The present invention relates to the detection of specific nucleic acid sequences, either by a process of amplification of specific nucleic acid sequences or not. More particularly the invention provides for improved compositions and methods for reducing the chance for contamination from manipulation of reagents, internal controls for amplification, and the use of automated apparatus for the automated detection of one, or more than one amplified nucleic acid sequences.

The development of techniques for the manipulation of nucleic acids, the amplification of such nucleic acids when necessary, and the subsequent detection of specific sequences of nucleic acids or amplicons has generated extremely sensitive and nucleic acid sequence specific assays for the diagnosis of disease and/or identification of pathogenic organisms in a test sample.
Amplification of Nucleic Acids
When necessary, enzymatic amplification of nucleic acid sequences will enhance the ability to detect such nucleic acid sequences. Generally, the currently known amplification schemes can be broadly grouped into two classes based on whether, the enzymatic amplification reactions are driven by continuous cycling of the temperature between the denaturation temperature, the primer annealing temperature, and the amplicon (product of enzymatic amplification of nucleic acid) synthesis temperature, or whether the temperature is kept constant throughout the enzymatic amplification process (isothermal amplification). Typical cycling nucleic acid amplification technologies (thermocycling) are polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and ligase chain reaction (LCR). Specific protocols for such reactions are discussed in, for example, Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, 2nd Edition, A Compendium of Methods from Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, (Eds. Ausubel et al., John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1992) chapter 15. Reactions which are isothermal include: transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), and strand displacement amplification (SDA).
U.S. patent documents which discuss nucleic acid amplification include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195; 4,683,202; 5,130,238; 4,876,187; 5,030,557; 5,399,491; 5,409,818; 5,485,184; 5,409,818; 5,554,517; 5,437,990 and 5,554,516 (each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety). It is well known that methods such as those described in these patents permit the amplification and detection of nucleic acids without requiring cloning, and are responsible for the most sensitive assays for nucleic acid sequences. However, it is equally well recognized that along with the sensitivity of detection possible with nucleic acid amplification, the ease of contamination by minute amounts of unwanted exogenous nucleic acid sequences is extremely great. Contamination by unwanted exogenous DNA or RNA nucleic acids is equally likely. The utility of amplification reactions will be enhanced by methods to control the introduction of unwanted exogenous nucleic acids and other contaminants.
Prior to the discovery of thermostable enzymes, methods that used thermocycling were made extremely difficult by the requirement for the addition of fresh enzyme after each denaturation step, since initially the elevated temperatures required for denaturation also inactivated the polymerases. Once thermostable enzymes were discovered, cycling nucleic acid amplification became a far more simplified procedure where the addition of enzyme was only needed at the beginning of the reaction. Thus reaction tubes did not need to be opened and new enzyme did not need to be added during the reaction, allowed for an improvement in efficiency and accuracy as the risk of contamination was reduced, and the cost of enzymes was also reduced. An example of a thermostable enzyme is the polymerase isolated from the organism Thermophilus aquaticus.
In general, isothermal amplification can require the combined activity of multiple enzyme activities for which no optimal thermostable variants have been described. The initial step of an amplification reaction will usually require denaturation of the nucleic acid target, for example in the TMA reaction, the initial denaturation step is usually ≧65° C., but can be typically ≧95° C., and is used when required to remove the secondary structure of the target nucleic acid.
The reaction mixture is then cooled to a lower temperature which allows for primer annealing, and is the optimal reaction temperature for the combined activities of the amplification enzymes. For example, in TMA the enzymes are generally a T7 RNA polymerase and a reverse transcriptase (which includes endogenous RNase H activity). The temperature of the reaction is kept constant through out the subsequent isothermal amplification cycle.
Because of the lack of suitable thermostable enzymes, some isothermal amplifications will generally require the addition of enzymes to the reaction mixture after denaturation at high temperature, and cool-down to a lower temperature. This requirement is inconvenient, and requires the opening of the amplification reaction tube, which introduces a major opportunity for contamination.
Thus, it would be most useful if such reactions could be more easily performed with a reduced risk of contamination by methods which would allow for integrated denaturation and amplification without the need for manual enzyme transfer.
Amplification Buffer and Single Reaction Aliquot of Reagents
Typical reaction protocols require the use of several different buffers, tailored to optimize the activity of the particular enzyme being used at certain steps in the reaction, or for optimal resuspension of reaction components. For example, while a typical PCR 10× amplification buffer will contain 500 mM KCl and 100 mM Tris HCl, pH 8.4, the concentration of MgCl2 will depend upon the nucleic acid target sequence and primer set of interest. Reverse transcription buffer (5×) typically contains 400 mM Tris-Cl, pH 8.2; 400 mM KCl and 300 mM MgCl2, whereas Murine Maloney Leukemia Virus reverse transcriptase buffer (5×) typically contains 250 mM Tris-Cl, pH 8.3; 375 mM KCl; 50 mM DTT (Dithiothreitol) and 15 mM MgCl2.
While such reaction buffers can be prepared in bulk from stock chemicals, most commercially available amplification products provide bulk packaged reagents and specific buffers for use with the amplification protocol. For example, commercially available manual amplification assays for detection of clinically significant pathogens (for example Gen-Probe Inc. Chlamydia, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection assays) requires several manual manipulations to perform the assay, including dilution of the test sample in a sample dilution buffer (SDB), combination of the diluted sample with amplification reaction reagents such as oligonucleotides and specific oligonucleotide promoter/primers which have been reconstituted in an amplification reconstitution buffer (ARB), and finally, the addition to this reaction mixture of enzymes reconstituted in an enzyme dilution buffer (EDB).
The preparation and use of multiple buffers which requires multiple manual additions to the reaction mixture introduces a greater chance for contamination. It would be most useful to have a single unified buffer which could be used in all phases of an amplification protocol. In particular, with the commercially available TMA assays described above, the requirement for three buffers greatly complicates automation of such a protocol.
Bulk packaging of the enzyme or other reaction components by manufacturers, may require reconstitution of the components in large quantities, and the use of stock amounts of multiple reagents, can be wasteful when less than the maximal number of reactions are to be carried out, as some of these components may be stable for only a short time. This process of reconstitution also requires multiple manipulations by the user of the stock reagents, and aliquoting of individual reaction amounts of reagents from stocks which creates a major opportunity for contamination.
Methods and compositions for the preparation of bulk quantities of preserved proteins are known, see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,098,893; 4,762,857; 4,457,916; 4,891,319; 5,026,566 and International Patent Publications WO 89/06542; WO 93/00806; WO 95/33488 and WO 89/00012, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, the use of pre-aliquoted and preserved reagent components in single reaction quantities/dose is both very useful and economical. Single aliquots of enzyme reagent avoids multiple use of bulk reagents, reduceing waste, and greatly reducing the chance of contamination. Further, such single reaction aliquots are most suitable for the automation of the reaction process.
The requirement for many changes of buffer and the multiple addition of reagents complicates the automation of such reactions. A single dose unit of reaction buffer mixture, and a unified combination buffer will both simplify automation of the process and reduce the chance of contamination.
Automation of Nucleic Acid Detection with or without Amplification
Nucleic acid probe assays, and combination amplification/probe assays can be rapid, sensitive, highly specific, and usually require precise handling in order to minimize contamination with non-specific nucleic acids, and are thus prime candidates for automation. As with conventional nucleic acid detection protocols, it is generally required to utilize a detection probe oligonucleotide sequence which is linked by some means to a detectable signal generating component. One possible probe detection system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,333 hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
In addition, automation of a nucleic acid detection system targeting unamplified or amplified nucleic acid, or a combined automated amplification/detection system will generally be adaptable to the use of nucleic acid capture oligonucleotides that are attached to some form of solid support system. Examples of such attachment and methods for attachment of nucleic acid to solid support are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,489,653 and 5,510,084 both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Automation of amplification, detection, and a combination of amplification and detection is desirable to reduce the requirement of multiple user interactions with the assay. Apparatus and methods for optically analyzing test materials are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,284 (hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). Automation is generally believed to be more economical, efficient, reproducible and accurate for the processing of clinical assays. Thus with the superior sensitivity and specificity of nucleic acid detection assays, the use of amplification of nucleic acid sequences, and automation at one or more phases of a assay protocol can enhance the utility of the assay protocol and its utility in a clinical setting.
Advantage of Internal Control Sequences
Nucleic acid amplification is highly sensitive to reaction conditions, and the failure to amplify and/or detect any specific nucleic acid sequences in a sample may be due to error in the amplification process as much as being due to absence of desired target sequence. Amplification reactions are notoriously sensitive to reaction conditions and have generally required including control reactions with known nucleic acid target and primers in separate reaction vessels treated at the same time. However, internal control sequences added into the test reaction mixture would truly control for the success of the amplification process in the subject test reaction mixture and would be most useful. U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,027 (hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) teaches certain internal control sequences which are useful as an internal oligonucleotide standard in isothermal amplification reactions for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
However it would be extremely useful to have a general method of generating internal control sequences, that would be useful as internal controls of the various amplification procedures, which are specifically tailored to be unaffected by the nucleic acid sequences present in the target organism, the host organism, or nucleic acids present in the normal flora or in the environment. Generally, such internal control sequences should not be substantially similar to any nucleic acid sequences present in a clinical setting, including human, pathogenic organism, normal flora organisms, or environmental organisms which could interfere with the amplification and detection of the internal control sequences.
Detection of More than one Nucleic Acid Sequence in a Single Assay
In general, a single assay reaction for the detection of nucleic acid sequences is limited to the detection of a single target nucleic acid sequence. This single target limitation increases costs and time required to perform clinical diagnostic assays and verification control reactions. The detection of more than one nucleic acid sequence in a sample using a single assay would greatly enhance the efficiency of sample analysis and would be of a great economic benefit by reducing costs, for example helping to reduce the need for multiple clinical assays.
Multiple analyte detection in a single assay has been applied to antibody detection of analyte as in for example International Patent Publication number WO 89/00290 and WO 93/21346 both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
In addition to reducing cost, time required, the detection of more than one nucleic acid target sequence in a single assay would reduce the chance of erroneous results. In particular multiple detection would greatly enhance the utility and benefit using internal control sequences and allow for the rapid validation of negative results.


The present invention provides a unique method and/or system that facilitate navigating through the content of large images viewable on a wide range of computing devices, independently of the dimensions of their display area, and the dimensions of the digital images. The present invention creates dynamic digital images, which are displayed on a synchronized sequence to simulate a 2D and/or 3D visual experience. Such navigation allows the end user to zoom into or out, pan, and/or rotate the content displayed by using input components, such as touch pads, joysticks, and the like. The embodiments can be either stand-alone or client/server, based on the physical location of the images.

Interest in creating rich user experiences has resulted in the proliferation of software applications that allow the end user to zoom in/out, pan, and/or rotate through the content of digital images. Most of these software applications have been designed around the capabilities of a particular type of computing device (predominantly PCs), typically using the World Wide Web (a.k.a. Internet) to access digital images from a repository physically maintained in remote servers.
As a wide range of computing devices of varying characteristics are available to the end user in today's market, the original design of such software applications is being challenged, since they are not always well suited for smaller computing devices. The computing device characteristics relevant to this matter are: the size and orientation (portrait or landscape) of the display area made available to the software application (only known at execution), the storage capacity (either built-in or accessible thru an external medium), and the data processing speed.
It is important to note that the data transfer speed of the network is an important enabler of client/server software applications with such navigation capabilities, in particular if the computing device has significant limitations, like it is the case of most cellular phones. Fortunately, networks with broadband speeds (i.e. 3G) are now available in major markets worldwide, allowing wireless portable devices to access data from remote servers at a reasonable response time.
Thus, it would be an advance in the art to develop a generic non-platform specific method and/or system that can be easily adapted to the variety of storage and data processing characteristics of the wide range of computing devices available in the market, providing navigation capabilities regardless of the size and orientation (portrait or landscape) of the computing device display area and the size and orientation of the digital images.

Non-platform specific method and/or system for navigating through the content of large images, allowing zoom into or out, pan and/or rotation


Methods and systems are disclosed for collecting presence information from multiple utilities associated with a user and creating merged presence calculation information where events are determined to be analogous in content. The analogous content may relate to one or more of timing, context, user information, location, and the like. More specifically, email out-of-office and calendar events may be treated as analogous events. From the analogous events, merged presence calculation information is created and then provided to a presence server for an efficient aggregate presence calculation.

"Presence" is well known in the telecommunications industry. Presence and presence information relate to a person having multiple devices with multiple communication paths and a user's preference or preferred device of availability. "Presence information" typically refers to any information associated with a network node and/or endpoint device, such as a communications device, that is in turn typically associated with a person or entity. Examples of presence information include registration information under the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), information regarding the accessibility of the endpoint device, the endpoint(s) telephone number or address, the recency of use of the endpoint device by the person, recency of authentication by the person to a network component, and the preferences of the user, such as contact mode preferences or profiles. Presence information can be user configurable, i.e., the user can configure the number and type of communication and message devices (endpoints) with which they can be contacted and define profiles that govern the communication and message options presented to the incoming contact or in specified factual situations or sets of facts. By identifying a pre-defined set of facts, a profile can be accessed and followed to direct the contact to the user/preferred device.
Typically, presence information is communicated and updated via one or more messages exchanged, for example, between one or more endpoints and/or one or more servers. In calculating a presence for one or more endpoints and/or entities, a presence server may collect presence information from a number of sources. Among these sources, the presence server may collect presence information from calendar servers, email servers, as well as server applications.
Calendar applications can be used to schedule meetings or other types of calendar events along with a time-specific context. In addition, these meetings, or events, may be associated with a selected state of the user (e.g., Busy, Free, Tentative, Out-of-Office, etc). For example, a user may be invited to attend an important meeting, which, when accepted may alter the user's associated state (e.g., to Busy, Out-of-Office, Free, etc.) for the scheduled time of the meeting. In another example, a user may block out periods of time in a calendar application to reserve "Free" or "Busy" periods of time that may be used to alter future invitations and/or scheduling. In any event, the presence server can collect this calendar information associated with the user to calculate a presence associated with an endpoint and/or entity via a presence aggregation algorithm. Along with the calendar information, the presence server may collect email information to determine presence.
Email applications can be used to determine a user's availability and/or activity. For instance, email applications can include an "Out-of-Office" utility to notify others that a user may be "Out-of-Office" when an email is received by the user. The presence server can collect the email information to determine presence for an endpoint and/or entity. However, in calculating the presence for an individual who is associated with a number of endpoints, the presence server must consider a number of sources, states, and contexts, especially in the collection of information. In other words, all of the sources are treated as unique and are calculated accordingly. In some cases the presence sources may be associated with a priority that can be used to affect a resultant presence calculation. As can be expected, the algorithms applied in calculating presence for all of the individuals in an organization, group, enterprise, or network can be processor intensive and time consuming.

Providing merged presence calculation information based on analogous multi-utility events


Extruded aluminum alloy base, intermediate and top panels and a decorative plastic insert are provided. One marginal portion of the base panel is mounted on a support member on a building. An opposing marginal portion on the base panel is formed with a coupling member and with a perpendicular flange. An adjoining marginal portion on the intermediate panel is formed with a member-receiving channel and a perpendicular ledge. An opposing marginal portion on the intermediate panel is formed with a coupling member and with a perpendicular ledge. An adjoining marginal portion on the top panel is formed with a member-receiving channel and with a perpendicular flange. An opposing marginal portion of the top panel is adapted to be mounted on the support member on the building. The relatively adjoining flanges and ledges on the base, intermediate and top panels are adapted to receive a plurality of machine screws. Relatively spaced apart flanges on the decorative insert are received in an insert-receiving opening defined by the intersection of the coupling member on the base panel and the member-receiving channel on the intermediate panel and in a longitudinally extending channel-form protuberance on the base panel.

The present invention is concerned generally with decorative or protective moldings or trim panels for buildings, and more particularly with multi-panel molding or trim assemblies.
Exterior crown moldings are intended to cover and protect relatively adjoining portions of roof and wall structures and joints therebetween without providing support to such structures. Ideally, such moldings impart an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the building. In high-traffic commercial applications, such as fast food restaurants, the crown moldings need to be strong, durable, non-distorting, inexpensive, easily installed and pleasing to the eye.
In an effort to meet the foregoing criteria, multi-panel or multi-component molding assemblies have been devised. Unfortunately, conventional assemblies are susceptible to alignment problems which, if they occur, substantially diminish the protective and decorative functions of these structures. In particular, exterior elements of one panel may not align precisely with the corresponding exterior elements of an adjoining panel. In addition, the panels may fit together poorly at joints, resulting in unsightly gaps between panels. Even when precise alignment and good fit of panel joints are achieved initially, distortion of one panel relative to another over a period of years may result in misalignment of and gaps between panels.
In the past, multi-panel molding assemblies have attempted to solve the fit and alignment problems by providing means for covering the joints between the panels. In effect, the molding assembly was provided with its own molding or trim pieces. Moldings employing such cover means have a visually fragmented appearance rather than a smooth, unbroken line and may require greater labor and material costs than simpler designs.
Another problem confronting the inventor was the difficulty of fabricating a strong, durable and non-distorting exterior molding while at the same time incorporating desired decorative elements. Moldings provided with relatively ornate elements, such as dentils, were expensive to manufacture. Likewise, the addition or modification of a decorative element to a molding beyond superficial changes in surface finish generally required costly, labor-intensive carpentry or machining. Frequently, the decorative elements were integrally formed in the molding, so its appearance could not be altered without replacing it entirely. Such reconstruction was disruptive to activities in and around the building on which the molding was installed, particularly when the building was a high-traffic commercial installation, such as a fast food restaurant.
Thus, the present inventor was faced with the problems of fabricating a strong, easily assembled and installed molding that maintained a virtually seamless appearance over the years and that incorporated one or more decorative elements without undue expense.

Mutli-panel molding assembly for a building


It is an object to provide, with a high productivity, a dielectric thin film having a high degree of pore and a very great mechanical strength, and there are included a surfactant film forming step of forming a film including a surfactant on a surface of a substrate on which a thin film is to be formed, a vapor deposition step of causing the substrate to come in contact with a gas phase containing a silica derivative to form a thin film including the silica derivative, and a step of calcining the substrate having the thin film formed thereon and decomposing and removing the surfactant, the thin film being thus formed.

A reduction in the dielectric constant or an interlayer dielectric film is an important problem for an increase in a speed and a reduction in a consumed power in a semiconductor device. Various devises have been made in order to reduce the dielectric constant. For a conventional semiconductor device, there have been proposed methods of:
(1) adding fluorine to a silica film to be an inorganic insulating film;
(2) forming an organic insulating material having a low dielectric constant as a parent material; and
(3) intentionally forming a porous film.
In the case of the method (1), however, the moisture resistance of the insulating film is deteriorated. For this reason, the fluorine can be added in an element ratio or several % at most. Therefore, there is a problem in that a dielectric constant can be reduced by 10% to 15% at most as compared with a conventional silica type interlayer dielectric film.
In the case of the method (2), moreover, there is a problem in that a heat resistance and a mechanical strength are reduced more considerably than those of the conventional silica type interlayer dielectric film because of the organic material, resulting in a deterioration in the reliability of a semiconductor device.
In the case or the method (3), furthermore, the mechanical strength of the interlayer dielectric film is remarkably reduced because a porous structure is random, and there is no CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) resistance. For this reason, the film is apt to be broken in packaging, causing a deterioration in the reliability of the semiconductor device.
In many cases, moreover, the porous structure is not closed. If the porous structure is not closed, the moisture resistance of the interlayer dielectric film is remarkably reduced, resulting in a deterioration in the reliability of the semiconductor device.
In the conventional insulating film, thus, there is a problem in that the dielectric constant cannot be reduced sufficiently, and furthermore, a sufficient mechanical strength cannot be obtained.
Therefore, the inventors have proposed a method of forming a pure mesoporous silica thin film by dissolving, in a solvent, a surfactant, a silica derivative and an acid catalyst in a desirable mole ratio, preparing a precursor solution in a mixing vessel, applying the precursor solution thus prepared onto a substrate, polymerizing the silica derivative through hydrolysis (polycondensation reaction) (a precrosslinking step), forming a mesoporous silica thin film including a cavity having, as a template, the periodic self-assembly or the surfactant, and thermally decomposing and removing the surfactant of the template completely at a calcining step.
At this time, the substrate is exposed to a silica derivative atmosphere and is heated with the supply of the silica derivative prior to the calcining. Consequently, the shrinkage of the film is prevented from being caused by the hydrolysis, and the cavity is not broken but maintained as it is so that a mesoporous silica thin film having, as a template, the rigid self-assembly of the surfactant is obtained. Furthermore, the surfactant of the template is thermally decomposed and removed completely at the calcining step so that a pure mesoporous silica thin film is obtained.
Thus, it is possible to provide a dielectric thin film having a very excellent controllability, a great mechanical strength and a very low dielectric constant.
However, the strength and the dielectric constant are not sufficient and a further enhancement in characteristics has been required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An endoscope for an optical fiber provides for inflow and outflow of irrigant. A telescope is included having a field of view directed into a working region. The endoscope defines a “hooded region” with an extended, blunt tip. The optical fiber fits within the endoscope has a side or end firing tip with an emission surface. A guide element is adapted to movably support the optical fiber in a position spaced away from the working region, and limit lateral movement of the tip without preventing longitudinal and rotational movement. An irrigant flow arrangement operates to direct inflowing irrigant over the emission surface of the tip. The fiber is assembled with a fiber coupler, a handle, a fiber port cap, and a travel limiter fixed to the fiber at a predetermined distance from the tip. The travel limiter cooperates with the endoscope and the fiber port cap to limit longitudinal and rotational movement of the fiber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to endoscopes, and in particular the configuration of a handle used for a multifunction endoscope.
2. Description of Related Art
An endoscope is an illuminated medical device used look inside the body and examine organs. An endoscope can be rigid or flexible. Endoscopes designed for particular procedures often have specialized names, such as cystoscope (urethra, bladder), nephroscope (kidney), bronchoscope (bronchi), laryngoscope (larynx), otoscope (ear), arthroscope (joint) and laparoscope (abdomen). In addition to being used for viewing and examination, endoscopes are often used with various types of medical instruments for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. An example of these medical instruments includes a medical laser device using fiber optics to deliver the laser energy to, typically, the distal end of the endoscope. Other medical instruments that can be used with endoscopes include grasping, cutting, tissue sampling and suturing medical instruments as well as medical instruments designed to provide energy other than laser energy such as RE and ultrasonic energy.
Endoscopic removal of tissue by means of lasers has been realized in procedures such as photoselective vaporization of prostate (PVP) for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Lasers in the visible and invisible spectral range have been utilized for endoscopic procedure of tissue removal. Tissue removal is typically carried out under endoscopic visualization of the operating field through a telescope. Laser light is guided to the operating field by an optical light guide (laser fiber). To steer the light guide to the target tissue an endoscope is often utilized. In some implementations the telescope can be embodied in the endoscope as a fixed or modular component. Also, such procedures rely on a supply of irrigating fluid to the operating region, to remove debris, cool tissue and otherwise cooperate with the activity.
Performing a surgical laser procedure through an endoscope creates several challenges. Vaporization of tissue in a body cavity filled with an irrigant can create vapor bubbles and tissue particles that get released into the irrigant and that can obscure the view of the surgeon.
Controlling the surgical effect the laser has on tissue requires the surgeon to position the laser fiber with high precision. The surgeon has to consider the characteristics of the laser beam such as its divergence coming out of the laser fiber and control the distance between laser fiber and tissue to achieve the desired effect. In some instances the laser effect can change its nature dependent on the distance between laser fiber and tissue. In some cases vaporization will occur when the fiber is close to tissue but coagulation without vaporization will occur when the fiber is further away from tissue.
The surgeon has to control the position of the distal tip of the laser fiber relative the distal tip of the endoscope to avoid damage to the endoscope by unintentional exposure of the endoscope to laser light.
Thus, in some high power laser applications, it is possible to damage an endoscope by inadvertently directing laser radiation into the structure. In addition, it is necessary to provide for an effective irrigation flow in such systems. Finally, is desirable to provide a structural design, which is comfortable to hold and utilize by surgeons. An endoscope is described herein that allows surgeons to safely and effectively perform laser surgery, including transurethral laser vaporization of prostate tissue.


If a jam detecting portion detects a sheet jam, a rear end position of the jammed sheet is computed based on information, when a rear end of the jammed sheet is located within an area A1 and a length Ls of the jammed sheet in a conveying direction of the sheet is equal to or shorter than a distance L between the area A1 and an area A2, driving operations of a pre-registration roller and a registration roller are controlled so that the jammed sheet is conveyed to a downstream until a rear end of the sheet passes through a downstream end of the area A1. When Ls is longer than L, the pre-registration roller and the registration roller are controlled so that the jammed sheet is conveyed toward the upstream until the rear end of the sheet passes through an upstream end of the area A1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to jam recovery when a paper jam (jam, hereinafter) occurs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine and a laser beam printer, there is an apparatus which forms an image on a sheet by an electrophotographic system. According to such an image forming apparatus, when an image is formed on a sheet, a photosensitive drum is exposed according to image information to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum. Next, the electrostatic latent image is developed by toner in a development device, and visualized as a toner image, and the toner image is transferred to a sheet which is fed from a sheet feeding portion. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed to a fixing nip of a fixing roller and a pressure roller provided on a fixing portion by a pre-fixing conveying portion, and the image is fixed to the sheet as a permanent image.
As such conventional image forming apparatuses, there is one in which a transfer member constituting a transfer portion, the pre-fixing conveying portion and the fixing portion are unitized as a pull-out unit, and the pull-out unit is pulled out from a front surface of an apparatus body. This technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-052276. By pulling out the pull-out unit in this manner, it is possible to easily carry out the jam recovery in the sheet conveying passage and maintenance of the apparatus.
However, in such a conventional image forming apparatus, the jam occurs not only in the pull-out unit, but also in a state where a sheet is jammed between the pull-out unit and an upstream sheet conveying passage through which the sheet is conveyed to the pull-out unit.
When a sheet jam occurs between pull-out unit and the upstream sheet conveying passage, the pull-out unit can be pulled out only after the upstream sheet conveying passage is opened and the jammed sheet is removed. This is because that if the pull-out unit is pulled out when a sheet exists between the pull-out unit and the upstream sheet conveying passage, there is an adverse possibility that the sheet is caught in a body frame and the sheet is torn. For this reason, it is necessary to open the upstream sheet conveying passage, but a complicated mechanism and a space for opening the sheet conveying passage are required, and there is an adverse possibility that cost of the apparatus is increased and an installation space for the apparatus is also increased in size.


Various disclosed borehole imaging tools and methods provide an improved high-resolution electrode configuration suitable for imaging in both water-based and oil-based muds. In at least some embodiments, the imaging tools employ a unitary conductive body to provide a wall-contacting face with grooves that define multiple sensing surfaces. Toroids may be seated in the grooves around each sensing surface for measuring the current flow through each sensing surface. Such placement enables a nearly ideal equipotential surface to be maintained and a straightforward “full coverage” electrode configuration due to a minimal electrode separation. Moreover, the disclosed configuration promises robust and reliable performance in the hostile conditions often experienced by logging while drilling (LWD) tools. This wall-contacting face can be provided on an extendable sensor pad or embedded on the outer surface of a LWD stabilizer fin.

Modern oil field operations demand a great quantity of information relating to the parameters and conditions encountered downhole. Such information typically includes characteristics of the earth formations traversed by the borehole, and data relating to the size and configuration of the borehole itself. The collection of information relating to conditions downhole, which commonly is referred to as "logging," can be performed by several methods including wireline logging and "logging while drilling" (LWD).
In wireline logging, a probe or "sonde" is lowered into the borehole after some or the entire well has been drilled. The sonde hangs at the end of a long cable or "wireline" that provides mechanical support to the sonde and also provides an electrical connection between the sonde and electrical equipment located at the surface of the well. In accordance with existing logging techniques, various parameters of the earth's formations are measured and correlated with the position of the sonde in the borehole as the sonde is pulled uphole.
In LWD, the drilling assembly includes sensing instruments that measure various parameters as the formation is being penetrated. While LWD techniques allow more contemporaneous formation measurements, drilling operations create an environment that is generally hostile to electronic instrumentation and sensor operations.
In these and other logging environments, it is desirable to construct an image of the borehole wall. Among other things, such images reveal the fine-scale structure of the penetrated formations. The fine-scale structure includes stratifications such as shale/sand sequences, fractures, and non-homogeneities caused by irregular cementation and variations in pore size. Orientations of fractures and strata can also be identified, enabling more accurate reservoir flow modeling.
Borehole wall imaging can be accomplished in a number of ways, but micro-resistivity tools have proven to be effective for this purpose. Micro-resistivity tools measure borehole surface resistivity on a fine scale. The resistivity measurements can be converted into pixel intensity values to obtain a borehole wall image. Such tools were originally developed for use in conductive borehole fluids (such as water-based drilling mud). See, e.g., M. Y. Fam, R. Chemali, O. Seiler, M. Haugland, and W. F. Stewart, "Applying electrical micro-imaging logs to reservoir characterization", SPE 30608, 1995; and M. G. Prammer, M. Morys, S. Knizhnik, C. J. Conrad, W. E. Hendricks, M. S. Bittar, G. Hu, F. Hveding, K. Kenny, R. M. Shokeir, D. J. Seifert, P. M. Neumann, and S. Al-Dossari, "Field Testing of Advanced LWD Imaging Resistivity Tool" SPWLA 2007-AA. In oil-based muds, the more resistive borehole fluids inhibit such measurements due to the variability of impedance in the mud surrounding the tool. Nevertheless, a number of micro-resistivity tools for use in oil-based muds have been proposed, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,588 (Chen), U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,321 (Evans), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,098,664 (Bittar).
Though each of these designs may offer some benefits, the search continues for ever-more advantageous tool configurations. For example, one common micro-imaging approach employs multiple, separate electrodes, each having a corresponding resistor for use in measuring the current flow from that electrode. Such an approach may create unequal voltages on different electrodes due to the different current flows from the various electrodes, necessitating insulation between the electrodes and causing the tool to further depart from the ideal equipotential surface that focuses electrode currents deeper into the formation and minimizes the effect of capacitive coupling between electrodes.
It should be understood, however, that the specific embodiments given in the drawings and detailed description thereto do not limit the disclosure. On the contrary, they provide the foundation for one of ordinary skill to discern the alternative forms, equivalents, and modifications that are encompassed together with one or more of the given embodiments in the scope of the appended claims.

Borehole wall imaging tool having a grooved wall-contacting face


A method and device for detecting a force factor of a loudspeaker is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing the loudspeaker with a dynamic driving voltage signal; continuously measuring a current signal flowing through the loudspeaker; observing the current signal and if the current signal shows that the diaphragm excursion of the loudspeaker is greater than an displacement limit, decreasing the driving voltage signal until the current signal shows that the diaphragm excursion of the loudspeaker is less than or equal to the displacement limit; and substituting the current driving voltage signal, the current signal, the displacement limit, and an electrical impedance of the loudspeaker into a function so as to compute the force factor of the loudspeaker.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for detecting a force factor of a loudspeaker and, more particularly, to a device and method that are utilized by end users so as to accurately detect the force factor of a loudspeaker.
2. Description of Related Art
To protect the physical structure of a loudspeaker from being permanently damaged, it is a practice not to directly drive a loudspeaker with a linearly-amplified audio signal, which may, if the driving signal is too large, cause greater diaphragm excursion or even exceed beyond the displacement limit of the diaphragm excursion, thus leading to a change in the property, or a shorter lifetime, of the diaphragm of the loudspeaker, or even direct damage to the structure of the diaphragm. On the other hand, to have better listening experience, one may put the output volume of the loudspeaker to its limit, which may stress the diaphragm excursion of the loudspeaker to the displacement limit. Therefore, it has become an issue of the design of a loudspeaker and its driving circuit on how to detect, or predict, the diaphragm excursion so as to make an optimal tradeoff between the output volume and the protection of the loudspeaker.
FIG. 1 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of a prior-art loudspeaker 100 having two terminal inputs 110. By applying a driving voltage u at the two terminal inputs 110, the diaphragm of the loudspeaker 100 is induced to vibrate so as to generate human-perceivable sound waves. In the equivalent circuit of the loudspeaker 100, the circuit of the electrical impedance and the back electromotive force (BEMF) parallels the aspect of the electrical property of the loudspeaker 100, while the circuit of the electromagnetic force, mechanical impedance and saturation electromagnetic force parallels the aspect of the mechanical property of the loudspeaker 100.
The driving voltage u at the terminal inputs 110 forms a current i. In the aspect of the mechanical property of the loudspeaker 100, an electromagnetic force with a magnitude of Φ*i is formed due to the induction caused by the current i, where Φ is the force factor, which is a characteristic parameter of the loudspeaker, and the electromagnetic force causes a velocity of displacement v on the diaphragm of the loudspeaker with a mechanical impedance Zm. The saturation electromagnetic force is the part of the induced electromagnetic force when the diaphragm excursion of the loudspeaker 100 is close to or greater than the displacement limit. The magnitude of the saturation electromagnetic force is M*v′, where v′ is the first derivative of the velocity of displacement v, and the coefficient M is approaching zero when the diaphragm excursion is at a low value. The parameters described hereto can be related by the equation as follows:Φ·i=Zm·v+M·V  (1)
The function of the velocity of displacement v can be derived from Eq. (1). As shown in FIG. 1, the equivalent circuit has a BEMF with magnitude of Φ*v and indicates that the driving voltage u is not fully applied on the electrical impedance Ze; instead, the mechanical aspect of the loudspeaker generates a voltage of the BEMF with magnitude of t*v, where the voltage is connected to the electrical impedance Ze in series. Therefore, with the known driving voltage u, one can obtain the magnitude of the BEMF Φ*v by measuring the current i. However, the diaphragm excursion (i.e., the integral of the velocity of displacement v) cannot be obtained without first computing the magnitude of the force factor Φ.
During the warm-up calibration of the loudspeaker 100, one can detect the magnitude of the force factor Φ by performing a reverse computation on the diaphragm excursion x of the loudspeaker 100 when operating at the displacement limit. In the prior art, there exist two approaches to check how close the diaphragm excursion is to the displacement limit. One approach is to analyze the electrical signal, for example, the driving voltage u or the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the current i. When the diaphragm excursion x of the loudspeaker 100 is close to or greater than the displacement limit, however, the THD measured by an electrical signal may not be distinguishable because most of the non-linearity of the loudspeaker 100 occur in the resonant frequency, but not in the harmonic frequency of the electrical signal. The other approach is to analyze the THD on the sound pressure level (SPL) generated by the loudspeaker. The THD on SPL is more distinguishable, but the measurement of the SPL is only feasible under a controlled environment, and therefore the measurement is conducted in the lab or a factory. Besides, the measurement of the SPL requires some special instruments, which may not be easily accessible to the end users.

Device and method for detecting force factor of loudspeaker


An adjacent interference removal device capable of providing an improved reception quality. An IF signal Sin having passed through an IF filter having a pass frequency band width of 200 kHz is supplied to a first narrow band filter having a pass frequency band width extending from a center frequency (carrier frequency) of the IF filter to +50 kHz, as well as to a second narrow band filter having a pass frequency band width extending from a center frequency (carrier frequency) of the IF filter to −50 kHz. When an interference signal is contained in a first signal S1 outputted from the first narrow band filter but not in a second signal S2 outputted from the second narrow band filter, and when an interference signal is contained in a detection signal Sd2 generated by detecting the second signal S2 in a detector and contained in the second signal S2 itself but not contained in the first signal S1, the detection signal Sd1 generated by detecting the first signal S1 in another detector is outputted by performing a switchover in a signal selecting unit.

The present invention relates to an adjacent interference removal device for removing an influence of an interference signal caused by an adjacent interference, from a received signal received by an FM broadcasting receiver or the like.
The present application claims priority from Japanese Applications No. 2004-19710, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Generally, with regard to an FM broadcasting receiver or the like, if an interference signal from an adjacent broadcasting station has been generated adjacent to a received signal from a desired broadcasting station, a sort of reception quality deterioration will occur due to the adjacent interference.
Conventionally, when such an adjacent interference has occurred, an applicable method is to reduce, on the receiver side, the pass band width of an IF filter which passes an intermediate frequency signal (IF signal), thereby removing the influence of the interference signal (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 08-097738).
The receiver disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 08-097738, as shown in FIG. 1 of the patent publication, comprises a first path having a first IF filter (9) and a third buffer circuit (16), a second path having a second IF filter (10) and a fourth buffer circuit (17), both paths being connected on the rear side of a mixer (2). The receiver further includes a first level detecting circuit (13), a second level detecting circuit (14), a comparison circuit (15), the third buffer circuit (16), and the fourth buffer circuit (17).
The first IF filter (9), as shown in FIG. 3 of the above-mentioned patent publication, has a pass band width of 150 KHz with a center frequency (carrier frequency) 10.7 MHz as its center, i.e., a pass band width of −75 KHz to +75 KHz with its center frequency being 0 KHz, thereby limiting the IF signal outputted from the mixer (2) within a band width of 150 KHz and then supplying the same to the third buffer circuit (16).
The second IF filter (10), as shown in FIG. 3 of the above-mentioned patent publication, has a pass bandwidth of 50 KHz with a center frequency as its center, i.e., a pass band width of −25 KHz to +25 KHz with its center frequency being 0 KHz, thereby limiting the IF signal outputted from the mixer (2) within a band width of 50 KHz and then supplying the same to the fourth buffer circuit (17).
The first level detecting circuit (13) detects the level of an IF signal (whose band has been limited within 150 KHz) outputted from the first IF filter (9). On the other hand, the second level detecting circuit (14) detects the level of an IF signal (whose band has been limited within 50 KHz) outputted from the second IF filter (10).
The comparison circuit (15) performs a comparison between the results detected by the first and second level detecting circuits (13) and (14). If the level of the IF signal outputted from the first IF filter (9) is higher than that of the IF signal outputted from the second IF filter (10), it can be determined that an interference signal is contained in the IF signal outputted from the first IF filter (9). Then, by switching the third buffer circuit (16) off, and the fourth buffer circuit (17) on, an IF signal outputted from the second IF filter (10) is transmitted to a detecting circuit (6) side through the aforementioned fourth buffer circuit (17). On the other hand, if the level of the IF signal outputted from the first IF filter (9) is equal to that of the IF signal outputted from the second IF filter (10), it can be determined that an interference signal is not existing. Then, by switching the third buffer circuit (16) on, and the fourth buffer circuit (17) off, the IF signal outputted from the second IF filter (10) is transmitted to the detecting circuit (6) side through the third buffer circuit (16).
In this way, the receiver disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 08-097738, comprises the first IF filter (9) having a pass band width of 150 KHz, and the second IF filter (10) having a pass band width of 50 KHz. If an interference signal is contained in the IF signal outputted from the mixer (2), the receiver will operate to limit the band of the IF signal by virtue of the second IF filter (10) having a narrow pass band width.
However, although it is possible to remove the influence of an interference signal upon limiting the band of each IF signal within 50 KHz by virtue of the second IF filter (10), since a distortion occurs in a detection output signal outputted from the detecting circuit (6), it has been found difficult to improve an actual reception quality.
Moreover, for example in Europe (European nations), since channels of adjacent broadcasting stations are separated from each other only at 100 KHz, it is easy to receive an influence of an interference signal from an adjacent channel separated −50 KHz and +50 KHz from the center frequency of a desired signal. On the other hand, whenever receiving an influence of such an adjacent interference, the band of each IF signal will be reduced to within a narrow width of 50 KHz by virtue of the second IF filter (10), thereby making it possible to remove the influence of an interference signal. However, since a distortion occurs in a detection output signal outputted from the detecting circuit (6), it has been found difficult to improve an actual reception quality.


A variable length coding apparatus and a variable length coding method including a prepacking unit which processes two data items, each of which is formed with a code value and a code length and is received from a variable length code generator at each clock cycle, into one data item and outputs the processed data item to perform bitstream packing. With this structure, a variable length coding apparatus operating at a high speed without idling can be implemented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to moving picture encoding, and more particularly, to a variable length coding apparatus and a variable length coding method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to encode moving pictures with high picture quality, a moving picture encoding apparatus operating at a high speed is needed. In order to operate the moving picture encoding apparatus, a discrete cosine transform (DCT) apparatus, a quantization/dequantization apparatus, and a variable length coding (VLC) coding apparatus are indispensable. In order to operate the DCT apparatus, the apparatus is usually designed to be able to process two data items at each clock cycle.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional moving picture encoding apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 1, the moving picture encoding apparatus comprises a DCT/quantization unit 110, a run length coding (RLC) unit 120, a variable length code generation unit 130, a VLC table 140, a buffer 150, and a bitstream packing unit 160. The encoding apparatus performs DCT/quantization, RLC, and VLC in units of 8×8 blocks.
The DCT/quantization unit 110 performs DCT and quantization in units of 8×8 data blocks, and the RLC unit 120 performs the RLC of data output from the DCT/quantization unit 110.
A variable length coding (VLC) apparatus 100 for performing the VLC comprises the variable length code generation unit 130, the VLC table 140, the buffer 150, and the bitstream packing unit 160.
The variable length code generation unit 130 refers to the VLC table 140 while taking output data of the RLC unit 120 as input symbols, and then outputs two data items, each formed with a code value and a code length corresponding to each input symbol, to the buffer 150.
The buffer 150 stores the data items output from the variable length code generation unit 130 and then transfers the data items to the bitstream packing unit 160.
The bitstream packing unit 160 generates a final bitstream and in doing so, reads the code value and code length information of each symbol from the buffer 150 and generates a continuous bitstream. Information for producing a bitstream includes a motion vector, a code mode, and a variety of header information, which are not shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the steps performed by a variable length coding process of the conventional moving picture encoding apparatus of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, first, the DCT/quantization unit 110 receives 2N-bit data 30 formed with N-bit data 0 10 and N-bit data 1 20 at each clock cycle, performs the DCT and quantization for the data in units of 8×8 blocks, and then outputs two data items of the processed resulting data to the RLC unit 120 at each clock cycle in operation 210. Accordingly, the DCT/quantization unit 110 processes 64 data items for 32 clock cycles when a data item is an 8×8 block.
Next, the RLC unit 120 receives two data items of the quantized data at each clock cycle and performs run length encoding in operation 220, and outputs two data items, each formed with the length of continuous 0's and a level value. The output of the RLC unit 120 varies according to images and if there are no continuous 0's, 64 data items are output for 32 clock cycles when a data item is an 8×8 block. However, in an ordinary image, the output of the DCT/quantization unit 110 has many continuous 0's and therefore the RLC unit 120 outputs much less data items than 64 for 32 clock cycles when a data item is an 8×8 block.
The variable length code generation unit 130 receives and outputs two data items at each clock cycle in operation 230. That is, the variable length code generation unit 130 refers to the VLC table 140 while taking the output data of the RLC unit 120 as input symbols, and then outputs the two data items, each formed with a code value and a code length corresponding to each input symbol. That is, the two data items are output at each clock cycle.
The two data items output from the variable length code generation unit 130 at each clock cycle are stored in the buffer 150 in operation 240.
Then, the bitstream packing unit 160 receives one of the data items stored in the buffer 150 at each clock cycle and outputs a continuous bitstream in operation 250. That is, since the bitstream packing unit 160 can process a maximum of one input data item at each clock cycle, and the data output rate of the variable length code generation unit 130 can be twice as high as the data input rate of the bitstream packing unit 160 at a maximum, the buffer 150 is placed between the variable length code generation unit 130 and the bitstream packing unit 160 as shown in FIG. 1.
It is a problem that the output rate of the variable length code generation unit 130 is twice as high as the input rate of the bitstream packing unit 160 in the worst case. As the quality of pictures being encoded is higher, the output rate of the variable code generation unit 130 approaches twice the input rate of the bitstream packing unit 160. In such cases, processing two data items at each clock cycle before the bitstream packing unit 160 for high-speed processing is of no use. That is, when a data item is an 8×8 blocks, though processing data items before the front end of the bitstream packing unit 160 is finished in 32 clock cycles, 64 clock cycles are needed in the worst case in the bitstream packing unit 160 and a situation where data items are idling before the front end of the bitstream packing unit 160 for 32 clock cycles takes place.

Variable length coding apparatus and variable length coding method


A method of testing a hydroelectric turbine before the turbine is installed and secured on the seabed, in order to ensure that the turbine is operating as expected, the method involving securing the turbine to a vessel and displacing the vessel through water in order to effect rotation while monitoring one or more operating parameters of the turbine.

The increased interest in environmental awareness, and a reluctance to rely on non-renewable sources of energy, has led to greater usage of renewable energy systems, e.g. solar power, wind power, thermal power, and tidal power. The latter involves the installation of turbine generators in an area of tidal flow, and converts the energy of the tides into electrical energy.
Such hydroelectric turbine generators are positioned in an area of tidal flow, such that the motion of the seawater through the generator acts on blades, resulting in rotation of a rotor within a stator. The motion of the magnets relative to the coils of the stator causes the magnetic field generated by the magnets to induce an EMF in each of the coils. These induced EMFs provide the electrical power output from the turbine generator.
Harnessing tidal energy presents significant challenges with respect to maintenance of the turbine in order to ensure continuing and efficient operation in the harsh submarine environment. The installation and decommissioning of submarine turbine generators is relatively expensive, and it is not economic to carry out regular maintenance on the various components in the system.
In addition, in order to be economically viable these turbines must be built at a large scale. As a result the turbines and associated bases/supports are large and heavy components, and require significant lifting and transport equipment in order to achieve deployment. The use of such heavy lifting equipment is normally a hazardous undertaking, and is rendered even more dangerous when this equipment is operated at sea.
The installation process is further complicated by a shortage in the market of suitable vessels and equipment to perform such work and the extreme danger of engaging divers in high tidal flow sites.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a method of testing a hydroelectric turbine before the turbine is installed and secured on the seabed, in order to ensure that the turbine is operating as expected. This will then reduce the likelihood of having to unexpectedly retrieve the hydroelectric turbine from the seabed in the event of a fault occurring, which as stated above is a costly, time consuming, and technically challenging operation.


A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a gantry having an imaging space therein, a receiving circuit that receives a magnetic resonance signal emitted from a subject arranged in the imaging space, and a bed device on which the subjected is mounted, wherein the bed device includes a top panel on which the subject is mounted, a bed support section which supports the top panel to enable moving the top panel in such a manner that the subject mounted on the top panel is positioned in the imaging space, connection ports provided on the top panel to connect signal transmission cables of RF coils which convert the magnetic resonance signal into an electric signal, and connecting unit which electrically connects the signal transmission cables with the receiving circuit through the inside of the bed support section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that receives a magnetic resonance signal emitted from a subject by a receiving coil arranged on a top panel side on which the subjected is mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus generates image data about a subject based on a magnetic resonance signal (an MR signal) detected from the inside of the subject. More specifically, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus reconstructs a magnetic resonance image (an MR image) concerning a subject arranged in a static magnetic field space based on an MR signal that is acquired by applying to the subject a gradient magnetic field that adds positional information to an excitation magnetic field (an RF magnetic field) and a static magnetic field. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus can obtain not only anatomical diagnostic information but also many kinds of diagnostic information, e.g., biochemical information or functional diagnostic information, and hence it is important in the field of diagnostic imaging today.
The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus has a gantry forming a substantially cylindrical imaging space at the center thereof. A static magnetic field coil, a gradient coil, and an excitation coil are provided on the gantry to generate a static magnetic field, a gradient magnetic field, and an excitation magnetic field in the imaging space.
The MR signal is a weak signal emitted from the subject, and receiving this signal at a position as close to the subject as possible is preferable. Therefore, when obtaining, e.g., an MR image of a head region, a cylindrical receiving coil is disposed to a top panel of a bed and the head region of the subject mounted on the top panel is inserted into the receiving coil.
Meanwhile, reconstruction of an image based on the MR signal is carried out in a signal processing section. Thus, the MR signal received by the receiving coil is supplied to the signal processing section through a cable that connects the receiving coil with the signal processing section. The cable is conventionally arranged in the imaging space of the gantry with slack to adapt to a movement of the top panel. That is, in a state where the top panel is placed outside the gantry imaging space, the cable is substantially drawn out of an opening potion of the imaging space. When the top panel is fed into the gantry imaging space, the cable is pulled into the imaging space while increasing an amount of slack in accordance with a feeding distance. Further, a side of this cable that is connected with the signal processing section is pulled toward the outside of the gantry from a substantially central part of the imaging space through the inside of the gantry, and connected with the signal processing section disposed apart from the gantry. Such a structure is known from, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-593.
According to such a conventional structure, in a state where the top panel is placed outside the imaging space, the cable is pulled to a position above the top panel outside the imaging space from the inside of the imaging space. The cable in such a state obstructs, e.g., an operation of mounting the subject on the top panel, thereby becoming a factor of a reduction in an operation efficiency or safety.
In recent years in particular, simultaneous use of a plurality of receiving coils has been demanded to collect image data in a wide range or collect image data of a plurality of regions. When using the plurality of receiving coils on the gantry in this manner, a plurality of cables connected with these receiving coils on the gantry are pulled to the outside of an image space from the inside of the imaging space, thereby further reducing the operation efficiency or safety.

RF coil and transmission line handling system for magnetic resonance imaging apparatus


A method for optimizing low threshold-voltage (Vt) devices in an integrated circuit design. The method includes identifying paths and nodes within the integrated circuit design, determining node overlap within the integrated circuit design, calculating possible solutions for addressing timing violations within the integrated circuit design, choosing a solution for addressing timing violations, inserting low Vt devices at particular nodes of the integrated circuit design, and repeating the calculated possible solutions wherein choosing a solution and inserting low Vt devices at particular nodes to address timing violations within the integrated circuit design.

The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuits and more particularly to low-threshold-voltage devices used for improving the characteristics of timing paths within an integrated circuit chip.
Known integrated circuit chips contain a large number of transistors and interconnections. Given the large number of these devices, combined with ever-increasing chip operating frequency, fullchip timing analysis and timing convergence is a challenge when designing the integrated circuit chip. This design issue becomes even more challenging because every incremental change to the integrated circuit design affects both maximum timing (often referred to as maxtiming) and minimum timing paths.
For example, FIG. 1A, labeled prior art, shows a simplified example of some of the issues relating to inserting buffers into an integrated circuit design to address minimum timing issues. More specifically, an integrated circuit design includes a plurality of sources (e.g., source 1), a plurality of destinations, (e.g., destination 1, destination 2 and destination 3). Between the sources and destinations are a plurality of nodes (designated by "x") as well as a plurality of paths between the sources and the nodes, between the nodes and other nodes and between the nodes and the destinations. With an actual integrated circuit design there are many sources and destinations and massive numbers of nodes and paths.
Each of the nodes includes an associated time slot. A time slot is a continuously repeating interval of time in which two nodes are able to communicate. When the timing at a particular node is either too fast (i.e., a signal arrives at a node before the node's time slot) or too slow (i.e., a signal arrives at a node after the node's time slot), then the node is said to have either a maximum time failure or a minimum time failure, respectively.
In known systems, buffers (e.g., buffer 1) are placed close to each of the destinations within the integrated circuit to address the minimum time failures for that particular destination. In some cases the addition of buffers might cause maxtime failures. Replacing standard threshold voltage (Vt) devices with low Vt devices is another known method of improving the characteristics of timing paths. For example, FIG. 1B, labeled prior art, shows a simplified example of some of the issues relating to inserting low Vt devices into an integrated circuit design to address minimum timing issues. However, usage of low Vt devices needs to be minimized to suppress leakage current, and an effective low Vt device replacement algorithm is required.
In integrated circuit design, timing convergence is tedious and prolonged due to the incremental nature of the timing fixes. Because buffers and low Vt devices can address a wide range of timing and electrical issues, many different types of buffers and/or low Vt devices are often used within a single integrated circuit design to address timing issues. A system that automates the process of addressing timing issues of buffers and/or low Vt devices within an integrated circuit design can reduce the design cycle for timing convergence. The algorithm implemented within the system provides a fast and efficient way to resolve timing issues.

Timing convergence, efficient algorithm to automate swapping of standard devices with low threshold-voltage devices


A measurement setup for measuring attenuation through an irregular surface of a device under test is described. The measurement setup comprises a positioning system, a reference reflector having a collection of diffuse scattering members, and a three dimensional imaging system. The measurement setup has a reference state and a measurement state, wherein respective images are taken in the different states. The imaging system is configured to compare the images taken in the reference state and the measurement state to determine the attenuation of the device under test. Further, a reference reflector as well as a method for measuring attenuation are described.

Nowadays, radar sensors are used in vehicles for observing the environment of the respective vehicle, for instance the distance to a preceding vehicle or rather the distance to a vehicle behind is observed by the radar sensors. A driver of the vehicle may be warned if a distance observed becomes too small. Typically, the radar sensors are mounted behind the front car bumper as well as the rear car bumper. Since the car bumpers are painted with a metallic paint, undesirable attenuations of the radar signals occur which are caused by the paint.
Generally, the occurring attenuation is highly dependent on the paint color, its density, its metallic content, its thickness, its mixture and so on. Thus, it is hard to control or rather to predict the resulting attenuation value of a car bumper in industrial production since each individual paint has to be examined individually.
The measurement of the attenuation is further complicated as the car bumpers typically have an irregular surface.
So far, point-like measurements are done in industrial production wherein a few singular points are investigated. The complete field of view of the radar sensors, also called radar field of view, cannot be covered by such a measurement type in a practical time. Hence, it is not possible to get a reliable overview of the attenuation of the whole car bumper.
For scientific or rather academic applications, a radio frequency sensor module can be used that is remotely placed behind the respective car bumper wherein a direct transmission measurement is performed, for instance the scattering parameter S21 obtained by a vector network analyzer is taken into account. However, these measurements are impractical in industrial production due to several facts, for instance high tolerances and the radio frequency cables that have to be extended into the inside body of the bumper.
Accordingly, there is a need for a possibility to measure attenuation through an irregular surface of a device under test such as a car bumper in a practical and cost-efficient manner so that it can be applied in industrial production of the respective device under test.

Measurement setup, reference reflector as well as method for measuring attenuation


A method of selecting a plurality of lithography process parameters for patterning a layout on a wafer includes simulating how the layout will print on the wafer for a plurality of resolution enhancement techniques (RETs), where each RET corresponds to a plurality of lithography process parameters. For each RET, the edges of structures within the simulated layout can be classified based on manufacturability. RETs that provide optimal manufacturability can be selected. In this manner, the simulation tool can be used to determine the optimal combination of scanner setup and reticle type for minimizing the variation in wafer critical dimension (CD).

In designing an integrated circuit (IC) device, engineers or designers typically rely on computer design tools to help create an IC schematic or design, which can include a multitude of individual devices, such as transistors, coupled together to perform a certain function. To actually fabricate the IC device in or on a semiconductor substrate, the IC device schematic must be translated into a physical representation or layout, which itself can then be transferred onto a semiconductor substrate. Computer aided design (CAD) tools, can be used to assist layout designers with translating the discrete circuit elements into shapes, which will embody the devices themselves in the completed IC device. These shapes make up the individual components of the circuit, such as gate electrodes, diffusion regions, metal interconnects and the like.
The software programs employed by the CAD systems to produce layout representations are typically structured to function under a set of predetermined design rules in order to produce a functional circuit. Often, the design rules are determined by certain processing and design limitations based roughly on the patternability of layout designs. For example, design rules may define the space tolerance between devices or interconnect lines.
Once the layout of the circuit has been created, the next step to manufacturing the IC device is to transfer the layout onto a semiconductor substrate. Optical lithography or photolithography is a well-known process for transferring geometric shapes onto the surface on a semiconductor wafer. The photolithography process generally begins with the formation of a photoresist layer on the top surface of a semiconductor substrate or wafer. A reticle or mask having fully light non-transmissive opaque regions, which are often formed of chrome, and fully light transmissive clear regions, which are often formed of quartz, is then positioned over the photoresist coated wafer.
The mask is placed between a radiation or light source, which can produce light of a pre-selected wavelength (e.g., ultraviolet light) and geometry, and an optical lens system, which may form part of a stepper apparatus. When the light from the light source is directed onto the mask, the light is focused to generate a reduced mask image on the wafer, typically using the optical lens system, which may contain one or several lenses, filters, and/or mirrors. This light passes through the clear regions of the mask to expose the underlying photoresist layer, and is blocked by the opaque regions of the mask, leaving that underlying portion of the photoresist layer unexposed. The exposed photoresist layer is then developed, typically through chemical removal of the exposed or unexposed regions of the photoresist layer. The end result is a semiconductor wafer coated with a photoresist layer exhibiting a desired pattern, which defines the geometries, features, lines and shapes of that layer. This pattern can then be used for etching underlying regions of the wafer.
There is a pervasive trend in the art of IC design and fabrication to increase the density with which various structures are arranged and manufactured. For example, minimum line widths (often referred to as critical dimension (CD)), separations between lines, and pitch are becoming increasingly smaller. As the scale of designs and CDs continue to decrease, resolution enhancement techniques (RET) have been employed in lithographic processing in order to achieve sub-wavelength imaging. However, each specific RET has its own advantages and limitations. Depending upon the specific RET used, a given set of features within a layout can have its resolution improved or degraded. It is up to the lithographer and/or designer to determine an optimal combination. This is difficult, because of the interaction between various RETs, and time-consuming using conventional techniques. Typically, the illuminator/numerical aperture (NA)/reticle parameter space is not fully explored, which can affect overall manufacturability. This problem is magnified by the use of aggressive RET strategies, such as dipole illumination, quadrupole illumination, and alternating phase shift masks (PSM), which can result in higher layout-RET interaction.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for an improved system and method for IC device design and manufacture.

System and method for integrated circuit device design and manufacture using optical rule checking to screen resolution enhancement techniques


3D morphological data representative of reference size models of garment brands and respective categorizing data are introduced into an information processing system. These 3D morphological data are indexed by brand names, categorizing data, and volumetric, dimensional, and angular data derived from the morphological data in order to build a database of virtual human body profiles. For selecting a suitable profile matching a consumer's body, his/her personal measurements and categorizing data are introduced into the system, either directly if they are known, or acquired by scanning only a minimum numbers of points on the customer's body in a scanning booth so as to derive these measurements. Instead of methods of the prior art defining the body profiles of the consumers per se from the general population, this method attempts to categorize the body profiles of the specific brands' reference size human models, and all offered sizes, through the brands' grading rules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for identifying virtual body profiles representing real human bodies.
2. Description of Related Art
In a number of fields there is a need to obtain three-dimensional digital data which may subsequently be used in particular to develop a virtual and/or real dummy body which is highly representative of the body of a subject under consideration.
The virtual dummy body can subsequently be used in connection with CAD systems (computer aided design/drawing).
As for the actual dummy body this may subsequently be used for the production, testing and checking of actual size prototypes.
The use of dummy bodies of this kind takes on a particular importance in the field of clothing design but also in all other fields which require a faithful representation of the body of the subject under consideration in all its diversity.
For example, International Patent Application WO 01/01235 published on 4 Jan. 2001 in the name of T. Singhal illustrates the use of digital models to make it easier to purchase a garment. A virtual image of the customer wearing the garment of their choice is generated by a computer from measurements supplied by the customer.
Another way of obtaining digital data representing a person is to acquire images of this person and digitize them.
Croyle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,652, describes a process of this kind and the system based on a video camera which is adapted to carry it out. The process in question allows the morphological data of a target population to be entered into a database and to be organized according to volumetric, dimensional and angular criteria. This database makes it possible to produce standard patterns for different categories of garments.
Sawada, U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,424 also describes a method of making clothes by recording and categorizing live models. A virtual dummy which is as close as possible to the person who is to wear the garment is developed from the data recorded and from measurements resulting from the digitization of the body of this person.
Up till now, the development of three-dimensional digital data representing the body of a subject under consideration required a "heavy" phase of digitizing the body of this subject, allowing a very large number of points (typically several thousand) to be recorded.
For example, according to Sawada's method, the customer is measured in three dimensions, both in nude and in foundation garment, at an underwear sales corner in a department store. The preferred non-contact three-dimensional measuring machine which measures the customer's body is a system called "body line scanner", or "BL scanner", described in "Automation Technology" (in Japanese), Vol. 26, No. 10, pp 56–62.
The "BL scanner" is also described in Japanese Pat. Appl. JP1121707, as well as in numerous brochures and papers from the HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS company.
It features 2,048,000 measurement points at high precision scanning or 1,024,000 measurement points at high speed scanning.
The above specifications of the "BL scanner" make clear that Sawada's method involves the use of sophisticated and expensive equipment, and takes some time.
A much simpler system allowing an individual to order a customized pattern of a garment at an affordable cost is described by Swab in U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,118. The system features an apparel design database comprising a multiplicity of individual garment design profiles. Profiles are selected according to customer's body measurements which are entered by an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a voice recognition unit or an automatic body shape scanner, or any combination of these devices. Only one thousand points may be scanned by an optical shape sensor such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,268. These data are transmitted to a remote computer in order to enable this remote computer to perform fit evaluation and to select a product having an appropriate size. Subsequently, on a monitor display, the product photograph is superimposed on the customer body image.
From the above description of Swab's system, it is clear that, due to the small amount of scanned points, only the customer's general body shape can be displayed, and that the resulting body image cannot be very appealing.
Therefore the goal of the present invention is to alleviate the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and to generate three-dimensional digital data highly representative of the body of a subject under consideration, irrespective of his/her age, sex and ethnic background, without the need for heavy digitization.

Method and apparatus for identifying virtual body profiles


Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including forming a transistor on a first surface of a device substrate, forming a hole in a second surface opposite to the first surface of the device substrate, and supplying hydrogen to a gate insulating film of the transistor from the second surface of the device substrate through the hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a transistor, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and an electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a form of a semiconductor device, a solid-state image sensor is known. Examples of a typical solid-state image sensor include a CCD image sensor and a CMOS image sensor. The solid-state image sensor of this type has a noise characteristic as a pixel characteristic. Noises of a solid-state image sensor are roughly classified into a random noise and a fixed pattern noise. Further, examples of a typical random noise include a dark current shot noise, an FD (floating diffusion) reset noise, an FD amplifier noise, and a light shot noise.
Further, causes of the noise arise from the following items (1) to (4):                (1) a deep level of a forbidden band of silicon,        (2) a thermal noise in a case where a capacitance C is charged,        (3) a level of a gate insulating film of a transistor of an amplifier that forms an FD amplifier, and        (4) a property of a photon inherent in light.
Out of those items, in a recent solid-state image sensor, a noise due to the above item (1) has become negligibly small. Further, a noise due to the above item (2) can be suppressed in a circuit. Therefore, the noise of the solid-state image sensor is caused dominantly due to the above item (3). In a case where an amount of light is large as an image-taking condition, a noise due to the above item (4) may be more marked than the noise due to the item (3).
Against such a technical background, there has been proposed a technique that reduces an interface state of a gate insulating film of a transistor formed on a device substrate of a semiconductor device by supplying hydrogen. In addition, there has been proposed a method of reducing an interface state of a gate insulating film by supplying hydrogen in order to recover Swing or Vth (threshold voltage) of a transistor in a semiconductor device having a TFT structure in which a polysilicon thin film is used or in a semiconductor device that uses an SOI substrate. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. HEI7-94746 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a technique that supplies hydrogen to a gate insulating film under a gate electrode by setting an oxide film formed on the gate electrode to be thin enough to allow hydrogen to diffuse therein. It should be noted that the TFT is an abbreviated name of a "thin film transistor", and the SOI is an abbreviated name of a "silicon on insulator".
In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, in the case where hydrogen is supplied to the gate insulating film of the transistor, various films (such as an interlayer insulating film, a barrier metal film of a wiring layer, and a diffusion prevention layer of a copper wiring) formed on an upper layer of the transistor exist as films that hinder the supply of hydrogen. Therefore, there is a problem in that hydrogen is difficult to be efficiently supplied to the gate insulating film.
In view of this, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-108769 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 2) discloses a technique of grinding or polishing a back surface of a semiconductor substrate, on a front surface of which a transistor is formed, to thin the semiconductor substrate, and thereafter supplying hydrogen to a gate insulating film of a transistor from the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Semiconductor device, method of manufacturing the same, and electronic apparatus


Percolating device, for example intended to equip a coffee machine, comprising a percolating chamber mounted in such a way that it can carry out a displacement in the vertical direction when a control handle is operated. A cap receiving a capsule of product to be infused is also displaced, when the handle is operated, towards the inside of the percolating chamber. A percolating head sliding freely inside the percolating chamber can occupy different relative positions inside the percolating chamber according to the size of the capsule loaded into the cap. A stop device makes it possible to lock the percolating head in a definite position in order to inject steam and/or water through the percolating head.

Known coffee machines generally comprise a cap intended to receive a capsule containing a dose of the drink to be infused. The cap is taken, manually or automatically, to a percolating head comprising a bored needle, which allows the injection of water and/or of steam into the capsule.
One of the disadvantages of the existing machines is the fact that it is not possible to adapt the concentration of the drink prepared as the capsules all contain the same dose of the product to be infused. The only parameter which the user can vary is the quantity of water injected into the capsule. Thus, if the user desires a concentrated drink in a cup of large capacity, he will have to use two capsules of product in succession in order to obtain the desired concentration.


Disclosed is a leveling motor, which removes a gap from a threaded portion converting a rotating force of the leveling motor into an axial feeding force to minimize a movement error and enable a leveling operation to be precisely controlled, and includes a housing, a shaft axially moving in the housing and having on an outer circumference thereof a threaded portion, a threaded pipe provided on an outer circumference of the shaft and having on an inner circumference thereof a grooved portion that corresponds to the threaded portion, and an elastic member supplying an upward elastic force to the shaft, whereby the threaded portion axially comes into close contact with the grooved portion by the elastic force of the elastic member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a leveling motor and, more particularly, to a leveling motor configured to remove a gap from a threaded portion converting a rotating force of the leveling motor into an axial feeding force, thus minimizing a movement error and enabling precisely controlled leveling operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a luxury vehicle is equipped with a headlamp leveling device to adjust an irradiation angle of a headlamp according to a change in position of a vehicle body.
Such a headlamp leveling device functions to adjust the irradiation angle of light by pushing and pulling a reflector using a predetermined drive means. Such a drive means is a leveling motor of the headlamp leveling device.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a conventional leveling motor, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged side sectional view showing a threaded portion of a shaft of the leveling motor.
A motor 10 largely includes a housing 20 receiving parts driven by electromagnetic force, a device accommodated in the housing 20 and driven by the electromagnetic force, and a shaft 11 axially moving out of the housing 20 to adjust an irradiation angle of a lamp.
An upper end of the shaft 11 protrudes upwards from the housing 20. The shaft 11 is supported in the housing 20 to be moved up and down by a threaded pipe 21.
To be specific, a threaded portion 12 is formed on a predetermined portion of an outer circumference of the shaft 11, and the threaded pipe 21 is disposed to surround an outer circumference of the shaft 11 and has a grooved portion 22 to correspond to the threaded portion 12.
If the threaded pipe 21 rotates, the screw-shaped threaded portion 12 formed on the outer circumference of the shaft 11 vertically moves along the grooved portion 22.
However, a gap (d) exists between the threaded portion 12 and the grooved portion 22. Such a gap (d) causes a movement error in an axial direction.
FIG. 2 shows the gap in detail. A root of each thread of the threaded portion 12 is in close contact with a groove. Thus, a crest of the thread is spaced apart from the groove in an axial direction. Here, if the threaded pipe 21 provides a downward feeding force for the shaft 11, a backlash occurs in proportion to a distance in which the groove is to move to come into contact with the crest of the thread.
Such a gap causes the movement error of the leveling motor, thus making it difficult to precisely control the irradiation angle of the headlamp.