An extruder assembly for forming a multi-layered composite is described, the extruder assembly includes an extruder head having a first and second flow passage, a first and second extruder in fluid communication with the respective first and second flow passage, and a splice bar having a first and second passageway extending from a rear side to an outlet side, and communicating flow from the first and second passageway to an outlet die. The splice bar further includes a groove located on the rear side of the splice bar and being positioned between the first and second passageway.

In tire manufacturing, numerous tire components are formed of a plurality of rubber parts. Rubber tire components such as the tire apex, sidewall, and tread are formed by an extrusion process. One type of extruder typically used in tire manufacturing is a screw extruder. The screw extruder typically has a long chamber with a screw centered in the channel, wherein the screw masticates the rubber. The end of the channel typically has a die having a hole formed therein. The shape of the hole dictates the cross-sectional shape of the rubber part to be made. The extruder pressure forces the rubber through the small die hole forming the part to be made in a continuous manner The desired rubber part is obtained by cutting the extruded part to a given length.
The invention relates to coextrusion of tie components. Co-extrusion is the manufacture of a multi-layered rubber composite in a single operation. The multi-layered rubber composite is composed of at least two individual rubber compositions configured as rubber layers, wherein each rubber layer extends through the rubber composite thickness from one side to the other opposing side. The multi-layered rubber composite is prepared by co-extruding at least two individual rubber compositions, via an individual extruder for each rubber composition, to an internal cavity of a head. The head is comprised of an internal cavity which contains flow channels for guiding the at least two individual rubber compositions to form said multi-layered rubber composite through a splice bar and die, forming a composite strip in a single manufacturing step.
The problem of smear may occur as a side effect of co-extrusion. Smear is the appearance of a thin layer (usually a few microns) of a compound at an unexpected location of the multi-layered rubber composite. Smear is generally undesired, and is usually the result of rubber flow at junction or gaps between parts of the co-extrusion equipment. Thus it is desired to have improved manufacturing equipment which substantially reduces or eliminates smear in component co-extrusion manufacturing.


A suture ligating device used in a endoscopic surgery which can reliably transfer a knot of a suture formed outside a human body to inner tissues to be ligated inside the human body without causing a separation of the knot from the suture ligating device. The suture ligating device includes a manipulation portion, first and second rod members provided at the manipulation portion and making a relative movement in response to an operation of the manipulation portion, first and second top end members provided at an end of the first rod member, concaves formed at the ends of the first and second top end members, and the third top end member provided at an end of the second rod member to perform an open and close movement in response to the relative movement of the first and second rod members.

Recently, surgery using an endoscope (endoscopic surgery) is getting more widely performed. While the conventional surgery methods need to largely dissect the abdomen or chest of a human body for cutting, suturing or ligating the tissues to be treated, an endoscopic surgery only needs to cut a hole of a minimum size in the abdomen or other regions. Due to the smallness of the cut, early recovery of the patient is possible.
Endoscopic surgery is performed as follows. First, a trocar having a reverse stop valve is inserted into the hole cut in an abdomen. A gas is charged therethrough into the abdominal cavity to create a space at the surgery region. Thereafter, surgery is performed by inserting scalpels, forceps and the like in the abdominal cavity through the hollow space of the trocar. In order to monitor the surgery, another hole is created in the abdomen to insert another trocar to provide a monitoring camera therein for monitoring the operation of the surgery.
Since the space of the abdominal cavity is limited, surgeons must insert slender devices in a narrow space by monitoring the display to perform the surgery appropriately. Depending on the circumstances, surgeons must suture the tissue of the dissected portion or ligate a number of blood vessels.
The above suturing procedure is performed as follows. A guide device for guiding a needle having a suture, formed for example in a forceps shape, such as a guide device disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 9-56719, is inserted through the space in the trocar. Then, the tissues to be sutured are grasped and pierced by the needle having a suture. Thereafter, both ends of the piercing suture is pulled back outside the human body through the space of the trocar. Subsequently, a tie or knot (hereinafter referred to as a "knot") of the suture is formed outside the human body. This knot is then sent back to the place where the tissues are ligated by using a suture sending device called a "knot pusher", an example of which is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 5-317321. Then, the tissues are ligated at that place. By repeating this operation more than two times, a ligation which will not get loose, such as called a "surgeon's knot", can be achieved.
However, at the time the knot is sent to the inner cavity with use of the knot pusher through the space of the trocar, the movement of the knot pusher is hindered by the reverse stop valves as well as the narrow space of the tube of the trocar, hitting many spots inside the trocar. Owing to this problem, the knot of the suture is sometimes separated from the knot pusher. If the knot has already passed the trocar and is reached the space of the abdominal cavity, it is still possible to recapture the knot by the knot pusher through monitoring the knot by the camera display. However, such an operation for recapturing the knot takes a long time. If the knot is separated from the knot pusher inside the trocar, it is extremely difficult to recapture the knot. Thus, the knot pressing operating has to start over again, taking a much longer time.
In addition, as described above, since the number of the knots to be tied for each tissue ligating is at least two, possibility of occurrence of the above trouble exists at least two times at one place. This results in a heavy burden to surgeons as well as patient. Further, the knot ligated by the first operation sometimes becomes loose before the second knot is sent thereto, resulting in the failure of sufficiently joining the tissues.


A method and apparatus for driving at least one explosive driven projectile into an open hole or well bore of a subterranean formation for the purpose of stimulating productive formation. The apparatus is capable of pivoting within the open hole or well bore for desired firing at an angle and is also capable of deep penetration into a subterranean formation. The apparatus may also be conveyed by a tubing in horizontal drilling applications.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for penetrating an existing subterranean formation; and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for driving a projectile through an existing subterranean formation for enhanced production of coal, petroleum or other solid, gas or liquid substances.
In the recovery of petroleum, gas or liquid substances from subterranean formations, a well bore is formed into the earth and an open hole or cavity is formed beyond the well bore. Once the subterranean formation has been drilled by conventional methods, it is often necessary to stimulate or enhance production. Typically in the past, fluid has been pumped under pressure into the well and into the formation to induce hydraulic fracturing of the formation or by acidizing the well formation with chemical substances to treat or stimulate the formation. Conventional open hole and cased hole completions in combination with fracturing or chemical treatments have severe limitations. These treatments may actually cause the formations to seal up. Further, mediums of low permeability and low porosity are much more difficult to open up with these treatments. Finally, methods involving horizontal drilling applications are extremely difficult, often unsuccessful and can be prohibitively expensive.
There is an unmet need for a method and apparatus for rejuvenating or stimulating an open hole or cavern well in such a way as to substantially increase production rates and overcome the numerous problems and drawbacks inherent in the conventional methods. In particular, it is proposed to employ a novel projectile apparatus which is capable of penetrating a subterranean formation as well as orienting and rotating the projectile within the open hole for discharging the projectile member into the formation.

Method and apparatus for penetrating subsurface formations


A method for removing a metal from a single-thread fabric for making a pattern, characterized in that said single-thread fabric is a square-mesh metallized and etching laser made fabric.

The present invention relates to a method for making flexible circuits.
At present, flexible circuits are mainly made by depositing a conductive pattern on a film of a polymeric material such as polyester, and polyimide, followed by a chemical removal process for removing parts not pertaining to the circuit being made.
Flexible circuits may also be made by suitably metallized textile substrates.
Is also herein mentioned the well known etching process in which the material is mainly removed by chemical radical reactions with the substrate.
The etching chemical process is performed for creating preset patterns on a metallized fabric material.
A first stage of a chemical etching process is to prepare functional masks for forming on the metallized fabric a desired pattern.
By a photolithographic or photo-etching process, the thus made pattern is transferred from its mask to a thin layer of a UV radiation sensible material covering the surface of a textile substrate.
In order to generate the target flexible electronic elements, an etching or chemical process is performed for selectively removing unmasked portions of the fabric material covering metal layer.
The photolithographic steps are as follows:                applying the photosensible film (resist) on the substrate;        exposing to a UV radiation the resist film at regions thereof not covered by the pattern defined on a photolithographic mask contacting the substrate;        developing the resist film at the exposed regions thereof (the so called positive process);        etching the metal film underlining the photo sensitive film at the regions not covered thereby;        stripping.
The developing is the operating step which mostly affects the pattern quality.
The etching is the process used for tracing elements, consisting of eliminating excess metal while leaving only the designed circuit connections.
The removal is carried out by an acid bath.
Etching reagent, etching time and related temperature and stirring are the main factors controlling this process.
The stripping is the process carried out for removing a still present photosensible film.
It is important that the stripping procedure does not negatively affect the underlying metal layer and does not cause contamination thereof.


A method for producing titanium powder containing a solid-soluted nitorogen comprises the step of heating titanium powder comprised of titanium particles in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere to dissolve nitrogen atoms and form a solid solution of nitrogen atom in a matrix of the titanium particle.

Titanium is a lightweight material whose specific gravity is as low as about half that of steel and which is characterized by its high corrosion resistance and high strength. Titanium is therefore used for parts of aircrafts, railway vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, automobiles, etc. for which reduction in weight is greatly desired, home appliances, members for construction, etc. Titanium is also used as a material for medical use because of its high corrosion resistance.
However, applications of titanium are limited due to its high material cost, as compared to iron and steel materials and aluminum alloys. In particular, titanium alloys have tensile strength as high as more than 1,000 MPa, but do not have enough ductility (elongation to failure). Moreover, titanium alloys have poor plastic workability at normal temperature or in a low temperature range. Pure titanium has elongation to failure as high as more than 25% at normal temperature and has excellent plastic workability in a low temperature range. However, pure titanium has tensile strength as low as about 400 to 600 MPa.
Various studies have been carried out in response to a very strong need for titanium having both high strength and high ductility and for reduction in material cost of titanium. In particular, many techniques of strengthening titanium by using relatively inexpensive elements such as oxygen and nitrogen rather than expensive elements such as vanadium, scandium, and niobium have been studied as related art in order to achieve cost reduction.
For example, Journal of the Japan Institute of Metals and Materials, Vol. 72, No. 12 (2008), pp. 949-954 (Non-Patent Literature 1), entitled "Effect of Nitrogen on Tensile Deformation Behavior and Development of Deformation Structure in Titanium," describes the use of nitrogen as an alloy element for titanium alloys. Specifically, Non-Patent Literature 1 describes that titanium sponge and TiN powder are weighed to predetermined compositions and are arc-melted to produce Ti—N alloys with various nitrogen concentrations. In this case, both high strength and high ductility can be achieved if a homogenous solid solution of nitrogen atoms in a Ti matrix is formed.
Another method is a technique of adding TiN particles to molten Ti to form a solid solution of nitrogen atoms in a Ti matrix when the mixture of TiN particles and molten Ti solidifies. In this case as well, both high strength and high ductility can be achieved if a homogenous solid solution of nitrogen atoms in the Ti matrix is formed.

Titanium powder containing solid-soluted nitrogen, titanium material, and method for producing titanium powder containing solid-soluted nitrogen


A system for testing reflections within a data transmission signal includes a data transmission line configured to transmit the signal in a downstream direction, and a test probe configured to electrically contact a contact point on the transmission line and measure a magnitude of a frequency response of the signal therein. The system further includes a spectrum capturing device in operable contact with the test probe, and configured to collect and arrange data of frequency response magnitudes measured by the test probe. The data transmission line includes at least a first impedance mismatch corresponding to a first reflection point along the transmission line, and the spectrum capturing device is configured to determine a severity of the first reflection based on a comparison of a first voltage V1 with a second voltage V2, where V1 represents a DC term, and where V2 represents a reflected energy of a subsequent impulse.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to data transmission systems, and more particularly, to data transmission systems utilizing defect testing on in-service data transmission lines.
In conventional data transmission systems, two impedance mismatches can create an echo tunnel on a transmission line, such as a cable line. A receiver of the conventional system will then observe a resulting ripple in the frequency response from the transmission line, as well as a second impulse in the time domain response, which is normally delayed relative to a main impulse. However, when only one reflection is present, a resulting frequency response will be flat at the receiver (i.e., not attenuated), but have a relatively lower amplitude due to signal loss. It is therefore difficult, in conventional data transmission systems, to discover line defects, such as loose fittings and radial cracks, where an echo tunnel is not formed because only one impedance mismatch is encountered. This problem is rendered more difficult due to the fact that time domain reflectometers (TDR) cannot be used on in-service cable plant.
Accordingly, there is a need to be able to locate line defects on an in-service data transmission line when only one impedance mismatch is observed.

Systems and methods for locating a single reflection on a transmission line


A process for the single-step coal liquefaction is disclosed, which comprises reacting the coal in an aqueous suspension with carbon monoxide in the presence of a CO-conversion catalyst selected from an alkaline hydroxide or carbonate, wherein the reaction takes place at a temperature maintained for a time of up to about 20 minutes equal to a value selected within the range of from about 300.degree. to 370.degree. C., and then is increased over a time within the range of from about 20 to 40 minutes, until a temperature value is reached, within the range of from about 420.degree. to 450.degree. C. and is kept constant for a time of up to about 20 minutes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the single-step liquefaction of coal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Processes for coal liquefaction are known which use carbon monoxide, water and a suitable catalyst in order to produce in situ the necessary hydrogen for liquifying coal.
From the above-mentioned processes a mixture of hydrocarbons is obtained, which is constituted by asphaltene precursors, asphaltenes and oils (respectively indicated hereinunder in the present patent application as "PA", "A", "OILS"), in different mutual ratios according to the adopted operating conditions.
The present Applicant has surprisingly found that by carrying out the liquefaction reaction at determined increasing temperature values, the coal conversion process can be better controlled. Moreover, the inventors have found that it and it is possible to improve the quality of the products in terms of the mutual distribution of PA, A, OILS, as well as of the H/C ratio of the same reaction products.
The so-obtained products can be used as intermediates for the production of liquid derivatives from coal.

Process for single-step coal liquefaction


A lock intended primarily for gliding or hinged doors or windows. The lock is an improvement over the prior art in that it is a very simple mechanism which nonetheless is secure and cannot be back-driven. The lock mechanism is made up of essentially two parts: a cam gear which is rotatably mounted on a housing and acts as an actuator, and a cam rack which is linearly slidable relative to the housing. Rotation of the cam gear causes the cam rack to move between an unlocked and a locked position. Once in the locked position, a gear tooth of the cam gear engages with a stop surface on the cam rack to prevent the cam rack from being back-driven.

The present invention relates generally to a lock mechanism of the type designed to prevent a gliding or hinged door or window from being opened. More particularly, the invention relates to such a mechanism which employs a two piece cam gear/cam rack assembly which both actuates the lock and prevents it from being backdriven.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 689,296, filed on Apr. 22, 1991 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,640, issued Mar. 3, 1992) and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses a latch mechanism which is particularly useful in combination with the lock mechanism of the present invention. To the extent that the disclosure of Ser. No. 689,296 is necessary for the understanding of the present invention, that application is herein incorporated by reference.
Various devices are known for locking a gliding or hinged door or window. A common and simple version of such a device has a housing attached to the window frame and a bolt slidably mounted within the housing. A keeper attached to the window sash is positioned to receive the bolt when the window is closed. Thus, the bolt can be moved from a retracted position, where the window can be opened, to a forward position, where the bolt engages the keeper and prevents the window from being opened.
In order to increase the force applied to the bolt so as to make it easier to move the bolt, it is known to provide a rotating actuator for the bolt. The actuator is rotatably mounted on the lock housing, and has at least one arm projecting therefrom. When the actuator is rotated, the arm engages the bolt, causing the bolt to slide into engagement with the keeper. An example of such a window lock is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 800,043 issued to White.
For security purposes, it is important when designing such a window or door lock that the lock cannot be back-driven. In other words, when the bolt is in the engaged position, it should not be able to be forced back into the retracted position by pressure against the bolt. One known lock mechanism which is designed so that it cannot be back-driven is shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lock mechanism has a housing 80 which is designed to attach to one panel of a door or window (not shown). A base member 82 is slidably mounted within the housing. A bolt (not shown) is attached to the base member and positioned to engage a keeper (not shown) located on the door or window frame. An actuator 83 is rotatably mounted on the housing. The actuator is hingedly connected to the base member via arm 84 and link 85.
Rotation of the actuator in the clockwise direction causes the base member (and the bolt attached thereto) to slide linearly into the locked position. In this position, the linkage formed by arm 84 and link 85 is positioned over-center. By this arrangement, the lock mechanism cannot be back-driven, because any attempt to force the base member toward the unlocked position merely causes arm 84 to press harder against stop surface 86.
This lock suffers from several drawbacks. One, the linkage between the actuator and bolt is expensive to manufacture and assemble. The linkage also increases the size of the lock, because room must be provided for both the actuator arm and the link, and because enough space must be provided to allow the linkage to move over-center.


Hydroesterification of internal olefins over cobalt catalyst is conducted with high cobalt concentration, 170.degree.-200.degree. C., and 1200-1800 psi gauge to provide good reaction rate, effective product recovery and high normality of product, combined with good catalyst recovery and simple recycle procedure.

The hydroesterification of olefins by reaction with carbon monoxide and alcohols, utilizing cobalt catalyst in the presence of pyridine, is a known process. However, various problems have been encountered in attempting to conduct the process under conditions for good catalyst stability and efficiency, good reaction rates and product selectivity, along with effective product recovery and catalyst recycle procedures. Low catalyst concentrations have generally been used because of concern over catalyst stability. Also relatively high pressures have often been employed to effect the reaction and enhance catalyst stability. Some described procedures have unacceptable reaction rates, particularly for internal olefin reactants which are less reactive. The procedures often emphasize .alpha.-olefin reactants, perhaps because of the tendency of internal olefins to produce branched products rather than linear products which are generally more desirable. There was some belief that normality of the ester increased with declining temperature and rising carbon monoxide pressure.
Problems have also been encountered in catalyst recovery or recycling. It is desirable to recycle the cobalt as a matter of efficiency and economics. In addition, cobalt when present causes difficulties in distillation of product, causing formation of high boiler material, and also often plating out in distillation apparatus. Conditions to improve catalyst recovery often have poor compatibility with conditions for effective reaction, or which are considered appropriate for catalyst stability during reaction.
While prior procedures set forth various conditions, they do not describe conditions including combinations of temperature, pressure and cobalt concentration suitable for achieving good reaction rate and high normal content of ester product, along with catalyst stability and recoverability.


A molding apparatus for plastic parts which includes a stationary core plate and a moveable cavity plate used to form a mold cavity, and an ejector plate with pins utilized to eject the molded part from the apparatus. The valve used to inject the liquid plastic, which may be coupled to the core plate or the cavity plate, is always located on the same side of the plastic part as the ejector plate.

1. Field Of Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for molding plastic objects. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus for molding plastic parts, in which the means for ejecting the finished part from a cavity mold are positioned on the same side of the mold as the parts for injecting liquid plastic. This allows one side of the finished plastic part to remain completely unblemished by the molding process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common to mold parts for plastic objects (e.g. plastic containers and mini-disk cartridge shells) using an apparatus incorporating a number of metal plates. As shown in FIGS. 10-12, such an apparatus may include a core plate 30', a cavity plate 40' and an ejector plate 20'. Carved out areas in the interiors of the core plate and the cavity plate form the cavity of the mold when these are mated. The ejector plate is usually positioned behind the cavity plate. A plurality of ejector pins 22' extend outwardly from the ejector plate and pass through holes in the cavity plate. Thus when the ejector plate is moved forward the ejection pins are urged against any newly molded part in the cavity plate, thereby forcing the part out of the cavity plate. Thus, when the ejector plate is moved forward, the ejector pins are urged against any newly molded part in the cavity plate thereby forcing the part out of the cavity plate.
Typically, plastic is injected from a line 70' coming from an injection unit into the mold through one or more openings in the core plate. The flow of liquid plastic material may be controlled by a valve 60' having a nozzle 62' and a needle 64' within the nozzle. The movement of the needle in to and out of the valve opening controls the flow of liquid plastic into the mold's cavity 52'. Movement of the needle may be controlled, for example, by a small hydraulic or air valve cylinder 66'. When the end 65' of the needle 64' is flush with the tip 67' of the nozzle 62', the valve 60' is closed (See FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 10, when the cylinder 66' retracts the needle 64' the valve 60' is opened (See FIG. 8) and liquid plastic material is allowed to enter the cavity of the mold 52'. After the cavity 52' has been filled, the valve cylinder 66' pushes the needle 64' forward to the closed position (See FIG. 7), such that the end 65' of the needle 64' is again flush with the tip 67' of the nozzle 62'.
A prior art method of removing finished parts from a mold is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. After the plastic material has partially cooled, the cavity plate 40' and the ejector plate 20' both move in tandem away from the core plate 30', which remains stationary. This causes the molded plastic part 50' to be removed from the core plate 30'. Finally, as shown in FIG. 12, a hydraulic or air cylinder 24' pushes the ejector plate 20' forward such that all of the ejector pins 22' simultaneously dislodge the molded plastic object 50' from the cavity plate 40'. This sequence of events may be repeated for the next plastic object 50'. Unfortunately, the movement of the ejector pins against the partially cooled plastic part usually results in a blemish being produced at the point of contact. This blemish is on the part's opposite side, which has received a blemish produced by the injector nozzle.
Most plastic parts have an appearance side, usually the front side, in which a label or some other form of identification is placed. In present molding processes, as described above, blemishes are left on this appearance side by either the valve or the ejector pins. Manufacturers of these parts have, therefore, typically placed paper labels over the appearance side surface as a means of identifying the object and as a means of covering the blemishes. However, due to the increased use of silk screening on plastic objects, a need exists for a plastic object with an appearance side surface which remains unblemished during the molding process such that, for example, a substantial portion of the appearance side surface may be silk screened. Though silk screening is a significant reason for needing an unblemished surface, this is only one of many other purposes in which an unmarked plastic surface may be utilized.
A problem which has prevented present molds from being constructed with injection valves on the same side of the mold as the ejector pins is that ejector pins must be evenly distributed across the entire surface of the finished plastic part so as to apply evenly distributed pressure across an entire surface of the part. This is necessary to prevent warpage of the part upon removal from the mold. However, because the valve nozzle or nozzles often occupy a substantial amount of space, there has previously been no device or method for positioning the ejector pins on the same side of the mold as the valve nozzle which allows proper spacing of the pins to prevent warpage of the plastic part upon its removal from the mold's cavity.


A performance management system leverages an iterative process to provide performance reports, with reduced computing resources. In response to a request for a performance report, a respective subset of performance data records may be received from each of a plurality of sources. It may then be determined whether additional performance data records are to be requested from the plurality of sources for the report. The received data may be processed and the resultant report may be outputted. For example, the iterative process may be applied to generate a top-n report based on network flow performance data in a computer information system.

Computer information systems typically include multiple computing devices. The computing devices may include workstation computers, network equipment, server computers, and the like. The computing devices may generate performance data. For example, a computing device may generate a series of time-stamped data points indicative of Central Processing Unit (CPU) usage. Computing device, such as routers, may generate a data indicative of network traffic volume. And, computing devices, such as storage devices and file servers, may generate data indicative of consumed storage volume and available storage space.
Performance management systems collect and process performance data. The performance data may be used to troubleshoot past incidents, to report on present performance, and to plan for future growth. For example, granular past performance data may be used to identify a root cause of a network outage. Performance data indicative of present performance may be used to demonstrate compliance with service-level agreements (SLAs).
Report generation by performance management systems reflects a difficult computing problem that involves processing large quantities of performance data. For example, generating a report that combines information from multiple sources, such as a Netflow top-n report for example, may invoke great complexity and significant computing resources, such as memory space and processor time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Information regarding a patient's physiological signs is provided in real-time, in particular in conjunction with drug administration to the patient. A patient data input obtains patient data of a monitored patient. A drug identification input obtains drug administration data identifying a drug administered to the patient and the time of administration of the drug to the patient. A drug information input obtains drug information about the identified drug, including drug side effects and/or drug-drug interactions and/or drug-disease contraindications. A processing unit determines time-resolved monitoring information based on the obtained patient data, drug administration data and drug information. The monitoring information is dynamically adapted and one or more physiological signs of the patient that are most critical to monitor over time are indicated. An output interface outputs the monitoring information.

Patient monitoring devices (herein also called patient monitors), as often used in hospitals located next to the patient bed, are generally known in the art. They are used as a kind of measurement devices for measuring and displaying of physiological signs and for providing alarming and scoring based on the captured physiological signs. In case a caregiver decides to visit a patient, physiological signs, alarms and scores are available for review.
Conventional bedside patient monitors are able to measure and show the patient's physiological signs in real-time. They can also be connected to other devices, such as a PC, enabling caregivers to access and view all information available in the hospital database on a single screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,145,590 B2 discloses an expert system for patient medical information analysis. A plurality of chronic sensors is used to facilitate diagnosis and medical decision making for an individual patient. An expert system evaluates the sensor data, combines the sensor data with stored probability data and provides an output signal for notification or medical intervention.
WO 2014/091329 A1 discloses a monitoring apparatus for monitoring vital functions of a patient, comprising a connection device connectable to a patient medication storage unit and for receiving information about at least one drug administered to the patient, an interface connectable to a drug database for receiving information about at least one effect of the at least one administered drug and/or a combination of administered drugs, a measurement device associated to the patient for measuring at least one vital parameter of the patient, and a control unit for enabling a measurement of at least one vital parameter and/or for enabling an evaluation of a measurement of at least one vital parameter on the basis of the information about the at least one effect.
V. Koutkias et al., "A personalized framework for medication treatment management in chronic care", IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, Special section on affective and pervasive computing for healthcare archive, Volume 14 Issue 2, March 2010, pages 464-472 discloses a framework for monitoring the patient's condition and safety with respect to the medication treatment administered. For this purpose, considering a body area network (BAN) with advanced sensors and a mobile base unit as the central communication hub from the one side, and the clinical environment from the other side, an architecture is described, offering monitoring patterns definition for the detection of possible adverse drug events and the assessment of medication response, supported by mechanisms enabling bidirectional communication between the BAN and the clinical site.

Monitoring information providing device and method


A gel rehydration electrolyte composition provides a convenient and effective way of replenishing lost fluid and electrolytes. The gel rehydration electrolyte composition masks unpleasant tastes of electrolyte and is readily consumed by young children and elderly who cannot tolerate the liquid or frozen forms of electrolytes.

The invention comprises a gel electrolyte composition for the oral replacement of electrolytes in the body. In particular, the invention relates to a gel rehydration electrolyte composition. The gel rehydration electrolyte composition provides a convenient and effective vehicle for orally administering electrolytes in a way that is readily tolerated by infants, young children, and elderly patients who have difficulty tolerating liquid or frozen forms of electrolytes.
Electrolyte solutions are conventionally used to orally replace electrolytes lost during vomiting or diarrhea or as a result of exercise. Electrolyte loss thorough diarrhea and vomiting in particular can cause a severe condition, especially in infants and young children, and may result in death. Diarrhea frequently involves colonization of the small intestine with enteropathogenic strains of E. Coli which produce heat stable and/or heat labile enterotoxins. Related enterotoxins are produced by other enteropthogens such as cholera, and also cause diarrhea. These enterotoxins stimulate fluid secretion in the gut lumen and cause diarrhea. Associated fluid loss may lead to death.
In cases of severe dehydration corrective parenteral (intravenous) therapy is often necessary. In cases of mild to moderate dehydration, oral rehydration solutions provide a safe and economical alternative to intravenous therapy. Oral electrolyte solutions used in oral maintenance or rehydration therapy consist of a mixture of electrolytes and a carbohydrate component such as glucose or dextrose. Examples of commercially available oral electrolyte replacement and/or maintenance solutions include Rehydroltye(copyright) and Pedialyte(copyright), manufactured by Ross Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio, and Magonate(copyright) Liquid, manufactured by Fleming and Company, Fenton, Mo. Frozen formulations of electrolytes sold by PTS Labs have been found to be particularly advantageous in administering electrolytes to children. See, e.g., Santucci et al., Frozen Oral Hydration as an Alternative to Conventional Enteral Fluids. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, February 1998, Vol. 152, pp. 142 to 146.
The development of oral rehydration therapy for acute diarrheal diseases of infancy and childhood has significantly reduced related morbidity and mortality, particularly in less developed countries where it constitutes the primary mode of therapy. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends that oral rehydration solutions for treatment of acute diarrheal therapy contain 90 mEq sodium/liter, 20 mEq potassium/liter, 80 mEq chloride/liter, 30 mEq citrate/liter or 30 mEq bicarbonate/liter, and 110 mmol glucose/liter. Glucose is recommended as the carbohydrate component in such oral rehydration solutions. Glucose enhances the membrane transport of sodium, which in turn enables rapid uptake of water. The WHO formulation has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality.
Substitution of other carbohydrates for glucose in WHO-type formulations has been investigated. Lebenthal et al. (J. Pediatrics, 1983, 103:29-34) studied the effect of three corn syrup sugars (dextrins) containing glucose polymers of varying lengths having dextrose equivalents of 10, 15 and 24 and determined they were suitable as the sole carbohydrate source in oral rehydration therapy. It has also been established that oral rehydration solutions in which rice and other food sources of starch are substituted for glucose are effective as reported by Carpenter et al. (New England J. Med., 1988, 319:1346-1348). Rice-based oral rehydration solutions containing from 3 to 5% rice and having electrolyte levels corresponding to conventional WHO formulations have been found to be effective as reported by Patra et al. (Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1982, 57:910-912), Molla et al. (The Lancet, 1982, 1317-1319), and Malla et al. (Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 1989, 8:81-84). U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,894 discloses an oral rehydration solution comprising a mixture of the required electrolytes and rice dextrin containing a distribution of 50-90% short chain glucose polymers consisting of 2 to 6 glucose units.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,297 discloses an oral rehydration solution including a blend of simple sugars, more complex carbohydrates, and minerals, particularly magnesium. Other ingredients include electrolyte ions (e.g., potassium, sodium, chloride), vitamins, anabolic nutrients, and other minerals such as calcium. The magnesium and calcium are provided in the form of amino acid chelates to facilitate rehydration and promote endurance.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,505,926, 4,539,319, 4,558,063 and 4,594,195 disclose various oral rehydration solutions containing pharmaceutically active ingredients (i.e., drugs) for treatment for enterotoxin induced diarrhea and prevention of death from enteropathogenic E. coli infection of gastro-intestinal tract. Drugs incorporated into these prior art rehydration solutions include quaternary aminophenyliminoimidazolidines, 2-amino-immidazoline derivative, and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-naphonitrile intermediates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,042 is directed to an anti-diarrhea composition comprising an absorptive component and an electrolyte/sugar component. The absorptive material is a thermally activated, finely powdered, hydrous magnesium aluminum silicate clay capable of absorbing pathogenic intestinal bacteria. The absorptive material is preferably also capable of absorbing diarrhea-associated viruses, intestinal toxins and gases. Suitable absorptive materials are clays such as Smectite (Si8Al4O20OH4). Other such clays are argillaceous clays. The electrolyte/sugar component contains a sodium salt, a potassium salt and a sugar. The composition is packaged in solid form and reconstituted by admixture with water prior to administration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,551 discloses rehydration and infant nutrient formulas containing a neutral glycolipid, in particular, gangliotetracosylceramide. The glycolipid binds enteric virus, e.g., rotairuses, which are pathogenic to humans. Rotaviruses are RNA viruses known to replicate in the intestinal epithelial cells of a wide range of animal species, including humans.
Frozen electrolyte compositions and delivering systems are described in U.S. Ser. No 08/786,072, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Electrolytes generally have a disagreeable taste. As such, rehydration/electrolyte solutions are often difficult to administer, especially to young children. While unflavored or flavored oral electrolyte maintenance and replenishing solutions for infants and children are available, such as Fruit-Flavored Pedialyte(copyright) manufactured by Ross Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio, frozen electrolyte formulations (such as Revitalice(copyright) sold by PTS Labs, Lake Forest, Ill.) have been demonstrated to be better tolerated in administering electrolytes to children. However, even the frozen electrolytes are in some instances not suitable for young children or elderly patients. This invention is direct at fulfilling this need.
The invention is directed to a gel electrolyte composition for oral administration of electrolytes. More particularly, the invention is directed to a gel rehydration electrolyte composition useful in the maintenance and/or replacement of electrolytes lost through diarrhea, vomiting, during physical exercise, or through other illness. Whereas all prior art oral rehydration solutions are administered in a liquid or frozen form, the composition of the invention is designed to be served in a gel form.
Thus, in a first aspect, the invention provides a gel rehydration electrolyte composition comprising:
(a) from about 80 to about 99 percent by weight water;
(b) from about 20 to about 60 mEq of sodium per liter of water;
(c) from about 15 to about 25 mEq of potassium per liter of water;
(d) from about 25 to about 50 mEq of chloride per liter of water;
(e) from about 20 to about 50 mEq of citrate per liter of water;
(f) from about 20 to about 30 grams of carbohydrate per liter of water; and
(g) from about 2 to about 10 grams of a structuring agent per liter of water.
In another aspect, the invention provides a gel rehydration electrolyte composition comprising a structuring agent that is a combination of carrageenan and locust bean gum.
In still another aspect, the invention provides a gel rehydration electrolyte composition that is a gel at room temperature, i.e. not frozen.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a dry powder which upon the addition of an amount of water provides a gel rehydration electrolyte composition comprising:
(a) from about 80 to about 99 percent by weight water;
(b) from about 20 to about 60 mEq of sodium per liter of water;
(c) from about 15 to about 25 mEq of potassium per liter of water;
(d) from about 25 to about 50 mEq of chloride per liter of water;
(e) from about 20 to about 50 mEq of citrate per liter of water;
(f) from about 20 to about 30 grams of carbohydrate per liter of water; and
(g) from about 2 to about 10 grams of a structuring agent per liter of water.
In yet a further aspect, the invention provides a method of replacing lost electrolytes or preventing loss of electrolytes comprising orally administering to an individual in need thereof a gel rehydration electrolyte composition comprising:
(a) from about 80 to about 99 percent by weight water;
(b) from about 20 to about 60 mEq of sodium per liter of water;
(c) from about 15 to about 25 mEq of potassium per liter of water;
(d) from about 25 to about 50 mEq of chloride per liter of water;
(e) from about 20 to about 50 mEq of citrate per liter of water;
(f) from about 20 to about 30 grams of carbohydrate per liter of water; and
(g) from about 2 to about 10 grams of a structuring agent per liter of water.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent in light of the detailed description below.
The gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the invention contains all necessary electrolytes and levels thereof required by the American Academy of Pediatrics for oral rehydration formulations sold in the United States. In addition to sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl) and citrate ions, the gel rehydration electrolyte composition contains a source of carbohydrate such as glucose or dextrose to control absorption of electrolytes and contains a structuring agent to provide a gelled or thickened composition. Fruit flavoring and sweeteners designed to mask the unpleasant tastes of electrolytes are also provided in the gel rehydration electrolyte compositions of the invention. Administration in the gel form also has been discovered to lessen the offensive taste of electrolytes.
The invention provides the art with a gel rehydration electrolyte composition for replacement or prevention of electrolyte loss through oral administration. The composition comprises a structuring agent comprising a gelling and/or thickening agent such as gum or gelatin, water, carbohydrate, sodium ions, potassium ions, chloride ions, and citrate ions in concentrations effective in replacing electrolytes in dehydrated subjects.
The invention also provides a method of replacing lost electrolytes or preventing loss of electrolytes where the liquid or frozen forms of the electrolyte are not suitable. The method comprises orally administering to an individual in need thereof a gel rehydration electrolyte composition comprising a gelling or thickening agent, water, carbohydrate, sodium ions, potassium ions, chloride ions and citrate ions in concentrations used in the liquid or frozen form.
Young children on occasion either will not drink electrolyte liquids or have a propensity to bite off large chunks of ice from freezer pops. However, the gel rehydration electrolyte composition comprising necessary electrolytes can readily be administered to young children in need of such electrolytes. Elderly also have difficulty with the intake of both liquid and frozen electrolytes and benefit from the gel rehydration electrolyte composition of this invention. In either pediatric or geriatric cases, the gel rehydration electrolyte compositions offer an effective alternative to liquids or freezer pops with patients who either will not drink, have difficulty keeping ingested material down, or cannot self-administer.
When children are sick, the usual foods and liquid are frequently reduced or discontinued, often producing a loss of essential fluids and electrolytes. Vomiting and diarrhea can result in further loss of essential fluids and electrolytes. In order to forestall dehydration and prevent fluid losses before serious deficits develop, replacement therapy is often required.
The gel rehydration electrolyte composition provides, in a convenient dosage form, a balanced formula of important electrolytes for the effective maintenance and replacement of fluid deficits. This composition is especially advantageous for children to take who are unable to tolerate the liquid or frozen forms. The gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the invention is convenient, nonthreatening, painless, and easy to administer.
The gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the invention is advantageously used to supply water and electrolytes needed to the maintenance and/or replacement of mild to moderate losses of electrolytes as in diarrhea or vomiting during illnesses. Such a composition also provides a useful way of coaxing sick children or elderly such as those in a post-operative recovery period, into taking necessary replenishing fluids.
In addition to being a useful therapeutic agent, the gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the invention is a particularly useful prophylactically. Ingestion of the gel rehydration electrolyte composition helps to maintain proper electrolyte balance and to avoid dehydration.
The gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the invention is made by first preparing a solution of potassium, sodium, chloride and a base in water. Suitable bases include acetate, lactate, citrate and/or bicarbonate. Sodium chloride, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, and potassium chloride are suitable sources of electrolytes. Citric acid may be also used. For the prevention of dehydration or maintenance of hydration, sodium ion may be added at a concentration of 20-100 mEq/L, and typically a level of from 40-60 mEq/L is sufficient. Preferred potassium levels are from 15-30 mEq/L, with a broad range of 10-100 mEq/L being operable. The chloride anion is preferably added at 30-80 mEq/L, with a broad range of 25-100 mEq/L being operable. The base, which is selected from the group consisting of acetate, lactate, citrate or bicarbonate, is preferably added to a range of 25-40 mEq/L, with broad range of 20-50 mEq/L being operable.
A structuring agent is then added to the solution of potassium, sodium, chloride and a base in water. As used herein, the term structuring agent means any gelling or thickening agent that can be combined with other necessary ingredients to provide a gel rehydration electrolyte composition having a preferred product consistency at room temperature. As used herein, the term preferred product consistency at room temperature is defined as having a gel strength in the range of from about 20 to about 1000 grams per cm2, and preferably from about 100 to about 200 grams per cm2. Gel strength is measured by any convenient method known to those in the art, and typically is measured by a gelometer.
In preparing a gel rehydration electrolyte composition for a typical gel strength test, a portion of water is heated and all non-water ingredients are added. The mixture is stirred at elevated temperature until all non-water ingredients, including the structuring agent, are dissolved. Finally, the remaining water is added and the resulting mixture stirred with continued heating to about 185xc2x0 F. The mixture is then removed from heat and poured into four 50 ml beakers, each filled to the 40 ml mark. The beakers are placed in a refrigerator at 45xc2x0 F. and equilibrated for two hours. The beakers are then removed from the refrigerator and gel strength readings are immediately taken using a Stevens 1CM2 gelometer. The measured gel strength is the average of the four readings.
Exemplary structuring agents include but are not limited to agar, alginates, carrageenan, in kappa, iota, or lambda form, cellulose derivatives, exudate gums, gellan gum, gelatin, guar gum, konjac gum, locust bean gum, microcrystalline cellulose, modified starches, pectins, seed gum, and xanthan gum. Preferred structuring agents include but are not limited to gelling agents such as agar, alginate, carrageenan, and pectin. Preferred structuring agents also include but are not limited to thickening agents such as gum arabic, gum tragacanth, tamarind gum, taragum, guar, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum. A most preferred structuring agent is Ticagel(copyright) 550, available commercially from TIC Gums Inc., Belcamp, Md. Ticagel(copyright) 550 comprises a blend of carrageenan and locust bean gum and produces a preferred composition consistency at room temperature when used in an amount of about 4.5 grams per liter.
Carrageenan is a naturally-occurring hydrocolloid consisting of high molecular weight linear sulfated polysaccharides. It is obtained commercially by extraction from several related species of red algae seaweed and is widely used in the food industry as a stabilizer and gelling agent. The most widely known carrageenans are lambda-, kappa-, iota-, mu-, and nu-carrageenans, described in particular in Janitsyn et al., Handbuch der Kosmetika und Reichstoffe, pages 181-82, Verlag Heidelberg, 1969. The average molecular weight of carrageenans is between 100,000 and 1,000,000.
Locust bean gum or Ceratonia Siliqua is cultivated along the Mediterranean shore (Spain, Greece, Italy and North Africa). Locust bean gum is a nonionic polysaccharide comprising straight chain mannan groupings with branching on every second mannose unit by one galactose unit. Locust bean gum is partially soluble in cold water, and completely hydrates when heated.
Either before or after the structuring agent is added, a carbohydrate such as glucose, dextrose, or fructose is added in an amount of about 20-25 grams per liter. Any carbohydrate used in prior art oral rehydration solutions may be used to practice the present invention. Suitable sugars include glucose, fructose and polymers thereof including corn syrup high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, maltodextrin and combinations thereof. Glucose, for example, not only helps to promote sodium and water absorption but provides energy. A preferred carbohydrate source is a mixture of crystalline fructose, sucrose and dextrose. The amount of carbohydrate depends on the selection thereof and is readily determinable by the skilled artisan.
The gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the invention optionally but preferably contains flavoring and/or sweetening agents. While individual perception of flavoring agents and sweetening agents depends on the interrelationship of many factors, flavors and sweeteners may also be perceived separately. Thus, as is well known in the art, flavor and sweetener perception may be both dependent upon each other and independent of each other. For example, when a large amount of flavoring agent is used, a small amount of sweetening agent may be readily perceptible and vice versa. In general, the flavor and sweetener is used in an amount effective to provide a desired taste. Such amounts will vary with the flavor and sweetener selected. The exact range of amounts for each type of sweetener and/or flavoring is known in the art and/or is readily determinable by the skilled artisan.
Flavoring agents useful in preparing gel rehydration electrolyte compositions of the invention include those flavorings known to the skilled artisan, such as flavoring derived from plants, leaves, flowers, fruits, and the like and mixtures thereof. Representative flavor oils include cinnamon oil and oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate). Useful flavorants include artificial, natural and synthetic fruit flavors such as citrus oils, including lemon, lime, orange, grape and grapefruit, and fruit essences including apple, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, pineapple, tropical and the like, and mixtures thereof. Artificial flavorings are preferred for use in the practice of this invention. Particularly preferred flavors are artificial fruit flavors.
The sweetening agent used may be selected from a wide range of materials including water-soluble sweeteners, water-soluble artificial sweeteners, water-soluble sweeteners derived from naturally occurring water-soluble sweeteners, and mixtures thereof. Without being limited to particular sweeteners, representative categories and examples include:
(a) water-soluble sweetening agents such as monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides such as monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides such as xylose, ribulose, glucose (dextrose), mannose, galactose, fructose (levulose), sucrose(table sugar), maltose, invert sugar (a mixture of fructose and glucose derived from sucrose), partially hydrolyzed starch, corn syrup solids, dihydrochalcones, monellin, steviosides, glycyrrhizin, and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, hydroganated starch hydrolysates and mixtures thereof;
(b) water-soluble artificial sweeteners such as soluble saccharin salts, i.e., sodium or calcium saccharin salts, cyclamate salts, the sodium, ammonium or calcium salt of 3,4-dihydro-6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4-one-2,2-dioxide, the potassium salt of 3,4-dihydro-6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4-one2,2-dioxide (Acesulfame-K), the form of sacchrin, and the like; and
(c) water-soluble sweeteners derived from naturally occurring water-soluble sweeteners, such as chlorinated derivatives of ordinary sugar (sucrose), known, for example under the produce designation of Sucralose.
Preferred sugar based sweeteners are dextrose, sucrose, and fructose and mixtures thereof. Preferred sugarless sweeteners are sugar alcohols. Preferred sugar alcohols are selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol, and mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred sweetening agents include sucrose, dextrose, fructose, sucralose, acesulfame-k, dextrose, saccharine, aspartame, and high fructose corn syrup.
Sugars such as dextrose, sucrose, and fructose were earlier described herein as being preferred carbohydrates due to their ability to facilitate transport and aid absorption of the electrolytes in the gel. However, as just discussed, sugars can provide benefit as water-soluble sweetening agents. When sugars such as dextrose, sucrose, and fructose are present in formulations prepared according to the present invention, such sugars can be serving solely as carbohydrate, solely as sweetening agent, or as both carbohydrate and sweetening agent.
A coloring agent, if desired, can be used in an amount effective to produce the desired color. Coloring agents include pigments such as itanium dioxide. Particularly useful colorants include water-soluble natural food colors and dyes suitable for food, drug and cosmetic applications. These colorants are known as F.D. and C. dyes and lakes. Illustrative nonlimiting examples include the indigoid dye known as F.D. and C. Blue No. 2, which is the disodium salt of 5,5-indigotindisulfonic acid. Similarly, the dye known as F.D.and C. Green No. 1 comprises a triphenyl-methane dye and is the monosodium salt of 4-[4-(N-ethyl-p-sulfoniumbenzylamine)diphenylmethylene]-[1-(N-ethyl-N-p-sulfoniumbenzyl)-delta-2, 5-cycohexadieeneimine]. A full recitation of all F.D.and C. colorants and their corresponding chemical structures may be found in the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd Edition, Volume 6, pages 561-596.
A preferred gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the invention comprises from about 4 to about 5 grams of Ticagel(copyright) 550; from about 20 to 30 grams of glucose or dextrose per liter; and about 45 mEq (1022 mg) of Na+, 20 mEq (784 mg) of K+, 40 mEq (1232 mg) of Cl and 30 Meq (1918 mg) citrate ions per liter. This composition provides all electrolytes at levels required by the American Academy of Pediatrics for oral rehydration formulations sold in the United States.
The gel rehydration electrolyte composition may be in the form of a dry solid that upon dissolution with an appropriate amount of water provides the above described gel rehydration electrolyte composition. The gel rehydration electrolyte composition may be packaged in a sealed plastic container that can be refrigerated and subsequently opened so that the gel may be sucked from the container. Alternatively, and preferably, the gel rehydration electrolyte formulation may be packaged, shipped, and consumed at room temperature in containers containing a desired dose, generally about 2-8 ounces, suitable for spoon feeding.
Gel rehydration electrolyte compositions of the invention may also optionally contain various pharmacological agents such as, for example, an antibiotic. If desired, the gel rehydration electrolyte composition may also contain bioavailable minerals, anabolic nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, analgesics, and/or suspending agents. Examples of anabolic nutrients include vanodyl sulfate, alphaketoglutarate, inosine. Examples of antioxidants include carotenoids, ascorbic acid and salts thereof, tocopherols, reduced glutathione and coenzyme Q10. As referred to herein, bioavailable minerals include inorganic substances, metals, and the like, required in the human diet. Suitable minerals include manganese chromium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, copper, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, and the like such as magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, zinc chloride, cupric chloride, calcium iodate; and mixtures thereof. Such minerals may be present as amino acid chelates. An amino acid chelate is defined in the food art as a metal ion from a soluble salt with an amino acid or peptide ligand with a mole ratio of one mole of metal to one to three, preferably two, moles of amino acides to form coordinate covalent bonds.
The term vitamin, as used herein, refers to trace organic substances that are required in the diet and include, without limitation, thiamin riboflavin, nicotinic acid, patothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12, lipoic acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. Also included with the term vitamin are the coenzymes thereof. Coenzymes are specific chemical forms of vitamins.
Coenzymes include tiamine pyrophosphates (TPP), flavin mononucleotide (FMM), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (AND), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) Coenzyme A (CoA) pyridoxal phosphate, biocytin, tetrahydrofolic acid, coenzyme B12, lipolysine, 11-cis-retinal, and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. The term vitamin also includes choline, camitine, and alpha beta, and gamma carotenes.
Analgesics include narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics. Exemplary narcotic analgesics include but are not limited to hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Exemplary non-narcotic analgesics include but are not limited to ibuprofen and ultram.
The gel rehydration electrolyte composition of the present invention may be packaged in numerous advantageous ways. It may be packaged as a dry powder to which water is added. It may be packaged in ready-to-consume individual dosages suitable for spoon feeding. It may also be packaged in a sealed flexible plastic container that can be opened at one end so that the contents may be sucked out. Preferably, the gel rehydration electrolyte composition is provided as a unit dose packaged in a plastic cup and to be spooned out by consumers.
All documents, e.g., patents, journal articles, and textbooks, cited above or below are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
One skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made in the present invention without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention. The invention is illustrated further by the following examples, which are not to be construed as limiting the invention in spirit or scope to the specific procedures or compositions described therein.

Electrolyte gels for maintaining hydration and rehydration


A handlebar for a bicycle with a cross-bar having a flat upper surface to support a rider during freestyle maneuvers.

This invention relates to a special kind of sports bicycle called a Freestyle or Freestyle BMX Bike. Typically, these have a low profile with wheel diameters of 20 inches or less and are extremely rugged. They are used for sprinting, racing, and a wide variety of trick maneuvers such as climbing an inclined ramp and dropping to a track below, riding or balancing the bike while tilted upright on its rear wheel, and riding or coasting while seated or standing on the handlebar cross-bar.
Among the maneuvers using the handlebar cross-bar for support are: balancing the bike while the rider straddles the cross-bar with the front wheel turned at right angles to the frame; riding the bike while seated on the cross-bar and facing backward with the feet turning the pedals; balancing the bike with the rider in a prone position and his chest on the cross-bar with his hands on the front tire turned at right angles to the frame; seated on the cross-bar facing either forwardly or rearwardly; and as a temporary foot support while changing positions between one maneuver and another.
Among the most spectacular of these maneuvers is balancing a moving bike while the rider stands or crouches on the handlebar cross-bar. To facilitate this, some specialty bike and handlebar manufacturers provide a pair of cross-bars across the handlebar arms. These have the drawbacks of adding weight and bulk, and are awkward looking.
The conventional cross-bar on the handlebar of a freestyle bike is made of round cross-section tubular stock with a slick and shiny surface providing very little stable support for a seated or standing trick rider in maneuvers of these kinds.

Flat cross bar for freestyle bicycle handlebar


A polarizerless optic sensor is provided that uses a random domain magneto-optic film and a modulated normal magnetic field to vary or modulate the energy distribution in a diffraction pattern. Light is transmitted through the film and is diffracted according to a domain duty cycle so that the center beam intensity is a function of the Faraday rotation angle of the material and the intensity of the applied normal magnetic field. The polarizerless sensor can be used to realize a speed and torque sensor, an optical switch, a magnetic field sensor and many other types of devices. The invention can be used with polarized and unpolarized input light. The sensor can be implemented using a random domain film or a stripe domain film to create a phase grating diffraction pattern.

The present invention generally relates to optical
for detecting changes in a magnetic field. More specifically, the invention relates to apparatus and methods for detecting movement of a target and/or for detecting variations in a magnetic field such as may result from movement of a target. For example, the invention is particularly useful for determining the speed and/or torque of a rotating member such as a turbine engine shaft.
The aerospace industry is an excellent example of an advanced technology industry wherein the use of optics for sensors and controls is destined to become the preferred technology on the next-generation aircraft. Optical sensors and controls utilize various properties of electromagnetic radiation to monitor events such as, for example, movement of flight controls, rotational speed and torque of a shaft, and for use in proximity detectors. Such apparatus and methods that utilize optics enjoy significant advantages over conventional electrical and magnetic sensors. Most important is that an optics based system has a significantly greater immunity to electromagnetic interference. Optical sensors also tend to be very compact and lightweight.
Optical sensors typically rely on modulating or changing a characteristic of electromagnetic energy and use a s photoelectric device to convert that modulated characteristic into an electrical signal that can be further processed with conventional electronics. For example, optical speed sensors are known that utilize the Faraday rotation effect to detect the rotational speed of an object. Such an apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,035 issued to Zook et al. The Zook et al. device uses linearly polarized light that is transmitted through a bulk magneto-optic material that exhibits the Faraday effect in the presence of a magnetic field. In particular, the Zook et al. device detects the speed of a rotating body by modulating a magnetic field established by a permanent magnet using highly permeable teeth s that rotate with the body and are in close proximity to the magnet. The teeth cause a modulation in the magnetic field flux lines that are parallel to the propagation axis of the polarized light. As a consequence, the polarized light undergoes a Faraday rotation of its polarization angle in proportion to the changing magnetic field. An output polarizer is then used to detect the polarization angle change relative to the input polarization angle. A similar arrangement for providing an optical switch is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,232 issued to Emo et al. Other examples of s optic sensors are disclosed in U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 07/709,352 and 07/709,627 owned by the assignee of the instant application.
Although a speed sensor such as shown by Zook et al. exhibits many of the aforementioned advantages of optical o sensors, a significant cost driver associated with such devices is the need for polarized light. In particular, polarizers are expensive materials and are not immune to harsh environments such as high temperatures within a turbine engine, for example. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention, to provide an optical speed and torque sensor that does not require polarizers or the use of polarized electromagnetic energy. In a broader sense, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for detecting changes in a magnetic field using an optical sensor that does not require polarization of electromagnetic energy used in the sensor or the use of an output polarizer.

Polarizerless magneto-optic speed and torque sensor


Lubricant compositions of high lubrication and light coloration characteristics are made up essentially of a selected mineral or synthetic oil and a selected polybutadiene. The polymeric component contains greater than 20% by mol of vinyl bonds in terms of its monomeric unit and has crosslinked more than 10% of the vinyl bond content.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lubricant compositions providing lubricating oils suitable for use as engine oil, hydraulic fluid, gear oil, bearing oil and the like.
2. Prior Art
Higher lubricating qualities; i.e. resistance to high pressure and to wear, have been recently called for in the area of lubricating oils and greases. To this end, the tendency is that a given base oil is blended with some inorganic solid lubricants such as molybdenum disulfides, tungsten disulfides and graphites. These additives are however responsible for the blackish unsightly appearance of the resulting lubricant.


An aircraft-installed hand dryer including an air for air conditioning supplied from an air conditioning equipment inside a cabin of an aircraft applied as an air for drying.

An aircraft lavatory unit installed in a passenger aircraft having a hand dryer built therein for drying hands of a user having washed his/her hands by blowing warm air (refer for example to Patent Literature 1).
Such a hand dryer stores a function unit such as a nichrome wire for heating and a fan in an inner portion of a lavatory unit, and an opening communicated from the function unit to an outer portion of the lavatory unit is designed to allow warm air to be blown out from the opening. In a hand dryer having such a structure, it is necessary to heat air using the nichrome wire or blow air by rotating the fan, so that power must be supplied independently to the respective devices.

Aircraft-installed hand dryer and aircraft lavatory unit


A system consisting of a memory storage unit in which the licensed softwares are stored. The function of this device is to recognize the requested data and thereby allow the software from the memory storage unit according to the instructions set to this device. It is an effective means for protecting the software in the device from duplication.

Software is one of the most valuable technologies of the Information Age, running everything from PCs to the Internet. Yet, because software has become such an important productivity tool, the illegal duplication and distribution of software persists globally. Software is important to every business, government, school and consumers. Most retail programs are licensed for use at just one computer site or for use by only one user at any time. By buying the software, you become a licensed user rather than an owner. You are allowed to make copies of the program for backup purposes, but it is against the law to give copies to friends and colleagues.
Unauthorized copying/installation of Software is all but impossible to stop, although software companies are launching more and more lawsuits against major infractors. Originally, software companies tried to stop unauthorized use of software by copy-protecting their software. This strategy failed, however, because it was inconvenient for users and was not 100 percent foolproof. Most software now requires some sort of registration, which may discourage would-be pirates, but doesn't really stop unauthorized usage of software.
Reference may be made to the US Publication No. 2005 0216685 A1 Heden, Donald Gene; et al, wherein it has been disclosed that:—The Intelligent Media Storage System disclosed herein protects computer programs and/or data files from being copied and used in an unauthorized manner. According to an example embodiment of the invention, an Intelligent Control Element (ICE) is installed between a computer system and a mass storage device. In a preferred embodiment, the ICE is disposed between a media storage device interface and the computer system interface. The ICE is responsible for writing data to and reading data from the protected mass storage devices of the IMSS. The ICE writes to and reads from the mass storage devices using special coding and encryption mechanisms. Each IMSS ICE uses different keys to code and encrypt data stored onto the mass storage device. Protected data is prepared for installation on an individual IMSS installed in one specific computer system, which is not usable by any other computer system (even when that other computer system is also equipped with another IMSS). In some embodiments, the mass storage interfaces are partitioned into separate protected and unprotected mass storage interfaces. In embodiments where associated interfaces are partitioned, the unprotected mass storage interfaces are controlled either directly by the system, or indirectly (as logical mass storage interfaces) by the ICE. In contrast, the protected mass storage interfaces are always physically restricted from being directly accessible from the system interface, and are generally controlled only by the ICE. In other embodiments, coding and encryption by the ICE of data stored onto protected mass storage connected to the IMSS provides another level of protection. The interface protocol implemented by the ICE is proprietary and is licensed only to software manufactures and distributors, which provides yet another level of protection. The use of standard mass storage read commands (i.e., non-IMSS ICE read commands) upon hard drives and devices written to by an IMSS will cause only coded and encrypted data from the protected mass storage device to be read. Although backup copies of the protected (i.e., coded and/or encrypted) files may be made, such copies are useless for any other purpose, as they will contain the coded/encrypted data that only the originating IMSS can decode or decipher. Thus, copies of protected programs and/or data files made for legitimate backup purposes cannot be used for any other purpose.
Here we can see that the data file access in IMSS is allowed through authentication code system operating through ICE. ICE could be attached along with Hard Drive, CD, DVD Flash Drive Etc. The Main drawback of this invention is, it allows read or write file creation, data coding, copying, deleting and encryption of files from IMSS like any other conventional storage media. Secondly this invention works mostly only on software security with minimal use of hardware security.

Electro-mechanical system for non-duplication of software


A pet feeding station intended to allow pets to grasp all food pieces without pushing the pieces up and out of the food bowl. The feeding station includes two adjacent stands, one for water and an adjustable inclined food bowl that allows food pieces to fall forward toward the front of the bowl, allowing the pet easier access to the food and prevents the food pieces from getting pushed out of the bowl.

Many pets eat out of a food bowl and as they use downward pressure to capture their food, often push food pieces up and out of the bowl. This spillage results in a mess on the floor and the pet does not receive proper nourishment. There have been many attempts to remedy this issue in the past, such as creating a stick surface on the bottom of a bowl to prevent slipping so it does move as the pet tries to eat its food. However, this approach only addresses the issue of a food bowl slipping. Other attempts to remedy this issue relate to creating a large lip on the rim of the food bowl in an effort to contain the food within the bowl and prevent the food from getting pushed up and out by the pet's muzzle. However, this approach keeps the food inside, but can make capturing the food even more difficult for the pet by decreasing the area of access to food, especially for larger breeds. Other inventions feature a singular, non-adjustable inclined bowl, but these do not allow for height adjustment to accommodate an individual pet, nor do they allow simultaneous access to a water bowl.
There is a need for a new approach to allow a pet to eat all the food from a food bowl with ease and without spilling portions of their food on the floor.

Pet feeding station with adjustable inclined food bowl


Flashlights are provided with a mode of operation enabling switching at a thumb area of a human hand while retaining that flashlight with fingers of that human hand during switching of that flashlight at that thumb area. The flashlight has a battery barrel provided with a tail-end switch. That battery barrel is also provided with a reduced diameter portion spaced from that tail-end switch, and with a retention element projecting from that reduced diameter portion for engagement by at least one of the fingers of the human hand during switching of the flashlight at the thumb area.

Since the start of World War I, people have been trying to assist crime fighters with flashlights on their weapons, as may for instance be seem from U.S. Pat. No. 1,149,705, by Eugene S. Ward, issued Aug. 10, 1915 for a Search Light for Firearms.
By contrast, a very sophisticated aiming and target illumination system is seen from U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,272, by John W. Matthews, Ph.D., issued to Laser Products Corporation on Feb. 2, 1982, for Laser Beam Firearm Aim Assisting Methods and Apparatus.
On the more popular level, techniques have developed for the use of hand-held flashlights with firearms.
One such technique has become known as "the Harries technique" that involves holding a handgun with one hand (the "gun hand"), while holding a flashlight with the other hand (the "flashlight hand"), and crossing the "flashlight hand" under the wrist of the "gun hand" for illumination of the target and stabilization of the "gun hand."
Another emerging technique is called "the Rodgers technique" after firearm trainer Bill Rodgers. That Rodgers technique holds the flashlight between the index and middle fingers of the "flashlight hand" and activates the flashlight through an electric tail-end switch which is pressed against the ball of the thumb for illumination of the target, while that "flashlight hand" also steadies the "gun hand."
In order to practise that Rodgers technique, people have put a bicycle innertube over the battery barrel and have used various rubberbands around such barrel in an effort to increase friction and grip by human fingers.


An elevator car destination dispatching system and methodology are disclosed. The system includes a user interface that is configured to permit a user of a plurality of users to enter a desired destination in a building. The system further includes a presence detector disposed in the vicinity of the user interface. The presence detector is configured to detect the presence of the user of the plurality of users at the user interface. The presence detector is also operably coupled to a controller. The controller is configured to dispatch an elevator car based on the desired destination entered by the user of the plurality of users and the presence of the user of the plurality of users in the vicinity of the user interface.

Typically, destination dispatch elevator systems are used to provide elevator car assignments in response to a user's floor selection. For example, a destination dispatch system may provide an elevator car assignment or a list of potential elevator car assignments based on car usage and user demand. Advantageously, destination dispatch systems may improve elevator system efficiency and decrease user wait times.
Destination dispatch systems are often used with a variety of applications and users. Conventional destination dispatching systems rely on a time-based location method which assumes a travel time needed for an elevator car to move between floors. Certain applications and users often have different objectives, requirements, and desires. Current destination dispatch systems provide a calculated optimal car assignment by analyzing predetermined parameters, sometimes leading to car assignments that are not aligned with a user's preferences at a given time, such as desired car occupancy, wait time, and travel time.
Sometimes users will attempt to "trick" the destination management system by entering multiple fake requests for the same floor in an effort to increase the likelihood that a car assigned to the desired floor will arrive more rapidly, and include less travelers to other floors, thereby minimizing that particular user's overall travel time. Fake requests to the destination management system decrease occupancy and results in overall increases in wait times and travel times for other passengers.

Destination dispatch passenger detection


A filter replaces the oxygen canister of an oxygen breathing apparatus and the air flow path is modified to provide a realistic simulation for training personnel in the use of closed circuit breathing units.

Emergency situations are best handled by personnel skilled in competent procedures that have been acquired through experience and training. The best insurance is good preparation.
Many emergencies require that the responding personnel be provided breathing apparatus to cope with toxic environments. Fires, chemical leaks, explosive atmospheres and underground operations are obvious, critical environments where breathing assistance is needed. In such cases the operator must be confident in the apparatus and his own ability to operate it safely and effectively. Otherwise, his attention to the task at hand will suffer in the emergency.
For perfect realism, the apparatus itself would be used in training. Inasmuch as containers of oxygen are used with oxygen breathing apparatuses, cost becomes a significant factor, however, and therefore simulation is encouraged. Accordingly, the next best thing to the perfect realism of the apparatus itself is the apparatus, slightly modified for training. That is what the present invention provides, with an insignificant loss in realism.
The prior art is devoid of any teaching that pertains to the simulation of closed loop breathing apparatuses. This is probably true because until now training procedures have employed the apparatus itself. With the significant risk of injury that inherently accompanies dealing in an oxygen rich atmosphere and the caustic chemicals that are used to emit oxygen in a closed loop system, in addition to the substantial expense that results when numerous training sessions are undertaken, the use of operational equipment is undesirable, however. Inversely, it is desirable to simulate operation for training.
Oxygen breathing apparatuses (OBA's) for the most part are closed loop systems which are not vented except by a relief valve. Other apparatuses are filtering arrangements that often include chemical bags for removing a substantial segment of the irritants out of the air. OBA's were the application for which the present invention was originated. The techniques disclosed, however, have application to the filtering apparatuses too.
The present invention was originally designed for use in conjunction with the commonly used military OBA that is designated the Type A-3. It produces its own oxygen and enables the wearer to enter compartments, voids or tanks which contain smoke, dust or fire, or which have low oxygen supply. The Type A-3 is shown in the drawings, identified as Prior Art. The modifications of the OBA which are indicative of the present invention are shown in FIG. 1. The Type A-3 has a facepiece section that houses the eyepieces, the speaking diaphragm, and head straps. The speaking diaphragm permits the wearer to talk to others and to use communication equipment, such as sound powered phones. The inverted T-tube couples the facepiece to the breathing bag assembly and uses three valves to control the flow of air to and from the facepiece. Two of the valves are flapper type check valves, one each on the input and output sides of the tube, and the other is a vent valve for partially deflating the breathing bag if breathing becomes difficult due to overinflation. The breathing tubes and bags store and supply air to and from the facepiece via the T-tube. The air flow path is shown by the arrows. Dash lines with arrows follow exhaled breath through the canister into the right side of the breathing bag, then to the left side of the breathing bag where the solid line with arrows traces the flow of fresh air through the inhalation process. Exhaled air is recharged by the potassium super oxide contained in the replaceable canister and recirculated to inflate the bag and supply fresh air to the facepiece. Rising upward from the bottom of the canister, the exhaled air is cleansed of its carbon dioxide by the chemical and takes on fresh oxygen. To keep the eyeglasses of the facepeice from fogging, the circulating air is directed past the eyepieces before it reaches the mouth. The breathing bag tubes are long to both support the bags, preventing their complete collapse, and cool the air which becomes quite warm in the canister, before it reaches the wearer.
The initial supply of oxygen is provided by a chlorate candle that is activated by withdrawing a lanyard once the canister is firmly sealed in place. The candle is soon extinguished, but by then the operator's respiration insures that oxygen will continue to be generated.
The present invention permits the original equipment to be used, slightly modified, to preserve realistic fit, feel and operation for training in both the use and the procedures for using the equipment. Equally important, the present invention does not restrict the training to a particular setting but permits it to be rendered on board ship, for example, where the actual emergency might occur. Along with the simulation in the equipment, it is expected that most of the conditions of the emergency would be simulated too. For example, "smoke" or "toxic fumes" would likely be a relatively harmless chemical cloud, as insurance for the safety of the personnel and for simplicity and controllability. The "emergency" is a training procedure, after all, designed to prevent injury or minimize damage, not cause them.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


The present invention relates to gate stack structure that is fabricated by a process for selectively plasma etching a structure upon a semiconductor substrate to form a designated topographical structure thereon utilizing an undoped silicon dioxide layer as an etch stop. In one embodiment, a substantially undoped silicon dioxide layer is formed upon a layer of semiconductor material. A doped silicon dioxide layer is then formed upon said undoped silicon dioxide layer. The doped silicon dioxide layer is etched to create the topographical structure. The etch has a material removal rate that is at least 10 times higher for doped silicon dioxide than for undoped silicon dioxide or the semiconductor material. One application of the inventive process includes selectively plasma etching a multilayer structure to form a self-aligned contact between adjacent gate stacks and a novel gate structure resulting therefrom. In the application, a multilayer structure is first formed comprising layers of silicon, gate oxide, polysilicon, and tungsten silicide. An undoped silicon dioxide layer is formed over the multilayer structure. After patterning and etching, the multilayer structure to form gate stacks therefrom, a layer silicon nitride is deposited and is etched to create spacers on the gate stacks that are generally perpendicular to the silicon layer. Doped silicon dioxide is then deposited over the gate stacks and corresponding spacers. A photoresist layer is utilized to expose selective portions of silicon dioxide layer above the contacts on the silicon layer that are to be exposed by etching down through the doped silicon dioxide layer. The doped silicon dioxide is then selectively etched using an anisotropical plasma etch that utilizes a carbon fluorine etch. The novel gate stack structure comprising an undoped silicon dioxide cap is capable of resisting a carbon fluorine etch.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention involves an etching process that utilizes an undoped silicon dioxide layer as an etch stop during a selective etch of a doped silicon dioxide layer that is situated on a semiconductor substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for selectively utilizing a fluorinated chemistry in a plasma etch system for etching a doped silicon dioxide layer situated upon an undoped silicon dioxide layer that acts as an etch stop.
2. The Relevant Technology
Modern integrated circuits are manufactured by an elaborate process in which a large number of electronic semiconductor devices are integrally formed on a semiconductor substrate. In the context of this document, the term "semiconductive substrate" is defined to mean any construction comprising semiconductive material, including but not limited to bulk semiconductive material such as a semiconductive wafer, either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials thereon, and semiconductive material layers, either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials. The term substrate refers to any supporting structure including but not limited to the semiconductive substrates described above.
Conventional semiconductor devices which are formed on a semiconductor substrate include capacitors, resistors, transistors, diodes, and the like. In advance manufacturing of integrated circuits, hundreds of thousands of these semiconductor devices are formed on a single semiconductor substrate. In order to compactly form the semiconductor devices, the semiconductor devices are formed on varying levels of the semiconductor substrate. This requires forming a semiconductor substrate with a topographical design.
The semiconductor industry is attempting to increase the speed at which integrated circuits operate, to increase the density of devices on the integrated circuits, and to reduce the price of the integrated circuits. To accomplish this task, the semiconductor devices used to form the integrated circuits are continually being increased in number and decreased in dimension in a process known as miniaturization.
One component of the integrated circuit that is becoming highly miniaturized is the active region. An active region is a doped area in a semiconductor substrate that is used together with other active regions to form a diode or a transistor. The miniaturization of the active region complicates the formation of the interconnect structure in that, in order to maintain sufficient electrical communication, the interconnect structure must be formed in exact alignment with the active region. Also, the area of the interconnect structure interfacing with the active region must be maximized. Thus, less area is provided as tolerance for misalignment of the interconnect structure.
The increasing demands placed upon manufacturing requirements for the interconnect structure have not been adequately met by the existing conventional technology. For example, it is difficult at greater miniaturization levels to exactly align the contact hole with the active region when patterning and etching the contact hole. As a result, topographical structures near the bottom of the contact hole upon the active region can be penetrated and damaged during etching of the contact hole. The damage reduces the performance of the active region and alters the geometry thereof, causing a loss of function of the semiconductor device being formed and possibly a defect condition in the entire integrated circuit. To remedy these problems, the prior art uses an etch stop to prevent over etching.
In a conventional self-aligned etch process for a contact hole, a silicon nitride layer or cap is usually used on top of a gate stack as an etch stop layer during the self-aligned contact etch process. One of the problems in the prior art with forming a silicon nitride cap was the simultaneous formation of a silicon nitride layer on the back side of the semiconductor wafer. The particular problems depend on the process flow. For instance, where a low pressure chemical vapor deposition is used to deposit silicon nitride, both sides of the semiconductor wafer would receive deposits of silicon nitride. The presence of the silicon nitride on the back side of the semiconductor wafer causes stress which deforms the shape of the semiconductor wafer, and can also potentially cause deformation of the crystal structure as well as cause defects in the circuit. Additionally, silicon nitride deposition is inherently a dirty operation having particulate matter in abundance which tends to reduce yield. When a low pressure chemical vapor deposition process is utilized, the silicon nitride layering on the back side of the semiconductor wafer must be removed later in the process flow.