Systems and methods are disclosed, where check transaction risks can be determined based on a pattern of changes in identifier information such as MICR field information and driver license number. A MICR field on a given check includes a routing transit number and an account number. Some fraudulent check transactions involve a pattern of alterations of the MICR field, such as changing, adding, or removing of one or more digits or characters of the account number or the routing transit number. Various embodiments of systems and methods can be configured to detect such pattern of changes in the MICR field, thereby facilitating detection of fraudulent check transactions. Various techniques of the present disclosure can be used to detect fraudulent electronic check transactions such as web-based transactions, as well as paper check transactions.

1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of financial transactions, and more particularly, to systems and methods for determining risk of check transactions based on a pattern of changes in the MICR.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many check transactions are performed through an electronic medium such as Internet. Some merchants set up or associate with a web-site configured to allow transactions involving checking accounts. For example, goods and/or services can be purchased online, and payment can involve submission of information identifying the bank and the name and number of the checking account.
Many merchants that offer such payment option also subscribe to a check processing service. Such a service typically receives information about a given check transaction, and determines whether the given transaction should be authorized or declined.
Because merchants and customers typically want the service to process check transactions quickly, and/or because of the remoteness of the involved parties, electronic check transactions are susceptible to fraud that may be difficult to detect in a timely manner by the merchant and/or the service.

Systems and methods for determining false MICR


A tool and method for inserting cardiac defibrillation electrodes into a patient. The tool includes an elongated electrode support tube having a rounded distal end and a proximal end; a finger grip circumferentially connected about the electrode support tube toward the proximal end thereof; and an actuating rod slidably disposed coextensively within the electrode support tube and extending beyond the rounded distal end and the proximal end of the electrode support tube. A blunt conically shaped distal tip is connected to the distal end of the actuating rod, the distal tip having a base with a diameter larger than the diameter of the electrode support tube, and an inner surface for engaging the rounded distal end of the electrode support tube. A palm member is connected to the proximal end of the actuating rod to facilitate hand manipulation of the tool. In addition, a resilient device (preferably, a spring) is included for exerting a force on the actuating rod tending to withdraw the actuating rod out through the proximal end of the electrode support tube, such withdrawal being prevented by the engagement of the inner surface of the distal tip with the rounded distal end of the electrode support tube. In use, a cardiac defibrillation electrode is wrapped around the electrode support tube with the distal end of the electrode immobilized between the distal tip of the tool and the rounded distal end of the electrode support tube.

The present invention relates to a minimally invasive method and applicator tool for implanting cardiac cardioversion/defibrillation electrodes, especially wire patch electrodes and cardiac electrodes similar to those set out in the aforementioned concurrently filed application.
Epicardial cardioversion/defibrillation electrodes most often require major thoracic surgery (median sternotomy or thoracotomy) for implantation. This highly invasive surgical procedure leads to substantial patient morbidity. By eliminating the need for these invasive surgical procedures, implantable defibrillation therapy acceptance for certain patient populations may increase.
For electrode configurations not employing endocardial electrode(s), two separate epicardial electrodes of opposite polarity (normally located on the left and right ventricles) are required for efficacious defibrillation therapy. Recently, much emphasis has been placed on reducing post-operative patient morbidity by limiting the invasiveness of requisite surgical procedures for application of internal defibrillation therapy. The present invention addresses these problems by allowing intrathoracic implantation of conventional wire mesh patch electrodes through small (1-2 cm) chest wall defects (normally intercostal).
Prior attempts to utilize a special tool for patch electrode introduction are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,707--Heilman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,549--Heilman et al. Specifically, reference is made to FIG. 4 in the '707 patent and FIGS. 4 and 7 in the '549 patent. Although generally effective, these prior attempts were complicated by (1) maintenance of a substantially planar patch orientation which requires a long cutaneous incision (more invasive) for introduction, (2) lack of remotely actuatable disengagement mechanism, (3) potential tissue trauma during tool extraction.
Probably the most significant disadvantage to these prior attempts is that the electrodes could not be atraumatically introduced through a small circular chest wall defect. Consequently, either large cutaneous incisions were required or the patches were severely and irreparably deformed during introduction.

Method and applicator tool for implanting cardiac defibrillation electrodes


A bolt-on air chamber that increases the volume of air stored inside a paintball gun. The increased volume of air allows the use of low pressure/high volume valves in the gun. The bolt-on air chamber also holds the gun together.

1. Field of invention
The present invention pertains to paintball guns and more particularly to a gas holding chamber for use with CO.sub.2, nitrogen or compressed air powered paintball guns that replaces an existing bolt.
2. Background
Today's high tech paintball guns generally run off of CO.sub.2, nitrogen or compressed air as a power source. These power sources require a specific volume of gas or a specific pressure of gas to fire the paintball at the correct velocity. You can use one or the other. Most paintball guns use the higher pressure/low volume method to shoot a paintball. Then, a few years ago, miniature pressure regulators became available for use on paintball guns allowing players to use a lower pressure gas to fire the paintball, thus relying on more volume of air to fire the paintball. But, the pressure never got below 500 psi into the air chamber of the paintball gun because valves at that time were not built for efficiency at lower pressures. At the same time paintball pressure regulators became available on the market, manufacturers and after-market customizers shortened the paintball guns to reduce weight by cutting off part of the air chamber, thus reducing the amount of stored gas. At that time there was no problem caused by reducing the length of the chamber because high pressure/low volume was being used. But as the newer, more gas efficient air valves that operate on a lower pressure/high volume (ranging from 100 psi to 400 psi) started to become available, the lack of air-chamber space has caused the paintball guns not to be able to shoot the paintball at the proper velocity using a lower pressure/high volume setting less than 500 psi.
What is needed is a reservoir chamber that bolts onto the the paintball gun through an existing bolt hole into the air chamber of the paintball gun thus increasing the chamber's volume capacity to allow paintball guns to use the more efficient low pressure/high volume air valves. The chamber should not significantly increase the weight or change the balance of the paintball gun and work without modifying the paintball gun by drilling out the air chambers. The air chamber needs to allow air to rush from the reservoir more rapidly through a straight-line passage to the valve; unlike the previous mounting bolt that allows air to enter the gun 90 degrees from the valve and pass through a small hole in the front mounting block bolt thus restricting air flow.


A sequential data analysis apparatus extracts a pattern of two or more sets of items based on an appearance frequency of each of different sets of items in first sequential data, selects a pattern of two or more sets of items based on an appearance frequency of a sub-pattern formed of a portion of the extracted pattern, creates a related pattern including the same last set of items as and the other sets of items different from the selected characteristic pattern, calculates an evaluation value of the related pattern, creates a prediction model by organizing data of the characteristic pattern and the related pattern, and applies second sequential data to the prediction model to determine a result which the second sequential data is likely to lead to.

In the field of data mining, studies have been conducted to discover a pattern from sequential data. For example, Non-patent Document 1 has proposed a method of using the characteristic of a large pattern exhibiting an appearance frequency decreasing more monotonously than the appearance frequency of a small pattern to discover a frequent pattern with high efficiency. Patent Document 1 has proposed a method of discovering a frequent pattern in view of fluctuations in appearance order by focusing on a possible situation in which the appearance orders of items constituting sequential data are not necessarily identified uniquely even if they have the same meaning. In addition, Patent Document 2 has proposed a method of combining a pattern extracted from sequential data with a pattern designated as an attention target and considering an occurrence time lag between sets of items constituting patterns to analyze the pattern related to the pattern designated as the attention target with the temporal aspect taken into account.

Sequential data analysis apparatus and program


A fan assembly according to which a block member is connected to a rotor end casing and an arm member having a blade connected thereto is mounted to the block member. One of the members has a radially extending slot formed therein and the other member has a mounting flange adapted to extend into the slot when the arm is moved radially outwardly relative to the block member to mount the arm to the block member without the need for additional components.

The present invention relates to a ceiling fan assembly and a method for assembling same, and, more particularly, to such an assembly and method in which the assembly can be assembled relatively easily and quickly using a minimum number of parts.
Rotating fans that are mounted to the ceilings of homes and businesses are very popular. These types of fans consist of a plurality of angularly-spaced blades and a plurality of arms that connect the blades to the rotor portion of an electric motor mounted in a housing, which, in turn, extends from a ceiling. Since the blades, arms and the motor are often manufactured and shipped separately, they must be assembled and mounted at the site. However, this assembly and mounting is relatively difficult and time-consuming since each blade must be attached to its arm by a plurality of fasteners, and each arm is attached to the rotor end casing by a plurality of fasteners. Since there are usually five blades and arms, the labor costs involved in assembling and mounting the complete fan assembly constitutes a very high percentage of the overall cost of the assembly. This difficultly in assembly is compounded by the fact that the rotor end casing of the fan motor is initially mounted to the ceiling the above-mentioned arms and blades often have to be mounted to the end casing in its elevated position.
Therefore, what is needed is a fan assembly and a method of assembling same in which the fan blades can be easily and quickly attached to the arms, and the arms can be easily and quickly attached to the motor even when mounted to the ceiling, thus considerably reducing the labor costs in assembling and mounting the fan assembly.
An embodiment of the present invention, accordingly, is directed to a ceiling fan assembly and method for assembling same according to which a block member is connected to a rotor end casing and an arm member having a blade connected thereto is mounted to the block member. One of the members has a radially extending slot formed therein and the other member has a mounting flange adapted to extend into the slot when the arm is moved radially outwardly relative to the block member to mount the arm to the block member without the need for additional components.
Several advantages result from this arrangement. For example, the use of a plurality of nuts, bolts and,;screws is eliminated and the blades can be connected to the arms, and the arms to the rotor, using a minimum of fasteners. Also, the centrifugal forces causes by normal rotation of the fan tend to force the flange radially outwardly relative to the slot and thus secure the connection of the arm to the mounting block. Also, the fan assembly can be assembled and mounted relatively easily and quickly thus considerably reducing the labor costs.

Ceiling fan assembly and method for assembling same


The invention discloses a one-piece stent implanter, including a front handle and a rear handle; the front end of the front handle is provided with an outer pipe whose top is flexibly connected with a cautery tip, the outer pipe is internally provided with a middle pipe and a stent; the rear handle includes a stainless steel pipe for supporting and an inner pipe positioned in the stainless steel pipe, the top of the inner pipe is fixedly connected to the cautery tip; one end of the middle pipe is mutually touched and connected with one end of the stent, while the other end of the middle pipe is mutually connected with the stainless steel pipe; one end of the stent is close to the cautery tip, with a certain gap kept; when the front handle is retreated along the stainless steel pipe, the outer pipe simultaneously retreats and separates from the cautery tip, positions of the middle pipe and the rear handle remain unchanged, and the stent is automatically released. The invention wherein the stent can be directly implanted into a nidus organ incised and an access from the outside to the nidus organ is established, so that other medical apparatuses and instruments can be continuingly used for removal (including other surgeries) of infectious agents or necrotic tissues, thus increasing comprehensiveness of surgeries and avoiding patients from suffering from repeated operations.

Stent implantation is a technology for expansion and recanalization of narrow or occlusive blood vessels or orifices for solving blind area of traditional surgeries by using puncture, catheter dilation, balloon dilation and metallic stent implantation, etc. At present, stent implantation has been widely used applied, and widely accepted in terms of effectiveness. Stent implantation has the advantages of low risk, minimal invasion, less pain, short time of operation, low cost and so on, widely used in benign or malignant obstruction, fistulization and anastomosis.
In case of obstruction of human body's organ channels, physicians often need eliminate obstruction by performing surgical operations or rebuilding physiological channels, and remove necrotic tissues or infectious agents in allowable conditions. This method has the advantages of higher success rate and less postoperative complications. However, at present, frequently used implanters only play a role in conveying a stent to human body's target location. In the process of reconstruction of human body channel (for example, pancreatic pseudocyst, digestive tract cholecyst anastomosis and gastroenterostomy, etc.), prior to stent placement, target organ wall or human body channel is penetrated through by using a puncture needle, an incision knife or laser for reconstruction and channel dilation under ultrasonic guidance of an endoscope, after above-mentioned appliances are retreated out, relevant instruments are placed at the position penetrated for continuous drainage of fluid. Organ shrink may be resulted from rapid drainage of organ contents once appliances for dilation and channel reconstruction are retreated out during above-mentioned surgical operations, which may bring difficulty in follow-up operations and even lead to abdominal contamination. Failure of implanting a drainage device into a gallbladder may result in severe complications (for example, abdominal infection and the like), let alone reach a therapeutic effect.

SHENGJING HOSPITAL OF CHINA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY


An exemplary image stabilizer includes a shaking sensor, a control module, a driving module, an image module, and a data adjusting module. The shaking sensor detects a shake of a lens associated with the image stabilizer. The control module stores a shake correcting setting having one or more error ranges. The driving module is controlled by the control module to move the lens according to the shake correcting setting. The image module captures an image through the corrected lens. The data adjusting module adjusts the shake correcting setting within one or more of the error ranges when a resolution value of the captured image is lower than a preset reference value.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to image capturing and image-shake correcting technologies, and particularly to an image stabilizer and an image-shake correcting method.
2. Description of Related Art
Image stabilizers generally include a sensor fixed to a lens and a driving module configured for driving the lens to move to compensate for shaking of a camera during exposure according to signals outputted from the sensor. To ensure sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor, the sensor is typically complicated and of high precision, thus increasing the cost of the image stabilizer.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an image stabilizer and a related method which can overcome the limitations described.

Image stabilizer and image-shake correcting method


System and method for limiting reflections off of surfaces, such as optical lens and field goggles. A set of vanes are mounted next to the surface, with one end near the surface and the other end away from the surface. The vanes are mounted closer together at their end near the surface. This permits a wide field of view (FOV) for surfaces such as optical lenses. The vanes can be arranged in various forms, including concentric rings.

Reflections from the objective lens or other reflective surfaces of an optical system (glint) have long been a problem, especially in a battlefield environment. These reflections turn out to also be a problem with wide-angle field-of-view (FOV) optics such as night vision goggles. This is especially so when operating in an environment where relatively bright ambient sources such as street lights are present, or in situations where the enemy also has night vision equipment and thus can see reflections of moon or starlight from an objective lens or reflective filter.
An existing method of reducing or eliminating such reflections is to put a honeycomb grid of tubes in front of the objective lens (as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,055, which is fully incorporated herein by reference). The tubes in these devices have walls that are parallel to the optical axis of the device to which it is fitted.
This technique, however, is not an effective solution with wide angle FOV devices, since if the length-to-width ratio of the tubes which make up the honeycomb of parallel-walled tubes is shallow enough not to vignette the view through the optic, then the tubes are not deep enough to give affective glint protection. This means that in a battlefield situation, wide-angle FOV optical devices are vulnerable to being detected by an envoy, and thus dangerous to use.
Accordingly, it is highly desirable, if not necessary, to devise other techniques for substantially preventing reflections from the reflecting surfaces of wide-angle FOV optical devices.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, a reflective element 1 of an optical device 2 can reflect light rays 5 from a light source 3 to an observer 4. The Observer 4 includes sophisticated light detection systems possibly operating in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums as well as human or animal observers.
An existing method of hiding such reflections is shown in FIG. 2. where a honeycomb of parallel-walled tubes 6 is placed in front of the optical device 2. The walls of the tubes are parallel to the optical axis of the device to which it is fitted. This collection of tubes 6 prevents light from a source 3 from reflecting to an observer 4.
As shown in FIG. 3, the length-to-width ratio of the tubes 6 that make up the honeycomb cannot exceed the length-to-width ratio of the FOV 13 of the optical device to which it is fitted. In this way, the anti-reflection shield does not restrict field of view seen through the optical device.
As shown in FIG. 4, an example of this would be the U.S. Army's PVS-7 night vision goggles, which have a FOV 13 of 40°. If one were to use the existing method of reflection protection, the length-to-width ratio of the deepest (longest) tubes 6 that could be used in a conventional anti-reflection shield are 1:1.38. This is not deep enough to give good glint protection. If deeper tubes are used, they would intrude on the FOV and vignette the image seen through the device, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
The problem has been how to get tubes long enough to provide effective glint protection without vignetting the view through the optic.


A temperature transfer filter plate assembly for a filter press includes a temperature transfer filter plate in a filter plate assembly having a plate chamber for receiving heating or cooling fluid. A plurality of apertures extend through the filter plate to enable the flow of liquid therethrough. A filter frame includes a web or divider wall that receives temperature transfer filter plates on opposing sides thereof. The apertures of each temperature transfer filter plate open into respective collecting chambers defined by the inner wall of the temperature transfer filter plate and the divider wall. A flow path arrangement allows removal of the liquid from the collecting chambers in the temperature transfer filter plate assembly. The temperature transfer filter plates generally have inner and outer walls with a wavy or undulating configuration to form the plate chamber therebetween.

Filter presses are well known and extensively utilized for separating solids from slurries. Such filter presses employ a plurality of filter plates which are held in contacting relationship between a fixed and a movable head member while the slurry is pumped into and through the press for collecting the solids in the form of cake between adjacent filter plates. When the press is full of solids, the movable head is backed away from the plates into an open position and the plates are moved into an open position to permit discharge of the cake which is collected between adjacent pairs of plates. To permit movement of the plates into an open position, plate shifting mechanisms are typically provided adjacent opposite sides of the press for permitting automatic or manual control over plate movement and cake discharge.
Various types of filter plates are utilized in filter presses, depending primarily upon the material to be filtered and the process requirements. For example, one type of plate is a cloth-type chamber plate which includes recessed surfaces on opposite sides of the plate, each of which serves to form a filter chamber with an adjacent plate when the plates are clamped together. A cloth filter covers each of these recessed surfaces, and is either mounted on the plate by a gasket or is draped between two adjacent plates. Thus, slurry is pumped into the filter chambers formed between the filter cloths of two adjacent plates, and the liquid from the slurry passes through the filter cloth and is discharged through filtrate ports in the plates. The solids are trapped in the filter chamber between the adjacent plates and form a cake.
Another type of filter plate which is utilized when process requirements call for production of a dried filter cake is a membrane or diaphragm-type squeeze plate. The construction of this type of plate is similar to the cloth-type chamber plate, but the drainage surfaces on the opposite faces of the plate are flexible diaphragms or membranes which define pressurizing chambers therebehind. A filter cloth covers the outer face of the diaphragm on each side of the plate and typically extends beyond the plate, i.e., the filter cloths are typically draped between the adjacent plates. In this case, slurry is pumped into the filter chambers formed between two neighboring plates and the liquid portion of the slurry passes through the filter cloths and is discharged through filtrate ports in the plates. After the filling cycle is complete and the filter chambers formed between adjacent plates are filled with solids, and before the press is opened, pressurized air or water is supplied to the pressurizing chamber located behind each diaphragm, causing the diaphragms to flex outwardly and exert mechanical pressure on the filter cake. This also effects limited heating of the filter cake which, in conjunction with a vacuum applied to the discharge side of the filter cloths, causes additional moisture to be removed from the filter cake. An example of this type of arrangement and process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,773. A similar press and process is also sold by the assignee hereof under the designation "J-VAP".
While filter presses employing membrane-type filter plates have provided improvement with respect to removal of liquid from the filter cake, nevertheless such membrane-type filter plates are of limited capability with respect to their ability to provide effective heating of the filter cake to assist in moisture removal by vaporization. It accordingly has been proposed to modify the filter press to include heating plates in conjunction with membrane-type filter plates. In such proposal, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,282, a plurality of rigid metal heating plates are alternately interposed between the plurality of conventional membrane-type filter plates. Each heating plate is hence clamped between a pair of membrane-type plates when the filter press is closed, whereby each filter chamber is defined between the opposed faces of the adjacent membrane-type filter plate and the adjacent heating plate, and the size of the filtration chamber and hence the capacity thereof is defined principally by the recess formed in the membrane-type filter plate inasmuch as the opposed surface on the heating plate is typically flat. Since the heating plate is constructed of metal and has interior chambers and passages for accommodating a high-temperature heating fluid therein, such heating plate is effective in permitting transfer of significant quantities of heat energy through the metal face of the heating plate into the adjacent filter cake. Such arrangement hence does permit increased heating and accordingly more effective vaporization of the liquid in the filter cake, whereby more effective removal of liquid from the filter cake can be achieved.
With a filter press employing alternating metal heating plates of the type described above, however, the overall construction of the filter press, in order to maintain the same press capacity, increases significantly with respect to the structure and size thereof since the same number of membrane-type filter plates must be maintained, and at the same time a substantially similar number of heating plates are incorporated into the press, thereby significantly increasing the overall size (i.e., length) and also the space requirements and cost of the press.
Other examples of plate-type filter presses employing heating plates to provide more effective heating of filter cake within the press are illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,999,118, 1,049,715, and PCT Publication WO 95/27550.
Another filter press employs both membrane filter plates and heating filter plates disposed in alternating fashion along the press, with the plates being constructed so as to maintain press capacity without requiring any significant increase in either the number of required plates or the overall size of the press, while permitting heat to be effectively transmitted into the filter cakes formed in the filtration chambers to effect vaporization thereof. At the same time the filter press permits more effective removal of liquid or vapor from the filter cake, such as during air blowing and vacuum-drawing cycles. This filter press is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0032805, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The filter press enables the heating plates to be provided with metal heat transfer surfaces which define one side of each filtration chamber. The overall construction of the remainder of the heat plate employs a frame constructed principally of a non-metal material to permit forming of the heating plates in a more economical and more consistent manner similar to the construction of the membrane-type filter plates.
When a filter press is closed, a filtration chamber is defined by opposed recesses defined between each adjacent contacting pair of membrane and heating plates, whereby a membrane can effect squeezing of the filter cake in the chamber from one side thereof, and the heating surface on the opposed plate can effect heating of the filter cake from the opposite side thereof. Each of the membrane and heating plates has porting associated therewith which preferably communicates with upper and lower extremities of the filtration chamber, with the upper and lower ports in the membrane plate preferably being substantially diametrically opposite the respective lower and upper ports formed in the opposed heating plate. The diametrically opposed upper and lower ports formed in the membrane and heating plates permit air to be effectively blown into and through the filter cake, with the air passing both transversely across the width of the filter cake and longitudinally through the thickness thereof, to significantly assist in removing liquid or vapor from the filter cake. In addition, the lower ports formed in the opposed membrane and heating plates permit communication to be established with the lower extremity of the filtration chamber adjacent both sides of the filter cake so as to permit more effective drainage of liquid therefrom.
The heating plates are defined by frames constructed of a plastic material so as to have a construction similar to the plastic frames defining the membrane filter plates, and the heat transfer surfaces are preferably defined by thin metal plates, such as of stainless steel, which are fixed to opposite sides of the plastic frame and extend over substantially the entire bottom of the recesses formed in opposite sides thereof so as to provide a high-efficiency heat transfer surface which contacts the filter cake over substantially the entirety of one side of the filtration chamber. With this arrangement, the high-temperature heating fluid supplied to and through the interior of the heating plate permits more effective transfer of heat to the metal heating plate, particularly since the plastic frame of the heating plate has a much smaller heat transfer capability and exerts minimal impact as a heat sink relative to its effect on removal of heat energy from the heating fluid.
In the above arrangement, however, the heating plate does not allow the passage of liquid or vapor therethrough. Thus, the surface area of the filter cloth through which suction is drawn to remove liquid is generally limited to areas about the periphery of the heating plate.
An object of the invention is to provide a filter press with an improved temperature transfer filter plate assembly for enhancing the removal of liquid and vapor when forming a filter cake between a membrane filter plate assembly and a temperature transfer filter plate assembly.
The present invention results in improved removal of liquid from a filter cake by providing a plurality of apertures extending through a temperature transfer filter plate. The temperature transfer filter plate is formed by shaping the inner and outer walls in a wavy or undulating configuration. Holes or apertures in alignment on the inner and outer walls contact and open into each other and are sealed thereabout forming a temperature transfer plate chamber defined between the inner and outer walls. Thus, the temperature transfer plate chamber that allows heating or cooling fluid to pass therethrough has spaced apertures extending therethrough in a predetermined pattern. The fluid enters the plate chamber on one side near an edge thereof and passes within the chamber around the sealed apertures.
The temperature transfer filter plate is part of a temperature transfer filter plate assembly having a filter frame with a divider wall or web for receiving filter plates on opposing sides thereof. Collecting chambers are defined between the inner wall of each respective filter plate and the respective facing side of the divider wall.
The arrangement enables flow of liquid from a filter cake through a filter cloth and then through the spaced apertures of the temperature transfer filter plate and into the collecting chamber. Thus, dewatering at the surface of the metallic temperature transfer filter plate is provided. The liquid in the collecting chamber is removed therefrom through a flow path arrangement in the filter frame.
Other objects and purposes of the present invention will be apparent to persons familiar with constructions of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.

Temperature transfer filter plate assembly


An optical detector for receiving an optical signal transmitting via an optical fiber cable, comprises an array of photo-sensors for location in the path of the optical signal. A controller a controller detects which of the photo-sensors receives the optical signal in use, and derives a received signal from an output of any said photo-sensor so detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical detectors for optical fibre communications systems and in particular relates to self-aligning optical detectors for such systems.
2. Background of the Invention
A typical optical data communications system comprises a transmitter and a receiver interconnected by an optical fibre. The core diameter of the optical fibre is typically between 8 um and 60 um. At the transmitter, light is modulated by an electrical data signal to be transmitted. The modulated light is injected into one end of the optical fibre. The receiver, at the other end of the fibre, comprises a photosensitive transducer such as a photo-diode or photo transistor for converting incident light from the fibre back into the electrical data signal. It will be appreciated that efficient detection of the received light demands alignment of the end of the fibre and the photosensitive area of the transducer device. Conventionally, alignment is achieved mechanically. However, mechanical alignment requires significant skill and effort in view of the relatively small dimensions of the fibre and transducers. Also, the capacitance of the transducer increases as the photosensitive area is enlarged. As the capacitance of the transducers is increased, the response of the transducer is degraded correspondingly. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the photosensitive area as far as possible in the interests of maximizing sensitivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,693 describes an optical communication system having a receiving optical sensor array and a transmitting optical sensor coupled together by a bundle of parallel optical fibres. In use an image is presented to one end of the bundle by the transmitting sensor array and received at the other end of the bundle by the receiving sensor array.

International Business Machines Corporation


Device for mixing and distributing a dense, generally liquid, fluid and a light, generally gaseous, fluid, placed in a reaction chamber upstream from a granular bed (70) or between two successive granular beds, the said device being characterized by a tubular system (50) for the introduction of dense fluid from outside the reactor, up to a level lower than the level of establishment of the interface between the dense fluid and the light fluid, situated above the plate and preferably more or less next to that of the plate (62). Application of this device to any type of gas/liquid reaction in a fixed bed in particular for hydrotreatment.

The problem of the optimization of the distribution of a fluid comprised of at least one gaseous phase and at least one liquid phase is already the subject of several solutions which are examined below:
Patent FR 2 745 202 and patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,445 thus propose a plate with pipes which are fitted with holes arranged in tiers along the pipe for the passage of the gas (upper holes) and of the liquid (lower holes). No system is provided in this prior art to prevent the fluctuations of the liquid/gas interface above the plate that are due to the injection of the liquid at the top of the reactor. In fact, because of their configuration, any imbalance in this interface necessarily means an imbalance of the gas and liquid fluxes from one pipe to the other, which is clearly harmful to the homogeneity of the mixture.
Patent WO 95/35159 proposes a distribution system on two levels. The first level is comprised of a circular plate with raised edges that is intended to dampen the impact of the gas/liquid flow entering the reactor. The liquid then flows from this first plate towards the distributor plate through tubes the base of which contains slots. These tubes are not under liquid load and a certain quantity of gas can thus flow mixed with the liquid. This first plate must calm the oscillations of the liquid level on the second plate or distributor plate, but the entrainment of the gas at the descent tubes can produce foaming at the liquid guard of the distributor plate and thus degrade the feed of the distribution pipes. The second level is comprised of a plate with pipes that are pierced by holes partly situated above the plate and partly situated below the plate. The drawback of this plate is that the flexibility vis-à-vis the liquid flow rate is achieved using two types of pipes. Depending on the liquid flow rate, the density of the injection points is thus variable. In addition, the introduction of two levels imposes a substantial height at the top of the reactor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,625 proposes a system of plates crossed by venturi flumes. The gas is injected at the top of these flumes and the liquid is injected at the neck or upstream from the convergent zone of the venturi. The gas/liquid mixture is then injected into the catalytic bed. This system has the drawback of offering only a small flexibility as regards liquid flow rate since there is only one level of holes for the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,877 proposes a distributor plate system in which the gas and the liquid are injected through concentric tubes, the tube for injecting the gas being situated in the centre. To guarantee a broad operating range in terms of liquid flow rate, the height of the tubes for the introduction of the liquid is variable according to the injection points. This invention thus has the drawback of proposing a density of points for the injection of the liquid that is variable according to the liquid flow rate. In particular, the smallest liquid flow rates, the very ones which are most difficult to distribute well, benefit from the smallest number of injection points. Secondly, no system is provided to dampen the fluctuations of the liquid level above the plate that would be due to the impact of the gas/liquid flow on entering the reactor.
To summarize, among the systems proposed in these various patents and using a plate with mixed injection of the liquid and gas phases, either the plate offers a great flexibility as regards liquid flow rate but has no means of stabilizing the gas/liquid interface upstream from the plate, or the plate has two levels in order to dampen the fluctuations of the gas/liquid interface, but offers only a small flexibility as regards liquid flow rate.

Device for mixing and distributing a dense fluid and a light fluid, placed upstream from a granular bed, and its use in descending flow


A method for monitoring an optical network includes communicating optical traffic along a working path of an optical network. The optical network comprises a protection path for the optical traffic to communicate the optical traffic upon a failure in the working path. The protection path comprises two or more network elements coupled together by optical lines. The method also includes monitoring an idle signal of the protection path to detect an error in the protection path comprising an error in a component of one or more of the network elements.

Telecommunications systems, cable television systems and data communication networks use optical networks to rapidly convey large amounts of information between remote points. In an optical network, information is conveyed in the form of optical signals through optical fibers. Optical fibers comprise thin strands of glass capable of transmitting the signals over long distances with very low loss.
Optical networks often employ wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) or dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) to increase transmission capacity. In WDM and DWDM networks, a number of optical channels are carried in each fiber at different wavelengths or frequencies. Network capacity can be defined based on the number of wavelengths, or channels, in each fiber, and the bandwidth, or size, of the channels.
Particular optical networks may include Bi-Directional Line Switched Ring (BLSR) capability enabling the switching of optical traffic to a protection path if a failure or error occurs in a working path carrying the optical traffic. Thus, the working path is monitored for errors. Some networks monitor the optical fibers between network elements of the protection path for line cuts or errors in the optical components.

Method and system for monitoring an optical network


The present invention relates to a system for determining a posture of an operator of a device that transmits vibrations to the operator, wherein the system comprises at least one vibration sensor for measuring vibrations at at least one location on the body of the operator and/or the device, and a posture determining means for detecting one or more characteristics of the measured vibrations assigned to a predetermined posture and for determining the predetermined posture as the posture of the operator when the characteristic is detected.

Over the last years driver assistance systems have been developed in order to increase the comfort for a driver and the safety of driving. Such driver assistance systems are capable of sensing not only the environment around a vehicle, but also monitoring the driver or passenger to determine its presence, gaze direction, awareness and/or posture. In order to do so, the vehicles are equipped with cameras capturing images of the driver and/or the passengers. The captured images are processed to derive information on presence and/or posture.
Such cameras are often difficult to integrate, especially in motorcycles like two-wheelers, three-wheelers or quad bikes without a cabin. Further, the quality of the captured image may be affected by weather conditions, for example, by raindrops or dirt on the lens. However, similar to cars, the posture of a rider is essential to the safety of the rider and vehicle operation. An estimated posture can be used to set vehicle stability control parameters, to trigger automatic emergency braking, to select a driving mode (sport, low-torque or rain), to adapt damper setting and/or to give feedback for rider about unsafe rider posture.
On the other hand, monitoring the operation of tools and work machines by an operator can increase safety, too. However, it is difficult to capture images of a worker using such a machine or tool because many machines do not offer a position that allows proper imaging of the worker, which would be needed to determine the worker's posture in order to switch off the working machine in case of its unsecure handling.
It is desired to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide an improved system for determining a posture of an operator of a device, for example, the driver, or a passenger of a vehicle. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a system and method, with which the posture of a rider riding a vehicle can be estimated with low effort and costs.


A hopper bottom a grain bin above a foundation includes a conical wall tapering inwardly to a bottom discharge opening. An outer cylindrical wall is joined to the top peripheral edge of the conical wall. Upright support legs are connected to the outer wall for supporting the cylindrical grain bin walls thereabove. A bottom wall is connected radially between the outer wall and the conical wall so as to define a manifold passage bounded by the conical wall, the outer wall and the bottom wall which is generally annular in shape and which is located externally of the conical wall. Vent openings are formed in the conical wall to receive aeration air from a blower connected to the manifold passage. A cover member is supported above the vent openings in the conical wall in connection with the outer wall above the conical wall to prevent material entering the vent openings.

Particulate material storage bins are commonly used on farms for storing the grain. One known type of storage bin comprising a cylindrical bin wall supported above a hopper bottom having a conical wall tapering downwardly and inwardly from the cylindrical bin wall to a central bottom discharge. Legs support the conical wall so that the discharge is spaced above the ground sufficient to receive the inlet hopper of grain transferring equipment under the discharge. The hopper bottom may be formed integrally with the grain bin or may be formed as a separate component upon which a commercially available cylindrical bin is then subsequently attached.
Examples of grain drying through a hopper cone are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,994 by Annen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,714 by Gullickson. In the prior art examples considerable ducting or multiple blowers are required to communicate ventilation air to the various perforated sections in the hopper cone.


A stripping composition, and a method of making the stripping composition. The stripping composition including 100 parts by weight of a base ingredient consisting in epoxy polydimethylsiloxane, 0.5 to 10 parts by weight of a polymerization agent for polymerizing the base ingredient and constituted by a diaryliodonium salt, not more than 30 parts by weight of an anti-adhesion modulator constituted by a silicone polymer; and not more than 40 parts by weight of an anti-stick agent making the composition less tacky prior to polymerization and constituted by at least one vinyl ether compound.

In order to make it easier to extract such blades or blade elements from the mold after polymerization, it is conventional initially to apply a stripping composition over the entire surface of the mold.
Known stripping compositions contain a large proportion of solvent, and as a result present numerous drawbacks, such as the large quantities that need to be used and the volatile organic compounds that are dumped into the environment.

Stripping composition for a mold for making a composite material part, and method of preparing


An image forming device of the type using an aperture electrode assembly in which toner passage through apertures formed is controlled in accordance with a drive signal and the toner particles selectively pass through the apertures to form an image on a recording medium. The aperture electrode assembly includes an electrical insulation sheet and a plurality of control electrodes formed thereon. Wrinkles are prevented from occurring in the insulation sheet when the electrode assembly is secured to a frame or the wrinkles, even if generated resulting from mounting of driver IC chips on the insulation sheet, do not spread to the vicinity of the apertures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device for use in a copying machine, printer, plotter, facsimile device, or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an image forming device of the type using an aperture electrode assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
European Patent Publication (A1) No. 587 366 (corresponding to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei-6-155798) discloses an image forming device of the type using an aperture electrode assembly. The aperture electrode assembly is formed with a plurality of apertures therein and toner passage through the apertures is controlled in accordance with a drive signal applied to respective control electrodes connected to the apertures. The toner particles selectively pass through the apertures to form an image on an image recording medium.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the image forming device of the type described above includes a toner carrying roller 114 rotatably disposed in confrontation with an image recording medium 120 with an aperture electrode assembly 101 intervened therebetween. The toner carrying roller 114 has its own axis extending in the direction perpendicular to the surface of FIG. 1. The aperture electrode assembly 101 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction extends in the direction in parallel with the axis of the toner carrying roller 114. A back electrode roller 122 is rotatably disposed in a position opposite the toner carrying roller 114 with respect to the recording medium 120. The axis of the back electrode roller 122 is also in parallel with the axis of the toner carrying roller 114.
The aperture electrode assembly 101 includes a 25 .mu.m thick electrical insulation sheet 102 made of polyimide. A plurality of apertures 106 are formed in the insulation sheet 102. Each aperture is 100 .mu.m in diameter. The apertures 106 are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the aperture electrode assembly 101. The aperture electrode assembly 101 further includes control electrodes 104. The control electrodes 104 are provided in one-to-one correspondence to the apertures on the insulation sheet 102 so as to surround the respective ones of the apertures. The control electrode 104 is made of a copper foil of 1 .mu.m thickness and has a width of 20 .mu.m. The control electrodes formed surface of the aperture electrode assembly 101 faces the image recording medium 120.
A toner reservoir 111 storing toner therein is disposed below the aperture electrode assembly 101. A toner conveying roller 112 and the toner carrying roller 114 are rotatably disposed interiorly of the toner reservoir 111. Rotation of a toner conveying roller 112 conveys toner toward the toner carrying roller 114 and electrically charged toner particles are released toward the image recording medium 120 through the apertures 106.
The image forming device includes a data control circuit 108 for applying control voltages to the control electrodes 104 to control toner travels toward the recording medium 120 through the apertures 106. The control voltage corresponds to an image signal.
FIG. 2 shows one example of the aperture electrode assembly 101. As shown therein, a pair of supporting plates 107A and 107B are bonded to the surface opposite the control electrode formed surface of the insulation sheet 102. The supporting plates 107A and 107B are bonded along first and second lines on the insulation sheet 102, respectively. The first and second lines are in parallel with each other and also in parallel with an aperture line on which the apertures 106 align. The first line is at one side of the aperture line and the second line is at the opposite side of the aperture line. The supporting plates 107A and 107B bonded to the aperture electrode assembly 101 are fixedly secured to the toner reservoir 111.
If the supporting plates 107A and 107B are obliquely fixed to the insulation sheet 102 or the fixing positions are offset from the first and second lines, then the insulation sheet 102 wrinkles when the supporting plates 107A and 107B are secured to the toner reservoir 111 or internal stress of the insulation sheet 102 becomes non-uniform.
More specifically, although it is desirable that the two supporting plates 107A and 107B be fixed to the insulation sheet 102 so as to be separated by a uniform distance L along the entire length of the insulation sheet 102, the supporting plates 107A and 107B are actually fixed no in parallel with each other. Actually the insulation sheet 102 is bonded to the supporting plates 107A and 107B so that the distance between the two mounting plates 107A and 107B at one end of the insulation sheet 102 is longer by dL than that at the opposite end of the insulation sheet 102. When such an aperture electrode assembly 101 is fixed to the toner reservoir 111, tensile force will be imparted on the insulation sheet 102 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the supporting plates 107A and 107B. The tensile force elongates the insulation sheet 102 and generates internal stress inside the insulation sheet 102.
FIG. 4 is a graphical representation indicating a relationship between elongated length of the insulation sheet 102 and internal stress thereof. The solid line in FIG. 4 is for the insulation sheet 102 with the supporting plates bonded in correct positions. The internal stress becomes T when the insulation sheet 102 elongates S. The dotted line in FIG. 4 is for the insulation sheet 102 with the mounting plates bonded in shifted positions. The widened portion of the insulation sheet 102 is less elongated by dL than the correctly bonded insulation sheet and the internal stress is lower by TB than T. Thus, the tensile force on the insulation sheet 102 is not uniform in the longitudinal direction of the toner carrying roller 14. Accordingly, the insulation sheet 102 wrinkles and the insulation sheet 102 is imparted with non-uniform internal stress. The wrinkles on the insulated sheet 102 and the non-uniform internal stress will affect the behavior of the toner particles under the apertures so as to move irregularly. As a result, the toner image density in the longitudinal direction of the toner carrying roller 114 will not be uniform, and clogging of image may partially occur.
FIG. 3 shows clamping of the insulation sheet 102. The insulation sheet 102 are clamped at both edge portions with two pairs of supporting plates 107A, 107C and 107B, 107D. The lower supporting plates 107A and 107B are secured to the toner reservoir 111 by an adhesive or screws. In such a clamping method, when driver IC chips are bonded by an adhesive to the surface of the insulation sheet 102, the rigidity of the IC chip mounted portions becomes high when compared with that of other portions, so that the insulation sheet 102 wrinkles. As a result, the toner passing amount in the respective apertures becomes non-uniform, and so the print quality of the reproduced image is degraded caused by the density variation of the reproduced image and image distortions.
FIG. 5 shows another conventional aperture electrode assembly 101. Conventionally, no concern has been made as to the direction in which the control electrodes 104 extend on the insulated sheet 102. If the control electrodes 106 have an obliquely arranged pattern as shown in FIG. 5, the central portion of the insulation sheet 102 is concentrated with the control electrodes 104. Therefore, the central portion of the insulation sheet 102 is high in Young's modulus, so strong against tensile strength. On the other hand, side portions of the insulation sheet 102 where no control electrodes are formed is low in Young's modulus, so weak against tensile strength. Non-uniform tensile strength over the entire surface of the insulation sheet 102 results in wrinkles of the insulated sheet 102. Further, abutting force of the toner carrying roller 114 against the insulation sheet 102 will not be uniform. This problem is particularly noticeable when the driver IC chips 109 are mounted on the surface of the insulation sheet 102 as shown in FIG. 5 where the pitch of the control electrodes 104 is narrowed toward the IC chips 109. The driver IC chips 109 control voltages applied to the respective control electrodes 104, and it is advantageous to mount the IC chips 109 on the insulation sheet 102 to reduce the manufacturing cost.

Aperture electrode assembly for an image forming device


A method of particle detection includes a shock wave generating step of irradiating a dispersion liquid having dispersed first particles having a first diameter and second particles having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, with a pulse laser, and generating a shock wave in the dispersion liquid, a migration speed difference imparting step of migrating and accelerating the first particles at a first acceleration speed, and the second particles at a second acceleration speed higher than the first acceleration speed, by the shock wave generated at the shock wave generating step, and a detecting step of detecting the first or second particles.

The manipulation and process of a microscopic object has been especially focused on recently relative to nanotechnology and biotechnology. The microscopic object of the order of micrometers can be manipulated under a microscope by a laser beam without being touched by use of a laser tweezers, and it can be processed by laser ablation and a polymerization reaction of the laser. However, it is difficult to bring the microscopic object and another object together or to inject another object into the microscopic object even by combining the above techniques. Since a shock wave (laser-induced shock wave) generated by focusing the laser beam in a liquid by an objective lens of a microscope can highly accelerate the object, it is regarded as effective energy to perform an operation requiring high energy.
Here, techniques regarding the above are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-210159, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-344260, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-144538, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-335020, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-287419, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-168495, and Appl. Phys. Lett., 84, 2940 (2004), Appl. Phys. A, 79, 795 (2004).
While a method of accelerating particles in a uniform solution to form a concentration difference includes an electrophoresis method and an dielectrophoresis method, only ion having a charge can be migrated in the electrophoresis method. According to the above electrophoresis method, since a migration speed is low, the problem is that it takes time for analysis. In addition, chromatography using absorption and permeation or distribution equilibrium is a method of migrating an object to form a concentration difference and this method is widely used as a separation and analysis method of a mixture. Meanwhile, an ultracentrifugal separation method is applied to a high molecular weight molecule and used to measure and separate the molecules. However, since both of them include diffusion and migration of the object in principle, it is difficult to implement both high resolution and high speed or miniaturization.
More specifically, according to the conventional electrophoresis method and the dielectrophoresis method, the problem is that the target is limited to the ion having the charge and the migration speed is low. In addition, according to the conventional chromatography and the centrifugal separation method, the problem is that it is difficult to implement both high resolution and high speed or miniaturization.
Here, many researchers generate shock waves by focusing the pulse laser into the liquid with the microscope, and study its generation mechanism (Appl. Phys. Lett., 84, 2940 (2004), Appl. Phys. A, 79, 795 (2004)). The well known techniques using the laser-induced shock wave include separation of a cell and a part of the cell (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-210159), acceleration and migration of particles (Appl. Phys. A, 79, 795 (2004)), control of a particle traveling direction (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-344260), and process of a microscopic object (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-144538 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-335020). The accelerated particle includes a particle such as a gold colloid and a high molecular latex particle having a size of order of nanometers to micrometers, and a live cell. Thus, by use of the acceleration of the particles, marking is performed with the intention of enhanced Raman spectroscopy in the cell by the injection into the cell under the microscope. According to the present invention, it has been found that the target to be accelerated can range from a low molecule to a high molecule, so that a function depending on the molecule can be applied and a molecular size can be analyzed. In addition, a laser injection method for injecting an extracellular object into a cell with the laser-induced shock wave is proposed (in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-287419, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-168495).
Thus, according to the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-210159, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-344260, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-144538, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-335020, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-287419, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-168495, and Appl. Phys. Lett., 84, 2940 (2004), Appl. Phys. A, 79, 795 (2004), they are techniques related to the process and the cell injection limited to the specific particle and cell, and cannot cope with the case where the first and second particles having the different diameters exist in the dispersion liquid.

Method of particle detection, apparatus therefor, method of forming particle concentration difference in dispersion liquid, and apparatus therefor

National University Corporation Kyoto Institute Of Technology


A method and system for communicating information in a cooperative relay network of wireless nodes. The wireless nodes including a source, a set of relays, and a destination. Channel state information for each channel between a particular relay of the set of relays and the destination is estimated. A subset of the relays is selected based on the channel state information. The channel state information is fed back to the subset of relays. The source node can then broadcasting data packets from the source to the subset of relays, and the subset of relays forward coherently the data packets from the subset of relays to the destination using beamforming based on the channel state information, while adjusting power to minimize a total energy consumption in the network.

In conventional relay networks, data packets are transmitted from a source node to a destination node via a single path with, perhaps, multiple serial hops through relay nodes.
In a cooperative relay network, wireless nodes cooperate with each other in transmitting data packets in parallel. By exploiting the broadcast nature of a wireless channel to reach multiple relay nodes simultaneously, and by enabling the relay nodes to cooperate, it is possible to reduce energy consumption in delivering a packet from the source to the destination. This can also significantly increase gains in overall throughput and energy efficiency, A. Nosratinia, T. Hunter, and A. Hedayat, "Cooperative communication in wireless networks," IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 42, pp. 68-73, 2004; A. Sendonaris, E. Erkip, and B. Aazhang, "User cooperation diversity-Part I: System description," IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 51, pp. 1927-1938, 2003; and J. N. Laneman, D. N. C. Tse, and G. W. Wornell, "Cooperative diversity in wireless networks: Efficient protocols and outage behavior," IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 50, pp. 3062-3080, 2004.
In cooperative relay networks, where the nodes are powered by batteries, minimizing energy consumption is important. At the same time, it is required that outage, which occurs due to deep channel fading, is kept below a specified level.
Typically, the source node transmits data packets to the destination node in parallel using several intermediate relay nodes, A. Wittneben, I. Hammerstroem, and M. Kuhn, "Joint cooperative diversity and scheduling in low mobility wireless networks," IEEE Global Telecommunications Conference (Globecom), vol. 2, pp. 780-784, 2004; A. E. Khandani, J. Abounadi, E. Modiano, and L. Zheng, "Cooperative routing in wireless networks," Allerton Conference on Communications, Control and Computing, 2003; and B. Rankov and A. Wittneben, "Distributed spatial multiplexing in a wireless network," The Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems, and Computers, pp. 1932-1937, 2004.
Cooperative beamforming has also been referred to as distributed beamforming, see G. Barriac, R. Mudumbai, and U. Madhow, "Distributed Beamforming for Information Transfer in Sensor Networks," IPSN 2004, pp. 81-88, 2004. Mechanisms for enabling synchronization between relays using a trigger pulse mechanism from a master relay node were described. The effect of coordination error was analyzed. However, they do not take any relay selection or outage into account. The overall energy consumption from the source to destination is also not considered.
Four simple relay selection criteria are described by J. Luo, R. S. Blum, L. J. Cimini, L. J. Greenstein, and A. M. Haimovich, "Link-Failure Probabilities for Practical Cooperative Relay Networks," IEEE Globecom, 2005. Two of the criteria, 'Pre-Select One Relay' and 'Best-Select Relay,' select a single best relay based on a mean channel gains, while in the remaining two criteria, 'Simple Relay' and 'ST-Coded Relay,' all of the relays that decode data from the source are selected. In 'Simple Relay,' the relay nodes do not synchronize their phase, while in 'ST-Coded Relay,' a distributed space-time code is used. Hybrids of the above schemes were also described.
Search algorithms for selecting a single relay node based on an average distance or path loss between the nodes, frame error probability and pairwise codeword error probability were described by Z. Lin and E. Erkip, "Relay Search Algorithms for Coded Cooperative Systems," IEEE Globecom, 2005.
Khandani et al. describe a model that is restricted to additive white Gaussian noise channels with phase compensation. That model does not consider dynamic fading-induced channel variations, outage, or the overhead required for cooperation between relay nodes.
Knowledge of the channel state information (CSI) at a transmitter is assumed by Laneman et al. above. However, they do not consider the cost of acquiring the CSI. Wittneben et al. only considers amplify-and-forward, which also neglects the cost of acquiring the CSI, see also M. M. Abdallah and H. C. Papadopoulos, "Beamforming algorithms for decode-and-forward relaying in wireless networks," Conference on Information Sciences and Systems, 2005.
Because the cost of acquiring the CSI can be a significant factor in cooperative relay networks, it is desired to consider the CSI cost so that relay selection can be optimized, and total power consumption in the network can be minimized. A simple relay selection rule that selects only one relay according to a metric that is based on both the source-to-relay and relay-to-destination links was described by A. Bletsas, A. Khisti, D. P. Reed, and A. Lippman, "A simple cooperative diversity method based on network path selection," To appear in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication, Special Issue on 4G Wireless Systems, 2006.

Method and system for communicating in cooperative relay networks

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


An insertion module for a wire-assembly device for gripping, positioning and joining to connector devices contact-connector elements disposed at the ends of electric leads, particularly leads for motor vehicles. A lead end provided with a contact-connector element, fed by a workpiece-carrier gripper, is transferred to an insertion module, which includes a centering gripper and an insertion gripper. The insertion module can travel horizontal and vertically and surrounds the contact-connector element during the insertion operation with a positive fit and inserts the contact-connector element into the connector device in an insertion plane and tests for a proper lock.

The invention relates to an insertion module for a wire-assembly device for gripping, positioning and joining to connector devices contact-connector elements disposed at the ends of electric leads.
DE-38 26 990 A1 discloses an insertion module that is comparable in function to the present invention. This module is used as an auxiliary device to join contact-connector elements in connector devices. This known insertion module is applied, in particular, to position so-called crimp snap-in contacts by means of a displacer element in pole chambers of plug-connector housings. To center the contacts, the displacer element is driven with a guide tip in front of the area of the connector device's pole chamber. The subsequent insertion of the contact-connector element into the pole chamber causes the guide tip of the displacer element to spread out. On the one hand, this spreading action serves to guide the contact-connector element when it is joined to the connector device. On the other hand, the resulting displacer effect is supposed to displace wires of other contacts that may be situated in front of the pole chamber. Therefore, this insertion module is essentially a positioning aid, which is in particular used for contacting so-called multiconductor plugs by crimp snap-in contacts.
Furthermore, WO-A-88/05968 (priority: DE 37 03 010) discloses a device for installing contacts in plug-connector housings in which the lead connected to one contact is gripped by a gripper and the contact can be positioned by a positively driven swivel operation in front of the insertion location in the plug-connector housing. The gripper is then driven until the contact initially arrives in the plug-connector housing. A subsequent tensile test checks for proper insertion. This device is particularly suited for comparatively rigid leads with correspondingly adjusted contacts, which are to be introduced into the plug-connector housing in a single plane.
The present invention is directed to an insertion module for wire-assembly devices that can fulfill much more rigorous requirements, both with respect to the actual insertion operation as well as with respect to the manufacturing of contact-connector elements having any type of construction so that contact-connector elements can be manufactured in connection with the corresponding connector leads.

Insertion module for a wire assembly device


A fibrous plugging device for use in a subterranean well can include a body having fibers and a retainer material. The retainer material retains a shape of the body. A system for use with a well can include a fibrous plugging device conveyed by fluid flow in the well. The fibrous plugging device includes a body comprising multiple fibers. The fibrous plugging device engages an opening in the well, and thereby seals off the opening. A method for use with a well can include flowing a fluid through the well, thereby conveying at least one fibrous plugging device including a body having multiple fibers, and the fibrous plugging device sealingly engaging an opening in the well, thereby substantially preventing flow through the opening.

This disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in one example described below, more particularly provides for fibrous barriers and their deployment in wells.
It can be beneficial to be able to control how and where fluid flows in a well. For example, it may be desirable in some circumstances to be able to prevent fluid from flowing into a particular formation zone. As another example, it may be desirable in some circumstances to cause fluid to flow into a particular formation zone, instead of into another formation zone. As yet another example, it may be desirable to temporarily prevent fluid from flowing through a passage of a well tool. Therefore, it will be readily appreciated that improvements are continually needed in the art of controlling fluid flow in wells.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fibrous barriers and deployment in subterranean wells


A system and method are provided for catheter location mapping, and related procedures. Three substantially orthogonal alternating signals are applied through the patient, directed substantially toward the area of interest to be mapped, such as patient's heart. The currents are preferably constant current pulses, of a frequency and magnitude to avoid disruption with ECG recordings. A catheter is equipped with at least a measuring electrode, which for cardiac procedures is positioned at various locations either against the patient's heart wall, or within a coronary vein or artery. A voltage is sensed between the catheter tip and a reference electrode, preferably a surface electrode on the patient, which voltage signal has components corresponding to the three orthogonal applied current signals. Three processing channels are used to separate out the three components as x, y and z signals, from which calculations are made for determination of the three-dimensional location of the catheter tip within the body. An easy calibration procedure, which can be performed separately or during the mapping, is used to calibrate the system and provide the correlations between respective x, y and z sense signals and dimensional locations. The procedure is particularly applicable for catheter mapping prior to ablation, and for repositioning the catheter tip at precise locations for the desired ablations. The procedure is also applicable for other techniques where position must be remembered and re-found with accuracy, such as in mapping coronary stenosis and/or placing stents. Although the invention provides the greatest benefit in 3-dimensional applications, it is also useful for one and two dimensional applications.

This invention relates to systems and methods for mapping catheter electrode position within a patient's body and, more particularly, a system and method which enables automatic real time three-dimensional measurement of catheter electrode position with an accuracy well less than 1 cm.
As is known, accurate position information is necessary for mapping, or localizing an accessory atrioventricular pathway. In this case, one can localize the ventricular or atrial insertion site of the pathway during antegrade or retrograde conduction through the pathway. The need for accurate positioning information is further illustrated by the standard method of cardiac mapping and subsequent ablation of the site of a ventricular tachycardia in a patient. The catheter is introduced into the atrium or ventricle, and the tip is positioned at an endocardial site. A tachycardia is induced, and the tip is moved to different positions, where the timing of sensed intracardiac signals is compared with ECG signals. Each position and the local activation moment must be accurately determined and recorded, so that an accurate map can be made from which the tachycardia focus can be determined. Following the mapping, the ablation tip must be accurately re-positioned with respect to the focus. This re-positioning places a great importance on being able to obtain accurate tip position information when and as the tip is moved to a position. Further, it is well known that frequently multiple ablations are often necessary in a relatively small area within the heart, in order to eliminate arrhythmogenic foci. Accordingly, the catheter is sequentially positioned at slightly different positions close to the focus, for producing lesions in the heart wall. These lesions are produced at different locations in order to ensure elimination of the foci. At present, it is difficult to obtain accurate and reliable information concerning the distances between successive ablation sites.
During hemodynamic and electrophysiologic cardiac catheterization procedures, cardiologists generally employ a monoplane and sometimes biplane fluoroscopic imaging to estimate the position of the catheter within the heart. However, with fluoroscopy, it is not yet possible to obtain automatic and objective three-dimensional information about the catheter position without laborious three-dimensional reconstruction from fluoroscopic images. As is readily understood, automatic measurement of the catheter position would be extremely useful during many interventional catheterization procedures.
Systems for obtaining three-dimensional catheter position data are known, but have serious limitations. For example, a magnetic system employs a special element in the catheter tip, the size and configuration of which make it useful for only certain catheter types. Given the many different types of catheters in use for different applications, a system and technique that would be able to accurately locate the position of any type catheter would constitute a significant advance.
The patent art contains a great many devices and systems directed toward catheter location. These systems embrace a number of different approaches, such as securing an inductor coil adjacent to the catheter tip with leads extending from the coil along the catheter for connection to external indicating equipment; positioning a varying magnetic field responsive component on the catheter or implement to be positioned, and using a movable external magnetic field source; use of a probe which generates a small magnetic field which is disturbed by a magnetically permeable metal in the device to be positioned; and the construction of various types of cardiac mapping probes and electrode configurations. However, these approaches have not proven commercially successful for one reason or another, and there remains a substantial need in the art for an improved technique of catheter mapping, particularly as applicable to cardiac catheterization and ablation procedures.


A support of a floating caliper (7) of a spot-type disc brake on an axially external brake shoe (4) is described. For the support, two carrier elements (5, 6) are disposed spaced apart laterally in the circumferential direction on the external brake shoe (4), the corner elements (5, 6) furnished with projections (8, 9) which engage two axially extending grooves (14, 15) on the inside of circumferential extensions on the floating caliper (7) and which come to be abutted against their internal guide surfaces (16, 17, 18, 19). The caliper is thereby of maximized width and rigidity while being securely supported on the external brake shoe.

The invention is related to the support of a floating caliper of a spot-type disc brake on an axially external brake shoe.
In a known spot-type disc brake, a floating caliper is axially slidingly supported on a brake carrier on its axially internal side by means of pin guides received on two axial pins anchored to the brake carrier, and on its axially external side it is supported on the carrier arms of the brake carrier through a brake shoe. This external side support is necessary for insuring accurate positioning of the floating caliper, since the pin guides on the pins have an inherent play. In order to prevent any rattling of the floating caliper in its guides, the latter is clamped against the brake carrier by means of a housing spring.
A spot-type disc brake of this kind is known from the German patent application published without examination, No. 3,014,057. In this instance, the floating caliper is supported on the brake carrier radially and circumferentially through two carrier elements of the axially external brake shoe . For support in the circumferential direction, the carrier elements of the brake shoe are furnished with projections which straddle the floating caliper laterally and are positioned between the floating caliper and the carrier arms of the brake carrier in the circumferential direction. For this reason, the floating caliper cannot extend out to the carrier arms in the circumferential direction and hence cannot be of the maximum possible width and rigidity.
Another spot-type disc brake of that same kind is known from the European patent No. 0,341,610. In that patent, the floating caliper is supported at a point in the center of the axially external brake shoe. For this purpose, the latter is formed with a radially outwardly pointing and preferably semicircular projection which engages a semicircular recess of the floating caliper. In contrast to the disc brake mentioned first, the floating caliper is not abutted against the lateral carrier elements of the brake shoe but extends past them in the circumferential direction . As a result, the width of the caliper is advantageously, widened to improve rigidity.
However, the lateral guide of the floating caliper at the semicircular projection of the brake shoe is less reliable. In certain mounting positions of the brake on the vehicle, for example, behind the wheel axle, the jolting received in this location may lead to the floating caliper being shifted laterally in the circumferential direction with respect to the brake disc on account of the play in its pin guide. In this case it will be urged into the radial direction and be jammed by the semicircular projection of the brake shoe.
The present invention has the object to avoid these disadvantages of the prior-art arrangements and to combine their advantages, that is to say, to create a spot-type disc brake whose floating caliper makes use of the maximum housing width and is safely guided in any mounting location.

Floating caliper and brake shoe for spot-type disc brakes


This is a medical device. In particular, it is a surgical device usually delivered through an intravascular catheter. It may be used in several ways. It may, for instance, be used to open a clear passageway adjacent thrombus to allow both blood and medication to bypass the clot. It may be used to pierce and to remove thrombus. These thrombus are often found in tortuous vasculature. The device includes several sections. The device has a core element, typically a core wire. Placed around the distal end of the core element is a collapsible but preferably self expanding cage assembly. The cage assembly is preferably radio-opaque. The proximal end of the cage is typically is affixed to an actuator in such a way as to allow expansion of the cage after deployment. The cage assembly may have a generally conical distal or "trailing" portion when expanded and also a proximal section. The cage assembly may be used for collecting emboli or for displacing them to allow blood flow to resume. The proximal section may have various uses, e.g., for centering the collector assembly in the vascular lumen or for gathering larger amounts of the targeted clot or to act as a passageway for fluid flow. The assembly further may have an actuator which permits or causes the collector assembly to expand after deployment.

This surgical device is designed to displace or to penetrate emboli found in the human vasculature. Depending upon the chosen procedure, it is inserted into the region either towards the venous side of the clot or adjacent the clot. The cage is expanded either to displace the clot from the arterial wall and allow flow of fluid (i.e., blood and medications such as anti-thrombolytics or other lysing agents) past (or to) the formerly occluded site or to engage the clot for removal using the cage as a collector assembly, expand once past the target emboli, and catch or net the embolism (or a portion of the embolism) for removal from patient's blood vessels. In some situations, the device may be used to move the clot to another position in the vasculature; perhaps for recovery using another device or to canalize the clot for improved blood flow.
The use of inflatable balloons to remove emboli has been practiced for many years. The "Fogarty catheter" has been used, typically in the periphery, to remove clots from arteries found in legs and in arms. These well known devices have been described in some detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,826, to Fogarty and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,612 and 3,367,101. These patents describe a balloon catheter in which a balloon material is longitudinally stretched when deflated.
Emboli occasionally form around the valves of the heart and then are dislodged and follow the blood flow into the distal regions of the body. They are particularly dangerous if the emboli passes to the brain and causes an embolic stroke. As will be discussed below, many such occlusions occur in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), although such is not the only site where emboli come to rest. Obviously, when blood flow is inhibited or cut off completely from a portion of the brain, the brain's oxygen supply is limited causing severe problems.
In procedures for removing emboli using the Fogarty catheter or other similar catheters, it is typical, first, to locate the clot using fluoroscopy. The embolectomy catheter is then inserted and directed to the clot. The distal tip of the balloon catheter is then carefully moved through the center of the clot. Once the balloon has passed through the distal side of the clot, the balloon is inflated. The balloon catheter is then gradually and gently withdrawn. The balloon, in this way, acts to pull the clot ahead of the balloon. The majority of procedures using a Fogarty catheter repeat these steps until the pertinent vessel is cleared of clot material.
Such vaso-occlusions occur in a wide variety of sites within the body. The lodging of thrombus in various sites is complicated by the presence of atherosclerosis. This disease causes the vessels to become tortuous and narrowed. These anomalies are often considered to be the result of the growth of atherosclerotic plaque. Clots occurring in these diseased vessels are difficult to remove using balloon or Fogarty catheters.
Removal of emboli using balloon catheters is rife with potential problems. One such problem occurs during removal of a clot. The resistance to such removal often causes the balloon portion of the catheter to evert over the tip of the catheter. Should the user need to partially deflate the balloon during such a deflation, the distal tip of the balloon may become distended and angulate. Another difficulty with balloon catheters is the possibility of damage to the intima of arteries. Inflation pressures can create forces significant enough to shaer such a vessel lining or dislodge plaque lodged on such a wall. In the worst case, the balloon may rupture leaving balloon portions in the bloodstream.
Movement of a balloon in the MCA using only a balloon can displace the clot through more proximal branches into other large vessels such as the internal carotid artery (ICA) and then into other vessels.
There are a variety of different devices intended for use in replacing balloon catheters and in using a device other than a balloon catheter in so removing the emboli.
One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,503 to Clark III. This patent describes a spiral helix affixed to the distal end of a catheter. In particular, the spiral helix is designed to be rotated and pushed forward through the clot. It is said that the helix screws into the clot, and when it is firmly embedded or is past the clot, the catheter is pulled out of the vessel without rotation. The catheter is said to operate like a corkscrew.
A similar catheter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,671 to Weinrib. This catheter also has a coil section at its distal end. The coil section is said to be stretched initially into a generally linear insertion position for removing inwardly in a vessel. The coil member is then expanded into the form of a hollow conical scoop to then scoop clot material from the blood vessel. The coil member is stiffened by an internal wire which is then removed. The hollow passageway is then filled with a liquid to stiffen the coils. The coils are said to be of an elastomeric material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,130 to Fogarty et al., describes a helical balloon attached to the distal end of a catheter. The helical or bellowed balloon is maintained in a generally linear condition and passed into a clot. Once the catheter balloon within the clot is inflated, the balloon and adjoining clot are removed together.
Another similar device used more to grip and shear atherosclerotic deposits rather than to remove thrombi is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,611 to Monfort et al. This device incorporates a pair of helical wires placed on the distal end of a wire. The flexible wire is pulled against a flexible catheter and the two helically configured loops expand to form a shearing apparatus. The totality of the apparatus is then twisted by means of a handle so that the pair of helically wound loops cuts through and is said to retain sections of plaque for removal from the vessel under treatment.
Another thrombus extraction system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,488, to Ginsberg. In this device, an inflatable balloon having a proximal conic shape is deflated and passed through a thrombus. It is then expanded and retracted so that the proximal passage pulls the thrombus into contact with an aspirator. The aspirator then removes the clot or thrombotic material from the vessel.
An alternative configuration of the expandable member is also described in the Ginsberg patent. In this variation, a wire coil is attached to an extension wire which may be moved between an extended position and a retracted position. The retracted or expanded configuration is illustrated to have a conical shape. The cone is shown to be one which has a smaller end proximally.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,347, to Taheri, shows an inflatable balloon type embolectomy catheter. The balloon has a number of fingers arranged in a leaf spring arrangement inside the balloon. The balloon is hydraulically inflated and forms a cone after inflation. The deflated device is shown in FIGS. 11 through 14 to be passed distally past an embolism before inflation. After inflation, the large end of the balloon collects the embolism as it is pulled past the appropriate site in the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,286, to Phan et al., shows a retrieval catheter for removing materials from various body lumens. The retrieval catheter is shown to have a slack net which may be collapsed for passage into lumen past the material to be collected. The net is unfolded after such passage and materials such as uretral stones are removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,509 to Hilal, shows an embolectomy catheter having an elastomeric foam tip attached distally. The foam tip has an actuator means suitable for forming the foam section both longitudinally and radially in response to activation of the actuation. In practice, the catheter tip is pressed past an embolism, inflated, and retracted with the clot being pushed proximally as retraction occurs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,859, to Mische et al., shows an intravascular occlusion material removal device having an expandable material removal element made up of a number of wires passing between the two ends of such element, a catheter shaft, a drive shaft for spinning the material movement element within the blood vessel, and a collection portion placed on the material removal element for collecting any occlusion material removed by the expandable material removal element. The drive shaft may be operated by a motor connected to the drive shaft proximate to the proximal end of the drive shaft.
None of these devices approximates the design of the device described below.