An approach for allocating a set of virtual registers to a set of physical registers using selective spilling is described. A set of code and a spill variable are specified. A code region hierarchy containing a set of code regions is determined based upon the set of code. The first level of the code region hierarchy is evaluated and if the spill variable is referenced in more than one code region, code for performing a spill operation on the specified spill variable is added to the set of code based upon a code region which defines the specified spill variable. In addition, code for performing a reload operation on the specified spill variable is added to the set of code based upon code regions that use the specified spill variable. If the spill variable is only referenced in a single code region in the first level of the code region hierarchy, then code regions that are both in a second level of the code region hierarchy and which correspond to the code region in the first level which references the spill variable are analyzed and code added in a similar manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to programming language compilers, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for allocating registers via selective spilling.
2. Description of Related Art
An important function of an optimizing compiler is allocating physical registers to be used when code instructions generated by the optimizing compiler are executed. Physical registers are actual hardware registers supported by the particular platform on which the code instructions are executed. Ideally code instructions are executed in the available physical registers without requiring any additional physical registers. However, in many situations, the execution of code instructions requires more than the number of available physical registers. For example, the execution of a sequence of code instructions may require more intermediate values than the number of available physical registers. In these situations, the physical registers must be allocated to provide for the execution of the code instructions.
One approach for allocating physical registers used by contemporary optimizing compilers is a multi-pass approach. In one pass, data specified by processed code instructions is assigned to a set of virtual or "symbolic" registers which are sometimes considered to be infinite in number, but for practical reasons, arc usually limited to some fairly large number. During a subsequent pass, the set of virtual registers is assigned to a set of physical registers. For situations when the number of virtual registers is less than or equal to the number of physical registers, the contents of each of the virtual registers can be directly assigned to a physical register. However, when the number of virtual registers exceeds the number of physical registers, then the set of virtual registers must be mapped to the set of physical registers. In the context of compilers, mapping a set of virtual registers to a set of physical registers refers to determining an assignment of the set of virtual registers to the set of physical registers so that computations specified by a set of code instructions can be performed in the set of physical registers.
One approach for mapping a set of virtual registers to a set of physical registers is known as the graph coloring approach which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,678 issued to Chaitin on Feb. 18, 1986. Generally, the graph coloring approach involves constructing and analyzing a register interference graph for a set of code instructions. Each virtual register is represented in the register interference graph as a node. Two nodes are connected when the contents of two virtual registers represented by the nodes cannot simultaneously share a physical register at some point in time during the execution of the code instructions, effectively representing a conflict between the two nodes.
The register interference graph is then analyzed and nodes having fewer connections than the number of available physical registers are removed from the graph. If all of the nodes can be removed from the graph, then a coloring can be determined. That is, all of the virtual registers can be mapped to the available physical registers. However, sometimes the register interference graph contains one or more nodes having more connections to other nodes than the number of available physical registers. This means that the number of available physical registers is insufficient to store all of the intermediate values specified by the code instructions. Thus, some intermediate values must be stored in other memory.
The process of temporarily storing data from a physical register to another memory location is referred to as "spilling." Generally, spilling involves performing a spill operation, followed by one or more reload operations. The spill operation causes data contained in a physical register to be stored in another memory location, such as a runtime stack. Each reload operation causes the data to be loaded or copied from the other memory location into a physical register. Reload operations are performed when the data is required for a calculation.
In terms of the register interference graph, a spill is reflected in the graph by disconnecting a node from all other nodes in the graph. Then the graph is rebuilt and analyzed again. Any nodes that have been spilled have no connections to other nodes and are removed from the graph when the graph is analyzed. This process is repeated until a mapping of the set of virtual registers to the set of physical registers is determined.
The high level approach for mapping a set of virtual registers to a set of physical registers according to the graph coloring approach is illustrated by the flow chart of FIG. 1. After starting in step 100, a register interference graph is built in step 102. Then in step 104, the register interference graph is analyzed. As previously described, analyzing the register interference graph involves removing any nodes which have fewer connections to other nodes than the number of available physical registers.
In step 106, a determination is made as to whether the register interference graph can be colored. As previously discussed, if all of the nodes can be removed from the graph, indicating that there are no conflicts, then the graph can be colored. If so, then the process is complete in step 108. On the other hand, if in step 106 the graph cannot be colored, then in step 110, one of the virtual registers is spilled, which eliminates the spilled register as a conflicted node in the graph. In step 112 the register interference graph is rebuilt and then steps 104 through 112 are repeated until the register graph is colored.
The Problems
Although the spilling approach allows a set of virtual registers to be mapped to a set of physical registers, the approach does have some disadvantages. One disadvantage is that additional code instructions must be executed to perform the spill and reload operations. This increases the overall time required to process a sequence of code instructions which provides for the spilling of data. In addition, write and read operations to secondary storage media, such as runtime stacks, often take more time to execute than write and read operations to physical registers, such as Central Processing Unit (CPU) registers. Conventional spilling approaches add code instructions to perform a spill operation after data to be spilled is defined, and also add code instructions to perform a reload operation at each location in the code instructions where the data to be spilled is referenced. In many instances, this approach can result in a significant amount of extra code.
Consider the example illustrated by FIGS. 2A and 2B. A code block 200 includes code 202 which defines a variable X. Code block 200 also includes code 204, 206, 208 and 210, which use the variable X. Code block 200 may also include other code which is not illustrated.
FIG. 2B illustrates code block 200 which has been modified to reflect the spilling of the variable X. Specifically, code 212 has been added immediately following code 202, to perform a spill operation on the variable X. As previously discussed, the spill operation writes the variable X from a physical register to another memory location, such as a runtime stack.
In addition, code 214 has been added immediately before code 204 to perform a reload operation on the variable X, which causes the variable X to be reloaded into a physical register as X'. Code 204 then uses the reloaded variable X'. Similarly, code 216 has been added immediately before code 206 to reload the variable X as X", which is then used by code 206. Also, code 218 and 220 have also been added to reload the variable X as X'" and X"", respectively.
As is illustrated by code block 200 in FIG. 2B, performing spilling of variable X involves both writing the variable X from a physical register to another memory location (a spill operation), and also writing the variable X from the memory location into a physical register (a reload operation) for each occurrence of variable X in code block 200. Conventional spill algorithms do not discriminate as to where the additional code to perform the reload operations is added. Rather, the code instructions for performing the reload operations is added prior to each and every use of the spill variable. This can adversely affect performance when a reload operation is added to a portion of code instructions which is repeated many times, such as a loop. Also, a physical register conflict may only occur at one location in a code block and yet, according to conventional approaches, code to perform a reload operation is added at every use of the spill variable.
In view of the need for spilling virtual registers to provide for the mapping of a set of virtual registers to a set of physical registers, and the limitations in the prior approaches, there is a need for an approach for allocating a set of virtual registers to a set of physical registers that uses a more efficient approach for register spilling.

Register allocation via selective spilling


An organic electroluminescent device includes an anode; a hole-transporting layer disposed over the anode, a light-emitting layer disposed over the hole-transporting layer for producing light in response to hole-electron recombination, and an electron-transporting layer disposed over the light-emitting layer. The device also includes a crystallization-inhibitor incorporated within the electron-transporting layer, wherein the crystallization-inhibitor prevents the electron-transporting layer from crystallizing during operation, and a cathode disposed over the electron-transporting layer.

Organic electroluminescent (EL) devices or organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) are electronic devices that emit light in response to an applied potential. The structure of an OLED comprises, in sequence, an anode, an organic EL medium, and a cathode. The organic EL medium disposed between the anode and the cathode is commonly comprised of an organic hole-transporting layer (HTL) and an organic electron-transporting layer (ETL). Holes and electrons recombine and emit light in the ETL near the interface of HTL/ETL. Tang et al. demonstrated highly efficient OLEDs using such a layer structure in "Organic Electroluminescent Diodes", Applied Physics Letters, 51, 913 (1987) and in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,292. Since then, numerous OLEDs with alternative layer structures have been disclosed. For example, there are three-layer OLEDs that contain an organic light-emitting layer (LEL) between the HTL and the ETL, such as that disclosed by Adachi et al., "Electroluminescence in Organic Films with Three-Layer Structure", Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 27, L269 (1988), and by Tang et al., "Electroluminescence of Doped Organic Thin Films", Journal of Applied Physics, 65, 3610 (1989). The LEL commonly includes of a host material doped with a guest material. Further, there are other multilayer OLEDs that contain additional functional layers, such as a hole-injecting layer (HIL), and/or an electron-injecting layer (EIL), and/or an electron-blocking layer (EBL), and/or a hole-blocking layer (HBL) in the devices. At the same time, many different types of EL materials are also synthesized and used in OLEDs. These new structures and new materials have further resulted in improved device performance.
In an OLED, crystallization of an organic layer is detrimental to the device performance, especially if the ETL is the one undergoing the crystallization process in the device. During device operation, if the temperature inside of a device (defined as device temperature) is higher than a glass transition temperature (Tg) of an organic layer in the OLED, the organic layer will change its film formation from an amorphous state to a polycrystalline formation. This change will not only cause a film morphology change, but also cause a possible change in its ionization potential (Ip) and/or its electron energy band gap (Eg). As a result, electrical shorts can occur, carrier injection can deteriorate, or luminance efficiency can be reduced. Therefore, selecting high Tg materials, especially high Tg electron-transporting materials, is very necessary for the application of OLEDs. Tg of organic materials can be obtained using a technique such as differential scanning colorimetry.
Tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq), one of the metal chelated oxinoid compounds, has been a commonly used electron-transporting material in OLEDs since Tang et al. disclosed its use in "Organic Electroluminescent Diodes", Applied Physics Letters, 51, 913 (1987). Alq has a reasonably high Tg (about 172° C.). This property facilitates the operational stability of the OLEDs at a device temperature up to its Tg. However, the electron mobility of Alq is not quite as good as is expected. In order to improve the electron-transporting property in OLEDs, efforts are being made to try to use some other electron-transporting materials, such as other metal chelated oxinoid compounds, butadiene derivatives, heterocyclic optical brighteners, benzazoles, oxadiazoles, triazoles, pyridinethiadiazoles, triazines, and some silole derivatives. Among those materials, it is found that 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen) has a very high electron mobility.
Due to its high electron mobility and suitable energy band structure, Bphen as an electron-transporting material in an ETL of an OLED can efficiently transport electrons from the cathode into the LEL resulting in high luminous efficiency and low drive voltage. Unfortunately, Bphen has a low Tg (about 60° C.), and a vacuum deposited amorphous Bphen layer in an OLED can be readily changed into a polycrystalline layer during operation, which results in a sudden drop in luminance and a sudden increase in drive voltage. Its operational lifetime is no longer than 20 hrs if the device is operated at 70° C., substantially minimizing the effectiveness of this material in an OLED.

Using a crystallization-inhibitor in organic electroluminescent devices


The present disclosure may be directed to a computer-assisted or autonomous driving (CA/AD) vehicle that receives a plurality of indications of a condition of one or more features of a plurality of locations of a roadway, respectively, encoded in a plurality of navigation signals broadcast by a plurality of transmitters as the CA/AD vehicle drives past the locations enroute to a destination. The CA/AD vehicle may then determine, based in part on the received indications, driving adjustments to be made and send indications of the driving adjustments to a driving control unit of the CA/AD vehicle.

When CA/AD driven and people driven vehicles drive on the same roadway, especially in freeways or highways, there are co-existence, trust and safety issues. For example there may be differences in response times, speeds, rates of acceleration, situational awareness and alertness levels between the vehicles, which may cause accidents or other roadway incidents.

Computer-assisted or autonomous driving assisted by roadway navigation broadcast


A female hinge member, and a hinge assembly including the member, includes a pair of spaced ears between which a cylindrical roller is supported for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis about which the female hinge member and a pivotally attached male hinge member are relatively rotatable. The hinge assembly is connected to opposite end portions of a framework forming part of a handbag. As the hinge members are relatively rotated in moving between open and closed positions, the roller moves along the surface of a cantilever spring on the male hinge member, in rolling contact therewith.

The present invention relates generally to hinges, and more particularly to cam and spring actuated hinges for use in combination with a handbag frame that is positioned at the mouth of a bag and permits the bag to securely remain in either a terminal open or closed position.
It is old and well known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains to provide a snap-action type, hinged frame for use on handbags (handbags is used herein as a generic term which includes purses, pocket books, brief cases, and the like). The prior art handbag frames are generally comprised of two elongated strips of metal hingedly connected, in parallel extending relation, to one another. One of these frames is positioned at the mouth of the handbag, and due to the hinged connection of the frame members, the frame permits selective opening and closing of the handbag.
The hinges employed in the frame construction are typically known as over-center spring hinges. This type of hinge permits the handbag to be manually snapped open or closed, and remain in a fixed, open or closed, terminal position until manually moved to the opposite terminal position. To achieve this goal, the hinges generally include male and female portions, each having a leaf for attaching it to a respective frame member, and a pair of cooperatively positioned eyelets for receiving a pivot pin therethrough. Passage of the pivot pin through the male and female portions' eyelets forms the pivotal, hinged connection between the two portions. In addition to the eyelets, the male portion also includes an elongated spring finger integrally extending from the leaf, while the female portion includes a fixed cam or lug integrally formed at the distal end of the leaf with the lobe of the cam positioned in spring biased relation to the spring finger.
In operation, as the handbag is manually moved from a closed to an open position, the pivotal connection between the male and female hinge portions effect a sliding movement of the cam along the length of the spring finger which, in turn, results in the spring finger yielding to the pressure applied thereto by the lobe of the cam. Once the lobe of the cam extends more than midway along the length of the spring finger, the resilient nature of the spring causes the hinge to snap open to its terminal, open position. If the bag's user stopped the opening motion prior to the cam reaching the midpoint of the spring finger's length, the hinge would simply snap shut. In any event, it is the positional (angular) relationship between the cam and spring finger (in other words, the angular relationship between the two hinge portions) which cause the frame, and hence the handbag, to snap to either a terminal open or closed position. Examples of such hinges are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,145,748 to Leonardi; 2,903,033 to Robinson; 2,158,955 to Blacher; and 2,578,612 to Stregack, among others.
Although the hinges employed in the prior art handbag frames work well, they do suffer the drawback of having a limited life cycle. Due to the constant opening and closing of a handbag, the hinges are constantly being moved between their terminal positions. Each time the bag is opened or closed, the lobe of the cam slides along the length of the spring finger, eventually resulting in the spring and lobe becoming worn, and possibly fractured, due to the constant friction between the two. The wear eventually results in the lobe yielding insufficient pressure on the spring to permit effective operation of the hinge, and hence, the bag.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an over-center spring hinge, for use in combination with a handbag frame, that has improved durability and thus, a longer life cycle.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an improved hinged frame for a handbag that makes the bag easier to snap open or close than bags utilizing prior art hinges.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hinged frame for a handbag that is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a hinged frame for a handbag that is easy to implement with a handbag.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.


A semiconductor device may comprise a semiconductor substrate having a top and a bottom surface, first and second insulating layer deposited on the top surface of the substrate, a runner arranged on top of the second insulator layer, a backside metal layer deposited on the bottom surface of the substrate, a first via structure extending from the bottom surface of the substrate to the top of the first insulating layer between the backside layer and the runner, and a second via extending from the top of the first insulating layer to the top of the second insulating layer between the first via and the runner.

Semiconductor devices, such as high power semiconductors or integrated semiconductors comprising at least one power device, often require good isolation between certain integrated devices to suppress electrical and/or magnetic interference. Furthermore thermal conductive paths are often needed to reduce the operating temperature of active devices and decouple the heat dissipation from an output stage to the input stage. No solution is known that effectively improves the components electrical and thermal conductivity and at the same time decouples electrical, magnetic, and thermal interference between components at the same time.


Proposed is a resonator which works with bulk acoustic waves and is based on a layer structure known in the art, which is arranged over a substrate. According to the invention, the total surface of the layer structure, including all resonators contained therein, is covered with a dielectric layer and a metal layer which together form an acoustic mirror, a low-k dielectric being used for the dielectric layer. The total-surface mirror offers broadband functionality over a suitable frequency range. The dielectric contained within the mirror acts as a sealing protective layer for the resonator or resonators.

Resonators are suitable for use in bandpass filters in modern filter technology and may, for example, be used in mobile communication devices.
A resonator working with bulk acoustic waves has a piezoelectric layer arranged between two metal layers (electrodes). The layers are sequentially deposited on a substrate and structured in such a manner that there arises a plurality of resonators, which are electrically connected by their correspondingly structured electrodes and may together realize a filter circuit, for example.
To store the acoustic energy of the bulk acoustic wave within the resonator and/or to keep acoustic energy in the substrate upon which the resonator is arranged from escaping, either an acoustic mirror is arranged underneath the resonator or an air gap is provided. An acoustic mirror includes at least two, but maybe more layers, alternately comprised of materials having high and low acoustic impedance. The material and the thickness of these layers are so chosen that, for the selected resonant frequency of the resonator, all layer thicknesses are in the range of a quarter wavelength (or an odd multiple of a quarter wavelength) of the acoustic wave that can propagate in the respective material at this frequency. Under these conditions, the theoretical ideal case of maximum constructive interference of the acoustic waves reflected on the boundary layers is approximately optimized and thus prevents the escape of acoustic energy from the resonator.
An air gap also serves the same purpose, because the large impedance jump between the top (or bottom) layer of the resonator and the air is sufficient to reflect the acoustic wave almost completely.
A resonator working with bulk acoustic waves or a component that exhibits such resonators is just as sensitive as a surface acoustic wave (SAW) component to mass load or to damage from contaminating substances on the surface of the resonators. Component housings known from semiconductor technology in which the components are built-in, glued-in, for example, are thus normally used for such FBAR resonators and components. Such housings, which include ceramics or metal, for example, have two parts, comprised, for example, of a trough and a lid or a carrier and a cap, the two parts of the housing being glued, welded, or soldered together after the component has been inserted.
Such housing technologies demand high procedural and financial costs, however, and cannot keep up with the miniaturization of the components because of the required minimum dimensions, of wall thicknesses, for example, this miniaturization being required for technological and economic reasons. It is therefore proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,198 that the packaging be replaced by an external seal using a plastic material. To prevent the plastic seal from having a negative effect on the acoustic properties of the resonator, an acoustic mirror is provided between the resonator and the seal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,493 also describes a seal, which is deposited over the component and comprises at least one passivation layer comprised of SiO2, an epoxy resin or a desired glob-top composition. Here too, an acoustic mirror comprising at least three mirror layers is inserted therebetween to prevent acoustic interference with the resonator.

Resonator and component with hermetic encapsulation


A computer system comprising a memory including a host and an image file, a processor configured to execute the host, an input/output (I/O) controller coupled to the processor, and a management processing system coupled to the I/O controller and including a first storage location, a first memory, and a second memory is provided. The host is configured to cause the processor to store a first portion of the image file in the first memory, the host is configured to cause the processor to set the first storage location subsequent to storing the first portion in the first memory, and the management processing system is configured to store the first portion of the image file in the second memory in response to detecting that the first storage location has been set.

Computer systems typically include components that operate using software built into the components. This software, commonly known as firmware, includes instructions executed by the components in response to the components being powered up, i.e. turned on, or reset. Firmware may perform initialization and set up functions for a component to allow the component to operate with other components in the computer system. Firmware may also interact with the hardware in a component to allow the component to perform its primary functions.
A manufacturer of a component may seek to continually improve firmware of the component. Improvements to the firmware may fix bugs of previous versions of the firmware or provide enhanced or improved functionality. Once improvements are made, however, the new firmware needs to be installed on existing components in order to take effect.
Installing firmware upgrades can be a difficult task for an end user of a computer system. The process can be complicated and errors made in the upgrade process may render a component, or even the entire computer system, inoperable. An end user typically seeks to include the improvements of a firmware upgrade in a computer system without having any problems that can be associated with firmware upgrades. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an end user of a computer system with an improved way of updating firmware in one or more components of a computer system.

System and method for providing an image file in a computer system

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Generally disclosed are boron-based organic cations, a method for their manufacture, a method for their use in ionic liquids, and a method for their use as phase-transfer catalysts. More specifically, the boron-based organic cations have an charge of 1+, 2+, or 3+.

Phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) is known. As the chemical industry has sought to improve its processing efficiency, eliminate safety risks, and reduce its detrimental impact on the environment, PTC has become a recognized tool.
Conventional PTC methodology involves two immiscible phases—typically an aqueous polar phase and an organic nonpolar phase, a phase-transfer catalyst that is soluble in each phase, a substrate that is soluble in the nonpolar phase, and an anionic reagent that is soluble in the polar phase. The phase-transfer catalyst increases the reaction rate between the substrate and anionic reagent by shuttling back and forth between the two phases. The shuttling thereby transports anionic reagents into the organic phase—where reaction with the substrate can occur.
Quaternary ammonium and phosponium salts, with their unique capability to dissolve in both polar and nonpolar phases, are the catalysts of choice for most phase-transfer applications. Ammonium derivatives are the most commonly used, but phosphonium-based phase-transfer catalysts are also commonly used due to their relatively high thermal stability. Other phase-transfer catalysts include crown ethers and polyethylene glycols (PEG).
Some examples of well-known reactions that can be performed by PTC include: nucleophilic substitution reactions, e.g., halogenations and cyanations; alkylation and condensation reactions; oxidations and reductions; elimination reactions; and Wittig and Wittig-Homer reactions.
There are several advantages to using PTC over other reaction systems that employ only a single phase, and those advantages can include: increased reaction rates, lower reaction temperatures, and decreased production costs because costly anhydrous or aprotic solvents are not employed. Additionally, some reactions are known to occur via PTC that would not otherwise occur in a single-phase reaction system.
The overall efficiency of PTC can be influenced by a number of factors such as the steric hindrance associated with the phase-transfer catalyst, the phase-transfer catalyst's lipophilicity, and the lipophilicity of its counter ion.
Ionic liquids are known and generally understood to be made up of anions and cations. When organic cations are generated with moderately long alkyl chains and combined with haloaluminate or halophosphate counter ions, compounds result that have relatively low melting points. Organic salts that have low melting points can be used as solvents for organic reactions, and they have recently received much attention as ionic liquids in both industrial and academic settings. For example, carrying out chemical reactions in ionic liquids is of interest in the growing field of green chemistry, because ionic liquids have negligible vapor pressure. In addition, ionic liquids have also been employed in biphasic catalysis with water to immobilize a homogeneous catalyst in an organic phase. The chemistry of ionic liquids has been reviewed extensively.
There is therefore a need for additional phase-transfer catalysts and additional ionic liquids because of the commercial demand for both.

Boron-based organic cations and related methods


Provided are a method of making correction for color sensor output values in color image forming apparatus, which succeeds in improving color reproducibility of the color image forming apparatus, and the color image forming apparatus provided with the method. For this purpose, the apparatus and method according to the present invention make correction for deviation due to a color detecting device, of a color sensor output value Si in detection of a fixed patch; set a boundary turning point D between an ignorable region of toner bearing amounts where the influence of a color of a transferring material is ignorable on chromaticity of the patch and an unignorable region of toner bearing amounts where the influence is unignorable; make further correction for a corrected value Si′w after the correction for the deviation due to the color detecting device, using different methods for the unignorable region and the ignorable region, thereby to eliminate the influence of the color of the transferring material on the chromaticity of the patch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to color image forming apparatus such as color printers, color copying machines, and so on and, more particularly, to a method of making correction for color sensor output values in color image forming apparatus, and color image forming apparatus, intended for improvement in color reproducibility.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been demand for achievement of higher image quality of output images in color image forming apparatus employing the electrophotographic system, the ink jet system, and the like, such as color printers, color copying machines, and so on.
Especially, the gradation of density and the stability thereof have a large effect on a person's judgment of the quality of an image.
However, a color image forming apparatus varies the density of the images it produces with changes in the environment of the apparatus and with variation of parts of the apparatus due to long-term use.
Particularly, in the case of a color image forming apparatus that uses the electrophotographic system, even a small environmental variation produces a significant variation in the image density, so as possibly to disturb the color balance, and there is thus a need for having means for maintaining density-gradation characteristics constant.
The apparatus is thus provided with process conditions such as several types of exposure amounts, development biases, etc., according to absolute humidities, and a gradation correcting means such as a look-up table (LUT) or the like, for each of the toners of the respective colors used as colorants in the apparatus, and based on the absolute humidity as measured by a temperature-humidity sensor, the apparatus selects the process conditions and the optimal value of gradation correction at that time.
In order to obtain constant density-gradation characteristics even with variation in each part of the apparatus, the apparatus is configured to form a density-detection toner patch of the toners of the respective colors on an intermediate transferring member, a drum, or the like, detect the density of the unfixed toner patch with an unfixed-toner-density detecting sensor (hereinafter referred to as a "density sensor"), and perform feedback density control to feed the result of the detection back to the process conditions of exposure amounts, development biases, etc., thereby obtaining stable images.
However, the density control with the density sensor is based on the detection of the patch formed on the intermediate transferring member, the drum, or the like, and no attempt is made tp control changes in the color balance of an image that may occur in the transferring and fixing of the colorants onto a transferring material.
In particular, density control using a density sensor is not readily adaptable to controlling changes in color balance due to transfer efficiency in transferring the toner image onto the transferring material and due to heating and pressing during fixing.
It is thus contemplated to employ a correction method of forming a gray patch of black (K) and a process gray patch of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) mixed, not on the intermediate transferring member, the drum, or the like, but on the transferring material, comparing colors of the two patches after they have been fixed, relative to each other, thereby detecting any change that may have occurred in the color balance after fixing, and making correction based thereon.
For example, there are a color image forming apparatus equipped with a sensor for detecting if the process gray patch has turned into aromatic color (hereinafter referred to as a "color sensor"), and configured to make correction based on a CMY mixture ratio upon the process gray patch turning achromatic.
The color image forming apparatus of this type is arranged to feed the result of the detection back to exposure amounts and process conditions in an image forming portion, and to a color-matching table for converting RGB signals of an image processing portion into a color reproducible region of the color image forming apparatus, a color separation table for converting RGB signals into CMYK signals, a calibration table for correction for density-gradation characteristics, and so on, whereby the apparatus is able to perform control on the density or chromaticity of the final output image formed on the transferring material.
Although it is possible to perform similar control by detecting the output image of the color image forming apparatus with an external image reading device or with a color meter or a density meter, the above-stated method is superior in that the control is complete in the printer.
This correction method will be described below specifically.
For the purpose of making correction for deviations due to secular change of the sensor or the like, the conventional correction method was arranged so that when the color sensor had an absolute white (color) reference board, the correction for maintaining the balance among RGB output values was carried out utilizing RGB output values obtained by detecting the absolute white reference board with the color sensor; in a case where the color sensor did not have the absolute white reference board, the correction for maintaining the balance among RGB output values was carried out utilizing RGB output values upon detection of a transferring material assumed to be absolute white, with the color sensor.
First, the correction method using an absolute white reference board will be described with reference to FIG. 14.
Ssi represents the respective measured values of RGB outputs of the absolute white reference board; Sf0i represents the respective theoretical values of RGB outputs; Si represents the respective measured values of RGB outputs of the patch; and Si′w represents the respective RGB output values resulting from the correction using the absolute white reference board.
The first step is to detect the RGB output measured value Ssi (here and in the following description, i=r, g, or b) of the absolute white reference board (S1401).
The next step is to obtain a correction coefficient Sf0i/Ssi from the RGB output measured value Ssi of the absolute white reference board as detected and the RGB output theoretical value Sf0i preliminarily stored (S1402).
The subsequent step is to obtain the RGB output measured value Si of the patch (S1403).
Then, according to Eqn. (1) below, the RGB output measured value Si of the patch thus obtained is uniformly multiplied by the correction coefficient Sf0i/Ssi and is thus converted into the RGB output value Si′w based on the correction using the absolute white reference board (S1404):Si′w=Si×(Sf0i/Ssi) (i=r, g, or b)  (1)
The next step is to output the RGB output value Si′w resulting from the correction using the absolute white reference board (S1405).
FIG. 16 shows the relationship among toner bearing amount, RGB output theoretical value, RGB output measured value Si of the patch, and RGB output value Si′w resulting from the correction using an absolute white reference board.
Curve (1) indicates the RGB output theoretical value, curve (2) indicates the RGB output measured value Si of the patch, and curve (3) indicates the RGB output value Si′w resulting from the correction using an absolute white reference board.
Although there are in fact three output values, respectively of R, G, and B, these separate values are abbreviated by i (i=r, g, or b), as mentioned, because the correction method is common thereto.
The objective herein is to correct the RGB output measured value Si of the patch toward the RGB output theoretical value, i.e., to bring the correction result of curve (2) to a location as close to curve (1) as possible.
It can be said that curve (3), being the correction result using an absolute white reference board, is located closer to curve (1), although there is still some difference.
Next, the correction method using the transferring material will be described referring to FIG. 15.
S0i indicates the respective measured values of RGB outputs of the transferring material; and Si′p the respective RGB output values resulting from the correction using the transferring material.
The first step is to detect the RGB output value S0i of the transferring material (S1501).
The next step is to obtain a correction coefficient Sf0i/S0i from the RGB output value S0i of the transferring material as detected and the RGB output theoretical value Sf0i preliminarily stored (S1502).
The subsequent step is to obtain the RGB output measured value (Si) of the patch (S1503).
Then, according to Eqn. (2) below, the RGB output measured value Si of the patch obtained is uniformly multiplied by the correction coefficient Sf0i/S0i and thus is converted into the RGB output value Si′p based on the correction using the transferring material (S1504):Si′p=Si×(Sf0i/S0i) (i=r, g, or b)  (2)
The next step is to output the RGB output value Si′p resulting from the correction using the transferring material (S1505).
FIG. 16 shows the relationship among toner bearing amount, RGB output theoretical value, RGB output measured value Si of the patch, and RGB output value Si′p resulting from the correction using the transferring material.
Curve (1) represents the RGB output theoretical value, curve (2) represents the RGB output measured value Si of the patch, and curve (4) represents the RGB output value Si′p resulting from the correction using the transferring material.
It can be mentioned that curve (4), being the correction result using the transferring material is located closer to curve (1), although there again still remains some difference.
The color sensor used in these correction methods is arranged to obtain three or more different outputs, such as the RGB outputs or the like, for example, in a configuration where three or more light sources with different emission spectra of red (R), green (G), blue (B), etc., are provided as light emitting devices, or in a configuration wherein a light source emitting light of white color (W) is used as a light emitting device and three or more filters with different spectral transmittances of red (R), green (G), blue (B), etc., are provided on a light receiving device.
In the case of printers of the ink jet type, the color balance also differs depending upon secular change and environmental differences that cause variations in the ink discharge amounts, and upon individual differences among ink cartridges, so that the density-gradation characteristics are not maintained constant; therefore, it is contemplated that control of density or chromaticity may be performed by setting the color sensor near the output portion of the printer and detecting the density or chromaticity of the patch on the transferring material.
As described below, correction was made heretofore for the deviation of the color sensor output values due to the color sensor as color detecting means, using an absolute white reference board or the transferring material.
However, the chromaticity of the patch formed in execution of the density or chromaticity control with the color sensor is affected by the chromaticity of the transferring material.
Therefore, even if the same patch is formed on different transferring materials, the chromaticities of the patches will be affected by those transferring materials, and thus the detection results upon detection of the patch with the color sensor will not be the same in each case.
Especially, a low-density patch is more likely to be affected by the color of the transferring material, because the transferring material is exposed more.
This was responsible for a drop in accuracy of the correction for RGB output values and further induced degradation of color reproducibility of the color image forming apparatus.
Describing it referring to FIG. 16, curve (3) of the RGB output value resulting from the correction using the absolute white reference board increases the difference from curve (1) of the RGB output theoretical value with decrease in the toner bearing amount, because the transferring material is not completely white.
Curve (4) of the RGB output value resulting from the correction using the transferring material agrees with curve (1) of the RGB output theoretical value at the toner bearing amount of 0, but increases the difference from curve (1) of the RGB output theoretical value in the toner bearing range except at the value 0.
Namely, even with correction by either of these methods, a difference occurred between curve (3) or (4) of the correction RGB output value and curve (1) of the RGB output theoretical value because of the influence of the color of the transferring material.

Method of making correction for color sensor output values in color image forming apparatus, and color image forming apparatus


An inkjet printing head includes: a flow path unit having a plurality of pressure chambers arranged along a plane and connected to nozzles; and an actuator unit fixed on a surface of the flow path unit and changes volume of each of the pressure chambers, the actuator unit including: a plurality of individual electrodes arranged in positions opposite to the pressure chambers respectively; a common electrode disposed to extend over the plurality of pressure chambers and having openings each formed at least at a part of a region opposite to the individual electrodes; and a piezoelectric sheet sandwiched between the common electrode and the individual electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet printing head for ejecting ink onto a recording medium to perform printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of inkjet printing head is disclosed in JP-A-2002-292860. The inkjet printing head disclosed in the document is formed in such a manner that a large number of pressure chambers are arranged in the form of a matrix in a flow path unit so as to be adjacent to one another, and that piezoelectric devices and one electrode (common electrode) are formed as a sheet over the plurality of pressure chambers while the other electrodes (individual electrodes) are arranged in positions opposite to the pressure chambers respectively so that the piezoelectric devices are sandwiched between the common electrode and the individual electrodes. In the inkjet printing head, the electric potential of each individual electrode is made different from that of the common electrode to thereby eject ink from a nozzle connected to a pressure chamber corresponding to the individual electrode.


The invention relates to the preparation of enantiomerically pure bis-diphenylphosphine oxides in a particularly advantageous manner by (1) reacting an aromatic bromine compound with a diphenylphosphinic chloride in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and an aromatic hydrocarbon to give a diphenylphosphine oxide, which is isolated from a solution in an aromatic hydrocarbon by adding a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon; (2) metalating the resulting diphenylphosphine oxide in the 6-position and reacting the metalated diphenylphosphine oxide with iodine at temperatures not less than xe2x88x9225xc2x0 C. in such a way that a small amount of iodine is always present in excess, giving a 2-iodo-diphenylphosphine oxide; (3) preparing a racemic bis-diphenylphosphine oxide from the resulting 2-iodo-diphenylphosphine oxide using copper and an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and crystallizing the racemic bis-diphenylphosphine oxide from a solution in an aromatic hydrocarbon; and (4) separating isomers using an enantiomerically pure mono- or dicarboxylic acid to obtain a first enantiomer by crystallization from a solution in an aromatic hydrocarbon and obtaining a second enantiomer by hydrolysis and subsequent crystallization from a solution in an aromatic hydrocarbon.

The present invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of enantiomerically pure (5,5xe2x80x2-dichloro-6,6xe2x80x2-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2xe2x80x2-diyl)-bis(diphenylphosphine -oxides) starting from 5-bromo-2-chloro-anisole and phosphorus oxychlorides of the type Oxe2x95x90P(phenyl)2(Cl).
Such bis-diphenylphosphine oxides can be reduced to give the corresponding bis-diphenylphosphines, which are used as ligands for metal complexes. Such metal complexes are for their part of importance as catalysts for enantioselective hydrogenations (see DE-A1 195 22 293 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,339 and 5,801,261).
Likewise known from this literature is a multi-stage process for the preparation of enantiomerically pure (5,5xe2x80x2-dichloro-6,6xe2x80x2-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2xe2x80x2-diyl)-bis(diphenylphosphine oxides). In this process, in a first stage, 5-bromo-2-chloroanisole is reacted by a selective monometalation with a phosphorus oxychloride of the type Oxe2x95x90P(phenyl)2(Cl), giving a (4-chloro-3-methoxyphenyl)diphenylphosphine oxide. The metalation is carried out with magnesium in tetrahydrofuran, the phosphorus oxychloride is used as a solution in tetrahydrofuran, and the product is isolated by concentrating a solution in methylene chloride by evaporation and stirring with tert-butyl methyl ether. The product is produced in a yield of 70%.
In a second stage, the (4-chloro-3-methoxyphenyl)diphenyl-phosphine oxide is converted into the corresponding 2-iodo compound.
For this purpose, lithium diisopropylamide, dissolved in tetrahydrofuran, is added to a solution of the starting phosphine oxide in tetrahydrofuran at xe2x88x9270xc2x0 C., the mixture is heated to 0xc2x0 C., cooled to xe2x88x9276xc2x0 C., and then, at this temperature, a solution of iodine in tetrahydrofuran is added dropwise. Work-up is carried out by treating with aqueous sodium sulfite solution, then extracting with ethyl acetate and stripping off the extractant. This gives the product in a yield of 80%.
In a third stage, the (4-chloro-2-iodo-3-methoxyphenyl)diphenyl-phosphine oxide is reacted with copper powder in dimethylformamide over the course of 16 hours to give racemic (5,5xe2x80x2-dichloro-6,6xe2x80x2-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2xe2x80x2-diyl)-bis(diphenylphosphine oxide). The latter compound is isolated by filtration, removal of the dimethylformamide from the filtrate, and stirring with tert-butyl methyl ether.
Finally, in a fourth stage, the racemic (5,5xe2x80x2-dichloro-6,6xe2x80x2-dimethoxy-biphenyl-2,2-diyl)-bis(diphenylphosphine oxide) is separated into its enantiomers using enantiomerically pure mono- or dicarboxylic acids. Here, both forms of enantiomerically pure mono- or dicarboxylic acid have to be used one after the other and complex extractions and filtrations have to be carried out.
The known overall process for the preparation of the bis-diphenyl-phosphine oxides is disadvantageous, not very suitable, and uneconomic for use on a relatively large scale, since it produces products in unsatisfactory yields, in many cases requires partly toxic solvents, is very complicated in terms of process engineering, requires the use of very low temperatures (down to xe2x88x9276xc2x0 C.) and long reaction times, and requires the use of large amounts of solvents and auxiliaries.
There is therefore still the need for a process for the preparation of such bis-diphenylphosphine oxides, with which the latter are accessible in a more simple, more efficient and more cost-effective manner, and with which a preparation on a relatively large scale can also be carried out without problems.
We have now found a process for the preparation of enantiomerically pure bis-diphenylphosphine oxides of the formula (I)
in which
R1 is phenyl, naphthyl, heteroaryl having 4 or 5 carbon atoms and 1 or 2 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, or cyclohexyl, wherein each R1 is optionally substituted by Rxe2x80x2, ORxe2x80x2, NO2, NH2, NHRxe2x80x2, or NRxe2x80x22 in which each Rxe2x80x2is C1-C6-alkyl,
R2 is C1-C4-alkoxy,
R3 is hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, or bromine, and
R4 and R5, independently of one another, are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, C1-C6-alkyl, or C1-C6-alkoxy,
comprising
(1) in a first stage, selectively monometalating a bromine compound of the formula
xe2x80x83in which R2 to R5 have the meanings given for formula (I), in a solvent comprising a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and an aromatic hydrocarbon and reacting the resultant metalated compound with a diphenylphosphinic chloride of the formula (II)
xe2x80x83in which R1 has the meaning given for formula (I), which is added without solvent to the metalated compound, to give a diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (III)
xe2x80x83in which R1 to R5 have the meanings given in formula (I), which is isolated from a solution in an aromatic hydrocarbon by adding a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon,
(2) in a second stage, metalating the diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (III) in the 6-position and reacting the resultant metalated compound with iodine at a temperature of not less than xe2x88x9225xc2x0 C., wherein the metalated diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (III) and iodine are metered in simultaneously such that a small amount of iodine is always present in excess, to give a 2-iodo-diphenyl-phosphine oxide of the formula (IV)
xe2x80x83in which R1 to R5 have the meanings given for formula (I), which is separated off in dissolved form in an aromatic hydrocarbon,
(3) in a third stage, converting the 2-iodo-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (IV) with copper (preferably dendritic copper) in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent into a racemic bis-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (I), which is crystallized from absolution in an aromatic hydrocarbon, and
(4) in a fourth stage, separating the racemic bis-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (I) into its enantiomers by crystallization with an enantiomerically pure mono- or dicarboxylic acid, wherein a first enantiomer is obtained by crystallization from a solution in an aromatic hydrocarbon and a second enantiomer is obtained by hydrolysis and subsequent crystallization from a solution in an aromatic hydrocarbon.
In the formulas (I) to (IV), R1 is preferably unsubstituted phenyl, unsubstituted naphthyl, heteroaryl having 4 or 5 carbon atoms and 1 or 2 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen and sulfur, or unsubstituted cyclohexyl.
In the formulas (I), (IIa), (III) and (IV)
R2 is preferably methoxy,
R3 is preferably fluorine, chlorine, or bromine (particularly chlorine), and
R4 and R5 are preferably hydrogen.
The aromatic hydrocarbons are, for example, benzene, toluene, or xylenes. Preference is given to toluene.
The saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons may, for example, be those having boiling points of more than 30xc2x0 C. (at atmospheric pressure). Preference is given to straight-chain or branched pentanes, hexanes, heptanes, and octanes. Particular preference is given to n-pentane.
In the first stage, the metalation can be carried out, for example, using magnesium, which can be activated, where necessary, for example, by adding a small amount of iodine. For the metalation, it is possible to use, for example, 1 to 1.5 mol of magnesium, based on 1 mol of bromine compound of the formula (IIa). The solvent mixture to be used for the metalation can comprise, for example, 20 to virtually 100% by volume of tetrahydrofuran and brought to 100% by volume using aromatic hydro-carbon. The solvent mixture preferably comprises 40 to 60% by volume (particularly 45 to 55% by volume) of tetrahydrofuran and brought to 100% by volume using aromatic hydrocarbon.
The procedure can be carried out, for example, by additionally introducing magnesium, a small amount of iodine, and the solvent mixture, heating the mixture to a temperature in the range from 30 to 80xc2x0 C., then metering in a bromine compound of the formula (IIa) dissolved in the same solvent mixture at a temperature in the range from 30 to 80xc2x0 C. and, where appropriate, when the metered addition is complete, refluxing further, e.g., for 5 to 60 minutes. The phosphinic chloride of the formula (II) is then added not in dissolved form but without a diluent, for example, with cooling to temperatures in the range from xe2x88x9210 to +15xc2x0 C. Finally, the mixture can be further after-stirred, for example, for 30 to 250 minutes, at temperatures in the range from 0 to 30xc2x0 C.
The reaction mixture present after the first stage has been carried out can be worked up, for example, by pouring it onto iced water, separating off the organic phase, extracting the aqueous phase with an aromatic hydrocarbon, combining the organic phase and the extract, washing with dilute aqueous alkaline solution and water, and concentrating by evaporation. Advantageously, the aim is a solution of the prepared diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (III) in and aromatic hydrocarbon that is as concentrated as possible but from which no solid constituents precipitate. According to the invention, a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon is then added and after, for example, 5 to 20 hours, the formed, readily filterable precipitate is filtered off, optionally after-washed with the saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon, and dried.
In this way, it is possible to obtain a diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (III) in the form of a white powder in yields of more than 80% and in purities of more than 92%. By dispensing with the addition of the phosphinic chloride of the formula (II) in a solvent, it is possible to work overall with less solvent, thus saving on solvent and achieving a higher space-time yield.
In the second stage, the metalating agent used may be, for example, butyllithium or lithium diisopropylamide. The latter is preferred.
The procedure may involve, for example, initially introducing the diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (III) in a solvent, e.g., tetrahydro-furan, cooling it to, for example, xe2x88x9225 to 0xc2x0 C., and, at this temperature, metering in the metalating agent, e.g., dissolved in tetrahydrofuran containing hydrocarbons, such that the temperature can be maintained in the range from xe2x88x9225 to 0xc2x0 C. by cooling. This gives a solution (A). Separately, a solution of iodine in, for example, tetrahydrofuran can be prepared and also cooled to, for example, xe2x88x9225 to 0xc2x0 C. This gives a solution (B). Then, a reaction vessel is charged with a small amount of solvent, e.g., tetrahydro-furan, and at, for example, xe2x88x9225 to 0xc2x0 C., and then, at, for example, xe2x88x9225 to 0xc2x0 C., solution (A) and solution (B) are metered in simultaneously such that a small amount of iodine is always present in excess. This can be readily checked from the color of the reaction mixture. Dark colors indicate an iodine excess. The temperature is preferably maintained at xe2x88x9225xc2x0 C. to xe2x88x921 0xc2x0 C. during the reaction. To complete the reaction, following the metered addition of solutions (A) and (B), it is possible, where appropriate, to after-stir for a further, for example, 10 to 150 minutes at, for example, xe2x88x9210 to +10xc2x0 C. Thereafter, excess iodine that is still present is expediently removed, e.g., by adding a dilute aqueous solution of sodium thiosulfate.
The reaction mixture present after the second stage has been carried out can be worked up, for example, by first separating off the organic phase, extracting the remaining aqueous phase with an extractant, e.g., an aromatic hydrocarbon, where necessary, washing the organic phase combined with the extract with water, and concentrating by evaporation. In this way, it is possible to obtain 2-iodo-diphenylphosphine oxides of the formula (IV) in yields of more than 90% and in the form of, for example, 15 to 30% strength by weight solutions in an aromatic hydro-carbon. Such solutions can be used directly in the third process stage.
The second process stage carried out according to the invention is characterized by the use of temperatures that can be maintained with little technical expenditure, shortened metered addition times, yield increases, and a simple work-up option.
In the third stage, a dendritic copper is preferably used, as described in Glossary of Terms Relating to Particle Technology, Edition 1 st May 1996. Such copper can have an average particle size of, for example, 1 to 100 xcexcm (preferably 30 to 50 xcexcm), a surface area of, for example, 0.04 to 1 m2/g (preferably 0.07 to 0.5 m2/g), and a purity of more than 99.5% (preferably more than 99.7%). Dendritic copper to be used according to the invention is available commercially.
The procedure may involve, for example, initially introducing dendritic copper together with the aromatic hydrocarbon and, at a temperature of, for example, 70 to 140xc2x0 C., metering in the solution of a 2-iodo-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (IV) obtained in the second stage. It is possible to use, for example, 1 to 10 mol (preferably 2 to 8 mol) of dendritic copper per mole of 2-iodo-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (IV). When the metered addition is complete, it is possible, where necessary, to after-stir for a further 1 to 5 hours at 70 to 140xc2x0 C. The metered addition and after-stirring time can together be, for example, 3 to 8 hours. For work-up,it is possible, for example, to filter the hot reaction mixture, to wash the filter cake with a solvent, e.g., a chlorinated hydro-carbon, to evaporate the washing solution to dryness, to add the solid obtained to the filtrate, and to heat this mixture to reflux temperature. It is also possible to after-wash the filter cake with an aromatic hydrocarbon heated, for example, to 70 to 140xc2x0 C., to add this wash solution to the first filtrate, and to heat the mixture to reflux temperature. Where appropriate, it is possible to remove some of the aromatic hydrocarbon, e.g., by distillation. Upon cooling to, for example, 0 to 25xc2x0 C., the prepared racemic bis-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (I) then precipitates out and can be collected, for example, by filtration and subsequent drying, where necessary, in a vacuum and at elevated temperature.
The third reaction stage carried out according to the invention is characterized by the use of cost-effective and low-toxicity solvents, by simple work-up, and shorter reaction times.
In the fourth stage, it is possible, for example, to react, at elevated temperature, the racemic bis-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (I) dissolved, for example, in a chlorinated hydrocarbon, with a solution of a pure enantiomer of dibenzoyltartaric acid, for example, in an ester, and to cool the reaction mixture slowly, for example, over the course of from 2 to 6 hours, to 10 to 25xc2x0 C. In the process, a salt precipitates out that can be separated off, for example by filtration.
The salt can be further processed, for example, by taking it up in an aromatic hydrocarbon, washing it with dilute aqueous acid and dilute aqueous base, then heating the organic phase to boiling and evaporating off or adding just enough aromatic hydrocarbon such that a virtually saturated solution is present at elevated temperature. After cooling, for example, to 10 to 30xc2x0 C., the one enantiomerically pure form of the bis-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (I) that crystallizes out can be separated off. This generally gives the product with an enantiomer excess ee of more than 99%.
The filtrate from the work-up following the reaction with a pure enantiomer of dibenzoyltartaric acid can be worked up initially in a manner similar to the salt taken up with an aromatic hydrocarbon, for example, by washing it directly with dilute acid and then with dilute aqueous base. By changing the solvent, e.g., to an aromatic hydrocarbon, concentrating by evaporation, and cooling, it is possible to obtain a solid that is a racemic feed material. From the filtrate from the separation of the racemic feed material, it is possible, by further concentration by evaporation and cooling, to obtain the second enantiomer of the bis-phenylphosphine oxide of the formula (I) generally with an enantiomer excess ee of more than 99%.
The fourth process stage according to the invention is characterized by a saving of approximately 50% of enantiomerically pure mono- or dicarboxylic acid and a simple work-up.
If enantiomerically pure bis-diphenylphosphine oxide of the formula (I) prepared according to the invention is to be reduced to the corresponding bis-diphenylphosphine, this can be achieved in a known manner, for example, using trichlorosilane as reducing agent in accordance with the literature given in the introduction above.
The following examples further illustrate details for the process of this invention. The invention, which is set forth in the foregoing disclosure, is not to be limited either in spirit or scope by these examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that known variations of the conditions of the following procedures can be used. Unless otherwise noted, all temperatures are degrees Celsius and all percentages are percentages by weight.

Process for the preparation of enantiomerically pure (5, 5xe2x80x2-dichloro-6,6xe2x80x2-dimethoxy-biphenyl-2,2xe2x80x2-diyl)- bis(diphenylphosphine oxides)


Provided are various mechanisms and processes for generating dynamic merchant scoring predictions. A system is configured to receive datasets comprising pairings between training customer profiles and training merchant profiles. For each pairing, a set of feature values corresponding to features specified by the customer and merchant profiles are extracted and converted into a training vector to train a machine learning model to determine a weighted coefficient for each feature. Once sufficiently trained, the system determines a set of available merchant profiles for a customer profile in response to receiving a search request from a customer associated with the customer profile. For each pairing between the customer profile and an available merchant profile, the system determines an order score for the available merchant based on the weighted coefficients and an input set of feature values specified by the customer profile and the available merchant profile.

Identifying and understanding user preferences is critical to providing personalized experiences to users in online consumer products. In the context of delivery platform, particularly for real-time on-demand deliveries of perishable goods, this involves predicting customer preferences for particular stores or merchants.
Current systems and techniques to identify similar stores include limitations. For example, preferences may be identified by category, such as cuisine type, based on previous customer activity. Preferences may also be identified by the purchase history of consumers, which considers only data corresponding to purchases made. Such techniques are not able to leverage implicit data corresponding to underlying user preferences and merchant characteristics.
Consequently, it is desirable to provide improved mechanisms for providing consumers with meaningful and targeted options in a delivery platform for real-time on-demand delivery of perishable goods.

Personalized merchant scoring based on vectorization of merchant and customer data


An isotope ratio spectrometer is operated for measurement of a sample. First isotope ratios and first signal intensities are measured for a reference in the spectrometer, over a first measurement time period. A first relationship comprising a relationship between the first isotope ratios and the first signal intensities is determined. Sample isotope ratios and sample signal intensities are measured in the spectrometer, over a second measurement time period subsequent to the first measurement time period. Second isotope ratios and second signal intensities for a reference are measured in the spectrometer, over a third measurement time period subsequent to the second measurement time period. A second relationship comprising a relationship between the second isotope ratios and the second signal intensities is determined. A reference isotope ratio is estimated for a time X within the second measurement time period, based on the first relationship and the second relationship.

Isotope-ratio analysis is used to measure the relative abundance of isotopes (isotope ratio) in a sample, which may be solid, liquid or gaseous and for a wide variety of elements. From each sample, a sample fluid can be generated by a known process, preferably a sample gas. For instance, it is used for determining the isotope ratios 13C/12C and/or 18O/16O from CO2, such as in air. Isotope-ratio analysis is most commonly performed by mass spectrometry (MS) but may also be performed by optical spectrometry.
For optical spectrometry, an isotope ratio is generally determined in a measurement cell of the spectrometer by measuring two separate spectral absorption lines, typically in the infrared region, one line for each different isotopic species (isotopologue), e.g. an absorption line for 12C16O2 and another line for 13C16O2. A convenient absorption line for CO2 is the line at or about 4.3218 μm. If more lines are available per isotope (e.g. a doublet or triplet) it is possible to measure and use the information from more than one line, e.g. for other gases than CO2 or in other spectral ranges that might be interesting. The ratio of the intensities of the spectral absorption lines is a measure of the ratio of the abundance of each of the isotopic species (and hence the isotope ratio, e.g. 13C/12C). The outputs of the spectrometer are thus ratios of different isotopic lines (e.g. R13C=c13c/c12c). The result is referenced against international standards using the established delta notation for isotope ratio reporting (e.g. δ13C[%]).
A general review of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and gas inlet systems can be found in Brenna et al, Mass Spectrometry Reviews, 1997, 16, 227-258.
In IRMS, a sample is normally measured against a working standard, that is, one or more references, preferably reference fluids and in particular reference gases, of known isotopic ratio. To allow this, the spectrometer is equipped with a dual inlet (DI) system. A sample gas (e.g. CO2) is provided from a high vacuum bellow or, alternatively, from a sample preparation device (such as the Kiel IV marketed by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.) via a thin capillary to the inlet of the mass spectrometer. A reference gas of the same chemical composition as the sample is administered to the inlet via a second thin capillary from a high vacuum bellow. This reference gas allows normalization, by attributing standardized values of isotope ratios to the measured raw isotope ratios of the sample gas (so-called "delta" notation).
In an isotope ratio mass spectrometer, the signal from detected ions of a specific mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio (sometimes designated simply as "mass", assuming that that charge of the ions, z, is 1), does not increase in the same way with increasing partial pressure of the sample as the signal from detected ions of a different mass-to-charge ratio. This non-linearity of IRMS results in a dependency of the detected isotope ratios on the partial pressure of the investigated ions, which can be observed for reference gases, for example. It will understood that, physically, the isotope ratios of the investigated ions will be the same, irrespective of (or independent from) the partial pressure of the sample. It is only the detected signal that changes. However, reference gases have standardized, pressure-independent values of isotope ratios and this information can be used for standardization purposes.
In well-known ("classical") DI measurements, the sample and reference gases are measured alternately for short integration time intervals (up to 30 seconds). This allows correction of any instrumental drift, by comparing each sample interval with two reference intervals (taken before and after the sample measurement). Assuming a linear change of the measured isotope ratios over time, a hypothetical isotope ratio of the reference at the time of the sample measurement can be calculated from the reference intervals before and after the sample interval (known as "bracketing"). However, the non-linearity of IRMS requires sample and reference isotope ratios to be measured at the same partial pressure in the ion source. With such well-known DI techniques, this is achieved by measuring the signal intensity for a specific mass-to-charge ratio of the sample immediately before the first measurement of the reference gas and to use this signal intensity to adjust the reference gas pressure such that the same signal intensity is reached for the reference gas. The signal intensity is dependent on the gas flow into the ion source and, therefore, on present pressure, which can be adjusted if a bellow is used. Due to the finite amount of sample and reference gases available, the respective gas pressures and, hence, the signal intensities decrease during the measurement. This is acceptable as long as the signal intensity at the beginning of the measurement and their further decrease is comparable for sample and reference, thereby allowing the comparison of isotope ratios measured at the same or similar intensity. For any device, in which the sample gas is in a micro volume, the sample gas pressure and/or reference gas pressure may be only adjustable, if a sufficient quantity of pure reference or sample gas can be provided to the micro volume (for example, from a bellow with 100 mL 100% CO2 at 80 mbar, 8000 Pa). Otherwise the sample gas might be already consumed during the pressure adjustment.
Measured isotope ratios for the sample and reference gases at the same concentration and at close time intervals can therefore be used in the well-known DI measurements to determine the deviation of the isotope ratio of the sample gas from the standard isotope ratio, to apply the "delta" notation. An example of a calibration procedure to match the concentration of a sample gas and the standardized reference gas for a continuous flow gas isotope ratio spectrometer (having only one inlet or capillary to the analyser) is described in International Patent Application Publication Number WO2015/067806 and US patent publication 2009/314057 A1.
Long Integration Dual Inlet (LIDI) is a more recent variant of DI where sample gas and reference gas are not measured alternately over relatively short time durations, but rather a longer uninterrupted sample measurement (typically of about 600 seconds) is taken, with a single reference gas measurement taken subsequently. This allows better sample utilization, especially when limited sample volume is available or when a rare species is to be measured, requiring highest precision. The pressure of the sample gas may be similar as for classical DI measurements at the beginning of the sample measurement. A typical sample size for "clumped" isotopologue (47-CO2) measurement would be 100 μg CaCO3, corresponding to 20 μL CO2 at ambient pressure. Normally, LIDI is applied for the measurement of a finite amount of sample gas from a micro-volume acting as a reservoir. The sample gas is measured against a reference gas provided by a second micro-volume in this case. Examples of existing LIDI IRMS instruments include the MAT 253 and MAT 253 Plus, marketed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
LIDI has especially been proposed for the measurement of the "clumped" isotopologue 13C18O16O, named 47-CO2, which carries heavy isotopes (13C, 18O) on two positions. While the abundancy of clumped isotopologues can be calculated stochastically from the relative proportion of 13C and 18O present in a CO2 sample, a deviation from this theoretical value is usually observed. This is due to the fact that the formation of the clumped isotopologues of 13C18O16O is thermodynamically favoured over isotopologues featuring just one heavy isotope. Since the degree of the deviation between expected and observed abundancy is solely dependent on the temperature at which the CO2 or carbonate mineral was formed, precise measurement of the 13C18O16O abundancy can be used to reconstruct these temperatures and, hence, the climate of the past. As the relative abundancy of 13C18O16O is in the order of 10−5, long integration times with optimal sample utilization are desirably applied to achieve sufficient precision. A more detailed description of the LIDI workflow and its application with clumped isotopologues can be found in "A modified procedure for gas-source isotope ratio mass spectrometry: the long-integration dual-inlet (LIDI) methodology and implications for clumped isotope measurements", Hu et al., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2014, 28, pp. 1413-1425.
Performing bracketing as described for "classical" DI is not possible with LIDI. In view of the limited volume of sample available, taking an initial measurement of the sample intensity before a first reference gas measurement would be impractical and potentially impossible due to the high consumption of the associated sample. The partial pressure of the sample gas is reduced over time. Without an initial measurement of the sample intensity, first measurement of the reference gas at the same intensity is not possible, preventing bracketing in existing LIDI systems. As a result, existing LIDI systems compare each set of sample measurements (that is, one sample run) to one set of reference measurements (one reference run) only, which is measured after the sample measurements are taken. Provided the instrument drift is sufficiently under control, the accuracy of the calibrated measurements is maintained. Change in ambient temperature is typically the most significant cause for instrumental drift. Control of this can often only be achieved with appropriate environmental conditions in the instrument's place of operation (such as a laboratory).
A further issue arises with LIDI systems. As the sample gas is rapidly consumed during the measurement, partial pressure of the sample gas and accordingly its signal intensity decreases over the time of sample measurement. Due to the nonlinearity of IRMS, the observed isotope ratios will therefore also change during the course of the measurement. This is acceptable, as long as the intensities for sample and reference at the beginning of their respective measurements are precisely the same and the change in isotope ratio is the same for both sample and reference gases, that is, the decay of the signal intensities is the same.
To match the sample intensities, the partial pressure of the reference gas may be adjusted to achieving matching of the measured intensity of the sample. However, this prevents the measurement of a reference gas prior to the sample and at matched intensities. To achieve the same decay in signal intensities, the gas flow for sample and reference through the respective capillaries are desirably kept the same. This is effected by closing down the inner diameter of the capillaries by external compression (crimping). The procedure to "match" these capillaries is quite laborious and rarely delivers perfect results. The outcome is also dependent on the actual size of the micro-volumes used for sample and reference, causing further mismatch between sample and reference intensity decays. As a result of all these issues, the application of bracketing to LIDI has not been considered possible.
Therefore, it is desirable to implement LIDI with improved referencing, especially to deal with instrumental drift and mitigate issues arising from the nonlinearity of IRMS.


A memory device may include the following elements: a first memory cell; a first word line for transmitting a first control signal to control an electrical connection in the first memory cell; a first bit line connected to the first memory cell; a first transistor, wherein a first terminal of the first transistor is connected to the first bit line; a second memory cell; a second word line for transmitting a second control signal to control an electrical connection in the second memory cell; a second bit line connected to the second memory cell; a second transistor, wherein a first terminal of the second transistor is connected to the second bit line; and a sense amplifier having a first input terminal connected to a second terminal of the first transistor and having a second input terminal connected to a second terminal of the second transistor.

The present invention is related to a memory device, a method of operating the memory device, and an electronic device that includes the memory device.
A memory device may be included in an electronic device and may be configured to store data. A memory device may include a plurality of memory cells. A memory cell may include a transistor for controlling read and/or write of data, a word line for transmitting a control signal to the transistor, and a bit line for transmitting data.

Memory device, related method, and related electronic device

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION


Provided herein are methods of producing an adeno-associated virus (AAV) product, methods of purifying adeno-associated virus, and methods of purifying full AAV capsids from a concentrated AAV fraction comprising empty AAV capsids and full AAV capsids.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a small, non-enveloped virus that packages a linear single-stranded DNA genome. AAV belongs to the family Parvoviridae and the genus Dependovirus, since productive infection by AAV occurs only in the presence of a helper virus, such as, for example, adenovirus or herpes virus. Even in the absence of a helper virus, AAV (serotype 2) can achieve latency by integrating into chromosome 19q13.4 of a host human genome. It is the only mammalian DNA virus known to be capable of site-specific integration (Daya and Berns, Clinical Microbiology Reviews, pages 583-593 (2008)).
For AAV to be safely used in the clinic, AAV has been genetically modified at several locations within its genome. For example, the Rep gene, which is required for viral replication, and the element required for site-specific integration have been eliminated from the AAV genome in many viral vectors. These recombinant AAV (rAAV), exists in an extrachromosomal state and have very low integration efficiency into the genomic DNA. The possibility of rAAV inducing random mutagenesis in a host cell is thus reduced, if not eliminated altogether. Because of these properties and the lack of pathogenicity, rAAV has shown great promise as a gene therapy vector in multiple aspects of pre-clinical and clinical applications. New serotypes and self-complementary vectors are being tested in the clinic. Alongside these ongoing vector developments, continued effort has focused on scalable manufacturing processes that can efficiently generate high titer quantities of rAAV vectors with high purity and potency.
Though the effort to design efficient, large-scale methods to purify an AAV product suitable for human administration has been great, there still remains a need for better AAV purification methods. For example, current methods of generating AAV in cell culture result in the formation of "empty" capsids which have been shown to lead to T-cell-mediated immune responses against capsid antigen, leading to low-grade hepatotoxicity and partial loss of expression (Wright, Molec Therapy 22(1): 1-2 (2014)). AAV purification methods which include steps for removing empty AAV capsids from the final AAV product are therefore desired.

Adeno-associated virus purification methods


A hyperthermia applicator/MRI probe assembly for hyperthermia treatment of a subject. The assembly includes a hyperthermia applicator for heating target regions of a subject and a MRI probe which is utilized to monitor temperatures within the heating region. The hyperthermia applicator and MRI probe are coupled to a control system which receives information from the MRI probe and utilizes the information to control the hyperthermia applicator so as to maintain constant, desired temperatures within the heating region. The hyperthermia applicator/MRI probe assembly of the present invention allows for temperature control within about 0.5.degree. C.

Many clinical studies have shown the effectiveness of hyperthermia (HT) as an adjunctive treatment for malignancies, when used in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy (Hahn G. M., Hyperthermia and Cancer, 2nd Ed., New York, Plenum, (1982); Scott, R. S. et al, Int. J. Rad. Oc. Biol. Phys. (10(11) 2219-2123, (1984); Lindholm, C. E. et al, Rec. Res. in Cancer Res. 107: 152-156 (1988)).
Efficacy requires that temperatures within a tumor(s) remain above about 43.degree. C. for 30 to 60 minutes, while safety considerations limit temperatures in normal tissues to below 42.degree. C. In hyperthermia treatment, it is therefore necessary to control the temperature throughout the heated volume to better than about 1.degree. C.
Over the past several years, hyperthermia devices have been improved significantly so that it is now possible to focus energy into a given region of the body (Hahn G. M., Hyperthermia and Cancer, 2nd Ed., New York, Plenum, (1982); Field, S. F. and Franconi, C., Technology of Hyperthermia, Dordrecht, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (1987)). Despite these advances, however, a lack of adequate temperature control has heretofore limited the usefulness of such devices.
Temperatures can be measured with good accuracy by invasive means. This is attained by means such as thermocouples, thermistors or fiber-optic probes. However, only regions in close proximity to the probes can be monitored with these technologies (Gibbs, F. A. et al, Hyperthermic Oncology, 1st Edition, Vol 2, Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis, pp. 155-167 (1984); Cetas, T. C. Cancer Res. (suppl) 44: 4805-4808 (1984)). Furthermore, probe insertion may be painful and hazardous. Various non-invasive methods have previously been proposed to monitor temperature during hyperthermia. It is, however, difficult to achieve deep measurements with microwave radiometry or infrared thermography while ultra-sound, computerized tomography (CT) and active microwave techniques lack the required accuracy or resolution necessary for controlled treatment.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive and non-ionizing technique which produces anatomical images in any orientation. Its use as a means to "map" temperature was suggested several years ago (Parker, D. L. et al, Med. Phys 10(3): 321-325 (1983); Dickinson, R. J. et al, J. Comput Assist Tomogr. 10(3): 468-472 (1986); Tanaka, H. et al, Nippon Acta Radiol. 41:897-899 (1981)). Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful because the parameter used, the relaxation time T.sub.1, is difficult to measure accurately by MRI and may have a complex relation with temperature (Lewa, C. J. and Majewska, Z., Bull. Cancer (Paris), 67: 525-530 (1980); Jolesz, F. Z. et al, Radiology 168: 49-253 (1988)).
On the other hand, there is a well known relationship between molecular diffusion and temperature (Simpson, J. H. and Carr, H. Y., Phys. Rev. 111: 1201-1202 (1958)).
It was recently shown that temperature imaging in phantoms can be obtained with good accuracy and resolution (better than 0.5.degree. C./cm) by means of magnetic resonance imaging of molecular diffusion (LeBihan, D. et al, Radiology 171: 853-587 (1989); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/324,101 filed on Aug. 19, 1988 by the present inventors, the text of which describes the method of imaging molecular diffusion by NMR is incorporated herein by reference). The same technique was also shown useful to evaluate tissue perfusion (LeBihan, D. et al, Radiology 168: 497-505 (1988)), the dominant physiological mechanism for removing heat during hyperthermia (Hahn, G. M., Physica and Technology of Hyperthermia, Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publisher, pp. 441-447 (1987); Shitzer, A. and Eberhart, R. C. Ed. Heat Transfer in Medicine and Biology, New York: Plenum (1985); Delannoy, J. et al, Int. J. Hyperthermia (1989), in press). Also, recently it was speculated that MR spectroscopy can be useful to monitor tumor metabolism (Vaupel, P. W. et al, Proc. SMRM, Vol. 1, p. 412 (1988 )).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,129 to Le Veen discloses a method of heating body tissue and monitoring temperature changes in the tumor in real time with the aid of a scintillation detector. The method provides for the coupling of RF energy to the patient's body to avoid any significant heat absorption in the fatty tissues. This is obtained by focusing the RF energy on the tumor with an orbital movement of the applicator so that energy is not constantly being applied to the same confined area within the patient's body. U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,770 to Le Veen issued from the parent application U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,129 to Le Veen and has claims directed to a method of treating a tumor in a human by placing the part of the human body containing the tumor in a radiofrequency electromagnetic field to heat the tumor tissue and cause necrosis of the tumor without damaging the adjacent normal tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,729 to Harrison discloses an improved electrode for use with an apparatus employing RF energy to produce RF-induced hyperthermia of living animal tissue. The temperature is measured by means of an inserted thermistor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,716 to Carr discloses a microwave system applied to the detection of cancerous tumors. The system combines in a single unit a passive radiometer with an active microwave transmitter in a hand-held unit for heating subsurface tissue. It also provides a radiometer for the remote detection of temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,362 to Larsen provides a method for therapeutic deep heating of musculoskeletal tissue with an improved transducer serving simultaneously to couple power from a generator into the patient and to sense the therapeutic response produced. A single unit generates a heating RF signal and detects its thermal response. The response is then used to control the treatment. Both heating and sensing are accomplished by one transducer and one apparatus if dielectric heating is employed. If other forms of heating are used, e.g., ultrasound, the sensor still is present but the apparatus is modified by replacing the high power electromagnetic source with a low power source version.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,479 to Carr provides a system and associated method combining microwave detection (radiometry) with microwave heating (hyperthermia) for the treatment of cancer. A plurality of antennas are provided which are disposed over the tumor site in order to separate signal channels. This permits the adjustment of the phase of the separate antenna signals to maximize the signal detected at the microwave radiometric detector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,128 to Paglioni et al. discloses an apparatus for heating which includes an antenna provided with at least one convolution of conductor centered on an axis, the antenna being adapted for heating a surface upon receipt of electrical power. A non-contacting temperature sensor is provided centered on the axis of the antenna with a field of view directed along that axis. A method of analysis and corrective adjustment for relief of nerve interference in the human body is provided which scans subcutaneous microwave emissions of the spinal column, collects and converts the emissions into a visual output, compares with a normal pattern of emissions, determines areas of deviation pinpointing stress, applies a manual corrective adjustment to the spinal column, and monitors throughout the corrective treatment.
None of the methods known in the art and described above provide the simultaneous capability of a hyperthermia applicator and the MRI monitoring of the temperature produced in a human body part during treatment.
Accordingly, there is still a need for an improved apparatus for hyperthermia treatment.

Apparatus for hyperthermia treatment of cancer

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Dept. of Health & Human Services


An airway [(10, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 710, 1810, 2010, 2110, 2210, 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810, 2910, 3010, 3110, 3210, 3310, 3810) device for human or animal use, the device includes an airway tube (12) having a first end (14) and a second end (16), wherein the device further includes a shoulder (26), the shoulder extends laterally from and substantially perpendicular to the airway tube, the shoulder is adapted to contact the faucial pillars of the human or animal patient to prevent over-insertion of the device in use.

Various airway devices are known and are currently used in spontaneous breathing or IPPV to anaesthetise patients, or for resuscitation applications. The main focus of developments in such devices has heavily leaned towards ensuring the best shape and material combination to make such devices easy to insert and to improve sealing pressures once the device is in situ within the patient. This has been the case for both supraglottic devices which seal within the larynx and endotracheal tubes which seal within the trachea.
In particular in the case of supraglottic devices, the requirement for clinical knowledge and experience is invaluable in the decision-making process of choosing the correctly sized device for a given set of patient parameters. However, such decisions can still be very subjective and are arbitrarily related to the weight of the given patient, and will therefore be variable depending on the particular experience or preferences of individual clinicians. This increases the chance of selecting and using a device of the incorrect size for the given patient. Selecting an incorrectly sized device will lead to undesirable consequences, for example if a device that is too small for the patient is chosen this is likely to result in an over-insertion of the device beyond the larynx and deep into the trachea in the case of laryngeal airway devices, which can potentially result in traumatising and/or damaging the trachea, esophagus, vocal chords and upper esophagus in both human and animal patients.
The issues and consequences of incorrect device selection are particularly relevant in paediatric use. In pediatrics the stage of anatomical development is in a state of constant flux, with various rates of change from individual to individual, until adulthood is reached. When adulthood is reached the shapes of the internal anatomical structures become more stable and thus provide a more reliable environment for correct device size selection and use. Therefore, in pediatrics the risk of incorrect device size selection, which may result in over insertion or lack of optimal sealing forces of a device in the patient is much greater in pediatrics than in adults. This matter is highly exacerbated within veterinary anaesthesia situations as the anatomical parameters can vary significantly not only between species but also within a species type, such as in the case of dogs.
In addition to the problem of over-insertion of such supraglottic devices, another problem which can arise is accidental rotation of the device after insertion. This type of incident could result in the device being displaced from the correct sealing position within the human or animal patient. Some attempts have been made in the prior art to produce devices which do not readily succumb to rotation after insertion. This has been done by either widening the surface area of the device that is in contact with the top of the tongue or through the use of external fixation systems. However, such attempts have not been wholly successful in solving the rotation problem. In the case of external fixation this requires an additional effort on behalf of the clinician to secure the device and therefore unfortunately this is not always undertaken.
Yet another problem which still exists in present supraglottic devices, and in particular in airway type devices, is the possibility of the epiglottis of the human or animal patient down folding and occluding the airway within the device, thus blocking off the gas flow to and from the patient. The problem associated with down folding epiglottis is most applicable to paediatric and animal patients who have a large range in both the flexibility and size of the epiglottis.