The present invention is used in an emergency network to identify and provide the correct public safety access point (PSAP) to service an emergency call originating from a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscriber. Data stores in an emergency services network associate PSAPs to an input ZIP code obtained from a street address returned from an MSAG relating to a VoIP call, and PSAPs to an input ESN. An emergency caller's civic street address is matched against a nationwide MSAG data store to result in a MSAG ESN. From the street address, the emergency caller's ZIP code is matched to a PSAP in an appropriate ZIP/PSAP data store. A matching PSAP from both the ZIP/PSAP and PSAP/ESN data stores determines with great reliability the identity of the proper PSAP for that emergency caller.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to long distance carriers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and information content delivery services/providers and long distance carriers. More particularly, it relates to emergency call systems (e.g., E9-1-1) including wireless and Internet Protocol (IP) based Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) emergency call systems.
2. Background of Related Art
9-1-1 is a phone number widely recognized in North America as an emergency phone number that is used to contact emergency dispatch personnel. Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) is defined by an emergency call being selectively routed to an appropriate PSAP, based on a special identifier (P-ANI, or "Pseudo Automatic Number Identifier", also referred to as "ESxK"), and includes the transmission of callback number and location information when 9-1-1 is used. E9-1-1 may be implemented for landline, cellular or VoIP networks. Regardless of the network type, a 9-1-1 service becomes E-9-1-1 when automatic number identification and automatic location information related to the call is provided to the 9-1-1 operator at the PSAP.
A Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is a dispatch office that receives 9-1-1 calls from the public. A PSAP may be a local, fire or police department, an ambulance service or a regional office covering all services. As used herein, the term "PSAP" refers to either a PSAP, or to an Emergency Call Center (ECC), a VoIP term.
Distributed Emergency Call Systems in Telecommunications are in general very complex computing systems. Emergency Calls that originate from a VoIP network use well proven routing paradigms already used for Cellular 911 calls, or for traditional Landline 911 calls. These paradigms usually work well, because VoIP customers can usually be grouped into two categories, a mobile one that resembles a cellular user and a stationary one resembling landline usage.
Traditional Landline paradigms provide the most accurate location, but require the subscriber's address to be provisioned into a Landline ALI (Automatic Location Identifier). This pre-provisioning (often referred to as SOI "Service Order Interface" loading) usually takes a few days between the caller notifying their service provider of their address change, and this change being reflected in the Landline ALI. During this window a 911 call will be routed using the "old" data still in the Landline ALI. The fastest possible landline ALI provisioning takes at least several hours.
Landline systems use pre-provisioned Subscriber addresses, where the Landline ALI provisioning process (i.e. SOI) insures a match to an MSAG record, which contains an ESN used to route Emergency Calls to a PSAP.
Cellular systems either use triangulation technologies to find a latitude & longitude of the caller, then use modern GIS systems to query for the PSAP polygon that contains this location. These polygons can lead to a different, neighboring PSAP than an equivalent address provisioned in a Landline ALI, but this discrepancy is accepted by PSAPs because the location itself is likely to be imprecise due to measurement errors—sometimes the location is off by hundreds of feet.
VoIP systems use proprietary technologies, usually based on GIS polygons, or based on provisioning the caller in the traditional Landline ALI which takes at least a few hours, and sometimes as long as a few days.
A significant disadvantage of the conventional technology is that non-mobile VoIP callers who know their street address must choose between (1) their ability to dial 911 immediately, but with the chance that calls will be routed to a neighboring PSAP, possibly delaying responders; and (2) waiting a few hours (up to days), during which their calls will route to the previous PSAP. But after this delay, the call will route to the same PSAP as a traditional landline 911 call.

Nationwide table routing of voice over internet protocol (VOIP) emergency calls


A reciprocating combinating tumbler for a lock plug assembly which includes a flat body portion and a bent-over (or enlarged) end portion is provided for use with a lock plug barrel having a generally cylindrical outer periphery, a longitudinal axis, a keyway slot formed substantially along the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of spaced-apart cavities formed substantially perpendicular to the keyway slot. In use, the tumbler reciprocates between an extended position wherein the bent-over end portion is spaced radially outwardly of the outer periphery of the lock plug barrel and protrudes into a longitudinal spline formed in the aperture of a housing, and a retracted position wherein the bent-over end portion is spaced radially inwardly of the outer periphery of the barrel and does not protrudes into the longitudinal spline. When the tumbler is in the extended position, the bent-over end portion provides resistance to cutting, shearing, and breaking by supplying additional surface contact between the bent-over end portion of the tumbler and the longitudinal spline of the aperture thereby making it more difficult to force the tumbler through the plastic material which surrounds the longitudinal spline. The tumbler is movable into the retracted position when the keyway slot of the barrel and the opening of the flat body portion is received by a properly-fitting key.

Lock mechanisms which utilize reciprocating combinating tumblers are well known in the art. Such lock mechanisms are commonly used, for example, to prevent unauthorized access to a place (e.g., a house, an apartment, an office, a desk, etc.) and to prevent the removal of objects therefrom. Such lock mechanisms are also used to secure transportable goods (e.g., skis, luggage, bicycles, surfboards, canoes, etc.) to a vehicle. In most instances, a transporter system (commonly known as a "load carrier") is mounted to the roof of the vehicle and the transportable goods are locked thereto. Examples of load carriers include ski racks, luggage racks, and boat carriers.
Most load carriers include a framework which is assembled from discrete component parts. In order to provide sufficient strength and durability to the framework as a whole, each component part is typically fabricated from either metal or high impact plastic material (e.g., polycarbonate plastic). A key-operated lock mechanism is also provided for locking the transportable goods to the framework. The lock mechanism usually comprises a conventional lock plug assembly having a plurality of flat reciprocating metal tumblers disposed therein. In most instances, the lock plug assembly is received by an aperture formed in one or more of the high impact plastic component parts of the framework. Of course, in order to prevent rotation of the lock plug assembly when its in its locked position (i.e., when the tumblers are extended), the aperture must include at least one longitudinal spline.
One notable disadvantage of such lock mechanisms is that the metal tumblers can be used to cut through the high impact plastic material of the framework, especially when the load carrier is subjected to cold temperatures. For example, when a tool or utensil is inserted into the lock plug assembly and a sufficient rotational force is applied thereto, the flat metal tumblers will cut, shear, or break through the plastic material which surrounds the aperture (i.e., the plastic material immediately adjacent to the spline). In this way, vandals or thieves may defeat the lock mechanism and gain access to the goods being transported by the vehicle. Of course, when the lock mechanism is defeated in this way, the framework of the load carrier is also damaged.
An additional deficiency of such lock plug assemblies is that they are very difficult, if not impossible, to remove from the framework of the load carrier during replacement, repair and/or servicing because the rear portion of such lock plug assemblies is generally inaccessibly positioned within the aperture. A further inconvenience associated with such lock plug assemblies is that snow, ice, dust, and other debris can enter the keyway slot which may damage the tumblers and/or cause the lock mechanism to freeze-up or become inoperable.

Lock plug assembly and a tumbler with a bent-over end therefor


Disclosed is a television tuner for receiving television broadcast signals with an antenna, which is equipped with an auto-scan unit that causes a channel storing section, which stores a receiving channel at the time when the signal condition from a tuner section matches the predetermined signal condition, to automatically store the receiving channel, wherein the auto scan unit detects switches among the receiving channel sequentially in the tuner section to detect the signal condition, and, after signal condition is detected for every channel, performs a variable directivity control for the antenna, resulting in an increased auto-scan execution speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television tuner that receives television broadcast signals with an antenna capable of selecting directivity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In television broadcasting, transmitter location may differ with each broadcasting station. In such a case, to receive the radio wave from a desired station, it is necessary to set up the receiver to receive the desired channel and also to adjust the directivity of the antenna toward the transmitter of the desired station.
Conventionally, there is known a television tuner that is equipped with a smart antenna capable of statically changing the directivity by means of an electrical signal, and that allows finding a direction in which the desired channel can be best received by automatically and omnidirectionaly changing the directivity of the smart antenna (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-298226, for example).
Also, the above inventor proposes a television tuner that receives television broadcast signals with the above-mentioned smart antenna, wherein the smart antenna is controlled to change the directivity of the smart antenna omnidirectionaly so as to find a direction in which the desired radio wave is best received, and also to switch receiving channels as appropriate and store receiving channels sequentially which give optimum receiving condition. This television tuner allows automatic storing of receiving channels for all the receiving channels when performing an auto-scan to set receivable television channels, and therefore is very convenient.
However, this television tuner is designed to find the optimum receiving condition by changing the directivity of the smart antenna omnidirectionaly for all the receiving channels, as described above. That is, it is necessary to perform the omnidirectional directivity control of the smart antenna as many times as the number of receiving channels repeatedly. Therefore, it will take too much time if all the channels are scanned. In particular, if the number of receivable channels is large this problem is serious, making the user irritated or uncomfortable.

Television tuner for control of directivity of antenna


An exemplary speech processor configured to be used in a cochlear implant system includes signal processing circuitry that 1) separates an incoming audio signal into a plurality of channels, wherein each channel included in the plurality of channels includes a channel signal included in a plurality of channel signals and representing a portion of the audio signal, 2) selects one or more channel signals from the plurality of channel signals that have a spectral power that exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the selected one or more channel signals corresponding to one or more channels included in the plurality of channels, and 3) designates only the one or more channels that correspond to the selected one or more channel signals to be used for stimulation representative of the incoming audio signal.

Cochlear implant systems provide the sensation of sound to those who are profoundly deaf. Unfortunately, the clarity of the sound that is perceived is not always as good as desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,629, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,617, both of which patents are incorporated herein by reference, teach or use some speech processing and stimulation strategies that may be used by a cochlear implant system, such as the CLARION or C-II cochlear stimulation systems available from Advanced Bionics Corporation, of Sylmar, Calif. One common speech processing strategy used in the prior art is a simultaneous analog stimulation (SAS) strategy, wherein more than one channel may provide stimulation at the same time. Another common speech processing strategy used and known in the art is continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) strategy. U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,247, also incorporated herein by reference, teaches other types of speech processing and stimulation strategies that may be used by a cochlear implant system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,380, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,397 are likewise incorporated herein by reference.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and apparatus for cochlear implant signal processing


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates searching through content which is accessible though web-based forms. During operation, the system receives a query containing keywords. Next, the system analyzes the query to create a structured query. The system then performs a lookup based on the structured query in a database containing entries describing the web-based forms. Next, the system ranks forms returned by the lookup, and uses the rankings and associated database entries to facilitate a search through content which is accessible through the forms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for performing searches through content on web sites. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus that facilitates searching through content which is not directly available on web pages, but is instead accessible though queries entered into web-based forms.
2. Related Art
Much of the power of the World Wide Web arises from the ability of search engines to rapidly comb through billions of web pages looking for pages associated with keywords of interest. Unfortunately, a large portion of the data which is available on the web is hidden behind web-based forms, and is consequently not searchable by traditional search engines.
A user typically accesses this type of data by filling in input fields in a web-based form. This causes a corresponding database query to be generated based on the values contained in the input fields, and the database query is submitted to an underlying database. This query causes data to be returned, and this data is typically displayed to a user. For example, a web-based form for local property tax records can accept an address in a set of input fields and can output a corresponding property tax record for the address. In another example, a web-based form for a chain of coffee shops can accept a city name or a postal code in a set of input fields and in response can display the locations of nearby coffee shops.
Traditional search engines lack the ability to search through this type of data which is hidden behind web-based forms. Consequently, a large amount of possibly relevant data cannot be easily accessed through traditional search engines.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus that facilitates efficiently searching through information which is hidden behind web-based forms.

Searching through content which is accessible through web-based forms


An electronic device and a method for processing a hovering input are provided. The method includes displaying a screen; when a hovering input is sensed, detecting a location of the sensed hovering input; analyzing a priority of the hovering input; and determining a position of a hovering pointer from the location of the hovering input having the highest priority. The electronic device includes a touch screen configured to display thereon a screen and to touch sense a hovering input; and a control unit configured, when the hovering input is sensed from the screen, to detect a location of the sensed hovering input, to analyze a priority of the hovering input, and to determine a position of a hovering pointer from the location of the hovering input having a highest priority.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device and method for processing a hovering input thereof, and more particularly, to an electronic device and method for processing a hovering by determine a priority of a hovering input.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, some electronic devices have employed a touch panel of a proximity touch type which recognizes the approach of a nearby object in a non-contact manner without touching the screen. This non-contact, or proximity touch, technique is normally based on a hovering input entered by a certain input tool (e.g., a user's finger, an electronic pen, etc.). In response to a hovering input, an electronic device visually offers a pointer on the screen and performs a particular function such as selecting, executing, or previewing an object which is displayed on the screen and indicated by the pointer.
Unfortunately, this electronic device may often sense two or more hovering inputs due to, for example, a user's hand or fingers gripping it. Such simultaneous sensing of hovering inputs may cause a pointer to be displayed at an undesired position on the screen. Therefore, a user may often have trouble selecting a desired object displayed on the screen.

Electronic device and method for processing hovering input thereof


A drilling fluid nozzle 12 mounted in the end of an earth drilling tool 10 has a flow channel defined by a surrounding wall 16 which diverges at an angle of 30.degree. or less, such that the exiting fluid "adheres" to the wall in a laminar manner due to the Coanda effect. This configuration minimizes clogging, and implements ready unclogging.

This invention concerns nozzles for drilling tools which work rock by abrading or shearing it, e.g., a one-piece tool fitted with blades or cutting edges made of diamond, polycrystalline diamond compacts or PDC, tungsten carbide, etc.
These nozzles must possess good irrigation, cleaning, and blade-cooling and cutting edge-cooling properties, and must drain off debris effectively.
It is known that cylindrical or convergent nozzles give excellent performance as regards destruction of rock, since they concentrate the flow of irrigation fluid on a small section. They are used for this purpose in tools fitted with tricone bits.
In the case of one-piece tools, the most important factor is not that of the destruction of the rock by hydraulic impact, but rather that of a homogeneous irrigation of the entire functional surface of the tool. This result could certainly be achieved by fitting the one-piece tool with wide nozzles which produce wide-cross-section jets of fluid and which have the further advantage of not permitting clogging with rock debris; however, in the event that clogging, a rare but potential phenomenon, should occur, unclogging would prove difficult, since, in a wide nozzle, the loss of head or pressure drop is low. Should the tool incorporate several other wide, unclogged nozzles, there would not be enough discharge available to unblock the obstructed nozzle.
One solution used to facilitate the unclogging of the nozzles might involve the choice of nozzles having a small cross-section of flow, since the high loss of head would make it possible to effect the unclogging operation. However, in this case one encounters the problem that small cross-section nozzles clog easily.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,814 discloses nozzles capable of being mounted or detached from a drilling tool using an Allen wrench, which saves space and contributes a tightening torque higher than those in standard nozzles. However, these nozzles in no way solve the problem set forth above, i.e., that of allowing good irrigation, self-cleaning, and good cooling of the blades and cutting edges, as well as unclogging of the nozzles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,706 concerns the use of cavitation-effect nozzles designed to destroy rock by cavitation. Cavitation is a destructive phenomenon caused by mini-explosions which generate destructive shockwaves. However, these nozzles do not solve the problem forming the basis of the invention.
European patent application No. 146,252 relates to an assembly of components designed to produce a nozzle resistant to very high pressures. This nozzle does not, however, have a structure that would enable it to improve cleaning, the distribution of fluid, and cooling of the drilling tool.

Divergent fluid nozzle for drilling tool


Embodiments disclose systems and methods for a camera mount. Specifically, embodiments are directed towards a camera support that may be quickly unlocked and rotated, so that the grip orientation changes from a normal hand-grip use, to an orientation that can be undergirded by the crook of the operators elbow.

Since the invention of the motion-picture camera, cinematographers have needed accessories that supported and stabilized their cameras in order to ensure sharp, controlled images. This resulted in the development of the camera tripod, camera dolly, camera jib, etc. As motion-picture cameras became smaller and lighter, artists began hand-holding their cameras, struggling to fit what is essentially a box-shaped object to the ergonomics of the human form. It is for this purpose that the shoulder-mounted camera was developed.
Today, many cameras have shrunk in size to become little more than a small box containing a sensor and storage media. Thusly, new accessories were developed to "rig" these smaller cameras to fit the mold of the shoulder-camera configuration. This accessory which adapts the camera "box" form to that which more comfortably fits the human form is typically referred to within the industry as a camera rig, or shoulder rig. Many camera rig designs have arisen that attempt to allow for the support of the camera by a user, but don't explicitly solve the problem of simultaneous control.
Currently available shoulder rig designs are modular in nature, which enables personal customization for comfort and use. Many manufacturers offer various elements that combine to form the modern shoulder rig, including shoulder pad, camera attachment plate, shoulder counter weight, rails, and handles. While the shoulder pad, rails, and counter weight all function primarily as "dumb" aspects to the overall form, they are sufficient in that they don't restrict the user from performing necessary aspects of filming. Importantly, the current industry design of the handle element has been one of a "dumb" element, with the added negative aspect of actually removing the user's ability to handle other important aspects of filming. The modern camera user needs a handle assembly that provides both weight-bearing stability and user control over such important functions as focusing or zooming of the lens.
There have been attempts at reconciling these two needs by designing handles that serve two functions simultaneously: bearing weight while also transmitting user intentions, including focus or zoom control, via a direct-linked twisting or squeezing of the handle. This design has failed because it forces the user to support weight at the same point where the nuanced movements required for quality filmmaking are taking place. It is widely understood that muscles under heavy stress (of a camera) are not as adept at small nuanced control (of focusing or zooming artistically).
Accordingly, need exists for a handle element that provides both weight-bearing stability and an arm position that leaves the user free to manipulate filming functions with finesse and ease.


An image forming device includes: a display device; a storage device that stores finish icons indicating respective finished states of a plurality of types of printed material, function icons indicating respective functions of setting finished states of the printed materials, and a correspondence relationship between the finish icon and the function icon indicating the function of setting the finished state of the printed material indicated by the finish icon; and a control device that includes a processor and, by the processor executing a control program, functions as a controller. The controller reads out the finish icon from the storage device, causes the display device to display, on a screen thereof, the finish icon, reads out the function icon associated with the finish icon from the storage device based on the correspondence relationship, and causes the display device to display the function icon in association with the finish icon.

The present disclosure relates to a technology allowing a user to set a finished state of printed material.
In an image forming apparatus, for example, when copying is executed, a plurality of functions such as double-sided printing, portrait or landscape printing on recording paper, and stapling are set, and an image is printed on the recording paper or post-processing of the recording paper is performed according to setting content of respective functions.
Further, in a general image forming apparatus, in displaying a preview image of a copy, the preview is displayed with, by distinguishing, initial copy conditions, and the copy conditions of a user set by user operation, and when release or addition of the copy conditions is instructed by user operation, the release or addition of the copy conditions is reflected in the preview image of the copy.

Image forming apparatus for forming image on recording paper


A two-phase electrophoretic medium comprises a continuous phase and a discontinuous phase. The discontinuous phase comprises a plurality of droplets, each of which comprises a suspending fluid and at least one particle disposed within the suspending fluid and capable of moving through the fluid upon application of an electric field to the electrophoretic medium. The continuous phase surrounds and encapsulates the discontinuous phase. To reduce the humidity sensitivity of the medium, a non-ionizable or crystalline polymer may be used as the continuous phase.

This invention relates to a electrophoretic medium and to a process for the production of this medium. This invention also relates to an electrophoretic display incorporating such a medium. More specifically, this invention relates to a two-phase electrophoretic medium which comprises a discontinuous phase containing electrophoretically-mobile particles and a continuous phase essentially free from such particles. The present application also describes materials useful in fabricating such media and displays.
Electrophoretic displays have been the subject of intense research and development for a number of years. Such displays can have attributes of good brightness and contrast, wide viewing angles, state bistability, and low power consumption when compared with liquid crystal displays. (The terms "bistable" and "bistability" are used herein in their conventional meaning in the art to refer to displays comprising display elements having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, and such that after any given element has been driven, by means of an addressing pulse of finite duration, to assume either its first or second display state, after the addressing pulse has terminated, that state will persist for at least several times, for example at least four times, the minimum duration of the addressing pulse required to change the state of the display element.) Nevertheless, problems with the long-term image quality of these displays have prevented their widespread usage. For example, particles that make up electrophoretic displays tend to cluster and settle, resulting in inadequate service-life for these displays.
Numerous patents and applications assigned to or in the names of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and E Ink Corporation have recently been published described encapsulated electrophoretic media. Such encapsulated media comprise numerous small capsules, each of which itself comprises an internal phase containing electrophoretically-mobile particles suspended in a liquid suspension medium, and a capsule wall surrounding the internal phase. Typically, the capsules are themselves held within a polymeric binder to form a coherent layer positioned between two electrodes. Encapsulated media of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,930,026; 5,961,804; 6,017,584; 6,067,185; 6,118,426; 6,120,588; 6,120,839; 6,124,851; 6,130,773; 6,130,774; 6,172,798; 6,177,921; 6,232,950; 6,241,921; 6,249,271; 6,252,564; 6,262,706; 6,262,833; 6,300,932; 6,312,304; 6,312,971; 6,323,989; and 6,327,072; U.S. patent application Publication No. 2001-0045934; and International Applications Publication Nos. WO 97/04398; WO 98/03896; WO 98/19208; WO 98/41898; WO 98/41899; WO 99/10767; WO 99/10768; WO 99/10769; WO 99/47970; WO 99/53371; WO 99/53373; WO 99/56171; WO 99/59101; WO 99/67678; WO 00/03349; WO 00/03291; WO 00/05704; WO 00/20921; WO 00/20922; WO 00/20923; WO 00/26761; WO 00/36465; WO 00/36560; WO 00/36666; WO 00/38000; WO 00/38001; WO 00/59625; WO 00/60410; WO 00/67110; WO 00/67327 WO 01/02899; WO 01/07691; WO 01/08241; WO 01/08242; WO 01/17029; WO 01/17040; WO 01/17041; WO 01/80287 and WO 02/07216.
Encapsulated electrophoretic displays solve, or at least reduce, many of the problems previously associated with electrophoretic displays, and offer additional advantages compared to liquid crystal displays. Some added advantages are the ability to print or coat the display material on a wide variety of flexible and rigid substrates. The clustering and settling problems, which plagued prior art electrophoretic displays and resulted in inadequate lifetimes for the displays are now overcome.
This application describes electrophoretic displays, especially encapsulated electrophoretic displays, and classes of materials, as well as some specific materials, which should be useful in their construction.
The successful construction of an encapsulated electrophoretic display requires the proper interaction of several different types of materials and processes. Materials such as a polymeric binder, a capsule membrane, and the electrophoretic particles and fluid must all be chemically compatible. The capsule membranes may engage in useful surface interactions with the electrophoretic particles, or may act as an inert physical boundary between the fluid and the binder. Polymer binders may act as adhesives between capsule membranes and electrode surfaces.
It has now been recognized that a separate encapsulation step of the process is not always necessary. The electrophoretic fluid may be directly dispersed or emulsified into the binder (or a precursor to the binder material—this binder or precursor may for convenience be referred to as the "continuous phase") to form what may be called a "polymer-dispersed electrophoretic display". In such displays, the individual electrophoretic phases ("droplets") may be referred to as capsules or microcapsules even though no capsule membrane is present, i.e., there is no discrete capsule membrane associated with each individual droplet. Such polymer-dispersed electrophoretic displays, which are the subject of the present invention, are considered to be subsets of encapsulated electrophoretic displays.
It has now been found that two-phase electrophoretic media with advantageous properties can be prepared using a simple, inexpensive process, and this invention relates to such media and to processes for their preparation.

Electrophoretic medium and process for the production thereof


A phospholipase A2 inhibitor protein designated “Phospholipase Inhibitor from Python” (PIP)—formerly designated “Python Antitoxic Factor” (PAF)—is given by SEQ ID NO:2. The partial amino acid sequence for PIP was initially determined from the native protein purified from the blood serum of a non-venomous snake, Python reticulatus. The complete PIP polynucleotide sequence was obtained from a cDNA clone encoding PIP, given by SEQ ID NO:1, along with the full amino acid sequence deduced from it. Also disclosed is a recombinant protein PIP, which shows strong lethal toxin neutralizing activity similar to the native PIP, and has potent anti-inflammatory activity. Both the native and the functionally equivalent recombinant PIP are useful for the prevention or treatment of conditions such as snakebites, insect stings, and inflammatory diseases. Also, phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitory polypeptides designated P-0029, P-0009, and P-0006, the sequences of which are given as SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:12, respectively, are disclosed. Those polypeptides, and their synthetic chemical analogues and polypeptide variants that inhibit PLA2 activity and alleviate inflammation, may also be used in the diagnosis, study, prevention, and treatment of PLA2-related human inflammatory diseases.

While lethal bites by Russell's viper (Daboia russelli siamensis) pose a serious medical problem in the developing countries of Southeast Asia, the situation is further aggravated by the limited effectiveness of antivenins in snakebite treatment (Warrell, D. A., 1992, Recent Advances in Toxinology Research, 1: 121–153, Gopalakrishnakone, P. and Tan, C. K., Eds.), National University of Singapore; Warrell, D. A. 1993 Med. J. Austr. 159: 773–779), and hypersensitivity to horse proteins in some patients during serotherapy. Treatment of snakebite, especially that of Russell's viper, would be greatly enhanced, if an antidote could be found which would overcome the aforementioned problems associated with use of commercial antivenins.
Neutralising factors towards this end have been isolated and purified from sera of various mammals and snakes, including antihaemorrhagic factors (Catanese and Kress, 1992, Biochemistry 31: 410–418; Yamakawa and Omori-Satoh, 1992, J. Biochem. 122: 583–589; Qi, Z.-Q. et al., 1994, Toxicon 32: 1459–1469), PLA2-inhibitors (Fortes-Dias et al., 1991, Toxicon 29, 997–1008; Perales et al., 1995, Eur. J. Biochem. 227: 19–26; Kogaki et al., 1989, J. Biochem. 106, 966–971; Ohkura et al., 1993, J. Biochem. 113, 413–419) and anti-myotoxic factor (Inoue et al., 1997, Biochem. Mol. Bio. Inter., 49: 529–537). The high neutralising capacity against skin haemorrhage induced by several haemorrhagic venoms seems to be a common feature among the antihaemorrhagic factors, but their neutralising activity against venom toxins has not been tested properly and hence no claim has been made so far as to the use of antihaemorrhagic factor(s) for treating snakebite.
PLA2 is a major component of snake venoms that contributes to different pathological effects of snakebite such as neurotoxicity and myotoxicity, haemostatic disturbance, haemolysis, cardiotoxicity and hypotension. Two antitoxic PLA2 inhibitors, namely the crotalus neutralising factor (CNF) and crotoxin inhibitor from crotalus serum (CICS), have been purified and characterised from the serum of a South American rattlesnake, Crotalus d. terrificus (Fortes-Dias et al., supra; Perales et al., supra). Both are oligomeric glycoproteins with molecular weights in the range of 130–160 kDa and subunit molecular masses of around 23–25 kDa, and act specifically by neutralising crotoxin, the main toxic component with potent PLA2 activity from the South American rattlesnake venom. Although CICS and CNF appear to be the most likely candidates for use as antidotes against Crotalus snake poisoning, their effectiveness against the lethal toxicity of heterologous venoms from viperid snakes like Russell's viper is yet to be tested.
Two more PLA2 inhibitors with molecular weights of 100 kDa and 75 kDa, from crotalid snakes, Trimeresurus flavoviridis and Agkistrodon b. siniticus, respectively (Kogaki et al., supra; Ohkura et al., supra), and another 90-kDa PLA2 inhibitor from an Elapidae, Naja naja kaouthia (Inoue et al., supra) have also been purified, but their capacity to inhibit the toxic effects of the venoms has not been reported. Recently, a PLA2 inhibitor named Bothrops asper myotoxin inhibitor protein (BaMIP), which is an oligomer (molecular weight 120 kDa) composed of five 23–25 kDa subunits, has been purified from the blood plasma of Bothrops asper (Lizano et al., 1997, Biochem. J. 326: 853–859). Although it is active in inhibiting the in vitro PLA2 catalytic activity and the myotoxic and oedematogenic activities of the B. asper myotoxin isoforms, its neutralising activity against the lethal or systemic action of snake venom or toxin has not been reported.
Despite the above advances, Russell's viper bite is still posing a major life-threatening health problem in the Southeast Asia region. Thousands of bites by this snake occur yearly, resulting in an annual mortality of more than 100 in Myanmar alone (Myint-Lwin et al., 1985 Lancet II 1259–1264). Clinical studies using Russell's viper antivenins produced from different sources have indicated that one product from one area of the region is clinically much less effective for treating bites by another subspecies of Russell's viper in a different locality (Phillips et al., 1988, Quart, J. Med. 68, 691–716). A cocktail of venoms from different Russell's viper subspecies would therefore be desirable to give a broad spectrum of protective antibodies, but this has yet to happen.
From the foregoing, an antivenin drug that will neutralise the toxicity of Russell's viper venoms from all subspecies will have enormous potential as an antidote for all Russell's viper bites, irrespective of subspecies differences. Moreover, a drug having neutralising activity not only for Russell's viper venoms but also for venoms of all major snake species will be a major breakthrough.
PLA2 enzymes have been identified and purified from bovine, porcine, and human pancreas (Fleer et al., 1978, Eur. J. Biochem. 82: 261–269; Verheij et al., 1983, Biochem. Biophys. Acta 747: 93–99; Puijk et al., 1977, Biochem. Biophys. Acta 492: 254–259), and in human synovial fluid aspirates from rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients (Parks et al., 1990, Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 275: 55–81; Seilhames et al, 1989, J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 106: 38–42). Because of their implication in a range of diseases including rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, asthma, acute pancreatitis, septic shock, etc. (Vadas et al., 1986, Lab. Invest. 55: 391–404; Vadas et al., 1993, J. Lipid Med. 8: 1–30; Michaels et al., 1994, Biochem. Pharmacol. 48: 1–10), recent research has focused on the role of PLA2-inhibitors (PLIs) as possible anti-inflammatory agents (Glaser, 1995, Advances in Pharmaco. 32: 31–66). A number of PLIs have thus been purified and characterized from a variety of sources, including plant, fungi, and bacteria (Cuellar et al., 1996, J. Nat. Prod. 59: 977–979; Matsumoto et al., 1995, J. Antibiotics 48: 106–112; Lindahl et al., 1997, Inflammation 21: 347–356). Additionally, PLIs that interact with PLA2s and inhibit their enzymatic activity, have been purified almost entirely from the sera of venomous snakes belonging to Elapidae and Crotalidae families (Thwin et al., 1988, Toxicon 36: 1471–1482; Ohkura et al., 1999, J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 125: 375–382; Okumura et al., 1998, J. Biol. Chem. 273: 19469–19473; Hains et al., 2000, J. Biol. Chem. 275: 983–991). However, very little attempt has so far been made to produce recombinant proteins that are functionally active as the native inhibitors, nor to study the therapeutic relevance of the recombinant PLA2 inhibitors. Recently, a PLI with potent antitoxic and anti-inflammatory activities has been purified for the first time by us, from the serum of the non-venomous snake Python reticulatus (Thwin et al., 1999, Toxicon 37: 1465). This PLI, initially termed PAF (Python Antitoxic Factor), and later renamed as PIP (Phospholipase Inhibitor from Python), has also been cloned, sequenced, and functionally expressed as fusion protein in Escherichia coli (Thwin et al., 2000, Biochemistry [accepted for publication]). A broad aspect of this invention concerns the potential therapeutic significance of this recombinant inhibitor protein as an antidote for snakebite and other PLA2-related inflammatory conditions.
While the recombinant inhibitor protein can be used either alone or in combination with the neutralizing antibodies to improve the efficacy of commercial antivenins, we have noted that the structural information obtained from our previous study on the inhibitor protein can be effectively utilized to identify small molecular weight short peptides that may act as a surrogate for the larger molecule and be useful as potential anti-inflammatory agent. This will improve the therapeutic usefulness, and at the same time help to reduce the untoward effects commonly associated with the use of high molecular weight homologous or heterologous complexes like the recombinant protein. Short peptides called antiflammins that are synthesized based on the region of highest homology between uteroglobin and lipocortin I, have previously been shown to inhibit PLA2 (Snyder et al., 1999, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 288: 1117–1124; Rodgers et al., 1997, J. Invest. Surgery 10: 31–36), although there are some reports suggesting that these antiflammins are devoid of PLA2 inhibitory activity (Marastoni et al., 1993, Drug Res. 43: 997–1000; Hope et al., 1991, Agents & Actions 34: 77–80). Development of such small molecular weight peptide inhibitors has been the goal of researchers at many pharmaceutical companies. In this study, a family of oligopeptides corresponding to a region of high amino acid sequence similarity between PIP (Thwin et al., 2000, GENBANK Accession No. AF 232771) and other structurally related snake serum PLIs have been synthesized and examined for their anti-inflammatory activity. Thus another aspect of this invention relates to the synthetic decapeptide that shows potent in vitro PLA2 inhibitory activity and striking anti-inflammatory effects in vivo.

Therapeutic and prophylactic agents and methods of using same


A plug connector for plugging with a mating connector includes a lower housing, an upper housing fixed on the lower housing, a disengaged member and a covering lid. The upper housing has a receiving cavity concaved from its top surface and a pivotal groove formed in the receiving cavity. The disengaged member has a main body, an elastic member disposed on the main body, a handle portion extending and inclining upwardly from the main body, and a hooking plate extending from the main body. The hooking plate is opposite to the handle portion and is exposed outside the upper housing. The main body forms a rod-shaped portion disposed movably in the pivotal groove. The hooking plate hooks elastically the mating connector. The covering lid is fixed on the upper housing and covers the receiving cavity. The elastic member is propped against a bottom surface of the covering lid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plug connector, and more particularly to a small size connector having an engagement mechanism for engaging with a mating connector or disengaging from the mating connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Because of the rapid development of technology, data transferring requirement is more and more huge and rapidly. High speed data transfer systems require electrical connectors in which the electrical impedance ca be controlled in order to maintain the required data transfer rate of the electrical system.
Electrical connector is usually composed of a plug connector and a mating connector. The requirements for electrical connectors are not only smaller size, but also stable engagement between both. Therefore, in this field there is an essential need for plug connectors of smaller size in a prerequisite condition, wherein a stable engagement is necessary for engaging with the mating connector.
Accordingly, the present invention aims to propose a small size plug connector having an engagement mechanism to engage firmly with a mating connector for fulfilling the aforementioned requirements.


A apparatus and method are disclosed which may comprise a fluorine gas discharge laser system and electrode support system which may comprise a first electrode electrically connected to a source of high voltage; a first insulating mechanism insulating the first electrode from ground; a second electrode electrically insulated from the source of high voltage and together with the first electrode forming an elongated discharge region between portions of the first and second electrodes respectively extending along a longitudinal axis of each of the first and second electrodes, defining electrode discharge receiving region end portions; a plurality of current return tines electrically connected to the second electrode and to ground, the tines distributed along the longitudinal extent of the elongated discharge region; a second insulating mechanism electrically isolating the second electrode from ground except through the plurality of current return tines.

As noted in an above referenced application(s) or patent(s), a fluoride layer generated on the anode in rare gas fluoride excimer lasers (a so-called reef due to its resemblance to a marine coral reef albeit on a much smaller scale) can greatly reduce the erosion rate, thereby increasing anode operating lifetime by at least a factor of 5×, and more likely a factor of 10×. However, unless the fluoride layer is distributed evenly across the surface of the discharge region, e.g., in the gas flow direction, and, e.g., along the entire length of the discharge, it can cause local, severe erosion of the opposing cathode surface, which can leads to pulse energy and other instabilities. Applicants propose and apparatus and method of operation to alleviate such problems.
Coaxial cable has traditionally been used for high voltage power connections between modules in pulsed powered lasers, e.g., for integrated circuit photolithography processing uses, e.g., in applicant's assignee's below noted laser systems, e.g., in connections from a high voltage power supply ("HVPS") to a commutator section of a magnetic switch pulsed power system and from the commutator to a compression head portion of the pulsed power system, a so-called solid state pulse power system. The HVPS may be connected to the commutator section through, e.g., a resonant charger circuit. However, in many cases, the power delivered is not continuously applied. That is, the power is delivered in the form of pulses. The fundamental (and harmonic) frequency of these pulses can often result in a skin effect applied to the coaxial cable conductors (both the center conductor and outer return braid). This can have unwanted effects when the voltage and current delivered by the HVPS and inter-section connections is high as is the case with solid state magnetic switched pulsed power systems, e.g., for ArF, KrF, XeF, XeCl, F2 and like excimer/molecular fluorine laser systems, e.g., used in integrated circuit photolithography. The higher the pulse repetition rate, e.g., as these systems require upwards of 6 kHz and greater pulse repetition rates, the worse the problem. Applicants propose according to aspects of an embodiment of the present invention to alleviate such problems.
As noted in the above referenced co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/607,407 a pulse power circuit known in the art, e.g., for use in supplying high pulse repetition rate (4 kHz and above) electrical pulses between electrodes in a gas discharge laser system may include, e.g., a high voltage resonant power supply, a commutator module, a compression head module and a laser chamber module. High voltage power supply module can comprise, e.g., for a 4 kHz pulse repetition rate laser a 600 volt rectifier for, e.g., converting the 480 volt three phase normal plant power from an electrical power AC source to about 600 volt DC. An inverter, e.g., converts the output of the rectifier to, e.g., high frequency 600 volt pulses in the range of 10 kHz to 100 kHz. The frequency and the on period of the inverter can be controlled, e.g., by a HV power supply control board (not shown) in order to provide course regulation of the ultimate output pulse energy of the system, e.g., based upon the output of a voltage monitor comprising, e.g., a voltage divider.
The output of the inverter can be stepped up to about 800 volts in a step-up transformer. The output of transformer is converted to 800 volts DC by a rectifier, which can include, e.g., a standard bridge rectifier circuit and a filter capacitor. A Resonant charger module can be used to take the DC output of circuit, e.g., to resonantly pulse charge, e.g., an 5.1 μF charging capacitor C0 in the commutator module as directed by a control board, which can, e.g., control the operation of the Resonant charger module to set this voltage. Set points, e.g., within the HV or Resonant charger control board can be provided by a laser system control board (not shown). In the discussed embodiment, e.g., pulse energy control for the laser system can be provided by a set of power supply and resonant charger modules.
The electrical circuits in commutator module and compression head module may, e.g., serve to amplify the voltage and compress the electrical energy stored on charging capacitor C0 by the power supply and resonant charger modules, e.g., to provide 800-1200 volts to charging capacitor C0, which during the charging cycle can be isolated from the down stream circuits, e.g., by a solid state switch.
The commutator module, which can comprise, e.g., the charging capacitor C0, which can be, e.g., a bank of capacitors connected in parallel to provide a total capacitance of, e.g., 5.1 μ.F, along with the voltage divider, in order to, e.g., provide a feedback voltage signal to the HV power supply or Resonant charger control board which can be used by control board to limit the charging of charging capacitor C0 to a voltage (so-called "control voltage"), which, e.g., when formed into an electrical pulse and compressed and amplified in the commutator and compression head, can, e.g., produce the desired discharge voltage on a peaking capacitor Cp and across electrodes in the lasing cavity chamber.
As is known in the art, such a circuit may be utilized to provide pulses in the range of 3 or more Joules and greater than 14,000 volts at pulse rates of 2,000-4,000 or more pulses per second. In such a circuit, e.g., at 4 kHz about 160 microseconds may be required for DC power supply and Resonant charger modules to charge the charging capacitor C0 to, e.g., 800-1200 volts, and at 6 kHz the charging time is reduced to about 100 microseconds, and so forth as pulse repetition rate increases. Charging capacitor C0, therefore, can, e.g., be fully charged and stable at the desired voltage provided the voltage and current applied to the charging capacitor C0 in the amount of time allowed by the pulse repetition rate can be accomplished. For example, when a signal from a commutator control board is provided, e.g., to close the solid state switch, which, e.g., initiates a very fast step of converting the 3 Joules of electrical energy stored on charging capacitor C0 into, e.g., a 14,000 volt or more charge on peaking capacitor Cp for creating a discharge across the electrodes, provided the charging capacitor has been adequately charged within the time allotted by the pulse repetition rate of the laser system. The solid state switch may be, e.g., an IGBT switch, or other suitable fast operating high power solid state switch, e.g., an SCR, GTO, MCT, high power MOSFET, etc. A 600 nH charging inductor L0 can be placed in series with the solid state switch and employed, e.g., to temporarily limit the current through the solid state switch while it closes to discharge the charge stored on charging capacitor C0 onto a first stage capacitor C1 in the commutator module, e.g., forming a first stage of pulse compression.
For the first stage of pulse generation and compression, the charge on charging capacitor C0 can be switched onto a capacitor, e.g., a 5.3 μF capacitor C1, e.g., in about 4 μs. A saturable inductor can hold off the voltage on capacitor C1 until it saturates, and then presents essentially zero impedance to the current flow from capacitor C1, e.g., allowing the transfer of charge from capacitor C1 through, e.g., a step up transformer, e.g., a 1:25 step up pulse transformer to charge a capacitor Cp-1 in the compression head module, with, e.g., a transfer time period of about 400 ns, comprising a second stage of compression. The design of pulse transformer is described in a number of prior patents assigned to the common assignee of this application, including, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,988. For example, such a transformer is an extremely efficient pulse transformer, transforming, e.g., a 800 volt 5000 ampere, 400 ns pulse to, e.g., a 20,000 volt, 200 ampere 400 ns pulse, which, e.g., is stored very temporarily on compression head module capacitor Cp-1, which may also be, e.g., a bank of capacitors. The compression head module may, e.g., further compress the pulse. A saturable reactor inductor Lp-1, which may be, e.g., about a 125 nH saturated inductance, can, e.g., hold off the voltage on capacitor Cp-1 for approximately 400 ns, in order to, e.g., allow the charge on Cp-1 to flow, e.g., in about 100 ns, onto a peaking capacitor Cp, which may be, e.g., a 10.0 nF capacitor located, e.g., on the top of a laser chamber and which the peaking capacitor Cp is electrically connected in parallel with the laser system electrodes. This transformation of a, e.g., 400 ns long pulse into a, e.g., 100 ns long pulse to charge peaking capacitor Cp can make up, e.g., the second and last stage of compression. About 100 ns after the charge begins flowing onto peaking capacitor Cp mounted on top of and as a part of the laser chamber in the laser chamber module, the voltage on peaking capacitor Cp will have reached, e.g., about 20,000 volts and a discharge between the electrodes begins. The discharge may last, e.g., about 50 ns, during which time, e.g., lasing occurs within the resonance chamber of the, e.g., excimer laser.

Gas discharge laser system electrodes and power supply for delivering electrical energy to same


A prosthesis mounting device and assembly for securing a prosthesis on an implant supported in bone tissue. An appendage or “preppable abutment” is carried by a dental implant and is milled or “prepped” into a shape suitable to accept a dental prosthesis such as a crown or bridge. Alternatively the appendage may be cast using a lost-wax investment molding process in which an appendage model is shaped by adding and sculpting wax onto portions of a calcinable appendage and/or removing material from portions of the appendage before using the model to form a mold. In each case the appendage is formed to include a recess that extends axially upwardly from a bottom end of the appendage and is shaped to fit over an O-ring receiver abutment or “O-ball” of a dental implant.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a prosthesis mounting device for securing a prosthesis on an implant supported in bone tissue.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Conventional dental prosthetics such as crowns, bridges and dentures have long been the standard prosthetic devices used to replace missing teeth. Such devices are secured to a jaw bone using a surgical anchor known as a dental implant or a prosthesis mounting device.
The design of dental implants has developed considerably over the years since their initial conception by the ancient Egyptians. One of the more important developments is credited to the Swedish firm, Noblepharma. In the mid-1980s, Noblepharma developed and marketed a dental implant that resembled a natural tooth root. This implant, known as a root form implant, include two major components: a bone screw and a prosthetic abutment interface. There are now about 10 major dental implant manufacturers in the United States alone that market various forms of the root form implant.
The protocol for surgical placement of a root form implant is to first expose an underlying jaw bone through a surgical intervention of the soft tissue covering the jaw bone. An opening is then created in the jaw bone equal to the minor diameter of the bone screw portion of the implant. This is done by using a series of expanding diameter surgical drills that allow the surgeon to gradually increase the size of the hole in the bone until the implant can be screwed into place. Once the implant has been screwed in, the soft tissue incision is sutured closed over the osteotomy site. In a process known in the art as osseointegration, the bone tissue around the device then grows into tight apposition to the screw during a three to six month healing process.
In recent years, however, some doctors have advocated what is known in the art as immediate or progressive loading of an implant. This process eliminates or shortens the time required for osseointegration and its associated long healing times. However, most implants still require that patients wait for an extended time before they can fully make use of permanent replacement teeth. Multiple surgeries are also required.
After a root form screw implant is firmly positioned in bone, and once the osseointegration process is complete, the tissue covering the osteotomy site is again reflected and an attachment device called an abutment is affixed to a head of the implant that remains exposed after installation. A dental prosthesis can then be cemented or screwed onto the prosthetic abutment portion of the implant. The prosthetic abutment portion of the device is available in many shapes, sizes and designs to accommodate various treatment applications.
Extending healing periods and costs associated with the above described two-stage surgical implant procedure have prevented traditional dental implant systems from becoming the chosen treatment modality for patients with missing teeth. Manufacturers and marketers of dental implants have been searching for new concepts and ideas that would provide a more economical and less surgically invasive system.
In response to this need, a New York City company called Dentatus® USA Ltd. began experimenting with endodontic posts designed to be implanted directly into a jaw bone. These endontic posts, known as MTI implants, had a one-piece design incorporating both screw and abutment. Because the diameter of the MTI implant was only 1.8 mm, Dentatus® was able to develop an implantation procedure that did not require a large opening in the bone to receive the implant. All that was necessary was a small, shallow starter hole that could be formed in jaw bone tissue directly through soft tissue without having to surgically lay back a flap of the soft tissue to expose the bone beneath. This new approach was minimally invasive and provided an implant that could be immediately loaded without having to wait for an extended period of time for osseointegration to occur. In the art, this new type of implant that's dimensionally small enough to self-tap into bone tissue without splitting the bone tissue became known as the mini dental implant.
While some standard sized (approx. 3.75 mm diameter) implants claim to be self-tapping, because of their larger size, the extent of their self-tapping is severely limited. Bone has a visco-elastic nature that allows it stretch, to a certain point, to accommodate inserted objects. However, to install an implant shaft larger than approximately 2.0 mm in diameter requires a large osteotomy formed by drilling progressively larger osteotomy holes to the full depth that the implant will extend into the bone. For example, a so-called self-tapping implant having a 3.75 mm diameter and 4.0 mm diameter threads will still require a 3.0 mm osteotomy. A cutter is supported near the tip of such an implant and extends radially outward to engage and form thread grooves in the wall of a 3.75 mm osteotomy as the implant is installed.
IMTEC® Corporation is currently marketing a Sendax mini dental implant system that comprises a prosthesis mounting device having a threaded shaft, and an abutment including a square nut and a ball-shaped O-ring abutment. The threaded shaft is tapered at a first end to allow the shaft to self-tap into bone tissue starting from a small, shallow pilot hole formed in bone tissue. Because the shaft self-taps past the depth of the pilot hole, it immediately integrates with the bone tissue. The square nut is attached to and extends integrally and axially from a second end of the threaded shaft opposite the first end. The O-ring abutment is attached to and extends integrally and axially from the square abutment. The O-ring abutment is shaped to engage and support a prosthetic tooth or set of teeth. However, this system is unable to disconnect or automatically discontinue torque application during installation when a predetermined bone density is encountered. Nor can such a device warn an installer that the bone tissue lacks sufficient density to properly support a prosthetic tooth. Still further, the Sendax mounting system cannot indicate to an installer when it is fully seated in bone tissue, the platform formed at the head area of the shaft is no greater than the cross-sectional area of the shaft itself and provides little support for a prosthesis, and it doesn't provide a satisfactory interface between the implant and surrounding soft tissues.
In implant dentistry, it is also known for a prosthesis mounting assembly to include a large titanium appendage or "preppable" abutment that detachably extends from an axial top surface of a full-sized dental implant or "tooth post". Such a preppable abutment is milled or "prepped", as a tooth would be prepped, into a generally triangular prism-like shape suitable to accept and support a crown or bridge. It's then fixed to the top surface of an implant using an axially-oriented prosthetic fixation screw. Typically, a preppable abutment of this type will also include either an internal or an external hex key or recess that engages a complementary recess or key formed on or in the axial top surface of an implant and the appendage may be milled either in the mouth of a model using a dentist's drill or by sending the preppable abutment to dental lab where a milling machine is used to prep the appendage.
In practice, an implant is first surgically installed by incising and laying back gum tissue to reveal jaw bone tissue, drilling a hole in the bone, inserting the implant, then closing the gum tissue over the osteotomy site and allowing oseointegration to occur. The preppable abutment is then installed on the implant by re-incising and laying back the gum tissue to reveal the axial top surface of the implant, positioning the preppable abutment on the implant, and fixing it in place with the prosthetic fixation screw. The gum tissue is then closed and allowed to heal. An impression is then taken of the preppable abutment and a coping is formed in the impression to duplicate the preppable abutment. The coping is used to form a stone model duplicating the patient's mouth. A prosthetic tooth or bridge is then formed on the stone model and coping to fit in the patient's mouth and over the preppable abutment extending upward from the embedded implant. Finally, the prosthetic tooth or bridge is supported on the preppable abutment. However, this type of preppable abutment requires an implant that is specifically configured to accept and support it. IN addition, this design is prone to micro movement that can but stress on and eventually break a prosthetic tooth or bridge.
What's needed is a prosthesis mounting device and assembly that doesn't require an implant that's specifically designed to support it.


The present invention includes apparatus and method for image transfer onto one of a plurality of a pad medium pages while the pages are aggregated together. A preferred embodiment for a printer includes a housing; a print engine, within the housing, for transferring an image to a transfer medium when the transfer medium is located at a print position; and a transfer medium registration system, coupled to the print engine, for positioning a pad including a plurality of transfer media releasably secured to one another, wherein the print registration system locates one of the transfer media at the print position. The method including positioning a pad at a print position of a print transfer engine, the pad including a plurality of transfer media releasably secured to one another; and transferring an image to one of the transfer media positioned at the print position.

The present invention relates generally to printing systems, and more particularly to printing systems for transferring an image to a pad of transfer medium.
There are many types of printing systems available today. These systems include dot-matrix, thermal printers, electrostatic image transfer, ink ejectment, and the like. These systems are adapted for printing successive images on individual sheets of separate pages drawn from a paper reserve stack. There are many different mechanisms for extracting individual sheets and directing them to the image application portion of the printer. What these printers have in common is that the printing systems are adapted for accessing, controlling, routing and printing a single sheet at time.
Pads of note paper, such as Post-It® brand sticky note pads available from 3M Corporation of Minnesota, are well known. These pads include stacks of pages releasably secured to each other with a tacky adhesive that permits an individual page to removed from the pad and re-adhered to another surface. This feature of releasable securement to successive surfaces is a desirable trait of these products.
Currently to produce an image on a sticky note, a user either writes or otherwise applies some text or graphic element on the topmost page of the pad of sticky note. Later, the user removes the note to reposition it to the desired location. It would be advantageous to use a printing system to apply the element to the sticky note page. However, the current printing systems are incapable of printing on such a pad. 3M offers a solution for printing on a preformed matrix of single layer note pages arranged in a standard 8″×11″ format for running through a conventional printer.
This solution has disadvantages in that it requires access to, and use of, a full-size printer and associated computer system to reproduce the element on the note. Also, the user has to obtain pages of the special format, as well as special software for use in cooperation with the computer system operating the printer.


A method for authorizing a single action by a plurality of users at a site may include registering each of the users and at least one mobile communication device associated with that user with an authorization module, identifying the mobile communication device by a unique hardware identification number. The method may also include associating each of the users and the mobile communication device associated with that user with the site by the authorization module. The method may further include requesting each of the users to confirm the action by sending a confirmation request from the site to the mobile communication device associated with that user by the authorization module. The method may also include authorizing the action upon receiving confirmation from the mobile communication devices of all users that are required to authorize that action.

Present day information technology (IT) is characterized by an abundance of electronic sites that are available, accessible by users over public (e.g. the Internet) and private (e.g. local) networks. A "site", in the context of the present application, refers to any site that may be accessed by a user, such as, for example, an Internet site, an organizational management intranet system (e.g. Customer Relationship Management—CRM—system), a credit-card transaction approval system (e.g. remote systems, such as, for example, PayPal or local systems), an email box (e.g. Hotmail, Gmail etc), a bank account, an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and so on.
Some of these sites only provide access to information (e.g. general, public, private and confidential information), while other sites allow users to view information as well as perform an action.
The access to some sites is not limited, whereas other sites limit the access and require that certain conditions be met in order to allow a user to access the site. Typically, sites with limited access require some form of identification and authentication. In many cases a user is required to register to that site, by selecting a user name and a password and in many cases also other personal information depending on the particular site requirements, and later on provide the user name and password (or other information) in order to access that site or perform an action at that site.
In most cases the access information a user is required to provide in order to gain access to a site is simple and may easily be apprehended. For example, in order to successfully complete a credit-card transaction over a network e.g. the Internet), a buyer is usually required to provide a full name, an address, credit card number, expiry date (sometimes also a Card Verification value—CVV—number located on the back of the credit card). Such information may not be too hard to obtain (e.g. overlook a person using a credit card or overhear a conversation in which this information is mentioned, or by having a Trojan Horse type virus installed on the user's computer for sending all typed information to a remote computer).
It is also known that many users (some even claim that this is true for the majority of users) tend to register in many sites using the same user name and password, or use very similar registration details by changing only one or a few letters or digits). Thus, if a users name and password are unlawfully apprehended, many sites to which that user is registered may be illegally accessed by others disguising as that user. Such unlawful access may result in private information being exposed, fraud and other illegal actions that may cause extensive damages.
Sometimes it is one of the sites that a user is registered to, which is hacked, and valuable personal information may be unlawfully retrieved and used for accessing other sites the user is registered to.
Current authentication methods typically do not address the situation in which more than one person is required to confirm an action. For example, many businesses and organizations require that two (or more) persons authorize an action, such as when engaging in a legal contract, performing a financial transaction, performing an action in a bank account, etc. Strangely enough, to-date, executives of such businesses and organizations are allowed to charge their company's credit card or draw money from an ATM machine without another person authorizing their transaction just because technically the credit card company has no technology to support that requirement.
The need for a more secured authentication has brought about the use of additional authentication measures. Two-factor or multi-factor authentication methods were introduced that require the presentation of two or more independent kinds of identity evidence.
Multi-factor authentication involves the use of two or more independent kinds of evidence to assert an entity, rather than two or more iterations of the same kinds. In essence, there are three independent means for establishing identity, which may be characterized as something the user knows (e.g., username, password, personal identification number—PIN), something the user has (e.g. a physical token, ID card, passport), and something the user is (e.g. biometric information, such as a fingerprint, retinal scan, face geometry).
It is generally accepted that any combination of these independent authentication means (e.g. password+value from a physical token) is multi-factor authentication.
Multi-factor authentication may include, inter-alia:
1. A designated security hardware component, which an authorized user is to use when connecting to a site. The hardware component is attached to the user's local machine or a hand-held machine (e.g. terminal, PC, PDA, smartphone, tablet), and includes authentication information pertaining to the user that the remote site requires, in addition to the regular login details the user is required to produce, in order to allow the user to gain access. Examples of such hardware component may include smart cards, fingerprint reader, USB plug, etc.
2. Some networks are designed to protect their users by offering a precluded space in which only select users, such as for example, VPN (Virtual Private Networks). Such networks allow only specific stations, devices or users identified in the network to access sites and services in that network.
3. Ciphering certificate protocols are also known (e.g. SSL certificates), which are installed on specific stations and on the remote site to confirm authorized access to the remote site by comparing the certificate from the station with the expected one on the site.
4. Sending confirmation messages with a unique code (e.g. SMS, email) to the user, confirming the execution of a transaction allegedly made by that user at the site by entering the sent code as a part of the regular login process.
5. Installing software on a second hardware device (like phone, smart USB keys, hardware devices like firewalls and routers) that generates random codes so that each time a user attempts to access a site, the generated code has to be used (manually or automatically input) during the access procedure, after providing the login details
6. Performing risk evaluation (typically used for credit-card transaction confirmations and money transfers), to calculate a risk level for that transaction in order to determine whether to authorize that transaction and execute it.
7. Human intervention (typically used for credit-card and banking transaction confirmations), which involves a human contacting the user to verify a specific transaction prior to its final confirmation, sometimes requiring additional authentication information (e.g. billing address, ID number and even send physical documents by fax or email etc,).

Method and system for authorizing an action at a site


Resettable circuit interrupting devices having self-test and non-resettable or limited resettable power interrupting systems are provided. The permanent power interrupting system activates when a circuit interrupting device is no longer capable of operating in accordance with applicable standards governing such devices or the device is no longer capable of operating in accordance with its design characteristics.

1. Field
The present application is directed to resettable circuit interrupting devices including without limitation ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's), arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI's), immersion detection circuit interrupters (IDCI's), appliance leakage circuit interrupters (ALCI's), equipment leakage circuit interrupters (ELCI's), circuit breakers, contactors, latching relays and solenoid mechanisms.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many electrical wiring devices have a line side, which is connectable to an electrical power supply, and a load side, which is connectable to one or more loads and at least one conductive path between the line and load sides. Electrical connections to wires supplying electrical power or wires conducting electricity to the one or more loads are at line side and load side connections respectively. The electrical wiring device industry has witnessed an increasing call for circuit breaking devices or systems which are designed to interrupt power to various loads, such as household appliances, consumer electrical products and circuits or systems branching from the device. In particular, electrical codes require electrical circuits in home bathrooms and kitchens to be equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI), for example. Presently available GFCI devices, such as the device described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,894, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, use an electrically activated trip mechanism to mechanically break an electrical connection between the line side and the load side. Such devices are resettable after they are tripped by, for example, the detection of a ground fault. In the device discussed in the '894 patent, the trip mechanism used to cause the mechanical breaking of the circuit (i.e., the conductive path between the line and load sides) includes a solenoid (or trip coil). A test button is used to test the trip mechanism and circuitry used to sense faults, and a reset button is used to reset the electrical connection between line and load sides.
Over the years circuit interrupting devices have evolved to include circuit interrupting devices with a reset lock-out function intended to prohibit devices with, for example, an inoperable circuit interrupting portion (i.e., fault sensing circuit and trip mechanism), an open neutral condition, or a reverse wiring condition, from being reset. Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,967, (hereinafter "the "967 patent) which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a family of resettable circuit interrupting devices capable of locking out the reset portion of the device if the circuit interrupting portion (referred to as the "circuit interrupter in the '967 patent) is non-operational or if an open neutral condition exists. Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,558, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a family of resettable circuit interrupting devices capable of locking out the reset portion of the device if a reverse wiring condition exists.
While most, if not all, existing circuit interrupting devices meet existing standards governing electrical fault protection devices, there are indications that next generation standards may require circuit interrupting devices capable of permanently interrupting the power supplied to the load side of the device in the event the device is no longer capable of operating according to applicable standards. Further, next generation standards may require automatic testing of the trip mechanism of the device and permanently interrupting the power supplied to the load side of the device in the event the device is no longer capable of operating according to applicable standards.

Circuit interrupting device with automatic test


A reinforcement device for compression buckling strength and a method of fastening the same are disclosed. The reinforcement device includes a member seating body surrounding an angle-type steel-frame member, first and second securing couplers securing opposite ends of the angle-type steel-frame member and opposite ends of the member seating body and adjustable to meet a standard of the angle-type steel-frame member, a horizontal engaging element connecting the first and second securing couplers with each other, a supporter positioned in a space where the angle-type steel-frame to member forms a right angle and supporting the angle-type steel-frame member, and a reinforcing bar connecting the supporter and the horizontal engaging element. The reinforcement device prevents an angle-type steel-frame member for a steel-frame structure or a steel power-transmission tower from undergoing compression buckling and accidental eccentricity, and improves compression buckling strength without power interruption of transmission lines, member disassembly, or field preparation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reinforcement device for compression buckling strength and a method of fastening the same, which can improve compression buckling strength in a detachable manner, without power interruption of transmission lines, member disassembly or field preparation, so as to prevent an angle-type steel-frame member for a steel-frame structure or a steel power-transmission tower from undergoing compression buckling and accidental eccentricity.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a steel power-transmission tower has a truss structure, which is designed to connect steel-frame members triangularly and use tension and compressive force of the members to resist external force. Since the truss structure enables construction of a lightweight and rigid structure, it is believed to be effective against earthquakes. Here, an angle-type steel-frame member is employed not only as the steel-frame member for the steel power-transmission tower having the truss structure, but also as a brace for resisting lateral force in the steel-frame structure.
However, since the angle-type steel-frame members are vulnerable to compression buckling and accidental eccentricity, the angle-type steel-frame members are liable to fall in succession if an unexpected typhoon, strong wind or the like causes any one member to buckle. Thus, it is very important to manage straightness and partial distortion of the member.
Referring to FIG. 1, if a post of an angle-type steel-frame member is longer than a cross section thereof, the angle-type steel-frame member (an L-shaped steel corner post) receives a compressive load at opposite ends thereof and suddenly buckles when the load reaches a predetermined level.
For this reason, replacement of the steel-frame member with one having a large cross-sectional area or attachment of a plate thereto using a bolt has been suggested to reinforce the angle-type steel-frame member. However, for the steel power-transmission tower, these methods have problems in that many processes such as stoppage of power supply, member disassembly, preparation for reinforcement, and so on are needed. Further, conventional reinforcement operation for the angle-type steel-frame member requires various preceding operations, such as transmission line bypass, working diagram preparation, work-plan establishment, and the like, which consume considerable time and expenses.

Reinforcement device for compression buckling strength and method of fastening the same


The present invention is directed to a method of controlling transmission of voice messages or information via telephonic voice message systems, which are sometimes referred to as Voice Mail Systems. Users of the system selectively specify voice message transmission instructions for controlling transmission of voice messages directed to them. Upon receipt of a user's voice message address, the voice message system determines whether the destination voice message address has a specified voice message transmission instruction previously selected by the recipient and processes the voice message in accordance with the instruction.

Electronic interpersonal communication may be conducted in a variety of formats including direct telephonic voice communication, facsimile document communication, electronic mail communication, and telephonic voice message communication. Facsimile document communication and electronic mail communication may be characterized as document-based, and the other two formats as voice-based.
Direct telephonic voice communication is unique among these formats in that it requires contemporaneous participation by all parties. In many business situations, the requirement for contemporaneous participation is unnecessary, disruptive, and time consuming. As a consequence, the noncontemporaneous communication formats of facsimile document communication, electronic mail communication, and telephonic voice message communication are becoming preferred over direct telephonic voice communication for many situations.
With increasing volumes of information being transmitted by the different noncontemporaneous communication formats, recipients of the information can be burdened by the effort of sorting through and reviewing the information. In this regard, the document basis of facsimile and electronic mail communication formats allow a recipient to visually sort through large amounts of information relatively quickly.
In contrast, voice-based information or messages on telephonic voice message systems are reviewed aurally, which requires that the recipient review telephonic voice messages serially. With increasing numbers of telephonic voice messages, the review of messages by a recipient can become excessively time-consuming and burdensome.
This burden can be exacerbated because conventional telephonic voice message systems provide the recipient with little control over which information is received over the system. In contrast, some conventional communication systems other than telephonic voice message systems provide the recipient of the information with at least minor control over the information received. For example, some direct telephonic communication systems include features such as call forwarding. Some electronic mail systems include message notification prioritization based on the identity of the sending party.
EP-A-0 588 101 discloses a message storage and retrieval system employing selected caller processing which uses automatic number identification (ANI) to implement several voice message instruction features such as message forwarding, message priority, customized greetings and single digit call-back to the voice message originator. The instructions are executed on voice messages that have already been transmitted and stored by a sender in the recipient's voice message system.

Telephonic voice message transmission control method


A driver assistance system for avoiding collisions of a vehicle with pedestrians, the system including a camera sensor and/or a beam sensor. When an object moving at a given speed on a pedestrian crossing is detected, the object is detected as being a pedestrian with a probability that is sufficiently high to output a warning to the driver, reducing the likelihood of a potential collision.

Statistically, more than 30% of all road casualties are pedestrians, both in Japan and in Germany. Statistics prove that there is a high danger of accidents for pedestrians within built-up areas.
According to the state of the art, driver assistance systems are known that prevent a collision of a motor vehicle with pedestrians or at least mitigate the consequences of an accident for the pedestrian.
Known approaches infer the presence of a pedestrian directly by the detection of features that concern a pedestrian. For example, pedestrians are classified directly in the image or in the sequence of images of a camera sensor and/or of a radar sensor. These driver assistance systems are based, for example, on a detection of the pedestrian by means of a video image camera system. However, the detection of a pedestrian from image data requires a high computational capacity.
As an alternative, a thermal imaging camera may be used for the detection of pedestrians. However, the disadvantage of this solution consists in the fact that a thermal imaging camera is very expensive.
A lot of accidents with pedestrians happen in places where there are conclusive features in the surroundings that help to infer the possible presence of pedestrians. Typical examples comprise pedestrian crossings or zebra crossings.
DE 10341753 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein, shows a device for detecting an approach to a pedestrian crossing in a vehicle, wherein the device generates a signal that identifies the approach, wherein the approach to the pedestrian crossing may be detected by means of a locating device (e.g. GPS) or a surroundings sensor technology (e.g. video sensor technology).

Driver assistance system for avoiding collisions of a vehicle with pedestrians

ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH


A method for automatically deriving a command for starting a program in an operating system of a computer, the method comprising the steps of: identifying an address space provided by an operating system; identifying a program in the address space; searching data logged by the operating system as a result of processing the identified program to identify a start command for initiating processing of the identified program; and outputting the identified start command.

In computer systems, in order to start a program on an operating system, a series of start instructions are issued. Start instructions vary between operating systems, but typically involve a script in a file being processed. For example, in Windows (Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both), a script in a .bat file starts programs. In IBM® z/OS® (IBM and z/OS are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide) programs may be started by one or more instructions in a job control language (JCL). In z/OS programs may also be started by the direct input of a start command by a user and are referred to as started tasks or jobs. When a program is started it is commonly assigned an address space in which to operate.
On larger computers, such as multiuser systems or mainframes, there may be many programs running simultaneously each having an associated address space. Programs may have been started by many different users, at different times and may remain active for days or months. In some situations it may be desirable to stop or restart the programs in a selected address space, for example, to clone the address space or to enable the running program to be maintained with program updates. However, in order to control a program in a selected address space it is necessary to identify its start command. Typically identifying the start commands for a set of address spaces is performed manually since start commands cannot generally be derived directly from the address space itself. Thus deriving the relevant start commands is an error prone, complex and often significantly time consuming operation.

Automatically deriving a command for starting a program in an operating system of a computer


A stage light fixture is provided with a light source adapted to emit a light beam along an optical axis; a reflector coupled to the light source; a diaphragm arranged along the optical axis downstream of the light source; a first optical assembly, which is arranged along the optical axis between the light source and the diaphragm and is configured to selectively change the light beam dimensions.

Stage light fixtures are known, which are provided with a light source adapted to emit a light beam along an optical axis and with at least one diaphragm arranged along the optical axis for intercepting the light beam. The stage light fixtures of this type are also generally provided with a zoom assembly arranged downstream of the diaphragm along the optical axis. Therefore, in the stage light fixtures of this type, the zoom assembly is arranged so as to intercept the beam after the beam has crossed the diaphragm and is configured to enlarge or reduce the dimensions of the projected beam.
However, the stage light fixtures of this type emit a light beam characterized by a luminosity which decreases as the distance at which the beam is to be projected increases. In such stage light fixtures, the luminosity cannot be changed and thus, preventing the loss of luminosity is not possible.

Stage light fixture for varying the light beam concentration uniformity and method for operating said stage light fixture


Systems and methods for automated cell culturing are disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more cell culture vessels are fluidly connected with one or more multiport valves and one or more fluid pumps. The fluid pumps may pump various fluids into and out of the cell culture vessels as necessary to support cell growth, routed by the one or more multiport valves. In some embodiments, one or more components may be removable from other components so that some components may be prepared and sterilized independently prior to usage.

Cells may be grown, or cultured, under controlled conditions in a laboratory or industrial setting for various purposes. Typically, cells are grown in an enclosed vessel and covered with a solution referred to as a cell culture medium that provides essential nutrients and other supplements to help the cells grow. Examples of vessels used in cell culture include flat circular dishes such as Petri dishes or laboratory flasks. As cells grow and multiply they consume the nutrients in the cell culture medium and produce waste byproducts. For this reason, the cell culture medium must be periodically changed so that the cells continue to flourish. In addition, cell cultures may be expanded by transferring a portion of a cells to new vessels, providing additional volume or area within which the cells can grow. This process of transferring a portion of cells to new vessels may be referred to as passaging or subculturing. Additionally, cells can be removed from the vessel in preparation for their use. The process of separating cells from the vessel they are grown in may be referred to as harvesting.
Cell cultures usually proliferate following a standard growth pattern. The first phase of growth after the culture is seeded is the lag phase, which is a period of slow growth when the cells are adapting to the culture environment. The lag phase is followed by the logarithmic phase in which cells proliferate exponentially and consume nutrients in the growth medium. As a cell culture reaches the capacity of the environment by either consuming all the nutrients in the growth medium or occupying all of the space available, growth slows, and cells enter a stationary or plateau phase in which the proliferation is greatly reduced or ceases entirely. Known cell culture procedures often include passaging the cells prior to entering this stationary phase to optimize growth.
Adherent cells grow attached to a surface, such as the bottom of a culture flask or dish. The amount of cells in the flask is normally measured as the percentage of the growth surface covered by cells, referred to as percentage confluency. Adherent cells have to be detached from the surface before they can be removed from a vessel. Cells may be detached by one of several methods, including mechanically scraping or using enzymes such as trypsin to cleave adhesion to the vessel surface. The detached cells are then resuspended in fresh growth medium and allowed to settle back onto a growth surface.
These processes of removing spent medium from cell culture vessels, adding fresh medium, detaching adherent cells, and transferring cells from one vessel to another are typically carried out by laborious manual procedures. For example, known cell culturing methods often include repeated operations that involve moving the cells (within the cell culture vessels) between various work stations and/or opening the cell culture vessels to move fluids into and out of the vessels. Specifically, known methods include first loading the cells and cell culture medium into the vessels in an aseptic environment (e.g., a laminar flow hood). After being prepared, the cell culture vessels are closed (to minimize contamination) and moved to an incubator to facilitate growth. The cell culture containers are often manually monitored to determine the appropriate time to change the cell culture medium, as well as periodically manually monitoring to inspect parameters such as, for example, confluence and cell morphology, by removing the vessels from the incubator and imaging under a microscope. These manual monitoring steps usually require travelling to the lab just to check on the cultures and determine whether other operations need to be performed. When it is time to change the cell culture medium, the cell culture vessels are then moved from the incubator to an aseptic environment, opened (or otherwise connected to a source of waste and fresh cell culture medium), and the fluids are transferred to and/or from the cell culture vessels. The vessels are also moved and/or opened to complete other operations, such as cell passaging or cell harvesting.
Such known procedures are inefficient, costly, and susceptible to contamination. For example, repeatedly opening the cell culture system and moving the cell culture vessels between lab stations potentially exposes the cells to contamination. Additionally, every operation that is manually performed is expensive and also susceptible to contamination (or cell damage) due to the operator not following proper procedures. Further, determining when to change medium or when to passage cells is typically done according to a predetermined schedule, which may not be optimal. Adhering to set schedules can result in additional (and potentially unnecessary) use of a laminar flow hood (the operation of which can consume large amounts of energy and can therefore be costly). Adhering to set schedules can also result in reduced efficiency for cell growth (e.g., if the cell growth reaches the plateau phase before the cell culture medium is exchanged).
Thus, a need exists for cell culturing systems that improve the efficiency and limit potential contamination during cell culturing. Specifically, a need exists for systems and methods for automating the cell culture procedures, for maintaining the cell culture system in a closed aseptic environment during the culturing, and for allowing efficient set-up and use. A need also exists for an automated cell culturing system that can optionally operate with existing off-the-shelf cell culturing vessels.