A test apparatus includes: an instruction execution unit for sequentially executing instructions in a test program for a DUT in each instruction cycle; a default pattern memory for storing default pattern sequence to be associated with default pattern identification information for identifying that default pattern sequence; a test pattern memory for storing test pattern sequence output in an instruction cycle period for executing that instruction or the default pattern identification information that is output in the instruction cycle period; a test pattern memory read unit for reading the test pattern sequence or the default pattern identification information that is stored and is associated with that instruction in the test pattern memory; a default pattern read unit for reading the default pattern sequence that is stored and is associated with the default pattern identification information in the default pattern memory; and a test pattern output unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test apparatus and a test method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a test apparatus and a test method for compressing and storing a test program used in a test of a device under test.
2. Description of the Related Art
A test apparatus performs a test of a DUT (Device Under Test) that is an object of the test, based on a test program. The test program includes, in each instruction cycle, an instruction to be executed by the test apparatus, and a test pattern to be output to each terminal of the DUT or an expected value pattern to be compared with an output pattern output from each terminal of the DUT.
In order to reduce the data amount of the test program, a test apparatus that compresses the test program using a repeat instruction has been conventionally used. FIG. 7 shows a conventional compression format of the test program. In the test program shown in FIG. 7, NOP (no operation) instruction is executed in the first instruction cycle, so that a test pattern {0, 1, 1, 0} is output to terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Similarly, NOP instruction is executed in the second instruction cycle, so that a test pattern {1, 0, 1, 0} is output to the terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. In the third instruction cycle, IDXI instruction, that is a repeat instruction, is executed, so that a test pattern {1, 1, 1, 0} is continuously output to the terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, during 100 cycles. In this manner, in the conventional test apparatus, in a case where the same pattern is used during a plurality of instruction cycles, a repeat instruction is used so as to reduce the size of the test program.
On the other hand, with increase of operating speeds of electronic devices, a transmission rate of a signal input to and output from an electronic device dramatically increases. In order to test such an electronic device, a test apparatus is required to generate a test pattern or an expected pattern at a higher speed.
However, it is difficult to dramatically improve the performance of the test apparatus by reducing the instruction cycles in which the test program is executed. Thus, it is a realistic approach to achieve a test apparatus that generates a pattern at a high speed while executing an instruction at a relatively low speed, by supplying a plurality of test pattern or an expected pattern during one instruction cycle. In a case where compression using the repeat instruction is employed in such a testing device, compression can be performed only when the same pattern sequence that is completely the same for all terminals is continuously used during a plurality of instruction cycles. However, when even a part of the pattern sequence is different, compression cannot be applied. Thus, only by employing the compression method using the repeat instruction, compression efficiency may lower to cause shortage of a memory region for storing the test program.


The present invention generally relates to orthopedic devices and methods for treating bone defects. The orthopedic devices can provide sufficient support to the bone defect while allowing bone ingrowth and minimizing the risk to stress shield and/or pseudo-arthrodesis. The bone fixation devices include a biodegradable material or component that further resists relative motion of attached bones and allows the device to gradually transfer at least some load from the device to the growing bone structure in vivo and permitting an increase in the relative motion of bones attached to the device.

The spine is composed of both rigid and flexible elements which form a complex structure that can readily accommodate a wide range of motions and adjust to a wide range of loads. Unfortunately, like any complex physiological structure, the spine is also vulnerable to disease, injury, and congenital deficiencies, all of which can cause defects to the spine and, in particular, to the vertebral body and intervertebral discs. Spinal disease, injury, and deformity may have a disastrous impact on patient well being, ranging from acute pain to chronic debilitating pain and, in the most severe cases, partial or complete paralysis.
Some of the most common pathologies of spinal defects include fractured, diseased, or decayed vertebral bodies; torn or stretched ligaments; and damaged or diseased intervertebral discs.
Common treatments for damaged, diseased, or defective vertebrae include joining or fusing fractured bone segments or portions together to stabilize the affected parts and removing the affected vertebrae, either in part or in whole. Classically, the damaged disc is excised, the adjacent vertebrae are mechanically joined together, and oftentimes bone is grafted into the region, particularly in the disc space between the two vertebrae, to promote fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. The vertebrae can be mechanically joined using a prosthetic device such as a bone plate that is attached to the adjacent vertebrae with bone screws. The bone plate eliminates disparate motion between the two bone portions to allow arthrodesis.
It is known that for load bearing bone members, stronger, denser bone tissue results when new bone growth occurs under pressure and that the risk of a weakened juncture or pseudoarthrodesis increases when a prosthetic device stress shields new bone growth. The problem arises of when and how much pressure or force to apply to develop a strong junction between the bone portions. The bone portions should be secured and supported during initial bone growth. However, the optimum support necessary for desired bone growth may vary over time as the bony juncture or bridge develops between the bone portions.
Similarly, torn and/or structural ligaments can be treated by initially securing/immobilizing the ligaments. This can be accomplished using internal and/or external prosthetic devices to augment or replace the stability lost as a result of the damaged ligaments. Further, the treated ligaments can be susceptible to repeated injury. Consequently, it may be desirable to augment the treated ligament by implanting a prosthesis or device that allows limited movement of the affected ligaments, i.e., stretching and rotation of the ligaments. Current treatment methods do not allow for an implanted device to initially secure/immobilize the ligaments and then allow limited movement of the same without a subsequent surgical revisitation.
In light of the above, there is a continuing need for devices and treatments that stabilize and support damaged bone tissue, bony structures, and connecting tissue and provide variable loads to growing bone as well as a measure of flexible support to injury- or disease-prone bones and connecting tissue. The present invention addresses this need and provides other benefits and advantages in a novel and nonobvious manner.

Apparatus and method for providing dynamizable translations to orthopedic implants


The invention relates to a method of chlorinating a side chain methyl group of 2-chloro-methylpyridine. The method comprising the steps of:(a) reacting said 2-chloro-methylpyridine with chlorine radical so that hydrogen chloride and/or hydrochloride of 2-chloro-methylpyridine are formed; and (b) neutralizing said hydrogen chloride and/or said hydrochloride of said 2-chloro-methyl-pyridine with a basic solution so as to chlorinating a side chain methyl group of said 2-chloro-methylpyridine.

The present invention relates to a method of chlorinating a side chain methyl group of 2-chloro-methylpyridine so as to produce 2-chloro-monochloromethylpyridine, 2-chloro-dichloromethylpyridine and/or 2-chloro-trichloromethylpyridine. These products are useful as raw materials of medicines such as anti-peptic ulcer and of insecticides.
In chlorination of a side chain methyl group of methylpyridine, hydrogen chloride produced by chlorination reacts with methylpyridine because nitrogen atom of pyridine nucleus functions as a base. With this, hydrochloride of methylpyridine is produced. As a side chain methyl group of methylpyridine is chlorinated to a higher order, electron attractivity of a side chain methyl group increases. With this, basicity of nitrogen atom decreases. Therefore, as compared with chlorinated methylpyridine, methylpyridine predominantly reacts with hydrogen chloride so as to produce hydrochloride of methylpyridine. This hydrochloride precipitates in the form of solid, and is very low in reactivity with chlorine. Therefore, it becomes difficult to successively chlorinate methylpyridine.
There are some proposals to prevent the formation of hydrochloride of methylpyridine. For example, as is disclosed in Angew. Chem. Internat. Edit., 144, 2 (1963) and German Patent 3,630,046, there is provided a method of chlorinating a side chain methyl group of methylpyridine in the presence of an inactive solvent and a hydrogen chloride acceptor such as sodium carbonate. JP-A-49-127977 discloses a method of chlorinating a side chain methyl group of methylpyridine in the presence of an inactive solvent, a hydrogen chloride acceptor and water.
However, if the above-mentioned methods are applied to chlorination of 2-chloro-methylpyridine which is represented by the following formula (1), chlorination will be stopped in the middle of the reaction due to the presence of water as an additive and/or water which is formed by neutralization of hydrogen chloride and a hydrogen chloride acceptor. ##STR1## In particular, in the case that water is added as an additive or as the reaction system is enlarged in size, chlorination is substantially inhibited. It is believed that a hydrogen chloride acceptor is dissolved in water and directly reacts with chlorine so as to prevent the formation of chlorine radical and thus to stop chlorination.
In the above conventional methods, a hydrogen chloride acceptor such as sodium carbonate in the form of solid is added. Therefore, the reaction liquid takes the form of slurry. Thus, it is necessary to add an inactive solvent such as carbon tetrachloride for adjusting the concentration of the slurry. However, the usage of a halogen-containing hydrocarbon such as carbon tetrachloride will be limited in the future from an environmental aspect and furthermore is not economical.

Method of chlorinating side chain of 2-chloro-methylpyridine


In a method for manufacturing semiconductor devices and other finely structured parts, a projection objective (5) is used in order to project the image of a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective onto a photosensitive substrate which is arranged in the region of the image plane (12) of the projection objective. In this case, there is set between an exit surface (15), assigned to the projection objective, for exposing light and an incoupling surface (11), assigned to the substrate, for exposing light a small finite working distance (16) which is at least temporarily smaller in size and exposure time interval than a maximum extent of an optical near field of the light emerging from the exit surface. As a result, projection objectives with very high numerical apertures in the region of NA>0.8 or more can be rendered useful for contactless projection lithography.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods for manufacturing semiconductor devices and other finely structured components, and to projection exposure systems for carrying out the methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photolithographic projection objectives have been used for several decades to manufacture semiconductor devices and other finely structured components. They serve the purpose of projecting patterns of photomasks or lined plates, also referred to below as masks or reticles, onto a photosensitive substrate, for example a semiconductor wafer coated with a photosensitive layer, with very high resolution on a demagnifying scale.
A number of approaches are followed in order to produce ever finer structures of the order of magnitude of 100 nm or therebelow. Firstly, an attempt is made to increase the image-side numerical aperture (NA) of the projection objective beyond the currently achievable values in the range of NA=0.8 or above. Again, ever shorter operating wavelengths of ultraviolet light are being used, preferably wavelengths of less than 260 nm, for example 248 nm, 193 nm, 157 nm or therebelow. Finally, yet other measures are being used to increase resolution, for example phase-shifting masks and/or oblique illumination.
The shortening of the operating wavelength λ in the region below 193 nm is rendered difficult by virtue of the fact that only a few sufficiently transparent materials, in particular fluoride crystals such as calcium fluoride or barium fluoride, are available for manufacturing lenses for this wavelength region. These materials are available only to a limited extent and present a problem with regard to their birefringent properties at 193 nm and, in particular, at 157 nm.
When the aperture is increased substantially above NA=0.85, limits are reached for the angle load, especially for lenses near the image. Larger apertures than NA=0.95 as far as NA=1 are regarded as infeasible. At apertures of NA>1, the edge and coma rays can no longer be coupled out of an objective, because of total reflection.
The use of immersion fluids between the projection objective and substrate can theoretically be used for the purpose of implementing numerical apertures NA greater than 1. However, practical systems for immersion lithography have not yet been published.

Projection exposure method and projection exposure system


A flammable gas concentration detection apparatus (1) including an energization control unit (50) that switches the energization state of heating resistor (34) at regular time periods TW, and a gas concentration computation unit (7). The heating resistor has first and second set temperatures CH and CL. The voltage detected across the heating resistor at the first and second set temperatures corresponds to a high and low temperature voltage, respectively. The gas concentration computation unit computes the concentration of a flammable gas based on a first information group including an average high temperature voltage averaging the values of two temporally successive high temperature voltages, the low temperature voltage in a period of time between two high temperature voltages, and an environment temperature in the period of time in which the low temperature voltage is detected.

In recent years, due to societal demand for protection of environment and nature, research on fuel cells as a highly efficient and clean energy source is being actively conducted. Among others, expectations are growing for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) and hydrogen internal combustion engines as an energy source for 0household and onboard purposes because of their advantages in low temperature operation and high output density.
In these systems, because hydrogen, which is a flammable gas, is used as fuel, for example, detection of gas leakage is cited as one of important issues.
In a known flammable gas detection apparatus for detecting the gas concentration of flammable gas of this type existing in an atmosphere for detection, a gas detection element is disposed in the atmosphere for detection, where the gas detection element is provided with a heating resistor whose resistance value is changed by its own temperature change (heat generation), and with a temperature-measuring resistor whose resistance value is changed by a change in environment temperature.
Specifically, in this flammable gas detection apparatus, the resistance value of the heating resistor of the gas detection element is controlled by a bridge circuit to have resistance values corresponding to two set temperatures (a first set temperature and a second set temperature), and the gas concentration is calculated by using a control voltage (voltage across the heating resistor) at the time and a voltage difference (temperature voltage) caused by a change in the resistance value of the temperature-measuring resistor.
Each of the set temperatures (the first set temperature and the second set temperature) is changed by selectively switching the conduction states of fixed resistors with different resistance values installed in the bridge circuit at regular periods of time, for example (see Patent Document 1, for example). Thus, the voltage across the heating resistor at the first set temperature and the second set temperature can be detected by using a single bridge circuit and heating resistor, whereby the size of the gas detection element can be decreased and power consumption can be suppressed.
Patent Document 1 describes that, in consideration of the variation of the concentration of the flammable gas in the atmosphere for detection depending on the humidity in the atmosphere for detection, in addition to the voltage difference, the ratio (voltage ratio) of the voltages across the heating resistor at the first set temperature and the second set temperature is computed, and the gas concentration is corrected by utilizing the fact that the ratio is substantially proportional to the humidity.


This invention relates to devices and methods for making partial thickness or full thickness sutures in tissues endoscopically. The preferred embodiment comprises a suture delivering needle and a suture receiving needle which are in substantially parallel alignment. A shape memory needle with a pre-formed semi-circular shape is used to bridge a gap formed between the suture delivery needle and receiving needle. In preparation for a surgical procedure, the shape memory needle is retracted and partially straightened in the suture delivering needle. After determining the placement of suture, the suture delivering and suture receiving needles are pierced into the repairing tissue. The semi-circular shape memory needle is deployed and resumes the appropriate pre-formed shape while piercing the tissue and extending into the distal opening of the suture receiving needle. A suture is then passed down from the proximal opening of the shape memory needle into the distal opening of the suture receiving needle, then out of the proximal opening of the receiving needle. The shape memory needle is then retracted back into the suture delivering needle, leaving only the suture bridging the distal openings of the delivery needle and receiving needle. The suture device is then withdrawn and the suture is tied to fasten the tissue.. ______________________________________ NUMERAL REFERENCES IN DRAWINGS ______________________________________ Suture Delivering Needle (SDN) 1 SDN Distal Opening 2 Gliding Slot 3 Trough 4 Strain, Stress Relief Window (SRW) 5 Endoscopic Scissors 6 Shape Memory Needle (SMN) 7 SMN Distal Opening 8 SMN Proximal Beveled Opening 9 Suture Receiving Needle (SRN) 10 SRN Distal Opening 11 Receiving Slot for SMN 12 Penetration Markers 13 Body 14 Equipment Inlet 15 Equipment Outlet 16 Operating Lever 17 Suture Threading Funnel 18 Handle 19 Suture Outlet 20 Suture 21 Filament 22 Skin Opening (Cannula not shown) 23 Meniscal Tear 24 Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear 25 Knot Pusher 26 Arthroscope 27 ______________________________________

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices and methods for delivering partial-thickness or full-thickness sutures in tissues endoscopically. This invention also relates to devices and methods used to minimize the strain and stress of shape memory materials.
2. Description of Prior Art
In recent years, much attention has been given to control surgical costs. One of the cost saving approaches is to accelerate the speed of recovery and shorten hospital stays after surgeries. Beyond cost savings, for the comfort and safety of patients, minimally invasive or endoscopic surgeries are becoming more and more popular. The term "endoscopic" used in this invention encompasses arthroscopic, laparoscopic, hysteroscopic and other procedures. Endoscopy is a surgical procedure which allows surgeons to manipulate instruments to view the surgical sites through small incisions in the bodies of patients.
An endoscopic surgery begins with puncturing holes through soft tissue such as skin and muscle. After the holes are made with sharp instruments, hollow cylindrical tubes called cannulas are inserted through the holes of the soft tissue. These cannulas serve as tunnels for the endoscope and surgical instruments reaching into the surgical site.
In order to minimize both the patients' trauma and potential damage to nerves, blood vessels and other tissues, it is clearly desirable to minimize the size and number of holes puncturing the patients. Take meniscal repair in the knee for example, the current arthroscopic procedure requires one hole for the arthroscope, one hole for a needle to deliver a suture and another hole for a suture-retrieving instrument to complete one suture stitch (Arthroscopic Surgery by L. Johnson, M.D.; Knee Surgery by F. Fu, M.D., et al.; Traumatic Disorders of the Knee by J. Siliski, M.D.; and Knee Surgery Current Practice by P. Aichroth, FRCS et al.). A minimum of three holes are made for the arthroscopic repair. In some cases, surgeons also require a distractor, an external fixation device which is screwed in through skin to the bones, spreading the femur from the tibia. This expands the knee joint and makes room to manipulate both the suture and the suture-retrieving instrument. Due to the tightness of joint space, often needles or instrument can accidentally scrape and damage the smooth surface of the joint, which given time, can potentially lead to osteoarthritis years after the surgery.
Arthroscopic and endoscopic suturing are done with a full-thickness technique, where sutures penetrate all the way through a tissue for each stitch. In the case of meniscal repair, the full-thickness suture repair can potentially cause long term problems, including osteoarthritis, from the constant rubbing of a very smooth joint surface to the exposed suture on the surface of the meniscus. Unless the damaged tissues can be lifted, shifted or somehow separated from crowded adjacent tissues, endoscopic procedures usually cannot be performed due to insufficient space for manipulating sutures and instruments. In these cases and others, conventional open surgery using partial-thickness suturing techniques with a curved needle, where the suture enters and loops back out without full-thickness penetration, is pursued for the repair.
Some needles (U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,565 to Trott, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,977 to Esser, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,491 to Walker et. al.) are designed for endoscopic surgical use. These surgical needles require multiple cannula punctures and cumbersome suture manipulation to complete each stitch.
In summary, the current instruments used in endoscopic procedures have one or more of the following drawbacks or restrictions:
(A) Increased surgical trauma due to multiple puncture wounds needed to accommodate suture manipulation and retrieving instruments. PA1 (B) Increased risk of damaging nerves, blood vessels, joint cartilage or adjacent tissues with multiple punctures and suture manipulation. PA1 (C) Lengthened surgical time. PA1 (D) Restricted by space required around and behind the surgical site. PA1 (E) Limited to full-thickness suture repair. PA1 (A) Single puncture wound needed to place, manipulate and retrieve a suture. PA1 (B) Minimal risk of damaging nerves, blood vessels, joint cartilage or adjacent tissues with single puncture and minimal suture manipulation. PA1 (C) Shortened surgical time. PA1 (D) Minimal space required around and behind the surgical site. PA1 (E) Capable in accomplishing both full-thickness as well as partial-thickness suture repair.
Another invention, U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,055 to Moore et. al., 1993, proposed a tissue- fastening technique onto bone. Moore's invention requires the drilling of two parallel holes in bone. The holes are then fitted with double barrels. A suture is attached to a non-hollow shape memory hook straightened by one barrel. As the straightened hook is pushed out of the barrel, the shape of the hook resumes and carves a tunnel in the bone reaching the second drilled hole. Another barrel houses suture retrieving tweezers to pull the suture and complete the suture loop inside the bone. The suture is then used to tie down damaged tissues onto bone. This device is not frequently used because of the large holes it makes in the bone and the difficulty of retrieving the suture with the tweezers inside the bone.
Recently, tacks (U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,861 to Green, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,206 to Winters, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,148 to Bays et. al., 1990) and staples (U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,268 to Sander, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,189 to Oberlander et. al., 1992) made out of polymers and metals have been used as permanent implants to hold torn tissues in place. Very few of these devices have the holding strength of sutures. With time, some tacks and staples creep and leave gaps in the supposed closure sites. Some biodegradable tacks and staples do not last long enough for the damaged tissue to heal before disintegrating. Many of these biodegradable implants also have serious biocompatibility problems which cause inflammation and other harmful cellular interactions. For the long lasting polymeric or metal tacks and staples, there is always the nagging potential problem of device migration, which can be devastating, especially into joints and nerves.

Partial to full thickness suture device & method for endoscopic surgeries


The process for making a wood board comprises the steps of: a) providing elongated pieces of wood each from a coniferous wood and each having a rectangular cross section; b) detecting an average fiber density of each of the pieces of wood; c) selecting among the pieces of wood those having an average fiber density at least equal to a predetermined fiber density; d) planing off edges of the pieces of wood selected in step c); and e) bonding side by side the pieces of wood planed off in step d) by means of their edges to form the wood board. The board produced thereby shows excellent mechanical characteristics. An advantage of the present invention is to provide a process for making high strength lumber products from coniferous trees which are traditionally considered as nonstructural wood.

Coniferous trees such as black spruce, white spruce, red spruce, grey pine, balsam fir and larch, because of their small size, are traditionally known to produce low grade quality lumber products such as wood chips or 1".times.3", 1".times.4" and 1".times.6" boards. Uses of those coniferous trees for structural purposes are very limited because of their inherent weakness. Presently, the demand for those low-grade quality products is not as high as the demand for high-grade quality and as can be easily understood, the latter is a lot more profitable for producers. Therefore, there is presently a need for a process that will permit new, interesting and profitable uses for those coniferous trees.
Known in prior art, there is U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,760 in the name of Koch. This document describes a process for making a laminated wood product utilizing modulus of elasticity measurement. An object of this process is the making of high strength laminates from boltwood trees which was then considered a nonstructural material because of its small size and its relatively high proportions of juvenile wood. This document teaches to arrange into a laminated structure the laminae that have the greatest deflection in the center of the structure and those with progressively less deflection located away from the center. As can be easily understood, this process is time-consuming and is not adapted to industrial production of wood board.
Also known in prior art, there is U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,654 in the name of Hasenwinkle, that describes a process for making a composite lumber product from a generally cylindrical log. The log is cut radially into a plurality of sector-shaped pieces. These pieces are rejoined two by two, by bonding them along opposed radial faces to form a parallelogram or a rectangle. A plurality of those parallelograms or rectangles are edge-bonded together into wider planar shapes. An object of the invention described therein is to manufacture composite lumber products that have improved quality.
Other examples of prior art related to the art of wood are described in the following references:
______________________________________ 3,580,760 May 25, 1971 P. Koch 3,961,654 June 8, 1976 Hasenwinkle 2,589,316 March 18, 1952 A. M. Young 4,934,228 June 19, 1990 Bolton et al. 5,059,472 Oct. 22, 1991 Le Bell et al. 5,135,597 Aug. 4, 1992 Barker 5,002,105 Mar. 26, 1991 Bodig 1,778,333 Oct. 14, 1930 H. Neumann 2,942,635 June 28, 1960 R. C. Horne 5,648,027 Jul. 15, 1997 Tajiri et al. 4,496,421 Jan. 29, 1985 Byars et al. 3,908,725 Sept. 30, 1975 Koch ______________________________________
An object of the present invention is to propose a process for making a wood board that satisfies the above-mentioned needs. More particularly, an object of the present invention is to propose a process for making a wood board from coniferous trees, the board produced thereby showing excellent mechanical characteristics.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for making a high strength structural wood board from coniferous trees which are traditionally considered as nonstructural wood.

Process for making a wood board and the wood board


Provided is an electrochemical sensor strip having circuits comprising electrodes in an electrode region connected to contact pads in a contact region by conductive traces wherein the electrode region is off-set from the contact region in both an x direction parallel to the length of the sensor strip and a y direction parallel to the width of the sensor strip. Also provided is a an electrochemical sensor strip having a backing material, an active portion laminated to a portion of the backing material, the active portion comprising a substrate, a circuit comprising electrodes in an electrode region connected to contact pads in a contact region by conductive traces wherein the electrode region is off-set from the contact region in both an x direction parallel to the length of the sensor strip and a y direction parallel to the width of the sensor strip, a polymeric layer comprising a channel-forming material over the electrodes, and a hydrophilic layer over the channel-forming material.

Electrochemical biosensors have been used to determine a wide range of analyte concentrations for more than three decades. Of particular interest is the measurement of blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Products that measure fluctuations in a person's blood sugar, or glucose levels, have become everyday necessities for many of the world's millions of diabetics. Because this disorder can cause dangerous anomalies in blood chemistry and can contribute to vision loss and kidney failure, most diabetics are instructed to test themselves periodically and adjust their glucose level accordingly, usually with insulin injections. Blood glucose levels that are below the normal range may result in reduced blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Blood glucose concentration higher than the normal range can result in coma or stroke. Thus, insulin dependent diabetics may be instructed by their physicians to check their blood glucose several times per day.
Home blood glucose test kits are available to allow the diabetic to have a near normal life style. Typically, these home test kits consist of a lancet for puncturing the skin surface, disposable test strips for collecting the blood sample and a glucose measurement device.
Diabetes produces several common side effects that can make even this routine testing difficult. One of the most common complications of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy and/or nerve damage. Nerve damage can affect an individual's ability to pick-up and handle small items, such a thin, flat test strip sitting on a flat surface. Additionally some diabetics are elderly or are people in general that have difficulty manipulating small objects. Diabetes can also cause eye problems and may lead to blindness. Vision problems can make it difficult to handle the small test strips during both the sample collection step as well as inserting the test strip in the monitor.
The small size and flat profile of most currently available test strips can lead to misuse of the test strips. Also, because many diabetics need to measure their blood glucose levels several times a day any improvements in minimizing the amount of blood needed or reducing the cost of the test strips would be welcome relief.

Circuit for electrochemical sensor strip


An internal connection dental implant and implant assembly in which the implant includes a lobed configuration for installing the implant and a beveled surface positioned on the proximal side of the lobed configuration for providing stability between the implant and a corresponding abutment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of dental implants and more specifically to an internal connection implant. The invention also relates to the combination of an internal connection implant and a complementary abutment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of dental implants currently exists in the art. Such dental implants commonly include a body with external threads for mounting and retaining the implant within the patient's mouth. Installation of the implant involves rotation of the implant into a predrilled or tapped site using a drive member such as a ratchet or other rotation means. The implant also includes a drive region which may be located externally or internally. Various structures for both externally and internally driving the implant currently exist.
While many internally driven dental implants provide satisfactory torque transfer and stability between implant and abutment, implant connection failures continue to exist. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for an internal connection or internally driven implant which provides improved torque transfer and implant/abutment stability, with a structure that can also minimize implant connection failure.


A receiver system for receiving and decoding modulated communications signals in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) environment, where the signals are modulated according to Orthogonal Frequency Division Modulation (OFDM). The receiver system includes shared decoder logic circuitry that executes a maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation algorithm in deriving the signals transmitted from the multiple transmitting antennae, as those signals were received over all of the receiving antennae. For a control channel portion of the data frame, the shared decoder logic circuitry applies Viterbi decoding to the transmitted datastreams estimated by the ML estimation algorithm. This sharing of decoder logic reduces the integrated circuit chip area, and also power dissipation, otherwise required in performing these complex decoding functions.

This invention is in the field of digital communications, and is more specifically directed to decoding digital signals received from wireless communications.
High-speed data communication services, for example in providing high-speed Internet access, have become a widespread utility for many businesses, schools, and homes. In its current stage of development, access to these services is available through an array of technologies. Recent advances in wireless communications technology have enabled localized wireless network connectivity according to the IEEE 802.11 standard to become popular for connecting computer workstations and portable computers to a local area network (LAN), and typically through the LAN to the Internet. Broadband wireless data communication technologies, for example those technologies referred to as "WiMAX" and "WiBro", and those technologies according to the IEEE 802.16d/e standards, have also been developed to provide wireless DSL-like connectivity in the Metro Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) context. In addition, the communications specifications resulting from the "LTE" (Long Term Evolution) project of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which set out to improve the UMTS mobile phone standard, also promise to provide broadband data communication on a wide-area basis.
Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communication techniques have recently attracted attention, especially in the wireless network context. In a general sense, MIMO communications are realized by providing multiple signal paths between a transmitter and a receiver. In this manner, the transmitted information is either redundantly or independently transmitted as multiple spatial streams between a transmitter antennae and receiver antennae, with the multiple spatial streams combined at the receiver. The spatial diversity provided by the MIMO approach provides improved data rates for a given bit error rate in the signal. These improvements are attractive in any wireless communications context, including wireless LAN/MAN/WAN communications, and wireless telephony. An overview of MIMO technology is provided in Gesbert et al., "From Theory to Practice: An Overview of MIMO Space-Time Coded Wireless Systems", Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 21, No. 3 (IEEE, April 2003), pp. 281-302.
In the wireless network context, particularly in connection with the WiMAX and LTE standards, MIMO communication technology is being investigated for use in conjunction with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques. As known in the art, OFDM refers to a broadband communications approach in which modulated signals are transmitted over multiple narrow-bandwidth (e.g., 20 kHz) channels. The combination of MIMO and OFDM technologies is contemplated to provide excellent performance in the stringent environment of high data-rate wireless communications.
However, this combination complicates the decoding involved in order to correctly receive digital data over MIMO OFDM communications. In order to secure the MIMO wireless communications link, a MIMO decoder is necessary to resolve the incoming signal received at multiple antennae, at varying delay time. This MIMO decoder is typically realized as a maximum-likelihood ("ML") decoder, operating at high speed and high throughput in order to provide the desired high data rate performance. Demodulation of the OFDM datastream from its multiple sub-channels requires a Fast Fourier Transform function. And because the communicated data is encoded for purposes of forward error correction, yet another decoder function is necessary at the output of the MIMO OFDM receiver. Indeed, multiple error correction decoders must be made available for the various components of the communicated datastream.
FIG. 1 illustrates the overall functional architecture of a conventional MIMO OFDM receiver system, in the example of a two-antenna system (two transmitting antennae ATX1, ATX2, and two receiving antennae ARX1, ARX2). As known in the art, conventional MIMO OFDM network devices communicate bidirectionally. For clarity of this description, only the receiver side of such a device is shown in FIG. 1; those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the manner in which duplexed transmission is realized in modern wireless communications devices.
In the example of FIG. 1, receiver system 2 includes separate "front end" circuit functions 41, 42, each including an analog front end (AFE) and a digital front end (DFE), coupled to respective receive antennae ARX1, ARX2. As well-known in the art, front ends 4 include the desired and appropriate analog and digital filtering, analog-to-digital conversion, etc. typical for OFDM receivers. Receiver system 2 also includes Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) functions 61, 62, each connected to a corresponding front end 41, 42, respectively. FFT functions 6 each demodulate the received OFDM signal. As fundamental in the art, OFDM signals are modulated over multiple subcarrier frequencies, by way of the inverse Fourier transform of a block of a datastream. As such, FFT functions 61, 62 reverse the modulation for the signals received at their respective antenna ARX1, ARX2, transforming data from the time domain (as a datastream) into the frequency domain (amplitude and phase at each subcarrier frequency).
In conventional MIMO OFDM receiver system 2, the frequency-domain demodulated signals from FFT functions 61, 62 are applied to MIMO decoder 7, which analyzes the multiple received datastreams y and recovers the transmitted signal x therefrom. As fundamental in the art, recovery of signals x1, x2 that are transmitted over two respective antennae, from signals y1, y2 received over two antennae involves the solution of a system such as:
      [                                        y            1                                                            y            2                                ]    =                    [                                                            h                11                                                                    h                12                                                                                h                21                                                                    h                22                                                    ]                          [                                                            x                1                                                                                x                2                                                    ]              +          [                                                  n              1                                                                          n              2                                          ]      where the hij matrix members refer to the transfer function from the jth transmit antenna to the ith receive antenna, as shown in FIG. 1 (e.g., transfer function h12 is the transfer function between transmit antenna ATX2 and receive antenna ARX1). Noise received at the ith receive antenna is represented by ni. According to this conventional example, channel estimation function 7 estimates the various transfer functions and received noise, typically from known training signals demodulated by FFT functions 6 during initialization of the link, and communicates transfer matrix estimate ĥ and channel noise estimates {circumflex over (n)}1, {circumflex over (n)}2 to MIMO decoder 8. MIMO decoder 8 in return produces datastream estimates {circumflex over (x)}1, {circumflex over (x)}2, which are estimates of the signals transmitted at antennae ATX1, ATX2, respectively, accounting for channel distortion and noise. Typically, MIMO decoder 8 is realized by way of a maximum-likelihood (ML) decoder, applied to both datastreams.
Following MIMO decoder 8, the datastream estimates {circumflex over (x)}1, {circumflex over (x)}2 are communicated to forward error correction function 10, which applies the appropriate error correction decoding to each datastream to recover the digital values of the information that was originally transmitted. As known in the art for WiMAX and LTE communications and as shown in FIG. 2, a communications link typically communicates data in frames, each frame containing a control channel 15 and a data channel 17. The contents of the control channel (15) within a frame indicate whether live data is present in the corresponding data channel (17) of that frame; as such, the validity of the signals in the data channel is dependent on the content of the control channel for that frame. According to conventional MIMO OFDM communications under the WiMAX and LTE standards, as well as others, data channel 17 and control channel 15 of each received frame are encoded differently, and are thus decoded separately. For example, a Viterbi decoder is required to decode the control information communicated in control channel 15 of the link. One or more additional decoders (e.g., "turbo" decoders, low density parity check (LDPC) decoders) are also typically required in order to decode data channel 17 in each MIMO OFDM frame. As such, in the Example of FIG. 1, forward error correction function 10 includes both turbo decoder logic circuitry 12, and also Viterbi decoder logic circuitry 14. The output from forward error correction function 10 is then applied to media access control (MAC) circuitry and functionality, as well known in the art.
As is well known in the art, each of these various multiple decoding functions involves complex logic functions and circuitry. A substantial number of logic gates and functions, and thus substantial integrated circuit "chip area", are necessary to realize these functions, especially as data rates increase. However, the power and chip area requirements of the end systems (e.g., mobile phone handsets, laptop computer wireless access cards) into which these functions are to be implemented are also becoming more stringent. In short, the operational requirements for modern high data rate communications are becoming more complicated, while the chip area and power consumption constraints of the circuitry carrying out those functions are becoming more stringent.

Sharing logic circuitry for a maximum likelihood MIMO decoder and a viterbi decoder


Techniques for efficiently encoding an input signal are described. In one design, a generalized encoder encodes the input signal (e.g., an audio signal) based on at least one detector and multiple encoders. The at least one detector may include a signal activity detector, a noise-like signal detector, a sparseness detector, some other detector, or a combination thereof. The multiple encoders may include a silence encoder, a noise-like signal encoder, a time-domain encoder, a transform-domain encoder, some other encoder, or a combination thereof. The characteristics of the input signal may be determined based on the at least one detector. An encoder may be selected from among the multiple encoders based on the characteristics of the input signal. The input signal may be encoded based on the selected encoder. The input signal may include a sequence of frames, and detection and encoding may be performed for each frame.

Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication, and more specifically to techniques for encoding and decoding audio signals.
Background
Audio encoders and decoders are widely used for various applications such as wireless communication, Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), multimedia, digital audio, etc. An audio encoder receives an audio signal at an input bit rate, encodes the audio signal based on a coding scheme, and generates a coded signal at an output bit rate that is typically lower (and sometimes much lower) than the input bit rate. This allows the coded signal to be sent or stored using fewer resources.
An audio encoder may be designed based on certain presumed characteristics of an audio signal and may exploit these signal characteristics in order to use as few bits as possible to represent the information in the audio signal. The effectiveness of the audio encoder may then be dependent on how closely an actual audio signal matches the presumed characteristics for which the audio encoder is designed. The performance of the audio encoder may be relatively poor if the audio signal has different characteristics than those for which the audio encoder is designed.

Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding audio signals


To provide an add-in material to be added to a porous molded body base, the add-in material being capable of developing a pore of appropriate size efficiently without degrading the formability and productivity of a porous molded body, particularly a porous fired body when producing the porous molded body. A shrinkable fiber composed of a thermoplastic resin and to be dispersed in a base of a porous molded body, particularly a porous fired body, wherein the shrinkable fiber has a fiber diameter of 10 to 40 μm, a fiber length of 1 to 20 mm, and a dry-heat shrinkage percentage of at least 8% when subjected to heat treatment at 80° C. for 5 minutes.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a shrinkable fiber suitable for use in obtaining a porous molded body. More specifically, the present invention particularly relates to a fiber to be dispersed in a fired body base used in a porous fired body, and to a shrinkable fiber that is excellent in pore formability in a drying process prior to firing and in a firing process due to its capability of reducing degradation in moldability caused by addition of the fiber to the fired body base and exerting an appropriate heat shrinkage property.
Background Art
Fired bodies, such as earthenware, ceramics and refractory products, are widely used in daily necessities and industrial material applications. In recent years, lighter fired bodies have been required in order to improve portability and processability thereof in daily necessities and to prevent mass increase associated with enlargement of fired bodies in industrial material applications.
There have conventionally been a large number of technologies related to pore formation on a fired body, and Patent Literature 1, for example, describes a technology in which a globular hollow resin powder is added to a ceramic base and thus obtained product is burned down to thereby obtain a ceramic having pores. Also, Patent Literature 2 describes a technology in which an organic fiber is contained in a refractory raw material and thus obtained product is fired to obtain a porous refractory product.    [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-130073    [Patent Literature 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 61-10079


The present invention concerns class II cytochrome P450s, electrochemical systems for assaying cytochrome P450 catalytic activity, apparatus and methods for same.

The present invention concerns class II cytochrome P450s, electrochemical systems for assaying cytochrome P450 catalytic activity, apparatus and methods for same.
Cytochromes P450 constitute a large family of haem thiolate enzymes, found in bacteria, fungi, plants, insects and animals, which catalyse a wide range of reactions, including hydroxylation of aliphatic and aromatic carbons, epoxidation, oxidative deamination, sulphoxide formation, N-oxidation, N-hydroxylation, dehalogenation and N-, O- and S-dealkylation. These diverse reactions all arise from the fact that cytochromes P450 are versatile oxygen-activation catalysts which incorporate one atom of molecular oxygen into a broad range of substrates with concomitant reduction of the other oxygen atom to water. These enzymes play important roles in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in plants, in steroid metabolism in fungi and animals and, notably, in xenobiotic metabolism.
The considerable diversity of P450s results in man being able to metabolize a wide range of foreign chemicals. Metabolism by P450s has a major influence on the pharmaco-toxicological properties of therapeutic drugs, and consideration of this metabolism is a key part of the drug design process. Furthermore, several P450s are polymorphic in the human population, resulting in individual differences in drug and toxin metabolism. In a different sphere, the ability of cytochromes P450 to hydroxylate unactivated carbons suggests that they have potential applications in synthetic chemistry.
In vivo, P450s require other proteins as electron donors. The class I enzymes (most bacterial P450s, and the mitochondrial steroid-metabolising enzymes) require an NADH-dependent reductase and an iron-sulphur protein, while the class II enzymes (e.g. the mammalian drug-metabolising enzymes) simply require a flavoprotein NADPH-dependent reductase. The mammalian drug-metabolising mono-oxygenase system thus consists of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and a number of different P450s, all of which are bound to the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum. (By contrast, the only known bacterial class II P450, P450 BM3 (CYP102) from Bacillus megaterium, is a soluble enzyme having both P450 and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase activities in a single polypeptide chain.)
The assay of cytochromes P450, for example to study the metabolism of a new therapeutic agent, has classically involved incubation of the candidate substrate with a microsomal membrane preparation from the cells of interest, together with NADPH as an electron source, followed by chromatographic analysis for product formation. Because several different P450s are expressed in most cell types, it is difficult in this kind of assay to identify the specific P450(s) responsible for metabolism of the compound of interest.
More recently, therefore, individual recombinant P450s expressed in bacteria, yeast, insect or mammalian cells (see, for example Gonzalez, F. J. et al., 1995, Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 36: 369-390; Pritchard, M. P. et al., 1997, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 345: 342-354; Guengerich, F. P. et al., 1997, Curr. Opin. Biotechnol., 8: 623-628) have been used in combination with endogenous or recombinant P450 reductase. These assays have generally also involved chromatographic analysis; while NADPH consumption can be followed spectrophotometrically, the coupling between electron flow and product formation is variable and hence NADPH consumption may not be a reliable indicator of metabolism of a given compound.
It has recently been shown that electrons can be supplied to P450 reductase electrochemically from a platinum electrode by means of a mediator, cobalt sepulchrate (Estabrook, R. W. et al., Meth. Enzymol., 272: 44-51), and on the basis of this systems have been developed in which fusion proteins comprising NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and a class II cytochrome P450 can be driven electrochemically (Estabrook, R. W. et al, 1996, Endocrine Res., 22: 665-671). In the case of the quite different class I P450s, it has recently been shown that electrons can be supplied electrochemically either via putidaredoxin (Reipa, V. et al., 1997, PNAS USA, 94: 13554-13558) or directly to the P450 if the latter is immobilised in a lipid film (Zhang, Z. et al., J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans., 93; 1769-1774).
Further examples of prior art systems involving the use of Class I P450 enzymes such as P450cam are given in Kazlauskaite, J. et al. (1996, Chem. Commun (Cambridge), 18: 2189-2190), Vilker, V. L. et al. (Redox Chem. Interfacial Behav. Biol. Mol., 1987, 105-112), Vilker, V. L. et al. (1997, Proc. Electrochem. Soc., Volume 97-6: 91-99) and GB 2312960.
The present invention overcomes the prior art disadvantages, particularly those associated with the use of a P450 reductase to supply electrons to a P450, and provides simple and convenient methods and arrangements for supplying electrons to class II cytochromes P450, particularly for assaying P450 catalytic activity.
Although it has not previously been possible to supply electrons to P450 cytochromes without the use of P450 reductases, the present invention obviates this need.
Thus according to the present invention there is provided a class II cytochrome P450 attached to a graphite electrode. In contrast to the prior art this attachment does not require P450 reductase and thus provides a substantial advantage over the prior art.
The P450 cytochrome is attached such that upon catalysis of a reaction by the enzyme, electron flow occurs from the electrode to the enzyme.
The P450 cytochrome may be attached to the electrode via dodecyl dimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). It may be attached via other amphiphilic molecules which are insoluble in aqueous solutions. Such molecules are well known and will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. They include Nafion (RTM) and phosphatidylcholine.
Also provided according to the present invention is apparatus for determining the catalytic activity of a class II P450 cytochrome, comprising a cell having a graphite electrode having attached to it the cytochrome P450, and also having electron flow detection means.
The inventors have also found that it is not necessary for the P450 cytochrome to be bound to an electrode, and thus also provided according to the present invention is apparatus for detecting the catalytic activity of a class II P450 cytochrome comprising a cell having a modified gold electrode contacting a solution containing the enzyme.
The gold electrode may be coated in 2,2-dithiodipyridine (Adrithiol) or by other polyfunctional molecules which can be adsorbed onto the electrode and also interact specifically with the cytochrome P450. These molecules will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and include those compounds disclosed as xe2x80x9cmediatorsxe2x80x9d by Christensen, P. A. and Hamnett, A. (xe2x80x9cTechniques and Mechanisms in Electrochemistryxe2x80x9d, 1994, Blackwell Academic Press, London, pp. 356-373) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entireity. The polyfunctional molecules may have the structure ofxe2x80x9cType IVxe2x80x9d compounds discussed by Christensen and Hamnett (supra) and Allen, P. M. et al., 1984, J. Electroanal. Chem., 178: 69 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entireity . The compounds may include 1,2 bis(4-pyridyl) ethylene, 4,4xe2x80x2 bipyridine, bis (4-pyridyl) bisulphide, or 4 mercaptopyridine. Such modified gold electrodes are able to supply electrons to the cytochrome P450 yet do not need to be attached by strong chemical bonds to the cytochrome P450.
Compounds suitable to act as mediators of electron flow from and electrode to an enzyme are also disclosed by R. W. Murray (Acc. Chem. Res., 1980, 13, 135) which is incorporated in its entireity herein by reference.
Generally speaking, cells may be three-electrode cells having a first electrode as described above (i.e. graphite or gold) and second and third electrodes comprising a saturated calomel working electrode and a platinum wire counter-electrode. Naturally, each electrode should contact the solution to be tested for the presence of a substrate for the P450 cytochrome.
The electron flow detection means may monitor current flow or may determine a steady state cyclic voltammogram, for example over the range xe2x88x920.4V to +0.4V.
The cytochrome P450 catalytic activity may also result in the generation of peroxides, essentially a side-product when it is desired to assay the generation of a specific product resulting from catalysis. The generation of peroxides results in electron flow and thus affects the results obtained by the apparatus. Thus the apparatus may additionally comprise means for detecting peroxide formation. Such means are well known and include colourimetric peroxide assay means and fluorimetric peroxide assay means. Alternatively, it may comprise an electrode which detects peroxide. Thus the electron flow required for the assayed peroxide generation can be subtracted from the total electron flow and a more accurate measure of product formation obtained.
A range of applications exists for the present invention, particularly for the screening of novel compounds as substrates to a cytochrome P450 and for the use of P450 catalysis in synthetic chemistry. For example a high-throughput screening system for P450 substrates could be readily created. In the case of using P450s for synthetic chemistry, the ability of P450s to catalyse hydroxylation of unactivated carbons, together with their broad substrate specificity, makes them attractive tools for synthetic chemistry. However, the high cost of NADPH has to date hampered this. The ability of the present invention to drive reactions electrochemically now makes their use more commercially attractive.
Thus the present invention also provides a method of determining the catalytic activity of a class II cytichrime P450, comprising the use of apparatus according to the present invention. It may be a method for determining whether a given compound is a substrate for a class II cytochrome P450.
Also provided is a method of performing a synthetic chemical reaction, comprising the use of apparatus according to the present invention.


An improved extractor housed in the breech of a firearm for extracting a metallic cartridge case from a firearm including a U-shaped cap connected to a bore wall of the breech of the firearm; an extractor body and a biasing means for exerting tensile force on the extractor body whereby said gripping end of the extractor body is forced into a gripping relationship with the rim of a metallic cartridge case to be extracted.

In the art of extracting either an unfired metallic cartridge or the casing of a spent metallic cartridge from the chamber of a firearm, such as the Colt Model 1911, there are certain well known and standard means for accomplishing the task. Substantially all of the means known for extracting a cartridge, or a cartridge case, from the chamber of such a firearm comprise a slide mounted, one piece, essentially flat, spring steel extractor. Though variations can and do exist, the typical extractor will comprise an elongated spring steel body having a slot cut into its base end to accept a locking key which secures it and positions it within the firearm's slide; and, it will have a hook or claw on its forward end which is positioned and dimensioned such that it engages the rim of a cartridge case, as the said case is contained within the chamber of the firearm. When so engaged, the claw will position the head of the cartridge case substantially against the face of the breech block portion of the slide. With the cartridge case so positioned, it will be oriented such that the firing mechanism of the firearm is in alignment with the primer of the cartridge case. Upon either firing the cartridge or manually operating the slide assembly so as to simulate the cycling which occurs when the cartridge is fired, the slide is moved to its rearward position. As the slide, within which the extractor is fixed, is moved to its rear or open position, the claw of the extractor removes the cartridge or cartridge case from the chamber of the firearm and, in concert with the ejector, tosses the cartridge case free of the firearm. Upon completing its rearward travel, the slide then moves forward across a magazine containing cartridges, a new cartridge is stripped from the magazine, by the breech face of the slide assembly, and is fed into the chamber of the firearm. As the cartridge is fed into the chamber of the firearm, the hook of the extractor engages the rim of the newly chambered cartridge and the cycle can be repeated.
Engaging the rim of the newly chambered cartridge, by the extractor, is accomplished in one of two ways. Ideally, as the breech face of the slide strips a cartridge from the firearm's magazine, the cartridge enters the chamber of the firearm in such a way that the rim of the head of the cartridge pivots into position between the breech face of the slide and the inner surface of the hook of the extractor. It should be obvious that when the rim of the cartridge case head is so engaged by the extractor, the extractor undergoes substantially no flexing or destructive stresses. However, there are occasions when the rim of the cartridge head is not engaged by the extractor in the above manner. It is not uncommon for a cartridge being stripped from a firearm's magazine to enter freely and substantially straight into the chamber of the firearm, pushed by the flat nose or beveled surface of the extractor body, where it continues to move forward to its battery position resulting in the extractor having to ride over the rear of the rim of the head of the cartridge case before it engages the rim. Though not the ideal, his occurrence is so commonplace that the front of the extractor is configured to ride over the rear of the rim of the head of the cartridge case so that it can, upon the slide seating into battery, properly engage the rim.
When extractors are of the above typical configuration, the process of forcing the extractor hook to ride or jump over the outside of the rim of the cartridge case flexes and stresses the spring body of the extractor. This flexing exceeds acceptable flexing limits of the typical extractor and results in a deformed extractor. As the extractor is so deformed, it becomes incapable of reliably performing its intended function. In handguns used for protection or competition, failure of an extractor to function is potentially catastrophic.
Presently, the fix for an extractor that no longer functions is to replace it with a new and identical extractor. However, it should be obvious that the replaced extractor will soon suffer the same fate as its predecessor. The basic design of the Colt Model 1911 type extractor has remained essentially unchanged since its introduction in 1911. The only way to truly correct the inherent problems associated with the extractor is to replace it with an extractor which relies on a different tensioning system. The use of coil springs to bias an extractor has been proven reliable through the years.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,421,249 teaches a coil spring biased plunger acting on a cartridge-extractor body having a small hook for engaging the cartridge casing. The assembly is contained within a series of intricate and multi-positioned cavities within the bolt assembly of the firearm being described. The assembly is more clearly indicated and described in FIG. 3. of the printed patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,148 also teaches a similar system for extracting a cartridge. However, it too relies on a multitude of cavities and interdependent elements to perform its function. This assembly is more clearly indicated and described in FIG. 21 of the printed patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,923 again teaches a coil spring biased extractor assembly. Again, it is an exceptionally complex system of cavities and small interdependent elements. This assembly is clearly shown in FIG. 6 of the printed patent.
From the above references, it is clear that extractors embodying hooks or claws biased by coil springs are known and used in the industry. It should also be clear that the complexity of the extractor assemblies would make it virtually impossible to add them as an after-market addition to existing firearms. Even if there were sufficient room in a slide assembly to install such extractor assemblies, the costs of re-machining for such an adaptation would be extremely expensive. In order to be economically practical, a firearm would need to be designed and manufactured with such an extractor assembly. When extractors having such a design are incorporated into the process as a firearm is being manufactured, the costs of the intricate machining required for installation of the parts, though not eliminated, are at least minimized.
It is the need for a simple, inexpensive, absolutely reliable extractor that is addressed by the present invention.


The present invention pertains to the layup of laminates that possesses. i. concomitant stiffness isotropy in extension, shear, bending, and twisting; and PA0 ii. identical stiffness anisotropy in extension and bending as well as in shear and twisting.. Although both laminate layups have distinctive applications as load-carrying structures, the approaches and models that generate these layups are closely related.

This invention pertains to the layup of the fully isotropic laminates and quasi-homogeneous anisotropic laminates.
A laminate is a flat plate or curved shell consisting of two or more plies stacked and bonded as an integral component for structural applications. Each ply is a uniform-thickness layer of an orthotropic or anisotropic material. FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a typical flat laminate. The arrangement of the material, thickness, orientation, and stacking sequence of the plies is referred to as the "layup" of the laminate. The layup of a laminate is generally tailored to match the stiffness and strength requirements for loadings in various directions.
FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) illustrate the definitions of the coordinate system and the mechanical loadings (extension, shear, bending, and twisting) on a flat laminate.
Fiber-reinforced composite laminates such as graphite/epoxy and Kevlar/epoxy are ideal for structural applications where high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios are desired for weight reduction (e.g. aircraft and spacecraft structures). In addition, composite laminates are superior in corrosion resistance, acoustic damping, fatigue life, thermal insulation, and many other applications.
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show polar plots of the extensional and bending stiffnesses of an example graphite/epoxy laminate, respectively. The length of d indicates the magnitude of the laminate stiffness with respect to the loading in direction .theta.. Since the laminate stiffnesses vary with .theta., the laminate is said to be anisotropic. Note that the degree of anisotropy in the extension and bending stiffnesses are different, which is typical of composite laminates.
The concept of in-plane isotropic laminates was discovered by F. Weiren and C. B. Norris as described in "Mechanical Properties of a Laminate Designed to be Isotropic," Report No. 1841, Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, May 1953. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) show plots of the extensional and the bending stiffness of such laminates, respectively. In-plane isotropy is characterized by a circular pattern of extensional stiffness; while out-of-plane bending stiffness remains anisotropic. Hence, for the past few decades, a laminates with in-plane isotropy and a symmetric layup has been referred to as an "extensionally isotropic laminate" (hereinafter designated as EIL).
As of today, the tailoring technology for composite laminate is in a state of continuing improvement for meeting various engineering requirements.
The present invention discovers the layups of
i. the fully isotropic laminate (hereinafter designated as FIL) that exhibits the stiffness isotropy --as in a homogeneous isotropic plate--concomitant in extension, shear, bending, and twisting; and
ii. the quasi-homogeneous anisotropic laminate (hereinafter designated as QHAL) that has identical stiffness anisotropy--as in a homogeneous anisotropic plate--in extension and bending as well as in shear and twisting.
The FIL layup developed in the present invention combines an EIL layup with out-of-plane isotropy (bending and twisting). As illustrated in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), both extensional and bending stiffnesses of an FIL are indicated by circles for isotropy. The isotropy also exists in the shear and twisting stiffnesses of an FIL layup; we thus refer to the layup as the fully isotropic laminate.
The QHAL layup developed in the present invention provides identical anisotropy in a laminate for both in-plane and out-of-plane stiffnesses. The term "identical anisotropy" stipulates that the stiffness directionalities are identical with respect to extension and bending, as well as to shear and twisting. FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) show polar plots of the extensional and bending stiffnesses of a QHAL, respectively. Although both stiffnesses are anisotropic, the anisotropy is identical with respect to the angle .theta.. This characteristic has been found only in homogeneous anisotropic plates; but has never been achieved with a multiply multiangle laminate. We thus refer to the layup as the quasi-homogeneous anisotropic laminate.
The FIL and the QHAL have distinctive applications for load-carrying laminates,
i. An FIL provides the same stiffness reinforcement in all directions, which eliminates the concern for the "weak aspect" in the structural element and eases the engineering consideration of composite laminates.
ii. A QHAL, with identical anisotropy for both in-plane and out-of-plane stiffnesses, provides the maximum (and minimum) in-plane and out-of-plane reinforcements in the same direction. Thus, a QHAL is a layup for maximum weight reduction in a laminated structure.
The approaches and models for generating these layups are closely related; they are described in layer sections.
In a 1979 General Motors research report (EM-429, GM restricted), "Isotropic Composite Plates--A Conceptual Approach," K. M. Wu, one of the inventors of the present invention, described the approach for developing the FIL. However, due to an incomplete solution scheme, no FIL was discovered.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,230 (1989) to S. B. Warner relates to a process for producing a multilayer polymeric film having dead bend characteristics which are substantially planar (in-plane) isotropic. According to the patent, the highly oriented polymeric films are laminated to form a good food wrap that can remain in the deformed state. Except for including the publicized concept of in-plane isotropy and the method of masking dead bend polymeric film, this process involves no technology that could lead to any part of the present invention.

Fully isotropic laminates and quasi-homogeneous anisotropic laminates


An inventive exchangeable pharmacy formulation preparation device lifting arm (28) for being arranged at a lifting unit (12) of a pharmacy formulation preparation device (2) for preparing an individual pharmaceutical product and for attaching a mixing vessel (32) for such an individual pharmaceutical product thereto comprises a substantially elongated basic body, in which an elongated recess (64) for sliding the basic body onto a lifting unit fixing pin (62) is provided, the elongated recess (64) extending from a first longitudinal end (40) of the basic body over part of the longitudinal direction of the basic body towards the opposite second longitudinal end (42); wherein the first longitudinal end (40) of the basic body comprises a stopping region (45) for a front surface (16) of the lifting unit (12) and a bearing region (44) for a supporting surface (18) of the lifting unit (12); and wherein a fastening unit (30) for a mixing vessel (32) is provided at the or close to the second longitudinal end (42) of the basic body.

The invention relates to an exchangeable pharmacy formulation preparation device lifting arm and a pharmacy formulation preparation device for preparing an individual pharmaceutical product.
A device for agitating and preparing mixtures or the like in an agitating vessel are known from the German utility model DE 277 24 902 U1. Even though this device has proven to be suitable for everyday pharmacy routine for preparing individual pharmaceutical products, the inventor of the present subject matter has realized that many mixing vessels already existing on the market or newly introduced mixing vessels cannot be employed for such a device.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pharmacy formulation preparation device for preparing an individual pharmaceutical product, which can be operated with a variety of mixing vessels already existing on the market or with mixing vessels newly introduced to the market. Furthermore, corresponding components for such a pharmacy formulation preparation device are to be provided, which allow an expansion of this field of application.
This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous further embodiments result from the dependent claims.
An inventive exchangeable pharmacy formulation preparation device lifting arm for arranging a pharmacy formulation preparation device at a lifting unit for preparing an individual pharmaceutical product and for attaching a mixing vessel for such an individual pharmaceutical product comprises a substantially elongated basic body, in which an elongated recess for sliding the basic body onto a lifting unit fixing pin is provided, the elongated recess extending from a first longitudinal end of the basic body over part of the longitudinal direction of the basic body towards the opposite second longitudinal end, wherein the first longitudinal end of the basic body comprises a stopping region for a front surface of the lifting unit and a bearing region for a supporting surface of the lifting unit, and wherein a fastening unit for a mixing vessel is provided at the or close to the second longitudinal end of the basic body.
According to findings underlying the invention, the restriction that always only one specific mixing vessel type can be used in conventional pharmacy formulation preparation devices, such as shown in DE 297 24 902 U1 for example, results from the fact that always only one fastening unit for one mixing vessel is attached at the lifting arm, which only allows for attaching a specific type of mixing vessels.
According to further findings underlying the invention, the inventor of the present subject matter has found that the existing lifting arm, which is fixedly connected to the device, cannot be provided with different fastening units able to reliably receive the different mixing vessels available on the market. One reason is that there already is a wide variety of different mixing vessels and new types are constantly added.

Interchangeable pharmaceutical formulation production device lifting arm, and pharmaceutical formulation production device for producing a pharmaceutical individual product


An electronic vehicle tester includes a battery tester configured to measure a parameter of a battery of a vehicle. A tire tester is configured to receive a parameter of a tire of the vehicle. A wireless receiver can be configured to receive pressure information from a transmitter associated with a tire of a vehicle.

The present invention relates to battery testers. More specifically, the present invention relates to electronic battery testers used for testing storage batteries.
Storage batteries are an important component of modern automotive vehicles. Vehicles with internal combustion engines use such batteries to start the engine or run electrical equipment when the engine is not operating. Electric vehicles use such batteries as a source of power. It is frequently desirable to test storage batteries so that a failing battery can be identified and replaced prior to its ultimate failure, so that a battery with a low state of charge can be recharged, etc. Battery testers are typically limited to a few types of tests.
Many battery-testing techniques have been developed through the years. Midtronics, Inc. of Willowbrook, Illinois and Dr. Keith S. Champlin have been pioneers in battery testing and related technologies. Examples of their work are shown in:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,911, issued Mar. 25, 1975, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,708, issued Sep. 30, 1975, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,768, issued Mar. 28, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,170, issued Apr. 25, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,038, issued Nov. 14, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING TO DETERMINE DYNAMIC CONDUCTANCE;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,416, issued Mar. 27, 1990, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH STATE-OF-CHARGE COMPENSATION;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,269, issued Aug. 18, 1992, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC TESTER FOR ASSESSING BATTERY/CELL CAPACITY;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,380, issued Aug. 30, 1994, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING TIME-VARYING SIGNALS IN BATTERIES UNDERGOING CHARGING OR DISCHARGING;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,136, issued Nov. 5, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER DEVICE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,355, issued Nov. 12, 1996, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTION AND CONTROL OF THERMAL RUNAWAY IN A BATTERY UNDER CHARGE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,416, issued Dec. 10, 1996, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STEP-CHARGING BATTERIES TO OPTIMIZE CHARGE ACCEPTANCE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,728, issued Dec. 17, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH AUTOMATIC COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF-CHARGE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,757, issued Dec. 31, 1996, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STEP-CHARGING BATTERIES TO OPTIMIZE CHARGE ACCEPTANCE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,093, issued Jan. 7, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE LOOSE TERMINAL CONNECTION DETECTION VIA A COMPARISON CIRCUIT;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,098, issued Jan. 28, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH VERY HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,920, issued Aug. 12, 1997, entitled METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING THE CHARGING LEAD-ACID BATTERIES AND AN INTERACTIVE CHARGER;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,192, issued May 26, 1998, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A BAD CELL IN A STORAGE BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,756, issued Oct. 13, 1998, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH TAILORED COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF CHARGE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,435, issued Nov. 3, 1998, entitled BATTERY TESTER FOR JIS STANDARD;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,858, issued Feb. 16, 1999, entitled ANTI-THEFT BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,605, issued Jun. 22, 1999, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,829, issued Aug. 31, 1999, entitled MIDPOINT BATTERY MONITORING;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,238, issued Dec. 14, 1999, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX IMPEDANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,751, issued Mar. 14, 2000, entitled APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,777, issued Mar. 14, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY PROPERTIES FROM COMPLEX IMPEDANCE/ADMITTANCE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,976, issued Apr. 18, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,098, issued Jun. 27, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,245, issued Jul. 18, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,167, issued Aug. 15, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,269, issued Oct. 24, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONICALLY EVALUATING THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,156, issued Dec. 19, 2000, entitled ELECTRICAL CONNECTION FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,483, issued Jan. 9, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX IMPEDANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,505, issued Jan. 9, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,369, issued Apr. 24, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY PROPERTIES FROM COMPLEX IMPEDANCE/ADMITTANCE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,808, issued May 1, 2001, entitled TEST COUNTER FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,124, issued Jun. 19, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH INTERNAL BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,254, issued Jul. 10, 2001, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON BATTERIES AND FOR RAPIDLY CHARGING BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,563, issued Jul. 17, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX ADMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,896, issued Sep. 25, 2001; entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX SELF-IMMITANCE OF A GENERAL ELECTRICAL ELEMENT;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,897, issued Sep. 25, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONICALLY EVALUATING THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,087, issued Oct. 16, 2001, entitled APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATING ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,481, issued Oct. 30, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,607, issued Nov. 6, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING STORED CHARGE IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,608, issued Nov. 6, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,914, issued Nov. 13, 2001, entitled TESTING PARALLEL STRINGS OF STORAGE BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,650, issued Nov. 27, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,793, issued Dec. 11, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,762, issued Dec. 18, 2001, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,113, issued Dec. 18, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,102, issued Feb. 26, 2002, entitled AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,441, issued Mar. 19, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,303, issued Mar. 26, 2002, entitled ALTERNATOR DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,031, issued Apr. 23, 2002, entitled INTELLIGENT SWITCH FOR POWER MANAGEMENT;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,414, issued May 21, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,669, issued Jul. 9, 2002, entitled SUPPRESSING INTERFERENCE IN AC MEASUREMENTS OF CELLS, BATTERIES AND OTHER ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,158, issued Jul. 23, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON BATTERIES AND FOR RAPIDLY CHARGING BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,585, issued Aug. 17, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TESTING RECHARGEABLE ENERGY STORAGE BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,957, issued Aug. 20, 2002, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SURGE, SHORT, AND REVERSE POLARITY CONNECTION PROTECTION;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,158, issued Sep. 3, 2002, entitled VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTER WITH ENCODED OUTPUT;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,045, issued Sep. 24, 2002, entitled INTEGRATED CONDUCTANCE AND LOAD TEST BASED ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,025, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,908, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,026, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled PROGRAMMABLE CURRENT EXCITER FOR MEASURING AC IMMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,469,511, issued Nov. 22, 2002, entitled BATTERY CLAMP WITH EMBEDDED ENVIRONMENT SENSOR;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,495,990, issued Dec. 17, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING STORED CHARGE IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,209, issued Dec. 24, 2002, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING A CRANKING SUBSYSTEM;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,196, issued Jan. 14, 2003; entitled BATTERY HAVING DISCHARGE STATE INDICATION;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,993, issued Mar. 18, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,078, issued Apr. 8, 2003, entitled BATTERY CLAMP WITH INTEGRATED CURRENT SENSOR;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,019, issued Apr. 29, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,566,883, issued May 20, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,941, issued Jul. 1, 2003, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH DATABUS;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,597,150, issued Jul. 22, 2003, entitled METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING JUMP-START BOOSTER PACKS;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,272, issued Sep. 16, 2003, entitled PROGRAMMABLE CURRENT EXCITER FOR MEASURING AC IMMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,314, issued Sep. 23, 2003, entitled KELVIN CLAMP FOR ELECTRICALLY COUPLING TO A BATTERY CONTACT;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,165, issued Oct. 14, 2003, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITOR;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,974, issued Oct. 21, 2003, entitled SELF-LEARNING POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,819, Feb. 24, 2004, entitled BATTERY CHARGE CONTROL DEVICE:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,303, issued Mar. 16, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,831, issued May 18, 2004, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS USING A CIRCUIT MODEL TO EVALUATE CELL/BATTERY PARAMETERS;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,149, issued Jun. 1, 2004, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING STEP-DOWN POWER CONVERSION USING AN INTELLIGENT SWITCH;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,849, issued Jul. 6, 2004, entitled BATTERY TESTER CONFIGURED TO RECEIVE A REMOVABLE DIGITAL MODULE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,382, issued Aug. 24, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,025, filed Sep. 7, 2004, entitled BATTERY CHARGER WITH BOOSTER PACK;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,782, issued Sep. 21, 2004, entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,090, filed Oct. 19, 2004, entitled CHARGE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,716, filed Oct. 19, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,037, filed Feb. 1, 2005, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITORING;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,151, issued Mar. 22, 2005, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH NETWORK COMMUNICATION;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,885,195, issued Apr. 26, 2005, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,888,468, issued May 3, 2005, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING A BATTERY FROM OVERDISCHARGE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,891,378, issued May 10, 2005, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,522, issued Jun. 14, 2005, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY REPLACEMENT OUTPUT;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,523, issued Jun. 14, 2005, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CELLS AND BATTERIES EMBEDDED IN SERIES/PARALLEL SYSTEMS;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,909,287, issued Jun. 21, 2005, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,914,413, issued Jul. 5, 2005, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER WITH ENCODED OUTPUT;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,483, issued Jul. 5, 2005, entitled CABLE FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,930,485, issued Aug. 16, 2005, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY FAILURE TEMPERATURE DETERMINATION;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,933,727, issued Aug. 23, 2005, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER CABLE;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,941,234, filed Sep. 6, 2005, entitled QUERY BASED ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,967,484, issued Nov. 22, 2005, entitled MODULAR BATTERY TESTER FOR SCAN TOOL;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,998,847, issued Feb. 14, 2006, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH DATA BUS FOR REMOVABLE MODULE;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,410, issued Feb. 21, 2006, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH RELATIVE TEST OUTPUT;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,411, issued Feb. 21, 2006, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH NETWORK COMMUNICATION;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,012,433, issued Mar. 14, 2006, entitled BATTERY TESTER UPGRADE USING SOFTWARE KEY;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,034,541, issued Apr. 25, 2006, entitled QUERY BASED ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,058,525, issued Jun. 6, 2006, entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,081,255, issued Jul. 25, 2006, entitled BATTERY TESTER CAPABLE OF PREDICTING A DISCHARGE VOLTAGE/DISCHARGE CURRENT OF A BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,106,070, issued Sep. 12, 2006, entitled BROAD-BAND LOW-INDUCTANCE CABLES FOR MAKING KELVIN CONNECTIONS TO ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS AND BATTERIES;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,116,109, issued Oct. 3, 2006, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SIMULATING A BATTERY TESTER WITH A FIXED RESISTANCE LOAD;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,686, issued Oct. 10, 2006, entitled THEFT PREVENTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SERVICE CENTERS;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,126,341, issued Oct. 24, 2006, entitled AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,154,276, issued Dec. 26, 2006, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING A PARAMETER OF A VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,510, issued Apr. 3, 2007, entitled KELVIN CONNECTOR FOR A BATTERY POST;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,208,914, issued Apr. 24, 2007, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING THE REMAINING DISCHARGE TIME OF A BATTERY;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,246,015, issued Jul. 17, 2007, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER;
U.S. Ser. No. 09/780,146, filed Feb. 9, 2001, entitled STORAGE BATTERY WITH INTEGRAL BATTERY TESTER, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 09/756,638, filed Jan. 8, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY PROPERTIES FROM COMPLEX IMPEDANCE/ADMITTANCE, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 09/862,783, filed May 21, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CELLS AND BATTERIES EMBEDDED IN SERIES/PARALLEL SYSTEMS, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 09/880,473, filed Jun. 13, 2001; entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/109,734, filed Mar. 28, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COUNTERACTING SELF DISCHARGE IN A STORAGE BATTERY, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/263,473, filed Oct. 2, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH RELATIVE TEST OUTPUT, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/462,323, filed Jun. 16, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER HAVING A USER INTERFACE TO CONFIGURE A PRINTER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/653,342, filed Sep. 2, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER CONFIGURED TO PREDICT A LOAD TEST RESULT ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER CONFIGURED TO PREDICT A LOAD TEST RESULT BASED ON OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE, TEMPERATURE, CRANKING SIZE RATING, AND A DYNAMIC PARAMETER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/441,271, filed May 19, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 09/653,963, filed Sep. 1, 2000, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWER GENERATION AND STORAGE, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/174,110, filed Jun. 18, 2002, entitled DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT CONTROL USING AN INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/258,441, filed Apr. 9, 2003, entitled CURRENT MEASURING CIRCUIT SUITED FOR BATTERIES, now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/681,666, filed Oct. 8, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH PROBE LIGHT, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/783,682, filed Feb. 20, 2004, entitled REPLACEABLE CLAMP FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/791,141, filed Mar. 2, 2004, entitled AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM TESTER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/867,385, filed Jun. 14, 2004, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/896,834, filed Jul. 22, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/897,801, filed Jul. 23, 2004, entitled SHUNT CONNECTION TO A PCB FOR AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EMPLOYED IN AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,821, filed Oct. 5, 2004, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITOR, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,812, filed Oct. 5, 2004, entitled SCAN TOOL FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/008,456, filed Dec. 9, 2004, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING BATTERY CAPACITY AND FITNESS FOR SERVICE FROM A BATTERY DYNAMIC PARAMETER AND A RECOVERY VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/587,232, filed Dec. 14, 2004, entitled CELLTRON ULTRA, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/018,785, filed Dec. 21, 2004, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY MONITOR, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/653,537, filed Feb. 16, 2005, entitled CUSTOMER MANAGED WARRANTY CODE, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/063,247, filed Feb. 22, 2005, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER OR CHARGER WITH DATABUS CONNECTION, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/665,070, filed Mar. 24, 2005, entitled OHMMETER PROTECTION CIRCUIT, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/141,234, filed May 31, 2005, entitled BATTERY TESTER CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING FAULTY BATTERY POST ADAPTERS, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/143,828, filed Jun. 2, 2005, entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/146,608, filed Jun. 7, 2005, entitled SCAN TOOL FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTERS, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/694,199, filed Jun. 27, 2005, entitled GEL BATTERY CONDUCTANCE COMPENSATION, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/178,550, filed Jul. 11, 2005, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY TESTER/CHARGER, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/705,389, filed Aug. 4, 2005, entitled PORTABLE TOOL THEFT PREVENTION SYSTEM, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/207,419, filed Aug. 19, 2005, entitled SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY GATHERING BATTERY INFORMATION FOR USE DURING BATTERY TESTER/CHARGING, now pending;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/712,322, filed Aug. 29, 2005, entitled AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/713,168, filed Aug. 31, 2005, entitled LOAD TESTER SIMULATION WITH DISCHARGE COMPENSATION, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/731,881, filed Oct. 31, 2005, entitled PLUG-IN FEATURES FOR BATTERY TESTERS, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 60/731,887, filed Oct. 31, 2005, entitled AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE, now expired;
U.S. Ser. No. 11/304,004, filed Dec. 14, 2005, entitled BATTERY TESTER THAT CALCULATES ITS OWN REFERENCE VALUES, now pending; and
U.S. Ser. No. 60/751,853, filed Dec. 20, 2005, entitled BATTERY MONITORING SYSTEM, now expired; which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

Battery testers with secondary functionality