of the semiconductor devices.

Photo lithographic rinse solution and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same


In a shaft sealing mechanism which prevents fluid from flowing in an axial direction of a rotor through an annular gap between the rotor and a stator, there are provided a high pressure side plate positioned on a high pressure side region of a plurality of sheets, and a low pressure side plate positioned on a low pressure side region of the plurality of sheets, and construction is such that in a state in which the plurality of sheets is fixed on a stator side, and when under gas pressure, the sheets make contact with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shaft sealing mechanism that is suitable for use for a shaft of large fluid machinery, such as a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a compressor, a pump, or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
As a shaft sealing mechanism, there is known a type disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2003-113945. The shaft sealing mechanism disclosed in this Patent Document is provided with a leaf seal which is arranged around a shaft of a gas turbine, a steam turbine, or the like, that reduces an amount of gas that leaks from a high-pressure side to a low-pressure side.
However, in the above Patent Document, one end of each of sheets constituting the leaf seal is constructed such that it becomes a free edge (so that the sheets are not restricted by each other) when assembly of the leaf seal is completed and when it is under gas pressure. Therefore, in a case where eccentricity results from a shaft of a gas turbine, a steam turbine, or the like, moving by a degree of float due to dynamic pressure of a sliding bearing, or in a case where eccentricity occurs in a parent machine due to thermal deformation of a turbine housing, flutter behavior is caused at one end of the sheet. Therefore, there is concern that the sheets may fail due to fatigue.


An ultra-wide band (UWB) radio frequency (RF) receiving device (205) includes a first receiver (305) that receives UWB RF signals, a second receiver (315) that receives an external cue, and a processing unit (330). The second receiver (315) receives an external cue that includes one of a television blanking signal, a zero-crossing of a FM radio transmission, a paging system signal, a zero-crossing of an analog voice transmission, a zero-crossing of an analog video transmission, a cellular telephony control channel signal, a cellular telephony traffic channel signal, a digital sub-band for an AM or FM radio station signal, a digital or analog signal in a short-wave-radio transmission, a digital television signal, a digital or analog signal in a land mobile radio transmission, a radio-navigation signal, a radar signal, a satellite signal, an acoustic event or signal, a magnetic event or signal, or an optical event or signal. The processing unit (330) synchronizes an internal clock of the UWB RF receiving device (205) to the external cue.

A common problem for communication between a transmitter and one or more receivers in a radio communication network is called synchronization, in which the clocks at the transmitter and receiver(s) must be aligned so that the receiver(s) can properly interpret its reception of analog waves sent by the transmitter as discrete bits. This synchronization process is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. First, the transmitter prepares a pattern of short radio frequency (RF) pulses 105 and transmits them at time Ts 110. This pattern 105 is sometimes called the synchronization pattern or sequence. Second, the receiver receives the pulse pattern 105 after the pattern passes through the communications channel and noise, multi-path fading, and interference modify it. Third, the receiver is turned on at some time Tr 120, and the receiver then "looks" at the RF signal 115 it receives and performs some kind of pattern matching algorithm on the received RF signal in order to find a match for the expected transmitted pulse pattern 105 (i.e., the receiver has no knowledge of where pulse pattern 105 will occur in the received RF signal 115).
Once the receiver has found a pattern match 125, it can then synchronize its clock with that of the transmitter. This clock synchronization involves determining the time Ts 110 that the transmitter started transmitting pulse pattern 105 in a common reference time-frame. After the synchronization pattern is detected 130, and then acquired and matched at time Ta 135, both the receiver and transmitter will share a common reference time-frame, and can employ this time-frame for communication.
In ultra-wide band (UWB) radio communication, for example, the synchronization process can result in excessive energy consumption due to the length of time required to power the receiver to acquire the synchronization pattern, and the time required to power the circuitry executing the correlation algorithm. This excessive energy consumption results from two aspects of UWB radio communications: 1) the transmitted pulses are very short; and 2) the space between the pulses can be quite long relative to the pulse width. The short pulses cause the receiver to be powered up for an extended period of time before it acquires the transmitter's synchronization relative to the lengths of the pulses themselves. The long space between the pulses causes the correlation pattern matching to take longer due to a high quantity of noise within a received pattern. The combination of the short UWB pulses and the long intervals between pulses, therefore, leads to relatively large energy consumption for the receiving device when attempting to synchronize with the transmitting device.
Therefore, there exists a need for systems and methods that can reduce energy consumption requirements in a RF receiving device when synchronizing to a transmitting device.

Systems and methods for parasitic synchronization of radio networks


An anti-ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) R2 subunit monoclonal antibody KM1054, KM1056 or KM1060, which belongs to the IgG2a subclass, reacts with R2 subunit of RNR, and inhibits RNR activity, is disclosed. It is effective for immunologically detecting RNR and for immunologically detecting the presence of human cancer cells.

The present invention relates to a monoclonal antibody which is specifically reactive with a ribonucleotide reductase R2 subunit and which inhibits ribonucleotide reductase activity, as well as a hybridoma cell line producing the monoclonal antibody. The present invention further relates to a method of immunologically detecting a ribonucleotide reductase R2 subunit using the monoclonal antibody.
A ribonucleotide reductase (hereinafter referred to as "RNR") is an enzyme catalyzing the reduction of ribonucleoside diphosphate into deoxyribonucleoside diphosphate which is a part in DNA. Since RNR activity is strongly correlated with a cell proliferation rate and since deoxyribonucleotide is reluctant to pool in cells, RNR controls a rate-determining step of DNA synthesis (Annu. Rev. Biochem., 48, 133-158, 1979), and can be considered as a cell cycle marker and a proliferation marker. In fact, it is known that RNR activity increases or decreases depending on the cell cycle, and that the level of RNR activity is lower at G0/G1 phase and is the highest at S phase. RNR is composed of two subunits R1 and R2, either of which does not individually have any activity at all. It is reported that since the R1 subunit is always expressed constantly and sufficiently, RNR activity is controlled by the amount of the R2 subunit expressed, which amount depends on the cell cycle J.B.C., 256 (18), 9436-9440, 1981!. It is further reported that the level of RNR activity is higher in human tumor tissue than in human normal tissue (Life Science, 28, 1007-1014, 1981), and that RNR can be utilized as a tumor marker and a tumor proliferation marker.
A conventional method of determining RNR activity (Analytical Biochemistry, 34, 123-130, 1970) is not satisfactory because of the difficulty in determining the activity of RNR scattered in a tissue. A simple and accurate method of detecting RNR has been in demand.
An anti-RNR monoclonal antibody which is reactive with an R1 subunit and which inhibits RNR activity has been known Acta Chem. Scand., B36 (5), 343, 1982!. A monoclonal antibody which is reactive with an R2 subunit has been known The EMBO Journal, 7 (6), 1615, 1988)!. But the known monoclonal antibody which is reactive with R2 subunit does not inhibit RNR activity.
An object of the present invention is to provide a monoclonal antibody which is specifically reactive with an R2 subunit of human RNR, and which inhibits RNR activity.
The monoclonal antibody of the present invention is a neutral antibody against RNR, and thus it inhibits the RNR activity dependent on the concentrations of the monoclonal antibody.
By Western blotting and immunoprecipitation using the present monoclonal antibody, it is found that the present monoclonal antibody is reactive with a protein having a molecular weight of 45K daltons which coincides with the molecular weight of the R2 subunit of RNR. Further, by the immunological staining of culture cells and various human tissues using the present monoclonal antibody, it is found that the monoclonal antibody can specifically detect RNR in the cells and human tissues.
The monoclonal antibody of the present invention is useful not only for immunologically detecting a R2 subunit of RNR in tissues and cells, but also for studying the biological characterization of RNR. Thus, it is expected that the fundamental study of cancer will be promoted by analysis of RNR.

Anti-ribonucleotide reductase R2 subunit monoclonal antibody


Provided is a phase-shift blankmask in which a phase-shift layer is formed in at least two continuous layers or a multi-layer film and an uppermost phase-shift layer included in the phase-shift layer is thinly formed to contain a small amount of oxygen (O) so as to enhance chemical resistance and durability thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase-shift blankmask and a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, to a phase-shift blankmask including a phase-shift layer having improved chemical resistance and durability to have a thin thickness suitable for a semiconductor manufacturing process using KrF and ArF excimer lasers and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Today, as a need for a fine circuit pattern has been accompanied by high integration of large-scale integrated circuits (ICs), high semiconductor microfabrication process technology has emerged as a very important issue. In the case of a highly integrated circuit, circuit wires become finer for low power consumption and high-speed operations, and there is a growing technical need for a contact hole pattern for an interlayer connection and a circuit arrangement for high integration. Thus, in order to satisfy such demands, technology for a photomask on which an original circuit pattern is recorded needs to be manufactured to be finer and to be capable of recording a more precise circuit pattern thereon.
A photolithography technology has been developed to shorten an exposure wavelength by using a 436 nm g-line, a 365 nm i-line, 248 nm KrF laser, or 193 nm ArF laser in order to improve the resolution of a semiconductor circuit pattern. However, the shortening of the exposure wavelength greatly contributes to an improvement in the resolution of a semiconductor circuit pattern but deteriorates a depth of focus (DoF), thereby increasing a burden on design of an optical system including a lens.
Accordingly, in order to solve this problem, a phase-shift mask has been developed to improve both the resolution and DoF of a semiconductor circuit pattern using a phase-shift layer that shifts the phase of exposure light by 180 degrees. A phase-shift blankmask has a structure in which a phase-shift layer, a light-shielding film, and a photoresist film are stacked on a transparent substrate. The phase-shift blankmask can be used as a blankmask for realizing a high-precision minimum critical dimension (CD) of 90 nm or less during a semiconductor photolithography process, and particularly, can be used in the field of lithography using 248 nm KrF laser or 193 nm ArF laser and the field of immersion exposure lithography.
During a process of cleaning a photomask formed as a phase-shift blankmask, a cleaning solution containing an acid material, such as sulfuric acid, and a basic material, such as ammonium, have been used but a cleaning process using hot deionized water and ozone (O3) water has recently been introduced. However, a conventional phase-shift layer, e.g., a phase-shift layer having nitrogen (N)-containing metal silicide, has a certain degree of chemical resistance to acid and basic chemicals but has low durability with respect to hot deionized water and ozone water. Also, a phase-shift layer having nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O)-containing metal silicide has low durability with respect to a cleaning solution containing acid and basic materials. Thus, phase-shift layers become thicker and thicker to compensate for variations in a refractive index and phase shift degree thereof.
As a cleaning process is repeatedly performed during manufacture of a photomask and during use of the photomask, a thickness of a phase-shift layer changes, thus causing a change in the optical characteristics (e.g., a degree of phase shift, transmissivity, reflectivity, etc.) of the photomask. Furthermore, as the cleaning process is repeatedly performed, surfaces of the phase-shift layer are damaged to cause a change in surface roughness and flatness thereof. Accordingly, the durability of the phase-shift layer is degraded, and it is thus difficult to manufacture a reliable photomask.

Phase-shift blankmask and method for fabricating the same

Abstract: Accordingly, a phase-shift blankmask including the phase-shift layer having enhanced chemical resistance and durability with respect to a cleaning solution containing acid and basic materials, hot deionized water, or ozone water, which is used in a cleaning process that is repeatedly performed during manufacture of a photomask, may be provided using the uppermost phase-shift layer having the enhanced chemical resistance and durability.

Abstract: Furthermore, degradation in the refractive index and degree of phase shift of the phase-shift layer, caused when the cleaning process is repeatedly performed may be prevented due to the uppermost phase-shift layer having the enhanced chemical resistance and durability. Accordingly, a phase-shift blankmask including a thin phase-shift layer can be provided.


A method and system from integrating a headerless apparatus into a messaging environment. The method and system enable message routing capabilities to and from conventionally headerless apparatus, such as scanners and digital copiers. The apparatus work in conjunction with a document router to provide full-featured and secure message routing capabilities, including scanning images directly to an electronic mailbox, and retrieving messages from within the messaging environment for output at the apparatus.

The phrase `messaging environment` will be used herein to refer to computer networks, and one of their primary functions--the transfer of messages such as files, documents and other information from one location to another. Much of the software in use in a computer network is devoted to the task of such message transfer, such as electronic mail (e-mail) services, for example. Electronic mail has developed into one of the easiest and most popular ways to transfer information from one location to another, and from one user to another. Other products, such as group productivity software, are enjoying increasing sales because of their ability to provide even more functionality in the transfer of information among users of a network than provided by a basic e-mail system.
In conventional messaging environments, there exists a class of peripherals, such as scanners and digital copiers, which can be used to indirectly input or print messages from the messaging environment. Scanners are input devices and used to digitize analog images, while digital copiers are both input and output devices, being capable of not only digitizing analog images, but also of outputting a digitized image received from a computer. These devices have become increasingly popular as they provide the ability to transform analog data into a format suitable for transmission or modification in a computing environment. Scanners are conventionally not network aware, and communicate with the messaging environment indirectly via a client computer to which the apparatus is coupled. The client computer, in turn, is coupled to the network and can transfer messages received from a peripheral to a location in the messaging environment. Digital copiers, too, are rarely network aware, and in the few available network-aware digital copiers, their ability to communicate with a network is limited to acting solely as an output device, such as a printer.
Scanners and digital copiers conventionally have been coupled directly to a client computer, because the initial use of such devices was to input a graphic image, such as a drawing or photograph, and manipulate the image on a particular computer. Such manipulation and use was accomplished by fairly specialized personnel, and was not an ability needed by many people. Thus, there was little need to couple such devices directly to a network. As computing environments have become graphically oriented, the ability to use graphic images has become widespread and fairly easy through the use of graphics software. Even conventional word processors today provide fairly sophisticated image manipulation tools which were found only in very specialized graphics programs a few years ago. Yet, devices such as scanners and digital copiers continue to require client computers to communicate with the network environment, and have no ability to route messages to and from the messaging environment.
Another apparatus which has become almost indispensable for its ability to transmit data to remote locations is the facsimile processor. Facsimile capabilities are frequently implemented in computer environments through the use of a facsimile board and facsimile software, which handle sending a message from within the messaging environment over a telephone line to a remote facsimile processor, or receiving a message from a remote facsimile processor and storing the message on a disk drive. Unlike conventional headerless apparatus, such as scanners and digital copiers, all facsimile processors must be capable of generating a communications header for use in message transmission with another facsimile processor. The existence of such a communication header in facsimile processors has been used as a mechanism for implementing rudimentary message routing capabilities in a facsimile processor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,743 to Hochman et al., the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein, discloses the use of the TSI field from a communications header to specify an intended recipient of the message. The receiving facsimile machine, through the use of facsimile software running on a network server, extracts a user identifier from the TSI field, and stores the message in a directory associated with the user on a network server. The user can then run specialized software from their network-attached computer to read the message.
Given the popularity of headerless apparatus such as scanners and digital copiers, it would be beneficial if such apparatus could be integrated with a messaging environment such that a message could be directly routed from a scanner to an application within the messaging environment, or a message could be routed from a location within the messaging environment directly to a digital copier, for example. However, unlike facsimile processors, such apparatus lack the ability to create a communications header. Moreover, like conventional facsimile processors, no mechanism exists for comprehensive control of a messaging environment such as directing messages into and from the messaging environment, from the apparatus itself. If such devices could be integrated into the messaging environment, advanced routing capabilities allowing flexible control of messages into and from the messaging environment could be achieved, and the use of a client computer would not be necessary, decreasing the overall costs of such peripherals while increasing their functionality and overall integration into the messaging environment.

Method and system for generating in a headerless apparatus a communications header for use in routing of a message


Disclosed is a biomimetic adhesive belonging to prevention and treatment of plant pest. The components and ratio of raw materials thereof are as follows: 25-50% of soft acrylic monomer, 1-5% of acrylic monomer, 0.1-0.3% of nonionic emulsifier, 0.1-0.8% of anionic emulsifier, 0.2-0.6% of catalyst, 0.1-0.3% of antiseptic, 0.02-0.05% of defoamer, and deionized water as remainder. Fluorescent substances or insect pheromones can also be added to said biomimetic adhesive. The biomimetic adhesive of the present invention has good effect of insect sticking without environmental impact, has long time effect, is safe, non-toxic and non-polluting, and can be sprayed directly onto the surface of plant branch and leaves using an ordinary sprayer due to its low viscosity at room temperature. It also has no adverse effects on photosynthesis and normal growth of plants. The preparation method of the biomimetic adhesive is also disclosed.

One of the major hindrances for high and stable yields in the agricultural production is harmful organisms, such as various pests, pathogenic microorganisms, and the like. Especially, a variety of small pests are one of the difficult points for prevention and treatment in practical production due to the large magnitude of occurrence and strong adaptability and likeness to develop drug resistance. At present, the main measurement for preventing and treating harmful organisms is by chemical means. However, such method is prone to the problem of pesticide residue, which not only leads to severe contamination of environment, but also destroys the biodiversity of the ecosystem.
An alternative approach for preventing and treating harmful organisms is by physical means, wherein pest-sticking adhesives are used in the prevention and treatment of pest, which are free of the problem of pesticide residue and environment pollution. Currently used pest-sticking adhesives are mainly of three types: (1)Type 1: those oily adhesives in gel or semisolid state at ambient temperature (5-40° C.), mainly composed of components such as rosin, paraffin or pblybutene, added with castor oil or other organic solvent and generally incorporated with thickening agents and the likes. Such pest-sticking adhesives are of high viscosity, such as those disclosed in CN 200410008453, CN 200510014730, CN 200510064422, and CN 200720006978. This type of pest-sticking adhesive can only be applied by means of brush application or must be painted on substrate materials such as paperboard, color disk, plastic paper and the like, and can exert a better pest sticking effect only if they are used together with other pest inducing substances (such as sexual pheromones). The main problem of such adhesives lie in that: due to their toxic actions on plant, they cannot be applied directly to tender tissues of plants such as branches and leaves; secondly, they cannot be applied by spraying due to their high viscosity, and thus involve inconvenient application and low prevention and treatment efficiency. (2)Type 2: Those in liquid state at room temperature, with main component of organic solvent, such as the pest-sticking adhesive with polyacrylamide and Turkey red oil(sulfonated castor oil) as main ingredients, such as those disclosed in CN 200610025325, for adhering pest in locations such as refuse dump. The main problems of such pest-sticking adhesives are: inadaptability to be sprinkled directly to tender tissues of plants such as branches and leaves since they are harmful to plant tissues; secondly, the organic solvent contained therein may pollute environment. (3)Type 3: Pest-sticking adhesives in liquid state at room temperature, which dries quickly after being sprayed. For example, JP 84023352 and JP 53124181 disclose the spraying agents comprising resin derivatives, polyterpene derivatives, such as natural or synthetic rubbers, poly-(iso)butylene, lanolin and the like, and organic solvent (cyclohexylamine, aromatic hydrocarbons such as xylene, benzene, halogenated hydrocarbons), as well as atomizing agent (such as dimethyl ether), as the main ingredients. JP 55011546 and JP 82057001 disclose the pest-sticking adhesive having a film formation property at a low temperature, with vinyl acetate resin and low toxicity solvents as main ingredients. The features of this type of quick drying pest-sticking adhesives are that, the viscous components cure promptly after spraying the adhesive onto the bodies of pests at room temperature (25° C.), which immobilizes the appendages of the pest, such as feet and wings, and thereby deprives the moving ability of the pest. The problem of this type of pest-sticking adhesive lies in that (a) they can exert pest sticking effect, only if they are sprayed directly onto the bodies of the pests; (b) the viscous components lose their viscous property within several minutes after spraying application, and thus cannot retain the pest sticking capability for long duration; (c) the volatile solvent component may pollute environment; and (d) they cannot be sprayed on the surface of plants such as branches and leaves, since they are harmful to plant tissues. As a result, this type of pest-sticking adhesive can only be used in the prevention and treatment of pest in habitable room.
Chinese patent CN 99120025.X discloses a pest-sticking adhesive consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, water soluble silicate, surfactant, polyvinylpyrrolidone and water, which cures promptly within several minutes after spraying application to immobilize the appendages of pests such as feet and wings, and deprive the moving ability of the pests, and thereby reduce the damage from pests. However, the pest-sticking adhesive similarly involves the following problems: they must be sprayed directly onto the bodies of pests to effectively immobilize the pests; secondly, the viscous components lose their potency rapidly, and the validity period for sticking pest is short. Thus, they need frequent spraying to achieve the expected effects, which is labor intensive and material waste and has a high cost.

Biomimetic adhesive and preparation method and application thereof

Institute of Medicinal Plant Development The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Foshan Sanshui Xianghai Adhesive Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to a coin bank. The coin bank includes a housing and a coin sorting mechanism mounted to the housing. At least two rows of coin tubes, for holding associated sorted coins, are selectively positioned in the housing. Each row includes a plurality of coin tubes meant for holding sorted coins of multiple denominations, wherein a plurality of columns of coin tubes, each holding one denomination of associated sorted coins, is defined. The coin tubes in each column is positioned at descending levels. At least two deflector wall sections are mounted to the housing. Each deflector wall section is positioned generally above a respective one of the at least two rows of coin tubes. Each deflector wall section directs a coin into a respective coin tube. A respective exit aperture is defined below a lower edge of each respective deflector wall section and above an upper edge of a respective coin tube. The descending levels of coin tubes allow a coin to travel away from a first row of coin tubes and contact a respective deflector wall section of a next row of coin tubes.

The present invention relates to a coin bank. More particularly, the present invention relates to a coin back which separates, sorts and stores five different denominations of coins.
Coin sorting devices are generally known. A user places one or more coins in a hopper or similar coin receiving location. A coin separating mechanism separates the coins and dispenses the coins, typically one at a time, from the hopper into a coin sorting mechanism. The coin sorting mechanism classifies the coins by their diameter. Coins of a particular diameter, and consequently of a particular denomination, are directed into the appropriate one of a plurality of sorted coin storage containers. Such coin storage containers are typically cylindrical or tubular in shape and are generally of a size corresponding to standard coin rolling wrappers that hold anywhere from twenty to fifty coins. The containers are accessible in order that the sorted coins can be removed.
Coin separating mechanisms employing rotating coin separator plates are known. One such separator plate is in the form of a disk having four U-shaped notches formed in its periphery. Each notch is sized to be larger in width than the largest coin which is to be sorted by a coin sorter. The separator plate is mounted on a planar base of the receiver, the base being fixed to an upper housing at a slope of approximately 45° from the horizontal. Coins tend to come to rest in the lowermost portion of the receiver with their faces contacting the separator plate or the base. When the separator plate is rotated, it will engage a coin with the edge of one of its notches and carry the coin upward to an opening formed in the base where the coin will fall through into an upper portion of a coin ramp leading to a sorting ramp. The ramp has apertures of increasing size through which the coins fall into sorted coin containers.
However, this known coin separating mechanism is not capable of sorting coins of five different denominations. Moreover, the known mechanism does not employ a removable drawer in which the coin containers are held in order to allow an easy removal of the coin containers from the housing of the coin bank. The known coin sorting devices also fail to retard the coins from assuming an orientation other than normal to a respective longitudinal axis of each coin tube. Another deficiency with known coin sorting devices is their inability to prevent an overflow of the sorted coin containers. Known devices continue to sort and deliver coins to the sorted coin containers even though the sorted coin containers are full. Such additional coins spill over, resulting in many instances in a mess.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a new and improved coin bank capable of sorting coins of five different denominations which would overcome the foregoing deficiencies and others, as well as providing better and more advantageous overall results.


A method for transmitting a data stream from a circuit unit to a memory cell array includes receiving the data stream and demultiplexing it in response to a control signal, thereby dividing the data stream into a storage data stream and a mask data stream. The storage data stream is then buffered into a register unit, where it is divided into data stream components buffered in corresponding data register components on the basis of a clock signal and an address signal provided to the register unit. Meanwhile, the mask data stream is buffered in a mask register of the register unit. A composite data stream is then formed by combining selected data stream components in response to information provided by a data mask unit from the mask data stream buffered in the mask register. Data corresponding to this composite data stream is then provided to the memory cell array for storage therein.

As the integration density of semiconductor memories, for example synchronous DRAMs, SDRAMs or DDR-DRAMs, has increased, greater requirements have been made of a data transmission rate when transmitting data streams from external circuit units to a memory cell array of a semiconductor memory. In principle two measures can be taken to increase a data transmission rate.
(i) A width of a chip-internal data bus is increased or a width of internal data transmission paths is increased; and
(ii) A clock frequency is increased.
Generally, a data transmission rate is calculated per connecting unit (or pin) in megabits per second (Mbit/s per connecting unit). For example, a conventional personal computer device under the designation PC100 has a data transmission rate of 100 Mbit/s per connecting unit (pin), it being possible to make available 1600 Mbit/s per PC100 device with a customarily provided arrangement of 16 connecting units (pins).
It is thus possible to detect that a data transmission rate increases proportionally to an increase in a number of connecting units. However, for reasons of fabrication technology and for reasons of the handling capabilities of PC devices, the maximum number of connecting units is limited, as a result of which an increase in a data transmission rate is limited by making data transmission paths wider.
Furthermore, with conventional arrangements the clock frequency which determines the data transmission rate is disadvantageously limited. Striking a balance between the clock frequency and a bus width or a width of data transmission paths leads to a situation in which each connecting unit (pin) of a PC device has to be utilized to an optimum degree or as effectively as possible.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional circuit arrangement for transmitting data between an (external) circuit unit (103) and a memory cell array (102). A 16-bit-wide data transmission path connects the external circuit unit (103) to a storage data stream connecting unit 300a, which in turn transmits a storage data stream 303 to a storage data stream receiver 304 via a data transmission path which is also 16 bits wide. At the same time, i.e. parallel to the transmission described above, a 1-bit-wide mask data stream 305 is transmitted to a mask data stream connecting unit 300 and from there on to a mask data stream receiver 302, also via a 1-bit-wide data transmission path.
The mask data stream 305 is supplied to two mask register components 301a, 301b of a mask register 301 which is located within a register unit 115. The storage data stream 303 is fed via a 16-bit-wide data transmission path to data register components 108a, 108b which are arranged in a data register 108 which forms the other part of the register unit 115.
It is thus a disadvantage of conventional circuit arrangements for transmitting data into a memory cell array 102 that an additional connecting unit 300 has to be made available for the transmission of the mask data stream 305. It is in particular inexpedient to make available a 1-bit-wide data transmission path for the mask data stream 305 which only contains information on which data of the storage data stream 303 are to be ultimately transmitted to the memory cell array 102.

Transmitting data into a memory cell array


A system for facilitating the information transfer and processing associated with home construction and home sales. Various discrete software modules are disclosed each handling a specific task associated with home construction and sales. Also, a system for communicating between separate data bases is disclosed wherein separate and distinct sales offices, each having their own data base, may communicate with a parent, market office having its own data base wherein the data bases of the sales offices and the market office are synchronized according to the method of the present invention so that any data updates in any of the sales offices would be automatically updated in the associated market offices. This aspect of the present invention allows a corporation responsible for home construction and sales amongst various regional, market, and sales offices to coordinate a plurality of discretely separate data bases in a way such that they are all synchronized with one another at a predetermined time.

It is customary for prospective new home purchasers to meet with a salesperson (usually an agent of a construction company) and to review various home designs that the construction company offers. During this process, financial information may be obtained from the prospective buyer in order to determine "how much home" they can afford. If the prospective buyer is interested in a particular subdivision, the sales persons must access various records to determine the status of the various lots in the subdivision to determine which lots are available, what their cost is and other information which may be relevant to the decision making process of the potential purchaser.
It can be easily seen that the information which the sales associate must access in answering some basic questions that a single potential purchaser may have can become cumbersome—even at the initial stages of a potential purchaser's inquiries. It can also be easily seen that once a purchaser enters into a purchase agreement with the home construction company, much information must be tracked such as the status of the home construction, mortgage approval status, selected options to the home, and various change orders, etc. In view of the above, it is easy to see how the management of information associated with the construction and sale of a single home can be daunting. However, when a construction company must deal with multiple subdivision projects which are disbursed across multiple, geographically remote sites, the management of information associated with each of the construction projects is a monumental undertaking if done using conventional, manual techniques.
In view of the above, it is an object of this invention to provide a computer based system for managing the information flow associated with new home construction and new home sales. This object is accomplished by providing the salesperson with various software modules which facilitate information flow between the purchaser/potential purchaser and the sales associate. Also, the present invention sets forth a software system for coordinating information flow between sales sites and a more centralized site where information can be collected and acted upon. Thus, the present invention not only facilitates information flow at the sales office level, but facilitates information flow between various sales offices and various remote locations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for synchronizing data between a plurality of databases


A casting mold is provided for forming a biomedical device including an ophthalmic device such as a contact lens. The casting mold includes an anterior mold section and a posterior mold section, wherein one of the mold sections includes a plurality of radially extending ribs and the remaining mold section includes an annular shoulder for engaging an outer end of the ribs to define a mold cavity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the formation of biomedical devices and, more particularly, to a mold assembly for the formation of an ophthalmic device having an optical surface. A casting mold having an anterior mold section and a posterior mold section is provided, wherein the mold sections can be operably engaged by an interference fit between ribs on one mold section and an annular shoulder on the second mold section.
2. Description of Related Art
One method for making biomedical devices including ophthalmic devices such as contact lenses is cast molding. Cast molding of contact lenses involves depositing a curable mixture of a polymerizable lens material, such as a monomer, in a casting mold cavity that is formed by at least two assembled casting mold sections; curing the mixture; disassembling the casting mold sections and removing the molded lens. Post-molding processing steps, for example, hydration in the case of hydrogel lenses, can also be employed. Representative cast molding methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,875 (Appleton et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,266 (Clark et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,364 (Shepherd); U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,779 (Ihn et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,580 (Seden et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,147 (Appleton et al.); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,660 (Hamilton et al.).
Thus, the configuration of the mold, and particularly the optical surfaces of the mold at least partially determine the resulting surfaces of the lens. While a significant number of optical defects can be corrected with the molded biomedical devices, as many ophthalmic devices require two mold halves, there is a need to optimize the configuration of the casting mold.

Casting mold for forming a biomedical device including an ophthalmic device