To permit movement of coupling elements (13, 13a, 13b) which carry joint surfaces (21) congruent with condylar portions (19) of the prosthesis, the coupling elements are slidable in guide tracks (35), which are curved, and are widened at their terminal portions. The coupling elements have elongated engagement ribs which fit into the guide track groove, with minimum clearance and play at the narrowest, central portion of the guide groove, while permitting limited twisting as well as sliding movement due to the widened regions of the guide track at its end region. The position of guide track-rib can be reversed, if desired. The elements slide on a slide surface and can be retained, for example by an interlocking connection, such as a dovetail.

Many solutions have been proposed for the problem of endoprosthetics, which permit unchangeable maintenance of a stable bone implantate joint, which will last for a very long time, ideally from implantation to the death of the patient or wearer of the prosthesis. There are, primarily, two factors which interfere with such lifetime implantation. For one, the interface between the bone-implantate is subject to changeable forces, which change both with respect to value as well as direction. Particularly shearing forces are involved. For another, biological reactions of tissues and degrading bones are a factor, especially reactions to foreign-body materials, and reactions to abraded particles from the prosthesis itself.
The long lifetime, and particularly implanted lifetime, of a joint can be increased by reducing changeable forces engaging at the interface between the various prosthetic parts, and on the sliding surfaces thereof. The wear on the sliding surfaces should be minimized. Various solutions have been proposed, but not all of them can be applied at the same time. It is not sufficient to consider all the technical aspects of the joint; anatomical as well as physiological changeable conditions must be considered. The complex kinematic which occurs in joints, and particularly in complex joints such as the knee joint, can make it difficult to compromise between conflicting solutions applicable to specific parts, to achieve the overall goal of lifetime reliability.
It is well known that the wear and tear on slide bearings can be reduced by decreasing the per-square or area pressure of the respectively rubbing sliding parts. The surface or area pressure, and the resulting wear and tear on the bearing, is small when the contact surface of the two sliding elements is large. This contact bearing surface can be increased by making the sliding surfaces as large as possible and effectively congruent. Typical examples for such bearings are shown in FIG. 1, in which a straight slide bearing is schematically illustrated, and in FIG. 2, which, schematically, illustrates a hinge or ball joint. The slide bearing of FIG. 1, in principle, can be considered as a hinge or ball joint in which the engaging surfaces have infinite radii. Yet, in spite of the common characteristic of minimal wear and tear, there are basic differences: The slide joint, FIG. 1, is free for translatory movement, but does not have an axis of rotation. The hinge or ball joint, on the other hand, has an axis of rotation, but is restrained from translatory movement. This results in different relationships with respect to externally acting forces.
Reference is again made to FIG. 1:
A force, such as force F1 coming from above at an inclination, results in lateral shifting of the sliding head due to horizontal component of the force. This horizontal component of the force does not have any effect on the lower part of the sliding joint.
A force similar to force F1, when applied to a hinge or ball joint, see FIG. 2, passes through the joint without causing any rotation thereof. The horizontal component of this force, however, results in an undesired shear force, which continuously changes its direction if the upper portion of the joint oscillates back and forth like a pendulum. Most simply, the hinge joint has the advantage of rotary movement, which, however, is obtained by accepting the disadvantage of translatory immobility, and shearing forces at the interface.
Human body joints rarely are pure hinge joints or pure slide joints. Usually, and especially the knee joint provides a combination of both. A rotary movement and translatory movement can be superimposed upon each other.
In order permit a combination of such movements, it is necessary to open the hinge joint, that is, it is necessary to reduce the congruence of the slide surfaces with respect to each other. Referring to FIG. 3, the contact surfaces are decreased which, however, substantially increases the area or surface pressure, and hence wear and tear on the joint. This wear and tear is further increased by repetitive translatory movement of the head of the joint on the slide surface. Due to the almost point or at best somewhat line contact, and hence a similar high surface pressure, a kneading process on the respective joint parts results which, in turn, causes material fatigue of the lower joint portion or component. The non-congruent position of the elements does not necessarily prevent the occurrence of shear forces at the interface. Raised slide surfaces at the interface result in forces which are similar to those which arise in a pure hinge or ball joint. The result is increased wear and tear as well as shear forces at the interface, which has undesirable effects in all prostheses of this type.
It has been proposed to use a combination of slide and ball joints, in which the sliding and ball joint components are located on two different planes, by using an intermediate element, see FIG. 4. The rotary movement of the ball joint and a translatory movement of the slide joint are vertically staggered, so that the translatory movement is available as a lower motion of the ball joint. The congruence of joint surfaces is fully retained; wear and tear is minimized. The forces supplied by the ball joint are not transferred to the interface but, rather, translated into translatory movement by the intermediate element. Prostheses are of this type are known, and have been referred to as meniscal knees.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,778, Buechel and Pappas, describes two different knee joint prostheses, which have also been referred to as the "Oxford Knee" and the "New Jersey Knee". The "Oxford Knee" has two femoral portions, two intermediate portions and two tibial portions. The femoral portions each have a spherical segment which has a retention section, for retention on the femur. The tibial parts also have retention on the tibia. The tibial parts not only have retention sections for attachment to the tibia, but also a flat plateau on which the intermediate part can slide.
Upon flexion of 90.degree. and more, the intermediate part can slide over the flat or table-like surface and, possibly, can be entirely dislocated. A similar danger may occur if the tension of the remaining ligaments decreases after the operation and the femoral part lifts off the intermediate part. A new operation of the knee joint will then become necessary.
The "New Jersey Knee", described for example in FIG. 15 of the referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,778, has a special arrangement to prevent loss of contact over the table or slide surface. Two dovetail-like, bowed grooves are provided on the tibia part; an engagement element is provided for the intermediate part element, fitting in the grooves through which the intermediate part element are constrained to be guided. The curves are directed towards the center, so that the intermediate part, upon bending of the knee, cannot slide backwardly in uncontrolled manner, and pushed over the surface or table, but, rather, engages the still remaining central projection from the bone. The dovetaile shape prevents dislocation or luxation of the joint, if the ligaments should lose tension or will have decreased tension or strength.
The intermediate portions are constrained to be guided on a predetermined path which permits congruence of the joint surfaces between the femoral portion and the intermediate portion only in a single position of the joint. For all other positions of the joint than the single one, an incongruence of joint surfaces results, which increases wear and tear of the engaging surfaces. Non-congruent conditions arise because the femoral parts, which are securely anchored in the femur, are always at the same distance from each other and have a common axis of rotation. The intermediate parts, however, approach each other laterally upon sliding forwardly and backwardly on the curved path or, respectively, separate from each other. Further, their axes of the hinge or ball joints continuously change their position with respect to each other. Similar situations obtain, in reverse sense, however, upon rotary movement about an axis which is perpendicular to the slide surface. The continuously changing degree of non-congruence of the surfaces of this prosthesis, and particularly of the hinge or ball joint surfaces, causes increased wear and tear and decreases the effect of a meniscal layer in a knee joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,136, Polyzoides et al, describes an endoprosthetic knee joint having a femoral, a tibial part and an intermediate part. The femoral part has an attachment portion for attachment to the femur and two condyles. The tibial part has an attachment portion and projecting attachment ribs for attachment to the tibia. The side opposite the attachment surface has a flat bearing surface, with a groove to receive a rib of an intermediate part. The rib of the intermediate part fits into the curved groove of the tibial part; two concave slide bearings provide counter surfaces for the condyles of the femoral part. This prosthesis has the advantage of congruence of the slide surfaces of a hinge or ball joint, and thus of low wear and tear.
The curved groove and rib coupling does not, however, permit translatory movement of the femoral part relative to the tibial part. It only permits rotation about the axis of the curve of the groove. This, then, is a classic hinge joint with additional freedom of rotation about an axis perpendicular to the hinge axis. Thus, forces which come at an inclination from above, see FIGS. 2-4, which occur, for example, due to muscle pull or loading upon placing the foot of the wearer on the ground, will pass through the joint to the interface and there result in the undesired shearing forces. The principle of a meniscal knee is compromised in that the congruence of the joint surfaces, which reduces wear and tear, is obtained only by loss of the translatory capability, which protects the connection between the prosthesis and the joint. The natural knee kinematics, thus, are not entirely obtained with this joint. Besides that, the use of elements which prevent dissociation or luxation of the joint, for example at dovetail interconnection, is nearly impossible, especially to permit insertion of the intermediate portion at a later time, after the tibial portion or part has already been implanted. This has the disadvantages which have been discussed above in connection with the "Oxford Knee".
British Patent 1,567,007, Minns et al, describes a knee joint having a femoral part, a tibial part and an intermediate part. The femoral part, as is customary, has an attachment element and a condyle. The tibial part also has an attachment element for connection to the tibia and a straight, dovetaile-shaped groove to receive a matching rib of the intermediate part. The intermediate part has a straight rib, fitting into the groove. The intermediate part, further, has a shallow glide bearing for articulation with the condyle of the femoral part. This structure also has the advantage of wear reducing congruence of the slide surfaces. The dovetail connection between rib and groove prevents luxation or dissocation of the intermediate part, and hence undesired separation from the tibial part.
This structure permits translatory movement in the longitudinal direction of the groove. It does not permit rotational movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the tibial part, that is, essentially perpendicularly to the axis of the tibia. Such rotary movements, however, are superimposed practically with all movements of the knee joint, which results in continuous non-congruent engagement of the slide surfaces of the condyle from the femur and the intermediate part. The natural kinematics or relative movements of the parts of the knee joint are thus not adequately reproduced.

Prosthetic arrangement for a complex joint, especially knee joint


An imaging lens includes, from an object side to an image side: a first positive lens having a convex object-side surface; an aperture stop; a second negative lens as a meniscus double-sided aspheric lens having a concave object-side surface; and a third positive lens as a meniscus double-sided aspheric lens having a concave image-side surface, wherein the second lens has a diffractive optical surface on the object side, the aspheric object-side and image-side surfaces of the third lens have pole-change points off an optical axis, and conditional expressions (1) to (4) below are satisfied:8.0<fdoe/f<26.0  (1)20<vd1−vd2<40  (2)20<vd3−vd2<40  (3)0.8<ih/f<0.95  (4).

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging lens which forms an image of an object on a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD sensor or a C-MOS sensor used in a compact image pickup device, and more particularly to an imaging lens built in an image pickup device mounted in an increasingly compact and low-profile smartphone or mobile phone, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), game console or information terminal such as a PC, or a home appliance with a camera function.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a general tendency that mobile terminals such as smartphones and home appliances have a camera function. Today, whereas high-end models with a high-resolution camera function comparable to a digital still camera have been introduced into the market, the need for inexpensive popular models with a certain level of camera performance is still high. An imaging lens composed of three elements (constituent lenses) may be suitable as an imaging lens to be built in an inexpensive popular model because it can deliver a certain level of imaging performance and can be applied to a low-profile device and supplied at low cost. However, with the recent trend toward smaller higher-pixel image sensors, the pixel size is becoming smaller and the pixel density is becoming higher. Nowadays, image sensors with a pixel pitch of less than 1.2 microns have been proposed. An imaging lens for use in such an image sensor is expected to not only feature the smallness of aberrations but also provide a high-brightness optical system with an F-value smaller than 2.8 (often seen in the past). As for mobile terminals in particular, the imaging lens is expected to be low-profile enough to be applicable to a low-profile product. Furthermore, the imaging lens is anticipated to be able to capture an image of an object over a wide field of view so as to flexibly cope with the various camera functions of the product.
Conventionally, as an example of an imaging lens composed of three constituent lenses, the imaging lens described in JP-A-2010-113306 (Patent Document 1) includes, in order from an object side, an aperture stop, a first lens with positive refractive power, a second lens with negative refractive power, and a third lens. The third lens has, on the both sides, aspheric surfaces which are convex-curved toward the object near an optical axis and concave-curved toward the object in the vicinity of the lens periphery so that the refractive power changes according to the distance from the optical axis. The thickness of the first lens on the optical axis, the air gap on the optical axis between the first and second lenses, the focal length of the third lens, and the relation in curvature radius between the object-side surface and the image-side surface of the first lens are determined so as to achieve a wide field of view.
The imaging lens described in JP-A-2007-127953 (Patent Document 2) is an optical system which corrects chromatic aberrations using a diffractive optical surface. The imaging lens described in Patent Document 2 includes at least three constituent lenses and at least one of the lens surfaces of these lenses has a diffractive surface. At least one of the lens surfaces of the lens located nearest to the image plane has negative optical power in its center and the optical power changes to positive power as the distance to the lens periphery decreases, making up a compact optical system with high telecentricity.
According to Patent Document 1, the imaging lens can capture an image of an object over a wide field of view from 76 to 78 degrees and corrects aberrations relatively properly. However, since the F-value is 2.8, there is difficulty in applying the imaging lens to a compact high-density image sensor as mentioned above. The imaging lens described in Patent Document 1 has a total track length of 4.6 to 5.5 mm and the ratio of the total track length to the diagonal length of the effective imaging plane of the image sensor (divide total track length by diagonal length of the effective imaging plane of the image sensor; hereinafter referred to as the ratio to diagonal) is about 1.0; however, in order to make the imaging lens more low-profile and offer brightness with an F-value of 2.8 or less, the problem related to correction of aberrations has to be addressed.
According to Patent Document 2, the imaging lens can capture an image of an object over a maximum field of view of 72 degrees and corrects aberrations relatively properly. However, the positive, positive and negative refractive power lenses are arranged in order from the object side and chromatic aberrations are corrected not by the combination of the first and second lenses but by the diffractive optical surface. When the dependence on the diffractive optical surface for correction of chromatic aberrations is high, the number of orbicular zones formed on the lens surface tends to increase, which means that flare is more likely to occur. If two diffractive optical surfaces are formed to address this problem, high precision is required in the lens forming and assembling processes to prevent misalignment between the diffractive optical surfaces, which implies a higher degree of manufacturing difficulty. In connection with low-profileness, the third lens, located nearest to the image plane, has negative refractive power and the back focus is relatively long, making it difficult to achieve low-profileness. In the imaging lens composed of three constituent lenses as described in Patent Document 2, the total track length is about 6.8 mm and the ratio to diagonal is more than 1.1. If the back focus is decreased to achieve low-profileness, the angle of incidence on the third lens must be increased and as a consequence, probably the effective diameter of the second lens must be larger. When the lens diameter is larger, spherical aberrations and coma aberrations increase. This will make it difficult to make the imaging lens more low-profile while ensuring high performance. In addition, since the F-value of the imaging lens disclosed in Patent Document 2 is 3.3, it is difficult to apply the imaging lens to the latest high-density image sensors.


A multi-function cutting tool is disclosed. The multi-function cutting tool includes a cutting insert (200) and a cutter body (300). The cutting insert has an upper surface (201), a lower surface (205), and first and second cutting edge corner parts (210) and (220), which are provided on the upper surface such that the upper surface has a symmetrical structure with respect to a diagonal direction. The cutting insert further has a major cutting edge part (230), a first minor cutting edge part (240), and a lowered cutting edge part (250). The major cutting edge part has a downwardly inclined angle ranging from 3° to 10°, and extends from the first cutting edge corner part towards the corresponding second cutting edge corner part. When seen in the front view of the cutting insert, the major cutting edge is defined by a convex curved line, which has a curvature radius of 1000 mm or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to multi-function cutting tools and, more particularly, to a multi-function cutting tool, in which the side surfaces of a cutting insert are perpendicular to the lower surface of the cutting insert, so that the stiffness of the cutting insert can be increased, and the cutting insert can be securely fastened to a cutter body, thus making it possible to stably conduct a cutting operation despite the realization of high feed, high speed and high depth cutting.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Generally, cutting tools are used to cut iron, nonferrous metals, and nonmetallic workpieces. Typically, cutting tools are attached by machines and cut workpieces to form them into desired shapes. Such a cutting tool includes a cutting insert, which has a cutting edge, and a body, which supports the cutting insert.
Meanwhile, as methods of cutting a metallic workpiece using the cutting tool, there are two representative methods. First, there is a cutting method in which a workpiece, which is rotated, is brought into contact with the cutting edge of a cutting tool, which is stationary. Second, there is a cutting method, in which a tool having a cutting edge, that is, a cutting insert, is fixed to a machine using a tool holder, and, in this state, the cutting insert is rotated and is brought into contact with a workpiece, which is stationary, thus forming the workpiece into a desired shape.
Milling is a representative example of the second cutting method. A milling cutter conducts a facing process, a shouldering process, a grooving process, a boring process, etc. In the shoulder cutting process as the cutting depth increases, the length of the part of each cutting insert that is involved in the cutting is increased, so that the resistance applied to the entire cutting insert is also increased. Various efforts have been conducted to efficiently disperse the resistance such that the cutting inserts can easily withstand a load, and thus increase the tool life of the cutting tool despite the realization of high feed, high speed and high depth cutting.
However, in a conventional multi-function cutting tool, a cutting insert has a slanted relief face, so that the strength thereof is relatively low. Furthermore, when the cutting insert is mounted to a cutter body, because the slanted clearance relief faces are in contact with the cutter body, the stability with which the cutting insert is mounted to the cutter body is reduced, thus reducing the tool life of the cutting tool.


Method and apparatus for selectively inverting memory bits (41-49) in a memory (14). In one embodiment a master reversion bit (75) is used to indicate if all memory bits (41-49) have been inverted. In an alternate embodiment, row reversion bits (77) are used to indicate whether the bits in a corresponding row have been inverted. In yet another embodiment, the reversion column reversion bit (202) may be used to indicate whether the row revert bits (77) themselves have been inverted. These control bits (75, 77, 202) determine whether the output from each column of memory (14) is inverted (i.e. reverted to its original logic state) in order to provide the correct logical state at the data output of memory (14).

In certain types of memory, such as a read only memory (ROM), memory cells are arranged in an array of n rows by m columns. During the manufacturing process, transistors are selectively constructed in the memory cells, depending upon an intended pattern. During operation, all column lines are periodically precharged. When a particular row is selected, if a transistor has been constructed in column j of that row, then column j will be discharged, thus consuming power during the next precharge cycle. In general, the greater the number of transistors constructed in the memory array portion of the ROM, the greater the amount of power that will be consumed during the operation of the ROM. In addition to the increased actual electrical current requirements, the increased power consumption requires commensurately higher heat dissipation capabilities.
With more and more electrical and computational equipment using batteries as their primary source of power, it is becoming increasing important to reduce the power consumed. In particular, for microcontrollers using on-board ROM, it is important to reduce the energy utilized by the ROM as much as possible. The reduction in power is also useful for applications in which a standalone ROM integrated circuit is used.

Method and apparatus for reducing power dissipation in a precharge/discharge memory system


A steam physiotherapy apparatus includes an open-topped physiotherapy chamber having a door, a steam generating unit, and a steam pipe for conveying generated steam into the physiotherapy chamber. Tourmaline tiles are attached to an inner surface of the physiotherapy chamber, a steam inlet pipe is provided on a bottom of the physiotherapy chamber to communicate with the steam pipe, and a steam flow guide plate is placed on the steam inlet pipe. The steam inlet pipe has two diametrically opposite steam outlets directed to two opposite directions, such that the steam flowing out of the two steam outlets forms a swirl that moves upward along the inner surface of the physiotherapy chamber to heat the tourmaline tiles. The heated tourmaline tiles release far infrared rays and negative ions that help reducing reactive oxygen species and free radicals in the user's body and help the user to give off deep-layer sweat.

In the modern society, people tend to have thickened and hardened blood vessel walls and accordingly suffer from cardiovascular disease because they usually intake too much high protein and cholesterol in their diets and lack of exercises. The blood vessel walls would also become thicker and hardened to cause cardiovascular disease when a person is getting old and has slowed metabolism. Moreover, some diseases having connection with metabolism and blood circulation, such as acute myocardial infarction and stroke, also have relation to hardened blood vessels.
The currently available medical technology can not thin or soften the thickened and hardened blood vessel walls. However, taking proper exercises is one of the ways to improve the cardiovascular disease. A man, when taking strenuous exercises, will have increased heartbeat higher than 120 and sweat heavily due to compressed muscles. At this point, toxins in the body, such as lipid peroxide in the blood vessel walls, will be discharged from the body via capillaries and sweat glands along with sweat. The removal of toxins from a man's body is health-beneficial to the gradual softening of blood vessel walls again. However, the strenuous exercises are not suitable for the aged and some disabled who are not able to conveniently move alone. Under this condition, the aged and the disabled tend to become weaker and weaker because the toxins in their bodies could not be duly discharged along with sweat. For people to sweat heavily even if they do not take exercises, steam bath has been introduced into people's daily life.
While the heat energy from the steam bath could forcefully compress and permeate a man's skin, it can only reach at the striae and the interstitial space in skin. The sweat given off the body under this condition is normally referred to as "surface-layer sweat" or "cold sweat". U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,843 discloses a portable steam chest for steam bath, with which a user can give off the surface-layer sweat due to the steam heat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,720 discloses a sauna made with illite surfaces, which is also a device for steam bath and uses illite to release far infrared rays, so that heat can more easily penetrate into the user's body to promote blood circulation.
The main functions that can be achieved with the steam bath provided by the portable steam chest disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,843 include cleaning pores on skin and giving off sweat. On the other hand, the functions that can be achieved with the steam bath provided by the sauna made with illite surfaces disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,720 include not only the cleaning pores and sweating, but also permeation of far infrared rays into skin to produce a health-beneficial hyperthermia effect.


A rangefinder apparatus with an optoelectronic arrangement for determining a height profile of an object. The apparatus has a transmitter that emits light rays, a deflection unit that deflects the transmitted light rays and guides them over the surface of an object to be measured, and a receiver that receives light rays reflected from the object. The deflection unit includes a transmitting optic arranged downstream of the transmitter and an actuator which moves the transmitting optic to periodically deflect the transmitted light. A receiving optic is arranged in front of the receiver at a distance from the transmitting optic so that the beam axis of the transmitting light rays penetrates the transmitting optic and the beam axis of the received light rays that penetrate the receiving optic extend at a distance to each other. An evaluation unit is provided which determines the height profile of the object from the range values calculated from the reflected light rays and associated deflection angles for the transmitted light rays.

This application claims the priority of German Patent Application No. 299 19 989.4 filed Nov. 15, 1999, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to an optoelectronic arrangement for determining the height profile of an object with the aid of a range finder including a transmitter that emits light rays and a receiver that receives light rays. The arrangement further comprises a deflection unit for periodically deflecting the transmitting light rays and guiding them over the object surface, wherein the height profile of the object is determined in an evaluation unit based on the range values at the range finder output and the associated deflection angles for the transmitting light rays.
An optoelectronic arrangement of this type is known from German patent document 44 05 376 C1. This arrangement comprises a transmitter for emitting light rays, as well as a receiver for receiving light rays, which together form a range finder operating on the basis of the phase measuring principle. The transmitting light rays are deflected via a deflection unit, so that they sweep a monitoring range in a plane. For this, the deflection unit is provided with a rotating mirror, across which the transmitting light rays and the receiving light rays are guided. An angle transmitter is used to detect the position of the rotating mirror and thus the momentary deflection angle of the transmitting light rays. The position of objects in the monitoring range can be determined from the range values at the range finder output, as well as the output signals from the angle transmitter. In particular, it is also possible to detect the height profile of objects in the monitoring range by scanning their surfaces with the transmitting light rays.
In this arrangement, the deflection unit with rotating mirror represents a moving part with relatively large mass, which is a particular disadvantage if the arrangement is used on machines, for example in outdoor areas. Strong vibrations occur with machines of this type, which can be transmitted to the optoelectronic arrangement and can thus cause faulty measurements or even malfunctions or failures of the arrangement.
Furthermore, the transmitting and receiving light rays for this arrangement are guided coaxial over the rotating mirror. This is a particular advantage for detecting objects in the close-in area, especially those directly in front of the arrangement. However, if the arrangement is to be used outdoors for determining the contours of objects arranged at a longer distance to the arrangement, then the high sensitivity of the arrangement for the close-in range can be a disadvantage. In particular, this is the case if the arrangement is installed on a machine exposed to the development of dust in the surrounding area. In that case, the dust immediately in front of the arrangement will reflect back a portion of the transmitting light rays, thus leading to measuring value distortions during the distance measuring.
It is an object of the invention to realize an arrangement of the aforementioned type so that it is as insensitive as possible against interfering outside influences.
The above and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the invention by the provision of an optoelectronic arrangement for determining a height profile of an object, comprising: a range finder having an output and including a transmitter that emits light rays and a receiver that receives light rays; a deflection unit for periodically deflecting the transmitting light rays and guiding them over a surface of the object, the deflection unit including a transmitting optic arranged downstream of the transmitter and an actuator for periodically deflecting the transmitting light; a receiving optic arranged in front of the receiver and at a distance from the transmitting optic so that a beam axis of the transmitting light rays that penetrate the transmitting optic and a beam axis of receiving light rays that penetrate the receiving optic extend at a distance to each other; and an evaluation unit, coupled to the output of the range finder and the deflection unit, determining the height profile of the object from range values at the range finder output and associated deflection angles for the transmitting light rays.
The optoelectronic device according to the invention thus comprises a deflection unit which includes an actuator to periodically deflect a transmitting optic arranged downstream of the transmitter.
In addition, a receiving optic is arranged in front of the receiver, at a distance to the transmitting optic, so that the beam axes for the transmitting rays penetrating the transmitting optic and the receiving rays penetrating the receiving optic pass at a distance to each other.
One essential advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is that in order to deflect the transmitting light rays, the transmitting optic is deflected by means of the actuator. In the process, the transmitting optic performs a forced movement that is insensitive to vibrations of the arrangement.
Another advantage is that the transmitting light rays that are guided over the transmitting optic pass at a distance to the receiving light rays guided over the receiving optic. With a suitable selection of the basic distance between transmitting optic and receiving optic, the arrangement becomes insensitive to interfering influences in the close-in range, particularly against dust developing in the area immediately surrounding the optoelectronic arrangement. This is based on the fact that transmitting light rays beamed back from the close-in range do not impinge on the receiver, owing to the distance between transmitting optic and receiving optic, and thus do not cause faulty measurements there.

Optoelectronic arrangement for determining an object""s profile


A hydraulic hammering device enables an auto-stroke mode and an idle strike prevention mode to coexist with a simple circuit configuration. A first control valve controls advancing and retracting movements of a piston and a second control valve select either the auto-stroke mode and the idle strike prevention mode. To the second control valve, a shared spool is slidably fitted and a mode selection means is disposed. When the mode selection means allows supply of pressurized oil to an auto-stroke setting portion of the shared spool and prohibits discharge of pressurized oil from an idle strike prevention setting portion, the auto-stroke mode is selected. When prohibiting supply of pressurized oil to the auto-stroke setting portion and allowing discharge of pressurized oil from the idle strike prevention setting portion, the idle strike prevention mode is selected.

For hydraulic hammering devices of this type, various types of technologies for, by automatically switching a stroke of the piston to a stroke selected from a regular stroke and a short stroke depending on hardness of bedrock (the amount of penetration into the bedrock) and thereby appropriately adjusting striking power, reducing an excessive load on a striking portion, such as a rod and a rod pin, that is, "auto-stroke mechanisms", have been proposed.
For example, in a technology described in US Patent Publication No. 2014/0326473 A1, when stroke control of the piston is performed, a throttle is disposed to an oil passage that makes a valve for stroke control operate and switching timings are adjusted by means of the throttle.
Meanwhile, various types of idle strike prevention technologies that enable striking operation of the piston to be automatically suspended, that is, "idle strike prevention mechanisms", have been proposed.
For example, in an idle strike prevention mechanism described in JP Patent Publication No. 4-300172 A, when the piston advances by a predetermined amount beyond an impact point, the idle strike prevention mechanism works and causes both the front chamber and the rear chamber to be connected to low pressure. This configuration causes the piston to reach the stroke end in front by means of gas pressure in a back head and striking to be automatically suspended. In addition, the hydraulic hammering device is configured in such a way that, when an operator cancels the operation of the idle strike prevention mechanism by pressing the rod onto a crushing target and thereby making the piston retract, the front chamber is connected to high pressure, causing the piston starts to retract and the striking cycle is resumed.


Two blocks of structural foam are fitted with shoe buckles. The blocks have ground contacting areas larger than the user's shoes for stability, and to reduce the toss-over effects of stepping on construction junk on the floor. Small objects embed in the resilient surface of the foot so their effect on walking and stability are nullified.

1. Field of the Invention
Walking platform for extending the reach of drywall installers, plasters, painters, arborists, fruit pickers, shelf stockers, inventory counters, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
Walking stilts for elevating painters and drywall installers so they can reach the ceiling of a room have been around for some time.
The essential parts of a drywall installer's stilt are a means to attach the stilt to the user's boot, a ground engaging foot structure, and a means to hold the boot attachment and the ground engaging foot apart in a vertically oriented relationship.
Various designs of these essential elements are described in the literature, some are on the market and in use by the construction industry.
Almost all are some form of fixed or articulated connection between the human's boot and a ground engaging foot. U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,515 by William Armstrong is typical. Many other examples of similar structures are easy to find in the patent data base.
These buckled on stilts are well made of machined parts and thus are very expensive. Several hundred dollars per pair.
The ground engaging foot is invariably no larger than the shoe on the human foot, and in some examples, it is narrower and/or shorter. Most have some articulation so that the ground foot operates with a "natural" longitudinal toe to heel flexibility. None were found with lateral flexibility which would permit the wearer to sense the ground foot stepping on a piece of construction junk so the ankle could respond to, or possess capability to absorb the unevenness of stepping on construction junk and small items such as nails and drywall screws. As a result, falling is common and the extra height makes falling all the more likely to result in injury.
The dangers encountered in use, the cost, and an inappropriately designed ground foot has discouraged using the available stilts in other applications where extending height and reach would be a valuable asset.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,373 by Russell Hale overcomes the cost problem by using recycled buckets as the elevating platform. A bucket does provide more area than the human foot, but the ground engaging area is shaped differently. Also a bucket has marginal strength at the rim, and the sides may buckle under load. Buckets simply were not designed to be walked upon in the manner Hale describes. Currently, good, strong, metal buckets are becoming scarcer. Plastic buckets are rapidly replacing metal buckets for nearly every use. Plastic buckets will have wider variation in shape, cross section, and material strengths. Choosing one that is strong enough to be used safely may be beyond the ability of Mr. Hale's targeted user.
Another problem with Mr. Hale's bucket stand is that the ground engaging portion is circular. This separates the extended feet. Since the buckets are axially vertical, the ground separation is directly translated to the wearer's foot positions. The wearer will have to "duck walk", which is less stable, especially when gazing upwards.
Mr. Hale's bucket may step over construction junk, placing the junk inside the bucket rim. The next step might drag the junk, which may be attached to something, or simply be heavy, and cause stumbling. If a workman steps on a nail, drywall screw, or similar, a spot of high stress occurs on the rim. This could induce the bucket wall to buckle, which would quickly propagate into a total failure of the supporting bucket.
The present invention also has an oversize ground engaging area, but it is full contact, shaped, and positioned relative to the wearer's foot that the wearer walks naturally and the effects of stepping on junk is minimized, and in some cases transferred to the foot as a natural feel of an irregular walking surface, which is automatically compensated for by the user's sensing and proprioceptor nerves and muscle system.
3. Objects of the Invention
It is an object of the invention to provide a platform attachment to the foot of a workman so that he may walk around the worksite elevated 1 to 2 feet over the floor.
It is another object of the invention to provide a stable platform for standing upon that has a ground engaging foot having an area at least as large as the user's boot.
It is another object of the invention to provide safety features to avoid leg and ankle damage if the user should fall off the height extending invention.
It is another object of the invention to be stable enough that a workman can with reasonable safely walk around with his hands and gaze over his head, especially while holding a tool or load.
It is another object of the invention to provide shoe fastening that may be buckled and unbuckled with one hand and not having to be within the eyesight of the user.
It is another object of the invention that the cost be low.
It is another object of the invention to provide a natural gait for balance and stability. Feet not abnormally separated.
It is another object of the invention to provide a walking platform, that is intuitive to put on and intuitive to use; no significant learning curve.
It is another object of the invention to provide a walking platform relatively insensitive to walking over junk on the floor.
It is another object of the invention that there be no moving parts other than in the shoe buckling system.


Disclosed is an apparatus for removing the dither signal component from a dithered ring laser gyro output. Corresponding numerical representations of the gyro readout signal, a dither reference signal representative of the dithering of the sensor, and a corrective sensor output are stored for a plurality of discrete sample times. The gyro readout signal is modified by a dither correction signal to provide the corrected sensor output signal. The dither correction signal derived from the current dither reference signal and one or more pass values thereof which are signal processed by an adaptive filter having varying filter weights. The filter weights are updated after each sample time, and are updated in accordance with a preselected function of past values of the dither reference signal in order to minimize any dither signal component in the corrected sensor output signal.

The behavior of ring laser angular rate sensors, usually referred to as ring laser gyros, is well understood. Inherent in such sensors is the phenomena known as lock-in in which counter-propagating laser beams tend to lock together to a common frequency. The lock-in phenomena causes performance errors which have deleterious effects in navigational systems.
To avoid or reduce the effects of lock-in, the laser angular rate sensor may be biased by an alternating bias technique such as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,650 issued in the name of J. E. Killpatrick. The alternating bias technique is usually referred to as dithering, and may be implemented by a variety of ways including electro-optical and mechanical schemes. Any of these schemes alter the frequency one or both of the counter-propagating laser beams. Since dithering, by either of these mentioned techniques, and the like, directly affects the behavior of the counter-propagating laser beams, the sensor readout signal will contain not only inertial rate information, but will also contain a signal component directly related to the dithering (alternating bias) of the sensor. This is true whether the sensor readout is mounted directly on the sensor (laser block mounted) or fixed to the sensor inertial platform (case mounted) like that shown in the aforementioned patent.
The signal contribution in the sensor readout signal due to dither is herein referred to as the dither signal component. For low noise navigational systems, the dither signal component in the readout signal generally needs to be minimized or removed to avoid control problems, particularly in block mounted readout systems.
Prior art solutions to remove the dither signal component include, among others, notch filters. However, such notch filters generate gain and phase shift disturbances which can affect the stability of control loops. Another solution utilizes a digital pulse subtraction technique as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,534, issued to Elbert.
A desirable solution is to remove the dither signal component by generating a correction signal which is substantially equivalent to the dither signal component. This latter approach is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,706 issued to Ljung et al. Ljung et al. teaches the use of a tracking circuit for tracking the clockwise and counterclockwise components of dither rotation. These dither components are subtracted from the usual readout signal which is responsive to the counter-propagating laser beams of the sensor thereby providing a corrected readout signal.
Another dither signal stripper approach is an electronic dither compensator as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,543 issued to Ferriss. The Ferriss patent shows a feedback method of reducing the dither component from the gyro readout signal. In Ferriss, a dither correction signal is subtracted from the gyro readout signal to derive a corrected sensor output signal. Closed loop correction is provided by generating the dither correction signal as a function of a dither reference signal representative of the dithering or alternating bias. The relationship between the dither correction signal and the dither reference signal is a function of any dither signal component in the corrected sensor output signal.

Dither signal remover for a dithered ring laser angular rate sensor utilizing an adaptive digital filter


Bipolar surgical forceps having argon plasma coagulation capability are shown. The surgical forceps include in their body a channel for receiving a flexible tube having a wire within it. The flexible tubing and wire within it are connected to a generator that provides electrical energy to the wire and argon or other inert gas to the tube. The flexible tubing travels a portion of the length of the forceps and ends with a coaxial connector in the proximity of the points of the scissors. An argon plasma coagulation sleeve is placed on the point of one or both limbs of the forceps and is connected to the flexible tubing and wire through the coaxial connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bipolar surgical forceps that have argon plasma coagulation capability.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Controlling or arresting blood loss is of high priority during surgery so as to avoid or minimize the necessity of introducing foreign blood or blood products into a patient. This has increased in importance due to concern over contamination of the blood supply by viral agents which cause, for example, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis, and the like.
Standard means for controlling traumatic and surgical blood loss are electrosurgical generators and lasers, which respectively direct high-frequency electrical currents or light energy to localize heat in bleeding vessels so as to coagulate the overlying blood and vessel walls.
Argon beam coagulators additionally have been demonstrated to be effective tissue coagulators. Examples of argon beam coagulators for use in open surgery can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,426 to Morrison and U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,175 to McGreevy. Argon beam coagulators for use rigid and flexible endoscopy also are known. An example of a device for flexible endoscopy may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,675 to the present inventor. In some embodiments in that patent, the inventor disclosed dual modality devices that could be used either for argon plasma coagulation or for traditional electrocautery in an endoscopic environment. The inventor also disclosed an embodiment having the dual modality of argon plasma coagulation and endoscopic biopsy forceps. In that embodiment, argon plasma coagulation could be used by a surgeon while the biopsy forceps were withdrawn inside the flexible endoscopic tube. The biopsy forceps could then be extended and used, but argon plasma coagulation was not performed with the biopsy forceps extended from the end of the tube.
Surgical forceps have been known for many years. More recently, surgical forceps have been provided with electrosurgical capability such that the blades of the scissors may be used both to cut and to cauterize tissue. Electrosurgical forceps having both poles of electrosurgical (RF) energy exposed on the surface of the surgical blades have been referred to as "bipolar" electrosurgical forceps.
An example of bipolar electrosurgical forceps for use in open surgery can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,574, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. An open surgery embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,574 is shown in FIG. 1. The bipolar forceps shown in FIG. 1 comprise two limbs 10, 11 formed by lengths, 12, 13 of square-section stainless steel wire extending from exposed pointed tips 14, 15 through electrically-insulating grip portions 16, 17 to exposed terminal portions 18, 19 separated by an intervening portion of the electrically insulating material of a plug 21 with the oppositely-facing sides 22, 23 of the terminal portions 18, 19 of the wires slightly raised from the respective upper and lower faces 24, 25 of the uprights 26. These upper and lower faces of the uprights of the H have shallow indentations 27 for snap engagement in a 'Block' fitting (not shown) attached to a cable for connecting to a power supply.
The oppositely-facing sides 28, 29 of the grip portions 16, 17 are provided with series of molded cross-grooves 30 with slightly raised edges 31 to afford a good grip; and the mutually-facing sides 32, 33 of the grip portions are provided with two laterally spaced projections 34 on one side and one intervening projection 35 on the other side to ensure correct alignment of the pointed tips 14, 15 when the forceps are squeezed together.
The terminal portions 18, 19 of the wires 12, 13 are initially of a length slightly in excess of the length of the plug 21, so that during manufacture those excess lengths 18X, 19X and the pointed tip portions 14, 15 can be located in recesses 36, 37 in the respective ends of mould parts 38 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 4) into which the electrically-insulating material is injected, and the excess lengths are cropped off after removing the co-molded forceps from the mould.
This device further comprised shoulder portions 39, 40 for the plug 21 in which shoulder portions the wires 12, 13 are each bent through opposite angles of 90 .degree to bring their terminal portions 18, 19 into close parallel disposition in the plug. Additionally, a web 46 was formed between the grip portions.
A second example of bipolar surgical scissors can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,739, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Laparoscopic embodiments of bipolar surgical forceps also are known. An example of such an embodiment can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,735, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention provides dual or trimode capabilities for bipolar surgical forceps such that the dual mode surgical instrument can be used simply to cut tissue, simply to coagulate tissue via argon plasma coagulation, or can be used to simultaneously cut tissue and to coagulate tissue via argon plasma coagulation. A trimodal embodiment provides the user with the flexibility to cut tissue and coagulate tissue either via argon plasma coagulation or via traditional electrocautery.

Bipolar surgical forceps with argon plasma coagulation capability


An articulating surgical implement (1) comprising: an elongate body (2) having a proximal end (4) and a distal end (5) and a longitudinal axis (6); a grip (7) on the proximal end for holding the surgical implement; a surgical implement head (8) formed on the distal end of the elongate body, and having surgical implement jaws (10, 11), the surgical implement head having a first joint (13) It that allows the surgical implement jaws to move relative to each other to open and close for gripping or cutting; a second joint (12) on the distal end of the elongate body for changing the angle of the surgical implement head relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body; a mechanism comprising a control lever (35), a control rod (39) and a linkage arm (40) for changing the angle of the surgical implement head relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body through an angular range of movement by pivoting about an axis of rotation of the second joint; and a mechanism comprising a pulley wheel (50) and a push/pull wire (51) for opening and closing the surgical implement jaws. The surgical implement head may be a rongeur and is operable at 90 degrees to the elongate body in either an upbite or downbite position. It has an angular range of movement of 180 degrees. A desired angle of the surgical implement head is selected by a user, for example for tissue removal from a target site.

It is known to provide surgical instruments for gripping or cutting tissue such as a clamp or a rongeur. A rongeur is utilised to cut away bodily material such as tissue including bone tissue. In such surgical instruments a construction similar to a pliers or scissors is employed; two crossing handles are hinged together and can be moved together to close, and moved apart to open, clamping jaws or sharp cutting jaws. The jaws are used to clamp tissue or cut into and remove material such as tissue. A rongeur is often used to cut into and remove bone.
It is known to provide a rongeur with a single hinge where the opening and closing of the jaws is effected by opening and closing of crossed handles about a single hinge. This is achieved by the opening or closing of crossed handles pivoted like the two halves of a pair of scissors in the manner of a scissors action.
For mechanical advantage, and in particular to reduce the force required to work the instrument, it is known to provide a rongeur with a double hinge arrangement where a first set of jaws hinged about a first pivot open and close a second set of jaws hinged about a second pivot, in the manner of a double scissors action. In such an arrangement each jaw of the first set of jaws is pivotally connected to one jaw of the second set of jaws. Operation of the handles opens and closes the first jaws which in turn opens and closes the second jaws. The second set of jaws are those used for cutting. The first set of jaws is utilised only to effect movement of the second set of jaws.
It is also known to provide rongeurs with an offset bite. An offset bite is where the cutting action takes place at a position angled relative to the remainder of the device for example where jaws are angled relative to the remainder of the device. For example an upbite rongeur is one where the cutting action takes place at a position angled upwardly relative to the remainder of the device, for example jaws that are angled upwardly relative to the remainder of the device, and in particular relative to the position at which the rongeur is held, for example relative to handles that are opened or closed to effect opening or closing of the jaws. A downbite rongeur is one where the cutting action takes place at a position angled downwardly relative to the remainder of the device for example one where jaws are angled downwardly relative to the remainder of the device and in particular relative to the position at which the rongeur is held for example relative to handles that are opened or closed to effect opening or closing of the jaws.
In simple terms an offset bite is one that allows a user to work around a corner. An upbite may be considered to be the arrangement where the instrument removes material at a position above its longitudinal axis and a downbite is where the instrument removes material at a position below its longitudinal axis. Of course it is also the case that rongeurs have been provided that have a straight or non-offset bite - the instrument removes material at a position substantially aligned with its longitudinal axis.
For various applications rongeurs with different offsets may be utilised. For example one may start with a non-offset (or straight) rongeur to remove material that is aligned with the direction of access, and then use progressively more offset rongeurs to access material that is offset (around a corner) from the direction or point of access. In this way tissue that is not accessible with a non-offset rongeurs can be better accessed for removal.
Indeed certain surgical procedures set out in detail how specific areas of tissue can be removed by a set of specific rongeurs. For example one procedure for removal of spinal disc material specifies the use of seven different rongeurs with straight bite and differing offset bites to access and remove all target material based on accessing the target site from the same place each time.
US Patent Publication No. 2002/0138091 describes an apparatus and method for removing intervertebral disc material, such as nucleus pulposus, from a patient. The tissue removal mechanism includes a cannula adapted to be inserted into an intervertebral disc and has an open distal tip. The mechanism further includes a rotatable element having a distal portion with projections or threading, for example, having a substantially helical configuration designed to urge nucleus material into the cannula upon rotation of the rotatable element. The cannula and the rotatable element can be manually deformed so a user can choose to operate it in a straight or curved configuration.
US Patent Publication No. 2002/0165550 describes devices and instruments for implant insertion through a posterior lateral opening to the disc space. It discloses a reamer that can transmit rotary cutting torque through a bend. It describes a shaver with rotating shaving blades that can be advanced about a bend towards a stop. A guided chisel is also described.
US Patent Publication No. 2006/135959 describes nuclectomy method for creating a nuclear cavity in an annulus located in an intervertebral disc space and for preparing the nuclear cavity to receive an intervertebral prosthesis.

Articulating surgical instruments such as rongeurs


A method and apparatus are provided for converting an analog audio signal into digital data. A signal with small magnitude more closely approximates the original signal by varying an amplification ratio depending on the magnitude of an input analog audio signal so that the input analog audio signal can be amplified to maximum possible amplitude corresponding to the number of bits that can be stored when converting the analog audio signal into digital data. The amplitude of an amplified analog audio signal also can be reconstructed if necessary, thereby providing better sound quality with the same level of sound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the conversion of analog audio signals into digital data. More particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus and a method for converting analog audio signals into digital data designed to provide a sound quality that is substantially the same as the original sound.
2. Description of the Related Art
With advancement of digital technology, various multimedia data are converted into a digital format for easy storage, archiving, and processing.
Quantization is a process of representing or converting an analog continuous signal into digital data, resulting in a quantization error. As the number of levels used for each sample increases during sampling in converting the analog audio signal into digital data, the digital data is a closer representation of the original sound.
Referring to FIG. 1, a general apparatus for converting an analog audio signal into digital data includes an input 10 into which an analog audio signal is input, an amplifier 20 that amplifies the input analog audio signal at a predetermined amplification ratio, a converter 30 that converts the amplified analog audio signal into digital data, a digital signal processor 40 that performs overall signal processing in order to store the created digital data, a storage unit 50 that stores the created digital data, and a reproducer 60 that reproduces the digital data stored in the storage unit 50.
The operation of the apparatus having the above-described configuration is described with reference to FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 2, when an analog audio signal is input to the input 10 in step S1, the input analog audio signal is amplified by the amplifier 20 having a predetermined ratio of amplification in step S2. In step S3, the amplified analog audio signal is sent to the converter 30 that then converts the analog audio signal into digital data.
In step S4, the created digital data is sent to the digital signal processor 40 which then performs overall signal processing in order to store the digital data. In step S5, the digital data processed by the digital signal processor 40 is stored in the storage unit 50. Then, when reproducing a digital signal, the reproducer 60 extracts the digital signal stored in the storage unit 50.
In the apparatus for converting an analog audio signal into digital data, the amplifier 20 has a fixed amplification ratio that is sufficiently low to amplify an audio signal with large magnitude.
Thus, when the magnitude of a signal fed into the input 10 is small, a quantization error introduced by quantization is large compared to an actual audio signal. This quantization error causes the quantized signal to sound quite different from the original sound.

Apparatus and method for converting an analog audio signal into digital data


A filtration tester has a scale, a collector disposed on the scale, a pump having an outlet aligned with an opening of the collector, and a force sensor connected to the pump.

When designing various systems or devices, such as fluid delivery systems, e.g., ink delivery systems, preliminary testing is often performed to determine how these systems or devices are going behave during operation, and to perhaps determine if or when certain failures may occur. For example, for ink delivery systems, it is important to investigate whether ink delivery nozzles will be come clogged or partially clogged over time, leading to reduced printing performance. In many cases, it may take impractical lengths of time to determine how a device or system will behave, especially well into the system's or device's lifecycle. Therefore, tests are often developed to be conducted for reduced times that simulate operation of a system or device over a much longer time.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A turbomachine includes a turbine section including a turbine. The turbine includes a first plurality of turbine rotor blades and a second plurality of turbine rotor blades, the first plurality of turbine rotor blades and second plurality of turbine rotor blades alternatingly spaced along the axial direction. The turbomachine also includes a gearbox. The first plurality of turbine rotor blades and the second plurality of turbine rotor blades are each coupled to one of a ring gear, a planet gear, or a sun gear of the gearbox such that the first plurality of turbine rotor blades is rotatable with the second plurality of turbine rotor blades through the gearbox. The turbomachine also includes an electric machine assembly including a rotor coupled to one of the ring gear, the planet gear, or the sun gear of the gearbox such that the rotor rotates relative to a stator during operation.

A gas turbine engine generally includes a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with one another. Additionally, the core of the gas turbine engine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. In operation, air is provided from the fan to an inlet of the compressor section where one or more axial compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and burned within the combustion section to provide combustion gases. The combustion gases are routed from the combustion section to the turbine section. The flow of combustion gasses through the turbine section drives the turbine section and is then routed through the exhaust section, e.g., to atmosphere.
At least certain of these gas turbine engines additionally include an outer nacelle at least partially enclosing the fan and/or the core, and defining a bypass airflow passage with the core. In order to generate electrical power from operation of the turbomachine, the gas turbine engine may include a generator within the nacelle. The generator may be coupled to one or more rotating components of the core, such that it is rotatable with the core.
However, inclusion of a generator within the nacelle may result in a relatively heavy generator that may take up a relatively large footprint within the nacelle. Such may therefore result in less than ideal aerodynamic lines in an under-cowl area result. Accordingly, a gas turbine engine including an electric machine, such as an electric generator, that is not positioned in the outer nacelle would be beneficial. Further, an electric machine included within the gas turbine engine having a reduced overall weight would also be useful.

Turbomachine with a gearbox and integrated electric machine assembly


An interlayer film for laminated glass includes a first layer containing thermoplastic resin and silica particles; and a second layer containing a thermoplastic resin, wherein the first layer has tan δ of 0.8 or greater at 200° C., and wherein the second layer is disposed on a first surface side of the first layer, and has a glass transition temperature higher than a glass transition temperature of the first layer.

Laminated glass is excellently safe because it generates only a small amount of scattering glass fragments even when being subjected to external impact and is broken. Therefore, laminated glass is widely used in automobiles, railroad cars, airplanes, ships, buildings, and the like. Laminated glass is manufactured by interposing an interlayer film for laminated glass between two glass plates.
Interlayer films for laminated glass include a single-layered interlayer film having a structure consisting of a single layer and a multilayered interlayer film having a structure consisting of two or more layers.
The following Patent Literature 1 discloses, as an example of an interlayer film for laminated glass, a sound insulating layer containing 100 parts by weight of a polyvinyl acetal resin having a degree of acetalization of 60 to 85 mol %, 0.001 to 1.0 part by weight of at least one kind of metal salt among alkali metal salts and alkaline earth metal salts, and a plasticizer in an amount of greater than 30 parts by weight. This sound insulating layer alone can be used as an interlayer film.
The following Patent Literature 1 also describes a multilayered interlayer film in which the aforementioned sound insulating layer and another layer are laminated. The other layer laminated on the sound insulating layer contains 100 parts by weight of a polyvinyl acetal resin having a degree of acetalization of 60 to 85 mol %, 0.001 to 1.0 part by weight of at least one kind of metal salt among alkali metal salts and alkaline earth metal salts, and a plasticizer in an amount of 30 parts by weight or less.
The following Patent Literature 2 discloses an interlayer film which is a polymer layer having a glass transition temperature of 33° C. or higher. Patent Literature 2 describes that the polymer layer is disposed between glass plates having a thickness of 4.0 mm or less.
The following Patent Literature 3 discloses an interlayer film containing (A) polyvinyl acetal, (B) at least one kind of plasticizer, (C) fumed silica, and (D) at least one kind of basic compound. In this interlayer film, a difference in refractive index between (C) fumed silica and plasticized polyvinyl acetal (A+B) is 0.015 or less, and a weight ratio of C/(A+B) is 2.7/100 to 60/100.

Interlayer for laminated glass, and laminated glass


An ink comprised of (1) a liquid ester vehicle, (2) a solid ester compound, (3) a liquid crystalline ester compound, (4) a UV absorber, (5) an antioxidant, and (6) a colorant.

The present invention is directed to ink compositions and more specifically, the present invention relates to semi-solid hot melt inks with a melting point of for example, from about 25.degree. C. to about 40.degree. C., and which inks are especially useful for acoustic ink printing, processes and apparatuses, reference, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,141, U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,220, U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,726, U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,531, the disclosures of which are totally incorporated herein by reference, including especially acoustic ink processes as illustrated in the aforementioned copending applications such as an acoustic ink printer for printing images on a record medium.
The inks of the present invention in embodiments thereof are comprised of (1) a liquid non-aqueous vehicle with a boiling point of higher than, or equal to about 150.degree. C. and lower than, or equal to about 350.degree. C., and more specifically from about 175 to about 325, and yet more specifically from about 225 to about 300 degrees Centigrade, and low acoustic loss to reduce, or minimize energy consumption, and which acoustic loss is for example, below, or about equal to 60 dB/mm, (2) a solid paper ester contained in the pores of a substrate, such as paper and which ester possesses a melting point of for example, lower than about, or equal to about 75.degree. C. and preferably between about 35.degree. to about 74.degree. C. and with a low acoustic loss of from about less than about 100 dB/mm, (3) a liquid crystalline ester compound, (4) a lightfastness UV absorber, (5) a lightfastness antioxidant, (6) and a colorant such as a dye, a pigment or mixtures thereof. More specifically, the present invention is directed to semi-solid hot melt acoustic ink compositions comprised of (1) non-aqueous ester liquid vehicles with a boiling point of for example, higher than about 150.degree. C. and lower than about 350.degree. C., preferably between about 170.degree. and about 300.degree. C., and with a low acoustic loss below or equal to about 60 dB/mm, and preferably in the range of between about 5 to about 40 dB/mm, (2) a non-aqueous solid ester with a melting point of for example, lower than about 75.degree. C. and preferably between about 35.degree. to about 74.degree. C., and with a low acoustic loss below, or equal to about 100 dB/mm, and preferably in the range of between about 25 to about 80 dB/mm, (3) a liquid crystalline ester compound, (4) an ester UV absorber, (5) an ester antioxidant, and (6) a colorant, and wherein there can be generated with such inks excellent developed images on substrates, such as plain and coated papers with acceptable image permanence, excellent projection efficiency on transparencies without a post fusing step, and excellent crease resistance, and wherein the inks possess acceptable, and in embodiments superior lightfastness, and superior waterfastness. Moreover, in embodiments of the present invention there is enabled the elimination, or minimization of undesirable paper curl since water is preferably not present in the inks, and it is preferred that there be an absence of water, thus a dryer can be avoided thereby minimizing the cost of the acoustic ink jet apparatus and process.


The invention is generally directed to a kit and patch for transdermal or intradermal delivery of at least one substance into the skin. The kit includes a dermal patch having an electrochemical cell with two electrodes and a retainer for retaining a conductive fluid which further includes an active substance. The conductive fluid can be deposited on at least one of the two electrodes. Alternatively, the conductive fluid can be applied topically to the skin.

The present invention relates to transdermal and/or intradermal drug delivery devices, kits and methods and, more particularly, to a dermal patch which is capable of delivering an electric current for electrically including transdermal and intradermal delivery of a wide variety of substances or for enhancement of wound healing, scar prevention, scar reduction, tissue repair and/or tissue regeneration via electrical stimulation.
Much recent attention has been paid in the technical and patent literature to the delivery of substances, both pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, such as drugs and other beneficial agents, into or through intact skin surfaces by passive processes such as diffusion and osmosis and by active processes such as electrically induced iontophoresis, electrophoresis, electroosmosis and/or electroporation. The ubiquitous nicotine patch designed to assist in quitting smoking has caused such forms of transdermal delivery of medication to be widely known. (Hereunder, the term "iontophoresis" will collectively represent any of the terms iontophoresis, electrophoresis, electroosmosis and/or electroporation, and the term "iontophoretic" will encompass the respective adjectives.)
Indeed, there is now an extremely long list of pharmaceutical substances that are routinely administered transdermally and/or intradermally and a similarly long list of devices and methods known in the art for administering same. A short but varied sampling includes the following: U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,582 which discloses a device for treating asthma transdermally; U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,856 which discloses a dermal patch for detecting alcohol consumption; U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,677 which teaches the transdermal administration of antiviral protease inhibitors; U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,560 which discloses the transdermal treatment of erectile dysfunction; U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,381 which discloses the transdermal delivery of antiviral, antibacterial and antiaging substances; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,104 which discloses the transdermal administration of substances for treating congestive heart failure.
Although many substances are administered passively via a dermal patch, there are also many that are electrically delivered intradermally or transdermally.
The use of electrical stimulus to body parts is well known and has an equally long and colorful history. Around the turn of the 20th century there was available a plethora of "electrodes" for applying "electric treatments" to the human body. The electrodes were placed upon the body in relation to the organ to be treated. Such early "electric treatments" included popular galvanic stimulation which caused ionized molecules to be driven into the body, usually superficially. This early form of iontophoresis, or ion transfer, was employed for the supposed beneficial effects of localized stimulation and the introduction of medicaments, often simply moisture, into the skin of a patient.
The technique of iontophoresis is in wide use today in the administration of drugs as it effectively delivers electrically charged medicaments through the skin, and into the capillary structure and lymphatic system. This technique avoids the gastrointestinal side effects sometimes associated with orally ingested drugs and is preferable to subcutaneous injection because of its relatively benign and painless nature.
Another technique, known as electroporation, facilitates the transdermal or intradermal delivery of uncharged substances by electrically inducing the formation of transient dermal micropores that allow mobilization of the uncharged substances by diffusion.
Accordingly, iontophoresis, as well as other electrically induced techniques, such as electroporation, has been incorporated into many transdermal delivery devices, including the popular dermal patch. Therefore, there are many dermal patches known in the art today which incorporate a power source and electrical circuitry for aiding transdermal delivery.
Most present dermal patches, including those that function passively and those that function electrically, incorporate a substance for transdermal delivery. Such patches are specifically designed and/or configured to deliver a predetermined dosage of a specific substance, and that substance forms an integral part of the patch in question, i.e., the "nicotine patch". One drawback of such dermal patches, which are manufactured with a predetermined type and amount of substance therein is that once the substance is depleted, the entire device is useless and must be discarded. This is a disadvantage because patches which employ electrically induced delivery techniques necessarily have components, e.g., batteries, electrodes, circuitry and other assemblies, which may be expensive and/or environmentally hazardous when discarded in large quantities. Also, in order to change dosage, patches of different dosages must be provided.
There is also known in the art today a range of reusable dermal patches that incorporate a reservoir for holding a medicinal substance prior to administration. Those dermal patches typically incorporate the reservoir as part of one or both of the electrodes which deliver the current to the skin of the subject. Such electrodes are often referred to as bioelectrodes.
Bioelectrodes come in many sizes, shapes and configurations such as the following assigned to Ioimed, Inc., which produces iontophoretic delivery devices. Examples of such bioelectrodes include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,037,380 and 5,248,295 which teach a patch having a refillable receptacle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,217 which teaches a patch having a small access window for refilling; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,374,245, 5,730,716 and 6,223,075 which teach a patch that holds a dry medicament and must be hydrated. All such bioelectrodes are complex and consist of many parts and are therefore relatively bulky. Accordingly, those that are incorporated into dermal patches cause the patches to be large and relatively expensive. Moreover, such dermal patches must be charged, or loaded, by a clinician and not by the subject.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a thin, flexible and simple electrically active dermal patch that is simple to administer by the subject, versatile and capable of application with a range of substances and/or dosages and for a variety of purposes and that is simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture.


A data input device for use with a tracking surface having light-scattering properties with respect to the device is disclosed. The device comprises a coherent light source for projecting a coherent light beam onto the tracking surface. The tracking surface scatters the coherent light beam striking the tracking surface. The device further comprises a detector associated with the coherent light source for detecting at least a portion of the scattered light. The detected portion of the scattered light comprising a speckle pattern. The device further comprises a controller configured to respond to the detected speckle pattern and operate the device in one of a tracking mode and a non-tracking mode, depending upon a speckle size characteristic of the detected speckle pattern as determined by the controller.

Previous computer input devices, such as mice, include rotatable balls mounted within a housing, yet rotatably engaging a surface. As the housing of such a mechanical mouse translates across the surface, the ball rotates within the housing, engaging horizontally and vertically situated wheels that rotate against the ball, thereby indicating horizontal (e.g., side to side or x-direction) and vertical (e.g., back and forth or y-direction) movement of the mouse across the surface. When the device is lifted from the surface, hereinafter referred to as "lift-off" or the detection of an "off-surface" condition, the ball stops rotating and the horizontal and vertical movement information provided by the wheels stops. This feature is particularly useful to a user who has reached a point where the device can no longer move with respect to the tracking surface, but the user would like to continue tracking in that particular direction on a display. By lifting the device off of the tracking surface, the user can reposition the device, while a display cursor remains stationary because tracking is suspended during lift-off. When tracking resumes, horizontal and vertical wheel rotation translates into a displayed visual image of the display cursor responding to movement of the device. Because such devices have a moving ball passing through a hole in the housing, such devices may become contaminated with dust and dirt, yielding inaccurate or intermittent cursor tracking. Moreover, the tracking surface and ball require sufficient friction between the two to cause the ball to rotate when the housing translates over the surface. To help provide such friction and minimize device contamination, specialized tracking surfaces (e.g., mouse pads) are typically used. Thus, a major limitation of such a device is that it requires a tracking surface with particular characteristics, such as adequate friction and cleanliness, which are not readily found on all surfaces that would otherwise be useful for tracking.
Building upon these primarily mechanical tracking devices, optical tracking devices have become available. Such devices optically track movement relative to a surface, rather than mechanically as with the devices described immediately above. These optical tracking devices may avoid some of the drawbacks associated with the mechanical devices described above. In particular, optical devices typically do not require contact between wheels and a movable ball, which acts as a common collection point for dust and dirt. Instead, the movable ball may be covered with a distinct pattern. As the ball rotates over a surface due to movement of the input device, photodetectors facing another side of the ball collect information about the movement of the ball's distinct pattern as the ball rotates. A tracking engine collects this information, determines the direction the pattern is translating, and translates the cursor on the display, as similarly described above. Lift-off detection is performed as discussed above, such that when the device is lifted, the ball stops moving and the device stops tracking. These devices offer benefits over previous designs by eliminating moving parts (the wheels) and changing the ball detection interaction from mechanical to optical. However, such devices lack the ability to track on any surface, requiring a suitable frictional interface between the ball and the surface. Moreover, these devices still require one moving part, namely, the ball. Moreover, such devices may become contaminated with dust and dirt, thereby possibly obscuring the detected pattern and/or creating fixed pattern noise on the detected image. Finally, aliasing artifacts may also cause the cursor to skip, rather than move fluidly.
Still other optical devices place a pattern on the tracking surface (e.g., a mouse pad), rather than on the rotatable ball, thereby using the mouse pad to generate optical tracking information. Although such devices are able to eliminate the moving ball, they are less universal by requiring a specific tracking surface to operate.
Other more recent optical tracking devices eliminate the need for a patterned ball or mouse pad. One such device utilizes an LED to project light across the tracking surface at a grazing angle relative to the tracking surface. The mouse then collects tracking information by detecting the differences between the illuminated high points in the surface texture and dark shadows cast by the high points, which appear as dark areas. Such an LED device eliminates the moving ball of previous devices, and is useful on a variety of surfaces. However, smooth surfaces with little color variation, such as surfaces with a fine microfinish similar to glass or clear plastic, may prove difficult to track upon. Like the devices discussed in the paragraph above, these devices need not specifically address detection of an off-surface condition when the device has been removed from the tracking surface. Instead, they utilize focused optics and are thus inherently unable to track if the device has been lifted a significant distance from the tracking surface.

Data input device and method for detecting an off-surface condition by a laser speckle size characteristic


A mother/daughter card non-volatile memory system includes a daughter card containing the memory and a mother card containing the memory controller and host interface circuits. The daughter memory card contains as little more than the memory cell array as is practical, in order to minimize its cost, and has an interface for connecting with a variety of mother controller cards having physical attributes and host interfaces according to a number of different published or proprietary memory card standards. Different types of memory cards may be used when the operating parameters of the memory are stored within it in a protected location, the mother card controller then reading these parameters and adapting its operation accordingly. A radio frequency antenna may be included on a surface of the card along with its electrical contacts, in order to provide a radio frequency identification function.

Electronic circuit cards, including non-volatile memory cards, have been commercially implemented according to a number of well-known standards. Memory cards are used with personal computers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, portable audio players and other host electronic devices for the storage of large amounts of data. Such cards usually contain a non-volatile semiconductor memory cell array along with a controller that controls operation of the memory cell array and interfaces with a host to which the card connected. Several of the same type of card may be interchanged in a host card slot designed to accept that type of card. However, the development of the many electronic card standards has created different types of cards that are incompatible with each other in various degrees. A card made according to one standard is usually not useable with a host designed to operate with a card of another standard.
One such standard, the PC Card Standard, provides specifications for three types of PC Cards. Originally released in 1990, the PC Card Standard now contemplates three forms of a rectangular card measuring 85.6 mm. by 54.0 mm., having thicknesses of 3.3 mm. (Type I), 5.0 mm. (Type II) and 10.5 mm. (Type III). An electrical connector, which engages pins of a slot in which the card is removably inserted, is provided along a narrow edge of the card. PC Card slots are included in current notebook personal computers, as well as in other host equipment, particularly portable devices. The PC Card Standard is a product of the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA). The latest release of the PC Card Standard from the PCMCIA is dated February 1995, which standard is incorporated herein by this reference.
In 1994, SanDisk Corporation introduced the CompactFlash™ card (CF™ card) that is functionally compatible with the PC Card but is much smaller. The CF™ card is rectangularly shaped with dimensions of 43 mm. by 36 mm. and a thickness of 3.3 mm., and has a female pin connector along one edge. The CF™ card is widely used with cameras for the storage of video data. A passive adapter card is available, in which the CF™ card fits, that then can be inserted into a PC Card slot of a host computer or other device. The controller within the CF™ card operates with the card's flash memory to provide an ATA interface at its connector. That is, a host with which a CF™ card is connected interfaces with the card as if it is a disk drive. Specifications for the card have been developed by the CompactFlash Association, a current version of these specifications being 1.4, which standard is incorporated herein by this reference.
The SmartMedia™ card is about one-third the size of a PC Card, having dimensions of 45.0 mm. by 37.0 mm. and is very thin at only 0.76 mm. thick. Contacts are provided in a defined pattern as areas on a surface of the card. Its specifications have been defined by the Solid State Floppy Disk Card (SSFDC) Forum, which began in 1996. It contains flash memory, particularly of the NAND type. The SmartMedia™ card is intended for use with portable electronic devices, particularly cameras and audio devices, for storing large amounts of data. A memory controller is included either in the host device or in an adapter card in another format such as one according to the PC Card standard. Physical and electrical specifications for the SmartMedia™ card have been issued by the SSFDC Forum, a current version of this standard being 1.0, which standard is incorporated herein by this reference.
Another non-volatile memory card is the MultiMediaCard (MMC™). The physical and electrical specifications for the MMC™ are given in "The MultiMediaCard System Specification" that is updated and published from time-to-time by the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA). Version 3.1 of that Specification, dated June 2001, is expressly incorporated herein by this reference. MMC™ products having varying storage capacity up to 128 megabytes in a single card are currently available from SanDisk Corporation. The MMC™ card is rectangularly shaped with a size similar to that of a postage stamp. The card's dimensions are 32.0 mm. by 24.0 mm. and 1.4 mm. thick, with a row of electrical contacts on a surface of the card along a narrow edge that also contains a cut-off corner. These products are described in a "MultiMediaCard Product Manual," Revision 2, dated April 2000, published by SanDisk Corporation, which Manual is expressly incorporated herein by this reference. Certain aspects of the electrical operation of the MMC™ products are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,114 and in patent application Ser. No. 09/186,064, filed Nov. 4, 1998, both by applicants Thomas N. Toombs and Micky Holtzman, and assigned to SanDisk Corporation. The physical card structure and a method of manufacturing it are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,622, assigned to SanDisk Corporation. Both of these patents and patent application are expressly incorporated herein by this reference.
A modified version of the MMC™ card is the later Secure Digital (SD) card. The SD Card has the same rectangular size as the MMC™ card but with an increased thickness (2.1 mm.) in order to accommodate an additional memory chip when that is desired. A primary difference between these two cards is the inclusion in the SD card of security features for its use to store proprietary data such as that of music. Another difference between them is that the SD Card includes additional data contacts in order to enable faster data transfer between the card and a host. The other contacts of the SD Card are the same as those of the MMC™ card in order that sockets designed to accept the SD Card can also be made to accept the MMC™ card. This is described in patent application Ser. No. 09/641,023, filed by Cedar et al. on Aug. 17, 2000, which application is incorporated herein by this reference. The electrical interface with the SD card is further made to be, for the most part, backward compatible with the MMC™ card, in order that few changes to the operation of the host need be made in order to accommodate both types of cards. Specifications for the SD card are available to member companies from the SD Association (SDA).
Another type of memory card is the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), the specifications of which are published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). A portion of these specifications appear as GSM 11.11, a recent version being technical specification ETST TS 100 977 V8.3.0 (2000-08), entitled "Digital Cellular Telecommunications System (Phase 2+); Specification of the Subscriber Identity Module—Mobile Equipment (SIM—ME) Interface," (GSM 11.11 Version 8.3.0 Release 1999). This specification is hereby incorporated herein by this reference. Two types of SIM cards are specified: ID-1 SIM and Plug-in SIM.
The ID-1 SIM card has a format and layout according to the ISO/IEC 7810 and 7816 standards of the International Organization for Standardizaton (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (EC). The ISO/IEC 7810 standard is entitled "Identification cards—Physical characteristics," second edition, August 1995. The ISO/IEC 7816 standard has the general title of "Identification cards—Integrated Circuit(s) Cards with Contacts," and consists of parts 1–10 that carry individual dates from 1994 through 2000. These standards, copies of which are available from the ISO/IEC in Geneva, Switzerland, are expressly incorporated herein by this reference. The ID-1 SIM card is generally the size of a credit card, having dimensions of 85.60 mm. by 53.98 mm., with rounder corners, and a thickness of 0.76 mm. Such a card may have only memory or may also include a microprocessor, the latter often being referred to as a "Smart Card." One application of a Smart Card is as a debit card where an initial credit balance is decreased every time it is used to purchase a product or a service.
The Plug-in SIM is a very small card, smaller than the MMC™ and SD cards. The GSM 11.11 specification referenced above calls for this card to be a rectangle 25 mm. by 15 mm., with one corner cut off for orientation, and with the same thickness as the ID-1 SIM card. A primary use of the Plug-in SIM card is in mobile telephones and other devices for security against the theft and/or unauthorized use of the devices, in which case the card stores a security code personal to the device's owner or user. In both types of SIM cards, eight electrical contacts (but with as few as five being used) are specified in the ISO/IEC 7816 standard to be arranged on a surface of the card for contact by a host receptacle.
Sony Corporation developed a non-volatile memory card, sold as the Memory Stick™, that has yet another set of specifications. Its shape is that of an elongated rectangle having electrical contacts on a surface adjacent one of its short sides. The electrical interface through these contacts with a host to which it is connected is unique.
As is apparent from the foregoing summary of the primary electronic card standards, there are many differences in their physical characteristics including size and shape, in the number, arrangement and structure of electrical contacts and in the electrical interface with a host system through those contacts when the card is inserted into the host card slot. Electronic devices that use electronic cards are usually made to work with only one type of card. Adaptors, both active and passive types, have been provided or proposed to allow some degree of interchangeability of electronic cards among such host devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,724 of Harari et al. describes use of combinations of mother and daughter memory cards, which patent is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

Universal non-volatile memory card used with various different standard cards containing a memory controller