A toner includes a binder resin, a charge control agent, and a pigment. The binder resin includes a main binder resin and 10 to 100 parts by weight of crystalline polyester that maintains a polymer chain orientation even in a molten state, based on the main binder resin. Therefore, the toner may be fixed at a low temperature, while maintaining long-term storage stability and durability. As a result, the aging of a fixing apparatus, the curling of sheets of paper, and excess energy consumption may be overcome. Furthermore, since separate equipment and a structural change of a fixing apparatus are not required, an existing printer model may be used. Since the time required for fixing is short, high-speed printing is facilitated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner, and more particularly, to a toner that may be fixed at low temperature by adding a crystalline polyester resin to a main binder resin.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inkjet printer and a laser printer have been currently widely used. The inkjet printer is typically used as a personal printer due to a slow print speed. On the other hand, the laser printer is suitable to be used in an office environment in which it is linked to several network computers to print a large volume. In such a laser printer, a latent image is created on a photoconductor (OPC) using a laser. Thereafter, a toner is attracted to the latent image of the photoconductor due to the difference of the electric potential, and then the latent image is transferred onto a receiving material, such as a sheet of paper, resulting in a visible image.
A laser printer that has been currently developed or commercially available is a black and white dry printer. In the black and white dry printer, a toner is charged by friction and then transferred to a latent image of a photoconductor due to the difference of the electric potential. Even though the black and white dry printer causes an environmental problem such as dust generation due to toner particles, the black and white dry printer has an advantage in that it may be easily manufactured in a small size at a low cost.
Generally, a dry toner includes a pigment, a charge control agent (CCA) that adjusts the amount of the charges of the toner, a binder resin that binds the pigment and the charge control agent, and a releasing agent that facilitates the separation of-a transfer medium after the transfer. Furthermore, a surface additive is added to the surfaces of toner particles to impart functionality to the toner particles or to enhance the physical properties of the toner particles.
A toner image formed on the surface of a transfer medium is finally fixed by a contact or non-contact developing method. With respect to the former, a heat roller fixing method is mainly used, in which a toner image formed on the surface of a transfer medium is fixed by a heat roller set to 120 to 180° C.
About 80 to 90% of a dry toner comprises a binder resin as described above. In such a dry toner, an offset resistance and a fixing property on a transfer medium are required. The term, "offset," as used herein, indicates a phenomenon that when a toner image transferred from the surface of a drum to the surface of a transfer medium is thermally fixed due to attachment of the toner image on a heat roller, the toner image is printed on an unwanted surface of a transfer medium during subsequent printing. The offset printing may be divided into a cold offset that occurs at a low temperature range and a hot offset that occurs at a high temperature range. The above-described properties of a toner are mainly determined by the properties of a binder resin used in preparation of the toner. Generally, if the melting temperature of a binder resin is low, a fixing property is effective, but an offset resistance is ineffective. On the other hand, if the melting temperature of a binder resin is high, an offset resistance is effective but a fixing property is ineffective.
Since a binder resin with a low melting temperature also has a low glass transition temperature (Tg) (also called a softening point), repeated developing by a heat roller fixing method may cause deterioration/aggravation and ineffective storage stability of a toner due to a mechanical friction force. To prevent these problems, use of a binder resin with a high glass transition temperature may be considered. However, in this case, due to the low thermal efficiency of the binder resin, a toner image is incompletely fixed and a high fixing temperature is required. For this reason, an intense heat is used for fixing, which may cause aging of a fixing apparatus. Furthermore, an intense heat may cause paper curling, excess energy consumption, and insufficient pulverizability, thus decreasing production efficiency. For example, with respect to a styrene based copolymer resin generally used as a binder resin for a toner, a fixing temperature varies, depending on the composition of the binder resin, the outer diameter of a heat roller, and a print speed. However, in a general case, since a fixing temperature may be as high as about 160° C., an intense heat is used during fixing, which may cause the above-described problems.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to enhance an offset resistance, a method was implemented in which the surface of a heat roller was coated with fluorinated resin or silicon oil. However, this method increased the size, structural complexity, and manufacturing cost of a fixing apparatus. Even though an offset resistance was enhanced, the fixing temperature of a binder resin was still high.
In this regard, attempts have been made to decrease the fixing temperature of a toner simultaneously with satisfying a fixing property and an offset resistance.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Sho. 60-134,248 discloses a partially crosslinked binder resin, one particle of which has a crosslinked structure and a low molecular weight linear structure obtained through a two step polymerization. However, the offset resistance and the fixing property of a toner tend to be inversely related according to the crosslinking density of the binder resin. That is, a low crosslinking density ensures an effective fixing property. However, it is difficult to maintain an appropriate gel content, which may lower an offset resistance. On the other hand, a high crosslinking density ensures an effective offset resistance, but lowers a fixing property. Also, there arises a problem in that such a crosslinking density is not easily adjusted.
Meanwhile, as an attempt to enhance both the offset resistance and the low temperature fixing property, a study has been done on development of a capsule toner having an inner core and an outer shell that are different in terms of a material and a structure. In this regard, according to a known technique that ensures low temperature fixing simultaneously with satisfying a long-term storage stability, a liquid or a low melting point wax that may be easily plasticized is used as the inner core of the capsule toner and a strong material is used as the outer shell of the capsule toner. However, such a capsule toner has an ineffective fixing property. To overcome this problem, use of a liquid core can be considered. In this case, however, if the strength of the shell is weak, a toner is broken down in a developing apparatus, thus causing internal contamination. In this regard, a high melting point polymer may be used as a shell material. However, the high melting point polymer cannot be used for low temperature fixing. In addition, the capsule toner involves a complicated preparation process and requires a separate additional apparatus, thus incurring an additional cost.
There is another method of using common polyester as a binder resin. However, polyester commonly used as a toner binder has a glass transition temperature of about 61° C. and a melting temperature of about 160° C., which are insufficient to lower a fixing temperature. Therefore, using common polyester is not suitable for low temperature fixing.


A power tool having a housing, a motor disposed in the housing, a power cord connected to the motor, and a cord protector operably engaging the power cord. The cord protector comprising a spring member coupled to the housing on a first end and engaging the power cord on a second end. The spring member exerting a biasing force upon the power cord in response to a load being applied to the power cord and recovering to an initial position in response to removal of the load.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A common field failure with heavier portable power tools, such as portable saws, is a separation of the power cord from the tool due to an impulse load, or jerk, applied to the cord. This can occur when the tool is dropped while the plug end of the power cord is secured, or when a user carries the tool or lowers it from floor to floor or down a ladder by holding the power cord.
To isolate the power cord conductors or connections from the high forces imposed by jerking the power cord, the power cord according to the present disclosure is installed in the tool housing with a small service loop, or extra length of cable, between the cord clamp and the portion of the tool housing that secures the cord protector. A crimp-on device is installed on the power cord cable next to the cord protector. When the cord is subjected to jerking, the cable moves axially relative to the cord protector. As the cable moves, the crimp-on device compresses the extended end of the cord protector absorbing energy and reducing the forces transmitted to the cord set conductors or connections that are disposed within the housing.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.


In one embodiment of the invention, a cuff-less blood pressure measuring system is disclosed including cuff-less blood pressure scanner with a vital signs signal processor having an adaptive blood pressure model. A machine learning process is further disclosed to tune the adaptive blood pressure model of the cuff-less blood pressure measuring system to the user.

Blood pressure (systemic arterial blood pressure) is the pressure that circulating blood exerts against the walls of the blood vessels in the course of circulation, and is a good indication of the capacity of the blood vessels and of cardiac function in a body. Blood pressure may be measured in different ways and traditionally has units of millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Because arterial blood pressure varies as a waveform, referred to as an arterial pressure wave, measurements of interest are systolic blood pressure (SDP) (its peak) and diastole blood pressure (DBP) (its lowest point). Systolic blood pressure (SDP) is the maximum arterial pressure during contraction of heart as it beats and pushes blood out. Diastolic blood pressure (DI3P) refers to the lowest blood pressure within the arterial blood stream due to expansion of heart when pulling blood into the heart and it is not beating.
Blood pressure may be measured in various ways that may be characterized as invasive and non-invasive. One non-invasive technique of measuring blood pressure uses a sphygmomanometer, an inflatable cuff to collapse and then release the artery under the cuff in a controlled manner, and a pressure measurement device (e.g., manometer) to measure the pressure. The sphygmomanometer is sometimes referred to as a blood pressure cuff. A sphygmomanometer can provide fairly accurate readings of blood pressure. However, the use of a sphygmomanometer is rather intrusive and not very user friendly so it may not be used that often by a user to capture his/her blood pressure. It is desirable to provide an accurate cuff-less based system and method for determining blood pressure.

Cuff-less multi-sensor system for statistical inference of blood pressure with progressive learning/tuning


A technique is provided for monitoring and controlling surface contaminants on optical elements contained within the optical path (or sub-path) of an optical metrology instrument. The technique may be utilized in one embodiment in such a manner as to not require that additional components and/or instrumentation be coupled to, or integrated into, existing metrology equipment. Surface contaminants on optical elements within an optical metrology instrument are monitored so that cleaning procedures can be performed as deemed necessary. The cleaning procedures may include the use of exposing the optical elements to optical radiation. The optical metrology instrument may be an instrument which operates at wavelengths that include vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) wavelengths.

The present application relates to the field of optical metrology and more particularly to optical metrology that may be performed in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV).
In one embodiment, a means by which accurate and repeatable optical metrology may be performed in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) is provided. In one embodiment, the technique disclosed herein can be used to ensure that vacuum ultraviolet reflectometers generate highly stable and repeatable results in the presence of both gaseous and surface contaminants. In another embodiment, the techniques disclosed herein provide a means for obtaining accurate reflectance data from samples whose surfaces themselves may be contaminated.
Optical metrology techniques have long been employed in process control applications in the semiconductor manufacturing industry due to their non-contact, non-destructive and generally high-throughput nature. The vast majority of these tools operate in some portion of the spectral region spanning the deep ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths (DUV-NIR generally 200-1000 nm). The continuous push towards developing smaller devices comprised of thinner layers has challenged the sensitivity of such instrumentation. An effort to develop optical metrology equipment utilizing shorter wavelengths (below 200 nm), where greater sensitivity to subtle changes in processing conditions can be realized has been considered. Approaches to performing optical measurements at shorter wavelengths such as a system and method for a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) reflectometer are described in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/668,642, filed on Sep. 23, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,067,818 and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/909,126, filed on Jul. 30, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,126,131 the disclosures of which are both expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Contamination of optical surfaces like windows and mirrors is a serious impediment to the operation of optical instruments in the VUV. Moisture and residual molecules, particularly hydrocarbon compounds, may deposit on such surfaces over time dramatically reducing their performance. These effects have formed the focus of previous investigations owing to their impact on the design, development and performance of 193 and 157 nm lithographic exposure tools.
In order to ensure the tremendous sensitivity enhancements theoretically offered by VUV optical metrology instruments are practically realized, it would be highly desirable to develop an instrument with the inherent capability of reducing, removing or altogether eliminating the build up of contaminates on its optical surfaces. Furthermore, if this self-cleaning capability could be realized without the addition of potentially expensive and complicated components it would represent a great benefit to tool owners.
When present on the surfaces of samples under investigation, contaminate layers may significantly contribute to measured optical responses in the VUV yielding inaccurate and/or erroneous results. These effects are of particular concern when the samples are comprised of ultra thin films (<100 Å), whose thicknesses may themselves be comparable to the thicknesses of the contaminate layers.
One technique contemplated for improving the measurement of semiconductor wafers by removing contamination layers in a cleaning step includes employing microwave radiation and/or radiant heating, prior to measurement. Although enhanced measurement repeatability is reported using this approach, the method requires that a separate cleaning system be coupled to an existing measurement system resulting in increased system cost and design complexity.
In light of these disadvantages it would be desirable to develop a measurement system that was itself capable of removing contaminants from the surface of samples, so as to ensure accurate and highly repeatable results were achieved. Such an instrument would be capable of simultaneously cleaning and measuring specific locations on the sample without requiring additional components, above and beyond those normally required for measurement, thereby reducing system cost and design complexity. Furthermore, such an instrument would not require alignment of separate cleaning and measurement subsystems. In addition, such an instrument would avoid needlessly "cleaning" the entire sample, while at the same time ensuring that consistent cleaning results were obtained at all measurement locations.

Contamination monitoring and control techniques for use with an optical metrology instrument


A coaxial connector is provided which can be used in cable systems which transmit telephone and internet service in addition to traditional cable television service. The coaxial connector comprises a housing which can consist of one or several components having a central bore therethrough and a one or multiple piece insulator arranged in the central bore in the housing. The coaxial connector also includes a female center contact member which is arranged in the hollow interior of the insulator. The female contact member comprises an outer surface which defines an open mating end which is adapted to receive the center conductor pin of a mating male connector and includes a pair of double bellows spring portions which extend inwardly from the outer surface. A pair of raised bumps are arranged on the contact surface of each double bellows spring portion in order to focus the contact force provided by the double bellows spring portions.

As a result of deregulation in the telecommunication industry, many cable television providers are developing systems which will enable them to provide telephone and internet services, in addition to traditional cable television services, over the same coaxial cable. However, these new cable systems will require coaxial connectors which have significantly better performance characteristics than the connectors which are presently used in cable systems which only pass video signals.
Coaxial connectors which are presently used in the cable television industry are sometimes referred to as "F" connectors. These coaxial connectors were designed to be able to pass video signals at a relatively low cost. The male coaxial connectors which are commercially available typically have either crimped or soldered center wire pins or use the center conductor or wire of the coaxial cable as the center contact. The commercially available female coaxial connectors, sometimes referred to as "ports", typically use a variety of screw-machined or stamped contacts.
Since they were designed to only handle video signals, the coaxial connectors presently used in the cable television industry have poor electrical performance. Specifically, current coaxial connectors have unacceptably high signal loss, at the significantly higher bandwidth requirements, e.g. data transmissions speeds of up to 1 GHZ, that will be associated with the new cable systems which will transmit video, voice and data signals. Accordingly, new coaxial connectors will have to be provided for these new cable systems which can mate with existing coaxial cables and also provide reliable long-term connections and superior electrical performance even at broadband frequencies.

Coaxial connector with bellows spring portion or raised bump


A semiconductor processing device according to the invention includes a first non-volatile memory (21) for erasing stored information on a first data length unit, a second non-volatile memory (22) for erasing stored information on a second data length unit, and a central processing unit (2), and capable of inputting/outputting encrypted data from/to an outside. The first non-volatile memory is used for storing an encryption key to be utilized for encrypting the data. The second non-volatile memory is used for storing a program to be processed by the central processing unit. The non-volatile memories to be utilized for storing the program and for storing the encryption key are separated from each other, and the data lengths of the erase units of information to be stored in the non-volatile memories are defined separately. Therefore, the stored information can efficiently be erased before the execution of a processing of writing the program, and the stored information can be erased corresponding to the data length of a necessary processing unit in the write of the encryption key to be utilized in the calculation processing of the CPU.

As an electrically rewritable (A word of rewritable means that it is programmable) non-volatile memory, there has been proposed a so-called flash memory capable of carrying out a write processing and an erase processing on a comparatively large unit such as a batch erase processing on a memory block unit and a page write processing on a word line unit or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) capable of carrying out a write processing and an erase processing on a unit of a byte or word to be a calculation processing unit by a CPU. A microcomputer for carrying out on-chip over the EEPROM and a microcomputer for carrying out the on-chip over the flash memory have been proposed, respectively. An example of the document describing the former microcomputer includes JP-A-63-266698. An example of the document describing the latter microcomputer includes JP-A-05-266219.

Semiconductor processing device and IC card


An ingestible device, adapted to travel in the gastrointestinal tract and perform a diagnostic image of tissue therein, is provided. The diagnostic image may comprise diagnostic information as a function of time, or diagnostic information as a function of distance traveled within the gastrointestinal tract. Specifically, the ingestible device may be arranged to perform a diagnostic image of nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, scintillation of a scintillation liquid, responsive to nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, optical fluorescence of a fluorescing-pharmaceutical or of bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue, infrared radiation of the gastrointestinal-tract tissue, temperature-differences along the gastrointestinal-tract, impedance, ultrasound reflection, magnetic resonance, and a combination thereof. The ingestible device may be adapted for general screening of a large population, on the one hand, and for specific diagnoses of suspected pathologies, on the other.

The impact of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract is grave. In spite of enormous expenditures of financial and human resources, early detection of malignant tumors remains an unfulfilled medical goal. While it is known that a number of cancers are treatable if detected at an early stage, lack of reliable screening procedures results in their being undetected and untreated.
There are other gastrointestinal-tract disorders, which similarly require reliable screening and diagnostic procedures for early detection and treatment. These include, for example, irritable bowel syndrome, fluxional diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, collagenous colitis, microscopic colitis, lymphocytic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, infectious diarrhea, ulcerative bowel disease, lactase deficiency, infectious diarrhea, amebiasis, and giardiasis.
To some extent, simple diagnostic procedures for gastrointestinal pathologies may be employed, as part of routine checkups. For example, sampling for blood in the stool is a screening technique for digestive tract cancer. However, this procedure is not very sensitive, because blood is released when comparatively large polyps develop. Sometimes, there is no release of blood to the stool until very late in the development of the disease.
Additionally, PCT International Application WO92/00402 PCT; describes a non-invasive method for detecting gastric epithelial damage using a disaccharide such as sucrose, maltose or lactose which is orally administered to a patient. Blood and urine samples are then assayed, for the disaccharide, to determine the existence and extent of gastric epithelial damage. However. this method does not reliably detect damage of the intestinal tract.
For more reliable diagnoses, various forms of endoscopes and other imaging apparatus may be used.
Diagnosis of different conditions of the colon generally involves using a colonoscope. A typical colonoscope includes, at its distal end, with respect to an operator, a light source, a video chip, and a suction channel. These elements are all in communication with a proximal end of the colonoscope via wires and channels housed within a flexible tube. The distal end is inserted into a patient's rectum and can be maneuvered along the length of the colon. A colonoscope can be inserted far enough into a patient's colon for the distal end to enter the patient's cecum. The tip of the colonoscope can also be maneuvered through the ileo-cecal valve into the terminal ileum.
A colonoscope provides a visual image only of the region of the colon that is immediately near the light source and video chip, yielding visual information for only a small region of the colon at ant given time. Lesions in a patient's colon typically are identified by progressive and painstaking visual examination of the entire colon. However, a single colonoscopy is often not sufficient to identify the source of colorectal bleeding which is typically sporadic and in many cases would be best located by observing the entire colon over a period of time.
Various attachments to a colonoscope allow small surgical procedures, such as tissue biopsies, to be carried out during a colonoscopic examination.
Endoscopy of the small intestine is also known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,860, to Shan, entitled, "Pass-through duodenal enteroscopic device," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a tethered ingestible, enteroscopic video camera, which utilizes the natural contraction wave or the small intestine to propel it through the small intestine at about the same speed as any other object therein. The video camera includes an illumination source at its forward end. Covering the camera lens and illumination source is a transparent inflatable balloon, adapted to gently expand the small intestine immediately forward the camera for better viewing. A small diameter communication and power cable unwinds through an aperture in the rear of the camera as it moves through the small intestine. Upon completion of movement through the small intestine the cable is automatically separated, permitting the cable to be withdrawn through the stomach and intestine. The camera continues through the large intestine and passes from the patient through the rectum.
The aforementioned endoscopes, while providing means to access and visualize portions of the gastrointestinal track, do not provide means of detecting gastrointestinal pathologies, which are not clearly visible. In particular, they do not provide means for localization and differentiation of occult tumors. Typically, a large tumor is readily located by visualization. Yet, for subsequent operative success, as well as for the success of other forms of treatment, it is necessary to somehow locate tumors in their occult stage, when they cannot be found by sight and feel.
The use of radiolabeled immunoglobulin for tumor localization was shown to be possible in 1959 when Day et al. radiolabeled isolated antifibrin. (Day, E. O.; Planisek, J. A.; Pressman D: "Localization of Radioiodinated Rat Fibrinogen in Transplanted Rat Tumors", J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 23: 799-812, 1959). Fibrin, while not a tumor-specific antigen, was known to have a frequency of presence in tumors due to the inflammatory process-accompanying invasion. Day et al. demonstrated that a protein in high concentration in tumor sites could be used to localize tumors. The antibodies against human fibrin and ferritin were used in attempts to employ specific immunoglobulins for diagnosis.
Since the work of Day et al, in 1959, an expanding number of monoclonal antibodies have received FDA approval. Examples, applicable to gastrointestinal tract tumors, include the following:    1. CEA-Scan is a Tc99m—labeled monoclonal antibody fragment, which targets CEA—produced and shed by colorectal carcinoma cells. The use of anti-CEA monoclonal antibody has been recommended as the only marker to estimate prognosis and response to therapy. Anti-CEA monoclonal antibody may also be labeled by other radioisotopes, for example, iodine isotopes. (Jessup J M. 1998, Tumor markers—prognostic and therapeutic implications for colorectal carcinoma, Surgical Oncology; 7: 139-151.)    2. In111-Satumomab Pendetide (Oncoscint®) is designed to target TAG-72. TAG-72 is a mucin-like glycoprotein expressed in human colorectal, gastric, ovarian, breast and lung cancers. It is rarely expressed in normal human adult tissues. (Molinolo A; Simpson J F; et al. 1990, Enhanced tumor binding using immunohistochemical analyses by second generation anti-tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 monoclonal antibodies versus monoclonal antibody B72.3 in human tissue, Cancer Res. 50(4): 1291-8.)    3. Lipid-Associated Sialic Acid (LASA) is a tumor antigen, which for colorectal carcinoma LASA, has a similar sensitivity as CEA but a greater specificity for differentiating between benign and malignant lesions. (Ebril K M, Jones J D, Klee G G. 1985, Use and limitations of serum total and lipid-bound sialic acid concentrations as markers for colorectal cancer, Cancer; 55:404-409.)    4. Matrix Metaloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) is a proteins enzyme, believed to be involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. Its expression is elevated in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue and may be a potential marker for tumor aggressiveness and traditional staging. (Mori M, Barnard G F et al. 1995, Over-expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 mRNA in human colon carcinoma. Cancer; 75: 1516-1519.)
Additionally, pharmaceuticals may be used as markers for nonmalignant pathologies, such as gastrointestinal inflammations and infections. Examples include the following:    1. Ga67 citrate binds to transferrin and is used for detection of chronic inflammation. (Mettler F A, and Guiberteau M J, Eds. 1998, Inflammation and infection imaging. Essentials of nuclear medicine. Fourth edition. Pgs: 387-403.)    2. Nonspecific-polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) may be labeled with both In111 or Tc99m, and has a potential to localize nonbacterial infections. (Mettler F A, and Guiberteau M J, ibid.)    3. Radio-labeled leukocytes, such as such as In111 oxine leukocytes and Tc99m HMPAO leukocytes are attracted to sites of inflammation, where they are activated by local chemotactic factors and pass through the endothelium into the soft tissue. Labeled leukocytes in the gastrointestinal tract are nonspecific and may indicate a number of pathologies, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psudomembranous colitis, diverticulosis, various gastrointestinal infections, fistulas, ischemic or infracted bowel. (Mettler F A, and Guiberteau M J, ibid; Corstens F H; van der Meer J W. 1999. Nuclear medicine's role in infection and inflammation. Lancet; 354 (9180): 765-70.)
The particular choice of a radionuclide for labeling antibodies is dependent upon its nuclear properties, the physical half-life, the detection instruments' capabilities, the pharmacokinetics of the radiolabeled antibody, and the degree of difficulty of the labeling procedure. Examples of radionuclides used for labeling antibodies include Technetium Tc99m, Iodine I125, I123, I131, and I133, Indium In111, Gallium Ga67, thallium Tl201, fluorine F18 and P32.
Nuclear-radiation imaging of radionuclide-labeled antibodies is a subject of continued development and study. A particular difficulty in using radionuclides is that blood-pool background radioactivity has caused ordinary scintigrams to prove difficult to interpret. Computer subtraction of radioactive blood-pool background radioactivity has been attempted to enhance imaging. Yet the ability to detect occult tumors has remained low.
An attempt to overcome the blood-pool background radioactivity is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,840 to Martin, Jr., et al., entitled, "Method for locating, differentiating, and removing neoplasms," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. Martin, Jr., et al describe a method for improved localization, differentiation and removal of neoplastic tissue in animals. The improved method commences with the administering to the animal of an effective amount of a labeled antibody specific for neoplastic tissue and labeled with a radioactive isotope exhibiting specific photon emissions of energy levels. A waiting period follows, to permit the labeled antibody to preferentially concentrate in any neoplastic tissue present in the animal and to allow blood-pool background radioactivity to decrease, thus increasing the ratio of photon emissions from neoplastic tissue to background photon emissions in the animal. Thereafter, a general background photon-emission count is determined, for the tissue. Once the background count has been determined, the tissue suspected of being neoplastic is accessed by surgical means, and a handheld probe is manually maneuvered along that tissue. The probe is configured for fascicle hand positioning and maneuvering. The probe is characterized by a collimatable radiation detector having a selective photon entrance and having an output deriving discrete signals responsive to photon emissions when the entrance is positioned immediately adjacent thereto. The probe further comprises amplifier means having an input coupled with the radiation detector output and responsive to the discrete signals to provide corresponding amplified output pulses. Finally, the probe comprises readout means responsive to the output pulses and actuable to an initial condition for commencing the provision of a perceptible indication of an indicia corresponding to the number of the output pulses received. From the perceptible indication, the extent of tissue exhibiting a number of output pulses having a value above background output pulses is determined and such tissue is removed surgically.
Due to the proximity of the detection probe to the labeled antibody, the faint radiation emanating from occult sites becomes detectable. This is in part because of the inherent application of the approximate inverse square law of radiation propagation, and in part because the collimatable radiation detector may be maneuvered at various angles with respect to the suspected neoplastic tissue, so that at some positions, the collimator is aligned with the source of radiation. The procedure now is known as radioimmunoguided surgery, or RIGS™. (RIGS is a registered trademark of Neoprobe Corporation of Dublin, Ohio).
The RIGS™ system for surgery is successful because the blood-pool background of the circulating radiolabeled antibody is cleared from the body prior to imaging with the probe. As a consequence, the photon emissions or radiation emitted at minute tumors, compared to surrounding tissue, become detectable. Fortuitously, the radiolabeled antibody is capable of remaining bound to or associated with neoplastic tissue for extended periods of time with the radio tag still bound thereto. Even though the accretion of radioactivity at the tumor site decreases over time, the blood-pool background at surrounding tissue (relative to the tumor sites) decreases at a much greater rate.
RIG instrumentation generally includes two basic components, a hand-held probe, as described hereinabove, and a control console, in electrical communication with hand-held probe, via a flexible cable. The control console is located within the operating room facility but out of the sterile field, while the hand-held probe and forward portions of its associated cable are located within that field. The hand-held radiation-detecting probe is relatively small and performs in conjunction with a cadmium-zinc-telluride detector or crystal.
Further work continued to improve the sensitivity of RIGS™ to the minute number of photons that may be emitted from an occult tumor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,803 to Denen, et al., entitled, "Detector and localizer for low energy radiation emissions," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a probe particularly suited for use in immuno-guided surgery capable of detecting very faint gamma emissions and thereby localizing cancerous tumor. Detection is achieved under room temperature conditions using a crystal such as cadmium telluride. To achieve the extreme sensitivity capabilities of the apparatus, an instrumentation approach has been developed in which the somewhat fragile crystal is securely retained in isolation from externally induced incidents otherwise creating excessive noise. Microphonic effects are minimized through employment of a sequence of materials exhibiting divergent acoustic impedance. Capacitive effects caused by minute intercomponent movements are controlled to acceptable levels.
Additionally, a preamplifier is incorporated within the probe itself, which employs an integrator stage front end combining a field effect transistor and bipolar device with a very small feedback capacitance of less than one picofarad. A bootstrap technique is utilized to enhance the amplification of the bipolar amplification stage. Pulse related signals outputted from the device are normalized and compared to produce pulse data, which are analyzed. In one mode of operation a siren effect is employed to guide the surgeon towards emission sources.
The aforementioned probe is directed at low energy radionucleides, such as I125. Additionally, the distribution of radiolabeled antibody with the nuclide is quite sparse so that background emissions can be minimized and the ratio of tumor-specific counts received to background Counts can be maximized. The probe instrument and related control circuitry has been assigned the trade designation "NEOPROBE" instrument.
Further improvements to the "NEOPROBE" instrument are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,598 to Denen, entitled, "Detector and localizer for low energy radiation emissions," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. Further improvements include controlling capacitive and piezoelectric effects occasioned by the most minute of intercomponent movements. Additionally, compressive retention of the crystal and electrical contacts is employed in conjunction with electrically conductive but pliable surface supports.
Additionally, improvements to the "NEOPROBE" instrument are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,013 to Denen et al., entitled, "Detector and Localizer for Low Energy Radiation Emissions," and U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,878 to Denen, entitled, "Detector and localizer for low energy radiation emissions," whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. The probe includes a cadmium telluride crystal, secured in a light-tight environment. A noise immune structuring of the probe and crystal combination includes the utilization of electrically conductive, compliant cushion layer located at one face of the crystal in conjunction with freely abutting biasing and ground contacts. A nylon, resilient retainer is positioned in tension over the assemblage of crystal, ground and biasing contacts and compliant layers to achieve a compressively retained assemblage. A dead air space is developed between the forward facing window of the probe and the crystal retaining assemblage.
To derive data representing the presence or absence of occult tumor, a microprocessor-driven complex system of analysis continuously works to statistically evaluate validated counts or gamma strikes to apprise the surgeon of the presence or absence of occult neoplastic tissue. U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,991 by Ramsey and Thurston, entitled, "Gamma Radiation Detector with Enhanced Signal Treatment," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes an algorithm under which such an evaluation takes place. Accordingly, a hand-held gamma radiation probe, such as NEOPROBE instrument, is employed, in conjunction with a control function which provides an enhanced audio output, directed for cueing the user to the source position, as he maneuvers the probe along the tissue. The probe is positioned at a location on the animal body representing background radiation and a squelch low count rate is developed therefrom. The squelch low count rate is multiplied by a range factor to develop a squelch high-count rate and frequencies are developed from a look-up frequency table from lowest to highest in correspondence with the developed high and low squelch count rates. Slew rate limiting of the count rates is provided by development of a squelch delta value representing the difference between the squelch high and low count rates divided by a time element. Selection of frequencies for audio output from the frequency table is limited by the value of the squelch delta value. Weighting of received radiation counts is carried out continuously to develop count rate values used by the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,095, to Boutun, et al., entitled, "System and apparatus for detecting and locating sources of radiation," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes further improvements to the aforementioned probes of Neoprobe Corporation. The apparatus incorporates a large window display utilizing icon imagery to identify counting functions such as target count and background. A variety of radionuclide modes of operation can be selected by the operator and the system automatically defaults to detector bias selection and window reference voltage selection in correspondence with the elected radionuclide. A bar graph readout apprises the user of the amount of time or count level remaining in a target or background procedure and the flashing of icon identifiers occurs during such procedures. Pulse validation is improved by the utilization of a discriminator, which evaluates pulse width.
In spite of these advances, background radiation remains an obstacle that limits the probe sensitivity to occult tumors, and there are continued endeavors to minimize its effect.
Optical fluorescence spectroscopy is a known imaging technique.
When a sample of large molecules is irradiated, for example, by laser light, it will absorb radiation, and various levels will be excited. Some of the excited states will return back substantially to the previous state, by elastic scattering, and some energy will be lost in internal conversion, collisions and other loss mechanisms. However, some excited states will create fluorescent radiation, which, due to the distribution of states will give a characteristic wavelength distribution.
Some tumor-marking agents give well-structured fluorescence spectra, when irradiated by laser light. In particular, hematoporphyrin derivatives (HPD), give a well-structured fluorescence spectrum, when excited in the Soret band around 405nm. The fluorescence spectrum shows typical peaks at about 630 and 690 nm, superimposed in practice on more unstructured tissue autofluorescence. Other useful tumor-marking agents are dihematoporphyrin ether/ester (DHE), hematoporphyrin (HP), polyhematoporphyrin ester (PHE), and tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (TSPC), when irradiated at 337 nm (N2 laser)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,137, to Andersson-Engels, et al, entitled, "Diagnosis by means of fluorescent light emission from tissue," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, relates to improved detection of properties of tissue by means of induced fluorescence of large molecules. The tissue character may then be evaluated from the observed large-molecule spectra. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,137, the spectrum for tonsil cancer is clearly different from normal mucosa, due to endogenous porphyrins.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,806, to Deckelbaum, entitled, "Laser ablation process and apparatus," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a process and apparatus for ablating atherosclerotic or neoplastic tissues. Optical fibers direct low power light energy at a section of tissue to be ablated to cause the section to fluoresce. The fluorescence pattern is analyzed to determine whether the fluorescence frequency spectrum is representative of normal or abnormal tissue. A source of high power, ultraviolet, laser energy directed through an optical fiber at the section of tissue is fired only when the fluorometric analysis indicates that it is directed at abnormal tissue.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,594, to Mok, entitled, "Probe-and fire lasers," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method and apparatus of irradiating a treatment area within a body, such as blood vessel plaque. The method includes initially administering to the patient a non-toxic atheroma-enhancing reagent which causes the plaque to have a characteristic optical property when illuminated with a given radiation, introducing a catheter system including fiberoptic cable means into the artery such that the distal end thereof is operatively opposite the plaque site, introducing into the proximal end of the fiberoptic cable means the given radiation, photoelectrically sensing at the proximal end the characteristic optical property to generate a control signal, and directly under the control of the control signal transmitting via the cable means from the proximal end to the distal end, periodically occurring laser pulses until the characteristic optical property is no longer sensed.
A related fluorescence technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,809 to Clark, entitled, "Human and animal tissue photoradiation system and method," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. It relates to utilizing certain dyes, which not only selectively stain neoplastic tissue but also fluoresce in response to irradiation. Additionally, they are photodynamically cytotoxic in response to a proper wavelength of light in the presence of oxygen within living tissue. One of the dyes that is presently preferred for these characteristics contains hematoporphyrin or hematoporphyrin derivatives that when administered intravenously remain at higher concentrations for longer periods of time in traumatized or malignant tumorous tissue than in normal tissue. This dye also has a strong absorption peak centered at a wavelength of approximately 407 nanometers and responds to excitation at about this wavelength by fluorescing at a wavelength of about 614 nanometers. This makes tumor diagnosis possible by injecting the dye, allowing it to concentrate in tumorous tissue, irradiating the tissue with deep blue violet light, and observing red fluorescence. Thus, the difference in the optical property of the stained tissue and the unstained healthy tissue improves the visualization of the treatment area. This same dye has a photodynamic absorption peak at a wavelength of about 631 nanometers and is cytotoxic to malignant tissue containing the dye when irradiated with red light of about this wavelength. For diagnostic purposes krypton ion laser was used for its 406.7/413.1 nanometer lines matching the 407 nanometer absorption peak of hematoporphyrin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,576, to Richards-Kortum, et al., entitled, "Diagnostic method and apparatus for cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions in vitro and in vivo using fluorescence spectroscopy," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, relates to the use of multiple illumination wavelengths in fluorescence spectroscopy for the diagnosis of cervical cancer and precancer. In this manner, it has been possible to (i) differentiate normal or inflamed tissue from squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) and (ii) differentiate high grade SILs from non-high grade SILs. The detection may be performed in vitro or in vivo. Multivariate statistical analysis has been employed to reduce the number of fluorescence excitation-emission wavelength pairs needed to re-develop algorithms that demonstrate a minimum decrease in classification accuracy.
For example, the method of the aforementioned patent may comprise illuminating a tissue sample with electromagnetic radiation wavelengths of about 337 nm, 380 nm and 460 nm, to produce fluorescence; detecting a plurality of discrete emission wavelengths from the fluorescence; and calculating from the emission wavelengths a probability that the tissue sample belongs in particular tissue classification.
Ultrasound is another known imaging technique. Conventional ultrasonic probes are used for internal examinations in the field of obstetrics, gynecology, urology and the like.
U.S. Patent Application 20010020131, to Kawagishi, Tetsuya, et al., entitled, "Ultrasonic diagnosis system," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus that has an ultrasonic probe, having a plurality of arrayed transducer elements, a transmitting beam former for generating driving signals for driving transducer elements, and a receiving beam former for generating receiving signals based on echo signals received by transducer elements. The transmitting beam former generates driving signals so that phases of ultrasonic waves generated from transducer elements are aligned at multiple focal points. An image processor extracts harmonic components from receiving signals of ultrasonic waves having multiple focal points, and generates ultrasonic image data based on the harmonic components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,500 to Wedel., et al., entitled, "Ultrasound finger probe and method for use," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method and apparatus for performing ultrasound rectal examinations, by providing an ultrasound transducer which is slipped over the physician's finger tip and then inserted into the patient's rectum, together with an apparatus for guiding medical instruments into the area to be imaged.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,147, to Hanoaka, et al., entitled, "Ultrasonic probe to be installed on fingertip," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, relates to an ultrasonic probe to be inserted into the body of a subject for image-processing a diagnostic target thereof by ultrasonic waves transmitted to and received from the inside of the body. More particularly, it relates to an internal examination ultrasonic probe which can be directly installed on a palpation finger. The ultrasonic probe includes a transducer array for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic waves; a housing for supporting the transducer array, which housing is provided with a device for installing a fingertip of an operator therein; and electric wiring members connected to the transducer array and extending from the housing to the outside so that transmission and reception signals of the ultrasonic waves are supplied therethrough.
Contrast agents may be used in conjunction with ultrasound imaging, for example as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,704, to Schutt, et al., entitled, "Ultrasonic imaging system utilizing a long-persistence contrast agents," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.
Temperature imaging for locating and detecting neoplastic tissue is also known. In the 1950's, it was discovered that the surface temperature of skin in the area of a malignant tumor exhibited a higher temperature than that expected of healthy tissue. Thus, by measuring body skin temperatures, it became possible to screen for the existence of abnormal body activity such as cancerous tumor growth. With the development of liquid crystals and methods of forming temperature responsive chemical substrates, contact thermometry became a reality along with its use in medical applications. Devices employing contact thermometry could sense and display temperature changes through indicators which changed colors, either permanently or temporarily, when placed in direct physical contact with a surface such as skin, reflecting a temperature at or near the point of contact. An abnormal reading would alert a user to the need for closer, more detailed examination of the region in question. However, the art in this area has been directed primarily at sensing and displaying temperatures on exterior skin surfaces. Thus, for example, the patent to Vanzetti et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,224) disclosed the placement of temperature responsive, color changing liquid crystals at various points in a brassiere for the purpose of detecting the existence of breast cancer, while the patent to Sagi (U.S. Re. 32,000) disclosed the use of radially arranged rows of temperature responsive indicators deposited on a disc for insertion into the breast-receiving cups of a brassiere for the same purpose.
Additionally, Tomatis, A., et al, studied reflectance images of 43 pigmented lesions of the skin (18 melanomas, 17 common melanocytic naevi and eight dysplastic naevi). Reflectance images were acquired by a telespectrophotometric system and were analyzed in the spectral range from 420 to 1040 nm, to discriminate melanoma from benign melanocytic entities. Different evaluations were carried out considering the whole spectrum, the visible and the near infrared. A total of 33 (76.7%) lesions were correctly diagnosed by the telespectrophotometric system, compared with 35 (81.4%) correct clinical diagnoses. Reflectance in the infrared band appears diagnostically relevant.
It is believed that the same principle may apply to internal body organs. An abnormally high temperature at the surface of an internal organ when compared with surrounding tissue may also indicate the likelihood of a medical problem. Thus, there are advantages to diagnostic measurements of temperature in body cavities for early indications of abnormalities. These may provide simple, speedy, accurate and cost-effective solution to screening procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,968, to Brounstein, entitled, entitled, "Differential temperature measuring device and method," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a device and method for sensing temperatures at internal body locations non-surgically accessible only through body orifices. The device is particularly useful in medical applications such as screening for cancer and other abnormal biological activity signaled by an increase in temperature at a selected site. As applied to prostate examinations, the device is temporarily, adhesively affixed to a user's fingertip or to a mechanical probe. In the preferred embodiment, the device includes two temperature-sensing elements, which may include a plurality of chemical indicators. Each indicator changes color in response to detection of a predetermined particular temperature. When properly aligned and installed, the first element is located on the palmar surface of the fingertip while the second element is located on the dorsal surface of the fingertip. After an examination glove has been donned over the fingertip carrying the device, a prostate examination is performed during which the first element is brought into constant but brief contact with the prostate region and the second element is similarly, simultaneously brought into contact with a dermal surface opposing the prostate region. Upon withdrawal of the fingertip from the rectum and removal of the glove, the two temperature sensing elements may be visually examined in order to determine the temperatures detected by each one. A significant difference in observed temperatures indicates the possibility of abnormal biological activity and the need for further diagnostic or medical procedures.
Infrared thermography is a temperature imaging technique, which measures thermal energy emitted from the body surface without contact, quickly and dynamically, and produces a temperature image for analysis. Harzbecker K, et al. report, based on thermic observations in 63 patients and a control experiment in 15 persons, on experiences with thermography in the diagnosis of diseases, which are localized more profoundly, in the thoracic cavity. (Harzbecker K, et al., "Thermographic thorax diagnostics," Z Gesamte Inn Med. 1978 Feb. 1;33(3):78-80.)
Similarly, Dexter L I, Kondrat'ev VB. report data concerning the use of lymphography and thermography for the purpose of establishing a differential diagnosis in 42 patients with edema of the lower limbs of a different origin. A comparative estimation of different methods of the differential diagnosis indicated the advantages of infrared thermography. (Dexter L I, Kondrat'ev V B., "Thermography in differential diagnosis of lymphostasis in the lower limbs," Vestn Khir Im I I Grek. 1976 June;116(6):60-4.)
Electrical Impedance imaging is another known imaging technique for detecting tumors. Relying on inexpensive probes, it provides a simple screening procedure, particularly for breast cancer. ("Breast Cancer screening by impedance measurements" by G. Piperno et al. Frontiers Med. Biol. Eng., Vol. 2, pp 111-117). It involves systems in which the impedance between a point on the surface of the skin and some reference point on the body of a patient is determined. Sometimes, a multi-element probe, formed as a sheet with in array of electrical contacts is used, for obtaining a two-dimensional impedance map of the tissue, for example, the breast. The two-dimensional impedance map may be used, possibly in conjunction with other data, such as mammography, for the detection of cancer.
Rajshekhar, V., describes using an impedance probe having a single electrode to measure the impedance characteristics of lesions ("Continuous impedance monitoring during CT-guided stereotactic surgery: relative value in cystic and solid lesions," Rajshekhar, V., British Journal of Neurosurgery, 1992, 6, 439-444). The objective of the study was to use the measurements made in the lesions to determine the extent of the lesions and to localize the lesions more accurately. The probe is guided to the tumor by CT and four measurements were made within the lesion as the probe passed through the lesion. A biopsy of the lesion was performed using the outer sheath of the probe as a guide to position, after the probe itself was withdrawn.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,694, to Sollish, et al., entitled, "Apparatus and method for detection of tumors in tissue," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, relates to apparatus for detecting tumors in human breast, based on the dielectric constants of localized regions of the breast tissue. The apparatus includes a probe, comprising a plurality of elements. The apparatus further includes means for applying an AC signal to the tissue, means for sensing electrical properties at each of the probe elements at different times, and signal processing circuitry, coupled to the sensing means, for comparing the electrical properties sensed at the different times. The apparatus thus provides an output of the dielectric constants of localized regions of breast tissue associated with the probe.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,708 to Frei, et al., entitled, "Apparatus and method for detection of tumors in tissue," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, relates to apparatus for detecting tumors in human breast tissue. The apparatus includes means for determining the dielectric constants of a plurality of localized regions of human breast tissue. These include a bridge, which is provided with a circuit for automatically nulling the bridge while in operation. Means are further provided for measuring variations in the dielectric constants over a plurality of the regions and for indicating the possible presence of a tumor as result of the measurement. The apparatus may be utilized in carrying out a method of detecting tumors which includes the steps of applying a plurality of probe elements to breast tissue for sensing characteristics of localized regions thereof, applying an electrical signal to the probe elements for determining dielectric constants of localized regions of the tissue, sensing variations in the dielectric constants and determining the rate-of-change of dielectric constant at each of the localized regions.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,308,097, 6,055,452 and 5,810,742, to Pearlman, A. L., entitled, "Tissue characterization based on impedance images and on impedance measurements," whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference, describe apparatus for aiding in the identification of tissue type for an anomalous tissue in an impedance image comprising: means for providing an polychromic immitance map of a portion of the body; means for determining a plurality of polychromic measures from one or both of a portion of the body; and a display which displays an indication based on said plurality of polychromic measures.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is based on the absorption and emission of energy in the radio frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum, by nuclei having unpaired spills.
The hardware components associated with an MRI imager are:    i. a primary magnet, which produces the Bo field for the imaging procedure;    ii. gradient coils for producing a gradient in Bo;    iii. an RF coil, for producing the B1 magnetic field, necessary to rotate the spins by 90° or 180° and for detecting the NRI signal; and    iv. a computer, for controlling the components of the MRI imager.
Generally, the magnet is a large horizontal bore superconducting magnet, which provides a homogeneous magnetic field in an internal region within the magnet. A patient or object to be imaged is usually positioned in the homogeneous field region located in the central air gap for imaging.
A typical gradient coil system comprises an antihelmholtz type of coil. These are two parallel ring shaped coils, around the z axis. Current in each of the two coils flows in opposite directions creating a magnetic field gradient between the two coils.
The RF coil creates a B1 field, which rotates the net magnetization in a pulse sequence. They may be: 1) transmit and receive coils, 2) receive only coils, and 3) transmit only coils.
In this geometry, use of catheters equipped with miniature RF coils for internal imaging of body cavities, still requires positioning the patient in a conventional large MRI magnet. This environment can result in deficient images because the various orientations of the RF coil, e.g., in an artery, will not be positioned always colinearly with the RF excitation field.
This problem has been resolved by U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,132, to Pulyer, et al., entitled, "MRI probe for external imaging," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, wherein an MRI catheter for endoscopical imaging of tissue of the artery wall, rectum, urinal tract, intestine, esophagus, nasal passages, vagina and other biomedical applications is described.
The invention teaches an MRI spectroscopic probe having an external background magnetic field B0 (as opposed to the internal background magnetic filed of the large horizontal bore superconducting magnet.) The probe comprises (i) a miniature primary magnet having a longitudinal axis and an external surface extending in the axial direction and (ii) a RF coil surrounding and proximal to said surface. The primary magnet is structured and configured to provide a symmetrical, preferably cylindrically shaped, homogeneous field region external to the surface of the magnet. The RF coil receives NMR signals from excited nuclei. For imaging, one or more gradient coils are provided to spatial encode the nuclear spins of nuclei excited by an RF coil, which may be the same coil used for receiving NMR signals or another RF coil.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,981 to Unger, entitled, "Gas filled microspheres as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes the use of gas filled microspheres as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Unger further describes how gas can be used in combination with polymer compositions and possibly also with paramagnetic, superparamagnetic, and liquid fluorocarbon Compounds as MRI contrast agents. It is further shown how the gas stabilized by polymers would function as an effective susceptibility contrast agent to decrease signal intensity on T2 weighted images; and that such systems are particularly effective for use as gastrointestinal MRI contrast media.
Ingestible radio pills, which are ingestible capsules containing a transmitter are known. In 1964 research at Heidelberg University developed a pill for monitoring pH of the gastrointestinal tract. (Noller, H. G., "The Heidelberg Capsule Used For the Diagnosis of Pepic Diseases", Aerospace Medicine, February 1964, pp. 15-117.)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,076, to Lesho, et al., of July 1989, entitled, "Ingestible size continuously transmitting temperature monitoring, pill," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a temperature responsive transmitter, encapsulation in an ingestible size capsule. The capsule is configured to monitor average body temperature, internally. The ingestible size temperature pill can be configured in a rechargeable embodiment. In this embodiment the pill uses the inductive coil in the tank circuit as the magnetic pickup to charge a rechargeable nickel cadmium battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,607, to Schentag, et al., "Telemetry capsule and process," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes an ingestible capsule and a process for delivery, particularly repeatable delivery, of a medicament to the alimentary canal. The ingestible capsule is essentially non-digestible capsule, which contains an electric energy emitting means, a radio signal transmitting means, a medicament storage means and a remote actuatable medicament releasing means. The capsule signals a remote receiver as it progresses through the alimentary tract in a previously mapped route and upon reaching a specified site is remotely triggered to release a dosage of medicament.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,366, to D'Andrea et al., entitled, "Sampling capsule and process," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a similar ingestible capsule and a process for sampling of fluids in the to the alimentary canal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,531, to Iddan, et al., entitled, "In vivo video camera system," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a video camera system, encapsulated within an ingestible pill, arranged to pass through the entire digestive tract, operating as an autonomous Video endoscope. The ingestible pill includes a camera system and an optical system for imaging in area of interest onto the camera system, and a transmitter, which relays the video output of the camera system to an extracorporeal reception system. A light source is located within a borehole of the optical system.
Similarly, U.S. Patent Application 20010035902, to Iddan, G. J., et al., entitled, "Device and system for in vivo imaging," Whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system and method for obtaining in vivo images. The system contains an imaging system and all ultra low power radio frequency transmitter for transmitting signals from the CMOS imaging camera to a receiving system located outside a patient. The imaging system includes at least one CMOS imaging camera, at least one illumination source for illuminating an in vivo site and an optical system for imaging the in vivo site onto the CMOS imaging camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,418, to Crowley, et al., entitled, "Portable tissue spectroscopy apparatus and method,." whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a portable tissue spectroscopy apparatus including at least one light source, at least one light detector, a power source and a controller module, all disposed inside a housing that is insertable inside a body. The housing may be in the form of a hand-holdable probe or in the form or a capsule that can be swallowed or implanted in the body. The probe further includes a display mounted at a proximal end of the housing for displaying tissue characteristics. The capsule further includes a transmitter mounted inside the capsule and a receiver placed outside the body for transmitting signals representative of tissue characteristics to a remote receiver.
The capsule includes one or more light emitters and one or more light detectors. The light detectors may, be located in various places within the housing for detecting spectroscopic properties from various tissues near the capsule. The capsule may further include other types of emitters and sensors. The additional emitters and sensors, for example, can relate to electromagnetic radiation, pressure, temperature, x-ray radiation and/or heat. In one embodiment, the capsule further comprises an acoustic transmitter and a receiver for measuring flow of fluid or for detecting echo location of the capsule. In another embodiment, the capsule further includes diagnostic sensors such as monitoring electrodes, pressure sensors and temperature sensors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,181, to Hogrefe, et al., entitled, "AM/FM multi-channel implantable/ingestible biomedical monitoring telemetry system," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a wireless multi-channel circuit for telemetering signals representing physiological values from a point in a human body to a receiver outside of the body. The two signals, S1 and S2, other than the temperature signal are used to provide two frequency modulated signals summed by an amplifier with the summed FM signal then being applied to amplitude modulate a carrier whose frequency varies as a function of temperature. The resulting FM/AM signal is telemetered inductively outside of the body to an external receiver. Appropriate demodulation, filter, and shaping circuits within the external circuit detect the FM signals and thus produce three independent frequencies two of which are the original physiological variables and the third a function of local temperature. Real time plot of the two physiological variables can be obtained using FM discriminators while the temperature dependent frequency is best monitored by a counter.
Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,977 to Lesho, et al., entitled, "Multi-channel pill with integrated optical interface," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes an optical interface incorporated into a multi-channel telemetry device, used to provide data representing physiological conditions.
Methods of tracking ingestible devices, such as radio pills, are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,607, to Schentag, et al., entitled, "Telemetry capsule and process," and U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,366, to D'Andrea et al., entitled, "Sampling capsule and process," described hereinabove, include extracorporeal apparatus having a plurality of antennae, used to determine the geographic position of the capsule within the gastrointestinal tract. For example, at least three antennae, located at different distances from the point source, and dedicated algorithms may be used to determine the precise location of the capsule, at any time.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,366 to Andrii et al., entitled, "Method and arrangement for determining the position of a marker in an organic cavity," whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describe a method for pinpointing a marker such as an ingestible capsule. The method requires that the patient be positioned within a magnetic field, for example, as used for MRI imaging.
Notwithstanding the high level of sophistication of the aforementioned systems, gastrointestinal pathologies, and particularly, occult tumors have remained elusive in medical diagnosis. There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a device and method for detecting pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract devoid of the above limitations.

Ingestible device for radioimaging of the gastrointestinal tract


An OLT (Optical Line Terminal) having a multicast control unit, which controls connections dedicated for the multicast services, and a plurality of PON (Passive Optical Network) interfaces for accommodating subscriber terminals and each PON interface is provided with a unicast dedicated port for the unicast communication. When the multicast data packets are received at the multicast control unit, it identifies every PON interfaces as distribution destinations of those packets with referring to a pre-defined table and distributes first copied packets to respective identified PON interfaces. In each PON interface, it identifies every subscriber terminals as transmission destinations of the distributed multicast data packets with referring to another pre-defined table, and the second copied multicast data packets are multiplexed with the unicast data packets and transmitted to the subscriber terminals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical access network system and a multicast communication method thereof, and more particularly to an OLT (Optical Line Terminal) provided as a center side network element in an optical access network system and a multicast communication method to be used in the optical access network system in which the quality of multicast service is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
An xDSL (x-Digital Subscriber Line) is the generic term of ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), HDSL (High-bit-rate DSL), RADSL (Rate-Adaptive DSL), SDSL (Symmetric DSL) and VDSL (Very-high-bit-rate DSL). This xDSL is a modem technology allowing for the high-speed packet communications at several tens Megabits/sec at maximum, using the existing Subscriber Line (ordinary telephone cable made of copper wire) as a transmission line. Due to the introduction of communication services employing the xDSL, a high-speed and always-connected internet access network has become popular and widely spread.
However, as the xDSL technology involves the packet communication using the telephone cable, it has a problem that the transmission characteristics and the data transmission speed are affected by the length of the telephone cable, the characteristics of the telephone cable, and the peripheral environmental conditions of wiring path of the telephone cable from a telephone switching office to the subscriber's premises.
Thus, an access network using the optical technologies has been widely spreading, instead of the access network using the xDSL technology. The access network using the optical technologies is an optical access network so called an EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) which employs the Ethernet technologies and realizes the packet communication through an optical cable connected to the subscriber's premises. The PON technology is recommended in the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) 802.3ah.
The optical access network by the EPON is composed of an OLT (Optical Line Terminal) that is installed in the switching center of a communication common carrier as a center side network element, and an ONU (Optical Network Unit) that is installed in the subscriber's premises as a subscriber side network terminal. This optical access network is constructed by laying one optical fiber cable to an area in which plural subscribers' premises are locating, connecting a splitter as an optical coupler to the optical fiber cable for branching an optical path into a plurality of optical paths, and connecting each of branched optical cables to respective subscriber's premises. The optical access network can provide the user with the packet communications of wider band and higher quality than the access network with the metallic cable such as the telephone cable. Particularly, the optical access network is most suitable for an application such as the moving picture contents distribution services.
In the moving picture contents distribution services, a relatively large amount of data is transmitted in real time to a plurality of users. Therefore, from the viewpoint of efficiently using the network, the multicast services which perform the Point-to-Multipoint communications are suitable for the application such as the image distribution services. The services which have been widely spreading as the multicast services are the services implemented by the IP (Internet Protocol) communications. In an IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4), a router takes control of whether or not there is any host participating in the multicast services on a subnet, using an IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol: Version 1 and Version 2). In an IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), there is an MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) that is a multicast group management protocol for use between the router and the host. The IGMP or MLD is the protocol for managing and controlling the IP multicast group, and used by a multicast router supporting the multicast services and the client terminals receiving the multicast data.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-343243, a protocol for implementing the multicast through the IP communications is disclosed. Herein, the multicast router periodically multicasts a Query message packet representing a processing request as a character string to the terminals. The terminal having received this Query message packet returns a Report message packet to the multicast router. This Report message packet contains the multicast address of the multicast group in which the terminal participates.
The multicast router having received the Report message packet recognizes the terminal which declares a participation intention in the multicast group, and reflects the information of the Report message packet to the routing process. Thereby, the multicast data packet is distributed to a plurality of terminals from the multicast router.
On the other hand, when a terminal wants to leave from the multicast group in which it participates, it transmits a Leave message packet. The multicast router having received the Leave message packet stops distributing the multicast data packet to the terminal declaring the leave intention.
In the above disclosed technology, the multicast service is provided in accordance with the above protocol procedures. Further, the multicast service is realized, without providing the functional blocks of routing on the subscriber side, by snooping (monitoring) each protocol packet when multicasting and performing a logical link control in conjunction with the snooped result.
Also, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-214758, a communication system is proposed in which the multicast data packet is distributed to each terminal, regardless of the number of multicast distribution destinations, without copying it by the number of distribution destinations.
FIG. 8 is a system block diagram representing the essence of the conventional typical optical access network system. An OLT (Optical Line Terminal) 101 as a center side network element in the conventional optical access network system 100 comprises a control board 102 for controlling the entire apparatus, and a plurality of PON interface boards (PON I/F) 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n. This conventional optical access network system 100 with the OLT 101 is composed of a subscriber side network terminal portion and a network side apparatus portion. The subscriber side network terminal portion comprises the optical fiber cables 1041, 1042, . . . and 104n connecting to the respective PON interface boards 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n, the 1×N splitters 1051, 1052, . . . and 105n for splitting the optical fiber cables 1041, 1042, . . . and 104n into n×N optical paths corresponding to subscribers, not shown, and a plurality of ONUs (Optical Network Units), as the subscriber side network terminal, 10611 to 1061N, 10621 to 1062N, . . . and 106n1 to 106nN connected to the respective optical paths branched by 1×N splitters 1051, 1052, . . . and 105n. And the network side apparatus portion is configured such that the SNI (Service Node Interface) ports 1081, 1082, . . . and 108n, which are interface ports to the network side on the PON interface boards 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n of the OLT 101, are connected to an L2 switch 109.
The conventional OLT 101 is configured such that an SNI port 108, which is connected to the L2 switch 109 as a part of the network (not shown), is provided for each PON interface board 103. Accordingly, when the OLT 101 accommodates the PON interface boards 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n, the respective SNI ports 1081, 1082, . . . and 108n are connected to the L2 switch 109, for example. And these n SNI ports 1081, 1082, . . . and 108n assure the connection of respective PON interfaces with the network.
FIG. 9 is a system block diagram representing how to transfer the multicast data in the conventional optical access network system. The same parts are given the same numerals throughout FIGS. 8 and 9, and the explanation of the same parts is omitted properly.
In FIG. 9, a router 121 and the first and second L2 switches form a part of the network to which the optical access network system 100A is to be connected, and a router 121 is connected to the first and second L2 switches 109A and 109B. The first L2 switch 109A is connected via the first OLT 101A and the 1×N splitters 1051A, 1052A, . . . and 105nA to a plurality of ONUs 10611A to 1061NA, 10621A to 1062NA, . . . and 10611A to 106nNA. The circuit configuration of first OLT 101A and each of ONUs 106n1A to 1061NA, 10621A to 1062NA, . . . and 106n1A to 106nNA is the same as that of shown in FIG. 8 respectively. The circuit portion of the second L2 switch 109B, the second OLT 101B and the equipment connected to the second OLT 101B is substantially the same as the circuit portion of the first L2 switch 109A, the first OLT 101A and each of ONUs, and the illustration and explanation of this circuit portion are omitted properly.
In FIG. 9, the router 121 distributes a multicast data packet to both of the first and second L2 switches 109A and 109B. The first L2 switch 109A is representatively explained below.
The first L2 switch 109A copies and distributes the multicast data packet as indicated by line 131 to the respective SNI ports 1081, 1082, . . . and 108n of the first OLT 101A. Each of the PON interface boards 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n distributes the multicast data packet received from the corresponding SNI port 1081, 1082, . . . or 108n to the respective ONUs 10611 to 1061N, 10621 to 1062N, . . . and 106n1 to 106nN as indicated by the lines 1321 to 132n.
With the conventional multicast communication method as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-343243 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-214758, there is a problem that the multicast data packet has a deleterious effect on the communication band and communication quality for non-multicast data packets in the PON section between the OLT 101 in FIG. 8 and the plurality of ONU 10611 to 1061N, 10621 to 1062N, . . . and 106n1 to 106nN, for example.
This is caused by broadcasting the multicast data packets between the OLT 101 and each of the plurality of ONU 10611 to 1061N, 10621 to 1062N, and 106n1 to 106nN with the conventional technologies as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-343243 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-214758. That is, all the multicast data packets transmitted by each of the PON interface boards 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n are broadcasted and distributed to all the subscribers in the same PON section. Therefore, the multicast data packets arrive at all the subscriber terminals. Accordingly, the subscriber terminal, not shown, makes a filtering process of taking in only the corresponding data packet addressed to the self-terminal, and discarding other data.
Owing to the features of the PON section, the data packet other than the multicast packet (hereinafter referred to as a unicast data packet) is also broadcasted like the multicast data packet. Therefore, each subscriber terminal discards the data packets not addressed to itself through the filtering process. Then, if a number of subscribers accommodated in the PON interface board 103 of the OLT 101 each participate in different multicast groups, the multicast data distributed to the PON section increases in proportion to the number of multicast groups. As a result, there is a problem that the communication band for non-multicast data packets is oppressed.
A second problem is that the multicast data packets have a deleterious effect on the communication band and communication quality for the unicast data packets in the SNI ports 1081, 1082, . . . and 108n. This is because if a number of subscribers accommodated in the PON interface board 103 of the OLT 101 participate in the different multicast groups, the number of multicast data packets distributed from the L2 switch 109 to the SNI ports 108 proportionally increases, so that the communication band for the unicast data packets is oppressed.
A third problem is that the load on the L2 switch 109, to which the optical access network system 100 is connected, increases, and it causes to impose a limitation or deterioration on the data band or quality of the provided multicast data services.
The reason is as follows. That is, in the conventional OLT 101, the multicast data packets or unicast data packets are processed in non-concentration manner which performs packet processing individually by each of the PON interface boards 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n. Therefore, there is a problem that the L2 switch 109 connected with the plurality of the SNI ports 1081 to 108n in the OLT 101 has to copy and distribute the multicast data packets by the number of SNI ports 1081, 1082, . . . and 108n. As the data band and quality of multicast services depend on the processing performance of the L2 switch 109, an excessive load of the L2 switch 109 causes to impose limitations regarding the multicast service expansion over the optical access network system, or it causes to deteriorate the quality of multicast services.

Optical access network system and multicast communication method thereof


A method for analyzing and controlling epidemics in which an initiating signal is received indicative of a list of newly classified carriers of an infectious disease from an authorized health authority. Location data is received for a mobile device and a mobility pattern derived from the received location data is compared with a mobility pattern of first users to determine occurrence of a proximity event, during which one of the first users was spaced from a given carrier less than a predetermined distance. The proximity event is ranked in terms of the likelihood that the given carrier was involved in the transmission of the disease during the proximity event. If the ranking of the proximity event is higher than a predetermined level, the process is repeated for the first user participating in the proximity event and for second users. Corrective action information is then transmitted.

Analyzing and controlling epidemics is a very important issue when governmental agencies and health authorities wish to contend with their distribution. The existing methods for analyzing and simulating tracks of epidemics and infectious diseases are based on statistical and stochastic models, and the epidemiological analysis is generally made using a standalone computer with inputs obtained mainly from official health organizations. The output of existing methods is used to propose estimations regarding geographical areas that are subject to an infectious threat. However, the accuracy of such methods is low, since the existing models are not utilized in real-time, are not based on personal data and cannot be used as an effective operational system, and since they cannot assess the mobility and interaction patterns of a person that is carrying the infectious disease. As a result, health authorities are not able to receive an accurate real time assessment of the distribution of the infectious disease, which is essential to rapidly take the right decisions and efficient operations to contend with an epidemic. In addition, receiving inaccurate epidemiological data leads to an unnecessary waste of vaccines due to the inoculation of people that are not in a risk of infection, as well as inefficient utilization of health professionals' time, which may be crucial during periods of an epidemic.
All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of analyzing and controlling epidemics using real-time and personal data.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for receiving accurate and real-time epidemiological data that can be used to control the spread of an epidemic.
It is another object of the present invention to provide accurate geographical and personal information that allows the health authorities to directly contact suspect carriers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for allowing health authorities to make right decisions and to conduct efficient operations while controlling an epidemic.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

System and method for analyzing and controlling epidemics


The disclosure presents an embroidery data processing device and a computer program product capable of creating a single unit of tree structure vector data by coupling plural pieces of independent tree structure vector data. A coupling node is added between nodes and of a tree structure vector data, and a vector data to for coupling nodes and, and a vector data to for coupling nodes and are created, and thereby a tree structure vector data is created. In a tree structure vector data, the node mutual direction is converted so that the node existing at the connecting position may be a root node, and a tree structure vector data is created, and this root node is coupled with the coupling node of the tree structure vector data, and a single tree structure vector data is created.

Hitherto, various ideas have been proposed about embroidery data processing device and computer program product for creating tree structure vector data by coupling nodes mutually from a root node to an end node by vector data on the basis of drawing information composing an embroidery pattern, and creating embroidery data of consecutive sewing sequence on the basis of the tree structure vector data.
For example, a proposed embroidery data processing device for creating necessary embroidery data for sewing an embroidery pattern composed of a line drawing by a sewing machine comprises reading device for reading image data from an original drawing of the embroidery pattern, tree structure vector data creating device for creating tree structure vector data in a format having branch points mutually coupled by vector data on the basis of the image data read out by reading device, searching device for making depth priority search on the tree structure vector data created by tree structure vector data creating device, and searching the vector data in two directions of forward direction and backward direction starting from the corresponding point on the embroidery pattern, and sewing data creating device for creating underlying stitch sewing data on the basis of forward searched vector data by searching device, and creating embroidery stitch sewing data overlaid on the underlying stitch sewing data on the basis of backward searched vector data (see, for example, Japanese patent application laid-open No. H8 (1996)-38756 paragraphs [0010] to [0036], and FIGS. 1 to 10).
Such conventional embroidery data processing device, however, can create embroidery data without jumping within one tree structure vector data, but when adding other tree structure vector data to an existing tree structure vector data, consecutive sewing sequence cannot be created by coupling the sewing sequence on the basis of the one tree structure vector data and the sewing sequence on the basis of the other tree structure vector data, and useless jump stitch occurs between root nodes, and removing job of jump stitch is complicated. Or when one existing tree structure vector data is divided into plural pieces of the tree structure vector data, it is not possible to sew by threads of different colors by creating embroidery data in a plurality of independent sewing sequences.

Embroidery data processing device and computer program product


A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes: a semiconductor chip; a sealing resin layer formed on the semiconductor chip; and a post electrode formed in a through-hole penetrating through the sealing resin layer in a thickness direction, and having a hemispheric top surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device applying WLCSP (Wafer Level Chip Size Package) technology and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
Practical use of WLCSP technology is progressing these days, as a semiconductor device becomes highly efficient and multifunctional. At the semiconductor device applying WLCSP technology, a packaging process is completed in a wafer state including many chips, and a size of each individual chips cut out by dicing becomes a package size.
The semiconductor device applying WLCSP technology, as shown in FIG. 4, includes a semiconductor chip 101, a passivation film 102 covering the surface of the semiconductor chip 101, a polyimide layer 103 formed on the passivation film 102, a rewiring 104 formed on the polyimide layer 103, a sealing resin layer 105 formed on the polyimide layer 103 and the rewiring 104, and a solder ball 106 arranged on the sealing resin layer 105.
In the passivation layer 102, an opening 108 is formed so as to expose a part of an internal wiring of the semiconductor chip 101 as the pad electrode 107. The rewiring 104 is connected to the pad electrode 107 through the through-hole 109 formed so as to penetrate the polyimide layer 103. The rewiring 104 is connected to the solder ball 106 through a post electrode 110 penetrating the sealing resin layer 105. Mounting of this semiconductor device on the print circuit board (electrical and mechanical connection between this semiconductor device and the print circuit board) is accomplished by connecting each of the solder balls 106 to the pad electrode of the print circuit board.
In process of manufacturing the semiconductor device, a semiconductor substrate as a sum of the semiconductor chips is prepared at first. Then the polyimide layer 103 and the rewiring 104 are formed on the passivation film 102 covering the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Then the post electrode 110 is formed on the rewiring 104 at a predetermined position by plating method or the like. Then an epoxy resin, a material of the sealing resin layer 105, is supplied so as to bury the post electrode 110 on the polyimide layer 103 and the rewiring 104.
After the epoxy resin is cured, a surface of the epoxy resin is ground by the grinder and the top surface of the post electrode 110 is exposed from the epoxy resin. Then the solder ball 106 is arranged on the top surface of the post electrode 110. After then, the semiconductor substrate is cut (diced) along a predetermined dicing-line between each semiconductor chip with the passivation film 102 and the sealing resin layer 105. As a result, the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 4 is obtained.
However, the epoxy resin is ground until the top edge face of the post electrode 110 is exposed from the epoxy resin, hence the top surface of the post electrode 110 becomes flush with the surface of the epoxy resin 105 after the grinding process. Therefore, in the cross section orthogonal to the surface of the semiconductor 101, the post electrode 110 includes a corner portion 111 which consists of the top surface and a side surface orthogonal to the top surface. Therefore, due to the post electrode 110 including such a corner portion 111, in the state in which the solder ball 106 is connected to the pad electrode of the print circuit board, the solder ball 106 is intensively received stress from the corner portion 111. By the intensive stress, a crack may form in the solder ball 106.

Semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same