An ovulation inhibiting preparation for hormonal contraception, comprising two hormone constituents packed spatially separate in a packing unit intended for chronological, sequential oral administration, said constituents each comprising a plurality of daily hormone units accommodated spatially separate and individually removable in the packaging unit. The first hormone constituent consists essentially of an estrogen preparation which effects a disturbance of the follicle stimulation; the second hormone constituent consists of an estrogen preparation and a gestagen preparation in a dose at least adequate for inhibiting ovulation. The total number of daily hormone units is equal to the total number of days in the desired cycle, and the number of daily units of the first hormone constituent is less than the number of daily units of the second hormone constituent. The first hormone constituent comprises 5 to 14 daily units, and the second hormone constituent comprises 23 to 14 daily units.

The present invention relates to a preparation for hormonal contraception. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ovulation-inhibiting preparation for hormonal contraception.
Hormonal ovulation inhibitors, which are orally administered in daily units, include combination preparations and sequential preparations. In combination preparations, a combination of an estrogen preparation and a gestagen preparation is admistered for 21 days in constant or alternating, or absolute and/or relative dosing, to the extent that the desired cycle duration in 28 days. The estrogen preparation can be a natural estrogen or a synthetic ethinyl estradiol. After the administration of the aforementioned 21 daily units, this dosing is followed by a 7-day pause, whereby withdrawal bleeding simulating the natural menses occurs.
With typical sequential preparations that are given during a desired cycle duration of 28 days, a pure estrogen preparation is administered for 7 days and then a combination of an estrogen preparation and a gestagen preparation is administered for 15 days. An administration-free time of, for example, six days follows, during which withdrawal bleeding occurs. Although it is known to bridge the administration pause time in the combination and the sequential preparations with placebos for the sake of greater reliability of administration, no hormones of the type previously discussed have been administered during the approximately one-week administration pause to guarantee reliable withdrawal bleeding.
Only in substitution preparations have hormones been administered over the entire cycle. For example, a preparation has been administered in the following sequence: 10
The sequential preparations used in substitution therapy are unsuitable for contraception, particularly because the natural estradiol does not prevent ovulation in the given dose and the phase during which gestagen is administered (i.e., 11 days) is too short. The sequential arrangement set forth above, however, does guarantee relatively good cycle control in the case of the substitution of preparations.
In general, the three most important aspects that are considered in hormonal contraception are contraceptive reliability, cycle control as well as minimum side-effects. The contraceptive reliability is based mainly on the action of the gestagen constituent. In a given preparation, gestagen is utilized in a does that is approximately twice as high as the dose necessary for inhibiting ovulation. Added thereto are the peripheral effects of the gestagen on the cervix, fallopian tubes, and endometrium. Consequently, gestagen is present in an adequate dose in modern oral contraceptives in order to guarantee reliable contraception. The synthetic estrogen normally used, ethinyl estradiol, additionally intensifies the ovulation-inhibiting effect of the gestagen. Combined ethinyl estradiolgestagen preparations that are taken over three of four weeks with an administration pause of 7 days have, hitherto, shown the greatest contraceptive reliability.
In contrast, the sequential preparations are somewhat less reliable in view of their contraceptive reliability, since 50 .mu.g ethinyl estradiol are administered during the pure estrogen phase which lasts about 7 days. This preparation does not prevent ovulation in all women, and also lacks the peripheral contraceptive effects of the gestagen. The ovulation-inhibiting dose (100% of women) of ethinyl estradiol is 100 .mu.g daily.
While the combination preparations described hereinabove offer the greatest contraceptive reliability among known ovulation inhibitors, the best cycle control (i.e., regular withdrawal menses with optimally few intermenses) is achieved with the use of sequential preparations, including those of the type that effect proliferation of the endometrium. This is due to the 7-day action of the estrogen (unimpeded by gestagen) prior to the gestagen being added. Beginning with the eighth day, further proliferation is inhibited and the endometrium is thereby altered. As previously noted, a menstruationlike withdrawal bleeding occurs approximately 2 to 3 days after the last estrogengestagen tablet is administered. In contrast, the proliferation of the endometrium is reduced from the very outset with the use of combination preparations, so that the cycle control in the latter case is poorer than with use of the sequential preparations.
With the use of ethinyl estradiol as the estrogen constituent in sequential preparations, it has been shown that higher doses are necessary, particularly during the initial phase in order to guarantee contraceptive effectiveness. However, this, in turn, creates a risk of serious and dangerous complications or side-effects (i.e., thromboembolism). The gestagen thus employed can intensify this effect in some cases. Further, this risk increases with increasing age, and is especially pronounced in women over 40 years of age.
One solution to the aforementioned problem would be the use of combination preparations which contain the natural estrogen, estradiol, instead of ethinyl estradiol. Based on substitution therapies involving post-menopausal women, it is known that treatment with estradiol involves substantially fewer health risks. However, estradiol is hardly suitable for use in combination preparations. Although the gestagen constituent in the combination preparation thereby guarantees reliable contraception, gestagen causes an intensified inactivation of the estradiol in the endometrium. This is due to the stimulation of local enzymes. The result is that the estrogen effect on the endometrium is greatly reduced, and intermenses frequently occur involving the disadvantageous effects set forth hereinabove. By contrast, ethinyl estradiol is metabolized far more slowly in the endometrium and, consequently, has an adequate effect on the endometrium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,843 discloses an ovulation-inhibiting preparation of the type, wherein an administration pause of at least one day is bridged with a placebo. The placebo is provided between the administration of the last daily hormone units (i.e., dragees, tablets, or the like) of the second hormone constituent and before the new daily hormone unit (i.e., the first of the first hormone constituent of the following cycle) is administered. This is in agreement with the previously prevailing opinion in this field, namely, an administration pause of at least one day. In the alternative, a drastic reduction in the effective estrogen level was considered absolutely necessary in order to trigger withdrawal bleeding. Even when a one-day administration pause is involved, however, such a discontinuation of the estrogen leads to modifications in the body's circulation, which can cause headaches (migraine attacks) and also lead to brief-durational changes in various metabolic parameters. In particular, hemostasis can be affected, so that a stable metabolism is out of equilibrium for one or more days because of the estrogen influence.
In the preparation for treating climacteric failure phenomena disclosed by German Published Application 26 45 307, an administration pause or, at least the simulation thereof with the temporary use of an especially weak type of estrogen that does not effect any adequate disturbance of the follicle stimulation, is considered necessary. Overall, the hormone doses used, in particular the duration of the gestagen phase, are therefore inadequate for contraception in view of the preparation disclosed in the aforementioned publication.
Similarly, German Published Application 24 31 704 discloses a preparation for alleviating climacteric complaints, wherein fluctuating estrogen concentrations are provided. The gestagen doses therefore only begin after the middle of the cycle, for which reason a contraceptive effect cannot be achieved. Moreover, a hormone-free pause in administration is absolutely prescribed.
European Published Application 0 368 373 discloses an ovulation-inhibiting preparation, whereby a constant gestagen level is provided over the entire cycle duration, and estrogen phases are cyclically superimposed thereon. One disadvantage of this preparation is an increased risk of intermenses. And although the constant gestagen administration, in fact, results in a good contraceptive effect, prolonged blood vessel-constriction occurs, so that adverse health effects are likely to occur, especially in women of increasing age and those having a tendency toward circulatory problems.

Ovulation-inhibiting preparation for hormonal contraception


The present invention relates to a process for producing porous materials, which comprises reaction of at least one polyfunctional isocyanate with an amine component comprising at least one polyfunctional substituted aromatic amine and also water in the presence of a solvent.

Porous materials, for example polymer foams, having pores in the size range of a few microns or significantly below and a high porosity of at least 70% are particularly good thermal insulators on the basis of theoretical considerations.
Such porous materials having a small average pore diameter can be, for example, in the form of organic xerogels. In the literature, the term xerogel is not used entirely uniformly. In general, a xerogel is considered to be a porous material which has been produced by a sol-gel process, with the liquid phase having been removed from the gel by drying below the critical temperature and below the critical pressure of the liquid phase ("subcritical conditions"). In contrast, the term aerogels generally refers to gels obtained when the removal of the liquid phase from the gel has been carried out under supercritical conditions.
In the sol-gel process, a sol based on a reactive organic gel precursor is first produced and the sol is then gelled by means of a crosslinking reaction to form a gel. To obtain a porous material, for example a xerogel, from the gel, the liquid has to be removed. This step will hereinafter be referred to as drying in the interests of simplicity.
WO-95/02009 discloses isocyanate-based xerogels which are particularly suitable for applications in the field of vacuum insulation. The publication also discloses a sol-gel-based process for producing the xerogels, in which known, inter alia aromatic, polyisocyanates and an unreactive solvent are used. As further compounds having active hydrogen atoms, use is made of aliphatic or aromatic polyamines or polyols. The examples disclosed in the publication comprise ones in which a polyisocyanate is reacted with diaminodiethyltoluene. The xerogels disclosed generally have average pore sizes in the region of 50 μm. In one example, mention is made of an average pore diameter of 10 μm.
WO-2008/138978 discloses xerogels which comprise from 30 to 90% by weight of at least one polyfunctional isocyanate and from 10 to 70% by weight of at least one polyfunctional aromatic amine and have a volume average pore diameter of not more than 5 microns.
The unpublished EP-A 09178783.8 describes porous materials based on polyfunctional isocyanates and polyfunctional aromatic amines, where the amine component comprises polyfunctional substituted aromatic amines. The porous materials described are produced by reacting isocyanates with the desired amount of amine in a solvent which is inert toward the isocyanates. The formation of urea linkages occurs exclusively by reaction of the isocyanate groups with the amino groups used.
However, the materials properties, in particular the mechanical stability and/or the compressive strength and also the thermal conductivity, of the known porous materials based on polyurea are not satisfactory for all applications. In addition, the formulations on which the materials are based display shrinkage, with reduction of the porosity and an increase in the density, on drying. Furthermore, the gelling time, i.e. the time required for gelling of the starting compounds, is often too long.
A particular problem associated with the formulations based on isocyanates and amines which are known from the prior art are mixing defects. Mixing defects occur as a result of the high reaction rate between isocyanates and amino groups, since the gelling reaction has already proceeded a long way before complete mixing. Mixing defects lead to porous materials having heterogeneous and unsatisfactory materials properties. A concept for reducing the phenomenon of mixing defects is thus generally desirable.

Process for producing porous materials based on polyurea

Abstract: The invention further relates to the porous materials which can be obtained in this way and the use of the porous materials as insulation material and in vacuum insulation panels.


A viewing angle can be broadened without causing degradation in resolution of a three-dimensional image by a retinal scanning display. An image display system includes a projector which displays an image in a first region by projecting an image onto a screen, and a retinal scanning display which displays an image in a second region provided in the first region by projecting the image onto a pupil of a user. A position for displaying a three-dimensional content out of the image to be displayed in the first region is determined. The three-dimensional content is displayed on the retinal scanning display when the position falls within the second region, while the three-dimensional content is displayed on the projector when the position falls outside the second region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display system having a plurality of image display devices, and more particularly to an image display system which includes an image display device capable of displaying an image on a screen or the like and an image display device capable of projecting an image onto a pupil of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various proposals have been made with respect to an image display device which allows incidence of an optical flux on a pupil of a viewer and projects an image on a retina using the incident optical flux thus allowing the viewer to observe a stereoscopic virtual image in front of the pupil, that is, a so-called retinal scanning display.
One conventional example of this-type image display device is described in patent document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 2874208). The conventional example is constituted of a plurality of constitutional elements and displays an image to a viewer.
That is, the image display device includes an optical flux generating part capable of radiating an optical flux and modulating intensity of the radiated optical flux, a wave front curvature modulator for modulating a wave front curvature of the optical flux radiated from the optical flux generating part, a deflector for scanning the optical flux whose wave front curvature is modulated by the wave front curvature modulator, and a relay optical system for allowing the optical flux scanned by the deflector to be incident on a pupil of the viewer.
Further, due to the incidence of the optical flux scanned by the deflector on a retina of the viewer, an image is directly projected on the retina, and the viewer can observe a stereoscopic virtual image in front of his/her pupil.

Image display system and image display method


A method and a device controls a rotary tablet forming machine having a rotor. The rotor is capable of being rotated by a drive unit. The rotor includes at least one matrix with allocated upper punches and lower punches and a pressing force, to act on the press mass filled into the at least one matrix is determined. The determined pressing force (PKactual) is compared with a pre-specifiable limit value (PKlimit) and, with a level going below the limit value (PKlimit). Then, required speed (nr) of the rotor can be reduced to a speed below the rated speed (nr-rated).

Rotary tablet forming machines of the category-related type are known. A typical factor here is that, upon starting the drive unit, the rotor is brought from standstill position to its rated speed. By way of at least one filling shoe, the matrixes are filled with the press mass and, depending on the angular position of the rotor, the lower and the upper punches which are guided by guide curves are moved axially to the matrixes. The upper and lower punches are directed past at least one press station, normally a pre-press station and a main press station. At that location, the upper and lower punches are directed past stationary arranged press rollers, essentially tangential, so that a pressing force can be applied onto the press mass filled into the matrixes.
Setting and measuring the pressing force is known, for example from EP 0 698 481 B1. In this case, there is an essential correlation between the measured maximum pressing force and the mass of the press mass filled into the matrixes under the prerequisite of the same material properties of the press mass. There is, in this case, a direct correlation between the tablet weight and the pressing force required for the manufacture of the tablets. In dependence on the material to be pressed, a certain pressing force is allocated to each tablet weight with a tablet form pre-specified by the press tools and a set tablet height. If the filling volume, and subsequently the tablet weight, fluctuates at a constant tablet height, a pressing force change results therefrom in direct dependence.
If all matrixes in a rotary tablet forming machine are normally filled with press mass up to the press station (meaning, up to the pressure roller), pressure rollers and rotor during start-up are accelerated to the rated speed in the same time period. This is attributable to the fact that each punch, as a result of the rotational movement of the rotor, is drawn past under the pressure roller—touching this—and her via the rotation of the punches the acceleration of the pressure roller is effected so that the acceleration of the pressure roller is directly dependent on the rotational speed of the punches.
This correlation between acceleration of the rotor and acceleration of the pressure rollers is then disadvantageous if, upon rotation of the rotor, the matrixes arriving at the press station (pressure rollers) are not or are only partially filled with press mass.
This can be the case, for example, during the start-up of the rotary tablet forming machine after cleaning or in the event of an interruption of the material feed by way of the filling shoe(s) with press mass.
If the rotary tablet forming machine is now started up with non-filled or with only partially filled matrixes, the upper and lower punches in the press station do not touch or only partially touch the pressure rollers. By starting up the drive unit the rotor with the punch is, however, accelerated to its rated speed. If a first punch with a first orderly filled matrix now accesses the press station, the punch or the punch couple, corresponding to the rotor already accelerated to rated speed, hits the pressure roller which is not yet or only insufficiently accelerated. In this case, the punch has an abrupt impact on the pressure roller so that suddenly a high kinetic energy has to be absorbed by the pressure roller and the punches involved. This can lead to damage of the pressure rollers and/or the punches.

Method and device for the control of a rotary tablet forming machine


A screen includes a screen pixel array, row and column lines, a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) circuit, a gate driver on array (GOA) circuit, a switch circuit, and an enabling signal circuit. The DDIC circuit is disposed on a side of a screen of the electronic device, and includes output channels. Each output channel is connected to two switches, each switch is connected to one row line, the GOA circuit is connected to a column line, the enabling signal circuit is connected to the switch circuit, and the screen pixel array is connected to the row and column line. The enabling signal circuit generates an enabling signal for the switch circuit. The DDIC circuit sends to-be-displayed data to the switch circuit. The switch circuit controls the two switches to alternately operate. The GOA circuit strobes a column of pixels in the screen pixel array which displays the to-be-displayed data.

How to increase a screen-to-body ratio of an electronic device so that the electronic device has a larger screen area in a case of a same shape and size has been a research hotspot in the industry. Currently, a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) circuit of a mainstream active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display screen is disposed in a position of a lower frame on a front side of an electronic device, and the DDIC circuit is wired from a bottom of the display screen. However, the foregoing manner restricts further improvement of the screen-to-body ratio of the electronic device, and therefore, it is proposed in the industry that the DDIC circuit is disposed at positions of frames on two sides of the screen of the electronic device. In this case, output channels of the DDIC circuit are connected to rows of a screen pixel array through row lines in row and column lines. Therefore, the number of rows of the screen pixel array needs to be the same as the number of the output channels of the DDIC circuit. However, because the existing DDIC circuit only has a maximum number of 2000 channels, the number of rows of the screen pixel array is limited, thereby reducing a screen resolution.


An light source module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate; a light source which is provided on the substrate; a reflective sheet which is stacked on the substrate; an optical sheet which is stacked on the reflective sheet and has a protruding pattern; an optical resin which is formed on the protruding pattern; and a light diffusion sheet which is stacked on the optical resin, and the light source module may implement a surface emission image, and diffuse light so as to satisfy regulations on visible angle light distribution.

In general, lamps for a vehicle are widely classified into a headlamp which is installed at a front side of a vehicle, and a tail lamp which is installed at a rear side of the vehicle. The tail lamp performs functional roles, such as a brake operation display, a direction display, or an alarm display, and also performs an aesthetic role for forming an image of a rear side of a vehicle. Considering the situation in which importance of a design of a vehicle in a product value of a vehicle is gradually increased, aesthetic appearance of the tail lamp may be a very important factor in improving a product value of a vehicle.
However, a general tail lamp has a simple configuration including a bulb that is a light source, and a reflector that reflects light of the bulb. For this reason, there is a problem in that shapes of lighting images of the tail lamp are unified. Therefore, a method of increasing aesthetic appearance of lighting images by installing a plurality of light sources such as LEDs has been proposed, which leads to a problem in that a large number of light sources are required.
A demand for surface emission images utilizing indirect reflection rather than the lighting images configured to have a multi-dot shape has been increased due to an increase in an index of emotional quality of a consumer.
However, because optical efficiency of the surface emission images is low, there are problems in that it is difficult to satisfy regulations on visible angle light distribution, and a stereoscopic effect of the lighting images is insufficient.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Light source module and lamp for vehicle having the same


A wound protecting and fixing device includes at least a protecting and fixing layer (1) with an opening. The opening (11) is defined in the protecting and fixing layer and configured to extend between an upper plane and a lower plane of the protecting and fixing layer along a longitudinal direction, and to surround a wound therein so that the protecting and fixing layer (1) with the opening limits an increase of tension at the wound and a movement-incurred wrinkle of skin at the wound. The protecting and fixing layer (1) with the opening includes a flexible protecting and fixing layer (1a) with an opening and a rigid protecting and fixing layer (1b) with an opening. The device can prevent the wound from being ripped and ruptured, and prevent damages caused by movement-incurred wrinkles of the skin at the wound and relative displacement frictions.

In people's lives, due to harms caused by many factors, the human body may incur wounds such as external injury wounds, surgical wounds, infusion wounds, and so on. A wound, once incurred, must be protected and tended so that severe complications caused by wound infections can be prevented. Hence excellent wound protection and care technologies and products are critically important to expedite the healing of wounds. Currently in clinical medicine, a wound is protected and tended mainly through wound dressings. Such products mainly include spunlace non-woven cloths, transparent thin film dressings, foam dressings, hydrocolloid dressings, functional dressings, and etc. To achieve better results, different types of dressings are used to protect and tend different types of wounds. If the protecting and tending methods, technologies and products are inappropriate, the damages to the wound will be aggravated. Therefore, attention should be paid to the wound damage aggravation caused by current wound protecting and tending technologies and products during protecting and tending wounds, or the failure of achieving optimal protecting and tending effects caused by functional defects of the products. To create new products with better healing effects, based on the characteristics of wounds to be tended, a simple categorization of the wounds is made, while advantages and disadvantages of the conventional technologies and products in protecting and tending the wounds are analyzed and compared.
The first type of wounds is that with infusion catheters. In tending this type of wounds, such as wounds with central venous catheters, peripherally inserted central catheters, and vein retaining needle catheters, besides that the catheter must be securely fixed, the wound needs to be specially protected to prevent infection, and in some cases, the catheter needs to be retained for as long as a few months so as to cure the disease. Currently a clinically preferred method is to use transparent thin film dressing (PU film) to directly cover the infusion wound and fix the catheter, with the advantages of:
1. The dressing being super thin and transparent, so that the wound development status can be observed any time;
2. Excellent flexibility and conformability with the skin. Once the dressing is affixed to the skin, it is hard to separate the dressing and the skin.
Therefore, compared with dressings made of other materials, such dressing is more secure and less likely to fall off in fixing the catheter and protecting the infusion wound. However, the dressing has the following disadvantages:
1. Because of its good flexibility, along with a movement-incurred wrinkle of the superficial skin, the dressing will generate the same movement-incurred wrinkle and not be able to prevent the movement-incurred wrinkle of the skin. As a result, when the superficial skin generates a movement-incurred wrinkle under an external force or caused by a body movement, the catheter will have a displacement thereby damaging the infusion wound;
2. The adhesive is sealed on the infusion wound, which may cause allergy at the wound or skin around the wound and generate inflammatory responses such as contact dermatitis;
3. The dressing is not sweat permeable, so that sweat may accumulate at the wound or under the thin film, which may easily cause wound infections, even secondary severe complications such as phlebitis, or bloodstream infection;
4. The dressing needs to be changed in 3 to 6 days. Not changing the dressing and subsequently sanitizing the wound for a period longer than that may cause infection.
The second type of wounds are regular wounds such as surgical wounds, external injury wounds and etc. Clinically this type of wounds are normally handled by using spunlace non-woven cloths with pads or cushions, foam dressings, hydrocolloid dressings and so on to tend and protect the wounds. This type of dressings have the following advantages:
1. The dressings have strong absorbency. They can absorb wound exudation and prevent the expansion of the infection area.
2. There is no adhesive in direct contact with the wound.
3. The hydrocolloid dressings can keep the wound tissues moist and expedite the healing.
However, such dressings have the following disadvantages:
1. The dressings are not transparent (the hydrocolloid is translucent), as a result, the development status of the wound cannot be observed any time.
2. Compared with transparent thin film dressings, such dressings have weaker flexibility and conformability, and stronger hardness and rigidity. Under tension, the dressing can easily fall off from the surface of the skin, thereby having lower fixity. When the dressing is conformed to wounds at movable joint parts of the body where movement-incurred wrinkles may easily be generated, or when the patient is sweating as a result of movement, the dressing may easily fall off.
3. The dressings have bad waterproofness, or is not waterproof at all. The adhesive layer of the dressing may easily fall off from the skin when being in contact with water.
4. When the superficial skin of the wound has a movement-incurred wrinkle, there may be friction caused by relative displacement between the superficial skin of the wound and the pad or cushion as well as the dressing that the wound directly contacts, so that further damage may be caused to the wound tissues, especially for wounds at movable joint parts of the body.
In addition, the above-mentioned dressings are in direct contact with and pressingly covered upon the wound, and therefore may conglutinate with the secretion of the wound tissue. When the dressing is changed, further damage may be caused to the wound tissue. Although non-conglutination technical processing is applied to the part of the dressing which contacts the wound, but the non-conglutination is only relative. At the same time, when a sanitization processing is made to the wound from time to time, all of the above-mentioned dressings have to be changed as a whole.
In addition to the above-mentioned technologies, currently, some dressings that prevent tissue adherence or "non-contact" wound protecting and tending devices such as "covers", "frames" and other wound protecting and tending technologies, have appeared, but these anti-tissue-adherence materials can not completely prevent tissue adherence, or tissue rejection and inflammatory reactions against the foreign bodies. In addition, the wound protecting and tending devices such as the "covers" and the "frames" have complex structures. Lacking an effective fixing method, such devices are hard to be stably fixed and may easily move so as to cause further damages to the wound. Such devices cannot be applied to the fixation of central venous catheters, peripherally inserted central catheters, and vein retaining needle catheters, or to the protecting and tending of infusion wounds. Furthermore, the manufacture and application of such devices are relatively complicated. Hence it is difficult to widely promote the application of such devices clinically.
In addition to the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional technologies and methods for wound protecting and tending, the conventional technologies and methods cannot prevent the wound from being ripped and ruptured under an external force or tension. Currently, there are no clinically effective methods or technologies to address wound ripping and rupture, especially for surgical wounds and external injury wounds at the abdomen and movable joint parts. Ripping and rupture caused by coughing, postoperative abdominal distension, forcibly urination and defecation, and so on, may severely affect the wound healing and cause complications such as infection.
Whether the adhesion between a wound protecting and tending product and the surface of the skin is secure is also an important factor that determines the effect of wound protecting and tending. Therefore, the physiological characteristics of the human superficial skin determine and influence the effects of the wound protecting and tending product. The human skin has the following physiological characteristics:
1. The skin is an organ that secretes sweat. The sweat being secreted will reduce the adhesiveness of the protecting and fixing adhesive layer, and even make it fall off;
2. The skin has a relatively soft surface, which moves and produces wrinkles along its texture under an external force, especially at joint parts with movement functions. The older the age, more wrinkles there are, and more easily the wrinkles may be produced. Therefore, when a rigid protecting and fixing adhesive layer that can relatively hardly wrinkle or cannot wrinkle adheres to the surface of the skin, and when the adhering surface undergoes a tension produced by movement-incurred wrinkles being created under an external force, it will first resist the tension of the movement-incurred wrinkles so as to limit the displacement and the wrinkling of the surface of the skin. When the adhering force is not enough to resist the tension, the adhering surface will peel and fall off. Therefore, when only using the rigid fixing adhesive layer to bond and secure an object on the surface of the skin, the advantage is that it can resist the tension of the movement-incurred wrinkles of the skin so as to limit the movement-incurred wrinkles on the adhering surface or the surface of the skin surrounded by the opening thereof. However, the disadvantage is because it requires the adhering force with the skin to resist the tension of the movement-incurred wrinkles of the skin, when the adhering force is not enough to resist the tension of the movement-incurred wrinkles of the skin, or when the tension with the adhesive surface of the skin increases, the rigid protecting and fixing adhesive layer will peel and fall off. On the other hand, when a flexible protecting and fixing adhesive layer adheres to the surface of the skin, because it is soft, ultra-thin, and has good conformability, it may generate the same movement-incurred wrinkles as the movement-incurred wrinkles of the skin textures, and keep a good adherent state with the skin under any movement-incurred wrinkle conditions. Hence, the tension of the movement-incurred wrinkles of the skin is not against the adhering force. When using a flexible protecting and fixing adhesive layer to protect and fix medical items or wounds at the surface of the skin, the advantage of it is that the adhesion is tight and secure, and even when there is sweat, it will not fall off easily. The disadvantage of it is that the medical items or the wound that the protecting and fixing adhesive layer is protecting and fixing generates displacements and movement-incurred wrinkles along with the movement-incurred wrinkles of the surface of the skin. For a catheter fixture with an infusion opening or a fixture with wound dressing, the catheter at the infusion opening will move while the surface of the wound will generate movement-incurred wrinkle. As a result, further damage will be caused to the wound while the relative displacement frictions between the wound and the dressing will do harm to the wound tissue.
3. Skin wounds of allergic constitution will be allergic to the adhesive layer, which leads to inflammation and infection. Hence it is necessary to avoid the adhesive layer directly adhering to infusion wounds, surgical wounds and traumatic wounds.
Therefore, considering the advantages and disadvantages of the above-mentioned methods and products being applied to wound protecting and tending, according to the physiological characteristics of the skin, it is necessary to develop a new method or product that inherits and integrates the advantages of the conventional technologies and overcomes the disadvantages, and to create a new adhering, protecting and fixing method and product that suit the physiological characteristics of the skin. The improved technologies, methods or products should meet the following requirements:
1. being capable of effectively preventing wounds (including surgical stitching wounds, traumatic wounds, infusion wounds and some high tension wounds) from being ripped and ruptured;
2. being capable of contacting the wound secretion in a permeating mode, instead of tightly and pressingly contacting the wound secretion, so that the product can effectively absorb the secretion liquid of the necrotic tissues of the wound and prevent regional spreading, with no or very little conglutination with the wound tissue;
3. being capable of letting the wound be open and visible so that the developing status of the wound can be observed any time;
4. being capable of securely fixing and adhering to skin around the wound and fixing the infusion catheter, just as using transparent thin film dressings alone, without being bonded to wounds or infusion wounds by the adhesives, while being transparent and visible at the same time;
5. being capable of limiting further damages to the wound caused by the movement-incurred wrinkles of the superficial skin of the wound and the displacement of the catheter, especially for wounds and infusion wounds at movable joint body parts or with relatively many skin wrinkles;
6. based on the requirements of the wound characteristics, being capable of completely preventing the wound surface from contacting any foreign body (including the dressing itself) so as to prevent the wound from having foreign body rejection and inflammation responses;
7. if needed, debridement, sanitization, drainage, and regional medical and physical treatment may be conducted to the wound without changing the wound protecting and tending product as a whole;
8. while protecting the wound, being capable of securely fixing the catheter related to the wound so that the catheter may not easily fall off, just as using the transparent thin film dressing alone, preventing the displacement of the catheter on the surface of the skin when using the transparent thin film dressing alone, and preventing the infusion wound from being damaged by catheter displacement.
9. if needed, being waterproof, air permissible and capable of keeping away the contaminations from the external environment;
10. being capable of lowering the frequency of changing wound care products so as to reduce medical costs.


A simplified wiring system for an electronically controlled vending machine of the type capable of vending multiple products out of columns, trays or other queuing means, wherein by employing DC motors and various novel circuits, one may reduce controller complexity and assembly time. Selector button sensing and motor drives are connected in a matrix configuration. Sold-out switches are connected in series with the motors. Home switches are connected in series and only momentary continuity interruption is sensed. Separate sold-out switch outputs are eliminated. Interconnect wiring is reduced by mounting both the Home switch and Sold-out switch for each motor on a motor interface board permitting operation of up to 16 motors from a 10-wire ribbon cable.

PRIOR ART
Can and bottle vending machines are an important part of the soft drink industry. They are found in virtually every location where people are likely to purchase a can or bottle of soft drink at any time of day or night, where there is some form of public access and generally where there is no other convenient means for purchasing a soft drink. Thus, by way of example, one may find such dispensing machines on most or all floors of every major hotel, in places of recreational activities such as bowling alleys and movie theaters, in places of employment and in high traffic, publicly accessible locations such as airports, train stations, bus stations and the like. Historically, such vending machines have been electromechanical devices which use relays, controlling single turn motors, all interconnected by hard wired logic to dispense a single can or bottle upon acceptance of a set amount in currency.
The general idea in any vending machine control system is to simplify as much as possible the wiring harnessing and the controller in order to minimize the manufacturing and assembly costs. At the same time, the simplification should not come at the expense of versatility and reliability.
All the vending machines to which the present invention is related, are capable of vending multiple products out of columns, trays or other queuing means, where products of the same kind can be dispensed one at a time. In addition, each of these queues, or pair of queues, is activated by a separate motor or solenoid. They also have means of detecting the depletion of product (Sold-Out condition) on each queue, and means of detecting when each vending cycle is completed.
In older, non-electronic, vending machines, the Sold-Out sensor is a switch mechanically coupled to the product queue such that when the number of items in the queue drops below a certain number, the switch changes states and removes power from the corresponding motor, while at the same time turning on a Sold-Out light indicator for the particular queue. To sense the completion of the vending cycle (the HOME position), a switch coupled to a notched cam that rides on the shaft of the vending mechanism, changes states when the cycle is completed and removes power from the motor.
With the advent of microprocessors and microcontrollers, vending machine manufacturers have recently begun providing far more sophisticated vending machines which are capable of providing multiprice options to the purchaser.
In newer, electronically controlled vending machines the controller controls each motor and all switches are used as sensor only, informing the controller of Product selection,"Sold-Out" and vend completion. A basic wiring schematic for a 10-selection vending machine with 10 queues, requires:
10 Power Drivers for the Motors PA1 10 Digital Inputs to Sense Sold-Out PA1 10 Digital Inputs to Sense Home PA1 1 11-wire Motor Cable PA1 1 11-wire Sold-Out Cable PA1 1 11-wire Home Position Sensing Cable PA1 b) Motors are driven in a Matrix and all Sold-Out switches are connected in series with motors; PA1 c) The HOME switches are connected in series such that only a momentary interruption in the continuity between the first and last switch is sensed when the switch changes states. This is sufficient to signal the controller that home position is reached. The controller "knows" which motor is running and therefore it can turn it off. Normally a SPDT (Single Pole Double Throw) switch is used for the HOME position sensing. By jumpering the NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed) contacts, the continuity is interrupted only during the switching transition. The continuity does not depend on the switch actuator rest position (the so-called Closed or Open positions). Thus even if one or more motors are stuck in a non-home position, the switch circuit continuity is not broken. PA1 b) If current is flowing and the Home switch does not produce a signal within a given time period, the controller "knows" that there is a motor jam. If the current exceeds a preset maximum, the controller shuts off the motor to prevent damage to the queue. PA1 c) If no current is flowing into the motor, the controller "knows" that the selection is sold-out and the motor drive is adjusted to dispense product correctly after the queue is reloaded. PA1 b) On the MIB, one jumper each on the High Drive Select and Low Drive Select headers determines the pair of lines that drive the motor. For the Home Switch loop, jumpers and headers are provided on the MIB. A jumper block on the First Motor header of the MIB of Motor 1, jumpers from each board to the adjacent board and a jumper block on the Last Motor header of the last MIB, create the loop. PA1 c) Since DC motors do not stop abruptly when power is removed--unless there is a short across the motor--a motor brake circuit is provided on each MIB to prevent possible double product dispensing since each queue may have two or three products, each dispensed upon a partial rotation of a cam having multiple notches.

DC-motor driven vending machine having simplified controls


An overflow control system includes a vessel having a liquid input and output, the vessel having a top and bottom defined by the gravity vector. The system further includes a housing peripherally surrounding the vessel about all surfaces, other than the bottom, to provide a fluid and thermal insulation region between the vessel and the housing. The system also includes a liquid collection chamber formed integrally beneath the vessel and housing, and in fluid communication with the insulation region. A leak or fracture of the vessel will result in an accumulation of liquid in the collection chamber. The system further includes a normally open electrically actuatable solenoid disposed within the liquid input. Within the liquid output of the vessel is provided a check valve for closing the output responsive to any gradient of fluid pressure in the direction of the vessel in excess of a reference level. The system, in addition, includes a liquid detector, disposed within the liquid collection chamber, the detector including an element within an electrical circuit having electrical communication between the solenoid in the input and the liquid detector, and extending along the length of the housing within the insulating region, in which the liquid detector will close a circuit responsive to a reference level of liquid within the liquid collection chamber, this permitting current flow to the solenoid to actuate it, this blocking further input of liquid to the vessel. The system also includes an element for disabling an energy input to the vessel responsive to actuation of the liquid detector. Also, a momentary switch may be included in electrical communication with the liquid level sensor to provide for self-testing of all system circuitry and normally open mechanical elements.

This invention is an improvement of the invention reflected in our U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,605 (1991), entitled Fluid Vessel Overflow System.
The need for the present inventive system, as set forth herein, has developed as a result of development and testing of the invention of our said U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,605, and in response to needs of the marketplace which have arisen and which are addressed by the present improvement. The incorporation of such new areas into our system of control of fluid vessel overflows results in a system having an enhanced safety and cost-effectiveness in residential application.
More particularly, during the period since the grant of our said U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,605, that is, since July, 1991, patents have been granted to third parties which provide for the external connection of the various and sundry leak detection, energy source cutoff, and user signalling means. In other words, the prior art as it has developed since 1991, has entailed the removal of certain of the elements of our 1991 system, e.g., the solenoid means and liquid detection means, from the envelope defined by our fluid-tight peripheral housing, for the purpose of elaborating the function of the solenoid and liquid detection means, typically through the use of integrated circuitry and computer control means. Representative of such efforts are the patents to Furr, that is, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,315,291 and 5,334,973, both of which entail the use of external electrical and mechanical means requiring external elements such as wiring, mechanical drive means, metallic foil, and external soldering to install the same. One result of systems such as Furr is that such systems cannot be economically built and sold in the residential market. Accordingly, while complex electrical and mechanical improvements of our 1991 system may exhibit certain value in large special purpose commercial and industrial structures, they are economically and technically infeasible to use or sale in a typical residential context.
Also, the prior art, as is known to the within inventors, does not provide a simple and cost-effective means of terminating the energy source of the system in the event of a tank leak, nor does it provide a means of assuring the internal integrity of the vacuum within the fluid vessel. That is, without a means of assuring maintenance of the internal vacuum (notwithstanding a leak or break in the liquid vessel), air in the plumbing, external to the hot water tank will attempt to occupy the water-containing volume of the hot water tank thereby accelerating the rate of the leak until most of the entire volume of the peripheral containment housing has been filled with water. It is the importance of maintaining the integrity of the vacuum within the liquid vessel (hot water tank) in the event of a leak therein has not been fully recognized by the art, this particularly in systems in which the safety means thereof are mechanically and electrically integrated into the envelope of the fluid vessel or are connected immediately thereabove to the input and/or output lines of the tank as a part of the original installation of the liquid vessel or hot water tank.
Other examples in the art of leak detection and leak management apparatus which make use of complex external electromechanical systems is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,224 to Brown; No. 5,357,241 to Welch, and No. 5,428,347 to Barron. It is, accordingly, the need which has developed in the art for an effective integrated fluid vessel overflow system and which is cost-effective for use in the residential area, that has given rise to the instant invention.

System for control of fluid vessel overflows


A tactile feedback actuator includes a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a gap, and a surface layer above the first and second electrodes. The first electrode receives a first stimulus voltage at a first frequency and the second electrode receives a second stimulus voltage at a second frequency, and the first and second electrodes superimpose the first and second stimulus voltages to generate a total voltage that has a beat frequency less than a perception threshold frequency. An object in contact with a portion of the surface layer is caused to vibrate at the beat frequency. The first electrode and the second electrode may constitute an electrode array including a plurality of column electrode segments, and a plurality of row electrode segments. An object in contact with a portion of the surface layer above one or more electrode segments is caused to vibrate at the beat frequency.

With touch-screen and touch-display devices (collectively referred to herein as "touch-screen devices") rapidly growing in popularity, one significant shortcoming over traditional methods of data-entry has quickly become evident. The lack of tactile sensations perceived by the user when pressing "virtual" buttons on the touch-screen—the feelings of button edges and depressing the button for example—necessitates extra concentration by the user, who must visually confirm the position of their finger(s) relative to the display and then check they have correctly entered the data after each action. Real buttons and keys help divide the mental effort amongst the senses with the sense of touch helping to limit the workload on the visual sensory system. It has been shown that data entry using virtual buttons, as opposed to traditional physical buttons, causes an increase in data entry error rates and a decrease in user satisfaction due to the lack of such realistic tactile sensations.
In conventional touch-screen devices, such touch-screen devices may be enhanced through the addition of a means to artificially create tactile sensations, a feature known as tactile feedback. For example, when the user touches the touch-screen in a location corresponding to that of a virtual button, a tactile feedback device may stimulate the user's finger to artificially re-create the sensation of touching a physical button.
An exemplary method to reproduce tactile sensations is to stimulate one's sense of touch through vibrations, or oscillatory motions, of the surface of the device in contact with the user's finger. The generated vibrations may be in a direction normal to the plane of the surface (herein normal motion) or in a direction along the plane of the touch-screen (herein lateral motion). Since the skin is essentially insensitive to the direction of the vibrating motion, either direction of motion is effective in reproducing tactile sensations.
Given that a touch-screen surface on a mobile device is typically formed by a single continuous piece of material—for example, glass or plastic—the sensations caused by mechanical vibrations are limited to the generation of a single tactile sensation across the entire surface. That is, the entire screen vibrates at once thus sending the same tactile signal to all the user's fingers regardless of their position on the device and regardless of whether providing feedback to all fingers is appropriate or not.
Another method of applying tactile stimuli to a touch-screen is with a technique known as electro-vibration. A tactile feedback device employing this technique typically includes a conductive layer just below its surface (insulated from the user) to which a periodic voltage signal of a large magnitude is applied. The user's skin is then periodically attracted toward the display by electrostatic forces which can be perceived by the user as tactile sensations. This principal of electro-vibration method was described in Mallinckrodt et al, SCIENCE 118(3062) 277, dated Sep. 4, 1953, and application of this method to tactile feedback devices is described in MÄKINEN, V. et al., WO2009141502, dated Nov. 26, 2009, and POUPYREV, I. et al., US20100085169, dated Apr. 8, 2010. Furthermore, it is known that by dividing up the conductive layer into separately addressable electrode segments, each electrode segment may be independently controlled to create a touch feedback device that permits independent tactile feedback sensations to be generated at specific and multiple locations. However, the use of electrode segments suffers from the disadvantage that it is necessary to independently address all segments. As a result, a large number of connections is required, and a significant proportion of the device surface area must be devoted to the wiring used for addressing. The electrode segment method is therefore not suitable for creating a tactile feedback device with a high spatial resolution.
A tactile feedback device based on a form of electro-vibration is also described in RADIVOJEVIC, Z. et al., US20100152794, dated Jun. 17, 2010. The device described therein may be addressed in such a manner as to permit independent tactile feedback sensations to be generated at specific and multiple locations across the device. To achieve this effect, rows and columns have certain positive or negative voltages applied to them. Only above the electrodes which mark the intersection of a row carrying a positive voltage and a column carrying a negative voltage (or vice versa), is a tactile sensation felt by the user. At other locations, only the positive or negative voltage signals exist and nothing is felt by the user. Such a method relies on the existence of a voltage threshold below which the human skin cannot sense the tactile signal. However, this voltage threshold may vary between users and depend on environmental conditions, thus leading to unreliable performance of the device.

Touch-screen device including tactile feedback actuator


A distributed security architecture may include: a mobile anti-tamper hardware policy enforcement point configured to control communication behaviors of a mobile or stationary client by enforcing communication policies within a policy decision point; an anti-tamper hardware policy decision point encapsulated within the anti-tamper hardware policy enforcement point; a policy exchange channel for policy distribution modes configured to distribute and/or update communication and routing security policies to the client; a context manager configured to handle system-wide status change update signaling; and an authentication manager configured to provide clients with registration and credential/role assignments based on access policies. The distributed security architecture may be configured to provide open system interconnection layer 3.5 policy-based secure routing, and open system interconnection layer 2 policy-based mandatory access control address filtering to provide secure communication and computing for layers 4, 5, 6, and 7.

In the next-generation distributed computing environment, large scale systems of systems may have a large number of roaming mobile or stationary nodes/devices/clients. These devices may form various communities of interests to carry out the intended commercial, military, or social processes. The concept of community of interests (COI) formation may represent the very foundation of next generation information assurance challenges, such as complex authorization, i.e., who gets access to what. In the military context, an example may be intelligence sharing amongst multiple agencies based on various need-to-know security credentials as well as secure operation governing policies.
Such highly dynamic environments may also be characterized by several additional security challenges. The number of nodes may be high and the number of the communities of interests that could formulate may also be high. Security management of such highly complex environments may require new and innovative solutions. A percentage of these nodes may be mobile, such as in the mobile ad-hoc network environment. They may come and go frequently. Effective secure routing and communication may need to be addressed.
The business logic that dictates how these nodes work together (e.g., community of interests formation based on necessary conditions) may be highly complicated. Furthermore, the business logic that dictates the security behaviors of fixed-nodes (infrastructure nodes) may need to be consistently enforced onto the nodes to avoid double standards. The complexity of the future business model such as virtual enterprise, collaborative engineering, and coalition warfare may not be implemented by today's limited static mobile information assurance (IA) solutions.
The future may be a very dynamic environment. The dynamics may not only come from the nodes moving around and moving in and out of communities of interests. The dynamics may also come from constant and rapid changes of business requirements at the application level, e.g., virtual enterprise contract re-negotiation, coalition warfare procedure updates, etc. All of these changes may require rapid re-configuration of security parameters in both the mobile and static environments, and these roaming nodes/devices may need to comply rapidly to conform with new high level business requirement updates. Timing may also be essential to have the ability to update the policies as well as in the distribution and propagation of updates to the nodes.
One challenge being faced today is that traditional software-oriented mobile information assurance implementation may not only expose these mobile devices/clients to the before mentioned traditional attacks, but it may also not provide an effective community of interests management framework to allow these devices to work together securely and dynamically to satisfy both mandatory access control and discretionary access control requirements of next generation human business processes.
The future may require a more comprehensive hardware/software combined technology solution that addresses not only open system interconnection (OSI) layer 6-7 application software security, but that also may utilize advanced hardware implementation to aid network/routing layer isolation and community of interests formation. To align with such trends, a hardware/software combined solution is needed that addresses critical needs in next generation distributed system security applications.


A writing method suitable for practice with magnetic tape cassettes in particular. After writing a first stream of file data on the tape in the form of a series of file data blocks, there is created one or more, preferably two, file mark blocks immediately after the last file data block. Then, in writing a second stream of file data on a blank tape length left after the first file data stream, at least one file mark cancel mark block is created after the file mark blocks, instead of the conventional practice of overwriting the first block of the second file data stream on the second file mark block following the first file data stream. Then the second stream of file data is written in the form of another series of file data blocks after the cancel mark block. The first and second streams of file data can be subsequently read one after the other.

Our invention relates to a method of writing one stream of digital data after another on magnetic tape or other record media. The writing method of our invention is of particular utility in conjunction with magnetic tape packaged in cassette form, although we do not wish our invention to be limited to this particular application.
Magnetic tape finds extensive use as a data storage medium of electronic computer systems. Usually, a stream of file data is written in the form of a series of data blocks on a length of magnetic tape. Then two consecutive file mark blocks are created immediately after the last of the series of data blocks. When the tape is read subsequently, the two consecutive file marks serve to inform the host system of the end of one file data stream, and of the fact that the remaining tape length is blank. Thus the unnecessary scanning of the unrecorded tape length is avoided.
In writing another stream of file data on the remaining blank tape length, the usual conventional practice with magnetic tape of the open reel type has been to overwrite the first block of the second file data stream on the second of the two consecutive file mark blocks. Then the second and all the subsequent data blocks of the second file data stream has been created after the first block (FIG. 3). The remaining one file mark between the two file data streams has been used as a demarcation therebetween. The single file mark has enabled the two file data streams to be read continuously.
We object to this conventional practice of overwriting the first block of the second file data stream on the second of the two file mark blocks following the first file data stream. It is no easy task to position the transducer exactly on the second file mark block in writing the second file data stream. Admittedly, this difficulty has been somehow overcome with open reel systems, but not with tape cassette systems. As far as we are aware, there have been no tape cassette systems built on the conventional principle of writing one file data stream after another.
We also know another conventional writing method that employs no file marks. The termination of one file data stream on magnetic tape is sensed according to this second known method when the transducer scans a predetermined length of blank tape portion following the last data block. This scheme is also objectionable because of its susceptibility to wrong operation under the influence of noise.

Method and apparatus for writing successive streams of data on a magnetic medium by writing a cancel mark indicating the cancellation of a previously-written file mark


Monobutyltinchloride (“MBTC”) is recovered from an effluent vapor stream of a chemical vapor deposition coating process practiced to deposit a fluorine doped tin oxide layer over a glass ribbon. The vapor stream is condensed to a temperature to increase the ratio of MBTC to water in the liquid condensate. The condensed liquid is stored in a phase separation tank to separate the condensed liquid into at least two layers. The layers are individually removed from the phase separation tank, and the layer from the phase separation tank having a density equal to or greater than 80% the density of MBTC is further processed through a vacuum distilling operation to provide MBTC of an acceptable quality to use in the recovered MBTC in the coating process. The recovered MBTC is added to the coating precursors of the chemical deposition process.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the recovery of monobutyltin trichloride (hereinafter also referred to as "MBTC") from the effluent stream of a chemical vapor deposition (hereinafter also referred to as "CVD") coating process practiced to apply a tin oxide film to a substrate, and more particularly, to the recovery of MBTC and methyl isobutyl ketone (hereinafter also referred to as "MIBK") from the effluent stream of a CVD coating process practiced to apply a fluorine doped tin oxide film to a glass ribbon, and to introduce the recovered MBTC and MIBK to the CVD coating process, or any similar CVD coating process.
2. Discussion of the Present Technology
Environmental coatings are applied to glass sheets to selectively control the transmission of ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and infrared energy, e.g. fluorine doped tin oxide is applied by the chemical vapor deposition coating process to a glass ribbon to reflect infrared energy. The coating is of commercial interest because it reflects infrared energy to reduce the heating costs during the winter months and to reduce the load on the air conditioners during the summer months. In addition to reflecting infrared energy, the tin oxide doped with fluorine is electrically conductive making it useful in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells and electrically heated glass used for anti-fog commercial refrigerator doors, and heating systems for removing fog and ice from aircraft transparencies.
Although the presently available CVD coating processes for applying tin oxide are commercially acceptable, there are limitations. More particularly, the CVD coating processes usually include vaporizing coating precursors including MBTC, MIBK and water (hereinafter also referred to as "H2O") to deposit a tin oxide film, and the addition of trifluoroacetic acid (hereinafter also referred to as "TFA") to deposit fluorine doped tin oxide film. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, the MIBK, among other things, stabilizes the coating solution and increases the solubility of the TFA in MBTC. The efficiency of the CVD coating process for depositing the tin oxide film is less than 15% resulting in more than 85% of the MBTC in the coating precursors present in the effluent vapor stream of the coating process.
Exhaust channels are provided adjacent the coating zone or coating area to remove the effluent stream of vapor. As discussed below in more detail, a portion of the effluent stream of vapor is condensed, and a portion of the effluent stream of vapor is solidified and captured in a baghouse. The usual practice is to incinerate the condensate and to bury the solid waste products in accordance to federal, state and local environmental regulations.
As can be appreciated, by those skilled in the art, at the present time, MBTC is the most expensive component of the coating precursors. It would be advantageous, therefore, to provide a system and/or to practice a method at the coating facility, or at a chemical recovery facility to reclaim most, if not all, of the MBTC from the effluent coating vapors and to introduce the recovered MBTC back into the coating process.


A device (2) in a tarpaulin (3) for connecting a line (10) with the tarpaulin. A sheet of foldable material is folded over and forms two opposing portions (5, 6) which are interconnected with one another along a fold edge (48) formed during the folding. Each one of the opposing portions is fixed to an edge portion (31) of the tarpaulin (3) sandwiched between them. The device includes part portions (7, 8) which are located outside the defining edge (32) of the edge portion (31). The part portions form therebetween at least two mutually located channels (49a, b) which are substantially parallel to the defining edge (32) and are separated by a recess (40) in the fold edge (48). In one embodiment a line (10) is passed into one of the channels in order to anchor the tarpaulin and in another embodiment the line engages an anchorage rod (11) inserted in the channels.

In many contexts, there is a need to be able reliably to anchor, for example, a tarpaulin provided for protecting an object, disposed over a load platform, etc. As a rule, once the tarpaulin has been arranged such that the protection desired in the relevant case has been achieved, the tarpaulin is secured by being fixed in its edge areas to permanent objects, for example, by means of lines or ropes. The edge areas are provided with, for example, grommets in which the lines or ropes are secured. It is obvious that, when large forces are applied to the edge areas of the tarpaulin there is a risk that the material there will rupture.
If tears or ruptures occur in the edge areas of the tarpaulin, the tarpaulin will generally become unusable or its protective function will cease at least to some degree until such time as it has been repaired. It would, therefore, be of considerable advantage if the anchorages of the ropes could be disposed such that, when forces exceeding a predetermined magnitude are applied, the connection between the rope and the tarpaulin (the rope anchorage) breaks while the edge area of the tarpaulin remains intact.
It is also desirable to be able to dispose the tarpaulin so as to facilitate anchorage of the ropes in the tarpaulin. In addition, it is desirable to arrange the anchorage, such that, if rupture occurs in the rope anchorage, the time re-secure the line to the tarpaulin is reduced to a minimum.

Connection for an anchor line to a tarpaulin which ruptures before the tarpaulin tears


A housing for receiving individual components of a heating or cooling installation is formed of at least two shells of thermally insulating plastic which enclose the components between themselves. The shells are provided at their respective facing edges with a rabbet connection formed of a rabbet strip and a groove strip corresponding thereto in shape and dimensions. The flank of the groove strip of the bottom shell which cooperates with the rabbet strip is divided into an upper partial surface inclined relative to the rabbet strip at an angle .alpha. to the normal line and a lower partial surface which is inclined at an angle .beta. to the normal line. The angles .alpha. and .beta. have opposite rotational directions. The rabbet strip of the top shell has surfaces corresponding to the surfaces of the groove strip so as to substantially facilitate closing and opening of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a housing for receiving individual components of a heating or cooling installation.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
For cladding and thermal insulation of pipelines, one-piece coverings, made from thermally insulating material in the form of cylindrical jackets, are slid over the lines in a known manner. The coverings may be several centimeters thick. Because of its one-piece construction, this cladding has a very favorable heat insulating capacity. Heat bridges such as occur when two shells are butt-jointed are prevented to a great extent. However, this cladding can be fitted only by sliding it over the pipeline from a free end of the pipeline. The cladding is not suitable for subsequently providing an already installed heating installation with heat insulation. For pipe inspection purposes, such coverings must be cut along their length. The cut up coverings can be reused only at the expense of a diminished heat insulating capacity.
For these reasons, half-shells which are connected by a butt joint at their connecting locations have also been used as thermally insulating coverings for pipelines. To hold the shells together, the joint location is covered with an adhesive strip connecting the outer surface areas of the two half-shells along the joint location. Although this design enables subsequent fitting of cladding and inspection of pipelines, it requires a complicated and time-consuming gluing of the joint location. In addition, a butt joint always poses the risk of unwanted heat transfer.
Finally, in a known manner, piping, connections and fittings of a heating or cooling installation which are combined in ready-to-install structural components are accommodated in a housing comprising two half-shells made from heat-insulating plastic, in particular expanded polypropylene. In order to close the two half-shells simply and quickly and to prevent heat bridges, the joint area is not flush but, instead is constructed in the form of a single-undercut mortise or rabbet on one half-shell and a corresponding groove on the other half-shell (EP 0 561 037 A1). When the two half-shells are pressed together, a snapping in and interlocking take place via the undercut surfaces.
In order for the two half-shells to be pressed together enabling the undercut surfaces to snap together, the undercut rabbets lying at right angles to the movement direction of the half-shells must be placed exactly one upon the other by their planar partial surfaces, since the vertical pressure to be applied for snapping in must cause a yielding toward the side exclusively by means of the elasticity of the material so that the edge of the upper rabbet can slide over that of the lower rabbet. This accuracy of position can often not be accomplished in the field. If this is not achieved, tilting will cause the rabbet connection to snap in at one edge but not at the opposite edge which results in an incomplete enclosure of the pipe.

Housing for receiving individual components of a heating or cooling installation


A brace for applying a dynamic force to a jointed limb of a patient is provided. The brace includes a first brace portion adapted for connection to a first portion of a patient's limb on a first side of a joint in the limb, and a second brace portion adapted for connection to a second portion of the patient's limb on a second side of the joint. A pivotal connection is provided between the first and second brace portions, and is adapted to be generally aligned with the joint in the limb when the brace is attached to the patient's limb. A drive unit is connected to the first and second brace portions for imparting a moment on one of the first and second brace portions relative to the other of the first and second brace portions. A tension module is connected to the drive unit which imparts a dynamic, moment generating force on the drive unit.

The present invention relates to a brace for a patient's limb, and more particularly, to a brace which is used to apply a dynamic force to a jointed limb to stretch contracted tissue and increase range of motion.
When a joint is immobilized for a period of time, such as when a patient's limb is immobilized in a cast or splint in order to allow a broken bone to heal, connected tissue at the joint tends to shorten, resulting in a decreased range of motion at the joint. This condition is exacerbated based on the length of time which the joint is immobilized.
As referred to herein, connective tissue includes ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, and other related structures which are composed of collagenous and reticular fibers, elastic fibers, fibrin and ground substance. These components form a mesh work of attached fibers which are connected at intervals throughout the tissue, and the longer the distance between the points of attachment, the greater the range of motion. The attachments can release or shift in response to prolong tension, or additional attachments can develop at points of prolong contact. The length of the fibers between the attachments can also increase or decrease depending on the presence or absence of force.
The prior known devices include variable locking devices with turn buckles, screws or hanging weights on the patient to apply a force on the limb. Recently, dynamic splints have been developed which use rubber bands or coil springs to apply a force on the splint at the joint. The dynamic splints are worn over a period of time, such as when a patient is sleeping, in order to stretch the connected tissue by providing a prolonged, constant, low intensity stretching in order to develop the patient's full range of motion.
In one known device, the brace comprises two sections attached on either side of the joint and a spring tension device is connected directly to the joint to apply a spring tension force on the patient's limb. However, it can be difficult for the patient to access or adjust the spring tension device while the device is being worn, especially for arm braces.
Another similar device utilizes coil springs as the connection between two sections of a brace to provide a resistance force to motion.
In another known device, two cuffs are provided for attachment to a patient's limb with a tower attached between the two cuffs to provide a mechanical advantage for increasing range of motion of the joint. The tower is a box-like structure which includes a drive mechanism for loading and unloading the cuffs to apply force to the limb. However, the tower device is fairly large and may not be suited for long term wear by a patient, such as when a patient is sleeping.
It is also known in the art to put a rigid element including a turn buckle on the inside angle of a joint between two cuffs attached on either side of a joint of a patient's limb and use the turn buckle to vary the length to push or pull the limb segments relative to each other.
It would be desirable to provide a device which can be worn by a patient for a long period of time, such as overnight while the patient sleeps, which provides an adjustable, controlled amount of force to the limb to allow for a gradual stretching action. It would also be desirable to use a force adjusting mechanism which does not have to be reconfigured to apply a force in the opposite direction, such as when a joint must be worked in both directions to regain the full range of motion. Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a device in which the location of the force applying mechanism can be adjusted to a position where it is easily accessible for adjustment by the patient or in a position where it will cause the least patient discomfort.

Brace for applying a dynamic force to a jointed limb


A method for producing a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a predetermined device in a device layer grown on a semiconductor substrate with a sacrificial layer provided therebetween; and removing the sacrificial layer by etching to separate the semiconductor substrate from the device layer while a supporting substrate is bonded to the side of the device layer, wherein in the step of removing the sacrificial layer, a groove extending from the device layer to the sacrificial layer is formed before the sacrificial layer is removed, and the etching solution is allowed to penetrate to the sacrificial layer through the groove.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a semiconductor device by growing a device layer on a semiconductor substrate, forming a predetermined device in the device layer, and separating the device layer from the semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, the following devices including compound semiconductor materials and methods for producing the devices have been employed.
High-In-Content Device
Hetero-junction bipolar transistors (HBTs) each including InGaAs lattice-matched grown on an InP substrate and high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) each including InGaAs/InAlAs have a balance between high-speed capability and high electric field strength. Development of HBTs and HEMTs as key devices for large-capacity communication systems has been promoted. However, InP substrates are expensive. This is a factor in limiting InP devices being applied to consumer appliances.
For the purpose of providing high-In-content devices at low cost, metamorphic growth including growing a high-In-content device layer on a buffer layer provided on a GaAs substrate or a Si substrate that is inexpensive compared with an InP substrate has been developed. HEMTs each including metamorphic InGaAs/InAlAs on a GaAs substrate are close to practical use. However, metamorphic HBTs are still not in practical use.
Epitaxial Lift-Off Method
As another method for providing a compound semiconductor device at low cost, there is epitaxial lift-off (ELO). It is desirable to reuse a substrate by ELO. Studies on methods for producing III/V Group semiconductor devices by employing ELO have been conducted. ELO includes forming a sacrificial layer between a device layer and a substrate; immersing the substrate in an appropriate solution after the completion of a production process of a device or before a production process of a device is initiated; and dissolving the sacrificial layer to separate the device layer from the substrate. The separated semiconductor substrate can be reused.
Points of ELO are etching of the sacrificial layer, i.e., to obtain a high etch rate of the sacrificial layer in a lateral direction, and the handling of the ultra-thin device layer, i.e., to transfer the ultra-thin device layer subjected to lift-off onto another substrate without damage to the ultra-thin device layer.
In ELO, the sacrificial layer is dissolved by lateral etching, thus requiring a corresponding time to complete lift-off. An increase in the diameter of the substrate requires a longer time to complete lift-off. For example, it takes several tens of hours to several days for the detachment of a substrate having a diameter of two inches in response to the diameter of a substrate, the material of the sacrificial layer, a thickness, etching conditions, and the like.
An attempt is made to increase the lateral-etching rate (J. J. Schermer et al. "Epitaxial Lift-OFF for large area thin film III/V devices", Phys. Stat. sol. 202, No. 4. (2005), 501-508 (Non-Patent Document 1)). In this case, a flexible supporting substrate is bonded to a device layer and is curled up to open an inlet for an etching solution, thereby significantly increasing the etching rate. As described in Non-Patent Document 1, however, bending the device layer may cause damage to the device layer.
The handling of an ultra-thin device layer having a thickness of several micrometers to several tens of micrometers is reported (T. Morf et al. "RF and 1/F noise investigations on MESFETs and circuit transplanted by Epitaxial Lift OFF". Electron Device 43(1996)1489-1494 (Non-Patent Document 2)). Non-Patent Document 2 describes a simple method utilizing wax as a support. After lift-off, there is provided a method including mounting the device layer on a supporting substrate, such as glass or Si, having a clean surface; and applying an appropriate load to the device layer from the above to bond the device layer to the supporting substrate by intermolecular force (Van der Waals bonding; e.g., see E. Yablonovltch et al. "Van der Waals bonding of GaAs epitaxial liftoff films onto arbitrary substrates", Appl. Phys. Lett. 56(1990)2419-2421 (Non-Patent Document 3)). In this method, disadvantageously, it is difficult to perform a backside process. That is, by appropriately performing the backside process, element characteristics can be improved. However, when wax is used as a support and when the backside process is performed, a plurality of steps of transferring the device layer to substrates are required, thus increasing the risk of damage to the ultra-thin device layer.
Reduction in Thickness of Device Layer
Reducing the thickness of a device layer (semiconductor chip) is a common process performed for the purpose of improving the heat-releasing properties of a chip. In general, after device processing, the backside of a substrate is polished to reduce the thickness to about 100 μm. A metal thin film is formed on the backside. The device layer is subjected to dicing. The resulting chip is mounted on an IC case. In recent years, further progress has been made in a reduction in thickness. A polishing technique in which a device layer is polished so as to have a thickness of about 50 μm and a technique for handling an ultra-thin chip have been developed. Hitherto, the thickness of a chip is reduced by backside polishing. A substrate disappears by polishing. Thus, it is difficult to reuse. The thickness of a device layer obtained by ELO is at most about 10 μm; hence, an ultra-thin chip that may not be obtained by the known polishing technique is obtained.
Backside Process
Performing a backside process after reducing the thickness of a device layer improves characteristics of a HBT including InGaAs/InP (see M. J. W. Rodwell et al. "Submicron Scaling of HBTS", IEEE Electron Devices 48(2001)2606-2624 (Non-Patent Document 4) and Q. Lee et al. "Submicron transferred-substrate heterojunction bipolar transistors", IEEE Electron Device Lett. 20(1999)396-399 (Non-Patent Document 5)). That is, a substrate surface subjected to device processing is bonded to a supporting substrate. An InP substrate is subjected to backside polishing and wet etching. Then collector electrode is formed on the backside. This method is referred to as a "transferred substrate". Thereby, the capacitance between a base and a collector is reduced to obtain a high fmax. In this way, if a lithography process is performed on a backside after reducing the thickness of a device layer, the high-speed capability of a HBT may be improved.

Method for producing semiconductor device