Provided is a ferritic stainless steel excellent in oxidation resistance and thermal fatigue resistance. The ferritic stainless steel contains, in mass %, C: 0.020% or less, Si: more than 0.1% and 3.0% or less, Mn: 0.05 to 2.0%, P: 0.050% or less, S: 0.010% or less, Al: 0.3 to 6.0%, N: 0.020% or less, Cr: 12 to 30%, Nb: more than 0.3% and 1.0% or less, Ti: 0.01 to 0.5%, Mo: 0.3 to 6.0%, Co: 0.01 to 3.0%, and Ni: 0.02 to 1.0%, the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. Moreover, Si+Al>1.0%, Al—Mn>0%, and Nb—Ti>0% hold.

Exhaust components of automobiles such as exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes, converter cases, and mufflers are required to have excellent oxidation resistance and excellent thermal fatigue resistance. Thermal fatigue is a low-cycle fatigue phenomenon which occurs in an exhaust component of an engine when the engine is repeatedly started and stopped and so the exhaust component is repeatedly heated and cooled. Since the exhaust component is restrained by its surrounding components, the thermal expansion and contraction of the exhaust component are restricted, and the thermal strain generated in the material of the exhaust component causes thermal fatigue.
At present, Cr-containing steels such as Type 429 steel containing Nb and Si (14% Cr-0.9% Si-0.4% Nb) are often used as materials for the components required to have oxidation resistance and thermal fatigue resistance. As engine performance is improved, the temperature of exhaust gas increases. If the exhaust gas temperature exceeds 900° C., the Type 429 steel cannot satisfy the required thermal fatigue resistance sufficiently.
Materials capable of addressing this problem have been developed, such as Cr-containing steels having improved high-temperature proof stress obtained by containing Nb and Mo, SUS444 (19% Cr-0.4% Nb-2% Mo) specified in JIS G4305, and ferritic stainless steels containing Nb, Mo, and W (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). However, to address the recent tightening of exhaust gas regulations and to improve fuel consumption, the exhaust gas temperature tends to increase. Therefore, the heat resistance may be insufficient even using SUS444 etc., and there is a need to develop materials having higher heat resistance than SUS444.
Examples of the materials having higher heat resistance than SUS444 include materials disclosed in Patent Literature 2 to Patent Literature 8. These materials are prepared by containing Cu to SUS444, and their thermal fatigue resistance are improved by precipitation strengthening of Cu.
A technique for improving heat resistance by positively containing Al has been proposed. For example, Patent Literature 9 to Patent Literature 13 disclose ferritic stainless steels having improved high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance obtained by containing Al.
Patent Literature 14 and Patent Literature 15 disclose ferritic stainless steels having improved oxidation resistance and thermal fatigue resistance obtained by containing Al and Co and optionally containing Cu.
Patent Literature 16 and Patent Literature 17 disclose steels having improved heat resistance obtained by containing Al.


A steering system for a vehicle, the steering system includes a rack-independent actuator. The rack-independent actuator has component parts isolates from undesirable loads by two universal joints that isolate mechanical components of the actuator from transient loads that may be encountered by the rack or rack housing.

This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for steering a vehicle, and more specifically to a rack-independent actuator.
Many current steering system designs have replaced the hydraulic power steering pump with electrically assisted systems based on fuel economy, modularity, engine independence, and environmental issues.
With electrically actuated or electrically assisted steering systems there is a significant servo mechanism design challenge associated with the need to maintain proper kinematical constraint, while at the same time, providing reasonable insulation from the drawbacks of tolerance stack up which may produce system lock up.
Although a successful servo mechanism design may appear to be a combination of basic xe2x80x9ccataloguexe2x80x9d mechanisms (e.g. ball-screw, gears, belts, various joints, etc.), the way these are used in combination represents an unmistakably cardinal feature of this art.
The current state of engineering meets these concerns by anticipating the stresses likely to be encountered by designing heavy-duty components. Needless to say, these designs are expensive to manufacture, have excessive performance challenges because of the increased inertia and friction, and add to the overall weight of the vehicle.
The system is powered by a rotary type electric motor. The motor has speed reducers and rotary-to-linear actuators to achieve feasible size and linear actuation. The actuation unit is decoupled from the directionally unwanted loads by providing universal joints (or an equivalent degree of freedoms) at either end. One universal joint is mounted to the housing that holds the motor rotary-to-rotary speed reducer and the movable shaft of the linear-to-rotary actuator, and the other is mounted to a member that is linearly moved by the linear-to-rotary actuator.
The use of universal joints (or gimbals), which provides kinematical degrees of freedom to prevent non-axial loads, also prevents bending moments on the rotary-to-linear actuator. In particular, such loads may result from the misalignment of the shafts and/or non-axial loading from other components. This situation may produce undesirable friction and high stresses resulting in loss of efficiency and/or undesirable steering feel. By avoiding the non-axial loads, the mechanization becomes feasible for all types of linear-to-rotary mechanizations, which today are limited to very special ball-screws.

Apparatus and method for steering a vehicle


In some embodiments, a strap assembly has a chest compression strap having a loop at one end, a connection fitting having an anchoring strip at one end proximate a connection fitting connector and configured to attach to a pack at another end opposite the anchoring strip, and a shoulder strap having a channel proximate a shoulder strap connector and configured to retain the anchoring strip when the connection fitting connector is attached to the shoulder strap connector, the shoulder strap being configured to attach to a pack at another end opposite the shoulder strap connector, the shoulder strap having a guideway through the channel configured to receive the chest compression strap loop, wherein the anchoring strip engages the loop when the anchoring strip is retained in the channel.

Shoulder-carried loads such as backpacks rucksacks, and the like typically use a shoulder strap over each shoulder that attach to the bottom of the pack near the hips or waist. A chest compression strap connects the two shoulder straps across the chest and better stabilizes a heavy or bulky shoulder-carried load. Such packs are common and used widely in the civilian, military, and first responder's day to day activities. Chest compression straps are well known and come in a wide range of styles and designs. All three straps, the chest and shoulder straps are secured with a connection fitting or buckle that is quickly attached and released. To put on and take off such a shoulder-carried load, the chest compression strap and at least one of the shoulder straps is disconnected.

Dual point quick release shoulder strap device


An embodiment of invention includes a handheld computer having a display. The display provides an output to a user-input. A housing includes a front panel that provides access to the display. A plurality of user-interactive mechanisms are provided on the housing. The user-input mechanisms include a first mechanism that is removably coupled to the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of handheld computers. In particular, the invention relates to input mechanisms for handheld computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Handheld computers use buttons as one means for receiving user-input. In particular, personal digital assistants (PDAs) use application buttons for making selections and launching programs, and scroll buttons to scroll displayed output.
Typically, handheld computers such as PDAs operate core functions for maintaining calendars, to-do lists, phone books, memos and electronic scrap books. The buttons provided with handheld computers are often optimized to carry out the core functions. Sometimes the buttons are labeled with icons to indicate a certain purpose. They may also be assigned to certain applications. For example, a memo button may be used to launch the memo application.
Due to its popularity and advancements in processing resources, handheld computers are increasingly used for more diverse applications. The additional processing resources and expansion slots have provided users with a medium to add applications requiring more interaction, such as for example, games. For PDAs, users must play games using the same button configuration for operating the core functions. While previous core functions may require users to press the buttons sporadically, games may require prolonged and intense use of the buttons.
In general, the buttons on the handheld computer are integrated into the housing. If the buttons break, the user is required to open the handheld computer, and often must send the handheld computer away for repair. Often, it is easier for the user to replace the handheld computer rather than repair the buttons.

Input mechanism for front panel of portable computing device


A nitride power transistor comprises: a silicon substrate comprising a differently doped semiconductor composite structure for forming a space charge depletion region; and a nitride epitaxial layer located on the silicon substrate. With introduction of a differently doped semiconductor composite structure for forming a space charge depletion region inside a silicon substrate of a nitride power transistor, the nitride power transistor is capable of withstanding a relatively high external voltage, and thus a breakdown voltage of the device is improved.

As the third-generation semiconductor material, Gallium Nitride (GaN) has become a hot research topic due to its features such as large band gap, high electron saturation velocity, high breakdown voltage and good thermal conductivity. In aspects of electrical devices, compared with silicon and gallium arsenide, gallium nitride material is more suitable to be used to manufacture electronic devices which are capable of withstanding high temperature, high frequency, high pressure and has high power, thus gallium nitride based electronic devices have broad application prospects.
In the past, gallium nitride power transistors were manufactured on sapphire substrates or silicon carbide substrates. Due to particularity and processing difficulty of gallium nitride heterojunction conductive channels, most gallium nitride power transistors have flat structures. Because of thick substrates and high breakdown voltages, the devices are usually broken down transversely. Some plane optimization techniques, such as using field plate structure and increasing the distance between a gate electrode and a drain electrode, can be used to increase the breakdown voltages of the devices, however, the materials used for sapphire substrates and silicon carbide substrates are expensive and difficult to manufacture substrates and epitaxial layers with large sizes, so the gallium nitride power transistors are costly and difficult to be commercialized.
At present, the technology of manufacturing gallium nitride power transistors on large-size silicon substrates is becoming mature and costs are lowering, which facilitates commercialization of gallium nitride power transistors. However, due to the electrical conductivity of the silicon materials and their low critical electric fields, every silicon-based gallium nitride power transistor has a saturation breakdown voltage, which is determined by the thickness of the nitride epitaxial layer grown on a silicon substrate. In addition, to avoid electrostatic discharge (ESD) caused by accumulation of static electricity in the devices and realize voltage matching in the circuits, it is necessary to ground the substrates, which reduces the breakdown voltage half when a substrate of a silicon-based gallium nitride power transistor is grounded. Therefore, improving breakdown voltage of the nitride power transistors on the silicon substrates is an urgent problem currently.
Therefore, in order to address the above-described technical issues, it is required to provide a nitride power transistor and a manufacturing method thereof.

Nitride power transistor and manufacturing method thereof


[Problem]

A paper machine for producing paper is provided with a wire part that mounts a liquid generally formed by dispersing pulp in water on a net (wire) for use in forming paper and allows excessive water to naturally drop to make wet paper, a press part that allows the wet paper to pass between a pair of press rollers and by pressing it with the press rollers with felt interposed therebetween so that moisture in the wet paper is transferred to the felt, thereby dehydrating the wet paper, a dryer part that dries the wet paper that has passed through the press rollers by making it in contact with a heated dryer roller with a canvas interposed therebetween so as to be formed into paper and a reel part that takes up the paper onto a rod referred to as a spool.
In the dryer part, by transporting the wet paper in a manner so as to be wound around the surface of each of a plurality of heated dryer rollers, the corresponding wet paper is dried. At this time, a so-called canvas is used for pressing the wet paper onto the surface of the dryer roller from the outside thereof. That is, between the dryer rollers, the canvas is transported together with the wet paper, while being made in contact with the wet paper.
In this case, since the canvas is made in contact with the wet paper as described above, its surface might be contaminated because paper dust or the like contained in the wet paper is transferred thereto. Moreover, in the case when the canvas in the contaminated state is continuously used, the stains on the canvas is undesirably transferred onto the succeeding wet paper, causing serious deterioration in the production yield of paper.
For this reason, a cleaning device for cleaning the canvas has been developed.
For example, a canvas cleaning device has been known in which a supply means for directly supplying a stain preventive agent onto the contact surface of the canvas with which the wet paper is made in contact, a high pressure water spraying means for spraying high pressure water having a pressure of 10 MPa or more onto the contact surface of the canvas on which the stain preventive agent has been supplied by the supply means and a suction means for sucking the vicinity of a portion with which the high pressure water collide on the contact surface of the canvas are provided (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
Moreover, a dryer in a paper machine has been known in which a scraper device for scraping adhered substances onto the canvas surface, which is located on a return-side canvas positioned above a carrier-side canvas, a pressure water spraying device for spraying pressure water over the entire width direction of the return-side canvas, which is located on the front side in the moving direction from the scraper device to the return-side canvas, a separating agent spraying device for spraying a water-soluble separating agent over the entire width direction of the return-side canvas, which is located on the front side in the moving direction from the pressure water spraying device to the return-side canvas, are installed (for example, see Patent Literature 2).

Canvas cleaning device, canvas cleaning method and canvas cleaning mechanism

Abstract: [Problem]

Abstract: To provide a canvas cleaning device that can prevent re-adhesion of stains as much as possible and also efficiently clean the canvas.

Abstract: [Solution]

Abstract: The canvas cleaning device 100 is provided with a base part 11 capable of sliding along a rail part 1 that extends in a width direction of a canvas K1, a cone part 13 having a cylinder shape, which is attached to the base part 11, and extends straightly, a high pressure water spraying device 13a installed inside the cone part 13, an arm part 15 that is extended and installed on the downstream side from the base part 11 and a nozzle device 16 attached to the tip of the arm part 15, and in this structure, high pressure water is sprayed onto the canvas K1 from the high pressure water spraying device 13a inside the cone part 13.


A spindle unit includes an elongated shaft, a tubular housing surrounding the shaft, a locating rolling bearing in the interior of the housing that is mounted on the shaft, and a non-locating rolling bearing provided in the interior of the housing and mounted on the shaft, wherein the two bearings are spaced apart along the shaft. The bearing housing is made as two identical halves, each of which is formed as a generally semi-tubular shell-formed member, having radii of varying size in the longitudinal direction thereof, with end portions closely adjoining to the shaft. Each bearing housing half is provided with an arrangement adapted to interconnect the two bearing housing halves in a weatherproof manner. The spindle unit can be incorporated into a fishing reel and a wind gauge.

Spindle units such as those described above can, by way of example, be used in hobby articles, toys and measuring instruments. Such spindle units can also be used for fishing reels to support the spool of the reel in a manner giving a reliable and smooth operation, while also being advantageous from noise aspects.
One example of a spindle unit is disclosed in SE-C2-518 489. This known spindle unit is a precision spindle unit for low friction performance which incorporates a tubular housing, preferably made of aluminum with an external anodic coating, which surrounds a shaft. A first locating rolling bearing is mounted on the shaft, and a fixed locking washer with a flange engages the inner race ring of the first rolling bearing to arrest this axially against a shoulder on the shaft. A second rolling bearing in the housing has a loose fit on the shaft, and a second locking washer is fitted to the shaft. A resilient member is provided between the second locking washer and the inner race ring of the second bearing and faces outwards. A shoulder projects inwardly in the housing, and against this shoulder the side of the inwardly directed outer race ring of the second rolling bearing engages. The second bearing by influence from the resilient member is biased between the resilient member and the first inwardly facing shoulder in the housing, the locking washers to define a slot seal at each axial side of the housing, whereby each one of the first and the second rolling bearings, at their outwardly facing sides are provided with an integral labyrinth seal.
The main purpose of this known spindle unit is to provide a precision spindle unit having very good running properties. Although the spindle unit achieved this result, the spindle unit was so expensive to manufacture that it could be used only in applications where a very high demand for low friction properties exists.


A process for preparing a culture skin which comprises the following steps:. a) a step in which a culture skin matrix comprising a collagen sponge, a collagen sheet or a collagen gel is prepared in a means having a projection to provide said matrix with a penetrating pore, PA1 b) a step in which a skin-derived cell is seeded and cultured on said matrix, and PA1 c) a step in which the culture skin is provided with a penetrating pore by the means having the projection before said culture skin covers a skin defect, if necessary, the steps a) and b) are simultaneously carried out; a culture skin matrix and a culture skin obtained thereby. According to the present invention, a culture skin can be prepared wherein sufficient nutrition supply to epidermal cells and/or fibroblasts cultured and proliferated and discharge of exudate excessively pooled in the wound can be smoothly performed, while contraction is inhibited, by producing a penetrating pore in the culture skin before covering the wound with the culture skin with a means which requires no pretreatment in order to prevent the flow and loss of cells which are caused in seeding cells on a collagen matrix.

The present invention relates to a culture skin and a process for preparing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a culture skin matrix, a culture skin and processes for preparing the same for reconstructing or healing a defect tissue in an early stage by applying the matrix or the skin to a skin defect such as a burn, a wound, a decubitus or a skin ulcer.
Hitherto a medical treatment used in general as therapy for a skin defect reaching to an upper layer of dermis such as a superficial dermal burn is a cover of the skin defect with wound dressings, ointment gauze or the like. However, when there is caused a skin defect reaching to a lower layer of dermis such as a deep dermal burn, a dermal burn or a decubitus in at least the second grade, self-reconstruction in a cutaneous tissue by proliferation of epidermal cells can not be expected. Therefore, such a defect has been treated by debriding a slough or an abnormal granulation tissue, reconstructing a normal granulation tissue by covering the defect with an allogenic skin, wound dressings or the like, and then reconstructing a skin by performing autologous split-thickness skin graft. In case of performing the autologous split-thickness skin graft, however, because a skin is taken from a normal position of a patient, there arises a problem as to restoration of appearance that the scar remain at the position. Further, in case that a wound extends in a wide range, it is difficult to carry out the autologous split-thickness skin graft.
In order to solve the problem, there have been developed a technique wherein epidermal cells or fibroblasts are taken from a small skin piece and mass-cultured in a culture flask, and various culture skins using these cultured cells.
The culture epidermis developed by Howard Green, James G. Rheinwald et al. is obtained by taking a skin of postage stamp size and mass-culturing cells derived from the skin in a culture flask to give an epidermal sheet. As to the sheet, the problem has been pointed out that taking ratio in autologous skin graft is low because basal cells being the most important cells are damaged by enzyme treatment in case of removing the sheet from the flask (see Yoshimitsu Kuroyanagi, Seitaizairyo (Biomaterial) Feb. 9, 1991).
Also, Eugene Bell et al. (see Science, 211, pages 1052-1054, 1981) developed a culture skin by mass-culturing each of epidermal cells and fibroblasts in a culture flask which were obtained by separating them from a skin, and stratifying epidermal cells on a collagen gel into which fibroblasts has been incorporated to give a culture skin. However, there was a fault that a collagen gel extremely contracts during cell culture.
Further, Steven Boyce et al. (see SURGERY, 103, pages 421-431, April, 1988) developed a culture skin by mass-culturing epidermal cells obtained from a skin and stratifying the epidermal cells on a matrix in a form of sponge which was obtained by adding a small amount of chondroitin-6-sulfate to collagen.
Also, culture skins having atelocollagen as a matrix are described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 246371/1987 and No. 332561/1992. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 246371/1987, a culture skin having an atelocollagen sheet as a matrix is described. In the above culture skin, however, there was a problem that taking ratio of epidermis is low in autologous skin graft. The reason is that the sheet has no penetrating pore, and nutrition being indispensable to cell proliferation and the like and being given from a covered wound face is hardly supplied through the sheet to epidermal cells on the opposite side of the sheet.
Also, in case of preparing a culture skin wherein only fibroblasts are taken into the skin, nutrition to be supplied from a covered wound face is hardly supplied throughout the culture skin. Therefore, proliferation and metabolism of fibroblasts are harmfully influenced and release of biologically active substances (e.g., growth factors, cytokines and the like) is not performed without hitch. These and the like often interfere with reconstruction of skin or good granulation.
There was the problem that a wound becomes a hotbed of infection by reason that exudate was excessively pooled in a wound and discharge of the exudate is not carried out properly, because of no penetrating pore.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 332561/1992, an atelocollagen sponge is described which is provided with a penetrating pore on purpose to solve the problem as described above. In case of providing the sponge with a penetrating pore, cells are flowed out through the pore and lost in being seeded. Therefore, pre-coating of the sponge with atelocollagen gel or the like before cell seeding is essential to the gel in order to compensate for such faults. There is the problem that such coating method is not only complicated but also expensive from the view points of cost for preparation of a culture skin. Therefore, development for more inexpensive and more simple alternative culture skin or preparation technique thereof has been desired.
The problems to be solved hitherto in a culture skin using collagen as a matrix were as follows:
1. contraction of a culture skin in cell culturing, PA1 2. the problem that nutrition supply throughout cultured cells from a covered wound face is not smooth, because a culture skin matrix becomes a barrier after covering a defect tissue of a skin with a culture skin, PA1 3. the problem that exudate is excessively pooled in a position where a defect tissue of a skin is covered with a culture skin after the covering, and PA1 4. the problem that cells are flow out through a pore and are lost when being seeded, in the case a matrix is provided with a when penetrating pore in order to solve the above-mentioned points 2 and 3. PA1 a) a step in which a culture skin matrix comprising a collagen sponge, a collagen sheet or a collagen gel is prepared in a means having a projection to provide said matrix with a penetrating pore, PA1 b) a step in which a skin-derived cell is seeded and cultured on said matrix, and PA1 c) a step in which the culture skin is provided with a penetrating pore by the means having the projection before said culture skin is placed to cover a skin defect, if necessary, the steps a) and b) being simultaneously carried out. There is also provided a process for preparing a culture skin matrix comprising a collagen sponge, a collagen sheet or a collagen gel, in which said matrix is provided with a penetrating pore by a means having a projection before said matrix including a skin-derived cell is placed to cover a skin defect.
The present invention is made in order to solve the above points 1-4.
An object of the invention is to provide a culture skin for reconstructing or healing a defect tissue of a skin in an early stage by applying the culture skin to a skin defect such as a burn, a wound, a decubitus or a skin ulcer. More particularly, the object of the invention is to provide a culture skin which has a function by which there can be smoothly carried out nutrition supply from a covered wound face to cells of the culture skin and discharge of the exudate being excessively pooled in a wound, and is obtainable at a low cost without causing contraction.
A further object of the invention is to provide a culture skin matrix which can be used in the above-mentioned culture skin as a matrix.
A still further object of the invention is to provide processes for preparing the culture skin and the culture skin matrix.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.

Culture skin and process for preparing the same


A mobile communications system comprises a first group of one or more base stations which are arranged to communicate signals with mobile units via a wireless access interface by transmitting and/or receiving radio signals within a first frequency band; a second group of one or more base stations which are arranged to communicate signals with mobile units via a wireless access interface by transmitting and/or receiving radio signals within a second frequency band; and a controller. The controller is arranged in operation to determine an amount of interference in the first frequency band to radio signals for a first type of traffic where the interference is caused by radio signals for a second type of traffic in the second frequency band, wherein: the radio signals for the first type of traffic are to and/or from a first base station of the first group; and the radio signals for the second type of traffic are to and/or from to a second base station of the second group; and to, in response to the determined interference, generate instructions to influence the second group in respect of the transmission of the radio signals for the second type of traffic in the second frequency band, wherein the instructions are generated based on at least a priority for the first type of traffic and a priority for the second type of traffic. In one example, the first group of one or more base stations may be providing communications services to human to human communications (H2H), whereas the second group of one or more base stations may be providing communications services supporting machine type communications (MTC), where H2H communications are prioritizes over machine type communications. The second group of one or more base stations is therefore instructed to take action to reduce the interference caused by the mobile unit.

Mobile radio systems provide a radio access interface via which data can be communicated with mobile units, also called terminals or user equipments (UEs). There are various techniques for communicating data to a plurality of terminals contemporaneously, whilst making most efficient use of an available radio communications bandwidth. Different radio communications systems are typically using different frequency bands which are allocated to different technologies and/or operators. For example, in the frequency bands defined in the 3GPP standard GSM 900, the band 890-894.6 MHz has been allocated in the United Kingdom to Vodafone and the band 894.8-902 MHz to O2. Each operator is then in charge of allocating carrier frequencies to be used in communications where the carrier frequencies are in the band or bands allocated to this operator.
The spectrum can also be divided between technologies available for a standard. For example, the 3G standard defines Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) and Time Division Duplexing (TDD) radio communications and separate parts of the spectrum may be allocated to each of them.
The spectrum is usually divided into different bands that do not overlap each other in order to reduce the risk of interference between signals in these different bands. However, in reality, communications in separate but neighbouring frequency bands may interfere with each other, as a result for example of out of band interference. This interference can cause a significant signal to noise ratio degradation or carrier to interference ratio degradation which effectively causes a loss in capacity to the mobile radio network. A common way of mitigating a reduction in signal quality and/or strength is to increase transmission power. However doing so in the case of interfering radio signals in a mobile radio network can actually increase the interference and can therefore decrease the network's capacity.
In some countries different mobile radio networks and/or different parts of a mobile radio network using different wireless access interfaces are provided with frequency bands which are neighbouring one another. Reducing interference between frequency bands from different wireless access interfaces can therefore represent a technical problem.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for reducing interference


Aspects of the present invention relate to methods of testing an integrated circuit of a wafer and testing structures for integrated circuits. The methods include depositing a sacrificial material over a first conductor material of the integrated circuit, and contacting a test probe to the deposited sacrificial material. The methods can also include testing the integrated circuit using the test probe contacting the sacrificial material. Finally, the methods can include removing the sacrificial material over the first conductor material of the integrated circuit subsequent to the testing of the integrated circuit.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure is related generally to integrated circuits (IC). More particularly, the disclosure is related to methods for testing ICs in a wafer and testing structures for integrated circuits.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, semiconductor wafers undergo a testing process before the wafers are cut into usable chips. The testing process helps manufacturers determine operational characteristics of the ICs included in the wafer. More specifically, by performing a testing process on the ICs, manufacturers may determine the electrical characteristic or capabilities of the ICs and/or may determine if the circuits of the wafer include any undesirable electrical faults (e.g., shorts), created during the manufacturing process of the wafer.
Typically, the wafers are tested by inserting a test probe directly into an electrically-conductive material formed within the ICs of the wafer. The test probe may provide manufacturers with desirable data relating to the operational characteristics of the ICs included in the wafer. However, by inserting the test probe directly into the material of the ICs, the ICs become damaged, and may subsequently include faults or operational issues as a result of the damage caused by the test probe. In conventional processes, after the probe is inserted into the ICs, the wafer may undergo an additional reflowing process, where additional material is added to fix the damaged portion of the wafer (e.g., tested ICs) and/or the materials included in the ICs of the wafer are manipulated (e.g., heated, compressed) to fix the damaged area. This reflowing process adds an additional step to the manufacturing process of the wafers, which results in an increase in manufacturing time and/or cost. Additionally, the reflowing process performed after the testing of the wafer may not result in completely fixing the damaged wafer, which ultimately results in undesirable performance the ICs formed from the wafers.

Methods for testing integrated circuits of wafer and testing structures for integrated circuits


Metallic nanoparticles coated with a mixed monolayer with well defined thickness or length are prepared. The mixed monolayer comprises a capture coating component useful for the specific capture of materials and a shielding coating component for elimination of non-specific binding of materials to the capture component.

Nanomaterials and their hybrids with biological molecules are recognized to have potential applications in electronic, optics, genomics, proteomics, and biomedical and bioanalytical areas. The usefulness of these hybrid materials largely depends on how well can one achieve rational design based on specific binding between inorganic nanomaterials and biological molecules. It is generally recognized that the surfaces of many nanoparticles, such as Au, Ag, Pt and Cu are charged, which cause non-specific binding with biological molecules via electrostatic interactions. Alkyl thiol protected nanoparticles reduce the electrostatic interactions but induce hydrophobic interactions, another type of non-specific interaction. In addition, alkyl thiol protected nanoparticles are not soluble in water, which makes them non-compatible with biomolecules that require aqueous environment for activity. Prime et al. (Science (1991), 252(5009), 1164-7) and Lahiri et al. (Analytical Chemistry, 1999 Feb. 15, 71(4) 777-90) both describe a method to prepare a model system for the adsorption of proteins on surfaces by preparing self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols on gold films. Singh et al. describes a method for using gold nanorods to extract groups of biomolecules, using derivatized alkanethiols (U.S. Patent Appl. 20020034827).
Nanoparticles coated with tiopronin (N-2-mercaptopropionyl-glycine, TP) have the advantage of being water-soluble, but are subject to non-specific binding of biomolecules. Templeton et al. (JACS, 1999, 121, pg 7081) prepared gold clusters coated with single monolayers of tiopronin and acidic, water soluble ligands. Gold and silicon surfaces have been coated with ethylene glycol derivatives and have been shown to resist protein binding on a flat gold surface. Additionally gold nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol have been shown to be water soluble. However, the neutral glycols cannot react easily with biomolecules, and the monolayer thickness is not well defined, particularly with large polymer chains.
Foos et. al (Chem. Mater. (2002), 14, pg 2401-2408) have prepared a gold nanocluster coated with short chain ethylene glycol oligomers in a monolayer. However, the authors used a two-phase organic solvent system (as opposed to an aqueous/organic mixed solvent) for preparation and not all of the coated particles were found to be water-soluble.
Applicants have solved the deficiencies in the prior art by constructing a water soluble, metallic nanoparticle with a mixed monolayer, comprising a capture component and a shielding component with well defined thickness or length using a single phase organic/aqueous solvent system. The shielding component, (thiolated ethylene glycol short chain oligomers with well defined thickness or length), functions to minimize the non-specific interaction between nanoparticles and biological molecules, whereas the capture coating component, (e.g. tiopronin), serves as ligand to engage biological molecules specifically.

Ethylene glycol monolayer protected nanoparticles


A method, an apparatus, a system and a computing system for policy deployment of a trusted server are provided. The method includes sending a metric policy of at least one metric object and a verification policy of at least one verification object in a process of policy deployment of a trusted server to a service center; the trusted server receiving reminder information returned by the service center, wherein the reminder information is used for representing a reminder to the trusted server to redeploy a metric algorithm and a verification algorithm that are consistent if a metric algorithm of a metric object is detected to be inconsistent with a verification algorithm of a corresponding verification object. The present disclosure solves the technical problems of poor independence and flexibility due to the use of a same metric algorithm for all metric objects by existing trusted server policy management solutions.

Network security problems of computer-based information systems have become increasingly prominent. Conventional technologies such as firewall, intrusion detection, anti-virus are passive protection technologies, basically cannot solve security problems. Trusted computing can build a trusted information system by strengthening computer system architecture to proactively defend against information security threats. A principle of the trusted computing is to first add a trusted module (TPM) on a hardware platform, and build a trust root using the trusted module. The trusted root gradually extends its trust to an entire platform of a system by means of a chain of trust, and hardware technologies and software technologies are combined with each other to take measures comprehensively for improving the security of computer systems.
A trusted metric, a trusted storage, and a trusted report are three functions of the trusted computing. The trusted storage protects a result of the trusted metric and the result of trusted metric is submitted by the trusted report. As can be seen, the trusted metric is the core of the trusted computing. Currently, most OEM manufacturers use a mechanism based on integrity metrics. The integrity metrics based mechanism adopted by these manufacturers adopts a single metric algorithm for all metric objects (including, but not limited to, firmware, hardware drivers, system software, application software, etc. in a system), so that a service party cannot flexibly and independently deploy different metric policies and verification policies targeted for different metric objects according to service needs. In addition, since a metric algorithm and metric objects of a metric policy determine a metric algorithm and metric objects of a verification policy, a deployment, an update and a deletion of strict hierarchical relationships of a trust-related policy are not independent and flexible. As can be seen, solutions of deployment of existing trusted server policies require a service party to spend a lot of time and effort to manage the trusted server policies, making it unable to be dissociated from the cumbersome deployment of trust-related policies and to pay attention to their own applications in a better way.
The above-mentioned existing solutions of trusted server policy management adopt the same metric algorithm for all metric objects, leading to problems of poor independence and flexibility. Currently, no effective solution has been proposed.

Policy deployment method, apparatus, system and computing system of trusted server


Disclosed are methods of using a microRNA-210 inhibitor in preparation of drugs for treating inflammatory skin diseases. The present inventor has demonstrated through a large number of experiments that in vitro inhibition of microRNA-210 expression can significantly enhance the expression of its target gene STAT6, thereby inhibiting proliferation and chemokine CCL20 secretion of keratinocytes, further inhibiting chemotactic T cell migration towards skin lesion, and also inhibiting differentiation of TH1 and TH17. MicroRNA-210 knockout and intradermal injection of a microRNA-210 inhibitor (cholesterol-modified antagomiR-210) on a skin lesion specifically inhibit the expression of microRNA-210, so that skin inflammation in mice can be significantly inhibited, and T cell immune imbalance is mitigated. The present invention provides a new pathophysiological mechanism for inflammatory skin diseases and provides a new strategy for preparing drugs for treating inflammatory skin diseases.

Inflammatory skin diseases are a kind of common skin diseases jointly mediated by immunocytes and keratinocytes. Abnormal response of the innate immune system, abnormal activation of T lymphocytes, and various inflammatory cytokines and their target cells (keratinocytes) play an important role in the pathogenesis of the inflammatory skin diseases. A series of inflammatory reactions caused by helper T cell (Th cell) immune imbalance are common in the inflammatory skin diseases. Th cells are stimulated by some antigen presenting cells and innate immunocytes, and the immune balance among cell subsets is disturbed, so that secretion abnormality of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukins, interferons and tumor necrosis factors is caused. These inflammatory cytokines further act on keratinocytes to induce damage to a skin barrier. For many inflammatory skin diseases, regardless of their complicated causes, most of the pathogenesis of the diseases involves inflammation and immunity, so that immunosuppression or immunoregulation is a main measure for these diseases. However, almost all immunosuppressants have obvious and severe side effects. In recent years, biotherapy has achieved rapid development, and there are more and more monoclonal antibodies, immunoglobulins and biological preparations specific for immune molecules. Although the curative effect is affirmative, the cost is high, adverse reactions cannot be ignored, and long-term use safety is not clear. Therefore, it is of great significance to research and develop novel immunosuppressive or immunoregulation drugs with high curative effect, small side effects and low cost.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a kind of small endogenous non-coding single-stranded RNA molecules, which are in length of about 21 to 25 nucleotides, evolutionarily have highly conserved performance, time sequence and tissue specificity, and are found in almost all multicellular organisms. These small miRNAs generally target one or more mRNAs, regulate gene expression through translational level inhibition or target mRNA breaking, and participate in many physiological and pathological processes in the body. At present, studies have shown that a plurality of miRNAs molecules have significantly different expression in the skin from that in other organs, such as miR-203, miR-146a and miR-31. These miRNAs molecules are either related to functions of keratinocytes or specifically expressed in immunocytes. However, whether these miRNAs molecules can be applied in the preparation of drugs for treating the inflammatory skin diseases is not clear. The present invention firstly proves that expression of microRNA-210 is up-regulated in an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced inflammatory skin lesion, the microRNA-210 regulates proliferation and chemokine secretion of keratinocytes, and regulates the differentiation of Th1 and Th17 cells. Then, the present invention further discloses that an inhibitor targeting microRNA-210 can obviously ameliorate the occurrence and severity of IMQ-induced skin inflammation through in vitro cell experiments and in vivo animal experiments. Our results indicate that the microRNA-210 inhibitor can be applied in the preparation of drugs for treating the inflammatory skin diseases, and has great application prospects in treating patients with the inflammatory skin diseases for skin lesion.

Application of microRNA-210 inhibitor in preparation of drugs for treating inflammatory skin diseases

THE SECOND XIANGYA HOSPITAL OF CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY


Disclosed is a bicycle frame folder including two pivoted folding frames, a stop block received in between the folding frames and driven by a control lever to lock the folding frames in the closed position or to unlock the folding frames for permitting them to be opened in folding up the bicycle frame tubes connected thereto, a guide screw turned to move the stop block forwards in locking the folding frames in the closed position or backwards in releasing the folding frames, the control lever having a spring supported safety hook releasably hooked on a stub retaining rod on the lower folding frame as the folding frames are closed and locked.

The present invention relates to a bicycle frame folder for a folding bicycle which uses a control lever to control the opening and closing of the folder, and simultaneously to lock the folder in the closed position.
FIG. 6 illustrates a bicycle frame folder for a folding bicycle which comprises a lock device (1a) to lock the upper folding frame (2a) and the lower folding frame (3a) in the closed position. The control device (1a) comprises a straight rod (11a) and a bend (12) respectively fastened to the upper folding frame (2a) and the lower folding frame (3a) and joined by a connecting frame (13a). As the upper and lower folding frames (2a;3a) are turned toward each other and closed together, the bend (12a) is received inside the connecting frame (13a) and retained in a recessed portion (131a). The upper and lower folding frames (2a;3a) are opened by turning the connecting frame (13a) in the reversed direction. This structure of bicycle frame folder is complicated to manufacture, and therefore its manufacturing cost is relatively high. When in use, the bend (12a) may be disengaged from the recessed portion (131a) as the connecting frame (13a) is hit by an object. Further, because the control device (1a) is disposed on the outside, it will become covered with rust quickly, and the total size of the bicycle frame folder is relatively increased. If the control device becomes covered with rust, the folder will become useless.


Microfluidic optical sensor comprising: an optical waveguide capable of propagating light from an optical input port to an optical output port, the optical waveguide comprising an optical waveguide interaction region; a fluidic channel capable of conducting a fluid from a fluid input port to a fluid output port, the fluidic channel comprising a fluidic channel region; the fluidic channel region being separated from the optical waveguide interaction region by an interposed spacing material configured to transmit an evanescent field of the light through the spacing material between the optical waveguide interaction region and the fluidic channel region. Microfluidic optical sensor comprising an optical resonator. Methods for making microfluidic optical sensors.

Microfluidic sensors have been fabricated in order to optically analyze small samples of fluids. For example, sensors have been made comprising a cuvette having optically neutral walls in which a small sample of a fluid to be analyzed is placed, and then a light beam is directed through the cuvette so that properties of the fluid such as the optical refraction, absorption and transmission characteristics can be detected by analysis of the transmitted and emitted light. Since the cuvettes are relatively small in order to place a small fluid sample in position for passage therethrough of a light beam, the path length of the light beam through the fluid in the cuvette is short. Moreover, the diameter of the light beam is generally small, so that the interaction cross-section between the fluid and the light beam also is accordingly small. Hence, in order to obtain a sufficiently strong signal for analysis, such systems typically cause the light beam to make a series of passes through the cuvette before the beam is directed into instrumentation for detecting refraction, absorption and transmission. Such systems are necessarily complex, and may therefore be both cumbersome and delicate. Further microfluidic sensors have been fabricated which comprise planar microfluidic channels incorporated into a microchip. However, the inefficiencies of multiple required passes of an analytical light beam through such microfluidic channels still remain.

Microfluidic sensors and methods for making the same


A imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit, a photographing function setting unit that optionally sets operation conditions of the imaging unit, a recording unit that classifies image signals obtained by the imaging unit into groups and records the image signals on a recording medium, a group condition setting unit that optionally sets conditions for classifying the image signals into a plurality of groups, and a mode switching unit that switches between a recording manual setting mode for causing the imaging unit to execute photographing in accordance with the operation conditions set by the photographing function setting unit and the recording unit to classify and record the image signals in accordance with the conditions set by the group condition setting unit and a recording automatic setting mode for causing the imaging unit to execute photographing in accordance with predetermined operation conditions and the recording unit to classify and record the image signals in accordance with predetermined conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for classifying photographed image data into a plurality of groups and managing the image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
For video and digital cameras, there have conventionally been available many products which include a photographing mode for enabling a user to freely set various functions and an automatic mode for enabling easy handling. For example, in the automatic mode, basic photographing is carried out, e.g., making automatic exposure, focusing, white balancing and the like, and hand shaking correction is operative but special effects are inhibited (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-53368).
Recently, the capacity of data recording media such as a memory cards or optical cards has dramatically increased, and video camera products that use memory cards or optical disks as recording media have emerged. One of the features of video cameras that use memory cards or optical disks is a management function or an edit function of rearranging or combining recorded contents by utilizing random accessibility (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-278996). According to the invention of this patent, contents can be freely grouped regardless of a general file system.
One of the edit functions is to create a so-called playlist and execute the contents of the list. This playlist is classified into a list which only arranges contents and a list which designates a reproducing start time and a reproducing end time for all contents and enables more meticulous reproduction control.
In the case of optical disks and memory cards, unlike video tape, a position where reproduction was stopped is not mechanically set. Thus, a function called a resume is generally mounted which stores a reproduction stopping position (address) and starts reproduction from this reproduction stopping position next time reproduction is started. As the resume function, a method of storing a stopping position for each title, and a method of storing a last stopping position with respect to the entire disk may be employed. The user may select one of the two methods from a menu.
However, the automatic mode described above is designed only to automate a camera function during photographing, but not to operate in conjunction with a recording method such as grouping.
Furthermore, an edit mode is not available which can easily create a playlist when a switch is turned on for setting the camera function to the automatic mode. The same holds true for a contents displaying method and a resume method of the reproduction mode.
Thus, even when the automatic mode is set, the user must set additionally a resume function for reproducing, grouping, conditions for playlist creation, and the like each time. Such process may be burdensome for a beginner.


The invention is directed to a coordinate measuring apparatus wherein the influences of temperature on the measuring uncertainty of the apparatus are eliminated. Components of the two pivot arms, which determine the spacing A of the rotational axes (6, 8) and the spacing of the rotational axis 8 to the probe axis 10, are made of materials having positive and negative thermal expansion coefficients.

In such hand-guided coordinate measuring apparatus, the probe can be guided more or less freely in space or in a plane by the operator in dependence upon the number and position of the rotational or pivot axes and can be placed on the workpiece to be measured. Coordinate measuring apparatus of this kind are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,402,582 and 5,396,712.
In coordinate measuring apparatus of this type, the spacings of the rotational axes from each other must be precisely known because these spacings and the rotational angles, which are supplied by encoders mounted on the rotational axes, determine the position of the probe in space. The same applies to the spacing of the last rotational axis to the position of the probe or to the position of the axis of the probe pin to which the probe ball is attached.
Temperature has a great influence on the measuring accuracy of these apparatus because the spacing of the pivot axes can change as a consequence of the thermal longitudinal expansion of the arms connecting the joints. For this reason, the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,582, which is primarily made of aluminum, is provided with temperature sensors in order to detect the thermal longitudinal expansion via a temperature measurement. The position of the probe ball in space can then be corrected via a corresponding correction computation while considering the signals supplied by the temperature sensors.
This solution, however, is complex and subjected to disturbances because of the required additional sensors and computation operations.
With respect to the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. 5,396,712, it is noted that the movable parts can, for example, be made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFK) which combines a very low mass at high stability of the assembly with simultaneous insensitivity with respect to thermal effects. However, CFK has no negligible thermal expansion coefficient. Rather, this expansion coefficient is anisotropic, that is, it is dependent upon the alignment of the fibers or, more specifically, how the particular component is wound or cut with respect to the fibers. In dependence thereon, the thermal expansion coefficient of CFK lies between -3.multidot.10.sup.-6 /K and approximately +23.multidot.10.sup.-6 /K which for lever lengths of one meter means length changes of between -30 and +230 .mu.m in a temperature interval of 10.degree.. This amount is significant with respect to measurement uncertainty when high requirements are imposed on measuring precision.

Coordinate measuring apparatus having a probe movably journalled via several rotational axes


An input extension specification can be generated, via an administration tool on a business intelligence (BI) server, for an extender associated with a data warehouse in order to extend the data warehouse. The administration tool can request for data flow information of the data warehouse from the extender. The data flow information indicates the mapping relationship between one or more source data objects and one or more target tables in the data warehouse. The administration tool further allows a user to select said one or more target tables in the data warehouse to be extended based on the data flow information, and builds the input extension specification for the extender.

In the context of computer software, and particularly computer databases, the term "data warehouse" is generally used to refer to a unified data repository for all customer-centric data. A data warehouse environment tends to be quite large. The data stored in the data warehouse can be cleaned, transformed, and catalogued. Such data can be used by business professionals for performing business related operations, such as data mining, online analytical processing, and decision support. Typically, a data warehouse can be associated with extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes and business intelligence tools. The ETL processes are capable of extracting data from source systems and bringing the data into a data warehouse. The business intelligence tools are designed to report, analyze and present data stored in the data warehouse. This is the general area that embodiments of the invention are intended to address.

System and method for specifying metadata extension input for extending data warehouse


There is provided a data acceleration device comprising a pull-up driver for driving a pull-up in response to the signal level on a first node, a pull-down driver for driving a pull-down in response to the signal level on the first node, a first pull-up circuit for pull-up driving a second node which is electrically coupled with the first node, in response to an output signal from the pull-up driver, a first pull-down circuit for pull-down driving the second node, in response to an output signal from the pull-down driver, a delay circuit for delaying a signal from the second node by a preset time to output a delayed signal, a first switch for switching an operation of the first pull-up circuit in response to an output signal from the delay circuit, and a second switch for switching an operation of the first pull-down circuit in response to the output signal from the delay circuit. Also, there is presented a data transmission apparatus including the data acceleration device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data acceleration device and a data transmission apparatus using the same; and, more particularly, to a data acceleration device and a data transmission apparatus using the same, which is capable of decreasing an entire signal delay in a data transmission line of a semiconductor device with a longer transmission distance and a larger load.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, a semiconductor chip size becomes larger as a semiconductor device (particularly, DRAM) becomes more integrated. This large chip size causes an increase in the distance and a load of a signal transmission line within the DRAM. As such, as the distance and load of signal transmission line increases, a delay of data transmitted over the signal transmission line tends to degrade more and more.
To decrease this transmission delay phenomenon of the data, in general, a repeater is utilized where FIG. 1 shows a circuit diagram illustrating composition of a conventional data transmission apparatus using such a repeater.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional data transmission apparatus is comprised of a repeater 10 having a simple inverter chain wherein the repeater 10 functions to amplify a signal level of the data from an input port at a prescribed level and then sent it to an output port, without attenuation.
Herein, in case that an input signal is transited from low level to high level, or from a high to a low level conversely, in order to have the same delay maintained, it is designed so that the logic threshold level of each inverter constituting the repeater 10 is set to a value of (high level−low level)/2. The logic threshold level is defined as a reference signal level for each inverter to decide whether the input signal level is high or low. Thus, the repeater 10 formed by the chain of inverters as mentioned above initiates to operate when, if the input signal is transited from a low level to a high level, the signal level rises up to (high level−low level)/2. Likewise, the repeater 10 starts to operate when the input signal level comes down up to (high level−low level)/2 if the input signal is transited from high to low level.
In the prior art data transmission apparatus, accordingly, there exists any operation delay since the repeater 10 operates when the input signal rises or falls to the logic threshold level from a low or high level. Moreover, this operation delay generally results in a delay in the data transmission.

Data acceleration device and data transmission apparatus using the same


A vertical axis wind turbine having a plurality of blades spaced from a rotatable around a rotor shaft vertical to the ground. The plurality of blades are arranged in a helical pattern about the rotor shaft. Each blade is flexible to move in response to wind and has a top, bottom, leading edge, and trailing edge wherein the leading edge is in the shape of an airfoil. A hub having a plurality of blade attachment rods radially extending from the rotor wherein in one blade is secured to one of the attachment arms. The hub has a plurality of attachment rods radially extending from the rotor wherein one blade is secured to one of the attachment rods near the center and wherein the top of each blade is closer to the rotor than the bottom of each blade.

1. Field of the Invention
The preset invention is directed to a vertical axis wind turbine having a plurality of blades arranged around a rotor shaft vertical to the ground. In particular, the present invention is directed to a vertical axis wind turbine incorporating a number of design improvements to provide a more effective and efficient wind turbine for generating electrical energy.
2. Prior Art
The use of wind turbines as a source of electrical energy has been utilized in various configurations in the past and is continued interest, given the increase in cost of fossil fuel as a source of power for electrical generators.
Two of the popular types of wind turbines are vertical axis wind turbines and horizontal axis wind turbines. The axis of the turbine is parallel to the ground and the rotor of a horizontal axis wind turbine generally faces into or away from the direction of the wind.
Various types of vertical axis wind turbines have also been proposed over the years. The Savonius wind turbine (such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,697,574) including a pair of half cylinders mounted on a vertical shaft. The Savonius turbines are drag-type devices consisting of two or their half cylinders or scoops. Because of the curvature, the scoops experience less drag when moving against the wind than when moving with the wind.
Another type of vertical axis wind turbine is the Darrieus wind turbine (such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,835,018) which consists of a number of airfoils mounted on a vertical rotating shaft or framework. The airfoils are arranged so that they are symmetrical and move forward through the air in a circular path. Relative to the blades, the oncoming airflow is added vertically to the wind, so a that the result in airflow creates a varying small positive angle of attack to the blade.
Other proposals for wind turbines include the following:
Kane (U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,859) discloses vanes 80 of a wind turbine 26 having a longitudinal axis 152 between 30° and 60° of the polar axis of the spheroid. The leading 100 and trailing 102 edges are elongated "S" curves. Each blade has a cross section of one half of an ellipse which is a poor airfoil. Each blade also has both leading and trailing edges rounded. Kane operates primarily as a drag or Savonius type device and its blade speed will be limited to the wind speed.
Obidniak (U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,580) discloses a wind turbine with blades comprising a body having a pair of opposed major planar surfaces and a cone or conoid shaped configured with a pair of opposed ends.
Robitaille (U.S. Pat. No. 6,448,668) discloses a turbine with curved blades which appear to be angled with respect to the axis.
Bartlett (U.S. Pat. No. 818,013) discloses a windmill with a plurality of longitudinally extending curved blades although each blade is parallel to the vertical axis.
Howard (U.S. Pat. No. 194,822) discloses a windmill with curved radial vanes B and B′, although each is parallel to the axis.
Ewers (U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,958) discloses a plurality of radially curved vanes.
Pfeifer (U.S. Pat. No. 1,764,052)discloses through shaped vanes 12 with upper and lower end closures.
Asperger (U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,405) discloses a windmill with radially extending curved vanes.
De Oviedo (U.S. Pat. No. 2,812,823) discloses a streamlined shape for vanes of a windmill.
Cymara (U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,325) disclosed a vertical axis windmill having vanes with U-shaped fins 32.
Benesh (U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,311) discloses blades 40, 41 and 42 having a curved portion 45 and an opposed inner edge 44.
Staley et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,926) discloses a vertical axis turbine with curved rotors extending from a shaft and double curved stators to direct wind to rotors.
Walters (U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,530 and 5,664,418) discloses a vertical axis turbine with impellers 4 having a triangular cross-section.
Becker (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0061337) discloses a wind turbine with non-segmented smooth walled helically twisted inner turbine blades and a pair of opposed outer airfoil blades.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for an efficient wind turbine to be used to transform wind energy into electrical energy.


Various embodiments intermittently deliver a sympathetic stimulus, including deliver a sequence of stress-inducing pacing pulses adapted to increase sympathetic tone during the stress-inducing pacing. The stress-inducing pacing results in a parasympathetic reflex after the sequence of stress-inducing pacing. The embodiment further delivers neural stimulation to elicit a parasympathetic response or a sympathetic response in a coordinated manner with respect to the sequence of stress-inducing pacing pulses. The neural stimulation is timed to elicit the parasympathetic response after the sequence of stress-inducing pacing pulses and concurrent with at least a portion of the parasympathetic reflex to the sequence of stress-inducing pacing to enhance a parasympathetic effect of the parasympathetic reflex, or to elicit the sympathetic response during the sequence of stress-inducing pulses to provide a larger sympathetic stimulus, resulting in an enhanced parasympathetic reflex in response to the large sympathetic stimulus.

Heart disease such as myocardial infarction and/or heart failure can cause adverse ventricular remodeling and an imbalance in autonomic tone favoring sympathetic activity over parasympathetic tone. During heart disease, the compromised ventricles may be less than capable of maintaining normal cardiac output. As a result, the body compensates for the reduced cardiac output by increasing sympathetic tone and suppressing parasympathetic activity, resulting in increased heart rate, myocardial contractility and blood volume. This mechanism is acutely beneficial, but has a long-term deleterious effect.
It has been shown experimentally that intermittent stress such as exercise, dobutamine infusion, myocardial pacing, or external counterpulsation provides beneficial conditioning effects for the heart and body. Intermittent stress (e.g. exercise) improved the imbalance in the autonomic tone, as the autonomic tone trended from a predominantly sympathetic tendency toward a desired autonomic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. For example, intensive exercise training in patients with reduced ventricular function has been shown to result in a significant improvement in exercise capacity (increased O2 uptake, maximum minute ventilation, CO2 production, exercise time and watts), with no deleterious effects on left ventricular volume, function or wall thickness. A potential mechanism for the benefit may be that these short intervals of stress increase sympathetic tone and cause a reflexive increase in parasympathetic tone after the stress is discontinued.
Intermittent sympathomimetic stimulation in animals with dobutamine produces benefits analogous to those of physical conditioning. In a pilot clinical study, patients with stable moderate severe HF (EF=23%) who received dobutamine therapy (30 min/day, 4 days/week, 3 weeks) experienced the following benefits: increased exercise tolerance; improved heart rate variability; lowered peripheral vascular resistance; and reduced plasma noradrenaline.
Neural (eg. vagus) stimulation has been shown to provide benefit to heart disease animal models. This therapy may also provide benefit by restoring balance to the autonomic tone. The vagus nerve of the animals in these models had both sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers.

Systems, devices and methods for modulating autonomic tone


A luminaire has a light source and a shell integrator. The shell integrator has a transparent dome over the light source, with inner and outer surfaces formed as arrays of lenslets. Each lenslet of the inner surface images the light source onto a respective lenslet of the outer surface, and each lenslet of the outer surface images the respective lenslet of the inner surface as a virtual image onto the light source. The dome may be substantially hemispherical. The light source and the integrator may be at an input of a collimator.

Most LED chip manufacturers do not offer chips larger than 1×1 mm. The light flux that can be produced by each such chip is ever increasing, but still for many applications a single LED chip does not produce enough light, and therefore LED sources with a multitude of chips are produced. In other cases chips of different colors (including different phosphor-converted chips to add shades of white, yellow or green) are combined to allow the production of color-switchable LED light sources or high color rendering white LED light sources.
These LED light sources consist of multiple chips arranged on a planar substrate with or without significant spacing between them. Typical layouts are 2×2 or 3×3 chips arranged in a close-packed square or rectangle, or any higher number of chips, e.g., in the range of 25. Even much higher numbers of chips, often smaller than 1×1 mm, are used for certain LED products.
In all cases the full array of chips is covered with a dielectric material for protection and to enhance light extraction. In some cases phosphors for white light creation are added. Bulk diffusion is sometimes employed too, aiding color mixing. These LEDs can have a total flux of several thousand Lumens.
Two problems arise with these light sources. The first problem is that, when looking back into the source, the user perceives the individual chips as separated bright spots. This may be acceptable if all chips have the same color, but in applications where chips of different colors are mixed (red, green and blue, for example) this is often unacceptable. The second problem arises when secondary optics are added to these multichip LED sources: many optics, especially those that create high collimation, reproduce the structure of the light source in the far field intensity pattern or in the illuminance pattern on a target surface, depending on what they are designed for. That leads to visible brightness variations, or even worse, to color shifts in the pattern that, in the worst case of an RGB LED, can reproduce clearly the different color chips employed.
Diffusers or tessellations on refractive or reflective surfaces are often employed to mitigate these problems although at the expense of some efficiency loss. Furthermore, the diffusion angle that needs to be added to the optical system to erase color or brightness artifacts typically has to be several times larger than the angular range of the collimation that is produced by the secondary optics so that the collimating effect of the secondary optics is partially eroded.
One possible solution to this problem is to employ Köhler integrating optics, and more precisely so-called "fly's eye array" arrays of pairs of microlenses, to erase color and brightness artifacts from a light pattern. Some disadvantages of the "fly's eye array" are that: the microlens arrays must typically be very large to cover the entire exit aperture of the collimation optics; they only work for highly collimated light; they are costly to manufacture; and the light pattern produced is usually a flat-top radiation pattern that is very different from typical smooth radiation patterns wanted in general illumination. Additionally, fly's eye arrays can themselves introduce square or rectangular artifacts, depending on the outline of the individual microlenses they are made of.


An image processing method for an optical touch system includes the steps of obtaining an image and generating a light distribution curve pattern from the image, selecting a target signal of the light distribution curve pattern in accordance with light intensity information of the light distribution curve pattern, determining at least one rising slope and at least one falling slope of the target signal, and selecting the target signal as an object signal when the absolute values of the at least one rising slope and at least one falling slope are greater than a threshold.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing method, and relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to an image processing method for an optical touch system.
2. Related Art
Touch screen devices are a type of electronic device that allows users to perform input operations directly on a screen. When a stylus, a finger tip or a similar object touches the screen, the touch screen device detects and calculates the position of the touch point, outputting coordinates to a computing system to allow the computing system to perform subsequent computing operations.
Optical touch screens are a common type of developed touch screen devices. An optical touch screen usually comprises a light source and a camera arranged in a manner such that when an object touches the optical touch screen, an object shadow will be cast on the camera. When no object touches the optical touch screen, the camera may generate an image, which is relied upon to extract a background light intensity waveform pattern 11 as shown in FIG. 1; when an object touches the optical touch screen, the camera will generate an image, which is relied upon to extract a light intensity waveform pattern 12 including a shadow signal 121.
When an object touches the optical touch screen, the manner of light reflection may be changed such that a false signal is generated. For example, an object may deform the screen, causing light to be reflected into the camera and generating a reflected light signal 13, or changing the manner of light reflection and causing a false shadow signal 14. The false shadow signal 14 may be misinterpreted as a signal that is generated by an object. As a result, incorrect object coordinates may be computed, or the number of objects is incorrectly determined and real coordinates of the object are incorrectly calculated.
Therefore, a new method that can avoid the issue of false signals being generated in conventional optical touch screens is needed.

Image processing method for optical touch system


Fourier filters, systems configured to fabricate Fourier filters and systems and methods configured to inspect specimens are provided herein. One Fourier filter configured for use in an inspection system comprises an array of patterned features formed within an optically opaque layer. The array of patterned features is generally configured to block light reflected and diffracted from structures on a specimen and to allow light scattered from defects on the specimen to pass through the filter. The array of patterned features is generally formed by removing select portions of the optically opaque layer to create transmissive regions, which only allow the light scattered from the defects to pass through. In one embodiment, the select portions of the optically opaque layer are removed with laser light.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to Fourier filters, systems for fabricating Fourier filters and systems and methods for inspecting a specimen using Fourier filters. Certain embodiments relate to a Fourier filter that includes an array of patterned features formed within an optically opaque layer. A dry process is used to form the array of patterned features by removing select portions of the optically opaque layer to create transmissive regions, which only allow light scattered from the defects to pass through the Fourier filter. Light reflected and diffracted from periodic structures on the specimen is substantially blocked by the array of patterned features.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are given as background only.
Fabricating semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices typically includes processing a substrate using a large number of semiconductor fabrication processes to form various features and multiple levels of the semiconductor devices. For example, lithography is a semiconductor fabrication process that involves transferring a pattern from a reticle to a resist arranged on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing, etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated in an arrangement on a single semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Inspection processes are used at various steps during a semiconductor manufacturing process to detect defects on wafers to promote higher yield in the manufacturing process and thus higher profits. Many different types of inspection tools have been developed for the inspection of semiconductor wafers. Defect inspection is currently performed using techniques such as bright field (BF) imaging, dark field (DF) imaging, and scattering. The type of inspection tool that is used for inspecting semiconductor wafers may be based on, for example, characteristics of the defects of interest and characteristics of the wafers that will be inspected. For example, some inspection tools are designed to inspect unpatterned semiconductor wafers, while others are designed to inspect patterned semiconductor wafers.
Inspection tools for unpatterned wafers are generally not capable of inspecting patterned wafers for a number of reasons. For example, many unpatterned wafer inspection tools are configured such that all of the light collected by a lens or another collector is directed to a single detector. The detector generates a single output signal representative of all of the collected light. Therefore, light scattered from patterned features on the specimen will be combined with other scattered light. This prohibits the other scattered light (e.g., light scattered from defects or other surface irregularities) from being detected separately from the light scattered from the patterned features.
Patterned wafer inspection is of particular interest and importance to the semiconductor industry because processed semiconductor wafers usually have a pattern of features formed thereon. In some cases, unpatterned wafers, or "monitor wafers," which have been run through a process tool, may be inspected as a gauge for the number and types of defects that may be found on patterned wafers, or "product wafers." However, the defects detected on monitor wafers do not always accurately reflect the defects that are detected on product wafers after the same process in the same process tool. Inspection of product wafers is, therefore, important to accurately detect defects that may have been formed on the wafer during, or as a result of, processing. In other words, inspecting product wafers may provide more accurate monitoring and control of processes and process tools than inspection of monitor wafers.
Many inspection tools have been developed for patterned wafer inspection. Some patterned wafer inspection tools utilize spatial filters to separate light scattered from patterned features from other scattered light, so that the other scattered light may be separately detected. Since the light scattered from patterned features depends on various characteristics of the patterned features (e.g., lateral dimension and period), the design of the spatial filter also depends on the characteristics of the patterned features. As a result, the spatial filter must be designed based on known or determined characteristics of the patterned features and must vary as different patterned features are inspected.
A Fourier filter is one type of spatial filter that may be used as described above. Fourier filters are relatively useful for filtering light from repetitive patterns, such as memory arrays formed on a wafer, so that defects or other surface irregularities may be more easily detected. Various methods have been used in the past to provide Fourier filtering.
One method of Fourier filtering is the mechanical method. This method utilizes mechanical rods (or other mechanical devices) to block the diffraction pattern generated by array structures, so that the energy from the array is removed from the optical path of the inspection system. Although the mechanical method is widely used, it has a number of disadvantages, particularly for flood illumination based inspection systems.
Flood illumination based inspection systems produce diffraction peaks that show up as "dots" in the image plane. The rods used in the mechanical method block excessive amounts of light in these systems, thereby reducing the overall defect signal. In addition, the mechanical method induces significantly more Fourier filter ringing, which reduces defect sensitivity. For example, Fourier filters in the form of periodic blocking bars diffract light into undesirable directions, inducing "ringing" or side lobes in the defect signals. In some cases, the side lobes may produce significant distortion at the image plane of the inspection system, adversely affecting the ability of the inspection system to detect defects on the wafer with high accuracy. Furthermore, the rods must have a relatively large diameter in order to be structurally sound. As such, only a limited number of rods can be used; otherwise, the entire plane would be blocked by the rods.
Another method for Fourier filtering is the liquid crystal method. This method utilizes a one- or two-dimensional liquid crystal device to block the diffraction pattern generated by array structures, so that the energy from the array is removed from the optical path of the inspection system. Currently used liquid crystal Fourier filter devices are programmable and capable of filtering out diffraction dots in a two-dimensional manner. However, there are several factors that make liquid crystal devices inappropriate for flood illumination based inspection systems. For example, the use of a liquid crystal device as a Fourier filter utilizes the principle of light scattering. However, light scattering significantly alters the wavefront of the inspection system, causing severe degradation to the image quality. In addition, most liquid crystal material has a damage threshold at a wavelength of approximately 300 nm, making liquid crystal devices less than ideal for use in deep ultraviolet (DUV) based systems (i.e., systems that operate at wavelength(s) less than about 300 nm).
Chrome masks have also been used for Fourier filtering. Chrome mask Fourier filters are generally fabricated with optical or electron beam lithography processes to include opaque chrome regions arranged in a pattern on a substantially transparent substrate. Masks fabricated with such processes tend to provide good repeatability and matching and have been used to make ICs for many years. For example, a chrome mask may be fabricated by depositing chrome on the substrate, patterning the chrome by lithography and etch, and cleaning the substrate with the patterned chrome formed thereon. As such, a chrome mask Fourier filter may be tailored or "programmed" to block the diffraction pattern produced by a particular array of structures.
However, chrome masks are not used in many inspection systems due to the relatively long turn around time and relatively high cost associated with fabricating such filters. For example, most semiconductor fabrication facilities do not have dedicated lithography and cleaning stations for Fourier filter fabrication. As such, chrome mask designs are often sent out to a mask shop for fabrication. However, sending filter designs out for fabrication often results in several days of down time for the inspection system. This makes chrome mask Fourier filters unsuitable for situations in which a fast turn around time is beneficial (such as during process development).
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved Fourier filter, which overcomes the disadvantages described above. In particular, a need exists for a two-dimensional, programmable Fourier filter suitable for flood illuminated dark field wafer inspection systems, which: (i) does not block excessive amounts of light, (ii) does not induce significant Fourier filter ringing or periphery energy leakage, (iii) does not significantly alter the wavefront of the inspection system, (iv) does not cause degradation of the image, and (v) does not suffer from long turn around time or high cost. The Fourier filter should also be structurally sound and suitable for use at DUV and other wavelengths.

Fourier filters, systems for fabricating fourier filters, and systems and methods for inspecting a specimen using fourier filters


An apparatus for determining individual consumption for a plurality of users through computer network monitoring. The apparatus comprises a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to receive data from one or more smart devices associated with a first user and a second user through data streaming between the one or more smart devices and a server. The processor is further configured to determine that a first home associated with the first user and a second home associated with a second user are located within a distance threshold from each other based, at least in part, on geolocation information. The processor is further configured to determine that the first user and the second user are comparable peers. The processor is further configured to determine that an individual consumption of one of the comparable peers is greater than an average total consumption and to transmit an alert.

Homes are increasingly incorporating smart devices to increase efficiency of operation of the homes. These smart devices are capable of connecting to each other and to communication networks in order to operate as a cohesive system within the home and with a degree of autonomy. Many smart devices are manufactured as distinct appliances, and integration with each other can result in incompatibilities and provide for limited functionality.

System and method using one or more smart devices to determine individual consumption through network monitoring


Selection of mutant methanotrophic bacteria capable of efficiently degrading halogenated hydrocarbons typically found in numerous wastewater sources is described. The mutants are distinguishable from parental strains in having a unique resistance to the presence of copper while exhibiting unusually high degradation rates toward trichlorethylene. Methylosinus trichosporium A.T.C.C. 55314 strains are particularly good sources of the described mutants which may be obtained using a new method of selection and screening. The disclosed microorganisms may be immobilized on various matrices and are particularly adaptable for use in bioreactors. Further, the methanotrophic bacteria have antibiotic resistance to streptomycin or rifampicin B.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) constitutive mutant strains of methanotrophic bacteria capable of degrading chlorinated hydrocarbons in the presence of copper. Also disclosed are methods of selecting methanotrophic bacteria to provide mutants deficient in particulate methane monooxidase (pMMO) activity with retained soluble MMO (sMMO) activity.
2. Description of Related Art
Chlorinated aliphatic solvents represent a major class of pollutants due to their widespread distribution in the environment and their toxic or carcinogenic effects. They are produced in large quantities and are the most frequently detected organic pollutants found in drinking water from groundwater sources (Fan, 1988). Trichloroethylene (TCE), a common contaminant, is a known carcinogen in animals and a suspected carcinogen in humans (Infante and Tsongas, 1987). It is also an especially recalcitrant compound in aquifers, and undergoes biodegradation only slowly (Parsons, et al., 1984).
Chloroform is another ubiquitous contaminant, particularly prevalent as a byproduct in water and wastewater treatment processes where chlorine is used as a disinfectant. Trace amounts may often be found in drinking water sources in areas close to commercial operations.
Methanotrophic bacteria are unusually active in degrading chlorinated hydrocarbons such as chloroform and trichloroethylene (TCE), (Wilson and Wilson, 1985). Methanotrophs are capable of growth with methane as their sole carbon and energy source. Although chloroform and TCE cannot serve as a sole carbon source, it is cometabolized by these organisms under aerobic conditions, removing as much as 99% of the TCE at concentrations as high as 50 mg/liter (Fliermans, et al., 1988).
Well over a hundred strains of methanotrophic bacteria have been isolated. Of these, Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b degrades TCE at a rate at least one order of magnitude faster than other pure or mixed cultures (Hansen, et al., 1990).
The key enzyme responsible for this high rate of TCE removal is a methane monooxygenase (MMO), the enzyme responsible for the first step in methane oxidation by these microbes. The bacterial methane monooxygenases have broad substrate specificity, and the specificity of the soluble form (sMMO) of the enzyme generally is broader than the particulate form (pMMO) found associated with stacked internal membranes. The sMMO form is less frequently found in methanotrophic bacteria, but has been reported in Methylosinus trichosporium, Methylococcus capsulatus, and Methylobacterium sp. strain CRL26 (Patel, et al., 1982). Following incubation with whole cells of M. trichosporium OB3b, or purified sMMO with added NADH reductant, TCE is more than 90% mineralized to CO.sub.2 and Cl.sup.- (Oldenhuis, et al. 1989).
A major problem in the use of M. trichosporium in bioremediation projects lies in its expression of MMO. Of the two forms of this enzyme, pMMO is normally expressed, while sMMO is expressed only when cells are grown under copper limitation (Burrows, et al., 1989; Stanley, et al., 1983). Unfortunately, the levels of copper necessary to down-regulate the expression of sMMO are quite low, on the order of about 1 .mu.M, which is within the range of copper ion levels found in groundwater (Forstner and Wittman, 1979).
Despite the knowledge that sMMO is required to metabolize TCE and related chlorinated hydrocarbons, there has been no success in developing or isolating a M. trichosporium capable of metabolizing TCE and related compounds in the presence of copper ion. Copper is ubiquitous in most water sources and particularly in polluted water; economically practical means of removal are not presently available.

Constitutive soluble methane monooxygenase mutants of methanotrophic bacteria such as Methylosinus trichosporium A.T.C.C. 55314

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


According to one embodiment, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes an image memory, an output-information creating unit, and a control unit. The image memory associates and stores an ultrasound image and a first image that is set in accordance with a schematic image representing a portion imaged onto the ultrasound image and a positional image indicating a scanning position with ultrasound when creating the ultrasound image. The output-information creating unit creates a second image based on a shape of the first image stored by the image memory. The output-information creating unit then creates an image that image information extracted from the ultrasound image associated with the first image is superimposed onto the created second image, as output information. The control unit performs control of outputting the output information created by the output-information creating unit to an external device.

Conventionally, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus plays an important role in today's medical care as a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus that has various advantages, such as simple operationality, noninvasiveness without risk of radiation exposure, and compactness of the apparatus scale.
Specifically, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus can display a state of motion of an examination subject in real time, for example, beats of a heart or a motion of an embryo, by a simple operation of touching an ultrasound probe onto a body surface. Moreover, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus has a high level of safety because of its noninvasiveness, thereby being able to perform examinations repeatedly. Furthermore, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is small in scale of apparatus, compared with other medical diagnostic imaging apparatuses, such as an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, an X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) apparatus, and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) apparatus, so that an examination at a bed side by being moved there can be easily performed. Moreover, among ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses without risk of radiation exposure, an apparatus that is down-sized to be carried with one hand has been developed, such ultrasound diagnosis apparatus can be easily used in a medical practice, such as a maternity, or home care.
According to an examination using such ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, an ultrasound image rendered of a tissue directly under a touched ultrasound probe can be created and displayed in real time, so that a plurality of ultrasound images is recorded by moving the ultrasound probe on an examination target portion during the examination. When recording, to identify which portion of the subject is taken onto each ultrasound image, a "mark" indicating positional information is recorded onto the image. Particularly, in a case of examination of a mamma, because no organ or no blood vessel to be a landmark is included, the "mark" is noteworthy and required for recording an ultrasound image. Such "mark" can be a body mark representing an organ to be examined, or a mark indicating a scanning position with ultrasound in the organ.
When registering information about an ultrasound image recorded in this way (image information) onto a chart as a report, a reading doctor writes a position at which the ultrasound image is taken and a comment obtained from the ultrasound image, onto a schema on which an examination target portion can be recognized at a glance.
The reading doctor writes a comment on a lesion into the schema after the ultrasound examination is performed while reconfirming ultrasound images and data collected from the ultrasound images, thereby creating a report. The schema onto which a comment on a lesion is described is a schema manually rendered by the reading doctor, or a schema for a report that is registered in an electric chart system. Furthermore, a method of managing a report created by such processing has been also developed.
According to a conventional report preparation, after an examination with ultrasound is performed, all images need to be checked and then only required information needs to be reconfirmed and recorded, so that the operation requires a reading doctor to expend time and effort.

Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and image-information management apparatus