A plasma display panel having a structure that is capable of reducing a discharge area to decrease a discharge power. In the panel, first and second electrodes for generating a radio frequency discharge are arranged to be opposite and perpendicular to each other. The two electrodes generating the radio frequency discharge are perpendicularly arranged to limit the luminous area into the perpendicular area, thereby reducing a discharge power and improving the luminescence efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plasma display device employing a radio frequency, and more particularly to a plasma display panel that is capable of reducing a discharge power of a plasma display panel using a radio frequency and a method of driving the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a plasma display panel (PDP) feasible to the fabrication of large-scale panel has been available for a flat panel display device. The PDP includes discharge cells corresponding to color pixels of matrix type and controls a discharge interval of each discharge cell to display a picture. More specifically, after the PDP selected discharge cells to be displayed by an address discharge, it allows a discharge to be maintained in a desired discharge interval at the selected discharge cells. Thus, in the discharge cells, a vacuum ultraviolet ray generated during the sustaining discharge radiates a fluorescent material to emit a visible light. In this case, the PDP controls a discharge sustaining interval, that is, a sustaining discharge frequency of the discharge cells to implement a gray scale required for an image display. As a result, the sustaining discharge frequency becomes an important factor for determining the brightness and a discharge efficiency of the PDP. For the purpose of performing such a sustaining discharge, a sustaining pulse having a frequency of 200 to 300kHz and a width of about 10 to 20xcexcs has been used in the prior art. However, the sustaining discharge is generated only once at a extremely short instant per the sustaining pulse by responding to the sustaining pulse; while it is wasted for a step of forming a wall charge and a step of preparing the next sustaining discharge at the remaining major time. For this reason, the conventional three-electrode, face-discharge, and AC PDP has a problem in that, since a real discharge interval is very short in comparison to the entire discharge interval, the brightness and the discharge efficiency become low.
In order to solve such a problem of low brightness and low discharge efficiency, we has suggested a method of utilizing a radio frequency discharge employing a radio frequency signal of hundreds of MHz as a display discharge. In the case of the radio frequency discharge, electrons perform an oscillating motion by the radio frequency signal to sustain the display discharge in a time interval when the radio frequency signal is being applied. More specifically, when a radio frequency signal with a continuously alternating polarity is applied to any one of the two opposite electrodes, electrons within the discharge space are moved toward one electrode or the other electrode depending on the polarity of the voltage signal. If the polarity of a radio. frequency voltage signal having been applied to the electrode before the electrons arrive at the electrode is changed when electrons are moved into any one electrode, then the electrons has a gradually decelerated movement speed in such a manner to allow their movement direction to be changed toward the opposite electrode. The polarity of the radio frequency voltage signal having been applied to the electrode before the electrons within the discharge space arrive at the electrode is changed as described, so that the electrons make an oscillating motion between the two electrodes. Accordingly, when the radio frequency voltage signal is being applied, the ionization, the excitation and the transition of gas particles are continuously generated without extinction of electrons. The display discharge is sustained during most discharge time, so that the brightness and the discharge efficiency of the PDP can be improved. Such a radio frequency discharge has the same physical characteristic as a positive column in a glow discharge structure.
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a perspective view and a sectional view showing the structure of the above-mentioned radio frequency PDP employing a radio frequency discharge, respectively. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the PDP includes radio frequency electrodes 12 provided on an upper substrate 10, data electrodes 18 and scanning electrodes 22 provided on a lower substrate 16 in such a manner to be perpendicular to each other, and barrier ribs 28 provided between the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 16. The radio frequency electrodes 12 apply a radio frequency signal. A first dielectric layer 14 is formed on the upper substrate 10 provided with the radio frequency electrodes 12. The data electrodes 18 apply a data pulse for selecting cells to be displayed. The scanning electrodes 22 are provided in opposition to the radio frequency electrodes 12 in such a manner to be used as opposite electrodes of the radio frequency electrodes 12. Between the data electrodes 18 and the scanning electrodes 22 is provided a second dielectric layer 20 for the charge accumulation and the isolation. On the second dielectric layer 20 provided with the scanning electrodes 22, a third dielectric layer 24 for the charge accumulation and a protective film 26 are sequentially disposed. The barrier ribs 28 shut off an optical interference between the cells. In this case, since a distance between the radio frequency electrode 12 and the scanning electrode 22 is sufficiently assured for the sake of a smooth radio frequency discharge, the barrier ribs 24 are provided at a higher level than those in the existent three-electrode, AC, and face-discharge PDP. Otherwise, the barrier ribs 28 may be formed into a lattice structure closed on every side for each discharge cell so as to isolate the discharge space. This is because it is difficult to isolate a plasma for each cell unlike the existent face discharge due to the opposite discharge generated between the radio frequency electrodes 12 and the scanning electrodes 22. A fluorescent material 30 is coated on the surface of the barrier rib 28 to emit a visible light with an inherent color by a vacuum ultraviolet ray generated during the radio frequency discharge. The discharge space defined by the upper substrate 10, the lower substrate 16 and the barrier ribs 28 is filled with a discharge gas.
In the PDP having the configuration as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, discharge cells 32 are provided at each intersection among the radio frequency electrodes 12, the scanning electrodes 22 and the data electrodes 18. The radio frequency electrodes 12 are arranged in parallel to the scanning electrodes 22, and the data electrodes 18 are arranged in a direction crossing the radio frequency electrodes 12 and the scanning electrodes 22. At a certain discharge cell 32, an address discharge is generated between the data electrode 18 and the scanning electrode 22, and a radio frequency discharge is generated by a radio frequency signal applied to the radio frequency electrode 12.
Specifically, the conventional radio frequency PDP is driven with a drive waveform as shown in FIG. 4. Generally, the PDP implements an image of one frame by a combination of a number of sub-field. Each sub-field is driven with being divided into an address interval and a discharge sustaining interval. In the address interval, a scanning pulse SP is line-sequentially applied to the scanning electrode 22. At the same time, the data electrode 18 is synchronized with the scanning pulse SP to apply a data pulse DP for each scanning line in accordance with a video data. Accordingly, an address discharge is generated by a voltage difference between the data electrode 18 and the scanning electrode 22 at the discharge cells supplied with the data pulse DP. Most electric charge particles produced by the address discharge are accumulated into a shape of wall charge.
After the lapse of such an address interval, a radio frequency signal RF is applied to the radio frequency electrodes 12 in the discharge sustaining interval to continuously generate a radio frequency discharge at the discharge cells at which the address discharge has been generated. This radio frequency discharge is initiated by a triggering pulse TP applied alternately to the data electrodes 18 and the scanning electrodes 22. This is because, since most charged particles produced by the address discharge are accumulated into a wall charge, it is difficult to induce the radio frequency discharge making use of an electron oscillation only by the radio frequency signal RF applied to the radio frequency electrodes 12. Ton other words, the triggering pulse TP is applied to the data electrodes 18 and the scanning electrodes 22 to generate a triggering discharge at the discharge cells at which a wall charge has been formed by the address discharge. More charged particles are activated by the triggering discharge to easily initiate the radio frequency discharge by the radio frequency signal. Also, the triggering discharge uniforms a wall charge amount having a non-uniform distribution at each discharge cell due to a discharge time difference in the address discharge to generate a uniform radio frequency discharge. Electrons having a high relative mobility in the charged particles activated by such a triggering discharge make an oscillation motion within the discharge space by the radio frequency signal. The electrons making an oscillation motion excite a discharge gas to generate a vacuum ultraviolet ray. The vacuum ultraviolet ray radiates the fluorescent material 30 to generate a visible light.
As described above, in the conventional PDP, the radio frequency discharge is generated between the radio frequency electrodes 12 and the scanning electrode arranged in parallel to each other. In this case, a luminous area (A) proportional to an area of the opposite electrode is diffused and widen into the barrier ribs 28 positioned at each side of the discharge cells 32. If the luminous area (A) is widen, however, a discharge power for the radio frequency discharge is more consumed in proportion to the luminous area (A). Also, when the luminous area (A) has been diffused into the barrier ribs 28, a spurious energy is wasted due to electrons absorbed into the barrier ribs 28. Since an energy loss caused by electrons absorbed into the barrier ribs 28 must be compensated in order to maintain the radio frequency discharge, however, a discharge power is more consumed. If a discharge power, that is, a discharge current is increased, then exciting atoms of a discharge gas generating a vacuum ultraviolet at the PDP have a high de-excitation probability due to their collision with electrons to deteriorate the generation efficiency of a vacuum ultraviolet and hence the luminescence efficiency of a fluorescent material. Furthermore, since electrons absorbed into the barrier ribs 28 become abundant from a large luminous area (A) when the conventional radio frequency PDP has a fine structure for the sake of implementing a high resolution to reduce the size of discharge cell, a discharge power must be more increased to that extent so as to obtain an equal brightness.
Moreover, in the conventional radio frequency PDP, since the triggering discharge is generated at the lower part provided with the data electrodes 18 and the scanning electrodes, most charged particles produced by the discharge are concentrated at the vicinity of the lower plate. In other words, the charged particles to be used for the radio frequency discharge are positioned at a relatively distant area from the radio frequency electrodes 12. Accordingly, a higher level of radio frequency signal is required to bring electrons in the charged particles at the lower part into the radio frequency electrodes 12 for the radio frequency discharge, a lot of power is consumed. Otherwise, since a mount of electrons making an oscillation motion has a limit when the radio frequency signal fails to have a level enough to draw the electrons into the radio frequency, the luminescence efficiency is deteriorated.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a radio frequency PDP that is capable of reducing a discharge power as well as improving the luminescence efficiency by reducing a luminous area during a radio frequency discharge.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a radio frequency PDP that is capable of easily implementing a high resolution picture by reducing a luminous area during a radio frequency discharge.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method of driving a radio frequency PDP that is capable of reducing a discharge power as well as improving the luminescence efficiency.
In order to achieve these and other objects of the invention, a radio frequency plasma display panel according to one aspect of the present invention includes first and second electrodes, being arranged to be opposed and perpendicular to each other, to generate the radio frequency discharge.
A method of driving a radio frequency plasma display panel according to another aspect of the present invention includes the steps of (A) applying a pulse to each of a scanning electrode and a data electrode crossed with each other to cause an alternating current discharge, thereby selecting cells to be displayed; (B) applying a radio frequency signal to a radio frequency electrode and applying a reference voltage of the radio frequency signal to any one of the scanning electrode and the data electrode, thereby generating a radio frequency discharge at the cells selected at said step (A); and (C) supplying an alternating current pulse to the radio frequency electrode and the electrode to which the reference voltage is applied at a initiation time of the radio frequency discharge to generate a triggering discharge for initiating the radio frequency discharge.

Plasma display panel employing radio frequency and method of driving the same


A flow type particle image analytical method for feeding a particles-suspended sample by surrounding it by a cleaning solution, imaging particles in the sample by irradiating light to it, and automatically classifying the particles in the sample by analyzing the picked-up particle images, wherein the method comprises a means for designating the kind of particles to be reviewed beforehand among the classified particles, a means for storing only particles which are automatically classified to the designated particle kind in a review image memory, a means for displaying particles of the same kind on a CRT display in batch so as to review particle images, and a means for classifying each of the displayed particles finally by an operator or for changing the particle name.

The present invention relates to a flow type particle image analytical method and apparatus for generating an image of particles in a sample, which form a suspended flow of the sample, by irradiating light to the formed sample flow and automatically classifying the particles in the sample by analyzing the generated particle image, and particularly to a flow type particle image analytical method and apparatus suited to classify and display the particle image based on configurational features such as configuration, size or color of the particle image according to biological kinds of particles such as cells in blood or urine.
To conventionally classify and analyze particles such as cells in blood or cells existing in urine, a sample is prepared on a glass slide sheet and observed with a microscope. In the case of urine, the particle concentration in the urine is thin, so that a measuring sample is centrifugalized and concentrated by a centrifuge beforehand and then observed. In an apparatus for automating these observation and examination work, a sample of blood or other material is coated on a glass slide and set in a microscope, and the microscope stage is automatically scanned and stopped at a position where particles exist. A still image of particles then is picked up and particles in the sample are classified by using a characteristic extraction and pattern recognition method by the image processing art.
However, in the aforementioned method, it takes a lot of time to prepare a sample and an operation for finding a particle by moving the microscope stage mechanically and moving the particle into a suitable image fetching area is required. As a result, problems arise in that the analysis requires a lot of time and the mechanism is complicated.
To realize high precise examination and labor saving, there is a flow type particle image analytical apparatus using a flow cell for using a sheath solution which has a cleaning solution as an outer layer and controlling the sample solution to an extremely flat flow which is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,024, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 63-94156, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 4-72544.
In the flow type particle image analytical apparatus, a sample moving in a flow cell is imaged, for example, by a video camera and the particles in the sample are classified and counted by processing the picked-up still image.
As a flow type particle image analytical apparatus for imaging particles in a sample by changing the magnification, a particle analytical apparatus is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 3-105235 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 4-309841.
The flow type particle analytical apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 3-105235 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 4-309841 mentioned above comprises a stroboscope continuously emitting light having a short emission time, a stop for adjusting the quantity of the stroboscopic light, a diffusion plate for eliminating variations in the quantity of stroboscopic light, a condenser lens for focusing the stroboscopic light, a flow cell which is arranged in the position where the stroboscopic light passes and lets a sample flow flat by surrounding the sample by a sheath solution, an object lens for forming an image of a particle irradiated by the stroboscopic light, a high-powered projection lens, a low-powered projection lens, a TV camera for picking up an image, a means for moving the diffusion plate, a means for changing the aperture stop, and a switching means for switching the high-powered projection lens and low-powered projection lens.
A method for classifying a particle image formed by the aforementioned flow type particle image analytical apparatus by the particle size and displaying it on a CRT screen and classifying particles by an operator is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,614.
However, there is the following problem imposed in the flow type particle image analytical apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,614 mentioned above.
Namely, it is premised in the flow type particle image analytical apparatus that the particle classification work is reviewed by an operator by watching an image on the CRT and an extremely large image memory is necessary so as to analyze all particles in a sample. Particularly in a sample having a large particle concentration, all particles cannot be stored in a limited image memory and furthermore it requires a lot of time for an operator to proceed with the classification work by watching images. When the image memory is not sufficient, the number of particles to be reviewed decreases and it is difficult to expect a reproducible classification result.

Flow type particle image analyzing method and apparatus for displaying particle images by classifying them based on their configurational features


A common mode control circuit reduces abrupt voltage changes at the outputs of a pair of amplifiers which, in turn, reduces EMI and distortions that occur when the correlation between the signals fed to the four channels of an audio system diminishes. The common mode control circuit generates for each amplifier a reference potential that is a saturated replica of the respective differential input signal of the amplifier that saturates when the amplifier switches to a bridge configuration.

In many applications and primarily in audio reproduction systems such as car radios, hi-fi audio systems and similar apparatuses that are intrinsically compact because of stringent installation requirements, as well as in portable apparatuses, power dissipation in the final power stages is often quadrupled to drive a pair of loudspeakers (front and rear) for each stereo channel. This may create heat balance problems. For example, four 20 W amplifiers may have a power dissipation of about 4×12=48 W, and because of the limited space available in certain apparatuses, such a relatively large power may be difficult to dissipate without a significant increase of temperature within the apparatus.
Relatively high temperatures of operation may degrade the magnetic tape of cassettes or optical disks (CD), the drives of which are often tightly fitted inside a single apparatus case. D-type switching amplifiers are highly efficient, and are considered the most appropriate type for these applications.
Unfortunately, switching amplifiers generate electromagnetic emissions (EMI) that in compact apparatuses interfere with the correct functioning of other systems, thus reducing their performance. For these reasons, audio signals are frequently amplified using a pair of class AB power amplifiers. The pair of class AB power amplifiers operate in a single-ended mode or in a bridge configuration depending on the level of the processed signal.
In fact, class AB power amplifiers are less efficient than switching amplifiers and a common technique for reducing power consumption of class AB amplifiers includes configuring them in a single-ended configuration instead of in a bridge configuration whenever it is possible to do so. In fact, these amplifiers dissipate more power in the bridge configuration than in the single-ended configuration as long as the level of the output signal remains smaller than the positive supply voltage. Unfortunately, it is not possible to use single-ended class AB amplifiers if the output surpasses this voltage because the output signal would be severely distorted by clipping.
Techniques for automatically switching from one configuration to the other as a function of the monitored level of the signal are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,194,821; 5,365,188 and 5,654,688. These patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and are assigned to the current assignee of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,821 discloses a bridge amplifier using positive and negative supply voltages that may function in a single-ended or in a differential or bridge output configuration depending on the level of the output signal. A comparator changes the output circuit configuration of the amplifier from a bridge configuration to a single-ended configuration or vice-versa by closing or opening configuring switches when the output signal becomes smaller than or greater than a certain threshold voltage.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,365,188 and 5,654,688 disclose a single supply dual bridge power amplifier. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, each amplifier has a window comparator for sensing the level of input signals fed to the amplifier and driving the switches that coordinately configure the amplifier in either a bridge or in a single-ended configuration.
The switching from a single-ended to a bridge output configuration and vice-versa may cause distortions and EMI disturbances in view of the fact that, when functioning with relatively low signal levels, one of the operational amplifiers of the bridge output structure is configured to operate as a buffer. The buffer outputs a constant reference voltage that usually is equal to half the supply voltage when the amplifier is to function as a second operational amplifier for driving the load in a bridge mode configuration following an increase of the signal level. This operational amplifier should rapidly assume a different output voltage, that is, its output voltage undergoes a step variation.
A known approach to reduce this step variation of the output voltage of the operational amplifier that is configured to function as a buffer when switching to a single-ended configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,688, and is based on the use of a common mode control loop employing a sample-and-hold circuit. Although this approach is satisfactory when the signals in the different channels of the amplifier are substantially correlated among each other, the effectiveness in reducing the output step variations upon changing the configuration and the above-mentioned consequences diminishes significantly if the signals in the channels of the amplifier functioning in a bridge mode are no longer correlated.
This phenomenon has become evident in investigating the reasons why in modern car audio systems the distortion would inexplicably increase under certain circumstances. It has been found that increased EMI and increased distortions occur when the correlation between the signals that are fed to the four channels of the audio system diminishes due to different settings of independent channel equalization controls that are customarily provided in quality car audio systems.
The independent equalization setting on the various channels cause different delays of propagation of signals through the channels, which thus become substantially uncorrelated. To better understand the problem to be addressed, reference is made to FIG. 3 that depicts sample diagrams of differential pairs of signals OUT_F+, OUT_F− and OUT_R+, OUT_R− output by the left OPA+F, OPA−F and right OPA+R, OPA−R channels. The signals are referred to a fixed voltage, which is generally half the supply voltage Vcc and are substantially uncorrelated.
When both outputs (OUT_F+)-(OUT_F−) and (OUT_R+)-(OUT_R−) are within the comparison window defined by upper and lower voltage levels VREF+ and VREF−, respectively, the power switch SW_C is on and the switch SW_F is off. Thus, both channels are single-ended. The opposite happens otherwise, and both channels are bridge configured.
The common mode voltages of the left and right channels, respectively, are sampled when the amplifier switches to the bridge configuration and are held as long as the amplifier switches to a single-ended configuration. When the input signals are substantially uncorrelated, it is very likely that the output signals undergo step variations when the amplifier switches from a bridge to a single-end configuration (instants t2 and t4).
These step variations are potentially dangerous because they may cause even an undue intervention of the protection circuit from short-circuits. In fact, both the amplifier OPA+R that is to switch in the bridge configuration and the amplifier OPA−F that is to be disconnected may output signals with an amplitude far larger than the fixed voltage VCC/2. Therefore, when the switch SW_C turns on, the outputs of both channels OPA+R and OPA−F must quickly reach the fixed voltage VCC/2, generating a step variation that produces EMI and distortions.
This step variation propagates also to the other channels OPA−R and OPA+F through the feedback lines. Even the power switch SW_C may turn on when it withstands is a high differential voltage, thus generating a cross-conduction current that is likely to cause the intervention of the protection circuit from short-circuits.
A multi-channel power amplifier capable of reducing EMI and distortions is disclosed in European patent application no. 03425357.5 which is assigned to the current assignee of the present invention. Its design ensures that one of the two operational amplifiers of the output bridge structure of each channel be kept at the design reference voltage (typically half of the supply voltage) for as long as the other operational amplifier of the output bridge structure does not begin to saturate. This is done by connecting in common the gate nodes of the P-type MOS transistors and the gate nodes of the N-type MOS transistors of the output half bridge stages of all the operational amplifiers of the output bridge pairs of all the channels that are eventually configured to function as a voltage reference buffer. This is when the multi-channel amplifier is configured to function in a single-ended configuration.
By connecting in common the gate nodes of the output transistor pairs of all the buffer configurable operational amplifiers of the output bridge structures of each channel, they are effectively prevented from delivering differential mode currents to the loads but exclusively common mode currents (that is, currents of equal sign) make them operate as a single buffer.
Of course, the switches that connect in common the gate nodes of the power transistors of the same type are controlled in phase with the switches that configure the multi-channel amplifier to function in a single-ended configuration, referred to a constant reference voltage.

Method of preventing abrupt voltage changes at the outputs of a pair of amplifiers and control circuit for a pair of amplifiers self-configuring in a bridge configuration


A fuel cell including a fuel cartridge with a fuel storage portion and a fuel feed opening and a fuel cell body with an output terminal and a power generation portion. The fuel cell comprises a wiring portion for electrically connecting the output terminal and power generation portion of the fuel cell body with each other when the fuel cartridge is mounted to the fuel cell body to place a fuel in a state in which the fuel is feedable from the fuel cartridge to the fuel cell body and for electrically disconnecting the output terminal and power generation portion of the fuel cell body when the fuel cartridge is removed from the fuel cell body.

When the fuel flow in a fuel cell that is electrically connected to electronic equipment is stopped, electric power gradually decreases to a point at which power generation stops. In this manner, the electric power decreases below a threshold necessary to drive the electronic equipment at a certain time. As a result, some of the electric power that is generated by the cell is wasted.
In view of such a problem, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (JP-A) 2005-158298 discloses a method for operating a fuel cell power generating system in which an external circuit is interrupted together with the stoppage of the fuel gas flow. However, this operating method requires an operation control means for simultaneously stopping the flow of the fuel gas and interrupting the external circuit.
JP-A 2004-71262 discloses a fuel cell device in which the actuation control is effected on the basis of a result of mounting recognition during the mounting of a fuel cartridge, which is provided with a memory, to the fuel cell device. However, this fuel cell device requires a control portion for effecting the control based on the recognition of the mounting of the fuel cartridge to the fuel cell device.
As described above, when the method of JP-A 2005-158298 and the device of JP-A 2004-71262 are put into practical use, it is necessary to employ a control circuit to detect a complicated electric signal and to control fuel flow and external circuit interruption based on the detection. Accordingly, it is difficult to reduce both the size and the cost of the fuel cell.


Respirable particles with diameters on the order of 0.05 to 10 microns entrained in an air stream, are concentrated in an aerodynamic lens (FIG. 2) for separation from the air steam. The entire structure is made by microfabrication techniques, such as silicon micro-machining which enables arrays of precisely aligned slit lenses to be made on a silicon chip. At a Reynolds number of 800, a slit 25 microns wide by 1 mm tall will pass a flow of only 0.28 liters per minute, but arrays of lenses (FIG. 4), stacked in parallel banks, multiplies the available flow rate. Placing a skimmer (27) at the exit of each silicon micro-machined lens in the assembly and connecting the skimmer channels in chimneys (55), allows the bulk of the gas flow to be stripped off while allowing the concentrated particle stream to pass into a region of much lower flow rate, thereby producing a highly concentrated aerosol in the low velocity stream.

Atmospheric aerosols from natural, anthropogenic and industrial sources have long been recognized as a potential threat to human health. To that list of sources, chemical or biological warfare (CBW) agents due to acts of terrorism must now be added as a source of potentially lethal contamination. Effective sampling and concentration of CBW agents is a critical first step in the detection of these aerosols, and much effort has gone into developing effective methods for rapid screening and detection of CBW agents in samples which can then be analyzed to assess the risk of exposure to these aerosols. One major challenge that must be addressed by all aerosol samplers is that most aerosols occur at extremely low concentrations, or may be only a small fraction of the urban background aerosol distribution. Therefore, not only is it necessary to sample large volumes of air in order to collect sufficient material for accurate detection, but for most measurement techniques it is also necessary to concentrate the aerosol and restrict the fraction collected to a range of particle sizes that is of greatest importance for the target agents. This latter step can help focus collection efforts on particles that present the greatest hazard in terms of inhalation or lung deposition (i.e. respirable particles in the range <10 μm diameter), and also helps discriminate nuisance aerosols from the sampling train.
One widely accepted method currently used to concentrate ambient aerosol particles is to collect them on filter media. In this approach, a filter is loaded into a collection device and sampling occurs over a period of time to allow for collection of a sufficient mass of material to permit accurate measurement. With some devices, the filter media must be removed from the sampling device and delivered to a laboratory setting where gravimetric, microscopic, and chemical analyses can be performed. Each of these manual handling steps introduces some potential for sample contamination and loss of material; the entire process is very time consuming which precludes collection of real-time, continuous data and makes it difficult to develop highly resolved temporal profiles of aerosol variability. In other devices the measurement process is automated, but the information provided is quite limited. For instance, in the case of aethalometers a continuous tape of filter media is periodically exposed to sampled aerosol and the optical reflectance of the resulting spots is measured automatically.
One common device which is used to provide continuous concentration and size classification of aerosols is the virtual impactor. This device is capable of handling large volumes of ambient air and can achieve, at best, roughly a 30:1 concentration factor in each stage. However, these devices concentrate the large size class of particles and exhaust a dilute stream containing the finer fraction. Multiple stages can achieve greater concentration factors and concentrate particles in the respirable range, but internal losses and device complexity limit this technique above concentration factors of a few hundred.
Cyclones can be staged to achieve relatively high concentration factors, but commercial systems using this approach typically will either be small in size and have correspondingly low flow rates, or be large so as to achieve a high flow capacity but sacrifice concentration efficiency and sizing characteristics. Some commercial systems such as those offered by Innovatek use a parallel design of small cyclones to achieve high throughput and sizing characteristics, but the resulting device can be bulky, complex, costly to manufacture, and not well suited to personal monitoring applications or lightweight portable field instruments. Therefore a critical unmet need that remains is to develop a lightweight and inexpensive high-efficiency aerosol concentrator with the desired aerodynamic sizing characteristics.
In the past few years, several groups at Yale University, UC Riverside, U. of MN and two universities in South Korea have begun studying a completely new approach to particle concentration using aerodynamic lenses. Aerodynamic lenses consist of a series of orifices of decreasing size through which a dilute aerosol is aspirated. So long as the flow is laminar, particles smaller than a specific size and Stokes number are concentrated by fluid flow forces into a narrow beam along the centerline as the gas flows through the series of orifices, while the majority of the gas flow away from the centerline is left virtually free of particles. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, particle trajectories may be concentrated in a cylindrical geometry aerodynamic lens, producing an aerosol beam with a diameter on the order of a millimeter or less.
Work on aerosol beam technology dates back at least as far as the 1970's, but this early work was limited to beams formed by expanding an aerosol into a vacuum chamber or accelerating an aerosol through a converging nozzle. Beginning in the 1990's a number of researchers began looking at forming aerosol beams with cylindrical aerodynamic lenses consisting of a series of progressively smaller orifices. This work is reported in papers by Prof. Fernandez de la Mora and his group at Yale University, and by Prof. Ziemann at U.C. Riverside, along with Profs. McMurry and Kittelson at U. of MN. In the late 1990's, J. Schreiner et. al. at the Max Planck Institute published two papers on focusing of aerosol particles at very low pressure using aerodynamic lenses, and in 2003, two groups in Korea published papers on cylindrical and slit lens concentrators operating at atmospheric pressure.
Aerodynamic lenses utilizing circular orifices have been shown to be capable of achieving aerosol beam concentration factors of 104 to 106. Initially these aerodynamic lenses were designed for stratospheric research at extremely low pressures, but more recent work has shown that they can be operated successfully at somewhat higher pressures. It has been shown that tightly focused aerosol beams can be formed even at atmospheric pressure, and simulation has shown that a slit lens configuration operating at atmospheric pressure can achieve concentration factors of at least 100 for polydisperse aerosols containing particles as small as 0.3 microns. The slit lens arrangement focuses the particles into a sheet rather than a cylindrical beam.
Aerosol sampling devices constitute a core component of most aerosol monitoring systems. The three major market segments for such devices are air monitoring, chemical and biological agent detection, and on-site industrial process monitoring. The market for air monitoring equipment in 2002 totaled $1.07 billion and is estimated to grow to $1.7 B by 2007. The world market in 2002 is estimated to be $3.0 B. The market for chemical and biological agent detectors was estimated to be $265 M in 2000 and scheduled to grow to $494 M. by 2007. The market for industrial and laboratory particle analysis equipment is estimated to be 20% as large as the market for air monitoring equipment. Accordingly, there has been a large and growing need for economical effective, real-time aerosol concentrators that can be assembled in modules to meet the flow rate and particle size requirements of a particular application. An aerosol concentrator, based on aerodynamic lens technology that is capable of achieving very high concentration factors in a very compact device and can be fabricated using low cost processes would be a very desirable contribution to technology. Fabricating such a device using micro-machining techniques in silicon, one of a variety of stereo micro-lithography or other rapid prototyping techniques, or more exotic methods such as X-ray or UV LIGA would offer many significant advantages, including low cost, compact size, high reliability, the potential to produce a highly parallel physical architecture that allows many individual aerodynamic lenses, each having very low throughput, to be combined to achieve high overall throughput, extremely high precision and repeatability in the manufacturing process which assures optimal and repeatable performance from one device to the next, and the potential to couple this device with MEMS sensors and integrated electronics.


The present invention relates to a transdermal drug delivery system comprising a dermal drug delivery patch and a heating element compartment securable to the dermal drug delivery patch. A freely transferrable heating element is securable within the heating element compartment. A drug can be administered transdermally using the present invention by placing the dermal drug delivery patch upon a patient""s skin at an administration site. A heating element compartment is secured to the dermal drug delivery patch and a freely transferrable heating element is placed within the heating element compartment. The heating element provides controlled heat to the dermal drug patch and the patient""s skin and thereby improves dermal drug administration.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward a method and apparatus for applying heat to a transdermal drug delivery system. More specifically, the invention is a securable compartment with a corresponding freely transferrable heating element for use with dermal drug delivery patches.
2. The Background Art
It has been discovered recently that the transdermal delivery of certain drugs can be facilitated by the application of heat. Controlled heat is provided to transdermal drug delivery patches using various techniques and apparatus such as heat generating patches. The heat generating patches sometimes utilize heat generated from chemical reactions, such as an oxidation reaction, or may utilize heat generated by an electrical current or some other method. One of the disadvantages of prior art heating apparatus for the transdermal drug patches is that the heating element must be secured to the transdermal patch without compromising the transdermal drug patch""s attachment to the user""s skin. In other words, sometimes when a user attempts to attach, replace, or adjust a heating patch or similar device, the drug delivery patch can become dislodged or otherwise made less secure. If the drug patch is not properly situated, the drug delivery system may be compromised. It is important in transdermal drug delivery that the skin be in contact with the formulation of the drug delivery patch to achieve efficient drug transfer.
Several methods for attaching or integrating a controlled heating element have been taught in the prior art. For example, wraps, adhesives, and tapes have all been suggested as potential ways for attaching a heating element to a patient""s body or to a transdermal drug patch. Attempting to attach a heating element to a transdermal drug patch these ways has several disadvantages.
When a prior art adhesive technique is used to apply the heating element to the drug patch, the process of applying the heating element to the patch may cause the drug delivery patch to become less secure. To apply the heating element using adhesive, the areas of the heating element that contain the adhesive must be pressed firmly against the heating patch to secure the heating element to the patch. During this process, the drug delivery system may be unintentionally compromised.
In the event that the user needs to remove, replace or change the heating element, any attempts to remove the heating element may cause the adhesive of the transdermal patch to be compromised, and thus to compromise the drug delivery. The continued removal and replacement of the heating element may cause the transdermal drug patch to lose enough adhesive that the drug patch does not properly contact the skin and thereby become less effective and less secure.
A significant problem with using prior art wraps to secure a heating element to a transdermal drug patch is the potential for the heating element and/or the drug patch to become dislodged. If the heating element is secured using a wrap or tie, as the heating element is being tied to or wrapped into the user or the drug patch on the user, the process of tying or wrapping the heating element can cause the drug patch to lose contact with the skin of the patient and thereby compromise the drug delivery.
Another disadvantage of prior art teachings is the inconvenience associated with trying to remove a heating element that is attached by a wrap. In order to change or remove the heating element, the user must attempt to unwrap the heating element from the transdermal patch without disturbing the transdermal patch. This can be particularly difficult if the user needs to make the change quickly or if the patch is located in a position that makes delicately removing and replacing the heating element wrap impractical. For example, if the heating element were secured to a patch by a wrap that went around a patient""s torso, frequent removal of the wrap could require substantial extra effort and work on the part of the patient and/or the user.
Another disadvantage of prior art teachings is the cost of integrating a heat element with a transdermal patch, particularly for heating elements that have limited uses and applications. If a patient requires a certain level of heating in one circumstance and a different level of heating in another, then the integrated patch must be removed and an entirely different patch with an appropriate heating level must be applied. Alternatives to this would require complex patch designs that attempt to control or modify the amount of heat generated by the heating element. Thus, using an integrated patch may increase manufacturing costs significantly. Moreover, modified and integrated designs may prove to be less reliable and may be prone to misuse.
Another disadvantage of the prior art is the potential for abuse where the heating element neither corresponds to a specific patch nor is integrated with a particular patch. If a heating patch can be freely used with any given transdermal device, there is a potential for the patch to be abused by a patient or misused by the user. For example, the patient may apply a heating element that induces an absorption rate that is too fast or delivers too much drug. Conversely, the user may apply a heating element that fails to supply sufficient heat for a particular treatment. Thus, where the patches do not correspond to the heating elements used with them, there is a potential for abuse or misuse.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a securable heating element compartment with corresponding freely transferrable heating element.
It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a heating element advantageously secured to a transdermal drug patch.
It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a transdermal drug patch with a corresponding heating element pouch.
It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a heating element that is securely attached to but freely removable from a transdermal drug delivery patch.
It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a transdermal drug delivery patch and corresponding heating element that allows a heating element to be used to decrease the time necessary to reach steady state and that can be conveniently replaced with another heating element with different heating characteristics that provide different results.
It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a transdermal drug delivery patch and corresponding heating element that can facilitate treatment of breakthrough pain, and/or that can be regulated to match the body""s circadian rhythms, and/or that can provide additional booster drugs when necessary.
It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide an electrical heating element advantageously and removably secured to a transdermal drug delivery patch.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention comprises a securable, heating element compartment with a corresponding, freely-transferrable heating element. The heating element compartment may be integrated with or secured to a transdermal drug delivery patch (drug patch). The heating element compartment provides an area of restraint that prevents the freely transferrable heating element from being displaced relative to the drug patch to which the heating element compartment is secured.
The freely transferrable heating element limits the likelihood that a drug patch will become dislodged or displaced during the placement, transfer, or replacement of the heating element. Thus, the freely transferrable heating element is secured proximate to a drug patch but, nevertheless, is easily removed and replaced with use in conjunction with the heating element compartment of the present invention. The heating element does not require an adhesive to be secured to the drug patch, nor does it need to be wrapped or otherwise tied to the patch or patient.
The heating element can be secured or retained in the area of restraint within the heating element compartment using the novel techniques disclosed herein, or alternatively, techniques known in the art. Novel techniques for restraining the freely transferrable heating element include using the top of the heating element compartment to provide tension and downward pressure upon a heating element within the heating element compartment. Tension or downward pressure may be provided by sealing at least one edge (or a portion of an edge) of the top of the heating element compartment to create an area of restraint within the compartment disposing a corresponding heating element within the heating element compartment. Because the heating element corresponds to the pouch either in relative shape or size (being approximately the same size and/or shape), the heating element fits snugly into the compartment and is secured within the heating element compartment in an area of restraint. The edge of the heating element compartment may be sealed and secured to a drug patch or may be sealed and secured to a bottom portion of the heating element compartment. The top may be integrated with the patch or may be secured to the patch or releasably secured to the patch.
The heating element compartment also provides a physical barrier limiting relative displacement of the heating element. In one embodiment, the heating element is contained within the compartment by sealing and securing at least a portion of an edge of the top. The sealed edge contains the heating element within the compartment and prevents the compartment from being unintentionally displaced out of the compartment.
Another potential means of restraint is the use of materials that have or create sufficient frictional forces between the heating element and the heating element compartment to resist the displacement and restrain the heating element in the compartment when the heating element experiences a directional force that would otherwise displace the heating element. Similarly, a clip or slide mechanism may be provided to restrain the heating element as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. Limited adhesion or a very light weight adhesive within the heating element compartment may also provide a force, for resisting lateral displacement of the heating element.
The heating element compartment comprises at least a top for defining the compartment and at least a portion of an edge of the top that is secured. The edge may be secured to a transdermal drug delivery patch (drug patch). Alternatively, the edge may be secured to a bottom of the heating element compartment. If the top is secured to the drug patch, the top side of the drug patch may serve as a xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d for the heating element compartment; the top is secured at least along one edge (or a portion of one edge) to the transdermal drug patch. The top and bottom or the top and the drug patch define a heating element compartment that is secured, or is capable of being secured to or is integrated with a transdermal drug patch. Thus, the top is secured to the patch or alternatively, the top is secured to a bottom to form a pouch.
The top may have a shape that corresponds to the shape and size of the heating element to facilitate the restraint of the heating element in the restraining area of the heating element compartment. As shown in FIGS. 1 through 20, the top may be any number of shapes and sizes. The shape of the top (as well as the heating element) may be oval, circular or semicircular, polygonal, or any other number of shapes. At least one edge or a portion of one edge of the top must be sealed to the drug patch, or in the alternative, to a bottom sheet to form a heating element compartment or a pouch.
The top may be manufactured from any number of materials known in the art. The qualities of the material may affect the design of the pouch and the corresponding heating elements, and may affect or even dictate the type of treatment with which the pouch and heating element can be used. The top may be air permeable, air impermeable, or selectively permeable. It may be translucent, transparent, or be a particular color. The top may have inherent insulative properties or may be designed and manufactured to have enhanced insulative properties. The top and/or the compartment defined by the top may also protect and shield the heating element once the heating element is in place. The top may be rigid, but is preferably flexible and elastic.
Some of the embodiments of the present invention require that oxygen or air be able to pass into the heating element compartment, others do not. If the heating element does not require air to pass through into the heating element compartment in order to function, the top of the compartment can be made of a material which is air impermeable. Thus, the materials used to form the heating element compartment will depend in part upon the type of heating element selected. Characteristics of the pouch""s construction may vary depending upon the use of the pouch, but the pouch should be securable or integrated with the heating patch and should allow the heating element or the pouch contents to be freely transferred into or out of the pouch at a desired time.
In one embodiment, the heat from the heating element activates adhesive on a portion of the top, such as the entry space into the pouch, and seals the pouch when that portion is closed. When the heating element stops generating heat, the adhesive is deactivated and the pouch opens or is more readily opened along that portion.
The freely transferrable heating element of the present invention is a device capable of delivering controlled heat to the transdermal drug delivery patch and/or the patient""s skin The heating element is of a size and shape that corresponds to the securable heating element compartment. The freely transferrable heating element can be placed in the heating element compartment and remains secured in the area of restraint relative to the drug patch. The heating element compartment reduces the likelihood that the freely transferable heating element will be unintentionally dislodged until the heating element is intentionally removed from the compartment and drug patch. The heat from the heating element can be generated using a chemical reaction, such as an oxidation reaction, electrical heat, or other means of generating controlled thermal heat. Other methods for generating heat, such as crystallization, microwave, or infrared heat, are also contemplated.
The heating element may provide insulation to the drug patch and skin, and may be designed to provide additional insulation to maintain a higher, controlled temperature. The heating element shapes and sizes may correspond to the shape and sizes of the heating element compartment and have substantially similar dimensions. The heating element is designed to allow the heating element to be placed within the heating element compartment with relative ease and to be removed from the compartment with relative ease, but nonetheless remains secured in the compartment to reduce the likelihood the heating element will be unintentionally displaced from the compartment or separated from the patch.
The heating element of the present invention can provide heat for a particular duration. Where the heating element is an electrical heating element the duration of the heat may be any amount of time limited only by the ability of the battery or electric power supply to supply current to the electrical heating element. The electrical heating element can pulse on and off as necessary and the replacement drug patches can be supplied as frequently as necessary. Heating elements that use chemical reactions can be designed, manufactured to provide heat for a given duration.
The heating element provides controlled heating. Controlled heating allows the user to provide a level of heat that results in an increase in temperature to a predetermined or prescribed range. Controlled heating is preferable to heating devices that are not controlled. If the heating element is incapable of delivering controlled heat, it becomes difficult to regulate the amount of drug being delivered, and the potential for overdose or underdose is significantly increased. Similarly, the patient""s skin may be blistered or burned by uncontrolled heat. By being secured in the area of restraint within the compartment attached to the patch, the heating element provides uniform, controlled heating.
One embodiment of the heating element comprises a chamber defined by air impermeable walls. The chamber is defined by a bottom wall, a top wall and side walls. The heating element preferably comprises the composition of activated carbon, iron powder, sodium chloride, water, and optionally, sawdust, which is disposed in the chamber. The top wall is preferably a flexible air impermeable material having a plurality of holes therethrough. The top wall may be an air permeable membrane or an air impermeable material with a plurality of holes. The top wall can have at least one covering for the plurality of holes or can have a covering to prevent air from passing through the air permeable membrane. In the embodiment having a plurality of holes in the top wall, the holes can be selectively covered and uncovered. By selectively covering and uncovering the holes in the top wall, the heat and duration may be varied and administered as desired.
The present invention can be used to increase the serum concentration of the drug delivered by the drug patch by a desired amount. For example, it may be necessary in treating a particular patient to increase the serum concentration of the drug delivered by the drug patch by 10% over the normal serum concentration as established by the drug patch""s steady state. The present invention allows a controlled increase in temperature, which can be maintained at the increased level and if desired, returned to the original steady state level without changing the drug patch used to deliver the drug. Similarly the patient may find that an increase of a certain percentage is necessary for certain activities. A patient may need an increase in a drug serum concentration level during a period of increased physical activity or may require less drug during a period of rest. The present invention provides the capacity to conveniently adjust drug serum concentration levels by applying controlled heat and does so in a way that limits the chances that the drug patch will be dislodged or compromised during the application.
The securable heating element compartment can be integrated with a specially designed drug patch, or used in conjunction with drug patches known in the art. Where the drug patch is integrated with the heating element compartment, it may be advantageous to only use a top to form the securable compartment. Where the patch is a pre-existing patch or one available in the market, the top sheet may need to be combined with a bottom sheet to form a securable heating element compartment. The securable heating element compartment should be of a shape and size to correspond to the specific drug patch.
The heating element should be of a shape and size to conform or correspond to the heating element compartment and the heating element should be designed for safe and effective use with a particular type of drug patch. For example, the freely transferable heating elements designed for use with transdermal fentanyl may have a particular size and shape and color. For a patch with a different drug, such as a testosterone patch, the colors and shapes of the heating element may be different than those for fentanyl. Thus, it is preferable that the shapes and sizes of the securable heating element compartments, and in particular the heating elements, be designed and manufactured so that the compartments and heating elements designed for use with one type of drug patch are not readily useable or interchangeable with another type of drug patch. The color may indicate the type of drug with which the securable compartment and heating element should be used and may also indicate the desired effect the compartment and heating element are intended to have. If a securable compartment and heating element is designed for a particular drug patch and if use of the heating element with a different drug patch could cause harm or overdose, the heating element and corresponding compartment should be designed so as not to be compatible with the drug patches that could result in such harm.
The present invention allows for heating elements and other articles to be placed proximate to a transdermal drug patch using a heating element compartment or pouch. For example, the compartment or pouch could be used to retain various devices which could be advantageously placed proximate to the drug delivery patch, such as iontophoresis devices, timing devices, notification or reminder devices, any type of heating and/or cooling mechanisms, patient or patch monitoring devices, alarms, timers, watches, microprocessors, thermostats, thermometers, use indicators, and potentially and various novelty items such as toys for encouraging the use of the delivery system by children.
It is understood that a considerable variety of drug classes and specific drugs can be used with the present invention. Drug classes may include without limitation androgens, estrogens, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, antihypertensive agents, analgesic agents, antidepressants, antibiotics, anticancer agents, local anesthetics, antiemetics, antiinfectants, contraceptives, antidiabetic agents, steroids, anti-allergy agents, anti-migraine agents, agents for smoking cessation, and anti-obesity agents. Specific drugs include without limitation nicotine, testosterone, estradiol, nitroglycerine, clomidine, dexamethasone, wintergreen oil, tetracaine, lidocaine, fentanyl, sufentanil, progesterone, insulin, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, prilocaine, bupivacaine, sumatriptan, dihydroergotamine, and scopolamine.

Transdermal drug patch with attached pocket for controlled heating device


A vehicle locator and service hang card for vehicle parking and servicing establishments includes an upper portion with a tag number and space for entering customer information and a lower portion made of synthetic paper which an ignition key tag is die cut. The key tag retains its strength when wet. The lower portion may be attached to the upper portion by an adhesive tape.

Businesses concerned with parking or servicing vehicles have a problem of correlating the ignition key and the vehicle owner with a particular vehicle. Paper cards with three segments separated by perforations and carrying the same number have been provided so that one segment serves as a claim check, a second segment is placed in the vehicle and a third segment has a key ring stapled to it. A computer type multiple copy form with perforated tear-off strips has been proposed for correlation of ignition key, vehicle and customer which includes perforation lines permitting separation of the form into sections—one to be placed on the vehicle, one to be connected to the ignition key in some undisclosed manner and one to be given to the automobile owner as a claim check. It has been found that in inclement weather, a paper vehicle key tag can become wet; causing it to lose strength, thereby increasing the risk of it breaking and a consequential loss of the key.


A pull-off closure for containers having an opening whose end portion defines an annular collar projecting externally; the closure including: an upper portion shaped in the form of a shell having an upper face from which extends a collar, which can be turned over to abut on the annular collar of the container, during capping of the container, the upper face and the collar forming, at their connection, an annular edge; lines of weakness formed on the upper face and on the collar forming an opening strip which extends in a tab extending beyond the collar; a gripping element which can be associated with the tab, wherein the lines of weakness extend on the collar outside the annular edge.

The most commonly known solution for these closures comprises the classic crown cap, that is, the closure having a circular portion from which extends a series of teeth designed to close, during capping, beneath the above-mentioned protruding collar. In this case, the protruding collar is made in a continuous fashion and in order to remove the cap it is necessary have a suitable device or tool, universally known, which forces a plurality of teeth from the bottom, deforming in this way the circular portion and allowing the uncoupling of the cap from the bottle.
The crown cap normally has 19 teeth, in its standard configuration.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned problem of the opening, designs have been developed directed always to the use of a crown cap, but coupled with bottles having, at the upper edge of the neck, a series of threads instead of the continuous edge, as mentioned above.
In this case, the crown cap should have operated, when opening, like a twist-off closure. It was therefore necessary to increase the number of teeth (increasing them, for example, to 29) in order to avoid injuries to the user during opening of the bottle and rotation of the cap; see patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,472 in the name of the same Applicant.
A further road in the path of facilitated manual opening has been that of the tear-off closure, as may be seen in patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,667.
In this solution, the closing comprises an upper shell-shaped portion closed by an upper face and from which extends a collar which is, during capping, turned over and closed under the annular collar of the neck of the bottle.
This collar is connected to (in a single body or associated with it) a tab or gripping ring which extends perpendicularly to the upper face of the shell. The tongue or ring, with the bottle closed, adjoins the neck of the bottle.
Lines of weakness are made at both the collar and the upper surface of the shell, which allow, when the ring is gripped by the user and moved upwards, an initial breakage of the collar, followed by a partial breakage of the upper surface, along the above-mentioned lines of weakness.
This partial opening thereby allows the release of the closure, in its entirety, from the neck of the bottle.
This type of closure comprises, at least as regards the shell, the use of aluminium.
The partiality of the lines of weakness and their geometry are also designed to prevent a dividing of the cap which, even in the configuration after pulling off, remains configured in the form of a single body.
Inside the shell, on its inner face, is positioned a seal which comes into contact with the free edge of the neck of the bottle. This seal is made by pressing operations by means of a punch appropriately shaped and acting on a small volume of plastic material brought to the deformation temperature.
In order to prevent that, during opening of the cap, the portion of the upper surface of the shell remains attached to the seal (which, in this way, would undergo an unacceptable deformation), a material is applied on the inner surface of the shell, before the step of making the seal, which is able to favour the detachment of the seal from the upper surface during tearing.
This results in, inevitably, the use of a detaching material and its installation, with the consequent costs and time necessary.


A liquid crystal display unit has a transmissive liquid crystal plate having a number of pixels arranged on a two-dimensional basis, on which an image is formed, and a light source unit emitting beams of light of a plurality of luminescent colors for irradiating said liquid crystal plate from back. An interface circuit receives an image signal representative of a color image to sequentially form on said liquid crystal plate a plurality of separation images in which the color image is separated in association with the plurality of luminescent colors of said light source unit. The interface circuit causes said light source unit to flash with a luminescent color associated with a separation image formed on said liquid crystal plate in synchronism with a sequential formation of the separation images onto said liquid crystal plate. Beams of light emanated from the light source unit and transmitted through the liquid crystal plate reproduce an image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image photography apparatus suitable for photography of a three-dimensional image, an image reproducing apparatus suitable for reproduction of a three-dimensional image, an image photography and reproducing apparatus wherein the image photography apparatus and the image reproducing apparatus are formed in a unitary body, a stereographic projector for projecting an image for an image stereoscopic vision on a screen, a jig for image stereoscopic vision for visually recognizing the image projected on the screen in the form of a three-dimensional image, and a printer for printing an image displayed on a liquid crystal panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, it is known that two still images or dynamic images are photographed through utilizing parallax of right and left eyes, and those images are reproduced to be observed by the respective right and left eyes, so that a three-dimensional image can be obtained.
In the event that such a stereographic photography and reproducing system is constructed, it is considered that an image is reproduced on a screen of a television. However, in the event that an exclusive system is constructed, it is considered that an image is reproduced on a liquid crystal display plate to provide an image stereoscopic vision. Adoption of the liquid crystal display plate make it possible to implement a compactness of a system whereby a portable system can be constructed.
A liquid crystal display plate, which is generally adopted for an image display, is a so-called TFT type of liquid crystal display plate. The TFT type of liquid crystal display plate is so arranged that a large number of pixels, which are arranged as a matrix and are separated into three primary colors of R, G and B, are used to simultaneously generate three images associated with the three primary colors of R, G and B, respectively, so that the images can be observed through illumination from the back of the liquid crystal display plate.
In an equipment provided with a liquid crystal display function for displaying an image on the TFT type of liquid crystal display plate, particularly, for purpose of the portable use, space for the liquid crystal display plate is restricted. According to the TFT type of liquid crystal display plate, the respective pixels for the colors R, G and B are arranged at regular intervals, and thus the substantial number of pixels becomes ⅓ of the total number of pixels. This brings about a defect of poor precision. Further, in view of the characteristics of the TFT type of liquid crystal display plate, it is hard to obtain an excellent resolution. Thus, it is difficult to obtain a fine image to be displayed on the liquid crystal display plate. Accordingly, it will be impossible to read characters written in a fine line, for example. Furthermore, a light source for illuminating the TFT type of liquid crystal display plate is large in power consumption. The TFT type of liquid crystal display plate has such a merit that it is possible to display an image, whereas it has demerits as mentioned above.
Further, hitherto, there is known a so-called liquid crystal projector in which an image is reproduced on a liquid crystal display plate in accordance with image information subjected to a digital image processing, and the liquid crystal display plate is projected onto a screen via a projection lens through irradiation on the liquid crystal display plate from the back thereof.
A liquid crystal display plate, which is generally adopted for an image display, is a so-called TFT type of liquid crystal display plate. The TFT type of liquid crystal display plate is so arranged that a large number of pixels, which are arranged as a matrix and are separated into three primary colors of R, G and B, are used to simultaneously generate three images associated with the three primary colors of R, G and B, respectively, so that the images can be observed through illumination from the back of the liquid crystal display plate.
However, as mentioned above, according to the TFT type of liquid crystal display plate, the respective pixels for the colors R, G and B are arranged at regular intervals, and thus the substantial number of pixels becomes ⅓ of the total number of pixels. This brings about a defect of poor precision. Further, in view of the characteristics of the TFT type of liquid crystal display plate, it is hard to obtain an excellent resolution. Thus, it is difficult to obtain a fine image to be displayed on the liquid crystal display plate. Accordingly, it will be impossible to read characters written in a fine line, for example. Furthermore, a light source for illuminating the TFT type of liquid crystal display plate is large in power consumption. The TFT type of liquid crystal display plate has such a merit that it is possible to display an image, whereas it has demerits as mentioned above.
Further, hitherto, it is known that a three-dimensional image can be obtain by reproducing two still image and dynamic image utilizing a parallax of right and left eyes in such a manner that those images are observed by the right and left eyes. In this case, however, in the event that an image for stereoscopic vision is projected onto a screen, it is a problem as to how a high definition of image for stereoscopic vision is projected.
Furthermore, hitherto, there are on the market various types of printer in which an image photographed by a video camera or a digital still camera, and a full color image such as a print photograph obtained by a general camera, are converted into a digital image signal and printed. Of those types of printer, there is, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Hei. 1-24394, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette Hei. 6-83243, and Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette Hei. 8-271995, such a type of printer that a photosensitive material is used as a recording material, and while a recording head, in which microscopic emitters sequentially emitting beams of light of three primary colors are incorporated, is scanned throughout a photosensitive surface, a full color image is exposed on the photosensitive surface with the beams emitted from the microscopic emitters. This type of printer can be miniaturized, since power dissipation is small.
In the above-mentioned color printer, in order to obtain an enhanced print free from color drift or shift and fuzziness, there are needed a recording head into which microscopic emitters for emitting beams of light of a suitable quantity of light, and optical means for focussing the beams emitted from the microscopic emitters on a photosensitive surface with great accuracy, etc. are incorporated, and recording head moving means for moving the recording head with great accuracy.
However, optical means, which is capable of being used for focussing of the microscopic emitters incorporated into the recording head, is limited. That is, such an optical means needs a distributed index lens and microscopic lenses formed through molding optical material, which are expensive, and thus cannot be used for an inexpensive printer. Likely, the use of the recording head moving means involves a cost up for the printer, and also hinders miniaturization and weight saving of the printer. Further, a decrease of a moving speed of the recording head involves a problem that a printing time is elongated.
In the event that a portable printer, which can be driven by a battery and the like, is constructed, it is considered that as a monitor for confirming an image to be printed, a liquid crystal display is incorporated into the printer. However, an incorporation of the liquid crystal display involves a problem of a cost up of the printer. Further, the liquid crystal display is large in power dissipation. Accordingly, in the event that the back light and the like is used in order that it is easy to see an image, this involves a problem that the battery is readily wasted.

Image photography apparatus, image reproducing apparatus, image photography and reproducing apparatus, stereographic projector, jig for image stereoscopic vision, and printer


A completion involving expandable tools and/or tubulars involves running the assembly downhole in a single trip. The expansion can take place using a swage or inflatable or other expansion techniques. The assembly can be delivered on production tubing so that upon conclusion of the expansion and the setting of any hangers and barriers production or injection can proceed from a pre-selected zone or zones.

Intelligent well completions involve various elements for remote downhole flow control and monitoring. Typically oil, gas and/or water production is monitored and controlled. A completion assembly can also include other components such as screens, packers, liner hangers and blank pipe. A more recent development has been to use expansion technology to expand screens, packers, hangers and other downhole equipment. The expandable completion equipment can be used in open hole, cased and perforated holes or holes with perforated or slotted liners, to name a few examples. Typically the expandable downhole components were run in to the hole on drill pipe along with an anchor and a stroker device to sequentially drive a swage through the tools to be expanded. Even using expansion technology, the completion that then occurred was done in a separate trip. The prior procedure was to run in with the tools to be expanded and position them downhole. When placed into position the tools would be expanded, such as by driving a swage through them. The running string, typically drill pipe, would be pulled out of the hole (POOH) and a second trip on production tubing would follow with the remainder of the completion products. A tubing hanger would then be set and then packers would be set prior to the start of production.
The present invention addresses a one-trip solution to a completion that involves expansion so that the expansion device and the tools to be expanded as well as other tools that are needed for the completion can be delivered at one time. The expansion would take place and the remaining completion equipment set to allow production to then commence.
Others have combined drilling a wellbore on a composite coiled tubing string while transporting expandable casing. After the well is drilled, the bit is dropped and the casing is expanded with an inflatable. This method is illustrated in U.S. 2003/0106688 A1. Another method, shown in U.S. 2003/0221829 A1, delivers a lower and upper completion assembly is connected together and run in the well in a single trip. Thereafter a screen expander is run through tubing on a work string. It could have a shifting tool at its lower end to operate a valve before the expansion starts. Yet others deliver the completion assembly and an inflatable for expansion in two trips, as shown in U.S. 2003/0196820 A1. These techniques stop short of delivery of a completion system along with the expansion assembly in a single trip to allow the completion and expansion operations to take place with a single run. Those skilled in the art will more readily appreciate the scope of the present invention from the claims that appear below as further explained by a discussion of the preferred embodiment including the drawings.


A refiner plate that is adapted to be attached to a rotatable refiner disc on a refiner for mechanical treatment of lignocellulosic material. The refiner plate includes a refining surface that is adapted to be arranged oppositely a second refining surface of a second refiner disc on said refiner. The refining surface is provided with a plurality of refining bars, where at least one of the refining bars is provided with cavities that are at least partially embedded in the refining bars. At least one cavity provided on the at least one refining bar have one end arranged closer to the leading edge of a refining bar and one end arranged closer to the trailing edge of the refining bar and wherein the depth dimension of the cavity at the end is smaller than the depth dimension of the cavity at the end.

Common mechanical pulp refiners usually comprises two relatively rotating discs, e.g. one stationary disc and one rotating disc, on which a refiner plate, also referred to as a refining element or a refining segment, are attached. During use of the refiner, lignocellulosic material such as wood fibers are mechanically treated, e.g. grinded or worked, between the refining plates of the two relatively rotating discs. To obtain an effective treatment of the material it is quite common to provide the refining surface of the refining plates with refining bars extending radially along the plate whereby both the refining bars themselves and the grooves that will be defined between the refining bars provides an improved grinding action. The leading edges of the bars, i.e., the edges of the refining bars that during rotation of the refining plates are first brought into contact with the material, will also act to provide a separation and fibrillation of the fibers whilst the grooves will enable both a transportation of the fibers as well as a removal of any steam produced during the grinding action. Common refining plates may also be provided with structures known within the art as dams. The dams are also extended structures that are provided in the grooves of the refining plate and their main purpose is to halt or interrupt the material flow in the grooves in order to keep the material in the grinding or refining area for a longer time duration.
The structures provided on the refining plates, i.e. the bars, the grooves and the dams, are during use however affected by substantial forces due to, inter alia, the high rotation speed of the rotating disc(s). The rotation speed in combination with any debris present in the organic material will impart substantial wear on the refining bars.
As a consequence of the wear the leading edges of refining bars may get smoothened out whereby the efficiency of a refining plate will be negatively affected. A refining bar with a smoothened out leading edge will lose a lot of the positive effects mentioned above.
In SE 513807 there is proposed a particular solution to this problem. The proposed solution is based on the provision of refining bars whose uppermost surface is provided with a ledge whereby at least two edges arranged at different height are created on the refining bar.
Even though this solution is quite satisfactory for extending the service length of a refiner plate, the added structures may negatively affect the material flow on the refining plate.
There is therefore a need within the art to further improve refining plates and in particular to provide at least a partial solution to the problem of deteriorating refining bars for a refining plate while at the same time reducing any impact on the material flow.

Refining plate provided with refining bars having edge creating bar cavities


A grass cutting machine includes a grass cutter, a motor for driving the grass cutter, a housing for supporting the machine above ground datum, collector for collecting grass cut by cutter, and a fan for establishing a flow of air. The collector for cut grass further includes a duct for directing cut grass entrained in a stream of air from the fan. The duct has a collection mouth at an upstream end thereof and disposed in the region of the ground datum, thereof, and a downstream end of the duct connected to the collector. At least one air-outlet aperture is disposed in the region of the collection mouth, each aperture serving to direct at least a portion of the stream of air downstream from the collection mouth so as to draw into the mouth cut grass and to transport the cut grass through the duct to the collector.

This invention relates to grass cutting machines. Throughout this specification and claims, the term "grass cutting machine" is used to include domestic lawn mowers, grass cutting machines for cutting larger areas of grass such as sports fields and parkland as well as grass verge cutting equipment.
There are two main types of grass cutting machine currently in production namely (1) a machine including a cutting system rotatable about an axis which is substantially vertical relative to ground datum, and (2) a machine having a cylindrical cutting unit which includes a plurality of blades and which, in operation, is rotatable about an axis which is substantially parallel to ground datum, i.e. horizontal. Type (1) machines may be supported relative to ground datum by a cushion of air (commonly called a hover machine), by wheels (commonly called a wheeled rotary machine) or a combination thereof. A rear roller may also be used in order to produce a striped effect upon cut grass. Type (2) is normally supported on a combination of wheels and rollers. However, in one prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,086, there is described and claimed a type (2) machine which is supported on a cushion of air.
Collection of grass cut by any type of grass cutting machine is a problem confronting all design engineers in this field and, in our prior European Patent No. 0037971, B1 there is described and claimed a lawn mower of the type which in operation is supported by a cushion of air and has a knife rotatable about a vertical axis and a fan wheel rotatable about the same axis, the fan wheel and the knife being shrouded by a hood, the mower having a rim around the hood and the hood having one or more than one opening for air to the air cushion, characterized in that at least a part of the air stream to the fan wheel before reaching the fan wheel is used to pick up and transport grass, leaves and the like from the ground to a collecting chamber in the mower, the collecting chamber having means for separating grass from air.

Collection device for grass cutting machines


A solid electrolyte is interposed between a first electrode layer located while in contact with the gas to be measured and a second electrode layer located while in contact with a reference gas. The first electrode layer is covered on its high-temperature portion with a first porous protecting layer and on its low-temperature portion with a second porous protecting layer which is lower in gas permeability than the first porous protecting layer. This electrochemical element can be produced without detriment to the porous protecting layers, e.g., causing them to peel off or crack. In addition, it can be used while any lowering of insulating resistance between the first electrode layer and the associated metal holder, thereby providing an accurate detection of the concentration of a specific gas in the gas to be measured.

This invention relates to an electrochemical element in general and to an oxygen sensor element in particular, which is used to determine the concentration of oxygen contained in exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, for instance.
So far, there has been known an electrochemical sensor element including first and second electrode layers and a solid electrolyte, wherein the first and second electrode layers are brought into contact with the gas to be measured and a reference gas, respectively, whereby a potential difference between the first and second electrode layers is found to determine the concentration of a specific component, e.g., oxygen, in the gas to be measured.
One typical oxygen sensor is set forth in Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 60(1985)-36948, and includes a first electrode layer which is covered on its portion to contact the gas to be measured with a single porous protecting layer. Another oxygen sensor is set forth in Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 60(1985)-36949, and includes a first electrode layer which is covered on high- and low-temperatures regions of its portion to contact with the gas to be measured with a porous protecting layer and an air-tight protecting layer, respectively.
However, a problem with the oxygen sensor having the first electrode layer covered with a single protecting layer is that when the porous protecting layer has an increased gas permeability, carbon is likely to accumulate on and in it and in the first electrode layer while the internal combustion engine operates under conditions rich in fuel or, in other words, exhaust gas conditions poor in oxygen, giving rise to a lowering of insulation resistance between the first electrode layer and the metal holder of the oxygen sensor. In particular, this decrease in insulation resistance become more serious when carbon deposition takes place on the low-temperature region of the porous protecting layer or the first electrode layer in an arrangement where the first electrode layer lies relatively close to the metal holder.
A problem with the process of producing the oxygen sensor set forth in Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 60-36949 is that when the oxygen sensor element is immersed in a solution, the solution penetrates through the porous electrode layer so that it is evaporated (gasified) rapidly during baking; that is, if a portion of the protecting layer covering the first electrode layer is air tight, then the gas to be evaporated is so confined within the pores in the first electrode layer that the internal pressure of the first electrode layer increases, causing the protecting layer to peel off or crack.
This invention seeks to provide a solution to the above problems and has for its object to provide an electrochemical element which can be produced without detriment to the porous protecting layer or, in other words, without causing it to peel off and crack, and which can be used while any lowering of insulation resistance between the first electrode layer and the metal holder is avoided, thereby providing an accurate detection of the concentration of a specific component in the gas to be measured.


An image display apparatus according to the present invention includes: a light emitting unit configured to include a light source; a display unit configured to display an image on a screen by transmitting light irradiated from the light emitting unit; a detection unit configured to detect light from the light source; and a control unit configured to extend a lighting duration of the light source when the detection unit detects light in a case where the lighting duration of the light source is shorter than a predetermined time length.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently liquid crystal display apparatuses, having a light emitting diode (LED) backlight as a light source, are becoming popular. Particularly the use of liquid crystal display apparatuses having a direct backlight where a plurality of LEDs are arrayed are rapidly spreading. In the case of a direct backlight, local dimming control for partially adjusting the amount of luminescence can be performed relatively easy. By performing local dimming, the contrast ratio (ratio of the maximum brightness and the minimum brightness) can be improved, and power consumption can be decreased.
Available methods of adjusting the amount of luminescence of a backlight are a method of adjusting a value of current to be supplied to LEDs, and a method of adjusting the lighting duration of LEDs. In the case of the method of adjusting the current value to be supplied to LEDs, emission brightness (instantaneous value) of the LEDs can be decreased and the amount of luminescence of the LEDs can be decreased by decreasing the current value. In other words, the brightness of the backlight can be decreased by decreasing the current value. And the emission brightness of the LEDs can be increased and the amount of luminescence of the LEDs can be increased by increasing the current value. The brightness of the backlight can be increased by increasing the current value. In the case of adjusting the lighting duration of LEDs, the amount of luminescence of the LEDs can be increased by extending the lighting duration, and can be decreased by shortening the lighting duration.
Generally the method of adjusting the lighting duration is used because power efficiency is high. Adjustment of the lighting duration is referred to as pulse width modulation (PWM) control. In PWM control, the ratio (duty ratio) in a predetermined duration (emission control duration) is changed.
LEDs have characteristics where individual difference, time related deterioration and temperature deterioration are considerable. Hence in the case of the above mentioned direct backlight, it has been difficult to keep the amount of luminescence of the backlight (e.g. amount of luminescence in the emission control duration) constant and uniform over a long duration (a long period). Therefore as a method for keeping the amount of luminescence constant and uniform, a method of detecting the emission brightness of each light source unit using an optical sensor installed near the backlight and controlling the amount of luminescence by feedback has been proposed (e.g. see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-40764). In the feedback control, the current value to be supplied to each light source unit is corrected so that the detected value becomes close to the target value, for example. A light source unit is a minimum unit of the backlight of which the amount of luminescence can be controlled, for example. In other words, the backlight has a configuration that allows the amount of luminescence to be controlled for each light source unit.
However noise normally enters the detection result of emission brightness (e.g. voltage value corresponding to the emission brightness). This makes it necessary to increase the accuracy of the detection result by acquiring the detection value of the emission brightness a plurality of times, or blocking high frequency noise using an LPF (Low Pass Filter) installed on a sensor circuit. Performing such processing increases the time length required for the optical sensor to detect the emission brightness. Therefore if the single lighting duration is short (e.g. lighting duration is set to be short to decrease the amount of luminescence of the backlight when the display mode of the image display apparatus is in low brightness mode, in which brightness on the screen is darkened). If detection of the emission brightness cannot be completed within the lighting duration, the detection result may not be acquired, or an erred detection result may be acquired, which makes it impossible to control the amount of luminescence of the backlight (light emitting unit) at high precision.

Image display apparatus and control method thereof