The device presents a polysilicon layer extending over a wafer of semiconductor material, along the edge of the active region of the device, and partly over a thick field oxide layer which externally delimits the active region. The polysilicon layer forms both a field-plate region at its inner edge, and a Zener protection diode over the field oxide layer, outwards of and contiguous to the field-plate region. The terminals of the diode are respectively connected to the source metal region and the gate metal region; the diode therefore extends along the whole of the perimeter of the device, and presents an extensive junction area without greatly reducing the active area of the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a MOS integrated device comprising a gate protection diode.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As is known, power MOS technology is aimed at forming power components interfaceable directly with control logic circuits. As this implies a 3-5 V control voltage of the gate region of MOS devices, power MOS technology has tended to produce devices with a low threshold and, hence, thin gate oxide.
Moreover, in low-voltage (30-60 V) applications, a reduction in output resistance now obviously requires the use of scaled processes with ever-smaller channel lengths and gate oxide thicknesses.
As a result, currently used low-voltage power MOS transistors feature gate oxide thicknesses ranging from 200 to 500 A.
On the one hand, therefore, technological and application requirements demand thin gate oxides, whereas, on the other, application and quality standard requirements demand gate oxides capable of withstanding electrostatic charges. In order to determine whether the gate oxide thickness is able to accomodate these competing interests, test circuits have been devised, the most commonly used of which is shown in FIG. 1.
The test circuit 1 in FIG. 1 substantially comprises a capacitor 2, which is precharged to a test voltage (e.g. 20 V for transistors with a breakdown voltage of 50 V) and then discharged via a resistor 3 into the test transistor 4; the current through transistor 4 is measured by an ammeter 6; and any defective gate oxide is determined according to the current reading.
To protect the gate oxide of power MOS transistors described above from voltages greater than the gate oxide breakdown voltage, it has been proposed by the related art to integrate Zener diodes with a lower breakdown voltage than the gate oxide in any operating condition. This is shown schematically in FIG. 2, in which 10 indicates the power MOS transistor, and 11 indicates the Zener diode, which in this case is formed by a pair of back-to-back diodes 12, 13, and is located between the gate terminal G and source terminal S of transistor 10.
There are various ways of integrating a diode between the gate and source terminals of a MOS transistor, the simplest being to exploit the source-body junction with an inverse bias. According to this solution, a region similar to the source regions of the MOS transistor is formed in a special body well; the well is connected to the gate metal region; and the source-similar region is connected to the source metal region of the transistor.
The above solution, however, presents the disadvantage of inevitably involving a parasitic NPN transistor, which impairs the dynamic strength of the structure.
According to another known solution, protection diodes are integrated over the wafer of semiconductor material using the polysilicon layer used for the gate regions; such solution presents the advantage of eliminating any parasitic elements, by virtue of the diodes being located outside the wafer and separated electrically from it by a thick oxide layer.
The disadvantage of the above solution, however, lies in the need to minimize the area occupied by the protection diodes, to avoid an excessive reduction in the area available for the active device components, or an undesired increase in the overall size of the device. Generally speaking, it is desirable that protection diodes should occupy no more than 3-5% of the total area of the device, which size limitation, however, seriously impairs their effectiveness. In fact, the characteristic of a polysilicon diode presents, after the breakdown voltage, a far from negligible resistance (a few tens of ohms) which depends partly on the aluminium-polysilicon contact and partly on the area of the PN junction. In practice, diode characteristic VD is of the type: EQU VD=VZ+RZI
where VZ is the breakdown voltage (start of inverse conduction of the diode), RZ is the equivalent resistance of the inversely conducting diode, and I is the current through the diode.
In other words following breakdown voltage, the Zener diode is no longer capable of maintaining the breakdown voltage independently of the current flow, presenting a voltage drop which increases with the current. Consequently, in the event, for example, of RZ=30.OMEGA., VZ=15 V, and an oxide breakdown voltage of 25 V, a current I.gtoreq.350 mA is enough to make the protection diode ineffective, since the voltage across the diode becomes greater than the oxide breakdown voltage, destroying the gate oxide.
This is particularly undesirable when using ESD testing according to the circuit of FIG. 1 where the current through the diode may be as high as a few Amps. In such a case, in order to guarantee that the voltage across the diode will not exceed the gate oxide break-down voltage during high currents, the breakdown resistance RZ should be at most a few ohms (RZ<5.OMEGA.).
Thus, in view of the very small voltage margin (defined as VOX-VZ, where VOX is the oxide breakdown voltage) of particularly thin oxides, a problem exits where diodes are formed in the polysilicon layer, requiring very large junction and contact areas for the protection diode to function properly and therefore having breakdown resistances greater than the desired few ohms (SR). Also, the large areas required by the diodes as stated, is in direct conflict with the need to reduce the area occupied by the diodes in order to maximize the area for the active device.

Consorzio per la Ricerca sulla Microelettronica nel Mezzogiorno


A communication device (10) includes a number of input/output modules (12) coupled to a switch control module (14) using an interconnect (40) and to a redundant switch control module (16) using a redundant interconnect (42). Each interconnect (40) and redundant interconnect (42) includes a control interconnect (44) and a data interconnect (46). The control interconnect (44) establishes control information for transferring a cell in the communication device (10) and the data interconnect (46) performs the cell transfer.

A communication system includes a collection of components that communicate, manipulate, and process information in a variety of ways. The system may support different access technologies, such as frame relay, circuit services, and new and evolving connection-based or connectionless services, that communicate information, such as data, voice, and video. Switches in the communication system employ hardware and software to route information generated by access technologies to an intended destination. In an integrated services network, switches may route information among access technologies in a unified manner.
With an increasing demand for more sophisticated and higher bandwidth communication, switches in a communication system must be scalable and adaptable to the particular needs of the users. Also, switches should support existing access technologies, and provide a flexible framework for new and evolving services.
Existing switches in an integrated services environment suffer from several disadvantages. Switches fail to be modular and scalable to adapt, for example, to the needs and resources of a small private network serving hundreds of users, as well as a larger public network serving tens of thousands of users. Often, switches only support one or a few number of access technologies and offer limited expansion capabilities. Also, as integrated services networks get larger and more complex, existing switches may fail to provide adequate redundancy and fault isolation.

Serial control and data interconnects for coupling an I/O module with a switch fabric in a switch


A method and system for determining a location of a phase-to-earth fault in a line of an electric network, the electric line comprising two or more sections (30a, 30b, 30c), the system being configured to determine, at a measuring point, a reactance of a fault loop; determine a faulted section of the electric line to be a section closest to the measurement point of all such sections for which a sum of a positive sequence reactance and an earth return path reactance of the section in question and positive sequence reactances and an earth return path reactances of sections, if any, between the measurement point and the section in question is greater than or equal to the determined reactance of the fault loop; and calculate a distance between the measuring point and a point of fault on the basis of the reactance values.

A feeder of a distribution network typically consists of many different types of over-headline and/or cable sections. This means that electrically the feeder is non-homogeneous.
Conductor parameters (resistance, inductance and capacitance) can vary greatly, depending on conductor type and configuration. Especially overhead-line and cable parameters differ from each other. Typically, the angle of the positive sequence impedance on cables is substantially less than on overhead-lines. Also different overhead-line types differ from each other. The same applies to cables.
Inherently, the result of an impedance based fault localization algorithm is an electrical length to fault, i.e. the result is in the form of (loop) impedance. FIG. 1 illustrates a fault loop model for a phase-to-earth fault at point F of an electric line (feeder). For phase-to-earth faults, the fault loop impedance is:ZLoop=d·(Z1+ZN)+RF   (1)
Where
d=fault location in per unit value (0 . . . 1)
Z1=positive sequence impedance of the line=R1+j·X1
R1=positive sequence resistance of the line
X1=positive sequence reactance of the line
ZN=earth return path impedance of the line=(Z0−Z1)/3=RN+j·XN
RN=earth return path resistance of the line=(R0−R1)/3
XN=earth return path reactance of the line=(X0−X1)/3
Z0=zero sequence impedance of the line=R0+j·X0
R0=zero sequence resistance of the line
X0=zero sequence reactance of the line
RF=fault resistance. For phase-to-earth loop this typically includes arc and tower footing resistances.
In the case of a non-homogeneous line, the impedances of individual line sections vary and the line impedance is the sum of the impedances of the sections:Z1=Z1A+Z1B+Z1C+ . . .ZN=ZNA+ZNB+ZNC+ . . .
where
Z1A=positive sequence impedance of line section A,
Z1B=positive sequence impedance of line section B,
Z1C=positive sequence impedance of line section C,
ZNA=earth return path impedance of line section A,
ZNB=earth return path impedance of line section B,
ZNC=earth return path impedance of line section C.
As a result, the electrical distance to fault (an ohmic value) cannot be directly converted into a physical distance, such as miles, kilometers or per unit value. However, while distribution lines are in most cases non-homogeneous, the impedance algorithms applied in protective relays typically do not take this into account, which may cause a considerable error in a fault location estimate.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,435 discloses a method and device for fault location for distribution networks. In the solution disclosed, the non-homogeneity of a feeder is taken into account. The solution, however, is computationally rather burdensome as e.g. individual loads on the feeder are taken into account.
Document "A review of impedance-based fault locating experience"; Edmund O. Schweitzer; 14th annual Iowa-Nebraska system protection seminar; Oct. 16, 1990; Omaha, Nebr., discloses a calculation procedure for locating a ground fault on a non-homogeneous line. This solution is also computationally burdensome and thus difficult to implement in a protective relay.

Method and system for determining location of phase-to-earth fault


This invention refers to a woodworking machine equipped with fastening devices capable of allowing the processing of items of complex shape and variable size, characterized in that it provides a multiple number of devices which are mobile and capable of being positioned on a working plane independently from each other, where each of said devices simultaneously constitutes both a striking element for positioning the item and a blocking element for the same.

This invention offers a woodworking tooling machine capable of processing items of variable size and complex shape, as well as the relative new method. The machine according to the invention comprises a multiple number of item blocking devices, capable of also acting as stops for the same, where each of said units is mobile and capable of being positioned at will along the working plane.
The method according to the invention provides for positioning a first series of said units, arranging the item to be processed against said stops, blocking it at one or more sides and performing the processing on the free sides, then moving additional devices to block the item at the processed sides, removing the initial blocking devices, and completing the processing on the remaining side. This system allows the machine to be quickly and easily adapted to the processing of items of any shape, thus achieving an extremely flexible machine, capable of drastically reducing the dead moments needed on the known machines for preparing them to process new items.
It is known that a correct positioning of the item to be processed is of fundamental importance in the processing done by tooling machines.
Various systems for positioning and blocking an item are known, system which vary depending on the type of processing to be performed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,117 by the same applicant described a tooling machine for the processing of panels where the working plane comprises a pair of guides arranged along a first axis, on which a multiple number of guides are sliding and each carrying one or more mobile fastening devices mounted on the cross beam along an axis set at an orthogonal direction with respect to that of the previous axis.
As mentioned above in these known machines the items is fastened by placing the item on suction-cup elements connected to aspirating devices capable of creating a vacuum inside the suction cup, so as to block the panel during the processing step. This system, while suitable for panels, presents however a few limitations whenever the processing is to be done on items of limited width and of complex shape, which need to be processed on all sides and which are difficult to position and block on the working plane.
The limitations of the known machines are in particular evidence whenever the type of processing needs to be frequently changed, because of the dead moments needed for preparing the working plane and the relative stops, whenever the item to be processed is to be changed.
In order to overcome this problem this invention offers a woodworking tooling machine equipped with a working plane comprising a pair of guides arranged along a first axis, a series of mobile cross beams oriented along an axis orthogonal to the previous one, a multiple number of supports capable of sliding along said cross-beams, each carrying a pair of item striking and blocking devices, where each striking and blocking device comprises a pressing device and some suction devices controlled independently from each other. Each support of the blocking devices presents a seat capable of being engaged by an element mounted on the machine""s operating head, which can thus be utilized for positioning the support on the working plane.
According to an alternative version of the invertion, the working planes are two and the device for the positioning of the supports is capable of engaging said seats into the supports which are freely mobile along a first axis, while the working planes are mobile along an axis orthogonal to the previous one.
The combination of these two motions makes it possible to place the supports on a working plane, while the operating head performs the operation on the other plane.

Woodworking tooling machine, capable of processing items of variable size and complex shape, and the relative method


Provided is a pharmaceutical composition comprising tyrosine, an optionally modified allergen, and 3-DMPL, the composition is useful in the prevention and treatment of allergies.

It is known that desensitization therapy results in a changed immunological response specific for the allergens administered. Such changes are considered to be responsible for the beneficial effects of the treatment and amelioration of the symptoms of allergy.
The immunological changes responsible for benefit are not entirely understood. Although a raised allergen specific IgG antibody response is considered to be a desirable outcome of therapy, it is now believed that certain changes in the allergen specific T cell (i.e., T lymphocyte) response are more important.
Two subclasses of T cell, TH1-like and TH2-like interact with one another via various messenger molecules. In an allergic subject it appears that there is a greater allergen specific TH2 than a TH1 activity. This can lead to a high allergen specific IgE antibody level and greater eosinophil activity. These are two important components of the allergic syndrome.
A change in the above situation to one where there is greater allergen specific TH1 rather than TH2 activity is thought to be an important component of immunotherapy leading to a clinical benefit.
GB-A-1 377 074, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,159, describes a process for preparing coprecipitates of tyrosine having an allergen dispersed therein.
GB-A-1 492 973, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,455, describes a process for preparing coprecipitates of tyrosine having a modified allergen dispersed therein. The allergen is modified by treatment with an agent, such as glutaraldehyde, which causes intra-molecular cross-linking and reduces the allergenicity of the product relative to the unmodified allergen.
3 De-O-acylated monophosphoryl. lipid A (hereinafter "3-DMPL" or "MPL") is known from GB-A-2 220 211, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,094, and assigned to Ribi Immunochem Research, Inc. (Hamilton, Mont.) ("Ribi"). Chemically it is a mixture of 3 De-O-acylated monophosphoryl lipid A with 4, 5 or 6 acylated chains and is manufactured by Ribi. A preferred form of 3 De-O-acylated monophosphoryl lipid A is disclosed in International Patent Publication No. WO 92/116556. 3-DMPL is an example of a substance that can enhance the TH I over TH2 directing properties of administered allergens.


A device for securing blades on perforation and cutting cylinders for graphic arts machinery including two complementary rules which engage together and a pneumatic chamber arranged longitudinally between the two rules. The pneumatic chamber is inflated and causes the rules to separate slightly from each other and compress a blade arranged between at least one of the rules and the walls of a groove of the cylinder in which the device is situated. The pneumatic chamber is connected to a passageway through which a continuous supply of compressed air is provided in order to maintain the pressure in the pneumatic chamber. The device also includes elastic blocks which dampen impacts and noise, and other blocks to prevent regulation screws from loosening.

The means used to date for securing of the aforesaid blades have involved the use of rules provided with pressure screws placed inside the grooves of the cylinders and compressed between the walls thereof. Securement of the blades by said method was always unsafe and lacking in precision, easily displaced during operation and, therefore, of scant utility and poor performance, as the mechanism had to be adjusted constantly.
Other means used have recourse to the coming together of two rules with complementary inclined planes which slide in relation to each other, and flat opposing planes for support against the walls of the grooves, with interposition of the blades, which rest to the lower side on lips provided for the purpose on said rules, which are provided with depth-graduation screws inside the grooves of the cylinders. An example of such devices is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,843. In this case, the fixing is safe, but the use of special tools is required for the unlocking and attachment of the assembly, this being mechanically complex to embody and, therefore, expensive.
These embodiments therefore suffer from two essential disadvantages: some are extremely simple and unsafe, while others are mechanically complex and expensive.

Device for securing blades on perforation and cutting cylinders for graphic arts machinery


An air suspension system includes an air supply system block including one or more air spring valves, where the one or more air spring valves are disposed within the air supply system block, the air supply system block having a valve block housing. The system further includes the air supply system block pneumatically coupled with one or more air springs, and at least one reservoir coupled with the air supply system block, at least one motor and pump disposed within the air supply system block. The air suspension further includes fast down leveling valves disposed within the air supply system block.

OEM companies which manufacture automotive vehicles typically select suspension and driveline components which offer the best compromise of comfort and performance. Suspension systems for automotive vehicles provide vehicle passengers with a more comfortable ride. Air suspension systems utilize air springs, rather than traditional coil springs, and provide different suspension qualities that may be preferable to traditional coil spring suspensions in some vehicles.
A conventional air spring is a device that is arranged between a vehicle body and chassis, such that the air spring applies what is referred to as a "normal load" to a respective wheel. The air spring system can be used to lower a vehicle from any ride height to an entry/exit ride height. It is desirable to also include a fast down leveling system to achieve faster lowering events. Currently to perform fast down leveling, the OEM must package both the air supply valve block 80 and the fast down leveling block 82 separately along with the wiring harness 84 and air lines 86 to each of the valve blocks 80, 82 (See FIGS. 1 and 2). Air lines 90 extend from the air supply valve block 80 to less than all air springs, and air lines 92 extend from the fast down leveling block 82 to less than all air springs. The configuration results in a large footprint within the vehicle as well as additional air lines and wire harnesses.
What is needed is a better way to provide a single solution to the OEMs who require air suspension with fast down leveling.

CAirS with integrated fast down leveling valves


A method for producing bound books, magazines or brochures by gathering printed sheets into non-bound book blocks along a conveying section that is supplied by at least one sheet feeder includes separating the lowest printed sheet from a stack of printed sheets by lifting one edge region of the lowest printed sheet from the bottom of the printed sheet stack, withdrawing the separated lowest printed sheet with the aid of a conveying element from the remaining sheet stack by gripping the separated edge region with the conveying element, and subsequently withdrawing the separated lowest printed sheet in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of the edge region of the remaining sheet stack. The apparatus includes a separating device that lifts up the printed sheet at the stack front and a conveying element that pulls the printed sheet from the stack where both are arranged jointly on a removal unit.

One exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method for producing bound books, magazines or brochures by gathering printed signatures into unbound book blocks along a conveying section that is supplied by at least one sheet feeder, wherein the printed signatures or sheets are respectively lifted up along one edge region at the front of the printed sheet stack and are then withdrawn from the stack by means of a conveying element. Another exemplary embodiment of the invention also relates to an apparatus for producing bound books, magazines, or brochures by gathering printed signatures along a conveying section, the apparatus comprising a conveyor provided with carriers and at least one feeder, arranged above the conveyor, which supplies the latter with printed signatures or sheets removed from a stack front. The feeder in turn is provided with a separating device, which lifts up an exposed edge region of the printed signature or sheet on the front of the stack, as well as a conveying element that pulls the printed signature or sheet off at the stack front.
Swiss patent document CH 692 700 A5 discloses a gathering and collating machine provided with a series of feeding stations, which respectively comprise a magazine for receiving a stack of printed sheets and a device for separating the respectively lowest printed sheet. The gathering and collating machine furthermore comprises a gathering conveyor with driven carriers in a gathering channel to which the separated printed sheets are supplied for the stack formation. For one embodiment according to CH 692 700 A5, the stack of printed sheets is positioned above the gathering channel on a conveyor belt, provided with suction openings, wherein one side region with fold is left exposed in the printed sheet-conveying direction. The underside of the printed sheet is advanced far enough with the suction belt, so that it can be transported further by a subsequently installed withdrawing conveyor. Compressed air can be supplied via the lowest printed sheet that is slanted toward the side by means of the suction element for reducing the friction between the printed sheet to be pulled off and the one positioned above. A so-called pass-through guide is provided at the magazine discharge opening, which can be used to form an adjustable pass-through gap above the conveyor belt, so that respectively only the lowest printed sheet with fold is pulled from the stack.
This known separating device can be used for feeding sheets in longitudinal as well as transverse direction to the gathering channel.
One disadvantage of this separating device, however, is that the pass-through gap on the magazine discharge opening must be adjusted for holding back the subsequently arriving sheet. This operation results in considerable expenditure not only for thin printed sheets with folds, but for small format printed sheets with folds as oftentimes the small format printed sheets with folds do not have a large enough area of contact with the conveying belt, thus making a reliable separation impossible.

Method and apparatus for producing bound books, magazines or brochures


A process for activating a hydrogenation catalyst comprising nickel to produce a selective hydrogenation catalyst, comprising contacting the hydrogenation catalyst with a mixed gas comprising and hydrogen sulfide and periodically increasing the temperature of the mixed gas in increments until the mixed gas reaches a temperature that facilities the efficient catalytic hydrogenation of both acetylene and butadiene by the modified catalyst, while the modified catalyst is simultaneously characterized by low selectivity for the hydrogenation of ethylene. The disclosure further claims a process that utilizes the modified catalyst to selectively hydrogenate acetylene and butadiene contaminants in a raw light olefin stream produced by thermal cracking, thereby extending the useful catalytic lifespan of a downstream oligomerization catalyst that converts the light olefins stream to a liquid transportation fuel, or a blend stock thereof.

In recent years, an abundance of shale gas discoveries in the United States has resulted in a significant increase in natural gas production as well as natural gas liquid production. This increased level of production is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The industry currently produces an over-abundance of the lighter components of NGLs (e.g., ethane and propane). As a result, processes have been developed to convert these light alkanes into larger hydrocarbons that are useful as liquid transportation fuels or a blend component thereof. Some of these processes involve cracking the light alkanes to produce olefins that can be catalytically oligomerized to produce larger hydrocarbon products.
However, such processes have been associated with drawbacks that have prevented commercial implementation. Among these is deactivation of zeolite oligomerization catalysts by contaminants present in cracked ethane streams (or cracked Y-Grade streams). Among the most consequential are acetylene and butadiene. These compounds cause rapid coking of zeolite oligomerization catalysts by binding to their Brønsted acid sites, leading to their complete deactivation after just a few hours.
Supported nickel hydrogenation catalysts have been described that can remove a portion of these contaminants and have catalytic activity that is resistant to the presence of hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and water. Yet, these nickel catalysts also have limitations, particularly in their inability to efficiently hydrogenate most of the butadiene in a cracked light olefin stream. Other catalysts may efficiently hydrogenate both butadiene and acetylene, but lack selectivity towards these compounds, resulting in excessive hydrogenation (and consequent loss) of ethylene in the oligomerization feed stream. What is needed is a hydrogenation catalyst that can efficiently and selectively remove more than 90 vol % of both acetylene and butadiene form a cracked ethane stream (or cracked Y-grade stream) while having low selectivity towards the hydrogenation of ethylene (e.g., less than 3 vol %).

Catalyst activation for selective hydrogenation of contaminants in a light olefin stream


A valve adapted for insertion in a pressurized fluid flow line for blocking and sealing the flow of fluid through the line without disconnecting the line and to maintain the pressure in the upstream end of the line. The valve includes two body portions which may be clamped on the fluid flow line to form a valve body in which is adjustably mounted a shaft carrying an annular hole cutter and a tubular seal. The shaft is rotatable for driving the annular hole cutter through the line and to position the tubular seal in the hole cut through the line to block and seal flow through the downstream portion of the line.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of art to which this invention pertains may be generally located in the class of devices relating to valves. Class 137, Fluid Handling, Subclass 318 United States Patent Office Classification, appears to be the applicable general area of art to which the subject matter similar to this invention has been classified in the past.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is necessary in many instances to terminate the flow of fluid through a fluid flow system, such as a gas line or a liquid line, because of a failure in the fluid flow system due to a leaking valve, a crack in the fluid flow line, or other problems which require the fluid flow system to be shutdown to make the required repairs. It is also necessary in many instances, because of required maintenance or changes in a water system, a refrigeration system, an air conditioning system and other fluid flow systems to temporarily shutdown such systems for many hours. Such problems can involve the loss of many work hours, and the closing of buildings containing fluid flow systems wherein the flow of fluid therethrough must be terminated for either a short period or a long period.
Heretofore it has been proposed to provide a valve insertable in a fluid flow line which could be attached to the fluid flow line and which included a hole cutter means for cutting a hole through the fluid flow line and placing a tubular seal in the hole to block the flow of fluid downstream of the blocked hole. Such a line insertable valve is disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,170 to Margrave. However, experience has shown that the Margrave line insertable valve disclosed in said patent failed in practice when it was attempted to put it in actual use. The failure of the Margrave valve shown in said patent was due to inherent structural defects which permitted fluid leakage from the porous cast metal body employed in the Margrave valve, as well as leakage through the opening in the valve body for the shaft carrying the hole cutter. Furthermore, the hole cutter employed in the Margrave valve was incapable of cutting through both walls of a fluid flow line on which said valve was mounted, due to jamming of the hole cutter by the slug removed from the first wall of the fluid flow line. The Margrave valve was incapable of sealing the hole cut through the first wall of a line because of the jamming failure of the hole cutter as well as the inefficient sealing action of the tubular seal employed in the Margrave valve.

Valve for insertion in a pressurized fluid flow line


A hair styling appliance includes a first arm and a second arm pivotable with respect to the first arm, wherein the second arm is movable between an open position and a closed position. A gap is positioned between the first arm and the second arm, and a lock member is movable into and out of the gap between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the lock member holds the second arm in the closed position.

The present invention relates generally to hair styling devices or applications, and more particularly to hair styling irons.
Some hair styling devices and appliances typically have one or more pieces that move with respect to one another. For instance, a hair flat iron, crimper, styling iron or the like typically includes two arms with heated plates on abutting surfaces such that a user's hair can be pressed between the plates to style the user's hair. Multiple moving pieces makes device storage difficult and leads to longer heating times for the heated surfaces. One example of a lock used with such devices is generally located in a vertical plane, which can rotate freely to inadvertently lock the device when the device is in an unlocked position. Cumbersome locks and buttons makes it difficult to adequately store the devices when not in use.

Rotary lock member for a hair styling appliance


A corner storage device that includes a top piece that includes a left wall side, a right wall side, and a diagonal opening side. The left wall side and the right wall side together substantially form a right angle at a corner of the corner storage device, and the diagonal opening side is not parallel to the left wall side and not parallel to the right wall side. The corner storage device further includes panel guides that are coupled to the top piece and substantially parallel to each other, and storage panels that are slidably coupled to the panel guides. Each of the storage panels is configured to slide between a close position where the storage panel does not extend beyond the diagonal opening side and an open position where the storage panel extends beyond the diagonal opening side.

A home owner may own many yard and garden tools. These tools may be stored in various ways. For example, some home owners may store the tools in a shed that is separate from a house. Some other home owners may lean the tools against walls of a garage. Still other home owners may throw the tools in a pile in a corner of a garage.

Corner storage device with sliding storage panels


A bottle configured to house and dispense items. The bottle comprises a body, a finish positioned above the body, and a ramp protruding into an interior space defined by the body. The body includes a base and a sidewall extending up from the base. The body defines the interior space for housing the items. The finish presents an opening for dispensing the items from the body. The ramp is formed with a concave shape configured to support one or more of the items.

Packer bottles are largely used for pill and/or tablet housing and dispensing. Packer bottles generally have a finish on top of the bottle which retains a bottle cap. The body of the bottle is usually larger in diameter than the finish and therefore includes a shoulder to transition to the finish. When trying to dispense pills or tablets from a standard packer bottle, the pills can get caught in the upper shoulder making it difficult to dispense pills, and particularly to dispense a single pill at a time. Dispensing a single pill at a time can be especially difficult for users with limited range of motion in their fingers, such as users having arthritis. Users often resort to shaking the bottle to shift one or more of the pills or tablets just over the shoulder onto the finish. Such maneuvers risk launching the pills or tablets past the finish and out of the opening of the bottle, which is distressing, unsanitary, and can lead to the loss of pills or tablets. Such losses can be expensive due to the cost of many pharmaceuticals.
The background discussion is intended to provide information related to the present invention which is not necessarily prior art.


Methods for presenting an orientation aware application on a device are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving visual data providing an image of a physical three-dimensional environment and orientation data indicating an orientation of an actual device within the physical three-dimensional environment, and providing, for display on the actual device, a visual representation of a virtual device displaying an orientation aware application using the image of the physical three-dimensional environment. The visual representation of the virtual device appears within a simulated three-dimensional environment that is based on the orientation data indicating the orientation of the actual device within the physical three-dimensional environment. At least a portion of the area surrounding the visual representation of the virtual device includes a display of the simulated three-dimensional environment. Systems and machine-readable storage media are also provided.

1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to computing data, and more particularly to the use of a computing device to display data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Augmented reality (AR) is commonly described as a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensor input such as sound, video, graphics or global positioning system data. AR software applications, which are types of orientation aware applications, are often used on mobile devices to assist users in finding physical objects or locations in the physical world by displaying computer-generated visual objects near the physical objects or locations.
It is difficult to properly demonstrate to an audience orientation aware applications that participate in three-dimensional space, such as AR applications. Specifically, in order to properly demonstrate an orientation aware application to an audience, the audience should understand the orientation and movement of the device running the orientation aware application. This allows the audience to more accurately understand the extent to which the orientation aware application is responding to a demonstrator's movement. This understanding is difficult to achieve if a viewer in the audience does not share the same viewpoint as the demonstrator. For example, as illustrated in the setup 100 of FIG. 1, one existing approach to addressing this issue has been to employ a camera person 101 with a video camera 102 that follows behind the demonstrator 103 holding a device 105 and attempts to capture the demonstrator's point of view of an environment 106. The video feed of the camera is then displayed on a screen 107 that can be viewed by the audience. This approach, however, requires logistical coordination, an additional video camera 102, and an additional person 101 present. Additionally, the resulting demonstration is often ineffective, as it is very difficult for the video camera person to capture the demonstrator's point of view by following the demonstrator around and pointing a camera over the demonstrator's shoulder.

Orientation aware application demonstration interface


Glycosaminoglycans, including heparinases 1, 2 and 3 as well as chondroitinases AC and B from the Gram negative bacteria Flavobacterium heparinum, can be used either separately or in combination to manipulate cell proliferation. In one embodiment, heparinases are administered to degrade heparan sulfate components of the extracellular matrix, thereby allowing the heparin binding growth factors which are stored in the extracellular matrix to migrate to adjacent cells. The mobility of chemoattractant agents, growth factors and cells also can be increased by treating tissues with glycosaminoglycan degrading enzymes, both chondroitinases and heparinases. The enzymatic removal of chondroitin sulfates from cell surfaces effectively increases the availability of growth factor receptors on the cell's surface. Selectively removing heparan sulfate from cell surfaces while leaving the extracellular matrix intact, conversely, inhibits cell proliferation by down regulating the cell's response to growth factors. This is achieved by targeting heparin or heparan sulfate degrading activities to the cell surface. Targeting the heparin degrading activity can be achieved by genetically engineering a ligand binding functionality into the heparinase proteins, or by physically controlling the localized enzyme concentration through the method of administration.

The present invention describes a methodology for the use of glycosaminoglycan degrading enzymes to modulate events in the wound healing process.
Growth factors are naturally occurring polypeptides that elicit hormone type modulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. The mechanism by which these events transpire is typically initiated by the growth factor contacting specific receptors or receptor systems which are located on the cell surface. The sequence of intracellular events that occur subsequent to the receptor/growth factor interaction are responsible for mitogenic and differentiating responses by the cell. These mechanisms are not fully understood but may include activation of tyrosine kinases, nucleotide metabolism and variations in cell electrolyte levels (Burgess and Macaig, Ann. Rev. Biochem, 58:575-606, 1989).
For most cell types, events of mitogenesis and differentiation are subdued in the normal adult animal. These growth factor mediated events are more commonly associated with developing organisms, during wound healing processes or in various disease states including cancer and vascular disease. For example, the normal turnover rate of endothelial cells, including the lining of microvessels and arteries, is measured in thousands of days. During normal wound healing however, these endothelial cells proliferate rapidly, with a turnover rate of approximately five days (Folkman and Shing, J. Biol. Chem. 267(16):10931-10934, 1992). The increase in proliferation that occurs during wound healing appears to be the result of an increase in the local concentration of various angiogenic molecules, including growth factors.
The fibroblast growth factor family includes at least seven polypeptides that have been shown to stimulate proliferation in various cell lines including endothelial cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells and epidermal cells. Included in this group are acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1), basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), int-2 (FGF-3), Kaposi sarcoma growth factor (FGF-4), hst-1 (FGF-5), hst-2 (FGF-6) and keratinocyte growth factor; (FGF-7) (Baird and Klagsbrun, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 638: xiv, 1991). These molecules, and other cytokines including tissue growth factors, TGF.alpha. and TGF.beta., platelet derived growth factors, PDGF, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, GM-CSF, interleukin 3, IL-3, and platelet factor 4, PF4, share a common feature in their affinity for heparin (Clark, Dermatol. Clin. 11:647-666, 1993). Specific cell type responses also have been associated with particular factors. EGF and TGF.alpha. stimulate the proliferation of keratinocytes, TGF.beta. stimulates collagen and fibronectin synthesis, PDGF stimulates angiogenesis and granulation tissue formation and FGF-7 stimulates epithelial cell proliferation (Staiano-Coico, et al., J. Exp. Med. 178:865-878, 1993). PDGF, FGF-2 and a recently described heparin binding epidermal growth factor HB-EGF (Higashiyama, et. al., Science 251:936-939, 1991) additionally are involved in the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelial cells.
The change in a cell's metabolic state from quiescent to proliferative or migratory implies an enhanced availability of the appropriate signaling molecules in the vicinity of the cell. In principle this could result from either an increase in growth factor synthesis or the release of growth factors from storage reservoirs. In nature, both mechanisms have been observed. The expression of FGF-1, FGF-2, FGF-5 and FGF-7 are upregulated after full thickness dermal injury (Werner, et. al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89:6896) while TGF.beta., FGF-2 and PDGF synthesis increases in smooth muscle cells in response to vascular injury. Growth factors also have been detected in most solid tissues extracted from normal adult, non-wounded samples. Despite the presence of growth factors in these areas, the cells comprising them are not in a proliferative state. Apparently, growth factors are stored outside the cell in basement membranes and the extracellular matrix where they are prevented from contacting their respective cell surface receptors. In this mode they serve as an emergency supply for wound repair and blood vessel formation functions (Vlodavsky, et. al. TIBS 16:268-271, 1991).
An initial event in tissue or vessel injury may involve a mechanical dislodging of growth factors from the extracellular space, making them available to cell surface receptors where they stimulate cell proliferation and cell synthesis of additional growth factors. Alternately, cells under stress may secrete molecules which displace the extracellular growth factors from these storage reservoirs. Tumor cells have been shown to secrete degradative enzymes, including proteoglycanases, collagenases and metalloproteinases, coincident with metastasis (Nicolson Curr. Opinion Cell Biol. 1:1009-1019, 1989). In addition to facilitating tumor migration through blood vessels, the destruction of extracellular matrix components releases growth factors, thereby promoting new blood vessel formation which feeds the growing tumor mass (Folkman, et al., Am J Pathol 130:393-400, 1988).
Extracellular matrices (ECM) are multi-component structures synthesized by and surrounding various cell types including endothelial, epithelial, epidermal and muscle cells. The ECM is formed largely of collagen and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. It also contains fibronectin, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and smaller proteins. Growth factors are sequestered in these matrices by association with the glycosaminoglycan portion of the heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Heparin and heparan sulfate are polysaccharides formed of alternating hexuronic, either D-glucuronic or L-iduronic, and glucosamine, N-acetylated or N-sulfated, residues with varying sulfation patterns. Heparin extracted from porcine intestines, bovine lungs or human mast cells displays a high degree of sulfation, up to 2.6 sulfates per disaccharide unit, and a greater iduronic acid content than heparan sulfate. Conversely, heparan sulfate has a lower degree of sulfation and preferentially contains glucuronic acid in the alternating saccharide position. "Heparin like" regions of high iduronic acid and high sulfation have been associated with the bFGF binding region of heparan sulfate from human fibroblasts (Turnbull, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267(15) 10337-10341, 1992). However, the composition of heparan sulfate in the extracellular matrix has not been fully characterized.
The stimulation of cell proliferation and migration by growth factors constitutes one of the events in the wound healing process which is a multifactoral interactive process involving biochemical mediators, the extracellular matrix and parenchymal cells. The wound healing process is generally divided into three temporally overlapping phases: inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. During inflammation, blood borne cells infiltrate the wound site and release several mediating molecules including platelet derived growth factor, von Willibrand factor, thrombospondin, fibronectin, fibrinogen, 5-hydroxytryptophan, thromboxane-A2 and adenosine diphosphate (Kirsner and Eaglstein, J. Dermatol. 151:629-640, 1993). A platelet plug and thrombus are formed and provide a matrix for monocytes, fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Chemotactic molecules attract monocytes which transform into macrophages and secrete additional growth factors (Nathan and Sporn, J. Cell Biol. 113:981-986, 1991). Neutrophils may assist in this process by secreting the degradative enzymes elastase and collagenase which enhance the passage of cells through the basement membranes.
Keratinocytes and epidermal cells, which are involved in the closure of dermal wounds, migrate to the wound site during the proliferative phase. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels in response to chemoattractant and angiogenic signals (Folkman and Klagsbrun, Science 235:442-447, 1987), and fibroplasia, the accumulation of fibroblasts and formation of granulation tissue, also occurs during the proliferative phase. Tissue remodeling is accompanied by the secretion of matrix components, including fibronectin, collagen and proteoglycans which serve as a scaffold for cellular migration and tissue support. Type III collagen, synthesized in the earlier stages of wound healing, is replaced by the more permanent type I form through a process of proteolytic turnover.
Ischemia refers to the pathological condition due to the localized dysfunction of the vascular system resulting in inadequate blood supply with subsequent tissue damage. In this case revascularization, whether through the stimulation of angiogenesis or by surgical methods, must precede the normal wound healing course of the damaged tissue.
The action of enzymes which degrade components of the extracellular matrix and basement membranes may facilitate the events of tissue repair by a variety of mechanisms including the release of bound cytokines entrapped by heparan sulfate and by increasing the permeability of the matrix, thereby enhancing the mobility of mediator molecules, growth factors and chemotactic agents, as well as the cells involved in the healing process. Glycosaminoglycans are subject to degradation by a variety of eukaryotic and prokaryotic enzymes. Heparan sulfate degrading activity has been detected in platelets (oldberg et al. Biochemistry, 19:5755-5762, 1980), tumor cells (Nakajima, et al. J. Biol. Chem. 259:2283-2290, 1984) and endothelial cells (Gaal et al. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 161:604-614, 1989). These heparanase enzymes act by catalyzing the hydrolysis of the carbohydrate backbone of heparan sulfate at the hexuronic acid (1.fwdarw.4) glucosamine linkage (Nakajima et al., J. Cell, Biochem., 36:157-167, 1988). Mammalian heparanases are typically inhibited by the highly sulfated heparin form of the heparin-heparan sulfate family. However, accurate biochemical characterizations of these enzymes have thus far been prevented by the lack of a method to obtain homogeneous preparations of the molecules.
Heparin degrading enzymes also have been found in microorganisms including Flavobacterium heparinum (Lohse and Linhardt, J. Biol. Chem. 267:2437-24355, 1992), Bacteroides strains (Saylers, et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 33:319-322, 1977; Nakamura, et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 26:1070-1071, 1988), Flavobacterium Hp206 (Yoshida, et al., 10th Annual Symposium of Glycoconjugates, Jerusalem 1989) and Cytophagia species (Bohn, et al., Drug Res. 41(I), Nr. 4:456-460, 1991). Chrondoitin sulfate degrading enzymes have been isolated from several microorganisms including Flavobacterium heparinum (Michaleacci, et al., Biochem. J. 151:123, 1975), Bacteroides species (Saylers, et al. J. Bacteriol. 143:781, 1980; Linn, et al., J. Bacteriol. 156:859, 1983; Steffen, et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 14:153, 1981), Proteus vulgaris (Uamagata, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 243:1523, 1968, Suzuki, Meth. Enzymol. 28:911, 1972), Beneckea, Microcossus and Vibrio species (Kitamikada and Lee, Appl. Microbiol. 29:414, 1975) and Arthrobacter aurescens (Hiyam and Okada, J. Biol. Chem. 250:1824-1828, 1975).
F. heparinum produces three forms of heparinase, heparinase 1, heparinase 2, and heparinase 3 (heparitinase) (Lohse and Linhardt, J. Biol. Chem. 267:24347-24355, 1992). All three enzymes cleave at glucosamine (1.fwdarw.4) hexuronic acid linkages with differing degrees of specificity depending on sulfation patterns and particular hexuronic acid residue, iduronic or glucuronic, in a particular cleavage site (Desai, et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 306:461-468, 1993). F. heparinum also produces two enzymes which degrade members of the chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate family. These are chondroitin lyase AC, which degrades both chondroitin sulfate A and chondroitin sulfate C by cleaving the galactosamine (1.fwdarw.4) glucuronic acid linkage in the polysaccharide backbone and chondroitin lyase B which degrades dermatan sulfate (chondroitin sulfate B) by cleaving the galactosamine (1.fwdarw.4) iduronic acid linkage in the polysaccharide backbone. The enzymatic mechanism of the F. heparinum enzymes is through an elimination reaction, thereby differentiating them from the mammalian glycosaminoglycan degrading enzymes. Furthermore, none of the F. heparinum lyase enzymes appear inhibited by glycosaminoglycan molecules as are the mammalian enzymes.
Mammalian heparanase, partially purified from tumor cell line extracts, as well as heparinase 1 and heparinase 3 from Flavobacterium heparinum, have been shown to release .sup.125 I radiolabelled FGF-2 that had been pre-adsorbed to extracellular matrix synthesized in vitro by bovine aorta endothelial cells (Bashkin, et al. J. Cell. Physiol. 167:126-137, 1992). However, since unfractionated and low molecular weight heparin elicited a similar release of the exogenously absorbed .sup.125 I radiolabelled FGF-2, it is not clear from these reports whether the measured release was due to the enzymatic degradation of the heparan sulfate in the ECM or an ion exchange type electrolytic displacement of FGF-2 from the negatively charged heparan sulfate. The same research group reported the release of growth promoting activity from vascular smooth muscle cells by treatment with heparinase 3 and from extracellular matrix by exposure to extracts of neutrophils or lymphoma cells. However, there has been no demonstration of the release of growth promoting activity from extracellular matrix by contact with bacterial glycosaminoglycan degrading enzymes nor have these enzymes been shown to promote tissue repair or new vessel growth in vivo.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and compositions for enhancing and controlling tissue repair and new vessel growth.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide highly purified glycosaminoglycan degrading enzyme pharmaceutical compositions for use in enhancement of tissue repair and manipulation of angiogenesis.


The present invention is a gasoline additive concentrate which remains liquid at low temperatures of about 0.degree. F. which contains a fatty acid, ester or mixtures thereof in combination with an alcohol, an amine or a mixture thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gasoline additive concentrate containing solubilizers to maintain the concentrate in the liquid state at low temperatures.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,026 is directed to a method for reducing the fuel consumption in an automotive internal combustion engine by employing a gasoline fuel containing an effective fuel consumption reducing amount of an additive which is a hydroxyl-containing ester of a monocarboxylic acid and a glycol or trihydric alcohol, said ester additive having at least one free hydroxyl group.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,626 is directed to a fuel additive concentrate having an enhanced shelf life, the concentrate comprising a major amount of detergent/dispersant, a minor amount of demulsifier and an amount of solvent stabilizer sufficient to enhance the shelf life of the fuel additive package. The solvent stabilizer is formed from at least one aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and at least one alkyl or cycle alkyl alcohol wherein the solvent stabilizer composition contains more than 50 wt % aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and 10 to less than 50 wt % alcohol. The demulsifiers include organic sulfonates, polyoxyalkylene glycols, oxyalkylated phenolic resins and the like. Other components can be present in the concentrate including anti-oxidants, corrosion inhibitors, emission control additives, lubricity additives, antifoamants, biocides, dyes, octane or cetane improvers and the like. Corrosion inhibitors include dimers and trimer acids such as those produced from tall oil fatty acids, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,460 teaches a composition and method relating to diesel fuel, the fuel additive comprising an alkylene oxide condensate or the reaction product thereof and an alcohol, a monocarboxylic fatty acid and a hydrocarbyl amine or the reacting product thereof and an alkylene oxide. An additional component can be a hydrocarbyl substituted dicarboxylic acid. The fuel additive can also contain a hydrocarbon solvent such as xylene. The fuel additive is also disclosed as being useful in gasoline fuel.


A method and article to provide a three-dimensional (3-D) IC wafer process flow. In some embodiments, the method and article include bonding a device layer of a multilayer wafer to a device layer of another multilayer wafer to form a bonded pair of device layers, each of the multilayer wafers including a layer of silicon on a layer of porous silicon (SiOPSi) on a silicon substrate where the device layer is formed in the silicon layer, separating the bonded pair of device layers from one of the silicon substrates by splitting one of the porous silicon layers, and separating the bonded pair of device layers from the remaining silicon substrate by splitting the other one of the porous silicon layers to provide a vertically stacked wafer.

Vertical integration, that is, the stacking of multiple dies, has been proposed as a way to increase the density of integrated circuits. Constraints in vertical integration include the minimum thickness of each stacked component and the minimum thickness of the substrate of each component. An IC wafer may be thinned to an extent by grinding back the substrate of the IC. However, grinding can introduce unwanted stresses and dislocations on the wafer that can negatively impact IC performance and yield. An IC device wafer may typically be about 750 microns thick. However, the device layer may only be about 2-3 microns thick. A significant amount of the IC wafer, typically silicon, may therefore be unused or wasted material.

Methods of vertically stacking wafers using porous silicon


An array of memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns are provided. The array includes a first program line in a first direction, wherein the first program line is connected to program gates of memory cells in a first row of the array; a first erase line in the first direction, wherein the first erase line is connected to erase gates of the memory cells in the first row of the array; and a first word-line in the first direction, wherein the first word-line is connected to word-line nodes of the memory cells in the first row of the array.

A multiple-times programming (MTP) memory cell retains information stored in the memory cell even when the power is turned off. To create a MTP memory cell, typically, a standard CMOS-based logic process is used as a starting foundation. Next, additional process steps are incorporated into the logic process flow to create the MTP memory cell. Examples of such additional process steps include second polysilicon deposition, junction dopant optimization, etc. Integrating MTP-specific process steps into the standard CMOS-based logic process creates complications. Consequently, embedded MTP memory technologies generally lag behind advanced logic fabrication processes by several generations. For a system-on-chip (SOC) approach, which requires embedding a MTP memory, a design team typically has no choice but to accept a logic flow process usually two to three generations behind the current advanced standard logic process as well as an additional seven to eight lithographic masks in addition to that process. This prior approach not only increases the wafer cost, but it also falls short of the peak performance that the most advanced standard logic process can deliver.
Structures and fabrication methods have therefore been explored to solve the above-discussed problems. FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a conventional MTP memory cell 100, which includes transistor 102, first capacitor 104, second capacitor 106, and third capacitor 108. First capacitor 104, second capacitor 106 and third capacitor 108 share a common floating gate 110. Transistor 102 is controlled by word-line 120, which determines whether a voltage applied on bit-line 122 can be applied into memory cell 100 or not. Source line 124 is connected to transistor 104.
In one embodiment, the program and erase operations of MTP memory cell 100 are achieved by tunneling electrons into and out of floating gate 110. For example, to program MTP memory cell 100, a high voltage is applied to program gate 112, while erase gate 114 is grounded. Due to the capacitive coupling of the coupling capacitors 106 and 108, a large voltage drop is produced across the two plates of tunneling capacitor 108, resulting in a high electrical field between the two plates. When the electrical field is sufficiently high for Fowler Nordheim tunneling to occur, electrons in floating gate 110 tunnel through the insulating material between floating gate 110 and the connecting well region 116.
Conversely, by applying a high voltage to erase gate 114 and program gate 112, electrons can tunnel out of floating gate 110 to source line 124, and thus the negative charge in the floating gate is reduced.
The MTP memory cell 100 shown in FIG. 1 suffers drawbacks, however. Since erase gates of all memory cells in a column are interconnected, and program gates of all memory cells in a row are interconnected, in order to erase a selected memory, high voltages need to be applied to the respective column and row of the selected memory cell. Accordingly, all the array, in which the selected memory array is located, needs to be erased. In addition, high voltages adversely causes program disturbance to other rows and columns. Furthermore, erase gates are formed of big well regions. Erase gate well regions 118 of memory cells in a same row have to be electrically disconnected from each other since they need to be connected to different voltages. The neighboring well regions 118 in a row also need to have adequate well spacing. This results in an increase in the size of the memory cells.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved MTP memory cell and array structure having reduced program disturbance and requiring less chip area.

Taiwan Semicondcutor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A scintillator crystal represented by the following general formula (1).Ln(1-y)CeyX3:M  (1)wherein Ln(1-y)CeyX3 represents the chemical composition of the matrix material, Ln represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements, X represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of halogen elements, M is the constituent element of the dopant which is doped in the matrix material and represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Al, Zn, Ga, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Ge, Ti, V, Cu, Nb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pb, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl and Bi, and y represents a numerical value satisfying the condition represented by the following inequality (A):0.0001≦y≦1  (A).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scintillator crystal and to a radiation detector.
2. Related Background Art
Conventional radiation detectors that comprise scintillators are known as "scintillator-type radiation detectors". In such radiation detectors, radiation such as γ-rays first interact on the scintillator and generate fluorescence. The generated fluorescence is then detected by a photodetector such as a photomultiplier tube and converted to an electrical signal. The electrical signal is processed by various electronic circuits to obtain information such as the counting rate, fluorescent light quantity and time data. The obtained information is used to determine the intensity, energy and emitting position and direction of the incident radiation. Such scintillator-type radiation detectors are used in a wide variety of fields including, primarily, nuclear medicine, high energy physics, radiation control and underground stratigraphic inspection.
Scintillator-type radiation detectors generally have inferior energy discretion compared to semiconductor detectors, another known means for γ-ray detection. However, some scintillator-type radiation detectors have higher densities and effective atomic numbers than semiconductor detectors, and their response times for single rays are also shorter. It may therefore be concluded that scintillator-type radiation detectors are more suitable than semiconductor detectors for detection of high energy γ-rays, or when highly precise time data or high detection efficiency are required.
Some of the characteristics required for scintillator-type radiation detectors for γ-ray detection include high γ-ray detection efficiency, excellent energy discretion and superior time resolution. Among the characteristics required for scintillators that exhibit all of these, there may be mentioned high density and effective atomic number, large fluorescent light quantity (fluorescence intensity), a fluorescent wavelength suitable for the wavelength sensitivity of the photodetector, excellent energy resolution and a rapid fluorescence rise and short decay time.
A higher density and effective atomic number of the scintillator increases the probability of interaction between the γ-rays and scintillator and can thus increase the detection efficiency. A short fluorescent decay time results in a shorter processing time for each γ-ray thus allowing signal processing for more γ-rays in a shorter time, for a higher "time sensitivity". On the other hand, in order to increase the energy discretion of the scintillator-type radiation detector it is necessary to minimize quantum conversion in the corresponding photodetector and fluctuation during amplification in the circuit that processes the obtained electrical signal. This can only be realized with a large fluorescent light quantity (fluorescence intensity) at the fluorescent wavelength suited for the sensitivity wavelength of the photodetector.
Moreover, as mentioned above, superior energy resolution of the scintillator itself is also important. When two γ-rays interact essentially simultaneously on the scintillator, fluorescence emissions are produced from the scintillator for each γ-ray. The time resolution of the scintillator-type radiation detector may be evaluated, for example, based on distribution when statistically measuring the time variance in the electrical signal obtained from these fluorescence emissions. Superior time resolution can only be achieved by enlarging the electrical signal at the small time Δt from the instant fluorescence is produced. The conditions for the scintillator to enlarge the electrical signal include a large fluorescent light quantity, a fluorescent wavelength suited for the photodetector, a rapid rise of fluorescence and a short decay time.
A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) device in a nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus, typical of those widely used in recent years, will now be explained as an example of application of a scintillator-type radiation detector. A PET apparatus is a device that images the distribution of a drug composed mainly of a sugar, for example and containing a positron-emitting nuclide-containing species, that has been administered to the body of a subject. This type of PET apparatus can be used to detect even initial-stage cancerous masses with millimeter unit sizes.
The positrons emitted from the drug immediately bond with neighboring electrons to cause pair annihilation, whereupon a pair of annihilation γ-rays are emitted in directions 180° to each other. The γ-rays are captured simultaneously by a plurality of scintillator-type radiation detectors arranged in ring. Since the drug lies on a straight line connecting the two scintillators onto which the γ-rays are interacting, it is possible to acquire a drug distribution in the body by reconstructing an image from information based on the γ-rays.
Since the resolution of the image is of utmost importance in a PET apparatus, the size of each scintillator element must be reduced. It is preferred for diagnosis with a PET apparatus to be completed within a short period of time. In order to achieve this, it is desirable for the PET apparatus to have improved detection efficiency for annihilation γ-rays with a high energy dose of 511 keV.
In order to distinguish between scattering of annihilation γ-rays that occurs in the body and external γ-rays, it is important for the scintillator-type radiation detector to have high energy discretion. In addition, since a very brief time window exists for coincidence of the pair of annihilation γ-rays, it is preferred for the scintillator-type radiation detector to have excellent time resolution.
Scintillators are largely classified as either organic scintillators or inorganic scintillators, based on their structural materials. As inorganic scintillators there may be mentioned those employing materials such as NaI:Tl, CsI:Tl, Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO), Gd2SiO5:Ce (GSO) (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open SHO No. 62-008472 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300795), Lu2SiO5:Ce (LSO) (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2852944) and the like.
Most known among these are inorganic scintillators employing NaI:Tl as the material. Such inorganic scintillators have become the most commonly and almost exclusively used type of scintillators in the field of γ-ray detectors, since their discovery by R. Hofstadter in 1948 until the present time. Because NaI is hygroscopic it must be subjected to waterproof treatment with packaging, for example, when it is used. Such inorganic scintillators, however, have excellent cost performance and are appropriate for large crystal sizes, while their fluorescent light quantities are large and their fluorescent wavelengths are suitable for reading by photomultiplier tubes. The drawbacks of inorganic scintillators include rather low density, slow fluorescence rise and long fluorescent decay time.
Other inorganic scintillators, such as those employing CsI:Tl, have weaker deliquescence and large fluorescent light quantity compared to those employing NaI:Tl. On the other hand, the fluorescence rise time and decay time is longer than NaI:Tl, while the density is not very high. Scintillators employing BGO have very large densities and effective atomic numbers, as well as very strong deliquescence. However, such scintillators have drawbacks including low fluorescent light quantity, fluorescent wavelengths that are not suited for photomultiplier tubes, and long decay times.
Scintillators employing GSO:Ce were the first to utilize the high luminous efficiency and rapid decay of Ce. Such scintillators have rapid decay times and excellent energy resolution. However, their fluorescent light quantity is not very large and the fluorescence rise times are slow. LSO:Ce scintillators have short fluorescence rise times and decay times, with large fluorescent light quantity and fluorescent wavelengths suitable for photomultiplier tubes. These scintillators, however, are limited in their uses because of their unsatisfactory energy resolution and their very high autofluorescence due to radioactive isotopes in Lu.
For this reason, rare earth halide single crystals and rare earth alkali halide single crystals, comprising Ce as the activator are becoming a focus of interest as new scintillator materials. Previously disclosed rare earth alkali halides for use in scintillators include RbGd2Br7:Ce (for example, Nuclear Instrument And Methods In Physics Research A486 (2002) p. 208, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-508227), K2LaCl5 (for example, Nuclear Instrument And Methods In Physics Research A486 (2002) p. 208). Previously disclosed rare earth halides for use in scintillators include LaCl3 (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-500462), LaBr3 (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-523446 and Nuclear Instruments and Methods In Physics Research A486 (2002) p. 254), CeBr3 (for example, IEEE Transactions Nuclear Science, Vol. 52 (2005) p. 3157), LuI3:Ce (for example, Nuclear Instrument And Methods In Physics Research A537 (2005) p. 279), LaCl3xBr3(1-x):Ce (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-120378) and CeCl3xBr3(1-x) (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-241458). In particular, scintillators employing such rare earth halide single crystals offer the advantage of large fluorescent light quantity, excellent energy resolution and short fluorescent decay time.
Among these, LaBr3:Ce and CeBr3 have superior density, effective atomic number, fluorescent light quantity, energy resolution, fluorescence rise and fluorescent decay time for the scintillator employing the material, compared to NaI:Tl. These materials are therefore expected to become widely used in fields of scintillator-type radiation detector applications. In particular, the materials are noted for their high energy resolution and high time resolution for radiation detectors incorporating the scintillators. Scintillators employing such materials, therefore, are considered very promising for TOF-PET applications that incorporate TOF (Time of Flight) systems, which are candidates for second generation PET in nuclear medicine (for example, see International Publication Number WO 04/044613 pamphlet).
The major characteristics of inorganic scintillators employing conventional materials as explained above are listed in Table 1.
TABLE 1FluorescentFluorescentFluorescentlightpeakdecayDensityquantitywavelengthtimeMaterial(g/cm3)(photon/MeV)(nm)(ns)NaI:TI3.6738000415230CsI:TI4.53520005401000Bi4Ge3O127.138000480300Gd2SiO5:Ce6.711000044030-60Lu2SiO5:Ce7.42600042042LaBr3:Ce5.2961000360, 38015-25CeBr35.268000370, 39017

Scintillator crystal and radiation detector


The present invention relates to a product holder (1) for holding food products to be transported through a processing room comprising: a carrier frame (2) having at least a longitudinal support structure and coupling ends connected to opposite sites of the longitudinal support structure; and a container formed by at least one curved contact segment (3a, 3b) for contacting the food products, wherein the at least one curved contact segment is detachably connectable to the carrier frame. The invention further relates to a transporting device comprising the product holder of the present invention and methods for assembling and disassembling the product holder of the present invention.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a product holder for holding food products to be transported through a processing room, a transporting device for transporting food products to be subjected to a processing, the use of such transporting device and methods for assembling and disassembling a product holder.
Description of Related Art
Plural types of transporting devices for transporting food products are known. The type of food product transporting devices this invention relates to are of the type that enables less stable food products, like not completely cured sausages, to be transported through a processing space where the food products are treated. Such transporting device make use of basket type of product holders to contain the food products such that the environmental conditions can act on the food products from different sides. The acting of the environmental conditions on the food products may for example result in hardening, drying, smoking, salting, coloring, seasoning, heating and/or cooling of the food products. An example of such basket using transporting device is provided in International patent application WO 99/13729.
A general object of the invention is to provide a product holder and a transporting device for transporting food products that results in enhanced transport efficiency and/or that have enhanced possibilities in use.

Product holder for holding food products


Provided is a vinyl chloride resin composition that enables production of a vinyl chloride resin molded product that has excellent surface lubricity and can inhibit formation of voids in a foamed polyurethane molded product laminated therewith. The vinyl chloride resin composition contains a vinyl chloride resin, a plasticizer, and ether-modified silicone oil.

Vinyl chloride resins are used in a variety of applications due to generally having excellent characteristics in terms of cold resistance, heat resistance, oil resistance, and so forth.
Specifically, automobile interior materials such as a surface skin formed by a vinyl chloride resin molded product and a laminate obtained by lining a surface skin formed by a vinyl chloride resin molded product with a foamed product such as foamed polyurethane have conventionally been used in the formation of automobile interior components such as automobile instrument panels. A vinyl chloride resin molded product forming a surface skin of an automobile interior component such as an automobile instrument panel is required to display performance in terms of various aspects. For example, the surface of the molded product is required to have good lubricity and suppressed stickiness.
Attempts have been made in recent years to improve vinyl chloride resin compositions and vinyl chloride resin molded products that can suitably be used in production of automobile instrument panels and other automobile interior components.
In one specific example, PTL 1 and 2 report that by forming a vinyl chloride resin molded product using a vinyl chloride resin composition for powder molding that contains a plasticizer and silicone oil, it is possible to reduce plasticizer bleeding (ease with which plasticizer seeps to the surface) and fluff stickiness (ease with which fibrous waste adheres when the surface is wiped by cloth) of the molded product. Note that methacryloxy-modified silicone oil is used as the silicone oil in PTL 1, whereas hydroxy group-modified silicone oil (silanol-modified silicone oil) is used as the silicone oil in PTL 2.

Vinyl chloride resin composition, vinyl chloride resin molded product, and laminate


The present invention relates to replacing conductors in a high-voltage power transfer system. The method provides, for example, a method for maintaining sections of electrically conductive phases in a three-phase power conductor line, wherein the three phases are parallel and spaced apart in an ordered sequence. The phases are strung between support structures and supported above the ground. Maintenance work, which include replacement or repair, is performed on sections of the three phases without interrupting a power load in any one of the three phases and without transposing the relative positions of the phases out of their ordered sequence.

Users of large amounts of electrical power such as cities, manufacturing facilities, and other high-power users are often located quite a distance away from sources of electrical power such as hydroelectric dams and power plants. In order to deliver large amounts of power from the source of generation to the power consumers, large, high-capacity, high-voltage power lines are used.
Typically, alternating current ("AC") is generated in a three-phase configuration. For the purposes of this document, the three phases will be referred to as A, B and C phase. A phase, B phase and C phase are all transported over separate conductors. In some instances direct current (DC power) is used in which case two conductors are used and are referred to as A and C phase. Typically, the conductors are comprised of long wires supported on large support structures such as towers or power poles. The separate A, B and C phase conductors are typically attached to the same support structures on insulators.
From time to time, the power lines transporting the power may require maintenance. For example, a section of the conductor may need to be replaced, an insulator insulating the power line from the support structure may need to be replaced, or, the support structure itself may need repair or replacement. In some cases, conductors may be functioning properly, but need to be replaced by higher-capacity conductors in order to transport more power.
Typical maintenance on power lines requires that the power be shut off before the line can be worked on. High induction currents may be induced into a conductor located in the proximity of other high voltage conductors, thus creating a hazard in order to work on a particular conductor.
Shutting off the power creates a disruption of power delivery to customers. A power user may be forced to do without power during the time the power line is maintained, which is undesirable for a variety of reasons. To provide consumers power while a particular line is being worked on, the load may be shifted to other power lines to deliver the power to the end user. Unfortunately, shifting power to other transmission lines is not always possible because redundant systems may not exist, or transmission lines may already be operating at or near capacity level and not able to deliver the required power.
Previously, the applicant developed methods for conducting maintenance work on energized high voltage conductors in electrical transmission systems, such as the methods described in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,132 issued on May 19, 2009 to Quanta Associates, L.P. One of the methods taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,132 involves moving each of the conductors needing replacement to a temporary position, stringing new conductors in or near the originating positions of the old conductors, transferring the power load from each of the old conductors to each of the new conductors using transfer buses, and removing the old conductors.
However, one problem that often occurs during the execution of the methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,132 is that the movement of each of the old conductors requiring replacement to temporary positions at the same time will often result in the transposition of the conductors carrying phases A, B and C, whereby, for example, if the phases were originally arranged in the relative horizontal positions of A-B-C prior to moving the phases to their temporary positions, the relative horizontal positions may often end up in the positions B-A-C after the movement has occurred. Furthermore, in order to achieve moving all three phases to temporary positions at the same time using the methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,132, it is often necessary to utilize long jumper cables to connect the temporarily relocated section of conductor to the remaining sections, which jumper cables for one phase must necessarily cross over the conductors of another phase while carrying a power load, as illustrated in FIG. 35 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,132. These are examples of what the Applicant refers to as illegal transpositions of the phase conductors. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,132 is incorporated herein in its entirety, and is hereinafter referred to as the '132 patent.
Both scenarios described above results in the transposition of the phase conductors, leading to an imbalance in the impedances of the phase conductors and therefore, fluctuations in the voltage and current carried on the phase conductors. Such fluctuations, if large enough, will cause the protective relays to trip the breakers, causing a disruption in the delivery of power on the transmission lines being worked upon. To avoid this result, the owner of the power transmission line may choose to disable the safety relays while a live reconductoring project is underway. However, disabling the safety relays results in a risk that a sudden fluctuation in the voltage and current during the live reconductoring project may damage the transmission network.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved method to allow high voltage power transmission lines to be worked on, replaced or maintained without requiring power to stop being delivered or diverted over to other remote transmission lines, and without resulting in the illegal transposition of the phase conductors that could lead to faults in the transmission line.

Live conductor stringing, maintenance and repair method


A computer implemented method, an apparatus, and computer usable program product for identifying a defective product is provided. A data processing system identifies a product status for products comprising at least one range of serial numbers. The data processing system then narrows the at least one range of serial numbers using a range flattening algorithm. The data processing system then applies a conditional mask algorithm to the at least one range of serial numbers to narrow the at least one range of serial numbers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a data processing system and, more particularly, to a data processing system for a supply chain. Still yet more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, an apparatus, and a computer usable program product for identifying a defective product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to outsourcing and globalization, the end products of a growing number of industries include components and assemblies that are built across the globe by multiple suppliers. The situation is particularly applicable in the computer industry where end products may include many thousands of parts assembled by a tiered hierarchy of suppliers.
Problems often arise when defective components pass from one level to another in the supply chain. The situation can sometimes be further exacerbated when the defective component reaches the final system integrator. When a problem with a particular product is discovered, the supplier of that product may provide affected part fallout information in various forms such as a list of serial numbers, which may be sequential or non-sequential, batch or lot information, or a specific portion of a serial number, such as a suspect date code range. The fallout information is provided with a usability indicator which can take the form of unconditional "good" or "bad", or a conditional good or bad for certain uses, such as usability based on maximum clock speed for a defective component.
When a problem occurs with respect to a component and partial information regarding the problem is available, quick containment of the affected product is important. Without timely, robust containment and control of the affected product, defective products will be shipped to customers, thereby driving up warranty costs and directly impacting availability and customer satisfaction.
Several known solutions currently exist to provide containment of affected products. One known solution is to list each and every serial number individually in a control table and block access to the product with a "Yes" or "No" usability flag. However, in this solution, serial numbers are not always consecutive and can result in excessive setup times, thereby resulting in a possible loss of containment. Additionally, this solution requires that a user enter information into a table, and manual table loads are often prone to human error. Furthermore, the present solution does not support partial data conditions, such as a part number with a serial number starting with "01" whose range is within 10000-99999. Additionally, this solution does not support multiple conditions on the same serial number.
Another solution is to list ranges of serial numbers that are all sequential where the serial number ranges are known alphanumeric sequences. However, one issue with this solution is that the solution assumes sequential serial number ranges only and does not accommodate supplier serial number algorithms which may not be sequential. Additionally, nested serial ranges are not intuitive and are not easily implemented. Furthermore, this solution requires the list of defective products to be validated and requires management of lists for good or bad products. Moreover, this solution does not support multiple conditions in the same serial number.
Another solution is manual containment. However, this solution is extremely time consuming and people intensive. Furthermore, customers are directly impacted by any field containment, because shipment of customer orders is delayed until the manual containment is completed. Additionally, customers can also further be impacted by a defective product that potentially ships and reaches the hands of the customer before the manual containment activity is completely implemented. Additionally, simultaneous containment efforts are prone to human error and to miscommunication. Moreover, multiple conditions may be too complex to be easily analyzed manually by a person.
Each of the above solutions only allow for a one-dimensional validation of serial numbers for validation. In other words, the solution does not allows for any other conditions to be applied other than the strict identification of a serial number. Currently, a one-dimensional validation is often not fully satisfactory, and the problem is increasing as more and more products are outsourced on a part by part basis.

Multi-dimensional serial containment process

International Business Machines Corporation


This invention relates to a blocked process for producing polymers of high and low molecular weights utilizing the same polymer separator. The separator is operated in a different mode depending on the molecular weight of the polymer being produced such that the separation system is operated in flash mode for the separation of low molecular weight polymers and operated in lower critical solution temperature (LCST) mode for the separation of high molecular weight polymers.

A number of processes exist for producing polymers of varying molecular weight. One example of a polymerization process that can be used in the production of, inter alia, olefin based polymers (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene) is continuous solution based polymerization.
Continuous polymerization processing can be economically advantageous over batch polymerization for high-volume polymer production. As opposed to batch polymerization, continuous processing requires smaller equipment (e.g., feed tanks and pumps) per unit of throughput, and therefore is less capital intensive with reduced power consumption and lower total running costs.
Continuous solution polymerization generally involves the addition of a catalyst to a monomer and optionally a solvent mixture. Examples of suitable catalysts for continuous solution polymerization processes include, but are not limited to, single site transition metal catalysts, such as metallocene catalysts. Upon reaction, the formed polymer is dissolved in the polymerization medium or solvent, often along with any catalyst and unreacted monomer, frequently with the solution exiting the reactor having a relatively low polymer concentration, such as from about 3 wt. % to 30 wt. %. The product mixture is then passed to polymer concentration and finishing stages to separate the solvent and unreacted monomer from the mixture such that the desired polymer can be recovered in a usable form. The separated solvent and monomer can then later be recycled back to the reactor for re-use.
It is well known that polymer solutions can undergo phase separation at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), where both the polymer-rich phase and polymer-lean phase are either substantially liquids or supercritical fluids. This phase separation is encouraged by higher temperatures and/or lower pressures, but where the pressure is still high enough to prevent formation of a vapor phase. Accordingly, it is recognized to take advantage of this phenomenon of LCST phase separation to assist in separating the solvent and unreacted monomer from the polymer product of solution polymerization processes. The first step in this separation method involves heating the product mixture under high pressure, followed by reducing the pressure to a point where two phases (polymer-rich phase and polymer-lean phase) are formed. Of the two phases that are formed, the polymer-lean phase is rich in solvent and contains most of the unreacted monomer and contains very little polymer, whereas the rich phase is polymer rich. The denser polymer-rich phase settles to the bottom of the vessel where it is pressure fed to downstream equipment where the remaining solvent is removed. The solvent-rich phase (polymer-lean phase) overflows out the top of the separation vessel where it is cooled and recycled back to the reactor for re-use. With most polymers, the polymer-lean phase contains an extremely low polymer concentration, in an amount that does not interfere with the functioning of the solvent recycle stream.
Generally, LCST separation is the preferred method of polymer recovery for most conventional continuous solution polymerization processes, as it usually is the most energy efficient process. The benefits of the LCST separation is explained in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,881,800 and 7,163,989 both of which are incorporated by reference. However, when producing low-molecular weight polymers, for example polymers having a significant fraction of their molecular weight distribution below 10,000 g/mol, LCST may be unable to provide a clean separation between the polymer product and the solvent. Because of this, a significant fraction of the polymer product is carried overhead in the lean phase, where it can plate out and detrimentally foul equipment in the recycle solvent stream. As a result, recovery of low molecular weight polymers is generally achieved by flash vaporization of the solvent. Flash vaporization prevents the low-molecular weight polymer from being carried over in the vapor stream into the recycle solvent stream which, in turn, prevents fouling. As an example, a description of a flash vaporization separation process can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,344.
Operating conditions for flash separation and LCST operation differ primarily in the pressure under which the separation is effected (higher pressures for LCST and lower pressures for flash vaporization), which also results in lower temperatures for flash vaporization due to the greater enthalpy of a vapor phase relative to a liquid or super critical fluid (SCF) polymer-lean phase. In practice this means that production of high and low molecular weight polymers may require the use of either different polymerization plants or different separation systems. The present invention seeks to provide a flexible process and production plant that can effectively accommodate the processing of both low molecular weight and high-molecular weight polymers in the same plant and using the same separation system.

Processes and apparatus for continuous solution polymerization