A method and an apparatus for the efficient transfer of heat utilizing micro heat pipes that include a cellular foam or interconnected cellular/truss network having hollow ligaments. A predetermined fraction of the internal volume of the hollow ligaments is filled with a carefully chosen working fluid, and the ends of the hollow ligaments are sealed. In operation, the working fluid evaporates in the region of high heat flux and condenses in regions of lower temperature, resulting in the transfer or redistribution of the fluid's latent heat of vaporization. For open cell foams and interconnected networks, a second fluid flowing through the open cells, separate from the working fluid but also in thermal contact with the hollow ligaments, assists in the transfer of heat from the foam and networks.

Heat exchangers are widely used to facilitate the transfer of heat from regions of higher temperature to lower temperature. Metal or carbon foam structures are commonly employed in heat exchangers, wherein such structures have a relatively large surface area and are lightweight. The vast majority of foam heat exchangers is of the open cell or open pore variety, which allow the passing of fluid through the open foam. A lower temperature fluid, whether a liquid, gas or otherwise, that is made to flow through such an open cell foam heat exchanger receives heat energy from the higher temperature solid ligaments of the foam and carries away such heat. DUOCEL, and an open cell foam manufactured by ERG of Oakland, Calif., is advertised as being useful as a heat exchanger.
However, these foam materials transport heat by conduction through solid ligaments. The thermal conductivity of the ligament material then controls the rate of heat extraction from a hot object. Because the ligaments need to be interspersed with open porosity to allow efficient heat transfer to occur to a cooling fluid, heat removal from small hot objects is problematic. The foam materials do not utilize convective heat transfer processes and can be difficult to use in small devices and other applications. So for many applications, heat pipes are the preferred method to facilitate heat transfer. A heat pipe is essentially a closed system of heat transfer in which a small amount of liquid (the "working fluid") within a sealed and evacuated enclosure is cycled through evaporation and condensation cycles. Heat entering the enclosure at one location evaporates the working fluid at such location of higher temperature (the "evaporator region"), producing vapor that moves by convection to a location of lower temperature (the "condenser region") within the enclosure, where it condenses back to the liquid state. Heat is absorbed by the working fluid during the evaporation process at the evaporator region. The evaporation of the working fluid increases the pressure in the evaporator region, and such pressure increase causes the vapor to flow to the condenser region. Heat is released from the working fluid during the condensation process at the condenser region. The amount of heat absorbed by the working fluid during evaporation, and the amount of heat released from the working fluid during condensation, depend on the type of working fluid used in the heat pipe.
In order for the heat transfer cycle to continue, the condensed working fluid must return to the evaporator region, where it will again be vaporized. Generally, wicks are used to permit this return, where capillary forces in the wicking structure drive the liquid back to the evaporator region. However, micro heat pipes, such as those described by Cotter (See Cotter, T. P., 1984, "Principals and Prospects of Micro Heat Pipes," Proc. 5th Int'n Heat Pipe Conf., Tsukuba, Japan, pp. 328-335), are wickless, relying on the wicking action of their non-circular enclosure to transfer the working fluid to the evaporator region. The cyclic evaporation and condensation processes in a micro heat pipe cause a capillary pressure difference between the evaporator and condenser regions. For micro heat pipes with non-circular (preferably, cusp-shaped or triangular) cross sections, the corner regions of the heat pipe act as return channels for the working fluid, and the capillary pressure difference promotes the flow of the working fluid from the condenser region back to the evaporator region along such channels. Thus there is no need for a wick in such micro heat pipes. For heat sources with dimensions in the sub-millimeter range and smaller, like those of a microcircuit, micro heat pipes are often employed to facilitate heat transfer.
Though useful for a number of small scale applications, one and two dimensional micro heat pipes, like those claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,179,043 to Weichold, et al., 5,598,632 to Carmarda, et al., and 5,527,588 to Carmarda, et al., which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein, are limited in the art to one dimensional and two dimensional heat transfer. They are also relatively heavy, unnecessarily rigid, and expensive to produce in full arrays. Importantly, their ability to transfer heat by conduction and radiation is limited.
It would be advantageous to provide an apparatus and a method for heat exchange that effectively maximizes the benefits of convection, conduction and radiation together, resulting in heat exchange efficiency an order of magnitude superior to the present state of the art.
Furthermore, there is a need in the art for such an efficient heat exchange method to apply to a wide range of operation temperatures.
Finally, it would be advantageous to scale up the overall size of the device, while still maintaining the benefit of micro heat pipe heat transfer, for use in systems orders of magnitude larger than those presently utilizing micro heat pipes. Each of these advantages is embodied in the present invention.

University of Virginia Patent Foundation


A device for processing signals may be designed as a transmitting and receiving arrangement or exclusively as a receiving arrangement, and has a baseband component and a radiofrequency component. The interface between the baseband component and the radiofrequency component for the reception path is realized by an exclusively digital interface in the same way as the interface for the transmission path. The transmission of useful data—received useful data, useful data to be transmitted—is preferably effected via the digital interface completely separately from the transmission of the configuration data.

Modulators and demodulators in mobile stations are used within transmitting and receiving devices in mobile stations; they modulate and demodulate a carrier oscillation and received data according to the data to be transmitted and according to the received data in accordance with standardized modulation and demodulation methods. Examples of known modulation and demodulation methods are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), TIA-EIA 136 (Telecommunication Industry Associations/Electronic Industry Association), UTRA FDD (UMTS-Terrestrial Radio Access Frequency Division Duplex) UTRA TDD (UMTS-Terrestrial Radio Access Time Division Duplex and IS-95. In general, these modulators and demodulators comprise a plurality of functional units, for example, a baseband component, which generates a standard-conforming, usually complex-value signal from the data to be transmitted with the aid of digital signal processing, and a radio frequency component, which shifts said complex-value signal into a radio frequency and transmits it as a real-value signal after suitable amplification via an antenna. Correspondingly, the received useful data are demodulated into a complex-value signal by the radiofrequency component, and the received demodulated data are processed further in a baseband component. The data are transmitted via a radio channel in each case.
On account of different physical requirements made of the baseband and radiofrequency components, these functional units are usually realized in separate integrated circuits with different production technologies. In the transmitting direction, the modulated baseband signal then has to be transferred in a suitable form to the radiofrequency component. In the receiving direction, the demodulated radiofrequency signal has to be transferred in a suitable form to the baseband signal. In this case, a suitable interface has to be provided between the baseband component and the radiofrequency component, which interface is currently usually realized in the form of an analog signal interface. In this case, the baseband signals are usually provided at said analog interface as complex-value baseband signals which are decomposed into a real part and an imaginary part, as a so-called IQ signal with an inphase component and a quadrature component phase-shifted by 90° with respect thereto. In this case, I and Q components are usually transmitted in each case as a differential signal, so that once again two lines in each case have to be provided.
The published German patent application DE 100 35 116 A1 discloses a radiofrequency interface for dual standard baseband chips in mobile radio apparatuses. In the signal bus system for transmitting reception signals and transmitting signals from the radiofrequency side to the baseband side and vice versa, the interface is an all analog design. Besides the disadvantage of the all analog design of the interface, the high number of signal connections required between the radiofrequency side and the baseband side is also a significant disadvantage, particularly with regard to the resultant relatively low flexibility of the arrangement and the relatively large space requirement. Moreover, it is necessary to use relatively high-quality analog signal processing components, such as, e.g., digital/analog and analog/digital converters, in the baseband module and in the radiofrequency module, respectively.
Furthermore, in the baseband circuit part, it is usually necessary to perform particular signal processing steps with regard to the radiofrequency component, in order to compensate for in advance, or to correct in advance, inadequacies, non-idealities or tolerances in the radiofrequency component. Consequently, the baseband part can no longer be considered, analyzed and developed independently of the radiofrequency part. On account of this progressive development in the field of digital signal processing and the modulator concepts, the proportion of processing in baseband in relation to the overall signal processing path is increasing more and more, especially with regard to the interaction with the radiofrequency part. This results in an undesirable restricted flexibility of baseband modules or baseband chips since the baseband modules can only be used together with that radiofrequency assembly for which they have been specifically developed.

Device for processing signals in a mobile station


The present disclosure provides an effective method for the refolding of denatured proteins in solution so that properly folded, biologically active protein in solution is recovered in high yield. The refolding takes place at pressures between about 0.25 kbar to about 3.5 kbar, advantageously at about 1.5 kbar to about 3 kbar. Typically a chaotropic agent is present at a concentration which is not effective for denaturing protein at atmospheric pressure, and optionally, oxidation-reduction reagents can be incorporated in the refolding solution so that native intramolecular disulfide bonds can be formed where that is desired. The method is applicable to substantially all proteins, especially after solubilization and/or denaturation of insoluble protein aggregates, inclusion bodies, or abnormal oligomeric (soluble) aggregates.

Not Applicable
The field of the present invention is protein biochemistry, in particular, the refolding of biologically active protein after dissolution of aggregated protein, which is often composed of denatured protein. In the present invention, refolding of such protein is carried out at relatively high pressures, relatively high protein concentration and desirably, in the presence of a relatively low concentration of at least one denaturant.
Existing methods for solubilizing and refolding protein aggregates and inclusion bodies into their native structure are discussed below. These methods include general processes and those developed for particular proteins. General processes are said to be useful for any protein aggregate, while xe2x80x9cspecificxe2x80x9d methods work for a single case, and effectiveness is not claimed other proteins.
All of the general processes described below utilize strong denaturing agents such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), urea, or guanidine hydrochloride followed by a dilution or dialysis step. These processes require large amounts of potentially hazardous chemicals and large volumes with dilution. With the combination of pressure, as taught by the instant invention, the amount of denaturing chemicals used are reduced by a factor of 10 or even eliminated. In addition, because the present process can operate at relatively high protein concentrations, the dilution step is no longer necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,392 (1991) describes a process for activation of recombinant protein produced in prokaryotes, in which the aggregated proteins are dissolved in 4-8M guanidine hydrochloride or 6-10M urea. Once solubilized, the buffer is dialyzed to a pH between 1 and 4. Finally, the solution is diluted to provide a nondenaturing and oxidizing environment to allow for refolding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,865 (1997) describes a process for activating recombinant disulfide bond-containing eukaryotic proteins after expression in prokaryote hosts. Inclusion body proteins are dissolved in a strong denaturing agent (6M guanidine hydrochloride) containing reducing agents. In the refolding step, proteins are introduced into an environment which is oxidizing and nondenaturing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,196 (1987) also describes purification and production of biologically active proteins from insoluble inclusion bodies. This is a general method for recovering proteins from insoluble form includes dissolving the protein aggregates in SDS. Once dissolved, the protein solution is separated from SDS by column chromatography. In the absence of SDS, the protein can refold. Finally, the protein is eluted from the column. Urea has also been included in dissolved protein solutions. After anion exchange chromatography, the urea from the refolded protein solution is removed by dialysis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,691 (1997) describes solubilization of inclusion body proteins using SDS and heat. Once in solution, proteins are refolded by first diluting the SDS and then dialyzing away the SDS to nondenaturing concentrations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,568 (1997) describes a process for solubilization, purification and characterization of protein from insoluble protein aggregates or complexes and compositions of matter therefrom. The insoluble protein aggregates or inclusion bodies are layered on top of a urea step gradient (3M to 7M urea). As the samples are centrifuged, the aggregates move through the gradient until they dissolve. This method provides a means of determining the urea concentration at which the protein dissolves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,804 (1995) describes a process in which denatured or aggregated proteins are suspended in a detergent-free aqueous medium containing 5-7 M guanidine hydrochloride and incubated overnight. Once suspended, the sample is contacted with sufficient cyclodextrin to assist in the refolding of the proteins. Finally, the cyclodextrin is removed by dialysis.
Turning now to patents for processes developed for particular proteins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,630 (1987) describes a method for producing active somatotropin. In this method, the aggregates or inclusion bodies are solubilized in a chaotrope (3M to 5M urea), and the pH is adjusted to allow complete solubilization. Then the conditions are modified to allow oxidation in the presence of a nondenaturing concentration of chaotrope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,943 (1991) also describes a method for solubilizing and renaturing somatotropin, but it does not require the use of a chaotrope. Here, the pH is adjusted to between 11.5 and 12.5 and maintained for 5 to 12 hours. Under these conditions, somatotropin will solubilize and renature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,323 (1991) describes a process for naturation of somatotropin (growth hormone) aggregates in which the aggregates are dissolved in a denaturing chaotrope (1M to 8M urea). The solubilization step is followed by exposing the sample to an oxidizing environment in the presence of a nondenaturing concentration of chaotrope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,117 (1992) describes a method in which somatotropin aggregates are dissolved in the presence of an organic alcohol and chaotrope (1M to 8M urea). Then the solubilized proteins are renatured in a nondenaturing, oxidizing environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,371 (1998) provides a method for refolding aggregates of hepatitis C virus protease. Aggregates are solubilized in 5M guanidine hydrochloride. Second, a reducing agent is added to the solution, and the pH is adjusted to provide an acidic pH. Third, the denaturing agent is removed from the solution by dialysis, and finally the pH is raised to its starting point.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,967 (1990) describes a process specific for human interleukin-2. Protein aggregates are dissolved in 4-8M guanidine hydrochloride with a sulfitolyzing agent. Once the proteins are dissolved, the sulfitolyzing agent is removed by solvent exchange. Finally, the temperature is raised to precipitate out interleukin-2 in pure form. To allow refolding, precipitates are dissolved again in guanidine hydrochloride plus a reducing agent. Finally, the solution is diluted to refold proteins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,507 (1992) describes a process for recovering purified, oxidized, renatured recombinant interleukin-2 from microorganisms. Insoluble interleukin-2 isolated from microorganisms is solubilized in 2M to 4M guanidine hydrochloride. The guanidine hydrochloride solution is then diluted until the proteins precipitate out of the solution. The precipitates are then redissolved in a guanidine hydrochloride solution. The proteins are then oxidized to reform native disulfide bonds. Finally, the solution is diluted and interleukin-2 remains in solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,544 (1991) describes a process for renaturing fish growth hormone. In this process, the aggregates or inclusion bodies are dissolved using guanidine, urea, SDS, acid or alkali. The reducing agent is then removed, and an oxidizing agent is added. Finally, the denaturing agent is removed to allow refolding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,026 (1995) describes a method in which insoluble, misfolded insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is refolded into an active conformation. Once IGF-1 is isolated, it is incubated with 1-3M urea or 1M guanidine hydrochloride until the aggregates are solubilized and refolded.
Other U.S. patents of interest include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,708,148; 4,929,700 and 4,766,224.
Because management and disposal of biotechnological processing materials are time-consuming and costly, because protein aggregates and denatured proteins in pharmaceutical preparations are inefficacious and dangerous, and because poor yields of biologically active protein harms the economics of recombinant protein production, there is a longfelt need in the art for a process for the efficient preparation of properly fold, non-aggregated and fully active protein, especially that expressed by recombinant means.
The present invention provides methods for recovering a properly folded, biologically active protein from mixtures containing aggregates or inclusion bodies containing the protein, or from solutions containing the protein in a denatured state. Proteins in solution, even highly purified proteins, can form aggregates with themselves or with other proteins, upon storage, or during production processes that involve fluid transfers, contact with surfaces or by other non-specific causes. Such aggregation can lead to loss of biological activity and can be harmful in therapeutic uses. The methods of the present invention result in disaggregation of aggregates present in mixtures of aggregated and native protein, and in renaturation of denatured protein in solution.
The processes of the invention are applied to solutions or mixtures where total protein concentration is in the range of from about 0.001 mg/ml to about 500 mg/ml, preferably from about 0.1 mg/ml to about 25 mg/ml and most preferably from about 1 mg/ml to about 10 mg/ml. Optionally in the embodiment of the invention used to disaggregate a protein and depending upon the protein to be disaggregated, a chaotropic agent can be added to the protein mixture. However, the concentration of chaotropic agent is limited to that which permits retention of biological activity of the protein in its native form. As will be understood in the art, the concentration of chaotropic agent, if any, will be selected according to the particular protein to be disaggregated, based upon its sensitivity to the chaotropic agent. With these limitations in view, the chaotropic agent can be present at concentrations in the range from 0 M to about 8 M, most often in the range from 0 M to about 1.0 M. The concentrations employed will also differ depending on the particular chaotropic agent employed.
An important feature of the invention is the application of elevated pressure to the mixture to be disaggregated. Elevated pressure is applied in two stages, first to accomplish disaggregation, where the pressure to be applied ranges from about 0.25 kbar to about 12 kbar for a time sufficient for disaggregation to occur. The pressure to be applied is chosen with regard to the particular protein to be disaggregated. A second stage of incubation at elevated pressure is carried out to permit re-folding of the protein to its native, biologically active (at atmospheric pressure) conformation. Surprisingly, incubation of disaggregated or denatured protein at elevated pressure in the range from 0.25 kbar to about 3.3 kbar promotes reconstitution of the native, biologically active (at atmospheric pressure) protein, even though higher pressures promote denaturation. Preferably the incubation pressure for renaturation is in the range from about 2 kbar to about 3.3 kbar. The optimum pressure for renaturation depends on the individual protein to be treated, as will be understood in the art.
An oxidizing agent and a reducing agent can be optionally included in the renaturation solution, for example, dithiothreitol, in the concentration range from about 1 mM to about 50 mM, and reduced glutathione, in the concentration range from about 1 mM to 50 mM. The pressure of such redox reagents provides that disulfide bonds are both readily formed and reduced. The mixtures for disaggregating or renaturing protein can also comprise surfactants, non-specific protein stabilizing agents, buffering agents, ligands of the protein being refolded, and the like.
Another embodiment of the invention, also employs pressure-facilitated refolding of denatured protein. In this embodiment, denatured protein in solution is provided in the presence of denaturing amounts of a chaotropic agent. The protein concentration in solution is in the range from about 0.001 mg/ml to about 500 mg/ml, preferably from about 0.1 mg/ml to about 25 mg/ml, more preferably from about 1 mg/ml to about 10 mg/ml. The chaotropic agent ranges in concentration from about 2 M to about 8 M, depending upon the protein to be denatured and the chaotropic agent. The denatured protein solution is incubated at elevated pressure in the pressure range effective for facilitating renaturation, namely from about 0.25 kbar to about 3.3 kbar and preferably from about 2 kbar to about 3.3 kbar. While under pressure, the concentration of chaotropic agent is reduced by any suitable means, for example, by dilution or by dialysis, to a level sufficient to permit biological activity of the protein at atmospheric pressure. Incubation takes place for a time sufficient to permit re-folding of the protein which usually occurs within 24 hours, depending on the protein. At the end of the pressure incubation period, the pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure. In both embodiments of the invention, redox agents, stability agents, surfactants and the like can be added to the solution as described, supra.
The processes of the invention can be carried out at any temperature between the freezing point of the aqueous medium (about 0xc2x0 C.) and the temperature at which biological activity is lost due to thermal denaturation. The upper limit will be somewhat different for each individual protein and will also be affected by the composition of the medium, pH, presence of stabilizing compounds and the like, as is known in the art. The preferred temperature for carrying out the process of the invention is within 20xc2x0 C. of the upper limit temperature. For the disaggregation of growth hormone, see Example 4, disaggregation and renaturation occurred more rapidly at 60xc2x0 C. (upper limit 80xc2x0 C.) than at room temperature.

High pressure refolding of protein aggregates and inclusion bodies


A gripping device (10) is described which has an inner member (14) and an outer member (12). The inner member has a split (20) which define a first end (6) and a second end (8). A selectively operable device (18) is also included to keep the first and second ends (6, 8) apart to permit the device (10) to be placed around an object (30) and to permit the first and second ends (6, 8) to move towards each other so that the inner member (14) grips the object (30). At least part of an outer face (26) of the inner member (14) interfits with at least a part of an inner face (22) of the outer member (12) in a manner such that when a load is applied to the outer member (12), the inner face (22) of the outer member (12) acts upon the inner member (14) to cause compression of the inner member (14) thereby increasing the grip of the inner member (14) on the object (30). The device (10) is then locked in position on the object (30) and when the load is removed the action of the outer member (12) on the inner member (14) is reduced thereby decreasing the grip of the inner member (14) on the object (30) and unlocking the device (10) from the object (30).

This invention relates to a gripping device.
Clamping devices have been used to secure other devices to pipes or tubes. As an alternative to this a ring with screws has also been used. However, the screws of these rings can damage the pipe or tube to which the device is attached. These clamping or ring devices have a particular application in the oil industry for oilwell tubes and drill pipes.


A single-coil RF electrode, along with an associated method of operation, has been developed for use in an RF applicator, RFA apparatus or RFA system for heating tumors, including large tumors with a single heating session. The RF electrode generally has a helical geometry, although many variations exist, and is provided with an excitation current having a frequency that is sufficient for magnetic induction and coupling of various electric and magnetic fields to produce an electric field within the volume surrounded by the coil for directly applying heat to the tissue therein.

The majority of cancerous tumors in humans occur in the lung, liver and kidney, with the majority of the tumors being solid. Lung cancer, specifically non-small cell lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in North America (Jemal et al 2005, McLoud 2002). Liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma, is another leading cause of cancer death affecting 1 million people worldwide with 5 year survival as low as 10% (Chiba et al 2005). In addition, Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), the most common form of kidney cancer, accounts for 31,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year in the U.S. (Moore et al 2005). In fact, the incidence of renal tumors is increasing as improvements in diagnostic imaging have lead to the increasing discovery of small renal masses less than 3 cm in diameter.
The majority of lung and liver cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, often with large tumors exceeding 3 cm in diameter (McLoud 2002; Beaugrand et al 2005), which have either been shown to have a high incidence of local recurrence following standard radiotherapy techniques or 3D conformal radiotherapy (Lagerwaard et al 2002), or cannot be resected. The treatment of choice for RCC is partial or complete surgical removal of the kidney, however the rising incidence and increased detection of small renal masses have stimulated interest in developing less radical therapeutic alternatives (Varkarakis et al 2005, Rendon et al 2001).
In the treatment of solid tumors the two main issues to contend with are pain management, and inhibition of tumor growth. Current treatments of tumors tend to address one or the other issue. These treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, cryosurgery, ethanol injection, radiation therapy, and interstitial thermal therapy.
Surgery is considered to be the "gold standard" in the treatment of liver tumors. However, 70 to 90% of liver cancer patients are unresectable, meaning that they do not qualify for surgery because of limited liver function and/or unfavourable anatomy. Generally, about 15% of the patients with tumors less than 2 cm are amenable to resection. The few patients who do qualify for surgery have a 2% mortality rate and cannot be re-operated on in the likely occurrence of tumor regrowth. For lung cancer, surgery is the treatment of choice, with 5-year survival rates of 50-70% (Mountain 1997). However, only 20% of lung cancer patients are amenable to this procedure. Furthermore, in general, surgery typically limits organ function afterwards.
Chemotherapy has also been used locally and systemically for treatment of liver cancer tumors. However, there is an increase in pain for the patient as well as significant side effects such as vomiting, ulcerations and risk of infection. Chemotherapy inhibits tumor growth but generally is not an effective treatment because of excessive toxicity and lack of survival benefit.
In cryosurgery, steel probes are used to deliver liquid nitrogen to freeze the tumor. However, the freeze-thaw cycle of this procedure may cause organ damage or hemorrhaging to the organ that contains the tumor. For instance, with liver tumors, cryosurgery inhibits the tumor but weakens the liver. Furthermore, cryosurgery is not an option for non-resectable tumors, and multiple treatments are generally required.
Percutaneous ethanol injection involves injection of alcohol into the tumor. This procedure requires multiple treatments and may lead to pain. Furthermore, this procedure can weaken the organ that contains the tumor, is ineffective on large tumors and multiple treatments are usually required.
Radiation therapy is infrequently used in the treatment of liver cancer. It is not effective and can actually be more harmful to the patient, causing radiation hepatitis and death. Meanwhile, when radiation therapy is used with patients having lung tumors that are non-surgical candidates, 10-34% of these patients survive to 5 years depending on the stage of the disease (Kong et al 2005). For those patients with locally advanced unresectable disease treated with radiotherapy alone, 5-year survival is less than 10%, with 45% of patients having isolated local failure.
Interstitial thermal therapies have been developed to improve local tumor control in a minimally invasive manner using heat in the range of 50°-90° C. Interstitial applicators are delivered through laparoscopy or percutaneously, and localize thermal energy to the target volume. A variety of non-ionizing energy sources are currently used for interstitial thermal therapy including laser, microwave, ultrasound and radio frequency (RF) energy. Laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy uses light to thermally coagulate small (<2 cm), solid tumors. Microwave thermal therapy typically uses energy at frequencies of 433, 915 and 2450 MHz to heat and coagulate tissue. Interstitial ultrasound uses high intensity acoustic energy in the range of 2 MHz-10 MHz to thermally coagulate tissues.
RF thermal therapy, also known as RF ablation (RFA), is a relatively new treatment that is minimally invasive and so can be used on patients where open surgery is contraindicated. Moreover, unlike other treatments, RFA has thus far proven to be unhampered by many of the above-mentioned limitations of conventional treatments and repeat RFA treatments can be administered without toxicity. There is no known contra-indication for the use of RFA before or after treatments. RFA can also be used in conjunction with other therapies. Clinically, RFA has been approved or is under investigation for a range of malignancies in liver, bone, lung and kidney.
RFA conventionally uses RF energy in the range of 460-500 KHz to elevate temperatures sufficient to induce coagulative necrosis. Examples of RF applicators include monopolar needle electrodes and retractable curved electrodes having an umbrella shape, which require an external ground plane to complete the current path. In RFA therapy, the metal electrode is inserted into the tumor and is heated to 55-90° C. by a radio frequency driving current. Thermal conduction is then used to 'spread' the heat throughout the tumor. However, heat sinks, such as perfusion for example, limit the effectiveness of this heat transfer mechanism. For instance, renal ablation studies in porcine models by Rendon et al. (2001) indicated that lesion size was not reproducible due to renal blood flow, which limited therapeutic heating within the boundaries of the umbrella electrode that was used.
Furthermore, conventional RFA technology suffers from small, non-uniform, heating fields when using single interstitial therapy applicators. For instance, the needle electrodes produce small volumes of coagulated tissue, typically 1-2 cm in diameter, while the umbrella electrode produces at most, a 3 cm diameter ablation (McGahan and Dodd 2001). In the liver, Varkarakis (2005) showed that large (>3 cm) renal tumors were difficult to treat with conventional RF ablation and had a tendency for recurrence. In fact, McGahan and Dodd recommended that the largest tumor that should be treated by a single RF ablation electrode should be smaller than 2 cm in diameter. Larger tumors (>3 cm in diameter) require an array of applicators or multiple insertions of a single applicator in order to heat the whole tumor to cytotoxic levels, resulting in a more invasive procedure. Also, the ability to generate a uniform treatment field throughout a large target volume, necessary for local tumor control, is difficult when multiple applicators are used simultaneously, or when the tumor is highly vascular.

Coil electrode apparatus for thermal therapy


The present invention relates to a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner and manufacturing methods thereof. The chemical mechanical polishing conditioner comprises: a planar substrate having a leveling surface; a bonding layer disposed on the surface of the planar substrate; and a plurality of abrasive particles embedded in the surface of the bonding layer and fixed to the surface of the planar substrate by the binding layer; wherein the planar substrate is formed by a deformation compensation for the non-planar substrate during curing the binding layer, and thus the tips of the abrasive particles have a leveled height. Therefore, the present invention can effectively improve the problem of thermal deformation of the substrate of the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner during heating and curing process, and thereby enhancing the surface flatness of chemical mechanical polishing conditioner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner and manufacturing methods thereof, and more particularly to a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner which has a deformation compensation in the manufacturing process.
2. Description of Related Art
Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a common polishing process in various industries, which can be used to grind the surfaces of various articles, including ceramics, silicon, glass, quartz, or a metal chip. In addition, with the rapid development of integrated circuits, chemical mechanical polishing becomes one of the common techniques for wafer planarization because it can achieve an object of whole planarization.
During the chemical mechanical polishing process of semiconductor, impurities or uneven structure on the surface of a wafer are removed by contacting the wafer (or the other semiconductor elements) with a polishing pad and using a polishing liquid if necessary, through the chemical reaction and mechanical force. When the polishing pad has been used for a certain period of time, the polishing performance and efficiency are reduced because the debris produced in the polishing process may accumulate on the surface of the polishing pad. Therefore, a conditioner can be used to condition the surface of the polishing pad, such that the surface of the polishing pad is re-roughened and maintained at an optimum condition for polishing. In the process for manufacturing a conditioner, it is necessary to dispose an abrasive layer by mixing abrasive particles and a binding layer on the substrate surface, and to fix the abrasive layer to the surface of the substrate by brazing or sintering methods. However, during curing of the abrasive layer, the surface of the substrate may be deformed because of the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the abrasive layer and the substrate, thus destroying flatness of the abrasive particles of the conditioner and thereby adversely affecting the polishing efficiency and service life of the conditioner.
In the known technology, the surface flatness of a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner is typically controlled by two ways. One way is to dispose the abrasive particles and the binding layer on the surface of the substrate, followed by pressing down the abrasive particles using a rigid plate to embed and fix the abrasive particles into the abrasive layer such that the surfaces of the abrasive particles and the rigid flat may have the same flatness. Another way is to dispose the abrasive particles into a recess of a mold, followed by covering the non-working surface of the abrasive particles with a binding layer and a substrate, and performing heat curing, and finally, flipping the mold upside down to separate the cured chemical mechanical polishing conditioner from the recess of the mold. In the above two methods for manufacturing the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner, they could be only aimed at controlling a tip height of the abrasive particle before heat-curing the abrasive layer; however, during heat-curing the binding layer, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the binding layer and the substrate may result in deformation of the substrate of the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner after curing, which results in deformation of the surface of the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner and destroys the flatness of the abrasive particles of the conditioner.
Besides, in the other known technology, it discloses to provide a non-planar substrate in which a planar substrate is formed by compensation for the deformation of non-planar substrate during curing the bonding layer, and thereby obtaining a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner having a planarization surface. A non-planar substrate used in the known technology is a surface having a curved surface contour, such as a spherical surface contour or a non-spherical surface contour; however, the non-planar substrate of the curved surface contour still has many problems in the precision of a design of the curved surface thereof or manufacturing cost.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with a surface planarization, which cannot only solve a problem of surface deformation of the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner in a curing and molding process, but also further control the surface flatness of the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner.

Chemical mechanical polishing conditioner and manufacturing methods thereof


Carbamoyl and oxycarbonyl derivatives of biphenylmethylamines of structure I are angiotensin-II antagonists with balanced AT.sub.1 and AT.sub.2 activity useful in the treatment of hypertension and related disorders and ocular hypertension. ##STR1## where X is --O-- or --N(R.sup.7)--.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a central role in the regulation of normal blood pressure and seems to be critically involved in hypertension development and maintenance as well as congestive heart failure. Angiotensin II (A II) is an octapeptide hormone produced mainly in the blood during the cleavage of angiotensin I by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) localized on the endothelium of blood vessels of lung, kidney, and many other organs. It is the end product of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and is a powerful arterial vasoconstrictor that exerts its action by interacting with specific receptors present on cell membranes. One of the possible modes of controlling the RAS is angiotensin II receptor antagonism. Several peptide analogs of A II are known to inhibit the effect of this hormone by competitively blocking the receptors, but their experimental and clinical applications have been limited by partial agonist activity and lack of oral absorption [M. Antonaccio. Clin. Exp. Hypertens. A4, 27-46 (1982); D. H. P. Streeten and G. H. Anderson, Jr. Handbook of Hypertension, Clinical Pharmacology of Antihypertensive Drugs, ed. A. E. Doyle, Vol. 5, pp. 246-271, Elsevier Science Publisher, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1984].
There are several reports of non-peptidic angiotensin-II antagonists, most of which are nitrogen heterocycles substituted on a nitrogen with a substituted biphenylmethyl group. Some of the heterocycles reported are imidazoles (EP 253,310), imidazopyridines (EP 400,974), quinazolinones (EP 411,766), triazoles (EP 409,332), triazolinones (EP 412,594) pyrimidinones (EP 419,048) and pyrazoles (WO 91/15479).
In addition EP 443,983 and EP 490,820 describe A-II antagonists which omit the heterocycles and are acyl or alkoxycarbonyl derivatives of biphenylmethylamines.

Substituted carbamoyl and oxycarbonyl derivatives of biphenylmethylamines


Systems, methods, computer programs, and user interfaces are provided to send a map search request including a start location and a search term to a map server, receive a number of routes, each of the routes describing a route from the start location to one of a number of potential destinations, receive a road style for rendering roads in a map extent encompassing the routes, and simultaneously display the routes based on a multiple route style.

Modern smart phones and navigation devices are typically equipped with mapping capabilities. For example, a user of these devices may use the mapping capabilities to locate a point of interest or to plan for a trip. When searching for a point of interest, the user device typically presents a list of search results to the user. In addition, smart phone and navigation devices may be equipped with global positioning system (GPS) capabilities. In this case, GPS may be used on these devices to obtain maps of the geographic area at the device's location. Once located, the device may be used to navigate (by driving, using public transportation, walking, etc.) to a point of interest selected by the user. Specifically, the device may provide turn-by-turn directions and track the progress of the user in real-time by showing a current location of the user on a map.
A list of search results for a search term may lack information useful for selecting a point of interest from the search results. Turn-by-turn directions for the selected point of interest may not allow a user to select a different point of interest without returning to the list of search results.

Method, system, and computer program product for visual disambiguation for directions queries


A method for adjusting a battery module including a plurality of connected cells is provided. Each of the connected cells is a nickel-metal hydride battery including a positive electrode containing an active material of which a main component is nickel hydroxide, a negative electrode containing a hydrogen adsorption alloy, and an electrolytic solution that is an alkali solution. The method includes over-discharging the battery module so that a state of charge reaches 0% in every one of the connected cells.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for adjusting a battery module including connecting cells, which are nickel-metal hydride batteries, to reduce variations, resulting from usage, in the state of charge at the positive electrodes of the cells.
A nickel-metal hydride battery is a rechargeable battery that uses nickel hydroxide for the positive electrode, a hydrogen adsorption alloy for the negative electrode, and an alkali solution such as a sodium hydroxide solution for the electrolytic solution. Generally, in a nickel-metal hydride battery, the negative electrode has a greater capacity than the positive electrode so that the capacity of the positive electrode restricts the discharge capacity of the entire battery. This is referred to as positive electrode restriction. Positive electrode restriction suppresses internal pressure increases when the battery is over-discharged or over-charged. When the state of charge (SOC) at the positive electrode is 100%, the charge capacitance remaining at the negative electrode is referred to as a charge reserve. When the state of charge (SOC) at the positive electrode is 0%, the discharge capacitance remaining at the negative electrode is referred to as a discharge reserve. The state of charge of the positive electrode refers to the ratio of a charged active material amount relative to the entire active material amount contained in the positive electrode. Thus, when a positive electrode SOC is 0%, the ratio of the charged active material is 0%.
In a battery module that connects a plurality of cells, in cell temperature differences may result in the cells having different charging efficiencies. Continuous use of the battery module with each cell having a different charging efficiency would gradually result in the cells having different states of charge. When the battery module is discharged under such a condition, the cell with the positive electrode of which SOC becomes 0% most quickly restricts discharging in the other cells. This virtually decreases the entire discharge capacity. Accordingly, it is desirable that variations in the SOC at the positive electrodes of the cells be adjusted and reduced so that the capacity of each nickel-metal hydride battery approaches the initial capacity.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-319366 describes an example of a method for restoring the capacity of a nickel-metal hydride battery by drawing hydrogen into a battery case or drawing an alkali metal or the like that reacts with the electrolytic solution and generates hydrogen into the battery case.

Method and device for adjusting battery module


A door system has a compartment formed with a first gateway and a second gateway opposed to the first gateway, and a barrier apparatus housed in the compartment. The barrier apparatus includes a swivel panel which swings back and forth between a first position where one surface of the swivel panel faces the first gateway, and a second position where the opposite surface of the swivel panel faces the first gateway. The barrier apparatus further includes a pair of door panels provided at the opposite ends of the swivel panel to move with the swivel panel. The door panels synchronously open the gateways when the swivel panel is at the first position and at the second position. Air sealing is provided between the compartment and the door panels.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a door system with draught eliminating effect for use in an entrance/exit of a building.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there is known an automatic sliding door provided at an entrance/exit of a building such as office buildings and public buildings. Such an automatic sliding door is provided to keep an air-conditioned state inside the building and/or to prevent draught from coming inside the building.
In the conventional automatic door system, for example, a box shaped compartment is defined in an entrance zone of a building, an entrance and an exit are defined in positions opposing to each other of the compartment, and a pair of automatic sliding doors are provided on the entrance and the exit, respectively. Each of the automatic doors is individually controlled in such a manner that the door is opened each time a passerby passes the compartment.
In the above-constructed automatic door system, a certain draught eliminating effect is secured by the compartment. However, in a case that a passerby is about to come into the compartment through the entrance door (exit door), and almost at the same timing, another passerby who is on the way of passing the compartment is about to go out of the compartment through the exit door (entrance door), or traffic of passersby through the compartment is heavy, it is highly likely that a situation where both of the entrance door and the exit door are opened may occur. Thus, the conventional automatic door system fails to accomplish complete draught eliminating effect.
Furthermore, in the above arrangement, since each of the automatic doors is individually opened and closed, two driving sources are needed. This may raise the production cost and running cost of the door system.
There is also known another type of door system, namely, a revolving door. A revolving door is operated in such a manner that a plurality of door panels are rotated around a central rotating element in a fixed direction. Such a revolving door system provides more secured draught eliminating effect than the automatic sliding door system because there are defined a certain number of small sections by the door panels. However, the revolving door system requires a relatively large space and requires signal communication between the door panels by slip rings, which raises the production cost and running cost of the door system.

Door system with a pair of door panels connected by a swivel panel that swings back and forth for selectively opening and closing gateways in a compartment


An implantable medical device system is configured to sense cardiac events in response to a cardiac electrical signal crossing a cardiac event sensing threshold. A control circuit is configured to determine a drop time interval based on a heart rate and control a sensing circuit to hold the cardiac event sensing threshold at a threshold value during the drop time interval.

Medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), provide therapeutic electrical stimulation to a heart of a patient via electrodes carried by one or more medical electrical leads and/or a housing of the medical device. The electrical stimulation may include signals such as pacing pulses or cardioversion or defibrillation shocks. The medical device may sense cardiac electrical signals attendant to the intrinsic depolarizations of the heart and control delivery of stimulation signals to the heart based on sensed cardiac electrical signals. Upon detection of an abnormal rhythm, such as bradycardia, tachycardia or fibrillation, an appropriate electrical stimulation therapy may be delivered to restore or maintain a more normal rhythm of the heart. For example, an ICD may deliver pacing pulses to the heart of the patient upon detecting bradycardia or tachycardia or deliver cardioversion or defibrillation shocks to the heart upon detecting tachycardia or fibrillation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multi-threshold sensing of cardiac electrical signals in an implantable medical device


A toner image formed on a photosensitive drum 12a in an image forming unit 12 is transferred to an intermediate transfer belt 11. The toner image of the intermediate transfer belt is transferred onto recording paper by a transfer roller 15, and a paper transport path 18 is defined by an image forming device main body and a lateral cover 20 turnably mounted on the image forming device main body 20. When in a protected position, a cover member 19 protects the intermediate transfer belt at a position corresponding to a nip between the intermediate transfer belt and a transfer unit, while when in a withdrawn position, the cover member 19 guides the recording paper. An interlocking mechanism, moving in response to the turning of the lateral cover, places the cover member at the protected position when the lateral cover is open, and places the cover member at the withdrawn position when the lateral cover is closed.

In color image forming devices, image formation is generally carried out by forming color toner images by sequentially superposing toner images of each color on an intermediate transfer belt and then transferring the color toner image onto recording paper; in such image forming devices, the recording paper is transported from a paper feeding unit to a nip between the intermediate transfer belt and a secondary transfer roller, via a paper transport path, then after transfer of the color toner image to the recording paper, the latter is sent via the paper transport path to a fixing unit, and following color toner image fixation, the recording paper is output to a paper output tray via a paper output path.
In an image forming device where the paper output tray is disposed on the upper side of the chassis of the image forming device, and the paper feeding unit is arranged on the lower side of the chassis of the image forming device, the paper transport path takes a substantially vertical form; herein, a guide member is provided in the paper transport path for guiding the recording paper passing through a nip between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller towards the fixing unit.
When a paper jam occurs, the paper jam is handled by opening a lateral cover provided in the chassis of the image forming device to expose thereby the paper transport path (herein, since the secondary transfer roller is provided on the side of the lateral cover, the intermediate transfer belt (in particular, the nip thereof) becomes exposed when the lateral cover is opened). Thus, when the intermediate transfer belt is exposed for handling a paper jam, the user may inadvertently touch the intermediate transfer belt, which might result in faulty imaging.
There are also image forming devices where an openable/closable drum shutter is provided in the vicinity of the photosensitive drum, such that when the lateral cover is closed, the drum shutter is withdrawn, upstream in the paper transport direction from the photosensitive drum, and when the lateral cover is closed, the drum shutter is positioned opposite the photosensitive drum so as to cover the latter.
In conventional image forming devices, when the lateral cover is opened, the photosensitive drum, which is the image carrier, is protected by the drum shutter, while when the lateral cover is closed, the drum shutter is positioned further upstream in the paper transport direction than the photosensitive drum, the role of the drum shutter being to guide the recording paper being transported along the paper transport path in the nip between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller; however, this is problematic in that an additional mechanism (member) must be provided for separating from the photosensitive drum the recording paper passing through the nip, which increases the number of parts and the like.
In conventional image forming devices, furthermore, the mechanism for moving the drum shutter in response to the opening /closing of the lateral cover is a complex one, and moreover, exposure of the intermediate transfer belt is not prevented when the lateral cover is opened.
In light of the above problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming device having a simple constitution that allows for protecting an intermediate transfer belt when a lateral cover is opened, and that allows for easy separating of the recording paper passing through the nip between the intermediate transfer belt and a secondary transfer belt, when the lateral cover is closed.

Image forming device with interlocked mechanism


A method for executing multiple computational primitives is provided in accordance with exemplary embodiments. A first computational unit and at least a second computational unit cooperate to execute multiple computational primitives. The first computational unit independently computes other computational primitives. By virtue of arbitration for shared source operand buses or shared result buses, availability of the first and second computational units needed to execute cooperatively the multiple computational primitives is assured by a process of reservation as used for a computational primitive executed on a dedicated computational unit.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to the implementation of arithmetic computation units for integrated circuits. Specifically, exemplary embodiments discuss the cooperative use of two different types of computation units to implement a more complex computation.
2. Description of Background
To improve computation performance in the face of decreasing benefit from generational silicon technology improvements, designs have moved to implement more complex computation primitives. In general-purpose microprocessors, such computation primitives often take the form of expanded instruction sets implemented on accelerators coupled tightly to a processor core charged with implementing the standard (legacy) set of instructions. Frequently, to improve computation throughput, such accelerators implement a short-vector SIMD (single-instruction multiple-data) computation model, whereby each instruction specifies an operation to be performed across a wide data word, which, depending on the particular instruction, is interpreted as a vector of a small number (1-16) of sub-words. A single instruction may then specify multiple operations on multiple pieces of data.
The disparate types of operations required in computation accelerators (e.g., arithmetic, logical, and data movement operations) and the wide variety of data types involved (e.g., signed and unsigned integer numbers of different size, floating point numbers of different precisions) have typically required the implementation of many different kinds of functional computation units. For example, one functional unit may handle simple integer operations (such as addition, subtraction, comparison, Boolean logical operations, etc.), another functional unit might be responsible for complex integer operations (multiplications, multiply-adds, additive reductions, etc.), a third functional unit may be for floating-point operations, and still another functional unit may be for data formatting and permutation. This exemplary implementation is very expensive in terms of design effort, circuitry required to implement the different functions separately, and power, especially since external constraints (such as the number of computations that can begin or end at a given time), typically render most of this circuitry idle.
Another approach that leverages the external constraints to reduce the need for special purpose functional units would be beneficial.

Multiplexing output from second execution unit add/saturation processing portion of wider width intermediate result of first primitive execution unit for compound computation

International Business Machines Corporation


An IC card case storing an IC card in a case body which has an opening part formed on one side plate thereof and a fingerprint sensor set up on an internal side of other side plate thereof in a manner of facing inside the opening part, the case body includes:                a case side control controlling the fingerprint sensor and performing communications with the IC card; and        a power source supplying power to the case side control, wherein the case body is constituted such that when storing the IC card inside the case body, the IC card covers over the fingerprint sensor facing the opening part.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an IC card case and an IC card case unit.
2. Related Art
In recent years, cards containing personal information such as IC cards and credit cards have been used in electronic commerce and. the like.
To prevent illicit use of cards, some IC cards are designed such as to be used only after confirming card holder's identity by obtaining personal biometric information as a means of authenticating that a user is a rightful owner of an IC card.
As a means of obtaining personal biometric information, for example, an IC card provided with a fingerprint sensor, which uses a fingerprint as the biometric information is known (for example, refer to the first example of related art). The IC card having such fingerprint sensor performs the user's authentication (personal authentication) by reading the fingerprint information of the user through the fingerprint sensor and determining whether or not the read fingerprint information matches the fingerprint information stored in the IC card.
Now, the fingerprint sensor, being vulnerable to shock from outside, may suffer damage such as to make it impossible to provide good fingerprint authentication. Hence, it is necessary to protect the fingerprint sensor.
In cases other than the IC card, there is a fingerprint authentication device mounted with the fingerprint sensor to carry out personal identification. For example, a device, which stores the fingerprint sensor therein for protection if the fingerprint sensor is not used, is known (for example, refer to the second and third examples of related art).
Consequently, what is desired is an IC card unit which protects the finger unit sensor by storing the IC card equipped with the fingerprint sensor inside the card case.
JP-A-11-312225 is a first example of related art. JP-A-2001-143045 is a second example of related art, and JP-A-2003-196646 is a third example of related art.
Now, since the general IC card is due to be updated, for example, in three years, a new IC card must be manufactured every three years. On the other hand, the IC card equipped with the above-referenced fingerprint sensor has a higher cost when updating the card as compared to the IC card not equipped with the fingerprint sensor.
Further, since the fingerprint sensor was set up in a condition of being exposed to a surface of the IC card, when putting the IC card in and out the card case (IC card case), there was a risk of damaging the surface of the fingerprint sensor as the surface came in contact with the card case.


Closed-loop systems and methods for controlling pH. The system includes a working electrode, a counter electrode, a reference electrode, a first ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET), a second ISFET, and an electronic controller. The working electrode, the counter electrode, the reference electrode, and a first sensing terminal of the first ISFET are immersible in an active solution. A second sensing terminal of the second ISFET is immersible in a reference solution. The electronic controller is configured to apply a first amount of current or voltage to the working electrode and determine a differential voltage between the first ISFET and the second ISFET. The electronic controller is also configured to set a second amount of current or voltage to reduce a difference between the differential voltage and a target voltage. The electronic controller is further configured to apply the second amount of current or voltage to the working electrode.

pH is a factor that plays an important role for the binding interactions among biomolecules, enzymatic activities, chemical modification such as protection/deprotection of a functional group, chemical/biochemical reaction kinetics, and visualization of pH sensitive reporter molecules. Since pH can serve as a universal switch or a controller for various types of processes, precise control of pH, especially for controlling multiple conditions in parallel, can offer great opportunities in various applications.
Currently, the pH of a sample is commonly changed by exchanging the whole buffer solution with the target pH or adding acid or base to the solution. This process is time consuming, prone to error, and, in many cases, induces a significant dilution to the sample. If the sample volume is small or multiple rounds of pH changes during the course of an assay or a reaction are required, currently available technology cannot provide a good solution. Thus, there remains a need for a technical solution that enables controlling pH with flexible temporal and spatial target values and a minimal dilution factor for multiple research and industrial applications.
Reported approaches include the electronic pH control described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,379,080, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. A similar pH control scheme can be used in various design formats, especially in an array format to perform highly multiplexed, independent measurements and reactions in parallel within the same sample solution. When using an array of electrodes to locally control the microenvironment near each of the electrodes, "cross-talk" or "bleed-over" between different sites is a common concern. This problem is addressed either through spacing out the individual sites, or with a buffering reagent added to the bulk solution. The former approach results in the reduced density of the array (larger device size), and the latter requires that the rate of electrochemical reaction is high enough to overcome the buffering capacity of the bulk solution. In practice, it means applying higher voltage or current, or using higher concentration of electroactive molecules. These measures may lead to side reactions involving other components of the reaction system. Here, the present disclosure describes how the utilization of the closed-loop control counteracts these issues. In particular, several implementations of the closed-loop in a high-density array of individually addressable electrodes are described.

Closed-loop PH control with differential sensor


Provided herein is a method for establishing the likelihood of a user traversing each of a plurality of paths through a network of roads. Methods may include: determining a location and direction of travel within a road network; determining a first road segment corresponding to the determined location and direction; determining a first set of available road segments at an end of the first road segment corresponding to the determined location in the direction of the determined direction of travel, where each available road segment of the first set has a first end proximate the end of the first road segment and a second end, between which the respective road segment extends; and calculating a probability for each available road segment of the first set of available road segments at the end of the first road segment.

Maps have been used for centuries for providing route geometry and geographical information, while routes have conventionally been planned by hand along paths defined by the maps. The evolution of paper maps to electronic, digital maps has led to advances in various aspects of cartography, navigation, and route guidance. Digital maps and navigation can provide dynamic route guidance to users as they travel along a route, or general assistance to a user when no specific destination has been selected. Further, dynamic map attributes such as route traffic, route conditions, and other dynamic map-related information may be provided to enhance the digital maps and facilitate navigation and driver assistance through situational awareness. Typical digital maps and navigation systems may have copious amounts of information available, from various road network geometry awareness to accident, construction, and other traffic-related dynamically updated data. This data is often unused unless a destination has been selected and route guidance to the destination planned.

Method, apparatus and computer program product for determining likelihood of a route


A method, system, and program for controlling throughput of message requests in a messaging system is provided. A message request is received from a sending user. A priority requirement is determined for the message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom the message request is intended. Output of the message request to the receiving user is adjusted according to whether the message request meets the priority requirement, such that throughput of the message request to the receiving user is controlled. In addition, output of a message indicating that the receiving user is available is adjusted according to said priority requirement.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to electronic communications and, in particular, to controlling throughput of message requests in a messaging system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to specifying output of a message request according to a priority requirement set by a user receiving the message request.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the Internet and telephony expand, the ease of communications between individuals in different locations continues to expand as well. One type of electronic communication is supported by messaging which includes the use of computer systems and data communication equipment to convey messages from one person to another, as by e-mail, voice mail, unified messaging, instant messaging, or fax.
While e-mail has already expanded into nearly every facet of the business world, other types of messaging continue to forge into use. For example, instant messaging systems are typically utilized in the context of an Internet-supported application that transfers text between multiple Internet users in real time.
In particular, the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) service is one example of instant messaging that enables an Internet user to participate in an on-line conversation in real time with other users. An IRC channel, maintained by an IRC server, transmits the text typed by each user who has joined the channel to the other users who have joined the channel. An IRC client shows the names of the currently active channels, enables the user to join a channel, and then displays the other channel participant's words on individual lines so that the user can respond.
Similar to IRC, chat rooms are often available through on-line services and provide a data communication channel that links computers and permits users to converse by sending text messages to one another in real-time.
Some messaging systems allow users sending messages to assign a priority level, such a high, medium, or low, to a message. However, a limitation of such systems is that the priority level is typically only displayed with the message when received by another user utilizing the same software utilized to create the message. Further, a limitation of such systems is that the message prioritization is set only by the user sending the message. Further, the user is still typically interrupted either by a visual or audible cue whether the message is low priority or high priority.
As instant messaging systems and telephony based messaging systems expand, the number of unwanted and often unnecessary daily intrusions increases. Other users are enabled to see when another user has logged on and send instant messaging requests that take up screen space and are both audibly and visibly intrusive.
Some messaging systems enable a user to select from among several "away messages" that are transmitted automatically in response to a another user's request to talk. With an "away message" set, a user may continue working while logged on, however other users are informed that the user is not available. With telephony devices, a user is provided with an answering service, rather than having to answer a call.
However, messaging systems and telephony devices are limited in that while a particular user may indicate to other requesting users that the particular user is unavailable, in order for that user to utilize a network connection, the user is still intruded upon by the requests to talk. For example, in an instant messaging system, an automatic "not available" is transmitted, but either all requests still come through or no requests come through. Similarly, a ringer may be turned off on a telephony device such that the caller ID is displayed, but then a user is not alerted to any calls.
A further disadvantage of "away messages" is that a single message is displayed to all users requesting to talk. However, it would be advantageous to tailor "away messages" depending on the person receiving the message such that a spouse receives one message while a boss receives another.
In addition, whether a user is designated as away or not, most messaging systems only offer one format for notifying users of a request to talk. Such requests often utilize an unsatisfactory amount of screen space and may include unwanted audible prompts.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a method, system, and program for controlling the throughput of message requests through a messaging system such that a user may specify which message requests are output and how the message request is output. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a method, system, and program for automatically specifying the response message transmitted to the user requesting to chat.

Controlling throughput of message requests in a messaging system


A reference voltage circuit includes a self-decoupling boost circuit coupled between a supply voltage and an output node. The boost circuit provides a boost current to accelerate the transition of the output node's voltage. The boost circuit is controlled by a voltage detection circuit having its input coupled to the output node of the reference voltage circuit. The voltage detection circuit monitors the output voltage of the reference voltage circuit and provides a disable signal to disable the boost signal when the output voltage approaches its final value. Thus, the boost circuit provides a temporary boost current until the output voltage reaches its desired value.

Many circuits within integrated memory devices require a reference voltage for proper operation. For example, reference voltages are used in some memory devices which employ boosting amplifiers to compensate for losses in column select circuits that reduce line voltages from sense amplifiers. FIG. 1 shows boosting amplifiers 20 which are differential amplifiers that receive data D, D* from sense amplifiers on a pair of data lines 22 and output boosted data DX, DX* on a pair of output data lines 24. The boosting amplifiers 20 also include equilibration transistors 26 controlled by an equilibrate signal LEQ to reset the differential amplifiers and equilibrate the output data lines 24.
The responses of the boosting amplifiers 20 are controlled by respective current control transistors 30 that establish the maximum current I available to the boosting amplifiers 20, responsive to a reference voltage DCREF. When the sense amplifiers are inactive, the reference voltage DCREF is pulled low to disable the boosting amplifiers 20 and conserve power. To prepare for a data read operation, the reference voltage DCREF is pulled above the threshold voltage V.sub.T of the control transistors 30 to turn ON the control transistors 30. In response, the control transistors 30 establish the current I, thereby enabling the boosting amplifiers 20.
For example, if the data D, D* are high and low, respectively, they turn ON transistors 32, 34 and turn OFF transistors 31, 33. The ON transistors 32, 34 pull voltages V.sub.B, V.sub.D low at respective nodes B, D, inducing currents I.sub.36, I.sub.38 through respective diode-coupled PMOS transistors 36, 38. The induced currents I.sub.36, I.sub.38 establish gate voltages of the PMOS transistors 36, 38 and thus turn ON PMOS transistors 35, 37 to couple nodes A, C to the supply voltage Vcc. At the same time, the OFF transistors 31, 33 isolate respective nodes A, C from ground, so the voltages V.sub.A, V.sub.C at the nodes A, C rise to the supply voltage V.sub.CC. The nodes A, D drive the boosted data lines 24, such that the boosted data DX, DX* will be high and low, respectively.
For high speed operation, it is desirable to establish the reference voltage DCREF very quickly. FIG. 2 shows one prior art approach for providing the reference voltage DCREF, in which a reference voltage circuit 40 is formed from an inverter 42, a reset transistor 44, and a biasing leg 46. The reset transistor 44 is an NMOS transistor coupled between an output node 52 and ground with its gate controlled by the inverter 42. The biasing leg 46 is formed from a PMOS activation transistor 48, a PMOS dropping transistor 50 and a reference transistor 54 serially coupled between a supply voltage V.sub.CC and ground. The gate of the activation transistor 48 is controlled by the inverter 42 and the gates of the dropping and reference transistors 50, 54 are controlled by the output node 52.
The reference voltage circuit 40 is activated by an enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN at the inverter input to initiate generation of the reference voltage DCREF. In response to the high enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN, the inverter 42 outputs a low inverted enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN* that turns OFF the reset transistor 44. Additionally, the low inverted enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN* turns ON the activation transistor 48 to couple the supply voltage V.sub.CC to the dropping transistor 50. The dropping transistor 50 turns ON, because its source voltage (approximately V.sub.CC) is higher than its gate and drain voltage (approximately ground) because the reset transistor 44 was ON before DCSA.sub.-- EN* transitioned low. The ON dropping transistor 50 thus begins raising the voltage V.sub.NODE of the output node 52 toward the reference voltage DCREF. As the output node voltage V.sub.NODE rises, the gate-to-source voltage V.sub.GS of the reference transistor 54 rises above its threshold voltage V.sub.T and the reference transistor 54 turns ON. With all three transistors 48, 50, 54 ON the series combination of the transistors 48, 50, 54 will establish the reference voltage DCREF at a stable level determined by the channel resistances of the individual transistors 48, 50, 54.
When the enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN returns low, the inverted enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN* goes high, thereby turning OFF the activation transistor 48 and turning ON the reset transistor 44. The OFF activation transistor 48 isolates the output node 52 from the supply voltage V.sub.CC and the ON reset transistor 44 quickly pulls the output node 52 low preparing the reference voltage circuit 40 for the next high going transition of DCSA.sub.-- EN.
The above-described response of the reference voltage circuit 40 to DCSA.sub.-- EN going high will not be instantaneous, due to loading of the output node 52. As represented by a load circuit 56, circuits being driven by the reference voltage circuit 40 (e.g., the current control transistors 30 of FIG. 1 and the corresponding signal lines) load the reference voltage circuit 40. Such loading is primarily capacitive, so the load circuit 56 can be modeled adequately with a capacitor 58, as shown in FIG. 2.
The capacitance C of the load circuit 56 combined with the channel resistances of the transistors 48, 50, 54 forms an RC circuit such that the capacitor 58 charges exponentially to the reference voltage DCREF. Consequently, when the inverter 42 turns ON the upper PMOS transistor 48, the output node voltage V.sub.NODE rises toward the reference voltage DCREF at a rate determined by the RC time constant of the channel resistances and the capacitance C. The resulting delay in development of the reference voltage DCREF at the output node 52 slows operation of integrated device.
To improve the response time of the reference voltage circuit 40, another prior art reference voltage circuit 60 shown in FIG. 3 adds a timed boost circuit 62 to the reference voltage circuit 40 to provide a current boost to the output node 52 over a fixed period following transitions of the enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN. The boost circuit 62 is formed from a pulse circuit 64 that drives a PMOS boost transistor 66 coupled between a supply voltage V.sub.CC and the output node 52. The pulse circuit 64 typically is formed from a NAND gate having one input driven by a re-inverted version of the inverted enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN* and a second input driven by a delayed version of the inverted enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN*. However, a variety of other circuit structures for the pulse circuit 64 will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
When the enable signal DCSA.sub.-- EN goes high and the inverted signal DCSA.sub.-- EN* goes low, the biasing leg 46 operates as described above. At the same time, the low-going inverted signal DCSA.sub.-- EN* activates the pulse circuit 64, thereby causing the pulse circuit 64 to output a low going pulse V.sub.P. The low-going pulse V.sub.P turns ON the boost transistor 66 for a fixed period .tau. to temporarily couple the supply voltage V.sub.CC to the output node 52. A boost current I.sub.BOOST flows through the ON boost transistor 66 to help charge the capacitor 58. Because the capacitor 58 is charged by both the boost current I.sub.BOOST and the current through the PMOS transistors 48, 50, the output node voltage V.sub.NODE rises more quickly to the reference voltage DCREF than in the circuit 40 of FIG. 2.
While the reference voltage circuit 60 of FIG. 3 provides an improved response time as compared to the reference voltage circuit 40 of FIG. 2, the circuit 60 does not always provide acceptable results, primarily because the duration of the current boost is fixed and unresponsive to the actual voltage of the output node 52. Consequently, it can be difficult to achieve proper timing of the boost signal to optimize the response. If the pulse V.sub.P is too long, the output node voltage V.sub.NODE may overshoot the desired reference voltage DCREF. Then, when the boost transistor 66 turns OFF, the biasing circuit 46 will require additional time to reduce the output node voltage V.sub.NODE to the reference voltage DCREF. If the pulse V.sub.P is too short, the boost current I.sub.BOOST will stop before the output node voltage V.sub.NODE reaches the reference voltage DCREF and the response of the circuit 60 will not be as fast as desired.
Establishing the proper pulse duration becomes even more problematic where the device includes more than one reference voltage circuit 60 or more than one boost amplifier 20. Such devices may be located at differing distances from the circuit 60. Consequently, the capacitance C presented to the reference voltage circuit 60 will vary according to the different lengths of signal lines between the reference voltage circuit 60 and the boost amplifiers 66. Consequently, the optimum duration .tau. of the pulse V.sub.P may depend upon the specific layout of the integrated device. Because the reference voltage circuit 60 of FIG. 3 uses a fixed time delay, the circuit 60 does not compensate for differences in capacitance C.

Fast power up reference voltage circuit and method


An apparatus and method for holding a container comprising of a carriage and timing mechanism. The apparatus is comprised of a lever with at least two positions relative to the carriage, a timer, and a timer reset mechanism such that when the lever is in the first position, the timer will start counting time. When the lever is moved to the second position, the timer reset mechanism will modify the timer such as by resetting the amount of time that has been counted. The user thus knows how much time has passed since the user last changed the position of the lever.

Health products such as pharmaceuticals and supplements often require administration of dosages at specific time intervals. For example, some medications require daily administration, while others may require administration every two, four, or six hours. A frequent problem is that a patient cannot remember the last time a particular medication was administered. This may cause critical health issues because patients may take too little medication for it to be effective or patients may overdose by administering medication too frequently.
Issues regarding the timing of dosages is not unique to health products. For other products that are frequently administered into the human body, such as tobacco products like cigarettes, a consumer may want to track the time between dosages to regulate or reduce the product's usage.
The prior art includes timers integrated into specific containers such as pill bottles. But those types of timers are limited in utility. For example, a timer on a pill bottle is limited to use on the medicine bottle itself. The timer cannot be adapted to a mechanism that will work universally with other bottles or containers. Additionally, pill bottle timers typically automatically reset when a bottle cap is removed and thus cannot be integrated into another type of container.
Additionally, some timers are manual timers, which require a user to remember to manually reset the timer before or after each use. The flaw is that patients may forget to reset the timer, which renders the timer useless.
To minimize potential health risks, there is a need to incorporate the ability directly to monitor the usage of certain products that have multiple dosages per day. There is also a need for a timer that is integrated to a universal carriage for containers such that it works with containers and bottles of different shapes and sizes.
It is an object of the invention to provide a universal carriage to hold a container of different sizes and shapes.
It is an object of the invention to provide a universal carriage to hold a container with an integrated timer.
It is an object of the invention to provide a universal carriage to hold a container with an integrated timer that automatically resets upon removal of the container.
It is an object of the invention an integrated timer can be removed from one carriage and mounted to another carriage.

Carriage with timer mechanism for holding a container


In the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a method and apparatus are disclosed for optimizing the controlled positive pressure to minimize the flow of air from a flow generator while still ensuring that flow limitation in the patient""s airway does not occur. In particular, the invention relates to a breathing device and method of use to adjust a controlled positive pressure to the airway of a patient by detecting flow limitation from analysis of an inspiratory flow waveform. Once the presence of flow limitation has been analyzed, the system determines an action to take for adjustment of the controlled positive pressure. The pressure setting is raised, lowered or maintained depending on whether flow limitation has been detected and on the previous actions taken by the system. The preferred breathing apparatus consists of a flow generator, a flow sensor, an analog to digital converter, a microprocessor, and a pressure controller, a patient supply hose, a nasal fitting, and, optionally, a pressure transducer. Using the method of the present invention, the microprocessor adjusts the air pressure in the patient supply hose when flow limitation is detected in the airway of the patient.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for adjusting the positive airway pressure of a patient to an optimum value in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, and more particularly to a breathing device which maintains constant positive airway pressure and method of use which analyzes an inspiratory flow waveform to titrate such a pressure value.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a well recognized disorder which may affect as much as 1-5% of the adult population. OSAS is one of the most common causes of excessive daytime somnolence. OSAS is most frequent in obese males, and it is the single most frequent reason for referral to sleep disorder clinics.
OSAS is associated with all conditions in which there is anatomic or functional narrowing of the patient""s upper airway, and is characterized by an intermittent obstruction of the upper airway occurring during sleep. The obstruction results in a spectrum of respiratory disturbances ranging from the total absence of airflow (apnea) to significant obstruction with or without reduced airflow (hypopnea and snoring), despite continued respiratory efforts. The morbidity of the syndrome arises from hypoxemia, hypercapnia, bradycardia and sleep disruption associated with the apneas and arousals from sleep.
The pathophysiology of OSAS is not fully worked out. However, it is now well recognized that obstruction of the upper airway during sleep is in part due to the collapsible behavior of the supraglottic segment during the negative intraluminal pressure generated by inspiratory effort. Thus, the human upper airway during sleep behaves as a Starling resistor, which is defined by the property that the flow is limited to a fixed value irrespective of the driving (inspiratory) pressure. Partial or complete airway collapse can then occur associated with the loss of airway tone which is characteristic of the onset of sleep and may be exaggerated in OSAS.
Since 1981, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) applied by a tight fitting nasal mask worn during sleep has evolved as the most effective treatment for this disorder, and is now the standard of care. The availability of this non-invasive form of therapy has resulted in extensive publicity for apnea and the appearance of large numbers of patients who previously may have avoided the medical establishment because of the fear of tracheostomy. Increasing the comfort of the system, which is partially determined by minimizing the necessary nasal pressure, has been a major goal of research aimed at improving patient compliance with therapy. Various systems for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea are disclosed, for example, in xe2x80x9cReversal of Obstructive Sleep Apnea by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Applied Through The Naresxe2x80x9d, Sullivan et al, Lancet, 1981, 1:862-865; and xe2x80x9cReversal of The xe2x80x98Pickwickian Syndromexe2x80x99 By Long-Term Use of Nocturnal Nasal-Airway Pressurexe2x80x9d; Rapaport et al., New England Journal of Medicine, Oct. 7, 1982. Similarly, the article xe2x80x9cInduction of upper airway occlusion in sleeping individuals with subatmospheric nasal pressurexe2x80x9d, Schwartz et al, Journal of Applied Physiology, 1988, 64, pp. 535-542, discusses various polysomnographic techniques. Each of these articles are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Despite its success, limitations to the use of nasal CPAP exist. These mostly take the form of discomfort from the mask and the nasal pressure required to obliterate the apneas. Systems for minimizing the discomfort from the mask are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,213, Rapaport et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,756, Rapaport, as well as in xe2x80x9cTherapeutic Options For Obstructive Sleep Apneaxe2x80x9d, Garay, Respiratory Management, July/August 1987, pp. 11-15; and xe2x80x9cTechniques For Administering Nasal CPAPxe2x80x9d, Rapaport, Respiratory Management, July/August 1987, pp. 18-21 (each being hereby incorporated herein by reference). Minimizing the necessary pressure remains a goal of the preliminary testing of a patient in the sleep laboratory. However, it has been shown that this pressure varies throughout the night with sleep stage and body position. Furthermore, the therapeutic pressure may both rise or fall with time in patients with changing anatomy (nasal congestion/polyps), change in weight, changing medication or with alcohol use. Because of this, most sleep laboratories currently prescribe the setting for home use of nasal CPAP pressure based upon the single highest value of pressures needed to obliterate apneas during a night of monitoring in the sleep laboratory. Retesting is often necessary if the patient complains of incomplete resolution of daytime sleepiness, and may reveal a change in the required pressure.
The invention is therefore directed to a method and apparatus, in a system for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, for optimizing the controlled positive pressure to thereby minimize the flow of air from a flow generator while still ensuring that flow limitation in the patient""s airway does not occur. In particular, the invention relates to a breathing device and method of use to adjust a controlled positive pressure to the airway of a patient by detecting flow limitation from analysis of an inspiratory flow waveform.
In accordance with the invention, an apparatus for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is provided, comprising a source of air, and means for directing an air flow from said source to a patient. This part of the system may be of the type disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,756. In addition, means are provided for sensing the waveform of said airflow, to detect deviations therein that correspond to flow limitation in the air supplied to the patient. Such deviations may be, for example, deviations from a substantially sinusoidal waveform, flattening, or the presence of plateaus, in the portions of the waveform corresponding to inspiration of the patient. In response to such variations in said airflow, the system of the invention increases or decreases the pressure to the patient.
In accordance with the method of the invention, the controlled positive pressure to the patient is increased in response to the detection of flow waveform portions corresponding to flow limitations in the patient airway. Such pressure increases may be effected periodically. Similarly, the controlled positive pressure may be periodically decreased in the absence of such flow limitation. The system may be provided with a program that periodically decreases the controlled positive pressure in the absence of detection of flow limitations in the patient airway, and that periodically increases the pressure in the presence of detection of such flow limitations.
The method for determining whether to increase or decrease the controlled positive pressure is comprised of several steps. The first step is to detect the presence of a valid breath and store an inspiratory waveform of that breath for further analysis. Next, the waveform of the stored breath is analyzed regarding its shape for presence of flow limitation. Whether flow limitation is present is in part determined by flow limitation parameters calculated from the shape of the waveforms of the current breath and of the immediately preceding breath. Once the presence of flow limitation has been analyzed, the system determines an action to take for adjustment of the controlled positive pressure. The pressure setting is raised, lowered or maintained depending on whether flow limitation has been detected and on the previous actions taken by the system.
The preferred breathing device or apparatus consists of a flow generator, such as a variable-speed blower, a flow sensor, an analog to digital converter, a microprocessor, and a pressure controller, such as a blower motor speed control circuit, a patient connection hose, a nasal coupling, such as a nose mask or similar fitting, and, optionally, a pressure transducer. Alternative patient circuits may be employed, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat Nos. 4,655,213 and 5,065,756. For example, a positive pressure breathing gas source may be connected to a pressure control valve proximate the breathing gas source and connected to a nasal mask having a venting means.
In the preferred embodiment, the blower supplies air through the flow sensor to the patient via a hose and nasal coupling. The microprocessor obtains the flow waveform from the digitized output of the flow sensor. Using the method of the present invention described herein, the microprocessor adjusts the speed of the blower via the motor control circuit to change the air pressure in the patient supply hose. A pressure transducer may be provided to measure the actual pressure in the patient hose. In addition, the microprocessor may store measured pressure and flow waveform values in its data memory to provide a history for real-time or off-line processing and analysis.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the continuous positive airway pressure for treating obstructive sleep apnea