Provided is a feed device including: a loading unit in which a plurality of sheet members is loaded in a stacked state; a delivery member which performs a feed operation in a state in which a contact surface thereof is in contact with an uppermost sheet member of the sheet members loaded on the loading unit and delivers the sheet member in a feed direction using the frictional force with the uppermost sheet member as the feeding force; a gate member which is configured to move in a direction to and or from the contact surface of the delivery member and has an inclined surface with which a front end of the sheet member delivered by the delivery member collides with; and a gate energizing member which energizes the gate member in a direction approaching to the contact surface of the delivery member.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a feed device such as a paper feed device and a recording device such as an ink jet printer including the feed device.
2. Related Art
A known recording device such as a printer includes a paper feed device (feed device) for automatically feeding paper to a location facing a recording head (recording unit) while separating a plurality of sheets of paper loaded in a stacked state one by one so as to continuously perform recording with respect to the plurality of sheets of paper (sheet members) (for example, JP-A-8-91612).
The feed device of JP-A-8-91612 includes a paper feed cassette (loading unit) in which a plurality of sheets of paper is loaded in a stacked state, a paper feed roller (delivery member) which rotates in a state of being in contact with uppermost sheet of paper of the sheets of paper loaded in the stacked state and delivers the uppermost sheet in a feed direction by the frictional force with the uppermost paper, and a gate member for preventing double feed of the uppermost sheet of paper and its underlying sheet of paper in the feed direction.
In detail, this gate member is configured such that one end side thereof is supported so as to be able to oscillate as a fulcrum and the other end side thereof is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the paper feed roller with predetermined pressure by the energizing force of a compression spring. In addition, an inclined surface is provided in the other end side of the gate member at a location where the front end of paper continuously delivered by the paper feed roller may collide therewith. If the front end of the paper delivered by the paper feed roller in the feed direction collides with the inclined surface, the gate member of which the inclined surface is pressed by the paper oscillates against the energizing force of the compression spring in a direction separated from the outer circumferential surface of the paper feed roller and thus a gap through which only a sheet of paper passes is formed between the paper feed roller and the gate member. Accordingly, only the uppermost sheet of paper is fed through the gap in the feed direction. At this time, if the uppermost sheet of paper and its underlying sheet of paper are double fed by the frictional force therebetween, the double feed of the paper underlying the uppermost sheet of paper is prevented by the inclined surface of the gate member.
However, in the paper feed device of JP-A-8-91612, if the frictional force generated between the uppermost sheet of paper and its underlying sheet of paper is increased due to a variation in the surrounding environment (temperature, humidity or the like), the underlying sheet of paper may be double fed over the inclined surface of the gate member when the uppermost sheet of paper is fed.


A multi-phase switching converter includes a plurality of switching circuits and a controller. The output terminals of the plurality of switching circuits are coupled together to provide an output voltage to a load. The controller is configured to generate a plurality of control signals to control the plurality of switching circuits. When an over current condition of a current switching circuit of the plurality of switching circuits is detected, the controller skips the current switching circuit and successively turns on the remaining plurality of switching circuits that have not yet been turned on and where an over current condition has not been detected.

In power solutions of high performance CPU, switching converters with lower output voltage and higher output current are required Multi-phase switching converters are widely used in these applications because of its good performance.
The multi-phase switching converter comprises a plurality of switching circuits. The output terminals of the switching circuits are coupled together to provide energy to a load. In prior arts, when an over current condition is detected, all the switching circuits of the multi-phase switching converter are turned off until the over current condition disappears or the multi-phase switching converter is restarted. So, any over current condition of the switching circuits will induce the whole multi-phase switching converter to be shut down.

Multi-phase switching converter with over current protection and control method thereof

Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.


Systems and methods are disclosed for a holopresence conferencing system using off-the-shelf videoconferencing systems. The holopresence conferencing system uses one high-definition stereoscopic camera per remote participant and discards all but a center portion of the right image and a center portion of the left image generated by the camera. The system concatenates the center portion of the right and the left image into a composite image and transmits the composite image via an off-the-shelf videoconferencing system. At the viewing location, the composite image is divided in half, recovering the right center portion and the left center portion. The right center portion and left center portion may be placed on a background and stereoscopically projected in high-definition on a semi-circular life-size screen. Viewing participants may wear glasses that allow the viewer to see the remote participant in three-dimensions.

Human communication includes visual cues in addition to verbal cues. Because of this, videoconferencing has emerged as a popular way for people in dispersed locations to conduct meetings. While videoconferencing offers the ability to see the participants at various locations, and to see a speaker or presentation, the conference can suffer from limited screen size. For instance, many conferencing systems show a current speaker in a larger area of the screen, relegating the other participants, including other presenters, to share a smaller portion of the screen. Thus, it is difficult to determine or pay attention to visual cues from anyone except the current speaker and switching between presenters can feel disjointed to the listening audience. Furthermore, many systems allow a presenter to share a presentation onscreen but this means the speaker is not onscreen, thus losing the visual cues of the speaker. When the speaker is onscreen with a presentation shown in the background, the presentation image is often poor.


An implantable cochlear implant electrode array (30) that can adopt a first, preferably straight, configuration selected to allow the array to be inserted into the cochlea and at least a second, preferably, spirally curved, configuration wherein the electrode array (30) is adapted to apply tissue stimulation. The electrode array (30) comprises an elongate carrier (31) having a proximal end (37), a distal end (34), and a plurality of electrodes supported by the carrier (31) at respective spaced locations thereon, the carrier (31) is formed, preferably moulded, to preferentially adopt the second configuration or another configuration different to said first configuration. The outer layer (33) is releasably connected to the elongate carrier (31) by an adhesive layer (32) and is formed so as to bias the carrier (31) into the first configuration when connected thereto. A method of forming the electrode array (30) is also disclosed.

Hearing loss, which may be due to many different causes, is generally of two types, conductive and sensorineural. Of these, conductive hearing loss occurs where the normal mechanical pathways for sound to reach the hair cells in the cochlea are impeded, for example, by damage to the ossicies. Conductive hearing loss may often be helped by use of conventional hearing aids, which amplify sound so that acoustic information does reach the cochlea and the hair cells.
In many people who are profoundly deaf, however, the reason for their deafness is sensorineural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is due to the absence of, or destruction of, the hair cells in the cochlea which transduce acoustic signals into nerve impulses. These people are thus unable to derive suitable benefit from conventional hearing aid systems, no matter how loud the acoustic stimulus is made, because there is damage to or absence of the mechanism for nerve impulses to be generated from sound in the normal manner.
It is for this purpose that cochlear implant systems have been developed. Such systems bypass the hair cells in the cochlea and directly deliver electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve fibres, thereby allowing the brain to perceive a hearing sensation resembling the natural hearing sensation normally delivered to the auditory nerve. U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,930, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, provides a description of one type of traditional cochlear implant system.
Typically, cochlear implant systems have consisted of essentially two components, an external component commonly referred to as a processor unit and an internal implanted component commonly referred to as a receiver/stimulator unit. Traditionally, both of these components have cooperated together to provide the sound sensation to a user.
The external component has traditionally consisted of a microphone for detecting sounds, such as speech and environmental sounds, a speech processor that converts speech into a coded signal, a power source such as a battery, and an external transmitter coil.
The coded signal output by the speech processor is transmitted transcutaneously to the implanted receiver/stimulator unit situated within a recess of the temporal bone of the user. This transcutaneous transmission occurs via the external transmitter coil which is positioned to communicate with an implanted receiver coil provided with the receiver/stimulator unit. This communication serves two essential purposes, firstly to transcutaneously transmit the coded sound signal and secondly to provide power to the implanted receiver/stimulator unit. Conventionally, this link has been in the form of a radio frequency (RF) link, but other such links have been proposed and implemented with varying degrees of success.
The implanted receiver/stimulator unit traditionally includes a receiver coil that receives the coded signal and power from the external processor component, and a stimulator that processes the coded signal and outputs a stimulation signal to an intracochlea electrode assembly which applies the electrical stimulation directly to the auditory nerve producing a hearing sensation corresponding to the original detected sound.
Traditionally, at least the speech processor of the external componentry has been carried on the body of the user, such as in a pocket of the user's clothing, a belt pouch or in a harness, while the microphone has been mounted on a clip mounted behind the ear or on the lapel of the user.
More recently, due in the main to improvements in technology, the physical dimensions of the sound processor have been able to be reduced allowing for the external componentry to be housed in a small unit capable of being worn behind the ear of the user. This unit allows the microphone, power unit and the sound processor to be housed in a single unit capable of being discretely worn behind the ear, with the external transmitter coil still positioned on the side of the user's head to allow for the transmission of the coded sound signal from the sound processor and power to the implanted stimulator unit.
It is known in the art that the cochlea is tonotopically mapped. In other words, the cochlea can be partitioned into regions, with each region being responsive to signals in a particular frequency range. This property of the cochlea is exploited by providing the electrode assembly with an array of electrodes, each electrode being arranged and constructed to deliver a stimulating signal within a preselected frequency range to the appropriate cochlea region. The electrical currents and electric fields from each electrode stimulate the nerves disposed on the modiolus of the cochlea.
It has been found that in order for these electrodes to be effective, the magnitude of the currents flowing from these electrodes and the intensity of the corresponding electric fields, are a function of the distance between the electrodes and the modiolus. If this distance is relatively great, the threshold current magnitude must be larger than if the distance is relatively small. Moreover, the current from each electrode may flow in all directions, and the electrical fields corresponding to adjacent electrodes may overlap, thereby causing cross-electrode interference. In order to reduce the threshold stimulation amplitude and to eliminate cross-electrode interference, it is advisable to keep the distance between the electrode array and the modiolus as small as possible. This is best accomplished by providing the electrode array in a shape which generally follows the shape of the modiolus. Also, this way the delivery of the electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve is most effective as the electrode contacts are as close to the auditory nerves that are particularly responsive to selected pitches of sound waves.
In order to achieve this electrode array position close to the inside wall of the cochlea, the electrode assembly can be designed such that it assumes this position upon or immediately following insertion into the cochlea. This is a challenge as the assembly needs to be shaped such that it assumes a curved shape to conform with the shape of the modiolus and must also be shaped such that the insertion process causes minimal trauma to the sensitive structures of the cochlea. In this regard, it has been found to be desirable that the electrode assembly be generally straight during the insertion procedure.
Several procedures have been adopted to provide an electrode assembly that is relatively straight during initial insertion while adopting a curved configuration following insertion in the cochlea. In one case, a platinum wire stylet is used to hold a pre-curved electrode assembly in a generally straight configuration up until insertion. The platinum wire is inserted into lumen or channel located in the pre-curved electrode assembly with such lumen/channel allowing a passageway to accommodate the stylet. During or immediately following insertion, the platinum stylet is withdrawn allowing the assembly to return to its pre-curved configuration.
A number of methods of positioning the electrode assembly closer to the modiolus have also been developed. A number of these methods involve the use of space-filling positioners which are inserted in the cochlea and act to essentially fill the space inside the cochlea and behind the inserted electrode array, thereby forcing the electrode array into position close to the modiolus. Such methods are however very invasive and have a greater potential to cause damage to the existing sensitive structures of the cochlea. Also such techniques prevent the user from utilising any residual hearing that may be present and severely impact on the natural hydrodynamic behaviour of the cochlea.
The present invention is directed to an electrode assembly that can preferably be inserted more deeply into the cochlea whilst also preferably reducing the degree of trauma to the sensitive structures within the cochlea.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia before the priority date of each claim of this application.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Laminated electrode for a cochlear implant


An adjustable easel having a canvas holder and a base is provided. The canvas holder is attached to the base in a way that the canvas holder can swivel with respect to the base and the canvas holder can be tilted with respect to the base. A connecting device includes a canvas holder bracket that is fixed to the canvas holder, a first shaft on which the canvas holder bracket is rotatably attached so that the canvas holder can be tilted, a second shaft on which the first shaft is fixed, and a base bracket that is fixed to the base. The base bracket is rotatably attached to the second shaft so that the canvas holder can swivel. The canvas holder includes a gripping device that grips a canvas and is adjustable to accommodate different sizes of the canvas.

The present invention relates to an adjustable easel. More particularly, this invention relates to an adjustable easel that provides maximum degree of positional flexibility and versatility related to functions of the easel.
While there are many easels that allow some degree of adjusting the position of a canvas that they hold, none of them provides a full degree of freedom that a user requires. Also, stability of a mechanism adjusting the position of a canvas while providing convenience of adjusting without a tool or excessive force was not satisfactory.
An adjustable easel, which can provide full degree of freedom, stable and convenient operation of canvas position adjustment, compact size and portability, and versatile storage space, has long been in need.


This invention relates to a catalyst and method for hydrodesulfurizing naphtha. More particularly, a Co/Mo metal hydrogenation component is loaded on a high temperature alumina support in the presence of a dispersion aid to produce a catalyst that is then used for hydrodesulfurizing naphtha. The high temperature alumina support has a defined surface area that minimizes olefin saturation.

Environmental regulations mandate the lowering of sulfur levels in motor gasoline (mogas). For example, it is expected that regulations will require mogas sulfur levels of 30 ppm or less by 2006. In many cases, these sulfur levels will be achieved by hydrotreating naphtha produced from Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC cat naphtha), which is the largest contributor to sulfur in the mogas pool. Since sulfur in mogas can also lead to decreased performance of catalytic converters, a 30 ppm sulfur target is desirable even in cases where regulations would permit a higher level. As a result, techniques are required that reduce the sulfur in cat naphthas while at the same time minimizing the reduction of beneficial properties such as octane number.
Conventional fixed bed hydrotreating can reduce the sulfur level of cracked naphthas to very low levels. However, such hydrotreating also results in severe octane number loss due to extensive reduction of the olefin content as well as excessive consumption of hydrogen. Selective hydrotreating processes have recently been developed to avoid significant olefin saturation and octane number loss. Unfortunately, in such processes, the liberated H2S reacts with retained olefins forming mercaptan sulfur by reversion. Such processes can be conducted at severities which produce product within sulfur regulations. However, significant octane number loss also occurs.
One proposed approach for preserving octane during sulfur removal is to modify the olefin content of the feed using an olefin-modification catalyst followed by contact with a hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalyst (U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,405). The olefin modification catalyst oligomerizes the olefins.
One recently developed method of HDS is SCANfining which is a process developed by Exxon Mobil Corporation. SCANfining is described in National Petroleum Refiners Association paper #AM-99-31 titled "Selective Cat Naphtha Hydrofining with Minimal Octane Loss" and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,985,136 and 6,013,598. Typical SCANfining conditions include one and two-stage processes for hydrodesulfurizing a naphtha feedstock. The feedstock is contacted with a hydrodesulfurization catalyst comprised of about 1 to about 10 wt. % MoO3; and about 0.1 to abut 5 wt. % CoO; and a Co/Mo atomic ratio of about 0.1 to about 1.0; and a median pore diameter of about 60 Å to about 200 Å.
Even though SCANfining controls the degree of olefin saturation while achieving a high degree of HDS, there is still a need to improve the selectivity of the catalyst system to further reduce the degree of olefin saturation thereby further minimizing octane number loss.

Selective catalysts having high temperature alumina supports for naphtha hydrodesulfurization

EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY


A digital printing apparatus for inkjet printing on a sheet or web of material includes a belt for supporting and conveying the sheet or web of material fixed to the belt. The belt is guided along at least a first roller driven by a motor and a second roller driven by the belt. A plurality of printing heads is arranged along the path of the belt. A control system is configured to control the operation of the motor and the printing operation of the printing heads. A first encoder, being configured to supply a first encoder signal to the control system for controlling the operation of the motor, is associated with the first roller. A second encoder, being configured to supply a second encoder signal to the control system for controlling the printing operation of each printing head, is associated with the second roller.

In a digital printing apparatus comprising an inkjet printer, a sheet or web of material, such as a textile material, is conveyed in a direction of conveyance. In the context of the present invention, a driven belt system is applied to convey the sheet or web of material. The belt system comprises one or more belts guided along cylindrical surfaces of rollers each rotating around a respective axis of rotation. The axes of rotation of the different rollers are essentially parallel. At least one of the rollers is driven by a motor, preferably an electric motor for reason of its high controllability. At least one of the rollers is freely rotatable, i.e. not driven by a motor but by the one or more belts.
The sheet of web of material is adhered to a belt of the belt system in a known way, e.g. fixed by electrostatic forces, or by mechanical fixing such as by clamping, vacuum fixing, adhering by a thermoplastic, or gluing.
A complete printing process involves the application of a printing medium by the inkjet printer on the sheet or web of material (which may have undergone a pre-treatment) to obtain an image thereon, drying medium, fixing the medium. In addition, the medium may undergo a post-treatment. In the context of the present invention, a control of the application of the printing medium on the sheet or web of material is focused on.
Printing heads for basic colors (commonly four or six printing heads for four or six different colors) are mounted one behind the other as seen in the direction of conveyance of the sheet or web of material. Ink droplets are ejected from the printing heads to form a pixel of an image, based on signals received by the printing heads from a controller. Printing quality may e.g. be up to 1200 dots per inch, dpi, as seen in the direction of conveyance of the sheet or web of material, and this requires an accurate positioning of the color ink droplets relative to one another on the sheet or web of material. Thus, the timing of ejecting ink droplets from a particular printing head needs to be accurately controlled with respect to a moving belt supporting a sheet or web of material.
In a control system of the digital printing apparatus, a theoretical axis is defined, which receives a speed command from an operator through a control interface. The axis of the motor driving the belt of the digital printing apparatus is coupled one to one to the theoretical axis. The angular position of the motor axis is sensed by a motor encoder. A servo control of the motor is configured to have the motor axis follow the theoretical axis very closely ("stiff setting") using the motor encoder, so that the position and speed error of the motor during the printing is as low as possible.
At the same time, the motor encoder may provide pulses that are used to control the printing action of each print head.
WO 2015/185101 A1 discloses, inter alia, a medium transport in a print device. The media transport may comprise one or more roller and a belt system. The print medium may be carried by the rollers and belt under print heads. A rotary encoder may be coupled to one of the rollers or a drive mechanism such as an electric motor. The motor encoder may generate an encoder signal representative of the media transport state. This encoder signal may be used to synchronize one or more firing pulse signals for the print heads.
However, the servo control of the motor, as a result of a stiff setting, is not absolutely stable, and can be characterized as "nervous". This makes the signal of the motor encoder less suitable as a pulse generator for controlling the printing operation of the printing heads.

Control of printing operation of printing heads in a digital printing apparatus


Phenothiazines of the formula: ##STR1## where R.sub.1 is H or --COOR, where R is selected from the group consisting of branched or unbranched alkyl groups containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and where X is selected from H, branched or unbranched alkyl groups containing from 1 to 4 carbons, and halogen, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Particularly preferred phenothiazines are those wherein X is hydrogen, chloro, bromo or methyl, R.sub.1 is COOR, and R is methyl, ethyl or t-butyl.

In an attempt to discover analogs of the prototype anticonvulsant methyl 4-[(4'-chlorophenyl)-amino]-6-methyl-2-oxo-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxylate, 1, alkyl 4-[(5'-chloro-2'-pyridinyl)amino]-6-methyl-2-oxo-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxyla tes, 2 [R.dbd.CH.sub.3 (2a); R.dbd.C.sub.2 H.sub.5 (2b)], and alkyl 4-[(5'-methyl)-3'-isoxazolylamino]-6-methyl-2-oxo-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxyl ates, 3 [R.dbd.CH.sub.3 (3a); R.dbd.C.sub.2 H.sub.5 (3b); R.dbd.C(CH.sub.3).sub.3 (3c)], have been targeted. Edafiogho, I. O.; Hinko, C. N.; Chang, H.; Moore, J. A.; Mulzac, D.; Nicholson, J. M.; Scott, K. R. Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of enaminones. J. Med. Chem. 1992, 35, 2798-2805. Scott, K. R.; Edafiogho, I. O.; Richardson, E. L.; Farrar, V. A.; Moore, J. A.; Tietz, E. I.; Hinko, C. N.; Chang, H.; El-Assadi, A; Nicholson, J. M. Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of enaminones. 2. Further structure activity correlations. J. Med. Chem. 1993, 36, 1947-1955. U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,894. ##STR2##
Moreover, the basic phenothiazine ring system has been shown to be an essential pharmacophore for tranquilizers, anticancer agents, antiinflammatory agents, antihistaminics, anthelminics, local anesthetics, antiseptics, growth inhibitors, and in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. (a) Gupta, R. R. Ed. Phenothiazines and 1,4-benzothiazines. Chemical and biomedical aspects. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1988. (b) Benz, G.; Fengler, G.; Meyer, H.; Niemers, E.; Fiedler, V.; Mardin, M.; Mayer, D.; Perzbom, E.; Seuter, F. et al. Use of 4H-1,4-benzothiazines in the prevention and therapy of respiratory diseases, inflammations/rheumatism, thromboembolic diseases, ischemias and infarctions, heart rhythm disturbances, arteriosclerosis, and dermatosis, drugs for this purpose, and active substances contained in these drug. Chem. Abstr. 1986, 105, 60620y; Ger. Offen. DE 3,426,564. (c) Niemers, E.; Gruetzmann, R.; Mardin, M.; Busse, W. D.; Meyer, H. Annellated 4H-1,4-benzothiazine lipoxygenase inhibitors. Chem. Abstr. 1984, 100, 185787k; Ger. Offen. DE 3,229,122. The mechanism for the variety of therapeutic activities is believed to be due to the presence of a fold along the nitrogen-sulfur axis. Gupta, R. R.; Saraswat, V.; Gupta, V.; Rajoria, C. M.; Gupta, A.; Jain, M. Synthesis of 5,6- and 5,7-dichloro-3-methyl-4H-1,4-benzothiazines and their conversion into sulfones. J. Heterocyclic Chem. 1993, 30, 803-806. Anticonvulsant activity has been reported for a related series of 2,3-dihydro-3-oxo-5H-pyrido[3,4-b][1,4]benzothiazine-4-carbonitriles. Chorvat, R. J.; Desai, B. N.; Radak, S. E.; Bloss, J.; Hirsch, J.; Tenen, S. Synthesis, benzodiazepine receptor binding, and anticonvulsant activity of 2,3-dihydro-3-oxo-5H-pyrido-[3,4-b][1,4]benzothiazine-4-carbonitriles. J. Med. Chem. 1983, 26, 845-850.


The present invention discloses a lithium battery package comprising a housing (100), a lithium battery pack and a circuit board (400), wherein the lithium battery pack comprises a lithium battery holder (200) and a number of lithium cells (300) mounted within the lithium battery holder (200), and two sides of the lithium battery holder (200) are mounted respectively with metal pin means (500) coupled with the lithium cells (300), wherein the housing (100) is provided with a charging adaptor (111); a bottom portion at each side of the charging adaptor (111) is provided with a chute (115) along its length direction; a front end of the charging adaptor (111) is provided with six charging sockets (112); the housing (100) is further provided with a locking structure for locking an electric lood.

A conventional chargeable electric drill comprises an electric drill body and a lithium battery package provided at a lower portion of the electric drill body and used for providing energy to the electric drill body. Typically, the lithium battery package comprises a housing, a lithium battery pack provided inside the housing, and a circuit board mounted above the lithium battery pack and used for controlling the charging and discharging thereof. Here, the lithium battery pack comprises a number of lithium cells and a lithium battery holder into which the lithium cells may be mounted.
Generally, the present lithium battery package is provided on a charging adaptor thereof with four charging sockets, which correspond, one by one, to the charging base and charging sheets of the electric tool. As there is a difference in the distance between charging sheets of different electric tools, one lithium battery package can only be used with a corresponding charging base, such that the range of application of the lithium battery package is rendered small.

Ningbo Zhongpeng Lithium Energy Technology Co., Ltd.


A high-intensity discharge lamp connected to a lighting device has various superior emission properties such as efficiency. The discharge lamp includes a translucent ceramic discharge vessel, in which a pair of electrodes and a discharge medium are inserted. The lamp further includes an outer jacket, in which the arc tube is disposed, and a pair of feeder members. The discharge medium has metal halides including those of Na, Tl and Tm or Na, Tl, In and Tm, and the ratio (MTm/M) of the weight of the gross sealed mass M of the metal halides to the filled mass MTm of the Tm halide is about 0.4≦MTm/M≦0.9. The deviation in chromaticity (d.u.v.) on the x-y chromaticity coordinates (CIE 1931) for the overall operating position during the life of the lamp is within the range of about −0.006 to +0.010.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a high-intensity discharge lamp and a lighting device.
2. Description of Related Art
In addition to being used to light open spaces such as roads, plazas, stadiums and the like, and as the light source for shops and vehicles, high-intensity discharge lamps, for example metal halide discharge lamps, are also widely used as the light source for optical devices such as overhead projectors and liquid crystal projectors.
A metal halide lamp is a discharge lamp having an electrode structure and an arc tube filled with a discharge medium. The discharge medium generally includes a metal halide, mercury or a noble gas. The atomic spectral lines or the molecular spectrum of the filled metal halide are used as the source of emission to provide a lamp with higher luminous efficacy, higher correlated color temperature and higher color rendition than a mercury lamp.
Halides such as metal iodides or metal bromides, used as the source of emission for this metal halide lamp, in addition to mercury, and including metals such as Na, In, Tl, Li and Cs, or rare earth metals such as Dy, Ho, Tm, Sc, Nd, Ce, fill the arc tube, thereby creating a structure which offers good emission properties.
However, it may be difficult to develop a single discharge lamp with excellent values over a range of characteristics, such as efficiency or correlated color temperature. Thus, rendition and life due to failings like color rendition may be poor despite high efficiency. Conversely, efficiency may still be poor despite good color rendition, or may vary with operating position of the lamp.
In recent years, metal halide lamps with improved efficiency, correlated color temperature, and color rendition and life have been obtained. These lamps generally include a compact arc tube having translucent ceramic materials. Translucent ceramic materials have superior resistance to corrosion and heat, and react less with metal halides than does quartz glass,
The application of such metal halide lamps with filled metal halides has expanded, although they have not been much used to provide light in various directions. Thus, if this type of lamp is not changed with the operating position, the lamp may fade or have a shortened life due to great variations in its properties and reduction in efficiency or color variation on the illuminated surface with changes in operating position.
JP-PS 3293499 discloses a high-intensity discharge lamp with metal halides, including rare earth metal halides and sodium halide, filled within an arc tube including a translucent ceramic chamber. In this reference, the sodium halide is mixed in at a relative weight of 10–100% with respect to the quantity of rare earth metal halides (DyI 55 Wt %: NaI 30 Wt %: TlI 15 Wt %). JP-PS 3293499 discloses that, in addition to delivering excellent emission characteristics having a luminous efficacy of 96 Lm/W, a correlated color temperature of 4100K (3500–5000K), and an average color rendition index value (Ra) of 95, this lamp offers a low extinguish voltage difference between vertical operation and horizontal operation.
However, when measuring the characteristics of a lamp disclosed in JP-PS 3293499, the desired emission characteristics were not always obtained from lamps with a power rating different from the standard power rating cited in the embodiments of Reference 1.
JP-PS 2003-16998 does not disclose the dimensions that can be used to determine the evaporation temperature (coldest point) of the metal halides filled within the arc tube, or the dimensions of the structure of the lamp. In addition, the cited characteristics were not obtained for some varieties of these selected rare earth halides.
JP-PS 2003-16998 discloses a lamp having high luminous efficacy (117 Lm/W and above). This reference discloses that control of the lumen maintenance factor is achieved with a metal halide lamp including an arc tube and a translucent ceramic chamber filled with a mixture (100 wt % in total) of cerium halide (20–69 wt %), sodium halide (30–79 wt %), thallium halide and indium halide (Tl and In halides comprising a combined weight of 1–20 wt %).
However, while high luminous efficacy and control of the lumen maintenance factor may be provided with lamps constructed according to the specifications of JP-PS 2003-16998, in addition to the light emitted from the lamp being very green, the average rendition index values generally fall to 75 and below. This means that this lamp may not be suited for application in retail outlets for lighting outdoor spaces.
JP-PS 7-130331 discloses, a lamp where color temperature stability and good color rendition are done by adjusting the ratio of the filled metal halides. In this reference, a lamp with a power rating of 30–40 W has a tube wall loading of 20–26 W/cm2 and a color temperature of 2800–3700K.
JP-PS 62-66556 discloses a metal halide lamp having an arc tube and a translucent ceramic chamber which radiates light with good luminous efficacy (103 Lm/W and above), correlated color temperature (3600K), average color rendition index value (Ra=87) and chromacity coordinates (x=0.401, y=0.395). The arc tube of the lamp is filled with a mixture (100 wt % in total) of thulium halide (16 wt %), sodium halide (77 wt %) and thallium halide (7 wt %).
However, experiments have shown that the light emitted during the life of the lamp, disclosed in JP-PS 62-66556, was extremely red and that the variation in correlated color temperature with lighting direction (vertical lighting and horizontal lighting) was 500 K and more. Furthermore, it has been noted that an increase in the average color rendition index values over the life of the lamp led to a deterioration in luminous efficacy, and a dramatic decrease in the lumen maintenance factor. This may be due to the relative low weight of Tm halide (16 wt %) and the relative high weight of the sodium halide.

High-intensity discharge lamp with particular metal halide gas filling and lighting device


The present invention provides compositions comprising a Fc-containing protein wherein substantially all the Fc domains have a C-terminal lysine. Further provided are host cell for producing said compositions, methods of making said host cells and compositions, and method of use thereof.

Therapeutic Fc domain-containing proteins, e.g., monoclonal antibodies and Fc-containing fusion proteins, have emerged as important drugs for the treatment of diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune disease, and infection, and currently represent the fastest growing class of therapeutic agents. See, e.g., Beck et al., Nat Rev Immunol, 10, 2010. Clinically, polypeptide-based therapeutics have demonstrated potent activity due to their high degree of target specificity and ability to engage an immune response. See, e.g., Sidhu, Nat Biotechnol, 25, 2007. However, commercial production of a homogeneous polypeptide-based therapeutic is challenging as polypeptides are subject to numerous modifications, for example, different disulfide pairing, deamidation, oxidation, N-terminal glutamine cyclization, and different glycan structures. See, e.g., Carson, Nat Biotechnol, 23, 2005. Furthermore, the presence and structure consistency of polypeptide modifications are highly sensitive to production conditions. Inclusion of an immunoglobulin Fc domain with a biologically active polypeptide provides beneficial biological and pharmacological properties to the biologically active agent, including, increased plasma half-life allowing for prolonged therapeutic activity and less frequent dosing. See, Czajkowsky et al., Mol Med, 4, 2012. However, presence of a Fc domain further increases the potential for heterogeneity of a Fc-containing protein product, for example, variation of C-terminal lysine presence as compared across each Fc domain.
Industry standards for the production of biologics, such as Fc-containing proteins, require demonstration of product consistency across all clinical and commercial batches. Comparability studies of the polypeptide product must be conducted to ensure consistency following changes to production parameters, for example, those that occur during phase I to phase III production optimization, commercial scaling, and post-commercialization alterations. Production parameter changes include, but are not limited to, changes to the cell culture process parameters, cell culture media, host cell, purification, storage, and formulation. Furthermore, for multi-site production, it is necessary to ensure product consistency across all production facilities. Variability and heterogeneity in the levels of a polypeptide attribute, such as Fc domain C-terminal lysine presence, are considered to be an indication of a lack of production process control. See, Chirino et al., Nat Biotechnol, 22, 2004; and Kozlowski et al., J Pharm Sci, 97, 2006. Differences in cell lines and their sensitivity to manufacturing processes, e.g., culture conditions, affect characteristics of the final product. For example, Fc domain C-terminal lysine processing, i.e., cleavage, during production of a monoclonal antibody (consisting of two heavy chains), results in a mixture of antibody isoforms bearing zero, one, or two Fc domain C-terminal lysine residues. Extensive Fc domain C-terminal lysine processing can be observed in the production of an antibody, resulting in large percentages of the total antibody population bearing zero or one Fc domain C-terminal lysine. See, Dick et al., Biotechnol Bioeng, 100, 2008. Thus, the heterogeneity of Fc domain C-terminal lysine presence presents a unique challenge in the production of therapeutic Fc-containing proteins.
Extensive cell culture condition optimization has been investigated to decrease the heterogeneity of Fc domain C-terminal lysine presence that results during the production of Fc-containing proteins. For example, the effects of controlling cell media concentrations of heavy metals, such as zinc, cell media concentrations of amino acids, pH, and temperature on antibody Fc domain C-terminal lysine presence has been described in U.S. Patent Application No. 20130280274. However, as demonstrated in U.S. Patent Application No. 20130280274, optimization of cell culture parameters does not eliminate the heterogeneity of Fc domain C-terminal lysine presence.
Fc domains of IgG1, IgG2, and IgG4 isotype immunoglobulins contain a conserved basic amino acid lysine at the C-terminus of each Fc domain. Heterogeneity of Fc domain C-terminal lysine presence of these immunoglobulin isotypes is believed to result from proteolysis by endogenous carboxypeptidase(s) during cell culture production. See, Harris, J Chromatogr A, 705, 1995; and Luo et al., Biotechnol Bioeng, 109, 2012. Carboxypeptidases are enzymes that hydrolytically cleave amino acids from the C-termini of proteins and peptides. There are 13 known members of carboxypeptidases found in most mammalian species. See, Reznik et al., Cell Mol Life Sci, 58, 2001. While different carboxypeptidase proteins and their activities have been detected in CHO cells, a commonly used production host cell, it is not known which carboxypeptidase(s) is responsible for the removal of the Fc domain C-terminal lysine. See, Dick et al., Biotechnol Bioeng, 100, 2008. It has previously been speculated that one or more carboxypeptidases, including CpB and CpM, may be involved in Fc domain C-terminal lysine processing. See, Dick et al., Biotechnol Bioeng, 100, 2008; Harris, J Chromatogr A, 705, 1995; and Luo et al., Biotechnol Bioeng, 109, 2012.
The disclosures of all publications, patents, patent applications and published patent applications referred to herein are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.


A symmetric encryption/decryption method includes the steps of selecting a diffused mechanism, and the diffused mechanism includes at least one selected from a shift point, a block and a frame; obtaining a plurality of bits required for a cipher by the diffused mechanism and the element number of each dimension of a plaintext; carrying out at least one diffused operation for the plaintext; repeating the foregoing steps to achieve the effect of encrypting the plaintext. Since the sum of the encryption diffused times and the decryption diffused times equals to the diffused cycle, the cipher can be read and at least one dimensional diffused operation of the ciphertext can be carried out, and thus achieving the effect of decrypting the ciphertext.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data encryption/decryption method, and more particularly to a data encryption/decryption method that uses basic disturbed operations including shift and exclusive or (XOR) and applies a multipoint synchronous diffused mechanism to achieve data encryption and decryption by a diffused cycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art data encryption/decryption method fully mixes a plaintext with a cipher to define a ciphertext by a series of operations including shift, XOR and transform, etc, and the ciphertext and cipher can decrypt the ciphertext back into the plaintext by the same algorithm. If other users do not have the original cipher, then they cannot decrypt the ciphertext. Thus, the present invention can achieve the effect of protecting confidential data.
In the prior arts, it is intentionally to produce a substantial irrelevance between the plaintext and the ciphertext. Basically, the plaintext and the cipher go through a one-dimensional matrix logical operation and a two-dimensional matrix transform, and the key point of the security resides on the repeated logical operations and transforms of the algorithm.

Multipoint synchronous diffused encryption/decryption method


A process for combusting coke from catalyst in partial burn mode is disclosed. The regenerator comprises two chambers. The bulk of the combustion is performed in a first chamber. Disengagement of the catalyst from gas is conducted in the second chamber. Heated gas with a low fraction of oxygen fluidizes catalyst in the second chamber.

Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is a hydrocarbon conversion process accomplished by contacting hydrocarbons in a fluidized reaction zone with a catalyst composed of finely divided particulate material. The reaction in catalytic cracking, as opposed to hydrocracking, is carried out in the absence of substantial added hydrogen or the consumption of hydrogen. As the cracking reaction proceeds highly carbonaceous material referred to as coke is deposited on the catalyst. A high temperature regeneration operation within a regeneration zone combusts coke from the catalyst. Coke-containing catalyst, referred to herein as coked catalyst, is continually removed from the reaction zone and replaced by essentially coke-free catalyst from the regeneration zone. During the regeneration process water is produced by the combustion of coke.
Fluidization of the catalyst particles by various gaseous streams allows the transport of catalyst between the reaction zone and regeneration zone. Hot air is typically heated, at least at start up, by firing the air in a direct fired air heater with hydrocarbon fuel before it is blown into the regenerator.
Highest feedstock conversion may require essentially complete removal of coke from the catalyst often referred to as complete regeneration. In order to obtain complete regeneration, the catalyst has to be in contact with oxygen for sufficient residence time to permit thorough combustion of coke. Partial regeneration occurs when complete regeneration does not occur. Partial regeneration occurs when regeneration produces a catalyst having at least 0.1 and preferably at least 0.05 and typically at least 0.03 wt % coke. Insufficient oxygen concentration or catalyst residence time can result in partial regeneration. Partial regeneration can also result in a lower ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide in the flue gas. Partial regeneration can be advantageous to reserve recovery of the heat of combustion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in a downstream CO boiler. Conventionally, in a partial combustion operation, it is difficult to burn all of the carbon off the catalyst. The residual carbon can have a negative effect on catalyst activity. Partial burn in the regenerator occurs when the oxygen content is present in the flue gas with a concentration of less than 0.1% at the outlet of the regenerator vessel.
A high efficiency, combustor-style regenerator has a lower chamber that burns nearly all the coke to carbon dioxide with low excess oxygen, typically, as the catalyst is transported upwardly. As the catalyst and flue gas mixture enters an upper, narrower section of the lower chamber, the upward velocity is further increased and the two-phase mixture exits through a primary disengager into the second chamber. The disengager and cyclones in the second chamber separates the catalyst from the flue gas and returns the catalyst to a dense catalyst bed which supplies hot regenerated catalyst to both the riser reactor to contact fresh feed and the lower combustor chamber to heat the incoming spent catalyst.
Fluffing air is injected into the dense catalyst bed in the second chamber and may account for as much as 2 wt % of the total air requirement for catalyst combustion. Oxygen in the fluffing air can lead to after burn in the regenerator if sufficient carbon monoxide is present. After burn is a phenomenon that occurs when hot flue gas that has been separated from regenerated catalyst contains carbon monoxide that combusts to carbon dioxide in a dilute phase of catalyst. Insufficient catalyst is present in the dilute phase to serve as a heat sink to absorb the heat thus subjecting surrounding equipment to temperatures that can exceed metallurgical limits. Due to the concern of after burn in the dilute phase of the second chamber, combustor regenerators have not been operated in partial burn mode in the lower chamber.
Therefore, there is a need to equip a combustor regenerator to operate in partial burn mode without risking after burn.


A wire stent for insertion and expansion into a passageway comprises a plurality of curved sections that are formed into a generally circular configuration. Adjacent curved sections are joined by a bend or cusp, so that a series of alternating opposing loops are formed. The wire stent as formed has a cylindrical shape with a longitudinal opening through which a folded balloon catheter is inserted. The opposing loops are tightly contracted about the catheter so that the cylindrical shape has an overlapping region in which portions of adjacent loops longitudinally overlap. The loops are arranged so that when the balloon catheter is inflated, adjacent loops diverge circumferentially relative to each other, thereby decreasing the overlapping region while increasing the diameter of the cylindrical shape. As the diameter of the cylindrical shape increases, the wire stent contacts the surface of a passageway in which the stent is inserted.. In a method of the present invention, the wire stent is fabricated from a wire formed into a planar serpentine configuration. The wire is centered over a semi-cylindrical trough in a flat plate and then pressed into the trough by a forming bar so that a portion of the wire assumes the semi-cylindrical shape. A pulling tool, having a hook at one end, is engaged at the hook with the exposed loops of the serpentine configuration for pulling the exposed loops over the exposed portion of the forming bar to form a generally cylindrical shape from the wire. Once the wire is extracted from the trough and the forming bar is removed, a folded balloon catheter is inserted through the cylindrical shape and the wire is tightly pressed about the catheter.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stents and a method for inserting a stent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is desirable in various situations to provide means for expanding a constricted vessel or for maintaining an open passageway through a vessel. Such situations arise, for instance, after an angioplasty of a coronary artery. In these situations, wire stents are useful to prevent restenosis of the dilated vessel, or to eliminate the danger of occlusion caused by "flaps" resulting from intimal tears associated with angioplasty. Wire stents can also be used to reinforce collapsing structures in the respiratory and biliary tracts.
Typical of the wire stents of the prior art is the stent of Gianturco, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,568, wherein the stent is compressed and encased in a sheath. The sheath is then positioned in the vascular system and the stent is held in position by a flat-ended pusher while the sheath is withdrawn. The zig-zag configuration of this particular stent allows it to expand in the passageway to hold the passageway open and enlarged.
Stents comprised of variously shaped spiral springs are described by Maass et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,545, and in Radiology Follow-up of Transluminally Inserted Vascular Endoprosthesis: An Experimental Study Using Expanding Spirals, Radiology, September 1984; 152: 659-663. Application of torque to the end of these spiral springs increases the number of coils while decreasing the stent diameter for insertion. Once inserted, an opposite torque is applied to the spiral springs causing the stent diameter to increase. Use of this type of stent requires a sophisticated coaxial cable to apply torque to the stent once it has been inserted into the vessel.
Dotter et al, reported the use of a prosthesis constructed of a thermal shape memory alloy which is passed into the passageway through a catheter. See, Dotter CT et al., Transluminal Expandable Nitinol Coil Stent Grafting: Preliminary Report, Radiology, April, 1983; 147: 259-260. This coil stent is compacted by cooling, inserted, and then heated in situ until the stent expands in the passageway. This stent is positioned within the vessel by a detachable positioning device capable of supplying electrical energy to heat the thermal coil.
Other references which may have relevance to the present invention are the following U.S. patents: Abolins, U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,176; Alfidi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,956; Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,908; and Sakura, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,587.
Among the drawbacks of the prior art wire stents and expandable coil stents are that these stents are either difficult to produce or complicated to insert into a body passageway. Each of these stents requires the use of a complex device for insertion and expansion of the stent within the vessel. On the other hand, less complex wire stents lack the axial compliance to pass through a catheter that has any significant curves or bends. The present invention addresses each of these problems by providing a wire stent that is easy to produce, simple to install and capable of delivery around curves and bends in a vessel or passageway.


A light-emitting element using GaN. On a substrate (10), formed are an SiN buffer layer (12), a GaN buffer layer (14), an undoped GaN layer (16), an Si-doped n-GaN layer (18), an SLS layer (20), an undoped GaN layer (22), an MQW light-emitting layer (24), an SLS layer (26), and a p-GaN layer (28), forming a p electrode (30) and an n electrode (32). The MQW light-emitting layer (24) has a structure in which InGaN well layers and AlGaN barrier layers are alternated. The Al content ratios of the SLS layers (20, and 26) are more than 5% and less than 24%. The In content ratio of the well layer in the MQW light-emitting layer (24) is more than 3% and less than 20%. The Al content ratio of the barrier layer is more than 1% and less than 30%. By adjusting the content ratio and film thickness of each layer to a desired value, the light luminous efficiency for wavelength of less than 400 nm is improved.

Light emitting elements which use a nitride semiconductor and have a wavelength band of 370 nm-550 nm have been made commercially available. In these light emitting elements, InxGa1-xN (0<x<1) is used as a light emitting material. The light emission wavelength changes when a compositional ratio of In in InxGa1-xN is changed. Specifically, the light emission wavelength is increased as x is increased. When the compositional ratio x of In is changed, the light emission efficiency also changes in addition to the light emission wavelength. More specifically, when the compositional ratio x of In is increased too much, because (1) a difference in lattice constants between InGaN and the layers sandwiching InGaN, that is, between InGaN and GaN or between InGaN and AlGaN, becomes large and (2) a crystal growth temperature must be reduced in order to grow crystal of InGaN having a high composition of In, the crystal quality of InGaN is degraded and the light emission efficiency is reduced when the wavelength exceeds 530 nm. In general, in a wavelength range of 400 nm-530 nm, the light emission efficiency is increased, but the light emission efficiency is reduced when the wavelength is 400 nm or smaller.
A reason why the light emission efficiency at a shorter wavelength side of 400 nm or smaller is reduced may be considered to be due to dislocations present in the crystal. An efficiency of a light emitting element (LED or the like) having a wavelength of 400 nm-530 nm having an arbitrary compositional ratio of In is high regardless of a dislocation density because of a fluctuation of In composition within the InGaN layer. More specifically, when there is a compositional fluctuation of In, light is emitted at a local region in which the In composition is large and the injected carriers are captured in this local region. As a consequence, the carriers do not reach the dislocations and the efficiency is not reduced. As described above, in order to shorten the light emission wavelength, the compositional ratio x of In must be reduced, which inevitably results in reduction in the fluctuation of In composition. When the fluctuation in composition is small, the carriers are not sufficiently captured. As a consequence, the carriers reach the dislocations and the light emission efficiency is reduced.
As described, when the light emission wavelength is 400 nm or smaller, the light emission efficiency significantly depends on the dislocation density and is reduced due to the presence of dislocations.
In order to prevent reduction of light emission efficiency in a wavelength band of 400 nm or smaller, the dislocation density must be maintained at a low level. The dislocation density is reduced in the related art, for example, through an ELO (Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth) method and a method in which a light emitting layer is grown on a sapphire substrate or the like onto which a groove is formed. However, because these methods require photolithography or the like, there had been a problem in that the manufacturing requires labor and the cost of the light emitting element is increased.

Gallium nitride compound semiconductor device and manufacturing method


A light emitting device according to the embodiment includes a support substrate; a first light emitting structure disposed on the support substrate and including a first conductive type first semiconductor layer, a first active layer, and a second conductive type second semiconductor layer; a first reflective electrode under the first light emitting structure; a first metal layer around the first reflective electrode; a second light emitting structure disposed on the support substrate and including a first conductive type third semiconductor layer, a second active layer, and a second conductive type fourth semiconductor layer; a second reflective electrode under the second light emitting structure; a second metal layer around the second reflective electrode; and a contact part making contact with an inner portion of the first conductive type first semiconductor layer of the first light emitting structure and electrically connected to the second reflective electrode.

The embodiment relates to a light emitting device, a light emitting device package and a light unit.
LEDs (light emitting diodes) have been extensively used as light emitting devices. The LEDs convert electric signals into light, such as infrared ray, visible ray or ultraviolet ray, by using the characteristics of compound semiconductors.
As the light efficiency of the light emitting device has become increased, the light emitting device has been applied in various fields, such as display devices and lighting devices.

Light emitting device and light emitting device package


A method for the removal of a ductile pipe includes passing a strand through the ductile pipe, crimping the ductile pipe in at least one location so that it is secured in a crimp about the strand and pulling the strand from an end of the ductile pipe with a winch or hydraulic puller. Preferably, the strand is a solid wire or wire rope and may be pushed through the pipe with a power wire feeding apparatus. As the strand and ductile pipe are pulled, segments of the pipe and strand are cut at the end of the pipe proximate the winch or puller.

Over a million miles of small diameter, e.g. less than 1.25″ nominal (1.66″ OD), underground transmission pipe exists in North America at this time. All of this pipe is aging, and in many cases the aging process results in increased transmission pressure losses along with degradation of the ductile properties of the pipe, necessitating replacement of the pipe. Methods for replacing easily slit plastic and copper piping are disclosed in Crane et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,026, issued Jan. 9, 2001 for a "Method and Apparatus for Replacement of Pipelines, and Crane et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,874, issued Dec. 2, 2003 for a "Method and Apparatus for Slitting Flexible Pipe in an Underground Bore."
Unfortunately, not all of the million plus miles of aging small diameter transmission pipe is easily slit copper or plastic. Many of the underground lines are lead or steel pipe. Although lead and steel can be slit, the use of conventional slitting techniques is limited in the case of small diameter pipes because the force required to slit the pipe is high and the column strength of the pipe, especially lead pipe, is low. As used herein, "small diameter" refers to pipes having an outside diameter of less than 1.66 inches, while the term "column strength" refers to the resistance of a structure to collapse when compressive force is applied. The method described in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,874 deals with the lack of column strength of underground pipe during the slitting operation by allowing induced tensile stress to be a balancing force that holds the pipe in place while the pipe is slit from the inside.
In some cases it is desirable to extract the old pipe during the replacement operation. The method disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,026 demonstrates removal of the pipe with simultaneous installation of a new product pipe. However, a need remains for a method effective for slitting and replacement of lead or steel underground pipes.


Techniques for annotating an electronic document in an electronic document application are described. A request to add an annotation to an electronic document application is received. An annotation template for the requested annotation is retrieved. The annotation template is external to the electronic document application and the electronic document and includes fixed content, associated instructions defining variable content, and layout information for the fixed and variable content. The associated instructions are executed to define the variable content for an instance of the requested annotation. The instance of the annotation is applied to the electronic document. The annotation instance has an appearance defined by the variable content, the fixed content and the layout information.

This invention relates to applying annotations to electronic documents. Electronic documents are collections or aggregations of electronic data, such as files or collections of files, that typically can be displayed with an appearance that resembles that of a paper document. Early electronic document applications—that is, applications in which electronic documents can be created, manipulated and viewed, in any combination—such as word processors, publishing applications, and the like, allowed a user to do little more than add and change text on an electronic document page with simple formatting selections. As electronic document applications have evolved, the number of options to alter the appearance of electronic documents has grown. Some applications allow users to add annotations, such as stamps, to an electronic document. One such electronic document application, Adobe® Acrobat®, available from Adobe Systems Incorporated of San Jose, Calif., allows a user to apply one or more of a number of stamps. The stamp can display a word, such as "Confidential", "Draft", "Approved" or any of a number of other available selections.
Adding a stamp to an electronic document can be as simple as selecting a stamping tool with a pointing device, moving a cursor controlled by the pointing device to the area of the document where the stamp is to be applied, and activating the pointing device. The selected stamp is applied by the application. The stamp can be altered by modifying one or more stamp properties—for example, selecting a new appearance for the stamp, dragging the stamp to another section of the document or deleting the stamp.

Dynamic annotations for electronics documents


A control gate includes a first conductive film formed in contact with an inter-gate insulating film and a second conductive film electrically connected to the first conductive film. An inter-level insulating film which insulates first and second stacked gate structures from each other. The inter-level insulating film includes a first insulating film, a second insulating film, and a third insulating film formed between the first and second insulating films. The first insulating film insulates the floating gates from each other and portions of the control gates from each other. The second and third insulating films insulate the other portions of the control gates from each other. The third insulating film has a selective etching ratio with respect to the first and second insulating films.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device and more particularly to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) which can electrically program and erase data is known. The EEPROM has a memory cell array configured by memory cells arranged at intersections between word lines extending in a row direction and bit lines extending in a column direction to intersect with the word lines. Generally, in each memory cell, for example, a MOS transistor with a stacked gate structure configured by laminating a floating gate and control gate is used. Particularly, a NAND flash memory has a configuration in which a plurality of memory cell transistors are serially connected to form a NAND string and block selection transistors are arranged on both sides of the NAND string. Further, element isolation regions are arranged in parallel with respect to the active areas of the memory cells to form the memory cell array.
Generally, the word line is formed of a laminated film of conductive polysilicon and metal silicide or a laminated film of conductive polysilicon and metal in order to lower the resistance thereof. Such a NAND flash memory is described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-7870, for example.
The NAND flash memory is developed to have a larger scale capacity and rapid shrinkage of the memory cell transistor proceeds accordingly. Particularly, a reduction or shrinkage in the channel length and channel width of the memory cell transistor is significant. Even if they are shrunk, it is desired to suppress the resistance of the word line. This is because it is desired to maintain the high-speed operation of the NAND flash memory. As a result, the gate structure of the memory cell transistor or the so-called stacked gate structure tends to become long in the vertical direction. This is called a high aspect ratio stacked gate structure. At present, the aspect ratio of the stacked gate structure ranges from 7 to 7.5.
Thus, in order to enhance the integration density of the memory cell transistors while suppressing an increase in the resistance of the word line, the aspect ratio of the stacked gate structure tends to be made higher. However, in order to attain the high aspect ratio, it becomes difficult to process the stacked gate structure.


Identifying, based on a special image, a prescribed region of interest in a special image, determining a boundary line of an area which includes a region in an ordinary image corresponding to the identified region of interest and a predetermined margin added to the region, and displaying a boundary line of the region and the boundary line of the area in the ordinary image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image acquisition and display method and an image capturing and display apparatus for obtaining an ordinary image and a special image by projecting illumination light and special light onto an observation area and displaying the obtained ordinary and special images. More particularly, the invention relates to an auxiliary function to assist resection of a portion of the observation area in surgery or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscope systems for observing tissues of body cavities are widely known, and electronic endoscope systems for capturing an ordinary image of an observation area in a body cavity by projecting white light onto the observation area and displaying the captured ordinary image on a monitor screen are widely used.
Further, as one of such endoscope systems, a system in which ICG (indocyanine green) is administered to an observation area in advance in order to observe, for example, a blood vessel run, blood flow, lymphatic vessel, lymph flow, bile duct run, or bile flow under fat which does not appear in an ordinary image and an ICG florescence image is captured by projecting near infrared excitation light to the observation area is proposed.
The use of such endoscope systems that capture a fluorescence image allows a lesion site, such as a tumor, in the observation area to be identified, and there may be a case that the identified tumor portion or an organ section which includes the tumor portion is desired to be resected.
When resecting a tumor or the like, it is necessary to remove the tumor area or an organ section with an added surgical margin so that no cancer cell exits in the remaining portion of the organ after surgery.
The extent of resection, including the surgical margin described above, may not be recognized, however, by simply identifying the tumor or the like in a fluorescence image.
Further, when resecting a tumor or the like, the resection is performed by observing an ordinary image of white light to begin with. Thus, even if the extent of a tumor is identified in a fluorescence image, the extent of resection, including the surgical margin, may not be recognized in the ordinary image and an appropriate resection procedure may not be performed.
Although, it is proposed, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-082041, that a surgical margin is displayed in an image obtained by an endoscope, this surgical margin is a margin simply set in advance and not a surgical margin determined based on a tumor identified in a fluorescence image captured in real time as described above.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,204 describes that a boundary of a tumor is identified and visualized in real time using a fluorescence image captured during a surgical operation, but the surgical margin described above is not taken into consideration at all.
The present invention has been developed in view of the circumstances described above, and it is an object of the invention to provide an image acquisition and display method and an image capturing and display apparatus capable of displaying an ordinary image that allows a tumor or the like to be removed to an appropriate extent, including a surgical margin, in an endoscope system for capturing a fluorescence image like that described above.

Image acquisition and display method and image capturing and display apparatus


A fabric holding device adapted to support excess material extending below a craft frame or work surface generally comprises a length of flexible and elastic material such as an elastic cord or strip. Fasteners are secured to a first and second end of the length of flexible and elastic material for securing the first and second ends to first and second frame members of the craft frame. The length of flexible and elastic material extends below and around the excess material so as to support the excess material extending below the craft frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for holding and supporting excess material extending over and beyond the edges of a craft type frame.
2. Background Information
Numerous shapes, sizes and styles of craft frames have previously been developed to facilitate handling of a piece of material being worked on by a craft practitioner. These frames are generally designed to pull taught the craft material to facilitate sewing, stitching and other detail work. The excess material which is not pulled taught by the craft frame generally hangs loose below the frame. The loose, excess material tends to drag on the floor and becomes soiled and dirty or interferes with sewing and stitching.
Devices have been developed for holding or supporting the excess material extending below an embroidery hoop. However these devices are not readily useable with different sizes and styles of craft frames for supporting the excess material extending below these frames. Additionally, these devices are not adapted for use in supporting excess material extending below a planar surface such as a table top for a sewing table.

Excess material supporting strap for craft frame


A phase-change memory device has an oxidation barrier layer to protect against memory cell contamination or oxidation and a method of manufacturing the same. In one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device comprises a molding layer overlying a semiconductor substrate. The molding layer has a protrusion portion vertically extending from a top surface thereof. The device further includes a phase-changeable material pattern adjacent the protrusion portion and a lower electrode electrically connected to the phase-changeable material pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and methods of fabricating the same, and more particularly, to a phase-change memory device and methods of fabricating the same.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of phase-changeable materials for electronic memory applications is known in the art and is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,395 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,266. The two states of a memory, in the case of phase-changeable memory, depend on the resistance to current flow in a memory cell. The phase-changeable material typically has an amorphous phase and a crystalline phase, with inherent high and low electrical resistance, respectively. The amorphous phase exists at relatively high temperatures, and the crystalline phase exists at relatively low temperatures. Phase-changeable memory operates on the basic idea that memory cell states, i.e., "on" or "off", are dependent on temperature. Thus, means for setting the temperature high or low is incorporated in each memory cell.
A general structure for this type of memory includes a phase-changeable material sandwiched between a lower electrode and an upper electrode. The lower electrode typically plays two roles, one being the conduction electrode to the memory cell, and the other being an ohmic heater to control the phase of the phase-changeable material. As just described, the structure comprises interfaces between the top electrode and the phase-changeable material, and between the bottom electrode and the phase-changeable material. During a fabrication of the memory device, and during its operational life in use, these interfaces may become contaminated or oxidized. Such oxidation causes a large variation in the distribution of contact resistances at these interfaces. Since the operation of phase-changeable memory depends on distinguishing between the memory cell being "on" or "off" based on the cell's resistance to current flow, contamination or oxidation jeopardizes the accuracy of memory programming. A need still remains for a novel phase-change memory structure that can prevent such contamination or oxidation and the manufacturing method thereof.

Phase-change memory device having a barrier layer and manufacturing method


An optical coherence tomography apparatus which acquires a tomogram of a target object based on a light intensity detected for each wavelength by combining return light of measurement light from the target object with reference light corresponding to the measurement light, the apparatus comprising: a normalization unit adapted to normalize the light intensity detected for the each wavelength based on a transfer function corresponding to the wavelength resolution; and an image formation unit adapted to form a tomogram of the target object from the light intensities normalized by the normalization unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to particularly an optical coherence tomography apparatus including an interference optical system which is used in the medical field, an optical coherence tomography method, an ophthalmic apparatus, a method of controlling the ophthalmic apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, various types of ophthalmic apparatuses using optical devices are used. Such apparatuses include, for example, an anterior ocular segment imaging apparatus, a fundus camera, and a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO). Among them all, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus (to be referred to as an "OCT apparatus" hereinafter) is an apparatus capable of obtaining a high-resolution tomogram of an object to be examined. This OCT apparatus has been becoming an indispensable apparatus for dedicated retinal outpatient clinics.
For example, the OCT apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-325849 uses low-coherent light as a light source. Light from the light source is split into measurement light and reference light through a splitting optical path such as a beam splitter. Measurement light is light to irradiate an object to be examined such as the eye through a measurement light path. Return light of this light is guided to a detection position through a detection light path. Note that return light is reflected light or scattered light containing information associated with an interface relative to the irradiation direction of light on the object. On the other hand, reference light is light to be guided to the detection position through a reference light path by being reflected by a reference mirror or the like. It is possible to obtain a tomogram of an object to be examined by causing interference between this return light and reference light, collectively acquiring wavelength spectra by using a spectrometer or the like, and performing Fourier transform of the acquired spectra. An OCT apparatus which collectively measures wavelength spectra is generally called a spectral domain OCT apparatus (SD-OCT apparatus).
In an SD-OCT apparatus, a measurement depth Lmax is represented, as an optical distance Lmax, by a pixel count N of the image sensor of a spectrometer and a spectrum width ΔK of the frequency detected by the spectrometer according to equation (1). Note that the spectrum width ΔK is represented by a maximum wavelength λmax and a minimum wavelength λmin. The pixel count N is often an even number, and is generally the factorial of 2, that is 1024 or 2048.
                                                                                L                  max                                =                                  ±                                      N                                          4                                                                                Δ                                                                                K                                                                                Δ                                                                                K                                =                                                      1                                          λ                      min                                                        -                                      1                                          λ                      max                                                                                }                            (        1        )
If, for example, a central wavelength of 840 nm, a band of 50 nm, and a pixel count of 1024 are set, λmax=840+50/2=840+25=865 nm, λmin=840−50/2=840−25=815 nm, and N=1024. In this case, optical distance Lmax=3.6 mm. That is, it is possible to perform measurement up to about 3.6 mm on the plus side relative to the coherence gate. The coherence gate is the point at which a reference light path coincides with an optical distance in a measurement light path. When a desired region (a distance in the depth direction) is sufficiently smaller than 3.6 mm (for example, 1 mm or less), the measurement depth can be reduced by decreasing the pixel count of the spectrometer. Decreasing the pixel count is important in order to speed up processing and reduce the data amount. This is because, when measuring a three-dimensional image of the retina, it takes much measurement time and produces a large amount of data. When an object to be examined is a moving object like the eye, in particular, it is required to further shorten the measurement time.
On the other hand, changing the pixel count of a spectrometer is equivalent to changing the resolution of the spectrometer. A problem in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a graph obtained by plotting, for each spectrometer resolution, the light intensity measurement results obtained when the position of the coherence gate is moved while a mirror is located at the position of an object to be examined. The ordinate corresponds to the light intensity, and the abscissa to the distance. With an increase in distance from the coherence gate, light intensity attenuation called Roll-Off occurs. The degree of attenuation of a light intensity Int mainly depends on the resolution of a spectrometer and the pixel count of an image sensor. Letting x be a distance variable and a be a coefficient proportional to the resolution of the spectrometer, the degree of attenuation is proportional to a sinc function given by
                    Int        ∝                              sin                                                                          2                                                                          π                                                                          x                                                                          α                                π                                                                          x                                              (        2        )
As is obvious from FIG. 1, as a value indicating a resolution increases (from 0.1 nm to 0.2 nm, 0.5 nm, and 1.0 nm), the cycle in which plotted points approach zero is shortened. As described above, images formed from spectrum data from spectrometers having different resolutions differ in light intensity in the depth direction. Differences in light intensity are differences in image contrast. This makes images in the same region look different. That is, with spectrometers having different resolutions, obtained images look different.
In consideration of the above problems, the present invention provides a technique of correcting the contrast differences between images which are caused when wavelength resolutions differ (spectrometers differ in resolution in the case of an SD-OCT) in an FD-OCT apparatus such as an SD-OCT apparatus.

Optical coherence tomography apparatus, optical coherence tomography method, ophthalmic apparatus, method of controlling ophthalmic apparatus, and storage medium


Lens structures are disclosed. The lens structures include a first lens spaced apart from a second lens and a spacer disposed therebetween comprising an extruded adhesive. Goggles utilizing the lens structures are disclosed. Methods of forming lens structures and goggles are also disclosed. The methods of forming the lens structures include providing a first lens, selectively applying adhesive to a surface of the first lens, contacting the adhesive applied to the first lens with a second lens to form a lens structure, and at least partially curing the adhesive. Lens structures so formed may be attached to a goggle frame. Programmable machines for implementing such inventive methods are also disclosed.

Flexible goggles having a flexible housing in which a lens structure is mounted are well known. Individuals often wear such goggles to protect their eyes or to improve their vision when participating in a sport or a recreational activity, such as skiing or motorcycle racing. Such goggles are commonly used by skiers or motorcyclists to protect their eyes from wind and precipitation.
Goggles are shaped to fit flush against the contours of the human face. When worn by a user, a generally closed chamber is defined between the goggle's lens structure and the wearer's face. As time passes, moisture evaporating from the wearer's face increases the relative humidity of the air in the chamber. As the relative humidity increases, so does the dew point, or the point at which water molecules will condense from a vapor phase to a liquid phase. When cold air surrounding the goggle reduces the temperature of the lens structure of the goggle to a temperature below the dew point, water condenses on the inner surface of the lens structure. The condensate on the inner surface of the lens structure decreases the wearer's vision and makes it more difficult, or impossible, for the wearer to participate in the sport or recreational activity.
One technique for reducing condensation in the chamber is by using a double-paned lens structure to insulate the internal surface of the lens structure from the cold, external temperature. One conventional double-paned lens structure is referred to as a "thermal lens" and is formed of an inner lens and an outer lens. The inner and outer lenses are assembled and spaced in parallel relation by a spacer. The spacer is typically made of closed cell, flexible foam which is bonded to the inner and outer lenses in a fashion so as to seal against both.
One conventional method of forming the spacer is by die cutting a sheet of flexible foam material having a pressure sensitive adhesive bonded to each side thereof to define the shape of the spacer. After die cutting, the formed spacer is manually applied to one of the lenses followed by bonding the other lens to form a double-paned lens structure. However, the die cutting process wastes material because only a portion of the sheet is required to form the spacer. Also, manually applying the die cut spacer is tedious, time consuming, and prone to positioning errors that reduce the quality of the resulting product. Furthermore, spacers formed of flexible foam type materials are subject to delaminating from the lenses, resulting in fogging of the lens structures.
Another conventional method for forming the spacer is by injection molding a plastic spacer onto a first lens. During this process, the plastic is injected into a die that defines the shape of the spacer and upon curing the plastic bonds to the first lens. The injection molding process requires a die that is specifically designed for the particular lens geometry that the spacer is formed on. A second lens is then assembled with the first lens that includes the spacer thereon. The spacer is bonded to the second lens by radio frequency (RF) welding or gluing. Such a method is employed to form the spacer of the double-paned lens structure used in various goggles commercially available from Carrera Sport. However, double-paned lenses formed by this method are very rigid due to the inherent rigidity of the plastic formulation compatible with the injection molding process that is used to form the spacer. The rigidity of the spacer results in a rigid double-paned lens structure that will not adequately form fit to all potential wearer's faces or can cause substantial discomfort to the wearer's face. Furthermore, the die required for injection molding is expensive to fabricate and is specific to a particular lens geometry. Thus, injection molding is not a particularly versatile process for forming the spacer.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method of forming a lens structure by a relatively inexpensive process that produces a lens structure that helps alleviate the problem of condensation in the chamber of the goggle. It would also be desirable that the method for forming the spacer of the lens structure is adaptable to a variety of lens geometries. Furthermore, it would be desirable that the lens structure have the ability to comfortably form fit to the wearer's face.

Lens structures, goggles employing same, methods of forming same, and machine programmed for forming same


A battery management unit and system for managing the state of charge of cells or batteries. Each battery management unit measures cell or battery terminal voltage and provides this information to a central controller via a communication medium. Each battery management unit monitors a plurality of batteries and can selectively charge a selected battery via a charger and switch circuit or can selectively discharge a selected battery via a load and switch circuit under the control of a controller. The controller may control charging and discharging in accordance with measurements from voltage sensors or may convey information from a voltage sensors to the central controller and receive charging and discharging commands from the central controller. Charging and discharging is controlled to maintain all batteries within a desired state of charge ranged. The central controller may selectively connect a main charger or generator to a bank of batteries associated with a battery management unit.

Electric vehicles are known in the art. They include one or more battery that supplies energy to one or more electric motors that in turn provide motive force to the vehicle. Each battery is generally charged overnight for use during the day. In these vehicles each battery can undergo regular deep cycling of its state of charge and thus each battery life expectancy is typically short. It is undesirable to discharge a battery too far as this also shortens battery life.
Hybrid electric vehicles are known. One type of hybrid vehicle includes an auxiliary power unit that can be used to generate energy during use of the vehicle. This energy can be used to supplement battery energy or to charge the battery. With the availability of an auxiliary power unit within the vehicle it is desirable to have a battery management system which regulates battery and auxiliary power unit operation and avoids overcharging of the batteries, which can reduce battery life.
A number of battery management systems are known, however they generally only perform any real control during overnight charging. During use the auxiliary power unit is often run continuously at a predetermined and fixed power output. This can result in overcharging of the battery. Alternative schemes only run the auxiliary power unit if the battery voltage, or state of charge, falls below a predetermined level. This does not overcome problems with state of charge cycling.
In the publication "Distributed VRLA Battery Management Organisation with Provision for Embedded Internet Interface" (Anbuky et al.) IEEE, Telecommunications Energy Conference (INTELEC 2000) there is disclosed a distributed system for gathering and storing state of charge information. Data analysis is distributed rather than centralised and there is no disclosure of a charging strategy to achieve state of charge equalisation.
WO 99/01918 discloses a battery management system in which individual cells may be selectively connected to a single cell battery charger or a variable load bank. However, connection to the single cell battery charger or variable load link is simply for determining the capacity of each battery rather than for performing any equalisation of the state of charge of batteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,068 discloses a battery management system in which each battery has an associated battery module for monitoring the battery and charging the battery. This is an expensive and complex system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,628 discloses a battery management system in which a bypass arrangement is provided for each battery to reduce overcharging of selected batteries whilst allowing the remaining batteries to be charged. This requires an individual module with a bypass resistor arrangement for each cell and does not allow the selective charging of selected batteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,165 is a system for monitoring and charging only. No discharge capability is disclosed.
EP0798839A2 discloses a battery management system in which an individual battery module is required for each battery making it expensive and complex.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery management system that controls battery operation in a hybrid electric vehicle to optimise battery performance and extend the battery life.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a battery management system for hybrid electric vehicles that overcomes, or at least ameliorates, the above mentioned problems with the prior art.
The above objections are to be read disjunctively with the object of at least providing the public with a useful alternative.

Battery management unit, system and method


A composition of matter suitable for use in identifying chemical compounds that bind to voltage-dependent ion channel proteins, the composition comprising a screening protein that comprises an ion channel voltage sensor domain of the ion channel protein immobilized on a solid support.

Many cells produce electrical impulses known as electrical activities (e.g., action potential) that propagate across their surface membrane. Action potentials travel quickly, and their arrival at a distant location initiates cellular processes such as the release of neurotransmitter molecules or the contraction of muscles (Hille B. Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, Mass., 2001). These electrical impulses are the means by which living cells transfer information over large distances in short time intervals.
Action potential theory contains two key elements (Hodgkin et al. J. Physiol. (Lond) 1952,117:500-544). The first element is that the membrane of a cell can undergo transient changes in its selective permeability to, for example, Na+ and K+ ions. The second element is that the permeability changes depend on membrane voltage. These two elements create an interesting situation because selective permeability to ions determines the membrane voltage, while the voltage determines the permeability.
The family of protein molecules known as the voltage-dependent cation channels typically mediate electrical activity. This family includes potassium (K+), sodium (Na+) and calcium (Ca2+) selective members. The opening of a pore of a voltage-dependent ion channel, a process known as gating, is dependent upon the membrane voltage. When the pore of a voltage-dependent cation channel opens, it selectively conducts predominantly its namesake ion.
It is believed that charged amino acids, called gating charges, move through the membrane electric field before the pore opens, allowing membrane voltage to bias the equilibrium between closed and opened conformations (Armstrong et al. J. Gen. Physiol. 1974, 63:533-552; Sigworth et al. Q. Rev. Biophys. 1994, 27:1-40; and Bezanilla Physiol. Rev. 2000, 80:555-592).
In K+ channels, the gating charge per tetrameric channel corresponds to 12-14 electron charges (3.0-3.5 charges per subunit) crossing the entire membrane voltage difference. This large gating charge gives rise to a steep change in open probability as a function of membrane voltage.
All members of the voltage-dependent cation channel family typically contain six hydrophobic segments, S1 through S6 (S1-S6) (see FIGS. 1 and 2), per subunit. Four subunits (most often identical in K+ channels and linked together as homologous 'domains' in Na+ and Ca2+ channels) surround a central ion conduction pore. S5 through S6 line the pore and determine ion selectivity, while S1 through S4 form the voltage sensors. Certain charged amino acids within the voltage sensors account for most of the gating charge. These amino acids are particularly the first four arginines in S4.
Voltage-dependent ion channels are present in every cell and are involved in generation of electrical activity and information processing. As such, aberrant electrical activity can result in various conditions, such as heart arrhythmias, epilepsy, hypertension, etc.
There is a need for a composition and method for rapidly screening chemical compounds to determine whether the compounds bind to voltage-dependent ion channels.

Voltage sensor domains of voltage-dependent ion channel proteins and uses thereof