An improved manually pushed snow shovel in which the user's natural pushing force acts to alleviate stalling friction. A version of a manually pushed snow shovel having features of this invention comprises a blade with a leading edge, a handle attached to the blade, and at least one, although two are preferred, ski runner(s) attached to the blade. The ski runner(s) are attached such that when in the shovel is in use, the leading edge of the blade is at or behind the portion of bottoms of the ski runner(s) normally in contact with the ground. This ensures that the shovel pivot point or point of downward vertical force from the snow load is forward of the leading edge relative to forward movement of the shovel. As such, the user's natural forward pushing on the handle and hence indirectly to the blade results in the leading edge moving upwards away from the ground upon encountering increased friction due to heavy snow or rough ground surfaces.

This invention relates to snow shovels, and more particularly to manually pushed snow shovels. Traditional snow shoveling involves lifting and throwing snow which is hard work and potentially injurious to the user's back. To reduce the work and use of the back, shovels have been developed which allow the user to physically push the snow aside rather than having to lift it. Snow is moved off of horizontal ground surfaces by sliding the push blade across the ground surface, collecting the snow on the blade and then moving the snow to a desired location and tilting or lifting the blade to remove the snow from the blade. Existing manual push shovels are not entirely adequate for the job, however, since movement through the snow can stall before an entire pass is achieved. Snow shovel stall is a consequence of the snow load compressing ahead of the blade and friction of the blade with the ground which increases in accord with the snow load increase and ground irregularity. Once stall has occurred, snow is lifted and thrown or more time is expended to slide it away on the shovel.
Certain designs in the prior art are designed to allow the user to scrape the ground in order to assure a good snow removal job. These prior art shovels have a wheel or a skid system located under the blade and behind its leading edge. Some examples of such wheel supported shovel blades are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,206,235: 1,232,361; 2,460,560; 2,598,952, 2,772,490; 2,846,785; and 2,852,872. Some skid supported shovel blades are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,484,409 and 5,271,169 and Canadian Patent Numbers 687,138 and 892,438.
Support behind the blade leading edge provides a fulcrum point on which the shovel user pivots the blade edge downward by the horizontally forward and the resultant upward pushing force on the handle which is the natural direction in the course of moving snow. The resultant upward motion of the handle from the pushing of the shovel horizontally forward is the result of the forward pivoting of the handle due to a friction increase against the blade. A shovel user of the prior art will have to expend energy away from the task of moving snow by fighting the shovel handle tendency to pivot forward and upward by exerting a downward counter pivoting force on the shovel handle. The prior art with the blade support behind the leading edge has this problem with blade friction with the ground and catching on irregularities in the snow.
The location of blade support behind the leading edge was apparently the logical place to carry the snow load and does somewhat reduce blade friction with the ground. However, the downward pivoting of the blade as a result of the natural forward and upward pushing force on the shovel handle results in a friction increase at the blade leading edge as the pushing on the handle is increased to overcome an increasing snow load. The increasing friction and any ground irregularities contribute to the stalling of blade forward motion. The user's natural forward and upward pushing force intensifies the stall. A downward push on the handle is required to lift the blade up and free it so the snow load can be dumped or slid out of the snow removal path.
Other shovel blades shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,865,373 and 928,283 have wheels or revolving bodies in front of the blade leading edge. These relatively small wheels or bodies hold the blade leading edge close to the ground. The problem with this scheme is that during snow shoveling, the small wheels tend to get stuck in slush and surface irregularities found in gravel driveways, grass turf, brick walkways, and frozen ruts.
While small wheels can get stuck, larger wheels positioned forward of the blade may not. However, larger wheels and their mounting assembly required to hold the blade close to the ground tend to be expensive. Larger wheels resist forward motion when they freeze or rust, and by their higher profile or greater surface area against the snow.
According to this reasoning the shovel of U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,373 provides a second set of larger wheels behind and under the blade where they are less subject to breakage or failure by freezing or rusting. This also increases the blade longitudinal support and fixes the blade angle and height over and out of ground and reduces the weight shift forward to the small front wheels. So fixed and designed, the blade can build a snow load ahead of it which contributes to stalling by friction buildup or catching of the wheels.
Similar to other shovels with runners or wheels behind the blade leading edge, the specified way to relieve this friction on the U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,373 shovel is to unload the blade by moving the blade handle downward to raise the blade leading edge away from the ground. This downward movement of the shovel handle while maintaining forward shovel movement is difficult and results in snow being left behind. As stated earlier, the user natural force on the shovel handle is horizontally forward and upward and this natural force tends to intensify stalling in heavy snow.
Skids shaped with a curvature like skis or runners are found in a variety of devices more complex and elaborately constructed than a simple manual push shovel. The snow blower of U.S. Pat. No. 2,605,561 shows runners to guide a shallow angled blade over the ground. As in the prior art push snow shovels, most of the weight is balanced over the rear wheels located slightly behind the center of gravity. This precludes a forward pivot of the blade. Instead, the blade is freed traditionally by a downward handle motion that raises the blade upward while pivoting on the rear wheels.
Some automobile or truck pushed snow removal devices have had runners which carried the weight of their shovel blades directly under the blade leading edges. However, these vehicle pushed snow removal devices have fixed blade angles and fixed blade heights. The runners were actually displaced from and indirectly attached to the blades. The displaced runners of the vehicle pushed snow shovels were designed to have the flat portions of the runners maintain contact with the horizontal ground surface to be plowed. There is no pivoting on the feet or runners upon which the weight of the blades are held since the rear of the blades are affixed at a set height to a vehicle. This prohibited any rotation or pivoting of the blades on these devices. Comparison with manually pushed snow shovels is limited as a result. Some examples of vehicle pushed snow removal devices which carry the weight of the blade directly below to behind the leading edge of the blades on the flat portions of the runners are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,884,720 and 3,391,478.
Push snow shovels of the prior art utilize skids or wheels under the blade and behind the blade leading edge. These skids or wheels support the snow load. These designs provide some improvement in the physical work required, however blade edge friction with the ground is still a problem especially over rough surfaces. The user natural forward force on the handle that causes the shovel to move forward also causes the blade edge to scrape the ground with increasing friction as the snow load builds. Eventually a stall occurs by this friction or when the blade edge or small wheels catch on a rough surface or thick wet snow.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a manually pushed snow shovel with which the user's natural forward and upward pushing force on the shovel handle alleviates rather than intensifies stalling friction with the ground.


A portable, modular blood analyzer capable of analyzing multiple blood values in an inexpensive, relatively simple, easy-to-use and easy-to-maintain instrument. The invention comprises a three-part system including an analyzer body, calibrant cartridge, and sensor cartridge. A modular calibrant cartridge is insertable into the analyzer body, and contains all necessary calibrant fluids as well as a waste container. A modular sensor cartridge having integral pump tubing plugs into the analyzer body for easy removal and replacement of the sensor elements. The analyzer body internally has modular units including an electronics module, a display module, and a fluidics/printer module. The analyzer uses a single pump head to aspirate blood only to a sensor array within the sensor cartridge. This action is accomplished by aspirating blood by rotating an peristaltic pump in one direction during a first portion of an analysis cycle, and by reversing the pump and flushing the blood from the sensor cartridge with fluid pumped from the opposite direction during a second portion of an analysis cycle. Accordingly, blood contacts only a small portion of the analyzer mechanism, most of which is disposable. Because all valves are "downstream" from the single pump, no blood products pass through any valves. The analyzer fluid handling section is easily cleaned by removal of the sensor cartridge, yielding a single tube pathway. A short path length for blood travel permits using blood samples as small as 200 .mu.l. The analyzer is light-weight and modular in design and is fully automatic.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to blood analyzers, and more particular to portable blood analyzers capable of analyzing multiple analytes.
2. Description of Related Art
Blood analyzers are medical instruments capable of analyzing one or more analytes, such as blood values for oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, hematocrit, and electrolytes, such as potassium, sodium, and calcium ions. Most prior art blood analyzers capable of measuring more than one analyte are complex, requiring specialized service skills and operator experience. Such multiple analyte blood analyzers have generally weighed in excess of 30 pounds, and have had sensor electrodes and plumbing (fluid path) that are complicated and require specialized knowledge to service. Many such blood analyzers require tonometered gases in rigid or semi-rigid tanks to calibrate the sensors.
Prior blood analyzers have also often suffered from problems relating to clotting or blockage by proteinaceous materials which occlude fluid handling elements of the instrument. Analyzers which carry blood samples over long distances through multiple banks of electrodes are more susceptible to such problems. Also, blood elements tend to obstruct traditional valving systems. When blood obstruction occurs in instrumentation, intensive disassembly and servicing has generally been required. Generally, blood analyzers having longer blood paths have more valves, and are generally complex and costly.
Accordingly, after noting the limitations of the above-described prior art, the inventors of the present invention have devised a new blood analyzer that overcomes these problems.

Portable modular blood analyzer with simplified fluid handling sequence


A radiation shielded semiconductor package for use in any variety of industries and applications is disclosed. In one embodiment, a radiation shielded semiconductor package comprises a radiation shielding base, one or more non-shielding sidewalls coupled to the shielding base, one or more radiation shielding flanges coupled to the sidewall, and one or more non-shielding coupling flanges coupled to the shielding flange. The base, the non-shielding sidewall, the shielding flange, and the non-shielding coupling flange define a device cavity, and at least one semiconductor device is positioned within the device cavity. A radiation shielding lid is coupled to the coupling flange and hermetically seals the semiconductor device within the device cavity. The shielding lid comprises shielding lid body and a non-shielding lid flange coupled to the lid body and is configured to couple to the coupling flange.

Semiconductor devices have gained widespread acceptance in a vast array of fields. Indeed, these devices have changed the way we live. Exceedingly, these devices are being utilized more and more in challenging environments, such as high radiation environments. The negative effects of radiation on integrated circuits and semiconductors have been long known. As a result, a number of techniques have been developed to protect integrated circuits and semiconductor packages from radiation. For example, in space applications, a number of methodologies have been employed with varying degrees of success.
One technique presently used requires the manufacture of specially designed radiation hardened or radiation tolerant semiconductor devices configured to operate within a radiation environment. While these specially designed devices have proven successful in some applications, a number of shortcomings have been identified. For example, the performance characteristics of these specially designed devices are less than optimal. Further, the cost of the devices is much higher than commercially available semiconductor devices.
In response to the shortcoming associated with specially designed devices, a number of alternate methodologies have been developed. One technique utilizes one or more layers of material to house and protect integrated circuits from the bombardment of natural radiation. External component shielding consists of satellite body panels, printed circuit boards, and any other materials that form the body of a satellite or a device carried by the satellite. Optionally, specially designed boxes constructed of selected shielding materials may be used to house and protect the integrated circuits and semiconductors from radiation. While these external-shielding techniques have proved successful in some applications, a number of shortcomings have been identified. For example, the addition of external shields to a satellite increases satellite weight, thereby requiring more fuel to deliver and maintain a satellite within a desired orbit. In addition, external shields occupy additional space on the satellite, thereby limiting payload capacity.
Recently, a number of radiation shielded integrated circuit packages have been developed. Generally, these devices utilize a radiation shielding material integrated into the integrated circuit or semiconductor device package. Typically, a radiation shield is bonded to a surface of the device package. While these devices addressed some shortcomings of external shield architectures, a number of shortcomings of these systems have been identified. For example, specialized manufacturing techniques are commonly required to incorporate the radiation shielding materials into the integrated circuit or semiconductor package manufacturing process. As such, the time and cost of manufacturing these devices is considerably higher than conventional semiconductor manufacturing costs.
In light of the foregoing, there is an ongoing need for a radiation shielded integrated circuit or semiconductor package which may permit the use of commercially available semiconductors in a radiation environment.

Radiation shielded semiconductor package


Embodiments of bone anchored expander devices described herein along with the protocol provide improved orthodontic/orthopedic appliances and protocol for expanding or contracting, protracting or retracting, extruding or intruding the upper jaw and dental arch unilaterally or bilaterally in parallel or non-parallel way, as well as enlarging the nasal cavity and nasopharyngeal airway. This expander design and protocol gives the clinician the ability to direct expansion or constriction, protraction or retraction, extrusion or intrusion forces to various segments of the maxillary jaw and arch in parallel or nonparallel configuration minimizing the need for major osteotomies.

Orthodontists and dental researchers are constantly searching for new and improved ways to correct the problem of upper and lower jaw transverse constriction or anteroposterior deficiencies with collapsed dental arches and faces causing narrow jaws, deficient faces causing narrow upper airway disorders including sleep disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnea.
Currently, expansion of the maxilla relies on rapid palatal expander devices that deliver forces to break the mid-palatal and circummaxillary sutures to facilitate transverse and sagittal dentofacial correction.
Current orthodontic or orthopedic devices for spreading the jaws, dental arches, or upper airways have not been entirely satisfactory because patients frequently have a dentofacial issue with several aspects, and such devices are typically designed to treat only a single aspect of a deformity, leaving other aspects still needing treatment. That is, currently available devices are incapable of simultaneously performing any two of the following actions: 1) bone anchored expansion, 2) contraction in side-to-side (transverse) extent, 3) protraction or retraction in front to back (sagittal) and intrusion or 4) extrusion in up and down (vertical) directions bilaterally or unilaterally, in parallel or unparallel action. As a result, in most cases with deficient transverse, sagittal and vertical maxillary or mandibular jaw or arch form deficiencies, during the correction, the discrepancy in one or two directions will be left without having been properly treated.

Pharyngorofacial expander appliance and protocol


A laser beam temporally modulated in amplitude by a modulator and shaped into a long and narrow shape by a beam shaper is rotated around the optical axis of an image rotator inserted between the beam shaper and a substrate. Thus, the longitudinal direction of the laser beam having the long and narrow shape is rotated around the optical axis on the substrate. In order to perform annealing in a plurality of directions on the substrate, the laser beam shaped into the long and narrow shape is rotated on the substrate while a stage mounted with the substrate is moved only in two directions, that is, X- and Y-directions.

The present invention relates to a laser annealing method and a laser annealing apparatus suitable for irradiating an amorphous or polycrystalline semiconductor film formed on an insulating substrate with a laser beam so as to improve the film quality or enlarge or mono-crystallize crystal grains.
At present, a flat panel type display unit using a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel is developed and put or being put into practical use. The display panel in such a display unit has a large number of pixels in its display region. The pixels are arrayed two-dimensionally (in a matrix) out of thin film transistors (TFTs) formed of an amorphous silicon film or a polycrystalline silicon film formed on a substrate of glass, fused quartz or the like. An image is formed by switching on/off the thin film transistors corresponding to the pixels. The thin film transistors of the pixels are driven and switched by a driver circuit provided outside the display region.
If the driver circuit for driving the thin film transistors of the pixels can be formed together on the substrate of the display panel, it can be expected to dramatically reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the reliability. However, due to the poor crystallinity of the silicon film forming an active layer of each thin film transistor, the performance of the thin film transistor represented by mobility is so low that it is difficult to produce a circuit required to have a high speed and a high function, such as the aforementioned driver circuit.
High-mobility thin film transistors are required to produce such a high-speed and high-function circuit. To this end, it is necessary to improve the crystallinity of the silicon thin film. Excimer laser annealing has got a lot of attention as a method for improving the crystallinity. According to this method, an amorphous silicon film formed on an insulating substrate of glass or the like is irradiated with an excimer laser so that the amorphous silicon film is transformed into a polycrystalline silicon film. Thus, the mobility is improved. However, the polycrystalline film obtained by the excimer laser irradiation has a crystal gain size of about several tens of nanometers to several hundreds of nanometers, which is insufficient in terms of performance to be applied to a driver circuit for driving a liquid crystal panel, or the like.
As a solution to this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a temporally modulated in amplitude continuous wave laser beam is condensed linearly so as to perform irradiation while scanning at a high speed. Thus, crystal grains are grown laterally with respect to the scanning direction so as to increase the crystal grain size. According to this method, the whole surface of a substrate is made polycrystalline due to excimer laser annealing, and only a region where a driver circuit should be formed is then scanned with a laser beam in a direction following a current path (drain-source direction, also referred to as "channel") of a transistor to be formed, so as to grow crystal grains. As a result, any grain boundary crossing the current path is prevented from existing, so that the mobility is improved on a large scale.
Patent Document 2 discloses a laser annealing technique in which the longitudinal direction of a laser beam spot is made parallel to the longitudinal direction of a region to be irradiated therewith so that the irradiation efficiency of the laser beam is enhanced.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-124136    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 209069/1998    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 352419/1999

Laser annealing apparatus and annealing method of semiconductor thin film using the same

Abstract: In such a manner, the substrate can be scanned at a high speed with a continuous wave laser beam modulated temporally in amplitude and shaped into a long and narrow shape, without rotating the substrate. Thus, a semiconductor film can be annealed.


Disclosed are formulations for enhancing the in vivo colonization of probiotic microorganisms that include digestive enzymes and probiotic microorganisms, and polysorbate surfactants. The enzymes include lactogenic enzyme formulations that promote growth of Lactobacillus probiotics, bifidogenic enzyme formulations that promote growth of Bifidobacterium probiotics and combination formulations that benefit both types of probiotics. It has been discovered that certain polysorbate surfactants, including polysorbate-60 and polysorbate-80, further promote probiotic microorganism growth, when used with the enzyme formulations. The formulations are preferably compounded as dry powders, to avoid water reaction with the enzymes in blended formulations. Such formulations can be contained in capsules, tablets, packets or bottles and administered orally, either sequentially or in one combined formulation.

Dietary supplements containing viable probiotic bacteria are increasing in popularity in the marketplace as their health benefits become recognized. Reported benefits range from alleviating constipation and diarrhea to reducing various intestinal infections such as those caused by rotaviruses, pathogenic E. coli and Helicobacter pylori as discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,090,840 and 7,029,669. Beneficial species of Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria are among the widely recognized probiotics, and strains of these bacteria that are capable of colonizing the intestinal tract are advantageous (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,150,986 and 6,887,465).
Colonization may involve physical attachment to epithelial cell surfaces such as those of the microvilli in the ileum section of the small intestine, or simple domination of the contents of the cecum, or adherence within the mucin layers of the colon. There is much to learn about how probiotics colonize the mammalian intestinal tract but it has been established that when colonization occurs, more probiotic microorganisms appear in the feces and this correlates with more probiotic microorganisms in both the proximal and distal sections of the intestinal tract. See Muralidhara et al, 1997, Journal of Food Protection Vol. 40, No. 5, Pages 288-295. Young pigs were used to demonstrate the relationship between colonization and fecal probiotic counts in Muralidhara's work; the porcine intestinal tract is very similar in physiology to the human intestinal tract and similar studies with young pigs are presented in examples of the present invention to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Colonization that results in the competitive exclusion of pathogenic microorganisms is particularly beneficial and can occur when probiotics occupy most of the intestinal attachment sites and are encouraged to produce lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds. Effective intestinal colonization by probiotics depends on the availability of proper microbial nutrition that must be provided by the diet. See Gibson et al 1995, Gastroenterology 106: 975-982; Christl et al, 1992, Gut 33: 1234-1238 and Reid et al, 1990, Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 3: 335-344. However, normal diets do not provide nutrients that necessarily benefit probiotics so there is a need to fortify the diet with such nutrients. Prebiotics are one class of microbial nutrients that are currently popular in the marketplace. They are typically certain oligosaccharides that are not digested in the small intestine but serve as nutrients for select probiotic bacterial genera, e.g., bifidobacteria, when they arrive in the colon. An article titled "Prebiotics Enhance Gut Health" by Laura Brandt is available online at the nutrasolutions website; another titled "Prebiotics: A More Reliable Way to Increase Gut-Friendly Bacteria" by Dr. James Meschino is available at the chiroweb website, in the archival section. Today, a variety of functional foods are fortified with prebiotics such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin, in an effort to provide probiotic stimulation in vivo. This practice adds cost to the foods being fortified and is not very effective in stimulating Lactobacillus probiotics. Thus, there is a need for reducing the cost of prebiotics while providing for both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium stimulation.
Although enzymes have been used to generate prebiotics under laboratory conditions followed by subsequent feeding of the preformed prebiotics to achieve probiotic stimulation (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,791,015 and 6,730,502), no one has suggested using enzymes to generate these effects in vivo. U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,350 discloses the use of the prebiotic enzymes cellulose, amylase and hemicellulase, for use as dietary supplements, but not use of these enzymes to stimulate administered probiotics, or enhancement of their prebiotic effect by addition of polysorbate compounds. U.S. patent application 20010031276 discloses the use of polysorbate compounds as feed additives for ruminant animals but does not relate to their use in combination with prebiotics and probiotics, or their use in non-ruminant animals.
If polysorbate surfactants are combined with enzymes, water activity (Aw) becomes important. High levels of Aw, e.g., Aw>0.04, can significantly destabilize the shelf life of certain enzymes. Polysorbates are viscous, sticky, non-aqueous liquids that are not available in dry form. Before incorporation into enzyme formulations, polysorbates must be rendered into dry powders and the Aw of any formulation containing them should be below 0.04.
"Internal Probiotic Culture" or IPC, as used herein, is the totality of viable probiotic microorganisms present in the intestinal tract at any given time: i.e., the sum of probiotic microorganisms adhering to intestinal epithelial cells, mucous and mucin layers, ingested food and waste material. It is desirable to enhance the IPC of humans and mammals. IPC can be estimated from the total viable Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacteria counts (colony forming units) present in fresh fecal matter.

Formulations including digestive enzymes and polysorbate surfactants that enhance the colonization of administered probiotics microoganisms


An image forming apparatus includes: an image data generation unit configured to write at least one of image data for print output and image data for confirmation display based on intermediate data on an object included in print data and store the image data in a buffer; an intermediate data generation unit configured to generate the intermediate data based on comparing a resolution or gradation of a target object with an output resolution or output gradation that is defined based on a size of the buffer, adjusting a resolution to either the resolution of the target object or the output resolution and adjusting gradation to either the gradation of the target object or the output gradation; a printing unit configured to print using the image data for print output; and a display unit configured to display a print preview.

1. Field of the Invention
Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this background section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section. The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that has a print function and is capable of displaying a print preview on a screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical printing system can display a print preview on a monitor screen.
Specifically, a bitmap image (image data) generated for printing by a printer apparatus is returned to a host computer, thereby enabling the print preview to be displayed on a monitor connected to the host computer.
According to such a printing system, a print result can be confirmed before execution of the printing.
Incidentally, the number of gradation levels of color per pixel that can be reproduced by a display device such as a monitor or a liquid crystal panel is larger than the number of gradation levels of the printer apparatus. In some instances, the number of gradation levels produced by the printer apparatus may be shown by increasing or decreasing dots.
For example, a printer apparatus generally known to output high gradation reproduces color tones normally by no more than 16 gradation levels (gradation values of 0 to 15) for each of the CMYK colors. Alternatively, the monitor can reproduce an abundance of colors by combining color values of as many as 256 gradation levels (gradation values of 0 to 255) for each of the RGB colors.
Therefore, assuming that it is desirable to print a high-gradation image, the typical printer apparatus generates image data for print output by lowering the gradation of the image. When the image data, with lowered gradation, is used to display the image for confirmation before printing, the print preview is displayed on the monitor screen with rough colors.
If the print preview can be generated while maintaining the gradation of an object, it is possible to faithfully reproduce the original color tones.
When a high-gradation image object is developed into bitmap data with its gradation maintained, an amount of data thereof becomes large. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the capacity of a memory corresponding thereto.
Further, high-gradation image data exceeding the output gradation cannot be used for print output as it is. Rather, at a time of printing, it is necessary to generate the image data for print output corresponding to the output gradation.
It should be noted that in order to save a memory usage amount, a method that uses the print preview having a low resolution is conceivable, but it is difficult to define a reference to which the resolution is lowered. Further, if the resolution is uniformly lowered for individual objects, reproducing the objects may be difficult depending on attributes of the respective objects.

Image forming apparatus capable of displaying print preview on screen


A fused tension-based fiber grating pressure sensor includes an optical fiber having a Bragg grating impressed therein. The fiber is fused to tubes on opposite sides of the grating and an outer tube is fused to the tubes to form a chamber. The tubes and fiber may be made of glass. Light is incident on the grating and light is reflected from the grating at a reflection wavelength xcex1. The grating is initially placed in tension as the pressure P increases, the tension on the grating reduced and the reflection wavelength shifts accordingly. A temperature grating may be used to measure temperature and allow for a temperature-corrected pressure measurement.

This invention relates to fiber optic pressure sensors, and more particularly to a fused fiber grating pressure sensor.
Sensors for the measurement of various physical parameters such as pressure and temperature often rely on the transmission of stain from an elastic structure (e.g., a diaphragm, bellows, etc.) to a sensing element. In a pressure sensor, the sensing element may be bonded to the elastic structure with a suitable adhesive.
It is also known that the attachment of the sensing element to the elastic structure can be a large source of error if the attachment is not highly stable. In the case of sensors which measure static, or very slowly changing parameters, the long term stability of the attachment to the structure is extremely important. A major source of such long term sensor instability is a phenomenon known as xe2x80x9ccreep,xe2x80x9d i.e., change in strain on the sensing element with no change in applied load on the elastic structure, which results in a DC shift or drift error in the sensor signal.
Certain types of fiber optic sensors for measuring static and/or quasi-static parameters require a highly stable, very low creep attachment of the optical fiber to the elastic structure. Various techniques exist for attaching the fiber to the structure to minimize creep, such as adhesives, bonds, epoxy, cements and/or solders. However, such attachment techniques may exhibit creep and/or hysteresis over time and/or high temperatures.
One example of a fiber optic based sensor is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,702 entitled xe2x80x9cHigh Sensitivity Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor for Use in Harsh Environmentsxe2x80x9d to Robert J. Maron, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In that case, an optical fiber is attached (by high temperature epoxy) to a compressible bellows at one location along the fiber and to a rigid structure at a second location along the fiber with a Bragg grating embedded within the fiber between these two attachment locations and in tension. As the bellows is compressed due to an external pressure change, the tension on the fiber grating is reduced, which changes the wavelength of light reflected by the grating. In that case, the attachment technique is an adhesive compound or bond, a mechanical attachment (shrink or press fit), or a welding or soldering of a metal coated fiber to a metallic rigid member. However, if the attachment of the fiber to the structure is not stable, the fiber may move (or creep) relative to the structure measurement inaccuracies.
In another example, a optical fiber Bragg grating pressure sensor secured in tension to a glass bubble by a UV cement is discussed in Xu, M. G., Beiger, H., Dakein, J. P., xe2x80x9cFibre Grating Pressure Sensor With Enhanced Sensitivity Using A Glass-Bubble Housing,xe2x80x9d Electronics Letters, 1996, Vol. 32, pp. 128-129.
However, as discussed hereinbefore, such attachment techniques may exhibit creep and/or hysteresis over time and/or high temperatures, or may be difficult or costly to manufacture.
Objects of the present invention include provision of a fiber optic pressure sensor with minimal creep.
According to the present invention, a pressure sensor is provided, comprising: an optical fiber, having at least one pressure reflective element embedded therein, the pressure reflective element having a pressure reflection wavelength; sensing means, fused to at least a portion of the fiber on opposite sides of the reflective element, for holding the fiber on opposite axial sides of the reflective element and for adjusting the strain on the fiber in response to external pressure; the reflective element having a predetermined amount of tension pre-strain; and the sensing means being strained due to a change in pressure, the strain causing a change in the pressure reflection wavelength, and the change in the pressure reflection wavelength being indicative of the change in pressure.
According further to the present invention, the sensing means comprises: a pair of end tubes being fused to at least a portion of the fiber on opposite sides of the reflective element; and an outer tube being fused to the end tubes. Additionally, the sensing means comprises a tube fused to at least a portion of the fiber on opposite axial sides of the reflective element. Further, according to the present invention, the reflective element is a Bragg grating.
The present invention provides an optical fiber and fiber grating put in tension within an all glass housing. The fiber is attached to the housing by fusing the fiber on opposite axial sides of the grating to the ends of the housing, thereby providing a creep resistant attachment of the fiber to the housing. Additionally, the outer walls (or cylinder or tube) of the housing are fused to the ends of the housing to provide an all glass enclosure which holds the optical fiber and grating in tension. In one further embodiment, pistons are used to provide a length amplification xcex94L/L. Still further, an outer tube may be fused to the fiber on opposite axial ends of the grating area adjacent to or a predetermined distance from the grating.
One or more gratings, fiber lasers, or a plurality of fibers may be used to sense the pressure. The fiber may be fused within the tube or partially within or on the outer surface of the tube.
The present invention substantially eliminates creep and other fiber attachment problems. Further, the invention provides low hystersis. Also, more than one grating may be embedded in the fiber in the sensor. Further, the invention may be used as an individual sensor or as a plurality of distributed multiplexed sensors. Also, the invention may be a feed-through design or a non-feed-through design.
The invention may be used in harsh environments, such as in oil and/or gas wells, engines, combustion chambers, and the like. In one embodiment, the invention may be an all glass sensor capable of operating at high pressures ( greater than 15 kpsi) and high temperatures ( greater than 150xc2x0 C.). The invention will also work equally well in other applications independent of the type of environment.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof.

Fused tension-based fiber grating pressure sensor


There is disclosed a viscoelastic resin composition for vibration damping material containing as essential components a polyester resin having a molecular weight of 5,000 to 50,000 and an acid value of 50 to 500 equivalents/10.sup.6 g, at least 80 mol % of the polycarboxylic acid component of which is an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and, at least 30 mol % of the polyol component of which is a compound of the formula (I): EQU H--(OR.sub.2).sub.n --O--A--R.sub.1 --A--O--(R.sub.2 O).sub.n --H(I). wherein R.sub.1 is oxygen or a straight or branched chain C.sub.1-6 alkylene group; R.sub.2 is a straight or branched C.sub.1-6 alkylene group; A is a group of the formula: ##STR1## (wherein R.sub.3 is hydrogen or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group); and n is an integer of 1 to 6, an acid anhydride compound having at least two acid anhydride groups in a molecule, and an epoxy compound having at least two epoxy groups in a molecule.

Recently, noises and vibration problems have become an objective of public concern as an environmental pollution with development of transportation means and increase in residential areas which are located near factories and the like. Further, in a workshop, there is a tendency to limit noises and vibration to improve working atmosphere. To cope with this tendency, it is requested to impart vibration damping property to a metallic material, namely, to impart a function to a noise generating member itself so that the member can absorb its own vibrational energy and convert it into heat energy to attenuate frequency of vibration or vibrational amplitude, thereby noise is decreased. Further, it is requested to improve such a function.
Based on these requests, as one of vibration damping materials having desired properties, there has been proposed a vibration damping material having a composite laminate structure wherein a middle layer having viscoelasticity is sandwiched by metal layers. This type of a composite vibration damping material has been studied and employed as oil pans of automobiles, engine covers, chutes of hoppers, stopper of conveying apparatus, domestic electric equipments, vibration reducing members of other metal processing machines, structural members of precision machines in which prevention of vibration is desirable and the like.
In general, vibration damping property of such a composite vibration damping material depends upon the properties of a viscoelasticity layer which constitutes the middle layer thereof. When vibration damping property is expressed as a loss factor (which is a measure of conversion of an external vibration energy into a heat energy by internal friction, and corresponds to a value relating to mechanical hysteresis loss due to vibration), the property shows a peak at a certain temperature. It has been known that it is most effective to use a vibration damping material at about this temperature showing the peak property.
Hitherto, as a viscoelastic composition which constitutes the middle layer of such a composite vibration damping material, there have been known a simple polyester (Japanese Patent Kokai No. 50-143880) or a polyester to which a plasticizer is added (Japanese Patent Kokai No. 51-93770); a simple polyurethane foam (Japanese Patent Kokai No. 51-91981); a simple polyamide (Japanese Patent Kokai No. 56-159160); a simple ethylene-polyvinyl acetate copolymer (Japanese Patent Kokai No. 57-34949); a composition of a polyvinyl butyral or a polyvinyl butyral and a polyvinyl acetate to which a plasticizer and a tackifier are added (Japanese Patent Kokoku No. 55-27975); a copolymer of a isocyanate prepolymer and a vinyl monomer (Japanese Patent Kokoku No. 52-26554); copolymers disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokoku Nos. 39-12451 and 45-34703 and Japanese Patent Kokai No. 62-74645; and the like.
Further, in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 63-56522, there is disclosed an amorphous polyester showing excellent vibration damping property at 80.degree. to 100.degree. C. However, it is used in a thermoplastic state and, therefore, adhesion at a high temperature (80.degree. to 100.degree. C.) is insufficient and durability is also insufficient.
As the properties which are required for a composite vibration damping material, first of all, vibration damping property must be high. This is generally expressed by the magnitude of a loss factor. Secondly, a composite vibration damping material is also used as structural members and is subjected to processing such as press and the like and, therefore, it is also required that adhesive strength between a viscoelastic middle layer composed of a viscoelastic resin and a metal layer, particularly, adhesive strength under shear must be high. Thirdly, sometimes, a pressed composite vibration damping material is further subjected to a baking finish process and it is heated to about 200.degree. C. and, therefore, it is also required that the viscoelastic middle layer does not run-off at about the above temperature. Fourthly, it is used as structural components of various structures such as machines and the like and, therefore, durability is also required.
A composite vibration damping material made of the above known viscoelastic composition has problem in any of these properties and is unsatisfactory.
Particularly, in a vibration damping material having a composite laminate structure, a temperature range showing a peak vibration damping property is at above a glass transition temperature of the viscoelastic middle layer resin. When a temperature rises to higher than the glass transition temperature, adhesion which remarkably influences on durability is rapidly lowered.
In general, it is difficult to obtain both satisfactory vibration damping property and durability in a composite laminate structure. Particularly, in the case of a material which is usually used in a high temperature range between 60.degree. to 160.degree. C. and, at the same time, vibration damping property is required at this temperature range, no material which satisfies both properties has not been found.
It has been known that an amorphous polyester resin is superior in vibration damping property (Japanese Patent Kokai Nos. 62-295949, 63-75056, 63-186757 and 63-56522). However, in the amorphous polyester resin, the above tendency is also remarkable. Particularly, when a temperature rises to higher than the glass transition temperature, durability is lowered due to decrease in adhesion, hydrolysis of the resin and the like.
In a crystalline polyester resin, durability at a temperature higher than the glass transition is insufficient and vibration damping property is inferior in comparison with the amorphous polyester resin.
Further, in order to improve durability, curing of the middle layer can be applicable. However, even if it is cured by using an isocyanate crosslinking agent which is normally used, sufficient durability can not be obtained. Further, even if an epoxy curing agent is used, a material which satisfies all of vibration damping property and adhesion at a high temperature range as well as durability can not be obtained.
As described above, no vibration damping material which satisfies various properties at a high temperature range and good durability has not been obtained according to a conventional technique.

Viscoelastic resin composition or vibration damping material


Thin film photovoltaic devices are generally provided having three terminals. In one embodiment, the thin film photovoltaic device can include a first submodule defined by a first plurality of photovoltaic cells between a first dead cell and a first terminal cell; a second submodule defined by a second plurality of photovoltaic cells between a second dead cell and a second terminal cell; and a joint bus bar electrically connected to the first dead cell and the second dead cell. The first dead cell is adjacent to the second dead cell, with the first dead cell being separated from the second dead cell via a separation scribe. Methods are also generally provided for forming a thin film photovoltaic device.

Thin film photovoltaic (PV) modules (also referred to as "solar panels") based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) paired with cadmium sulfide (CdS) as the photo-reactive components are gaining wide acceptance and interest in the industry. CdTe is a semiconductor material having characteristics particularly suited for conversion of solar energy to electricity. For example, CdTe has an energy bandgap of about 1.45 eV, which enables it to convert more energy from the solar spectrum as compared to lower bandgap semiconductor materials historically used in solar cell applications (e.g., about 1.1 eV for silicon). Also, CdTe converts radiation energy in lower or diffuse light conditions as compared to the lower bandgap materials and, thus, has a longer effective conversion time over the course of a day or in cloudy conditions as compared to other conventional materials. The junction of the n-type layer and the p-type layer is generally responsible for the generation of electric potential and electric current when the CdTe PV module is exposed to light energy, such as sunlight. Specifically, the cadmium telluride (CdTe) layer and the cadmium sulfide (CdS) form a p-n heterojunction, where the CdTe layer acts as a p-type layer (i.e., an electron accepting layer) and the CdS layer acts as a n-type layer (i.e., an electron donating layer).
The photovoltaic modules are typically deployed in the field by connected a plurality of modules in series to form a "string" of PV modules. The fewer strings that can be used, the lower the total balance of the system costs. However, the number of solar modules in each string is limited in total voltage per string. With respect to CdTe PV modules, which have relatively high voltage per cell due to the relatively high band gap of CdTe, fewer modules can be linked together in each string than may be desired.
Thus, a need exists for photovoltaic modules having lower voltages, particularly with respect to CdTe photovoltaic devices.

Three terminal thin film photovoltaic module and their methods of manufacture


The present invention is a soil remediation system which uses naturally occurring barometric pressure oscillations to remediate volatile contamination in the vadose zone. By applying a surface seal, a collection plenum and a unidirectional gas relief valve to the soil surface above the contaminant plume, the present invention induces a net upward soil gas velocity in the contaminated soil. The sinusoidal velocity of the soil gas is rectified by the present invention to eliminate or minimize its downward velocity component and allow a normal upward velocity component. The resulting net upward velocity sweeps contaminant vapors from the source, releasing them up to the atmosphere through the gas relief valve in small concentrations. This process is regular and steady, and is accomplished without the use of ground bore holes, off-gas treatment or onsite power. Consequently, it is a low cost remediation system applicable to surface contamination above the vadose zone such as may be found in leaking buried pipes, surface spills, buried waste containers, and shallow landfills.

Records of the effects of atmospheric pressure fluctuations on subsurface gas date back to early observations of weather patterns. The flow of air throughout cave entrances, particularly during rapid barometric pressure changes, are recorded throughout the world. The atmospheric pressure effect and its implications for gas transport is mentioned in a 1904 monograph describing the release of carbonic acid from soil and its replacement with oxygen from the subsurface in response to atmospheric pressure changes. See E. Buckingham, Contributions in Our Knowledge of the Aeration of Soils, U.S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Soils Bulletin. This monograph describes a soil cleaning effect that occurs because of barometric changes and suggests that the response of subsurface air pressure changes are damped and time delayed with respect to surface pressure changes. The monograph further suggests that the amount of damping and delay increases with further depth into the soil.
From a study of atmospheric pressure, it is known that oscillations in barometric pressure are naturally periodic and sinusoidal in nature. Such oscillations are also diurnal, resulting from both daily temperature changes in the earth's atmosphere and the passage of weather fronts. Daily pressure variations resulting from temperature changes average about 5 millibars (one millibar is approximately one thousandth of an atmosphere), while those due to weather front passages can be 25 or more millibars.
As the barometric pressure rises (such as on a downward oscillatory cycle), a gradient is imposed on the earthen soil gas which drives fresh surface air into the near surface of the soil. As the pressure drops (such as on an upward oscillatory cycle), soil gas very near the soil surface vents upward from the surface into the atmosphere. This cyclic phenomena is observable with perforated wells which are formed in the ground through bore holes. Such wells are observed to "breathe" in that they inhale ambient air from the surface and exhale soil gas during cyclic barometric pressure changes. This well "breathing" results primarily from pressure differentials that occur between the soil air pressure near the open end of a well and the surrounding atmospheric barometric pressure.
Gas trapped in the earthen soil is capable of movement in the soil under several conditions. The total movement of soil gas in the earthen soil depends primarily on the magnitude and frequency of the barometric pressure oscillations, the soil gas permeability and the depth (or distance) to an impermeable boundary. Such an impermeable boundary can include a localized water table, bedrock or extensive layers of low permeability material (such as caliche or clay). Since the daily change in atmospheric pressure is small (typically 0.5 percent), the overall net soil gas displacement during the daily cycle is also small (with an estimated range of centimeters to meters). Furthermore, the daily oscillations in atmospheric pressure always return to a mean value. Therefore, over a period of time, no significant net soil gas displacement occurs in the subsurface due to advective forces alone.
The dominant characteristic defining the magnitude and frequency of soil gas movement is due to the approximately 5 millibar variation which results daily from heating and cooling of the atmosphere. In higher permeable soil, the gas velocities will be greater for a given atmospheric pressure variation. Peak gas velocity also increases as the depth to an impermeable layer increases. The peak soil gas velocity, as determined by analytically modeling the soil gas response, will range from 0.2 to 0.8 meters/day for a typical range in permeability (1 to 10 Darcies) and depths to an impermeable layer of 50 meters or more. Under natural conditions, this oscillatory movement results in no net flow because it always returns to its mean value.
Soil gas movement is also triggered by composition of the source contaminant. For example, volatile contamination sources typically exist as liquid deposits in the soil. The liquid evaporates and results in an initial vapor concentration in the air immediately adjacent to the liquid. Contaminant vapor diffuses away from the contaminant source at a rate governed by the diffusion constant of the contaminant in soil gas, the porosity of the soil, the soil tortuosity (deviation from a straight line path through the soil pores), absorption of the contaminant into the soil, the ability of the adjacent soil to supply adequate thermal energy to vaporize the liquid contaminant and other related effects. Under these situations, analysis of soil gas diffusion is analogous to heat transfer, where gas concentration is substituted for temperature and an effective soil diffusivity is substituted for the heat transfer constant.
The diffusion of soil gas is also caused by density of the contaminant which might be sufficient to drive the gas vapors towards the water table. Such "density induced" transport of soil gas are induced by temperature and contaminant concentration gradients in the soil gas. An effective remediation system must counteract these forces.
While there are numerous strategies for removing soil gas contaminants from the earthen soil, two techniques receive the most attention: active vapor extraction and passive vapor extraction.
Active vapor extraction involves withdrawing soil gas from contaminated areas of the vadose zone and then treated for removal of volatile organic compounds ("VOCs"). Unlike passive vapor extraction, however, active vapor extraction techniques require the disturbance of the earthen soil, such as digging or boring a well into the subsurface soil. These bore hole wells typically employ a blower, compressor and/or a vacuum device in an attempt to remove contaminated vapor from the well site to the surface for treatment and/or discharge. The typical active vapor extraction system also includes a water knockout tank to remove entrained water, an air cooler to reduce the temperature of the gas stream temperature downstream of the blower, canisters for absorption of VOCs, and a process control system. Typically, active vapor extraction techniques rely on horizontal transport of subterranean gas into the well, which is then vented out vertically within the well by the assistance of the blower and/or vacuum device. These techniques are featured in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,288,169 to Neeper, 5,271,693 to Johnson et al, 5,076,727 to Johnson et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,888 to Braithwaite et al. Another example of removing contaminated soil gas from the ground involves the application of heat in the soil by injecting heated posts into the ground, again illustrating disturbance of the soil. These techniques are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,209,604 to Chou and 5,244,310 to Johnson.
Sites having a high concentration of contamination are perfect candidates for active vapor extraction. Active vapor extraction could be used to extract soil gas from areas of high volatile organic compound ("VOC") concentrations and within zones exhibiting high vapor phase permeability. However, for many other sites, residual contamination exists which could not practically or completely be removed by the active vapor extraction technology. These circumstances result in sites which are slightly contaminated, but by state and federal regulation, the contamination must still be monitored, controlled and/or removed.
Further, while active vapor extraction techniques may achieve partial or complete removal of contaminated soil gas quickly, they are also very expensive. In contrast, passive vapor extraction systems are useful for applications not requiring immediate attention and cheaper solutions. For example, a majority of Department of Energy sites are contaminated with VOCs. In many instances, the contamination has not reached the local water table, does not pose an immediate health hazard and therefore, is not considered a high priority problem. Nevertheless, these sites will ultimately require remediation of some type. Precipitating or enhancing the natural breathing process creates the potential for increased removal rates of VOCs from the vadose zone.
Passive vapor extraction technology, such as disclosed in the present invention, exploits the natural flow of air through the subsurface as a means of mobilizing volatile contaminants in the vadose zone toward collection points at the surface for treatment. The flow of air through the subsurface is primarily a function of the difference between the barometric pressure, the air pressure in the soil and the permeability of the soil. The permeability of the soil controls the rate at which air flows into and from the soil. Low permeability soils will exhibit low flow rates and require a longer period of time to equilibrate with a change in barometric pressure. Changes in soil depth and stratigraphy also affect pressure differences and flow rates.
Passive vapor extraction appears viable as a technology that can complement active vapor extraction under certain conditions. While active vapor extraction is useful to extract soil gas from areas of high VOC concentration and within zones exhibiting high vapor phase permeability, passive vapor extraction is useful in areas of lower VOC concentration and in relatively impermeable soils where extraction rates are limited by gaseous diffusion. A primary advantage of passive vapor extraction is lower capital and operating costs. The low cost of passive vapor extraction allows for many small passive vapor extraction systems to be installed on individual wells within a contaminated site and to be operated for extended periods of time. This allows for remediation of sites in which soil-gas transport is limited by diffusion.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a passive noninvasive soil remediation apparatus and method which uses an impermeable surface seal and unidirectional venting features to rectify and remediate volatile organic compound contaminated soils in the vadose zone of earthen soil.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a noninvasive soil remediation method and apparatus of maximized geometric configuration over a predetermined area to precipitate and enhance vertical displacement of soil gas in the subterranean soil.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a noninvasive soil remediation method and apparatus of a certain plenum size, buffer zone configuration, plume depth, and geologic setting (depth to impermeable zone) specifically adapted to displace soil gas in a preferred coordinate direction.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a noninvasive soil remediation method for controlling displacement of soil gas within the earthen subsurface which impedes and minimizes downward movement of such gas or atmospheric air and stimulates upward gas movement.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a noninvasive soil remediation method and apparatus including a surface seal, a plenum and an extraction vent valve placed above a contaminated soil gas plume and adapted to rectify soil gas displacement from traveling in a downward direction from the soil surface, and allowing such gas to travel in an upward direction.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a soil remediation method and apparatus and method capable of rectifying soil gas displacement from traveling in a downward direction from the soil surface during periods of rising atmospheric pressure, and allowing such gas to travel in an upward direction during periods of atmospheric barometric pressure.

Volatile contaminant extraction from subsurface apparatus and method


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a transistor with stable electrical characteristics or high reliability is provided. A gate insulating film is formed over a gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the gate insulating film; an oxide layer is formed over the oxide semiconductor layer to form a stacked-layer oxide film including the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide layer; the stacked-layer oxide film is processed into a predetermined shape; a conductive film containing Ti is formed over the stacked-layer oxide film; the conductive film is etched to form source and drain electrodes; and regions in the oxide layer in contact with the source and drain electrodes are heat treated so as to have a low resistivity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object, a process (including a method and a manufacturing method), a machine, a manufacture, or a composition of matter. In particular, the present invention relates to, for example, a semiconductor device, a display device, a light-emitting device, a driving method thereof, or a manufacturing method thereof. The present invention particularly relates to a semiconductor device, a display device, a light-emitting device, or the like each including an oxide semiconductor.
In this specification, a semiconductor device generally means a device which can function by utilizing electronic characteristics of a semiconductor, and an electrooptic device, a semiconductor circuit, and electric equipment are all included in the category of semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor elements, for example, transistors formed using a semiconductor thin film which is formed over a substrate having an insulating surface such as a glass substrate (such transistors are also referred to as thin film transistors or TFTs for the abbreviation) and diodes, are applied to a wide range of semiconductor devices such as integrated circuits (ICs) and image display devices (simply also referred to as display devices). A silicon film is widely known as a semiconductor thin film applicable to such a semiconductor element.
For example, however, a transistor including amorphous silicon has low field-effect mobility, though it can be formed over a larger glass substrate and therefore can be manufactured at low cost. In contrast, a transistor including polycrystalline silicon has high field-effect mobility, but requires a crystallization process such as laser annealing and a large number of manufacturing steps and is not always suitable for a larger glass substrate.
Meanwhile, oxide semiconductors have attracted attention in recent years as novel semiconductor materials. Examples of oxide semiconductors include zinc oxide (ZnO), an In—Ga—Zn oxide, and the like. Techniques are under development to manufacture a transistor including a semiconductor thin film formed using such an oxide semiconductor as a material for a channel formation region (see Patent Document 1).
The use of an oxide semiconductor for a channel formation region makes it possible to manufacture a transistor which has both high field-effect mobility comparable to that obtained with polysilicon or microcrystalline silicon and uniform element characteristics comparable to those obtained with amorphous silicon. Since the transistor has high field-effect mobility, in the case where this is used, for example, in a display device, the transistor can have sufficient on-state current even when having a small area. Thus, an increase in aperture ratio of a pixel and/or a reduction of power consumption of a display device due to the increase can be achieved. An oxide semiconductor film can be formed using a sputtering method and is thus suitable for manufacturing a semiconductor device over a large-area substrate. Manufacturing a semiconductor device over a large-area substrate can reduce the manufacturing cost of the semiconductor device. There is another advantage that capital investment can be reduced because part of production equipment for a transistor including an amorphous silicon film can be retrofitted and utilized.
However, it is known that oxygen is released from an oxide semiconductor in a manufacturing process, so that an oxygen vacancy is formed (see Patent Document 2).

Method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A piston for internal combustion engines has a skirt coating consisting of a wear resistant inner layer consisting of a polymer matrix having ceramic particles, aramide fibers and/or carbon fibers dispersed therein and an outer layer consisting of a polymer matrix having solid lubricants dispersed therein and an outer layer consisting of a polymer matrix having solid lubricants dispersed therein.

The present disclosure relates to a piston skirt coating and to a method for applying such a coating.
To ensure running-in and fail-safe operating properties, piston skirt coatings are known having a structure of functionally graduated structure, in the composition of which a compromise must be found between friction-reducing and wear-resistant properties.
Thus, especially wear-resistant pistons have carbon fiber-reinforced coatings with a high roughness value, which brings about disadvantages with respect to process monitoring (increased difficulty in determining film thickness) and the running-in phase of the engine (longer running-in period, increased friction). The hard fibers have an abrasive effect on cylinder walls which can result in undesirable polishing effects, or to the formation of grooves.
It is known from US 2009/0156437 A1 to furnish pistons for internal combustion engines with a double layer of an inner polymer layer having a solid lubricant and an outer polymer layer with hard particles of SIN or Al2O3. The outer hard coating is intended to reduce running-in time for the piston and to improve seize characteristics.
EP 1 433 838 A1 similarly describes a coating for moving metal parts that consists of an inner polymer layer with dispersed hard particles of Al2O3 and silicon nitride and an outer layer also with dispersed hard particles and solid lubricant. The hard particles in the outer layer are of a smaller diameter as those in the inner layer, which is intended to reduce the abrasiveness of the coating.
EP 1 933 022 A2 discloses a low-friction piston skirt coating made from a polymer layer containing a mixture of hard carbon or aramid fibers and solid lubricants.
All the coatings described here have a severe abrasive effect on account of the hard and partially rough outer layer, which requires large tolerances during manufacture and limits the use of the pistons with respect to the material of the cylinder wall. Wear-resistant outer layers lead, in particular with aluminum cylinder walls, to undesirable polishing effects or the formation of grooves, which, with increased friction, results in longer running-in time during the running-phase of the engine.
In contrast, U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,600 proposes an inner, hard coating of aluminum oxide for aluminum pistons, produced by anodizing the piston surface and an outer polymer layer containing solid lubricants such as graphite and boron nitride. The application of the first, hard aluminum oxide layer by anodizing the piston surface is a costly process, difficult to control regarding film thickness of the layer and results in a large number of unusable pistons in series production.
With respect to aluminum cylinder walls, iron-coated aluminum pistons have usually been used heretofore, that ensure increased protection against seizing and additionally do not affect cylinder honing. Iron coating represents a cost-intensive process in comparison to polymer-based coatings. In addition, especially wear-resistant layers usually contribute to greater friction because the adaptability of the layers to their opposite number is low.
It would be desirable to provide coatings for pistons for internal combustion engines that can be applied simply, that are wear-resistant and have low frictional losses as the result of improved running-in characteristics.

Piston skirt coating consisting of a low-friction running-in layer and a low-wear base layer


The present invention provides processes for isoelectric focusing ("IEF") and associated detection, which incorporates a dynamic means of electroosmotic flow ("EOF") control during IEF and/or after IEF to effect solute mobilization. In accordance with the present invention, the EOF control during IEF and/or solute mobilization after IEF are accomplished by applying an external electric field, relative to an internal electric field, to modify the electroosmotic flow in the capillary. This can be done by disposing a conductive member at one or more locations outside and along the buffer column in the capillary. The conductive member may be statically charged or caused to conduct a current to create the external required electric field. The applied external electric field may be adjusted, relative to the internal electric field, during IEF as necessary to reduce or completely suppress EOF to prevent flow of the buffer. Upon the completion of IEF (irrespective of the method of reducing or removing EOF during IEF), the external electric field is adjusted, relative to the internal electric field, such that the buffer carrying the focused solutes is moved electroosmotically through the capillary past a detection point. The present invention is applicable to internally coated capillary which suppresses EOF even in the absence of the external electric field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for focusing and mobilizing solutes of an aqueous solute mixture. More particularly, the present invention involves the mobilization of focused protein zones past a detector associated with a capillary isoelectric focusing apparatus without relying upon the application of pressure, vacuum, or buffer changes.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Recently capillary isoelectric focusing ("IEF") techniques have emerged as a powerful tool for rapidly separating, analyzing and quantitating small quantities of proteins. These techniques are based upon traditional isoelectric focusing principles and are carried out in free solution of amphoteric buffers within a length of capillary tubing. Capillary isoelectric focusing is a form of capillary electrophoresis which separates or fractionates proteins according to their isoelectric point ("pI"). Typically, protein focusing processes are performed in a medium containing a mixture of ampholytes which form a pH gradient extending along the length of the capillary in the presence of an electric field. The IEF process involves applying an electric field through the ampholytes along the interior of the capillary. Under the influence of the electric field, the solutes at one end of the capillary migrate along the capillary length until each solute reaches a location at which the pI of the solute corresponds to the local pH (i.e. a location of zero net charge).
After the migration is complete and all the solutes are stabilized at their respective focused zones, the solute zones are mobilized past a detector to determine the relative migration distance or time of each solute. Then, from plots of elution time versus pI of known solutes focused according to the same conditions, the pI corresponding to each unknown protein is determined.
Since IEF is a process in which the solutes seek their "focus" position in a separation medium, it is important that the medium remains stationary during migration of the solutes to their respective positions in the medium. A phenomenon which frustrates this objective is electroosmosis flow ("EOF") which inherently occurs in electrophoresis being carried out in silica containing capillary tubes. This phenomenon arises from a potential, termed the zeta potential, which develops between the inner surface of the silica tubing and a diffuse layer in the buffer adjacent the inner surface. More particularly, the silica capillary tubing surface tends to ionize to form an anion rich surface, and the diffuse layer carries cationic counter-ions to the anions on the ionized surface. In the presence of an electric field along the buffer, the charged buffer migrates to the anode or cathode. The exact direction of buffer flow and the rate of solvent flow within the capillary depend on the polarity and magnitude of this potential.
While it is desirable to maintain the medium stationary during IEF, it is also desired that the medium be mobilized after IEF for analysis of the separated solutes carried therein. Accurate and precise detection results depend upon mobilizing or moving the focused zones carried in the medium past a suitable detector while preserving the spatial relationship of the protein separation zones as focused within the capillary.
A number of different methods for mobilizing focused solutes in order to detect their stabilized locations within the buffer gradient have been suggested. For example, one method involves pumping a solution through the capillary to move the zones by hydrodynamic flow. A related method utilizes a vacuum technique to pull the zones past a suitable detector. A major problem associated with each of these methods is that hydrodynamic flow is characterized by a parabolic flow profile which causes zone broadening or distortion, thereby affecting accuracy and precision of the analytical process.
Another method for mobilizing focused proteins is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,911,808 and 4,725,343 and involves producing a pH shift in the separation medium within the column subsequent to focusing the mixture components. This effectively restores a charge to the ampholytic buffers and causes them to move under the influence of the internally applied voltage. Unfortunately, at zones where the pH gradient is characterized by very high or very low pI's, band broadening and non-linear effects occur during the mobilization. This in turn results in analytical error for proteins detected within these extreme zones. Additionally, many focusing procedures may be limited in pH by the instability of the separated molecules or by the alteration of charges on the molecules which alter their electrophoretic mobilities.
To this date, no effective means of EOF control as well as solute mobilization in an IEF process have been devised.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved IEF process which incorporates means for controlling EOF during IEF.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an effective means for mobilizing isoelectrically focused solutes for detection after IEF while avoiding hydrodynamic flow and associated band broadening.
It is further an objective of the present invention to couple EOF control and solute mobilization by using the same means.

Methods and apparatus for separating and mobilizing solutes in a solute mixture


A SAR ADC may include a plurality of capacitor networks, wherein each capacitor network of the plurality of capacitor networks has a sampling capacitor for sampling an analog input signal to the SAR ADC and at least one non-sampling capacitor. The SAR ADC may also include a DAC including a plurality of sub-DACs including at least a first sub-DAC representing most significant bits of an output of the SAR ADC, wherein the output of the first sub-DAC is coupled to the sampling capacitors of the plurality of capacitor networks and a second sub-DAC representing bits of the output of the SAR ADC lesser in magnitude significance than those of the first sub-DAC, wherein the output of the second sub-DAC is coupled to a respective one of at least one non-sampling capacitor of each of the plurality of capacitor networks.

A SAR ADC is a type of analog-to-digital converter that converts an analog waveform into a discrete digital representation via a binary search through all possible quantization levels of the digital output of the SAR ADC before finally converging upon a digital output for each conversion. Although SAR ADCs are widely used to convert an analog electrical signal (e.g., such as that generated by an analog sensor) into a digital equivalent signal, approaches are desired for implementing SAR ADCs to maximize sampling times and to minimize the sizes of electrical components (e.g., sampling capacitors) of SAR ADCs.

Successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter with multiple sample capacitors