An embodiment of an intervertebral prosthetic device for implantation in a spine includes a rigid fixation member and a compressible member. The fixation member is configured to be placed in a cavity of a first vertebral body and against bone of the first vertebral body. The compressible member is configured to be placed in a cavity in an intervertebral disc and to be secured to the first fixation member. Another embodiment includes two compressible members and one fixation member. In this embodiment, the first and second compressible members are sized to substantially replace the nucleus pulposus of first and a second intervertebral discs, respectively, on either side of a vertebral body. The fixation member is sized to fit within a cavity in the vertebral body between the first and second compressible members.

This invention relates to the field of spinal surgery. More specifically, this invention relates to a novel implantable apparatus for replacing the functionality of one or more failing intervertebral discs, without fusing the vertebral bodies above and below the disc(s). This invention also relates to devices for implanting and securing the intervertebral prosthetic device in cavities in a vertebral body and in one or more adjacent intervertebral discs. The invention further relates to methods for performing spinal surgery.
The human spine is a flexible structure comprised of twenty-three mobile vertebrae. Intervertebral discs separate and cushion adjacent vertebrae. The top and bottom surfaces of intervertebral discs abut vertebral body endplates. The intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers and allow bending between the vertebrae.
An intervertebral disc comprises two major components: the nucleus pulposus and the annulus fibrosis. The nucleus pulposus is centrally located in the disc and occupies 25-40% of the disc's total cross-sectional area. The nucleus pulposus usually contains 70-90% water by weight and mechanically functions like an incompressible hydrostatic material. The annulus fibrosis surrounds the nucleus pulposus and resists torsional and bending forces applied to the disc. Thus, the annulus fibrosis serves as the disc's main stabilizing structure. A healthy disc relies on the unique relationship of the nucleus and annulus to one another.
Individuals with damaged or degenerated discs often experience significant pain. The pain results, in part, from instability in the intervertebral joint due to a loss of hydrostatic pressure in the nucleus pulposus, which leads to a loss of disc height and altered loading of the annulus fibrosis.
A conventional treatment for degenerative disc disease is spinal fusion. In one such surgical procedure, a surgeon removes the damaged natural disc and then fuses the two adjacent vertebral bodies into one piece. The surgeon fuses the vertebral bodies by grafting bone between the adjacent vertebrae and sometimes using metal rods, cages, or screws to hold the graft in place until the graft heals.
Although spinal fusion may alleviate pain associated with degenerative disc disease, it also results in loss of motion at the fused vertebral joint. Lack of motion at the fused site puts additional stress on the discs above and below the fusion. The additional stress may cause the adjacent discs to degenerate and produce pain, thereby recreating the original problem.
To remedy the problems associated with spinal fusion, various prosthetic devices have been developed either to replace the entire disc (i.e., the nucleus pulposus and the annulus fibrosis) with a prosthetic joint or to replace the nucleus pulposus of the damaged disc with a suitable biomechanical equivalent. Unfortunately, the previous approaches have certain limitations because conventional total disc replacement devices and nucleus replacement devices disrupt tissues that will not heal.
In the case of total disc replacement surgery, existing prosthetic devices have met with limited success in reproducing the biomechanics of a natural disc. Moreover, the anterior longitudinal ligament must be severed as part of the anterior approach by which the device is implanted. Worse, the severing may span two vertebral bodies for a two level reconstruction, which can lead to lessened spinal function and stability. Further, total disc replacement devices require removal of a substantial portion the disc and attachment to the adjacent vertebral bodies. The endplates of the vertebral bodies are nonuniform and typically sclerotic, which prevents the close physical joining of endplate and device surfaces required for bone ingrowth to provide adhesion and can lead to subsidence of the disc replacement device into the bone of the vertebral bodies if the endplates are shaved for contour matching. Moreover, the devices display limited motion. Specifically, as a result of the oversized implant relative to the narrow disc space, total disc replacement often results in a range of motion of only about 3.8° to 4.6°. Such a limited range of motion is the equivalent of a spinal fusion, which is defined to be motion of less than about 5°.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,769 to Hedman et al. discloses a synthetic disc having upper and lower plates hinged together. Although the hinged disc allows forward bending between adjacent vertebrae, the hinged disc does not allow axial compression or lateral flexion. Nor does it allow axial rotation of the vertebral column at the site of the implant. Therefore, the Hedman et al. device lacks the biomechanics of a natural disc.
Likewise, the prosthetic disc device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,777 to Patil does not replicate natural motion between adjacent discs. The Patil device includes two cups, one of which overlaps the other and is spaced from the other by springs. The cups move only in a single axial dimension. Thus, the Patil device does not enable natural flexion of the spine in any direction. In addition, the highly constrained motion of the Patil device can lead to high device/tissue interface stresses and implant loosening.
In the case of nucleus replacement devices, historically these devices required perforation or partial excision of the annulus to insert the device. Breaking the continuity of the annular ring precludes normal stress loading of the annulus, which may be necessary for later healing. Further, degeneration of the annulus, exacerbated by damage done during implantation, may also result in increased loads placed upon the implant. Increased loads of this nature may lead to subsidence of the device into the vertebral body, device extrusion through the annular defect, or expulsion from the nuclear space. Moreover, these problems are exacerbated in the situation in which more than one disc is to be replaced because any or all of the devices may develop these problems. These problems are particularly challenging in the lumbar spine, where the discs are most highly stressed due to high bearing requirements.
A remarkable intervertebral synthetic prosthetic device that greatly reduces the problems associated with total disc replacement and conventional nucleus replacement devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,328 ("the '328 patent") to Buttermann. The Buttermann devices excise the nucleus pulposus while maintaining the biomechanical functionality of the intact annulus fibrosis. Moreover, the intervertebral prosthetic device permits at least four degrees of relative motion between two vertebral bodies on either side of targeted intervertebral disc. These degrees of relative motion include sagittal bending, coronal bending, axial rotation, and axial compression. Moreover, the compressible member permits small increments of translational movement between the vertebral bodies (i.e., fifth and sixth degrees of relative motion, namely anterior-posterior translation and side-to-side, or lateral, translation).
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an intervertebral prosthetic device 10 according to one embodiment of the '328 patent that is designed to replace a damaged natural disc. This device 10 is implanted by making holes in two adjacent vertebral bodies and boring through the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc between the vertebral bodies. The intervertebral prosthetic device 10 has a first fixation member 14, a second fixation member 16, and a compressible member 18 that is positioned between the first fixation member 14 and the second fixation member 16. In addition to restoring the disc height, the compressible member 18 acts as a shock absorber to minimize impact loading and, thus, minimize device failure or vertebral fracture.
The first fixation member 14 is positioned in a first vertebral body 20. The second fixation member 16 is positioned within a second vertebral body 22 adjacent the first vertebral body 20. Each fixation member 14, 16 has an adjustable member 28, 30, respectively, and a support member 32, 34, respectively. Controlling the height of the adjustable members 28 and 30, along with selecting an appropriately sized support member, controls the "disc" height. The disc height is defined as the axial distance between the vertebrae above and below the operative disc.
The adjustable member 28 of the first fixation member 14 has an imaginary first longitudinal axis (shown by double-arrowed line A-A in FIG. 1) and adjustment elements 24 that allow adjustment of the height of the adjustable member 28 substantially along its longitudinal axis. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second fixation member 16 is structurally similar to the first fixation member 14, but inverted. The adjustable member 30 of the second fixation member 16 has a second longitudinal axis (shown by double-arrowed line B-B) and adjustment elements 26 that allow adjustment of the height of the adjustable member 30 substantially along its longitudinal axis.
FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the first fixation member 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second fixation member 16 is structurally similar to the first fixation member 14, but inverted. Thus, the following discussion also applies to the second fixation member 16.
The adjustable member 28 of the first fixation member 14 is adjustable in an axial direction by adjustment elements 24. The adjustment elements 24 comprise telescopic struts extending between a first, outer plate 31 and a second, inner plate 33. The outer plate 31 is farther from the operative intervertebral disc and hence farther from the compressible member 18. In contrast, the inner plate 33 is closer to the operative intervertebral disc area and hence closer to the compressible member 18. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the outer plate 31 has a bone-contacting surface 27, and the inner plate 33 has a surface 35 for positioning against the support member 32.
The adjustment elements 24 adjust the distance between the first bone-contacting plate 31 and the second plate 33, thus adjusting the height of the adjustable member 28. A surgeon may adjust the telescopic struts to increase the height of the adjustable member and thus mechanically pre-load the compressible member 18 to reproduce the axial compression absorbed by a nucleus pulposus of a natural disc. Pre-loading the compressible member restores the intervertebral height at the operative joint, restores the function of the annulus fibrosis. Pre-loading also assures close apposition of an ingrowth surface 27, 29 of the device to bone 36, 38.
Each telescopic strut is provided with a lock screw 63 to adjust the length of the strut 24 and hence control the height of the adjustable member. The lock screw 63 may comprise, for example, a pin (not shown) that extends through both the telescoping portion 65 and the housing portion 67 of the strut 24. Each strut 24 is independently adjustable. FIG. 5 shows a top view of the second plate 33 of the adjustable member 28. The adjustment elements 24 preferably are spaced equidistant from each other to enable specific height adjustment of various regions of the adjustable member.
The first and second fixation members 14 and 16 have porous portions, such as the bone-contacting surface 27, to permit bone ingrowth. In FIG. 1, the bone-contacting surface 27 of the adjustable member 28 is positioned against the subchondral bone of an endplate 36 of the superior vertebral body 20, and the bone-contacting surface 29 of the adjustable member 30 is positioned against the subchondral bone of an endplate 38 of the inferior vertebral body 22. Alternatively, a biocompatible fabric or suitable material may be wrapped around the fixation members to enable bone ingrowth. As another alternative, a biocompatible coating may be applied to the fixation members to facilitate bone ingrowth. The prosthetic device of FIG. 1 does not require conventional mechanical attachments, such as pegs or screws, to hold the prosthesis permanently in place. The intravertebral (i.e., within a vertebral body) positioning of the fixation members 14, 16 maintains the prosthetic device 10 in stable relationship at the operative intervertebral joint. The prosthetic device, however, may include mechanical or other attachments to supplement the porous portions of the fixation members and to temporarily fix the prosthetic device in place until bone ingrowth has occurred.
To further promote bone ingrowth, the adjustment elements 24 may include fins 66 extending outward from an exterior surface of the element 24, as shown in FIG. 4. The fins 66 increase the surface area of the fixation member 14 to which bone may attach. Preferably, these fins 66 are located on the adjustment elements that are positioned on the anterior side of the adjustable member 28. The prosthetic device also may include protuberances (not shown) on the bone-contacting surface of the adjustable members to increase the surface area of the porous portion of the fixation members and, thus, encourage bone ingrowth.
FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of support member 32. The support member 32 has a first surface 72 that operably faces away from the compressible member 18 and a second surface 74 that operably faces towards the compressible member 18. The first and second surfaces 72 and 74 are oblique so that a circumferential surface 77 around the support member 32 varies in width, as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the support member 32 is wedge-shaped. In other words, the support member 32 preferably tapers from a maximum thickness at one side 73 to a minimum thickness at an opposite side 75. Generally, the support member 32 is thicker on the side of the fixation member 14 placed anteriorly in a patient's spine to account for the spine's natural curvature.
The support members are constructed with various thicknesses and with various angled surfaces, depending upon the vertebral level of the operative intervertebral joint. An angle θ shown in FIG. 6 ranges between 3°-10°. The support members are shaped to maintain sagittal alignment. Maintaining sagittal alignment avoids nonuniform loading of the compressible member and avoids early fatigue failure of that member.
The compressible member 18, which is shown in FIG. 2, can comprise at least one spring and, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a plurality of springs 40. The compressible member 18, which is implanted in the region of an excavated nucleus pulposus of the operative intervertebral disc, is dimensioned so that the annulus fibrosis of the natural disc is at least substantially (if not completely) maintained. As a result, the intervertebral prosthetic device restores the mechanical properties of the disc without disrupting the annulus fibrosis. Retention of the annulus fibrosis maintains stability of the intervertebral joint at the implant site. In addition, the annulus fibrosis serves as a boundary for the compressible member and, therefore, minimizes the potential for accidental dislodgment of the prosthetic device.
The compressible member 18 has a top plate 42, a bottom plate 44, and a plurality of coil springs 40 extending between the top plate 42 and the bottom plate 44. The top plate 42 has a first surface 46, which is connectable to the first fixation member 14, and a second surface 48. The bottom plate 44 also has a first surface 50, which is connectable to the second fixation member 16, and a second surface 52. The springs 40 extend between the second surfaces 48 and 52 of the top plate 42 and bottom plate 44, respectively.
When pre-loaded, the compressible member 18 can have an axial height of approximately 1.5 cm, greatest at the L45 vertebral level and slightly less at the upper lumbar vertebrae. The coil springs 40 can have non-linear stiffness so that they become stiffer at higher applied loads; the nonlinear stiffness simulates physiological intervertebral stiffness. Moreover, any spring arrangement may be used that achieves sufficient axial compressive stiffness to replicate the biomechanics of the natural disc.
The compressible member includes an imaginary longitudinal axis (shown by the dashed line C-C) and an outer periphery in a plane transverse to its longitudinal axis. A largest dimension of the compressible member's outer periphery is less than or substantially equal to the diameter of a nucleus pulposus of the natural intervertebral disc. Put another way, the annulus fibrosis of the natural disc, which is substantially (if not completely) preserved during the implantation procedure, circumscribes the compressible member 18. For example, where the compressible member comprises a plurality of springs, the outer periphery of the compressible member circumscribes the springs, and the largest dimension of that outer periphery may extend to, but does not extend beyond, the nucleus pulposus. In other embodiments, where the compressible member includes a top plate and a bottom plate, and where those plates fit within the annulus fibrosis and extend beyond the outermost portions of the springs, the outer periphery of the compressible member equals the larger of the two plate peripheries. In quantitative terms, the outer periphery of the compressible member preferably ranges between 2.0 cm to 3.0 cm, which approximates the diameter of the nucleus pulposus of a natural intervertebral disc.
FIGS. 3A-3C show three embodiments of a coil spring designed to possess non-linear stiffness. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the coil spring 54 has a variable, or non-uniform, cross-sectional diameter 56. FIG. 3B shows another embodiment in which a coil spring 58 has a variable pitch 60, where the pitch is defined as the distance between successive coils of the spring 58. FIG. 3C shows a third embodiment of a coil spring 62 in which at least two of the spring coils have different radii 64 measured from an imaginary axis D-D extending along the central axis of the spring 62.
A method of intervertebral disc replacement now will be described in connection with FIGS. 8-14. FIG. 8 shows a pathological intervertebral disc 90 located between a superior vertebral body 92 and an inferior vertebral body 94. Prior to implantation, a surgeon performs a partial vertebrectomy to excise bone matter from the superior vertebral body 92 for receipt of a fixation member. This procedure can be performed using a cutting guide and reamer. Bone harvested from the vertebral body 92 by the reamer can be used after implantation of the prosthetic device to promote bone ingrowth into the prosthetic device, as later described. The partial vertebrectomy creates a cavity bounded by subchondral bone of a distant endplate 96 and subchondral bone of a near endplate 98 of the superior vertebral body 92. FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the superior vertebral body 92 after the partial vertebrectomy, as taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8.
The surgeon next excises the nucleus pulposus of the damaged disc to create a cavity 100, as shown in FIG. 10, for receipt of the compressible member. The annulus fibrosis 102, seen in FIG. 11, is maintained.
Upon completion of the partial vertebrectomies, the surgeon implants a fixation member 104 into the inferior vertebral body 94, as shown in FIG. 11. The surgeon can select a support member with an appropriate thickness to accommodate the angulation at the operative intervertebral levels. The surgeon then inserts a compressible member 106 (via the cavity formed in the superior vertebral body 92) into the cavity formerly containing the nucleus pulposus of the damaged disc and connects it to the inferior fixation member 104, as shown in FIG. 12. The compressible member 106 and the fixation member 104 may be connected by conventional attachment members, such as screws, or by biocompatible cement or a suitable adhesive composition. Finally, the surgeon implants another fixation member, similar to the one implanted in the inferior vertebral body 94, yet inverted, in the superior vertebral body 92. Connection of that fixation member to the compressible member 106 forms an intervertebral prosthetic device like the one shown in FIG. 1.
Once the fixation members are in place, the surgeon expands each adjustable member. The surgeon applies distraction until the adjustable member is seated against the subchondral bone and distant endplate 96 of the vertebral body and until the desired compression has been applied to the compressible member. The adjustment elements of the adjustable member are then secured, e.g., FIG. 13 shows rotation of the lock screws 112 of individual telescopic struts 108 to secure the struts at an appropriate height.
The surgeon next packs cancellous bone grafts 118, typically obtained during creation of the cavity in the vertebral body, around the struts of each adjustable member, as shown in FIG. 14. The growth of bone around the fixation member and into its porous surfaces secures the intervertebral prosthetic device in place, absent mechanical attachments typically used in conventional disc prostheses. The surgeon then replaces the cortical bone from the partial vertebrectomy procedure and, if needed, secures it with a bone screw, suture or bone cement. In certain clinical situations, as when there is poor bone healing or insufficient bone, the surgeon may elect to use bone cement to attach the fixation members to the vertebrae.
Although the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 is effective, in some instances it may be unnecessarily invasive as a result of its implantation via two vertebral body holes. FIG. 7 shows a second, less invasive embodiment described in the '328 patent, in which a prosthetic device is implanted via one vertebral body hole.
FIG. 7 shows an intervertebral prosthetic device 76 according to this second embodiment that comprises a first fixation member 78, a second fixation member 80, and a compressible member 82. The compressible member 82 is positioned between the first and second fixation members 78, 80. The second fixation member 80 comprises a wedge-shaped support member with an upper surface 84 that attaches to the compressible member 82 and a lower surface 86 that rests upon subchondral bone of a near endplate 88 of an inferior vertebral body. In this embodiment, adjustment of the first fixation member 78 pre-loads the compressible member 82 to an appropriate extent. Also, in this embodiment, a lower surface 86 of the support member 80 may be composed of a porous material and may have a slightly convex shape to match the natural contour of the near endplate of the inferior vertebral body.
The implantation of the FIG. 7 embodiment is similar to the implantation of the FIG. 1 embodiment. Specifically, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, a cavity may be formed in the superior vertebral body 92 and then extended through the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc therebelow. At this time, the compressible member with the lower fixation member 80 affixed thereto may be inserted through the cavity in the vertebral body and then pushed downward into the cavity 100 in the intervertebral disc. Subsequently, the upper fixation member 78 is: (a) positioned in the cavity formed in the superior vertebral body 92; (b) connected to the compressible member; and (c) adjusted in the manner previous discussed with respect to the FIG. 1 embodiment. Of course, the cavity in the superior vertebral body 92 is then closed also in the manner previously described.
As evident from the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 7, the intervertebral prosthetic device embodiments have a modular design so that the prosthesis may be sized to the patient's anatomy and designed for the patient's condition. The modular design also enables replacement of individual components of the prosthesis (i.e., a fixation member or a compressible member), rather than replacement of the entire prosthesis should one component fail. As a result, the compressible member can be attached to the fixation members by mechanical attachments, such as screws, rather than bone cement so that a surgeon may easily replace damaged or worn components.
Unfortunately, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 precludes use when reconstructing multiple adjacent discs. Additionally, although the less invasive embodiment shown in FIG. 7 may be implanted via only one vertebral body hole, it may be less effective than the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 when used in patients with low bone density. Specifically, the FIG. 7 may be less effective as a result of inability to adequately fix the lower fixation member 80 to the vertebral body below the compressible member. Further, this inability to adequate fix the lower fixation member 80 may, in turn, lead to subsidence of the device into the vertebral body adjacent the lower fixation member 80.

Apparatus and method for performing spinal surgery


The invention provides materials and methods for colorectal cancer screening, diagnosis, and therapy.

The transcription factor Prox-1 is expressed in a number of tissues during embryonic development, including lens fiber cells, subpopulation of neurons in brains and neural tube, skeletal muscle, heart, liver, pancreas and lymphatic endothelial cells. Targeted inactivation of Prox-1 results in the defects of eye development because of the failure of lens fiber cells to elongate (Wigle et al., Nat. Genet. 21: 318-22, 1999). Prox-1 is also necessary for the migration of hepatocytes during liver development (Sosa-Pineda et al., Nat. Genet. 25: 254-5, 2000). In addition, Prox-1 deficient embryos lack lymphatic vasculature, while the blood vessel development is not affected (Wigle et al., Cell 98: 769-778, 1999).
Recently, others and we have demonstrated the essential role of Prox-1 in the regulation of the lymphatic endothelial phenotype. Overexpression of Prox-1 in blood vascular endothelial cells, where it is otherwise absent, leads to the increased expression of lymphatic endothelial markers and to the suppression of the genes characteristic for the blood vascular endothelial lineage (Petrova et al., Embo J. 21: 4593-9, 2002; Hong et al., Dev. Dyn. 225: 351-7, 2002).
Notch is a transmembrane protein that acts as a receptor in a cell-cell signaling mechanism, and in combination with other cellular factors, influences differentiation, proliferation and apoptotic events at all stages of development (Artavanis-Tsakonas, Science 284: 770-776, 1999). In animal models, mutations in the Notch receptor have resulted in developmental abnormalities (Joutel et al., Nature 383: 707, 1996; Li. et al., Nature Genet. 16:243, 1997).
Cancer treatments generally promote tumor regression by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inhibiting angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels that is necessary to support tumor growth) and/or prohibiting metastasis by reducing tumor cell motility or invasiveness. Colon cancers are a very common malignancy and colon cancers are typically adenocarcinomas, or sometimes carcinoid tumors. Treatment is primarily surgical resection of the colon, although chemotherapy has been found to be beneficial in some cases. These treatment options for colon cancer are of unpredictable and sometimes limited value, especially if the cancer has not been identified and removed at early stages. There continues to exist a need for novel therapies and diagnostic methods for cancer conditions.

Materials and methods for colorectal cancer screening, diagnosis and therapy


An automated winding apparatus includes a deflection sheave for directing a flat filament onto a rotating take-up reel. The deflection sheave sequentially moves progressively farther away from the take-up reel in response to information provided by a proximity sensor which detects the position of the outermost filament layer accumulating on the reel. The deflection sheave initially may be moved toward the take-up reel after a predetermined length of filament has been wound.

This invention relates to automated machinery for winding flat filaments, in particular optical fiber ribbons, onto a take-up reel.
The prior art includes many devices for winding cables, filaments, or the like. Many automated winding devices include a mechanism for traversing the filament from side to side in a direction parallel to the axis of the take-up reel. In addition, some devices provide for an outward radial adjustment of a traverse guide arm to accommodate the increasing diameter of the windings already on the reel. The goal of many winding devices is to wind the filament onto the take-up reel in smooth layers without leaving bunches or gaps into which the filament may fall as the next outermost layer is wound. This invention principally concerns an improved device for the outward radial adjustment of a winding mechanism in which a guide means, such as a deflection sheave or guide arm, dispenses the filament onto the take-up apparatus.
In prior art winding devices, a guide arm typically is used to guide the rope, cable, wire, or yarn onto the drum of a take-up device, usually a reel. The guide arm is typically an elongated bar with a hole at its distal end. The filament to be wound is threaded through this hole. As the filament is wound, the guide arm moves, and the filament is directed to a desired position by the force exerted thereon by the guide arm. In the alternative, the traverse may be accomplished by keeping the traverse guide arm in a fixed position and traversing the take-up reel along its axis.
Some prior art winding devices act to press the filament into its desired position through the action of an elongate bar which presses on the filament as it contacts the drum or the previously wound filament package. An example of such a winding device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,355. This bar may be an extension of the guide arm or may be a separate structure.
Flat filaments are more difficult to wind than cylindrical filaments. Flat filaments bend more easily in some directions than in other directions, which may result in asymmetrical forces which cause the flat filament to behave unpredictably, particularly as the number of forces on the filament increase. Cross-sections of flat filaments have a non-uniform exterior profile, as compared to a cylindrical filament, making it more important to keep the flat filament from twisting onto its side while being wound.
Optical fiber ribbons are flat filaments which typically include a parallel array of coated optical fibers which are enclosed within at least one layer of polymer material having an external rectangular cross-section with rounded corners. Optical fibers can be damaged by external forces placed upon them. Excessive bending, rubbing or twisting of the optical fiber ribbons can lead to physical damage to the ribbons which can cause excess attenuation of the light passing through the optical fibers therein. Because of these concerns, optical ribbon winding devices have been operated at low speeds to avoid any damage to the optical fiber ribbons. Low production speeds in turn increase manufacturing costs of optical fiber ribbon cablers.
The ribbon outer common coating typically has a minimum coefficient of friction. For this reason, it is impractical to push a ribbon across the surface of another ribbon to adjust its position. Precise initial placement of the ribbon onto the take-up reel is of paramount importance in preventing physical damage to the ribbon and possible excessive increases in optical fiber attenuation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber ribbon winding apparatus capable of operation at higher speeds than allowed by previous winding apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide an optical fiber ribbon winding apparatus which less frequently causes damage to the ribbon being wound, and may or may not utilize a guide arm to mechanically guide the optical fiber ribbon between the final deflection sheave and the take-up reel.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an optical fiber ribbon winding apparatus including an improved movement system to accommodate an accumulating filament package on the take-up reel.
Yet another object of the invention is to keep the optical fiber ribbon within an essentially vertical plane as it is being wound.
These and other objects are provided, according to the present invention, by a winding machine comprising a carriage bearing a guide means. The flat filament is directed by said guide means to be dispensed onto the take-up reel, where the filament is wound continuously in accumulating layers. The take-up reel is traversed back and forth parallel to its own axis in a manner well known to the art. The tension on the flat filament is monitored and controlled. A first proximity sensor mounted to the carriage senses the position of the outermost accumulating filament layer when it is within a predetermined distance. Information from the first proximity sensor is transmitted to a programmable logic controller.
It is necessary to prevent the guide means from impinging against the flanges of the take-up reel. The controller may be programmed to cause the ends of the filament layers to be spaced apart by a greater distance from the reel flanges after a predetermined number of filament layers have been wound. After the predetermined number of filament layers have been wound, the winding may assume a trapezoidal shape in cross-section. The programmable logic controller may cause the carriage to move the guide means forward, toward the take-up reel, when a predetermined length of filament has been dispensed, or, equivalently, when a predetermined number of layers of filament have been wound onto the take-up reel. Thus, the carriage is moved forward only when there exists sufficient spacing between the ends of the outermost filament layer and the respective flanges to provide clearance for the guide means.
After the carriage has been moved forward, the proximity sensor detects the presence of the accumulating outermost filament layer on the take-up reel, and the programmable logic controller activates the carriage as needed to maintain the guide means within a predetermined range of distance from the outermost filament layer. Thus, the carriage and guide means are moved sequentially to positions at a greater radial distance from the take-up reel longitudinal axis as the filament layers accumulate onto the take-up reel.
The invention allows the length of free ribbon between the guide means and the outermost layer of ribbon on the take-up reel to be minimized, thereby minimizing the amplitude of any vibration or other path perturbation which could compromise the quality of the winding.

Optical fiber ribbon winding apparatus and method


The amount of risk in weather derivatives is calculated properly by taking into account a correlation between weather observation sites and a correlation between meteorological elements. A weather prediction method by creating a weather scenario from historical weather data includes a first step of estimating parameters of a weather time-series model based on historical weather data including past plural meteorological elements, a meteorological element correlation between sites, and a correlation between meteorological elements, and a second step of converting random numbers into meteorological elements based on the estimated parameters. The second step is executed a given number of times to create a plurality of weather scenarios.

This invention relates to a method of estimating weather risks, typically, risks in weather derivatives.
Weather conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and the amount of snow cover significantly affect business activities of a company. For instance, a heat wave in summer boosts sales for air conditioning manufacturers and electric power companies whereas it dents profit of department stores and railway companies by raising cooling cost. To give another example, extraordinarily low precipitation brings more customers or visitors to travel agencies and theme parks whereas it is adverse to electric power companies since their hydraulic power units cannot run efficiently and the cost of alternative power generation increases. Fluctuations in sales or profit due to such weather conditions are called weather risks.
In recent years, financial derivatives called weather derivatives are attracting attention as an instrument to reduce weather risks and ensure a steady profit. A weather derivative is a contract between a business entity subject to weather risks and a property insurance company or the like in which the business entity pays the insurance company contract money first and receives a compensation payment if certain set weather conditions are met in future times. Several methods have been proposed to calculate contract money of a weather derivative (refer to JP 2001-222605 A and JP 2003-122918 A).
Proposed as the basis for calculating contract money of a weather derivative are a weather forecast based on a multi-site temperature model (refer to "Multivariate long memory modeling of daily surface air temperatures and the valuation of weather derivative portfolios", written by Rodrigo Caballero et al., internetURL: http://stephenjewson.com/articles/), a weather forecast based on a multi-site precipitation model (refer to "Multisite generalization of a daily stochastic precipitation generation model", D. S. Wilks, Journal of Hydrology, 1998, 210, pp. 178–191), and a weather forecast based on a single-site precipitation-temperature correlation model (see, for example, Richardson, C. W., "Stochastic simulation of daily precipitation, temperature, and solar radiation", Water Resources Research, 17, pp. 182–190).
A provider of a weather derivative (a property insurance company, a trade firm, or a bank) holds a portfolio of the contract, and needs to calculate the amount of risk and analyze factors about the portfolio. Conventionally, those needs have been taken care of in the following manner. First, a time-series model built for each site or for each meteorological element is used to create a weather scenario. The 99% VaR (Value at Risk) is calculated from the weather scenario created and the sum of the 99% VaR is evaluated as the total amount of risk (FIG. 12).

Method, program, and system for estimating weather risk


The present invention is a system and method of parsing system trace information to generate separate timelines of schedulable processes. System operation trace files are accurately parsed into schedulable processes without reliance on explicit context switching information provided by an operating system or trace tool. The invention accurately detects and parses nested event-pairs for display by a visualization tool, and allows a user to view either a nested or unnested visualization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing systems and, more particularly, to software visualization tools and methods to visualize traces of application programs.
2. Description of Related Art
In a computer system, an operating system controls the allocation of system resources, including which task has control of the central processing unit (CPU) at any given time. As an application is running, different application tasks are given control and relinquish control of the CPU. There is also a task known as the "idle task," which is the task that has control when no application tasks are running. When the idle task is running, it is also referred to as system idle time.
While a task is running, different events may occur. For example, a task may execute a system call, call a function, or post a message to another task's queue. If more than one task is attempting to use the CPU at the same time, the operating system will allocate the CPU time between the tasks. As one task gives up control to another task (or to the idle task), a context switch occurs.
A trace of a computer system is a recording of the chronology of events or states that occur within the system. Events in a trace chronology are often paired, forming event-pairs. Examples of event-pairs include the start and end times of a program, function, or system call. The acquiring and relinquishing of the CPU by a task is also an event-pair. Event-pairs may be nested within one another, as when a task calls a function, which in turn calls another function.
To obtain a system trace, a user runs a software trace tool or uses a hardware support tool. These tools will capture and record events and states that occur while the system is executing. The typical output form of most traces is a text file with time-stamped entries. Other trace output forms include binary and hexadecimal trace output files.
A trace chronology is used by software developers for debugging and performance analysis. The typical text file trace output may be read by the developer, and is adequate for gaining an understanding of very small time periods within the trace. However, a text file trace output is too cumbersome for a developer to use when attempting to analyze large scale behavior and patterns contained in a trace.
Trace chronologies are more easily understood and utilized when displayed graphically along a time line by a visualization tool. A Ghant chart, also known as a bar chart or histogram, is a common format for displaying trace chronologies. In a Ghant chart, rectangles of various lengths that represent different event-pairs, or processes, are arranged chronologically along a time axis.
FIG. 1 is a depiction of a Ghant chart visualization tool as it exists in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, a window 10 is displayed on a display device. The Ghant chart is shown within a box 12. Processes 14 through 32 are listed in the left-hand side of the box 12. Each process has both an ID number and a name. For example, process number 26a8 (hexadecimal) 32 has the name pmworkclass 34. The bars to the right of each process name depict the events that occur as each process is running. Bar 36 shows the sequence of events that occur as process number 26a8 32 is running. The start time box 38 and end time box 40 tell the user the time frame depicted by the Ghant chart.
Event-pairs may be nested within one another, and current visualization tools do not adequately address the issue of nesting. Current tools show when more than one task is attempting to use the CPU during a particular time interval, but do not provide enough detail for a user to determine which task actually had control of the CPU at any given point in time.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate this problem as it exists in the prior art. FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of one process line from a prior art visualization tool. Note that the rectangles are shown with different heights for emphasis only in this figure. They are often of equal height. In FIG. 2, the first process to run is the idle task 50. Event-pair A 52, most likely a task, is then given control. Other event-pairs, B 54, C 56, and D 58 are nested within event-pair A 52. Note that event-pairs C 56 and D 58 are also nested within event-pair B 54. After event-pair A 52 completes execution, the idle task 50 is given control. Next, event-pair E 60 starts to run. Event-pairs F 62, G 64, and H 66 are nested with event-pair E 60. Note that event-pair H 66 is also nested within event-pair G 64.
FIG. 3 shows a possible, spread visualization of the trace visualization shown in FIG. 2. Because the prior art does not properly depict nested event-pairs, the result is a visualization that appears to show a series of disjointed events. For example, event-pair A actually appears to be two separate event-pairs, 70 and 72, rather than one event-pair with other event-pairs nested within it.
A visualization tool can be roughly separated into two sets of technologies--an interactive visualizer and a suite of trace parsers. A trace parser formats the typical binary or text file trace output so that it can be displayed by the interactive visualizer portion of the visualization tool. Some operating systems, such as the IBM OS/2 operating system and the IBM AIX operating system allow a user to turn on a trace feature (OS/2 and AIX are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp.). When the trace feature is enabled, the operating system tracks context switches and other events as they occur. Operating systems which preemptively control context switches among tasks can explicitly track the context switches at trace time. The operating system will store this information in memory, where it can later be formatted and printed as a trace output file. A trace output file created in this way explicitly marks where context switches have occurred. Thus it is relatively simple to parse and understand this type of a trace output file.
Not all operating systems can explicitly trace context switches. In the case of some versions of Microsoft Windows, such as 3.x, tasks are context-switched using a mechanism in which competing tasks cooperate in sharing the CPU (Microsoft Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.). A task switch is possible when a task checks the Windows message queue. Unlike preemptively scheduled tasks, it is not possible for a trace file to explicitly mark a context switch. Therefore, there is a need for a tool that can parse system traces of schedulable events even when context switches are not explicitly designated in the trace output file.
Additionally, there is a need for such a parser to format the trace data in such a way as to allow a visualization tool to accurately depict nested event-pairs, and CPU contention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,744 to Piech, et al. discloses displaying and editing multimedia information using a timeline. Although the patent relates generally to displaying objects on separate timelines, the timelines represent independent, synchronized actions which do not share resources as do the objects in the present invention. The patent does not disclose any nesting of events within the timelines, and does not teach nor suggest the present invention as claimed herein.
Research Disclosure 346053 discloses a performance measurement tool for window response time. This tool adds additional, temporary function to a windowing system to capture the length of time required for a window to appear on a screen. The present invention makes no changes to the system being measured, rather the present invention uses available information to order the display of objects on to separate timelines.
Japanese Patent 07-261744 discloses a method of selecting what data is to be drawn on a trend chart. It does not teach the parsing of data in order that it may be presented visually on timelines, and thus does not teach nor suggest the present invention as claimed herein.
Research Disclosure 331025 discloses managing panel flow information in graphical user interface windows. It does not teach nor suggest the present invention as claimed herein.
An article in Proceedings, SHARE Europe Anniversary Meeting, Oct. 25-28, 1993, The Hague, The Netherlands, Client/Server--the Promise and the Reality, page 429, entitled "Measuring and visualizing Client/Server Behavior" by Jindal, et al. relates to the visualization tool, PieScope. It does not address parsing of trace data or nesting capabilities of a visualization tool, and thus does not teach nor suggest the present invention as claimed herein.
A report published by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign entitled "Experiences With Hypercube Operating System Instrumentation" by Reed et al. discusses displaying objects on separate timelines, but does not disclose nesting of events within the timelines, and does not teach nor suggest the present invention as claimed herein.
An article in the 1994 IEEE 13th Annual International Conference on Computers and Communications (Cat. No. 94CH3399-3), page 148, entitled "Network Traffic Management of the X Window System" by Basil, et al. discusses measurements made of network traffic. It does not discuss parsers or tools to analyze traces.
An article in the Proceedings, Euromicro Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Processing, Gran Canaria, Spain Jan. 27-29, 1993, page 499, entitled "Analysis Tool for Parallel Systems" by Saiz, et al. discloses a tool for generating traces of parallel processes. It does not discuss parsing or analyzing these traces, nor does it disclose visualizing nested processes, as is taught and claimed by the present invention.
An article in the Proceedings of the 1989 International Conference on Parallel Processing (Cat. No. 89CH2701-1), St. Charles, Ill., USA, Aug. 8-12, 1989, page 1, entitled "Performance Visualization of Parallel Programs on a Shared Memory Multiprocessor System" by Bernstein, et al. discloses a method for generating and parsing traces from parallel Fortran programs. However, it does not teach mapping the traces onto a timeline so as to separate the scheduling of processes, as does the present invention. In addition, the disclosed method does not clearly show the resources held and when parallelism is accomplished in a system, and does not disclose a method for visualizing nested processes as is taught and claimed by the present invention.
An article in Proceedings of the 18th World occam and Transputer User Group Technical Meeting, Manchester, UK, Apr. 9-12, 1995, page 17, entitled "PARAVER: A Tool to Visualize and Analyze Parallel Code" by Pillet, et al. discusses a visualization tool which uses timelines. However, this article does not discuss parsing trace data and does not recognize nesting as is taught and claimed by the present invention.
An article in Proceedings, SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering, Visual Data Exploration and Analysis, San Jose, Calif., USA, Feb. 7-8, 1994, page 154, entitled "Test data visualization for open system standards" by Crane, et al. discloses a visualization tool which tries to fit geometric figures to statistical data. However, the article does not teach nor suggest the present invention as taught and claimed herein.
An article in the NEC Technology Journal, vol. 47, no. 6, July 1994, page 42, entitled "Real-time Performance Analysis System ProBA/RTH" by Nakamoto et al. discloses a hardware tracer and software tools that observe system timing behavior. However, the method disclosed in the article does not address nested processes, and does not teach nor suggest the present invention as taught and claimed herein.
While there is prior art dealing with visualization tools, no solution has yet been found to deal with the unique problem of parsing and formatting trace data which does not include explicit context switching detail, but rather contains implicit context switches. Also, no current visualization tool accurately depicts nesting of event-pairs.
Consequently, it would be desirable to have a system and method for a trace parser that would take trace file output from a systems trace and parse it for display by a visualization tool. It would also be desirable to parse the trace information in such a way that traced processes could be accurately displayed in either a nested or unnested manner by the visualization tool.

System and method for visualizing system operation trace chronologies

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for resource object level authorization at a network function (NF) includes maintaining, by a first NF, a service based interface (SBI) resource object access authorization policy database containing policies for controlling access to SBI resource objects and dynamically populating a resource object owner database containing records for resource objects and corresponding resource object owners. The method further includes receiving, by the first NF and from a second NF, a first SBI resource object access request for accessing a resource object, accessing, using information from the first SBI resource object access request, the resource object access authorization policy database and the resource object owner database, determining that an access to the resource object requested by the first resource object access request is not permitted, and preventing the access to the resource object requested by the first resource object access request.

In 5G telecommunications networks, a network function that provides service is referred to as a producer network function (NF) or NF service producer. A network function that consumes services is referred to as a consumer NF or NF service consumer. A network function can be a producer NF, a consumer NF, or both, depending on whether the network function is consuming, producing, or consuming and producing services. The terms "producer NF" and "NF service producer" are used interchangeably herein. Similarly, the terms "consumer NF" and "NF service consumer" are used interchangeably herein.
A given producer NF may have many service endpoints, where a service endpoint is the point of contact for one or more NF instances hosted by the producer NF. The service endpoint is identified by a combination of Internet protocol (IP) address and port number or a fully qualified domain name that resolves to an IP address and port number on a network node that hosts a producer NF. An NF instance is an instance of a producer NF that provides a service. A given producer NF may include more than one NF instance. It should also be noted that multiple NF instances can share the same service endpoint.
Producer NFs register with a network function repository function (NRF). The NRF maintains service profiles of available NF instances identifying the services supported by each NF instance. The terms "service profiles" and "NF profiles" are used interchangeably herein. Consumer NFs can subscribe to receive information about producer NF instances that have registered with the NRF.
In addition to consumer NFs, another type of network node that can subscribe to receive information about NF service instances is a service communication proxy (SCP). The SCP subscribes with the NRF and obtains reachability and service profile information regarding producer NF service instances. Consumer NFs connect to the SCP, and the SCP load balances traffic among producer NF service instances that provide the required services or directly routes the traffic to the destination producer NF instances.
In addition to the SCP, another example of an intermediate proxy node that routes traffic between producer and consumer NFs is the security edge protection proxy (SEPP). The SEPP is the network node used to protect control plane traffic that is exchanged between different 5G public land mobile networks (PLMNs). As such, the SEPP performs message filtering, policing and topology hiding for all application programming interface (API) messages that are transmitted between PLMNs.
One problem in 5G communications networks is that authorization is defined at the network function level, but not at the service based interface (SBI) resource object level, where a resource object is a data structure created at a producer NF at the request of a consumer NF to access a service provided by the producer NF. For example, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 33.501, clause 13.4 indicates that OAuth 2.0 based authorization is to be used to determine whether a consumer network function can access a service provided by a producer network function. The OAuth 2.0 authorization procedure is defined in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC) 6749. Using the OAuth 2.0 authorization procedure, a consumer network function seeking to access a service presents an access token to the producer NF. The access token is signed by the requesting consumer NF using the public key of the NRF. The producer NF verifies the assess token and grants the consumer NF access to the requested service. Once the consumer NF is granted access to the service, there is no authorization mechanism defined that prevents a network function from accessing a resource object created by another network function. That is, because the same access token is provided to all consumer NFs seeking to access a service provided by a given producer NF, and no further authorization is performed after the access token is verified, consumer NF #2 can intentionally or unintentionally modify a resource object created by consumer NF #1.
Because there is no defined authorization mechanism at the resource object level, there exists a need for methods, systems, and computer readable media for research object level authorization at an NF.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for resource object level authorization at a network function (NF)


An ink composition for inkjet printer including a cerium salt compound, a colorant and water; an ink cartridge including the same; and an inkjet recording apparatus including the ink cartridge. In the ink composition, the cerium salt can suppress the occurrence of kogation and properly eject ink droplets over a long period of time by forming a film on the surface of an exothermal device in a thermal type inkjet recording head.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an ink composition, and an ink cartridge and an inkjet recording apparatus including the same, and more particularly, to an ink composition for inkjet recording that can suppress the occurrence of kogation, which is a problem in a thermal type inkjet printer, and an ink cartridge and an inkjet recording apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In inkjet printing, characters and images are recorded through the formation of a point called a "dot" by ejecting ink droplets from a nozzle in a recording head of an inkjet printer onto a recording medium, such as a sheet. An ink composition used in the inkjet printing is prepared by dissolving or dispersing an aqueous dye or pigment in a solvent, such as water.
An inkjet printer can be categorized into a piezoelectric type printer that ejects ink using a piezoelectric device, and a thermal type printer that ejects ink using an exothermal device.
According to a thermal printing method, ink contained in an ink container of an inkjet recording head is locally heated by an exothermal device to form bubbles, and ink droplets in the ink container are ejected onto a recording medium through an orifice, such as a nozzle. Accordingly, the thermal type printer has an inkjet recording head including an exothermal device that is positioned in the ink container to heat the ink, and a driving circuit, such as a logic integrated circuit, that drives the exothermal device.
Further, an exothermal device is prepared by forming a layer of a resistance material, such as tantalum, tantal aluminum and titanium nitride, on a substrate, forming an Al electrode thereon, and then forming a passivation layer, such as silicon nitride film, thereon. Usually, a nozzle having a diameter of 10 to 40 μm must not be occluded by the ink, the surface of the exothermal device must not be damaged during repeated ejecting, and the performance of an ink pen must not be deteriorated.
Currently, tantalum that is stiff, and thus is strong against physical damage and has excellent chemical resistance, is widely used. In spite of such properties of tantalum, the passivation layer may be eroded after hundreds of millions to even tens of billions of repeated ejecting. When conventional ink used in inkjet recording is used in a thermal inkjet printer, impurities, such as a metal ion incorporated upon synthesizing a dye, or a foreign substance, such as a thermal degradation product of a dye, is deposited on the surface of the exothermal device due to use of the inkjet printer. Such a phenomenon is referred to as "kogation." When kogation occurs, local heating of ink becomes insufficient, and thus bubbling is suppressed, the speed of ejecting ink become slow, and ejecting ink droplets is affected.
The passivation layer of an exothermal device may be damaged by cavitation in addition to the kogation problem. Such damage makes fine holes on the surface of the resistance material layer, thereby shortening the lifetime of the resistance material layer. Hundreds of millions of ejections may erode the passivation layer due to the oxidation of the ink in a vacuum, at high temperatures, and/or in chemical reactions. The erosion of the passivation layer may damage an electric insulating layer, thus shortening a circuit supplying electricity to the resistance material, or may decrease the thermal conductivity of the resistance material, thereby deteriorating the stability of an ejecting speed.
Minimizing the change in the ejecting speed per nozzle or between nozzles is important in correctly positioning a point on a paper substrate. An error in the position of a point deteriorates image quality. An error in the position of a point becomes more distinct as the volume of the ink droplets decreases.
The market for inkjet printers requires small droplets having higher resolution and a printer head having a longer lifetime. The printer head having a longer lifetime reduces costs and inventory control needs. However, when ink droplets are small, more ink ejection is carried out by the printer, and thus the damage of passivation layer may worsen. Reducing the damage by increasing the thickness of the passivation layer requires more energy for ejection, which is undesirable for inkjet printers.
One technique proposed to prevent kogation is to remove impurities, such as metal ions incorporated upon the synthesis of a dye, from the dye. However, the thermal degradation of the dye in the ink is unavoidable. Thus, though the impurities such as metal ions are removed by purification of the ink, it is inevitable that degradation products of the dye are deposited on an exothermal device. Accordingly, such proposed techniques cannot prevent kogation completely, and other known methods are also limiting in effect and have other adverse side effects.
As described above, as long as an ink comprising a dye, water and an organic solvent is used in inkjet recording, the occurrence of kogation cannot be prevented completely by the prior art.

Ink composition, ink cartridge and inkjet recording apparatus including the same


A drain system for draining water to a ground surface includes an extension pipe and a drain outlet. The extension pipe is capable of being disposed underground below a grade of the ground surface. The drain outlet is communicably coupled to the pipe. The drain outlet has a base and a cover section. The base has a drainage surface, a drainage end and an inlet section. The drainage end forms at least one effluent drainage hole therein. The inlet section is adapted to be coupled to an outlet of the extension pipe. The drainage surface is disposed for guiding effluent from the inlet section to the drainage end. The cover section is coupled to and covers the base. The base is configured for founding the drain outlet to the ground, when the drain outlet is coupled to the pipe disposed underground. The at least one drainage hole is located substantially at or above the grade allowing substantially unimpeded affluent discharge from the inlet section through the at least one drainage hole to the ground surface.

1. Field
The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate to a drain outlet and, more particularly, to a drain outlet for downspout or sump pump discharge.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Buildings, such as homes, may have gutters that transport water from the roof and through a downspout dumping the roof water next to the building foundation. This water may accumulate and contribute to wet basement problems or erosion. One approach to solving the problems associated with water accumulation close to the foundation is to provide an above ground extension to the downspout in order to direct the water away from the building. This approach has problems whereby the extensions are not pleasing to the eye and must be either mowed around or moved to effectively mow the lawn. Another approach to solving the problems associated with water accumulation close to the foundation is to provide an underground extension to the downspout in order to direct the water away from the building. One example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,186, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Such a system directs water through an underground downspout extension and through a cylinder to the ground surface. This approach has problems whereby water may accumulate in the cylinder and may freeze causing damage to the system from expansion and clogging of the system. A further problem arises whereby the system is difficult to clean. Accordingly, there is a desire to provide a drainage system that provides effective drainage away from a foundation where the system is freeze resistant and easily cleaned of debris.


An exemplary composite lens includes a main body and an embedding member. The main body has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The main body has an optical axis associated therewith. The embedding member is disposed in the main body between the first surface and the second surface. A main plane of the embedding member is perpendicular to the optical axis of the main body. A refractive index of a material of the embedding member is higher than that of the main body. The composite lenses can be made thinner. A method for manufacturing the composite lens is also provided.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to lenses, and more particularly to a composite lens and a method for manufacturing the composite lens.
2. Description of Related Art
Plastic lenses are widely used and are critical components in many optical apparatuses such as lens modules as they can be easily manufactured using molding. Nowadays, plastic lenses play an important role in reducing volumes of optical apparatuses such as lens modules and decreasing numbers of the lenses used in optical apparatuses such as lens modules.
Generally, plastic lenses are made of a typical plastic lens material such as cyclic olefin polymer (COP) and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). The typical plastic lens material has a refractive index of about 1.5. It is well know to all that a refractive index of a lens material is in inverse ratio to a thickness of a lens. However, the refractive index of the typical plastic lens material is lower, and thus thickness of the plastic lenses made of the typical plastic lens material is still thick to some extend. As the technology has evolved, lens modules have become smaller and thinner, and thus it has become necessary for plastic lenses to become even more thinner and lighter.
What is needed, therefore, is a composite lens with thinner thickness and a method for manufacturing the composite lens.

Composite lens and method for manufacturing the same


The present invention incorporates the use of geophysical, geological and formation evaluation data to develop synthetic stratigraphic columns based on depositional rules and sedimentary stacking patterns. The present invention utilizes dynamic assignment and matching whereby the synthetic columns can be easily conformed throughout the reservation characterization process as geological data becomes available.

This invention relates to the three-dimensional geological modeling and the characterization of subsurface reservoirs of interest.
In the on-going search for subsurface hydrocarbons, methods have been developed for evaluating and interpreting the structure and characteristics of the earth's subsurface. Of particular importance is the ascertainment of formation characteristics consistent with the presence of hydrocarbon deposits.
There is an increasing need for reservoir characterization within the oil and gas industry. The need for reservoir characterization is mostly driven by economic realities: if reservoirs can be defined better using available technology then the end result is higher drilling success and fewer development wells. As part of the characterization and development of an oil or gas field, it is often required that a computer model of the subsurface reservoir be built. As the exact characteristics of the earth's subsurface cannot be clearly defined, multiple computer models which are various examples of the possible facies and their associated properties are developed.
Developing accurate reservoir models is a key objective of companies in the oil and gas industry. A properly constrained reservoir model can be used to quantify hydrocarbons in place and to optimize hydrocarbon production. The evaluation of reservoirs is typically achieved using a combination of seismic and well data. Each of these data represents imperfect measurements with a certain level of error. The manner in which these errors are handled affects the integration of the two data types and determines the quality of the final reservoir model.
It is common practice to obtain data about a reservoir from well logging instruments moved through existing wells in the reservoir. Such well data obtained from the well through well logs of various types represent data samples from only a small fraction of a reservoir's volume. For effective evaluation of a reservoir, knowledge of the actual rock formation (lithology or lithofacies) and the contained fluids, as well as the relative presence or volume of pore space (or its porosity), is needed. The fact that a reservoir exhibits certain lithofacies and porosity at a well provide no assurances that other areas of the reservoir have the same characteristics. Geological models of lithofacies and porosity that are based solely on well data thus contain large regions that are not based on actual sampled data; rather, the data must be estimated from the closest existing wells.
Three-dimensional seismic surveys provide data samples over most of a reservoir's volume, including portions unsampled by wells, but at best the seismic data can provide only indirect measurements of lithofacies and porosity. Existing seismic surveying technology does not offer techniques to measure either of these formation characteristics directly.
Geological modeling of the subsurface has been performed for many years by geologists, geophysicists, engineers and hydrologists. Many descriptive or static 3-D geological models built for mining or petroleum applications have been in the form of a specified three-dimensional array of individual model units or blocks (also called cells). One particular prior art methodology used to build reservoir property models has been impedance inversion. In this prior art method, the seismic data is inverted directly using a sparseness constraint for acoustic impedance values. One of the stumbling blocks in that method is the need for a low frequency model to compensate for the fact that the seismic data is bandlimited and therefore does not contain low frequencies. The low frequency model is typically generated from well data, in conjunction with seismic interpretation. One issue is that the low frequency model can be inadequate where there is limited well data available. A further issue is that seismic data also does not contain high frequencies, and with the above-described approach, the sparse reflectivity model which attempts to compensate for the lack of high frequencies can be inconsistent with the actual geological setting for which the inversion is being performed. This leads to poor estimates of the missing high frequency components. In addition, since this process is typically performed on a trace by trace basis no attempt is made to conform to the actual spatial statistics that are consistent with the actual well data.
In an attempt to include spatial statistics in the impedance inversion approach, stochastic inversion methods have been developed. These methods incorporate spatial statistics in the form of spatial variograms derived from available well data. A starting model is generated by interpolating the real well data using the spatial variograms and any existing seismic interpretation. This model is then iteratively updated until a sufficient match between the observed seismic data and the updated model, which obeys the required spatial constraints, is reached. Major drawbacks in this approach are the problems associated with the sparse well situation where the spatial variogram is poorly determined and the difficulty of getting a good match to the seismic when the starting model is poorly defined.
Both of the above-described approaches neglect the advantage offered by utilizing prior knowledge of the possible stratigraphic layering of the sediments over the area of interest. One approach which addresses this issue has been developed by dGB Earth Sciences. That approach utilizes the concept of geologically designed pseudo or synthetic wells to capture the deterministic nature of depositional environments together with probabilistic distributions of lithologies and elastic properties. A paper by de Groot P., Bril A., Florist F. and Campbell A., Monte Carlo Simulation of Wells, Geophysics, Vol. 61, No. 3 (May-June 1996); pp. 631-638 describes a methodology where 1-D stratigraphic profiles of pseudo-wells with attached physical properties, but without spatial information, are simulated using a combination of geological knowledge and Monte Carlo statistics. The paper describes the advantages of the described-method as being able to steer the algorithm with rules based on geological reasoning, and that hard constraints for the stochastic variables can be included.
While the methodology described by de Groot and Bril is a step in the right direction, there is a need for an improved method which is more closely constrained by actual depositional geology, has the ability to use dynamic pseudo-wells and which expands the functionality of the method.

Method for generating reservoir models utilizing synthetic stratigraphic columns


An array ultrasonic transducer precursor includes a body of piezoelectric material with a dielectric substrate bonded to a surface of the body. Circuit elements supported on the dielectric substrate include, in an active region, physically parallel signal conductors arranged in a pattern with spaces between adjacent ones of the conductors. Dicing saw cuts made in these spaces define individual circuit elements within the piezoelectric body. The circuit elements outside the active region include a set of resistive alignment elements in predetermined positions with reference to the pattern of signal conductors. The transducer precursor is mounted in a dicing saw fixture, and initial cuts made with the dicing saw remove portions of the resistive alignment elements. Locations of the initial cuts with reference to the resistive alignment elements are determined by measuring resistances of the resistive alignment elements after the initial cuts.

This invention relates to phased array ultrasonic transducers and, more particularly, to alignment of a dicing saw employed to define elements of an array ultrasonic transducer.
Array ultrasonic transducers, employed for example in medical applications, rely on wave interference for their beam forming effects, and typically employ a plurality of individual transducer elements organized as either a one-dimensional (linear) array or a two-dimensional array. Ultrasound is used as a non-invasive technique for obtaining image information about the structure of an object which is hidden from view, and has become widely known as a medical diagnostic tool. Ultrasound is also used for non-destructive testing and analysis in the technical arts. Medical ultrasonic transducer arrays typically operate at a frequency within the range of one MHz to ten MHz, although higher frequencies are certainly possible. A two-dimensional phased array of ultrasonic transducer elements is often designed to obtain image data in two or three dimensions, without requiring movement of the array transducer.
Medical ultrasonic transducer arrays conventionally are fabricated from a block of ceramic piezoelectric material within which individual elements are defined and isolated from each other by sawing at least partially through the block of piezoelectric material, making a number of cuts with a dicing saw.
More particularly, in the fabrication of a two-dimensional array, as a preliminary step a dicing saw is employed to make several isolation cuts (for example from three to eight isolation cuts) most of the way through the block of piezoelectric material to define isolated rows or subarrays. Subsequently, a second series of many (for example approximately 128) dicing saw cuts are made at right angles to the isolation cuts, typically all the way through the block of piezoelectric material, to define individual piezoelectric array elements within each row or subarray. Each resultant piezoelectric element is acoustically and electrically isolated from its neighbors.
The dicing saw cuts are made with specialized equipment, in particular an automatic dicing saw intended for precision cutting of electronic materials including silicon, glass, and ceramics with a diamond abrasive saw blade.
One approach to providing individual electrical signal connections to the small piezoelectric elements defined by dicing is disclosed in Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,893, issued Feb. 25, 1992 and assigned to the instant assignee. The entire disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,893 is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
Very briefly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,893 discloses an array ultrasonic transducer structure in which a high density interconnect (HDI) structure is employed for signal conductor connections to the individual piezoelectric transducer elements. The HDI structure includes a polyimide dielectric film layer, which may comprise Kapton polyimide at a thickness of about 0.001 to 0.003 inch (25 to 75 microns) and available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del. Parallel conductors comprising a patterned metallization layer are formed on the dielectric film layer and connected to the piezoelectric elements through via-holes in the dielectric film layer.
In the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,893, the HDI structure is fabricated directly on a body of piezoelectric material by a process including various laser drilling, metallization and patterning steps, to form an array ultrasonic transducer precursor. Insofar as the present invention is concerned, a similar array ultrasonic transducer precursor may be formed by separately forming a so-called flex circuit comprising a dielectric film layer with patterned conductors, and then laminating the flex circuit to the body of piezoelectric material.
In either event, what results is an array ultrasonic transducer precursor including a body of piezoelectric material with a dielectric substrate bonded to a surface thereof, and a plurality of physically parallel signal conductors arranged in a pattern supported on the dielectric substrate. Thus, in a typical transducer fabrication process, electrical connections between the signal conductors and what will ultimately become the individual piezoelectric elements are made prior to the dicing cuts which define the individual, isolated piezoelectric elements. The dicing saw not only cuts the piezoelectric material, forming a narrow kerf between adjacent elements, but also runs between the parallel signal conductor tracks, cutting away portions of the dielectric substrate. Dicing saw alignment is thus with reference to the conductor pattern supported by the flex circuit; the precise locations of the dicing saw cuts in the body of piezoelectric material are a result of the saw position with reference to the pattern of parallel signal conductors.
Extremely close tolerances are involved. As an example of transducer design employing relatively small elements, the saw kerfs are 40 microns wide, on a pitch of 300 microns. Between each pair of kerfs, two signal traces extend to the left and two to the right. Each trace is connected to one piezoelectric element by means of a via-hole through the flex circuit. A typical pad around the via-hole is 100 microns in diameter. A 60 micron wide gap exists between the via pads on the upper edge of one row of elements and the via pads on the lower edge of the next row of elements. If the dicing saw is to pass between via pads without damaging them, a tolerance of .+-.10 microns is required for the alignment of the saw with reference to the flex circuit.
However, as noted above, in a typical fabrication process, electrical connections are made early in the process, while the isolation is performed later, after the electrical connections have been encapsulated. The encapsulating materials are generally opaque, so it is difficult to precisely align the isolation cuts with the element pattern established by the electrical connections.
Prior to the present invention, optical alignment was relied upon, employing optical fiducial points or marks formed on a portion of the flex circuit which extends beyond the piezoelectric element and which is removed as a subsequent step in the fabrication process. An optical microscope is conventionally included as part of a dicing saw and is employed for alignment purposes. The optical fiducial points are precisely positioned with reference to the pattern of parallel signal conductors. Since the piezoelectric material is opaque, the optical fiducial points must be located far from the pattern of signal conductors, so that the optical fiducials are visible from the front of the transducer during the alignment and cutting process. After initial fixturing of an array ultrasonic transducer in the dicing saw, an optical alignment is performed by employing the microscope and the optical fiducials. Based on these measurements, rotational and translational offsets, as well as a translational pitch, are calculated for the isolation cuts relative to the fiducial points.
However, because the optical fiducial points are far from the pattern of signal conductors, distortions in the flex circuit during the transducer assembly and dicing processes lead to inaccuracy in the alignment of the saw blade relative to the signal conductors. As a result, the optical alignment method only allows positioning of the saw blade within .+-.30 micron accuracy.
For some transducer designs, particularly those employing relatively small elements, the yield when employing optical alignment is less than desirable. One reason is that the optical fiducials do not remain co-planar with the pattern of signal conductors, and may be distorted when viewed from the front or back of the transducer during the optical alignment process.

Dicing saw alignment for array ultrasonic transducer fabrication


In one embodiment of the invention, a method of cleaning a workpiece is disclosed. The method comprises providing a mobile flushing unit and servicing the workpiece as follows: a) connecting a flexible hose of the mobile flushing unit to one end of the workpiece and connecting another flexible hose of the mobile flushing unit to a second end of the workpiece; b) flowing compressed air through each hose and the workpiece; c) pumping a cleaning fluid through each hose and the workpiece for a predetermined amount of time; d) ceasing cleaning fluid flow, followed by purging with air to remove the cleaning fluid from the workpiece; e) pumping water through each hose and the workpiece for a predetermined amount of time; f) ceasing water flow, following by another purge with air to remove the water from the workpiece; and g) disconnecting each hose from the workpiece.

Modern gas turbine engines, such as the General Electric CFM56-5B and -7B with dual annular combustor engines, have been designed to operate both efficiently and with low amounts of pollution emissions. The engines typically include lubrication systems in which lubricating oil is carried externally of the engine in a separate tank or reservoir. In some modern gas turbine engines, the bearing assemblies are lubricated with oil, and heat from the engine parts is absorbed and dissipated by the same oil. It is known to house the engine bearing assemblies in their own respective sumps. The major components of a dry sump lubrication system include a lubricating oil reservoir or tank, a supply pump for supplying lubricating oil from the reservoir to the bearing assembly sumps under pressure and a scavenge pump for removing lubricating oil from the bearing assembly sumps. The scavenge pump causes the return lubrication oil to pass through a heat exchange assembly, on its way to the tank or reservoir. The heat exchange assembly often puts the return lubrication oil in heat exchange with the jet fuel used by the engine. Fuel, on its way to the combustor, enters and passes through the heat exchanger at a much greater flow rate than the oil, so that large quantities of heat are absorbed from the oil by the fuel. Appropriate filter means are also included in the system to remove contaminants from the oil.
The system also includes the necessary lubrication and scavenge tubes. The lubrication and scavenge tubes are often secured to the engine cases, frames, ducts, etc. by clamps and brackets. These lubrication and scavenge tubes run from the pumps to the turbine rear frame.
A problem sometimes encountered is heavy coking and blocking of the oil scavenge tubes on the turbine rear frame. This problem may be addressed by stripping the turbine rear frame, including the scavenge tube, off of the low pressure turbine module for cleaning, as the scavenge tube cannot be remove or flushed in situ. During this cleaning, the turbine rear frame may be positioned horizontally and the scavenge tube then blocked at one end. Cleaning fluid may then be manually poured into the tube and after an appropriate amount of time the fluid may be eliminated from the tube. This process may be repeated for several hours, even days, until the tube is cleared of the blockage. Although this cleaning process may be effective, it is often costly and time consuming.
Accordingly, there exists a need for effective cleaning processes for cleaning tubes, cavities or similar bodies. There is also a particular need for a process and apparatus for cleaning oil scavenge tubes of gas turbine engine components, particularly oil scavenge tubes of a turbine rear frame. The present invention satisfies these needs.


A construction machine having a mobile chassis, a boom mounted on the mobile chassis and capable of swinging vertically, and an arm pivotally connected to the boom. An accessory detachable mechanism connects to a tip end of the arm. An accessory is releasably held by the detachable mechanism. The mechanism includes a pivotal four-bar linkage defined in part by the arm. First and second attaching arrangements are associated with the mechanism and releasably engage respective first and second attachment parts provided on the accessory. The first attachment arrangement includes hooks which engage the first attaching part as defined by a connecting pin on the accessory. A pressure cylinder is associated with the mechanism to effect relative engaging or releasing motion between the first and second attaching arrangements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions relates to a detachable mechanism for detachably attaching an accessory to a boom of a construction machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a construction machine for digging a drain or hole in the ground such as a so-called excavator, back hoe or the like, an accessory attached to a boom of the construction machine may be replaced by another accessory for achieving a work object.
The excavator has been typically employed for earth work or construction work and includes a bucket connected to the tip end of the boom. When the boom and bucket are swung, earth or sand are dug out for forming holes or drains.
However, the excavator is used not only for digging holes or drains by means of the bucket, but may be diverted to other work objects utilizing the mechanism thereof. That is, instead of the bucket, another accessory may be connected to the boom so that specific earth work or construction work can be done. For example, the bucket may be selected to have the size adapted for digging and trenching width, thereby enabling the excavator to work depending on hardness of earth and sand and width of holes or drains. Alternately, a breaker may be connected to the tip end of the boom or a grip may be employed for carrying out destruction work or loading or unloading work. A combination of various kinds of these accessories enables the excavator to adapt for various work, thereby improving the applicability at the construction work site.
When the bucket is replaced by another accessory, the bucket is removed and another accessory for another work object is manually connected to the boom. In this work, a pin connecting the boom and the bucket is removed so that the bucket is detached from the boom. Thereafter another accessory is connected to the boom, and the pin is inserted so as to penetrate both the accessory and the boom whereby the accessory and boom are connected with each other. The detaching and attaching work involved is carried out by man power. However, it takes much time and several operators for putting the pin in and out and replacing the accessory, which renders the work inefficient. If it were possible to arbitrarily detachably attach the accessory to the boom adapted for the specific work object, man power and work time involved in the replacement of the accessory would be reduced.
If one operator alone can attach the accessory to and detach the accessory from the boom, the other operators required for replacing the accessory can be eliminated. Similarly, if one operator of the excavator alone can detach and attach the accessory, and eliminate the operation involved in putting the pin in and pulling the pin out from the accessory, the work is made with safety to thereby reduce the time for replacing the accessory, and involves high work efficiency.

Accessory detachable mechanism of construction machine