A multiple component, interactive growth chart assembled from a plurality of growth chart components. The individual components are preferably building block type, and have means for coupling one component on top of another. The components have a disclosed height, so that a user can calculate the height of a person who is positioned proximate a chart comprised of a plurality of assembled components. Preferably, the components have a heart shape. In one embodiment, coupling means are provided to permit lateral and/or other coupling directions, in addition to straight north-south coupling, so as to provide greater play flexibility.

It is common for a parent to place a growth chart in the room of a young child. A typical prior art growth chart consists of a poster or other static display, having thereon an incremental measurement display. For example, the display may consist of a series of hash marks, spread one inch apart, and typically includes labeling information to indicate the height corresponding to marks. Thus, the height of a child can be determined by having the child stand next to the chart, looking to see the highest hash mark which the top of the child's head reaches, and determining from the labeling information the height corresponding to that mark.
A limitation associated with prior art growth chart relates to their static nature. They are not adapted to be used by a child in the play of an interactive game, and generally have a single dedicated use as a chart. They also do not provide a child with a three-dimensional, building block type of appreciation of growth.
A need therefore exists for a growth chart that is interactive rather than static, that is building block type, and that may be used by a child for play purposes. The present invention satisfies this need and provides other, related, advantages.

Multiple component and interactive growth chart and method


A promoted calcium-alumina supported reforming catalyst that is particularly useful for reforming reactions where low H2/CO ratio synthesis gas, such as less than 2.3 is generated directly is disclosed. The catalyst comprises from about 25 wt % to about 98 wt % alumina, from about 0.5 wt % to about 35 wt % calcium oxide, from about 0.01 wt % to about 35 wt % of a promoter, and from about 0.05 wt % to about 30 wt % of an active metal. The promoter is selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, yttrium, niobium, elements of the lanthanum-series, such as, without limitation, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, ytterbium, and combinations thereof. The active metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, platinum, iridium and combinations thereof as active metal, wherein the calcium oxide is combined with the alumina to form aluminum-rich calcium aluminates.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to highly active catalysts useful for syngas generation, and more particularly to promoted calcium-aluminate supported catalysts, wherein the promoter is selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, yttrium, niobium, elements of the lanthanum-series, such as, without limitation, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, ytterbium and combinations thereof. The catalyst comprises an active metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, rhodium, ruthenium, platinum, palladium, iridium and combinations thereof. The catalyst is highly active, stable and resistant to coking when used in producing synthesis gas, especially low H2/CO synthesis gas. A process of manufacture of the catalysts and a process of use of the catalysts are also disclosed.
2. Background Art
Production of synthesis gas or syngas (various blends of gases generally comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide) is an important process step in the manufacture of numerous chemicals, such as ammonia and methanol. It is also useful in numerous other commercial and developmental processes, such as iron ore reduction, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and other gas-to-liquid processes. Many of the syngas plants produce the syngas by steam reforming of light hydrocarbons, usually natural gas, and the syngas commonly has an H2/CO ratio larger than 3. Typically, these plants employ a supported nickel catalyst, usually nickel on an alpha-alumina support or nickel on a promoted-alumina support.
However, a problem that often occurs with reforming reactions is an enhanced likelihood of coking or carbon formation on the catalysts. Several solutions have been proposed to address the coking problem. For example, a large excess of H2O in the reformer feed stream can be applied in applications where H2 is the target product and CO is only a lower value by-product, such as in ammonium synthesis or hydrogen production. The excess of H2O generates more H2 via the water-gas-shift reaction. However this solution is not suitable for applications where a low H2/CO ratio syngas is required, such as for the gas-to-liquid processes.
Another process for limiting carbon formation on nickel catalysts during reforming reactions utilizes sulfur in the feed stream. In this process—referred to as passivation—sulfur poisons some, but not all, of the nickel sites on the catalyst and produces a reforming catalyst which retains sufficient active sites to be useful for syngas production at lower H2/CO ratios. The amount of sulfur that is present in the feed stream must be carefully controlled so that the catalyst retains sufficient activity for the reforming reaction, and the process often requires a substantial quantity of catalyst in the bed. Further, if sulfur is a poison for downstream catalysts, as in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis processes, the sulfur must be removed before it can travel downstream.
The coking risk may be reduced by modifying the catalyst formulation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,143 proposes the use of a noble metal catalyst. It is well known that noble metal catalysts have higher coke formation resistance compared to conventional steam reforming catalysts that merely utilize nickel, but these noble metal catalysts are quite expensive, especially with the large quantity of catalysts that is conventionally utilized for this type of reaction. Morioka has addressed the coking problem by the use of high dispersion of metal species over the surface of the catalyst, such as various types of double hydroxide catalysts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,918 teaches a nickel on alumina catalyst with a lanthanum additive.
Conventional steam reforming nickel on alpha-alumina catalysts may include additives to enhance their performance and to reduce the coking problem. For example, alkali compounds may be added to steam reforming catalysts to reduce carbon formation but because of their potential migration during high temperature processing the alkali metals can adversely impact downstream operations. Magnesia has also been added to steam reforming catalysts to suppress carbon formation, but magnesia promoted catalysts are hard to reduce and maintain in a reduced state.
Calcium oxide as a promoter to the nickel on alumina steam reforming catalyst has been successfully used commercially. Better coking resistance and overall performance compared to the alpha-alumina catalyst has been reported. But calcium-rich calcium aluminates in a steam reforming catalyst are not desirable because they can hydrate readily and damage the integrity of the catalyst pellets. Further, as is known in the art, calcium aluminate based catalysts need to be treated to eliminate calcium-rich calcium aluminate phases, such as 12CaO.7Al2O3and 3CaO.Al2O3, and the aluminum-rich phases, such as CaO.Al2O3, CaO.2Al2O3 and CaO.6Al2O3, need to be stabilized before nickel impregnation.
A higher calcination temperature can force the calcium aluminates to be transformed to the aluminum-rich phases but also cause surface sintering that is not desirable for most catalytic applications. A promoter that facilitates or stops the phase transformation process of calcium aluminates will make the catalyst more stable thermally and catalytically. A phase transfer facilitator would result in the more stable and aluminum-richer calcium aluminate phases with minimized surface sintering while a phase transfer stopper would stabilize the calcium aluminates at aluminum-leaner phases.
Thus, there is still a need for more active, more coking-resistant, and more stable catalysts for syngas generation, especially for the processes that directly produce syngas with H2/CO ratio less than 2.3.

Process for the preparation of promoted calcium-aluminate supported catalysts


A user interface for a printer is disclosed for printing image files. The user interface includes a display for displaying information, including messages to a user, an input device for enabling the user to respond to the displayed messages, an interface to a detachable memory device including at least one image file, and a processor coupled to the input device, display, and to the interface. The processor is responsive to a user input to print a thumbnail of the image file, in the same orientation in which the image file was acquired, by utilizing stored orientation information. The processor is also responsive to a user input to print a subset of the image files. The thumbnails are printed with an image number, a date, and a unique identifier of the image file.

Currently, digital cameras are arranged to be able to download image files to personal computers, for subsequent reproduction by a printer. Images from a digital camera are typically stored on a detachable memory card. The memory card is inserted into an appropriate receptacle that is attached to an external computing device, such as a personal computer or a printer. A facility is typically provided on the computing device or the printer for printing index pages, that is, a page, or pages, of thumbnail representations of all the images stored on the memory card. A thumbnail representation of an image is a reduced version of that image, usually with enough detail to discern the image from others. The facility for printing index pages may include a menu selection on the computing device or a button on the printer. The index pages are useful for reviewing image files on the memory card, and for selecting individual image files to be printed.
When printing an index page, a user is not able to select the images that will be printed. Invoking the index page facility causes all the images on the memory card to be printed. For users with high capacity memory cards this may be disadvantageous, as a large number of images are printed that are not required, wasting time, media, and ink. If multiple events are recorded on the same memory card, a user must print the images for all the events, again wasting time, media, and ink.
Furthermore, in the conventional approach the images on index pages are all printed in landscape orientation without regard for the orientation of the image. When reviewing the index pages, the user must turn his head or the index page to view those images that do not have a landscape orientation.
Each image on the index page is designated by an image number, usually superimposed on a corner in the field of the image. The image number thus obscures the area of the image over which it is superimposed. Also, the image number does not provide an absolute identification of the image. It is simply the number of an image in the memory card, and changes when images are deleted from the memory card. There is no absolute identification of the image, such as a date or filename, to specifically distinguish an image, and which does not change after the image is acquired.
It is an object and advantage of this invention to provide a user with the ability to select a subset of images to be printed when printing an index page. A user is not required to print all images on the memory card when printing an index page. It is a second object and advantage of this invention to provide index pages where the images are printed in the orientation in which they were acquired. That is, images are printed "right side up" so users do not have to turn their heads to view individual images on an index page. It is a further object and advantage of this invention to provide an absolute identifier for each image on the index page that does not change after the image has been acquired. Further, image identifiers are printed outside the field of the image and thus do not obscure the image. It is a further object and advantage of this invention to automatically select the size of the thumbnail image depending on the size of the printing media. For example, when index pages are being printed on A4 paper, a thumbnail is printed in a larger format than when index pages are printed on A6 paper, allowing for a more efficient use of paper.

User interface for instant and full-featured index page printing from a direct-connect printer

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A frame forwarding apparatus comprises a receiving unit receiving a frame including a source address, a destination address and a VWAN identifier; a converting unit converting a VWAN identifier in the frame into one of degenerate VWAN identifiers that the number of adoptable values thereof is smaller than the number of VWAN identifiers; a storage unit containing at least one entry containing the source address in the frame, a degenerate VWAN identifier that a VWAN identifier in the frame is converted, and path information representing a path via which the frame is received; a retrieving unit retrieving, from said storage unit, an entry corresponding to the destination address in the frame and the degenerate VWAN identifier in the frame; a restoring unit restoring the degenerate VWAN identifier in the frame into the original VWAN identifier; and a transmitting unit transmitting the frame based on the path information in the entry retrieved.

The present invention relates to a VWAN (Virtual Wide Area Networks, a synonym of VLAN (virtual Local Area Networks) standardized by IEEE802.1Q [Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks], and other synonyms are VPN (Virtual Private networks), VMAN (Virtual Metro Area networks)) management system of an apparatus installed within a network, which employs a layer-2 switch (L2SW) etc.
In the field related to the VWAN, PoweredCom, Inc. adopted a system such as "Ethernet (registered trademark) over Ethernet (registered trade mark) (EoE)", and other companies announced systems for reducing a load of a switch on a large quantity of traffic.
According to the EoE, an ingress edge switch (edge SW) attaches MAC (Media Access Control) addresses of an egress edge switch and of the ingress edge switch itself and a VWAN tag to a frame entering the ingress edge switch itself, and sends this frame to within a core network. The frame attached with the MAC addresses and the VWAN tag is forwarded to within the core network. An advantage of the EoE is that the load on the core switch forwarding the frame across the core network may be reduced.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a frame format pursuant to the IEEE802.3. As shown in FIG. 1, the frame has a field for storing the VWAN tag. The VWAN tag has fields, and one of the fields is used to store a VWAN-ID (VLAN-ID). The VWAN-ID is an identifier uniquely representing a VWAN group to which the frame belongs, and involves using any one of values "0" through "4095" as specific values.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a system including the wide area Ethernet (registered trademark) network by way of an example of the network system utilizing the VWAN. Respective customer edge domains (customer-sided networks) 1 and 2 are connected to the wide area Ethernet (registered trademark) network 3 (which will hereinafter be simply referred to as the network 3) via edge switches 4 each including a switching function.
Individual end users within the customer edge domains 1 and 2 have VWAN-IDs (X, Y, Z) for dividing the frames of the individual customers within the network 3, wherein the frames are transferred and received only between the end users having the same VWAN-ID.
For instance, an assumption is that the customer (the end user) having the VWAN-ID=X in the customer edge domain 1 transmits a frame to the end user having the same VWAN-ID=X in the customer edge domain 2.
In this case, when the frame is received by the edge switch 4 (an ingress edge switch) on the side of the customer edge domain 1, the frame is attached with MAC addresses of the ingress and egress edge switches 4 and with the VWAN-ID=X and is thus sent to within the network 3.
The frame is forwarded to between the core switches (core SWs) in the network 3 and reaches the egress edge switch 4. At the egress edge switch 4, the MAC addresses and the VWAN-ID=X attached to the frame are removed, and this frame is sent to the corresponding end user (VWAN-ID=X) in the customer edge domain 2.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus included in a layer-2 switch (applicable to an edge switch and a core switch) in the conventional system. FIG. 3 illustrates that the layer-2 switch includes a receiving line interface unit 6 that receives input traffic (frames) from a facing (opposed) apparatus, a transmitting line interface unit 7 that transmits traffic (frames) to the facing apparatus, a layer-2 switch (L2SW) engine 8 that switches the traffic on the layer-2, a memory 11 containing control information of the L2SW engine 8, and a controlling/monitoring unit 10 that is connected to a terminal 5 for an operation of a maintenance operator (which will hereinafter be simply referred to as the terminal 5) via a user interface unit 9 and monitors the information stored in the memory 11.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a learning/retrieving method in the L2SW using the MAC learning table included in the L2SW engine 8. In FIG. 4, when the receiving line interface unit (receiving I/F) 6 receives a frame and a source MAC address in the frame, a port number of a port which was used to receive the frame, and a VWAN-ID in the frame, are stored in the MAC learning table.
Thereafter, if a frame is received from a different port, the MAC learning table is retrieved by use of, as retrieving keys, a destination MAC address (MAC-DA) and the VWAN-ID which are contained in the received frame. At this time, the frame is forwarded to a port (path) that is hit as a result of the retrieving.
In the conventional systems illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the VWAN-ID of the customer-sided network 1 is learned at the edge switch 4 as shown in FIG. 2. It is therefore required that VWAN-IDs corresponding to a learning count (the number of times of learning) and frame receiving ports be managed within the edge switch SW 4. Accordingly, an entry registerable count of the entries (the number of registerable entries) to be contained in the MAC learning table is given such as "the number of MAC Addresses X the number of VWAN-IDs X the number of input (Receiving) ports (symbols "X" are multiplication symbols)".
Such scheme is required to provide a memory for the MAC learning table having a tremendous quantity of capacity. On the other hand, management of the entries given by "the number of VWAN-IDs X the number of input ports" is required to be conducted. Hence, an output port retrieving process gets complicated, resulting in a possibility that performance of the L2SW is to be deteriorated.
Patent document 1 shown below is given as a document of the prior art related to the present application.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. Hei11(1999)-4224


A system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a body. The system generates an image representing the position of one or more body elements during the procedure using scans generated by a scanner prior or during the procedure. The image data set has reference points for each of the body elements, the reference points of a particular body element having a fixed spatial relation to the particular body element. The system includes an apparatus for identifying, during the procedure, the relative position of each of the reference points of each of the body elements to be displayed. The system also includes a processor for modifying the image data set according to the identified relative position of each of the reference points during the procedure, as identified by the identifying apparatus, said processor generating a displaced image data set representing the position of the body elements during the procedure. The system also includes a display utilizing the displaced image data set generated by the processor, illustrating the relative to the system are also disclosed. Also disclosed are devices for use with a surgical navigation system having a sensor array which is in communication with the device to identify its position. The device may be a reference frame for attachment of a body part of the patient, such as a cranial reference are frame for attachment to the head or a spine reference are frame for attachment to the spine. The device may also be a localization frame for positioning an instrument relative to a body part, such as a localization biopsy guide frame for positioning a biopsy needle, a localization drill guide assembly for positioning a drill bit, a localization drill yoke assembly for positioning a drill, or a ventriculostomy probe for positioning a catheter.

The invention relates generally to systems which use and generate images during medical and surgical procedures, which images assist in executing the procedures and indicate the relative position of various body parts and instruments. In particular, the invention relates to a system for generating images during medical and surgical procedures based on a scan taken prior to or during the procedure and based on the present position of the body parts and instruments during the procedure.
Image guided medical and surgical procedures comprise a technology by which scans, obtained either pre-procedurally or intra-procedurally (i.e., prior to or during a medical or surgical procedure), are used to generate images to guide a doctor during the procedure. The recent increase in interest in this field is a direct result of the recent advances in scanning technology, especially in devices using computers to generate three dimensional images of parts of the body, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The majority of the advances in diagrammatic imaging involve devices which tend to be large, encircle the body part being imaged, and are expensive. Although the scans produced by these devices depict the body part under investigation with high resolution and good spatial fidelity, their cost usually precludes the dedication of a unit to be used during the performance of procedures. Therefore, image guided surgery is usually performed using images taken preoperatively.
The reliance upon preoperative images has focused image guidance largely to the cranium. The skull, by encasing the brain, serves as a rigid body which largely inhibits changes in anatomy between imaging and surgery. The skull also provides a relatively easy point of reference to which fiducials or a reference system may be attached so that registration of pre-procedural images to the procedural work space can be done simply at the beginning, during, or throughout the procedure. Registration is defined as the process of relating pre-procedural or intra-procedural scan of the anatomy undergoing surgery to the surgical or medical position of the corresponding anatomy. For example, see Ser. No. 07/909,097, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,454 the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This situation of rigid fixation and absence of anatomical movement between imaging and surgery is unique to the skull and intracranial contents and permits a simple one-to-one registration process as shown in FIG. 1. The position during a medical procedure or surgery is in registration with the pre-procedural image data set because of the absence of anatomical movement from the time of the scan until the time of the procedure; in effect, the skull and it""s intracranial contents comprise a xe2x80x9crigid body,xe2x80x9d that is, an object which does not deform internally. In almost every other part of the body there is ample opportunity for movement within the anatomy which degrades the fidelity by which the pre-procedural scans depict the intra-procedural anatomy. Therefore, additional innovations are needed to bring image guidance to the rest of the body beyond the cranium.
The accuracy of image guided surgery relies upon the ability to generate images during medical and surgical procedures based on scans taken prior to or during the procedure and based on the present position and shape of the body parts during the procedure. Two types of body parts are addressed herein: 1) structures within the body that do not change shape, do not compress, nor deform between the process of imaging and the medical procedure, which are termed xe2x80x9crigid bodies,xe2x80x9d and are exemplified by the bones of the skeleton; and 2) structures within the body that can change shape and deform between the process of imaging and the medical procedure structures are termed xe2x80x9csemi-rigid bodies,xe2x80x9d and are exemplified by the liver or prostate. Both types of body parts are likely targets for medical or surgical procedures either for repair, fusion, resection, biopsy, or radiation treatment. Therefore, a technique is needed whereby registration can be performed between the body parts as depicted pre-procedurally on scans and the position and shape of these same body parts as detected intra-procedurally. This technique mast take into account that movement can occur between portions of the body which are not rigidly joined, such as bones connected by a joint, or fragments of a broken bone, and that shape deformation can occur for semi-rigid bodies, such as the liver or prostate. In particular, the technique must be able to modify the scanned image dataset such that the modified image dataset which is used for localization and display, corresponds to position and/or shape of the body part(s) of interest during a medical or surgical procedure. A key to achieving this correspondence is the ability to precisely detect and track the position and/or shape of the body part(s) of interest during the medical or surgical procedure, as well as to track instruments, xe2x80x94or radiation used during the said procedure.
It is an object of this invention to provide a system which allows registration between a body part depicted in pre-procedural images and tracked during surgery.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system which allows registration between a semi-rigid body such as the liver depicted in pre-procedural images and detected during surgery.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system which allows registration between multiple body parts such as skeletal elements depicted in pre-procedural images and detected during surgery.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system which can localize a semi-rigid body that may deform between imaging and a procedure and provide a display during the procedure of the body in its deformed shape.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system which can localize multiple rigid bodies that move with respect to each other between imaging and a procedure and provide a display during the procedure of the bodies in their displaced positions.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on the body, the system generating a display representing the position of one or more body elements during the procedure based on a scan generated by a scanner either prior to or during the procedure.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a body which modifies the scan taken prior to or during a procedure according to the identified relative position of each of the elements during the procedure.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a body which modifies the image data set according to the identified shape of each of the element during the procedure.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system which generates a display representative of the position of a medical or surgical instrument in relation to the body element(s) during a procedure.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system for use during image guided medical and surgical procedures which is easily employed by the doctor or surgeon conducting the procedure.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system which determines the relative position and/or shape of body elements during a medical or surgical procedure based on the contour of the body elements which can avoid the need for exposing the body elements.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a system which employs one or more two dimensional fluoroscopic or x-ray images of body elements to determine their relative position and/or shape in three dimensions.
It is yet a further object of this invention to describe a surgical or medical procedure which employs a display representing the position of the body element(s) during the procedure based on an image data set of the body element(s) generated prior to the procedure.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system and method for medical or surgical procedures which allows repositioning of body elements during the procedure and still permits the generation of a image showing the relative position of the body elements.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system and method for medical or surgical procedures which allows reshaping of the body element(s) during the procedure and still permits the generation of a image showing the position and current shape of the body elements.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system which can localize a body element and provide a display during the procedure of the position of the body element relative to an instrument, such as a forceps, microscope, or laser, so that the instrument can be precisely located relative to the body element.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
The invention comprises a system for use during a medical or surgical procedure on a patient""s body. The system generates one or more images representing the position and shape of one or more body elements during the procedure using scans generated by a scanner prior to the procedure, the scans having at least one reference point for each of the body elements of interest. These two dimensional scans, taken together, comprise a three dimensional depiction of the body, and are called the image data set. The reference points of a particular body element have a spatial relation to the particular body element. The system includes means for identifying, during the surgical or medical procedure, the position of the reference points of each of the body elements to be displayed by the system. The system also includes a means processor for modifying the image data""set according to the identified position of the reference points of each of the body elements during the medical or surgical procedure, called the identifying means. The processor generates images using a modified (displaced and/or deformed) image data set representing the position and shape of the body elements during the procedure.
Optionally, the processor determines the position of a medical or surgical instrument relative to these body elements. The system also includes a display which utilizes the modified image data set generated by the processor to illustrate the position and shape of the body elements during the procedure and optionally the determined position of the medical or surgical instrument relative to the body elements by means of two dimensional images.
The invention also comprises a method for use during a procedure. The method generates images representing the position and shape of one or more body elements during the procedure based on scans generated prior to the procedure, which scan set has reference points for each of the body elements. The method comprises the steps of:
identifying, during the procedure, the position of the reference points of each of the body, elements to be displayed;
modifying the image data set according to the identified position of the reference points of each body element during the procedure in order to generate a modified (displaced and/or deformed) image data set representing the position of the body elements during the procedure;
optionally determining the position of a medical or surgical instrument, probe or beam of irradiation relative to the body elements; and
generating a display based on the modified image data set illustrating the position and shape of the body elements during the procedure and optionally the position of the medical or surgical instrument relative to the body elements.
The invention also comprises a method for use with two or more body elements each of which have reference points. Prior to the procedure, the method comprises the steps of placing the body elements in a frame to fix their relative position; and scanning the fixed body elements. During the procedure, the method comprises the steps of:
placing the body elements in the frame so that the body elements have the same relative position as their position during scanning;
determining the position of reference points on the body elements relative to reference means;
determining the position of a medical or surgical instrument relative to the reference means;
determining the position of the medical or surgical instrument relative to the body elements; and
generating a display based on the pre-procedural scanning illustrating the determined position of the medical or surgical instrument relative to the body elements.
The invention also comprises a device for use with a surgical navigation system having a sensor array which is in communication with the device to identify its position, the device for use in guiding a catheter, the device for engaging a cable connected to the surgical navigation system, the cable for providing signals for activating the device. A handle has a cavity therein. A plurality of light emitting diodes on the handle emit light, when activated, for communicating with the sensor array of the surgical navigation system. A connector attached to the handle and adapted to engage the cable connected to the surgical navigation system receives the signals for activating the diodes. Wires located in the cavity of the handle and electrically interconnecting the connector and the light emitting diodes transmit the signals received by the connector to the diodes. A guide member connected to the handle guides the catheter.
The invention also comprises a device for use with a surgical navigation system having a sensor array which is in communication with the device to identify its position. A base member has a cavity therein. A plurality of light emitting diodes on the base member emit light, when activated, for communicating with the sensor array of the surgical navigation system. An activating circuit connected to the diodes provides signals for activating the diodes. Wires located in the cavity of the base member and electrically interconnecting the power supply and the light emitting diodes transmit the signals for activating the diodes.
The invention also comprises a device for use with a surgical navigation system having a sensor array which is in communication with the device to identify its position, the device for engaging a structure attached to or an instrument in known relation to a body part thereby providing a known reference relative to the body part, the device having a connector for engaging a cable connected to the surgical navigation system, the cable for providing signals for activating the device. A base member has a cavity therein. A coupling on the base member engages the structure in order to maintain the base member in fixed relation to the body part thereby providing the fixed reference. A plurality of light emitting diodes on the base member, said diodes, when activated, emitting light for communicating with the sensor array of the surgical navigation system. A connector attached to the base member and adapted to engage the cable connected to the surgical navigation system receives the signals for activating the diodes. Wires located in the cavity of the base member and electrically interconnecting the connector and the light emitting diodes transmit the signals received by the connector to the diodes to activate the diodes.
The invention also comprises a device for use with a surgical navigation system having a sensor array which is in communication with the device to identify its position, the device for guiding an instrument for engaging a body part thereby locating the instrument at a known position relative to the body part, the device having a connector for engaging a cable connected to the surgical navigation system, the cable for providing signals for activating the device. A housing has a cavity therein. A structure on the housing guides the instrument in order to maintain the instrument in a relationship relative to the housing. A plurality of light emitting diodes on the housing, when activated, emit light for communicating with the sensor array of the surgical navigation system. A connector attached to the housing and adapted to engage the cable connected to the surgical navigation system receives the signals for activating the diodes. Wires located in the cavity of the housing and electrically interconnecting the connector and the light emitting diodes and for transmitting the signals received by the connector to the diodes to activate the diodes.
In addition, the invention comprises a surgical navigation system comprising:
a calmer;
a sensor array;
a reference frame in communication with the array to identify its position; and
a localization frame in communication with the array to identify a position of the localization frame, the localization frame for guiding the instrument for engaging the body part thereby locating the instrument at a known position relative to the body part, the localization frame connected to the controller which provides signals for activating the localization frame.

Surgical navigation systems including reference and localization frames


A method for palette coding is disclosed. In an encoder side, the method determines whether a first block is coded using a palette coding mode or a non-palette coding. If the first block is coded using the non-palette coding mode, a first color table for the first block is derived based on one or more color tables associated with one or more previously processed blocks. If the first block is coded using the palette coding mode, the first color table is derived from the first block. A second block coded after the first block may use the first color table as a palette prediction. At the decoder side, if the current block is coded using the palette coding mode, a first color table based on a previous coded block is derived and the current block is decoded using a first color table as a palette predictor.

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a new coding standard that has been developed in recent years. In the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) system, the fixed-size macroblock of H.264/AVC is replaced by a flexible block, named coding unit (CU). Pixels in the CU share the same coding parameters to improve coding efficiency. A CU may begin with a largest CU (LCU), which is also referred as coded tree unit (CTU) in HEVC. In addition to the concept of coding unit, the concept of prediction unit (PU) is also introduced in HEVC. Once the splitting of CU hierarchical tree is done, each leaf CU is further split into one or more prediction units (PUs) according to prediction type and PU partition.
Along with the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard development, the development of extensions of HEVC has also started. The HEVC extensions include range extensions (RExt) which target at non-4:2:0 color formats, such as 4:2:2 and 4:4:4, and higher bit-depths video such as 12, 14 and 16 bits per sample. One of the likely applications utilizing RExt is screen sharing, over wired- or wireless-connection. Due to specific characteristics of screen contents, coding tools have been developed and demonstrate significant gains in coding efficiency. Among them, the palette coding (a.k.a. major color based coding) techniques represent block of pixels using indices to the palette (major colors), and encode the palette and the indices by exploiting spatial redundancy. While the total number of possible color combinations is huge, the number of colors in an area of picture is usually very limited for typical screen contents. Therefore, the palette coding becomes very effective for screen content materials.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop methods for further improving the coding efficiency and/or reducing the complexity associated with the palette coding.

Method and apparatus for palette table prediction


An outer hook mounting structure for a cargo box, comprising: a side panel formed by an outer panel and an inner panel extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle on a side of the cargo box; a reinforcement disposed between the outer panel and the inner panel and fixed to the inner panel; passage holes provided in correspondence with the outer panel, the reinforcement, and the inner panel; and an outer hook passing through the outer panel and having an end portion fixed to the reinforcement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mounting structure for an outer hook to be provided on a cargo box of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cargo transporting vehicle, such as a truck, is equipped with a cargo box, and cargo loaded on the cargo box is fixed using a rope or the like. Normally, the rope is passed round outer hooks provided at predetermined intervals on a side edge portion of a cargo box floor or the exterior of side panels and a rear gate panel of the cargo box, whereby the cargo is set in place so as not to move on the cargo box. The outer hooks are made of a metallic material or the like, rod-shaped, mounted to protrude downwardly, and fixed by bolts or the like from the outside.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show a conventional outer hook mounting structure for a cargo box. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a side panel 101 of the cargo box has an outer panel 102 and an inner panel 103. A hook bar 104 and outer hooks 105 are mounted on the outer panel 102 by clamping bolts 106. A reinforcement 108 is interposed between the outer panel 102 and the inner panel 103, and is supported on the inner panel 103 by having both end portions joined to the inner panel 103. The clamping bolt 106 is inserted through the outer panel 102 and the reinforcement 108, and is fixed by a nut 107 from inside the reinforcement 108.
The outer hook mounting structure, which has the outer hooks fixed by the bolts from outside the panel, is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-278515.
With the above-described outer hook mounting structure for the cargo box, however, the outer hooks are directly mounted on the outer panel. This has posed the problem that the structure of the reinforcing member (reinforcement) is upsized in order to prevent deformation of the outer panel during assembly and hook usage. Moreover, the structure requires bolting from the outside, causing the problems of a poor appearance and difficulty with rust prevention.
The present invention has been accomplished as a solution to the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cargo box outer hook mounting structure having a good appearance and satisfactory in rust prevention.

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha


Participation by multiple users in an online game through client computing platforms associated with the users is facilitated. User accounts associated with the users indicate affiliations having a functional significance between users. Presentation of offers to sell virtual items are provided to users having a first affiliation and to users having a second affiliation. The virtual items associated with the offers are distributed to the users having a first affiliation upon an indication that a threshold number of users having the first affiliation have accepted the offer and are not distributed to users having a second affiliation upon an indication that a threshold number of users having the second affiliation have not accepted the offer.

Providing virtual items in a game is known. Many online games, and app-based games are free-to-play games which provide users the opportunity to enhance the game by purchasing one or more virtual items which are usable in the online game. Oftentimes a player of the online game will be provided the opportunity to purchase virtual currency in exchange for real world currency. Players may then exchange the real world currency for virtual items within the online game.
It is also known to have one or more conditions set on the availability of the virtual items purchasable in an online game. For example, a player may have to have reached a particular level within the game before being allowed to purchase certain virtual items.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for providing virtual items to users of a virtual space


The invention relates to a sterile container, especially for receiving and storing surgical instruments or material in sterile conditions, comprising and receiving area formed by a container bottom and container walls, a lid for sealing the receiving area, and a gas exchange opening which can be sealed by a sterile filter. In order to enable the sterile filter to be replaced in a simple manner, a filter unit is provided, comprising the sterile filter, a support and a holding element, the sterile filter is maintained between the support and the holding element and the filter unit is mounted on the lid and/or bottom of the container.

The invention relates to a sterile container, in particular for the holding and sterile storage of surgical instruments or material, comprising a holding space, which is defined by a container base and container walls, a lid for closing the holding space and a gas exchange opening, which can be closed off by a sterile filter.
Sterile containers of this type are, for example, loaded with surgical instruments or material and sterilized in a sterilizer. A sterile filter is required in order to prevent germs from penetrating into the container. The sterile filter has to be replaced from time to time, which in previously known sterile containers has only been possible in laborious manner.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to improve a sterile container of the type described in the introduction in such a way that the sterile filter is easy to exchange.


A relay for high frequency instruments and a reverse power protection circuit for high frequency instruments are described herein. The relay is inexpensive to construct, permits good impedance matching up to approximately 5 GHz, and can be easily mounted on a coplanar waveguide transmission line. The circuit can open the relay in response to a reverse power condition in as little as 8 microseconds and provides both good grounding and functions reliably up to 4 GHz.

This invention relates to circuits and devices for protecting radio frequency ("RF") instruments from accidental injection of high power RF signals. In particular, the present invention is a reverse power protection ("RPP") limiter/detector circuit and relay. The relay mounts easily on a printed circuit board ("PCB") and operates reliably up to approximately 5 GHz. The RPP limiter/detector circuit functions well up to 4 GHz.
RF instruments such as signal generators, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and measuring receivers may be exposed to high power RF signals of 50 W or more if such signals are accidentally applied to the instruments' external signal port. The sensitive internal circuitry of these instruments can be damaged when exposed to such high power signals. To protect the internal circuitry, RPP limiter/detector circuits and relays are used.
Typically, limiting diodes coupled to the external signal port as shunts with a predetermined bias voltage, permitting nominal signal levels in a forward direction but limiting any reverse signal input to the predetermined voltage level. The size of the diodes is limited by the need to match impedances along the signal path, thereby minimizing signal reflection and resulting signal degradation over the operating frequency range. Small diodes have only a small capacitance and therefore affect the overall impedance of the circuit less. Given their small size, these diodes can only protect the internal circuitry from high power signals for a short time. After this short time, the diodes fail, exposing the instrument to the high power RF signal.
To increase the protection of the RF instrument's internal circuitry, a relay is placed in the signal path between the RF output connector and the limiting diodes. Normally, the relay is closed, allowing signals to flow in either direction. In response to the injection of a reverse power signal above a predetermined threshold, the relay is triggered open by an RPP limiter/detector circuit. The open relay saves the limiting diodes and internal circuitry from damage.
The limiting diodes provide an interim time period for protecting the internal circuitry while the reverse power surge is detected by the RPP limiter/detector circuit and the relay switched open. The diodes, the relay and its coupling capacitors, and RPP limiter/detector circuit must together closely match the impedance of the RF instrument to avoid signal reflection and related signal degradation during normal operation.
Known RPP limiter/detector circuits and relays use microstrip transmission lines for both the diodes and transmission line structures. The series inductance created by the lengthy connection between the surface mounted diodes and the ground plane makes the upper frequency limit of these printed circuit microstrip designs approximately 3.5 Ghz. To fabricate RPP limiter/detector circuits that will work at frequencies above 4 Ghz, the path length to ground must be reduced. This has previously been accomplished by using thin circuit material and a microcircuit design with the diode chip bonded onto the microstrip. Such microcircuits are typically more expensive than PCBs and are only used when the desired performance can not be achieved any other way. Even the best known RPP limiter/detector circuits and relays using thick film microcircuits and wire bonds perform relatively poorly above 2 GHz, providing reduced power protection at these higher frequencies, and doing so at relatively high cost.

Reverse power protection circuit and relay


A polymer alloy has been developed comprising a polysulfone and a vinyl lactam polymer. The resulting alloy has excellent thermal characteristics and even in the presence of substantial quantities in vinyl lactam polymers, has solvent resistance to both organic and aqueous solvent materials. The materials, when dissolved in solvents, can be spun from a variety of solvents into a variety of useful fiber materials. The resulting fine fiber, microfiber and nanofiber materials have excellent thermal and chemical resistance for a variety of fiber applications. The polymer alloys of the invention can be spun into nanofiber mats that can act as a filtration media and can also be combined into conventional substrate materials for fabrication into filter structures.

The invention relates to a polymer alloy of a polysulfone and an N-vinyl lactam polymer. The invention relates to fibers made from the alloy and applications of the alloy fiber. One important application is in fiber containing filter structures. Fine fiber materials are known in the prior art. We are aware of Barris et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,506 teaching a method of spinning fine fiber, Kahlbaugh et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,399 teaching a filter structure comprising a separation media and a fine fiber layer in a multilayer structure, and a variety of patents on fine fiber media and filter structures, Chung et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,273; Barris et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,117; Gillingham et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,136; Gogins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,274; Buettner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,142; and Benson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,517.
The art has known for many years that the alloying of polymers to obtain a single glass transition temperature (Tg) material with a homogeneous mixture on a molecular level is difficult and rare. However, such polymer alloys can often obtain important novel properties that can be tailored to specific end uses. Very often the properties of the homogeneous alloy attains the best properties of its individual components. The great majority of polymer mixtures fail to alloy, but forms a two-phase blend after mixing and the mixtures are often characterized by reduced chemical, thermal, physical and structural properties and have two, three or more thermal transition or glass transition temperatures. Further, alloys tend to be transparent and can be processed as though they were single component thermoplastics. While great success has been obtained in the manufacture and use of fine fiber materials in a variety of filtration applications, fine fiber materials can be improved for excellent properties in gaseous or liquid filtration. The materials are improved for use with high temperature stability, and physical and mechanical stability in the presence of organic or aqueous liquids while filtering liquid mobile fluids in filtration applications.
A substantial need exists in the art for such polymer materials in the form of an improved alloy that can be formed into improved nanofiber, microfiber and fine fiber structures. A further substantial need exists for filtration media, filter structures and filtration methods that can be used for removing particulate materials from fluid streams. Fluids streams include both gaseous and liquid streams. Typically gaseous filters are filters for air or industrial waste gas streams. Liquid streams or compositions include aqueous liquids and in particular, non-aqueous liquids such as fuels, lubricating oils and hydraulic fluids. The invention provides such media, filtration structures and methods that are stable to the condition found in filtering gaseous streams, air streams, aqueous and non-aqueous liquid streams. The polymer alloy fiber and provides a unique media or media layer combinations that achieve improved filtration properties including substantial permeability, high wet strength, substantial efficiency and long filtration life.

Polysulfone and poly(N-vinyl lactam) polymer alloy and fiber and filter materials made of the alloy


A touch-type input apparatus which is used for operating equipment such as electric home appliances, is durable and well-designed, and prevents malfunction is disclosed. The touch-type input apparatus includes a translucent touch operation panel, touch detection means, light detection means, a light reception unit, and input determination means. The touch detection means detects a touch on the touch operation panel. The light detection means includes a light emission unit and a light reception unit. The light emission unit is provided on the rear surface side of the touch operation panel and transmits a unique light signal through the touch operation panel. The light reception unit detects a reflected unique light signal which is transmitted from the light emission unit and is reflected on a front surface side of the touch operation panel. The input determination means determines the intended input operation based on detection signals supplied from the touch detection means and the light detection means.

Electric home appliances such as water heaters and washing machines are usually provided with an operation input apparatus to operate and control the appliance in an intended way. A press-type input apparatus is a typical operation input apparatus that has a structure as shown in FIG. 5.
The press-type input apparatus 1 includes a tablet sheet 5 which is formed by laminating a pair of resistor plates 2 and 3. The resistor plates 2 and 3 are separated by a slight gap and have uniform resistance layers 2a and 3a formed on the respective surfaces that face each other. This gap between the resistor plates 2 and 3 is created by dot spacers 4 or the like. The tablet sheet 5 is covered partially by a protection cover 6 made of plastic or the like, and the remaining surface of the tablet sheet 5 is exposed.
The front surface side resistance plate 2 contacts the rear surface side resistance plate 3 when a finger or the like presses a selected position on the front surface side resistance plate 2 of the tablet sheet 5. The location of the touch can be obtained after determining the electric potential of the contact point between the front surface side resistance plate 2 and the rear surface side resistance plate 3. The intended input operation is determined based on the information associated with the contact point.
The press-type input apparatus requires applying a significant amount of pressure on the tablet sheet 5. This produces wear on the front surface side resistance plate 2 which eventually becomes deformed after repeatedly pressing the tablet sheet 5. Additionally, since a finger or the like presses on the surface of the front surface side resistance plate 2, the input operation surface tends to become dirty, thereby spoiling its appearance.
For an appliance that exposes the press-type input apparatus to moisture and humidity such as a water heater or a washing machine, it is necessary to create a water-tight seal between the peripheral edge of the exposure window 6a provided on the protection cover 6 and the peripheral edge of the tablet sheet 5. However, when the peripheral edge of the exposure window 6a of the protection cover 6 overlaps a movable part of the tablet sheet, such as a part that moves when pressed, a load is imposed on the overlapped part, potentially causing the apparatus to malfunction. A sufficient boundary must be set for applying pressure, and therefore, there is a limit to reducing the size of the apparatus.
Furthermore, due to the structure of the tablet sheet 5, the surface of the exposure window 6a in the press-type input apparatus is not entirely flat. There is a step corresponding to the thickness of the inner edge of the exposure window 6a.


An electric vehicle thermal management system and an electric vehicle using the thermal management system, wherein a passenger cabin is heated by the heat dissipated from a battery and/or a motor, and the battery and the electric motor are connected in different cooling paths. Heat is supplied to the passenger cabin by using the heat absorbed by cooling liquid from the battery and/or the motor, so that the electric power of the electric vehicle can be effectively utilized to increase the endurance mileage of the electric vehicle.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a thermal management system of vehicles, and more particularly, to the field of electric vehicles.
The temperature in a passenger cabin of an existing electric vehicle is generally adjusted by an air conditioning system to maintain a comfortable temperature range for the occupants in the passenger cabin. Further, a battery can be used as the power source of the electric vehicle. The battery is also used as the energy source for the air conditioning system within the electric vehicle. However, the air conditioning system within the electric vehicle generally consumes a large amount of battery power, which ultimately influences the endurance mileage of the electric vehicle. Since the endurance mileage of the electric vehicle is a highly important aspect of the electric vehicle, the efficient use of power in the electric vehicle is desired.

Electric vehicle thermal management system


The present invention relates to a method of treating functional disability and/or pain associated with joints, tendons or connective tissue diseases, disorders or injuries comprising oral administration of a composition comprising heterologous platelet-rich plasma. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions and nutritional compositions comprising heterologous platelet-rich plasma and uses thereof.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a blood-derived product that is rich in platelets. PRP is typically obtained from the blood of a patient and is used in regenerative medicine.
Platelets play a fundamental role in hemostasis and are a natural source of growth factors. The release of these growth factors is triggered by the activation of platelets that can be initiated by a variety of substances or stimuli such as thrombin, calcium chloride or collagen. Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins capable of stimulating cell proliferation and differentiation. Studies have found that growth factors are important in different stages of the wound-healing cascade and greatly influence mitogenic and cellular differentiation activities (Pierce et al., Proc Natl. Acad Sci. U.S.A. 86(7), 2229-2233 (1989) and J. Cell Biol. 109(1), 429-440 (1989) and D. L. Steed et al., Surg. Clin. North Am. 77, 575-586 (1997)). Therefore, growth factors are potentially useful for specifically promoting wound healing and tissue repair. PRP generally may include one or more of transforming growth factors (TGF), fibroblast growth factors (FGF), platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF), epidermal growth factors (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF), insulin-like growth factors (IGF), platelet-derived endothelial growth factors (PDEGF), platelet-derived angiogenesis factors (PDAF), platelet factors 4 (PF-4) and hepatocyte growth factors (HGF).
In particular, transforming growth factors (TGF) present in PRP specially include those of the TGF-β family. TGF-β is a protein that controls proliferation, differentiation, and other functions of cells. It can also act as a negative autocrine growth factor. TGF-β is known to activate fibroblasts to form procollagen resulting in collagen deposition within the wound. Other growth factors such as PDGF are activators of collagenase during wound healing allowing reshaping of collagen for wound strength.
PRP has many medical applications, primarily in constructive oral surgery and as part of a composition used as a surgical adhesive. PRP has been used to form a fibrin tissue adhesive through activation of the PRP using thrombin and calcium, which activate the platelets to release their contents such as cytokinins and other growth factors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,785 discloses an autologous platelet gel comprising PRP for bone graft and dental implant applications.
The use of PRP has expanded into novel applications, such as bio-tissue engineering or autologous and allogenic tissue grafts, as well soft tissue regeneration (Oikarinen et al., Dent. Traumatol. 19, 19-29 (2003)). These applications include PRP as part of a composition for wound healing (U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,558) and tissue repair (U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,777), for use as a tissue sealant (U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,007) or in combination with a biopolymer to temporarily block arteries and veins (U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,204). Moreover, WO 2011/127071 relates to PRP formulations and their use in treating ischemic injury, particularly damaged connective tissue, cardiac tissue and lung tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,777 discloses a platelet-rich plasma composition for treating injured tissue such as connective tissue, cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, disc material, vertebral body, brain, spinal cord and vascular tissue by introducing the platelet-rich plasma composition into and around the site of a tissue injury.
The most expeditious source of PRP is from blood extracted from a patient, the PRP may thus be obtained and activated for use on the same patient; methods of using a patient's own blood are called "autologous" or "autogenic" donor methods. When the blood is donated by a human, but not the same human being treated, is called "homologous". Homologous sources of PRP may be biologically or immunologically incompatible with the patient and can imply a potential risk of contamination with hepatitis and HIV contaminants. Autologous PRP has several safety advantages. For example, since PRP is generally a byproduct of the patient's own blood, disease transmission or immunological reactions are not an issue. However, patients with complex systemic diseases can affect the concentration of growth factors in their blood and in any of the blood-derived preparations, therefore will not benefit from the advantages of this type of treatments. Furthermore, certain treatments required platelet compositions which must be prepared on a daily basis and thus require regular blood withdrawal from the patient.
In view of the above, "heterologous" sources of PRP (from a foreign specie) may be of interest since they can provide a reliable, largely available and highly reproducible source of raw material. For example, porcine blood is less likely to carry a human viral infectious risk (HIV, hepatitis, etc), the production of growth factors is nearly 100% identical to their human counterparts and, is a source of efficient and constant concentration of growth factors. Additionally, in many countries, slaughter blood is discarded as waste material for lack of possibilities of using the blood.
Thus, it would be highly desirable to obtain composition comprising PRP without the need of a patient's own blood and from a more available, accessible and economical source such as porcine blood.
Furthermore, the use of autologous PRP for treating patients affected by knee degeneration with PRP intra-articular injections has been described by G. Filardo et al., Knee Surg. Sports Traumatol. Arthrosc. 19(4), 528-35 (2011). Osteoarthritis is a joint disease with a high incidence and prevalence in the population. The main symptom is pain, causing loss of ability and often stiffness. It has no cure and palliative treatments such as administration of analgesics and anti-inflammatories are mainly used to treat the symptoms. Indeed, sustained release of growth factors contained in PRP has preventive effects against osteoarthritis progression. The treatment with PRP injections can reduce pain and improve knee function and quality of life but with a short-term efficacy. These preventive effects appear to be due to stimulation of cartilage matrix metabolism caused by the growth factors contained in PRP (Saito et al., Clin. Exp. Rheumatol. 27(2), 201-7 (2009)).
PCT/IB2008/001916 discloses a method for the treatment of articular diseases or articular pain, which comprises the infiltration in the joint of a compound that comprises at least one autologous blood-derived substance.
As explained above, growth factors are known to be useful for promoting wound healing and tissue repair. The addition of exogenous growth factors to wound has been shown to increase the rate at which the wound is closed, the number of cells in the healing area, the growth of blood vessels and the strength of the scar (Carter et al., Biolog. and Clinical Implications 303 (1988)).
A platelet-derived wound healing formula in the form of a salve or ointment for topical application has been described by Knighton et al., Ann. Surg. 204, 322-330 (1986).
As disclosed in the above mentioned prior art, most biologicals, such as peptides and protein drugs, are currently used as parenteral formulations because of their poor oral bioavailability. The main reasons for the low oral bioavailability of biologicals are their unfavourable physicochemical properties, which include enzymatic degradation, poor intestinal membrane permeability and large molecular size (R. I. Mahato et al., Crit. Rev. Ther. Drug Carrier Syst. 20, 153-214 (2003) and J. H. Hamman et al., Bio Drugs 19, 165-177 (2005)). Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains high levels of biological entities, such as platelets and growth factors, therefore autologous PRP formulations are typically parenterally administered.
To date, there have been no reports of successful oral administration of PRP or successful use of heterologous PRP in vivo orally administered to develop the therapeutical effects described in the present invention.
The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly found that growth factor TGF-β1 is not degraded under gastric and gastrointestinal conditions and consequently TGF-β1 levels are not affected by digestion. This result was totally unexpected, especially in view of the poor oral bioavailability shown by biologicals.


Methods are provided for determining the presence of cracks in razor blades during manufacturing. The methods may include, for example, providing a plurality of razor blades in a stack, inducing a current in the stack, and measuring a parameter that is related to the current and indicative of the presence or absence of cracks in the razor blades.

Razor blades are in many cases formed by a process involving heat treating and sharpening a continuous strip of perforated blade steel, and then breaking the strip into segments of the desired blade length. The resulting blades are then stacked on a spindle for further treatment, e.g., treating the blade edges with coatings to enhance durability and/or lubricity.
Such spindles typically contain a great many blades, for example up to 4000 blades, stacked so that their edges are parallel and their adjacent broad faces are in contact with each other. When the blades are arranged in this manner, it is difficult to inspect the blades for cracks. While other types of defects generally may be observed using machine vision or human observation, cracks tend to be difficult to detect due to the tendency of the weight of the stack to close up any cracks. Cracked or broken blades can be extremely difficult to detect visually when the fracture surfaces are aligned to their original position and the crack is closed without the presence of an air gap. In other industries, such cracks can be made visible with the use of dye penetrants. However, dye cannot be applied to the surface of a blade stack because the dye would penetrate between the blades and cause staining. The presence of interfaces between neighboring blades exacerbates the difficulty of detecting cracked blades, as these interfaces are generally indistinguishable from the targeted cracks using conventional nondestructive testing systems such as machine vision, ultrasonic inspection, or eddy current testing.


A sound source localizer is provided which includes a receiver (41) composed of a plurality of highly versatile microphones (10) each having a predetermined directivity D, a data base (12) which is to calculate a difference in directional sensitivity between one of the microphones (10) of the receiver (41) pointed in one direction and the other directed at an angle of 180 deg. to the one direction and has pre-stored therein information used for determination of an arrival direction and angle of a sound source, and a calculator (11) for calculating differences in level between signals received by the receiver (41) in different directions to determine the arrival direction, angle and sound level of the sound source with reference to the information stored in the data base (12).

For accurate evaluation of a sound field, it is important to determine where the sound comes from, namely, to get information on the arrival direction of the sound. For measurement of an indoor sound field, the proximity four-point method (cf. Kenji Endoh, Yoshio Yamazaki, Tsuyoshi Itoh "Determination and Development of Space Information by the Proximity Four-Point Method"—Architectural Acoustics Committee, Document AA85-21 (July, 1985) and Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2000-354290)), tetrahedron vertex method or the like has been used in the past to extract sound-direction information on the basis of a difference between a time when a sound wave is incident upon one of microphones on different channels and time when the sound wave is incident upon another microphone.
In case a plurality of sound waves is incident upon one microphone at the same time, however, it is difficult to differentiate between the sound waves and make accurate estimation of the arrival directions of them. Also, since the arrival directions of the sound waves are estimated by analyzing the response of a test signal (impulse), namely, impulse response, by post-processing, it is difficult to get any real-time directional information.

Sound source localizing apparatus and method


A method of analyzing ions is disclosed comprising performing an initial multi-dimensional survey scan comprising separating parent ions according to a first physico-chemical property (e.g. ion mobility) and then separating the parent ions according to a second physico-chemical property (e.g. mass to charge ratio). A plurality of parent ions of interest are then determined from the initial multi-dimensional survey scan. Once parent ions of interest have been determined, the plurality of parent ions of interest are sequentially selected based upon the first and second physico-chemical properties during a single cycle of separation. The parent ions of interest may then be fragmented and corresponding fragment ions may then be mass analyzed.

The present invention relates to a method of analysing ions, a method of mass spectrometry, an analytical instrument for analysing ions and a mass spectrometer.
It is known to perform Data Dependent Acquisitions ("DDA") using a mass spectrometer wherein an initial survey scan of parent ions is performed. Once an initial survey scan has been performed, parent ions of interest are determined and are then isolated or selected by a quadrupole mass filter. The parent ions of interest are isolated or selected by arranging for the mass filter to transmit just the specific parent ions of interest on the basis of the mass to charge ratio of the parent ions. The parent ions of interest may then be fragmented and resulting fragment ions may then be mass analysed. Mass analysis of the resulting fragment ions enables the parent ions of interest to be identified or the identity of the parent ions of interest to be confirmed.
FIG. 1 shows a known arrangement comprising a quadrupole-Time of Flight mass spectrometer which may be used to perform conventional DDA experiments. Ions from an ion source 1 are transmitted to a quadrupole rod set mass filter 2. A gas collision or fragmentation cell 3 is located downstream of the quadrupole mass filter 2 and an orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyser 4 is located downstream of the gas collision or fragmentation cell 3.
An initial survey scan may be performed wherein the quadrupole 2 is operated in an ion guiding only mode of operation so that a wide range of precursor or parent ions are onwardly transmitted by the quadrupole 2 to the gas cell 3. The gas cell 3 is also operated in an ion guide only mode of operation (i.e. in a non-fragmenting mode of operation) so that a wide mass to charge range of parent ions are onwardly transmitted to the orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyser 4 without causing the parent ions to be fragmented. The precursor or parent ions are then mass analysed by the orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyser 4.
The mass to charge ratio of parent ions of interest as derived from the initial survey scan is then used to control the subsequent operation of the quadrupole mass filter 2 based upon user defined rules.
The quadrupole mass filter 2 is operated so as to sequentially isolate or select specific precursor or parent ions of interest. The parent ions of interest which are onwardly transmitted by the mass filter 2 are then accelerated into the gas cell 3 so as to cause the precursor or parent ions to fragment. The resulting fragment ions are then onwardly transmitted to the orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyser 4 for subsequent mass analysis.
Fragment ions may be assigned to or correlated with precursor or parent ions with a level of confidence due to the selectivity of the mass filtering stage.
Whilst this approach has proven useful, it is not without drawbacks.
Firstly, the known approach suffers from the problem of having a relatively low duty cycle since a plurality of species of parent ions will arrive at the quadrupole mass filter 2 at substantially the same time but only a single species of parent ions of interest will be onwardly transmitted by the mass filter 2. The other parent ions of interest will be attenuated by the mass filter 2.
Secondly, the known approach can exhibit insufficient selectivity of the isolation step when processing complex mixtures. The latter problem is known as chimeracy. For example, two different species of parent ions may have substantially the same mass to charge ratio. However, the quadrupole mass filter 2 will transmit both species of parent ion since it is unable to distinguish between the two different species of ions.
The first problem of reduced duty cycle arises as a result of the sequential temporal nature of the mass filtering step in conventional DDA experiments. By way of illustration, if the initial survey scan identifies ten precursor or parent ions of interest which are desired to be selected and onwardly transmitted by the mass filter 2, then the quadrupole mass filter 2 will be arranged to select each of the ten different precursor or parent ions individually and in turn. Whilst a particular precursor or parent ion is being isolated or selected the other nine species of precursor or parent ions (by virtue of the fact that they are present in the quadrupole mass filter 2 at the same time) are lost to the quadrupole mass filter 2. As a result, the precursor or parent ion selection duty cycle is only 10%.
The second problem of insufficient isolation or selectivity arises from the fact that multiple precursor or parent ion species may be onwardly transmitted by the quadrupole mass filter 2 during a single isolation stage. This can be due to the limited mass resolution or mass transmission window of the quadrupole mass filter 2 or it can be due to two or more species of precursor or parent ions having substantially the same mass to charge ratio being present at the same time (i.e. an isobaric interference).
It is desired to provide an improved mass spectrometer and method of mass spectrometry.

Multi-dimensional survey scans for improved data dependent acquisitions


A method of making ice cubes in a compact ice maker by setting a freeze time based on the determined volume of a mold for the ice maker.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for making ice in a compact icemaker. More particularly, the invention relates to optimizing the ice cube production by more accurately determining the time for the ice cubes are formed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Household refrigerator/freezers are commonly sold with a compact icemaker, which is a great convenience to the consumer. Icemakers can be generally categorized into two classes based on the manner in which the ice cubes are harvested from the ice cube tray. The most common method is for the ice cubes to be formed in an ice cube tray incorporating multiple ejectors that forcibly eject the ice cubes from each of the ice cube recesses in the ice cube tray, typically from a metal mold. The other class of icemakers has ice cube trays that are inverted to expel the ice cubes from the ice cube recesses of the ice cube tray. These icemakers are usually made from a plastic material and are generally referred to as flextrays.
In the metal mold class of icemakers, it is common to use a resistance wire formed in the ice cube tray to heat the ice cube tray to melt the ice cubes at their interface with the ice cube tray thereby enhancing the likelihood that the ice cubes can be successfully harvested from the ice cube tray.
In the flextray version icemaker, generally a rotational force is applied to the mold to impart a stress by flexing the tray to generate enough pressure on the cube to forcibly remove the cubes from the mold. A heating element is generally not used with the flextray. The elimination of the heater makes the icemaker more energy efficient. Along with the energy efficiency, the resistance wire approaches are undesirable due to their cyclic temperature loading of the freezer compartment. The higher temperature swings of the freezer result in increased occurrences and severity of freezer burn as well as an increase in sugar migration within products. The sugar migration specifically shows up in ice cream products and is highly undesirable.
Even with devices such as the ejectors and heaters to aid in the harvesting of the ice cubes, it is still a common problem for the ice cubes to be stuck in the tray, which is highly undesirable. A stuck ice cube can result in an over-fill condition for the ice cube tray since the ice cube tray is typically filled with a predetermined charge of water based on the total volume of the ice cube recesses. In an over-fill condition, the excess water will spread across the multiple ice cube recesses and upon its freezing form a layer of ice connecting the individual ice cubes, which further increases the likelihood that the ice cubes will not be harvested.
If the icemaker has a mechanism for detecting such an over fill condition, the icemaker is shut down until the stuck ice is removed, resulting in a loss of ice production for the consumer. If the icemaker does not have an over fill detection mechanism, the icemaker will continue to introduce water into the ice cube tray, which will eventually flow into the freezer to form a large block of ice, which is a great inconvenience to the consumer, especially if the ice forms on items contained within the freezer.
In the flextray icemaker, the system repeatedly stresses the mold to a high level to guarantee ice cube release. This cyclic high stress has a degrading effect on the plastic and causes failure of cubes to release or even worse a breakage of the mold. Without proper cube release an overfill event will occur. With a breakage of the mold an even worse case of continuous water flow into the product can occur until it is sensed or the consumer intervenes.
It is still desirable to have an icemaker capable of reliably producing and harvesting ice cubes.

Method for making ice in a compact ice maker


A method is disclosed of mechanically deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat there from and an apparatus and an alternative apparatus for performing the method, including automated individual processing steps. The processing steps include: grasping a thigh bone of an animal thigh at a hip knuckle with a bone holder; cutting tissue near the hip knuckle; and engaging the thigh bone adjacent the bone holder with a meat stripper. The processing steps further include: moving the bone holder and meat stripper away from one another in a direction substantially coextensive with the longitudinal extend of the thigh bone; allowing the meat stripper to pass over the knee knuckle; and collecting the meat separated from the bone. In particular the method includes and each of the apparatuses perform the process step of cutting tissue adjacent a knee knuckle of the thigh bone, prior to allowing the meat stripper to pass over the knee knuckle. The apparatuses include a plurality of processing stations for carrying out the individual steps, and the processing stations are arranged along a path of conveyance defined by a conveyor chain moving through a predefined path.

Various methods and apparatuses have been developed for removing thigh meat from thigh bones or femur of poultry and fowl. Generally cut-up lines for bird carcasses can operate at high capacity, but suspend the carcasses from their ankle joints. As a result the legs can thereby only be amongst the last items to be processed. Moreover this manner of suspension is not always ideal in getting the best yield of meat and in preventing contamination by bone fragments. It has therefore become increasingly popular to process thigh meat separately from the traditional cut-up lines, at the disadvantage of having to collect the yet unprocessed thighs and convey and feed these one by one to a dedicated processing device. Part of this drawback has been overcome in that one or a plurality of such thigh processing devices can be operated simultaneous to a cut-up line. Such dedicated thigh deboning devices, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,908, are often relying on manual labour, can be cumbersome to operate, and clearly do little to increase processing speed.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to propose an improved method and apparatus for deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat from the thigh bone. In a more general sense it is an object of the invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art. It is also an object of the present invention to provide alternative structures which are less cumbersome in assembly and operation and which moreover can be made relatively inexpensively. Alternatively it is an object of the invention to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Method of deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat there from and apparatus for performing the method


An apparatus for attaching a sheet-form member for protecting vehicle occupants comprises a clip that is secured in an attachment hole in a body panel. The clip has a flange that covers edge portions of the attachment hole and has a protection member attaching part that receives and retains an engagement part of the protection member, which may be a soft elastic sheet.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for attaching, to a body panel, a vehicle occupant protection member for absorbing impact energy directed to a person's feet, for example, and protecting the person from injury. The present invention also relates to assemblies using such apparatus.
Sheet-form protection members for absorbing impact energy are attached to body panels such as dashboards to protect drivers and other vehicle occupants. See, for example, Laid-Open Patent Application [TOKKAI] No. 2002-331895, gazette (Patent Literature 1). Conventional methods for attaching protection members to body panels include methods such as welding bolt studs at prescribed positions on the body panel, and pushing in cylindrical bodies equipped with flanges to engage bolt studs inside attachment holes. An apparatus for attaching insulators and carpet, somewhat similar to vehicle occupant protection members, to a body panel is disclosed, for example, in Laid-Open Utility Model Application [JIKKAI] No. H5-40034/1993, gazette (Patent Literature 2). In that apparatus, bolt studs are welded to a body panel, and flange-equipped clips are engaged to the bolt studs to attach the insulators and carpet. Such an attachment scheme requires that bolt studs be welded at prescribed positions on the body panels, requiring welding equipment and increasing work steps and work time on automobile manufacturing or assembly lines.
Laid-Open Patent Application No. S59-164238/1984, gazette (Patent Literature 3) discloses an apparatus for attaching insulators and carpet to body panels using clips, with the intent of improving the way things are done prior to directly attaching insulators and carpet to body panels with screws. Using this apparatus, main clip units are affixed to the body panels with screws, clip guide plates are secured to the insulators, the clip guide plates are coupled, so that they can slide, to flange parts of the main clip units, and the insulators and carpet are thereby attached to the body panels. Even with this attachment apparatus, however, on an automobile manufacturing or assembly line, the operation of screwing the main clip units to the body panels is necessary and, although no equipment such as a welder is necessary, many work steps and much work time are required on the manufacturing or assembly line.
In Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. H2-56732/1990, gazette (Patent Literature 4) is disclosed an attachment structure by which a plastic panel having engagement projections projecting downward is affixed to the underside of the edges of carpet, the engagement projections are inserted into attachment holes in a deck, and the edges of the carpet are attached to the deck. Because the carpet attached to the deck is a sheet-form member exhibiting considerably high hardness but lower elasticity than soft elastic sheet-form members such as vehicle occupant protection members or insulators and the like, the plastic panel having engagement projections projecting downward can be definitely secured. However, in the case of soft elastic sheet-form members such as vehicle occupant protection members or insulators, if a plastic panel having downwardly projecting projections is affixed and engagement projections are inserted into the body panel, because of the soft and elastic properties, the engagement force will be small, and it is very difficult to obtain a condition wherein definite securing to the body panel is effected.

Apparatus for attaching vehicle occupant protection member to body panel and assemblies using such apparatus


According to an aspect of the invention, a fixing device includes, a fixing member that fixes an image onto a sheet, a satellite member arranged parallel to the fixing member with respect to an axial direction and having a smaller heat capacity than the fixing member, an endless belt laid over the fixing member and the satellite member, and a pressurizing member facing the fixing member and forming a nip via the endless belt.

As a fixing device used for a copy machine or printer employing an electrophotographic system, a fixing device that performs heating and pressurization by using rollers is known. This fixing device includes a fixing roller that is heated to a high temperature, and a pressurizing roller that presses this fixing roller in contact with a recording sheet. In the fixing device, an unfixed image on the recording sheet is passed through a nip (operating part) formed by the fixing roller and the pressurizing roller, and the unfixed image on the recording sheet is thus fixed by heat and pressure.
In a color fixing device, unlike a monochrome fixing device, since four toner layers need to be fixed, smoothness of the toner surface after fixation is required in order to acquire high image quality. Therefore, a belt fixing device is often used. Also, recently, from the environmental view point (energy saving), a belt fixing device that uses an induction heating (IH) system of good thermal efficiency using a halogen lamp as a heat source is becoming employed.
However, though in the above example, a fixing belt as a heating unit on the image side is heated by an induction heating coil, an apparatus, particularly, a high-speed machine which is significantly deprived of heat has a disadvantage (problem) that it is difficult to simultaneously achieve high-speed heating, and maintenance of temperature and improvement in uneven gloss in continuous printing.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus


A security tag includes a tag body member, a connecting member releasably engageable with the tag body member, and a locking member having a locked position in a first thermal state configured to lock the connecting member to the tag body member, and having an unlocked position in a second thermal state configured to unlock the connecting member from the tag body member. The locking member includes a locking body comprising a shape memory alloy, and a clamping member connected to the shape memory alloy. A transition of the shape memory alloy element from the first thermal state to the second thermal state moves the clamping member from the locked position to the unlocked position, thereby enabling the connecting member to be detached from the tag body member.

Security tags currently on the market use a traditional release mechanism—some form of imposed force at a point of concentration, where the imposed force is either mechanical or magnetic in nature, to cause detachment of the tag from the article being protected. These tag detachment systems tend to be slow, and also require user manipulation and handling to effect the desired tag detachment. Some solutions have been proposed which utilize detachers powered by motors, linear actuators, or magnetic solenoids, however, these arrangements are not considered a realistic marketplace solution due to cost and complexity.
Additionally, these traditional release mechanisms tend to be slow as the process requires user manipulation and handling.

Security tag including thermally actuated detachment mechanism


A casting device 10 for positioning and supporting legs L and other lower extremities of a patient P is provided. The casting device 10 includes a center frame rail 20 which adjustably supports a series of components thereon. A gluteal support section 40 is adjustably connected to the center frame rail 20 through a slit 30. A sub-perineal spacer 50 having a desired minimum width for spacing between legs L of the patient P is slidably supported along the slit 30 of the center frame rail 20. A knee support section 70 is also slidably supported by the slit 30 of the center frame rail 20. A stance width section 90 is adjustably attached to the center frame rail 20 and supports foot positioning supports 100 extending upward therefrom. Each foot positioning support 100 is adjustable to modify a stance width W of the casting device 10. Each foot positioning support 100 includes a foot shell 120 which can be angled at a dorsiflexion angle , by inserting a dorsiflexion wedge 130 between each foot shell 120 and each foot positioning support 100. The foot positioning supports 100 are oriented vertically and angled away from each other by a toe out angle a. Ankle restraint straps 110 are provided to securely hold feet F of the patient P adjacent the foot shells 120 during use of the casting device 10. A pad 150 is provided adjacent the gluteal support section 40 to provide a comfortable surface for the torso and head of the patient P. With the patient P resting upon the casting device 10 and securely attached to the foot positioning supports 100 through the ankle restraint straps 110, casting materials can be applied to the lower extremities of the patient P to provide a cast having optimal characteristics for formation of a cast which leads to formation and manufacture of orthotic devices such as those particularly useful to paraplegics in gaining upright mobility.

Many paraplegics have sufficient upper body strength to effectively perform most of the daily tasks experienced by a healthy person having a relatively sedentary job, such as jobs which primarily involve sitting and a movement about an office or similar environment. By providing such paraplegics with orthotics and braces which allow the paraplegic to use their upper body muscles to stand and walk, such paraplegics are allowed to participate in an even larger range of activities enjoyed by others. One such orthotic device which has been particularly effective in allowing paraplegics to stand and move in an upright manner is the "Up & About" device distributed by Cascade Orthopedic Supply, Inc.
One problem encountered in the use of such orthotics is that the device must be manufactured to very precise dimensions exhibited by the paraplegic. If the orthotic device is not effectively tailored to the paraplegic, excessive discomfort and inoperability will result, either making the orthotic unusable or increasing a likelihood that the paraplegic will choose not to utilize the orthotic device and remain confined to a wheel chair or remain at home.
To effectively construct the orthotic device to match the individual dimensions of the paraplegic, known lower extremity casting techniques are utilized to make casts of each of the paraplegic's legs. These casts are then used during the custom fabrication and assembly process utilized in manufacturing each orthotic device to ensure that the orthotic device properly fits the paraplegic. Existing casting techniques are generally only marginally effective in allowing the orthotic device to meet minimal standards of fit. Such devices are often far from optimal largely because the paraplegic's lower extremities are not held in the precise position needed for the casts of the paraplegic's lower extremities to have the configuration necessary for optimum fitting and construction of the orthotic device.
Accordingly, a need exists for a casting device which can securely position and support the lower extremities of a paraplegic during the casting process which will cause the casts of the paraplegics lower extremities to match an optimum configuration for fitting of the orthotic device. Through use of such a casting device, orthotic devices can be constructed for paraplegics which provide such a perfect fit to the paraplegic that the paraplegic will be highly motivated to utilize the orthotic device, thus enhancing the benefit the paraplegic will enjoy from the use of the orthotic device.

Device for positioning and supporting legs during casting

602
FSC 128
FSC 36
FSC 5
FSC 482
FSC 606