A power management circuit for fast average power tracking (APT) voltage switching is provided. The power management circuit includes a primary voltage circuit configured to generate an APT voltage based on an APT target voltage. However, the primary voltage circuit may be inherently slow in ramping up the APT voltage to the APT target voltage. As such, a secondary voltage circuit is provided in the power management circuit to help drive the APT voltage to a desired level by a defined temporal limit. Once the APT voltage reaches the desired level, the secondary voltage circuit will automatically shut off, while the primary voltage circuit continues operating at a selected duty cycle to maintain the APT voltage at the APT target voltage. By utilizing the secondary voltage circuit to quickly drive up the APT voltage, the power management circuit is capable of supporting dynamic power control under stringent switching delay budget.

Fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) (5G-NR) has been widely regarded as the next generation of wireless communication technology beyond the current third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) technologies. In this regard, a wireless communication device capable of supporting the 5G-NR wireless communication technology is expected to achieve higher data rate, improved coverage range, enhanced signaling efficiency, and reduced latency across a wide range of radio frequency (RF) bands, which include a low-band (below 1 GHz), a mid-band (1 GHz to 6 GHz), and a high-band (above 24 GHz). Moreover, the wireless communication device may still support the legacy 3G and 4G technologies for backward compatibility.
In addition, the wireless communication device is also required to support local area networking technologies, such as Wi-Fi, in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The latest 802.11ax standard has introduced a dynamic power control feature to allow the wireless communication device to transmit a Wi-Fi signal with a maximum power ranging from −10 dBm to 23 dBm. Accordingly, a Wi-Fi power amplifier(s) in the wireless communication device must be able to adapt power level of the Wi-Fi signal on a per-frame basis. As a result, a power management circuit must be able to adapt an average power tracking (APT) voltage supplied to the Wi-Fi power amplifier(s) within Wi-Fi inter-frame spacing (IFS) to help maintain linearity and efficiency of the Wi-Fi power amplifier(s).
Notably, the Wi-Fi IFS may only last sixteen microseconds (16 μs). Depending on specific configurations of the Wi-Fi system, such as bandwidth mode, trigger frame format, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and delays associated with Wi-Fi physical layer (PHY) and communication buses, the actual temporal limit for the power management circuit to adapt the APT voltage(s) may be as short as one-half of a microsecond (0.5 μs). In this regard, it is desirable for the power management circuit to adapt the APT voltage(s) from one level to another within a defined temporal limit (e.g., 0.5 μs).

Power management circuit for fast average power tracking voltage switching


The present invention is a detection device, system and method for detecting an external electromagnetic event such as lightning or a high intensity radiated field. In an exemplary embodiment, the detection device includes a free space capacitive sensor and a protected amplifier circuit coupled with the free space capacitive sensor. The free space capacitive sensor and the protected amplifier circuit are configured to respond to a voltage waveform produced by an external electromagnetic event. The free space capacitive sensor serves as a single input capable of detecting the external electromagnetic event and the coupling of the free space capacitive sensor to the protected amplifier circuit allows subsystems in communication with the sensor and amplifier circuit to generate a coordinated response to the detected external electromagnetic event.

Lightning and high intensity radiated field (HIRF) tolerance are critical for safe operation of aircraft in harsh environmental conditions. For instance, aircraft require continued, uninterrupted access to systems that perform functions related to flight takeoff, maintenance of flight, and landing under normal and severe HIRF conditions. Aerospace industry experience has contributed to a steady increase in the required level of lightning and HIRF tolerance for new aircraft designs, especially as more subsystems are implemented by using electronic solutions. In addition, aircraft design and construction increasingly uses non-conductive materials such as carbon fibre composites and plastics that provide less shielding than their metal predecessors increasing the need to provide HIRF tolerance.
Presently available systems for detecting lightning and HIRF are limited by the inability to form a common response, resulting in random, often contradicting identification of HIRF presence. For instance, present avionics architecture for a typical commercial airplane communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) avionics suite is configured so that each line replaceable unit (LRU) has self-sustained HIRF and high energy radio frequency (HERF) protective circuitry. Such configuration results in each LRU reacting to HIRF differently and asynchronously depending upon LRU location, interference from adjacent systems, and each LRU's functional requirements, which leads to sporadic, unsynchronized responses. The HIRF response is ambiguous at best, as even critical systems (e.g., autopilot, landing/navigation aids, and the like) may have varying and/or unsynchronized reactions in the presence of HIRF. Thus, HIRF protection is unsynchronized amidst present avionic systems, which often results in no-fault found (NFF) and unnecessary LRU removals from the subject airplane.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of centralized high intensity radiated field (HIRF) detection, allowing an overall system awareness and subsequent coordinated response to the HIRF event.


The present disclosure relates to a near metallic glass based alloy wherein the alloy includes at least 40 atomic percent iron, greater than 10 atomic percent of at least one or more metalloids, and less than 50 atomic percent of at least two or more transition metals, wherein one of said transition metals is Mo said alloy exhibits a tensile strength of 2400 MPa or greater and an elongation of greater than 2%.

Metallic glasses may not exhibit any significant tensile elongation due to inhomogeneous shear banding, which may be understood as a relatively narrow layer of intense shear in a solid material. Metallic glasses tested in tension may show relatively high strength, relatively little plasticity (brittle fracture in elastic region), and a high degree of scattering in tensile elongation data due to the presence of flaws in metallic glasses that may lead to catastrophic failure.

Tensile elongation of near metallic glass alloys


A system for responding to requests using stream processing comprises a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and a processor coupled to the computer readable storage medium. Responsive to a client request, a processing thread is assigned for handling the client request. A return connection is established within the processing thread. A server request derived from the client request to a stream server configured to interact with a plurality of stream processing nodes is sent, and the server request comprises a thread identifier specifying the processing thread. The processing thread for handling the client request is maintained in an idle state pending a write response message from the stream server. Responsive to receiving the write response message comprising a stream processing result and the thread identifier from the stream server, the processing thread is returned to an active state.

One or more embodiments disclosed within this specification relate to stream processing.
In conventional data analysis, queries are applied against static data. Stream processing, in general, refers to a data processing technique in which changing data, referred to as a data stream or stream, can be evaluated. A data stream can be evaluated by applying largely static queries to the changing data stream, though the queries can be modified or updated over time. In some cases, the data stream that is queried can change rapidly. For example, a data stream that is to be evaluated can be viewed as a constant flow of information such as real time or near real time information. The nodes that implement stream processing can operate upon the data stream as opposed to operating upon static data that may be stored within a database or other data storage system.

Stream processing using a client-server architecture

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


New pharmaceutical compositions in unit dosage form are disclosed for both intraoral and oral administration to a patient, said unit dosage form configured to be placed intraorally of said patient, which comprises:                (a) as a first portion, at least one discrete molded triturate tablet comprising a therapeutically effective amount of at least one pharmaceutically active ingredient capable of intraoral administration; and        (b) as a second portion located around the said first portion, a therapeutically effective amount of at least one pharmaceutically active ingredient capable of oral administration and which is releasable and orally ingestible by the patient after the molded triturate tablet has disintegrated or has dissolved intraorally.

Intraoral administration of medicaments has been carried out according to the prior art. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,447 to PORTER. This patent discloses the intraoral administration of benzodiazepines including diazepam, lorazepam, oxazapam, temazapam, and chlordiazepoxide. According to Porter it is known in the art to administer benzodiazapines either orally or parenterally (i.e. by injection), especially intramuscularly or subcutaneously. Administering benzodiazepines by injection enables rapid attainment of effective plasma concentrations, that is more rapid than the plasma concentrations obtained following oral administration. One advantage of the intraoral administration as opposed to parenteral administration is that there is no injection site where pain and inflammation may develop. Another such advantage is that intraoral administration does not require sterilization of the preparations and the hypodermic syringes. Furthermore, in many situations self-administration of a medicament by parenteral means is not possible for a patient.
In U.S. Patent 5,739,136 to Ellinwood Jr. et al the medicament selected for intraoral administration is one that if given by oral administration is metabolized to an unwanted or aversive metabolite that is increasingly formed during gastrointestinal tract absorption and subsequent portal vein transport into the liver. Examples of such medicaments include not only the benzodiazepines especially a trifluorobenzodiazepine such as quazepam, but also other medicaments where it is advantageous to avoid first-pass metabolism such as the antianxiety/anticonvulsant/antihypnotic agents propoxyphene, nefazodone, trazodone, clomipramine, bupropion and combinations thereof. Unlike Porter, Ellinwood Jr. et al is not only concerned with rapidly attaining effective plasma concentrations of the intraorally administered medicament, but is especially concerned that the medicament include a drug where first pass-metabolism is to be avoided. The intraoral administration of the antianxiety/anticonvulsant/antihypnotic agents decreases the metabolism to the undesired metabolites.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,778 to Jagotec A G, et al. the patent describes a multiple layer tablet capable of liberating one or more drugs at different release rates. This multi-layer dosage form is intended solely for oral administration and therefore must undergo first pass metabolism. Although it contains multiple releasing layers there is no dosage mechanism to provide the advantages presented by intraoral administration.
Remingtons, The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 20th Ed., contains a complete history of dosage forms, including compressed tablets and triturate tablets; therefore, in the present invention no novelty is claimed in the broad practice of producing compressed tablets from dry powder or granulation or triturate tablets molded from a semi-wet powder. The uniqueness of the composition of this invention resides in its ability to provide in one dosage form the best features of both the compressed tablet and the triturate tablet.
The unique features of compressed tablets are well known in the art and is the dosage form most commonly employed as the method of choice for oral administration through which the tablets are digested and the drug absorbed into systemic circulation. Compressed tablets are not fragile and can withstand substantial handling without chipping or cracking. The compressed tablets can be formulated to provide disintegration and or dissolution of the active(s) at a specified time range after ingestion. They can be chewed but when used in this manner the tablets may lose some of their versatility. Compressed tablets can also be coated with a mixture containing a drug which will dissolve before the bulk of the tablet and may be absorbed intraorally. Compressed tablets may be layered, with one or more layers formulated to give early and rapid dissolution of drug in those layers as well as sustained dissolution of drugs in those layers. Compressed tablets may contain beads that are made of drugs in sustained-release or delayed-release forms in the tablet matrix.
Normally compressed tablets are uniformly solid but in this invention by employing tooling with a core rod, a ring shaped or annular tablet is produced, commonly referred to as a compressed annular tablet (CAT). Compressed tablets generally are intended to remain intact and not disintegrate until they reach the stomach or intestine. Compressed tablets are generally formulated with appropriate diluents or binders and/or polymers or waxes to obtain a desired appropriate hardness and are formulated as immediate, sustained or delayed released tablets.
Molded tablet triturates are, on the other hand, less versatile than compressed tablets. Tablet triturates usually are made from moist material comprising mainly one or more water soluble sugars. After the moist mass is incorporated in the mold to form a tablet triturate, the wet tablet triturates are ejected and dried. The resulting tablet triturates are generally more porous than the compressed tablets. Their main advantage is being rapidly disintegradable and soluble or dispersible in salivary fluid. They therefore lend themselves to intraoral administration and the avoidance of first pass metabolism. Triturate tablets have been more characterized by the disadvantages of friability or softness and thus require careful handling to prevent chipping and breaking particularly on their edges. In the present invention this disadvantage is overcome by molding and hence protecting the triturate tablet within center cavity of the compressed annular tablet, thereby eliminating the friability of the triturate while retaining the advantage of a rapidly soluble triturate tablet.
Nowhere in the literature is there a preparation of a triturate tablet which is molded within a compressed annular tablet.
Nowhere in the prior art references is there a disclosure of a pharmaceutical composition of a compressed annular tablet with a molded tablet triturate that effectively administers a therapeutically effective amount of pharmaceutically active ingredients by both intraoral means to obtain a rapid onset of desired therapeutic effect via plasma concentration and by oral means to obtain a more sustaining as well as complementary therapeutic effect.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Pharmaceutical composition for compressed annular tablet with molded triturate tablet for both intraoral and oral administration


A liquid crystal display device is made with plastic substrates (#1) and has an isotropic, non-birefringent polynorbornene alignment layer (#4) formed over an electrode pattern (#2). This isotropic, non-birefringent polynorbornene alignment layer also functions as a moisture barrier to prevent degradation of the liquid crystal fluid. No additional moisture barrier layers are needed.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a passive display device that utilizes the modulation of light within a liquid crystal cell to form a visible image. The LCD generally consists of a layer of liquid crystal fluid (a substance which exists at a state between liquid and crystal) between two systems of electrodes. Typically, one or both of the electrodes are transparent and each of the electrode systems is resident upon a transparent substrate. The two substrates are arranged in parallel fashion so as to form a sandwich. An integrated circuit or driver is used to selectively energize portions of the electrodes while other portions remain neutral. When the driver energizes the electrodes, the liquid crystal fluid between the energized electrodes exhibits hydrodynamic turbulence and disperses light due to a change in optical characteristics such as double refraction, optical rotation, dichroism, or optical scattering. The contrast between the dispersed transmitted and/or reflected light creates the figures or characters in the display.
Liquid crystal fluids are roughly classified into three types; smectic, cholesteric, and nematic. The nematic type of liquid crystal fluid has proven to be the most useful for LCDs, finding many uses in industrial, military and consumer products. The interior surface of each of the substrates in the LCD contains a polyimide alignment layer that has a series of minute grooves that are preferentially oriented in a given direction. The liquid crystal molecules immediately adjacent to each of the plates align themselves with the direction of orientation of the alignment layer, that is, they align themselves with the minute grooves. Those molecules that are between the plates orient themselves into a helix, the ends of which correspond with the alignment direction on each plate. When the alignment directions on each plate are at right angles to each other, the helix makes one quarter of a turn which results in linearly polarized light traversing the cell being rotated through an angle of 90.degree.. The switching in normal twisted nematic (TN) displays usually has a transition time on the order of milliseconds. The liquid crystals used in TN displays are principally cyano-biphenyl, phenylcyclohexane and cyclohexylcarboxylic ester nematic liquid crystals.
In the usual construction, the cell is sandwiched between an upper and a lower polarizing plate or polarizing filter. These polarizing plates are placed on the exterior side of each of the two substrates. Assuming the axes of the polarizing plates to be at right angles to each other, incident light will then be transmitted through the cell due to the optical activity of the liquid crystal material between the plates. However, when the electric field is applied to the selected electrodes by the driver, the liquid crystal molecules lose their optical activity because the axis of the liquid crystal molecule aligns parallel to the applied electric field. Because the polarizing filters are placed at right angles to each other, as the optical activity is lost from the selected portions of the fluid, those portions become opaque, while the remainder of the cell remains transparent. Of course, if the polarizing filters are parallel, the converse takes place.
Twisted nematic (TN) type LCD's are quite popular, and they find many uses in industrial, military and consumer products. However, one drawback is that the glass used for the substrates is fragile and susceptible to breakage. Some have sought to circumvent this problem by making the substrates out of plastic. However, since plastics are not hermetic, is necessary to coat the substrate surface on the inside of the display with a barrier layer to prevent moisture intrusion into the display. If moisture intrusion occurs, the liquid crystal fluid within the cell will degrade, resulting in black spots that are visible in the display's viewing area. Typically, this problem is circumvented by employing a barrier layer of material such as silicon oxide deposited on the plastic substrate by low temperature chemical vapor deposition. After the barrier layer is deposited, the indium-tin oxide electrodes and alignment layer are deposited. Thus, an additional step and an additional layer of material are required to use plastic substrates. It would be desirable addition to the art if plastic substrates could be used without having to resort to additional processing or complexity of the display.

Isotropic, non-birefringent polynorbornene alignment layer for a liquid crystal display


A driving method for a display panel and a display device are provided. The driving method includes: dividing a one-frame period of the display panel into N sub-frames, and setting a light-emitting duration of each sub-frame, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, and i=1 to N; determining, based on a target display brightness value L, a number k of sub-frames in which a sub-pixel is to be driven to emit light, and when k<N, a light-emitting duration of any of the k sub-frames is shorter than a light-emitting duration of any other sub-frame of the N sub-frames in which the sub-pixel is not to be driven to emit light; acquiring a light-emitting brightness value Lemit of the sub-pixel in each of the k sub-frames based on L; and driving the sub-pixel to emit light with the light-emitting brightness value Lemit in each of the k sub-frames.

In the related art, sub-pixels are generally driven to emit light by means of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). Specifically, a width of a pulse can be classified into multiple levels, and the width of the pulse is adjusted to drive the sub-pixels to emit light with different brightness, thereby realizing display at different grayscales. However, since there is a significant difference between a brightness corresponding to the highest grayscale and a brightness corresponding to the lowest grayscale, there is a significant difference between a width of the pulse corresponding to the highest grayscale and a width of the pulse corresponding to the lowest grayscale. Taking the 1st grayscale and the 255th grayscale as examples, a brightness corresponding to the 1st grayscale is 1/200,000 of a brightness corresponding to the 255th grayscale, and a width of the pulse corresponding to the 1st grayscale is 1/200,000 of a width of the pulse corresponding to the 255th grayscale accordingly. However, based on technologies in related art, it is difficult to perform a precise control on the width of the pulse with a precision of 1/200,000, which results in display with a low precision at a low grayscale.

Driving method for display panel and display device

Shanghai AVIC OPTO Electronics Co., Ltd.


Conjugated conductive polymers which are photo-responsive upon ultra-violet light or visible light irradiation are prepared from copolymerization of photo-responsive groups containing heterocyclic monomers and 3-substituted heterocyclic monomers with the substituent containing a flexible segment like an alkyl group, ethoxyl group or siloxane group. The conductivity of the polymer can be controlled reversibly by irradiation of light and so can be used in optical-electronic applications or a production of detectors.

The present invention relates to a photo-responsive conductive polymer and the processes of making the same, and particularly to a copolymerization of the 3-substituted thiophene monomers containing photo-responsive group with 3-substituted thiophene monomers.
Conventionally, the conductivity of a conjugated conductive polymer is about 10.sup.-12 -10.sup.-9 s/cm before doping and about 10.sup.0 -10.sup.5 s/cm after doping. Most of the conductive polymers can not be dissolved in organic solvents or melt-processed due to the rigid conjugated bond. Therefore, the polymers should be introduced with flexible side chains such as long alkyl groups to make the polymer soluble in organic solvents and melt-processable. On the other hand, in order to control the conductivity of the polymers by external stimulation, a photo-responsive functional group should be introduced into the polymers.
However, there is no disclosure related to a conductive polymer with photo-chemically induced property. In the related organic compound, only the Japan National Industrial Chemistry Laboratory discloses the synthesis of an azobenzene group containing 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) derivatives and the making of a Langmuir-Blodget film which can change its conductivity when irradiated with ultra-violet light; the variation range is about 35%. But the entire preparation process is so complicated. Furthermore, the film has poor mechanical strength due to its low molecular weight, and can be easily fractured.

Photo-responsive conductive polymers and the processes of making the same


A method for controlling an optoelectronic component that includes two waveguides. The refractive index of the first waveguide is changed periodically with a first control signal, the amplitude of which is changed between a first amplitude level and higher second amplitude level. The refractive index of the second waveguide is changed periodically with a second control signal, the amplitude of which is changed between the aforementioned first amplitude level and a lower third amplitude level. When the control signals are on their common first amplitude level, the refractive indices of the waveguides are equal and the phase difference between them is zero. When the first control signal is on the second amplitude level and the second control signal on the third amplitude level, the refractive indices of the waveguides are unequal so that their mutual phase difference has a predetermined target value.

In some optical applications, there is a need to change the phase difference between two waveguides, such as waveguides on planar substrates or the like (e.g. optical fibers) as fast as possible. The phase difference can be tuned by changing the optical length (length times the refractive index) in either one or both waveguides so that the optical length difference between them changes.
For example, in an optical 2×2 switch based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), as seen in FIG. 1, a phase difference change between two adjacent waveguides 3 and 4 in the area between directional couplers 16 and 17, induced by heating, makes the switch shift back and forth between the bar and cross states. In the bar state (on-state), the optical power coming from one input is directed to the output of the same waveguide, while in the cross state (off-state) the same power is directed to the output of the adjacent waveguide. If both directional couplers 16 and 17 of the inputs and outputs of the switch are ideal 50:50 power splitters, then the switch is in a cross state (off-state) when the phase difference is 0° (±N·360°) and in a bar state (on-state), when the phase difference is 180° (±N·360°). Between the bar and cross states, the coupling state of the switch changes as a cosine function of the phase difference. If directional couplers are non-ideal 50:50 power splitters, then at least one of the bar and cross states is only partial, in which case such a partial coupling state the output power of neither waveguide is zero and the optical power is split to both outputs in a certain proportion. When the directional couplers 16 and 17 are lossless and mutually identical, the transmission Tx of a waveguide that is crosswise with respect to the input is as a function of the phase difference Δφ according to
            T      x        =                  1        2                                                sin            2                                          (                          π                                                                                r                /                2                                      )                                            [                      1            +                          cos                                            (                                  Δ                                                                                ϕ                                )                                              ]                      ,
where r is the length of the directional coupler in relation to its ideal length. The transmission of the bar state is T||=1−Tx. By using only one input or output port of the aforementioned switch, or by using a symmetrical 1×1 Mach-Zehnder interferometer operating in the same manner, one can realise e.g. a tunable attenuator or an on/off switch. With similar structures one can also realise e.g. tunable wavelength filters.
FIG. 2 represents a schematic cross-section of a known switch, which was already illustrated in FIG. 1. In this example, waveguides 3 and 4 are so called silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides. The switch includes a substrate 12 made of silicon (Si) and which is, in this example, approx. 0.5 mm thick. On top of the substrate 12 lies a thin SiO2 layer 13, which is 1 μm thick. On top of the SiO2 layer 13 is an approx. 5 μm thick silicon slab (Si) 14 covering the whole surrounding of the waveguides. The waveguides 3, 4 are defined by local ridges. Along the ridges the thickness of the silicon layer 14 is 10 μm. On top of the silicon layer 14 is a 1 μm thick SiO2 layer 15. Along the waveguides in positions illustrated in FIG. 1, there are 0.5 μm thick heating resistors 5 and 6 on top of the SiO2 layer 15. The ridge acts as a waveguide and the field, illustrated by the dashed line, propagates along the ridge. Horizontally the waveguide is only bound by the steps, so that the silicon slab 14 extends all the way to the other waveguide. The light remains in the position of the ridge and propagates along the ridge.
For controlling an optoelectronic component, two different methods are previously known. These methods are schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 3 represents a control signal amplitude of the switch as a function of time, when only one of the two adjacent waveguides is modulated with this first control signal, which is electric and substantially rectangular, and which produces a change in the refractive index (that is, in optical length change) and, thus, produces a phase difference between the waveguides. The amplitude of the first control signal is represented in FIG. 3 by a thick black line. The phase difference induced between the waveguides is represented by a dotted line. In the off-state of the switch the amplitude of the first control signal is zero and in the on-state it is in such a value that the optical length of the modulated waveguide has become shorter or longer by half a wavelength (phase difference 180°).
FIG. 4 illustrates another previously known method, which is an alternative to the method illustrated in FIG. 3, where one of the waveguides is being modulated with an electric control signal that substantially consists of two rectangular parts. In this method, the phase difference between the two waveguides can be raised from zero to the desired target value faster than in the previously described first known method. The higher and substantially rectangular first part of the control signal induces a very fast temperature rise in one of the waveguides, because its peak amplitude is significantly higher than what is needed to maintain the waveguide in its target temperature. Compared to the first known method, this method consumes more power, but it has the advantage of faster rise time.
The methods represented by FIGS. 3 and 4 represent the technology which is closest to the invention and correspond to the preambles of claims 1 and 6. According to the known methods, the refractive index of the first waveguide is changed periodically with the first control signal, the amplitude of which is changed periodically between a first amplitude level I, which is substantially zero, and a second amplitude level II, which is higher than the first amplitude level. In the beginning of the rise time period the amplitude of the first control signal can go to a fourth amplitude level (IV), which is distinctly higher than the second amplitude level. When the first control signal is on the first amplitude level I, which is substantially zero, the refractive indices of the first and second waveguide are equal and the phase difference between them is zero. When the first control signal is on the second amplitude level II, the refractive indices of the first and second waveguide are unequal so that the phase difference is in a predetermined target value. In the rise time period of the phase difference the first amplitude level I forms a start level for the first control signal and the second amplitude level II forms its target level. Similarly, in the fall time period of the phase difference the second amplitude level II forms a start level for the first control signal and the first amplitude level I forms its target level.
Furthermore, it is known that the optical length of a waveguide (and the phase of the light propagating along the waveguide) can be changed e.g. by heating, stressing or bending the waveguide, by producing an electric field into the waveguide or by injecting current through the waveguide. Different modulation mechanisms have their advantages and disadvantages with respect to e.g. speed, optical attenuation, electric power consumption, necessary modulation length and costs.
Known thermo-optical switches usually operate with frequencies reaching up to 1 kHz, at the most, but they are relatively simple and inexpensive to fabricate. Their modulation speed is limited by the heat conduction from the heating resistor to the waveguide core and onwards away from the core, as well as by the heat capacity of the waveguide. In general, heating is more efficient and faster when the volume to be heated is smaller. Good thermal conductivity away from the waveguide, e.g. to an underlying cooled substrate, makes the modulation faster, but it also increases the electric power consumption. If a waveguide is small and efficiently thermally insulated from the surrounding, it can heat up fast but cool down slowly. In general, thermo-optical switches heat up significantly faster than they cool down. However, a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguide represented in FIG. 2, for example, heats up and cools down almost as fast, because the heat efficiently spreads along the horizontal silicon and then conducts from a broad area through the thin oxide layer into the silicon substrate. Experiments have shown that due to the good thermal conductivity in SOI-waveguides, the back and forth 180° phase difference changes can be obtained with frequencies reaching up to 10 kHz, which is somewhat faster than in the commercial thermo-optic switches. While modulating one waveguide, the heating power is then approx. 0.3-0.4 W in the on-state and 0 W in the off-state, which is still quite reasonable. The temperature of the waveguide stabilises exponentially, so that, for example, a 90% modulation can be obtained much faster than a 99% modulation.
Furthermore, it is known that a control signal can be used to create an electric field into the waveguide or to produce an electrical current through the waveguide, which enables the realisation of significantly faster switches, but also these have some typical disadvantages, such as higher optical attenuation and higher costs of the technology. These methods also have a finite delay that limits the modulation speed.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,956 describes an optical switch in which the refractive index is controlled by injecting electric current through the material for obtaining internal heating. The publication mentions that the associated switch can reach 1 MHz switching speed. As mentioned above, current injection has the disadvantage of increased optical attenuation.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,822 involves an apparatus where there are different materials between two waveguides and a current injected through the materials simultaneously heats up one waveguide and cools down the other waveguide by exploiting the Peltier effect. When applied to an optical switch, this solution can reach 10 MHz switching speed. The disadvantage of this method is that it requires significant changes in the switching structure and cannot, therefore, improve the switching speeds of existing switches.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,578 describes an optical switch where the refractive index is changed by heating it with a first control signal that is illustrated in FIG. 4. The operation of the associated switch is not particularly sensitive to the exact values of the control signal amplitudes, because the refractive index change of the switch only needs to exceed a given threshold value for deflecting light out of the waveguide. The method only reduces the rise time of the switch and it has not been applied for changing the phase difference between two adjacent waveguides or for accurate tuning of the refractive index.

Method for controlling an optoelectronic component


A clear, stable, dry-and-non-sticky feeling antiperspirant having an antiperspirant active, a solvent, and a polar silicone emollient. The antiperspirant active is solubilized in the solvent. The polar silicone emollient has an OH group or polyether or mixture thereof. The polyether has an average length of 6 or less of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide or butylenes oxide groups or mixtures thereof. The polar silicone emollient has a chain of dimethyl siloxane groups ranging in an average total length of 8 to 40 silicone atoms. The polar silicone emollient has a linker which is a hydrocarbon chain of 1 to 8 carbons in average length. The polar silicone emollient represents from about 1% to about 95%, more specifically from about 5% to about 70%, even more specifically from about 10% to about 40% by weight of the antiperspirant. The antiperspirant may be contained in a pressurized or non-pressurized container.

Clear, stable, dry-and-non-sticky antiperspirant (hereinafter AP) products have long been desired by consumers. Commercially available products today do not meet all of these four consumer desires. For example, water based clear AP products (e.g., simple aqueous solutions of active ingredients and water in silicone emulsions) generally feel wet during application and for a significant period of time thereafter. Another example, clear stick products (e.g., based on active dissolved in propylene glycol and Milithix thickeners) typically feel drier but are still too sticky to achieve broad consumer acceptance.
One known formulation approach for making clear, stable, dry-and-non-sticky feeling AP products is to combine a non-aqueous solution of AP active with a dry-feeling, low viscosity, non-polar silicone emollient. The silicone emollient will reduce the sticky feel of the active solution and impart a dry, lubricous feel to the product. However, use of this approach has been limited because of the incompatibility of the polar, non-aqueous solvents (e.g., diol) used to make solutions of antiperspirant actives and the non-polar silicone emollients.
There have been several ways to overcome this incompatibility presented in the literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,581 discloses the dissolving of an AP active and a non-polar silicone emollient (e.g., cyclomethicone) into an anhydrous ethanol. Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,715, discloses a method of dissolving an AP active in a long chain diol, and then using dimethyl ether as a propellant and coupler for combining the solubilized AP active and a non-polar silicone emollient. U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,489 discloses a method of using a polar silicone emollient (e.g., dimethiconol) as a coupler between a solubilized AP active (e.g., dissolved in a long chain diol) and a non-polar silicone emollient (e.g., cyclomethicone).
In an attempt to improve the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,489, one skilled in the art might try using an alternative class of polar silicone emollients in place of dimethiconol. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,577 discloses polar silicone emollients that would be sufficiently polar to be compatible with the solubilized AP active.
In another attempt to improve the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,489, one skilled in the art might try using yet another alternative class of polar silicone emollients in place of dimethiconol, for instance, dimethicone copolyols. The term dimethicone copolyols describes a class of materials that comprise a silicone chain with attached polar side chains that are typically made of polymers of polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene or mixtures thereof. Dimethicone copolyols have a wide range of molecular weights, viscosities, and polarities thus making this class of compounds useful as surfactants, compatiblizers, and solvents in a wide variety of consumer products ranging from cosmetics to automotive waxes. However, one skilled in the art can not merely substitute a dimethicone copolyol for dimethiconol. In fact, doing so requires more than routine experimentation; such will be exemplified herein.
What is needed is a clear, stable, dry-and-non-sticky feeling anhydrous antiperspirant product based on a solution of an AP active and a select group of polar silicone emollients.

Clear, stable, dry-and-non-sticky antiperspirant having a select group of polar silicone emollients


The present invention relates to a film, in particular to a laser writable film, and to substances used therein, and components thereof. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing the film, uses thereof and products comprising the film.

Polymer films are used in many fields for numerous different uses. Countless different properties are required or desirable depending on the applications in which the films are used. One of the many aesthetic and functional characteristics of a film is the presence and nature of text, images, indicia and other aspects of printed appearance. These function to provide identifying or other useful information or to give a particular appearance for visual appeal or other reasons. They are of particular use where the film is used in packaging.
Many different techniques can be used for printing or marking films and related substrates. Traditionally, substrates have been marked by applying inks and using various printing techniques. More recently, films have been marked using alternative techniques. One such alternative technique is laser marking, whereby laser-sensitive components have been applied to or incorporated within substrates such that laser irradiation can bring about a change in appearance by causing a change in the laser-sensitive components. Laser marking or writing can bring advantages in terms of cost and performance. The desired mark or image can be "printed" without ink, merely by "writing" with a laser. Laser writing is precise and quick, and can be used with materials which are not necessarily flat or uniform. The surfaces of the substrate in most cases do not have their physical characteristics adversely altered (because they do not come into contact with conventional printing apparatus) and the laser writing techniques may be used even where the laser-sensitive components are embedded within the substrate.
One example of a laser-sensitive coating composition is disclosed in WO 2009/024497. This document discloses a composition comprising titanium dioxide in the anatase form and a polymeric binder. The document refers to ultra-violet, visible or infra-red laser irradiation, preferably infra-red laser irradiation. IR absorbers may also be present, for example tungsten suboxide, tungsten bronze, or mixtures of tungsten trioxide, tungsten bronze and metallic tungsten.
Amongst chemicals which can change appearance upon irradiation are certain diacetylene-containing compounds, as disclosed in WO 2009/093028 for example. This document discloses diacetylenes which are polychromic, i.e. which change colour upon irradiation. The polychromic diacetylenes may be present in or on a material so that colour may be imparted to the material, or the colour of the material may be changed upon irradiation. The document discloses that preferred compounds are those which are initially colourless or of low visual colour and which become coloured upon irradiation, and/or compounds which undergo multiple colour changes. For example, the compounds may change from being initially colourless or of low visual colour to become coloured upon irradiation and subsequently to change to a different colour upon further irradiation with the same or different type of radiation. Types of radiation include laser or non-coherent, broadband or monochromatic radiation, ultra-violet, near, mid or far infra-red, visible, microwave, gamma-ray, x-ray or electron beam radiation. The document discloses that, in addition to the diacetylene compounds, there may also be incorporated other compounds which undergo colour change reactions on irradiation, for example "leuco dyes". The document discloses that the polychromic substances may be included in a surface coating formulation or within the bulk of the substrate. The substrates can include thermoplastics.
WO 2009/081385 also discloses diacetylene-containing polychromic materials, and in particular thermoplastic materials comprising polymers and these polychromic substances. The polymers may be polyolefins such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, or mixtures thereof.
WO 2012/114121 relates to the reversible activation of certain diacetylenes. These undergo a topochemical polymerisation reaction to give coloured diacetylenes only when they are simultaneously exposed to additional activating stimuli. This document discloses that reversible activation is advantageous because the compounds have high environmental stability in coatings or in plastics parts. The diacetylene compounds are applied to or incorporated within substrates, the substrates are then exposed to a first activating stimulus which converts the diacetylene compounds from an unreactive form to a reactive form, and subsequently a second stimulus that causes the reactive form of the diacetylene compound to polymerise and form coloured substrates. On removal of the activating stimulus the diacetylene compound reverts to its unreactive form. The substrate may be packaging.
A different type of laser marking is disclosed in WO 2007/141522. In this document, a non-stoichiometric compound such as reduced indium tin oxide (r-ITO) functions as a highly effective absorber of near infra-red radiation and is useful in combination with a marking component such as an ammonium octamolybdate based ink formulation. The result is to produce a colour-forming reaction in respect of a component that would otherwise undergo the desired reaction on irradiation at a different wavelength.
WO 2010/001171 discloses several different types of diacetylene-containing compounds and their uses to impart colour to materials by subjecting the materials to irradiation. Amongst the preferred colour-forming diacetylenes mentioned in the document are those which are capable of forming at least two distinct colours selected from blue, red, green, cyan, magenta and yellow (particularly preferably those which change from colourless to blue), and those which give rise to electrical conductivity as well as colour on polymerisation.
WO 2007/045912 is particularly concerned with laser imaging of substrates such as paper, card or board. This document discloses a method of marking a substrate comprising the steps of coating the substrate with a white or colourless solution of a soluable alkali or alkaline earth metal salt of a weak acid, and irradiating areas of the substrate to be marked such that those areas change colour.
WO 20006/114594 discloses an example of a printing system and apparatus for the laser marking of a substrate. The apparatus comprises a laser diode for emitting a beam of laser light and a galvanometer for aligning a desired point on the substrate with the laser beam such that the laser beam irradiates the desired point thus causing an additive to change colour at said point. The document discloses that the system may be used on a wide variety of substrate materials, for example, metals, alloys, glasses, ceramics, plastics, fabrics, wood, paper, card, resins, rubbers, foams, composites, stone and edibles.
WO 2006/114600 similarly discloses a substrate marking system and apparatus. The emphasis on this document is on multi-colour printing. Additives are used which are susceptible to changing colour to one of at least two selectable colours upon irradiation, each selectable colour being different from the colour of the additive prior to irradiation. As well comprising a laser diode for emitting a beam of laser light and means for aligning a desired point on the substrate with the laser beam, the apparatus also comprises a means for controlling a fluence level of the laser beam to select the resultant colour of the additive from the selectable colours.
WO 92/07297 discloses a laser imagable composition comprising a particular combination of certain polyacetylenic compounds and certain polycarbocyanine dyes. The compositions are prepared under atmospheric conditions by forming a dispersion, emulsion or suspension, preferably an aqueous dispersion in a binder to provide a dispersion containing from about 1 to about 50%, preferably from about 4 to about 20% of solid polyacetylenic microcrystals. The document states that the polycarbocyanine dyes are effective heat transmitting agents and that only small amounts of these dyes are needed to provide desired absorptions. They are said to transmit heat in excess of a critical temperature of the thermochromic polyacetylenes. The polycarbocyanine dyes disclosed in this document are disadvantageous in terms of their optical properties including their colour and transparency. This document does not disclose inorganic energy absorbers/heat transmitters.
WO 2006/051309 discloses a photothermal recording medium which is a colourless or transparent composition comprising a charge-delocalisation compound and a photoacid, wherein the photoacid generates an acid on irradiation or heating, thereby forming a coloured charge-transfer complex with said compound.
WO 2006/113778 is another document which discloses laser activated thermochromic compositions. The document in particular relates to thin films and coatings of such compositions that undergo an irreversible colour change when heated by laser energy. The use of a stabiliser in the form of a radical trap is essential in accordance with this document. Various different types of thermochromic dyes and stabilisers are disclosed.
EP 0 600 441 discloses a laser marking method comprising irradiating laser light on a thermosensitive colour forming ink layer formed on a substrate, the ink layer being formed by printing with a printing ink comprises a leuco dye as a colour former and an acid substance as a colour developer, in which the printing ink further comprises at least one background colour formation inhibitor selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble amino acid, an ammonium salt of an inorganic acid, a pH buffer, and water.
WO 2007/114829 is a further document which is concerned with laser marking and in particular relates to a coating composition which can be used in the product and package labeling field. This document discloses a coating composition comprising electron donor dye precursor particulars encapsulated with a polymer having a glass transition temperature Tg, of from about 150° C. to about 190° C. The document discloses specific electron donor dye precursors as being suitable including fluorine and phthalide compounds. The high temperatures disclosed in this document are disadvantageous in terms of suitability with various polymeric films some of which can only be handled at low temperatures.
WO 2007/057367 discloses tetrabenzodiazadiketoperylene pigments for laser marking. This produces a florescent marking readily apparent under UV light but not readily apparent under ambient light. The document states that this could be useful in for example security marking and brand identification of printed packaging.
EP 1 852 270 relates to laser marking in the context of laminates. One of the layers in the laminate is a transparent thermoplastic resin exhibiting good light transmittance. Another layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer composition containing a chromatic colorant and a black substance in particular ratios. The laminate can be marked in two or more different colour tones by irradiating with two or more laser lights having different energies from each other.
EP 0 764 548 discloses a thermosensitive recording adhesive label sheet comprising various components. A layer is included which comprises an electron donating colouring compound (leuco dye) serving as a colouring agent and an electron accepting compound serving as a colour developer (capable of inducing colour formation in said leuco dye upon application of heat thereto). Other components in the product include a support, a protective layer, an adhesive layer and a disposable backing sheet.
WO 2010/112940 is another document which relates to the use of certain diacetylenes in laser imaging. This document discloses applying activable colour forming compounds to substrates wherein the activable colour forming compounds are initially unreactive but become reactive upon activation. The colour forming compound may be activated in the areas of the substrate were the image is to be formed, followed by reacting the activated colour forming compound into its colour form to produce an image.
WO 2007/003030 discloses acetal copolymers which are thermally reactive near-infra-red absorbing copolymers. The focus is on the production of lithographic printing plates for computer-to-plate and digital offset press technologies, photo resist applications, rapid prototyping of printed circuit boards, and chemical sensor development. The copolymer may be used in the preparation of a coating for use in those product.
WO 2006/018640 relates to multi-colour printing using laser marking with polydiacetylene chemicals. The document states that the polydiacetylenes typically exhibit a colour (or a shade of colour) dependent on the degree of polymerisation and therefore that by controlling the degree of polymerisation of a diacetylene, a variety of colours from blue through to red and possibly even yellow can be produced. In other words, multi colour printing can be achieved simply and specifically, especially by using one or more UV lasers. The method in this document comprises applying a combination of a diacetylene and a photo acid or photo base, and polymerising the diacetylene by radiation, preferably UV radiation, in order to form an image. Polymerisation may occur to differing degrees in different areas, and the laser may be tuneable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,577 discloses laser-markable plastics which comprise, as &pant, graphite particles having one or more coatings. This enables high contrast to be achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,926 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,869 disclose preparation of a supported modulating film having a permanent yellow imaged layer of the homopolymer of 10,12-docosadiyndioc acid monomer.
US 2012/00103045 discloses an intrinsically markable laser pigment in the form of a reducible metal compound.
GB-A-2352854 discloses laser markable materials comprising a thermoplastic elastomeric polymer, pigmented with titanium dioxide.
WO 2010/029276 relates to laser imaging and its use in security applications. This discloses a method of forming an invisible indicium on an article that comprises an outer opaque layer and an inner, laser-imagable layer, which comprises irradiating the article with a laser, whereby the laser radiation passes through the opaque layer, and causes the laser-imagable layer to change colour. The article can be scanned as a security check. Thus, laser imaging is said to be useful in order to mark articles with covert indicia in order to prevent counterfeiting, forgeries and ID theft. This is disclosed as potentially being useful with official documents such as passports, identity cards, bank notes, high branded value goods, pharmaceutical compositions, foodstuffs and pin numbers or other access codes.
WO 2005/068207 is a further document relating to the use of functional IR-absorber/colour developers to enhance laser imaging. For example, certain copper salts are useful in order to bring about a colour-forming reaction that would otherwise occur only at a different wavelength.
WO 20/074548 discloses yet further laser-markable compositions wherein the ink composition comprises a solvent, a binder (preferably but not essentially having a labile group) and an oxyanion of a multivalent metal. The metal oxyanion is preferably ammonium octamolybdate.
WO 2006/108745 discloses coating compositions which yield coloured images of good intensity and durability, which can be modulated in order to achieve either transparent or opaque coatings. Various different compounds are disclosed. The document discloses exposing the parts of the coated substrate, where a marking is intended, to energy in order to generate a colour marking. The energy may for example be infra-red irradiation.
WO 2007/088104 discloses a composition which comprises a latent activator and a colour former. The latent activator may be an acid derivative or a salt of an acid and an amine. The colour former may be selected from various groups including phthalides, fluorans, trarylmethanes, benzoxazines, quinazolines, spiropyrans, quinones, thiazines and oxazines and mixtures thereof. The substrate may be marked by coating a substrate with the composition and exposing those parts of the coated substrates, where a marking is intended, to energy (for example UV, IR, visible or microwave irradiation) in order to generate a marking.
WO 2011/089447 is another case relating to apparatus and systems used for inkless printing. There is a substrate which includes material susceptible to change colour upon irradiation, a radiation source operable to produce radiation at two or more distinct wavelengths, and means for controlling the emission of radiation from the radiation source so as to controllably irradiate selected areas of the substrate with desired quantities of radiation from the radiation source so as to mark the substrate in a desired manner.
WO 2008/107345 discloses a laser-sensitive recording material. There is a substrate coated with a recording layer and an undercoating layer. The recording layer undergoes a colour change on heat treatment produced by laser irradiation and the undercoating layer comprises a pigment.
WO 2008/050153 relates to a laser markable composition comprising a marking component and an organic compound, wherein the organic compound absorbs laser light and causes the marking components to change colour. The organic compound is defined in terms of its absorptivity ratio and various possible organic compounds are disclosed.
WO 2007/063339 discloses a laser imagable marking composition comprising a dye responsive to the presence of hydrogen ions but substantially non-responsive to irradiation or heating, a compound that generates an acid on irradiation or heating, and a binder. The acid-generating compound may be responsive to irradiation, for example near infra-red radiation or UV irradiation. The document discloses that effective marking can be achieved in a variety of colours. The composition is stated as being typically initially colourless or transparent and can be used to mark a substrate or polymer matrix effectively, using non-visible radiation.
Yet further examples of diacetylene laser-writable pigments are disclosed in WO 2010/089595 and WO 2011/121265.


A method and apparatus for providing optimized strong atomicity operations for non-transactional writes is herein described. Locks are acquired upon initial non-transactional writes to memory locations. The locks are maintained until an event is detected resulting in the release of the locks. As a result, in the intermediary period between acquiring and releasing the locks, any subsequent writes to memory locations that are locked are accelerated through non-execution of lock acquire operations.

Advances in semi-conductor processing and logic design have permitted an increase in the amount of logic that may be present on integrated circuit devices. As a result, computer system configurations have evolved from a single or multiple integrated circuits in a system to multiple cores and multiple logical processors present on individual integrated circuits. A processor or integrated circuit typically comprises a single processor die, where the processor die may include any number of cores or logical processors.
The ever increasing number of cores and logical processors on integrated circuits enables more software threads to be concurrently executed. However, the increase in the number of software threads that may be executed simultaneously have created problems with synchronizing data shared among the software threads. One common solution to accessing shared data in multiple core or multiple logical processor systems comprises the use of locks to guarantee mutual exclusion across multiple accesses to shared data. However, the ever increasing ability to execute multiple software threads potentially results in false contention and a serialization of execution.
For example, consider a hash table holding shared data. With a lock system, a programmer may lock the entire hash table, allowing one thread to access the entire hash table. However, throughput and performance of other threads is potentially adversely affected, as they are unable to access any entries in the hash table, until the lock is released. Alternatively, each entry in the hash table may be locked. However, this increases programming complexity, as programmers have to account for more locks within a hash table.
Another data synchronization technique includes the use of transactional memory (TM). Often transactional execution includes speculatively executing a grouping of a plurality of micro-operations, operations, or instructions. In the example above, both threads execute within the hash table, and their accesses are monitored/tracked. If both threads access/alter the same entry, one of the transactions may be aborted to resolve the conflict. One type of transactional execution includes a Software Transactional Memory (STM), where accesses are tracked, conflict resolution, abort tasks, and other transactional tasks are performed in software.
In weakly atomic transactional memory systems, often, only transactional access are tracked. In contrast, in strongly atomic transactional memory systems, to ensure runtime conflicts between transactional memory operations and non-transactional memory operations do not occur, compilers treat each non-transactional memory operation as a single operation transaction. In other words, transactional operations are inserted at non-transactional memory accesses to isolate transactions from affecting non-transactional code. However, execution of extensive barriers at every non-transactional memory operation potentially wastes execution cycles through inefficient barrier code execution.

Efficient non-transactional write barriers for strong atomicity


A load coupling for adjusting torsional natural frequency of a power train includes a first flange having a plurality of annularly arranged connecting holes, a second flange having a plurality of annularly arranged connecting holes and a shaft that extends between the first flange and the second flange. A threaded bore hole is defined within one of the first flange or the second flange radially outward from the plurality of connecting holes. A first threaded plug is seated within the threaded bore hole. The first threaded plug includes a turning end that is axially separated from a contact end. A second threaded plug is seated within the threaded bore hole. The second threaded plug includes a turning end that is axially separated from a contact end. The contact end of the first threaded plug is axially loaded against the contact end of the second threaded plug.

Power trains typically consist of mechanical and electrical systems that generate and deliver power. An example of a power train is a turbine and generator that are coupled together via a load coupling. The turbine applies torque to the load coupling which transfers the torque to the generator to produce electrical power.
The power train has one or more natural frequencies which may be excited by torsional vibrations. The natural frequencies of the power train are dependent on the inertia of the power train. The inertia of the load coupling is a component of the inertia of the power train. Because the inertia of the load coupling affects the natural frequencies of the power train, the natural frequencies of the power train may be adjusted by changing the inertia of the load coupling.
Due to the large size and mass of some power trains such an industrial gas turbine or steam turbine and a generator used in a power generation powertrain, it is difficult to sufficiently modify the turbines and generators, particularly onsite, so as to shift the natural frequencies at which they vibrate after they have been installed. As a result, there is a long felt need to adjust the inertia and natural torsional frequencies of industrial power trains that does not require substantial changes to the turbines or generators.
Known approaches to adjusting the torsional natural frequencies of such power trains involve the use of additional masses arranged about the load coupling. However, many currently known approaches require deformation of the load coupling to retain these masses during operation. Deformation of the load coupling may result in irreversible damage to the load coupling and may limit the ability to fine tune the torsional natural frequencies of the power train. Damage to the load coupling may result in costly repairs and relatively long outage times while the load coupling is repaired and/or replaced. Accordingly, an apparatus for adjusting torsional natural frequencies of power trains which does not require deformation of the load coupling is desired in the art.

Load coupling for adjusting torsional natural frequency of a power train


A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulated instruments extending out of its distal end. A controller is configured to command manipulation an articulated instrument in response to operator manipulation of an associated input device while generating a force command to the input device that nudges the operator to command the instrument to a preferred pose. When a transition is to occur between first and second preferred poses, one is phased in while the other is phased out. Virtual barriers may be imposed to prevent the articulated instrument from being commanded to an undesirable pose.

Medical robotic systems such as teleoperative systems used in performing minimally invasive surgical procedures offer many benefits over traditional open surgery techniques, including less pain, shorter hospital stays, quicker return to normal activities, minimal scarring, reduced recovery time, and less injury to tissue. Consequently, demand for such medical robotic systems is strong and growing.
One example of such a medical robotic system is the DA VINCI® Surgical System from Intuitive Surgical, Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., which is a minimally invasive robotic surgical system. The DA VINCI® Surgical System has a number of robotic arms that move attached medical devices, such as an image capturing device and Intuitive Surgical's proprietary ENDOWRIST® articulating surgical instruments, in response to movement of input devices by a surgeon viewing images captured by the image capturing device of a surgical site. Each of the medical devices is inserted through its own minimally invasive incision into the patient and positioned to perform a medical procedure at the surgical site. The incisions are placed about the patient's body so that the surgical instruments may be used to cooperatively perform the medical procedure and the image capturing device may view it without their robotic arms colliding during the procedure.
To perform certain medical procedures, it may be advantageous to use a single entry aperture, such as a minimally invasive incision or a natural body orifice, to enter a patient to perform a medical procedure. For example, an entry guide may first be inserted, positioned, and held in place in the entry aperture. Articulated instruments such as an articulated camera instrument and a plurality of articulated surgical tool instruments, which are used to perform the medical procedure, may then be inserted into a proximal end of the entry guide so as to extend out of its distal end. Thus, the entry guide accommodates a single entry aperture for multiple instruments while keeping the instruments bundled together as it guides them toward the work site.
A number of challenges arise in medical robotic systems using such a bundled unit, however, because of the close proximity of the articulated camera and tool instruments. For example, because the camera instrument has proximal articulations (e.g., joints) that are not visible from the distal tip camera view, the surgeon can lose track of the current state of such articulations when moving the camera and consequently, their available range of motion. Also, when the articulations of the camera and tool instruments are out of view of the camera and therefore, not visible to the surgeon through its captured images, the surgeon may inadvertently drive links of the tools and/or camera instruments to crash into one another while telerobotically moving the articulated instruments to perform a medical procedure. In either case, the safety of the patient may be jeopardized and the successful and/or timely completion of the medical procedure may be adversely impacted.

Application of force feedback on an input device to urge its operator to command an articulated instrument to a preferred pose


An electrical device having a resistive element having a first electrode in electrical contact with the top surface of the resistive element and a second electrode in electrical contact with the bottom surface of the resistive element. An insulating layer is formed on the first and second electrodes. A portion of the insulating layer is removed from the first and second electrodes to form first and second contact points. A conductive layer is formed on the insulating layer and makes electrical contact with the first and second electrodes at the contact points. The conductive layer has portions removed to form first and second end terminations separated by electrically non-conductive gaps. The wrap-around configuration of the device allows for an electrical connection to be made to both electrodes from the same side of the electrical device.

It is well known that the resistivity of many conductive materials change with temperature. Resistivity of a positive temperature coefficient ("PTC") material increases as the temperature of the material increases. Many crystalline polymers, made electrically conductive by dispersing conductive fillers therein, exhibit this PTC effect. These polymers generally include polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene/propylene copolymers. Certain doped ceramics such as barium titanate also exhibit PTC behavior.
At temperatures below a certain value, i.e., the critical or switching temperature, the PTC material exhibits a relatively low, constant resistivity. However, as the temperature of the PTC material increases beyond this point, the resistivity sharply increases with only a slight increase in temperature.
Electrical devices employing polymer and ceramic materials exhibiting PTC behavior have been used as overcurrent protection in electrical circuits. Under normal operating conditions in the electrical circuit, the resistance of the load and the PTC device is such that relatively little current flows through the PTC device. Thus, the temperature of the device due to I.sup.2 R heating remains below the critical or switching temperature of the PTC device. The device is said to be in an equilibrium state (i.e., the rate at which heat is generated by I.sup.2 R heating is equal to the rate at which the device is able to lose heat to its surroundings).
If the load is short circuited or the circuit experiences a power surge, the current flowing through the PTC device increases and the temperature of the PTC device (due to I.sup.2 R heating) rises rapidly to its critical temperature. At this point, a great deal of power is dissipated in the PTC device and the PTC device becomes unstable (i.e., the rate at which the device generates heat is greater than the rate at which the device can lose heat to its surroundings). This power dissipation only occurs for a short period of time (i.e., a fraction of a second), however, because the increased power dissipation will raise the temperature of the PTC device to a value where the resistance of the PTC device has become so high that the current in the circuit is limited to a relatively low value. This new current value is enough to maintain the PTC device at a new, high temperature/high resistance equilibrium point, but will not damage the electrical circuit components. Thus, the PTC device acts as a form of a fuse, reducing the current flow through the short circuit load to a safe, relatively low value when the PTC device is heated to its critical temperature range. Upon interrupting the current in the circuit, or removing the condition responsible for the short circuit (or power surge), the PTC device will cool down below its critical temperature to its normal operating, low resistance state. The effect is a resettable, electrical circuit protection device.
Particularly useful devices of this type generally include a PTC element sandwiched between a pair of laminar electrodes. In order to connect devices of this type to other electrical components, terminals are commonly soldered to the electrode. The soldering process, however, can adversely affect the resistance of a polymeric PTC element. Moreover, since electrical connection generally occurs on opposing sides of the PTC element, devices of this type commonly take up more space on a PC board than is necessary.

Surface mountable electrical device comprising a PTC element


An expansible reinforcer for reinforcing a hollow structural member of an automobile, aircraft, boat, etc. is provided. The reinforcer is flexible/bendable and comprises a synthetic, resin-based expansible reinforcing material secured thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcer comprises a plurality of supports pivotally connected to one another in a train-like arrangement. The reinforcing material is formed of a thermally expansible composition which preferably has an expansion temperature similar to the temperatures achieved in specific stages of a particular manufacturing process (e.g., such as the temperature at which the paint bake or powder bake stage is carried out in the automobile manufacturing process). The inventive reinforcer is capable of being fed into the opening of a tight cavity on a structural member so as to provide uniform reinforcement of the structural member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly directed towards a reinforcer and method of using the reinforcer to reinforce hollow structural members such as those commonly found in vehicles. More particularly, the reinforcer comprises a support having an expansible, synthetic resin reinforcing material attached thereto, wherein the reinforcer is sufficiently flexible or bendable to allow it to negotiate nonlinear or irregular shaped cavities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the design and development of automobiles, trucks, aircraft, watercraft, etc., much of the body structure includes hollow cavities, rails, or frame sections. Many times, the structural integrity of the body is improved through increasing the stiffness in localized critical areas. Increased stiffness in these areas generally results in reduced vibration, noise, and/or fatigue propagation. Additional stiffness in these areas has also provided energy management during crash or impact situations.
Many attempts have been made to reinforce these cavities. One such method involves introducing self-sustaining, reinforcing products into the cavity, either with or without a support or carrier structure. However, these methods generally result in the addition of excess weight to the structural member which is undesirable in most instances.
Attempts have also been made to utilize reinforcing products which are lighter in weight or which do not use a support structure, but these attempts usually involve products which lack the necessary strength for properly reinforcing the structural member. Many times the foamable portions of these products do not sufficiently expand upon heating due to the fact that the center of the material is not being properly heated during the activation process. That is, the size of the foam product is sufficiently thick that the core of the product is exposed to minimal heat, thus preventing the core from fully expanding. This can lead to an inadequately reinforced structural member.
Furthermore, many of the structural members that need reinforcement have cavities that are irregular in shape or narrow in size, thus making them difficult, if not impossible, to sufficiently position currently available reinforcing apparatuses therein. For example, the windshield and side pillars on an automobile are typically curved and quite narrow. As a result, currently available reinforcing products generally cannot be passed into the curved, narrow member in the manner necessary to achieve evenly distributed reinforcement along the length of the member. Thus, in order to properly reinforce these pillars, manufacturers must provide parts especially fabricated for a particular pillar. This requires a high degree of manufacturing tolerance and does not allow a single part to be used for a wide variety of hollow structural members.
There is a need for a lightweight, high-strength reinforcing product which is sufficiently versatile to be readily inserted into a wide array of small or irregularly-shaped channels.
The instant invention overcomes these problems by providing a thermally expansible reinforcer for reinforcing a hollow structural member (such as an automobile rail) having a small and/or irregularly shaped cavity.
In more detail, the reinforcing member includes a plurality of pivotally connected sections (such as ball-and-socket connections) with each section comprising a support and a thermally expansible material attached thereto. The support is preferably formed of nylon or metal and each support can be shaped as a tubular, box-like structure which can be used in a wide array of cavities. Alternately, one or more of the supports can have a special shape (e.g., pyramidal) to allow the reinforcer to readily enter particularly tight areas.
The reinforcing material is preferably a synthetic, resin-based material which expands when subjected to temperatures achieved at specific points in a manufacturing process (e.g., such as during the paint or powder bake stages of automobile manufacturing processes). This expansion is achieved either by internally created thermal energy or by the external application of heat to activate the material. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cthermally expansiblexe2x80x9d means both internally created thermal energy and the external application of heat to expand and foam the reinforcing material. The expansion temperature of the material should be at least about 300xc2x0 F.
The inventive reinforcers are particularly useful in that their pivotal connections allow them to be easily fed lengthwise into the opening of a structural member. Furthermore, by utilizing a reinforcer having a number of interconnected sections, reinforcement of the structural member is uniformly distributed over the length of the member.


Disclosed is a method of producing cones and pillars on polymethylmethacralate (PMMA) optical fibers for glucose monitoring. The method, in one embodiment, consists of using electron beam evaporation to deposit a non-contiguous thin film of aluminum on the distal ends of the PMMA fibers. The partial coverage of aluminum on the fibers is randomly, but rather uniformly distributed across the end of the optical fibers. After the aluminum deposition, the ends of the fibers are then exposed to hyperthermal atomic oxygen, which oxidizes the areas that are not protected by aluminum. The resulting PMMA fibers have a greatly increased surface area and the cones or pillars are sufficiently close together that the cellular components in blood are excluded from passing into the valleys between the cones and pillars. The optical fibers are then coated with appropriated surface chemistry so that they can optically sense the glucose level in the blood sample than that with conventional glucose monitoring.

The quantification of chemical and biochemical components in aqueous fluids, and particularly in biological fluids, such as whole blood or urine and in biological fluid derivatives such as serum and plasma, is of ever increasing importance. Important applications exist in medical diagnosis and treatment and in the quantification of exposure to therapeutic drugs, intoxicants, hazardous chemicals and the like. These applications include the detection and quantification of an increasing variety of certain circulating antibodies, cancer-related metabolites, genetically derived chemical tracers, and hormones emitted during events such as pregnancy. In many instances, the amounts of materials being determined are minuscule in the range of a microgram or less per deciliter.
One common medical test is the measurement of blood glucose levels by diabetics which is more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,937 ('937) of H. Nomura and herein incorporated by reference. Portions of the teachings of the '937 patent are used herein for the sake of completeness. The glucose determination, as described in the '937 patent, typically entails the diabetic piercing the skin of his or her finger with a lance, followed by squeezing or expression of a blood droplet. The blood droplet is then transferred to a reagent pad or test strip. The amount of blood that is conveniently expressed from a finger prick is governed by the size and depth of penetration of the lance. Too small a nick results in an inadequately sized blood sample for the intended analysis. Conversely, too deep a nick results in an oversized blood sample. Pain is experienced in the lancing procedure, and the degree of pain is associated with the size and depth of penetration of the lance.
The teachings of the '937 patent provides a textured site allowing for an increased surface area compared to other prior art devices, for use in blood sampling. The increased surface area provides an advantage relating to minimizing the invasive feature of glucose testing because the surface area being very small, greatly reduces the level of analyte-responsive needed to be deposited to perform the glucose determination. Increased surface area allows one to utilize a small blood droplet, for instance, a droplet having a volume of one (1) to five (5) microliters, or preferably 1 to 2.5 microliters. The '937 patent allows for a reduction relative to the prior art thereof, of about one-fifth to about one-tenth of the fluid volume necessary blood glucose sensing. It is desired that further improvements to the surface area be provided, so as to correspondingly reduce the amount of blood necessary for determination of glucose for diabetics.
The '937 patent provides a textured surface using various means, such as ion beam sputtering, plasma etching including atomic oxygen plasma, physical abrasion, chemical etching, sputtering or ablation by high energy beams, or deposition of dendritic-like structures thereon. The textured surface of the '937 patent is intended to provide a means for separating cellular components in blood from the plasma of the blood so as to allow optical sensing of the glucose concentration in the blood. The processes described in the '937 patent for developing the textured surface need to produce a cone or pillar structure at the ends of optical fibers or other sensing surfaces which are sufficiently close—so as to prevent the cellular components from entering the microscopic valleys between the cones or pillars so that optical sensing of the glucose concentration can be performed. Also, it is desired to have a sufficiently high aspect ratio (height to width) of cones or pillars to allow sufficient surface area for optical determination of the glucose concentration in the blood.
In pursuit for finding desired pillar structures for the textured surfaces, some of the different processes mentioned in the '937 patent were investigated and may be further described with reference to FIG. 1 herein, which illustrates a Scanning Electron Microscope image of the end of a polymethylmethacrylate optical fiber that was textured by the use of thermal energy (<0.5 eV) atomic oxygen through salt dust for enhancing texturing.
The disadvantages of prior art results shown in FIG. 1 is that the craters produced were too wide to prevent cellular blood components from entering the optical sensing areas and the aspect ratio (height to width) of the surface features does not offer high gains in surface area relative to flat surfaces. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the cone or crater ridges are approximately 20-30 microns apart far too much to achieve their desired goals. More particularly, the spacing between cones or ridges needs to be ≦5 microns to block the entry of blood cells into the cone valleys. Thus, the craters did not provide separation of the plasma from the blood in the areas of the valleys between the cones or pillars where optical sensing of the glucose concentration needs to occur. Use of thermal energy (<0.5 eV) atomic oxygen, sometimes referred to as isotropic thermal energy, to texture the surfaces of clear polymers such as polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene or other hydrocarbon polymer (even with the use of small particle salt shielding) causes wide almost hemispherical craters to form surface features which are only as high as they are wide. The aspect ratio of only approximately one (1) requires greater volume blood samples than desirable. It is desired that textured surfaces for optical sensors used for blood testing be provided that provide cones or pillars that are spaced apart from each other by less than 5 microns, preferably about 1 micron, and having an aspect ratio (height to width) of greater than one (1).
The previously mentioned related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/942,637 filed Sep. 16, 2004 describes a process for providing optical sensors having the desired spacing between cones or pillars of less than 5 microns and an aspect ratio of greater than one. Although U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/942,637 achieves its desired goals, it is further desired that an additional process be provided that produces optical sensors having a textured surface comprising cones or pillars that are spaced apart from each other by less than five (5) microns, preferably about 1 micron, and have an aspect ratio of greater than one (1) micron.
Another process related to optical fibers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,737B1 ('737B1) of Walt et al that employs photolithograph. The cost of using photolithography on the ends of multiple bundle fibers is exceedingly high for blood glucose monitoring because it is extremely difficult to simply stack a half million of the multiple bundle fibers together to be used for blood glucose monitoring and perform photolithography thereon as disclosed in the '737B1 patent. More particularly, because of the small size and the requirement that only short (1-2 cm) lengths need to be used for blood glucose monitoring, it would require the half million stacking. This stacking can be simplified however, as contemplated by the practice of the present invention, by using large single fibers where no individual surface treatment need be applied. Thus, the cost of the complex process of the '737 patent to place surface texture on the associated fibers is unnecessarily and disadvantageously high.

Protective coating and hyperthermal atomic oxygen texturing of optical fibers used for blood glucose monitoring

The United States of America as represented by the Administration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


The invention relates to an electrode for biomedical measurements, in particular for measurements for electrical impedance tomography, which permits measurements with as little interference as possible. The electrodes comprise a contact plate, a line driver with a high-impedance signal input and low-impedance line output and a current source, with a current output and a reference point, whereby the contact plate is connected to the high-impedance signal input of the line driver and to the current output of the current source and the line driver and the current source are arranged in the vicinity of the contact plate.

In electrical impedance tomography for regional measurement of pressure-volume ratios, a number of electrodes are placed around the thorax, an alternating current, for example, in the range of 1 kHz to 1 MHz at an amplitude in the range of 1 μA to 10 mA being applied to respective adjacent electrodes. The other respective electrodes are used with the alternating current applied in order to carry out an impedance measurement relative to a defined reference potential. As soon as all the electrodes have been used in turn as current-conducting electrodes, a cycle is completed for data acquisition. In order to eliminate statistical interferences, a plurality of data acquisition cycles are generally averaged in order to obtain a corresponding image. The largest impedance changes in the region of the thorax are produced by the inhalation and exhalation of air. It can be observed in the process that the impedance change measured by the electrodes is a measure for the volume change in the lung. A two-dimensional or even three-dimensional image of the impedance changes can be constructed on the basis of a computer-assisted evaluation of the signals at the electrodes.
The artificial respiration of the diseased lung in which oedemas have formed is a particular problem as it cannot be precisely monitored whether the lung is already closed or collapsed in certain parts. It has been found in this instance that the mortality rate can be substantially lowered if a specific pressure, which just allows all the alveoli to be kept open is artificially maintained in the lung.
For this purpose, WO 00/33733 describes how the alveolar opening and the alveolar closing of the lung can be determined as a function of the respiratory pressure from the measured impedance changes by electrical impedance tomography. However, in this vital application, relatively large measuring errors have to be ruled out as far as possible.
Important measuring errors in electrical impedance tomography are based on the changing impedances of the feed lines to the electrodes and the transition resistances between the skin of the patient and the electrodes. As these interfering impedances are located in series to the impedance to be measured, the interfering impedances directly enter the measurement as errors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,662 describes various measures in terms of circuitry for an evaluation apparatus to reduce the above-mentioned measuring errors. The respective electrodes, however, continue to be connected via feed lines which lead from the electrodes to an evaluation apparatus set up next to the patient, so measuring errors continue to occur owing to impedance changes at the feed lines.
J. D. Bronzino, The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, CRC Press, 1995, pages 745 to 757 describes various types of so-called biopotential-electrodes which are designed as passive electrodes to pick up potentials on the body. It is also mentioned inter alia, that operation amplifiers configured as isolation amplifiers can be integrated on the electrode. Further wiring of the electronics integrated in the electrode is not mentioned, however. This is primarily because the electrodes have to be used as disposable articles for reasons of hygiene and therefore an expensive wiring of the electrode is out of the question for reasons of cost.


A ball and socket joint providing longevity especially suitable for use in implants in human bodies. The ball is designed to incorporate specified strength, hardness, and smoothness characteristics. The socket has a cooperating bearing surface which is less hard than that of the ball. This combination of characteristics lead to maximal mutual bearing contact which minimizes local friction and abrasion. Both components are biologically inert. One component is hydrophilic. The ball is preferably formed from a ceramic, such as a metal or silicon oxide or carbide. The socket preferably has a noble metal alloy liner partially surrounding the ball. The socket further includes an insulator isolating the liner from the socket structural member, should the latter be formed from a different metal. The liner can be formed in complementary segments to avoid fracture or splitting. The liner is either mechanically entrapped by the socket structural member or is adhered thereto. The novel ball and socket joint minimizes wear and chemical, electrochemical, and mechanical deterioration in the environment of the human body.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a ball and socket joint particularly suitable for a prosthesis. More specifically, construction of the joint includes a relatively pliant socket material, while the ball has a hard, rigid surface. Unlike many prior art joints employing polymer liners, the relatively pliant material is selected from a material which is usually categorized as hard, such as metals. The benefit obtained by relative compliance is that when forces are imposed urging the ball against the socket, one contact surface yields and conforms to the other contact surface. Mutual contact area is thereby maximized, thus reducing maximal loading at any one localized point. When maximal localized loads are minimized, wear is mitigated.
A crucial combination of characteristics of the respective materials include specified values of surface hardness, tensile strength, smoothness, and breaking stress. Materials forming the contact surfaces are selected to further include biocompatibility, lack of cold flow, and susceptibility to advantageous forming techniques such as isostatic forming, rolling, and machining.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Prosthetic ball and socket joints are called upon to provide many qualities rendering them durable and suitable for their biological environments. Consequently, they are fabricated to precise dimensions from exotic, expensive materials. Also, they are implanted within a person in a demanding surgical operation, which also is expensive. Therefore, it is expensive and undesirable to require a replacement procedure in the lifetime of the patient. It follows that it is imperative that the joint last as long as is feasible.
Wear is a consideration in longevity of the ball and socket joint. Wear can modify the relative positions of the ball and socket, and can also release or generate debris in the form of particles, which can interfere with various body functions. Either of these two conditions may require that the joint be replaced with a new joint.
Another important consideration is that of progressive chemical deterioration of a component of the joint, particularly where mechanical removal of chemically formed films is a possibility. Chemical deterioration can lead to degradation of the smoothness of one surface or another. This has unfavorable implications for friction and consequent generation of localized heat and also for abrasion. Both localized heat and abrasion can reduce longevity of the implanted joint.
The wear aspect of joint operation has generally been addressed in the prior art by maximizing smoothness and hardness of the contact surfaces of the ball and socket members. An example is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,794, issued to James A. Davidson on Oct. 6, 1992. Davidson teaches coating of prosthetic surfaces with zirconium nitride and oxide. Unlike the device of Davidson, the present invention sets forth certain critical characteristics of materials selected for ball and socket components, and also specified quantitative values for these characteristics. U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,694, issued to James A. Davidson on Dec. 6, 1994, also discusses zirconium oxide and nitride, but sheds little if any further light on the novel parameters.
A method resulting in a titanium nitride surface of improved hardness and reduced friction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,362, issued to H. Ravindranath Shetty et al. on Jul. 5, 1994. As in the case of Davidson, Shetty et al. is silent regarding the role of the combination of novel combination of characteristics, and upon the specified quantitative values thereof which form the thrust of the present invention.
A resilient member lining a rigid socket is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,779, issued to Marc H. Schlosser et al. on Jun. 20, 1995. However, unlike the present invention, the lining member is preferably made from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Deficiencies of UHMWPE are noted in Davidson '794, and include, among other characteristics, creepage upon heating. By contrast, the resilient lining member of the present invention is made from a material not susceptible to creepage or flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,499, issued to Philp Shelley on Jun. 8, 1993, describes the socket of a ball and socket joint which has screw holes penetrating the socket member. However, Shelley fails to discuss the novel combination of characteristics, including the specified quantitive values thereof.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.