The present invention provides a capacitive sensing circuit, comprising at least one capacitor to be measured, an integral capacitor, a first current mirror having a first current path and a second current path. A first current is generated in the first current path so as to charge the capacitor to be measured, while a second current mirrored from the first current is generated in the second current path so as to charge the integral capacitor. As such, the mirrored current, resulted from mirroring the charging current on the capacitor to be measured, is used to charge the integral capacitor. Charge energy charged on the capacitor to be measured may be copied onto the integral capacitor so as to reflect a voltage signal. Subsequently, capacitance variation generated when the capacitor to be measured is touched may be sensed by detecting the voltage signal.

Recently, consumer electronics are becoming increasingly popular. Capacitive touch panels have become indispensable input interface for consumer electronics, so as to allow users to operate the electronic devices easily. The electronic devices are capable of detecting touch points depending upon capacitance variation generated when the capacitive touch panels are touched by the users.
Referring to FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), there are shown circuit structure diagrams of a conventional capacitive sensing circuit, respectively. As illustrated in the figures, the capacitive sensing circuit 100 is applied in an electronic device having a capacitive touch panel. The capacitive sensing circuit 100 is used for sensing capacitance variation generated when the capacitive touch panel is touched by means of charge transfer.
The capacitive sensing circuit 100 comprises a capacitor to be measured (CX) 11, an integral capacitor (CINT) 12 and a switch 13, in which capacitance of the integral capacitor 12 is much higher than capacitance of the capacitor to be measured 11. The capacitor to be measured 11 is composed of at least one touch capacitor (CTOUCH) and at least one parasitic capacitor (CPAD, CITO), where CX=CTOUCH+CPAD+CITO. When the capacitive touch panel is touched, capacitance of the touch capacitor (CTOUCH) is varied, such as, 0 pF→1 pF, along with touch operations. Furthermore, the one end of the switch 13 is connected to the capacitor to be measured 11, while the other end of the switch 13 is selected to switch to the power supply (VDD) or the integral capacitor 12.
The capacitive sensing circuit 100 is started to perform charge transfer process as follows. Firstly, as illustrated in FIG. 1(A), the switch 13 is controlled to switch to the power supply VDD, allowing for a charging current |C generated from the power supply VDD to charge the capacitor to be measured 11. Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 1(B), the switch 13 is controlled to switch to the integral capacitor 12 after the capacitor to be measured 11 is fully charged, allowing for discharging the capacitor to be measured 11. A discharging current |D from the capacitor to be measured 11 is used to charge the integral capacitor 12. The charge energy of the capacitor to be measured 11 is then transferred to the integral capacitor 12, such that a voltage signal VINT is generated on the integral capacitor 12.
The switch 13 may be controlled by the capacitive sensing circuit 100 to switch between the power supply VDD and the integral capacitor 12 several times repeatedly, so as to enlarge capacitance variation of the capacitor to be measured 11, due to extremely small capacitance variation generated on touch of the capacitor to be measured 11. Then, charge energy charged on the capacitor to be measured 11 may be transferred to the integral capacitor 12 several times, such that the voltage signal VINT may be accumulated to be enlarged.
Subsequently, referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a curve diagram of voltage signal generated on the integral capacitor by the conventional capacitive sensing circuit. In this case, CPAD+CITO=25 pF, CTOUCH=0 pF→1 pF, CINT=100 pF may be taken as the operating standard of the capacitive sensing circuit 100. Before the capacitive touch panel is touched, capacitance of the capacitor to be measured 11 is CX=25 pF. A pre-touch voltage signal curve 120 is obtained through repeated charge transfer processes performed between the capacitor to be measured 11 and the integral capacitor 12. After the capacitive touch panel is touched, the capacitor to be measured 11 is varied as CX=25 pF→26 pF. The other post-touch voltage signal curve 121 is obtained through another repeated charge transfer processes additionally performed between the capacitor to be measured 11 and the integral capacitor 12.
The post-touch capacitor to be measured (CX=26 pF) 11 may be fully charged with charge energy, which is more than that fully charged on the pre-touch capacitor to be measured (CX=25 pF) 11. Therefore, more charge energy may be transferred from the post-touch capacitor to be measured (CX=26 pF) 11 to the integral capacitor 12, such that the potential of post-touch voltage signal curve 121 may be higher than that of pre-touch voltage signal curve 120. Moreover, when the difference in potential between the voltage signal curves 120 and 121 is larger than a predetermined difference, capacitance variation generated when the capacitive touch panel is touched may be sensed by the electronic device.
In the manner of charge transfer, charge transfer is carried out by means of voltage difference between the capacitor to be measured 11 and the integral capacitor 12 primarily. At the beginning of charge transfer process, the voltage difference between the capacitor to be measured 11 and the integral capacitor 12 is the largest, such that a higher discharging current |D may be provided by the capacitor to be measured 11 for charging the integral capacitor 12, thus transferring charge energy of the capacitor to be measured 11 to the integral capacitor 12 entirely, resulting in a larger extent in raising the potential of the voltage signal VINT. In the continuous charge transfer process, the discharging current |D becomes smaller as the voltage difference between the capacitor to be measured 11 and the integral capacitor 12 is smaller and smaller, such that transferring charge energy from the capacitor to be measured 11 to the integral capacitor 12 is harder and harder, resulting in smaller and smaller extent in raising the potential of the voltage signal VINT. The capacitive sensing circuit 100 is then necessary to perform charge transfer process more times, due to the smaller and smaller extent in raising the potential of the voltage signal VINT, so as to enlarge the difference in potential between the voltage signal curves 120 and 121 over the predetermined difference. Thereby, time for sensing capacitance variation is prolonged correspondingly, thus being detrimental to real-time operation on touch.

Capacitive sensing circuit for sensing capacitance variation with charge clone


An improved trailing edge configuration for a transonic airfoil is disclosed. The upper and lower surfaces converge without diverging over the aft 40% of the airfoil chord, and the airfoil has significantly increasing downward curvature at the aft end. The absolute value of the negative slope of the camber typically increases by at least 50% over the aft 4% of the chord, usually increasing by a factor of about 2. The negative slope of the camber of the airfoil typically reaches at least about -0.25 at the trailing edge of the airfoil, and in preferred designs, the slope of the camber changes from about -0.175 to about -0.325 over the aft 4% of the chord.

The present invention relates to airfoils designed to delay the onset of the drag rise associated with transonic flight.
The parasite drag on an aircraft includes both viscous drag, resulting from the viscosity of the air, and pressure drag, resulting from an imbalance of pressures acting on the aircraft surfaces. At subsonic velocities, the viscous drag is the predominant contributor to the parasite drag of the aircraft. However, as the aircraft approaches Mach 1.0, local regions of supersonic flow develop on the surface of the aircraft. For local Mach numbers nearly equal to 1.0, the air is able to recompress (return to subsonic conditions) without forming local pressure jump discontinuities or shocks on the surface of the aircraft. At higher aircraft Mach members, local regions of supersonic flow develop for which it is no longer possible for the air to re-compress without a local pressure jump, or shock wave. This increased pressure drag is referred to as wave drag. Under these circumstances, the pressure drag becomes a sizsable portion of the total parasite drag of the aircraft, and increases dramatically with only a small increase in aircraft velocity. The dramatic increase in drag caused by the onset of wave drag is generally called the drag rise because the drag coefficient rises almost exponentially with only a small increase in velocity as the shock waves forming on the aircraft strengthen. Most commercial jet aircraft operate in the transonic region, sufficiently below Mach 1.0 to avoid the drag rise, because it is very inefficient to attempt to propel the aircraft at a velocity at which wave drag is a significant component of the total drag.
Operation of an aircraft at transonic speeds presents a particular problem to the designer of the airfoils which provide lift and control to the aircraft. Such airfoils provide lift by accelerating the air over the upper surface of the airfoil to reduce the relative pressure on the upper airfoil surface. Unfortunately, the acceleration of air over the upper surface of the airfoil on an aircraft already operating at transonic speeds requires that the flow of air over the airfoil become supersonic. It is important to delay the onset of wave drag on a transonic airfoil in spite of the fact that the flow of air over the airfoil must be at least partially supersonic to allow the aircraft to fly as close to Mach 1.0 as possible without encountering an unacceptable and uneconomic increase in drag.
An airfoil designed to be efficient at transonic speeds is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,971 to Whitcomb, entitled "Airfoil Shape for Flight at Subsonic Speeds". The Whitcomb airfoil is typical of transonic airfoils in that the forward 60% of the airfoil is nearly symmetric, with the upper and lower surfaces having a very flat profile. The upper surface maintains its flat profile over the entire extent of the airfoil, tapering downwardly at the aft end. The lower surface has a more complex shape over the aft 40% of the airfoil, curving upwardly and then downwardly to merge with the upper surface at the trailing end of the airfoil.
The relatively flat upper surface of the Whitcomb airfoil results in the formation of a shock wave which is sufficiently weak so that wave drag is minimized and the onset of drag rise is delayed to higher speeds. The curvature of the aft 40% of the lower surface of the airfoil causes the wing to have a high degree of camber in this region, which provides a significant portion of the total lift. The symmetric nature of the forward 60% of the airfoil limits the ability of the Whitcomb airfoil, and transonic airfoils in general, to generate lift. Basically, transonic airfoils such as Whitcomb are effective at delaying the drag rise to a velocity higher than the design speed of the aircraft, but at the expense of lift performance relative to other types of airfoils.
An attempt to improve the lift performance of a transonic airfoil is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,852 to Henne and Gregg. Henne and Gregg add lift to the airfoil by providing divergence between the upper and lower surfaces of the airfoil at the trailing end, with the airfoil terminating at a relatively blunt base. This configuration has the desired characteristic of improving lift and delaying the onset of the drag rise, but increases the base drag. In addition, providing divergence to the upper and lower surfaces at the aft end means that the thinnest portion of the airfoil is at some distance from the trailing end. The diverging surfaces at the trailing end result in high relative pressures on the lower surface of the airfoil aft of the section of minimum thickness. These high pressures generate high hinge moments about the section of minimum thickness, which is typically the weakest point of the airfoil. Preserving the structural integrity of the airfoil without adding excessive weight is a particular problem in the Henne and Gregg design because of the large moments applied to the airfoil at its weakest point.


A device including a III-N material is described. The device includes a transistor structure having a first layer including a first group III-nitride (III-N) material, a polarization charge inducing layer above the first layer, the polarization charge inducing layer including a second III-N material, a gate electrode above the polarization charge inducing layer and a source structure and a drain structure on opposite sides of the gate electrode. The device further includes a plurality of peripheral structures adjacent to transistor structure, where each of the peripheral structure includes the first layer, but lacks the polarization charge inducing layer, an insulating layer above the peripheral structure and the transistor structure, wherein the insulating layer includes a first dielectric material. A metallization structure, above the peripheral structure, is coupled to the transistor structure.

In the fields of wireless communication and power management, various components can be implemented using solid-state devices. For example, in radio frequency (RF) communication, the RF front-end is a generic term for the circuitry between an antenna and a digital baseband system. Such RF front-end components may include one or more diodes in conjunction with one or more transistors, such as one or more field-effect transistors (FETs). Due, in part, to their large bandgap and high mobility, gallium nitride (GaN) and other group III-nitride (III-N) materials are suited for integrated circuits for applications such as high-frequency and high-power.
For many non-silicon materials, it can be challenging to pattern substrates and remove extraneous elements which can potentially cause performance degradation. Thus, selective growth of electrically active structures and techniques to improve RF performance are active areas of on-going III-N device development.

Group III-nitride devices with improved RF performance and their methods of fabrication


The present application discloses a display panel, a method of manufacturing the display panel and a display device. A display panel, including: a display substrate having a display area and a non-display area, the display substrate including a substrate; a dam on the upper surface of the non-display area of the display substrate; and an encapsulation layer covering the display substrate, wherein the encapsulation layer includes an organic layer, the upper surface of the non-display area of the display substrate is further provided with an isolation column, and a distance between the isolation column and the display area is smaller than a distance between the dam and the display area, the isolation column is at least partially in contact with the organic layer, and the dam is at least partially not in contact with the organic layer.

Comparing with the liquid crystal display (LCD), the organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device has the advantages of being thin and light, having wide viewing angle, emitting light actively, color of emitting light being continuous adjustable, having low cost, fast response, low energy consumption, low driving voltage, wide operating temperature range, simple production process and high luminous efficiency, so it is expected to become the next generation of new flat panel display to replace LCD.

Encapsulation layer structure for display panel, method of manufacturing display device and display panel


The interface card fixedly secured to the circuit breaker supplies information representative of the circuit breaker type and rating to a standard removable trip device. It comprises for example resistances designed to be connected in parallel to a resistance of a divider bridge defining in the trip device the instantaneous tripping threshold, modifying this threshold automatically according to the circuit breaker type and rating. The interface card can also supply the trip device with information representative of the rated current flowing in the primary winding of the current transformers fixedly secured to the circuit breaker.

The invention relates to a circuit breaker comprising means for measuring the current flowing in conductors to be protected and designed to cooperate with a standard removable electronic trip device comprising a processing circuit producing a tripping signal when the measured current exceeds preset tripping thresholds.
Circuit breakers can generally be used with different types of electronic trip devices, which are therefore generally removable and are only fitted in a circuit breaker when the latter is installed. Conventional electronic trip devices perform the long delay and/or short delay and/or instantaneous tripping functions, and possibly an earth protection function. For these different functions, the tripping threshold settings can generally be adjusted by the user. It is also preferable for the trip device to perform an instantaneous tripping function designed to protect the circuit breaker, whose threshold is adjusted to suit the circuit breaker type and rating so as to be adapted to the electrodynamic withstand of the circuit breaker. This instantaneous tripping function is conventionally achieved by means of an analog trip circuit of the trip device whose threshold is set in the manufacturing plant on the trip device, according to the circuit breaker for which it is intended. In present-day circuit breakers the current transformers, fixedly secured to the circuit-breaker, are designed in such a way as to supply a predetermined current, typically 100 mA, on the secondary winding when a rated current of preset value, for example 160A, 250 A, 400A or 630A, flows through their primary winding. The trip device processing circuit processes the signals which are supplied to it by the current transformers without taking account of the rated current value, the tripping thresholds being defined in relative value with respect to this rated current, at least in the case of the long delay, short delay and instantaneous tripping functions. In some cases, however, the processing circuit has to know the rated current value, notably when the trip device comprises means for displaying the current flowing in the conductors to be protected, for communication with a remote monitoring device and, sometimes, for earth protection. Up to now this information has been supplied to the trip device in the plant, according to the circuit breaker for which it is intended. In the case of microprocessor-based trip devices, this is conventionally achieved by means of an individualization box which supplies, in the plant, the rated current value to a memory of the microprocessor.
The type and/or rating of the circuit breaker in which the trip device is to be fitted therefore has to be known in advance when a trip device is manufactured.

Circuit breaker comprising a card interfacing with a trip device


A glycol-based deicer composition having ice adhesion repression properties is provided. Ice adhesion control derives from the presence of a film of the composition which is retained on the deiced surfaces and interferes with adhesion of new ice. The composition includes one or more anionic or nonionic surfactants selected to provide a spreading wetting value of 0 to about -5 degrees per centimeter.

Aircraft are subject to the buildup of ice, frost and/or snow on their surfaces while the aircraft are on the ground during cold weather in the presence of relatively high humidity, rain and/or snow. Ice and snow form strong bonds to metal surfaces. Once a strong bond is formed between ice and metal surfaces, it takes a significant period of time and a high volume of deicing fluid to melt the snow and ice and remove them from the surface. Because the buildup of ice, frost and/or snow on the aircraft surfaces can adversely affect the functioning of the aircraft, such buildups should be removed from the airplane, and aircraft surfaces must be free from contamination before takeoff.
Deicing solutions, such as those based upon ethylene glycol and water, have been used for many years to remove ice, frost and/or snow from aircraft surfaces. These deicing compositions can effectively remove the buildup of ice, frost and/or snow from the surfaces, but since they have low viscosities and have weak interfacial interactions with aircraft surfaces, they do not form a film and stay on the aircraft surfaces. Thus, they provide limited protection against the formation of further frost and ice or accumulation of snow on the surfaces. Furthermore, conventional deicing fluids do not decrease the bonding strength of ice on the metal aircraft surfaces, once the snow and/or ice build-up occurs. This makes the deicing a long and high volume deicing fluid consumption process.
Anti-icing fluids are those that will prevent the formation of frost and ice or the accumulation of snow on surfaces over extended periods of time. The use of anti-icing fluids would be particularly desirable for overnight frost protection and for use during bad weather operation to accomodate substantial delays between the time the aircraft is deiced and takeoff.
One approach to formulating anti-icing fluids is to add thickening agents to deicing fluids. The thickening agents are intended to increase the viscosity of the fluid and thereby reduce its tendency to run off the surfaces of the aircraft. A number of thickened fluids are commercially available in the world. These include Kilfrost Anti-icing Barrier Compound-3, Hoechtst A.G. Aircraft deicing Fluid 1704, and SPCA Aircraft Deicer 84, Union Carbide Corporation UCON (TM) Anti-icing Fluid E, an ethylene glycol-based fluid containing polyacrylate, Union Carbide Corporation Aircraft Deicing fluid 251, a propylene glycol-based product, which is a non-Newtonian fluid containing a crosslinked polyacrylic acid as a thickener, as well as those fluids disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,279.
An anti-icing fluid must meet a number of criteria. One of the most important criteria is that the anti-icing fluid be easily removed from the surfaces of the aircraft during its takeoff. This ability to be released from the aircraft surfaces must exist even if no precipitation occurs after the application of the anti-icing fluid and some of the fluid evaporates. Moreover, the fluid should have special rheological properties in that it must have sufficient viscosity to be retained on the aircraft surface while the aircraft is at rest, yet require little force for it to be removed from the surface. Another important consideration in providing an anti-icing fluid is that the fluid should be capable of being applied using conventional spraying devices. Since these spraying devices can subject a thickened fluid to stress, loss of rheological properties is often experienced during the spray application of anti-icing fluids using a cross-linked polyacrylate thickener.
Another concern when using thickened fluids for anti-icing agents is the stability of the fluid during storage. For example, if an anti-icing fluid tends to gel during storage, the fluid, when applied, may be too viscous for effective removal from the aircraft or, if the gelling results in phase separation, the fluid may lose viscosity and thus not provide the desired anti-icing properties.
In addition to the foregoing requirements, good deicing and anti-icing agents should induce no appreciable erosive or corrosive activity, particularly towards aluminum, non-ferrous metals, steel, glass and acrylic sheeting. The anti-icing fluid should also be an effective deicer, resulting in rapid and complete thawing of ice, snow and frost, and it should provide a coherent liquid film after application to the aircraft surfaces, i.e., it should wet the surfaces with which it comes in contact. Most advantageously, anti-icing fluids should be environmentally acceptable, provide minimum toxicity to plants and animals, and provide little risk of flammability.
Tests using commercially available anti-icing fluids on a simulated segment of an aircraft wing indicate that anti-icing fluids can result in appreciable lift loss as compared to deicing (unthickened) fluids. Accordingly, substantial room for improvement in anti-icing fluids for aircraft exists.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,373,727, discloses compositions to prevent or reduce the formation and/or accretion of ice on aircraft surfaces. The compositions comprise a jelly base consisting of gelatinous material and glycol or glycerol or homologs thereof or polyglycols or polyglycerols, e.g., diethylene glycol or tri-ethylene glycol, and from 5 to 20 percent by weight of a liquid which is immiscible with ice or water and remains liquid at temperatures down to 10.degree. F. The immiscible liquids are disclosed to be mineral, vegetable and animal oils, including essential oils such as petroleum lubricating oils, castor oils and pine oils, synthetic oils, the water-immiscible alcohols and similar liquids. The patentees state that it is necessary to add a dispersing agent such as alkali metal or organic-based soaps or fatty acids or oleic acid, napthanates, sulfonic acid salts, commercial soaps or monhydric alcohols. The jelly base may be prepared from any suitable material such as gelatin, glue, soap or gum which forms a heat-reversible, jelly-like mass with the glycol or glycerol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,389 discloses anti-icing compositions that contain 0.05 to 1.5 percent by weight of a particular cross-linked polyacrylate, glycol, water, 0.05 to 1 percent by weight of a water-insoluble component comprising a mixed base mineral oil comprising paraffin hydrocarbons and naphthenes, 0.05 to 1 percent by weight of a surface active agent comprising alkali metal alkylaryl sulfonate, corrosion inhibitor and a quantity of at least one alkaline compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal carbonates, bicarbonates or hydroxides and amines, such that the pH of the composition is between about 7.5 and 10. The patentees disclose at column 5, line 54, et seq.,
"In addition to the components . . . , the agent . . . can also contain appropriate additives, preferably anti-oxidants and polysaccharides (gums) in effective quantities (gums are additional thickeners) . . . It has been found that polysaccharides have an advantageous effect on the rheological properties of crosslinked polyacrylates, particularly those having viscosity values in the lower range of the viscosity limits indicated above, that is, within the range from about 1000 to 5000 mPas. Preferred polysaccharides are those of the type of high molecular xanthan gum."
The patentees disclose suitable corrosion inhibitors to include those belonging to the group comprising inorganic metal salts, alkali metal salts of fatty acids, monoalkyl amines and dialkyl amines optionally alkoxylated--and salts thereof, alkanol amines--optionally alkoxylated and salts thereof, esters of phosphorus acid or of phosphoric acid, and triazoles.
German Patent application 3,143,059 published May 5, 1983, discloses an anti-icing composition using a cellulose derivative thickener to provide a solution having a viscosity of 100 to 5000 mPa. sec at 20.degree. C. The composition contains surfactant which is an alkali alkaryl sulfonate or oxyalkylated fatty alcohol, corrosion inhibitor and alkali carbonate, alkali hydroxide or amine to give a pH of 7.5 to 10. The application states that the composition may contain other thickeners, particularly polyacrylate or xanthan gum.
An anonymous disclosure in Research Disclosure, Apr. 1985, No. 25246, entitled "Aircraft Deicer," describes aircraft anti-icer concentrate to which water and/or glycol can be added. the anti-icer concentrate comprises water and an antifreeze as the two main components; up to 5 percent by weight of a thickener from the group comprising cellulosic derivatives such as alkyl, hydroxy alkyl and carboxy alkyl, ethers or mixed ethers of cellulose, cross-linked or non-crosslinked polyacrylates, xanthan gum, starch or starch derivatives and guar, it being possible for all except for the polyacrylates also to act as co-thickeners; an active amount of a tenside, optionally in combination with a water-insoluble compound, the tenside being selected from the group comprising polyalkylene glycols, polyalkyl oxalates of alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines or amides, olefin sulfonates, fatty alcohol sulfates and alkyl benzene sulfonates, and the water-insoluble compound being selected from the group comprising fatty alcohols, fatty acid esters, fatty acid alkanolamides, mineral oils, alkyl phenols and alkyl benzenes; customary corrosion inhibitors, such as, for example, carbonates, phosphates, silicates, amines, ethanolamines and benzotriazoles; and sufficient alkali that the pH value of the agent is within the desired alkaline range.

Aircraft deicing fluid with improved anti-icing and ice adhesion control properties

Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation


The present invention provides crystalline polymorphic forms of Fingolimod HCl (I) and processes for preparation thereof.

Fingolimod hydrochloride has the IUPAC name as 2-amino-2-[2-(4-octylphenyl)ethyl]propane-1,3-diol hydrochloride and have the following structure—

It is a structural analogue of sphingosine (II) which gets phosphorylated by sphingosine kinases
in the cell (specifically sphingosine kinase 2).
Fingolimod being a sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor (S1P-R) modulator, it binds to the S1P receptor on circulating lymphocytes, sequestering them in lymph nodes away from the CNS. It appears to be the first oral S1P-R modulator to be developed, which appears to reduce the number of inflammatory T cells in the circulation and CNS and in doing so, it reduces their potential to damage nerve cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,229 is the first disclosure of the Fingolimod and other related compounds. It has been found to be useful in the treatment or prevention of various autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis.
Mutz et al in WO2010055028A2 reported various polymorphic forms of Fingolimod hydrochloride designated as Form-I (at room temperature), Form-II (however at a transition temperature of approximately 40° C.) and Form-III (however at a transition temperature of approximately 66° C.). Further, the patent application also mentions that approximately 107° C., Fingolimod hydrochloride forms a phase with lower crystalline order. However, other than thermal transition based forms, no exact crystalline form have been reported in the literature.
In view of the existence of few known thermal transition based polymorphic forms of Fingolimod hydrochloride, there stills appears to be a need of novel crystalline forms, which are not only stable as well as convenient to scale up but also their processes provides improved yields & quality.

Fingolimod polymorphs and their processes

Abstract: The application provides processes for preparation of crystalline polymorphic forms-α, β and μ substantially free from process related impurities. The crystalline polymorphic forms of Fingolimod HCl (I) obtained by the processes according to the present invention having an XRDP pattern as per FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, which are useful as active pharmaceutical ingredient in pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment or prevention of autoimmune related disorder including multiple sclerosis.


A gas compressor comprises a rotor having vane grooves, a cylinder shaped to surround an outer circumference of the rotor, vanes plate-shaped, slidably inserted into the vane grooves, and abuttable at one ends on the inner circumference of the cylinder, upon receiving a back pressure from the vane grooves, two side blocks to enclose both ends of the rotor and the cylinder, respectively, compression chambers supplied with a medium to compress the medium to a high-pressure medium for discharge, an oil separator to separate, from the discharged high-pressure medium, oil to be used as the back pressure, an oil path through which the oil at a certain pressure is supplied to the vane grooves, and a high-pressure supply hole formed in at least one of the side blocks, including a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion integrally formed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas compressor of an air conditioning unit mounted in a vehicle, for example.
Description of the Related Art
A vehicle such as an automobile incorporates an air conditioning unit for controlling the temperature of a vehicle interior, for example. Such an air conditioning unit has a loop-like refrigerating cycle in which refrigerant as a cooling medium is circulated. The refrigerating cycle is comprised of an evaporator, a gas compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve in order. A gas compressor is provided in the air conditioning unit to generate high-pressure refrigerant gas by compressing gaseous refrigerant evaporated through the evaporator and transmit it to the condenser.
In related art a vane type rotary gas compressor is known, which comprises a cylinder having an elliptical inner circumference in which a rotor with vanes is rotatably supported. The ends of the vanes are slidable on the inner circumference of the cylinder and the vanes are allowed to slide into and out of the rotor.
This vane type rotary gas compressor comprises a compressor body including a rotor rotatable integrally with a rotational shaft, a cylinder surrounding the outer circumference of the rotor, vanes allowed to slide from the outer circumference of the rotor to the inner circumference of the cylinder, and two side blocks sealing the respective ends of the rotor and cylinder and rotatably supporting both ends of the rotational shaft.
In the compressor body, two adjacent vanes in a rotor's rotational direction work to decrease the volume of compression chambers formed between the rotor outer circumference and cylinder inner circumference along with the rotation of the rotor. Thereby, low-pressure refrigerant gas in the compression chambers is compressed into high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharged to a discharge chamber. The high-pressure refrigerant gas is discharged outside from the discharge chamber after oil components such as refrigerant oil are separated. The separated oil is accumulated at the bottom of the discharge chamber.
The oil accumulated in the discharge chamber is pressed by the high-pressure refrigerant gas and supplied to vane grooves through the two side blocks and oil paths and chamfered grooves of the cylinder inside the side blocks, and it works as back pressure to protrude the ends of the vanes from the vane grooves. The oil supplied to the vane grooves is at intermediate pressure lower than the high-pressure ambience of the discharge chamber due to a pressure loss since it has passed through a small gap between a shaft bearing and the outer circumference of the rotational shaft.
However, in the last stage of compression process the pressure in the compression chambers goes higher than the intermediate pressure and this high pressure acts on the ends of the protruding vanes. If the back pressure onto the vanes remains at the intermediate pressure, the pressure in the compression chambers exceeds the intermediate back pressure and a centrifugal force from the vanes' rotation. This may cause chattering, that is, a phenomenon that the vanes' ends repeatedly collide with and separate away from the inner circumference of the cylinder.
In view of this, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-327692 discloses a gas compressor in which oil at a higher pressure than the intermediate pressure is supplied through a high-pressure supply hole to the vane grooves when the inner pressure of the compression chambers is heightened in the last stage of the compression process.
In this gas compressor the high-pressure supply hole is formed in one of the side blocks to supply the oil accumulated at the bottom of the discharge chamber to the vane grooves by the pressure of the refrigerant gas discharged to the chamber. This can prevents chattering.
However, if an unnecessarily large amount of oil is supplied to the vane grooves through the high-pressure supply hole, the necessary oil amount accumulated in the discharge chamber is increased. The amount of oil contained in the gas compressor is increased accordingly, increasing the weight and costs of the compressor. Therefore, the diameter of the high-pressure supply hole needs to be formed small enough to prevent an excessive supply of oil.
However, the side blocks are made from aluminum alloy or the like, and forming a small diameter hole in a certain position of the side blocks by deep hole processing requires high processing technique, resulting in low workability and increased manufacturing costs.

Gas compressor formed with a high-pressure supply hole


An illumination device comprising: a body member; one or more sources of light aligned on a longitudinal axis of, and lying within, the body member; one or more transparent regions of the body member through which light from the or each source passes when the source or sources are energized; and optical particles such as balls or chips of glass lying in the body member and extending between the or each source and that side of the or each transparent region which is directed towards the inside of the body member.

For a given power input light output from a light source can vary between that from a relatively small size source (say a light emitting diode) to that from a relatively large size source (say a resistive filament). A relatively high powered sources tend to generate light more efficiently than from a low powered one however high intensity light can dazzle a viewer who perhaps inadvertently views the element directly.
One way to overcome the matter of dazzle is to configure the illumination system so that direct viewing of the illuminated filament cannot occur. However this requirement is not always readily met typically in situations where the envelope available for the illumination system is limited in size.
Another way is to overcome dazzle is to provide an optical filter but this necessarily attenuates the light output so rendering superfluous the use of a relatively high powered source.
However the matter of dazzle is not usually a critical matter in connection with an illumination system. More significant is the degree to which the system can effectively and efficiently illuminate the objects, surface or area involved.

Illumination device having optical particles for diffusing light


Provided is a vehicle lamp unit that enables a user to perceive a detection range of a sensor. A vehicle lamp unit 1 includes: a sensor 4 mounted at a lower part of a vehicle 90; and an irradiation device 30 configured to irradiate a vehicle outer plate 95 present at a position corresponding to a detection range of the sensor 4.

Conventionally, vehicles have been provided with various types of sensors. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2019-23428 discloses a device configured to detect an action of a user standing near a sliding door by a sensor and open/close the sliding door on the basis of information detected by the sensor. With this device, the sliding door is opened/closed merely by the user performing a specific action, thus enabling the user to easily open the sliding door even when the user's hands are full, for example.

Vehicle lamp unit including sensor and irradiation device


An apparatus for medical diagnosis and/or treatment is provided. The apparatus includes a flexible substrate, an intermediate bus disposed on the flexible substrate, and a plurality of sensing elements disposed on the flexible substrate and coupled to the intermediate bus. The plurality of sensing elements and intermediate bus are disposed on the flexible substrate such that the sensing elements are disposed at areas of minimal strain of the flexible substrate.

Existing sensing and therapeutic devices can have limited applicability due to a lack of sophistication related to the sensing, imaging, and therapeutic functions. The precision and speed of sensing, imaging and therapeutic functions is beneficial for treating certain cardiac diseases, such as atrial fibrillation.
According to some research, atrial fibrillation (AF) affects 5 million patients in the developed world and is the leading cause of stroke in cardiac patients. With up to 400,000 new cases diagnosed yearly, the adverse outcomes of various types of AF range from congestive heart failures to sudden death. Catheter ablation techniques have become increasingly prevalent as interventional strategies for treating various forms of cardiac arrhythmia, including AF, ventricular fibrillation (VF), and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Some catheter ablation techniques generate linear lesions in a "point-by-point" fashion with radio frequency (RF) electrodes; however, such techniques have not had an effective success rate in patients with persistent AF, at least in part because the ablation targets are not well defined because the techniques are generally lengthy procedure requiring highly skilled operators to minimize risk of stroke and other clinical complications. Current ablation targets in persistent AF include areas exhibiting "complex fractionated atrial electrograms" (CFAEs). These are electrical recordings with a highly disorganized appearance. It is believed that CFAEs represent rapid electrical activity from a nearby driving force (rotor).
Studies on isolated hearts using high resolution optical mapping have revealed the presence of rotors (re-entrant circuits) as an underlying mechanism for AF. It is believed that high-frequency impulses emanating from the rotors are subject to spatially distributed intermittent blockade imposed by the presence of functional and anatomical obstacles in their path, resulting in the seemingly disorganized activity that characterizes AF. Thus far, the demonstration of rotors in the clinical setting has been limited by the lack of high resolution voltage mapping. As a result, treatment strategies, such as catheter ablation, remain marginally effective in persistent AF cases because of the inability to define clear targets.

Cardiac catheter employing conformal electronics for mapping


In the data input apparatus, a data delay unit outputs data input from outside the data input apparatice. The data delay unit varies the degree of delay in response to a test mode signal. A data alignment signal generating unit receives a first signal synchronized with an external clock signal and a second signal synchronized with a data strobe signal, and the data alignment signal generating unit outputs one of the first signal and the second signal as a data alignment signal in response to the test mode signal. A data alignment unit is synchronized with the data alignment signal to align the data delayed in the data delay unit. The data input apparatus improves the setup/hold window when a semiconductor memory device is in the test mode.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a data input apparatus in a semiconductor memory device.
Semiconductor memory devices are being continuously improved in order to increase the degree of integration and improve the operation speed. In order to improve operation speed, a synchronous memory device that can be operated in synchronization with a clock provided externally from a memory chip has been proposed.
One such proposed synchronous memory device is a single data rate (SDR) synchronous memory device that is synchronized with a rising edge of the clock provided from the external of the memory device to input and output a single data over a single period. However, the SDR synchronous memory device is insufficient when a system requires high speed operation. As a result, a double data rate (DDR) synchronous memory device that is synchronized with the rising edge and falling edge of the clock allowing two data to be processed in a single clock period has been proposed.
FIG. 1 is a block view schematically showing blocks associated with a write operation of the conventional DDR synchronous memory device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the semiconductor memory device comprises: a data strobe buffer 10 receiving and buffering data strobe signals DQS and DQSB; a data strobe driver 12 driving a signal outputted from the data strobe buffer 10 to output a rising strobe pulse DQSRP and a falling strobe pulse DQSFP; a data input buffer 14 buffering data DQ inputted through a data input/output pad, a data delay unit 16 delaying an output signal of the data input buffer for a predetermined time and outputting an output signal; and a data alignment unit 18 latching input data DIN outputted from the data delay unit in synchronization with the data strobe signal to align them.
The rising data strobe pulse DQSRP is a signal synchronized with the rising edge of the data strobe signal DQS, and the falling data strobe pulse DQSFP is a signal synchronized with the falling edge of the data strobe signal DQS.
The delay unit 16 delays the buffered data by a predetermined time and allocates the input data DIN to the data alignment unit 18.
The data alignment unit 18 aligns the input data DIN by synchronizing the input data DIN with the rising data strobe pulse DQSRP and the falling data strobe pulse DQSFP. The data aligned by the data alignment unit 18 is transferred to a memory cell region via a global input/output line in response to a pulse applied from the external.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram for explaining the operation of FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 confirms that the rising data strobe pulse DQSRP is synchronized with the rising edge of the data strobe signal DQS and the falling data strobe pulse DQSFP is synchronized with the falling edge of the data strobe signal DQS.
As FIG. 2 clearly shows, the data DIN inputted to the data alignment unit 18 is delayed through the delay unit 16 to secure a setup/hold time.
FIG. 3 shows a prior art method of turning-off the data strobe buffer upon entering into a test mode and aligning the data using the output of a clock buffer.
Referring to FIG. 3, the semiconductor device comprises a data strobe buffer 30, a data strobe driver 32, a data input buffer 34, a data delay unit 36, a data alignment unit 38, and a clock buffer 40.
The clock buffer 40 buffers an external clock signal pair CLK and CLKB that is inputted from outside to output an internal clock signal BCK.
The data strobe buffer 30 and the data strobe driver 32 have a similar configuration to the buffer 10 and the driver 12 as shown in FIG. 1; however, there is a difference, in that the data strobe buffer 30 and the data strobe driver 32 are operated in response to a test mode signal TM. That is, the data strobe buffer 30 and the data strobe driver 32 are turned-off upon entering into a test mode, in which the test mode signal TM is enabled.
When the test mode signal TM is enabled, the data strobe driver is synchronized with the internal clock signal BCK outputted from the clock buffer in order to output the data strobe pulse DQSRP and the falling data strobe pulse DQSFP. In other words, the rising data strobe pulse DQSRP is outputted in synchronization with the rising edge of the internal clock signal BCK, and the falling data strobe pulse DQSFP is outputted in synchronization with the falling edge of the internal clock signal BCK.
The data delay unit 36 and the data alignment unit 38 are operated identically to the data delay unit 16 and the data alignment unit 18 shown in FIG. 1; and therefore, a detailed description will be omitted.
However, in the prior art shown in FIG. 3, it is difficult to secure the data setup/hold time upon entering into the test mode, since the pulse signals DQSRP and DQSFP, which are used as the data alignment signal of the data alignment unit 38, are synchronized by means of the internal clock signal BCK as shown in FIG. 3. The reason is that the degree delayed by means of the delay unit 36 is determined based on the data strobe buffer 30, although a timing of the internal clock signal BCK, which is buffered by means of the clock buffer, is slower than that of the signal buffered by means of the data strobe buffer. In particular, the clock buffer 40 is distributed at the center of the chip, the data strobe buffer 30 and the data strobe driver 32 are distributed at the left of the chip, and the data block (DQ pad, data input buffer, data delay unit, data alignment unit) is distributed at the left-center of the chip. The output signal BCK of the clock buffer is input to the data block via the data strobe driver 32, and thus the moving path of the signals is long, and it takes much more time for the internal clock signal BCK to be input to the data block. Accordingly, it is more difficult to secure the data setup/hold time margins in the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram for explaining the operation of FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 4, the problems can be more obviously confirmed.
FIG. 4 confirms that when the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 3 is operated in a test mode, the setup/hold time window characteristics are different from that of the semiconductor memory device when it is operated normally. In FIG. 4, the test mode TM is enabled at a high level turning off the data strobe buffer 30 and the data strobe driver 32. The pulse signals DQSRP and DQSFP are synchronized with the rising edge and falling edge of the internal clock signal BLCK respectively. FIG. 4 shows that the pulse signals DQSRP and DQSFP are delayed more than the input data DIN (which is delayed by the data delay unit 36).
If the amount of delay delayed by the data delay unit 36 is increased so that the setup time conforms to the hold time when the semiconductor device is in the test mode, problems occur when the semiconductor device operates in a non-test mode (i.e., normal mode). In the normal mode, the data strobe buffer 30 and the data strobe driver 32 are operated normally; and therefore, the amount of delay cannot be increased based on the problems incurred when the semiconductor device is in the test mode.

Data input apparatus with improved setup/hold window


A spinning top system, comprising a plurality of spheres, each sphere having a center. The spinning top are arranged according to one of several geometric formations, including a tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, cube octahedron, and a hexagon, each of said geometric formations having several vertices. The spheres of the spinning top are arranged according to the particular geometric formation, wherein each vertice of the geometric formation corresponds to the center of one of the spheres. Arranging the spheres in this manner creates an symmetrical spinning top, which is capable of balancing and spinning upon one of these spheres. The spinning tops are also capable of stacking to form a stack of considerable height.

The invention relates to a sphere based symmetrical spinning top system. More particularly, the invention relates to a system of spinning tops which are constructed by closely packing identical spheres in the configuration of various three-dimensional polyhedrons.
A spinning top can be the source of both amazement and education for children and adults alike. The common spinning top can be challenging to get into motion, mesmerizing to watch, and interesting to learn the principles behind it's behavior. Principles of balance, centripetal force, and gyroscopic principles are all readily visualized by observing and playing with a spinning top.
A solid sphere is symmetrical. That is, the sphere can balance on any point on its outer surface. A hollow sphere can balance equally well if the outer "skin" is of uniform thickness.
A polyhedron will easily rest in equilibrium on any given side surface. In theory, many symmetrical polyhedra could balance on any vertice. Although it would defy logic to see a cube, a tetrahedron, or even an icosahedron statically resting on a single point, it is theoretically possible. In general, an object will balance in equilibrium upon a surface, when the object is fully symmetrical at that point of contact. In reality, however, external forces and imprecision in manufacturing make a static equilibrium upon a single vertice impossible as a practical matter. Thus, although the symmetrical property of these polyhedra can be mathematically proven, it is still quite difficult to demonstrate.


A glass grinding bit includes a monolithic plastic body having a first end, a second end and a central longitudinal axis. A central bore formed as part of the body in alignment with the longitudinal axis for receiving a drive shaft. An outer surface is formed as part of the body in alignment with the longitudinal axis and in concentric relationship with the central bore. A grinding sleeve has an inner surface in permanent interfacial contact with the body outer surface and an abrasive outer grinding surface. A threaded bore in the body extends transversely from the body outer surface to the central bore. A set screw in the transverse bore allows the grinding bit to be secured to a drive shaft. According to construction alternatives, the grinding bit may variously include (1) compressive members on the body outer surface that engage the grinding sleeve inner surface, (2) an apertured bore-defining structure within the body, and (3) the body being formed of a transparent or translucent plastic whose color signifies a surface roughness of the grinding sleeve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to grinding apparatus. More particularly, the invention concerns glass grinding apparatus, and especially table top grinders for use by hobbyists in the fabrication of glass artwork and decorative glass products.
2. Description of Prior Art
By way of background, there is a wide variety of grinding apparatus for shaping and/or surfacing many different kinds of materials. Of particular interest herein are table-top grinders of the type used by glass hobbyists and the like. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,394, entitled "Planer/Grinder For Glass," whose contents are incorporated herein by this reference, exemplifies such equipment. The typical glass grinding apparatus includes a cylindrical grinding bit mounted on a motor-driven shaft that spins above a horizontal work piece platform. The grinding bit typically comprises a cylindrical body made of brass, aluminum or other metal that is secured to the drive shaft by way of a set screw made of steel or the like. A tubular sleeve made of nickel or other metal is mounted on the cylindrical body. The sleeve is formed with a surface coating of diamonds or other abrasive particles capable of grinding, sanding or polishing glass. A glass work piece that is to be shaped or otherwise treated is placed on the platform and advanced until its edge contacts the grinding bit. By maneuvering the work piece relative to the grinding bit, material can be selectively removed from the work piece edge to create a desired shape and/or surface treatment.
There are several problems associated with the conventional glass grinding bit described above. First, the metal body is relatively hard and when rotated at high speed may impart vibrational shock loads that can chip the glass. Second, an aqueous irrigation fluid is used to lubricate the grinding bit and cool the glass during grinding. This fluid, together with galvanic action, tends to produce corrosion between the brass set screw and the brass body such that the grinding bit may be difficult to remove after prolonged use. Third, grinding bits are offered in different grades according to the desired amount of abrasiveness (e.g., ultra-fine, fine, medium, coarse, ultra-course, etc.). Such grinding bits are sometimes difficult to differentiate because they all use the same metal body and sleeve material; only the abrasive surface is different and this difference may be difficult to detect by sight or touch.
It is to improvements in the design of glass grinding bits that the present invention is directed. In particular, what is needed is a grinding bit that overcomes one or more (and preferably all) of the above-mentioned deficiencies found in existing grinding bits.


Method and device for the determination of a thickness of a cross-section (S) of a tree trunk (30) received in a harvesting assembly (10) comprising a pair of opposite feed wheels (14) engaging with the tree trunk and a delimbing knife (18) abutting against the tree trunk. The mutual position of the feed wheels is detected as a measure of a transverse dimension (D1) of the cross-section of the tree trunk. The position of the delimbing knife (18) in relation to an abutment surface (22) of the tree trunk opposite thereto is detected as a measure of an additional transverse dimension (D2) of the cross-section (S) of the tree trunk, which additional transverse dimension forms an essentially right angle with the first-mentioned transverse dimension. The thickness of the cross-section (S) of the tree trunk is calculated based on the two measures of the transverse dimensions (D1, D2).

Upon felling and processing of tree trunks, it has to be possible to correctly determine the dimensions of the resulting logs. A remaining problem upon mechanical measuring in a harvesting assembly during operation is to sufficiently accurately determine the diameter or thickness of the logs, which in turn, together with length information, can be used for the determination of the timber volume of the resulting logs. Known harvesting assemblies usually use two or three measurement points in each diameter measuring, which may be insufficient, particularly in case of oval or otherwise irregular trunk cross-sections.

Determination of thickness of a tree trunk


A method and system for providing attribute verification (330) consistent with the invention includes obtaining the attributes (320) of the item prior to placing the item in a delivery system (350), verifying correctness of the attributes (320), and transmitting an indication of the correctness of the attributes to a delivery system operator over a communications system (340).

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent government agency that provides mail delivery and other services to the public. The USPS is widely recognized as a safe and reliable means for sending and receiving mail and other items. With the advent and steady growth of electronic mail and electronic commerce, the physical mail stream will increasingly be utilized for sending and receiving packages. In an effort to lower operating costs and increase value for their customer base, many high volume delivery users prepare packages and other items with automated equipment and presort and label the items prior to placement of the items into the delivery system. Delivery users realize a cost savings due to presorting, for example, because many delivery system operators provide discounts on presorted items because the amount of sorting necessary by the delivery system operator is reduced.
Therefore, there is a need for the United States Postal Service and many other organizations to efficiently provide item verification in order to confirm that items are compatible with the delivery system and to confirm that the delivery fees for the items are proper. More specifically, delivery system operators desire to efficiently provide verification of an item before the item is placed in a delivery system. This is because in an increasingly competitive environment, it is essential for a service provider to reduce costs and exceed the expectations of those who receive a service.
One solution to the item verification problem is for the delivery system operator to receive unconfirmed information relative to a group of items placed in the delivery system and for the delivery system operator to randomly check individual items within the group for compliance with the unconfirmed information. For example, a catalog retail company may wish to have a plurality of catalogs sent to a group of prospective customers. In doing so, the company prepares items by placing a plurality of catalogs into a plurality of packages and places address labels, postage and tracking indicia on the items. Sorting the items to some extent, the company may deliver the items to the delivery system operator along with a manifest showing how the company believes the items were sorted along with the size, weight and postage amount placed on the items (this manifest may not necessarily reflect how the items were actually sorted or accurate weight, size, or postage). In this situation, having no verification of the information combined in the manifest, the delivery system operator must perform some checking of the items. This checking may comprise a random sampling of the items to determine some probabilistic certainty of the accuracy of the manifest.
Great inefficiencies are created in this procedure because, for example, the delivery system operator must perform a verification, expending money and human resources. In addition, the sampling is random and thus each item is not checked for accuracy of attributes or for sorting accuracy. Accordingly, efficiently providing item attribute verification remains an elusive goal. Thus, there remains a need for efficiently providing item attribute verification in a delivery system. In addition, there remains a need for efficiently providing item attribute verification prior to placing the item in the delivery system.


A hernia repair system includes a surgical patch, a dispenser, and a plurality of sutures. The surgical patch is movable between a contracted orientation and an expanded orientation. The dispenser includes a housing and a plunger. The housing defines a lumen. The plunger is movably secured within the lumen. The housing is configured to releasably retain the surgical patch within the lumen in the contracted orientation of the surgical patch. The plunger is configured to expel the surgical patch from the housing upon the selective actuation of the plunger from a first position to a second position. The surgical patch is autonomously positionable in the expanded orientation upon being expelled from the lumen. The plurality of sutures are configured to securely mount the surgical patch to a tissue site when the surgical patch is positioned in the expanded orientation.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for the application of a surgical patch. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for the deployment and securement of a surgical patch to a tissue site of a hernia.
2. Description of Related Art
A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure, or part of an organ through injured muscle tissue or an injured membrane by which the tissue, structure, or organ is normally contained. Some examples of hernias include: abdominal hernias, diaphragmatic hernias and hiatal hernias (for example, para-esophageal hernia of the stomach), pelvic hernias, for example, obturator hernia, anal hernias, hernias of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral discs, intracranial hernias, and Spigelian hernias.
Hernias may be surgically repaired, and are principally repaired by pushing back, or "reducing", the herniated tissue, and then reinforcing the defect in injured muscle tissue (an operation called herniorrhaphy). Modern muscle reinforcement techniques involve placement of a surgical patch, such as a surgical mesh, near the injured tissue or defect to support the defect. The surgical patch is either placed over the defect (anterior repair) or under the defect (posterior repair).
A variety of different fixation devices are used to anchor the surgical patch to the tissue. For example, a needled suture may be passed through or around the tissue near the defect to hold the surgical patch in a position which spans the injured tissue. In other examples, staples, tacks, clips and pins are also known to be passed through or around the tissue near the defect to anchor the surgical patch in a position which spans the injured tissue. Although such methods have been proven effective in anchoring the surgical patch to the tissue, these surgical patches have a tendency to crumble and kink when being positioned or anchored relative to the tissue. Indeed, these surgical patches are most effective when they maintain a snug and flat fit against the tissue. Thus, the crumbling and kinking of the surgical patches may limit the effectiveness of the surgical patches. In this respect, a continuing need still exits to provide a means for facilitating the effectiveness of surgical patches used to surgically repair hernias.


A halftone image original is converted into a line screen halftone image including regularly spaced-apart screen lines 5 that are modulated in their width y in accordance with the tonal value to be represented. According to the invention, width y of screen lines 5 is modulated only on one side so that screen lines 5 are flat on one side and width-modulated on one side. Various examples are stated for how this screen line modulation permits effective copy protection.

The structural elements form a regular line screen. Each structural element usually has a center line with respect to which the width of the particular structural element is modulated to render a desired tonal value of the halftone image. The wider a section of the structural element is, the darker the represented tonal value appears.
In EP 0 710 574 A2 this type of halftone image representation is used as an authenticity feature for the purpose of copy protection of papers of value by having the spacing of the structural elements, that is, the spacing between their center lines, not be constant throughout the image but vary in accordance with a modulation function. This makes the spacing correspond at least in partial areas of the halftone image to the scanning grid of a copier or scanner used for duplicating the paper of value, causing a striking moiré pattern to arise in the corresponding partial area of the produced copy.


An image forming apparatus has a housing. Inside the housing, there are provided an image carrying member, a developing unit, a driving force transmission unit, a contact/separation mechanism, a transmission enable/disable mechanism, a cover movably supported by the housing, and a single link member configured to move in association with an opening/closing movement of the cover. When the link member moves in association with the opening movement of the cover, the contact/separation mechanism moves the developing unit to a detachable position, and the transmission enable/disable mechanism moves the driving force transmission unit to the transmission cutoff position.

1. Technical Field
The following disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus having a main body accommodating an image carrying member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing unit configured to apply toner to the electrostatic latent image to form a developed image (i.e., a toner image), and a moving mechanism configured to move the developing unit between a contact position where the developing unit contacts the image carrying member, and a spaced position where the developing unit is spaced from the image carrying member has been known. Typically, such a cover is provided to the image forming apparatus so as to open/close an opening formed on a surface of the main body. Such a cover is moved to the open position when the developing unit is removed from the main body.
In a conventional image forming apparatus as described above, a link mechanism is further employed. The link mechanism includes a plurality of link members and gear trains which are arranged between the cover and the moving mechanism. The link mechanism operates the moving mechanism in association with the opening movement of the cover member such that the developing unit is located at a removable position (i.e., the spaced position) so that the user can remove the developing unit from the main body.
It is also known another image forming apparatus which has a main body, an image carrying member, a developing unit, a driving force transmitting unit, a transmission enable/disable mechanism, a cover and a link member. The driving force transmitting mechanism transmits a driving force generated by a driving source to the image carrying member. The transmission enable/disable mechanism is configured to move the driving force transmitting mechanism between a transmission position allowing the driving force transmitting mechanism to transmit the driving force, and a cutoff position at which the transmission enable/disable mechanism prevents the driving force transmitting mechanism from transmitting the driving force to the image carrying member.
In this conventional apparatus, the link member moves in association with opening/closing movement of the cover. Specifically, the link member moves the transmission enable/disable mechanism in association with opening movement of the cover member such that the transmission enable/disable mechanism moves the driving force transmitting unit to the cutoff position. With this configuration, it becomes unnecessary to move the driving force transmitting mechanism to the transmission cutoff position separately from the cover opening operation, which improves operation for maintenance of the image forming apparatus.


A waterproof zipper with at least one curve includes a first tape and a second tape, and interlocking elements attached to the first tape and the second tape, wherein the first tape and the second tape are curved, and wherein a curve of at least one of the tapes was caused by compaction of that tape. The zipper is coated on at least one side with a fluid impervious coating.

Zippers (or slide fasteners) are ubiquitous and have long been used to fasten or otherwise secure items such as jackets, luggage, pockets, and other types of items/products.
While conventional zippers are straight, it is desirable to have a curved zipper that can effectively track a curved path of an item. Exemplary curved zippers are shown in PCT/IB2020/061005, titled "Curved Zipper," published May 27, 2021, as WO/2021/100021, the entire contents of which are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
It is further desirable and an object hereof to provide waterproof zippers, particularly waterproof curved zippers.

Methods of making waterproof curved zippers


The invention features compositions comprising in vitro generated beta cells capable of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, methods of inducing beta cell maturation from embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived beta-like cells, and methods of using in vitro generated beta cells for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or a related disorder.

Beta cell dysfunction is associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults and results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic cells. The defect in insulin production causes a dramatic rise of glucose levels in the blood and urine leading to polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst), polyphagia (increased hunger), and weight loss. Type 1 diabetes is fatal unless treated with insulin injections, which is therapeutic, but not curative. The generation and production of insulin-secreting cells has long been a major goal in regenerative medicine to cure type 1 and certain types of type 2 diabetes. To date no method exists for the production of fully "functional" cells: that is, in vitro generated cells that can secrete insulin properly in response to physiologic levels of glucose. The production of such cells represents the best hope of curing diabetes. Accordingly, methods for obtaining fully functional beta cells and using such cells for the treatment of diabetes are urgently required.

Compositions and methods for treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes and related disorders


Techniques are described to discern between intentional and unintentional gestures. A device receives a first input from one or more sensors that are coupled to a flexible material to detect input from the user provided by manipulation of the flexible material. In addition, the device receives a second input from one or more environmental sensors that are coupled to the user to detect environmental conditions associated with the user. The device correlates the first input and the second input to determine whether the first input is an intentional input by the user.

Electronic devices have become increasingly more popular in recent years. These devices usually receive input from a user through an input interface such as a keyboard, touch screen, touch pad, a mouse, etc. Users prefer to carry smaller devices with higher capabilities. Designing more efficient user interfaces remains a challenge.

Techniques for discerning between intended and unintended gestures on wearable touch-sensitive fabric


A wiring substrate includes an electrode including Cu or a Cu alloy, and a plated film including an electroless nickel-plated layer formed on the electrode and an electroless gold-plated layer formed on the electroless nickel-plated layer. The electroless nickel-plated layer is formed by co-precipitation of Ni, P, Bi, and S, the electroless nickel-plated layer includes a content of P of 5% by mass or more and less than 10% by mass, a content of Bi of 1 ppm by mass to 1,000 ppm by mass, and a content of S of 1 ppm by mass to 2,000 ppm by mass, and a mass ratio of the content of S to the content of Bi (S/Bi) is more than 1.0.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiring substrate and a method of manufacturing a wiring substrate.
Description of the Related Art
As for a wiring substrate such as a semiconductor chip-mounting substrate including an electrode composed of Cu or a Cu alloy or a printed wiring substrate, a multilayer wiring substrate formed by a build-up method has been widely adopted to improve the function of the wiring substrate by raising the frequency of the wiring substrate and increasing the wiring density of the wiring substrate. Electronics manufacturers have competed for mounting electronic components on a wiring substrate at a high density to reduce the size, thickness and weight of a product, and a multi-pin technology and a narrow pitch technology for packaging have rapidly progressed. Specifically, technologies for mounting electronic components on a printed wiring substrate have been developed from Quad Flat Package (QFP) in the related art to Ball Grid Array (BGA) and Chip Size Package (CSP) mounting as area surface mounting.
Among the above, a flip chip-ball grid array (FC-BGA) technology in which a semiconductor chip is mounted on a printed wiring substrate with an interposer interposed therebetween and copper electrodes provided on the printed wiring substrate and the interposer are electrically connected to each other by a solder ball has attracted attention since the FC-BGA technology is available at a lower cost compared to mounting technologies by wire bonding using a gold wire.
In order to reliably connect the copper electrodes provided on the printed wiring substrate and the interposer, the interposer and the copper electrodes are subjected to surface treatment. As an example of the surface treatment, a nickel/gold plating treatment in which a surface of an electrode is subjected to nickel plating treatment and then gold plating treatment is known. In recent years, a nickel/palladium/gold treatment in which nickel plating treatment, palladium plating treatment and gold plating treatment are sequentially performed has been widely used due to high reliability of mounting technologies using a solder ball. Particularly, compared to surface treatment using an electroplating method in the plating treatment, surface treatment using an electroless plating method in the plating treatment is advantageous in that routing of wiring is not required on a wiring substrate in which wiring is arranged at a high density, and thus, the surface treatment using an electroless plating method has attracted attention.
Generally, in an electroless nickel plating bath, Pb, which acts as a trace additive and has an effect of stabilizing the plating bath, and a sulfur-based compound, which acts as a trace additive, has an effect of stabilizing the plating bath, and also, acts as an accelerator are included. These two kinds of trace additives co-precipitate Pb, S and the like in an electroless nickel-plated film formed by plating treatment, and influence the reliability of mounting technologies by solder and various properties such as selective precipitation capability or the like in the plating treatment.
The amount of Pb included in the electroless nickel-plated film by the plating treatment is several hundred ppm. As an environmental regulation regarding Pb, Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive has been established. However, the upper limit of Pb in the RoHS directive is 1,000 ppm, and the electroless nickel-plated film is not included as a target to be regulated. On the other hand, an environmental regulation, Joint Industry Guideline (JIG), which prevents intentional addition of Pb to a plating bath has also been established, and the environmental regulation regarding Pb is expected to become stricter in the future.
On the other hand, a solder-mounting material has gradually changed from a conventional Sn—Pb-based solder that is regulated by the RoHS directive to a solder that does not contain Pb. Specifically, a Sn—Ag—Cu-based solder such as Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu can be used.
As described above, the plated film and the solder are changed to a plated film and a solder that do not contain Pb, respectively. Therefore, it is important to ensure mounting reliability in a wiring substrate. To obtain high mounting reliability in a wiring substrate, excellent reflow resistance to endure plural times of reflow using multilayer wiring in Flip-Chip mounting or the like and excellent aging resistance to endure continuous use at a high operation temperature are required for a wiring substrate.
As a wiring substrate having high mounting reliability, a wiring substrate is proposed, including a plated film formed of a laminated film in which an electroless nickel-phosphorus plating layer containing Bi and an electroless gold-plated layer are laminated on a copper electrode (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-124571).
However, since a precipitation rate of Ni is low in the electroless nickel-phosphorus plating layer, the content of P is increased. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain sufficient mounting reliability.

Wiring substrate and method of manufacturing wiring substrate

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION GUNMA UNIVERSITY


An X-ray tube and An X-ray detector are mounted on a gantry rotating unit. A gantry fixing unit supports the gantry rotating unit so as to allow it to rotate about a rotation axis. A cover covers the gantry rotating unit and the gantry fixing unit. At least one outlet for discharging air inside the gantry is formed in the cover at a position shifted from an area squaring facing the outer circumference of the gantry rotating unit along the rotation axis. At least one cooling fan is mounted on the gantry fixing unit so as to be located near at least one outlet, and sends air to at least one outlet.

As shown in FIG. 9, in order to shorten the startup time for scanography, the stop position of a gantry rotating unit at the waiting time (the time of stoppage of rotation) of the gantry is set to locate an X-ray tube 101 at 0° (the uppermost portion). An X-ray tube cooling device 103 is mounted next to the X-ray tube 101. The X-ray tube cooling device 103 performs cooling by circulating oil between itself and the X-ray tube 101. The X-ray tube cooling device 103 is called oil cooler. A gantry side surface cover 105 is provided with an outlet 107 to efficiently exhaust heat conducted from the oil cooler 103 to the outside of the gantry. A cooling fan 109 is provided in a local portion of the main frame near the outlet 107. The cooling fan 109 sends air inside the gantry to the outlet 107 to exhaust the air outside. As shown in FIG. 9, since the X-ray tube 101 is placed at 0° at the waiting time of the gantry, the oil cooler 103 is placed at a position shifted from 0°.
As shown in FIG. 10, a lower cover 111 is provided with an inlet 113 for sucking air into the gantry. Air with lower temperature than air inside the gantry, is sucked into the gantry through the inlet 113. The sucked air mainly flows from the inlet 113 to the outlet 107. Since the X-ray tube 101 is placed at the nearly 0° position at the waiting time of the gantry, stagnation points of air occur in portions above an X-ray detector 115 and a DAS (data acquisition system) 117 arranged to face the X-ray tube 101 through the rotation axis. This makes it difficult to cool the X-ray detector 115 and the data acquisition system 117. There is room for improvement in cooling efficiency with respect to the X-ray detector 115 and the data acquisition system 117.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, another outlet 119 is provided to exhaust air in an area on the opposite side to the oil cooler 103 inside the gantry in the lateral direction to the outside of the gantry. A cooling fan 121 is also provided near the outlet 119. The cooling fan 121 exhausts air in the area on the opposite side to the oil cooler 103 to the outside of the gantry. However, since the main heat source inside the gantry is the oil cooler 103, there is room for improvement in exhaust efficiency based on the cooling fan 121 as compared with the cooling fan 109.


A sensor hard to break and capable of improving sensitivity is obtained. This sensor comprises an electrode plate and a diaphragm, opposed to the electrode plate, including a first elastic film arranged on a central portion and a second elastic film, arranged at least on a peripheral portion of the first elastic film, made of a material having a lower elastic modulus than the first elastic film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor, and more particularly, it relates to a sensor having a diaphragm.
2. Description of the Background Art
A sensor such as a sonic sensor having a diaphragm is known in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 60-500841 (1985), for example.
The sonic sensor proposed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 60-500841 comprises a vibratory diaphragm formed by a silicon film having a small thickness and a fixed electrode plate of a metal opposed to the diaphragm. When the diaphragm vibrates by a sound pressure in this sonic sensor, the distance between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate changes due to this vibration. Thus, the electrostatic capacitances of capacitors formed by the diaphragm and the fixed electrode so change that the sonic sensor converts sounds to electric signals by outputting changes in the quantities of charges in the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate resulting from the changes of the electrostatic capacitances as the electric signals.
Assuming that ε represents the dielectric constant between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate when the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate have the same surface areas S, electrostatic capacitances C1 and C2 of two capacitors at different distances d1 and d2 (d1>d2) between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate can be expressed as follows:C1=εS/d1  (1)C2=εS/d2  (2)
When the average distances between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate are sonically reduced by an average displacement δd in the respective capacitors, electrostatic capacitances C1a and C2a of the capacitors can be expressed as follows:C1a=εS/(d1−δd)  (3)C2a=εS/(d2−δd)  (4)
Therefore, the displacements δC1 and δC2 of the capacitors can be expressed as follows:δC1=C1−C1a=εSδd/d1(d1−δd)  (5)δC2=C2−C2a=εSδd/d2(d2−δd)  (6)
d1>d2 from the assumption, and hence δC1<δC2.
As understood from the expressions (5) and (6), therefore, the change δC2 of the electrostatic capacitance in the capacitor having the smaller distance (d2) between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate exceeds the change δC1 of the other capacitor when the distances between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate are reduced by the same value δd in these capacitors. Consequently, the electric signal output on the basis of the capacitor having the smaller distance (d2) between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate more largely changes, thereby improving sensitivity of the sonic sensor.
In the sonic sensor according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 60-500841, however, the diaphragm formed by the silicon film, wholly made of the same material (silicon) with the same thickness, entirely exhibits the same elastic modulus. The outer periphery and the central portion of the diaphragm entirely having the same elastic modulus are substantially uniformly bent in a convex manner due to vibration resulting from a sound pressure, to increase the displacement (quantity of bending) of the central portion toward the fixed electrode plate. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the distances between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate. In the sonic sensor according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 60-500841, therefore, it is disadvantageously difficult to improve the sensitivity.
In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,435, for example, proposes a sonic sensor reducing the displacement (quantity of bending) of a central portion of a diaphragm by suppressing bending of the central portion. The sonic sensor proposed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,435 comprises the diaphragm formed by a silicon film, a spring film of silicon integrally provided on part of the outer periphery of the diaphragm and a fixed electrode plate opposed to the diaphragm. In this sonic sensor, the spring film of silicon has a smaller thickness than the diaphragm of silicon, to be easily sonically vibrated (bent). On the other hand, the diaphragm having a larger thickness than the spring film is hard to bend. When the sonic sensor according to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,435 receives a sound, therefore, the spring film is vibrated (bent) by a sound pressure. Following this vibration of the spring film, the diaphragm is vibrated along with the spring film without much bending. Therefore, the distance between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode plate, which may be set only in consideration of vibration (bending) of the spring film, can be set to a small level. Consequently, sensitivity can be improved in the sonic sensor according to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,435.
In the sonic sensor disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,435, however, the spring film, formed with the thickness smaller than that of the diaphragm to be easily vibrated, is disadvantageously easy to break.


Apparatus and methods are provided to implement a technique for managing the response of a digital entity in a simulation to reflect its interaction with one or more players over time, such as managing a non-player character's responses to player characters in an online computer game. In the system, a computer system tracks the interaction of the digital entity with other entities and the occurrence or status of internal and external events to control how the digital entity reacts to current events and interactions.

Massively multiplayer online ("MMO") games enjoy tremendous popularity, with some games numbering players in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. Such games' players typically control one or more player characters, and these player characters interact with other player characters as well as with non-player characters, i.e., characters controlled by the system, and further interact with the game environment itself.
A central design goal for an MMO is to bring the world and characters of the game environment to life. Giving the game environment believable characters and features requires that the experience be engaging, deep, and immersive.
Typical cut scenes or narrative voice overs (VO) are used to enliven characters in a game. However, players have certain expectations of properties with well-known or iconic characters, e.g., licensed superheroes, and in a game setting, the game environment should make each iconic character feel rounded and real. The environment should connect players with such characters personally and socially, creating an illusion that the characters have lives and ambitions beyond any one interaction a player may have with them.
In other words, part of the immersion experience for a player is to have realistic and/or engaging responses from non-player characters and the environment. In prior systems, such responses have had little or no reliance on a player character's prior actions or on game (or world) events. To the extent they did, they were based on prior quests completed, or other such generic game variables.

System and method for providing persistent character personalities in a simulation


A publish and subscribe architecture can be utilized to manage records, which can be used to accomplish the various functional goals. At least one template having definitions for managing production and consumption of data within an unconfigured group of computing resources is maintained. Records organized by topic collected from multiple disparate previously configured producers are utilized to initiate configuration of the unconfigured group of computing resources. Records within a topic are organized by a corresponding topic sequence. A first portion of the computing resources are configured as consumers based on the at least one template. The consumers to consume records at a pace independent of record production. A second portion of the computing resources are configured as producers based on the at least one template. The producers to produce records at a pace independent of record consumption.

Configuring and/or managing data centers (or other high-volume data resources) can be a complex, expensive and/or time-consuming venture. Even currently automated functionality must be manually initiated or managed. Increased complexity and time requirements result in increased costs and increased likelihood of error. Thus, more efficient architectures and/or techniques would be beneficial.

Techniques and architectures for managing global installations and configurations


A method for operating an electronic device includes rotating a first portion of a flexible touchscreen with respect to a second portion of the flexible touchscreen around a folding axis; detecting, self-capacitances sensed in a folding area of the flexible touchscreen using a self-sensing scan, where a first side of the folding area is on the first portion of the flexible touchscreen and a second side of the folding area is on the second portion of the flexible touchscreen, and the first side and the second side are separated by a folding axis; determining, a current strength sensed by the flexible touchscreen in the folding area based on the self-capacitances in the folding area; and determining, a folding angle of the first portion of the flexible touchscreen with the second portion of the flexible touchscreen around the folding axis based on the current strength in the folding area.

Electronic devices that are designed for user interaction have historically utilized external input devices such as keyboards, key pads, and/or mice to capture user input. In recent years, there has been a push from the more traditional methods, as consumers prefer the convenience of portable devices that can support a more flexible lifestyle. To this end, there has been a rise in smaller, portable, hand-held electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, gaming systems, etc. This has given rise to the popularity of touch screens and touch panel displays as systems for capturing user input. Not only do they provide the functionality of the traditional electronic devices, but touchscreens provide additional features. For example, given the appropriate software, users are able to utilize touchscreens for sketching, drawing, and various hand writing applications.
With the development of flexible displays that are capable of being folded, the size of a display may be increased without increasing the size of the device. However foldable displays come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Foldable displays require additional components such as hall sensors to detect the angle at which the flexible touchscreen is folded (i.e. to determine whether the touchscreen is open or closed) which increases the power consumption of the electronic device.

Open close detection of foldable phone lid angle calculation

STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.


A laser system for treating an eye having a cornea, the laser system including a laser beam source capable of generating a laser beam, an eye position detector which includes at least a corneal tracker, the corneal tracker being responsive to movement of an anterior portion of the cornea, the corneal tracker constructed to detect movement of the cornea based on a set of spaced apart optical manifestations from the outer surface of the anterior portion of the cornea, and a beam controller, the beam controller being responsive to the eye position detector to direct the laser beam with controlled energy from the laser beam source to a desired location on the eye.

Laser systems for treating the eye involve directing an energetic laser beam upon the cornea to remove corneal tissue by the process known as ablation. Excimer lasers are typically employed. Maintaining the relationship of each instant of laser energy deposition relative to previous depositions is important to produce the desired conformational change across the treated corneal area. In order to maintain registration, tracking systems have been employed based on the pupil and iris of the eye.
One established excimer laser system has an iris tracking system employing small, low energy tracking beams, to track the edge of a fixed and dilated pupil using a dedicated edge detection system. Four infrared beams scan back and forth in radial fashion at different quadrants of the round pupil, each detecting a signal difference as the beam crosses the edge of the dark pupil onto the iris. The pupil is typically required to be dilated and not moving. A clinical strategy for employing this technique first captures a video digital image of the non-dilated eye when the patient is fixated on a spot, such as on a blinking red light. The limbus and/or other anatomical landmarks are identified by a human operator, and a computer-generated image of a ring is imposed on the limbus on the computer screen. Using that ring, the laser surgeon then locates a yellow-cross-hair in the center of the pupil as a reference for the treatment. The patient then is taken from the treatment station, administered a drug to dilate the pupil, and when stable dilation is achieved, the patient returns for laser treatment. With the tracking system activated, the computer-captured-ring from the pre-dilation state is imposed on the image of the limbus of the dilated eye, when fixated as before. This locates the yellow cross-hair, representing the pupil center in the same position as before dilation. Though the pupil is dilated to larger, fixed size, the laser surgeon, knowing the center of the undilated pupil, can conduct the procedure with that reference.
A system along that line is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,803, hereby incorporated by reference.
In another established laser treatment system, the front of the eye is flooded with infrared (invisible) light to detect the transition between the iris, which significantly reflects the infrared light, and the pupil, which is relatively absorptive of the infrared light. An infrared sensitive photo detector measures the reflected infrared light. On the assumption that the pupil is round, the computer performs edge detection to determine best fit and mathematically solves the equation to determine the center of the round circle determined from the detected data. This system allows the pupil to be smaller and to vary somewhat in size during treatment, employing the assumption that the pupil expands and contracts concentrically. As long as the eye is concentric and moves within a relatively modest range, e.g. between 2 and 4 millimeters, the mathematical solution for the center of the circle remains essentially at the same spot and the treatment remained centered.
In further proposed systems, pattern recognition techniques have been proposed for detecting the iris, by which the center and orientation are determined, from which the desired corrections are referenced.
Besides such prior systems that conduct laser treatment based on an image of the iris of the eye in the X, Y plane, other proposals have concerned tracking other gross features such as the incision line of a turned corneal flap, or of using techniques based on optical features internal of the eye.