An ablation catheter is disclosed that include a mechanism for altering the impedance of the antenna during use in a controlled manner to tune the catheter. The impedance tuning may be accomplished in a variety of manners including altering the electromechanical configuration of the antenna and moving a material relative to the antenna or vice versa in order to vary the effective impedance during use. In a preferred embodiment, the ablation catheter transmits energy in the microwave frequencies and uses a coaxial transmission line as its waveguide. The antenna is preferably helical in nature and is carried by the distal end of the transmission line.

The present invention relates generally to ablation catheter systems that use electromagnetic energy to ablate internal bodily materials. More particularly, a tunable catheter arrangement particularly suited for use in ablation systems that operate at microwave frequencies is disclosed.
Catheter ablation has recently become an important therapy for certain cardiac arrhythmias. Radio frequency (RF) energy is presently accepted as the preferred ablating energy source. Accordingly, a variety of RF catheters and power supplies are currently available to electrophysiologists. Radio frequency energy has several limitations including the rapid dissipation of energy in surface tissues resulting in shallow "burns" and failure to access deeper arrhythmogenic tissues. Another limitation is the risk of clot formation on the energy emitting electrodes. Such clots have an associated danger of causing potentially lethal strokes in the event that a clot is dislodged from the catheter. For these and other reasons, significant attention has been given recently to alternative ablative energy sources.
A second common ablation approach is the use of high voltage, direct current defibrillator discharges. Direct current ablation has several drawbacks including the need for general anesthesia and explosive discharges that can cause debris or even rupture of certain cardiac organs.
Microwave frequency energy has long been recognized as an effective energy source for heating of biological tissues and has seen use in such hyperthermia applications as cancer treatment and preheating of blood prior to infusions. Accordingly, in view of the drawbacks of the traditional catheter ablation techniques, there has recently been an interest in using microwave energy as an ablation energy source. The advantage of microwave energy is that it is much easier to control and safer than direct current applications and it is capable of generating substantially larger lesions than RF catheters, which greatly simplifies the actual ablation procedures.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,649, Walinsky et al. disclose a medical procedure for the treatment of tachycardia and cardiac disrhythmia which uses microwave frequency electro magnetic energy to ablate selected cardiac tissue. The microwave energy is transmitted over a coaxial transmission line having an antenna at its distal end. A similar procedure is disclosed in Langberg et al's article entitled "Catheter Ablation of the Atrioventricular Junction Using a Helical Microwave Antenna: A Novel Means of Coupling Energy to the Endocardium," PACE, pp. 2105-2113 Vol. 14 (1991). As suggested in the title, the Langberg et al. article proposes the use of a helical microwave antenna at the distal end of the catheter in order to improve the catheter's power delivery characteristics.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,912, and 5,246,438, Langberg details particular helical antenna designs to be used for cardiac tissue ablation. In the disclosed design, a distal electrode is directly coupled to the antenna by a peripheral terminal. A bypass capacitor is also coupled to the peripheral terminal in an attempt to ground RF energy before it reaches the distal electrode. Although the arrangement disclosed by Langberg may have many advantages, the antenna is directly coupled to an electrode. Therefore, there is a risk that the grounding will not always be 100% effective and that this device may suffer some of the same limitations of the RF devices such as charring. In the later patent, Langberg recognizes the importance of adjusting the catheter impedance for particular ablation conditions. However, he proposes setting a particular presumed optimal impedance during fabrication. However, this design is not real-time tunable to compensate for the time variation of the impedance over the course of an ablation procedure.
Catheter diameters in cardiac ablation applications are typically restricted to diameters of about 71/2 French (approximately 2.5 mm in diameter). One problem that arises when using the very small diameter transmission lines that are necessitated by such diameter limitations is that the attenuation is quite large over the length of the transmission line. More troublesome is that during use, this attenuation can result in significant heat generation in the transmission line and catheter.
A frequent concern in the management of microwave energy is impedance matching of the various transmission line components. An impedance mismatch will reflect some portion of the incident power resulting in reduced energy transmission and increased losses, typically manifested as heat generation due to line or wave guide attenuation. The effects of these mismatches can be minimized through a process of "impedance matching" with the use of a variety of tuning device configurations and methods. Efficient use of these methods mandates close proximity of the device with the source of the reflected power.
With microwave energy ablation, as with radio frequency ablation, the points of greatest impedance mismatch are located at the tip of the catheter. Further, the impedance on the catheter side of the device (as distinguished from the power supply or energy source) tends to vary a fair amount as the catheter is moved about during use and as tissue properties change during an ablation procedure. For example, the impedance of the catheter to tissue coupling will vary with the location at which the catheter tip is placed in the heart. It will also vary during the course of a typical ablation procedure due to changes in the tissue properties as the target tissue is ablated and heating of the transmission line components. When the impedance changes, an increased percentage of the power is reflected and the catheter's performance is reduced. By way of example, in a representative application wherein the transmission line is approximately one meter long and is a coaxial transmission line having a diameter of 72 thousandths of an inch (1.8 mm), the power output of a well tuned system may only be in the range of 25-30% of the input power. Of course, the power output is likely to improve as the technology develops, but attenuation is always likely to be a significant concern.
To address the attenuation problem, the applicants proposed a tunable catheter arrangement that facilitates impedance matching in the above referenced parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/062,637. The referenced parent application describes novel mechanisms for tuning the catheter system to facilitate on-line impedance matching between the microwave generator side and the catheter side of the system. In one aspect, the application describes a tuning device located remotely in the power supply. Though this location is convenient from a control standpoint and has been used with success, it is inherently somewhat inefficient. Accordingly, the present invention seeks to expand upon the tuning concepts disclosed in the parent application. More specifically, the present application proposes a variety of tuning solutions that compensate for impedance variations in the vicinity of where the variations are generated.


A fibrin glue includes a fibrinogen component and a thrombin component, both prepared from single donor plasma. The plasma is precipitated to produce a precipitate containing fibrinogen and a supernatant containing the thrombin. The precipitate may be resuspended in a small volume of supernatant and used as the fibrinogen component. The supernatant is further treated by clotting to convert residual fibrinogen to fibrin and filtration to remove the fibrin. The resulting serum can be used as the thrombin component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the preparation and use of tissue adhesives which rely on combining fibrinogen and thrombin. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for preparing a fibrin glue from plasma components obtained from a single donor, preferably for use in autologous fibrin glues.
Tissue adhesives in the form of fibrin glues have been proposed for use to control bleeding and promote wound healing in a variety of traumatic and surgical situations. Many wounds and surgically created defects are not amenable to conventional suture repair, and the ability to enhance defect closure and inhibit bleeding by promoting clot formation would be advantageous. Fibrin glues contain fibrinogen and thrombin which, when mixed together, form fibrin, the basic substance of clot. In Europe and elsewhere, commercial fibrin glues are prepared from fibrinogen obtained by pooling plasma cryoprecipitate from multiple human donors. The risk of disease associated from such pooled plasma sources, however, has caused such products to be withdrawn from use in the United States.
In order to avoid the risk associated with pooled plasma sources, "autologous " fibrin glues have been proposed where fibrinogen is obtained from plasma from a single donor, often a patient to be treated in a subsequent surgical procedure. Such autologous fibrin glues, however, rely on combining the autologous fibrinogen with bovine thrombin, and thus suffer from the deficiencies associated with use of non-human animal products e.g., an immune response against the bovine plasma proteins.
Prior to the work reported in the present application, it was not apparent that thrombin, as well as fibrinogen, could be obtained from single donor plasma. In particular, it was not apparent that sufficient thrombin could be obtained from the amount of plasma used as a source for the single donor fibrinogen. Furthermore, it would have been expected that thrombin obtained from clotted plasma would be inactivated by plasma antithrombins and would therefore not be suitable for subsequent use in a fibrin glue.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved fibrin glues and methods for their preparation and use, where the fibrin glues are prepared from fibrinogen and thrombin components obtained from single donor plasma, preferably for use in autologous compositions where the glue is later administered to the donor. It would further be desirable that the thrombin component of such fibrin glues contain sufficient thrombin to produce a solid fibrin gel when mixed with the fibrinogen component, and that the thrombin component remain stable and capable of producing the fibrin gel for at least an hour after preparation.
2. Description of the Background Art
Wiegand et al. (1994) Head & Neck November/December, pages 569-573, describes the preparation and use of a fibrin glue having a fibrinogen component obtained by cryoprecipitation of single donor plasma and a bovine thrombin component. The shortcomings of such fibrin glues are discussed in Cederholm--Williams (1994) The Lancet 344: 336-337. Review articles discussing various forms of fibrin glue include McCarthy (1993) Transfusion Med. Rev. VII: 173-179; DePalma et al. (1993) Transfusion 33: 717-720; and Brennan (1991) Blood Reviews 5: 240-244. U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,879, describes the preparation of fibrinogen by cryoprecipitation of plasma from a single donor. While combination with "human " thrombin is suggested, no source of technique for obtaining human thrombin is provided, and the only specific source of thrombin mentioned is commercial bovine thrombin. Other U.S. Patents relating to tissue adhesives include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,909,251; 4,655,211; 4,453,939; 4,442,655; 4,427,651; 4,427,650; 4,414,976; 4,377,572 4,362,567; 4,298,598; and 4,265,233.

Autologous fibrin glue and methods for its preparation and use

Hamilton Civic Hospitals Research Development, Inc.


Oxidation treatment is performed to the surface of a substrate provided with a photocatalytic conductive film and an insulating film; treatment with a silane coupling agent is performed, so that a silane coupling agent film is formed and the surface of the substrate is modified to be liquid-repellent; and the surface of the substrate is irradiated with light of a wavelength (less than to equal to 390 nm) which has energy of greater than or equal to a band gap of a material for forming the photocatalytic conductive film, so that only the silane coupling agent film over the surface of the photocatalytic conductive film is decomposed and the surface of the photocatalytic conductive film can be modified to be lyophilic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming a pattern capable of forming a film as selected by controlling wettability of a surface where the film is to be formed, a method for manufacturing a light emitting device having a light emitting element using the method for forming a pattern, and a light emitting device.
A light emitting element is an element having a structure in which a film containing an organic compound (hereinafter referred to as a layer containing an organic compound) is provided between a pair of electrodes, and fluorescence or phosphorescence can be obtained by application of an electric field.
The light emitting device refers to an image display device, a light emitting device, or a light source (including a lighting device). Further, the light emitting device includes any of the following modules in its category: a module in which a connector such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC), tape automated bonding (TAB) tape, or a tape carrier package (TCP) is attached to a light emitting device; a module having TAB tape or a TCP provided with a printed wiring board at the end thereof; and a module having an integrated circuit (IC) directly mounted on a light emitting device by a chip on glass (COG) method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A droplet-discharging method such as an ink-jet method has been used as a method for forming a pattern. In this method, specifically droplets of a liquid material containing a material for forming a pattern are discharged to a desired position to form a pattern, and various patterns can be formed without using a photolithography process or the like. Thus, a droplet-discharging method has an advantage that consumption of the material can be suppressed to the minimum.
When a pattern is formed by a droplet-discharging method, in order to improve accuracy in applying a liquid material to a part where a film is to be formed, a method in which only the part where a film is to be formed over the substrate is modified to be lyophilic and other parts are modified to be liquid-repellent is used.
As one example of the above method, a method for forming a pattern is known, in which, after fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) or the like is applied to the entire surface of a substrate so that the entire surface is modified to be liquid-repellent, only a part where a film is to be formed is irradiated with ultraviolet rays using a metal mask, and the part where a film is to be formed is modified to be lyophilic (for example, refer to Reference 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2005-93691).
In addition, as another example, a method for forming a pattern is known, in which, when a layer containing an organic compound of a light emitting element is formed as a pattern, a layer containing a photocatalyst which includes photocatalytic particles and a binder is formed over one electrode, only the electrode is irradiated with light in pattern to decompose active constituents of the binder, and only the surface of the electrode is modified to be lyophilic, so that the layer containing an organic compound is formed over the electrode (for example, refer to Reference 2: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2003-332080).
However, these methods have problems in that a specific metal mask is necessary so that light irradiation is partially performed, and the number of manufacturing steps is increased since a photolithography technique is used for irradiation in pattern. Further, in the latter example, there are also problems in that when the amount of the binder is increased to smooth the layer containing a photocatalyst, constituents of the binder with an insulating property remain on the electrode which is modified to be lyophilic, and electric characteristics of the light emitting element are degraded.

Method for forming pattern, method for manufacturing light emitting device, and light emitting device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A circuit for generating clock and control signals from first and second asynchronous binary signals. The circuit generates first and second pulse signals responsive to the first and second asynchronous binary signals, a clock pulse signal responsive to the first or second pulse signal, and an identification control signal to indicate which of the two binary signals is responsible for the clock signal. The circuit is also responsive to the first and second pulse signals for generating an overlap control signal to indicate overlap in the first and second pulse signals.

Microprocessors and input/output (I/O) devices often have different operating capabilities relative to their operating frequency. For example, a microprocessor may be capable of transferring data to or from an I/O device at a much faster rate than the I/O device can receive or transmit data. In order not to slow down the microprocessor, RAMs are frequently used as buffers or interface data storage elements between microprocessors and I/O devices. In this manner data can be transferred between the RAM and the microprocessor at one rate and between the RAM and I/O device at another rate.
A typical RAM used as an interface is a first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer in which data bytes are read out in the same order in which they are read into the FIFO. A dual-ported FIFO RAM allows data to be simultaneously read from and written to the buffer. Thus, a fast microprocessor can transfer data into the FIFO at its operating frequency, and a relatively slower I/O device can read the data at its operating frequency. In order to track the location of the next data byte to be read from or written to the FIFO, read and write address pointers are used. The write and read pointers are incremented on each FIFO access, and a byte count for the number of bytes of data in the FIFO is increased or decreased as the amount of data increases or decreases, respectively. The byte count is used by the microprocessor and/or I/O device to indicate when the FIFO should be read and when no more data should be transferred to the FIFO. For example, a fast microprocessor might wait until the FIFO is half full before reading data therefrom. However, no data can be read from an empty FIFO, nor should data be written into a full FIFO.
The read and write address pointers for the FIFO are controlled by the device requesting the read or write function and can therefore operate independently of each other. Independent operation is desirable to allow reading and writing of the FIFO to occur simultaneously, thereby improving the overall system operation. However, truly independent and asynchronous operation presents difficulties in keeping track of the FIFO byte count. For example, asynchronously occurring read and write pulses may operate at different frequencies, they may overlap, and they may have different pulse widths. Asynchronously occurring pulses can also create problems of metastability since the setup and hold times of the pulses are unpredictable.

Clock generating circuit for asynchronous pulses


Managing virtual machines includes determining an operating parameter of a device during operation of the device as part of a cluster of devices while the device hosts a virtual machine and comparing, using a processor, a requirement for the virtual machine with the operating parameter. A view of the virtual machine operating within the device of the cluster can be displayed. A result of the comparison can be indicated through application of a visualization technique to an identifier representing the virtual machine within the view.

Server virtualization, referred to as simply as "virtualization," is a technique in which a physical computing resource such as a server is represented as a programmatic simulation or model called a "virtual machine." The virtual machine is hosted by, e.g., is operated or executed on, a physical device. Virtualization allows a single physical device to host two or more different virtual machines concurrently, thereby significantly reducing the number of physical devices needed to implement a given IT infrastructure. The ease with which virtual machines can be created coupled with the reality that a dedicated physical server is not required for each new virtual machine has reduced physical server sprawl while increasing virtual machine sprawl. As such, managing virtual machines and virtual computing environments has become problematic.

Managing virtual clustering environments according to requirements

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An access control method, an access control apparatus and a communication system are disclosed, and a mechanism for processing Emergency Call (EMC) services is disclosed, and such mechanism ensures continuity of the EMC service while implementing the access control under a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) mechanism. The access control method includes: obtaining CSG area information of a target area; and controlling the access of a User Equipment (UE) to the target area according to the CSG area information of the target area and/or whether an EMC service exists on the UE. The present invention is applicable to the scenario in which the UE accesses a network.

With fast development of network technologies, the Internet access technology is evolving. The home access mode is a new access mode currently being researched by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and non-3GPP standardization organizations.
In home access mode, a User Equipment (UE) accesses a mobile network through a universal Internet Protocol (IP) access network by using a home Wireless Access Point (WAP) and the licensed spectrum. The licensed spectrum may be the spectrum used in various networks, for example, the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) network. A home WAP is also known as a Femtocell.
A Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) mechanism is introduced to restrict the access of a UE to a specific home WAP. The CSG identifies some UEs (or users) authorized to access one or more cells of an operator, but restricts the access of other UEs to such cells. A CSG area includes one or more cells, which are identified by a CSG Identifier (ID). A CSG area is accessible to a group of UEs, but not accessible to other UEs than this group of UEs. The CSG IDs of all CSG areas accessible to a UE form an Allowed CSG List, which is also known as a CSG White List. The Allowed CSG List of the UE is stored in a mobility management Network Element (NE) such as a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and a Mobility Management Entity (MME), or stored in a non-3GPP Gateway (GW) or the UE.
Currently, the 3GPP standardization organization is developing an Emergency Call (EMC) service in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to provide emergency call services such as policy emergency calls and fire emergency calls for users by using an IP-Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) network (such as GPRS/UMTS/E-UTRAN/WLAN/WiMAX) and the IMS system.
However, the prior art has drawbacks. For example, when a UE is handed over from a source access NE to a target access NE or a target cell, no access control is exercised; and the access control is exercised only after the UE is handed over to the target access NE or target cell. In this mechanism, the access control is exercised only after the UE is handed over to the target access NE or target cell, and consequently, the UE is not allowed to access the target access NE or target cell after the handover, and the ongoing service on the UE is terminated, which impairs the user experience.
In the CSG mechanism, when the UE is handed over from the source home WAP to the target home WAP, if the CSG ID corresponding to the target home WAP does not exist in the Allowed CSG List of the UE, the access of the UE to the target home WAP is rejected; if the UE has an EMC service at this time, the EMC service is interrupted. The prior art provides no mechanism for processing the EMC service in this circumstance.

Access control method, access control apparatus and communication system


This invention comprises purified native state Type VI collagen/.beta.ig, Type VI-.beta.ig collagen gel, including the crosslinked gel, and the use of the gel in fibrosis limited wound healing, and methods of preparation of the collagens.

Type VI collagen, a ubiquitous filamentous structural protein, is an integral component of the interfibrillar matrix, and represents a significant fraction of the connective tissue collagens. A sequence listing of one form of Type VI collagen is found in Structure and Function of Collagen Types, Eds. Richard Mayne and Robert E. Burgeson, (Academic Press, New York City (1987)), the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. Glutaraldehyde crosslinked Type IV collagen, used as a synthetic epikeratoplasty in monkey is degraded by endogenous enzymes and fails to support a healthy epithelium. (Thompson K P, Hanna K D, Gipson I K, Gravagna P, Waring III G O, Johnson-Wint B., "Synthetic epikeratoplasty in Rhesus monkeys with human type IV collagen," Cornea. 1993;12:35-45).
Type VI collagen is one of the earliest matrix proteins deposited during cell infiltration within a collagen tissue polymer composite used to repair an abdominal wall defect. Type VI collagen is a heterotrimer composed of polypeptides .alpha.1(VI), .alpha.2(VI), and .alpha.3(VI). Each polypeptide contains globular domains at the amino and carboxyl termini separated by a short triple-helical domain. The dumbbell-shaped monomers assemble into tetramers by lateral association. End-to-end association of these tetramers forms a beaded filamentous structure.
Type VI collagen is arranged as a beaded filament with about 100 nm periods between beads. Type VI collagen is involved in cell-matrix interactions, and believed to interact with extracellular matrix components including collagens, hyaluronan, and proteoglycans. Without being bound by any particular theory, it is believed that as a structural protein, Type VI collagen plays a role in anchoring basal-lamina-containing organs within connective tissues and restricting lateral movement of collagen fibrils.
Native Type VI collagen co-purifies with a protein identified as .beta.ig-h3, a protein induced in a human adenocarcinoma cell line after treatment with TGF-.beta.. This protein in rabbit is termed .beta.ig, and is synthesized in corneal stroma during morphogenesis of normal and healing tissue, indicating that it plays a role in these processes. The 683 amino acids sequence of .beta.ig has similarity with the protein fasciclin I, a possible surface recognition molecule involved in nerve growth cone guidance, and OSF-2, a protein that has been suggested to function as an adhesion molecule in bone formation.
In corneal stroma, .beta.ig is associated with the globular domain of native Type VI collagen. This association involves disulfide-dependent linkages. A denatured Type VI collagen preparation containing .beta.ig was reported as promoting adhesion and spreading of corneal fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells in vitro. Adhesion of cells to Type VI collagen and subsequent cell spreading may be partially mediated by .beta.ig. As an integral component of the stromal interfibrillar matrix during morphogenesis, .beta.ig plays a role in development of an ordered fibrillar matrix. Without being bound by any specific theory, it is believed that such order is necessary for corneal transparency.
We have now, surprisingly, established that corneal Type VI collagen/.beta.ig is efficiently extracted without denaturation by means of phosphate buffered saline. The purified preparation, containing Type VI collagen associated with .beta.ig forms a viscous substance, which, when concentrated, is in the form of a gel termed "gelsix." We have further discovered that upon chemical crosslinking with polyethylene glycol the gel becomes a transparent film or shaped object. The crosslinked gel is termed "cxgelsix." Cxgelsix is mechanically strong enough to present a useful biomaterial in corneal and other applications.
Numerous studies and patents have described the use of collagens alone or in combination with other components as a biomaterial. Note is made of Thompson K P, Hanna K D, Gipson I K, Gravagna P, Waring III G O, Johnson-Wint B., "Synthetic epikeratoplasty in Rhesus monkeys with human type IV collagen," Cornea. 1993;12:35-45; Desgrange P, Tardieu M. Loisance D, Barritault D., "Extracellular matrix covered biomaterials for human endothelial cell growth," Int J Artif Organs. 1992;15:722-726; Orgill D P, Ehret F W, Regan J F, Glowacki J, Mulliken J B. "Polyethylene glycol/microfibrillar collagen composite as a new resorbable hemostatic bone wax." J Biomed Mater Res. 1998;39:358-363; van Luyn M J A, Khouw M S L, van Wachem P B, Blaauw I H, Werkmeister J A., "Modulation of the tissue reaction to biomaterials. II. The function of T cells in the inflammatory reaction to crosslinked collagen implanted in T-cell-deficient rats," J Biomed Mater Res. 1998;39:398-406; van Wachem P B, van Luyn M J A, Damink L O, Dijkstra P J, Feijen J, Neiuwenhuis P., "Biocompatibility and tissue regenerating capacity of crosslinked dermal sheep collagens," J Biomed Mater Res. 1994;28:353-363; Werkmeister J A, Edwards G A, Casagranda F, White J F, Ranshaw J A M., "Evaluation of a collagen-based biosynthetic material for the repair of abdominal wall defects," J Biomed Mater Res. 1998;39:429-436: Chiou A G -Y, Mermoud A, Underdahl J P, Schnyder C C., "An ultrasound biomicroscopic study of eyes after deep scierectomy with collagen implant." Ophthalmology. 1998;105:746-750; and Fujioka K, Maeda M, Hojo T, Sano A., "Protein release from collagen matrices," Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. 1998;31 :247-266 the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. Also noted are U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,430; U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,895; U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,336, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Collagen based biomaterials and methods of preparation and use


The present invention provides a method for depositing a nucleic acid on a solid support. The method comprises contacting a solid support with a solution of nucleic acid, the solution comprising about 30% to about 80% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) by volume, sodium chloride and sodium citrate salt containing buffer (SSC) at a final concentration of from about 0.1xc3x97 (15 mM sodium chloride+1.5 mM sodium citrate) to about 0.8xc3x97 (120 mM sodium chloride+12 mM sodium citrate). The composition includes a nucleic acid at a concentration ranging from 0.01 mg/ml to 0.50 mg/ml. Preferably, the solution comprises about 40% to about 80% DMSO by volume and SSC at a final concentration from about 0.1xc3x97 to about 0.5xc3x97. More preferably, the solution comprises about 40% to about 60% DMSO by volume and SSC at final concentration from about 0.25xc3x97 to about 0.5xc3x97. Most preferably, the solution comprises about 50% DMSO by volume and SSC at a final concentration of about 0.25xc3x97. The nucleic acid is preferably a double stranded DNA or an oligonucleotide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for fabrication of high-density nucleic acid arrays for use in biological assays.
2. Background
Hybridization is a hydrogen-bonding interaction between two nucleic acid strands that obey the Watson-Crick complementary rules. All other base pairs are mismatches that destabilize hybrids. Since a single mismatch decreases the melting temperature of a hybrid by up to 10xc2x0 C., conditions can be found in which only perfect hybrids can survive. Many hybridization experiments can be simultaneously carried out on a single solid support on which multiple nucleic acids xe2x80x9cprobesxe2x80x9d have been immobilized by either covalent or non-covalent methods. The tethered xe2x80x9cprobexe2x80x9d is hybridized with target nucleic acids that usually bear a radioactive, fluorescent label, or haptens that could be visualized by chemiluminescent or other detection methods. The resulting hybrids are separated from the unreacted labeled strands by washing the support. Hybrids are recognized by detecting the label bound to the surface of the support.
Oligonucleotide hybridization is widely used to determine the presence in a nucleic acid of a sequence that is complimentary to the oligonucleotide probe. In many cases, this provides a simple, fast, and inexpensive alternative to conventional sequencing methods. Hybridization does not require nucleic acid cloning and purification, carrying out base-specific reactions, or tedious electrophoretic separations. Hybridization of oligonucleotide probes has been successfully used for various purposes, such as analysis of genetic polymorphisms, diagnosis of genetic diseases, cancer diagnostics, detection of viral and microbial pathogens, screening of clones, genome mapping and ordering of fragment libraries.
An oligonucleotide array is comprised of a number of individual oligonucleotide species tethered to the surface of a solid support in a regular pattern, each species in a different area, so that the location of each oligonucleotide is known. An array can contain a chosen collection of oligonucleotides, e.g., probes specific for all known clinically important pathogens or specific for all known clinically important pathogens or specific for all known sequence markers of genetic diseases. Such an array can satisfy the needs of a diagnostic laboratory. Alternatively, an array can contain all possible oligonucleotides of a given length n. Hybridization of a nucleic acid with such a comprehensive array results in a list of all its constituent n-mers, which can be used for unambiguous gene identification (e.g., in forensic studies), for determination of unknown gene variants and mutations (including the sequencing of related genomes once the sequence of one of them is known), for overlapping clones, and for checking sequences determined by conventional methods. Finally, surveying the n-mers by hybridization to a comprehensive array can provide sufficient information to determine the sequence of a totally unknown nucleic acid.
Oligonucleotide arrays can be prepared by synthesizing all the oligonucleotides, in parallel, directly on the support, employing the methods of solid-phase chemical synthesis in combination with site-directing masks as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,270. Four masks with non-overlapping windows and four coupling reactions are required to increase the length of tethered oligonucleotides by one. In each subsequent round of synthesis, a different set of four masks is used, and this determines the unique sequence of the oligonucleotides synthesized in each particular area. Using an efficient photolithographic technique, miniature arrays containing as many as 105 individual oligonucleotides per cm2 of area have been demonstrated.
Another technique for creating oligonucleotide arrays involves precise drop deposition using a piezoelectric pump as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,796. The piezoelectric pump delivers minute volumes of liquid to a substrate surface. The pump design is very similar to the pumps used in ink jet printing. This picopump is capable of delivering 50 micron diameter (65 picoliter) droplets at up to 3000 Hz and can accurately hit a 250 micron target. The pump unit is assembled with five nozzles array heads, one for each of the four nucleotides and a fifth for delivering, activating agent for coupling. The pump unit remains stationary while droplets are fired downward at a moving array plate. When energized, a microdroplet is ejected from the pump and deposited on the array plate at a functionalized binding site. Different oligonucleotides are synthesized at each individual binding site based on the microdrop deposition sequence.
A popular method for creating high-density arrays utilizes pins that are dipped into solutions of the sample fluids and then touched to a surface. The nucleic acid, e.g., DNA, is typically solubilized in an aqueous medium (also sometimes referred to as an xe2x80x9cinkxe2x80x9d) that contains salts, which are used as components of buffers that are compatible with biological macromolecules. 3xc3x97SSC (450 mM sodium chloride and 45 mM sodium citrate) is a standard printing ink. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,522 (Example 1).
Printing with 3xc3x97SSC is considered useful since the salt particles that are deposited on the arrays after printing enable the verification of the printing process. This verification can be achieved by an imaging method that uses the principle of compound microscopy to photograph printed grids of an HDA, and then electronically determine the presence or absence of the salt spots printed with DNA. By using an oblique white light source, principally the salt deposits are detected by the imaging method (also referred to herein as the 100% Dot Inspection System) and not DNA. Therefore, if one wishes to use such a verification process it is imperative that the ink contains salts.
However, the use of SSC inks can be problematic. The first problem encountered in manufacturing DNA arrays using a 3xc3x97SSC ink is that the rate of evaporation of the aqueous medium is very high compared to the time required to print multiple slides. This is a major obstacle to scaling up the manufacturing process. Additionally, it has been observed by the present inventors that not only is the 3xc3x97SSC ink incapable of printing the required number of slides but variable arrays result due to a rapidly changing concentration of DNA because of the evaporation of aqueous medium.
Therefore, there is a need for an ink composition for printing HDA of nucleic acids that overcome the disadvantages seen in the art.
In an attempt to solve the problem related to evaporation discussed above, we tested an ink composition consisting of 50% DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) by volume and SSC at a final concentration of 1xc3x97 (150 mM NaCl+15 mM sodium citrate). This composition was considered optimal since DMSO is an organic solvent with high vapor pressure and it is highly miscible with water. Moreover, DMSO is a hygroscopic solvent and is thereby able to compete with the net losses of the solvent due to evaporation of the aqueous component by absorbing moisture from the air. The 1:1 ratio of DMSO and SSC was found to give minimal evaporation of the ink over several print runs and was successfully used to print various HDAs.
To further test the ink, genetic material was suspended in the 1:1 DMSO:SSC (1xc3x97) composition and used to print human and yeast arrays using the contact printing method. Many arrays were printed on CMT-GAPS(trademark) glass slides (Corning) with this ink for over a period of 2 months and the hybridization performance obtained on these slides was acceptable. However, after xcx9c4-5 weeks, these genetic materials failed to give satisfactory hybridization performance. After repeated failed attempts at printing this DNA, the genetic materials were analyzed for the presence of contaminants that could potentially degrade the DNA (for example the DNase enzyme is a common cause of DNA degradation). Gel electrophoreses of the DNA samples showed that a large number of the fragments did not exhibit their expected mobility. Instead the DNA appeared to be retained in the wells of the gel. Such an anomalous behavior is generally associated with the formation of large aggregates of DNA that are not able to travel through the sieving material of the gel matrix. Based on the gel analysis it was clear that the integrity of the DNA molecules had been compromised. Visual inspection of the ink indicated the presence of particulate matter. Infra-red analysis of these particles indicated the presence of sodium citrate and DNA. Further solubility studies on the ink (in the absence of the DNA) indicated that the ink was inherently unstable and was prone to causing the precipitation of the citrate component. The analytical data suggested that the components of the ink resulted in aggregation of the DNA over a period of time.
We have now surprisingly discovered that lowering the final SSC concentration in the ink to about 0.8xc3x97 (120 mM sodium chloride+12 mM sodium citrate) to about 0.1xc3x97 (15 mM sodium chloride+1.5 mM sodium citrate), and having the DMSO concentration between about 30% to about 80% by volume, results in an ink composition that provides superior adhesion, hybridization efficiency and hybridization response from nucleic acid species that are printed on positively charged substrates for nucleic acid binding (e.g., an aminated surface).
We also discovered that unexpectedly the ink of the present invention having a salt concentration significantly lower than the 3xc3x97SSC industry standard enables superior imaging of a highly dense array of printed spots of DNA using a visible light source device. We have further discovered that the ink composition of the present invention satisfies another need in the art in that it enables the long-term storage of the nucleic acid, and thus facilitates the manufacture of HDAs at a high throughput over a long period of time, e.g., over 7 weeks.
We have further unexpectedly discovered that the ink of the present invention having a DMSO concentration greater than 60% by volume results in increased denaturation of the nucleic acid. Even more unexpected is the discovery that this denaturation increases over time. Thus, a lower concentration of DMSO can be used if the time the DNA is suspended in the ink before printing is increased. For example, double stranded DNA in inks containing DMSO at 50% or greater v/v for 21 days showed signs of denaturation. See, FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B.
In one embodiment the present invention provides a method for depositing a nucleic acid on a solid support. The method comprises contacting a solid support with a solution of nucleic acid, the solution comprising about 30% to about 80% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) by volume, and sodium chloride and sodium citrate salt containing buffer (SSC) at a final concentration of from about 0.1xc3x97 (15 mM sodium chloride+1.5 mM sodium citrate) to about 0.8xc3x97 (120 mM sodium chloride+12 mM sodium citrate). The composition includes a nucleic acid at a concentration ranging from 0.01 mg/ml to 0.50 mg/ml. Preferably, the solution comprises about 40% to about 80% DMSO by volume and SSC at a final concentration from about 0.1xc3x97 to about 0.5xc3x97. More preferably, the solution comprises about 40% to about 60% DMSO by volume and SSC at final concentration from about 0.25xc3x97 to about 0.5xc3x97. Most preferably, the solution comprises about 50% DMSO by volume and SSC at a final concentration of about 0.25xc3x97. The nucleic acid is preferably a double stranded DNA or an oligonucleotide.
In the method any solid support can be used as long as it is capable of retaining the printed nucleic acid. Preferably, the solid support is a two dimensional solid glass surface (for example, a commercially available 3xe2x80x3xc3x971xe2x80x3 microscope glass slides made of soda lime or other glass compositions) or a three dimensional porous glass surface (for example, Vycor(trademark), (Corning Inc.)) or a porous glass substrates made from porous pyrex glass by tape-cast or sol-gel processes. It is preferred that the glass have a surface that is coated to facilitate the adhesion of the nucleic acid. An aminated surface coating is preferred. The aminated surface can comprise, for example, gamma-aminopropyl silane or polylysine.
The contacting step of the method includes, for example, immersing the tip of a pin into the nucleic acid ink solution. The pin can be solid or hollow. The tip of the pin is then removed from the solution to provide solution adhered to the tip. The solution adhering to the tip is then contacted with a solid support to thereby transfer the solution from the tip to the solid support. To form a nucleic acid patterned in an array the contacting step is repeated a plurality of times. This can be accomplished, for example, by use of a typographic pin array.
To facilitate denaturation of the nucleic acid, the nucleic acid may be suspended in the DMSO/SSC composition for at least 1 day prior to printing, preferably at least 5 days, more preferably at least 10 days, still more preferably at least 15 days.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a nucleic acid printing ink composition comprising about 30% to about 80% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) by volume, SSC at a final concentration of from about 0.1xc3x97 to about 0.8xc3x97 and water. The composition can further include a nucleic acid at a concentration ranging from 0.01 mg/ml to 0.5 mg/ml. The nucleic acid is preferably a double stranded DNA or an oligonucleotide. The composition may also include EDTA in a final concentration between 0 and 4 mM, preferably 0.5 mM.
Other agents can be incorporated as part of the ink composition including those that would change the viscosity of the ink for enhancing wettability for certain printing conditions, for example, glycerol, poly-ethylene glycol, histone proteins etc. The inks may also contain small amounts of polycationic agents such as poly-lysine, spermine etc.
Preferably, the solution comprises about 40% to about 80% DMSO by volume and SSC at a final concentration from about 0.1xc3x97 to about 0.5xc3x97. More preferably, the solution comprises about 40% to about 60% DMSO by volume and SSC at final concentration from about 0.25xc3x97 to about 0.5xc3x97. Most preferably, the solution comprises about 50% DMSO by volume and SSC at a final concentration of about 0.25xc3x97. The nucleic acid is preferably a single or double stranded DNA or an oligonucleotide.
Other aspects of the invention are disclosed infra.

Methods and compositions for arraying nucleic acids onto a solid support


A feeding device for a table saw includes a sliding board slidably mounted on one side of a worktable of the table saw and having a moving direction corresponding to a saw blade. The sliding board includes two grooves defined in two opposite sides thereof and respectively parallel to the moving direction of the sliding board. A moving seat is selective slidably mounted on one side of the sliding board. A pushing rod is laterally slidably mounted to the moving seat and has a first side forming a pushing face for abutting against a datum of a workpiece. A first locking device and a second locking device respectively extend through the pushing rod and the moving seat to selectively hold the pushing rod and the moving seat in place for confirming a cutting angle of the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feeding device, and more particularly to feeding device for a table saw. The feeding device of the present invention can be used to a long distance cutting.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional feeding device for a table saw comprises a moving seat slidably mounted on one side of a worktable of the table saw. A graduation plate is partially rotatably mounted to the moving seat and a pushing rod laterally extends from the graduation plate for abutting against a datum of a workpiece. A threaded rod upwards extends from the moving seat and penetrates through the graduation plate. A nut is screwed onto the threaded rod to hold the graduation plate in place after adjusting an operating angle.
However, the adjusting range of the graduation plate on the conventional feeding device for a table saw is smaller than 180 degrees. Consequently, the conventional feeding device for a table saw is useless when the workpiece is greater than the distance between the pushing rod and the saw blade. Furthermore, the quality of cutting cannot be effectively controlled when the nut is loosened from the threaded rod due to a vibration of the table saw during operating. Consequently, the conventional feeding device for a table saw in accordance with the prior art needs to be advantageously altered.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional feeding device for a table saw.


A device introduced small volumes of fluid for delivery to a patient through a fluid line. The device includes a first arm adapted to receive a syringe and a second arm fluidly connected to an upstream reservoir that defines an internal volume adapted to receive a volume of fluid. The device includes a fluid obstruction mechanism configured to selectably block flow of fluid from the reservoir toward the patient, wherein the fluid obstruction mechanism transitions between a first state that permits fluid flow from the reservoir toward the patient and a second state that directs fluid flow from the syringe into the reservoir while blocking fluid flow from the reservoir toward the patient.

Intravenous (IV) fluid delivery pumps are used to deliver fluid to a patient or to draw out fluid from a patient's body. With respect to the delivery of fluid to the patient, delivery pumps and the associated control software are typically configured to deliver relatively large amounts of fluid over an extended period of time.
This may present problems when there is a requirement to deliver a small volume of fluid to a patient such as on the order of less than 2.5 milliliters of fluid (or in a range from about 0.1-5 mls). Under current procedures, a clinician can introduce the small volume of fluid into a primary fluid delivery line such as via a valve to the fluid delivery line. However, in order to do so the clinician must first detach the fluid line from the pump. Alternatively, a clinician could deliver a small volume of fluid by connecting a small volume syringe to a syringe pump. However, the small volume of fluid may be diluted in the fluid line or fluid from the small volume syringe may attached to the interior walls of the fluid line such that the proper dosage of fluid over time is not achieved.


A tailgate for opening/closing an opening of a vehicle includes an outer panel configured to form an outer surface of the tailgate, a garnish mounted on the outer panel and configured to form the outer surface of the tailgate, and a switch unit including at least a switch configured to instruct an opening operation of the tailgate. The switch unit is arranged in a space between the outer panel and the garnish, and mounted on the outer panel and the garnish.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the tailgate of a vehicle.
Description of the Related Art
A tailgate including a switch with which a passenger instructs the opening operation of the tailgate is known as a tailgate for opening/closing an opening on the rear part of a vehicle. Japanese Patent No. 5310435 discloses a structure in which such switch is mounted on the outer panel of a tailgate, and covered with a garnish.
Since the switch of the tailgate is to be operated by a passenger, an operation load may be applied by the passenger to the switch and the garnish around it, and some passengers may apply an operation load more than necessary. A portion of the tailgate around the switch is externally exposed, and may be applied with some external force. Therefore, the switch and the portion around it are desirably, sufficiently resistant to an operation load or external force, and the conventional structure has room for improvement in this point.


A standing seam roofing/cladding system (2) includes elongate pans (4) having first and second lateral edges (6, 8) secured to a support structure (12) by channel brackets (10). The channel brackets each include a base (36) and first and second U-shaped arms (38, 40) defining downwardly opening cavities (42, 44). The lateral edges of the pans each include upwardly extending hems (18, 20), sized and positioned to be housed within the cavities formed by the U-shaped arms. The lateral edges also include generally vertically extending legs (22, 24) extending from the hems. The engagement of the hems within the cavities secures the lateral edges of the pans to the support structure. The upper portions (26, 28; 58, 60) of the legs are mechanically interlocked to form a standing seam (30; 62) thus creating a standing seam joint (45). An optional batten (52) may be used over the standing seam joint if desired.

Trapezoidal-type standing seam roofing systems were first made with exposed fasteners which pierced the pans. This proved to be unacceptable because of leaks at the penetrations. Also, especially with lengthy pans, thermal expansion and contraction would either cause the fasteners to fail or create elongated holes in the pans, thus creating additional sources of leaks as well as weakening the structure.
To combat these problems, sealed clips were developed. Conventional clips were of two piece construction. The upper portions were folded or interlocked at the uppermost section of the standing seam while the lower section was fastened to the structure. Usually, the two pieces were connected with a slot to allow for thermal movement.
Although the newer designs seemed to address the problems of the exposed, pan-penetrating fasteners, they were still subject to failure, primarily of two types. The first type of failure occurred when the roofing system would pull off from the support structure during negative (uplift) wind conditions. The second type of failure was leaking.
Conventional systems were tested in laboratories using steady-state conditions; such tests did not, however, mimic actual use conditions. Winds are not constant so that uplift forces fluctuate. These fluctuating conditions, which flex the metal back and forth, can work the clip loose or fatigue it to failure. When the uplift conditions are severe, the roofing panel deforms upward in a convex condition; this tends to pull the standing seams and ribs apart. Conventional two piece clips hold standing seam roofing panels near the tops of their joints, thus allowing flexing of the joints. Flexing not only can ruin the weatherproof seal of the standing seam joint, but can also cause the legs of the seam to spread apart (in what is called rib spread) which can lead to disengagement of the clips from the pans and thus failure of the roofing system.
Another cause of clip failure originates at installation. Conventional two part standing seam clips are slidably mounted to one another to accommodate thermal movement. During installation it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to determine what the proper relative positions between the two pieces of the clip should be when installed. That is, should the clips be positioned at one sliding extreme, the other sliding extreme or centered? In practice, the clips are installed centered, even though that may not be the appropriate place. Because of this, the clips may reach their limits of relative movement during the daily thermal expansion and contraction of the pans. Subjecting the clips through this cyclic stress can result in clip or fastener failure.
Another problem with conventional standing seam joints is created by leaks at the terminations of the standing seams, such as at eaves, penetrations, hips, ridges, and so forth. The primary cause of leaks is the inability to seal the end of the standing seam. This is primarily due to its accordion nature. The ends of panels creating the standing seam joint are highly vulnerable to distortion. The open ends of standing seam joints seldom fit the preformed neoprene and metal closures which are designed for use with undamaged, properly shaped standing seam joints. Despite attempts to fill any voids with sealants, leaks often occur through gravity penetration, wind forced penetration and capillary action.


A method and apparatus for providing interconnections between levels on a semiconductor substrate of various types includes first forming a plurality of trenches in the substrate and then forming conductive layers at the bottom of the trenches. The trenches are then filled with an oxide to provide a planar surface on the substrate. Various levels of trenches are provided with crossovers being formed by a bridging layer of a conductive material that is formed over an oxide layer in the lower level trenches. Vertical contacts are formed by etching an opening from the surface to the bottom of the trenches through the oxide layer and filling the opening with a metal plug.

As integrated circuits become more complex and packing density increases, difficulty of interconnecting the individual circuits, circuit elements and groups of circuits together on a substrate, also becomes more complex. At present, multiple layers of interconnecting metal strips separated by an insulator are utilized, which strips are connected to the underlying circuit elements through contacts. This is referred to as a multilevel interconnect system. Typically the multilevel interconnects are fabricated on a semiconductor substrate from polycrystalline silicon, aluminum or some type of refractory material. The substrate can be any type of semiconductor material such as silicon, gallium arsenide or any III-V compound or Mercury Cadmium Telluride or any II-VI compound.
In fabricating multilevel interconnects, it is necessary to sequentially form each layer of interconnect by either depositing or sputtering a layer of conductor onto the substrate followed by a patterning step and then overlying that layer with a layer of insulator followed by the next layer of conductors. This multilevel interconnect system presents some disadvantages as the integrated circuit becomes more dense, since the surface topology tends to become more irregular. This requires the interconnect levels to follow the topology of the surface. An additional disadvantage in the multilevel interconnect system is that each layer has its own adhesion problems that can result in the delamination of layers from one another. Another disadvantage to the multilevel interconnect system is that contacts must be brought up from the surface where the circuit elements are formed in order to make the interconnection.
Another technique to alleviate the problem of multilevel interconnects is to provide buried regions of conductive material which are sometimes referred to as "buried tank" of semiconductor material. These buried tanks are utilized for short conductive runs, since the resistivity of doped semiconductor material is relatively high compared to the conductor strips utilized in the multilevel interconnect techniques.


A frame height adjusting mechanism is adapted for a frame including an inner pipe and an outer pipe sheathing on the inner pipe. A fixing hole is formed on one of the inner pipe and the outer pipe. A plurality of positioning holes is formed on the other one of the inner pipe and the outer pipe. The frame height adjusting mechanism includes a driving member which is slidably disposed on the inner pipe or the outer pipe where the fixing hole is formed and includes at least one first inclined surface, and at least one engaging member which is slidably disposed on the driving member and passing through the fixing hole to insert into one of the plurality of positioning holes. The at least one first inclined surface pushes the at least one engaging member to disengage from the corresponded positioning hole when the driving member slides upwardly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an infant carrier, and more particularly, to a frame height adjusting mechanism and a frame therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional baby bed usually includes a frame and a cradle fixed above the frame. However, it has the disadvantages that the conventional body bed has only one mode of use when it is in use, and a height of the cradle cannot be adjusted after a baby lies on the cradle. Therefore, it is not convenient for parents to look after their baby. There is another conventional baby bed having a detachable structure which includes a frame and a cradle detachably installed on the frame, i.e., the cradle can be installed on the frame or detached from the frame, such that the cradle can be placed on the ground or other locations. Since such conventional baby bed has two modes of use, it is more flexible than the conventional one with only one using mode. However, a height of the cradle of such conventional baby cot still cannot be adjusted according to heights of parents or actual requirement.
Therefore, there is a need to design a frame height adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a height of a frame, so as to adjust a height of a cradle easily.

Frame height adjusting mechanism and frame therewith


A portable stand alone treatment station for eyes which have been exposed to corrosive liquids, noxious gases and foreign objects. An eye washing fluid reservoir and one or more applicators are mounted on a two-wheel cart. The eye washing fluid in the reservoir is stored under pressure to discharge the eye washing fluid from the applicator when a resiliently biased valve is opened. The tank is pressurized by a hand pump mounted in the tank or through a valve in a wall of the tank. The portability of the station allows it to be relocated on an as needed basis or to be transported to an injured person and carried in a vehicle.

Eyes are exposed to corrosive liquids, noxious gases and foreign objects in vehicles, manufacturing plants, homes, sporting events, construction sites, laboratories, chemical plants, foundries and other facilities. Injured eyes require immediate attention to prevent permanent, irreversible consequences. A short delay can permanently impair a person's vision. They can substantially affect his earning ability, depress his lifestyle and increase an employer's cost of doing business because of absence and liability. Despite the ongoing exposure of eyes to injuries and the need for immediate treatment, few treatment facilities are immediately available when injuries occur. Moreover, available facilities offer only minimal benefits.
Section 1910.151 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA), Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, requires "suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing eyes and body within the work area for immediate use" when eyes are exposed to injurious corrosive materials. However, the regulations neither apply to private parties nor businesses with fewer than ten employees. Nor do they define "suitable facilities" or require at a work area materials, such as burn ointments, antibiotics, antidotes, bandages, sterile gauze pads or eye patches.
Voluntary standard ANSI Z358.1 which is more specific than the OSHA regulations includes a check list of desirable features for an eye wash station. One requirement is that it be located within ten seconds of walking distance from a hazard. Another requirement is that a water temperature be "tepid". Still yet another requirement is an ability of delivering large quantities of water. One deficiency of the ANSI standard is that there is no requirement for a safe disposal of waste water. When strong substances such as acids and alkalis are present, a safe deposit of waste water is mandatory.
At many hazardous locations neither eye washing stations nor medications nor eye bandaging materials are available for injured eyes. Persons must travel, in some cases long distances, to receive treatment for injured eyes. Where eye washing stations are provided, most are limited to treating persons in standing positions. Still yet another problem is that many eye wash stations are inoperative during failures of plumbing or electrical power systems.


A machine for dividing dough in which a dough supply unit delivers dough under pressure at an outlet end into dividing chambers of a rotatable carrier, the carrier having double measurement pistons in the dividing chambers for selectively delivering larger and smaller dough masses for a given stroke of the pistons. Each of the measurement pistons can be manually adjusted from outside the machine to be placed into first and second operational states in which, for a given stroke of the measurement piston respective larger and smaller volumes of dough mass are discharged from the machine. Each measurement piston includes an external piston slidable in a respective dividing chamber and an internal piston slidable in the external piston and the pistons are coupled for conjoint movement in the first operational state whereas in the second operational state, the external piston is fixed in the dividing chamber and the internal piston is slidable in the external piston. The measurement piston is changed between the first and second operational states by selectively locking the external piston in the dividing chamber and selectively locking the external and internal pistons for conjoint movement.

In dough dividing machines having one carrier with a plurality of dividing chambers arranged next to each other in a row, the dough can only be divided into pieces of a specific range of volume which is a function of the stroke of measurement pistons in the dividing chambers. For a given stroke of the measurement pistons, dough pieces of the same mass or volume will be obtained from the machine.
If dough pieces of different sizes exceeding the range obtainable by varying the stroke of the pistons are desired, either a second machine is necessary, or the carrier for the dividing chambers inclusive of the measurement pistons must be replaced.
A machine for dividing dough pieces into large and small sizes is disclosed in DE 34 36 258 A1 and comprises a cylindrical carrier having at least two rows of dividing chambers arranged at an angular displacement of 90.degree., the dividing chambers in the two rows having different cross-sections, the dividing chambers in each row having the same cross-section. Correspondingly adapted measurement pistons are associated with the different-size dividing chambers, so that by a simple rotation of the carrier by 90.degree., a different dough volume can be divided. Such a carrier is relatively expensive since it must have at least two rows of dividing chambers with their respective measurement pistons and associated drive means, even though only one row of measuring chambers is used at any one time. Another disadvantage is that only dough volumes of the same size can be divided in each row.
A machine is disclosed in DE 35 30 724CL wherein one row of dividing chambers is provided in a carrier and the piston is each chamber is capable of being deactivated so that no dough is delivered from the respective chamber.


A method and apparatus for securely archiving, searching, and retrieving images from a centralized image location are provided. Along with the goal of protecting a major corporate asset from theft and damage with the passage of time, the present invention provides an economical way for users from different divisions to share previously produced images and composites. Furthermore, by utilizing ultra-high resolution scanning in the archival process, re-creation of images that are of substantially the same quality as the original is achieved. Thus, ultra-high scanning allows re-creation of images that are photo-quality acceptable for commercial use in magazines, video packaging, movie posters, etc. With a centralized system of storage and distribution of images, it is possible for users to take advantage of a single and comprehensive catalog/index of all content. By using pre-defined image content criteria, users locate, select, and retrieve particular images stored in the system. Users are then able to create folders to place selected images and send the contents to others for approval or comments. Folders containing selected images may also be sent to fulfillment departments such as photo labs for re-creation of images in a variety of formats, including transparencies (from 35 mm to 8xc3x9710 to 12xe2x80x2 murals), prints (both in color and in BandW), CD-ROMs for Macintosh(trademark) and PC platforms, ZIP(trademark) disks, JAZZ(trademark) disks, any electronic mail formats, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Users may also track, in real-time, the status of their order during the fulfillment process.

This patent document contains material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner, Warner Bros., a Time Warner Entertainment Company, has no objection to the reproduction of this patent document or any related materials, as they appear in the files of the Patent and Trademark Office of the United States or any other country, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to archival and retrieval of images for computer users, and more particularly, to a storage, retrieval, transmission, and re-creation of images that are of substantially the same quality as the original.
2. Description of Related Art
With the increasing popularity of personal computers and advancements in the telecommunication network technology, many industries have put these new innovations to improve many commercial operations. In the retail merchandising arena, for example, hosts of products such as books, music, electronics, athletic gear, etc. are available for online purchases through the Internet. By effectively utilizing the virtual stores, the merchants streamline the purchasing and delivery process for both the consumer and the retailer. In similar fashion, telecommunication networks make possible for many other industries to conduct business in a more efficient manner. To name just a few examples, other industries taking advantage of the technological innovations of today are financial institutions, travel agencies, and news/media networks. In short, a wide range of industries benefit from the use of computer technology to improve marketing, sale, and distribution of products and information.
In the motion picture and television industry, it is customary for a studio to create a set of xe2x80x9cshotsxe2x80x9d (pictures/images taken from a camera) while filming a movie, show, or event. For a large budget movie, a set of shots may contain up to thirty-thousand images. From this set of shots, the advertising/publicity division selects eighty to one-hundred images to create the xe2x80x9cselection setxe2x80x9d. The images from this selection set is used to promote the movie while the remaining images which were not included in this set are usually physically archived on-site, in a basement or a warehouse on the studio lot without much attention or care. The advertising/publicity division uses the images from this selection set to create posters, newspaper/magazine advertisements, banner ads, etc. to promote the new release of a movie. Thereafter, as the product goes through the distribution chain, every other studio division either utilizes images from the selection set, which the advertising/publicity division created, to conduct their own marketing campaign or attempts to locate a desired image from the originally archived set. For example, the home-video division picks their own images to create the packaging cover of a video cassette release of a movie, the pay-per-view division selects their shots for movie advertisements in the TV Guide(trademark), the merchandising division creates another display of shots for use in poster printings, etc. In such a manner, each division selects their own shots to create suitable composites for each appropriate occasion.
Needless to say, it is very time consuming and extremely difficult to retrieve the original images that were not included in the selection set initially created by the advertising/publicity division, since those remaining images are kept in storage without much attention to detail. The security of those images are compromised and inventory mechanisms are difficult to implement. Over time, many images are lost due to theft and lack of precise inventory control. As a result, the remaining images in the warehouse often suffer from normal damage and deterioration with the passage of time, in addition to losses due to theft and misplacement. In addition, there is the threat of loss due to natural disaster. Since the collection of images is irreplaceable, it is impossible to obtain insurance through any traditional carrier. The loss of these assets would profoundly complicate, if not destroy, a studio""s ability to get a product to market. Furthermore, since each division creates and stores their own compositions, without having a centralized archive for their final design layouts, substantial duplicate costs may be incurred for repetitive work across numerous divisions. For each division, as mentioned above, not only is the location and retrieval of a particular image time consuming, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a comprehensive grasp of how many different and unique shots are available for use at a later time. Without an effective index and search mechanism, it is indeed difficult to accurately gauge how many different images the original, cumulative set contains of a particular film or television show.
While prior art systems have attempted to address the problems described above, they fail to incorporate a high quality asset preservation feature. Previous systems are unable to re-create images that are of substantially the same quality as the original without resorting to the original reference material. Since original reference materials must always be available, previous systems serve primarily as facilitators of the image selection process.
Thus, there is a critical need for an architecture providing high quality preservation, archival, and retrieval capabilities of content (e.g., images) within a secured central system. Furthermore, it would be highly desirable for users to locate, view, retrieve, transmit, order, and re-create content that are of substantially the same quality as the original from this central system.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for securely archiving and retrieving images from a digital image library a fast, efficient manner. Along with the goal of protecting a major corporate asset from theft and damage with the passage of time, the present invention provides an economical process whereby users from different divisions may share previously produced images and composites. With such a centralized system of storage and distribution of images, it is possible for users to take advantage of a single, comprehensive catalog/index of all content. Furthermore, the present invention provides an architecture having a design that is scalable and flexible enough to include other asset types (e.g., video and audio) in its content portfolio.
In an embodiment of the invention, a method of providing users with a centralized image processing system entails digitally archiving images and searching for particular images based on content characteristics. Connected via an Intranet, users access the image processing system with a Web-accessible graphical interface. By using pre-defined image content criteria, users are able to locate, select, and retrieve particular images stored in the system database. Once the users have selected the images, they are able to send the images to others for approval or comments, or to fulfillment facilities such as photo labs, graphic houses, or printers to order the re-created images in a specified format.

Method and apparatus for archiving in and retrieving images from a digital image library


A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor design methodology and system substantially maximizes the benefits of including MIM capacitors in an integrated circuit design while substantially minimizing the negative impacts resulting from increased capacitance. A process analysis is performed on an integrated circuit design to determine a metal layer that is likely to be most adversely affected by the presence of MIM capacitor cells. The MIM capacitor cells are then designed to have specific sizes and orientations based on results of the process analysis, taking the most affected metal layer into consideration. Finally, the MIM capacitor cells are placed at selected locations on the die in an algorithmic fashion in order to satisfy a design target of maximizing coverage area while avoiding interference with signal paths and critical or sensitive components.

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors are often used in very-large-scale integration (VLSI) designs implemented on semiconductor chips, either as part of the primary circuit design or to provide decoupling capacitance for supply noise suppression. MIM capacitors are intended to improve capacitance density of the VLSI design while minimizing area overhead. FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an example semiconductor chip 100 that includes a MIM capacitor. The MIM capacitor comprises a capacitor top metal (CTM) node 104 and a capacitor bottom metal (CBM) node 106 formed on the top and bottom side, respectively, of a dielectric layer 108. The MIM capacitor layers reside between two metal layers MX and MX+1, on which die interconnection paths 110 are patterned. The MIM capacitor is insulated by an insulating layer 102. Conductive vias 112 are formed in the die to electrically connect circuit paths in the metal layers to the CTM node 104 or the CBM node 106 as needed.
The above-described description is merely intended to provide a contextual overview of current techniques and is not intended to be exhaustive.

MIMcap creation and utilization methodology


An improved biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film of the type used for packaging food, such as poultry, processed meat, and fresh meat.

Biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable films of the monolayer type are used in the packaging of poultry. Biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable films of the multilayer type having an oxygen barrier core layer are used in the packaging of processed meat and fresh red meat. As generally understood, a "heat-shrinkable" film tends to return to its original unstretched (unextended) dimension when heated to its softening point. The terms "orientation" or "oriented" are used to describe the manufacture of heat-shrinkable films, wherein resin material is heated above its flow or melting point and extruded through a die into either tubular or sheet form. After cooling, the relatively thick extrudate is reheated to a temperature range suitable to orient or align the crystallites and/or molecules of the material. The orientation temperature range for a given material or materials is understood by those skilled in the art to be in a range which revises the inter-molecular configuration of the material by physical alignment of the crystallites and/or molecules of the material to improve certain mechanical properties of the film such as shrink. When the stretching force is applied in one direction, uniaxial orientation results. When the stretching force is simultaneously applied in two directions, biaxial orientation results.
A commercially used thermoplastic material in the manufacture of biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable films is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). This material in the thin film form (e.g. 2.5 mils) is characterized by high shrink properties, for example at least 35% shrink in both the machine (MD) and transverse directions (TD).
Biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable films containing EVA are commonly produced by extruding a primary tube, cooling, and then reheating and expanding the primary tube both longitudinally and transversely by means of different nip roll speeds in the longitudinal direction and air inflation in the transverse direction. One such process is described in the U.S. Pat. No, 3,456,044. This two-step process is often referred to as the double-bubble or the trapped bubble process. When a multilayer film is desired the multiple layers may be coextruded, as for example with an oxygen-barrier core layer and first and second outer layers on each side of the core layer to form the aforementioned primary tube. As for example described in Canadian Patent No. 982,923, these outer layers may comprise EVA and the core layer may comprise a vinylidene chloride copolymer with a comonomer such as vinyl chloride or methyl acrylate. Another commonly used oxygen barrier material is ethylene vinyl alcohol, i.e. EVOH. Instead of coextrusion the primary tube may be formed by coating lamination, wherein a first outer layer is extruded and thereafter the core and second outer tubular layers are sequentially coated onto the outer surfaces of the first tubular layer and the core layer. As another alternative, the first outer and core outer layers may themselves be coextruded, and the second outer layer thereafter coated onto the outside surface of the core layer. Coating lamination procedures are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,253. As still another alternative, a multiple layer film may be formed as a sheet by the well-known slot casting procedure, and then biaxially oriented into a heat-shrinkable film, for example by tentering.
One limitation of EVA-based biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film is that the plastic orientation strength of EVA films is relatively low compared with certain other thermoplastic materials as for example polyethylene. Because of its molecular structure, EVA has relatively low strength in the primary tube form when reheated to orientation temperatures as for example 68.degree.-84.degree. C. As a result, EVA based biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film is subject to bubble breaks and process interruptions, which can result in a relatively high waste rate.
Certain polyethylenes may be used to manufacture biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable films, and their plastic orientation strength is substantially higher than EVA. Unfortunately their heat shrink properties are inferior to EVA. By far the best heat shrink properties in the polyethylene family are achieved with very low density polyethylene (VLDPE). Although the heat shrink properties of VLDPE approach those of EVA, there is a significant difference and loss of shrink if VLDPE is substituted for EVA in the production of biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable films to achieve higher plastic orientation strength. Moreover it has been determined that the shrink and plastic orientation properties of EVA and VLDPE blends are approximately linear. That is, the shrink and plastic orientation properties of biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable films comprising 50% EVA-50% VLDPE are approximately midway between those of the pure components.
In the aforereferenced Wilhoit parent application, a biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film is described and claimed, containing EVA and VLDPE or LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene) and having shrink properties similar to those of a pure EVA film, but also the improved plastic orientation properties of a pure VLDPE film. Use of EVA and VLDPE in such film is desirable because both are available from several manufacturers as relatively low cost resins. This Wilhoit film comprises a blend of a polyethylene member selected from the group consisting of VLDPE and LLDPE or a mixture thereof, ethylene alpha-olefin plastomer copolymer of density below about 0.90 g/cm.sup.3 and EVA as major components. The term "ethylene alpha-olefin plastomer" is described further hereinbelow. As between the polyethylene and EVA, polyethylene comprises between about 40 and about 65% of the total. The ethylene alpha-olefin plastomer copolymer comprises between about 10 and about 20 wt. % of the total weight of the three component blend.
Notwithstanding the improvement in the art afforded by this Wilhoit invention, even further improvements are desired. For example, in certain end uses such as packaging of processed meats, there is a desire for thermoplastic films with higher biaxial shrink level than achievable with pure EVA. Another need for processed meat packaging is a biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film with improved optical properties, i.e. high gloss and lower haze. A further desire is to provide such a thermoplastic film with improved hot water seal strength.
Two component blends of relatively high concentration VLDPE and relatively low EVA concentration provide reasonably good shrink and very good hot water seal strength, but relatively poor optical properties for processed meat packaging. Two component blends of relatively high EVA concentration and relatively low plastomer concentration (of the type employed in the Wilhoit invention) likewise do not provide particularly good optical properties. Moreover, three component blends where each component is present in substantial concentration in general do not provide good optical properties. This is typically due to compatibility differences between the three components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,1272,016 discloses a biaxially oriented heat shrinkable multilayer stretch film, useful as a trayed poultry overwrap, comprising two outer layers and a core layer. The outer layers each comprise a blend of 20-35 wt. % ethylene alpha-olefin plastomer and 65-80 wt. % VLDPE of density between 0,912 and 0,914 g/cm.sup.3. These films are suitable for the intended application, but in general do not provide sufficiently high gloss % for processed meat packaging, or the higher shrink % desired for the same end use. In addition their hot water seal strength would not be sufficiently high for processed meat packaging.
An object of this invention is to provide a biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film of the EVA-VLDPE type, having higher biaxial heat shrink, better optical properties and improved hot water seal strength than heretofore achieved.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.
As will be explained and demonstrated hereinafter, the biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film of the present invention provides all of the advantages of the aforedescribed Wilhoit invention, but in addition provides at least three additional improvements over the EVA-VLDPE blend-type film, i.e. higher shrink, better optical properties and better hot water seal strength.
It has been unexpectedly discovered that if VLDPE, EVA and ethylene alpha-olefin plastomer are blended in selected concentration ranges, each of these three improvements may be realized. This is particularly surprising because each of the aforementioned constituents is present in a substantial concentration, yet the resulting film has superior optical properties to two component blends of the same constituents, along with improved shrink and hot water seal strength.
More particularly, one aspect of this invention relates to a biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable film comprising a three component blend of very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene alpha-olefin plastomer copolymer of density below about 0.90 g/cm.sup.3 as major components. The VLDPE comprises between about 24 and about 38 wt. %, the EVA comprises between about 28 and about 40 wt. %, and the plastomer comprises between about 33 and about 43 wt. % of the three component blend.
The aforedescribed film may be a monolayer wherein the three component blend comprises the entire film. Alternatively this film may comprise one or more layers of a multilayer film. By way of example, the three component blend may comprise either or both the first and second outer layers on either side of a three layer film wherein the core layer between these layers is an oxygen barrier material.
Another aspect of this invention relates to a method for manufacturing a biaxially oriented heat-shrinkable plastic film wherein a primary tube is extruded, cooled, reheated and stretched in the machine direction and inflated in the transverse direction by internal gas to form a bubble, then collapsed and withdrawn as biaxially oriented heat shrinkable film. The improvement comprises forming the primary tube from a three component blend of major constituents comprising: VLDPE, EVA and ethylene alpha-olefin plastomer copolymer of density below about 0.90 g/cm.sup.3. The VLDPE comprises between about 24 and about 38 wt. %, the EVA comprises between about 28 and about 40 wt. %, and the plastomer comprises between about 33 and about 45 wt. % of the three component blend.


A method controls an operation of a motor vehicle equipped with a hybrid drive unit having a combustion engine and at least one electric machine that can be selectively operated as a motor or as a generator. The electric machine, when in generator mode, charges an energy store and/or supplies power to a vehicle electrical system of the motor vehicle. In generator mode, the electric machine is operated in alternating intervals, while maintaining predefined boundary conditions. In a first interval, the electric machine is operated with a first high electrical power output that is higher than an actual power consumption of the vehicle electrical system of the motor vehicle. The electric machine is switched off in a second interval. This largely prevents the electric machine from approaching operating points under light load which have a low efficiency and achieves a fuel advantage in comparison to a continuous operating mode.

The term hybrid vehicle refers to motor vehicles where at least two drive units are combined, relying on different energy sources for providing power to drive the vehicle. In a particularly preferred configuration, the properties of an internal combustion engine which produces kinetic energy by burning gasoline or diesel fuel, complements the properties of an electric machine which converts electric energy into motion energy. Modern hybrid vehicles are therefore predominantly equipped with a combination of an internal combustion engine and one or several electric machines. Two different hybrid concepts have been proposed. In the so-called serial or sequential hybrid concept, the vehicle is driven exclusively by the electric machine, while the internal combustion engine uses a separate generator to generate the electric current to charge an energy store that powers the E-machine, or alternatively powers the E-machine directly. More recently, however, parallel hybrid concepts are preferred at least in passenger vehicle applications, wherein the vehicle can be powered by both the internal combustion engine and by the E-machine.
The electric machines employed in these parallel concepts can be selectively operated in motor mode or in generator mode. For example, the E-machine operating in motor mode is typically added at operating points with higher vehicle loads in order to support the internal combustion engine. The E-machine can also operate as a starter motor for the internal combustion engine. Conversely, when the vehicle is powered by the internal combustion engine, the E-machine is operated predominately as a generator, with the electric power generated by the E-machine being used, for example, to charge the energy store and/or to supply a vehicle electrical system. With a split-power hybrid concept employing more than one E-machine, an E-machine operating in generator mode can also be used to supply power to another E-machine. In addition, at least a portion of the braking power is typically supplied by the E-machine operating in generator mode (recuperation), whereby a portion of the dissipated mechanical energy is converted into electric energy. Advantageously, with hybrid concepts, the E-machines generally operate with better efficiency than conventional claw pole generators.
Asynchronous machines (ASM) or permanent-excited synchronous machines (PSM) are examples of currently employed E-machines. With these types of machines, the efficiency disadvantageously decreases significantly at very low torque demand, i.e., when little electric power is supplied. Consequently, at a relatively low electric load, a disproportionately large amount of mechanical energy and therefore fuel must be supplied to the internal combustion engine to enable the E-machine to generate the required electric power.

Hybrid motor vehicle and method for controlling operation of a hybrid motor vehicle