A system and method are provided for a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system. The system and method may include compressing a process gas with a compressor train to produce a compressed process gas. The compressed process gas may be directed to a compressed gas storage unit and stored therein. The compressed process gas from the compressed gas storage unit may be released to a heat recovery unit via a feed line. The heat recovery unit may heat the compressed process gas and direct the heated compressed process gas to an expansion assembly to generate a power output. Feed water from a feed water source may be heated in the heat recovery unit to produce steam for injection into a combustion turbine assembly. The combustion turbine assembly may heat the heat recovery unit via an exhaust line.

A conventional CAES system 10, illustrated in FIG. 1, may include a gas storage unit 11 configured to store a process gas, such as ambient air, compressed by a compressor train 12. A feed line 13 may direct the compressed process gas from the gas storage unit 11 to a throttling device, such as a valve assembly 14, which may reduce the pressure of the compressed process gas. The feed line 13 may also direct the compressed process gas to a heat exchanger or recuperator 15, where the compressed process gas may be preheated, before being directed to an expansion assembly 16. The expansion assembly 16 may include an unfired expander or air expander 17, a fired expander 18, and a generator 19. The compressed process gas may be expanded in the air expander 17 to a reduced pressure. The expanded process gas may then be directed to a combustor 20 coupled to the fired expander 18, where the expanded process gas may be mixed with a fuel and burned before subsequent expansion in the fired expander 18. The expansion of the process gas in the air expander 17 and the fired expander 18 may drive the generator 19 to produce a power output. Exhaust gases from the fired expander 18 of the expansion assembly 16 may be pass through the recuperator 15 to preheat the compressed process gas from the gas storage unit 11.
The gas storage unit 11 of the conventional CAES system 10 may often include a cavern with sufficient volume or storage capacity to store the compressed process gas during off-peak hours. However, in many regions, geological constraints, such as a limited underground storage capacity or a lack thereof, may be imposed on the implementation of the CAES systems. In these scenarios, where the storage of the compressed process gas is limited or nonexistent, the amount of process gas utilized by the expanders 17, 18 to generate a power output, or specific air consumption, may be a critical factor in determining the overall efficiency and/or cost of implementing and/or operating the CAES system 10.
In view of the foregoing, above-ground storage devices are often utilized to store the compressed process gas during off-peak hours and overcome the geological limitations. Some conventional above-ground storage devices, however, may not provide suitable storage capacities, and other above-ground storage devices having suitable storage capacities may be cost-prohibitive.
What is needed, then, is a CAES system and method of operating thereof, capable of reducing the specific air consumption to increase efficiencies and costs of operating the CAES system.

CAES plant using steam injection and bottoming cycle expander


An article transport apparatus comprises:                an article transporting mobile body movable along a predetermined path extending along a storage rack having a plurality of article storage units;        a loading unit disposed on the predetermined path for supporting an article to be stored;        an article transfer device disposed on the mobile body for transferring the article;        operation control device for controlling traveling operation of the mobile body and transfer operation of the article transfer device; and        article position detection device for detecting a position, in a first direction along a traveling direction of the mobile body, of the article transferred from the loading unit to the mobile body;        wherein the operation control device obtains a misalignment amount with respect to a predetermined proper position, in the first direction, of the article transferred from the loading unit to the mobile body, based on detected information from the article position detection device, and corrects a horizontal component of an article transfer position for an article storage unit to which the article is to be transferred, based on the misalignment amount.

Conventionally, an article transport apparatus for an article storage system includes a stacker crane (mobile body) having a fork device (article transfer device) for transporting articles between an article receiving table (loading station) and a plurality of article storage units in storage racks. When causing the stacker crane to run toward the article receiving table, operation control means carries out a loading travel control for running the stacker crane to an article transfer position opposed to the article receiving table as a target stopping position, based on information from position detecting means that detects positions on a traveling path of the stacker crane. When running the stacker crane toward an article storage unit to which an article is to be transferred, among the plurality of article storage units, the operation control means carries out a storage running control for running the stacker crane to an article transfer position opposed to that article storage unit as a target stopping position, based on information from the position detecting means. (See Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) No. 2004-157885, for example.)
The position of an article placed on the article receiving table is variable in a traveling direction of the stacker crane due to a misalignment occurring when the article is supplied from outside by a forklift or the like. Consequently, when the article is transferred under a loading transfer control from the article receiving table to the stacker crane located in the article transfer position opposed to the article receiving table, the position relative to the stacker crane of the article transferred will also vary in the traveling direction of the stacker crane.
The position opposed to the article receiving table where the stacker crane stops under the loading travel control may vary in the traveling direction of the stacker crane from the predetermined article transfer position opposed to the article receiving table. In this case also, when an article is transferred under the loading transfer control from the article receiving table to the stacker crane, the position relative to the stacker crane of the article transferred will also vary in the traveling direction of the stacker crane.
When the position relative to the stacker crane of the article transferred to the stacker crane varies in the traveling direction of the stacker crane as noted above, even though the stacker crane is stopped accurately in an article transfer position for an article storage unit which is the destination of the article, the position of the article held by the stacker crane will vary in the traveling direction of the stacker crane from a proper position relative to the article storage unit, that is, a position where the middle of the article in the traveling direction of the stacker crane coincides with the middle of the article storage unit in the traveling direction of the stacker crane. In order to store the article deviating in the traveling direction of the stacker crane from a proper position relative to an article storage unit, in the article storage unit under the storing transfer control, while avoiding contact between the article and storage rack, for example, the plurality of article storage units need to have a sufficient length along the traveling direction of the stacker crane to allow for variations in the position of the article, and variations in the article transfer position, where the stacker crane stops, relative to an article storage unit which is the destination of the article. As a result, the storage rack has an increased length in the traveling direction of the stacker crane, which leads to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the storage rack and an enlarged installation space of the article storage system. Further disadvantages are that an increase in the traveling distance of the stacker crane lowers transporting efficiency and increases running cost.

Article transport apparatus for an article storage system, and a method of operating the apparatus


A wooden beam for a supporting framework has at least two supporting members at least partially made of wood and defining together a continuous hollow cavity, and at least one shear connector located in the hollow cavity and characterized by a plurality of connection options, with the shear connector having its outside end set back with respect to an adjacent and face of the beam by a length corresponding to a forward wood length defined by a load applied to the beam.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a wooden beam for a supporting framework and its constructional elements, where the wooden beam consists of at least two supporting members at least partially made of wood with a continuous hollow space joined to form one unit, with at least one shear connector with connection options inside the hollow space, as well as the shear connector itself, the supporting framework that can be produced with at least one such beam and a device for inserting at least one shear connector into a supporting member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Supporting frameworks are known from many fields. Steel and reinforced concrete supporting framework constructions shall be mentioned here only as examples and are used in various fields, from erecting buildings to construction of bridges.
However, a disadvantage of these supporting framework constructions is that they are very expensive to manufacture—for example, assembly is commonly associated with cost-intensive welding work and subsequent pouring of concrete and also with regard to the number of different individual parts required, which must also be adapted and assembled in a complicated procedure. Furthermore, such supporting framework constructions can be produced only by a specialist.
Another disadvantage which should not be underestimated is that with the known supporting frameworks, the individual parts must be fixedly joined together and thus repeated use is out of the question, and whenever repairs, if any, are necessary, they can be performed only at enormous expense.
Recently there has been a discernible trend in the construction industry toward increasing use of wood or wood-based materials as a building material in the construction of single-family dwellings. Various supporting systems have been successful in this area. Solid wood, glued laminated girders and other wood-based materials as well as cross-beams are used, that are capable of absorbing and transmitting greater forces with cross sections of the same size.
There have been various proposals for the joints to be used, in particular in the area of the ends of these wooden construction elements. Examples that can be mentioned here include dowels driven across the longitudinal axis of the beam in the area of tongue-and-groove joints, with bolts and additional screw nails or nail connections with cover plates or tenons with cross-driven hard wood dowels or embedded steel T-sections with dowels or tenons, in particular forked mortise and tenon joints and the like.
All these joints have the great disadvantage that the systems constructed with them are expensive to assemble and also require a multitude of individual parts which must also be fitted and assembled in inaccessible positions, often on site and at great effort. As a result, these systems can usually also be assembled only by expert personnel to form an overall supporting framework that can withstand forces and loads.
In addition to this trend toward increased use of wood in the construction industry, there is another trend in this branch of the industry, namely that toward the construction of buildings, in particular single-family dwellings, inexpensively through personal effort and thus to make home ownership accessible to larger portions of society. This is impossible with the known joining systems because they must be manufactured with precision in specially equipped manufacturing sites.
Therefore, the object of this invention is to propose a beam and a supporting framework constructed with its construction elements, in particular shear connectors and connecting parts as well as a method of producing such beams including a device for introducing the shear connectors, which do not have the above-mentioned disadvantages, and instead they are characterized in that their elements can be assembled easily without any complicated additional measures to form a supporting framework, preferably in a detachable manner.

Supporting structure and its structural members

Induo Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Schutzrechten mbH & Co. KG


A snowboard binding mounting disk (24) includes a body (28) through which 3-hole and 4-hole patterns (8, 10) of mounting holes are formed. The centers of a pair of the 3-hole mounting holes are separated by a base distance (Z). The centers of a pair of the 4-hole mounting holes are separated by an end distance (Y). The end and base distances differ by a distance delta. The pair of end holes and the pair of base holes are positioned adjacent to one another so that the end and base holes overlap one another to create a pair of oblong, dual purpose holes (30). A removable and replaceable mounting element positioner (29) is mounted to the oblong holes at one of two stable positions. The position chosen is determined by whether the dual purpose holes are to be used for the 3-hole pattern or for the 4-hole pattern. The central opening (20) in the base is preferably made by stamping a grooved peripheral surface (22) sized to engage a complementary grooved surface (53) on the disk.

One style of conventional snowboard bindings includes a base from which an upwardly extending heel support extends. An instep strap and a toe strap are typically used to secure the boot to the binding. The base of the binding is typically mounted to the snowboard through the use of a mounting disk. A mounting disk typically has a grooved or serrated outer peripheral edge which mates with a similar grooved or serrated surface surrounding a central opening formed in the base of the binding. The mounting disk is then secured to the snowboard, typically using screws, causing the binding base to be secured to the snowboard as well. The grooved peripheral surfaces permit the snowboard binding to be oriented over a range of rotary orientations relative to the centerline of the snowboard to accommodate the different angular orientations desired by different snowboarders.
The grooved or serrated surface is typically formed in metal binding bases by machining. Plastic bases and metal and plastic mounting disks are typically molded or cast as a finished product, including the necessary grooved or serrated peripheral surfaces, a distinct cost advantage over the machining operation required with conventional metal binding bases.
Currently, there are two common hole patterns formed in snowboards for mounting snowboard bindings. The first, and most common, is a rectangular 4-hole pattern, while the second in use is a triangular 3-hole pattern. To ensure that a snowboard binding can be used with snowboards having either type of hole pattern presently requires that two different mounting disks be supplied with each binding.

Mounting disk and base for snowboard binding


In one aspect, the invention provides a method for generating a sales lead for the sale of a CVR system. The method comprises initiating a call in which a human calls an organization and interacts with an interactive voice response (IVR) system that defines an interface to a database for an organization in order to obtain information from the database; generating a first audio file comprising a recording of the interaction; generating a second audio file comprising a recording of an interaction of the caller with a CVR system in order to obtain the same information from the database; presenting the first and second audio files to a decision maker in the organization who has some influence on a decision to purchase the CVR system; tracking when the decision maker accesses the audio files; and initiating contact with the decision maker once access of the audio files is established.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR), is a telephony technology in which someone uses a touch-tone telephone to interact with a database to acquire information from or enter data into the database. IVR technology does not require human interaction over the telephone as the user's interaction with the database is predetermined by what the IVR system will allow the user access to. For example, banks and credit card companies use IVR systems so that their customers can receive up-to-date account information instantly and easily without having to speak directly to a person. IVR technology is also used to gather information, as in the case of telephone surveys in which the user is prompted to answer questions by pushing the numbers on a touch-tone telephone.
A conversational voice response (CVR) system is a technology whereby a caller can navigate an informational database in order to retrieve pertinent information by having a conversation or dialogue with the system. The system plays audio prompts to get information from caller and uses the caller's utterances or responses to extract pertinent portions of the database for playback to the user. An example of a CVR system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/319,144, which is hereby incorporated by reference. CVR technology is preferable to IVR technology in that a caller does not have to listen to long prompts and the caller can speak responses as opposed to having to key the responses via a touch tone telephone.
A challenge of making an organization switch from IVR technology to CVR technology is to locate qualified prospects, to personalize marketing and sales information to match those prospects, and to deliver the marketing and sales information in a timely and compelling manner.

Method for generating sales of a conversational voice response system


A system for provisioning an output device, may include a processor; a memory; and a records display program. The records display program may be executed by the processor to maintain an indication of availability dates and times of one or more output devices connected to the network; to receive an output device invitation indicating a first output device to reserve at a meeting conducted over a conferencing system; to determine whether the first output device is available for reservation during a date and time period of the meeting; and to communicate to the first output device activation information indicating that the first output device is to become active at a first predetermined date and time related to the date and time period of the meeting and login information including a first credential for the first output device to use for logging into the conferencing system for the meeting.

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of resources used for meetings, and more particularly to controlling access to resources.
Meetings, conferences, and similar events occur in meeting space shared by presenters and attendees. The space may provide one or more resources such as audio/video equipment provided to support the meeting. For example, a presenter may use a projector to show a presentation such as an electronic slideshow to attendees at an event such as a business meeting, academic conference, or commercial trade show. A series of presenters often share a resource such as a projector during a meeting.

Automatic resource provisioning for meeting collaboration

International Business Machines Corporation


Various embodiments provide devices, methods, and systems for high throughput biomolecule detection using transducer arrays. In one embodiment, a transducer array made up of transducer elements may be used to detect byproducts from chemical reactions that involve redox genic tags. Each transducer element may include at least a reaction chamber and a fingerprinting region, configured to flow a fluid from the reaction chamber through the fingerprinting region. The reaction chamber can include a molecule attachment region and the fingerprinting region can include at least one set of electrodes separated by a nanogap for conducting redox cycling reactions. In embodiments, by flowing the chamber content obtained from a reaction of a latent redox tagged probe molecule, a catalyst, and a target molecule in the reaction chamber through the fingerprinting region, the redox cycling reactions can be detected to identify redox-tagged biomolecules.

Conventional methods for biomolecule detection such as DNA sequencing include use of optical detection technologies. Among existing optical methods, an array of wells is used to immobilize polymerase molecules and to act as zero mode waveguides such that only the fluorescence near the surface and at the polymerase is detected. Although incorporation of a modified nucleotide is observed via fluorescent tags, problems arise. The problems are associated with the capture and fluorescence efficiency of the single molecule signal. Namely the laser used in the fluorophore excitation heats the enzymes, reducing the read length in each well and ultimately compromising the accuracy of the system. In addition, enzymes immobilized in the wells become inactive and the sequences in these wells cannot be read.
In general, important parameters for evaluating a sequencing technique include accuracy, cost, throughput, time to result, and system size. For example, the tolerable level of error is accepted to be 1 in 10,000 bases sequenced. With this level of accuracy, existing systems are bulky with high cost and take long time to sequence a human genome. For example, large optical detection systems are used for human genome sequencing (3 billion base pairs) with sizes comparable to a refrigerator and the cost is about $30K in reagents (excluding the overhead cost of the sequencer) with about a week or longer to complete. In another example for CMOS-based sequencing methods, over 1000 chips were used with a reported cost exceeding $2 million to extract the full genome of Gordon Moore.
There is a need for providing devices, methods, and systems for portable, accurate, cost effective, easy-to-use, and high throughput biochemical detections.

High throughput biochemical detection using single molecule fingerprinting arrays


A method of refining a natural oil includes: (a) providing a feedstock that includes a natural oil; (b) reacting the feedstock in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to form a metathesized product that includes olefins and esters; (c) passivating residual metathesis catalyst with an agent selected from the group consisting of phosphorous acid, phosphinic acid, and a combination thereof; (d) separating the olefins in the metathesized product from the esters in the metathesized product; and (e) transesterifying the esters in the presence of an alcohol to form a transesterified product and/or hydrogenating the olefins to form a fully or partially saturated hydrogenated product. Methods for suppressing isomerization of olefin metathesis products produced in a metathesis reaction, and methods of producing fuel compositions are described.

In recent years, there has been an increased demand for petroleum-based transportation fuels. Concerns exist that the world's petroleum production may not be able to keep up with demand. Additionally, the increased demand for petroleum-based fuels has resulted in a higher production of greenhouse gases. Due to the increased demand for fuel and increased production of greenhouse gases, there is a need to explore methods of producing environmentally-friendly, alternative fuel sources. In particular, there is a need to explore methods of producing environmentally friendly fuel compositions and specialty chemicals from a natural feedstock.
Researchers have been studying the feasibility of manufacturing biofuels, waxes, plastics, and the like, using natural oil feedstocks, such as vegetable and seed-based oils. Metathesis reactions involving natural oil feedstocks offer promising solutions for today and for the future.
The olefin metathesis reaction is a highly versatile and powerful technique for the synthetic preparation of alkenes. Transition metal carbene complexes—particularly those incorporating ruthenium—are popular catalysts for metathesis. However, the yield of certain desired metathesis products can be significantly reduced by double bond isomerization. This is typically the result of residual metathesis catalyst and/or its byproducts being present in the reaction mixture. This problem becomes particularly acute if the metathesis mixture is heated and/or distilled in the presence of residual catalyst.
In view of this problem, it is oftentimes necessary to remove residual metathesis catalyst from an olefinic metathesis product (or otherwise passivate the residual catalyst) prior to subjecting the olefinic metathesis product to further chemical reactions and/or processing. One approach, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,019 B1, has been to add tris(hydroxymethyl) phosphine (THMP) to the reaction mixture as an isomerization inhibitor. Unfortunately, the commercial availability and pricing of THMP are not viable on an industrial scale. Moreover, although THMP can be prepared from precursor salts, such as tetrakis(hydroxymethyl) phosphonium sulfate (THPS) or tetrakis(hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (TKC), the conversion involves generation of formaldehyde—a known human carcinogen—as a byproduct. In addition, if pH is not strictly controlled during the formation of THMP (e.g., if conditions become too basic), explosive hydrogen gas has been known to form.
An isomerization suppression agent that efficiently passivates residual metathesis catalyst present in admixture with olefinic metathesis product, and which is readily available on a commercial scale but does not produce carcinogenic by-products and/or involve the formation of explosive hydrogen gas is needed.

Methods of refining natural oils and methods of producing fuel compositions


A based device for use as tissue repair includes a median part between two end parts. The median and end parts have a different tensile stiffness.

Hundreds of thousands of anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) are torn every year and this trend has been increasing with the rise of participation in sports in the general population and in particular in females and older participants. For young and/or athletic active individuals the standard care is based on ligament reconstruction. Several replacement tissues can be envisaged using either grafts (auto, allo and xeno) or artificial materials. Xenografts, ligaments from other animals, and allografts from cadaveric human tissue are possibilities that overcome the need to autologous tissues and avoid the risk of donor-site morbidity. However, their use poses several issues including risks of disease transmission, graft rejection and inflammation. Moreover, in the case of allografts, the supply is so small that the market demand can never be met from this source. Autograft tissues extracted from the patellar tendon, quadriceps tendon-patellar bone or the hamstring tendons are currently the most common sources of grafts for ACL reconstruction. Yet this therapy relies on the extraction of healthy tissue which implies risks of donor-site morbidity, an initial low strength, a high probability of rupture at the initial stages and a long and painful recovery period. The use of artificial prosthetic ligaments as an alternative to autografts could bring substantial improvements in the existing reconstruction therapies.
Several prosthetic devices for ACL replacement have been made over the past thirty years using a wide range of materials. The materials which have been considered for these devices including polyester (Stryker Dacron® ligament prosthesis, Leeds-Keio), polytetrafluoroethylene and fluoropolymers (Gore-Tex®), carbon fibers, polyethylene, nylon and polystyrene. However none of these artificial ligaments have demonstrated positive long term results in vivo. Failures of previous devices mostly originate from mechanical failures or from a lack of biocompatibility. Mechanical failures include i) rupture caused by wear, fatigue or severe loading in the knee and ii) laxity in the joint after creep of the prosthetic ligament or loosening of the fixation element in the bone. Biocompatibility issues primarily manifest as immunogenic particulation leading to chronic synovitis. Due to high incidence of such problems, most if not all the previous artificial ligaments have been withdrawn from the commercial market. For example, no such devices are currently approved for clinical use by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America (FDA).
Over the last decades, statistics have been collected that confirm the poor long term efficacy of existing artificial ligaments. A study of 855 artificial cruciate ligaments over a 15-year period found that there was 40-78% failure rate (Fu F. H. et al. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2000, 28(1), 124-130). Another report found that around 80% of knees which had been reconstructed using Dacron prosthetic ligaments had developed significant osteoarthritic symptoms at a 9 year follow up (Fu F. H. cited above). Similarly, a study of 268 patients revealed that Gore-Tex® anterior cruciate ligament prosthesis yielded a failure rate of 42% with case of effusions, rupture and strong loosening (George M. S. et al, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006, 34(12), 2026-2037). Overall, complication rates for artificial ligament operations are of the order of 40-50%, which is much higher than the rate with autologous and allogenic ligaments.
As an alternative to non-biodegradable artificial ligaments, research efforts are being carried out to develop tissue engineered (TE) ligaments for which a biodegradable scaffold first replaces the native ligament and is progressively replaced by a new reconstructed living tissue. Several systems have recently been designed using silk, collagen or polylactic acid biodegradable fibers (Freeman J. W. et al. Journal of Biomechanics, 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.biomech. 2010.10.043). Nevertheless, the management of cell sourcing as well as the control of scaffold degradation while ensuring proper mechanical properties remain unsolved issues that still need to be addressed before clinical use.
Most of the patents deal with the methods of attachment or fixation design to attach an artificial ligament to the bones of a joint. Recent examples are given below.
FR 2 700 111 relates to an artificial ligament consisting of a fixed section and a moving sleeve which form two separate ligaments of the same or different lengths, joined together so that they can slide relative to one another. The two ligaments can be made from plaited, woven or knitted fibres of the same or different materials, with their ends joined together by a thermo-shrink material or a supple adhesive. The outer ligament can be made with sections of reduced resistance which allow its length to be varied. The ligaments can be made from Dacron® (RTM) or other synthetic fibres, or from natural cellulose fibres which are treated to make them biocompatible.
US 2003/114929 discloses a prosthetic ligament including a cord of thermotropic liquid crystal filaments. Preferably the cord is a string or thin rope made by several strands braided, twisted, or woven together. Strands are, preferably, made of a multi-filament thread.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,543 relates to an artificial ligament device comprising a plurality of tows of biocompatible material (for example polyester) secured side-by-side in a flat elongate array by braiding, the tows being looped back at one end of the device to form an eye, the flat lengths adjoining the eye being secured to each other side-by-side by stitching, the tows around the eye being grouped together and whipped, and lashing being applied around a base of the eye.
WO 2009/047767 provides a ligament prosthesis having a first end and a second end, comprising a first load bearing element and a second load bearing element, the first and second load bearing elements differing in one or more mechanical properties and being arranged in the prosthesis in series. The load bearing elements may be made from an alloy and, in order to protect nearby organs and tissues from abrasion from the prosthesis and vice versa, may be contained in a sleeve made from biodegradable polymers such as poliglecaprone, polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polydioxanone, or co-polymers of the aforementioned polymers.
WO 2009/113076 provides a ligament prosthesis having an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration. The prosthesis has a resistance to tension in the undeployed configuration that is less than its resistance to tension in the deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, the prosthesis is capable of twisting and bending. In one embodiment, the prosthesis has a meshwork of filaments woven, knitted or braided into a slender cylinder. The prosthesis may be used to replace an anterior or posterior cruciate ligament.
WO 98/22046 discloses a "free strand" ligament that is naturally self-convoluted between the two ends of the intra-articular median part.
With the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art in mind, it appears that there is a need for a device which i) is biocompatible on the short and long term, meaning after years of implantation in vivo, ii) reproduces closely the non-linear elastic mechanical behaviour of native ligaments and tendons including the stiffness and the toe-region, iii) ensures ultimate tensile stress (strength) and ultimate tensile strain that are safe with respect to the patient's activity. Polymer hydrogels constitute relevant materials in that respect.
Hydrogels, also called aquagels, are hydrophilic polymer networks that can absorb water and swell without dissolving at least temporarily. Depending on the physico-chemical properties of these networks, levels of water absorption can vary greatly from about 10% to thousand times their dry weight. An important characteristic of hydrogels is that they can possess a water content and a molecular structure very similar to those of living tissues. These features confer them biocompatibility, lubricity, rubbery elasticity and possibly biodegradability, which are of interest for biomedical applications and more particularly tissue replacement. Examples of hydrogel forming polymers that are relevant for biomedical applications are polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene-glycol, polysaccharides, polylactic acids and their copolymers
U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,826 provides a poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel construct having a wide range of mechanical strengths for use as a human tissue replacement. It may be especially useful in surgical and other medical applications as an artificial material for replacing and reconstructing soft tissues in humans and other mammals. Soft tissue body parts which can be replaced or reconstructed by the hydrogel include vascular grafts, heart valves, esophageal tissue, skin, corneal tissue, cartilage, meniscus, and tendon. However, the reported tensile modulus of elasticity for the so-prepared material is less than 1 MPa, which is too low as compared to the ultimate tensile stress of ligaments and tendons, which is greater than 100 MPa.
WO/2006/102756 relates to a hydrogel exhibiting anisotropic properties which is poly(vinyl alcohol) produced by preparing a solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) with a pre-selected concentration, thermally cycling the solution by freezing and thawing, stretching the hydrogel and thermally cycling the hydrogel at least one more time. Said anisotropic hydrogel is used for soft tissue replacement selected from vascular vessels, coronary arteries, heart valve leaflets, heart valve stent, cartilage, ligaments and skin. However, the ultimate tensile stress for the so-prepared materials do not exceed 0.4 MPa, which is too low as compared to the ultimate tensile stress of ligaments and tendons, estimated in the range 30-50 MPa.
WO/2001/017574 discloses a hydrogel intended for orthopedic applications wherein the tissue is selected from the group consisting of bone, cartilage, meniscus, bursa, synovial membranes, tendons, ligaments, muscle and vertebral disks. Like for WO/2006/102756, the ultimate tensile stress for the preferred material is about 8 MPa, which is too low for the replacement of most ligaments and tendons.
JP4141178 discloses an artificial tendon and an artificial ligament consisting of polyvinyl alcohol fiber with a tensile strength of 12 g/d or larger and a tensile breaking elongation of 6% or smaller which is much less than the devices of the present invention
A non-biodegradable device that can be installed in-vivo to repair a ligament or tendon, that is biocompatible and that reproduces closely the mechanical properties of native ligaments and tendons as well as ensures the appropriate values of tensile strength and ultimate tensile strain required for ligament or tendon replacement is needed.

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE

ASSOCIATION POUR LA RECHERCHE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT DE METHODES ET PROCESSUS INDUSTRIELS “ARMINES”

GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION—GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY


A battery charger for charging a battery (4) for a radio (12), is provided having two terminals (6 and 8). A charging circuit (24 and 26) has a controllable parameter for charging the battery (4). An operational mode detector (30) is coupled to the two terminals (6 and 8) for detecting an operational mode of the radio. A control circuit (22) is coupled to the operational mode detector (30) and to the charging circuit (24 and 26) for controlling the controllable parameter in response to the operational mode detected.

Communication devices such as two-way portable radios have different operational modes for transmitting, receiving or standing by. The current drawn from the battery while a radio is transmitting is much higher than that drawn when the same radio is receiving or in a standby mode.
Vehicular chargers for such radios used in a car, have a hard-wired mobile microphone connected to and accessible by the vehicular charger for determining when the radio is transmitting (such as by pushing the push-to-talk (PTT) switch). If the battery is in the radio to be operated, operation of the radio especially while transmitting would draw a high current from the battery being charged, thus reducing the battery's charge capacity. To prevent the above problem, a conventional; vehicular charger will provide a higher charging current to the battery and to the portable transceiver when a portable transceiver or radio is actuated as detected by the state of a push-to-talk (PTT) switch, while connected to the battery and the charging system, as for example, by actuation of the push-to-talk switch on the mobile microphone.
However, in battery chargers such as desk-top chargers, which have no access to the push-to-talk switch of the portable radio, there is no readily available and efficient means of determining the operational mode or status of the radio having its battery being charged. A desk-top charger is a portable charger usually placed on top of a desk or a table.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a charger to detect the operational mode of the radio connected to the battery being charged by accessing only the available battery contacts. There is also a need to utilize a minimum number of inexpensive discrete electronic components in fabricating an operational mode detector.

Transmit mode detector in a battery charger


Provided in the present application are a pressable touch panel and an ultrasound imaging system. The pressable touch panel includes a touch assembly, an elastic member and a housing. The touch assembly includes a first surface for receiving a touch force, the elastic member is arranged below the touch assembly, and the housing is used to accommodate the elastic member, wherein the elastic member is confined by the housing to be in a compressed state to prevent liquid from passing through the elastic member.

Ultrasonic detection is a common detection method in the modern medical field. An ultrasound system has a control panel with many user controls for setting up and controlling the system to perform the desired imaging examination.
A user can set an imaging mode based on a control panel. For example, an operator can set an imaging mode for B-mode, Doppler or M-mode; or change the size and angle of an image field, and adjust the frequency for fundamental or harmonic imaging; or adjust the system gain to more clearly distinguish deeper anatomical structures in the human body, and adjust time gain control slides to provide the appropriate gain at the depth of interest; or add focal zones and reposition the focal zones to different depths, for example, a spectral Doppler display when a Doppler gate is placed on an anatomical structure; or form a variety of measurement results from estimated anatomical structures and blood flow parameters. These operations are only some of the controls and adjustments available on a control panel of a typical ultrasound system.
Although each ultrasonic examination can require the adjustment and use of many controls on the above control panel, different types of examinations can require the use of a slightly or significantly different group of controls. Therefore, the control panel must contain a very large number of user controls to accommodate all the variable uses and functions of the ultrasound system. The ever-increasing number of controls has been addressed by different equipment providers in different ways. Some solutions are to simply increase the number and/or density of mechanical controls on the control panel. Other solutions are to augment the mechanical controls with softkey controls on a display screen of the system, and the user can call up, adjust and click the controls on the control panel with a computer mouse or a trackball. Still other solutions have employed softkey controls on a touch panel display, and the user can manipulate and adjust manually the softkey controls without the need for a computer pointing device.
Conventionally, the control panel is provided with a trackball, and the user (for example, a sonographer) manipulates the trackball to indicate an anatomical structure of an ultrasound image on an image display, and manipulates a cursor or pointer on the screen to indicate a softkey on the display screen, which is selected by clicking a button adjacent to the trackball.
In the ultrasound imaging system, the conventional trackball is replaced with a touch panel to make the operation more convenient. However, the touch panel cannot be pressed, which will limit the function of the touch panel and complicate the operation process.

Pressable touch panel and ultrasound imaging system


A piezoelectric ceramic composition in which the mechanical quality factor Qm and the electromechanical coupling factor Kp are superior, and a high power output piezoelectric transformer made of it are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric ceramic composition for use in a piezoelectric transformer and the like. Particularly, the present invention relates to a piezoelectric ceramic composition in which the mechanical-quality factor Qm and the electromechanical coupling factor Kp are superior, and to a high power output piezoelectric transformer made of the same composition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The discovery of the piezoelectric ceramic was such that BaTiO3 was discovered at the middle of 1940s, and then, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3(to be called simply xe2x80x9cPZTxe2x80x9d below) having more superior piezoelectric properties was developed thereafter. This material has been widely applied to high voltage generators, ultrasonic apparatuses, sound apparatuses, communication apparatuses, and various other sensors.
PZT is a solid solution form of PbZrO3 and PbTiO3, and has a perovskite structure, while it has superior piezoelectric properties. In order to make the composition variation easier than this two-component system and to improve the piezoelectric properties, there have been developed three-component system composite perovskite compounds. Among these three-component system compounds, attention has been focused on: Pb(Mg,Nb)O3xe2x80x94Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, Pb(Mg,Ta)O3xe2x80x94Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, and Pb(Mn,Nb)O3xe2x80x94Pb(Zr,Ti)O3.
Recently there has been reported a piezoelectric ceramic composition in which the coercive electric field and the electromechanical factor are high, and the grain size is made fine by a composition system of Pb0.94Ba0.06)(Mn1/3Nb2/3)0.075(Zr0.52Ti0.48)0.925O3+0-2 mol % Ceo2 (Dielectric constant=799, Qm=1, 285, Kp=0.54, Ec=10.7 KV/cm, Tc=332xc2x0 C., grain size=2.57 xcexcm, J. H. Yoo; Journal of Korean Electric Academy, 48C, No. 9, P811, 1999). These three-component system piezoelectric ceramic compositions are low in the dielectric constant and in the mechanical quality factor, and therefore, the use of them is limited to the low current output apparatuses such as the inverter of the cold cathode ray tube for illuminating the rear face of the LCD display. Their power is in the order of 2-3 watts, and therefore, they cannot be used in the general fluorescent lamps which consume a considerable amount of electric current.
The impedance of the general fluorescent lamps is as low as several hundred xcexa9 to several xcexa9 when lighted, whereas their output power is high i.e., in the order of 10-100 watts. If the piezoelectric ceramic material is to be used for a high power, first the generation of heat, the non-linearity, the degradation of the piezoelectric properties and the mechanical strength have to be solved. In order to achieve this, first the mechanical quality factor and the electromechanical coupling factor have to be high even under a high input power, so that the energy conversion efficiency can be improved to decrease the internal loss so as to decrease the thermal radiation. Second, the mechanical oscillations are high, and therefore, the grain size has to be made fine, thereby increasing the mechanical strength.
If the piezoelectric material is to be used in the transformer for a high power. fluorescent lamp, then the structure of the transformer as well as the physical properties of the material is important. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical example of a piezoelectric transformer which is used in an inverter. This transformer is the Rosen type in which the thickness oscillations and the lengthwise oscillations are utilized. In the transformer 10 of FIG. 1, a pair of input electrodes 14 are respectively formed on the bottom and top of a piezoelectric block 12, and the input electrodes 14 are polarized in the thickness direction. An output part consists of an electrode 16 which is disposed on a side of the piezoelectric block, and is polarized in the lengthwise direction. If the piezoelectric transformer is to be stepped up, then an ac voltage corresponding to the resonance frequency is supplied to the input electrodes 14. Then the supplied electrical signals are converted to strong mechanical oscillations in the thickness direction near the input electrodes of the piezoelectric block 12. These oscillations lead to lengthwise oscillations of the output side, and consequently, a stepped-up high voltage with a frequency same as the input frequency is outputted through the output electrode 16. The stepping-up of the voltage becomes maximum when the frequency of the input voltage is same as the oscillation frequency of the output side. Under this condition, the ratio of the stepping-up of the piezoelectric transformer depends on the impedance of the load. That is, if a low impedance of load is connected to the output side, the ratio of the stepping-up becomes less than several scores. The magnitude of the load impedance is different depending on the kind of lamps in the case where the piezoelectric transformer is used in the cold cathode ray tube or in the fluorescent lamp. However, if the piezoelectric transformer is manufactured at the optimum conditions, then a high stepping-up ratio can be maintained. Thus in the normal case where a high impedance is connected before the lighting, and where the load impedance is lowered after the lighting, a sufficient stepping-up ratio can be maintained, so that it can be used in the cold cathode ray tube or in the fluorescent lamp.
Recently, there has been known a filter 10 in which the oscillation mode is as shown in FIG. 2. An input electrode 14 is formed on the top of a piezoelectric block 12, and an output electrode 16 is formed around the input electrode 14 keeping a certain distance from the latter. On the bottom of the piezoelectric block 12, there is formed a second electrode 18 which is a common electrode. If a voltage is supplied into the input electrode 14, then the supplied electrical signals are converted to mechanical oscillations from the center toward the peripheral portions, and then, output signals proportional to the mechanical oscillations are outputted through the output electrode 16. However, if this structure is used in a high power apparatus, then stress is imposed on the middle of the edge portions, with the result that the device is damaged or its efficiency is degraded.
As described above, if the piezoelectric ceramic is to be used in a high output power apparatus, then the problems of the mechanical quality factor Qm and the electromechanical coupling factor Kp have to be solved first, and a proper structure of the transformer has to be provided also.
The present invention is intended to solve the above described problems of the conventional techniques.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a piezoelectric ceramic composition in which the dielectric constant, the electromechanical coupling factor and the mechanical quality factor are superior, and a high output power piezoelectric transformer obtained by using the piezoelectric ceramic composition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high output power piezoelectric transformer, in which the piezoelectric ceramic composition is used to construct the transformer so that a high output power characteristics are satisfied, and the operation is stable, by designing particular electrodes.
In achieving the above objects, the piezoelectric ceramic composition according to the present invention includes: Pb1xe2x88x92aSra[(Ni1/2W1/2)b(Mn1/3Nb2/3)c(Zr1xe2x88x92xTix)1xe2x88x92bxe2x88x92c]O3+kPbO, where a is 0-0.06 mol %, b is 0.01-0.05 mol %, c is 0.01-0.09 mol %, x is 0.47-0.53 mol %, and k is 0.1-0.7 wt %.
In another aspect of the present invention, the high output power piezoelectric transformer according to the present invention obtained by using a piezoelectric ceramic composition satisfying Pb1xe2x88x92aSra[(Ni1/2W1/2)b(Mn1/3Nb2/3)c(Zr1xe2x88x92xTix)1xe2x88x92bxe2x88x92c]O3+kPbO, where a is 0-0.06 mol %, b is 0.01-0.05 mol %, c is 0.01-0.09 mol %, x is 0.47-0.53 mol %, and k is 0.1-0.7 wt %.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the high output power piezoelectric transformer according to the present invention includes: a piezoelectric block composed of Pb1xe2x88x92aSra[(Ni1/2W1/2)b(Mn1/3Nb2/3)c(Zr1xe2x88x92xTix)1xe2x88x92bxe2x88x92c]O3+kPbO, (where a is 0-0.06 mol %, b is 0.01-0.05 mol %, c is 0.01-0.09 mol %, x is 0.47-0.53 mol %, and k is 0.1-0.7 wt %.); a first electrode consisting of an inner electrode and an outer electrode, the inner electrode being formed at a center of a top of the piezoelectric block, and the outer electrode being formed around the inner electrode by being separated by an isolating region; and a second electrode formed on the bottom of the piezoelectric block.

Piezoelectric ceramic composition, and high power output transformer made of the same composition

Abstract: The piezoelectric ceramic composition according to the present invention is composed of Pb1xe2x88x92aSra [(Ni1/2W1/2)b(Mn1/3Nb2/3)c(Zr1xe2x88x92xTix)1xe2x88x92bxe2x88x92c]O3+kPbO, where a is 0-0.06 mol %, b is 0.01xe2x88x920.05 mol %, c is 0.01-0.09 mol %, x is 0.47-0.53 mol %, and k is 0.1-0.7 wt %.

Abstract: The piezoelectric transformer according to the present invention includes: a piezoelectric block composed of the same composition; a first electrode consists of an inner electrode and an outer electrode, the inner electrode being formed at a center of a top of the piezoelectric block, and the outer electrode being formed around the inner electrode by being separated by an isolating region; a second electrode is formed on the bottom of the piezoelectric block.


A chemical analysis system including a suction unit for sucking an amount of a sample from a sample vessel and determining whether or not the sucked sample is of a sufficient amount for analysis. If the sucked amount is of a sufficient amount, it is transferred directly to a reaction vessel for mixture with a reagent in a measurement unit for analysis. If the sucked amount is of an insufficient amount, it is initially transferred to a temporary sample storage unit in order to detect the amount of insufficiency and then is transferred to the measurement unit for mixture with the reagent and also with a dilution solution which is added to the insufficient sample in an amount determined by the amount of insufficiency determined in the temporary sample storage unit. Then, the analysis of the previously insufficient amount of sample is performed taking into account the amount of dilution solution added to the previously insufficient amount of sample. A control unit is providing for controlling the overall operation of the system.

The present invention relates to an automatic chemical analysis system particularly for detecting a fact as to whether or not a necessary amount of a sample is sucked and an automatic chemical analysis method utilizing the system.
There is known an automatic chemical analysis system which uses, for example, blood serum taken from a human body as a sample and causes the sample to react with a desired reagent according to an analysis item. A specific component of the thus prepared reacted solution is then analyzed.
In order to perform this analysis, first, a necessary amount of a sample to be analyzed is sucked from a sample vessel by a sample suction probe, supplied to a reaction vessel disposed on a measurement line and then reacted with a reagent supplied to the same reaction vessel almost at the same time with the supply of the sample. The resulting reaction solution is thereafter measured by using, for example, a colorimetric method to thereby analyze the concentration of the above specific component. The result of the analysis for each analysis item is outputted and reported by being displayed to a monitor or printed by a printer.
When the sample is sucked by the sample suction probe as described above, a monitor unit is provided for detecting whether or not the sample having an amount necessary for analysis is in fact sucked, and if the amount of the sample necessary for the analysis is not sucked, an occurrence of an insufficient suction error is reported as a result of the analysis.
Incidentally, the conventional automatic chemical analysis system has a problem in that when an amount necessary for analysis of the sample is not sucked, the sample must be remeasured because the result of the analysis thereof lacks reliability, and additional time is thus consumed and the sample is wasted.
More specifically, the conventional suction monitor unit only reports that an amount of the sample is insufficient. The result of the analysis for an item for which an insufficient suction error is reported is not reliable and this item must be remeasured. Further, in an automatic chemical analysis system of the type in which a multiplicity of analysis items are simultaneously measured by once sucking a sample, an insufficient suction error is reported on the result of all the items unless a quantitative analysis of an insufficient amount is accurately performed. Accordingly, these items have to be remeasured to ensure the accuracy of data.
Nevertheless, since a sample taken from a human body is precious and limited in amount, the use of the sample, which originally has a small content, for remeasurement is wasteful and not desirable. Further, it is sometimes required to take the sample again from a human body, which imposes a burden upon the human body which is unhealthy even if the sample is not taken therefrom.
Further, there is also known an analysis system provided with a dilution function, and it is contemplated to cope with the shortage of the sample by making use of this dilution function, but it is difficult to specify a magnification ratio of dilution.

Automatic chemical analysis system and automatic chemical analysis method


An information providing system includes first and second apparatuses. The first apparatus includes a memory storing a shared random number Ri and shared information, a providing unit providing the second apparatus with encrypted information e(Ki, Fi) obtained by encrypting information Fi with an encryption key and an encrypted key Yi obtained by encrypting a decryption key Ki with the random number Ri, and an updating unit updating Ri to Ri+1 based on the shared information. The second apparatus includes a memory storing the random number Ri and the shared information, an acquiring unit acquiring the encrypted information e(Ki, Fi) and the encrypted key Yi, a key decrypting unit decrypting the encrypted key Yi with the random number Ri to calculate the decryption key Ki and updating Ri to Ri+1 based on the shared information, and an information decrypting unit decrypting the encrypted information e(Ki, Fi) with the decryption key Ki.

(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information providing system, an image processing apparatus, a computer readable medium, and an information providing method.
(ii) Related Art
When a confidential file on an information management apparatus such as a server is used on a terminal such as a smartphone, there is a concern of leakage of the confidential file due to, for example, theft of the terminal. As a measure addressing this concern, a mechanism is known which encrypts the confidential file to be downloaded to the terminal from the information management apparatus, and holds the encrypted confidential file in the terminal. To view the encrypted confidential file on the terminal, decryption information called ticket, for example, is acquired from the information management apparatus, and the encrypted confidential file is decrypted with the decryption information.
Further, the generation of an encryption key for encrypting the confidential file by the use of a random number has been performed in the past.

Information providing system, information processing apparatus, computer readable medium, and information providing method for providing encrypted information


Ground connections are made between first and second electrical connectors (1, 27). The first connector has a first sleeve (5) and has contact elements (23) mounted on the first sleeve. The second connector has a second sleeve (31) with slots (35) that receive the contact elements (23) when the connectors mate. Locating ribs (21) lie forward (F1) of the contact elements to align the slots in the second sleeve with the contact elements.

This invention relates to electrical connectors having a means for providing an electrical grounding connection. More particularly, though not exclusively, this invention relates to shielded electrical connectors.
Electrical connectors having a means for providing an electrical grounding connection are well known. These connectors are often used for mechanically and electrically coupling shielded cables, which are electrical cables in which one or more insulated inner conductor is enclosed by a conductive shielding layer. Where there is a single insulated inner conductor, shielded cables are sometimes called coaxial cables.
Shielded cables are used in applications where it is desired to minimized the effect of electrical noise on signals which are being carried in the cables or to reduce the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the cables. The former is particularly important for cables carrying high bandwidth signals which are particularly susceptible to noise. The latter is important for cables carrying high voltages.
In a shielded cable, the shielding is usually in the form of plated braided strands of copper which surround the inner conductor(s), although other conductive shielding arrangements such as spiral windings of metallic foil and sleeves of conductive polymers are also known. The shielding is usually grounded, although the shielding may in some applications carry signals. In either case, it is important that the electrical connector maintains the shielding and provide a reliable electrical connection for both the inner conductor(s) and the shielding/grounding.
In a known shielded electrical connector, the shielding/grounding connection is provided by a rigid conductive sleeve arranged around a dielectric spacing member, which spacing member accommodates at least one elongate contact terminal for connecting the inner conductors. The metallic sleeve functions to provide the mechanical coupling of the connector, and the electrical coupling of the shielding/grounding, to a cable at one end and a mating connector at the other end.
In the known shielded electrical connector, the mechanical coupling means often includes circumferential "keys" which have to be aligned with circumferential recesses or cut outs provided in the conductive sleeve of a mating connector. The electrical coupling means usually comprises a resilient metallic band arranged around the conductive sleeve of the connector. The resilient band has an interference fit with the sleeve of the mating connector, so as to ensure reliable electrical contact. That is to say, the resilient band holds itself in position by being diametrically smaller than the sleeve so that the band exerts a positive compressive spring force.
A problem associated with the known connector described above is that the resilient metallic band used for electrically connecting the shielding consumes space in the axial direction of the connector. For example, in a typical known connector, the width of the resilient metallic band can be as much as 6 mm.


The present invention provides methods of synthesizing hydrogels that contain covalently linked polypeptides. These polypeptides may be tetravalent peptides or polypeptides that bind to cell surface receptors. The hydrogels synthesized by the methods of the present invention may be used in wound dressings or applied directly to wounds to promote healing.

Hydrogels consist of a three-dimensional, polymeric network that holds a liquid medium and retains it through surface tension effects. The network of polymer chains is hydrophilic and can contain over 99.9% water. Hydrogels also possess a degree of flexibility very similar to natural tissue because of their significant water content. These gels have no known toxicity and have been approved for clinical use. Common uses for hydrogels include scaffolds in tissue engineering. When used as scaffolds, hydrogels may contain human cells to repair tissue; hydrogel-coated wells used for cell culture; environmentally sensitive hydrogels, known as 'Smart Gels' or 'Intelligent Gels,' have the ability to sense changes of pH, temperature, or concentration of metabolites and release their load as result of such a change; sustained-release drug delivery systems; absorption and debriding of necrotic and fibrotic tissue; biosensors formed from hydrogels that are responsive to specific molecules, such as glucose or antigens; absorbents in disposable diapers where they absorb urine, or in sanitary napkins; contact lenses (silicone hydrogels, polyacrylamides); EEG and ECG medical electrodes using hydrogels composed of cross-linked polymers (polyethylene oxide, polyAMPS and polyvinylpyrrolidone); water gel explosives; and rectal drug delivery and diagnosis. Other, less common uses include breast implants; glue; granules for holding soil moisture in arid areas; dressings for healing of burn or other hard-to-heal wounds (which are excellent for helping to create or maintain a moist environment); and reservoirs in topical drug delivery—particularly ionic drugs, delivered by ionophoresis.
Advantageous properties and uses of hydrogels may be extended by incorporation of copolymer substrates. For example, addition of polypeptides to a hydrogel could provide a variety of surface properties to the polymer. There is a need in the field to provide effective ways of chemically linking polypeptides to hydrogels to provide mechanically stable compositions.

Hydrogels with covalently linked polypeptides


The present invention provides methods to create a pattern part, and a subsequent mold core package, that can be used in the casting process to cast one or more die components having a near net-shape of the finished part. In this way, the present invention provides a cast part which greatly reduces the amount of finishing work that needs to be performed on the part after casting. Further, the present invention provides a method which involves less upfront stock material to cast the near net-shape of the desired die component part. The present invention accomplishes this by providing an efficient and effective automated method to determine where and how to add appropriate mechanical features to a design model part to produce a manufacturing model part in a CAD software program.

Die components, such as trim steels, scrap cutters, flange steels, form steels, pierce inserts, trim inserts, button block inserts, and the like, are components of a stamping die assembly that are used to form and cut away excess sheet steel from a vehicle part, such as a hood, door panel, or other like part being formed. Any number of die components can be used per stamping die assembly, each die component having a unique configuration and function. In the past, the common method for producing die components involved an investment casting process, which required a pattern maker to glue Styrofoam® pieces together in an approximate shape of a desired die component and then fine tune that approximate shape by machining the Styrofoam® into the shape and size of the actual die component to be cast. Recently, this technology has been referred to as subtractive manufacturing, wherein Styrofoam® pieces, metallic blocks or other such billets have been machined down to the approximate shape of a die component. Additive manufacturing techniques, such as sand printing, have all but eliminated the need to form such parts using subtractive manufacturing techniques. Using subtractive manufacturing techniques, extra machining stock, as much as 10 mm, is left on the subtractively manufactured pattern part and the resulting casting. This extra casting stock must be machined using a lengthy process, which involves scanning the object and creating a CNC program that is based on the actual shape of the desired die component part. Having the extra machining stock on the final cast part requires multiple rough machining steps, especially when a cutting edge is desired on the die component. The multiple rough machine steps are necessary because the extra stock on the cast part often exceeds the penetration depth of the CNC machine, such that the extra stock must first be removed through multiple rough cut operations. The cast part must also be hardened between rough machining processes and, finally, finish machined. The present invention eliminates several of the post-casting steps involved in making a finished die component by using additive manufacturing techniques.
Presently, computer aided design (CAD) software is used to facilitate the electronic designing of complex three-dimensional (3D) models of mold packages used to produce cast parts. In developing a mold package, the CAD software must first create a manufacturing model part from a design model part. This requires adding specific features which make the manufacturing model part castable using a molten material, such as a molten tool steel alloy. Mechanical features desired in the manufacturing model part require the CAD operator to add stock material on machine surfaces, add witness mark pockets on base surfaces, fill in threaded screw holes and dowel holes, add fillets to various sharp edges in the design model parts, and other preparations within the CAD software. At present, all these preparations have to be done manually and they are very tedious and time consuming given the multitude of die component parts needed for any given stamping job. Thus, a need exists for a supplemented ancillary computer implemented method to be used with present CAD software that is capable of auto-generating the manufacturing model part from a design model part having the desired mechanical features within the CAD software.

Automated cad process for creating mold packages


Conventionally, to acquire specific information of a customer, acquisition of the information is only possible by using information such as a bank account number owned by the customer, and further it is not possible to present information beneficial to the customer unless information owned by the customer is acquired from the customer. More specifically, there is a problem in that much time is necessary for a customer or a system operator to input such information.

The present invention relates to a sales shop system which realizes work tasks by using a plurality of information processing apparatuses located inside or outside a sales shop, and more specifically, to presentation of display content including merchandise information and advertising information appropriate for each customer.
Conventionally, systems that present merchandise information according to customers include a system described in patent document 1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,521). Patent Document 1 describes a system in which information for identifying a customer is received, attribute information of the customer who is identified by the information is retrieved, and then merchandise information having customer conditions that satisfy the attribute information is output. With such a system, it is possible to rapidly provide merchandise information that matches customer needs.

Abstract: To solve the above-stated problem, the present invention outputs information associated with a customer by using biometric information including a face image. More specifically, biometric information is acquired from a user of a first terminal unit included in a plurality of terminal units, and information associated with an operation made by the user is identified. Then, when the user is going to use a second terminal unit (or when the second terminal unit executes processing of information on the user based on inputs by a third party, etc.), biometric information is acquired from the user, and information that is identified by an operation made on the first terminal unit is retrieved for output by using the biometric information.


An illustrative method of data gathering includes determining that a vehicle traveling characteristic has changed beyond an expected parameter. The method further includes recording the GPS coordinates of the vehicle and ceasing recording the GPS coordinates of the vehicle when the vehicle traveling characteristic resumes the expected parameter. Finally, the method includes determining and storing a traffic control feature associated with at least one set of the GPS coordinates, if the recorded GPS coordinates of the vehicle correspond to previously recorded GPS coordinates.

Navigation systems are prevalent in many vehicles and on many nomadic devices, including, but not limited to, cellular phones, smartphones, personal data assistants (PDAs), etc. These systems, generally, will use global positioning system (GPS) coordinates to determine the present location of a user, and can also have a destination entered therein.

Advanced map information delivery, processing and updating


A hand-operated tool for cutting fibrous compressible insulation batts, and similar fibrous compressible materials. The tool, includes an elongated cutter blade housing, and a planar sheet of plexiglass, bent into a "C"-shaped configuration. End portions of the "C"-shaped plexiglass sheet fit over the ends of the cutter blade housing, so that the "C"-shaped sheet forms a presser element for the insulation batt, when placed on the top surface thereof. When the cutter blade is drawn through the batt material, the presser element compresses the material into a relatively small thickness, so that the cutter blade is enabled to completely penetrate the batt material. An insulation batt, therefore, can be neatly and completely severed, with one pass of the cutting tool.

The present invention, relates to hand-operated cutting tools.
The present invention, more particularly, relates to hand-operated tools for cutting insulation batts.
The present invention, most particularly, relates to hand-operated tools for cutting insulation batts, during the process of installing such insulation batts in a building wall, or between the rafters of a building.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,974, granted to Edward McIlhatten, on Dec. 31, 1991, discloses a cutting tool for use on insulation batts, or other fibrous compressible materials. The cutting tool comprises a utility knife housing, having a razor-type cutting blade, extending from one end thereof. The elongated housing is seated in a "U"-shaped cradle, that is attached to two parallel rods, or wires. Flexible straps extend around the cradle and the knife housing, to retain the knife housing in a fixed position on the cradle.
The parallel rods terminate in guide rings, near the end of the knife housing that carries the cutting blade. The parallel rods are reversely curved, to form a spring system, that includes wire-like posts, extending upwardly through the above-mentioned guide rings. The spring system can be positioned against a batt of insulation, to exert a compressing action on the fibrous batt material when a downward manual pressure is exerted on the knife housing. During downward motion of the knife housing, the guide rings slide down on the parallel posts, presumably for the purpose of ensuring a true vertical motion of the knife housing. After the insulation batt has been compressed, the knife housing can be drawn across the batt surface, so that the razor blade cuts through the compressed batt thickness.
The tool shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,974, is believed to have some disadvantages. For example, the cost of manufacture is relatively high, because several component parts and assembly operations are required to form a complete assembly. The cradle has to be specially affixed to the parallel rods by bending edge areas of the cradle around the rod material. Several bending operations are required to form the wire, or rod, material into an operative spring shape. Also, the guide rings have to be specially formed, and the flexible straps have to be attached in some manner to the undersurface of the cradle. In light of the above, the overall cost of manufacture is believed to be relatively high.
Further, an operational disadvantage of the '974 patented system, is that the flexible straps are relatively close together, such that the knife housing is apt to wobble, or become loose, in the cradle, during operation. Also, the presence of the straps makes it somewhat difficult for the workman to get his hand around the knife housing. The straps and cradle add to the side-to-side bulk dimension of the tool, so that the workperson can not get a firm grip on the knife housing. Thus, the operator has to grip the straps, rather than the knife housing.
It is believed that the batt compressing action of the parallel rods, or wires, might also be less than satisfactory. Since the rods are spaced apart, they do not compress the batt, in the plane of the cutter blade. Instead, the rods, or wires, compress the batt in two parallel planes on either side of the cutter plane. Therefore, the cutter moves through batt material that is only partly compressed.
It is further believed that the wire-type posts may tend to bend, or buckle, since the associated guide rings move obliquely to the posts, during the downstroke of the knife housing. As the rings move down on the posts, the angulations of the rings on the posts change, so as to generate a twisting, or bending force on the posts.
Also, it is believed that the overall size of the tool assembly in the '974 patented arrangement, is excessive. As shown in FIG. 1 of the '974 patent, the overall length of the wire structure is appreciably greater than the length of the utility knife per se. A workman, working in close quarters, might find the '974 patented assembly too bulky for easy use. Additionally, it is believed that the wire construction is fragile and subject to bending of the wires. If the wires are bent out of parallelism, they will tend to spread apart when downward pressure is applied to the knife housing. In such an event, the guide rings would bind on the posts.


Alveolar macrophages contribute to host defenses against influenza. Enhancing their function contributed to protection against influenza and other acute lethal pulmonary infections. Wild-type mice and Tg mice expressing GM-CSF in the lung were infected with influenza virus, and lung pathology, weight loss and mortality were measured. GM-CSF was also administered to lungs of wild-type mice that were infected with influenza virus. All Tg mice expressing GM-CSF in the lungs survived with greatly reduced weight loss and lung injury and histologic evidence of a rapid host inflammatory response that controlled infection vs. wild-type mice not expressing GM-CSF in the lungs. This resistance to influenza was abrogated by elimination of alveolar phagocytes, but not by depletion of T cells, B cells or neutrophils. Tg mice had far more alveolar macrophages than wild-type mice and were more resistant to influenza-induced apoptosis. Delivery of intranasal GM-CSF to wild-type mice also conferred influenza resistance. Therefore, GM-CSF confers resistance to influenza by enhancing innate immune mechanisms that depend on alveolar macrophages. Pulmonary delivery of GM-CSF is therefore useful for reducing the significant morbidity and mortality due to influenza virus and is similarly useful in pulmonary infection caused by other infectious viral and bacterial agents.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention in the field of medicine and immunology, particularly innate immunity, relates to prevention and treatment of influenza infections with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and to the prevention and treatment of acute pneumonia caused by other organisms.
2. Description of the Background Art
Seasonal influenza causes an estimated three to five million cases and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide annually. (See, for example, URL: who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs211/en/.) Pandemic disease can result in substantial additional morbidity, mortality and economic cost, as evidenced by the recent H1N1 swine influenza pandemic. The tremendous human burden of influenza mandates improved methods to prevent and treat this infection.
Control and clearance of influenza infection are believed to hinge on adaptive immunity, mediated by B and T lymphocytes. B cells produce antibodies to influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, which protect against homologous virus (1). CD8+ cytolytic (or cytotoxic) T lymphocytes (CTL) cells clear influenza virus, limit viral replication and protect against lethal virus challenge (2-6). Recent studies also suggest a protective role for CD4+ T cells (7-10), which can lyse infected target cells (8), provide help to B cells, and promote expansion of CD8+ CTL (9). Based on the strength of the understanding that adaptive immunity is central to protection against influenza, preventive strategies have focused primarily on development of vaccines. Unfortunately, vaccines have been variably effective, in part because of antigenic shift and drift in the influenza viruses circulating in the population.
Recent studies have shown that innate immunity is also critical for resistance to influenza (11). Alveolar macrophages (AM) are the first line of host defense against respiratory microbes in general, and they contribute to clearance of influenza virus by Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis (12). Depletion of AM markedly enhances disease severity caused by influenza in murine and porcine experimental models (13, 14). However, the mechanisms by which AM mediate protection are not well understood.
Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) activity of was initially discovered in lung cell-conditioned medium where it stimulated growth of granulocytes and macrophages from cultured hematopoietic progenitors (Metcalf D. Blood 111:485-91, 2008). The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of murine and human GM-CSF (hGM-CSF) have been known for many years (Wong G G et al., Science 228:810-15 (1985); Lee, F, et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:4360-4364, 1985; Miyatake, S et al., EMBO J 4:2561-68, 1985). hGM-CSF has been produced recombinantly in bacterial, yeast, mammalian, plant, and insect expression systems (see, fore example, Babu K S et al., Biotechnol Lett 31:659-64, 2009; Sardana R et al., Transgenic Res 16:713-21, 2008; Kim N S et al., Plant Mol Biol 68:263-75, 2008).
Recombinant hGM-CSF (rhGM-CSF) is most commonly used to promote hematopoietic recovery after cancer chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. This protein has additional biologic effects in activating immune responses to infection and inflammation, and in hematopoiesis (Sasaki M G et al., Vaccine 21:4545-9, 2003). rhGM-CSF has therefore been was used in clinical treatment of infectious disease, malignancies, wound healing and other conditions (Wang X L et al., Virus Res 143:24-32, 2009; Coon C et al., Scand J Immunol 70:106-15, 2009; Jin S et al., Cancer Biother Radiopharm 24:237-41, 2009; Lutzky J et al., J Immunother 32:79-85, 2009; Sato T et al., J Clin Oncol 26:5436-42, 2008; Dai S et al., Mol Ther 16:782-90, 2008; Mann A et al., J Investig Dermatol, Symp Proc 11:87-92, 2006)
Therapeutic antiviral activity has been observed with rhGM-CSF used as an immunological adjuvant or in combination with antivirals (Sasaki et al., supra; Elias E G et al., Cancer Biother Radiopharm 23:285-91, 2008; Qiu J T et al., Vaccine 25:253-63, 2007; Zhai Y Z et al., Intervirology 52:152-63, 2009). Antiviral effects of rhGM-CSF alone against hepatitis B virus (Martin J et al. Hepatology 1993; 18:775-80, 1993), HIV (Matsuda S et al., AIDS Res Hum Retrovir 11:1031-8, 1995) and Herpes simplex virus (Altamura M, et al., Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 19:425-36, 1997) have been reported.
GM-CSF contributes to maturation of mononuclear phagocytes and AM (15, 16). In patients with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, circulating neutralizing antibodies against GM-CSF cause AM dysfunction (17), and AM from GM-CSF-deficient (GM−/−) mice have impaired capacity for phagocytosis and cytokine production, which functions were restored by GM-CSF treatment (18). Studies in GM−/− mice showed that GM-CSF contributed to immune responses during pneumonia that was caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pneumocystis carinii; administration of GM-CSF to septic patients reversed monocyte immunosuppression and improved the clinical course (19-21). DNA vaccination with a plasmid encoding influenza hemagglutinin, GM-CSF and IL-12 resulted in reduced viral titers and increased neutralizing antibody titers (22), suggesting that GM-CSF may enhance adaptive immune responses.
Huang H et al., showed protective effects of recombinant human GM-CSF on H1N1 influenza virus-induced pneumonia in mice (23).
Secondary bacterial infection occurs commonly after pulmonary virus infection and can cause severe disease in humans. Mechanisms responsible for this "synergy" in the lung are poorly understood. K. Sun and D W Metzger reported (Nature Med. 14:558-564 (2008)) that in mice, pulmonary interferon-γ (IFNγ) produced during the T cell response to influenza infection inhibited initial bacterial clearance from the lung by AM. This suppression of phagocytosis which correlated with lung IFNγ levels but not with viral burden, resulted in enhanced susceptibility to secondary pneumococcal infection. This effect could be prevented by neutralizing IFNγ after influenza infection. Thus, while promoting induction of anti-influenza adaptive immunity, this T cell product of the immune response, IFNγ, suppressed innate protection against extracellular bacterial pathogens in the lung.
In response to the need in the art for improved approaches to prevent and treat influenza infections, the present inventor conceived of the present invention.
(Certain references above and below appear as parenthetical numbers and appear in a reference list. Others are provided directly in the body of the text.) Citation of the above documents is not intended as an admission that any of the foregoing is pertinent prior art. All statements as to the date or representation as to the contents of these documents is based on the information available to the applicant and does not constitute any admission as to the correctness of the dates or contents of these documents.

Protection against influenza infection by granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor

BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


An improved photoimagable cationically polymerizable epoxy based coating material is provided. The material includes an epoxy resin system consisting essentially of between about 10% and about 80% by weight of a polyol resin which is a condensation product of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A having a molecular weight of between about 40,000 and 130,000; between about 20% and about 90% by weight of an epoxidized octafunctional bisphenol A formaldehyde novolak resin having a molecular weight of 4,000 to 10,000; and if flame retardancy is required between about 35% and 50% by weight of an epoxidized glycidyl ether of tetrabromo bisphenol A having a softening point of between about 60.degree. C. and about 110.degree. C. and a molecular weight of between about 600 and 2,500. To this resin system is added about 0.1 to about 15 parts by weight per 100 parts of resin of a cationic photoinitiator capable of initiating polymerization of said epoxidized resin system upon exposure to actinic radiation; the system being further characterized by having an absorbance of light in the 330 to 700 nm region of less than 0.1 for a 2.0 mil thick film. Optionally a photosensitizer such as perylene and its derivatives or anthracene and its derivatives may be added.

There are many different instances where photoimagable compositions are utilized in various industrial processes. In one particular process a photoimageable composition is utilized as a solder mask by applying the composition to the underlying printed circuit board. Thereafter photolithographic techniques are employed to reveal various underlying structures on the board while masking others so that solder may be applied by various solder applying processes to the exposed structures. During the solder applying process the solder will adhere to the exposed underlying components and be prevented from adhering where the remaining material operates as a solder mask.
It is necessary that the solder mask material be formulated such that it can be applied by the appropriate methods; for example curtain coating, a preferred method, requires certain rheological properties for effective coating. Further, the solder mask must have the properties of providing efficient transmission of the light or other exposing radiation so as to photolyze the photoinitiator through whatever thickness of material is applied. Also, of course, if the material is to be used as a solder mask, the solder mask must possess appropriate physical and chemical properties to withstand the application of the solder material without significant deterioration or degradation and maintain its coverage over the portions of the board wherein solder is to be masked. If it is to be used for other purposes, other properties may be required.
There have been many prior art proposals for different photoimageable compositions including many that use epoxies. Examples of these are found in the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,985; 4,548,890; 4,351,708; 4,138,255; 4,069,055; 4,250,053; 4,058,401; 4,659,649; 4,544,623; 4,684,671; 4,624,912; 4,175,963; 4,081,276; 4,693,961; and 4,442,197. All of these patents show Various resins and photoinitiators for use in photoimageable compositions many of which are useful as solder masks. However none of them teach or suggest the specific composition of the present invention.

International Business Machines Corporation


A connector assembly for an implantable medical device including a casing includes a header having a receptacle with an electrical contact for engageably receiving an electrical terminal on a proximal end of a lead and a fastener assembly for simultaneously releasably clamping the lead to the header within the receptacle and firmly attaching the header to the casing. The header is mounted on the casing and has a distal notched region with an upper surface and a first channel in its upper surface aligned with, and being a partial extension of, the receptacle. The fastener assembly includes a lead-lock component engageably received within the notched region of the header and with a second channel therein which is aligned and juxtaposed with the first channel, the channels taken together being an extension of the receptacle. A fastener system firmly mounts the lead-lock component to the header at the notched region.

The present invention is applicable to a variety of IMDs utilizing pulse generators to stimulate selected body tissue. However, in this instance, the invention and its background will be described principally in the context of a specific example of such devices, namely, an implantable cardiac pacemaker and defibrillator unit having a connector assembly defining multiple lead-receiving receptacles. The appended claims are not intended to be limited, however, to any specific example or embodiment described herein.
Cardiac pacemakers, and other implantable stimulation devices such as cardioverters and defibrillators, are hermetically sealed within a housing or casing (sometimes also referred to as a "can") to isolate the electronic circuits contained within the device from the body environment. Such devices require that electrical signals be reliably passed between the hermetically sealed circuitry and external connectors without compromising the hermeticity of the device. Depending on the configuration of the implantable device there may be multiple electrical paths required between the device and its external connectors for delivering, for example, multi-chamber or multi-site stimulation and shock therapy, and for receiving sensed cardiac signals. These paths must be electrically and mechanically integrated with the device to provide a safe, long-term connector assembly that does not compromise the hermetic package.
Typically, a hermetic housing feedthrough electrically couples the electronic circuits contained within the device housing or casing to the connector assembly. The feedthrough extends through the wall of the hermetically sealed casing into the connector assembly so as to couple the electronic circuits within the casing to lead-receiving receptacles within the connector assembly. Each lead has one or more electrical terminals on a proximal end thereof, typically in the form of a pin terminal and one or more conductive ring terminals. Typically, the pin is electrically coupled to a distal tip electrode and is therefore sometimes called the "tip terminal." When the proximal end of the lead is inserted into the lead receptacle of a connector assembly, contacts within the receptacle come into contact with corresponding terminals on the lead so as to couple the lead to the electronic circuits within the implantable stimulation device via the feedthrough assembly. Needless to say, it is imperative that a completely dependable electrical connection be made and retained between the lead terminals and the corresponding connector assembly contacts. At the same time, the connector assembly must be capable of releasing the lead from the lead receptacle during explantation or other subsequent surgical procedure, and must also tightly seal against the entry of body fluids.
It is known in prior art connector assemblies to electrically and mechanically connect the proximal end of the lead within a receptacle of the connector assembly by means of a variety of expedients including captive fastening screw/collet arrangements and setscrews. In those prior art connector assemblies in which the lead is fixed within the lead receptacle using a setscrew, the setscrew is often threaded into an electrical connector block within the connector assembly. When the screw is advanced, it comes into contact with an associated terminal on the proximal end of the lead, mechanically and electrically coupling the lead and the connector assembly. However, the proximal end of a lead is sometimes damaged by an over-tightened setscrew and setscrews have a history of stripping out of the threaded connector block. To minimize or eliminate such problems, setscrews of a certain minimum physical size have been employed. The result is often a protrusion on the side of the connector assembly as the physical size of the pacemaker and its connector assembly is reduced.
A further problem of prior art setscrew type connector assemblies arises from the need to isolate the setscrew and the setscrew block from body fluids. One solution has been to use a silicone seal called a septum. The septum forms an insulation barrier between the setscrew and body fluids. However, the septum must permit a wrench to pass through it so that the screw can be tightened. Frequently, the septum is damaged by the wrench resulting in a loss of the insulation barrier.
One improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,366 to Truex et al. which provides a feedthrough connector for a pacemaker, or other implantable medical device, that advantageously combines the connector function with the feedthrough function and eliminates the need for the cast epoxy connector previously used on prior art pacemakers. According to the Truex et al. patent, eliminating the external cast epoxy connector advantageously eliminates the need for septums, setscrews, and the feedthrough terminal and its associated platinum wires and connector blocks, as well as the whole time consuming casting process with its inherent propensity for cosmetic problems. In this patented instance, the feedthrough/connector includes a barrel assembly having an open end and a closed end. The open end of the assembly provides an opening into which the connecting end of a pacemaker lead, or other electrical lead, can be inserted. The barrel assembly includes metal (conductive) portions separated by ceramic (nonconductive) insulating portions. An overlap region of the conductive portions, separated by the nonconductive portion, advantageously provides structural strength as well as a capacitor structure which helps filter out unwanted electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals from passing through the connector. Spring contacts are mounted on the inside of the metal portions and are adapted to make electrical contact with the appropriate electrodes of the pacemaker or other electrical lead when the connecting end of the lead is inserted into the connector.
Another known improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,090 to Giurtino et al. which discloses a connector assembly for an implantable stimulating device which employs a lead-locking spring clip to reliably provide a mechanical and electrical connection between the terminal pin of an electrode lead and the device, while reducing the user interaction required during implantation and disconnection. In this patented instance, no tools are required to establish the connection, nor is user action, other than inserting the lead into the connector, necessary to lock the lead into place. Disconnecting the lead requires only the application of a modest transverse compressing force to a release button on the connector assembly. In the event that a withdrawal force is applied to the lead without simultaneously applying the compressing force to the release button, the connector assembly increases its holding force on the electrode lead.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,595 to Moberg et al. discloses a connector assembly mounted on an implantable cardiac stimulation device having a side-actuated mechanism for fixing and tightly sealing electrical leads inserted into lead receptacles within an IMD connector assembly without the use of setscrews. In the Moberg et al. patent, fixing and sealing of the leads is accomplished by compressing resilient lead lock O-ring seals, disposed in annular recesses, with lip portions of a plunger drawn toward a molded support by the actuator mechanism.
It was in light of the foregoing that the present invention was conceived and has now been reduced to practice.

Dual-locking mechanism for lead and header attachment in pre-molded headers