Interferometers and autocorrelator based sensors are disclosed that are configured to have multiple sample arms which can be scanned and the backscattered low coherence source light from a sample resolved in a single sweep of one or more variable delays of the sensor. Borescopes and catheters capable of scanning multiple sections or areas of materials and tissues using these sensors are described.

In various fields of medicine and engineering it is often necessary to inspect surfaces that are difficult to reach. For example engine cylinders, compressors for jet aircraft engines, heat exchangers, internal organs, cavities, and arterial passageways in a patient. Biomedical imaging technology, for example, magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray computed tomography, ultrasound, and confocal microscopy can be used to inspect and characterize a variety of tissues and organs. However, there are many situations where existing biomedical diagnostics are not adequate. This is particularly true where high resolution, about 1 micron, imaging is required. Resolution at this level often requires biopsy and histopathologic examination. While such examinations are among the most powerful medical diagnostic techniques, they are invasive and can be time consuming and costly. Furthermore, in many situations conventional excisional biopsy is not possible. Coronary artery disease, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, is one important example of a disease where conventional diagnostic excisional biopsy can not be performed. There are many other examples where biopsy can not be performed or conventional imaging techniques lack the sensitivity and resolution for definitive diagnosis.
A borescope is an optical device such as a prism or optical fiber that can be used to inspect inaccessible spaces. An endoscope is an instrument for visualizing the interior of a hollow organ like a colon or esophagus. The observed part of the internal surface can be illuminated with the help of the illumination channel and the optical observation system allows investigation of the internal space surface. During inspection it may be advantageous and important to investigate lateral surface in the space.
Elements allowing a change in the direction of optical observation permit inspection inside spaces and lateral surfaces that a rigid borescope or endoscope cannot view. Endoscopes and borescopes can include a means of articulating the tip of the scope so that it bends in several directions to look around a cavity. However, in many applications, for example arteries, there is insufficient room in the cavity or conduit for articulation of the scope tip.
Rather than being flexible, a rigid endoscope can contain a mount, an optical system for observation, and a light guide. The mount and the light guide can be placed in a tube housing. The optical axes of the observation and illumination system for lateral direction are deflected at an angle with respect to the lens optical axis with the help of a prism. In order to observe the entire lateral surface along the whole transverse perimeter of the investigated cavity, it is necessary to rotate the entire endoscope housing around the axis of symmetry. Fiber optic inspection devices may contains a lens in a mount and illumination lamps installed in a housing in a lateral wall of the housing in which a window is provided. Lateral observation can be performed due to a reflection prism situated opposite the window. For panoramic observation of the walls in a space the entire housing needs to be rotated. In some instruments the illumination source must also be rotated complicating the design and operation of such a device.
Current methods for screening and diagnosis of pathologic conditions in tissue such as cancer often involve surgical biopsy of the tissue followed by histological evaluation. This procedure is not only invasive, time-consuming and expensive but often is not capable of rapid and reliable screening of a large surface such as the colon, esophagus, or stomach. Since early diagnosis and treatment tend to be critical to effective and successful treatment of these pathologies, the development of better techniques and devices for diagnosis and screening would result in improved clinical outcomes.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique which allows high resolution observation and characterization of tissue microstructure imaging with resolution on the order of microns. This technique measures detailed changes within a few millimeters of a non-transparent tissue structure. One drawback of the OCT imaging is the time required to obtain images over a sufficient area.
Optical coherence domain reflectometry ("OCDR") is an optical technique that uses a scanning Michelson interferometer in conjunction with a broadband illuminating source and cross-correlation detection. The similar technique of optical coherence tomography ("OCT") can be used for imaging with catheters.
Both OCDR and OCT use optical data collected by a single mode optical fiber to determine the morphology, physical properties and location of various types of interspersed materials or biological tissue. Typically a probe used in conjunction with either OCDR and OCT includes an optical fiber having a head at its distal tip. Alternatively, the probe is formed by inserting an optical fiber concentrically into a thin-wall flexible hypodermic stainless-steel tube and fastening it with cement. A window in the tube allows light to pass to and from the head at the tip of the optical fiber. The probe is then inserted into the tissue or organ to be examined. Light emitted by the head of the optical fiber is reflected from the adjacent body of tissue or organ. The head then collects the reflected light, also known as "back-scattered" light.
Using a Michelson interferometer in conjunction with this apparatus the morphology, properties and location of the various materials, tissue or organ elements that caused the back-scattered light are determined and an image generated to provide a real-time visual display of the device, body of tissue, or organ being examined.
However, as a typical optical fiber can only emit light and gather back-scattered light along its axial centerline, it is limited to viewing straight ahead. A view transverse to the axial centerline of the fiber can be obtained by turning or bending the head of the fiber perpendicular to its axial centerline, and this is often very difficult or even impossible in the close confines typically encountered during surgical procedures, or in examining the sides of an artery or vein.
Mounting a gradient refractive index lens or a mirrored corner cube on the head of the optical fiber can be used to obtain lateral scans. Both a gradient refractive index lens or a mirrored corner cube deflect the emitted light at an angle transverse to the axial centerline of the optical fiber, and thus provide for lateral viewing. However, these apparatus add bulk to the head of the optical fiber. For example, the diameter of an optical fiber typically used in conjunction with OCDR and OCT is on the order of about 90 microns, while the diameter of the smallest GRIN lens is about 150 microns and that of the smallest mirrored corner cube is about 125 microns. The use of either of the aforementioned optical devices thus renders some locations inaccessible and makes the optical fiber more difficult to maneuver. In addition, extremely small GRIN lenses and mirrored corner cubes are quite expensive, and very fragile. Their use thus adds to the cost of the probe, and renders it prone to malfunction.
Embodiments of the present invention are devices that include two or more sample arms and one or more variable delay reference arms, the distal ends of the sample arms collecting source light backscattered from a sample. The backscattered light collected by the distal end of each sample or sensing arm is combined with reference light and low coherence interferometric signals for each sample arm produced in a single sweep of a variable delay of the device. The interference signal produced by the interaction of reference light and backscattered light for each sample arm is measured by a detector. Optionally the one or more sample arms have an adjustable delay. The devices of the present invention may be used to characterize a material using of low coherence light backscattered from the sample. These devices eliminate the need for optical switches or rotatable structures to sequentially address independent sample arms and permit the collection of low coherence source light backscattered from several different samples or from several different locations on a single sample utilizing a single sweep of one or more adjustable delays. The interference signals from device provides information on multiple surfaces of a sample and can be used to discriminate between healthy and diseased tissue without the need for rotating the probe or translating mirrors within the probe.
In one version of the device, two or more sensing or sample arms of an interferometer are coupled to one or more reference arms. The device can be used to obtain the low coherence interferometric (LCI) signals from all of the sample arms in a single long trace or sweep of one or more reference arms; each reference arm has a variable or adjustable delay. Optionally the sample arms may include an adjustable delay. The intensity of interference between the backscattered light from the sample and light from the reference section can be measured by a detector coupled to the reference arms and sample arms.
Another version the device is a sensor that includes two or more sensing arms, and a reference section with two or more arms where each reference arm has an adjustable delay. The sensing arms and the reference arm section are capable of being coupled to one or more low coherence light sources. The reference section and sample arms are configured to resolve interference of backscattered light and reference light from the two or more sensing arms in a single trace or sweep of the variable delay of the reference section. Optionally each sensing arms has an adjustable delay. The sample and reference arms can be configured in a relationship that permits acquisition of backscattering information from a sample and that can be used to improve signal averaging and noise reduction.
In another version of the device, two or more combined reference and sensing arms or probes of an autocorrelator are coupled with a delay compensator having a variable delay. LCI signals from interference between backscatter light collected by the probes and reference light from the probes can be separated or resolved during a single sweep of the delay compensator. The probe and delay compensator can be configured in a relationship that permits acquisition of backscattering information from a sample and that can be used to improve signal averaging and noise reduction. Optionally, each probe arm has an adjustable delay. The intensity of interference between the backscattered light and reference light can be measured by a detector coupled to the delay compensator section.
The devices of the present invention may include one or more low coherence light sources or they can be coupled to one or more exchangeable or pre- existing low coherence light sources. Optionally, the devices may be used for monitoring and delivering photodynamic therapy to a tissue. An activating light source may be coupled into the sample or probe arms of the devices for photodynamic therapy of a tissue. The sensor device may include a detector or it can be connected to an existing detector to measure the intensity of interference between the reference section light and backscattered light. The detector can include or may be connected to a processor that provides an output proportional to the interference between the backscattered light and reference arm light for each sensing or sample arm.
The sensors and apparatus in various versions of the invention can be included in a variety of inspection devices including but not limited to a borescope, endoscope, or catheter probe where the interference signals from the sensor provide simultaneously, information on the surface of the of the sample, and more preferable the sensor can discriminate between healthy and diseased tissue For example, an apparatus can include a guidewire, two or more light propagating probes in proximity, such as surrounding or being enclosed by, the guidewire. The probes propagate low coherence source light from a coupler or circulator into the sample and propagate backscattered light from the sample back to the coupler or circulator. The probes are coupled to interferometer or delay compensator that permits resolution of low coherence interferometric signals from one or more of the probes in a single scan of the adjustable delay in the compensator. An optical head that can direct source light to the sample in a variety of directions can be positioned on the distal end of the device; the optical head also collects backscattered light from the sample.
The device can include probes that guide or propagate light and may include waveguides, optical fibers, or a combination of these. In addition the probes can include an internal reflector. In a various embodiments the reference arm or delay arms are located along with the detector and processor separately (remotely) from the sample or probe arms.
The various sensors and apparatus of the invention can be used to characterize objects, tissues, and material samples. The method includes contacting the material(s) with a sensor having two or more probe or sample arms. Each probe arm of the sensor can have an adjustable delay, the probe arms and reference section or interferometer coupled together and configured such that an interference between backscattered source light from the sample for two or more probe arms and reference light are resolved during a single trace of one or more variable delays of the device. Interference between backscattered source light from each probe arm and reference section light in a single trace of the reference arm is used to characterize the material.
Preferably the low coherence interferometric signals from the two or more sample or probe arm are separated from each other by an amount that permits at least partial sampling of a material or tissue into two or more areas or regions. Preferably there is complete separation of the low coherence interferometric signals from each of the sample or probe arms, however incomplete resolution may also be useful in characterizing a material. In one embodiment, the interference detected for each of the two or more probes provides a characterization of the material. For example the interference may be used to characterize the repair of damaged tissue following surgery, the detection of a disease state of a tissue, or the presence of debris in a compressor or conduit. A preferred version of the invention is to use the apparatus to detect vulnerable plaque in a patient.
Because the devices of the present invention are capable of resolving low coherence interferometric signals that result from backscattered light collected by multiple sample arms in a single trace of an adjustable delay, the invention advantageously eliminates the need for optical switches to resolve LCI signals from multiple sample arms and eliminates the need for the use of multiple interferometers. In applications requiring the collection of several LCI traces in a short period of time, either from a single region or from several regions or directions, the collection of multiple information in a single trace will reduce the time for data collection and interpretation. For example, in probing the circumference of an artery, a single trace will enable rapid identification of a radial position with vulnerable plaque as compared with healthy tissue, and enable selection of probing regions along that radial position only. The identification can be done by comparing the various components of a trace, addition and or subtraction, to quickly determine differences, common features, and provide diagnosis.
Because the sample arms and probe arms, as well as reference arms and delay compensators in versions of the invention can be coupled to existing low coherence light sources, detectors, and processors, the fabrication of removable, interchangeable, or configurable sensor devices is possible.

Single trace multi-channel low coherence interferometric sensor


A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, comprises positive and negative electrode plates, each comprising a current collector and a material mixture layer carried on each face thereof. A total thickness of the positive electrode material mixture layers on both faces of the current collector is 40 μm to 100 μm. The positive electrode plate has an electrode area of 520 cm2 to 800 cm2 per battery capacity of 1 Ah. The negative electrode material mixture layer comprises a graphitizable carbon material. A wide-range X-ray diffraction pattern of the graphitizable carbon material has a peak PX (101) attributed to a (101) crystal face at about 2θ=44 degrees, and a peak PX (100) attributed to a (100) crystal face at about 2θ=42 degrees. A ratio of an intensity IX (101) of PX (101) to an intensity IX (100) of PX(100) satisfies: 0<IX (101)/IX (100)<1.

As having high operation voltage and high energy density, non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, such as lithium-ion secondary batteries, have come into practical use as power sources for driving portable electronic instruments such as cell phones, laptop computers and video camcoders. Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries have been in the mainstream of small-sized secondary batteries and the production volume thereof is on the increase.
As a positive electrode active material of non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, a lithium-containing composite oxide with a 4V-class high voltage has been in use. Typical lithium-containing composite oxides include LiCoO2 and LiNiO2 which have a hexagonal structure, and LiMn2O4 which has a spinel structure. Among them, the mainstream one has been LiCoO2 since it has high operation voltage and high energy density.
For negative electrodes used have been carbon materials capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium ions. Among those materials, the prevailing one is a graphite material with a flat discharge potential and high specific density (capacity density).
Recently, not only the development of non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries for small-sized customer application, but the development of large-sized non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, having a large capacity for power storage, electric vehicles and the like, has been accelerated. For example, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) loaded with nickel-metal hydride batteries have already been in mass production and available in the market. Further, HEVs loaded with non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries in place of nickel-metal hydride batteries are under development.
Batteries used for HEVs and the like are required to have high input/output power performance for immediate power-assistance of an engine and regeneration of energy, and in this respect, they are significantly different from batteries for small-sized customer application. Preference is therefore given to higher output power over higher energy density. For achieving higher output power, it is necessary to minimize internal resistance of a battery. For this reason, attempts have been made not only to develop and select active materials and an electrolyte, but also to improve current collecting structure of an electrode, reduce component resistance, and make an electrode thinner and longer so as to increase a reactive area of the electrode.
In non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries for small-sized customer application, normally, a positive electrode active material comprising LiCoO2 is combined with a negative electrode active material comprising a graphite material. In large-sized non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, however, a combination of a positive electrode active material comprising another lithium-containing composite oxide besides LiCoO2 and a negative electrode active material comprising a low crystalline carbon material, such as a non-graphitizable carbon material, has been considered as promising.
Examples of negative electrode materials that have hitherto been proposed may include: a graphite material primarily used in small-sized customer application (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-260479); a non-graphitizable carbon material with low crystallinity (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-200624); and a pseudo-graphite material with a controlled graphitization degree (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-260480).
However, a graphite material has a structure of hexagonal layers regularly arranged in a c-axis direction. During charge, lithium is intercalated between the graphite layers to extend each interval of the layers, leading to expansion of the graphite. Stress to be applied to the graphite associated with the expansion becomes considerably large when charge with a large-current pulse is repeated. This causes a gradual decrease in charging capability (acceptance of charge) of the graphite, thereby increasing deterioration in battery cycles.
In charge/discharge reactions of non-graphitizable carbon, on the other hand, there occurs almost no intercalation of lithium between the graphite layers during the charge. This is because most of lithium is inserted into pores of the non-graphitizable carbon. For this reason, just a small amount of stress is applied to the non-graphitizable carbon due to the expansion and shrinkage thereof through charging/discharging. Since non-graphitizable carbon has lower conductivity than graphite carbons, however, the internal resistance thereof increases during discharge when lithium is deintercalated. This tendency becomes conspicuous especially when large-current discharge is repeated.
A pseudo-graphite material is a carbon material with a relatively high graphitization degree since the crystallite thereof in a c-axis direction has a thickness "Lc" of not smaller than 60 nm and smaller than 100 nm. Therefore, the charging capability of the pseudo-graphite material tends to decrease in almost the same manner as in the case of using graphite.
Moreover, another carbon material has been proposed wherein, in a wide-range X-ray diffraction pattern, a ratio of an intensity I (101) of a peak attributed to a (101) crystal face to an intensity I (100) of a peak attributed to a (100) crystal face satisfies: 0.7≦I (101)/I (100)≦2.2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 6-275321). Although this carbon material has a developed hexagonal layered structure, there exists slight misalignment or torsion between layers, as compared with natural graphite having a graphite structure proximate to a monocrystal. It is described that the ratio of I (101) to I (100) is preferably 0.8 or larger and that a favorable characteristic is exhibited when the ratio of I (101) to I (100) is 1.0 or larger. This proposal however does not relate to non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries with high output power. Therefore, the negative electrode and the positive electrode thereof are as thick as 180 μm and 270 μm, respectively, and the electrode area per battery capacity of 1 Ah is not smaller than 125 cm2 and not larger than 500 cm2.
Furthermore, a combination of two kinds or more of carbon materials, a spacing (d002) of which in a c-axis direction is not larger than 0.34 nm, has also been proposed (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 9-171814). It is proposed that the preferable (d002) of a carbon material having the largest mean particle size is less than 0.337 nm whereas the preferable (d002) of a carbon material having the smallest mean particle size is not smaller than 0.337 nm and not larger than 0.34 nm. However, this proposal is aimed at achieving a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery with high energy density and long cycle life, and does not relate to a high input/output power battery.
Next, charge/discharge cycle conditions of high output power non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries significantly differ from those of normal batteries for small-sized customer application. In general, a high output power non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is not sequently charged or discharged between a fully discharged state and a fully charged state. A typical charging/discharging operation of this battery is to repeat pulse charge/discharge on the second time scale with a 50-60% charged state taken as a base point. Such a battery is required to be capable of repeating pulse charge and pulse discharge with various currents from a small current to a large current.
When pulse charge/discharge are repeated for a long period of time, however, the charging/discharging capability of the electrode active material deteriorates and the capacity decreases as well as the internal resistance of the battery increases. As a result, in the application of HEVs, for example, power-assisting and regenerating capability become insufficient. Accordingly, in the technical development of high output power non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, lengthening lifetime is as important as improving output power.

Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery


Color coded signals are superimposed upon one another in order to more conveniently understand phenomenon to which the signals relate. A specific application of the technique is non-destructive eddy-current testing of tubes used in devises such as nuclear reactors for detecting anomalies such as pits, through-holes and dents. The signals generated during the eddy tests are displayed as overlapping lissajous transforms which produce distinctive color patterns for each anomaly.

When analyzing signals, it is often important to compare signals one to another visually in order to detect meaningful differences. Since these differences are frequently subtle, it is at times difficult for technical workers as well as highly trained professionals, e.g., engineers, scientists, physicians, seismologists, economists, etc. to both learn the meanings of and properly interpret displays of data that they are considering. Exemplary of such situations are the multiple, time variance signals encountered in displays such as displays for non-destructive, eddy current testing; non-destructive ultrasound testing and acoustic emission testing; multiple trace EKG displays and displays for seismology, sonar and electro-encephalography (EEG).
Exemplary of an undertaking in which it is difficult to analyze signals without considerable know-how and experience is non-destructive, eddy current testing of objects such as tubes or plates. In eddy current testing, the impedance of an eddy current probe actually changes with the probe's position in a tube or position over a test object; therefore, an eddy current signal is actually a signal that varies with position. By moving the probe through a tube, over a tube or over a test object, this spatially variant signal becomes a time variant signal. Even experienced inspectors can easily make mistakes because displays of test signals are not necessarily clear enough for an inspector to analyze signals.
When inspecting tubes, such as the heat exchange tubes used in power plants, it is time consuming and frequently difficult for even experienced eddy current inspectors to distinguish between signal wave forms representing roll stops, through-wall holes, pits, and magnetic inclusions. Roll stops introduced during fabrication and magnetic inclusions are generally considered harmless, whereas through-wall holes and relatively deep pits are hazards. In prior art approaches, magnetic inclusions and pits produce substantially similar signals in which only an inspector's considerable experience can be trusted in making a decision as to whether or not a hazard exists in a length of tubing to the extent that the length of tubing should be replaced or removed from service by plugging both ends with a resulting loss of efficiency. Replacement of a length of tubing is a time-consuming, relatively expensive undertaking which should, of course, be avoided wherever possible. However, if the heat exchanger is used with a nuclear reactor then chances cannot be taken and therefore many tubes which may be sound are replaced or removed from service upon detection of an anomaly which it is suspected of being pit, but is merely a harmless magnetic inclusion (a magnetic inclusion is the occurrence of an iron particle or other magnetic alloy particle in the wall of a tube).
Generally, these signals are displayed as "figure 8" signals, known as lissajous figures. Lissajous figures are generated by an endpoint of a vector which represents an unbalanced voltage or impedance of a bridge and therefore, variations in voltage or impedance of detector windings of a probe. When a defect appears, a "figure 8" display occurs, with the peak-to-peak amplitude of the "figure 8" determining the volume of the defect and the phase corresponding to the depth of the defect. One way to recognize and differentiate between these defects is to apply signals of different frequencies. Typically, four frequencies are used and the resulting signals are displayed on four separate portions of a computer screen to the test object so that they may be visually compared. Visually comparing the signals in four separate sections of a screen is at times difficult so there is needed an approach in which the "figure 8" signals are visually displayed so that differences which relate to anomalies may be more readily detected and understood. That there is a difficulty involved in interpreting these signals is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,274 issued Aug. 9, 1988, having the title "Machine Implemented Analysis Eddy Current Data", incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In an effort to make these signals easier to interpret, color displays have been used for strip charts as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,336 issued Feb. 17, 1987 and titled "Color Display of Related Parameters", incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Color displays have also been used with lissajous figures as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,533 issued Dec. 23, 1986 and titled "Display of Eddy Current Detector Data", incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. These displays do not improve visual representation to an extent sufficient to reduce chances of error by either experienced or inexperienced tube inspectors, but serve only to indicate which signal on the screen pertains to a specific frequency channel. This can also be accomplished without the use of color by placing each eddy current signal at a different location on one screen and having some means to label each section of the screen to indicate the frequency channel.
Improving visual representation is a concern with other signals which are indicative of many different phenomenon. Exemplary of such are the frequency signals displayed for EKGs, seismology, sonar, EECs, music, other audible signals, and an entire host of situations where anomalies are uncovered by a comparative analysis.

Method for generating and displaying complex data utilizing color-coded signals


The invention is a system for transporting highway vehicles on railway vehicles. It has rail cars positionable relative to one another at an angle of at least about 50 degrees. Each car has a deck for highway vehicles. The system has a railroad terminal with a first track with switch(es) connected to spur(s) so trucks supporting a first set of car ends may be kept on the first track, while a second set of trucks supporting a second set of car ends is placed on the spur(s). The rail cars are thereby placed in a zig-zag configuration. For each of the rail cars, a truck supporting one end remains on the first track while a truck supporting the other end is placed on a spur. A vector parallel to the direction of travel of a truck along the tracks supporting it has a vector component of at least about 0.25 in a direction parallel to the centerline of a railway vehicle supported on the truck, so forces for moving rail cars into and out of the zig-zag configuration may be communicated by tension or compression along the rail cars. The terminal has a dock or ramp having an elevation about equal to the elevation of the rail cars so that highway vehicles may be driven or pulled onto or off the rail cars. The terminal has a roadway or other driveable path to an external highway system.

In general, the most efficient point-to point transportation of freight combines the best features of the railroad system and the highway system. Highway vehicles are preferred for reaching most individual addresses, because of the ubiquity of the highway system. However, for long distance transportation, where cost per ton-mile is very important, the railroad system is the most efficient.
One method of exploiting the advantages of the two systems is to use highway vehicles to pick up freight at specific addresses, and then to load the highway vehicles onto railroad vehicles for long distance transportation. Subsequently, in the vicinity of the destination, the highway vehicles are off-loaded, and used to carry the freight to the final addresses.
Most commonly, the highway vehicles are tractor trailer combinations. After picking up freight at specific addresses, the tractor-trailer combinations are driven to terminals, where the trailers are uncoupled from the tractors and placed on railroad vehicles. The trailers are then carried on the railroad vehicles to terminals close to the intended destinations for the freight. The trailers are then removed from the railroad vehicles, connected to tractors and are then pulled to their destinations.
One method of loading the trailers onto railroad vehicles is to lift them by machinery such as cranes or forklifts. The required machinery for lifting the loaded trailers is very large and expensive, and the method cannot readily be used for trailers such as tankers without the addition of a large amount of structure to such trailers. This approach considerably increases the ton-miles to be carried.
Another approach to loading and unloading of highway trailers onto railway vehicles is "circus loading". In this procedure, a consist of coupled railroad cars, which may be, for example, flat cars or box cars, are moved into a position in which one end of the consist is adjacent a dock for motor vehicles. Plates are positioned on the railway vehicles so as to provide a continuous roadway between coupled railway vehicles. Tractors are used to back the trailers, one at a time, down the line of railway cars. As each trailer reaches its intended location in the train, it is uncoupled, and the tractor is then driven off. A consist including a locomotive then pulls the consist on which the trailers are carried to a destination terminal. At the destination terminal, the consist carrying the trailers is again positioned adjacent a dock for motor vehicles. Tractors are backed down the line of railroad cars, coupled to the trailers, and used to pull the trailers off the consist of railway vehicles. As during the loading operation, this also must be done one at a time. Each trailer must be secured to the railway vehicle on which it is placed, for example, by stanchions attached to the railway vehicle.
Since the procedures cited above have major disadvantages, including the disadvantages mentioned, various other methods of loading trailers onto and removing trailers from railway vehicles have been contemplated, and some of these have been employed.
One approach is to use a platform structure which is permanently attached to a railroad flatcar by a pivot which has a vertical axis. The platform structure is used for supporting a highway trailer vehicle. The platform structure may be swung about the vertical pivot to a position at an angle to the flat car that so a trailer can be moved from a dock adjacent the flat car onto the platform structure. The platform structure can then be rotated to a position parallel to the railroad vehicle for travel. Examples are U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,079 and PCT publication number WO 91/07301. One disadvantage of this approach is that the weight of the platform structure must be transported with the trailer. Another disadvantage is that the structure elevates the trailer, causing clearance problems and center of gravity problems.
An approach similar to the above employs a rotary loader attached to the dock. It is rotated so a portion of it is extended over the railway vehicle so trailers can be moved on and off of the railway vehicles. This is U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,652.
Another approach is to use a moveable ramp, which can be moved along the edge of a dock adjacent the railway vehicles, and extend bridges to a position oblique to the railway vehicles and the edge of the dock so that trailers can be moved onto and off of the railway vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,393 employs this approach.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,580 provides an approach in which a consist of railway vehicles has, for each pair of adjacent railway vehicles, a common bogie supporting the adjacent ends of the two railway vehicles. The bogie is supported on two trucks, each truck having two axles. The consist is moved along a spur track which has a switch which is used to switch every other bogie onto a supplemental spur track, but to leave the remaining bogies (which alternate with the switched bogies) on the first spur. The second spur curves away from the first spur, and then curves back to run parallel to the first spur. The distance between the parallel portions of the two spurs is equal to the distance between end pivots of each of the railway vehicles. A loading dock is provided alongside each of the two spurs. The railway vehicles are moved onto the spurs until adjacent railway vehicles are parallel to each other in a jack-knifed relationship. In that configuration, they are positioned perpendicular to the loading docks, the bogies and both of the spur tracks. When the railway vehicles are in that position, trailers can be pulled from the docks onto the railway vehicles. Energy storage means are required so that the railway vehicles can be moved out of the jack-knifed configuration. This approach probably has severe problems placing the railway cars in the jack-knifed position, and bringing them out of the jack-knifed position, since tractive forces applied by a locomotive would be perpendicular to the bogies and would tend to topple them off the tracks, rather than move the bogies along the tracks. Also, this arrangement of bogies supported on trucks would waste considerable space between adjacent cars, and would add considerable weight to the rail-borne portions of the system.

Roll on-roll off piggyback bimodal terminal system


An all NPN transistor level-shifting differential amplifier has first and second identical amplifier halves, in which each amplifier half includes a passive voltage-shifting network coupled between a load and a current source. A main amplifier has a single-ended voltage input and an output coupled to the first node of the voltage shifting network. An output amplifier has a single-ended current output and an input coupled to the second node of the voltage shifting network. The main amplifier and output amplifiers are coupled together such that a portion of the bias and signal currents flowing through the output amplifier is reused and flows through the main amplifier, reducing bias current and power requirements. The first and second amplifier halves are coupled together with a gain-setting emitter resistor. In addition to reducing the power requirements of the amplifier, the feedback configuration of the level-shifting amplifier also increases linearity over prior art level-shifting amplifiers.

This invention relates generally to differential amplifiers and more particularly to precision linear differential amplifiers with internal level-shifters, allowing fabrication with only NPN bipolar transistors in the signal path.
A prior art level-shifting amplifier 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The differential amplifier 10 can be fabricated in a semiconductor process that has only NPN bipolar transistors, due to the level-shifting networks. Signal carrying PNP transistors are not required. A main differential amplifier includes transistors Q1 and Q2, load current sources I1 and I2, a gain-setting emitter resistor R1, and a differential input formed by single-ended inputs Inputn and Inputp at circuit nodes 12 and 14. The collector of transistor Q2 is coupled to a level-shifting network including capacitor C1 and resistor R4, and to an input and collector node of an output amplified including transistors Q5 and Q6, current sources I5 and I6, and load resistor R5. An identical level-shifting network including capacitor C2 and resistor R2 is coupled to the collector of transistor Q1. An identical output amplifier includes transistors Q3 and Q4, current sources I3 and I4, and load resistor R3. The differential output for amplifier 10 is formed by the single-ended outputs Outn and Outp of each of the output amplifiers at circuit nodes 16 and 18. The level-shifting networks R2, C2 and R4, C1 shown in amplifier 10 of FIG. 1 are commonly known as an "Addis level-shifters." Each level shifter voltage shifts the output of the main differential amplifier down by a voltage equal to I3.times.R2 and I5.times.R4, which are normally made to be equal. The output voltage can be shifted down to be equal to or less than the input voltage such that numerous stages can be cascaded together without saturation. The operation of amplifier 10 is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,790 to Addis, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The main differential amplifier including transistors Q1 and Q2 can be replaced with a Cascomp amplifier, a cascoded amplifier, or one of several other commonly used configurations. The input signal in each of these amplifier configurations generates a signal current through an emitter coupling resistor R1, which in turn flows through transistors Q1 and Q2. In addition, this signal current flows through transistors Q3-Q6 in the output amplifiers. As a result, sufficient standing current must be maintained by current sources I4, I6, I7, and I8 such that the full signal current dynamic range does not shut off any transistor. Typically, current sources I4 and I6 have a value that is slightly more than twice the value of current sources I7 and I8. The bias currents I4 and I6 are set to equally split the current flowing in transistors Q3-Q4 and Q5-Q6 when no signal is applied. In addition to the large standing current requirement of the differential amplifier 10, the level-shifting networks and configuration of the output amplifiers provide no benefit to the linear accuracy of the main amplifier.
Accordingly, a need remains for an all NPN level-shifting differential amplifier having lower standing current requirements and greater linear accuracy that the prior art amplifier shown in FIG. 1.


The present invention provides a method for examining a foreign matter derived from a living body in quality control for production of various products in order to rapidly identify an individual from whom a living body-derived material contaminated as a foreign matter in products or facilities involved in production of the products was derived, while securing the secret of information on nucleic acid sequences unique to individuals. The method for examining a foreign matter derived from a living body includes identifying an individual from whom a living body-derived material contaminated as a foreign matter in products or facilities involved in production of the products was derived, on the basis of information on sequences of nucleic acid contained in the living body-derived material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of quality control for production of various products, and to a method for examining a foreign matter derived from a living body in order to identify an individual from whom a living body-derived material contaminated as a foreign matter in products or facilities involved in production of the products was derived. Particularly, the present invention relates to a technique of quality control for production of foods or the like whose qualities are significantly influenced by contamination of such products with a living body-derived material such as hair as a foreign matter.
2. Disclosure of the Related Art
It is generally known that upon contamination of foods or the like with a living body-derived foreign matter such as hair, the qualities of such products are significantly deteriorated. However, identification of the origin of the contaminating foreign mater has been regarded as difficult and not generally performed.
On the other hand, identification of individuals on the basis of DNA sequences contained in living body-derived materials such as hair is actively performed in recent years in the fields of forensic medicine and forensic science, and identification by DNA for the purpose of parentage test or the like is performed by private enterprises.
However, application of information on DNA sequences to quality control in production of various products has never been performed.

Method of examining foreign matter derived from living body


A mobile terminal accesses global DNS server using a URI of a resource in an intranet. The global DNS server returns an IP address of an intranet domain access resolver. The mobile terminal connects to the intranet domain access resolver using the IP address and transmits a portion of the URI. The intranet domain access resolver encodes information received from the mobile terminal and generates a new URI and returns the new URI to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal uses the new URI to access the intranet via a gateway based on an information item obtained by decoding the original URI.

Recently, in order to increase convenience for business, office workers tend to carry mobile terminals such as smartphones when the office workers leave the office. However, mainly because of security reasons, typically, mobile terminals are not allowed to access intranets of companies. In other words, only limited mobile applications can access resources provided in the intranets, and URIs of the resources provided in the intranets are not accessible from outside of the intranets.
For example, in a mobile terminal, a URI link for an intranet web SNS document that is embedded in an email or chat message is unusable.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-183596 discloses a server system for electronic commerce in a web business. In the server system, in order to quickly perform transmission or distribution of information items, an i-mode service, a www server, a private authentication server, and an authentication agent server are configured in accordance with the purpose of use. A virtual URL in which a real address is masked is issued for a highly confidential process, and a client returns an email in a predetermined time period to settle accounts.
However, the virtual URL proposed here is a URL issued by an authentication server for authentication in commerce, and is unusable for the purpose of accessing a resource provided in an intranet.
Using a conventional VPN/proxy technique for a mobile terminal in order to allow the mobile terminal to access a resource provided in an intranet is not allowable in terms of typical security policies. The reason for this is that using of the conventional VPN/proxy technique also makes it possible for other unreliable applications on the mobile terminal to access the resource provided in the intranet.

System and method for accessing information

International Business Machines Corporation


A computer file system for managing data storage resources is provided. The system comprises storage server configured to receive data file from a client application, modify the file name to include an expiration stamp, upload the at least one data file to the data storage device, generate a file link associated with the at least one data file, and transmit the file link to the client application, wherein the at least one data file is retrievable by the end user via the file link. A maintenance server is communicatively coupled to the data storage device, the maintenance server configured to execute an erase operation to autonomously erase the at least one data file from the data storage device based on the expiration stamp.

The operation of a file system produces vast quantities of data that need to be stored. To provide the data storage, file systems typically have a storage infrastructure that includes a wide array of storage equipment (physical hardware and memory) and file management software. Typically, the storage equipment and software can be provided by a diverse set of suppliers. Each supplier can have their own management system for their products. Unfortunately, the result is a complex set of storage equipment and software with numerous individual management systems. In a large file system, this type of complex storage infrastructure is difficult and expensive to manage and often results in inefficient use of computing resources in terms of both the use of the physical storage equipment and the use of processor resources to implement the various file management systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for a specialized computer file system


A game device regularly transmits communication status information to communication partners thereof, the communication status information indicating whether or not communication between the game device and each of the communication partners is possible. If, when the game device receives from each of the communication partners the communication status information about said each of the communication partners, the communication status information about any of the communication partners indicates a particular game device as being unable to perform communication, the game device updates the communication status information about the game device such that the communication status information about the game device indicates the particular game device as being unable to perform communication. When the communication status information about all of the communication partners indicate a particular game device as being unable to perform communication, the game device ceases communicating with the game device.

Network game systems can be roughly categorized into two types, i.e., client/server type network game systems and peer-to-peer network game systems.
In a client/server type network game system, each user terminal is connected to a game server as a client, and the game server mainly performs game processes to execute a game. In the client/server type network game system, the greater the number of user terminals connected to the game server, the greater is the processing load on the game server. For this reason, the game server is required to have high capacity. This leads to a high cost of constructing the network game system, which is a disadvantage of the client/server type.
On the other hand, in a peer-to-peer network game system, basically, a game is executed through communications performed among user terminals. For this reason, a game server having high capacity, which is necessary for the client/server type network game system, is not necessary. In addition, data transfer among the user terminals is not required to be performed via a game server. Therefore, the peer-to-peer network game system is suitable for executing a game requiring real-time processing such as a racing game. An exemplary peer-to-peer network game system is disclosed in a non-patent document 1 (Jung Wun-Chul, "Online Game Programming", SOFTBANK Publishing Inc., Mar. 3, 2005, first edition, pp. 218-222).
Although the above non-patent document 1 discloses a manner of connecting a user terminal to the peer-to-peer network, the non-patent document 1 does not disclose a manner of disconnecting from the network a user terminal whose connection status to the other user terminals in the network is unstable or which is in a state of connection-disabled.
Unlike the client/server type network game system, the peer-to-peer network game system has a feature in which user terminals each individually perform arithmetic processing in accordance with signals received from the other user terminals. For this reason, if, in the game system, each user terminal freely ceases communicating with a user terminal whose connection status to said each user terminal is unstable or which has been unable to communicate with said each user terminal for a predetermined period of time, a status of a game commonly executed by the user terminals is differently displayed on a screen of each of the user terminals. This may cause a significantly negative effect on a progress of the game.
For example, if, in a peer-to-peer network game system comprising four game devices A to D as shown in FIG. 27, a failure occurs on a communication line between the game devices A and B, the game device A continues to perform game processes in accordance with game data of the game device A and game data transmitted from the game devices C and D, since the game device A cannot receive game data from the game device B. In such a case, however, the game device C continues to perform game processes in accordance with game data of the game device C and game data transmitted from the game devices A, B and D. This consequently causes a difference between a result of the game processes performed by the game device A and a result of the game processes performed by the game device C.
Therefore, a feature of certain exemplary embodiments is to provide a network game system capable of disconnecting from a user terminal whose connection status to the other user terminals in the network is unstable or which is in a state of connection-disabled, thereby solving the above-described problem in the conventional peer-to-peer network game system, i.e., preventing a status of a game commonly executed by user terminals in the game system from being differently displayed on a screen of each of the user terminals.
Certain exemplary embodiments have the following aspects to achieve the feature mentioned above. Note that reference numerals and the like indicated between parentheses are merely provided to facilitate the understanding of certain exemplary embodiments in relation to the drawings, rather than limiting the scope of the certain exemplary embodiments in any way.
A first aspect of certain exemplary embodiments is a computer-readable storage medium for storing a game program (20) which is, in a game system in which a plurality of game devices (10) transmit and receive game data to and from each other and each of the plurality of game devices performs game processes by using the game data received from other game devices, executed by each of the plurality of game devices. The game program causes a computer (11) of each of the plurality of game devices to function as communication partners list addition means (S12), communication status determination means (S30), first communication status information update means (S32), communication status information transmission means (S38), communication status information reception means (S16), second communication status information update means (S36) and communication partners list deletion means (S42). The communication partners list addition means is for, when another game device is newly connected to a network, to which said each of the plurality of game devices belongs, as a new communication partner, adding the new communication partner to a communication partners list (21) which is a listing of communication partners of said each of the plurality of game devices, the communication partners list being retained in a storage section (12) of said each of the plurality of game devices. The communication status determination means is for determining, based on a reception status (23) a signal from each of the communication partners, whether or not a communication between said each of the plurality of game devices and each of the communication partners is possible. The first communication status information update means is for, based on a determination result provided by the communication status determination means, updating as necessary a piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of game devices (22a) which is retained in the storage section and which shows whether or not the communication between said each of the plurality of game devices and each of the communication partners is possible. The communication status information transmission means is for regularly transmitting the piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of game devices (22a) to the communication partners. The communication status information reception means is for receiving, from the communication partners, pieces of communication status information about the communication partners (22b), and storing the pieces of communication status information in the storage section. The second communication status information update means is for referring to the pieces of communication status information about the communication partners received by the communication status information reception means, and, when any of the pieces of communication status information about the communication partners indicates that a particular game device which is one of the communication partners is unable to perform communication, updating the piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of communication devices (22a) such that the piece of communication status information indicates that the particular game device is unable to perform communication. The communication partners list deletion means is for referring to the piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of game devices (22a) and the pieces of communication status information about the communication partners (22b) which are retained in the storage section, and, when all pieces of communication status information indicate that a particular game device which is one of the communication partners is unable to perform communication, deleting the particular game device from the communication partners list (21).
As a modification example of the first aspect, the game program may further cause the computer of each of the plurality of game devices to function as: game data transmission/reception means (S38, S16) for transmitting and receiving the game data to and from each of the communication partners specified by the communication partners list; and game processing means (S23) for performing game processes in accordance with the game data received from each of the communication partners by the game data transmission/reception means.
As another modification example of the first aspect, the game data transmission/reception means may regularly transmit and receive the game data.
As still another modification example of the first aspect, the piece of communication status information about each of the plurality of game devices is transmitted to any of the communication partners by the communication status information transmission means of said each of the plurality of game devices at a same time when the game data is transmitted to said any of the communication partners by the game data transmission/reception means of said each of the plurality of game devices.
As still another modification example of the first aspect, the piece of communication status information about each of the plurality of game devices may contain a list showing, from among the communication partners of said each of the plurality of game devices which are listed in the communication partners list, only communication partners which have been determined by the communication status determination means as being able to perform communication (FIG. 7A).
As still another modification example of the first aspect, the communication status determination means may measure an elapsed time from a last reception of a signal from each of the communication partners, and may determine, based on whether or not the elapsed time has reached a predetermined period of time, whether or not a communication with said each of the communication partners is possible.
A second aspect of certain exemplary embodiments is a game device used in a game system in which a plurality of game devices (10) transmit and receive game data to and from each other, and each of the plurality of game devices performs game processes by using the game data received from other game devices. The game device comprises communication partners list addition means (11, S12), communication status determination means (11, S30), first communication status information update means (11, S32), communication status information transmission means (11, S38), communication status information reception means (11, S16), second communication status information update means (11, S36) and communication partners list deletion means (11, S42).
A third aspect of certain exemplary embodiments is a game processing method which a plurality of game devices, which transmit and receive game data to and from each other, each execute by using the game data received from other game devices. The game processing method comprises: a communication partners list addition step of, when another game device is newly connected to a network, to which each of the plurality of game devices belongs, as a new communication partner, adding the new communication partner to the communication partners list which is a listing of communication partners of said each of the plurality of game devices, the communication partners list being retained in a storage section of said each of the plurality of game devices; a communication status determination step of determining, based on a status of receiving a signal from each of the communication partners, whether or not a communication between said each of the plurality of game devices and each of the communication partners is possible; a first communication status information update step of, based on a determination result provided at the communication status determination step, updating as necessary a piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of game devices which is retained in the storage section and which shows whether or not the communication between said each of the plurality of game devices and each of the communication partners is possible; a communication status information transmission step of regularly transmitting the piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of game devices to the communication partners; a communication status information reception step of receiving, from the communication partners, pieces of communication status information about the communication partners, and storing the pieces of communication status information in the storage section; a second communication status information update step of referring to the pieces of communication status information about the communication partners received at the communication status information reception step, and, when any of the pieces of communication status information about the communication partners indicates that a particular game device which is one of the communication partners is unable to perform communication, updating the piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of communication devices such that the piece of communication status information indicates that the particular game device is unable to perform communication; and a communication partners list deletion step of referring to the piece of communication status information about said each of the plurality of game devices and the pieces of communication status information about the communication partners which are retained in the storage section, and, when all pieces of communication status information indicate that a particular game device which is one of the communication partners is unable to be perform communication, deleting the particular game device from the communication partners list.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, each of the plurality of game devices in the game system ceases communicating with a game device which is currently unable to communicate with said each of the plurality of game devices only when said each of the plurality of game devices has confirmed, based on the communication status information received from the communication partners, that all of the communication partners specified by the communication partners list of said each of the plurality of game devices are prepared to cease communicating with the game device. This prevents, in a peer-to-peer network game system, e.g., the occurrence of a situation in which one game device performs game processes in accordance with game data received from three game devices, and another game device performs game processes in accordance with game data received from four game devices. Thus, differences are prevented from occurring among results of the game processes performed by the user terminals.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Felting assembly for a sewing machine. In some embodiments, a felting assembly may include a felting needle clamp including one or more felting needles. The felting assembly may also include a needle plate defining one or more needle openings arranged to allow the one or more felting needles to reciprocate therethrough. The needle plate may be configured to be attached to a sewing machine over a rotary hook of the sewing machine. The felting assembly may also include a connector configured to attach the felting needle clamp to a needle bar of the sewing machine such that the felting needle clamp is offset from the rotary hook of the sewing machine to avoid the one or more felting needles from contacting the rotary hook when the one or more felting needles are reciprocated through the one or more needle openings in the needle plate.

Sewing machines generally function to form a row of stitches in one or more layers of fabric using a combination of thread from a spool, also known as top thread, and thread from a bobbin, also known as bottom thread. A sewing machine generally operates using a sewing needle threaded with the top thread and a bobbin threaded with the bottom thread. Once threaded, the sewing machine generally forms a row of stitches by repeatedly reciprocating the sewing needle through the one or more layers of fabric while simultaneously rotating a rotary hook connected to the bobbin thread underneath the one or more layers of fabric.
During operation, sewing machines are generally configured either to remain stationary during operation or to be repositioned during operation. Stationary sewing machines (sometimes also referred to as sit-down sewing machines) are generally configured to remain stationary while a user repositions one or more layers of fabric in a desired direction underneath the needle. Maneuverable sewing machines (sometimes also referred to as stand-up sewing machines) are generally configured to be mounted upon a sewing machine carriage, while one or more layers of fabric are mounted in a stationary frame, to allow a user to reposition the sewing machine needle in a desired direction over the fabric.
Like a sewing machine, a felting machine also includes one or more reciprocating needles, but instead of a threaded sewing needle configured to sew a row of stitches, a felting machine includes one or more felting needles configured to mesh layers of fabric together by pressing and pulling fibers between the layers of fabric using barbs on the felting needles. In some applications, the fibers mingle to create new color and texture combinations that cannot be achieved with embroidery, applique, or other kind of needlework. For example, a felting machine may function to incorporate fibers from a first layer of material into a second layer of material by using the barbs on felting needles to press fibers from the first layer into the second layer and/or to pull fibers from the first layer into the second layer.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


A chin rest is arranged to include a housing having a top wall to include a pad member mounted therein. The housing includes first and second leg tubes mounted to opposed ends of the housing, that in turn include first and second respective extension legs that are provided with support pads to position the organization relative to an underlying support surface permitting an individual to rest the chin thereon during reading and other events when the individual is in the supine position.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to support apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved chin rest apparatus wherein the same is arranged to provide for a head rest in use relative to a book reading event and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A head rest structure as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,203 to Younger, wherein the organization is provided for a rest for the individual's head, wherein the instant invention provides for a concave alignment surface relative to a top surface of the base of the invention to provide for positioning an individual's chin in comfort as opposed to the head portion of the invention and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A planarization method includes providing a second and/or third row Group VIII metal-containing surface (preferably, a platinum-containing surface) and positioning it for contact with a polishing surface in the presence of a planarization composition that includes a complexing agent.

Films of metals and metal oxides, particularly the heavier elements of Group VIII, are becoming important for a variety of electronic and electrochemical applications. This is at least because many of the Group VIII metal films are generally unreactive, resistant to oxidation or retard the diffusion of oxygen, and are good conductors. Oxides of certain of these metals also possess these properties, although perhaps to a different extent.
Thus, films of Group VIII metals, their alloys, and metal oxides, particularly the second and third row metals (e.g., Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Pd, and Pt) have suitable properties for a variety of uses in integrated circuits. For example, they can be used in integrated circuits for barrier materials, for example. They are particularly suitable for use as barrier layers between the dielectric material and the silicon substrate in memory devices. Furthermore, they are suitable as the plate (i.e., electrode) itself in capacitors.
Platinum is one of the candidates for use as an electrode for high dielectric capacitors. Capacitors are the basic charge storage devices in random access memory devices, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, static random access memory (SRAM) devices, and now ferroelectric memory (FE RAM) devices. They consist of two conductors, such as parallel metal or polysilicon plates, which act as the electrodes (i.e., the storage node electrode and the cell plate capacitor electrode), insulated from each other by a dielectric material (a ferroelectric dielectric material for FE RAMs). Thus, there is a continuing need for methods and materials for the processing of Group VIII metal-containing films, preferably, platinum-containing films.
Many surfaces that result during the formation of Group VIII metal-containing films, particularly in the wafer fabrication of semiconductor devices, do not have uniform height, and therefore, the wafer thickness is also non-uniform. Further, surfaces may have defects such as crystal lattice damage, scratches, roughness, or embedded particles of dirt or dust. For various fabrication processes to be performed, such as lithography and etching, height non-uniformities and defects at the surface of the wafer must be reduced or eliminated. Also, excess material may need to be removed to form a structure with selectivity relative to the underlying substrate. Various planarization techniques are available to provide such reduction and/or elimination. One such planarization technique includes mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical polishing (abbreviated herein as "CMP").
The process of planarization is used to remove material, and preferably achieve a planar surface, over the entire chip and wafer, sometimes referred to as "global planarity." Conventionally, the process of planarization, and particularly CMP, involves the use of a wafer holder that holds a wafer, a polishing pad, and an abrasive slurry that includes a dispersion of a plurality of abrasive particles in a liquid. The abrasive slurry is applied so that it contacts the interface of the wafer and the polishing pad. A table or platen has a polishing pad thereon. The polishing pad is applied to the wafer at a certain pressure to perform the planarization. At least one of the wafer and a polishing pad are set in motion relative to the other. In some planarization processes, the wafer holder may or may not rotate, the table or platen may or may not rotate and/or the platen may be moved in a linear motion as opposed to rotating. There are numerous types of planarization units available which perform the process in different manners. Alternatively, the polishing pad and abrasive slurry may be replaced by a fixed abrasive article that includes a plurality of abrasive particles dispersed within a binder adhered to at least one surface of a backing material.
The planarization of a surface that includes platinum and other Group VIII metals typically involves more mechanical than chemical action during a polishing process because they are relatively chemically inert and/or have relatively few volatile produces. Such mechanical polishing uses alumina and silica particles. Unfortunately, mechanical polishing tends to cause the formation of defects (e.g., scratches and particles), both of which can be detected optically, rather than the clean removal of the platinum. Also, many commercially available abrasive slurries do not effectively planarize platinum or other Group VIII metal-containing surfaces either because no material is removed (which results in no change in resistance of the wafer) or the resultant surface has defects therein. For example, those abrasive slurries available under the trade designations KLEBOSOL 1508-50 and 30H50 and GRANITE MSW2000 (all available from Rodel, Phoenix, Ariz.), and other alumina-based slurries do not effectively remove platinum, although GRANITE MSW2000 does remove ruthenium and platinum, it leaves the surface with significant scratches and other defects and is not selective to the underlying substrate resulting in not being able to maintain the structure required. Certain of these compositions are believed to contain an oxidizer, although relatively large amounts (e.g., greater than about 10 weight-%) are typically included.
Thus, there is still a need for methods for planarizing an exposed surface of a substrate that includes platinum and/or other Group VIII metals, particularly in the fabrication of semiconductor devices.

Methods for planarization of Group VIII metal-containing surfaces using complexing agents


A microbe scanning device and methods are disclosed. The device includes a housing that includes a sensor(s), output device(s) that conveys text/audio/images, and control circuit(s) coupled to the sensor(s) and output device(s). the sensor captures first ASD and second ASD. The first and second ASD each includes an image of an appendage captured using one or more of radio waves, visible light (“VL”), and infrared light (“IR”). The control circuit is configured to determine, using ASD, whether a user is present; determine, using ASD, whether hands are present when the user is present; determine, using ASD, whether microbiol material is present on the hands; generate a notification when the microbial material is present on the hands; transmit, via the output device, the notification; generate a notification when the microbial material is not present on the hands; and transmit the second notification when generated.

Diseases such as the coronavirus disease 2019 ("Covid-19"), severe acute respiratory syndrome ("SARS"), bird flu (also called "avian influenza"), etc. have arguably resulted in an increase in societal public health concerns. To be sure, it is well-known that proper hand hygiene is essential to reduce the transmission of germs and bacteria from person to person. Public health issues can arise in areas where the public interacts frequently, which can potentially lead to an increase in the spread of germs and bacteria (e.g., medical facilities, food service industries, and other relevant or similarly related locations). Society often promotes proper hand hygiene using signages and other physical reminders in public (e.g., near a bathroom sink, door, entrance, and/or exit) to engage people on hand hygiene and public health issues.
Hand sanitizers (e.g., using wall-mounted units) are often utilized in public bathrooms for users; unfortunately, some individuals ignore societal norms of sanitizing their hands prior to exiting. Even more, current solutions to enforce hand sanitation can be incapable of regulating and monitoring individuals that are required to maintain proper hand hygiene.
Unless otherwise specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Microbe scanning device and methods thereof


A light guide element and a lighting fixture are described. The light guide element includes a light guide body, first microstructures and second microstructures. The light guide body includes a first light-emitting surface and a second light-emitting surface opposite to and parallel to each other. The first microstructures are disposed on the first light-emitting surface in rows. The second microstructures are respectively corresponding to the first microstructures and are disposed on the second light-emitting surface. In each of the rows, each of the first microstructures laps over the corresponding second microstructure in part in a normal direction of the first light-emitting surface. Overlapping ratio of the first microstructures and the corresponding second microstructures become greater from one end of one of the rows to the other end of the one of the rows.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a light guide element, and more particularly to a light guide element and a method for manufacturing the same, and a lighting fixture.
Description of Related Art
Currently, in the manufacture of flat panel displays and lighting fixtures, light guide elements are widely used to broaden light-emitting scopes and provide uniform flat emitting light. Accordingly, the light guide elements have been one of the key components in the flat panel displays and the lighting fixtures.
The optical conduction principle of the light guide element is based on the Snell's Law. When light is going to enter a less dense medium from an optical dense medium, i.e. the light is going to enter the medium of a lower refractive index from the medium of a high refractive index, and an incident angle is greater than a critical angle, the light is totally reflected on an interface between the two mediums and cannot enter the less dense medium to advance forward within the optical dense medium. As compared with the air, the material of the light guide element is an optical dense medium,so that if the total reflection of the light on one surface of the two surfaces of the light guide element, where the light is totally reflected, is appropriately destroyed, the light can be uniformly emitted from the other surface to form a uniform light-emitting surface.
However, as the developing of the lighting fixtures, in addition to lighting, the lighting fixtures are sometimes designed for ornamentation. Currently, in order to provide a lighting fixture including both functions of lighting and ornamentation, a designed pattern is typically formed on one surface of the light guide element by arranging dots or microstructures according to the designed pattern, so as to make the emitting light of the light guide element show the pattern. However, for obtaining the light-emitting pattern on the local region of the light-emitting surface, the light is locally concentrated, and the brightness of the whole light-emitting surface is affected, so that the brightness of the light guide element is decreased, thereby reducing the lighting function of the lighting fixture.
Furthermore, when the pattern composed of the dots or the microstructures is formed on one surface of the light guide element, defects may be formed on the surface due to the processing. The pattern composed of the dots or the microstructures is processed based on the designed pattern, so that if the pattern has a deviation from the original designed pattern due to the defects, the deviation of the light-emitting pattern of the light guide element is obvious, thereby reducing the process yield.

Light guide element and lighting fixture


A fluorescence detecting system includes a stimulating light projector which projects onto an object part which has been dosed with a fluorescence agent first stimulating light in the exciting wavelength range of the fluorescence agent and second stimulating light which differs from the first stimulating light in the wavelength band and is in the exciting wavelength range of the auto-fluorescence material contained in the object part, and a fluorescence information obtainer which obtains the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information based on the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent emitted from the object part in response to projection of the first stimulating light and the auto-fluorescence information based on the auto-fluorescence emitted from the object part in response to projection of the second stimulating light. The fluorescence agent is a fluorescence agent which does not emit fluorescence in response to projection of the second stimulating light.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fluorescence detecting system which detects fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information based on fluorescence from the fluorescence agent and/or auto-fluorescence information based on auto-fluorescence emitted from an object part upon projection of stimulating light onto an object part which has been dosed with a fluorescence agent in advance.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known a fluorescence detecting system which detects fluorescence emitted from an object part to use it for diagnosis of the tissue properties of the object part. For example, an fluorescence from the fluorescence agent detecting system is a system wherein tumor-affinity agent (e.g., ATX-S10, 5-ALA, NPe6, HAT-D01, Photofrin-2 or the like) which emits fluorescence upon excitation by light was dosed to an object in advance as a fluorescent agent to be absorbed by a part of tumor such as cancer, stimulating light in the exciting wavelength range of the agent is projected onto the part, fluorescence emitted from the agent (referred to as "fluorescence from the fluorescence agent", hereinbelow) accumulated in the part of tumor is detected, and fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information reflecting the tissue properties of the object part is obtained from the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent and displayed. Or the localization and/or the infiltration of the part of tumor are determined by comparison and analysis of the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information, and the result of determination is displayed.
Further, there has been known a fact that the intensity and the spectrum of the fluorescence emitted from the auto-fluorescence material in an object part (referred to as "auto-fluorescence", hereinbelow) upon projection of stimulating light in a predetermined wavelength band onto the object part differs depending on whether the object part is of normal tissue or diseased tissue as shown in FIG. 9. There has been proposed an auto-fluorescence detecting system where, on the basis of this phenomenon, stimulating light in a predetermined wavelength band projected onto the object part and auto-fluorescence information reflecting the tissue properties of the object part is obtained from the auto-fluorescence and displayed or the localization and/or the infiltration of the part of tumor are determined by analysis of the auto-fluorescence information, and the result of determination is displayed. (For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-172082)
The fluorescence detecting system of this type is generally incorporated in an endoscope, a colposcope or a microscope for surgery which are inserted into a body cavity. As a method of detecting the fluorescence, there have been known a method in which the fluorescence is two-dimensionally detected by the use of an image pick-up element such as a CCD and a method in which a fluorescence spectrum is obtained from a point on the object part by the use of a fiber and/or a spectroscope.
Further, there have been proposed various comparing/analyzing method in these fluorescence detecting systems in order for the observer to more accurately obtain information on tissue properties on the basis of fluorescence information.
When the stimulating light is projected onto an object part such as an organic tissue to image the intensity of fluorescence emitted from the object part as a fluorescence image and the fluorescence information obtained on the basis of the fluorescence image is displayed, the intensity of the stimulating light to be projected is not uniform due to the irregularities on the object part. When an auto-fluorescence image is to be taken, though the intensity of fluorescence emitted from a normal object part is substantially proportional to the illuminance of the stimulating light, the illuminance of the stimulating light is reduced in inverse proportion to square of the distance. Accordingly, the fluorescence received from a diseased tissue nearer to the light source is sometimes stronger than the fluorescence received from a normal tissue far away from the light source, which makes it infeasible to accurately determine the tissue properties of the object part only on the basis of information on the intensity of fluorescence.
In order to suppress such a problem, there has been proposed a method in which light different from the stimulating light in the wavelength band is projected onto the object part as reference light to detect the intensity of the reflecting light reflected at the object part illuminated by the reference light, and a fluorescence image based on the result of the division between the intensity of the fluorescence and the intensity of the reflecting light of the reference light is generated, that is, fluorescence information based on the difference of the light intensity of the fluorescence reflecting the tissue properties is obtained and displayed.
Further, in the case of the auto-fluorescence, since the fluorescence emitted from a normal object part and the fluorescence emitted from a diseased object part differ from each other in the shape of spectrum, there has been proposed a method in which an intensity ratio of two kinds of fluorescence obtained from different wavelength bands, e.g. a narrow band near 480 nm and a broad band from near 430 nm to near 730 nm is obtained by division and a fluorescence image based on the result of the division is displayed, that is, fluorescence information based on the difference of the shape of the spectrum of the fluorescence reflecting the organic tissue properties is obtained and displayed.
Further, this applicant has proposed a system in which stimulating light is projected onto an object part which has been dosed with a fluorescence agent to obtain the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent and the auto-fluorescence, and fluorescence information based on the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent and the auto-fluorescence is obtained. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-308604)
Further, in "O plus E vol. 20, No. 7, pp. 836 to 840 (1998/7)", it has been reported that the fluorescence emitted from the object organic body is differently absorbed and scattered in the organic body depending on the wavelength band as a result of detecting and analyzing the fluorescence emitted from the organic body point to point. It has been further reported that a distribution is generated in the incident angle of the stimulating light to the surface of an organic body due to irregularity on the surface of the object and the degree of absorption or scatter changes, and the intensity of fluorescence obtained changes depending on the distance between the measuring system and the object. These influences distort the spectrum of the fluorescence obtained by the detector from the spectrum of the fluorescence originally emitted from the object.
In the technology disclosed in the above "O plus E vol. 20, No. 7, pp. 836 to 840 (1998/7)", a spectrum of light reflected at the surface of an organic body is detected and the distortion of the spectrum of fluorescence is corrected by the use of the spectrum of the reflected light. Further, this applicant has proposed a method in which reflected light the same in the wavelength band as the fluorescence to be obtained is obtained and fluorescence information where the distortion of the spectrum of fluorescence is corrected is obtained by the use of the reflected light.
Recently, technology of detecting fluorescence is improved and even very weak fluorescence becomes able to be detected. As a result, it has been found that the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information obtained on the basis of the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent includes highly accurate information on the localization and/or the infiltration of the part of tumor and the auto-fluorescence information obtained on the basis of the auto-fluorescence includes slightly less accurate information on the localization and/or the infiltration of the part of tumor. That is, it can be said that there is a slight deviation between the auto-fluorescence information obtained on the basis of the auto-fluorescence and the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information obtained on the basis of the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent. Accordingly, it is preferred that both the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information and the auto-fluorescence information be obtained in order to know the tissue properties more accurately.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-308604 described above, stimulating light is projected onto the object part which has been dosed with a fluorescence agent and the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent and the auto-fluorescence are obtained. However, since the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent wavelength band and the auto-fluorescence wavelength band mingle with each other, it is impossible to discretely obtain the auto-fluorescence information based on the auto-fluorescence and the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information based on the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent.
Though it is possible to discretely obtain the auto-fluorescence information and the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent information by obtaining the auto-fluorescence before the object part is dosed with a fluorescence agent and obtaining the fluorescence from the fluorescence agent after the object part is dosed with a fluorescence agent, this is disadvantageous in that load on the examinee is increased, for instance, the examination is elongated, and identification of the object part becomes difficult.